Watery Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!!

Are you tired of seeing beautiful ocean photos?  If you are then hold on for one more post and I will try to find other water photos.  Very soon I will be able to show you some amazing photos of our river breaking up, the ice formations, etc.  North Dakota had a lot of snow this Winter and that will cause the Red River to rise dramatically as it flows into Lake Winnipeg!  The Red River flows North into Canada and I thought only good things came out of the USA!  Good things like ME!  Yes, I am an American citizen, I was born in the state of Washington, right on the coast.  Now you know why I love the Washington coastline SO much!

Back to Whidbey Island.

The next three were taken at Fort Casey.

You can see my sweet little sister Sue down on the beach there.  Thanks so much for all of your sweet comments from last Friday's post.  My sisters are my very best friends.  We have been through a lot together and we all love the Lord first and foremost, so we have a great deal more in common than parentage.

I will be joining in Watery Wednesday once again.

Have a beautiful Wednesday.  We have another glorious sunny day ahead of us here!

See you in April!

Hugs,

~What I Made~

Hello my friends, I hope your Monday is going well.  Mine has been busy, I wanted to get this posted this morning, but life gets in the way sometimes.  I had to go get groceries while I had the chance.  We are a one car family, strange, I know!

I have been yearning after some of the gorgeous dresses that I have seen on line, but cannot find in any of our stores.  I found three Simplicity patterns though, and I have made two dresses so far and another is still in the works.

This one is Simplicity #2473.

I got the idea for the flower on the Shabby Apple website.

I may change the center of it.  It is made out of organza, I pleated it using the iron and sewed it onto a piece of felt and glued a fastener onto that.

This one Simplicity #2308.

The yoke is very plain, so I made a small ruffle and sewed it onto it.  But, I will have to modify it.  I had to make my own belt, because I cannot find a navy belt in any of the stores I have been in so far.  The other pattern that I have found is Simplicity #2360.  I am hoping to show that one to you next week. 

You have probably noticed that I haven't been visiting you as often as I had been, well...these dresses are why.  It took me a day and a half per dress, I'm not very speedy, I'm afraid.

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,

~Saratoga Inn~

Thank you to all of you who wished me "Happy Birthday" on Tuesday.  I had a wonderful birthday.  My son and his wife made a delicious dinner for me, they served barbecued salmon, wild/brown rice mixed and asparagus with a special lemon/butter sauce that was scrumptious!  It was a truly a delectable delight!  My birthday cake was  an orange cake, served with decaf coffee.  Mm-mm, it was all very delicious.  Their gift to me was tickets for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.  Christian singer/songwriter Steve Bell and his band are performing with them.   

I am blessed to have such thoughtful children.

Three years ago I celebrated turning 50 and my kids had a big party for me and my oldest two came up with a really special surprise for me.  It was a trip to beautiful Whidbey Island, with two nights at the Saratoga Inn in Langley, Washington, with my two sisters.  We had not spent any time together, just the three of us, since 1972.

Saratoga Inn Website

We had a large suite over the carriage house, seen below.

Saratoga Inn website

 

And yes, a view of the ocean!

Saratoga Inn website

The dining area was a lovely area where we could relax and chat while we ate our very delicious breakfast.

Saratoga Inn website

Saratoga Inn website

The accommodations are really lovely.

My sisters.

Langley is a very sweet little town.

Langley, WA.

This was in March and there were lots of pretty flowers already.

Bethany helped me blog out the candles at my party.

This was our family three years ago, the little ones have grown so much.  The three young ladies are my girls and the two little ones belong to my oldest daughter, who is standing to my right, and her husband.  Thanks for joining me as I reminisced about this very fun time.


Today is sunny and bright and Spring is definitely in the air, I really hope it is the same for you, too!


Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Hugs, 

~Celebrate Spring~

Fair Spring! whose simplest promise more delights
Than all their largest wealth, and thro' the heart
Each joy and new-born hope
With softest influence breathes. 

                             Anna Lætitia Barbauld

Spring!  Such a lovely word!  Today I am celebrating Spring.  I want to show you what I am doing around my house to welcome Spring and bring a bit of color in, too.

Outside everything is still covered in snow.

 The snow is not on the roof any longer, but other than that, this is what it looks like here in the Spring time 2011.

 But, inside a blush of pink has been showing up here and there.

To add a bit of color to my table, I simply made a runner to go crosswise.  It didn't take much fabric, but it makes an impact, nevertheless.

I love the little statues of the praying woman and man on the mantel.  Prayer is the Christians most important resource.

March the 22nd is a significant day for me...it's my birthday!  I love the date block that my daughter, Carolyn gave me.  It sits beside a vintage nut meat chopper, and on top of a vintage enamelware box.

Hope your day is wonderful!!!

I am joining A Delightsome Life today for a "Celebrate Spring" party!  Get your party hat on and come on over.

Hugs,

Cottage Love

Good morning, my friends.

Have you had the opportunity to discover Mias Landliv, yet?

Mia lives on a smallholding in Norway with her husband, two cats, some sheep and a few hens. She blogs about country living, her garden, home, decorating and patchwork projects.  She crochet's and knits beautifully, too.

I asked her a few weeks ago if I could show a few of her photos and she so graciously gave me permission.  So here it is:

Isn't her cottage kitchen adorable?

Did you see the chandelier?

 

I love the colors that she uses, she has a way of putting it all together so prettily. 

Isn't this wonderful?!?!?

 

And now the bedrooms.

Aren't her colors wonderful? 

As we close the door and look back at Mia's country cottage we see this.

Thank you, dear Mia for allowing us to see your precious little home.  To see more of her eye-candy go over to Mias Landliv and tell her that I sent you.

Have a lovely weekend.

Hugs, 

Watery Wednesday

I love the ocean, so my Wednesday posts have mostly included ocean waters lately.  

These were taken on the way to Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, where the ferries leave the mainland of BC and head over to Victoria and Nanaimo.  I have a feeling some of you have been here.  I took these in September two and a half years ago, just before we moved from BC to Manitoba.

The evening light is so beautiful, don`t you think.  I hope you enjoyed the photos.

Once again, I am joining Watery Wednesday.

Have a good day!

Hugs, 

~Hello, Who's Calling~

I ran to Value Village for a few minutes on Saturday, after the worst blizzard that I have ever seen, I think.  And what to my wandering eyes did appear?  But a vintage telephone for only $5.99.  Someone had tried to make a lamp out of it so it has a hole down through the handset through to the body of it.

I have no idea how old it is, do you have any idea?  I have been looking for one for quite some time now, so I am thrilled with it!

My simplified mantle with a touch of Spring.  I found two limbs that were similar and then glued fauxe apple blossoms on them.  The chalk lines are still showing in the brick, I suppose I should clean them out.  

I don't think I'm liking this arrangement.

There, this is much better.

 The Norman Rockwell print is from March 1942, I believe.  I am removing all of my Winter decor little by little, are you?  Or have you done it already? 

Have a beautiful Monday, my friends.

Hugs,