Complex Creativity

Summer should be spent in a comfy chair, on a deck by cool running water with some nice cold lemonade close at hand.

Not the case here by any means as we clock up the miles scouring the highways and byways and then returning to tackle the near and far corners of our current yard.

First up, the Rooster has fallen in love with 5 acres of meadow in a wee town.  Just houses, 2 churches (graveyards), a community hall and a post office in some one's porch.  But it is looking most promising!  The site is a lush wildflower meadow and the trees/bush are on the perimeter.  It has what us flatlanders call a hill!  lol  See those round bales on it!  That would be a good place for a house.  Which leads me to my first creative endeavour that doesn't involve any of my messy supplies.

As a young fiancee, my Rooster promised me a new house!  It just hasn't been something I have held him to but he can't help mentioning that it may take 50 years but...  We'll see.  Way too many options but I do know what we like and how we actually do life.  So from 3 plans to a few tweaks on the favourite and then will be the tally!

Since the actual house plan went fairly smoothly I began to think about the outside.  I did take a landscape course way back when.  I have managed to save the best resources and went to hunt them from the depths of the book closet!  Oh, FUN!!!   This will give us lots of things to talk about during those cold winter months.   The trick will be to contain our enthusiasm to match our energy and resources!

                                      
My very favourite book is Outside the Not so Big House.  I am putting all kinds of sticky notes on the page edges!  I do like the 'not so big' concept.  The Rooster is particularly interested in the maintenance aspect!  lol

While our house is sold we will maintain the yard until we have our own place secured.  So we have been making sure all the grass is cut and trimmed.  Sadly the young trees that were to protect the big barn roof didn't survive the winter/spring turn over, except one (?),  but everything else is lush and almost too bountiful.

Remember the blue coop?  That was from that landscape course brainstorming!  And it is off in a far corner!  :/

I am still thoroughly enjoying the 40+ style club.  This month is colour and we are encouraged to get creative with our neutrals and our colour combinations.  I am a cool winter, and a low to medium contrast.  I do have an odd pull to warm colours and since colour can be complicated I wondered if this gal, ColorBreeze,  might have something to add.  She bases her concept on Albert Munsell's colour tree which totally resonates with me as I like his colours.

 Wouldn't this make a great colouring page for the grand kiddies!

Another fascinating fashion tool is beauty bundles!  Since I adore making up vignettes, this totally captivates me.  Who knew one could make an whole outfit around choosing a few items from a beauty bundle.  Pick your favourite neutral and get creative!  I don't have a lot of red so scooped up some beads to make some creative accessories!

At the bridal shower we attended over the weekend  they had props for taking fun photos.  The girls picked their favourite beauty bundles!

And of course their mother is planning for next year's home school curriculum and wants a staff meeting with the art department!  moi!   Jolina (5) just had a birthday and wanted art supplies.  While I drove her home she was busy opening things and trying them out!  She has been my keenest art student and her official school start is this fall so I need to come up with lots of creative projects.

And one last photo to remind us all to stop and smell the roses even when summer is at its busiest and most creative!  pst!  Those are lilies and smell heavenly!  The white roses are way at the end and the very last ones beat the lilies hands down for fragrance!   :)

Long time, no see...

AH, LIFE!

Sometimes it just marches along and other times there is a big missed step and...

My phone crashed.  It is my main communication device.  It is my phone, my camera, and my Internet connection for all things in the cyber world.  Not necessarily a complicated fix, or so I thought.  I just went in to get a new phone at the old office; different brand as this was twice in less than a year. They are the 'new' office and can't help me.   Our provincial telecommunications network was bought out by a bigger national network and they had to pass some of the customers on to a third network. So I had to go to a bigger centre where the old office still functioned.  Guess who got caught in the crack???  :/  You wouldn't think removing a red flag from my old and first choice  network would be too hard.  It took 5-7 working days to put me back where I had never wanted to leave!  grrrr!  But I have a new phone and the learning curve seems manageable.   I think!

We found a perfect place to retire.  Lovely piece of land in a small town.  We found a plan for a modest home.  I got kinda excited and began planning my playroom!  Seems the 7 people on the title were not all aware of the sale and definitely not in agreement.  So while they squabble we have moved on.  vbsigh

The weather has actually been rather cold and miserable but the flowers seem to luv it.  Amazing blossoms this year.  The Rooster kept up with the grass but I think we'll be taking an hiatus from traveling the country to staying home this long weekend and weeding flower beds!

I had all my garments for the summer capsule ready to go and only posted one before the crash.  I was so behind.  Then I was busy catching up with all the gals and one comment got me thinking.  I have been learning LOTS with the challenges but not really identifying my own style.  So rather than catch up I'm going to finish the month with favourite OOTD, outfits of the day.  I'll start with ABC's- Approachable, Basic and a small c creative.  If home decor is a good base for identifying style I like a more neutral background and lots of vignettes.  So I'm thinking monochromatic clothes and make it personal and eye popping with contrasting accessories which  can show off my creativity.  I'm thinking sewing totes, and making jewelry.

The grand kiddies have been busy doing year end field trips so we haven't done too much art.   A visit to Lower Fort Garry was on the agenda.  All but one of our kids did volunteer work at the fort where they dressed in period costumes.  So the kiddies were right up to speed and interested.

They could chose an activity after the tour and they chose drill as a new North West Mounted Police recruit.  Hilarious!  I am waiting for DD's photos but these young kids hardly know their left from their right!  They had red jackets and wooden rifles and a stiff young Sergeant who kept yelling "chaos, chaos" !  Good thing this particular military stone fort never actually saw any battles!

The longest day of summer has slipped by.  Time to smell the roses while they are blooming.

I think I am also ready to get into formation. My playrooms haven't seen much of me. I know the drill but should settle down and quit fixating and fussing on where we'll be going and just march along however long it may take.  Right. Right. Right, Left, Right!

Finding Gold

The summer challenge is up for the 40+ style club and I'm hoping to incorporate some gold but I really need to focus on my casual wardrobe.  I learnt lots about accessories last month so I can definitely bump up my casual look with them.  Now I need my Eliana to help me find some gold sneakers!

The new owners of the farm have put it back to its black state but I expect it to be a canola golden yellow colour this summer.

I believe we've managed to mow down all the yellow dandelions.  Gee, I do not like those long stalks with the seed heads but the flocks of gold finches seem to enjoy them.

The grand kiddies need to include a nature journal in their school curriculum so their mum (DD#2) and I are trying to find the right format so that in their golden years they can relive some memories..  We are leaning to a clip board for the studies and store them in binders.  Now to find a good paper. 

We had hoped to get a small acreage in Tolstoi, Manitoba.  Wouldn't  living in a town named after a famous author be so cool for a blog called To Tell a Story!  pure gold!!!  Tolstoi used a lot of the proceeds from his books to help with emigration.  We haven't given up hope of finding something in this area.  The Rooster would like to be more involved with his Ukrainian roots and this is the area they first settled in.  There are heritage sites and an Ukrainian Festival nearby.  Hope the map manages to stay together until we strike the mother lode!

And we did find a nugget while traipsing all over one property.   Deer are a mixed blessing especially in a garden but perhaps this wee fella could be persuaded to move to the corners and  leave the homestead to the new settlers!  Here is hoping!!!

I also hope we are all looking forward to a golden summer!  :)

Reviewing Summer's Theme

Summer's theme this year was visitors: the preparing, the visiting and the recovering.  ;^)

The house was made presentable.  The upstairs is all painted and just needs some fine tuning and a few touch-ups.

 The farm buildings were decluttered and the yard received more TLC as the weather and time permitted.

 The barns are all painted.

Word got out that we are preparing for selling and relocating so we got lots of visitors this summer.

My DD#1 and I were supposed to go shopping for wardrobe additions and accessories.  We stalled out at the bookstore.  :/

Laura and I went off to visit an old friend and she persuaded me to stop by the cemetery where my grand parents  and uncles are buried. Thank goodness for GPS!

The old church was open and I was amazed to find mention of my great grand parents as well as my grand dad's baptism. 

My sister's health has deteriorated. She also is making a move so I hitched a ride with DD#1 who was driving by on her own way home.  Here we are leaving the main street of the town nearest to where I live.

We had dinner in the city where my sister will be moving.  The old house has tours and a lovely restaurant.  It also has a resident ghost.  Gee, it must have took my picture!!!

I returned by bus and took the first day off to finish up my book series and peruse my new books. Now I need to look at the contents of my suitcase, my photos, and my planner.  :O

I brought home some extras.  My niece has passed on to me old memorabilia that she comes across as she helps her mum downsize.  The Rooster is the one who is interested in his ancestors.   awk!  I didn't really want another hobby which was why I had given all the above to my sister when my parents downsized.  Timing really is everything because now my interest is piqued.  And, I do now have ephemera for my mixed media journaling!  ;^)  

She also included some memorabilia from not so very long ago!  I wasn't always a white, make that silver, old biddy!  lol

As summer winds down we should enjoy a slower pace.  I will be very happy to get back to other creative endeavours.

I am indeed itching to get back to my creative hobbies.  I also need to update my wardrobe which hanging around young folks inspires!  My niece says that we are 'hipsters'!  Shoot, now I need to update the Rooster's wardrobe as well.  ;^)

The grand kiddies are already back at homeschooling and I need to plan the art and creative literature lesson plans.

My sister is downsizing her considerable music collection which means I have some great music to motivate me. 


What's that you say?  Sorry, I can't hear you.  My music is loud and I'm grooving and moving!  :)

Wow, the worktable bounce

To get to the June blocks I had to get the sewing machines humming and the cutting table cleared.

The HSTerical Quilt Along has helped get my Noah's Ark top completed.  The chopped off look kinda bothers me but I shall get the top into the gift cupboard and ready for a youngster.  My niece had a baby boy but I'm not sure Noah is appropriate.  ;~)   It floats here as we have rain forecast for everyday this week.

Then I had Mini motoring along.  I had thought dots for the sides but I have lots of this white.  I am keeping the stems to greens and a couple of aqua.  When auditioning flowers I decided to just use them all.  But there is a dirty fold in the background so I'll switch that out rather than take a chance. These painted tone on tones are a real pain to applique on but after the flowers it'll be all machine quilting.

I really hope I can use the dots for the binding.  I'll know for sure when it is all quilted.  I have been studying a site that uses long arm rulers on a domestic machine.  I am very intrigued!!!

My June bunnies needed to be fussy cut and that meant bias edges for three prints if I want to efficiently use the fabrics.

 I bought this ruler on sale somewhere, sometime and its day has come!  lol  I get ten centres from the fat quarters and there are a few that aren't centred but if I can live with chopped off waves I guess I can live with a few off kilter bunnies! :}

 I decided to just make my life easier and put strips around the centre.  I have THREE quarter inch feet but I was in such a hurry to get sewing that I didn't change Mini's foot.  grrr!  Since I am so enthralled with my sewing progress I decided that I can live with  seven and a half inch blocks.  This way I trim them all to the same size and NO problems.

  I do need to think about seams though because it'll make for faster assembling and this deadline is imminent.  :0  I prefer to sew my strips like logs around the cabin rather than pairs of opposites.  I just need to orient that one long strip to be opposite the seamed sides.  Since I have gotten a few quilts under my belt I've learned to enjoy the process and don't do near as much assembly line, chain piecing or peddle to the metal sewing.  :)

 My math is always dicey but I think I need about 50 blocks for this June wall hanging.   edit:  I multiplied and I should have added. vbsigh.  Now I have 20 extra centres.  :(

I'm bouncing around a couple of ideas for July and August.  ???

And now it is time to bounce around the country and see what the gals are doing on The Needle and Thread Network!  I hope there are places in Canada where the rain isn't bouncing off the peonies!  :)