this last Saturday in February....

It's still winter here in Michigan, and a light dusting of snow has fallen overnite. This is our happy guy, Oscar asking if we could plllllllease come inside and sit by the fire.. he will be especially glad when spring comes....

and more....

so beautiful.....

These Lippizzaner stallions came to a small venue, and it was truely a great nite. The dressage was amazing. Who who possibly imagine that you could train such noble animals to fly through the air or to be so focused. .. Truely this is where horse and rider became one. If you ever have a chance to these animals, dont pass it up...

tonite...

This is just so exciting for me. I have wanted to see these amazing horses for so long. This is an early Birthday present from my non horse lover, Tom.. thank-you honey......

Good bye Jody...

I will so miss going to London this year with Jody . These lucky little guys get to go tho....

...Oh you lucky ladies... I will miss Covent Garden, Portabello Road and especially the Teddy Bear Show in Kenningston... Sell out you guys...

Who doesnt love jolly ol'e England.... Have fun Jody and Marijan...

Have a spot of tea for me......safe travels...

Preparing for California....

I am sooo excited about this venture... we are calling it "A Gathering of Friends".. Four fellow artists are getting together for a showing of our works. Our good friend Dana Miller Wade and her husband Jack have been so kind as to offer their wonderful Mill Creek Restaurant in Corona California as a venue for our gathering... It's still in it's early stages, but mark your calendar... Paul Gordon ,Jody Battaglia , Leslie McCabe , and myself will be there, Saturday March 26th, from 10-2pm. This is gonna be a splendid happy affair.. it will be so great seeing all our old friends on the west coast... stay tuned for more details.....

Sending Love to you all...

It's that special day today. We are back home from a great visit with the family. It was frreeezing cold in Minneapolis, but the love was certainly warm and delicious. Sending you all heartfelt wishes, from our home to yours....

snowball quilt for Claude

This is the quilt that I DID finish for Claude just days before Christmas. I wasnt sure that it would be completed in time, but it turned out pretty cool I think. It's called a snowball quilt, and for those of you who can visualize quilt parts in pieces...well, more power to you. I have the hang of it now, and might attempt another, now that I understand how the pieces work together.
I do rather like the randomness of it all. I am an electic sew'er, and wanted it to be just lighter centers, but it might be interesting to have all the centers similar. There are just 2 size pieces that you work with, and it's a great way to use up those little tidbits of fabric that you just cant bear to part with. The large square is 4 1/4" and the small square is 1 3/4". You will need four small sqaure for each larg square. I have a friend who does machine quilting if you are looking for someone, I can email you her information. I can highly recommend her. Well, now's the time to get out all your fav fabrics... happy sewing...

a North Carolina dog 's first winter in Michigan

Oscar is clearly not thrilled with all the whitestuff, and when the temps dipped down into the single digits, he just was freezing, so I made him this little coat. It's made of an old recycled lambswool sweater, and I think he really likes it. Because Oscar has been under so much stress, I think his coat is in a rather sparce state. What we do for our furry friends...especially our adopted ones.

Welcome to Blogland Jody

This blog is just the best. For those of you not familar with Jody Battaglia (is there anyone out there who DOESN"T know her her work?) it is so full of fun and whimsey. Jody finds her inspiration from vintage children's books from the 1950's, and her work is the best.

Jody is getting ready for the big Teddy Bear Show in London. We've had such fun going there together and meeting up with our good friend Marijan from Holland. This year the two of them will be forging ahead without me. I'm green with envy, but am not able this year....saving our coins for a trip to Rome to see the fam... Jen, Jay and Baby Claude.

Does she make you smile on this cold wintry day

Jody is also a HUGE collector... I'm sure that she will be bringing home lots o' fun goodies from London... please think of me JODY. I will be missing you both!!

happy groundhogs day and Happy Birthday Miss Hazel!!

Happy Birthday to You Miss Hazel Ivy Murphy!! 4 Year's old today.. We love you....

Treasure Mart

Here's another treasure trove that's been around for 40 years right here in Ann Arbor. My friend Mary and I LOVE this place. Whenever we go on an outing, we always make it a stopping point. We've found some awesome finds here. It's a consignment shop , and just about anything can show up. Lately I've been looking for dog figurines. (who would have thought). I found a sweet little scottie the other day.. I'm trying to limit my intake these days, as Tom and I did just take 2 carloads of stuff there for resale.... yup, I have a problem.