To Blog or Not to Blog

Well, after several years of pseudo-blogging (many thanks to the faithful few that have found and followed my posts), I'm taking the opportunity to attend a real class on blogging at Whatcom Community College.  Dawn Groves is our very capable and animated guide and I'm reminded of the original passion I felt when I started my journey into the blogosphere.  There is so much that can be done with a blog....even for the techno-challenged.  Community building is something that has been lacking in my blogging.  Twitter, affiliate marketing, back links, video, widgets--all so very exciting.

Letting Go

Summer is over.  Time, once again, for letting go of the anticipated days of warmth and beauty....time for embracing whatever winter brings.  Time to catch up on artistic projects.  Time to curl up with books.  Time to learn new skills, indulge in hot soup and warm bread and watch romantic movies.  I'll hold those thoughts for the next 5 months. 

Hot, Hot, Hot

While most of the U.S. has been suffering a long, hot summer, we here in the Pacific NW have been complaining of our numerous unseasonably gray days....until this past weekend.  That's why we live here...for the 2 days in a row of hot weather.  Today it's raining....but it's a warm rain. 

Cupcakes

With the mist lifting in my early-morning brain, I realize that today is my birthday.  Truly significant only to me and my mother, but Darth seems quite excited when I share that information with him....but then  Darth seems excited with just about anything I say.  Note to self, spend more time with Darth.  Having a summer birthday isn't as disappointing as it was in my grade-school years.  With school being out, there were no cupcakes to share with the class.  Over the years, I've learned to make my own fun and have adopted a personal birthday WEEK.  Let the party begin!

Little bundles of creativity

My earliest recollection of being interested in artistic endeavors was in first grade.  I was not an artistic whiz-kid.  Coloring inside the lines was not my strong suit, which caused me much angst.  My very wise mother kept the art supplies available and I kept trying to do something with them.  I'm so very glad my granddaughters are loving the creative process as well.  A new chalk-board door in my kitchen is decorated with wonderful designs that only children can think of.  Every grandmother should have one.  Priceless. 

Chalkboard paint (available in spray or brush-on applications) from Home Depot.

The not-so-lazy days of summer

I still have very fond memories of childhood summers.  Life seemed to pass in slow motion.  Our Whatcom County Library book mobile would park at the top of our driveway every other week and I can still remember the magical feeling I got inside that vehicle.  It was so quiet, the sun always seemed to stream down through the little sky light, and there were all those books to chose from.  Fast forward several decades...let's just say life is different.   

Faux Splash

With the arrival of my high school reunion and a high school classmate came the need to "feng shway" my house a bit, so that it looked merely lived-in, as opposed to ransacked.  I've always loved tile back splashes, but being too lazy to learn how to do tile work for myself, I've looked for more painterly ways to achieve the look of tile.  This is my latest attempt, which involved wood burning, acrylic paint on pine with a couple of real tiles rescued from a family member's remodel.... what's not to love about aqua tile?  The bathroom walls were painted bright-need-sunglasses white.  Periwinkle bath mat and towels.  Sort of Cape Cod-ish I think.  I'm thinking I should have company more often.