An Overdue Thank You!

I meant to write this up last month (I know), but never got around to it. So, a most belated, though completely heartfelt, Thank You! to Dot over at Dabbled.org. She featured the Hammerhead on her latest cluster of Halloween ideas, and was nice enough to devote an entire post to it!

I am very honored to have been included in such great company; she always has a lot of wonderful ideas, and this Halloween was no exception.


I was sorry to disappoint her this year when she asked what I had up my sleeve for this year. My four year old, who has the attention span of, well, a four year old (yes, yes, I wonder where he got it), changed his mind about 100 times before he spotted the Iron Man costume at Target two weeks before Halloween. Since the point of diminishing returns was so close this time, I decided to forgo the sweat and tears and just roll with it. We had a great time, and I finally got to put the garden to bed properly this year.

And Dome had a fun time trick or treating as a Transformer. Sigh.

Overdue, just like my library books.

Once again, I am late in posting, though better late than never, right? I should probably mention that, real life, I am one of those people that is quite easily distracted. Oooh- shiny object! I am much like a cat in that regard, though the fact that I love to eat and then curl up for a nap doesn't help. I have been known to wrestle with with yarn balls once in awhile as well, though I call that needlecraft (the end result is often the same, though).

In any case, what was I talking about? Oh yes, the forgotten blog. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and paid for with overdue library book fines (I must have paid for at least one lane by now). I cherish those stolen moments when I can wholeheartedly "create", but more often than not, the world intervenes. Two small weapons of mass destruction that I call sons, lots of home projects half completed (don't even mention the word "laundry" to me), naps- well, sometimes I just forget. I often wish that I had Dumbledore's magic Pensieve- and a wand to magically capture those wonderful thoughts that come when you don't have a moment to write them down. It always happens- idling at a stop light, making dinner- those last fading moments right before sleep. You know, that magic moment when you review your day and remember all the things that you forgot? I always seem to write my more interesting ideas while drifting off...mmmmm, naptime.

I should get myself a laptop so that I can write in bed. Yeah, and pick up some yarn while I am at it...

On a Roll...

Or, just not having any luck getting my toddler, Little Round Top, to sleep. It is after midnight, and he is still happily chattering at my feet. No crib for me, mama! Poor guy is going to be exhausted tomorrow.

So, no access to projects pics at the moment, so I though that I would give you a glimpse into my tortured artist psyche. OK, into my library account. Better? I absolutely adore my local library- as it supplies me with some of the most wonderful resources imaginable, and at absolutely no cost. Well, until I rack up the fines when I can't bear to give up one of my favorites! My favorite part- if I get a clunker (which happens more that you might think!), I can just return it- no money wasted. Better still, I have a network to request from, and they are delivered right to my local branch - quickly if I am lucky. Can't beat that.

Anyway, here is what I have checked out at the moment. No "War and Peace" for me- at least not with two little mongrels keeping me busy during every waking hour.

The Greatest Hits [sound recording] : Why Try Harder / Fatboy Slim.

We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things [sound recording] / Jason Mraz.

P.S. I Love You [sound recording] : music from the motion picture.

Garden State [sound recording] : music from the motion picture.

Last Night [sound recording] / Moby.

Born-Again Vintage : 25 ways to deconstruct, reinvent + recycle your wardrobe / Bridgett Artise, Jen Karetnick

The New Terrarium : Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature / Tovah Martin and Kindra Clin

Cottage Retreats Decorating Ideas for Every Mood / Lisa Jill Schlang.

The First 30 days : Your Guide to Any Change (and Loving Your Life More) / Ariane de Bonvoisin.

The Closer. The Complete First Season [videorecording] / Warner Bros. Television ; directed by Michael M. Robin ... [et al.]

(The Nest) Home Design Handbook : Simple Ways to Decorate, Organize, and Personalize your Place / Carley Roney and the editors of TheNest.com ; photographs by Ellen Silverman.

Yankee Magazine's Panty hose, Hot peppers, Tea bags, and More--for the Garden : 1,001 ingenious ways to use common household items to control weeds, beat pests, cook compost, solve problems, make tricky jobs easy, and save time / [book editor, Veronica Lorson Fowler].

Easy Compost : the Secret to Great Soil and Spectacular Plants / Beth Hanson, editor.

Shoestring Chic : Extraordinary Style for Less / Gail Abbott ; with special photography by Mark Scott

Where Women Create : Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women / Jo Packham.

Katie Brown Decorates : 5 styles, 10 rooms, 105 projects / Katie Brown ; photographs
by Paul Wichelo

You might say that I am on a decorating kick, but there are a few interesting garden tomes that I picked up today. Now that I know that it will actually be warm tomorrow (woo hoo!), I am going to try to get out into the garden and do some clean up. And, since I lost the eBay auction (woo hoo times two!), I am hoping to set up my "home made" worm composter in the basement, as well. I am debating the bag vs. the storage container- we will take a vote tomorrow.

Happy Living...

And one more, since I forgot!

Speaking of Freecycle, when I am not doing the "Shady Lady*" porch pick up (the safest way, sometimes- and best when I am feeling antisocial), I meet the nicest people. One of them is my junk buddy, who gamely digs through fun discards at the local reclamation/salvage shop (Construction Junction- what's your function?). Another is a wacky gal that lives in a house under a huge oak tree that Washington planted. She has one of the most amazing English Style cottage gardens that I have ever seen. I owe a large chunk of my tiny garden to her.

I met another one this week, too- met a fellow artist (though admittedly one more committed than I) and got some pretty metal lanterns for my porch. She even sent me her blog to peruse. Though I am not into scrapbooking myself (the one that I started for my wedding and honeymoon is still woefully unfinished after 6 years), she has some wonderful eye candy to look at. By happy coincidence, she had a free giveaway, too! Kismet, I say. Since I do most of my surfing late night, I haven't had a chance to take in much more than a few pages, but I have added her to my growing list of "Idea sites that I fully intend to take advantage of once my life settles down and I have time to breathe". The more the merrier!


Happy living to you.

*Shady Lady porch pick up is when I pick up things that people leave for me on their porch. I generally pick up during the day since I am home (both for safety reasons and to minimize the chances of me getting hopeless lost, which happens frequently), but when most people are at work. I sometimes get suspicious looks from unsuspecting neighbors, hence the name, but if they are anything like my own neighbors, they will get used to having strange people slinking around with odd objects. All part of the fun!