blogging — Page 29

Fabric, Updates and a Blogging Anniversary on the Horizon

February 15, 2013 at 8:22 am by Claudia

I cleaned out my craft-and-everything-else-under-the-sun closet. (And I finished shredding. Just thought I’d throw that in there.) I have a lot of fabric in wire bins, but I also found some fabric in another container. It was the fabric that I bought in San Diego a few years back. Cheery colors. Some Amy Butler fabric. And, sigh of relief, more of the blue-green print that I have used as a border on the quilt. Now I can use it for binding.

Now, please tell me this happens to you. I found some lovely fabric that I cannot remember buying. I have no memory of it at all.

firfabric

I stared at it. Was it vintage? No. But I could have sworn it was for a moment because it reminds me so much of the fabric here:

friheadboard

I had to take it to the bedroom and compare it to the headboard fabric.

Then there’s the fabric on the wicker rocker cushions:

frirocker

Which is a faded version of the same sort of print. And by the way, not long after I bought this rocker, I realized that the fabric I used to cover the piano bench is almost the same pattern as this one.

fripillow

And here’s the vintage pillow cover on the bed.

Can you tell I like big flowery prints, with red/pink flowers and green leaves?

Some updates:

• Dad is in the nursing home/rehab wing. They are trying to regulate the blood thinner before he goes home. He’s still on oxygen. His room is right next to my mother’s, which is good and bad, because he’s in there all the time. She’s used to having some quiet time. My father is a complicated, often difficult man. He’s scared right now, which ups the difficult factor and I pray each day for more patience in my dealings with him. It isn’t easy. But I need to do better.

• I mentioned a while back that I would be starting another blog, one where I helped other bloggers with their blogging problems. I did all the ground work, even developed the beginnings of a website. I got hung up when I started to think about what I would charge. And that’s where everything ground to a halt. I just don’t feel right about charging for my services right now. Yes, I’m pretty good at figuring out what might be a problem with Blogger or WordPress and I like that sort of challenge. But, my gut tells me that now isn’t the time for that. I’ve learned the hard way to trust my gut instinct and, if every time I tried to wrestle with what my fees would be, I turned away from the project, that tells me something. So, no blog fixing business. That’s not to say it won’t ever happen. It’s just not happening now. If you have a question, you’re welcome to email me and I would be happy to give you any advice that I might have.

• On Sunday, I will be celebrating 5 years of blogging. (Stop by. There might be a giveaway going on.) Since I started this blog, it has gone through all sorts of redos and updates. It took a while to find my blogging voice. It took some time to settle into what I always wanted this blog to be: a friendly place to visit where I share my life here at the cottage and on the road with you. I’ve realized over time, that though I’ve added advertising and that advertising gives me a little additional income, I’m never going to be one of the big bloggers. Nor do I want to be – simply because that would mean I have to concentrate on one thing. On one niche. Personally, that would drive me crazy and would stop me in my tracks. Always writing about decorating? Or crafting? Or gardening? Or whatever? I love all these things and love sharing them with you, but being limited to one thing is just not me. So, if being a big blogger means finding a niche, this girl ain’t going to be a big blogger. I doubt I will ever earn enough on this blog to make a significant difference in our financial life. But I’m oh so grateful for what I do earn.

With the move to WordPress last August, the blog finally became what I want it to be. I love what it is. I love all of you. I love having a conversation in the threaded comments. That, to me, has been a wonderful change for the better. I’ve accepted the fact that I really don’t care about SEO or all the myriad tips out there for building your blog. My eyes glaze over. I. Don’t. Care. Because that stuff takes any joy out of blogging for me. And this blog is and must remain a joyous endeavor for me. That’s why I do it.

I have settled into who I am as a blogger. It took me a long time to do that in my personal life. But finding that truth about myself helped me to find the truth about this blog.

Anyway, I’m glad you’re here. I treasure your friendship. I value your advice. I thank you.

Happy Friday.

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Tinkered Treasures – the Book!

February 11, 2013 at 7:30 am by Claudia

I’ve been blogging for almost five years (next week) and early on, I met Elyse Major, who blogs at Tinkered Treasures. We became friends. Over time, we’ve done a swap, we’ve emailed back and forth, we’ve talked on the phone, and we’ve given each other presents and advice and encouragement. We were lucky enough to meet each other 3 years ago, almost to the day, when I was in Providence on business.

elyseandme

We had brunch together and it was as if we had known each other forever. If I hadn’t had to be at a rehearsal, we could have talked all afternoon. Elyse is a wonderful writer. She is also a tinkerer, making charming and wonderful things from simple, everyday items you can find around the house or at your local craft store – always in her distinctive Elyse-style. She has always had a dream to write professionally – and she does. You’ll find her byline in many of your favorite decorating magazines. Now, she has realized another dream – to have a book published.

Cico Books graciously sent me a copy of Elyse’s new book, Tinkered Treasures, to review.

elysebook

Elyse describes her transformations as ‘tinkering’ because there is a sense of play involved. Tinkering is about “leaving behind any worries of perfection and appreciating the flaws. Tinkering is about making a little time to add playful details to your life.” If you’ve seen any of Elyse’s creations, you’ve seen that playful spirit. I’ve been the recipient of many Elyse creations. Here are a few:

elysemytreasures

The tinkered can? Adorable and on page 60 in the book under the heading Desk Tidy.

elyseclothespins

The clothespins? I have many and I love them. On page 28.

elyseclothespindoll

This adorable clothespin doll? Page 30.

By now you’re getting a sense of Elyse’s whimsical, sweet, and refreshingly down-to-earth style. That style is beautifully realized in the design and layout of the book, with charming illustrations and clear, easy-to-read directions for each project.

elysebookpage

elysebookpage2

What can I say? It’s a wonderful book. These are easy-to-make projects. Fun projects. Elyse has been making these tinkered treasures for a long time – offering them in her Etsy shop, sending them to a friend just because, all the while playfully creating things from clothespins, cans, fabric scraps, jars.

I love it when I see a book of this type that is so true to the author’s sense of style. There’s not a false note. And I love it even more when someone who has a long-held dream makes that dream come true. I couldn’t be happier for my friend. And I can honestly highly recommend this wonderful, tinkered-treasure-filled book. It’s available on Amazon and is being officially published on February 14th.

elyseflyleaf

There she is. Doesn’t she look pretty? And happy? Hurrah, Elyse! And hurrah for anyone fortunate enough to buy this book. You will love it.

Happy Monday.

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Sunday Bookmarks

November 25, 2012 at 10:46 am by Claudia

I don’t know about you, but I frequently discover something I find interesting while browsing the web and I bookmark it. It’s a handy way of remembering blogs and articles and interesting web sites. The problem? I have way too many bookmarked sites and I usually have to go through them periodically and delete those sites I no longer have any interest in. Housecleaning. Or Laptopcleaning (I’ve coined a new word.)

Here are some sites you just might like:

My new favorite blog: Aunt Peaches. Aunt Peaches is a crafter; in fact, her byline is “The Citizen Kane of Craft Blogs.” She is talented, a great photographer, creative and irreverent. And I love me some irreverence. She also uses the occasional cuss word and that makes me love her more. Note: In my daily life, I can bandy about a cuss word or two or three with the best of ’em. I discovered Aunt Peaches via She Posts, another site you might like. She Posts highlighted one of her posts and I clicked over to read it. Two hours later, I had read most of her archives. That’s how much I like her. Bookmarked.
Adele singing the theme to the new James Bond movie, Skyfall. Gorgeous. Haunting. Bookmarked.
These stoves are such a neat idea and the company behind them has been passing them out to some of the homeowners who suffered such devastation during Hurricane Sandy. Bookmarked.
I’ve been reading this blog, Pinch of Yum, for a while now. The authors, Lindsay and Bjork, share yummy recipes with their readers. But the neatest thing, at least to me, is the monthly Income Report. Bjork breaks down the figures and shares just how they earn money from their blog. For those of us trying to earn a little income from our blogs, this is valuable information. By the way, they donate much of that money to charity. Bookmarked.
Have you seen these blogs? The Pyrex Collective I, The Pyrex Collective II, and The Pyrex Collective III? Oh goodness! If you love Pyrex, and I have to admit I have a real hankering to begin a collection, you will love these blogs. Posts are written by a group of bloggers who love their Pyrex. Bookmarked. Bookmarked. Bookmarked.
My friend Steve, of An Urban Cottage, sent me this link. This will take you to an incredible, and that doesn’t really begin to cover it, dollhouse in the Greek Revival style made by hand. You must see it. And you must visit Steve, if you haven’t already, because he has the most wonderful house that he is restoring and it’s in Cambridge, MA, my old stomping grounds. Bookmarked.
I saw this Tumbleweed Tiny House when perusing my email and I fell in love with it. This particular tiny house is a bit bigger than some but still small. And Charming with a capital C. I love the way it’s been decorated. Amazing. Bookmarked.

I hope you enjoy these links on this Sunday. It’s a cold, windy day here in the Northeast and I’m sitting here wearing my flannel pajamas, wrapped in a shawl. We had another sleepless night last night. Enough already, I say. I’m staying in, doing some crocheting (shop update tomorrow) reading and job hunting.

Happy Sunday.

Fabric, Updates and a Blogging Anniversary on the Horizon

Tinkered Treasures – the Book!

Sunday Bookmarks

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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