Love Letters

Are you Pinterested?

Are you familiar with ?

It is my current favorite way to explore the web and find tons of new things to look at and learn about... just what I need, I know... I'm already pretty scattered as far as things I love to do!

This is from my bulletin board "Four-legged friends" and it was originally posted at Gibson King.

How darling is that?!?

This little gem was originally posted at Your Daily Dose.  

Seriously, could this be any cuter?

And this very pretty and unusual advent calendar treatment is from Teresa Collins.

Really nicely done, right?!?

 

So these are just a few of the finds on Pinterest, a virtual bulletin board where you can post or "repin" images you find that you like.  It really is a terrific way to find beautiful images you might not otherwise happen upon, and you know how one thing can lead to another and to another and to another, right?  I just wish I'd been the one to come up with this outstanding idea!  

 

Now, go  something and have fun!

Tribute to summer past...

This little bouquet of flowers came from my garden yesterday where I was working with my husband to do some cleaning up and replanting of potted perennials... it's quite precious to me, especially since it's the last one I'll have from this year's garden.  Pretty much all of July was so blasted hot this year, that I lost enthusiasm and didn't water the garden like I should've, so from then on it's looked kind of dismal.  Perhaps that's why this little bouquet tickled me so!  

I hope your day is wonderful and thank you for stopping by! 

Such a nice visit!

Our son Tim was home this past weekend with his girlfriend, Caitlyn, and we had a blast seeing them! The photo below was taken at the Royal Oak Brewery, Saturday afternoon, during the Michigan vs. Purdue game.  In the background is a man who played the UM fight song after each time Michigan scored, on his BAGPIPES!!!

 Too cool! SUCH a nice visit!!!  

We played three hands of Gin Rummy, & Cait won, it was a tough loss for both Tim & I.

Bagpipe man, circled in red, below...

Fun find in downtown Royal Oak...

While walking Bubba the other evening, we spied this darling chalk drawing on the side of our Credit Union...

This is SO charming!  And I have no idea who did the work or why, but I sure do appreciate the talent! These two "bank customers" definitely brightened up my day!

These apps are terrific eye candy!!!

Hey there!  Long time, no see... and I apologize!!!  I've been working waaaaaaaay too hard lately, but that's another story for another day.  I came here today to show you my newest favorite iPhone apps... my newest way to waste a ton of time and garner new ideas at the same time!

These are the icons for a set of four apps from gawkerverse, and I am in love with these sites!  I personally enjoy the craftgawker and the dwellinggawker sites the most, but there's plenty of great stuff to look at on all four sites.  An android app is in the works, so hang on my android friends, help is on its way!!! 

I'm thinking there is a great need for graphicdesigngawker (kinda long, gonna have to work on that one), and perhaps calligraphygawker... hmmm... the possibilities are endless!!!  

Have fun and...          GO MAKE SOMETHING!!! :D

Flickr Photomontage

If you haven't seen this fun site, you've got to check it out!  It's called Big Huge Labs and that's where I made this:

How fun is that?!?  I've made a similar grid of images in Photoshop, but this was really quick and easy, and not everyone works in Photoshop... so be sure to visit the site, it's free, but they welcome donations, too.  And thanks to Hanna for information on how she made her grid, which you can view at her wonderful site, iHanna. Have a happy weekend, NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING! 

Jaume Plensa, sculptural artist...

This is a sculpture similar to the Jaume Plensa sculptures at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan that I saw this past Saturday.  Plensa's work at the FMG is actually three human figures, each sitting atop a huge stone, with letters "falling" around the bottom of each figure in random formation.  The sun catches on individual letters depending on the sun's angle and the plane of the letter face and it is magnificent.  

If you have the chance to see the Meijer Gardens, do not miss it... it is a gem of a destination in our beautiful state!

"The focal point of Plensa’s work is the universality of humankind through the context of public sculpture and installation, which can be seen in dozens of permanent works around the world,” said Joseph Becherer, Director of Exhibitions and Curator of the Sculpture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.“His work is significant for Meijer Gardens because it directly addresses the connection between art and life, and how each fit within the natural world.” 

Best known in America as the creator of Chicago’s iconic Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, Plensa is one of the most innovative and profound public artists on the contemporary art scene. This exclusive presentation centers on Plensa’s distinct interpretation of the human form and use of text, through eight sculpture installations and 18 drawings, many of which never before seen in the United States.

About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
The 132-acre Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which currently serves more than a half-million visitors annually, features Michigan's largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children’s gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens; carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; the Midwest's most comprehensive sculpture experience featuring internationally-acclaimed works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Moore, Rickey, di Suvero and others; indoor galleries with changing sculpture exhibitions, as well as a 1750-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer, café and gift shop.  For additional information, please visit www.meijergardens.org

(from http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Jaume_Plensa.html)

Chihuly Beauty in Western Michigan

Finally!  I made it to see the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit at the Frederik Meijer Gardens ouside Grand Rapids, in western Michigan... it was awesome, amazing, breathtaking, and magical... I don't know enough adjectives to adequately describe the exhibit, the majority of which was installed outside. Tomorrow is the last day for the exhibit and I'm annoyed with myself that I waited until nearly the last minute to see it... it is such a beautiful exhibit I might have wanted to see it again, at a different time of day, and prepared better for taking photographs.  

 

             

(image thanks to http://www.artknowledgenews.com/)

 

 

 

By Emily Zoladz, AP

The Dale Chihuly exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Mich., features chandeliers, glass towers and floating spheres.

 

Afterwards, my girlfriend Yvonne and I drove like crazy to reach Lake Michigan before the sun went down, and reached the lakeshore just as the gigantic hot pink ball of flame touched the very edge of the water on the horizon.  We had a terrific meal at the Bil-Mar restaurant in Grand Haven, and I just got home.  It was a really terrific road trip for a couple of gals who love art, the outdoors, and spontaneous acts of sheer fun!  

 

Oh, and Happy Halloween!!! (photo courtesy of MOCAD, Detroit)

 

Moo to you and you and you!!!

I'm pretty sure I've oohed and aahhed over Moo cards in the past, and I'm going to do it again!  In case you weren't aware of them, Moo cards are the coolest thing to happen to business cards EVER!  

The first time I spied a Moo card, I was on a house tour and was in the home/condo/working space of a local photographer.  On her entry way console was a stack of tiny little cards with different photos of wedding scenes that caught my attention.  I HAD to have one!  The texture was delicious and the photo quality was superb, and on the back, in tiny little letters was all of this photographer's contact information.  STUNNING!!! Well, little did I know I was looking at my first Moo card! (I'm really sorry I don't still have it to show you!)

Here is an example, though, of someone else's cards with ribbons attached:

                                                            
 
 
 

Well, just in case you've never seen a Moo card, I'm going to tell you that you have!  My entire banner is made up of my Moo cards!!!  How cool is that?!??!  I wish you could feel the texture... ok, I know, I'm a bit of a texture nut, but these cards are really beautifully made... and it's SO much fun to pull out five or six cards, each with a different image, and let the recipient choose which one they want!  Inevitably, someone will ask me if they can have more than one, because they can't decide on just one!  

Moo cards are a wonderful way to showcase your talent or your passion, or both!  I've included them in cards and letters, I've used them as a gift tag so the recipient will know who it's from, and I've used them as a price tag/business card on my jewelry I sell.  

Probably what is the most fun, is uploading your own pictures and images and designing your own Moo cards.  I doubt anyone has ever had that much fun choosing a business card at a printer's shop or stationery store or even on line at some other boring site.  My last order was for 100 cards, using 20 different images (so five of each design), all for $19.99 plus shipping.  Is this beginning to sound like an ad for Moo cards?!?  Well, it sort of is... that's how much I love my Moo business cards.   

I hope you will visit Moo's site and give it a try.  I promise you won't be disappointed in the experience or in the final product.  And I hope you'll let me know if you order Moo cards of your own, I'd love to receive one in the mail and send you one of mine!  

xoxo, 

PS:  We have a kitty named Moo, and no, we didn't name him after the company!  My daughter Corey named him Moo for reasons I still don't understand, but have come to love anyway! (He is one silly little guy, always doing something funny!)

 
      

Weekend in New Orleans...

I had the privilege of spending last weekend in New Orleans, with my nephew Rusty and his lovely wife Shellie, to celebrate their little girl, Brynn's first birthday... I now understand what people say about being a grandparent.  I'm much too young to be a grandma yet, but this experience might have been the closest to heaven I can remember in a long time.  

 

This little girl has stolen my heart... my children are very special to me, and I loved them as babies, no question... but being a young, new mom, is no picnic; and it is definitely not for the faint of heart.  I don't think I could handle the anxiety now, that I experienced then.  But being a faux grandma... WOWIE!!! 

I can't wait to see Brynn again, and I promise to never, ever roll my eyes or become impatient when a grandparent wants to show me photos or brag about their little darling, again.  I GET IT!!!

PHOTO CREDIT: RUSTY LAUGHLIN, PROUD FATHER