Sunday, March 27, 2011

Thank heaven for little girls!

Another week down. Or is it another week begun? I never have understood Sundays, in the scheme of the weekly schedule.


Today I'll share some photographs.

First, an ode to daffodils -- the short-lived bloom that makes my Spring-starved heart go all a'flutter:

This is a particularly saturated spot near my house that has been the site for many a daffodil photography occasion.
Double exposure with the shed/barn in the background.
And here it is, in color. Mainly necessary because of that one bunch of white.
Old pickup truck in a field of daffodils.
Mom planted these. 

Now, how about my wandering adventures on old back roads, continued:

I'm not sure what these arrows are for, but I just had to do a double exposure with the country road. 
Cute little turtle guy in the middle of the road.
Don't get too entrenched with the possible metaphor of the barbed wire...
Our neighbors' horses. Doubly exposed.

Now for the visit from my favorite little girls:

Showing Peyton and Shelby around "the Park."
Some creek grass showing through...
Shelby is terrified of Dimitri (a.k.a. Goldmund), so the girls talk to him through the window.
Peyton is momentarily interested in the transparent horse I got for her big sister.
Reading about chickens
Checking out the real live chickens just outside!
Peyton waits anxiously while Shelby tries to rile up the rooster.
Azaleas, with a little bit of Peyton in there somewhere...
:)
Riley has fun on our Mule excursion. 

A few random shots from around the house:

Mawmaw soaks up some rays on her new bench.
Watering can in a tub.
Brussel sprouts, straight from the garden!

I put some of those very brussel sprouts in the quinoa salad I made for Mom and myself for lunch today. Nothing like food from your front yard to put you in good spirits!


That's all I've got for now. It's time, I suppose, to start a new craft endeavor. But first, I need inspiration...

Saturday, March 19, 2011

She might not have no drawers, but I bet she won't forget the hot sauce.

Sometimes it's almost a bad thing having really phenomenal friends, ya know? Like, when they live, say, in Portland, OR, and you never get to see them. 

Well, such is the case with my dear Micah, for whom I just recently finished and sent a homemade cross-stitch piece, which was catered quite specifically to him. Wanna see both of them?!

Are those man-panties?
He's a doll, ain't he? 

Among the many things we share is our adoration for Erykah. Although, I must admit, this little ditty was his find. And a pretty great one:


Nobody else can wear a big ass wig falling off their head quite like her. And yes, that t-shirt does say "I can't be overdrawn, I still have some checks." I would wear that outfit, just sayin...

And, not to toot my own horn, but those briefs in that little cross-stitch? I did that, all by myself... A design genius, I know.


So what else is going on on this fine Saturday evening?

Well, they say it's the biggest moon tonight that we'll see in some unGodly amount of years. I need to go check that out, actually... Brb.

Eh, seems that I've missed the best part: the rising. So those of you on the West Coast, check it out!



What else have I been up to lately... Well, my brother Adrian, his wife Jennifer, and my ADORABLE nieces, Shelby and Peyton, just left this morning from their visit since Wednesday night. Awfully short visit, but any little bit of those sweet baby girls (7 and 2 years old, respectively) is better than none. I'll have to show you the gazillions of pictures I took once I get them processed.

Also, I'm on the hunt for a MOBILE HOME in Starkville, MS! Hah, it's a fine thing, a mobile home. Really, it's an economic move. Pay for something that you actually own instead of renting. I'm totally into it. Going to see a few next Saturday, actually. I'm getting more and more excited about my move, especially with the increasing level of BORING that my life is these days. It's time to get started on a new chapter, for sure.




Crafty things I'm currently in love with:


"Petit Mort" - I mean, ever since that St. Vincent song, I'm a bit obsessed with the "little death" idea. And really, who isn't?! ;) I think I'll do my own version, though...

Cottage wood shelfs with vase holder - I really want to make some of these. Complete with Ball jar. 

Customized "Willow" dog tag - I think I'm going to order one of these for Ferny. ADORABLE!

Holga flour sack hand towel - This would be terribly cute in my mobile home...

Greeting card with bears - "I am in love with you from a distance"? Really? I don't get it, but I love it.


Ok then, guys, much love, and have a Fabulous weekend!


Saturday, March 12, 2011

The ties that bind, they are barbed & spined, & hold us close forever.

Today. Was. Beautiful.

Springtime is inevitably the most beautiful time of the year. Not that I don't love every season in its own glory, but Spring can't be rivaled with. I must admit, it's mostly the smells, for me. I've previously mentioned my love of sweet olive blooms, and that love has been amplified in these last couple of weeks. I swear, if I could put the scent in a candle that didn't smell completely like lab-synthesized aldehydes, I'd be a rich woman. But it isn't just the sweet olive that made my senses tingle today... Many other scents filled my nostrils and gorgeous blooms made my eyes go wide! Props to my parents for the hard work put in on the beds and hillsides and creeksides... If only I had my digital camera, I'd give you a tour of the Garrison homestead come blooming time. Hopefully no evil Frost will tear things apart before they get good and going.

And, oh my, how I am holding my breath for the tomatoes, and peaches, and cucumbers, and peppers, and... Fresh fruits and veggies, galore! CANNOT WAIT!

You know what else makes Springtime so amazing?


Something about the strawberry makes day-drinking more acceptable. Don't you think? Although, I must say, I've always accepted it... It's been a roller-coaster ride, trying to figure out if Mississippi was going to get this stuff, but it finally came to at least a few stores last week. Yay for seasonal Abita! But mostly for Abita Strawberry!


The other thing I did today, on breaks from the outdoors and once the sun had set, was create a little ditty of embroidered Joanna on a floral print fabric. Wanna see?


I'm always trying to figure out which words I want displayed on my walls. These were a no-brainer. In a nostalgic sense, these words remind me of all of the amazing friends and family I have for which the phrase holds true. In an optimistic sense, it gives me something to look forward to with the new relationships I hope to form as the years go by. It's a comforting verse. And a beautiful song.


Well, I hope you all have had an amazing Saturday, as beautiful as its been, and will continue to have an amazing weekend!


Oh, and DON'T FORGET to set your clocks forward! 
Happy beginning of Daylight Savings Time!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Rained out.

Hello lovelies!

It's been a while, I know, but I've been catching up on my boozing and doing less of my crafting lately... ;)

Seriously.

But now I'm back, what with the incessant rain that wants to ruin my plans to head to NOLA tonight for some Mardi Gras escapades... Just as well, I suppose, since I recently (as in yesterday) put a gash in my head that still smarts somethin' fierce. So I've instead reverted to my crafts, here to show you a cute little thing I made up the other day and just finished several minutes ago.


Well, maybe not completely finished... gotta figure out something to do with those fearsome teeth.

Inspired, per usual, by Buffy. I've always been hesitant about season 6 of the show, because Willow, who is definitely my favorite character, at least prior to season 5 or so, goes "all veiny and evil". But I've recently re-evaluated the phenomenon and realized it's amazing, if a little painful for me, personally, to watch. I was thinking of finding more vicious creatures to embroider and do all the different villain quotes. We shall see...

In other news, my trusty Canon Rebel XTI has a busted lens. This means no more digital pics, save the shitty ones I can take with my computer camera (as seen above). At least until I'm willing to fork out the cash to replace the lens... In the meantime, it's all manual, with my Holga and maybe even my Nikon SLR, if I feel like taking it way back.

Here are a few of my most recent Holga adventures, mostly in Texas, with my Leggy and my nieces, plus some ROBYN (!!!) and a few around the house:

Peyton in the tunnel, times 2
Everybody needs a sliding buddy...

Shelby is beside herself with all the fun! (paha..)

Peek-a-boo with Peyton! 
Sweetest girls...

Peyton takes Ferny for a walk

Ma girls

Self-explanatory

Mary and Joseph sidewalk art

Bisou takes a shit

Planting fruit trees in Summerland

Hickory Hill

Miss Sippi

ROBYN!

This is probably so wack because Robyn dancing faster than my camera works...

Let's go back, shall we?

Robyn or Tool tribute? Hard choice...

That's it for now.