I bought this fabric to make a seat cushion in our bedroom. It feels like ultra-suede but looks like petite-point needlework. Thrown on the floor (with an old blanket underneath) makes it look like a carpet. Does anyone have any suggestion how this could be secured (or what else to use as a cushion?) 
I like to think of it as a carpet from Versailles, where artisans spent months and months threading little needles with fine thread to produce silk carpets. I spent all of $14. :)
'added branches from the yard to roses from Aldi. Makes me smile.
A friend gave me these three blue eggs to symbolize our three children. Safe, warm, secure, nurtured in the nest, but with the goal of breaking out and flying away to their own world. I have one still "in the nest" and two that are testing out their wings. I guess I did my job right (sniff sniff) when that happens.
Kaffee Fasset is an internationally renowned textile artist with stunning quilt designs. On this one, the smaller peach and linen sheer pieces are placed on top and the back is cut out, making it look like stained glass. 
In our other home, this hid the washer and dryer. Now it is in my little craft spot, decorating the wall between two windows, hung by an IKEA wire. I think IKEA should give me coupons for all of the advertising I do for them. 
One roll of black and white striped wall paper, put on horizontally, solved that problem. 
The top of the wall was left as is, but the stripe gives it enough "pop". Come to think of it, a strip of wallpaper like this could look pretty neat going down a long hallway. Hmmmm...where could I do that?
We have three boys and tons of photos. Yannick was home for the holidays and I commissioned him to paint the various ages above the portraits. You could also use stencils or rub-ons for the numbers. Each son has a row - now it is easy and fun to see my boys and all of their various stages and looks. I can't believe they are that old. And to think, I have to add a wedding section this year!
'covered some old books with brown paper.
'stacked a couple and stuck them on a shelf. 
My front hall light fixture is not anything to write home about. A perfect disguise for Christmas: A decorated wreath hung like a maypole with shiny hanging ornaments.
Take three pieces of wide French ribbon, tie them onto the wreath at equal intervals , hang it upside down and tie to the top of the light fixture. I added some shiny turquoise satin ribbon to boot.
'got the idea from Tasha Tudor, an American illustrator who painted idyllic scenes with a hanging advent wreath. I tried that once and had dripping, goopy wax everywhere. This works nicer.
Christmas version of baby hat with sleigh bells...
Extra tree boughs in a pot on the porch, which, of course, needed to be decorated.
Some fabric scraps for little bows add a splash of color. Scraps are roughly 2" x 8". I grabbed pieces at random, trying to use some darker ones here and there to anchor some of the brighter colors.
'reminds me of the rag curlers we used in our hair as kids! But I don't think they were so pretty.
First Advent marks the beginning of our looking forward to the celebration of Christ's birth.
Teenagers from our church are soon going to Appalachia to deliver Christmas presents to needy children. So we knitters decided to include scarves in each box.
The yarn I used was pretty boring, so I added 4" fabric strips at the edges. Mostly polka dots, but some plaids, checks and florals thrown in add to to the fun. I hope a little girl somewhere in Appalachia will like it!
Is this the biggest cabbage you have ever seen?! A friend brought this over from his garden - it would be a gorgeous centerpiece. :) Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Here is a corner in our den. The round clock looked lonely on the wall, so the mirror was added to "mirror" the clock. The very-cool horse thing on the top was given to me by a friend...I love it.
When I lived in Germany, the only people who had cuckoo clocks were the Omas. But on my last trip there I found this little cutie and just couldn't resist. The little swiss miss bounces up and down, moving the bird across the porch! The tick-tock drives Micah nuts...he always stops the girl from swinging. Then I start it up again when he goes to school.
Underneath the kitchen bar is a great spot for stools and tons of scuff marks. Black chalkboard paint takes care of that....anyone who wants to leave a message is free to write and create. This message left by two sweet teenage girls.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bone. Proverbs 16:24
Part of our front yard is like a giant amber blanket of leaves. You'd think I would wander out here and sit, and ponder, while watching the leaves gently and sometimes not-so-gently fall to the earth. It is a nice thought...but I unfortunately don't get out here too often. But just the idea of it makes me smile.
Flea market dishes, antique linens, fresh flowers and candles, mixed with IKEA napkins + friends + food= great evening!
I hate stuff on the counter. One exception is a glass cylinder to hold paper towels.
The pine cone is not exactly stable - I have to take it on and off when I use a towel - but it looks nice!
" And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Matthew 6:27-29
A sweet neighbor brought over this tiny pumpkin filled with flowers (flowers are nestled in a glass jar with water). What a nice treat to find on my porch.
I lived for 11 years in the eastern section of Berlin, and this photo by an East Berlin artist perfectly captured scenes from the city. Leaning up against part of my I-have-way-too-much-Polish-pottery collection, it brings back many, many memories.
I'm pretty sure this cutie is from an amazing German artist named Silke Leffler.
Off to see our Micah, #27, kick the ball!
Life in America on a Friday night. 
This cute little mug was my inspiration for a picnic quilt.
'found these fabrics at Mary Jo's, a fabric store in Gastonia, NC, filled with more cloth than I have ever seen in one store. Boy, was that fun. I will post the quilt whenever it is done..!
I don't know how Craig started his list, but I am thankful. This silk, striped, down-filled sofa came from a listing and I love it! It fit perfectly in the bay window and we finally have a comfortable place to sit. Smile.
Just finished this for friends who had a baby in Germany. 'should bring some cuteness to those long winters. Welcome to Eli!
Fun Ribbons.
And look at this...sticky stuff on the back!
Oooh, the possibilities are endless...
I find that designer fabric samples make great little cosmetic bags. The fabric is a little thicker and holds well. It also made a matching ironing board cover that you can see in the background..
I have had this silk for so long that it was going to disintegrate.
So it was off to Joanne's to find a pattern to copy those cute little "who-buys-those?" tops at Anthropologie. 
A cute little ribbon as a button loop finishes it off. 
I left a drink out in a glass overnight and this guy decided to jump right in.
I did grant him his freedom. I'm sure he had enough of the pink lemonade.
I found a J Crew sweater at a Salvation Army store in Chicago (score!). I got home and realized that I have way too many white sweaters. A little piece of striped fabric on the back made it just a little different from the others. 
Now I have a J Crew sweater that no one else has. And, it cost $1.50. :)
A baby gift adorned. It needed a little "oomph", so I pulled out these little flowers and added them. One more cute idea for all of those adorable stickers in the craft stores...
I've always wanted to try this and I must say it was pretty easy. Attach the paper with Modpodge (or some sort of craft sealer), wait for it to dry, and then do another coat. I made a rough template for it with some cardstock paper (cutting out the clip area).
A beautiful room that my friend calls her "Morning Room". A place filled with sunshine, books, momentos and lovely things. A wonderful place to sit with a cup of tea and catch up on life....
These eggs are handpainted by Austrian art students and hang in our dining room on little branches every Easter. They're probably one of the only things in the house that I would be upset about breaking.
One of these leaves fell off palm plant as I finally remembered to water it. I copied a girlfriend and stuck it in an old wine bottle. Viola...instant pretty.
This is where I was last week. At the beach. In a bathing suit. 
"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9)
But admist all of the chaos, I am trying to get Easter "baskets" off to some college students. One of the little packages needed a gift enclosure.
Time to give in to the fact that cotton sweaters just don't cut it in cold weather. And given that we will most likely be moving someplace much colder than Florida, I bought some wool yarn.
This is for a cardigan with a deep, twisted rib stitch (knit through the back stitch). I'll post a picture when it's done (October??). I still think I will need 8 layers to keep warm....
This week has been quite a week. A good friend in the hospital. Another friend's daughter in the hospital. Talks and decisions about our new job and impending move. More and more discouraging news about the economy.
A flower from the sale bin at Joanne's Fabrics gives it a little pop. Now if I can only hold in my stomach the entire time I wear it?
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