The Garden, The Paintings, The Dog

We don't like when weekends start out rough. It began like this... somehow our little IG wiped out on the back stairs when she was playing with my daughter and her friends. No one actually witnessed it, they only heard her shrieking and crying. (Emily has a tendency toward the dramatic.) Her rear paw was in pain because she wasn't using it at all.

We spent a majority of the evening at the emergency animal care center and Emily milked every pitiful moment like a wee damsel in distress.


After x-rays and thorough examinations the doctor finds nothing... The trouble is, it is three days after her accident and the poor pup is still not using her paw. We're going to wait a few days, but if x-rays showed nothing, what could the trouble be?

                                                                                                 poor, poor pitiful me  

The weekend was gorgeous. We enjoyed the garden, and family, good food and spectacular fireworks.

And we come to Monday. It's my daughter's first official day at work. (I don't know how I feel about that. Last year driver's ed, this year a part-time job, next year graduation. Another year closer to independence.)

I have the afternoon to myself so I work on some new ideas.

I love these summer afternoons so much. Never ending summer afternoons. 

Announcing the Winners

I have two winners to announce this afternoon. This lovely breezy summer afternoon. So let's begin today's post with the announcement.

The first winner is romantic Cielo from the House in the Roses. 

Winner number two the super cute Alicia from The Doll and the Pea.

Shoot me an email with your addresses and your choice of Woodwings. I will send them as soon as I get your responses!

Freebie Give away

What a party!

                                 Leeroy Out Loud! by Rae Huestits

I've never really been a part of something like this virtual party hosted by Vanessa of A Fanciful Twist. I'm still pretty green behind the ears when it comes to posting and engaging audiences, linking, loading and chatting up. But I have to say I love it! What an experience this weekend was. I still find myself going back to some of the tea parties I may have missed. Fun Fun Fun!!!

I wanted to remind any new visitors that all of the items listed in the post below are up for grabs.

I will give away

2   that's right , 2 prints

1 each to 2 lucky winners in honor of Vanessa's Mad Wonderful Tea Party and Baby.

Leave a comment here or below, AND add your name to the followers list  to be included in the give-away which will be anounced on Saturday.

Mad Tea Party Adventureland!

Three young party goers arrive in the garden, expectant and dreamy-eyed. They received an invitation to a tea party and arrive just in time, which concerns the young ones because every party goer knows that the fashionable never arrive to a party on time or, don't even think it...early!

 "Are you sure this is the day."

"Yes, one hundred percent."

"Did you see any one else or are we the first to arrive?"

"Oh, I hope we're not the first..."

"I'm pretty sure I saw the peculiar cat up in the trees over there."

The cat that was at one moment sitting on a branch across the wood appeared at the tree immediately across from our party goers, at once startling and embarrassing the girls.

Excusez-moi. I can hear you I am standing right here.

Sincere apologies. Have you you seen our host yet? Has he made his appearance? Do you know when he is scheduled to arrive? Have we come too early? Have we arrived too late?  


The cat dissolved until the chattering stopped and the party goers thought they were alone again. So they moved closer to the glow of the lighted trees, trying to make themselves appear at ease among the pansies and poppies, peonies and primrose. 


"Lovely, not a soul in sight..." 
Murmured one party goer as she pouted so lovely the White Hare could not hide in the brush any longer and cheerily pounced into the poppy field to the part goers delight!

You Are Late!


The hare declared in her accusatory and nervous tone. Not at all as gracious as the young party goers have come to expect of their hosts and hostesses.


How is it possible that we are late if there is no one here?


No one here? 
(appeared the cat from no where)


Oh dear we must prepare for Alice is near. Places everyone. Places! 


The White Hare danced around creating more confusion than order.


A rumbling sound was heard from under foot. An earth shrinking movement from the same surface of the moss covered ground. 
Excitement filled the atmosphere as the air filled with the scent of joyful youth and anticipation. 


Hopeful guests pictured Alice drinking and growing and eating and un-growing and tumbling and arriving at the table to feast!
A thunderous sound of disappointment filled the field as in unison the group voiced their disappointment as the queen arrived with a royal display. 

Characters on horseback carried in her unnecessary accessories to the afternoon soire. The Queen of Hearts carried with her the strong scent of roses and although her demeanor is not as awful as once we read of, the air did carry a bit of a chill.


Tea was poured and crumpets and cake passed from hand to hand and an afternoon of delightful conversation was spent among the lighted trees and scented woods.


When smash, dab,  out of nowhere plunked the darling of the day.

Oh dear, I fear I may have landed on a hookah!

She was the life the the party the dear girl!

Anyone in the mood for a game of volleyball? Croquet is so last year.

And so the party commenced and continued until the fireflies joined in and the hoot owls reminded the guests of the lateness of the evening. 

And the party goers agreed that this was worth the wait and no one could tell them that they went to the best party of all because the party goers knew that this mad and wonderful tea party was  the event that could not be captured in print or in pictures. Memory alone could contain the splendor of this day.

For your own snapshots to commemorate this lovely day, visit 

woodwings.etsy.com

Free print will go to a randomly selected guest. The only thing I ask in return is that you become a friend of this blog and leave a comment listing your favorite character in this days story.

Simple as that. Become a follower and leave a comment listing our favorite character from the story above. In one short week, that is next Saturday, I will announce the winner.


Love to all.

Cake

Listen to the sound of that word. Cake. I was listening to public radio on the way home from work, as I always do when alone in the car and the commentary was about cake. And I thought what a wonderful sounding word cake is. I don't mean just the images it conjures up or the cravings that may gnaw at you after hearing a commentary about cake. I just love the masculine, direct sound of the word. Nothing flouncy. Cake.

I realize that I prefer my cake that way too. Simple, understated, undecorated. Don't get me wrong...I have loved strawberry shortcake with freshly whipped cream, and the most lovely of all cakes, a raspberry charlotte from Ambrosia, a small French bakery in Barrington IL which we order for the most special of birthdays in our family circle. Ambrosia sends home each work of art decorated with orchids. A fanciful and delicious treat. Or the pear torte that refreshes us after a day at the beach, with a fresh fruit whipped frosting so fragrant you would swear you were swimming in nectar. I've loved them all.

But a nice simple cake is like an honest, strong man. I just can't turn away from him....

uh, it. I can't turn away from it.

http://technicolorkitcheninenglish.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Book Fair-eys!

Today was our annual trek to the Little City Book Fair at the Old Orchard shopping mall in Skokie, IL. Nina and I could barely contain our excitement, dorks that we are. But in our defense, we met up with some of our friends, very cool people, that filled their shopping carts just as high as ours. 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48587812/books-print

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48720440/book-love-print

On the table

It's been a stormy day. My girl Emily sat by my side as I worked on a new idea. There is still a bit to do before it's finished, but a blog is the place to send out sketches and see what the universe sends back

Bridesmaids, flower girls, wood nymphs? I'm undecided

A Spanish Señorita with her Italian Gentleman

Alice In Wonderland bookmark winner

Thank you one and all for your varied and interesting book suggestions.
I was so happy to hear from everyone.
The randomly selected winner of the bookmark give away was  Miss Liza, who also suggested the book "The Meaning of Night". Thank you Liza. I hope you enjoy your bookmark.

Besotted

Besotted

Oh for crying outloud. I was preparing to go to bed and now I'll have to run downstairs for my credit card. Blasted beautiful shoes on wonderful newly found blog....

June Moon Bloom Swoon

Wedding season is upon us. True love is everywhere. The scent of strawberries and cream colored peonies. The rustle of imported silks and the sparkle of a hand crafted tiara.

"you know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams"

                                                                                                                                                                            ~ dr. seuss

The bride is simply stunning, no worries no details to worry her pretty little head. The man of her dreams feels an army of marching ants in the pit of his stomach as he and his best man stop at a drive through for a large shake on their way to church. The bride's mother wipes the tears from her cheeks as she applies the third fresh coat of mascara. Father sits on the edge of his bed. Wondering how he is going to make it through this day.

il_fullxfull.118094694.jpg

Words

I've been thinking about words today. Creating with words. The kinds of words that when they are thrown together in a supremely passionate way the reader or listener (when heard in a song) can't tear themselves away. They relate to them, connect to them, rock out to them, weep to them.


Check this out:

Well I never kept a dollar past sunset

It always burned a hole in my pants

 Keith Richards & Mick Jagger, Happy

For there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one's own pain weighs as heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes.
Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. Kahlil Gibran 

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.

Albert Camus

Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves
Blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Billie Holiday

Every time we say goodbye, I die a little.
Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little.
Why the gods above me, who must be in the know,
think so little of me they allow you to go.
When you're near there's such an air of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere begin to sing about it.
There's no love song finer but how strange the change from major to minor,
Every time we say goodbye, every single time we say goodbye.

Cole Porter

...**Sigh**... Don't you just love words. Genius I say.

Giveaway: Alice Bookmark

Hey Mr. Sunshine, we miss you so much. We know you can burn through all those rain clouds. Come on now, don't give up. The sweet song of the birds are welcoming and quite a bit joyful. They won't let these grey skies keep them in hiding, well then why should I.

First things first. Congratulations to Jessica for being the first winner of the first Woodwings give-away. Be on the look-out for your package Jess and thank you for the really thoughtful words.

It's a good time of year to hide from the rain under the shelter of your front porch and snuggle into your coverlet or near the light of a window overlooking your pond with your puppy on your lap and a good book to stir your imagination.

I often choose my books based
on the covers. This one was
recommended by my friend Emily.
She too is a huge Alice fan.

And so, regarding this week's giveaway....What's the last book you read? Post your recommendation for us. It's as simple as that, and you may be randomly selected to win the Alice bookmark.

It makes no difference what the book is. Children's book, romance novel, dictionary, tv guide ;) Share and win this bookmark. The deadline for your comments is May 26th.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Freebie for your comments

Hey all you talented, thriving part-time artists/full-time mothers/full-time other job persons. Tell me what makes you tick. What makes you passionate about getting home, feeding the family, organizing your life and then creating till bedtime. Show me the way. Share with me your secrets to success.

I'm beat. Weekends seem to be the only time I have the creative energy to paint. Then I beat myself up all week for not working harder. blah blah blah. How do you super human women do it?

Leave your comment in response and on May 15th I will randomly select one of you to win a free print of my newest painting seen right here. (Don't forget to leave your email address so that I can contact you.) 

With romance in the air (yes, Valentines Day still means something to some people) It seems most appropriate to use poetry as inspiration for the stories of my new Etsy listings.

I really connected with "Failing and Flying" by Jack Gilbert

Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew. It's the same thing when love comes to an end, or the marriage fails and people say they knew it was a mistake, that everybody said it would never work. That she was old enough to know better. But anything worth doing is worth doing badly. Like being there by that summer ocean on the other side of the island while love was fading out of her, the stars burning to extravagantly those nights that anyone could tell you they would never last. Every morning she was asleep in my bed like a visitation, the gentleness in her like antelope standing in the dawn mist. Each afternoon I watched her coming back through the hot stony field after swimming, the sea light behind her and the huge sky on the other side of that. Listened to her while we ate lunch. How can they say the marriage failed? Like the people who came back from Provence (when it was Provence) and said it was pretty but the food was greasy. I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell, but just coming to the end of his triumph.

There is no failure in love lost when memories are good.

New Squareheads

I have three new additions which are not yet ready to be added to Etsy. This is the first. I am pretty comfortable naming her Esther, but her story hasn't come to me yet. I've sent out some feelers to Jess, who is my story muse. Her sense of humor sometimes brings tears to my eyes. I'll wait patiently and see what comes forth. I'm thinking that Esther's outline needs to be bolder as thick as the line around her skirt. A few more days just looking at her before I call her finished.

This one is pretty much finished, except for the locket swinging from her elegant neck. A title and a story, a frame and some jewels and she is ready for Etsy.

Love Is A Myth

The story for her was easy. Although I like this very raw look of the wood peaking through I can't quite call her finished yet. She needs a tattoo like a brand to bring her ancient aesthetic to the 21st century and a few highlights on her Andalusian tail. Soon, very soon.