Alex & I

(photo by alex - Top picture:Healy & Millet  Dome Ceiling at the Chicago Cultural Center)


Monday morning, Alex & I took the South Shore into Chicago. the train was PACKED! Standing room only ....


Once on the ground, we walked to the Art Institute & adopted dots!!! He selected a dk blue & black dot --- I have a green one. We went up to see the Caravaggio painting on loan -- walked thru the Impressionism Galleries. Then, went thru the photo collage exhibit and Arts & Crafts exhibit.

Headed to the Christkindle market and Alex purchased a carved bird & some wooden puzzles.

It was totally cold!!! We ended up at Starbucks to warm up & wait for the train home. We had a nice seat on the double decker car. Once home, Alex wanted me to take him shopping --- so, picked up Nick & went to the Game Store. Those game people speak a different language!!!

Sacred Spain

Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World
by Ronda Kasl (Editor), Jaime Cuadriello, Javier Portus, William A. Christian Jr., Luisa Elena Alcala

We enjoyed this exhibit so much. (DH & I went to Indianapolis last Friday)

& then I found a good deal at the
Barnes and Noble web site with free shipping,
member price, additional 20% off coupon, ...
for the exhibition catalog.

Merry Christmas to ME : )

Delighted it arrived yesterday!

thx Peg!

Pkg arrived from my sister!

2009 Book List

Finished Reading:
Matthew Pearl: The Last Dickens (audio book) Excellent!
Matthew Pearl: The Dante Club Don't miss it!
T C Boyle: The Inner Circle
Matthew Pearl: The Poe Shadow (audiobook from sale rack - Barnes & Noble)
Elizabeth Strout: Olive Kitteridge (I luv short stories!)
Wendy Holden: Simply Divine(totally enjoyed this book)
Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (Audio Book)
David Wroblewski: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (Audio Book)
Ursula Doyle: Love Letters of Great Men
James Patterson + Gabrielle Charbonnet: Sundays at Tiffany's
James Patterson: Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas(re-read)
Nicholas Sparks: The Lucky One
Nicholas Sparks: Nights in Rodanthe
Janet Evanovich: Plum Spooky
Janet Evanovich: Grand Finale
Janet Evanovich: Finger Lickin' Fifteen
Alice Hoffman: The Drowning Season
Alice Hoffman: Blackbird House -- This was really interesting to read!
Junot Diaz: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Maggie Sefton: Knit One, Kill Two
Maggie Sefton: Needled to Death
Maggie Sefton: A Deadly Yarn
Maggie Sefton: A Killer Stitch
Maggie Sefton: Dyer Consequences
Maggie Sefton: Fleece Navidad
Maggie Sefton: Dropped Dead Stitch
Susan Elizabeth Phillips: What I Did For Love (Chick Lit) Audiobook
Maeve Binchy: Heart & Soul
Debbie Macomber: A Cedar Cove Christmas
Jim Harrison: The English Major (blek!)
Jennifer Chiaverini: The Lost Quilter
Wm. Paul Young: The Shack
Kristin Hannah: True Colors
Kristin Hannah: Firefly Lane (awful book, True Colors much better read)
F. Scott Fitzgerald: Curious Case of Benjamin Button & other short stories
E Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Sparkle Hayter: What's A Girl Gotta Do (book one - Robin Hudson series)
Sparkle Hayter: Nice Girls Finish Last (2nd book in Robin Hudson series)
Sparkle Hayter: Revenge of the Cootie Girls (3rd book in Robin Hudson series)
Meg Cabot: Queen of Babble
Elizabeth Berg: The Art of Mending (audio book)
Elizabeth Berg: Home Safe
Lisa See: Shanghai Girls (audio book from library)
Spencer Quinn: Dog On It
Cassandra King: Queen of Broken Hearts
Anita Brookner: Leaving Home
Anita Shreve: A Wedding In December
Anita Shreve: Testimony; A Novel
Dan Brown: Lost Symbol
Stieg Larsson: Girl w/Dragon Tattoo
Stieg Larsson: Girl Who Played w/Fire
Jamie Ford: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Kate Jacobs: Knit the Season

I didn't realize

on sale NOW

Knit the Season
Kate Jacobs

on The New York Times Extended Bestseller List (for hardcover fiction) at #20

I want to go!!!!

Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World
October 11, 2009-January 3, 2010 / FREE

Indianapolis Museum of Art
Museum Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 11 am to 5 pm
Thursday and Friday 11 am to 9 pm
Sunday noon to 5 pm
Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day

Nikki

Nikki found a sweatshirt to curl up on

book store

Should I get this book:Review Here
OR
this book:
book review here

And, I must pick this up:

Art Doll Quarterly

Honey

Honey was balancing on the end of the cedar chest
- on top of a stack of books,
reached out her paw
& swiped me!

She wanted attention NOW : )

nearing the end ...

Stieg Larsson
The Girl w/the Dragon Tattoo

NYTimes Review

I knew it would be violent
I knew it wasn't quite my regular reading

YET, so many said it was really really good
So, now I'm hooked, and have just a bit more before finishing

And, i understand, this is the first book of a trilogy.

EDITED TO ADD: Yep, finished the first book --- not sure I want to continue with the series. Too violent for me --- I think there are other novels out there that I prefer to dive into

They are here!

I was delighted to find
Clover's Butterfly Yo Yo Maker

I was in South Bend to get DH's computer bag repaired

Stopped at Erica's

and not only picked up the butterfly yo yo maker,

found the bear yo yo pattern & kit!

I picked up the
Bitty Bunny Pincushion
Bunny Hill Designs
pattern
& kit
-- mine will be a purple bitty bunny.

The store model is so cute - I hope I have enough skills to duplicate : )

What a fun place to browse & buy

Now, I need to find some spare time to play

Pink Artists

I am blessed to have been selected for another
art project from the prize wheel

This is a picture of
Prize #6:
May Queen Goddess Art Doll & Canvas

by Melissa at art blog,
Ardea's Nest

Thank you so much!!

pampered cats

Nikki
Snoozing on two of Tori's pillows

Honey Bunny
Fell asleep watching me cut out
thread bobbins
(from card stock)

Tatting: Rings & Picot

My DS, Nick, gave me this
plastic storage container
for my tatting 'gear'

As I was out running errands
during the week,
I picked up crochet cottons
in size 3, 10, & 20

I had some size 80 --- not sure where they came from!

These are some rings I kept
(size 3)

This afternoon, I want to try using
size 10


Oh, the picot
Mine are odd & uneven
Still need practice
Two on top, size 3
Other ring, size 10

I will continue practicing
Harder for me to control my hands
when making the rings

Still isn't quite comfortable

As for books/instructions, I'm using
and
Learn to Tat by Janette Baker

Neither are as good as sitting next to
somebody who knows how to Tat!!

But, they have been helpful while I struggle at home : )

Tatting --- Lesson One

As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I've wanted to learn how to Tat for YEARS One afternoon, while visiting House of Stitches in LaPorte, Indiana I looked on a lower shelf --- I saw a basket of tatting shuttles & instruction books & pattern books Imagine my surprise! I never noticed them before & had been to the shop a number of times over 10+ years Then, was told the Owner, Linda, tats! Imagine my double surprise! And, she offered to show my GF Mel & I WOOT!!! Had my first instructions last Thursday and haven't been able to do anything else We got the basics of the chain, ring, & picot All my spare time has been spent perfecting my technique for chains --- trying different shuttles different crochet cotton fiber sizes (size 3 & size 10) And -- trying to get those knots more even!!! So far, I've used a variety of tatting shuttles They are so beautiful & comfortable to hold We learned the technique with the Tatsy (largest) shuttle Since then, I picked up a couple different styles to try I like the red Boye shuttle --The clover ones with tips are ok, too The silver one is a reproduction of a popular premium shuttle distributed by Nedlecraft Magazine publishers (Lacis) It is very comfortable to use! (IMO) At House of Stitches there were some smaller, plastic shuttles w/o points from Lacis I'm looking forward to trying them, too!! When I was looking around on-line I see a variety of styles & they are made out of bone, plastic, horn, silver, filigree, wood, etc. What fun! Next, I'm going to try & perfect my rings and rings with picot

Pink Artists

I am happy to accept these faces
from the Pink Artists Prize Wheel

Imagine my delight
being chosen among many entries for
Prize #2: Clay Face Cabochons by Linsart Creations in Clay

The detail and craftsmanship
are just awesome!

And, did you notice the
beautiful hand dyed ribbons?


They are a selection from
Pat Winter's
fantastic silk ribbons

If you haven't checked them out
Hurry over to her blog & etsy
for stash enhancing!!!

Punchneedle

Witch Hat
Lizzie Kate for Punch Needle
Halloween Hang-Ups

I've enjoyed punching
Maybe will get this finished into something before Saturday?

At the beginning of this year
I had a list of things I wanted to
learn or try

Punch Needle, Tatting, Doll Making, Ribbon Embroidery, Crazy Quilting

I've enjoyed spending time researching & learning new things!

I am grateful for friends
who have helped me with supplies
lessons, hints, tips
& encouragement

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe: Freaky Friday Fun Giveaway, WK# 2

Pumpkin Patch Primitives Quilt Shoppe:
Freaky Friday Fun Giveaway, WK# 2

Pink Artists Group

The Pink Artists in 2008 have raised just over $3,000 for Susan G Komen and the fight against breast cancer. We are doing it again!

Please consider a donation
by October 15th

Make out your money order* to
Susan G Komen for the cure
and mail it to:

Monica Magness
PO Box 2206
Madison, AL 35758

CLICK TO ENLARGE

You may have already
read the article
about the Pink Artist Group
in the Summer 2009
issue of
Art Quilting Studio


In the photograph above,
you can see
the square made & donated by Me!
(upper right)
Which was combined with
other squares to form one square of
a beautiful art quilt.
To see all the squares
in the quilt,
visit The Pink Artists 2009 Quilt
Flikr Account.

In addtion to the
2009 Pink Quilt
there is a
fantastic
Prize Wheel

The Prize Wheel makes up the art
being offered in 2009
in our art drawing
to raise even more funds for our chosen charity.

Please visit the art blog of Monica Magness
at www.girl-gone-thread-wild.blogspot.com for more information
and to learn how you too can get involved!

*pay pal option available, details
on
Monica's blog
Girl Gone Thread Wild

Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage

Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage

The Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404

October 10, 2009–January 3, 2010

From the Web Site:
"Overview: Sixty years ahead of the avant-garde, aristocratic Victorian women were already experimenting with photocollage. The compositions they made with photographs and watercolors are whimsical and fantastical, combining human heads and animal bodies, placing people into imaginary landscapes, and morphing faces into common household objects. With sharp wit and dramatic shifts of scale akin to those Alice experienced in Wonderland, these images stand the rather serious conventions of photography in the 1860s and 1870s on their heads."

Celebrating the Day

Flowers from DH
celebrating our
Anniversary
Aren't they
lovely?

giveaway

Ti
blogging at
Book Chatter & Other Stuff
has Matthew Pearl
as a guest on her blog

PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

Details on this post:
Guest Post: Matthew Pearl on Serial Thrillers and GIVEAWAY

giveaway

Marietta
who blogs at
Sweet Old Vintage
is giving away
sets of embellished
Paper Doll Ornaments

Details on her post
GIVE-A-WAY

Quilt Show

Heritage Quilters
"Indiana Rose XII" Quilt Show

Saturday, October 3, 2009 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday, October 4, 2009 11 am - 4 pm

Timothy Ball School
720 West Summit St.
Crown Point, IN. 46307

Admission: Adults $5.00
Children 5 thru 12 $1.00
Children under 5 Free

For more information
e-mail indianarose10@yahoo.com
or heritagequilters@yahoo.com

Quote

"If you think

you can do a thing

or think you can't do a thing,

you're right"

Henry Ford

giveaway

Carol Anne
has a wonderful
giveaway
on her blog
Carol Anne's Boutique


Details are
on her post

Give Away at Carol Anne's Boutique



Aren't these
fairie sheets
THE BEST?

Wizard of Oz Festival

28th Wizard of Oz Festival, Web Site

Sept 18, 19 & 20
Chesterton, IN

LaPorte Sunflower Fair

11th Annual Sunflower Fair

Sept 19th
LaPorte, IN

Celebration of the Arts 2009

Celebration of the Arts

Schoolhouse Shop

Two Day Juried show
Sat 10-5
Sun 11-5
Chesterton, Indiana

DOOR VILLAGE
HARVEST FESTIVAL
Sept 12 & 13, 2009
HISTORY
COMES
ALIVE
20th anniversary
Celebration

Door Village Harvest Festival 2009

Says on the web site there are
tons of things to see/do, including
HOOSIER HERITAGE ART SHOW

Looks like it is near
Westville, IN
Map on Web site

giveaway

Isn't she lovely?
Jo
blogging at
The Cart before the Horse

has a couple things offered
on her giveaway ...

details at this post:
200 posts & a giveaway (or two)

giveaway

A lovely punchneedle project
offered by Carin, blogging at
The Cross Stitch Giant

as a giveaway on this post:
Birthday Give-A-Way!

Popcorn Festival - Sept 12th

Valparaiso Popcorn Festival

Brochure

giveaway

Interested in quilting?
Be sure to stop by
BOM Mini Series post
from
The Jolly Jabber
live from the fat quarter shop
blog