TDIPT offerings

It's a hectic weekend at our home on Winding Vine. But I did want to take a moment to let you know that TDIPT Mercantile has updated its offerings tonight with visions of love, past presidents, and glimpses of spring... Be sure to stop by and see all the lovely creations.

Click here to see my offerings... I did want to share close-ups of some of my handiwork.

I really was inspired this month and so enjoyed the process of turning my visions into creations.

Tomorrow I hope to take down all my "winter" decorations and put up my Valentine decorations. If I'm successful, I'll share them with you next week. It's another hectic day, but hopefully I can squeeze it all in.

Blessings, Patti

Love at First Sight

Are you familiar with Suzanne Davis' blog - Painter of the Past? Or her website Pear Tree Primitives? I am a fan of her work and her blog. A short time ago, I was reading her blog and saw this picture: I was immediately drawn to the pair of paintings in the upper right hand corner. I was convinced that they were antiques that were inspiring her new drawings. For some reason I kept thinking about these paintings and went back several times to look at them again.

A short time later I was taking a peek at Suzanne's etsy shop and low and behold... There he was!!!

He wasn't an antique, but one of Suzanne's paintings! Don't you agree that this lovely painting in this aged frame looks truly old? Suzanne noted that this was inspired by a circa 1830 silhouette by an artist now known as the Red Book Artist (as in the book that he is holding). I kept going back and looking at this painting all night. Should I buy it or shouldn't I? Around midnight I finally asked myself - how would I feel if I woke up in the morning and found that it had sold? I hit the buy button immediately! Then I went to sleep with visions of a certain prim silhouette dancing happily in my head.

In the middle of the night I awoke. How could I possibly separate the pair?! Weren't they destined to be together forever?? Now in my cold little corner of the world, you don't get out of bed unless it is absolutely necessary! So eventually I did fall back to sleep. But can you guess what was the very first thing I did when I woke up (before I did ANYTHING)? You've got it! I fired up the computer and ordered...

Now they'll be together forever! What was I thinking just ordering one? Lucky for me, Suzanne is a very quick shipper, so I didn't have to wait long for my beloved paintings to arrive. When I saw them close up I was even happier with my purchases (could that really be possible?) The lace on her collar is incredible, you feel like you could just reach out and touch it...

I think they look quite at home with my old books and this great landscape painting on a book cover by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm.

Words can't express how thrilled I am with these paintings. Isn't it amazing when you find a work of art that truly touches your heart?

“I wish I was a little seed,
I’d grow and grow and grow.
I’d twine myself around your heart
And never let you go.”

-from the late 1800’s

Blessings, Patti

More on A Special Day...

I had wanted to add a little more to my last post, but wasn't able at the time...

I celebrated Christmas with my sister's family last weekend and received a perfect gift! Since my mom was getting the same great present and it was on a brown truck at the time, I had to wait until I knew that it arrived... Here's what we received:

I was so thrilled. I had wanted to order it, but December is such a busy time of year that I never got around to it. Isn't it great?! This is from my same one and only sister who knitted the mittens for me at Thanksgiving. I'm certainly blessed to have such a lovely sister.

The sweet sampler is the project that I worked on while watching the inauguration coverage. The talented Tanya Anderson of The Sampler Girl designed an exclusive inaugural pattern to commemorate the day - which happens to be her birthday. All my other projects were set aside to work on this one. It's not finished quite yet, but hopefully I can finish it this weekend.

I watched Suze Orman on Oprah and she asked all to make a three step pledge this year:

1. Don't spend any money for a day.
2. Don't charge anything for a week.
3. Don't eat out for a month.

I think it is a great idea. I've already done #1 and plan to do it once a month for a year. (It was a little harder than I thought. I have to do it on a Saturday as I have to pay for parking, train and bus each day just to get to work.) I think I can do #2 without a problem as well. But #3, this may be a problem...

Let me know if you decide to take the pledge and how it goes...

Blessings, Patti

A Special Day!

Today hope and change is in the air. As I walked down Michigan Avenue this morning, I found a big jumbotron t.v. set up in Pioneer Court showing Inauguration coverage. People were already gathering at 9:30 to watch the coverage. Our office set up a large screen in our conference room to watch the coverage. About 300 people gathered in Pioneer Court. I hesitated - should I watch outside to take in the excitement (and 15 degree temps) or stay inside and sit comfortably? I decided to stay inside. (I wish I had brought my camera today, but I didn't think of it.) As we watched the inspiring coverage, I noticed that in the building next to us you could see people congregated in conference rooms on all the floors.

This inauguration really moved and inspired me. I know that our country's problems won;t be solved this year or even next year. I do believe that it starts with us - and I hope that our focus and priorities change.

"Air and Simple Gifts" by John Williams was such moving music. I'd love to download it to my iPod, but haven't found it yet.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

-Simple Gifts, Shaker Hymn by Elder Joseph Brackett

Blessings, Patti

Handmade & Heartfelt

Christmas came and left so quickly that I never had a chance to share some lovely handmade gifts that I received.

TDIPT Mercantile had a swap between the artists before Christmas and I was the recipient of this stunning gift box...

My box was sent by the extremely talented Nancy Malay! WOW! Nancy was selected by Early American Life magazine as one of America's best Artisans and listed in the 2008 Directory of Traditional American Crafts.

Just look at all the lovelies that I found inside! Be still my heart! I adored each and every item in my special box. I love antique books and birds and Nancy included a tiny leather bound copy of Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. And look at this...

Notecards of my absolute favorite bird, the Robin, personalized with my initials! One will definitely end up in a frame to enjoy.

And the absolute bestest, my very own Nancy Malay original - this oh so sweet snowcone lady. I am so blessed!

I also received this wonderful pillow from my sister-in-law Joy, of Joyfully Yours.

I fell in love with it at our Folk Art Show, but someone picked it up immediately. I was so disappointed. I didn't notice that they changed their mind and put it back. So lucky for me! I was delightfully surprised when I opened the box on Christmas Day.

I also received this lovely hand knit scarf from my dear friend Susan!

Handmade & Heartfelt gifts are always so cherished!

"Heart and Hand will never part, when this you see remember me."

I will remember all these lovely people each time I look at their heartfelt gifts.

Blessings, Patti

Bittersweet

bit·ter·sweet
Pronunciation: \ˈbi-tər-ˌswēt\

adjective
Date: 1576
being at once bitter and sweet ; especially pleasant but including or marked by elements of regret

Well, maybe this word is a little strong... but as I took the Christmas decorations down and gently packed them away, this is the word that came to mind.

I love being surrounded by Christmas decorations. Each of them has a story and reminds me of loved ones close and far away and even more meaningful loved ones that have passed away. The sights, sounds and smells of the season fill my heart and spirit.

It's so sad to pack them away, just when the darkest dreariest months are here, just begging for some twinkling lights to brighten and warm the days and nights.

But then... I think...

Maybe just having these decorations up for a month a year is what makes them so very special.

I guess I can keep the sparkling mica snowflakes up for January. And the mercury glass, the antique white glass ornaments, the snowmen, the bottlebrush trees...

Our Christmas celebrations actually aren't over yet. In the next ten days, we still have two more work holiday parties. And my side of the family will have our Christmas celebration! With busy schedules, travel, and winter weather we have decided not to stress ourselves out, but to set a date when we can relax, celebrate and enjoy each other's company. I'm lucky I still have a little time as I haven't completed making the table favors quite yet. (And I can't share since my mom and sis have been known to stop by this blog ;-)

"I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year." -Charles Dickens

I'm feeling better already.

Blessings, Patti