Felix Recommends The Pleasures of Reading

Felix recommends a little reading to those of us turning away from distraction.

Along Came Arthur

Just days after Felix's wedding, Bella announced she had a coffee date With a Guy.

Who has turned into The Guy. 

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

Carol was telling me how to make her new favorite sweet potatoes. "Cut them up like Jojos at the convenience store."

Okay, what? Since when has Carol bought Jojos at the convenience store? Also, what was she even talking about?

She meant wedges. Leave the skins on. Toss with olive oil, then salt (plenty) and cumin (generously). Roast at 425 on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet for about 50 minutes.

I'm @ The Factory

It's close enough to my birthday/ the Composer is always up for a little road trip/ who needs a reason to visit Alabama Chanin again?

A jumble of salvaged chairs painted in cheery colors.

Stenciled pieces available for sale. I think these may be journal cover size.

The collection garments are so substantial--even monumental--in person.

I absolutely love the varying shades of white and cream and the different elaborate treatments in the wedding collection. Of course.

My real business today was choosing a small palette of fabrics for some new summer clothes. Two pale grey, some hyacinth, and a dab of pink.

I tried very hard to stick to my plan. And also remember to get foldover elastic. Done.

Eye candy: this "Lace" stencil which is one of my favorites ever. Here are three treatments. I love the top one because of the extra row of stitching above the edge of the design, which carries the embellishment further into the plain fabric (this is an elaborate scarf, so beautiful). Also love the coppery sequins filling the cut-out spaces at the bottom.

Then here you can see the same stencil treated differently--the dark areas are totally filled in with coppery bugle beads. Oh my word.

And finally, below, the same stencil done in a black appliqué on pale pink, with all those openings filled in with black beading. Just like glamorous lingerie from the fifties.

While Baby Napped

This baby is a great sleeper (also eater, also spitter-upper), so we got to read for a bit under the rosebush during the afternoon nap.

An Update + An Iris

The girls are having their spring break so we camped this weekend. Now, I pride myself on having survived outdoors through pretty much all the difficult conditions from hail to plagues of caterpillars. This one was new though: fog so extremely thick we couldn't see thirty feet. It wasn't raining but water was running out of our hair. 

*

I've been whittling away at a sizable work project. Fortunately it's easily quantified so I know just where I stand. Running up a tally and marking things off a list are very motivating rewards for me.

*

And today we brought our crib down from the attic. We'll be hosting a friend's foster baby for the next couple of days. *Lots* of attic dust to deal with, and the Composer is out at Walmart right now buying new sheets. I guess I'm a little excited.

Bits of Daisy's Room + Cat

We were going for a soft, luxurious, cocooning thing in Daisy's room. Clearly it worked for Sister, at least.

No doubt she appreciated the creative layering of fabrics--crocheted afghans on top of embroidered quilts on top of dust ruffles, and the sheepskin laid over the cotton rag rug.

For Sister, it's a little bit like the Princess and the Pea. For Daisy, it's a perfect retreat. Best part: I didn't buy a single thing (beyond the can of paint), just pulled furniture and goodies in from other parts of the house.

My Mostly Off-Line Lent (So Far)

Much reading, thinking, and discussion going on in the house about the issues surrounding Distraction by Technology. Lots of practicing the discipline of being unplugged.

Also experiencing an unprecedented interest in leather notebooks:

 (much cheaper on ebay than on the Filofax website!)

And in old-fashioned letter-writing. I use Daisy's piano lesson as my Correspondence Hour. 

. . . And Two Totes

Also, two fun totes available.

Silk and Mohair Capelet

I've put this capelet in my shop because it's just a little too large. Happy shopping to just the right lady!

Cold Out; Tea In

Finally, as a season untimely born, we are having a bit of winter. Sleet outside, Earl Grey inside.

Log Cabin Quilt: Cloud Shadows

This time I was disciplined and sorted those dark and light scraps! Then put them together in diagonal rows. We think it gives the effect of cloud shadows going up and down hillsides.

Also, I inaugurated the use of the 1/4 inch seam. It added an astonishing amount of square footage to the quilt--so this is one of my biggest efforts!

Proceeds from this quilt will go to  our dear young friends who are the first married couple of our kids' group to have a baby--they just found out last week. They're still on the church-mouse student budget, so I'd like to help purchase a nice stash of quality cloth diapers for them. Here's the shop link.

Puffy Cheeks

Sister was not the only girl today with puffy cheeks--Daisy had two wisdom teeth removed yesterday and has entered the puffy stage of recovery. We've had two quiet inside days watching the sun shine and the wind blow, and tomorrow we'll be almost back to normal.

Miss Buncle

My cousin Sally sent me the first book, and I was hooked.

I ordered the next two on my own, and they've been my Sunday afternoon treats.

Oil Painting: White Camellias

I went to the studio Tuesday evening and mentioned I was thinking of painting white camellias. 

"There are some blooming in my neighborhood," said my teacher Sarah, "but you'll have to drive the getaway car."

So I kept it running at the curb while she crept across the dark yard and snipped a few blossoms from the rent house down her block.

Anything for art.

Wasp's Nest

Strictly for decorative purposes, in the sitting room.

The Hyacinths Say Hello

 . . . hello, and Lenten blessings. I am giving up internet distraction for the forty days. I will post on my blog and check my email, but nothing else for the weeks to come. A new season!