bricolagelife

holiday weekend

whether you are celebrating canada day or independence day - i wish you a safe and happy holiday weekend!

a very happy fathers day

it was the 70s and my dad was a real ham for the camera. this is how i am thinking of him today.

i like what yoko ono has to say about fathers. and if you are a father - i wish you a very happy day!

happy mother's day!

 happy mother's day to you and yours!

spring break

this week i will be stepping away from the computer for spring break. i won't be traveling to any exotic locations but staying closer to home and spending time with one of my favorite girls on earth. we will be filling our days with springtime projects like dipping eggs in natural dyes, assembling and printing with rubber stamps, sewing curtains for her room and taking pictures of new blooms in her neighborhood. and maybe a little candy sampling. after lunch, of course :)

while i'm busy with all of this you might enjoy taking a peek at what these amazing art and crafters are up to:

abbey's astounding 20 in 20 project

kirsty's inspiring hanger challenge (you can play along, too!)

gorgeous illustrator of gorgeous illustrations - gertie's a stamp a day

lots of lovely paintings at jaq's root and flower gallery

 

if you want to say hey, i'll be checking my emails regularly and popping in and out at flickr. my 3 etsy shops will be open all week with shipping continuing on schedule (or close to it). 

happy spring break to you - i'll see you on the 25th!

 

a day for love

happy valentines day. have a good one.

xo

he said it best

it's an excellent day for contemplation. and retrospection. and action.

have a good holiday.

12th night greetings

happy twelfth day of xmas! the new year is already seven days old and we have been mostly holed up in our snuggeries, drinking strong coffee in the mornings and hot honeyed pots of tea in the chill of the early evenings. as we work at home busily sorting thru storage boxes reorganizing our workrooms, we have unearthed a surprising stash of vintage goodies for my shop. and recycled a hefty quantity of paper as well. it feels good to greet the new decade with a thorough clear out. tho neither of us makes new years resolutions we do make a few secret promises to ourselves, mental lists of improvements we plan to implement as the fresh year stretches out ahead. i'm eager to make mine come true. 

as january rushes in we try to make the most of every hour in the day. it may be a new year but like the years that came and went before it, i notice there still don't seem to be enough of these to accomplish all that i want. we walked last night thru our neighborhood after dark looking for signs that the last moments of the holiday are still being celebrated. happily we found many twinkling lights still glowing brightly, cozy symbols of a cheery warmth and beauty, brightening our wintry path. looks like 2011 is off to a good start.

 

a fond farewell

the final year of the past decade began with a frosty adventure 

surprised me with unexpected photo ops

and visual delights in ordinary everyday moments  (now making the rounds on tumblr)

and brought a new self-cut do

the challenge (and recovery from) the worst (most harrowing?) day (months?) of our lives

a restorative week by the beach, recorded in daily collections

the thrill of new projects

the completion of a daunting project

many many lovely ordinary days

comforting visits with good friends and family

and so so much more... a fond farewell to you, 2010.

cheers!

thanks for spending the year with me here. i am really looking forward to what 2011 will bring.

 

boxing day

being separated from our british ancestors by about 18 generations, we didn't celebrate boxing day when i was growing up. in fact i'd never even heard of this day-after-christmas-holiday until i was an adult person fully intrigued by every kind of established festival wrapped around december 25th. over the years we have introduced a few substantial traditions to our winter holiday until the parenthesis around christmas day now stretch from october thru mid january. i am forever attempting to convince others that christmas is a season, not just a day (for someone who celebrates her own birthdays all thru the month of august, this is to be expected). anyone can take the seed of a known ritual and create a unique custom that becomes meaningful to their own holidays. there are so many ways to make our own deep connection to the cycles of the year. i like that. so on this boxing day we do have a bag or two on the porch, stuffed and ready to be donated to our favorite charity. when the snow stops we will load up the old volvo and drop them off. we will think of all the generous goodwill that has come our way and pass it along as best we are able. 

but mostly today i will be tidying up my work space. it's a good time for me to reflect on the past year (and decade) and consider plans and pathways for the coming new year. handling every box, tin, photo, scrap of paper, cloth and string piled up on my work table becomes a meditative process. projects begun and set aside are revisited, rearranged, sorted and often completed.

the tree will not come down today. the twinkle lights, ornaments and tinsel garland won't be packed away for another two weeks (sometimes more). we will happily continue listening to christmas tunes and watching the last of the classic movies on our list. a slice of panettone will be served with morning coffee until the final crumb is consumed. and you may catch us digging down to the toes of our christmas stockings for those elusive milk chocolate coins in the long chilly evenings ahead. and we will still wish you a happy holiday when we pass you in the street on a snowy walk.

xmas eve eve

it's here! whatever winter holidays you mark and celebrate - i wish you the most cozy, peaceful and merry days.