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Holiday Time

By |2022-12-07T20:55:14-05:00December 8, 2022|Inspiration, Uncategorized|

The holidays are fast approaching. How are you doing?

Each year that BIG DAY seems to arrive faster and faster. These days with all the on-line shopping we do… thanks to both Covid and the convenience of the world’s largest department store, Amazon, all we have to do is click that Paypal button and whoooosh….it ‘s done!

But I will tell you that my very favorite place to shop is Etsy. First, I really do try to shop local and/or small. Secondly, because I am an Etsy vendor I know how important each and every sale is.  And last, I think both the variety of goods and the customer service is unequalled .

For instance. There are two little girls I need to buy for. I won’t be seeing them at Christmas but they are the sweetest, cutest girls. Anyway, the older one was easy and done quickly at a makers market here in Chapel Hill. The younger one: hmmmm? Her mother said “Oh, some kind of bag or satchel or purse. She loves to carry cherished items around the house.”  Okay.  So off to Etsy to shop.

I mean, how cute is this? It’s 6 “x 4 ” and oh so perfect for those treasures!

It’s been a busy […]

FRIDAY FLOWERS: THE LATE AUGUST GARDEN

By |2018-08-30T20:54:16-04:00August 30, 2018|Friday Flowers, Uncategorized|

Just when we thought the hottest part of the summer was behind us…wham!….it his hot hot hot here again.
Each year, as a gardener, I find new and different plants that (I hope) will do well in the prolonged hot spells here. Luckily I DID install two separate watering systems a few years ago: they are absolute life-savers when we go away. I don’t think I would have a garden at all without them…

Zinnias, of course, are at their peak now. And the lime green, from FloretFarms, has not disappointed. It also looks fabulous in all my arrangements and photos with the dark dahlias, verbena bonariensis and my most loved scabiosa black knight.

 

In all its glory:

 

I have several Guara plants on my “southern slope” that always do well in May and June. Then they begin to die out. So this year I cut them way, way back (always a difficult task as you just never know…..) and yes indeed, they came back beautifully in August.

 

And the hyacinth bean vine!
We started these early, in a greenhouse, so they were ready to plant outside in early April. And they absolutely took off. I […]

NEW PRODUCTS FOR A COLORFUL SPRING

By |2018-04-08T17:39:22-04:00April 8, 2018|Uncategorized|

Are you ready for some color for Spring?
Are you looking for some new gift ideas for…Mother’s Day?

This is a copy of a direct email I just sent out (you may have received one.)

Many new products for you to see! Of course, there are greeting cards. But I have also finished two different collections of cute gift tags and cards: one is a flat card with twine attached and the other is a fold over card with white envelopes. Take your pick!

And finally, I am trying something new: ceramic mugs. As you may know, ceramics have long been a favorite of mine and I designed many, many different lines when I had a design studio. Some things just keep coming back, don’t they? Anyway, I hope you will take a look and let me know if you have any questions.

To note: I am offering a 10% discount on ANYTHING YOU ORDER through the end of April !!!

 

LONDON PART 2

By |2018-03-18T13:53:20-04:00March 18, 2018|Uncategorized|

One highlight of our trip was, of course, some shopping. A trip to
Liberty of London
did not disappoint…except that it was SO crowded. Note to self and all of you: do not go on a Saturday.

The ground floor was, to me, the least interesting. But the home furnishings on, I think, the 3rd floor was wonderful. Those small sort of “pop-up” shops/stalls from independent crafters and makers were so colorful and unique. Expensive goods…but great pictures!

 

Another really fun visit for us was to the
Winnie-the-Pooh exhibition at the V&A.

It was just wonderful!
The museum made it very child friendly and accessible, with dials, dioramas, descriptive plaques and imagery all at child-eye-level. And there were lots and lots of children!

But I particularly enjoyed learning about the author and illustrator, A.A.Milne and E.H. Shepard. They both had sons and it is clear their inspiration came from those boys. And remember, this story was conceived and then published a few years after The Great War when the world, and especially England, welcomed such an uplifting, innocent and joyful world view.

My favorite purchase: two sweet, adorable mugs!

A random image of buttons from the shop:

 

More COLOR […]

FUN GIVEAWAY FROM ONE NUMBER EIGHT!

By |2017-10-26T11:14:38-04:00October 22, 2017|Uncategorized|

IT’S A GIVEAWAY!

It’s almost holiday time so I thought a Giveaway of some sort might be in order here.

You DO know I’ve opened a shop and am selling and restocking and shipping…from my Etsy shop.

ONENUMBEREIGHT

The brand new item I am promoting is my

JEWEL CASE CALENDAR

 

Each month has a separate page. There is a cover page. These are all from my own designs and graphics, reformatted for these perfect-size calendar pages. They come in a clear plastic jewel case (kind of like the old CD case..) that opens up and folds back to sit nicely on your desk.

I am giving away TWO OF THESE CALENDARS.
Go on over to our Etsy Shop to see more images of the calendars and read more about them!

Rules (it’s simple! ) are below. To be entered to win you must:

1)For one entry:  Leave a comment here. And please, be sure your email is included (it will NOT be published) so I can contact you if you win.

For additional entries, but NOT mandatory, you may:

2) For a second entry:  Visit, […]

FRIDAY FLOWERS: HELIANTHUS LOVE

By |2017-09-28T17:49:41-04:00September 28, 2017|Uncategorized|

These cheerful, bright, sunny flowers start to flower in September.
Helianthus angustifolius

There are many varieties of Helianthus, but these may be my favorite! Mine were gifted to me by a friend in the village about four years ago. It took almost two years until they spread and I knew they were happy. Now, by the end of August, the 6-8′ stems are filled with flowers. Yes, they are tall! Mine are set against the house and provide a perfect “screen” for the siding!

 

 

 

A morning’s gathering earlier this week:

 

Fun with a flat lay photo shoot:

 

And finally, an afternoon shot today with the sun coming in the kitchen window:

To find out more about this
“Narrow Leaf Sunflower”  Helianthus angustifolius
check out this site.

 

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