~An Artist's Life....It's An Odd One~

Good afternoon.  Tis muggy here in Vermont with a severe thunderstorm watch posted as I put together my very first potato salad of the year and put chicken breast in to marinade for grilling this evening, ALL THE WHILE, dreaming of Halloween & Christmas!! Merrye thoughts of crisp & colorful leaves blowing about, geese flying high, wood smoke wafting from chimney's, frost on the pumpkins,  snow softly falling, fires burning in the hearth, comforting smells floating from the kitchen, evergreen tree's donned with paper chains and dried fruit, candles glowing in the windows.

 Thoughts and ideas for fall and winter have been on my mind in abundance this week and my fingers have been flying, making notes and sketches to capture these exciting new ideas before they flutter out of my head....gone forever.  Now, as I flip through the pages of my sketch book, there are new pumpkin~folk and snow~folk sketches surrounded by small pictures and notes with details as to how I envision them coming to life.  I await now for just a few more supplies to arrive...special antique elements, a certain mohair, a particular wool, a favorite cotton....

It's an odd life....this life of an artist...

hmmm....perhaps it's just me :~)

Wishing you a lovely day. ♥♥

~Merry Monday To You~

Monday has dawned muggy here in Vermont with a gentle rain falling, the slightest of breezes' blowing and a chorus of birds singing.  Tis oh so lovely.  Speaking of lovely....that describes our weekend to a tee.  Saturday was spent running errands, a bit of food shopping, a trip to the garden center, a bit of stitching on the front porch, time spent weeding the flower gardens and hoeing the herb garden.  In the evening, my sweet husband and I enjoyed dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  Sunday dawned gloriously sunny....coffee & breakfast on the front porch with my husband and son and then I was off to pick up Jenna for a few hours of wandering through small towns and happening upon some lovely yard sales to which we made a few delightful purchases.  As the day progressed our outing was cut short due to a blustery November like wind and cold rain.  We hurried home to find Mark working in the yard and Kurt off riding his dirt bike.  Once inside, we lit our candles, started a cozy fire in the hearth and began dinner.  In the evening, we all sat down, including my mom and dad, to a delicious dinner of grilled eye of round, potatoes gratin and tossed green salad.  For dessert...Texas Sheet Cake.  A lovely weekend indeed.

And now on to a Merry Monday....

......I shall open the windows to enjoy the sound of the rain fall as I spend the day working in the studio....I've moppets to stitch, beeswax to pour, packing and shipping to attend to and writing class in the afternoon.

........Dinner this evening; I shall be making a shepherds pie with the leftover beef from yesterday's dinner :)

WISHING YOU THE MERRIEST OF DAYS. ♥♥ Doreen

~As Mary Poppins says, "Well begun is half done"~

 

And so goes my days!  Many "well begun, half done" projects.  I love it...I've lots of balls in the air and where I use to feel like I needed to settle down to just one "thing"....I now embrace them all. :)

My writing is very much this way...most of it is only "well begun" but I am okay with that..it will move forward when the time is right.  I have thousands of little beginnings, short paragraphs and sentences that flutter into my head at various times of the day and I have learned to always have a pad and pencil next to me and I know to jot them down.  As scrambled as they may be some day  they will find their way together.

  Since the beginning of my writing classes we have been encouraged to "read books similar to what you wish to write"  well, nothing could make me happier than to be told to READ BOOKS however, I did struggle with taking the time out of my already full schedule to actually do this reading.  That is until recently when, while doing an assignment, I came across this quote by Stephen King "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write!"  Well..there you have it!  I needed no further instruction, I now set aside time for "the world in which I wish to write about.  It is now factored in to my writing class schedule and I LOVE it.

Currently, I am working my way through Miss Read's Thrush Green Series.  I am on book two....Winter In Thrush Green..oh how I do so love it!!!  Have you read any of  Miss Read's books?  If so, how did you find them?

I am off now for a bit of lunch; tossed salad and a slice of homemade bread fresh from the oven.  Delightful. 

Wishing you a joy filled day.

♥♥Doreen

~Amidst The Wind & Rain~

Tut Tut...It Looks Like Rain :~)  Good Saturday Morning To You. We are oh so happy to be receiving a good soaking rain on this day in May!!  Our landscape and birds are happily singing a joyful song as they enjoy a MUCH needed drink. :)

 A mother's day outing with the girls is on my schedule today...Amidst the wind & rain..we shall bring our umbrella's, scurry between shops and linger over lunch and drinks :~)


Wishing you a Merry Day.~♥♥Doreen

~Apple Blossoms, Rain Drops & Sunshine~

Goodness we've had our share of positively beautiful days here in Vermont.  Apple blossoms, rain drops & sunshine..we are enjoying each and every one.  Oh how I do so savor these long and lovely days of Spring.  Early morning walks while listening to the birds sing and Oliver's feet thudding on the soft new grass.  Tending the gardens while the sun rises, coffee steaming in my cup next to me.  Then..when I must....I head back inside to tidy the house, open the windows & hang laundry on the line.  Afterward...a lovely shower had and a day of stitching ahead....PERFECT.

IN THE HARVEST STUDIO.....A VERY big thank you to everyone who attended last evening's web show.  All three sweet moppets have found new homes and will be ready for travel this afternoon.  Our beeswax celebration & 20% off sale is proving to be a very big success and orders are flowing in...Thank you all for that! :)

A VIEW...from last night's web show :~)

And now, I am off to ready moppets for travel and brew my first batch of ice tea. :)Perfect on this sunny and lovely day in May.

Wishing you a Merry Day :) ♥♥Doreen

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~GOODE NEWS~

Good afternoon.  I am oh so happy to share with you that I now have a Blackened Beeswax Assistant!!!  My sweet and wonderful daughter Jenna is going to be learning the ins & outs....mixing, pouring, sculpting, dusting, adorning and ...packing and shipping. :)  Oh what a HUGE help this will be too me!!!

We shall be celebrating this wonderful happening with a few goode things beginning Thursday Evening At 7:00pm;

~Several New Beeswax Offerings~

(Shown here is one of our new offerings.... The Goode Wife..the detail is just amazing and it is quite a large piece as well.  Just wonderful.  We've made it into a cupboard hanger and it will look wonderful in any decor.

~Our FULL LINE Of Beeswax Offerings Will Be Available Once Again~

And..last but certainly not least....

~Beginning Thursday Evening At 7:00pm Thru Sunday Evening At 7:00 pm Receive 20% Off All Beeswax Items~

Now thats...Goode News :~) 

Wishing you a Merry Evening ♥♥Doreen

~Goode News On The Horizon~

Good day to you.  Tis a beautiful Monday in May here in Vermont with the sun shining down strongly and a wonderful cool breeze blowing.  I would be ever so happy if our weather would stay just like this right through the Summer..with a day of two or rain each week of course :).

IN THE HARVEST STUDIO......  I've goode news to share with you oh so soon, perhaps as early as this afternoon!!!  In the meantime, I've moppets & blackened beeswax to finish for Thursday's web show as well as orders to work on and beeswax to pack and ship.  Oh what busy and lovely days.

IN THE HARVEST KITCHEN.....  Marinated & Grilled local chicken breast, roasted baby potatoes and broccoli from last years harvest for dinner this evening :).

Wishing you a Merry Day.  ♥♥Doreen

~A Joyful Sunday In May~

Good morning to you.  We are just in from a beautiful Sunday morning walk in the woods where we discovered a HUGE nest, made of twigs, high in the tree tops.  It is, most definitely not a typical squirrels nest...upon doing a bit of research it looks like it just might be an owls nest!!!

We've a lovely Sunday ahead....a bit of yard work...our lawn will have it's first mowing.  Garden plans on the front porch while enjoying a cocktail and Sunday Dinner at Mom & Dads...the first one Jen and Ben will be attending!  Goodness, how GREAT it is to have them home!!!

Before I go...I would like you to meet Young Miss Windsor..isn't she sweet.  I wasn't quite sure, at first, how I liked the antique pink & cream dress with her blue fur but now that I've looked at her with it on for a day or two..I just love it and she's insistent upon wearing it :).  Young Miss Windsor will be available on Thursday evening during my web show.

Wishing you a JOY filled day.

~Sunny Days~

OH MY WORD..what a positively gorgeous morning we have here in Vermont.  I've been outside since 7:30 this morning.  Enjoying breakfast on the porch, then Ollie & I went for a lovely walk after which  I washed my car.  Ollie spent a 1/2 hour running, at top speed, back and for thru the stream of water spurting forth from the crack in the nozzle head, oh my goodness, I do not think I've laughed that hard in a long time..he's hysterical in water.  He was positively drenched and got me drenched in the process!  I also watered my plants which needed a drink poor things, tis Spring, usually a time for abundant showers here in Vermont..tis not the case this year. 

I am off now to pour a bit of beeswax, one of my new molds arrived yesterday and I just LOVE it and can not wait to pour it and see how it turns out. They will be available on Thursday during my web show.  Hopefully my other new mold will arrive in time for me to have those available as well.

Wishing you a joy filled day ♥♥Doreen

~Tis Friday~

~Joyous Friday To You.  Tis another beautiful day here in Vermont and with each passing hour our world becomes more green and gorgeous.  We are however, in desperate need of rain and we've none in the forecast.  I do hope mother nature finds a moment or two to send us at least a few gentle showers.

IN THE HARVEST STUDIO.....Today I've beeswax to pour and black bears to make.  I am ever so pleased to tell you, I've two new molds ordered and will soon have two new beeswax offerings available. Gosh, it's been far too long!  BUT first, moppets await..in particular..black bears :).

IN THE HARVEST KITCHEN......Leftovers for dinner this evening, from last night's wonderful dinner of marinated & grilled pork chops with pineapple and honey salsa, roasted rosemary and thyme potatoes and tossed green salad..YUMM...it was ever so good.

WISHING YOU A MERRY DAY ~ ♥♥DOREEN