Gosh! I am SO exited now! It’s arrived!

Did you feel that e-bay is the best place to do shopping? Did you ever spent way too much on e-bay and feel guilty? Oh, boy! I not allowed myself to do e-bay for the next month! But I’m not going to feel guilty for spending $9.99 this time. Look at this beautiful set of floral dishes from Czechoslovakia. I am SO excited to have it! They arrive Saturday morning when I was in Ann Arbor with my daughter and I was able to open them only Sunday. Stunning floral wave basket pattern - LOVE it!


And, of course, my husband made another apple pie. I can’t resist having slice of it (of course, using my new china). Double pleasure!

Apple Crisp day and Mr. Bunny in my garden

I should confess - these two bunnies not from my garden. I didn’t make this photos, I found them in Internet as a study for my gourds sketches. I just can’t resist showing them to others. Did you ever see anything more precious???
Still we have our bunny in the backyard, I just not first-class paparazzi, can’t catch him. I have more flowers this summer and he coming more often now. Sometimes he sits next to the German porcelain bunny, pretending to be my garden decoration. Sometimes he hiding behind raised bed with tomatoes, and run away as soon, as I stop looking at him. Hi is little shy fellow. I just hope one day he will move in my garden with all his family! I just didn't named him yet... Hmmm... Any suggestions?

We also will be happy to have family of hedgehogs - my daughter LOVED them. She has one many years ago and it was lot of fun to see them playing together. Except … Well, I should tell that hedgehogs extremely active at night and they making really loud noises. Sounds like you have a pony in the kitchen! We have tiny-miny apartment back to the “hedgehog time” and it was little too loud…

Talking about apple crisp – my husband baked it yesterday! Ne used apples from our dwarf and some old recipe from one of few hundred (no kidding! I am serious now!) cookbooks we have. Oh, boy! It was good! With glass of cold milk it disappeared in a blink of my eye! I should admit – my husband really good cook!

PS. Two new samplers on my wall! Both from goodwill – somebody’s trash are always my treasure!

Few more gourds and apples

We picked up last apples from our tiny tree. I still can't believe that our dwarf can produce so many apples!

And there are some more my gourds. I didn’t used varnish yet, so they look pale and light. I will do it tonight probably. Sorry I don’t have time to show more – next time!

I am so glad weekend is over!

I am so glad weekend is over! I think I little overworked in my garden. But it looks so much better now! I don’t think I am done yet – I still need to split some more plants. My hosta and shiatsu daises waiting to be replaced.

My garden growing every day! Look at the ivy! It came from my father-in-law, and did very poor before. But this year ivy decides to grew up and cover my ugly fence!

Also hydrangea planted last fall doing so well! I planted hydrangea and few bushes of roses and totally forgot to water it last fall, when my daughter was sick. Dispite neglection they not only survive but blooming all over! WOW!

Look at my English roses! And we harvest few bowls of apples from our dwarf apple three – can you believe that this 5 feet tall dwarf has more than 50 apples??? And they are not only delicious but also so beautiful – truly “apple of my eye!”

Sure – I did needlepoint every evening as usual. Finally I finished and framed bouquet of rouses. Now they bloomed in my bedroom. I also continue stitching next one - with peonies. One day I will run out of space on the wall!

I am glad it is Monday – I can have little rest from heavy gardening….. But I make some more plans for the next weekend….

That's why I don't have time to write...

Not only write but make photos also...
Shame on me! I gave away so many my crafts and always forgot to make photos… Good part – all my gourds, paints and needlework adapted by good people. I love to come at my friends homes and see my work. I feel so honored then!

I finished and framed this two few days ago.
Yesterday was looooong and little crazy day. Good one, in fact. Early morning I have time to clean our house (it is always little sloppy). Then Birthday girl asked me to drop her to the Panera. While she enjoyed chatting with friends, I drove to the goodvill. Gosh ! My lucky day! I bought few absolulely lovely bone china tea cups and sousers. Roses, roses and again roses!


New china match my rosy pitcher! Oh, I LOVE it!
Then came my sister-in-law and her hubby. He is THE Super Man! He installed security cameras in our house. Our property was vandalize few times lately and I getting too (is it right to use this world?) paranoid… Super handy-man Bobby install four cameras while I made lunch - so quick, I cant believe! It looks so simple when he did, but I newer will be able to do it - what a wonderful talent! I always admire people like a Bobby - crafty, hardworkind and very, very kind!
Sure I never have egough good time with my sis! Newer enough hugs… I wish one day we would live close to each other, and have more time to spend together. She has one of my samplers now, of course, with the bird and flowers! I started this sampler in her garden couple weeks ago, seating just in front of her beautiful garden house. What a good memories for both of us!
Finally, already after 10 pm watched old and good Russian movies with my birthday girl and I painted more gourds. I think she still remember few of this movies, it was fun to see her repeating some phrases. She has about 50 calls from her friends. Sure – she spent couple hours talking with her boy-friend.
She will back to Chicago tomorrow. I think my daughter in-love now... (ooops! My life in danger now!) I am so happy for her...
And there is one of my new gourds. With bunnies. I am in a "bunny mood" lately. I painted more yesterday, but I didn't make photo yet. Next time!

August already...

Why it is always the same? Winter is way too long, and summer too short… Hundreds small and big things was done at home and thousands not yet. At least I have my camera back and now I can write in my blog again.
Thank you, all my dear friends! I newer meet you, but somehow you became my friends. I miss you. And I love you - even I newer meet you. I love the fact that you invited me in your home thru the screen of my laptop. I love to see you life, get involved in good and sometimes not so good things, what happened to you. I love to share my life same way with you and have few of yours kind and so precious to me comments. I hope all of you had good summer. All we need – little happiness, sun shine and love of good people around us. I hope you have it! My love to you!


I want to show you WHY I was so busy. My garden blooming as a crazy this you! I can’t believe I did it! There is a part in front of our house – looks like a jungles! Sure, my husband stays next to his favorite (well… It is only one we have!) apple tree. We have like three dozens of apples on this small thing.
























And there is my daughter with sweetest puppy in the world, named Sugar Dog! They are so in-love with each other! Tomorrow my Irka will have her 22nd birthday!!! I happends 15 minutes before midnight, 22 year ago, in a cold and rainy day. I try to hold on till 14th, but they squeezed her out. She has beautiful black eye (I mean brose!!!) and I never seen anything more fine-looking in my life. There she is!

New garden

My garden blooming, all home in flowers and I removed last few yards of lawn in front of house

Now it looks almost like real English garden – little too overgrowing, roses next to lavender, daisies mixed with lilies, tiny apple tree next to Russian Sage … I keep my windows open and fragrance of garden in every room now. All I want is to be outside and enjoy every second of summer… What a haven!
People walk and stop in front of house and looking on my flowers – I gently smile. Yes, it is my pride and joy! It makes me happy!

Some people stop to talk with me when I water my garden. Guy all covered in tattoo with dog, elderly lady, walking with her family, beautiful young women with gray hair from Baptist church next to us… Different people with same joy – bless all of you for the good words and kindness… My garden blooming because you like it!
But I also have small, secret garden now. Just for me…

I start to plant it last fall in a dumpy place, in the back yard, in a small area between two walls of our home and fence. There is no sun and almost no soil – rocks and clay only. Surprisingly, my secret garden this year became lovely and green. He happily answers with blooms for every minute I spent there. Wild daisies I picked up next to the dusty road last year became large and so bright; Black Eyed Susan from the same source reach 3 feet already; Yarrow and Tansy looks gigantic! Tiny bush of hydrangea (which didn’t like to be in front of house before!) became large and all covered in green flowers. Even Boston ivy start doing his job, covering quite an ugly fence…
This weekend I make new, tiny fairy's garden in the box for my friends, who have kids. Why not? I do believe in garden’s fairies….. Do you?

Cranbrook

Long weekend give us a wonderful opportunity to see Cranbrook – large private school in Bloomfield Hills, MI. I always impressed with system of education in US. People here used to complain about education - it is not perfect, it is expensive and not always most efficient. I can’t… I just wish more kids can afford it - it is wonderful school! Schools like Cranbrook provide amazing opportunity for kids to study art and science, and focused on future career. Never mind – Cranbrook have Academy of Art, contemporary Art Museum, House & Gardens, and natural history museum - and it is always open for public!

Founded by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth in 1904, Cranbrook campus features the work of world-renowned architects such as Eliel Saarinen, Albert Kahn, Steven Holl, Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, Rafael Moneo, Peter Rose and sculptors Carl Milles, Marshall Fredericks and others. Critics have called Cranbrook "the most enchanted and enchanting setting in America" and in 1989, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

But best part for me is the gardens of Cranbrook! Oh, boy! I can spend hour and hours, walking thru the hills and searching for the new spots. There are two kinds of gardens in the campus. First – very formal, designed in strong geometrical patterns. Sculpture, fountains and architectural fragments boost the setting with large lawns, trees, and a lake stretching out beyond the fieldstone walls. But there are also small almost wild spots in between formal and glorious gardens. Tiny spot of lawn between trees, covered with wildflowers ~ Anemone, Banebarry, Bellwort, Bloodroot, Fawn Lily, Foamflower, Hepatica, Marsh Marigold, May Apple, Miterwort, Ragwort, Snakeroot, Solomon's Seal, Squirrel Corn, Trillium, Trout Lily, Wild Geranium, Wild Ginger, Wood Poppy, Wintergreen. They looks like nobody ewer planted it. They hide in the shadow of trees or proudly show in all glory on a top of hills… I can spend days and days to see it…
Only one part was sad – my camera didn’t behave well. The bright sunshine washed out all colors…. Well - there is a positive side of it. I can come back another day and make more photos!

My dear friends please forgive me…

My dear friends please forgive me… I didn’t write for so long… It was a reason for it, a stupid one. Sometimes I am so worried about my daughter’s tumor – I can’t breeze, I can’t live, I can’t see colors… Sorry – that’s me, who I am… I just not realized how long I was absent from normal life…
She is OK now, feel well and enjoying her break at school. It is coming time for the next MRI (which makes me crazy again!!!). I am again scared to death, but there is a hope that tumor will not come back again...
My daughter was in Chicago week ago, and (again!) fall in-love with this beautiful city. She wants to move to Chicago after graduation. Me too! What a place to be…
Another news – she finally became US citizen. We were too busy in past five years to do it. But last summer we finally decide to apply for citizenship. I don’t know if she was exited, she told it was long and boring, but my husband was!!!

It was huge ceremony, 1100 people received certificates. I will have same ceremony on May 29th – hey! I will able to have passport and travel! I want to see English cottages and gardens! As well as rest of world. I can't wait!
There is some photo’s form Irka’s ceremony and you can see how much people there! Wow! It took almost 3 hours.

She was exhausted and took good nap after. She is biggest "snoozer" in the world!

Frank Sinatra - Fly Me to the Moon Lyrics

Busy-Busy

Busy-busy days! Tax time in US and the end of financial year in Japan. No time for life at all! Only work! I have not more then 45 minutes to stitch yesterday, but still want to share some progress. There it is – new pouch coming!

There is something I want to show you also. Few days ago they sold out on e-bay vintage tablecloth. The price was way too high for me, but I saved couple of photos and want to show it to you. Don’t you think it is beautiful rouses?I wonder who did such a gorgeous needlework?
I found similar designs by Ellen Maurer-Stroh and want to display it here.

Love you all!

Pouch For My Camera

I almost forgot to tell you! I am still craving for spring, so I decide to make something with flowers yesterday. It is small pouch for the camera I have in my purse. Now it is protected and covered with some roses. Just for spring! Isn’t it lovely?

I also choose to make another pouch for camera, with the pockets for an extra batteries and cord – I think it will handy to have for travel! There it is new roses start growing on the blue linen! It will also some ribbons, lilac and bunny!
And finally I made pillow with birds and some tartan-like fabric on the back of it. Oh, I love red and gray!!! I still continue to look for new ideas and designs…

Pet-Friendly Book Store in Ann Arbor

Sunday, after church we drove to the Ann Arbor, to have lunch with our daughter, and spent some time together… It was rainy and we didn’t feel like to walk outside after lunch, we just landed in Borders Book, Music, Movies and Café, reading magazines, having coffee and some sweet pastry.

We always loved this place and what a surprise!
It is pet-friendly now!!! We spotted few people coming with dogs and having good time, while kids, and even some crazy foreigns like me were able to pet and hug dogs! What a brilliant idea to open book store for pet-lovers!


Look at this cute 145lb. dog- he was so sweet and polite! He let us kiss his sweet nose, we shake his hand (or whoever they call it), and little girl after us came to hug him! He was gentle and let her enjoy the moment! I just can’t resist and made few photos of him and my daughter! Isn’t it cutest dog ever?

And then we have sushi for Irka in her dorm. This part of post made especially for her grand parents in Russia – they so worry all the time we didn’t feet our baby! There is a proof – she eat sometimes! She show us video of the lesson she teaches few days ago. You can see my husband with daughter watching it. I love them both so much - it is one of my favorite moments, to see them together!

It was simple day, but a happy one!

Two Hours Project

A biscornu is an eight-sided embroidered pillow that can be used as a pinch cushion, ornament, or key chain. Sometimes they filled with dry flower petals or herbs to make a sachet... Not mine - but it is good idea!
There are step by step instructions. It took for me about two hours to make small biscornu, but I took time to make tea, talk, walk, watch TV in between – I wasn’t busy, I just enjoy to do something new.

First step – I stitched two squares, they suppose to have same size. It is important!Then I cross-stitched two designs. The designs do not have to be identical; in fact it is better, if they are not. More excitement!

Next step is to find a middle of top design and joining the corner of one side to the middle of the edge of the other side is what creates the shape of a biscornu. (It was hardest part of the project!)

Then I made a stitch by passing threaded needle underneath the backstitch of the previously-marked center of the second square. When assembling a biscornu, the needle should always be passed through the backstitching without ever piercing the fabric – that’s what somebody told me! But… It is not easy… I missed a target couple of times… Please, keep the secret!

I stuffed my biscornu and make sure to push stuffing into the corners. And finally I sew on buttons. The thread should go from one button, pass all the way through the center of the biscornu, and then go thorough the other button. Simple!

And voila – my first in the life biscornu hanged next to the others broderie rouge – not like I speak French! I just love sound of it - broderie rouge… Fancy, ha?

PS. It is no snow in Russia – all snow immigrated to the Michigan! We woke up in the winter wonderland! What a lovely gift for my husband’s birthday!
Next week I will have b’day also, and together we will 100 years old!!!! I can’t get it out of my mind! I still feel like 15… I will three times 15, actually!

Lovely Lousy Day

esterday was lousy day. But a lovely one!

My cold almost gone, even so - I am still too lazy to start any new projects. I return home, collapsed on the couch in front of TV and pretended to be blooming couch potato!

Actually, I love it! Despite my usual attempt to keep busy, I always happy to have time for doing nothing…

Doing nothing really means to me to have time to write (and I did! I wrote two new articles for the Russian magazine!); it is also meant to exercise in painting – and I did it also!

It's turn to be not too good - but oh, well... I do it for pleasure, not for being famous. And I truly enjoy making mess on paper! I want to learn how to paint roses now.

I also continued to stitch my cherubs. They have more vines now and soon I will need to find more room for birds in between vines.

But the biggest pleasure of yesterday’s evening came from the animated film version of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. We spent lovely evening in front of TV, and I want to share it with you.

Amazing music together with the stop-frame film, directed by Breakthru Films and director Suzie Templeton, offers new and intriguing interpretation of the story… Poor duck didn’t survive, but you still can listen her quacking inside wolf’s stomach! Two hunters look like a maniacs, so Peter decide to safe life of wolf and let him go… Most of all I was surprised to see unbelievable beautiful puppets – in some way it is hard to imagine they are not alive! You can watch part of trailer on-line and read more about how the animation was made.
We are often spent time watching PBC or University of Michigan channels – what a source of good music, art, and entertainment! It is coming to blame on TV for low-cultural events and bad taste. I can’t – these two stations like a fresh air for us…