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A Favorite Thing #34

April 26, 2013 at 8:00 pm by Claudia

Welcome to A Favorite Thing, week 34. I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. As I write this, I am suffering from a bad old sinus headache. I won’t say it’s a migraine because I know a true migraine is horrendous, but nevertheless, it’s a pain in the tush. (Or head.) So, I hope you will excuse me when I don’t link up my favorite thing for this week. I can’t get it together to look back in files for a photo.

Let’s look at some highlights from last week.

Clara, from Redeemed Junk and Stuff, shared her newly created idea board. I just love that pop of red against the blue of her walls. Those ribbons you see are ribbons Clara won for her quilts!

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Laura, of I’m So Vintage, shared this photo of her granddaughter. She is being pushed by her mom. Look at the delight and love in her eyes as she keeps her eyes on her mom’s face. Oh my.

Reve d'Or

Dottie, of It’s Just Dottie, shared a lovely post about Quiet Joys – one of which is this beautiful rose.

As always, thank you for sharing your favorites every week. I’m so glad you’re here.

Now, it’s your turn!

You can link up anytime from this evening through Sunday. Make sure you enter the URL of your post. If you’re unsure how to do that, just click on your post title after you’ve published it and copy the information in your browser address window. Come back here, paste the URL into your link entry and there you go! If you have any problems, drop me an email and I’ll help you out. Please link back to this blog on your post. That way, those that read your post and are interested in reading more can do so.

One of my concerns about link parties is that the very reason for them has somewhat gone by the wayside. They’ve become so big and there are so many of them that many bloggers don’t take the time to visit any of the other participants. Link parties are a way to meet new bloggers and share with each other and the only way to do that is to visit each other. So, please, take some time to visit everyone over the next few days. No rush. Stop by, introduce yourself, and leave a comment. It’s the neighborly thing to do. It’s also nice if you leave a comment here, as well.

Enjoy!

Working, Missing and Allergy-ing

April 26, 2013 at 7:55 am by Claudia

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These trees, surrounding the gorgeous arch, are budding and leafing out.

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These trees are full of flowers.

Gorgeous, aren’t they?

They, along with the pollen that is flying around these windy streets, are making me miserable. Oh lord, are my allergies out of control! This morning I woke up with a stuffed up head, watery eyes, and a general feeling of yuckiness. I’ve always wondered why something so beautiful, so long wished for, so renewing, can cause such havoc in my sinuses.

Doesn’t seem fair, does it?

After today, I will have met with every member of the cast once and some twice. What a nice and talented group of actors! They are a pleasure to work with. I find that most actors are that way. Very seldom do I have trouble with an actor. The key to working successfully with an actor is to understand the way he or she works and gently but firmly guide that actor by giving him/her all the tools needed to give a full, rich performance. Equally important is knowing when to back off. At some point, some actors will not want many notes and will need to put it all together without interference. Other actors want all the notes I can give them right up through opening night. In the end, it is never about me. It’s about being of service to the actor and the director and the production. I think the fact that I was an actor helps me in all this. In all modesty, I think I handle this particular balance well. I know that is one of the reasons Darko likes working with me.

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The night before last, I woke in the early morning hours and then went back to sleep. I had all sorts of crazy dreams that left me unsettled. I must have dreamed about Scout because I woke up feeling so homesick and all I wanted to do was to nuzzle my face into hers, to breathe in her scent. I miss my girl so much that I feel a constant ache inside me.

Last year at this time, I was here and Scout and Riley were back home. Riley was declining and I worried about him all the time. And when I returned, I spent all my time taking care of him for the next 3 months. Oh, how I wish he was still with us. That sweet boy with the gentle brown eyes. I can still remember the feel of his hair, the way he liked me to stroke his face, the way he licked my hand. I’d give anything to have him back.

Sorry. I feel sadness coming over me at times, fueled, no doubt, by being away from my home and my loved ones. And memories can suddenly come out of nowhere that overwhelm me, that stop me short. I miss my boy.

You never get over the loss of a beloved family member.

Ah well. I have some coaching to do this afternoon. This morning, I am borrowing a company car and driving to the suburbs where I will quickly run into Joann’s and buy some Polyfil. And some elastic thread, which I just realized I need for Maggie Rabbit’s dress. To those of you who offered to send me some Polyfil, my heart is warmed by your generosity. Blogging has brought such wonderful people into my life. Such a sweet gift you are.

Happy Friday.

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Teeny Tiny Gardening

April 25, 2013 at 8:55 am by Claudia

My friend Elyse wrote a book and I wrote about it in this post. Her publisher, CICO Books (based in London) which is an imprint of Ryland Peters & Small, Ltd, did such a beautiful job of presenting her projects that I was greatly impressed. To my great delight, CICO has asked me to review some of their books from time to time. Recently, they sent me a copy of Teeny Tiny Gardening by Emma Hardy.

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Oh my stars! The cover photo shows one of the delights to come: Egg Shell Gardens.

The tag line after the title is “35 step-by-step projects and inspirational ideas for gardening in tiny spaces.” I fell in love with all of them. So many of us are pressed for space nowadays, whether we live in apartments or have postage stamp-sized gardens. We want to garden, but how do we do it in the space we have? Emma Hardy provides us with all sorts of wonderful ideas.

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Why not use a vintage tin? Isn’t this delightful?

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Or plant some succulents in old drawers? Be still my heart. I really love this idea. The mix of weathered wood, stones and the wonderful texture of succulents speaks to me. I have some old sewing machine drawers that would be perfect for this project.

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This type of stand is everywhere nowadays – whether it is in the form of a cupcake stand or a tiered basket. Adding some moss and some flowers makes for a stunning display.

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Or you can make a Vertical Garden by using one of those vintage wooden soda pop boxes.

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Why didn’t I think of this? I have a jadeite green colander that I’m not using. Perfect for a hanging plant, with ready made drainage holes.

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I’ve had my eye on this cart from Ikea for a while. But I never thought of filling it with herbs. If you want a little kitchen garden, this might be for you. I can see it on a balcony or right outside the kitchen door.

The author provides a list of all materials needed and easy to read, step-by-step directions. I love clear directions. And there is always a tip or two included.

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I love the way this book is designed. The layout is charming and the photos are stunning. There is, like there was in Elyse’s book, a signature series of illustrations that are shown throughout the book. In this case, there are lovely drawings of spades and hoes and watering cans and flowers on the endpapers that reappear on the project pages. That design element ties the whole book together rather nicely and adds a whimsical touch.

The projects that Emma Hardy has chosen to highlight are completely doable. Nothing is too complicated. Everything is beautiful. If you want to be a gardener but claim you have no space, think again! You can find space. For those of us who are gardeners but want to add visual interest to our patios or porches or decks, look no further.

Teeny Tiny Gardening by Emma Hardy is published by Cico Books at £14.99 and is available from Cico Books. It’s also available stateside at your local bookstore or through Amazon.

I think you’ll really enjoy this little treasure. To be completely honest, I can’t stop looking at it. It’s that delightful.

I’m off to get ready for rehearsal. More one-on-one coaching today. And as to the missing Polyfil, downtown Hartford, though charming, doesn’t have many shops and there are definitely no fabric or crafting shops. I either have to borrow a car when I have some free time and when will that be? Or I have to wait until I get home. And again, when will that be? I could just kick myself!

Happy Thursday.

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A Favorite Thing #34

Working, Missing and Allergy-ing

Teeny Tiny Gardening

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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