Polka-dot birdhouse

My daughter back home for the whole week – it is spring break at University of Michigan. Hurrah!!! I am having happiest time in my life now. She is happy and healthy – what else I can pray for!
Yesterday we spent couple hours at coffee shop, we did some shopping, and we took a nice snooze together. Then we went to the Michaels and she bought beautiful bird for me. It is my Mothers Day gift. She also decorated lovely birdhouse for the new bird I have. It is quite a project! She spent all evening and it turns to be lovely house! I can’t wait to display it!

There is my new bird house! Isn't it lovely?

Michaels have a lot of cute staff for sale. For example I found these lovely monogrammed cards just for $1. Newer mind they are blue – my favorite color, they also have any letters you want! We bought some Martha Stewarts’ paper, gosh – I love her choice of colors!

I can not resist!

I must post it on my blog and share with others ! We were in the clinic today and in the lobby we found an Entertainment Magazine with Will Ferrell. Don’t you think he is hilarious? I can't find another photo of him with birds' nest – it was totally amusing. But even the first one can give you nice Easter impression.

I was tagged!

I was tagged by Patty from Attic Clutter blog! You can’t believe how exited I am now – it newer happened to me before; somebody actually was able to find some meanings in the debris of my broken English; someone sweet and kind found interesting to see my photos. I am so thankful, and I am smile all the day.
Also I am so thankful for everyone who leave comments – let be honest, it is what we keep our blogs for! We are looking for new friends and sharing ideas...
Patty’s blog is lovely and fun! This week she displayed a whole bunch of vintage photos - fancy ladies, having even more fancy expressions on their beautiful faces and posing for camera in fine-looking heats. They are stunning, and lovely, and little hilarious too! Thank you, dear-dear Patty!

More snow today....

Tonight silent snow covered ground. I woke up and soft-blue light outside the window make me smile – I knew it suppose to be flurry!

Mild and soft, large snow flakes little by little floating down the sky and it become quiet – no sounds of birds today. The snow is fluffy and crisp, perfect day for taking cross country skiing or to walk at the forest.

I spotted bunnies’ footprint in the backyard, he coming often to my garden now, big lover of blueberries and cuts from apple tree. All summer he hides under the blooming bushes and pretend to be one of my garden decorations – he doesn’t move, no any motion, even his eyes not blinking. But in the moment, I turn my head out – he jumps and run out. Silly bunny! We don’t eat bunnies! We feed them!

My hardy rosemary fluffed up tiny leaves, and proudly shows new dress, designed by talented master - winter.

Even my Danish shoes on the porch have some fresh treat, little sparkle of white.

Winter again. I love you, winter!

Mr. White Vest

It was little more crazy week than usual. And it was gorgeous! What a shame to spend it at home - we went out, my husband took me for some antique shopping and lunch. I even worked in my garden, trimming old shrubs, raking leaves and soaking in the sun light. My entire body sore now, I think I overworked and overestimated my power. As usual. Funny part, it happens every spring, it is actually sign of spring to…
Today is cold and gray day again , they even promised more snow. But spring is coming! It is in the air already! I spotted five or six Canadian geese’s flying across the lake – they are back! Small gang of sparrows fighting around the bird fitter, making incredible beautiful to my ears noise. Our baby-squirrel ( we adopted him three or four years ago) not bagging for food anymore, but digging last survived bulbs of tulips from my garden and flirting with girls . It is spring!
New squirrel came for the lunch. He have an unusual coat, seems like he dressed in white vest. I think it is some cross-bread between black and gray. We named him Mr. White Vest and welcome him with few peanuts. And, most important, I almost finished another heart. I think I will stitch bunny in the middle, I don’t know yet! Or bird... Or rooster... Or letter "E"...

Pysanki for Easter

I promised myself to find time this weekend to make some pysankas for Easter. Pysanky were traditionally made during the last week of Lent, Holy Week in the Catholic and Orthodox calendars, I can’t wait so long – I did it yesterday. I didn’t have too much time, so I decide to make one-color eggs. My red mood past month drive me to use only red color of dye, so all eggs turn to have valentines-like color.

All what you need - some wax, stylus and candle. Sure, little imagination will help, but there is so meany internet resources, you always can find pattern and design for Pysankas!

It is simple process, the molten wax applied to the white egg with a writing motion, and then the egg was dyed red. When eggs getting dry, the wax removed by holding the egg next to the candle flame, gently melting wax and removing it with some soft cloth. That’s it.

And the winner is:

One more done and one more to go!

I don’t have time and energy to write today – busy, busy!
However, I did spend some time stitching yesterday evening and finally another heart. As you can see, I have nice trio now.

Weaknes for monogrammed linens

I have strange weakness for the monogrammed linens. Where is it came form? I don’t have even slight idea… Definitely not from my family – we newer ever have anything monogrammed. Well, I don’t think generations of military guys, Kazaks, farmers, and scientists behind in my family tree ever have it too. Hmm… What a spooky genealogical mystery…
There is some mono I would like to have:


done in satin stitch;














Very French, incredible beautiful broderie rouge;














Blue one doesn't looks not too bad!


Lovely floral monogrammes from http://broderiedevely.canalblog.com/

Ta-dah!

a-dah! YesterdayI finished another heart and framed it. Actually it was after midnight, so technically it was today.

Sweet Mary from Across the Pond left a comment “you must get more rest” – I know, thank you for caring, Mary! I told it myself every morning, but then in evening I can’t stop… Excitement of new project is too big, I simply can’t stop …And I always have couple more projects to start… There is a monogram N for the next heart I will do tonight:
Yesterday my husband told me something what makes me smile. A can’t believe! When he was a small kid, he was afraid even to open “Alice in Wonderland” because he was terrified to see illustrations. Especially this one - Alice with looooong neck!

Oh, honey, if you will bad to me one day….

It is funny but sad in some way… For me this book was one of the best adventures, for him – source of the most horrifying dreams…

Alice in Wonderland for Easter

very year I read “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. I don’t know what in this book make me so happy, but I return back and read it again and again, many years of my life.

When I was just a kid, I started with fairly good translation by Marshak (famous Russian poet), then I try dozens other translations, obviously not all of them was equally interesting to me. Finally, few years ago, I was able to enjoy it in original. I absolutely in love with illustrations made by Sir John Tenniel. What a brilliant cartoonist!

You can find book at http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/carroll/lewis/alice/ . Illustrations from “Alice in Wonderland” become part of my Easter decorations. I already print them out and will display them together with bunnies and birds.

Also, I almost finished another heart, and will frame late. I want to make few of them and display in our TV-room. Lately I check lot of French blogs and found thousands new ideas - this is one of them. Isn’t it beautiful combination of light-gray and red? So simple...

Easter Coming!

aster coming! It is not too soon, but I can’t wait and took out of closet my bunnies, Easter eggs and few Pysanka from last year. (A pysanka (Ukrainian: писанка, plural: pysanky) is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word comes from the verb pysaty, "to write", as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax). Next weekend I will make dozen of new Pysanka for decorations, and also gifts for friends. It is not too hard to paint eggs, but it takes lot of time and I need to have plenty of room and good bright light.

There are two Russian eggs, from Palekhm and paper mache Easter egg from Erzgebirge, Germany:

Saturday morning

“Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I’ve been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I’m not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that’s the great puzzle!” - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

I finished another broderie rouge heart for the key-box next to the door and monogrammed letter N, just because I like how it looks.


Saturday morning always the best day of week for me. Today I found myself doing my needlework in TV-room till 6 a.m. I didn’t know it is so late… Or early? I truly enjoyed redwork, movie and even have time to listen new CD with lessons in French. Oh, no! It is already 6!
Silently I slip into the bed; hug my sleeping and softly snoring husband - he even didn’t notice it. I took a snooze full of nightmares till 9 and after I brutally killed two guys, adopted poor girl without shoes walking in the snow, I decide to wake up. Enough!
I love thrillers and my dream tonight has all signs of it: crashed helicopter, two mad kidnapers on snowboard followed baby-girl, two (again!) friendly green parrots, on my left and right shoulders; they were hunted by some wild cat and finally killed too. I was shooting my rifle – wow! I didn’t know I can to it! Oh, yeah – it was in Mexico also! (Snow in the Mexico?!!!) Hmm… Bloody dreams!
So, now I am in the nearest coffee shop, browsing my favorite blogs, answering e-mails and seeping coffee. No assassins, no shoeless girls, quiet and peaceful. It is sunny, aqua-blue sky without any sign of clouds, and fairly cold. They promise 40 F tomorrow and plenty of rain.

Another good day to do my peaceful needlepoint, or dream-out some new adventure?

Another project

Finally I framed it. Thanks to Salvation Army stores, I have dozens frames, any shape, style, and color I need.

Few days ago I also risqué couple William Morris’ Artichoke pillows. They looks little shabby, I need to take them for dry cleaning. And possible they will have happy life after at my porch or serve as chair sits in the kitchen. I will see. Anyway – Morris’ design always welcome in to my house! .

moment to spare, so I'm here writing another post.
Couple days ago I found stunning blog, unfortunately it is in French. (I don’t speak French at all – what a shame!) However I can enjoy photos – it is understandable! Design and choice of colors absolutely incredible! Awww, I wish I can be so good… Shown below a few picks from blog named EHOUIMAPOVLU7

Finally I finish part cross stitch with the birds, but still don’t have any idea what to do with it. Oh, well! It can wait!

I also started another heart for Valentines and I can see some progress.