Bottles, bottles, bottles

I love bottles. All colors, all sizes, and shapes. And wine bottles seem to just be classy. I had an idea to sort of revamp a wine bottle (of the cheap grocery store variety) a few weeks ago, and it didn't work out quite like I thought. I wanted more to practice on, and it just so happens that my sister's fiance works at a classy sushi place, and can get me all sorts of bottles! I came home one night to a kitchen full of them! These bottles in my fireplace (which I do think look so pretty!) are only about half of the ones he brought me. So now, I'm reworking my idea, and trying to maintain the unique integrity of these bottles, which have much prettier surfaces and labels than my cheap one.

So I think this week will be bottle week. I have a few picked out that I want to work on, and pictures of ones I have already done, and I'm eager for feedback! Here we go....

Love Poems

'Cause every Valentine's Day needs them...(Paul wrote me one while we were at the Valentine's Symphony!)

The World is Not a Pleasant Place to Be

by Nikki Giovanni

The world is not a pleasant place

to be without

someone to hold and be held by

A river would stop

its flow if only

a stream were there

to receive it

An ocean would never laugh

if clouds weren't there

to kiss her tears

The world is not

a pleasant place to be without

someone

It's de-lightful, it's de-licious, it's de-lovely....

Today, I survived three Valentine's Day parties at work...candy hearts, bouncing balls, and screaming children and all! So to celebrate, a few of my own Happy Heart's Day festivities (though a little more low key!)

One of the vases I'm working on. This one actually says, "P.S. I love you" but you can't see the other side.

Red fingernails and glitzy jewelry is a must!

The paper button valentine's I made for my special ed kids.

Cupid cookies. My momma's sugar cookie recipe with almond icing.

Bursts of color....

“And then my heart with rapture fills, and dances with the daffodils.” – William Wordsworth.

I’ve long found beauty in the ordinary; magazine pieces cut out and glued there, just so, or coffee mugs arranged in a row on my counter, or autumn leaves falling haphazardly on my windshield as I drive home from work, spattering their last bit of sunshine into my day. And I must say, childish as it sounds, those little moments, those little glimpses of beauty have always caused me to dance inside (and sometimes the dancing doesn’t stay so inside….) And I always thought I was strange, until I met Wordsworth. Who also seemed to find pure delight in the obviously ordinary.

And it was pointed out to me recently, that I’m not so alone – there are lots of people just like me. Jack-of-all-trade artists whose pursuits are not as clearly defined as some, but who nonetheless create wonderful things and bring color to the world. Dabblers in joy. And there is a whole network of these people – they blog!

These blogs have been such a burst of color for me this gray, drab winter, so I’ve decided to join them. I am going to be a blogger – and what an excellent idea! To have a place to express all that delights me, to share ideas with others, and hopefully offer at least a little inspiration, so that even if only my husband and mom read this, I’ll have enjoyed my experience here. :)

And what better time to start than the week of Valentine’s? When the rest of the world appears to be smitten by the same fairy dust of love and beauty that fuels me?

So to all who might join me on this journey of documenting the beauty of words, creation, art, or who are here to share crazy ideas , patterns, recipes – here we go!