November 1, 2009
· Filed under Cheap Thrills, Just Joey Bits, Living in Ames, Nesting
I actually carved pumpkins this year!!!!! I am so excited. If you know me well, you’d know that I am usually at least two weeks behind on holiday things. (Like, I still haven’t mailed Ian his birthday present….I’m a BAD mom!) And I do have Halloween cards for Ian and my sister..I bought them TWO weeks ago, but are they in the mail? (no) So anyway, it was a big deal to get the pumpkins carved before Thanksgiving! It brought back lots of good memories of carving a pumpkin with dad (Lani, where did we learn that one pumpkin was not enough?!!) I stole the kitty cat face directly from Lani’s blog and got some inspiration from some other surfing of Google images. No trick 0r treat-ers here in my apartment complex, but I am hoping some of my neighbors enjoy the jack-o-lanterns. I’ve enjoyed the Halloween lights on the balcony across the parking lot and their cute witch blowing around in the wind!
October 8, 2009
· Filed under Cheap Thrills, Just Joey Bits, Living in Ames, Nesting
Did some fall camping before it turned so chilly!
The hike-in campsites at Ledges State Park are awesome! The “hike” was only about a 3 minute walk, but you really got the feeling of being “back to nature”!
September 28, 2009
· Filed under Cheap Thrills, Just Joey Bits, Living in Ames
Some of my little mini quilts and door knob hangings are now at the Octagon Center! How exciting is that??!!
June 27, 2009
· Filed under Cheap Thrills, Just Joey Bits
I think 2009 might be the Year of the Cave for me. I’ve never been in a cave before, and this year I’ve visited two! The earth is full of a never ending maze of secrets, mysteries, and little jokes. I forget that sometimes and find myself getting bored. Shame on me!
June 10, 2009
· Filed under Cheap Thrills, Green grass, flowers and such, Just Joey Bits
A big thank you to Lani who has agreed to share her “real” garden with me this summer! I went over to check on the transplants and came home with some heavenly peonies. Have you ever buried your face in a warm, sun kissed peony? If so, you know the kind of sensual experience I’m talking about.
February 27, 2009
· Filed under Cheap Thrills
According to blogs and lifestyle news articles, we’re all dipping way back into our closets instead of going out to buy new pieces for our wardrobes. I’ve been reusing old pieces, not only for the sake of thrift, but because I can’t seem to find good replacements. But lately, I’ve really gotten into trying to make new outfits inspired by photos or inspiration boards I see on the internet. This one I call mahogany library, inspired by a board on Snippet and Ink. (Don’t get the impression I have any interest in weddings, which are featured on Snippet and Ink, I just love color and this blog plays with it better than any other I read!) The brown skirt is from Avenue, seems to be irreplaceable and I’ve worn it probably twice a week for the last NINE years! The mahogany/wine corduroy Lee shirt was a gift from my sister, the black tee shirt is a standby from Target and I made the tie especially for the outfit so it had a bookish feel! I include the shoes, very weary worn, I know, but they have been amazingly comfortable and long lasting for the last nine years too…..my first pair of Ecco shoes. Here’s a close up, and the Snippet and Ink board that inspired me. Cheap thrills, huh?!
April 23, 2008
· Filed under Cheap Thrills, Living in Ames, Nesting
One of my goals for 2008 is to pay more attention to the birds around me. Today I saw this bird, a Downy Woodpecker, I believe, just outside my door in the woods behind the apartment building. Tap, tap, tap (tappa, tappa, tappa), just that sound draws me into the trees for I know that some little avian fluffer must be there, busily excavating a bug or some sap. According to this web site, Downy Woodpeckers nest in hollow tree branches. What a cozy place to raise a little clutch of peepers!
April 23, 2008
· Filed under Cheap Thrills
I love the blog Simply Breakfast and not wanting to copy, I thought I could do some posts about lunch. Breakfast is really my favorite meal, but lunch isn’t bad! Here is a nice comfort food lunch, good old pb&j (peanutbutter and jelly), dry, crunchy, salty pretzels and a carrot for good health. To drink? A little mleko! (Polish for milk) What do you like to eat for lunch when you feel stressed?
March 12, 2008
· Filed under Cheap Thrills
The economy is trying to contract, in spite of the federal reserve bank, and along with everyone else, I am trying to do my part by spending less money. I’ve been fascinated to read in various blogs how people have just gotten fed up with too much – too much stuff, too much spending, too much eating out. In the process, I think people are rediscovering. For myself, I’ve fallen back in love with “sewing”. Not that I sew or ever sewed a lot, but it has something to do with the “idea” of sewing, that you can take an unformed piece of color and texture and turn it into something, anything, whatever you desire. My stay-at-home mother, who would have preferred to be a working mom, said that sewing was what helped her keep her sanity. She made most of my clothes until I was in my mid-20’s and I have fond memories of a lot of special outfits she made for me. This dress, designed to be worn over a plain black shift, was something she made for me after I left home. At the time, I had a hard time bringing myself to wear gray, but now, I am getting into this color. My winter decor focuses on neutrals – black, white, gray, brown with just a smidgen of red and pink, and I’ve loved hanging this special dress on my wall to remind me of mom every day. AND, it’s a free decoration! Does anyone else hang clothes on the wall to decorate?
