Patty Rose Design

Where Have I Been?

No where really.  Lots of house projects filled the late fall and early winter to the point of exhaustion.  Barely completed everything prior to the holidays and if the truth be told, I'm still not finished but needed to take a break from the painting, staining and rearranging for awhile. 

I'm settled in for the long winter's nap with a stack of books by the bedside and a mound of ideas for papercrafting and stitching.  Oh, and there's Pinterest.  Truth be told on that one, I'd probably be a little further along in my actually finishing something if I stayed off Pinterest in the evenings. 

On my nightstand right now:

Not that I'm unhappy, but the subject of happiness, gratitude and raising the bar a bit higher always fascinates me.

Can never get enough of the Law of Attraction.  Always looking for the next paradigm shift.

I have tried to read this book several times and it has never clicked with me...trying again.

Revisiting this classic because there are still a few things I want to change...getting closer but not quite there.  Work life balance has been a little challenging lately.  Maybe I need to be reminded of how to manage that better.

And the biggest surprise of all for me.  My friend Kate kindly loaned me several books on tape.  This one has knocked my socks off.  Never been much of an Anthony Bourdain fan but I am loving this book for several reasons.  I have always been fascinated with how big kitchen operations keep it together and manage to produce hundreds of meals in a span of a few hours.  Plus, my son lives in this world.  I've never understood his comfort or connection with it.  This book explains everything.  Not only did I get a blow by blow explanation of how it all works, checkered culture and all, but I understand why my son seems to fit in.  Words like fringe, fast-paced, characters, non-conforming, it all makes sense.

I even picked up a few great pieces of advice about the best knives in the business and shallots.  Great book.  I'll definitely be reading his other books.  He provides a splash of contrast to my pretty rose-colored world.

And of course there are the crafty reads...

Oh, and let's not forget....

I think there are a few more as the pile is so high I can't even see the alarm clock. 

Enjoying winter and the nesting it authorizes.

 

 

 

Kentucky Visit

I've been extremely busy with preparing to leave for Europe, both at home and at work.  There hasn't been much time for creative endeavors.  Last weekend I did manage to squeeze in a trip to Kentucky to see my mom who I haven't seen since Thanksgiving.  I also had the wonderful pleasure of visiting with my best friend from high school who I haven't seen in over 23 years.  True friendships are amazing.  We sat down to a 3+ hour lunch and caught up like it had only been a few months since we last saw each other.  So much life has happened since high school.  Three hours felt like 20 minutes, not near enough time.  Just the first visit of many more to come!

While visiting with my mom, we always make our normal rounds about town.  Zappo's Shoe Outlet is usually the first stop.  My success there always dictates the remainder of the budget for the visit.  Poor mom has to suffer through my hour plus of perusing every pair of shoes in my size.  She loves me, so she just accepts it.  I lucked out with a score of three pairs of great shoes for what I might have paid for just one.  Love me some Zappo's. I treated mom to a nice sit down dinner afterwards, she deserved it after all that time waiting.

On Saturday we headed out to the indoor flea markets which abound around Louisville.  My mom calls it  "junking," my husband would probably agree to that term.  We spent most of the day walking the isles looking for treasures.  It's easy to walk, look and casually catch up at the same time.   With mom's keen eye, we found some great stuff during this visit. 

My favorites are old books.  I love old books from the late 1800's through 1950 that contain illustrations.  I also love anything Better Homes and Gardens, especially the instructional books they did in the 40"s and 50's.  I have several old garden and decorating books and found a handyman's book this visit.  I'll make copies of the pages and use them in my art works. Sometimes if the books are not in good shape, I'll tear them apart and use the covers and pages in my handmade journals.

Mom's eagle eye spotted this treasure under a pile of books.  The illustrations are wonderful and it is full of page after page of music.  I can't wait to use this in my papercrafting.

I also found a catalogue of antique advertisements.

And the grand-daddy of all books, this very large 1957 dictionary.  The cover is embossed and is in excellent condition.  It's about 8" thick and weighs a ton.  It's so beautiful, I most likely won't have the heart to tear it apart.  I have it sitting on the bookshelf in the living room.



And the coolest thing of all, not even really sure what is.  I have a feeling it may have come over from Europe.  The inside is made of paper, cut out and dimensional.  I think it is so lovely and have it on the side table in the "blue room". It is in almost perfect condition.  There is one small piece of trim missing around the edge but not a single spot or discoloration on the inside.

As always, it was a visit full of Kentucky love, dear old friends and time enjoyed with my family.

 

 

 

Just Maybe....

Just maybe while we are in France we will run across a little authentic French flea market.  I would love to find some vintage beads, lace, postcards, notions, or some other wonderful little ditty from France that I could use in my art.  I'm reading this now....

Maybe I'll find something like this...

That I will have to pay to have shipped home since I'm sure it would never fit in the car...

Maybe I'll find these...

Or maybe something like this...oh la la....

Or these...
Or some of this...

And after a long afternoon browsing somewhere like here....

We can warm up with a cup of cafe' somewhere like this...

Are we there yet?

 

Peace and Plenty

After my whirlwind painting frenzy and my exhausting attempt at repairing my damaged, textured ceiling last week, I decided to take a little respite.  I'm enjoying the long, cold nights with a few good books, a warm quilt and a nice fire.  I am currently reading Sarah Ban Breathnach's latest book, "Peace and Plenty."  Maybe not the best choice for a relaxing read.

Sarah bravely charters the unspeakable territory of money and finances.  I have read all of Sarah's books and this one is the most emotionally challenging so far because the subject itself is so challenging, emotionally and otherwise.  I find myself thinking that most of it doesn't apply to me, but is that the fear and denial talking?  I have certainly faced these same devastating trials in the recent past.  Maybe there are lessons for me too within its pages. I'm going to keep reading with an open mind and an open heart.

I love Sarah's reference to the now famous British poster and my newly adopted, highly appropriate motto.  Synchronicity?  Probably not.

Sarah's story reminds me of another, Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame. Reading along with Rachel on her blog as she lost everything and then began the rebuilding of her Shabby Chic brand kept me going at times.  As successful as her brand was, ultimately, it failed too.  I wasn't all alone in my pain and disappointment.  I could relate to all that she struggled with.  Both of these beautiful ladies are an inspiration in that they lost everything with the exception of their dignity, determination, grace and courage to lay it all out there so that they and others could grow from their experiences.   

If you have a tumultuous relationship with money and finances, as I admit I have, I highly recommend you read this book along with me.  Considering that much of what we used to believe about money, investments, finance and work has turned to shades of gray, a fresh look might be timely.  Maybe I can get my destiny back on track sooner rather than later.

Latest Reading

I've been a little under the weather recently so I've had a chance to catch up on reading and writing.  My blog is full of posts scheduled to automatically post for the next few weeks and I've read several books that I was so excited to receive.

Candy for my creative spirit:

I love anything that's vintage and if it is home related or sewing related, I am in heaven.  Amy does an amazing job with this book.  I love the images, the story, the vintage information and her modern take on information that still applies.  Love it!

Another vintage notion inspired book.  I am always inspired by Kaari's color combination and her love of vintage notions.  Ooo la la!

Candy for my Soul:

I am a HUGE fan of Mike Dooley and his Notes from the Universe.  Mike inspires me to believe in the power of our beings.  He reminds us of our Power and Magic. 

If I had one wish for the world, it would be that we all DWELL CONSTANTLY within the VORTEX.  Someday soon, we will.

Amazon is a sick girl's best friend.  A few clicks and almost anything you want appears at the door.  Life is good!

 

Inside Work

I've been doing a lot of "inside" work lately.  I've been looking for all the answers outside of myself for years.  I'm reading a great book right now that has me all fired up about the possibilities again.  I'm a dreamer, its what I do.  The book is Infinite Possibilities by Mike Dooley. 

From Mike's website:  "Blood, sweat and tears ARE NOT what it takes to see your dreams come true. Imagination, belief and expectation are what's needed. Then you're drawn into action, circumstances and "coincidences" that make dream manifestation INEVITABLE. This isn't wishful thinking; it's the way things have always been in time and space. You don't need more education, more connections, or more lucky breaks, you just need to understand the principles and concepts that every prophet and messiah has shared since the beginning of time. Principles that have nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with the truth about who you are, why you're here, and the magic at your disposal. There is nothing you can't do, nothing you can't have, and nothing you can't be."  I've been a long time subscriber to Mike's "Notes from the Universe" and have found the notes to be uplifting, empowering, entertaining and downright uncanny at times.  I'm reading the book a second time because it carries a message that I think we are all in great need of right now.  You too can sign up for these daily doses of inspiration and empowerment at TUT's Adventurers Club  Enjoy the possibilities!

Blogging for Bliss

I finally got my hands on my very own copy of "Blogging for Bliss" by Tara Frey  What a fabulous book. Finally! Someone has combined the technical and the creative of the subject matter. Plus, it is in easy to read and follow format, written for the artful, not necessarily technical types like myself. My head is spinning with ideas. First off, a new camera. I've been putting it off for 5 years. It's time to take the plunge and splurge on a digital SLR camera. Second, I'm going to post more often (no, really, I am!!). And last but not least, lots of new photos including more frequent banner changes. I love my blog. I love sharing my creative musings even if no one else but my imagined audience is reading them.  If you read my blog, could you leave a comment sometime and let me know how I'm doing?  All of this creative madness has to go somewhere, it cannot possibly stay in my head, my head would explode. New banners, new photos, more musings. Thank you Tara for the inspiration and the instructions! Did I mention how much I love my little blog?  

 

 

 

Charming Exchange

After purchasing and reading the book by the same name, I invited some of my friends to participate in a charm exchange.  The first round included five individuals and here are our results.  It was fun and interesting to see what each person created.  Putting all the charms together and connecting those charms figuratively to each of my friends makes this bracelet very special.  We have scheduled round two to fill up the bracelet.  I hope to talk them into a few other exchanges.  They have just started their bead lives and I think its a fabulous exercise of creativity.  Can't wait to see what round two brings.  Here is our bracelet.