Sweetpea Sue's Cottage

2010-12-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

Hope your weekend is off to a great start this morning. As you can see my keyboard has been replaced and all the letters of the alphabet are back at my disposal. Yeah! I had planned on showing you some projects I have been working on but I haven't really worked on them enough to show yet , so instead I'm sharing a hint of spring. Below are some beautiful tulips I found at Shawnee Lake In Topeka Kansas last Spring. They are almost worth suffering through winter to see again. They have amazing plantings there at the Lake and last year was the first year I became aware of them(I don't live in Topeka but in another town near it). If you live anywhere nearby make the effort to go next spring-you won't be sorry.

Here is my favorite recipe- It was something my mother always made in our house when we were kids and I still make it at the holidays every year. It is for the best black walnut bread in the world! I have to admit though- it is the only recipe I have ever tried for black walnut bread.
3 cups white flour
3 cups graham flour( whole wheat flour can be used instead)
2 1/2 cups sweet milk
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 t. salt
6t. baking powder
1 1/2 cups ground black walnuts
6 T. vegtable oil

Mix and let stand 20 minutes Pour into greased loaf pans-we always put a small piece of wax paper in the bottomn of the pan for easier removal of the bread-start baking at 425 for fifteen minutes, then 350 for forty five minutes. total baking time is 1 hour.

Hope you enjoy the bread-let me know how you like it!
Hop on over to Beverly's and make sure you visit some more Pink Saturday Ladies! http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ Thank you Beverly for hosting this wonderful weekly event! It always lifts my spirits.

Whoops! The keyoard is't cooperatig!

2010-11-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Pik Saturday_Well it would e if my keyoard would cooperate- I thik I kow what I will e goig out to uy this morig-ca u guess what I am tryig to share with you all today-Hmm- I was itedig to talk aout my sprig pictures here that I took at Powell Gardes i Missouri ut I will tell u all aout it ext saturday whe I have a workig keyoard. Have a good oe ayway. go see everly too- ca't put a lik here due to ovious reasos. sorry everly!

Sweetpea Sue

2010-11-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Pink Saturday to you all. It has been quite awhile since I joined in on the pink fun and I found I really missed it so here I am jumping in with both feet! I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here in my part of the world it is a gray dismal November day and I could really use some pink. Below are some photos I took earlier this year when dismal was no where to be found. I hope you enjoy them and I hope your week is Grand.

Don't forget to visit the other Pink Saturday ladies who you can find listed at Beverly's blog- http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com. Thanks Beverly for hosting us all!

Pink Wonder

2009-07-18T04:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning and Happy Pink Saturday!

I went out before sunrise yesterday and found mist in a low lying field of soybeans. It looked like there was almost a slight frosting on some of the plants-absolutely crazy for July in Kansas.

On Thursday I went early up to KU-Kansas University to shoot some pictures. Below is the classic KU skyline. The building with the flags is Frasier Hall and the tower in the middle is the WWII Memorial Campanile Bell Tower. I live just a few blocks from KU and yes indeed we have hills in Kansas(eastern Kansas anyway).

I am not sure what this flower is but I sure fell in love with it. It was out by Clinton Lake-our local recreational lake. Our city is almost up against it now-it was way out when they built it in the late 1980s.

This last one is a Pink Hydranga I found at one of our local Parks-South Park-It is directly south of the downtown area. When I was kid I used to play there everyday as my school was right next to it. Back then there was an old fire engine we could play on. It actually has two sides to it. The playground side west of Mass St., and the Band Stand side west of Mass St.. I spent many a Wednesday night in the summertime listening to band concerts with my mom and my grandmother. I'll share some pics with you next time of the park. It's a lovely place but not a lot of pink.

Take care, and don't forget to go check out Beverly's Pink Saturday Participants at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

2009-07-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming by to visit this Pink Saturday. I just have a few photos today from the past week to share. The first on is some coneflowers I saw at Centennial Park. We have been really blessed with good weather over the Fourth of July weekend. Usually it is HOT and HUMID on the fourth but this year it turned out really pleasant. Since it was so nice I got out quite a bit to take pictures, a really nice way to spend the holiday.

This next one is some coneflowers I saw when I was walking to work on Monday. The coneflowers seem to be on every block, and doing really well this year. I have to admit though that I am beginning to pass them by, as I see them everywhere I go. I am glad I didn't walk past these, as I caught a little bee gathering pollen from this one.

I wish I knew what these next ones were- someone called them garden fireworks on flickr- If anyone knows what they really are-please let me know. I am really curious.

Last but not least was the one pink firework I caught on Saturday night. I walked down to the park from where I live to watch them. It was a lot of fun and I swear I'm going to get down there earlier next year to get some of the great food and enjoy the music.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the pics today as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you all. Take care of yourselves and don't forget to go see http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ for the rest of the fun.

2009-07-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

Happy blue 4th of July a few days after. Hope everyone had a fun filled and fabulous fourth. In honor of our Independence day I have a blue firework to share. Unfortunetly I only have 1. I hope your week in wonder filled. Take care. Sweetpea Sue

Be sure and stop by http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ for all the blue monday particpants.

2009-07-04T04:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Rose Garden this 4th of July Pink Saturday. Hope your week has been kind to you and you already feel rested and revived after a good night's sleep. Just in case you don't, I've decided to share with you a few pictures that will help you to take a moment and relax. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out and feel yourself slowing down. Forget about the list of things to do, forget about what happened at work this week, and forget about whatever someone is demanding of you. Right now is your time- Enjoy.

The Arbor at the Gage Park Rose Garden in Topeka Kansas- a great place to breathe.

A delicate pink rose just for you.
Sister Roses

A luscious boutiful boquet- no need to share, their all yours.

Breathe in, breathe out. That lovely soft romantic fragrence that down through the centuries so many people have enjoyed.

Hope you enjoyed your moment of rest and may you enjoy your Fourth of July weekend. Take care of yourself and don't forget to stop by Beverly's at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ for all the restful pink fun.

Sweetpea Sue

Floral Pink

2009-06-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming by today. Just have a few floral pics to share with you. The first one is an orchid at Powell Gardens. I can't wait to go back there!

These next two are some rose pics I took and digitally edited. I really like the way they turned out. I got brave recently and put some of my pictures up for sale at imagekind.com. If you want to see what's there just go to http://SusanMHickam.imagekind.com/ . The following two images are there for sale. Scarey step! Just another part of the process to practice putting myself out there to be noticed(a very difficult thing for me personally.)

I really appreciate you all coming by today. I hope you don't forget to stop by Beverly's at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ to say thanks to Beverly for continueing to host this wonderful event. Take care and have a terrific weekend. Sweetpea Sue

Blue Monday

2009-06-22T04:29:00.001-07:00

Hope your Monday is looking up!

Above are some pretty daisies I got yesterday over at the Old Train Depot in North Lawrence. They have remade the place in to a Visitor's Center. Below is a sweet fountain at the Country Club Plaza. All those little fellas are fauns.

Below is a structure for shade at Powell Gardens. Very Prairie Style I think.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your Monday is blessed as well as your week. Don't forget to go see Sally and all the Blue ladies today over at Sally's blog. http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Sweetpea Sue

2009-06-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

Good morning to you all! Hope this fine day finds you all in fine spirits. There is something wonderful about having a whole weekend stretched before you. Thanks for coming by for a visit. I finally have a photo of some sweetpeas to share with you. It is one of the photos I took at Powell Gardens a couple of weeks ago. When I was a girl my Grandma Marie had sweetpeas growing up her trellis on her front porch. It offered color, shade and privacy and was just beautiful to behold. Whenever I would spend the night with my grandmother, we would ususally sit out on the porch in the evening and watch all the people go by while we caught up on each other's doings during the week. My grandmother was a calm port in the storms of my life. I miss her everyday. These sweetpeas aren't as colorful as hers,but they do have just a touch of pink in them.

Roses from Powell Gardens

Pink Lilies- I have never been overly fond of lilies but these are ones I would love to have growing in my yard. When I looked up the origin of my first name- Susan- I found it meant lily and was a Hebrew name. It makes me think of Easter of course, ressurection, new life and God's Grace. I think that is pretty good conatations to have with one's name.

I saw these lovely petals scattered on the ground under a rosebush when I was visiting Powell Gardens. Everywhere you turned there was beauty. It quieted my soul wandering around that place. I can just imagine how it must have felt in the garden of Eden. Makes me homesick for someplace I was made for but never been too.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to visit. I treasure your kind comments. Don't forget to go visit Beverly and all the Pink Saturday ladies. Take care and I hope you have a wonderful and blessed week. Sweetpea Sue

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Blue Plaza

2009-06-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hope your weekend was smooth sailing. Mine sure slipped by fast! Yesterday my oldest neice and I drove to Kansas City to go down to the Country Club Plaza and take pictures. This is her last summer before she goes away to college(in Minnesota!) so I'm trying to see her as much as possible. Who knows where life will take her after this? She professes to wanting to live in New York City someday and I imagine if she does I won't see much of her then. I do threaten my neices and nephew that when I am an old lady(having no children of my own) I will take turns visiting them with my blow up air mattress and sleep in their laundry rooms. My nephew informs me he won't have one. I told him the floor in the living room will be fine then. He hasn't figured out how to get around that yet. Ha!

Above is a cute little tudor style apartment house that is just east of a little park with a wonderful sculpture in it. I loved the look of the place and can imagine how sweet it was in it's early days.

Above is just one of the wonderful buildings they have on the Plaza- I believe the Plaza was inspired by the developer's travels in Europe as a young man and his delight with Italy and Spain. Kansas City is Known as the City of Fountains-only Rome in Italy has more.

Both tiles above and below are on the exterior of buildings on the plaza- I just love them!

Last is some ironwork that perches on top of the building we passed by like a crown. It reminds me of the gate into heaven(even though it isn't pearly!)

Thanks for coming by today- I always love a good visit. Hope your week is blessed and beautiful. Don't forget to go see Sally and all the other ladies particpating today. Here is her link: http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Sweetpea Sue

Pink June

2009-06-13T11:19:00.001-07:00

Hope this Saturday finds you in the pink of health! I ended up putting up my post later than I planned(meant to do it last night but I got sidetracked with a great book!) . I have just a few pics to share with you today. The first one is my silly old cat Toby(he is 16 and 1/2) sleeping ontop of my little cabinet. I thought he looked pretty cute next to the JOY sign. It turned out a little blurry as he had the habit of moving whenever I clicked the picture. He is a joy to me(except at night when he decides the best place to sleep is on my head!) and I hope he is around alot longer.

The next picture is of a flower at Powell Gardens in Kingsville Missouri, just outside of the Kansas City area and about an hour and 1/2 from where I live. Last weekend my neice, an old friend and I went there to take pictures. I think I took about 200(limited only because I only have 1 memory card for my camera). It is a wonderful place to go and I defintely plan on going back later this summer. I can't wait to see what will be blooming later in the season. I had fun playing with the photo in the editing software at Picnik.com. It was a very bright day so one part of the flower was kind of blown out by the light. Anyway I was playing with the software and ended up with this. It doesn't look much like a photo but I like the way it turned out.

The next one is of some water lilys at the fountain area by the main building. There was a professional photographer posing a bride for official photos there so I didn't get but one photo of their lovely fountain. I think this one is one of the best I have ever taken. I am very happy with it.

The next two pictures I took last night when I decided to chase some lovely clouds I saw in the distance. I had just left the library, picked up some dinner and was on my way home when I spotted them. I just couldn't get pictures to do them justice where I was because so many telephone wires and electrical lines were in the way- I wish they were all buried! I started driving north to get out of town and find a spot that was good and ended up getting these two shots(among some others I will share later). It was a lovely sunset.

This little picture is of a tiny little lake called Lakeview. It is I think unknown to most of the inhabitants around her but a sweet spot I used to bicycle too when I was younger. On the other side, just to the left of this picture, is a road that divides this part from the part of the lake where people have a few homes right on the lake. I suspect the residents love having this little slice of heaven that most people are unaware of.

Well I am glad you were able to stop by today. It cheers me to no end to have a few visitors. I hope your weekend is blessed and beautiful. Don't forget to stop by Beverly's at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ and link to all the other ladies participating today.

Sweetpea Sue

Blue June

2009-06-08T07:24:00.001-07:00

Hope your Monday is a beautiful blue! I have a few pictures to share with you from Powell Gardens in Kingsville Missouri. Last Saturday my neice and an old friend and I drove to the other side of Kansas City area and spent about 4 hours taking pictures. If you ever get a chance to go, don't pass it up. I'm sure I will put some more pics up later this week if you want to come back and see some more. Hope you enjoy.

Don't forget to go check out all the other participants today at Sally's blog- http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Pink Roses

2009-05-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming by for a quick hello today! I understand this is the 1st anniversery of Beverly's Pink Saturday sharing(with others of us particpating in the posting that is). What a fun activity to engage in! Today I just have some pics of some wild roses that grow in my yard(and my neighbor's too). They grow right along the fence between us. Enjoy!

Hot Pink Ones!

Georgia O'Keefe inspired shot of a pretty light pink rose.

And just a few more.

Go see the other particpants in pink saturday too. Hope your day is grand! Sweetpea Sue

2009-05-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by today. It has been a while since I joined in the fun sucessfully. Last week blogger wouldn't let me upload any pics. Anybody else have that problem?
Below is a pretty little pink flower I found at one of the local parks right after I got my camera. Unfortunetly I have no idea what it is. I would love to know if anyone can tell me.

I caught a picture of this cloud just above my sister's house about a week and a half ago. We had just gone to Free State High School to see an art show my neice participated in. She loves to take photos like I do and she is a senior this year. Next year it is off to college for her. I will miss her!

Below is a pretty little pic I think I got from a group on flickr.com.

This last pic is my tiny dining area in my house. I started collecting crosses by accident but I love the way it looks. At christmas I switch to poinsettas in the wire frame on the wall. I just love the pink though. Pink tends to cheer me up for some reason.

Thanks again for stopping by. Don't forget to go see Beverly at

http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com .

Pink Oops!

2009-05-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody- Sorry about not posting yet! I am having difficulties with my blog- it won't let me upload any pics! I was just trying again and it still won't let me do it! Keep checking back-mabey I will be successful later?

Icy Pink

2009-03-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Good Morning all! Hope this Pink Saturday finds you in the pink of health! I woke up this morning expecting to see lots of snow on the ground and instead no snow, but icky ice. Yuck. I am not a fan of ice! My sister called and told me they have not had electricity at their house since 4 this morning( it is 9:30 now). Luckly I still have mine. Thanks for coming by for a visit. Below are a few pics. First I have Mr. Toby Handsome. I think his little pink nose is awfully cute. He turned 16 last January.

Next is a lovely Hydranga pic a friend sent me a while back. I adore Hydrangas and one of these days hope to get some planted to my yard.

This charming puppy is Sophie- she belongs to my boss's family. She is one of the sweetest beagles I have ever met. She was taking a nap on top of the pillows on the couch, snuggled into the afagan. There is just the tinest bit of pink on her nose too.

This is Gracie kitty. I may have shared this one before but since I was doing so many animals, I thought she should be included this time. I just took that pink blanket out of the dryer and before I could get it folded, she snuggled down into it. Heaven for Kitties!

I hope you enjoyed them. Don't forget to go see Beverly today and as many of the participants as you can. Sweetpea Sue

Pink March

2009-03-21T04:40:00.001-07:00

Sorry I got my post done so late! I was having trouble with my computer this morning.
Earlier this week I took my two neices to the Kansas City Zoo - it was Spring Break here in Lawrence they weren't in school . I took a day off from work just so I could connect with them.
We had a lot of fun, did a ton of walking, and laughed more than I have in the past month. Below are some of the things we saw. A pair of camels(they look like they are whispering to each other).

A beautiful black swan with a hot pink beak!
Some Quince-it was blooming in March! My grandmother Marie always had this in her yard and I have always thought of her when I see it.

A very friendly bird-I think it was some kind of buzzard. It came right up to us and demanded that we admire it . My neice said it was really working it for the camera.

A few pink flamingos were out when we passed by on the tram-unfortunetly by the time we walked by they were not there. I was hoping to get a much better picture than this.

I plan on posting more pics tomorrow from the zoo. It only lets me post so many per post. Hope you have a wonderful pink Saturday-Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to visit all the other particpants. Sue

2009-02-14T06:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Pink Saturday to you all! I'm glad you could stop by for a visit. I finally dug out my most precious pink treasures. They belonged to my grandmother Marie when I was a little girl and to her mother before her. When I was little they were displayed in her middle room on her huge old roll top secretary the was even older than these treasures. I always thought they were the pretties things I had ever seen. My grandmother told me that they were cranberry glass.

She also told me that when she was a little girl they adorned the top of her mother's pump organ in their parlor and that when ever they played the organ, the vases would sway back and forth on top and almost fall off, but no one ever considered moving them from there.

This is my grandma as I remember her. I think this is right after she and my grandfather Cleve bought their first house right across from the church she attended. They had worked hard all their lives and had never owned a home yet. My grandma told me that she had been friends with the woman who had owned it before her, and elderly woman who was no longer able to live alone. Her friend had insisted that she only wanted them to have it and that she wouldn't sell it to any one but them. Arrangements were made(what exactly I don't know) and they bought the house. It was always my safe place. Now an old and dear friend lives there so it feels like it is still in the family.

This is my grandmother with her parents in Parsons Kansas. I belive this is before she had any children and thought she couldn't. Her mother was Nancy Kizah Noakes Workman and her father was Frank Workman.

Well thanks again for stopping by and don't forget to go check out all the other participants at Beverly's place. http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com .

2009-01-31T16:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Pink Saturday!
Sorry I am running so far behind today. My day started out a little differently than I had anticipated yesterday. After taking my car to have the oil changed and about to leave to have breakfast with my sister, I got a desperate call from my Dad saying Freda(my step-mom) needed some assistance getting up. She has been in the hospital for two weeks this month fighting pneumonia and going through an operation. They finally let her come home last Monday.
Her energy reserves are running low right now and she is a bit weak. She is a wonderful woman and we feel very blessed to have her in our family. My sister and I ran over there and stayed for a couple hours so I have been running behind today( although in truth I often run behind even when nothing unexpected happens!). On to the Pink Saturday stuff!

I don't know if many of you are familiar with Karla Nathan but I urge you to check out her blog. She is a wonderful artist and very nice all around person. She is doing a Puppy Love Tag Book swap right now that I am participating in-just click on the puppy love icon on the right side of my blog and it will take you right there.

Below are some of my tags I am working on-some are closer to completion than others but it is a process. I need to finish them up soon and get them in the mail to Karla as the deadline is almost here. Hope you have a great weekend!
Love Sweetpea Sue

Don't forget to check out all the other ladies particpating in Pink Saturday! Just visit Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Best Wishes for Your New Year!

2009-01-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

I hope all is well for you as you find yourself at the start of a new year. I don't generally make resolutions, but I find myself thinking about what was good about 2008 and what I want to change in my life this year. One of the things I enjoyed tremendously was blogging, So many nice people to meet, and so many creative inspirations. I felt like I stumbled onto something I have been looking for for years. I really enjoyed visiting other blogs, reading heartfelt stories shared by some wonderful people, being challanged to get art, beauty and creativity into my regular life, and even learning a little to let other people see more of who I am.

I found a website this year called flickr.com and what a fun place that is! My sister had given me a camera a while back and it opened up a whole new world for me. One of the groups I belong to on Flickr is Shades of Inspiriation-it gives you a different color or color combo to take pics of each week and share with the group. It helps you to see things in a new way. No longer is anything ordinary-you don't just pass the world by anymore. It forces you to be on the lookout, be more aware of your surroundings.

Some mornings I get up early by myself and go out and take pics of the sunrise, or the foggy river, or whatever grabs me that day. A few times I have been able to gather my neices to go with me and we pick a theme, like water, and look for things to shoot. It is so fun to be able to share something with them, something creative that bridges the difference in our years.

I guess one of my resolutions is to continue to work to get creativity into my weekly life. That can be a bit of a challange sometimes. Some days I just find myself wrung out. Still, something to work on. One of my other resolutions is to work towards making healthier choices for myself. I am talking about healthier all around- including diet, exercise, how I spend my time, finances, etc.

One thing I have learned as I have gotten older is to count my victories throughout the day instead of my failings. It definitly helps me stay more postive and helps me to keep going. Another thing is to have people in your life who build you up as a general rule instead of tear you down. I find that as a single woman with no children it is very essential to have friends you touch base with through out the week. It isn't easy. People tend to be so busy with their own lives and you with yours that it can be very hard to connect. When I was younger I took this way too personally, for the most part I don't now.

I must admit for me having animals to come home to is essesntial as well. I never feel alone with them here. It isn't the same as living with people of course but they are good company if a bit messy at times and they are often good for a laugh.

Well, I think I better go now. I've got some pies in the oven I have to go check on. More cooking and baking this year. Another resolution. Basically do more of what I enjoy and not let daily life run me into the ground so easily. Now that might be a hard one to keep. Thanks for coming by and all the best to you throughout this new year.

Sue

2009-01-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and a Wonderful Pink Saturday to you!
Hope this new year is filled with promise and delights for you all. Just trying to get back into the swing of things again. Got a bit off track for awhile there. First picture I'm going to share today is of my new eyeglasses chain I made. I find I need reading glasses these days so I like to have them handy and nearby. I had seen some very nice ones at stores but didn't want to spend 15.00 or more to get one, so I decided to make one. This is my pink one( I've made others for my different scrub tops I have to wear at work). I'm very happy with the way they turned out and I no longer put my glasses on top of my head where it would often get caught in my hair.

This picture is of a little christmas angel I hang over my sink in my kitchen.

During this holiday season, I got to spend some down time with my two neices in town and I took them out early one morning to shoot photos in the country-here is one with some pink to it.

This is my two neices getting a picture of the sunset- I don't show their faces as their mothers would prefer they don't show up on the web.

Don't forget to go check out the other ladies participating today in pink Saturday( Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ ). Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks to all of you who left such kind and understanding comments after my last post. It meant a lot to me. To those of you who are going through grieving as well- my heart and my prayers are with you. Sue

An Anniversery, an Apology and Pink Saturday

2008-11-29T06:31:00.000-08:00

My brother Greg, my biggest sister Nancy in the foreground, myself and my older sister Janet in the background at my Grandmother's house around 1966-1967

Thanks for stopping by today. I have not posted much over the past 2 months. This time of year is usually difficult for me anymore. I debated sharing this with anyone but decided to go ahead and do it. Two years ago on the Saturday after Thanksgiving my older brother died. It was quite unexpected. He was only 48 years old. Now when fall hits I tend to fall apart. Some days it is all I can do to go to work in a kind of stupor.

It has been very hard this year for me. I am still trying to allow myself to grieve. I go to a group therapy thing on Thursday nights to help with that. There are some very kind men in that group that have become kind of surrogate brothers to me. I am grateful for their friendship and kindness. I would appreciate your prayers with this.

A while back I did a giveaway. At least it was intended as a giveaway but I still haven't sent out the prize I am ashamed to say. The winner can expect some extra stuff as a kind of penance for not sending it months ago. I got sick and then fell apart emotionally. I apologise.

Pink Saturday is one of my favorite things and I am trying to get back in to the swing of things and do what I love. So hopefully I am back and won't disappear again. Below is some of my favorite material. I found it at a rummage house years ago and have used it in various ways since then. I am getting ready to turn it into curtains for the living room to go with my new blinds.

My new blinds below- I found them at Antique's Plus here in Lawrence just north of the bridge.

Below is a comforter i crocheted ages ago and i use in my living room in the winter. Resting on top of it is a little bag of christmas ornaments I made along with some gift tags I made. They were all part of a giveaway a co-worker did at her second job. She teaches Jazzercise on the side and she was the one teaching on Thanksgiving morning. She told me she had decided to do a giveaway and I offered her some of my goodies to put in it. The funny thing is a friend of mine how happens to be my boss's wife won it! I have been working on packaging up some of my christmas goodies to sell at Antique's plus and if I ever get my act together in my new etsy shop. Keep your fingers crossed as I need all the help I can get. Hope your Pink Saturday is a delightful one. Don't forget to go visit Beverly and all the other ladies participating today! Click here to visit them- http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com .

2008-11-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Hope your Monday is a beautiful Blue-Just a few pics for you today.

A rainbow over Lawrence a couple of weeks ago- I kinda tweaked it to bring out the rainbow more.

This is just south of town-You can see Lawrence in the distance.

Go over to Sally and say hi to everybody particpating today for Blue Monday! http://smilingsally.blogspot.com .

2008-10-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

Hope you all have a wonderful Blue Monday!

Sunrise

At the Depot

Foggy Morning Sunrise

Don't forget to check out the other participants at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com for Blue Monday! Thanks for coming by.

2008-10-25T07:43:00.000-07:00

I just got these wonderful ATCs in the mail Thursday- They are from Two Crafty Mules ATC exchange- I showed the ones I sent a while back and now I have these beauties in their place. Each one is from a different artist. The first one is from http://Junkgirl-studio.blogspot.com .

This next one is from Cindy Hamlin at http://cindyiscrafty.wordpress.com .

This last one is from Angela Dasner at http://angiebeth.blospot.com

I also got an altered domino necklace from? Whoops I ripped it open too quick and now I don't remember which person sent it. I had trouble getting a good picture of it. I will try again. Wanda also sent an fun altered domino as well. I think I will try scanning them and see if they turn out. Go check out their sites. You won't regret it. Wanda is also going to be doing an inchie swap for Thanksgiving and a christmas ornament (handmade or altered) swap too! I've already signed up for both!

2008-10-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share a few pics of my walk the other day. I went out looking for some leaf pics-only got a few since most of the trees weren't turning yet. Perhaps I will have more luck this weekend.

This is just a few blocks from where I live- my neighborhood is called Old West Lawrence. It is full of houses that were built from the 1860's through the 1950s(mostly older though). My house is on the very edge of the neighborhood and was built in 1941( it is tiny-750 sq feet and that counts my back laundry room!)

There are a few brick streets and some brick sidewalks here and there and wonderful alleyways. i love alleys-they feel like home to me. This is one of the neighborhoods I grew up in and definitly my favorite neighborhood to live in.

Well I will see you later. Have a great and glory filled week.

2008-10-21T06:18:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for last week's challange of "numbers " on the Artsy Girl Blog. This week it will be " Orange and Blue". It almost works for that too. Go and see what everyone else came up with at http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ . You will enjoy it.

Blue Monday

2008-10-20T06:24:00.001-07:00

Happy Blue Monday to you all. I hope this Monday finds you healthy and happy. Below is a picture I took yesterday a.m. off the top of the parking garage downtown- The sun was just coming up and we had a beautiful blue sky. It was absolutely a perfect fall day.

Yesterday I went to the Baldwin City Maple Leaf Festival-unfortunetly the trees just are not turning yet. However they did have a wonderful quilt show going on and I nabbed a few pictures of pretty quilts. Here is one of the blue ones.

Below is the Rachel Ashwell shabby chic shower curtain I have in my bathroom. I fell in love with it when I saw it. It meant I didn't have to repaint the bathroom and it incorporated the pink and green I have in the rest of the house.

Don't forget to go check out all the ladies particpating today at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ .

2008-10-18T04:28:00.000-07:00

So glad you could stop by today for Pink Saturday. I hope you all had a good week. I have been fighting a cold/bronchitis so I guess it really is fall. Today I am going to work then to the wonderful Nelson-Atkins Art Museum in Kansas City. Tomorrow I am going to Baldwin City to the annual Maple Leaf Festival to take some pics and visit a friend who is a vendor this year. I should have some fun autumn pics to share afterwards. Today I have a picture of some birds my sister Nancy has been making for herself. Pictured with the birds is a sweet tag made by Sunshine and Raviloi-go check out her site- she really has some wonderful stuff-she is listed on my sidebar under my blog list.

Next is a sweet painted tray at Antique's Plus in Lawrence. I have my eye on this.

This is just a silly little fairy paper doll I made. The template for it can be found at: http://TheEnchantedGallery.com

Don't forget there is plenty more pink to see with the other ladies participating in Beverly's Pink Saturday. Just go to http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

2008-10-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

http://bigartadventure.blogspot.com/ is a fun site that gives weekly challanges. Last week they gave out a challange to use a regular tin can and make something with it. They gave two examples that were quite varied in their approach to the project. I thought it would be fun to do so I tried it. The above picture is the result of that .

It is supposed to be a tree spirit or a Dryad. I can't wait to see what they do for this next week. Stop by and check out their site-lots of interesting and beautiful things there.

Mind Wide Open Challange for October

2008-10-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

I accepted the Mind Wide Open Challange this month. If you are not familiar with Mind Wide Open you should check them out. I have a little button on the right side of my blog that will take you right there if you click on it. I have wanted to participate for awhile but have not found the time to do so till now. I had much fun while working on it but I wish I could have found more time to do it. Oh well, the important thing is I jumped in and swam(but I don't think I'm ready for the English Channel yet). Mind Wide Open gives you an image to use as a jumping off point for your project. They do this one time a month and you have a week to get it done. There are some very talented people participating and I just love to see what these creative people come up with! This month they gave us a sweet pic of two little girls and the word prompt"All dressed up" which we could use if we wanted to. I decided to do a jewelery box with the image. Below is the results. I am happy with how it turned out but I can look and see things I would change. That is okay. Primarily this is a learning/stretching experience for me. One thing you may not know about me is I hate to be the center of attention. I was very, very shy as a kid and my defense mechenism growing up was to try to be as invisible as possible. It is less likely to have people who make your life hard if they don't know you are there. Fast forward to the present and I still struggle with this. Blogging for me is practicing letting myself be seen a bit. Easier than in person. I love art. I love crafting. I don't have illusions that I am terrific at it but I want to grow and stretch and learn all I can about it. I lose myself in the process and I find that very, very freeing. So many possiblities with it. I am happy that I did it and let myself share it with others. I didn't let fear hold me back this time so I feel victorous! Hope you have a great week. Go check out Mind Wide Open. You will be glad you did. So many talented and crafty people! Sweetpea Sue .

Halloween Crafting

2008-10-08T04:50:00.001-07:00

I have had the funnest time working on halloween crafts this year. What got me started was Heidi's Very Vintage Halloween Swap(Scroll down to the earlier post to see what my partner sent me!) One of the items I made was this black glittered BOO banner and some Halloween tags.

Here is a closeup of the kitty and the orange polkadotted clothespins that tether the kitty to the banner. I have been selling the BOO Banners at a friend's store here in town. If anyone of you would be interested in one leave me a comment on my blog with a way to get in touch with you and we will talk.
These next 3 are my first ATC's I have ever done! I call them Salem's Most Wanted. The one on the left is Helen-(potions Master) the one in the middle is Hepsbah(Head Mistress) and the one on the right is Helga(star pupil). Wendy Eash at http://craftymules.blogspot.com/ hosted a Vintage Halloween ATC event. You should definitly go by and check her out. She makes the most amazing stuff! I still haven't gotten the ones I will be sent yet but you will see them as soon as I do- Thanks for coming by and don't forget to scroll down to my earlier post about the Very Vintage Halloween Swap!

A Very Vintage Halloween Swap

2008-10-08T04:21:00.000-07:00

What a fun and fabulous time I have had participating in Heidi's Very Vintage Halloween Swap! I have not had so much fun with Halloween since I was little and it is still weeks away! Well I had Teresa from http://plumwatercottage-evansville.blogspot.com/ for my swap partner. She sent me such fantatic goodies! It was such fun opening each tissue wrapped package( I took it to work to open and show my co-workers cause the postman brought me my package just as I closed the front door to return to work after lunch). Below is all of it together from the Queen of Halloween herself. See the fun BOO in the background?

First up is an adorable little halloween spoon. Don't you just love everything about it?
Next comes a wonderful pair of black earrings( I think Teresa makes these herself and sells them in her etsy shop! Stop by to see if she has a pair for you!).
Below is one of the sweetest little halloween pins I have ever seen. You can't read the writing but it says on top of the hat"Black Cat Fortunes" and on the front it says" Giving away your age".
Not really last at all but last picture here is a glittered up happy witch and her pumpkin. She looks ready for halloween doesn't she!

Thanks for coming by today! Hope to see you again soon. Don't forget to go to Heidi's blog http://foxgovesfabricandfolly.blogspot.com/ to see all the particpating ladies!

2008-10-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

Hope your Saturday is a bright and beautiful one. Just have a few pics to share with you today before I rush to work. The first one is of sunset at Clinton Lake. The next one after that is a little picture in my craft room.

The flowers are actually pink even though they look lilac here. I found that a few weeks ago at Locust Street Marketplace. I loved the shabby chic frame.
This next pic is some fun pink at Antiques Plus. They have a whole shabby chic section, Pink and White and a Black and White area too.
I remember someone sharing some sweet little planters recently(but I can't recall who. I hope they see these since I think they are adorable.
Don't forget to go check out Beverly and the rest of the pink ladies at http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

Wednesday Wonders

2008-10-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

Glad you could make it by today! The week always gets so jammed pack that I never get done everything I need to do much less want to do. Yesterday during my lunchtime I decided to go look for some fun things to take pics of. I decided to go to the church I grew up at and see if I could take pictures of the wonderful stained glass windows. The first picture is of the window in the choir loft where the pipe organ is. I am afraid it is a little bit blurry but I still like it.

The second one is Jesus our Shepherd. I love this window.
When I went for a drive on Sunday I took pictures out by the lake at sunset. Here are 2 of them. I have more on my flikr.com page. I haven't downloaded all of them yet. It takes forever!

After I went to the church I grew up at I still had some time left so I decided to go out to the cemetary. This week on shades of inspiration group at flikr.com instead of colors we are doing pics with either rock paper scissors or a combo of any of those. This little angel is marbel and sits on top of a family plot stone. I think it is really sweet and serene.

Last but not least it is time to announce the winner of my giveaway-It is Kat of Kat Collects!
Kat I need you to send me your address so I can mail out your prize. If I don't hear from you in the next week -by October 7th I will draw a new name on October 8th.
I hope you all have a wonder filled Wednesday.

Blue Monday in September

2008-09-29T02:31:00.000-07:00

Glad you could come by for Blue Monday today. I hope you all had a nice and relaxing weekend. I decided to go for a drive yesterday evening. That is something I just don't do anymore with gas prices as high as they are. I went out to our local recreation spot-Clinton Lake to try and catch the sunset. I will show you those pics later but I did get one with some blue in it too and here it is below.

My dear sister Nancy is always giving me fun vintage items she finds. She likes to go to auctions and tag sales and she often brings me something from them when she finds something she knows I will like. This item has pears in it and I love pear motifs and have them in my kitchen. My grandmother Marie had a pear tree in her backyard and she made wonderful pear butter from those delicious pears. Does anyone have a pear butter recipe? I would love to have one. Since my kitchen is pink and green and this is blue, I keep it in my bathroom instead(it is blue).

Yesterday I also went to our local antique mall to see what I could find. I didn't end up buying anything but I did find this very sweet Holly Hobby record player. I thought you all would enjoy it with it's blue horn and all. I have to admit it really tempted me even though I don't have any records at all.
I love what it said: Start each day on a happy note. I actually have a little portable record player in my basement that was my grandmothers. I used to take all my records over to grandma's house when I would visit her and she would listen to them with me.

Connie at Living Beautifully http://connie-livingbeautifully.blogspot.com/ did a post yesterday where she challanged her readers to do the same. I told Connie I accepted her challange so here goes:

7 Things I plan to do before I die:

1. Visit my friends in other countries-Indonesia, Malaysia, etc.

2. Learn how to draw and paint

3. Learn how to play an instrument

4. Get my home more organised so no one has too much to deal with when I die

5. Learn to fly

6. Do some short-term missions work

7. See my Neices/Nephew's get married and Have children(if they choose)

7 Things I can do:
1. Bake good bread
2. Drive stick shift
3. Make an excellent stir fry
4. Embroider
5. Make my neices and nephews laugh
6. Crochet
7. Find my way in strange city with a good map.

7 Things I can't do:
1. Jump on a pogo stick
2. Keep an indoor plant alive for more than a year
3.Hold a snake(I just don't want to!)
4. Go up to top of the John Hancock building in Chicago(did it once and almost fainted!)
5. Calculus
6. Sing(Wish I could!)
7. Play an instrument

7 things that attract me to my Mister:
I don't have a mister so what would attract me to one:
1. Christian
2. Kindness
3. Gentleness
4. Merciful/Forgiving
5. Tall
6. Creative
7. Intelligence

7 Celebrity Admirations:
1. Robert Duvall
2. Audrey Hepburn
3. Corrie Ten Boom(author)
4. C.S. Lewis ( author)
5. Whoever invented air conditioning
6. Ted Dekker(author)
7.Karla Nathan(artist)

7 Favorite Foods:
1. Salmon
2. Broccoli
3. Cheesecake
4. Meatloaf
5. Black Walnut Bread
6. Mint anything
7. Chocolate

Don't forget to go check out everybody else at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/. Thanks so much Sally for hosting this fun event!

I almost forgot-any comments left today count toward my giveaway! I will draw a name tomorrow and announce the winner on Wednesday.

Pink Skies and Pink Shabby

2008-09-26T20:35:00.001-07:00

Glad you could stop by today-I hope you enjoy all the pink. Don't forget to stop by http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ to visit all the other ladies who are joining in the pink fun!

Below is a picture I took last Saturday( i think) evening when I looked outside and saw that the light seemed to be pink. I grabbed my camera and went out the door to see the sunset and this is what I saw-A beautiful pink sky with a rainbow.
On Thursday morning I got up early and took my camera with me to see what I could find. I meandered over to the Kansas River which is very close to where I live. The sun was just coming up and the fog was beginning to burn off. I think you can see how much I love the sky. When I was younger I lived in D.C. for two summers and that is what I missed the most besides family. I just couldn't see the sky there. I need it like I need air and water. Kansas has plenty of sky to see and I am grateful.
Below is a picture of , what else, my favorite store in town, Antiques Plus. It has a wonderful shabby chic corner and I just had to share it with all you Pink Ladies.

Last of all but not least of all(and I know, I know it isn't pink either) is part of my Halloween giveaway. My sister is contributing a sweet little bird in a black feather lined nest to the lucky winner. This little bird has fabulous taste as it has chosen to reside in a silver goblet. Smart bird!

If you want to know more about the giveaway-see my post from Blue Monday this week-there will be more items in the giveaway as well-You will see the rest of them by Monday next week. I will draw the winner on Tuesday and announce the name next Wednesday. Good Luck and have a blessed and Pink week!

Sweet pea Sue

2008-09-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share a few pics with you of delightful furry babies. A friend sent me the one below in an e-mail this week and I thought it was too cute not to share.

The one below is my cat Toby- He loves to come and sit on my lap when I am on the computer or sit on my hand! It is nice in winter but it does make surfing the net or blogging a bit more of a challange.

This one was in the e-mail my friend sent me-I wonder what that cat is thinking?

This last photo was my brother and my sister-in-law's kitty. His name was Alex. My sister-in -law, Anna got him before she met my brother. He was an exceptional cat. He actually talked!(He said Maw-Maw) Last week they had to put him to sleep because cancer had ravaged his little body. It was very hard on them. I took this picture of him Spring 2007 when I went out to see them(they live pretty far away from me). I got up early that morning before anyone else was up and went downstairs to sit and read. Alex crawled up in my lap and purred his little kitty heart out. I am glad I had my camera next to me.

I will see you all tomorrow for Pink Saturday! Have a blessed day!

Wonderful Wednesday

2008-09-23T21:44:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Wonderful Wednesday! I hope your day is wonder filled. This is the first time I have ever done a Wednesday post(and a post without being linked to someone else's blog). I am actually doing this on Tuesday night(barely as it is 2 minutes till midnight) but I know I won't have any time in the a.m.. I thought I would share some pics of sunflowers I planted from seed in the backyard this year. I only watered them for a little while to get them to sprout and then I pretty much ignored them(my kind of gardening for sure ). I am really hoping they will reseed themselves for next year. I put in a few different kinds for some variety. Last week when I took the dogs out in the backyard I spotted a Monarch butterfly on one so I ran in to get my camera.

On this next one if you look real close you can see there are some different insects on these two-I think there is a bumblebee on one of them and I am not sure about the other one.
You can see my house in the background just a little bit-I like color and always wanted a yellow house so when I bought it 12 years ago that is what Ipainted it-Yellow with Periwinkle trim. That was before I fell in love with pink and green as a combo or I would probably have that for an outside color scheme. Most of my neigbors have subduded colors on the outside but when my house was white you never even noticed it was there(it is only 750 sq feet and has one big tree in the front yard that kind of obscures it).
I was hoping to show you a picture of the birds my sister is working on for the giveaway but she isn't quite done yet ... so the pic below is from an old orange crate that a friend owns and I am going to use for some halloween decorations. I will hopefully show you on Saturday how. Well thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday! I hear thunderstorms outside and my little Napoleon is turning himself inside out with worry about them.

Wedgewood Blue Monday

2008-09-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Blue Monday at my place! Smiling Sal athttp://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ is hosting this event. Today I thought I would share something that reminds me of my mother-Her favorite color was Wedgewood Blue and when ever I see it I always think of her. My mother died at the end of March in 1995 when I was 31. It was a very hard year for me (and a few after that as well). When I saw this little vase it made me think of her so I took it home with me right away. I have used it for various things over the years but right now I have it on my drawing table to hold my paint brushes in. My drawing table doesn't get used as much as I would like it too. I keep telling myself it will be used for drawing more soon. I guess it is kind of a reminder of what I want to be, not necessarily what I am.

This is me and my mom about 6 months before she died in the fall of 1994. It is the last picture I have of her. She hated having her picture taken( so do I!) but for some reason she consented to this one. As you can see I look alot like her. I remember one day when I was walking home from high school and I passed a woman I had never seen on the street. After she passed me by she stopped, turned around and yelled back at me" I bet you are Mary Lee McCaffrey's daughter aren't you?" I replied yes I was to which she said" I went to high school with her. Say so and so says hi" so I did when I got home. I am very blessed to have a wonderful and I mean wonderful step-mom named Freda but I miss my mom every day. I look forward to seeing her again when it is time.
This next picture is of my dog Maddy Joy, who is my editor in chief and sometimes model. As you all know she has a real hunger for knowledge and loves to devour a good book(esp. one from the library). She is also a love sponge-Her theme song is the Betty Boop Song- I want to be loved by you, just you and nobody else but you. She is utterly convinced that God made her to be a lap dog, not a lab dog. She weighs 77 pounds(she put on the last 10 in 6 months since I got her!) but she thinks she is just the right size to crawl on to my lap and curl up. I have to confess I love it. I took a picture of her for the shades of inspiration group on Flickr.com when the colors that week were brown and light blue. It was difficult to convince her to sit still and let me drape the fabric around her but she did let me do it finally.
Well on Saturday I mentioned that today I would be announcing a giveaway so here goes! I have been doing some fun Halloween stuff lately so I thought I would give some of it away and my sister is going to help me by making some black and white birds for the giveaway- If you want to see the bird she made me just scroll down a little to an earlier Pink Saturday posting called A crafty pink Saturday. Anyone who comments on my blog between now and a week from tomorrow will be put in the drawing. I will draw the winner a week from tomorrow and announce it on the following day. Up till now I have mostly been posting on Monday and Saturday only but now I am going to add Wednesday to the mix. So for every time you comment (1 per posting) your name will be entered in the drawing-so you can have your name entered today, this wednesday, this saturday and next monday( that should increase your chances pretty good!) Below is a sneak peak at some of the stuff I will giving away. You will see more of it on Wednesday!
This is a little Halloween banner I made-below is a closeup of one of the kitties.
This is just a lovely sunset I took in my backyard a week ago. I thought it looked rather Halloweenish! Happy Blue Monday to you all!

2008-09-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming by my place today to help me celebrate Pink Saturday! Don't forget to visit Beverly at http://howsweetthesound.com/ and all the ladies listed that are participating today. I can't believe another week has gone by already but I guess it has! Hope you all have had a nice one. Below is an old green vintage rolling pin I keep with my placemats in a wire planter basket in my pink kitchen. I never liked my tiny 9X9 kitchen until I painted it pink-now I love it! The power of pink is amazing!

The second pic(for some reason I can't blow this up or delete it) is some cute pink flowers I took a pic of when my neices and I went out photo shooting.

The other day I caught my blogging staff all sleeping on the job! I got a picture of it so I could bring it up at the staff meeting later. I think I woke them up when I snapped the picture. Don't they all look guilty? They know they won't get raises this year!

This is my official spell checker-Gracie. She is the only one smart enough to always find a hidey hole when she is going to sleep on the job. She likes to sleep in my closet(and some other places I have not yet been able to discover-but I will!) She always manages to talk her way out of any situation though! I may have to give her a raise this year after all. Well have a good weekend-stop by Monday for Blue Monday. I will be announcing a giveaway that I will be having!

2008-09-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Blue Monday! Today I thought I would share a picture I took a few weeks ago when my sister and I went for a drive in the country. It was a beautiful day unlike the past week but like today promises to be(but being Monday I will be inside-not out enjoying our sudden fall coolness). A gorgeous blue sky with pretty fluffy clouds with that wonderful late afternoon light.

The next picture I took at my favorite store in town(Antiques Plus). You never know what treasures you will find in there but you will always find something! I love the romatic pic below not to mention the pretty hydrangaes. It puts me in a good mood just seeing the blossoms on the tree.
Well thanks for stopping by- Don't forget to check out Smiling Sal and all the lovely ladies participating today. For a complete listing go to http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Happy Pink Saturday to one and all!

2008-09-13T00:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Pink Saturday to one and all! I missed being able to participate last week due to computer problems but thankfully things are better this weekend. Last night I decided to share some pics with you that I took awhile back. The first one is of a flower in my back yard on a rather old fashioned bush called a rose of sharon. The ones I have are all volunteers and I have some pink bushes and some white ones. I love them(partly because they are volunteers) for the gorgeous abundant blooms and because my grandmothers used to have them in their gardens. I wish I inherited their green thumbs but I seem to have a furry thumb instead(as in cats and dogs tend to love me).

The second pic is of some fake roses I keep in my bedroom. I love the "pop" of the pink roses against the contrast of the cobalt walls. I keep them in a pitcher/bowl that my step-mother Freda made in a ceramics class before my father met her. Their anniversery is 9-22-00. She is a real blessing to our whole family. I'm not sure how she got stuck with all of us (but I sure am glad!)

The last pic I took when my neice Claire and I went out looking for rusty things a while back for the Shades of Inspiritation group I belong to on Flickr.com. Lots and lots of fun. It is just a little window box with some pink flowers doing their best to grow. I love the lace curtains the slightly delapidated charm of the house/business. It was hard to tell which it was.

Well thanks for stopping by today. Don't forget to see all the other nice ladies particapating today at Beverly's http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/. Have a great pink week. Susan

Apologies!

2008-09-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

My computer went down last night so I am unable to participate today! I look forward to seeing you all next saturday(mabey monday for blue monday) we will see. Susan

Blue Monday

2008-09-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hi There! Welcome to my first Blue Monday-Smiling Sal at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ is hosting this fun event-Be sure to check out the other participants at her site today. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to share with you today because I was having mucho trouble uploading any pics but as soon as I walked into the next room it got over its shyness. Yeah! Below is a picture of a stained glass window in a friend's house. I thought it was a real beauty. Hard to be blue on a Monday when you wake up and see that! They live in Pennsylvania so I don't often get to see them. That does make me blue! Take care of yourselves and enjoy your Labor Day!

A Crafty Pink Saturday

2008-08-30T02:52:00.000-07:00

A Crafty Pink Saturday to you! I'm glad you stopped by to celebrate Pink Saturday with me. I've been playing with all my pink craft stuff for a few weeks and quite enjoyng myself. Today I thought I would share with you some of my fun pink craft supplies. Below is just some of them. I have been experimenting with making tags and these are just some in process-not finished yet. ( See Piglet-You can't get much pinker than a pink piglet!)

I love my new little pink Fisker scissors not to mention all the pretty scrapbooking paper I've been cutting up with them. I found a bunch of the paper on sale at both Michael's and Hobby Lobby over the past week. I have been wondering about glitter lately-what is german glass glitter? I've seen mention of it but I don't know what it is or where to find it. I would love it if someone could tell me.

I also wanted to share with you a cute little bird that my sister made me for christmas last year. I love the little pink wings and pretty pink button eyes it has(and I love the green pink combo of colors-my favorite combo!)

Just recently I visited Lecompton Kansas Hisorical Museum- a very fun and worth your time trip. They had amazing stuff and a very nice and helpful tour guide. Below is some beautiful pink depression glass-sorry the pic didn't come out a little better. Lecompton Kansas was the Territoral Capital before Kansas became a state.

This was also at the Museum- A beautiful old spinning wheel.

Since Maddy Joy, my editor-in- chief, got her picture posted last Saturday the rest of my blogging Staff has been insisting they have their pics posted too. Below is my friend Jane's little papillion Napoleon who I am fostering right now for her. His title is official lap warmer when I'm on the computer. He likes to curl up on an afaghan I crocheted a while back when he isn't on my lap. Next week I will share another member of my staff.

And for some strange reason I feel compelled(almost like I'm under a spell or something) to share one more pic-even though the only pink in it is this kind lady's cheeks.

She is one of the Halloween tags I've been working on. Well Happiest of Pink Saturdays to you all! Thanks for stopping by to make mine a better one! Don't forget to check out all the other nice ladies listed on Beverly's blog- http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/

A Rushed Saturday

2008-08-23T05:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Pink Saturday! I just have a few pics to share today with you. I find myself running behind this morning and I have to leave for work soon. the following two pics are from my dining room area. The first one is a lovely little wreath I found at a flea market and couldn't walk away from.

The second is one of the crosses I have hanging in my dining room. I have a cross collection but this is the only one that is pink. :(

The next pink is some kind of flower that I found at a local park-I am thinking celosia but I'm not sure. My two neices and I went out shooting pics one Saturday and this is one of them. I tried to upload another flower but I lost it somewhere.

And last but not least is the rug in my living room with my editor in chief and her ever present opinion about mommy's latest hobby. She is such a great big help!

Did I mention tha is a library book that she chewed up!
Happy pink Saturday!

Pink Saturday

2008-08-15T13:01:00.001-07:00

What started it all:

Happy Pink Saturday! I hope you all have had a great week. Mine has been good but busy. Today I thought I would share with you what I think started my love affair with pink. Did anyone read the Little House books? I found them in second grade and have loved them ever since. They absolutely entranced me. I think it reminded me of my Great Grandma Cordelia who used to live with my paternal grandparents when I was less than 5. She used to tell all us great grandchildren stories of living in Oklahoma when it was Indian Territory. We are part Native American( Creek Muscogee) and she was a tribal member. I remember her talking about riding in a covered wagon. Well this is really round a bout but as a result I fell in love with all the Little House books. In one of the books it talked about Laura having a hope chest for when she would be married some day and how she would save things up she would need for her own household. I loved that idea so when I was in 5th grade I decided to start a hope chest for myself. I had a cardboard box instead of a lovely wood chest but it worked fine. I began to save things up like measuring spoons or placemats I liked. When I was in high school, my sister Janet had a friend whose mother decided to get rid of her china. Her daughter didn't want it and somehow it got offered to me(I'm not sure why as I had never met her mother before). Anyway I took her up on the offer and below is the lovely china. I think I already liked vintage things that reminded me of my grandmother Marie's home but I began to fall in love with pink when I got this beautiful china. Here it is:

Isn't it lovely! Someday I would love to aquire the pieces I'm missing but it's only a someday wish, not a need. Below is a closup of the floral motif.

I've added some pictures below that hang in my tiny dining area that used to hang in my mother's bedroom. I believe she found these at a garage sale and fell in love with them. Now they just remind me of her everytime I see them. My mother died in 1995 at the very young age of 58. I miss her every day but I look forward to seeing her again.

I've been playing with paper and images all week and having boatloads of fun. Below is an image on my inspiriation board that hangs over my computer area.

Well I just want to say Thank You for stopping by for a visit. I always love reading your comments. It is so fun to get to meet new people. Don't forget to stop and visit with the other lovely ladies all listed on Beverly's blog-http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/.

Happy Pink Saturday

2008-08-09T04:49:00.001-07:00

Today is Pink Saturday! Time to play! In the spirit of play I am going to share with you all some fun paper dolls I picked up recently at My Father's Daughter. It brought back wonderful memories of playing with paperdolls with my two older sisters. What fun it was to pick them out, cut out their clothes, make up story lines and interact with the other dolls we already had. Does anybody remember the Green Acres paper dolls? My sister had those. Za Za had such fabulous outfits! Well these paper dolls are a little older than any ones I played with but they are in fabulous shape. Here they are:

This is the front cover of the storybook. Love her pink coat!

This is the title page-Ibelieve it says 1947,1948, Simon and Shuster.

This is the back of the book where the little paper dolls are tucked into their beds for sleep time.

Above is the middle of the story where Jim and Judy play with 1000s of butterflies and flowers. Then they go and pick apples out of a Farmer's orchard. Apparently he doesn't mind them stealing from him. Below is their clothes closet which contains most of their original clothes.

Thanks for stopping by my place so I could share in your Pink Saturday. Don't forget to check out everyone else listed at Beverly's http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ See you soon!

2008-08-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well here it is Monday night and I am finally sitting down at my computer to post about the weekend. It was a real whirlwind of activity. I've been checking in on a friend since she had surgery on both her feet Friday afternoon. I feel blessed to have her for a friend and I'm glad that I live close by. She is doing pretty well I'm happy to say. My sister Nancy and I made our weekly pilgramage to North Lawrence(it is the part of town that is north of the Kansas river) to see our favorite stores. We visited Antique's Plus, My Father's Daughter and Locust Street Marketplace. They are all located in the same area. I found some really cute things but only took pictures this time. I belong to a Flickr group called Shades of Inspiritation and each week they pick a different color or color combo to try to take pictures of. It is a lot of fun. This week the colors are light blue and brown. Below are the two picture I took at Antiques Plus for the group.

Next is one from Locust Street Marketplace-

After that we found this adorable yo-yo quilt at My Father's Daughter. It makes me want to try making one. It looks pretty time-consuming though. Mabey someday soon. I think for now I will have to content myself with crafts that take a little less time upfront.

After photo shopping we went to our next fun summertime place- Bismark Gardens where we by sweetcorn by the dozen. We love to support local businesses whenever possible and what fun to go out to where it is grown. It is just a few minutes out of town so we get our little country drive in without a lot of gas. My oldest neice had recently gone to Japan to our sister city on an exchange program and when she came back she hosted two Japanese girls here. My sister took them out to Bismark Gardens which they really loved since they have nothing like it in Japan. I can't think of anything more "Kansas" like than a trip to Bismark Gardens.

Well I hope your weekend was just as fun and I hope your week goes smoothly. I hope I will hear from you all soon. Take Care-Susan

Pink Saturday

2008-08-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

What could be a better way to enjoy your Saturday than to to make sure you get a little pink in to it? This is my first time participating in http.//howsweetthesound.typepad.com/ 's Pink Saturday. It was hard to choose what pink thing to share so I'm going to share a couple. The first one is a bowl that hangs in my kitchen. My kitchen and dining rooms are painted pink and my living room and hallway are painted green. I love old china and roses so I immediately fell for this bowl when I saw it.

The second thing is an old china doll head that belonged to my maternal grandma. It was the only toy she had left from her childhood.

I used to spend Saturday nights with her every week. She was the most amazing loving grandma ever! She was always there for me. She was my friend when I didn't have any(moved -went to a new school-and junior high!), my cheerleader urging me on, my safe place and always providing love and plenty of ice cream. She would let me bring my friends over to spend the night at her house and let us dress up in her old clothes and jewelery. We would try to put on a little Carol Burneet inspired show for her and she always clapped loudly(I'm sure it wasn't that good!) I remember spending hours and hours with her pouring over old family photos while she filled me in on the family history, family scandels, and family mysteries. That is something I wouldn't trade for a billion dollars. She is my hero. I miss her still but look forward to seeing her in heaven. Her name was Julia Marie Workman McCaffrey and she showed me how to live, love, laugh and be the kind of woman I want to be. A big salute to grandma's everywhere that make a difference in the lives of their grandchildren!

Cast of characters

2008-07-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is Cally dog and Toby cat. As you can see they enjoyed hanging out together. Cally dog died last fall-she lived to be 13 and 1/2. The vet actually told me she only had a few months to live when she was 10 but she beat the odds. She only had a few bad days in all. She was an exceptional dog. Toby has a new sister now. Her name is Maddy Joy and she is a chocolate lab I got from the local Humane Society last Spring. Toby keeps trying to snuggle with her, but she won't have it. She is a very sweet dog, 6 years old and she is convinced she is a lap dog even though she weighs 70 lbs. She has to have her cuddle time daily. She gets along great with the cats ( Toby and Gracie) and little Napoleon ( a papillion I'm fostering for a friend) but she remembers that Toby swiped at her a couple of times and she hasn't entirely forgiven him. Toby is 15 and 1/2 now and I'm not sure how much longer he will be with us but I'm grateful for every day I have with my little furry blessings. Gracie kitty is 10 now and is a real prima donna. If you want to see more pics of them you can find them on my flickr photostream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/28010596@N05/

Howdy!

2008-07-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Just saying hi for the first time to my fellow blog reader addicts. I am known as Sweetpea Sue aka Aunt Zooie. I am a lifelong crafter, animal lover, bookworm, movie buff, and crazy aunt to boot. Check out the About Me section to learn more details. I have just recently discovered the fun of blogland and now I am venturing forth into uncharted territories waiting to be explored. I found blogland because I was looking up information on one of my favorite local artist-Karla Nathan-who lives in my hometown of Lawrence Kansas. She has a blog called Karla's Cottage (http://karlascottage.typepad.com/). As a result I have had much fun over the past several weeks reading her blog and others I have discovered. Now I have decided to join the fun and start one of my own. I have much to learn about the process, so please bear with me. I look forward to getting to know others who love crafting as much as I do.