Out And About / In and Out

 

Hello! Last week a dear friend came to visit. We curtailed our usual thrifting expedition  since I didn't want to leave Mo home alone too long. Especially with the early darkness. He is rarely left home alone at night, needs to be acclimated. [He barks frantically at the suddenly visible lights of helicopters and planes headed for JKF and the city. Every November it's a new training protocol til he relearns to ignore the active skies.] 

Instead we opted for a trip to Home Goods--I needed new soup bowls. 

The Marshes were quiet, the egrets that gather like ghosts in autumn were long gone. The marsh grass bronze-y brown and  drought scorched now.

Home Goods is always fun for me, but on the just after Halloween day it was jam packed to the rafters with tatty Christmas --um, junk. 

Lots of pastels.

Gingerbread is a big theme.

Blue or black offerings for the minimalists.

I loved the Swedish tomtes [elves], but look at that price for a stocking stuffer that a 21st century child will instantly toss aside.

 I treasured my tomtes* and Dala horses, one brought carefully each year from a Chicago or NYC shop by my dad. One for each of us, I wonder if my brother still has his?

No  soup bowls, all was Christmas cookware.

I did get some needed Christmas supplies, velvet ribbon and wrapping paper, stocking stuffers. And my friend  found a lovely toile comforter for her winter bedroom.  I also added a box of Shiny Brites minis to my collection. There were no garlands which are on my wish list.

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Another fun outing was craft night and dinner with my little artist friend. The project was a somewhat odd but popular family craft seen in preschool and now kindergarten. A family project, hahaha. (some are very slick! obviously made by adults) 

''Disguise the Turkey'' [i envision all sorts of tears and food refusal on the big day!]

 D wanted her turkey to wear a Furby costume.

This is the kit I put together. We had so much fun. She did such a great job and added her own touches, was a great gluer, and was all smiles--to me that is the whole point. She refuses to call it the Turby though. Furky?

And I adore Japanese food, delish.

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Googly Eyed Jacks top is mostly complete.

The sideways flying geese blocks as jaggy pennants worked perfectly. But there's really no seam allowance to accomodate after-quilting straightening and trimming. A small border is needed or the bunting triangles points will be lost.

I had my heart set on the bellybutton cheddar print. But it overwhelms the Jacks.

I like the black calico okay.

Another option is to add the shirting plaid so that the triangles float as planned; black for the binding. Not exciting or fun but probably best design choice. I struggle  with ''primitive'' style and colors, wanting bright even though I know it is wrong.

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.A freeze was briefly predicted earlier in the week. Instead we had dense fog and a warm night but  I brought in the last tiny flowers when I went out to yet again bungee everything down. 

Wouldn't it be great if we had a few more warm sunny days. Mo and I have three more stars and the Moon to applique , then Noah's Ark / stage one/ hand app/ is done.

The frost never happened, the pots bravely bloom on.

Have a great weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

The skies are filled with flocks of birds. Geese, ocean ducks, even swans--and these dense gatherings of tiny ''black'' birds.

One year I investigated a flock that landed to feed in the dunes and was amazed that they were, in that case, snow buntings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHrgHeUS_uM 

Elegantly pink and tan and black. But these could be swallows or starlings, warblers??? 

Yes the dune sand is that white.

A painting and a poem by an artist I admire, recently passed away but his gallery continues to show his work.

TOMTE : A tomte is a solitary, mischievous mythical creature from Scandinavian folklore that is believed to protect farms and households. Traditionally, a tomte is a small, older man with a long beard who wears a red cap and grey clothes, and resides in the barn or pantry. He is responsible for the welfare of the farm animals and the property, and expects a bowl of porridge with butter on Christmas Eve in return for his work.  [from Wiki]

snow bunting    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHrgHeUS_uM