Burn out

You may have noticed an absence of comments from me....

painting found here

I think I have a case of blog burn out. Today marks my 654th post...I'm going to take a break. Go to Italy on May 9th. Get refreshed. I'll be back. Ciao!

Trend forecast

While browsing through Elle Decor online, I came came across the 

Design Trend Forecast for Fall 2009

Thought it would be fun to show some design items in Citrus, one of their forecasted trends. So I logged on to Etsy....and immediately got side-tracked with jewelry....

 I adore jewelry

click here for links

Blogland Haiku

Elizabeth is encouraging us all to brush off our haiku skills and join in on (newly invented) blogland haiku day, May 11th

From Elizabeth:

as burgeoning spring

demands poetic response

we bloggers will sing

From Wikipedia: Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of three metrical phrases of 5, 7 and 5 (syllables). Haiku typically contain a seasonal reference, and punctuation marks which cause a pause in speech. Haiku in English usually appear in three lines.

Soul

Tea and Honey Bread's Shutter Click & Chat

This week's theme is Soul

image from here

My dictionary had 8 definitions of soul, my favorite being: 

noble warmth of spirit

I like the way that sounds and the image it conveys.

What does soul mean to you?

Sandy dog

Last weekend at the Oregon coast....Trux having fun

Hey Harriet's Shadow Shots...every weekend

Custom light covers

Mark made custom light covers for a new house

in nearby Sisters, Oregon

The lights are up light/down light fixtures...pretty cool at night.

Baskett Slough

A pretty spot to stop and stretch one's legs, (not to mention letting Trux get out of the car to run around) Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge just West of Salem, Oregon

Mt. Hood in the distance

Canadian geese...everywhere

Part of our road trip on the way home from the coast...a little more than a four hour drive.

Commissioned art

Mark's latest work...

a mix of stained glass & wrought iron

Bye-bye ugly white plastic thermostat cover!

Nifty!

I heart the beach

We spent our 18th anniversary at the coast...a long weekend of gorgeous Oregon beach weather, long walks in the sand, and relaxation.

Perfect

Click here to see where we stayed

A blink

18 years...today

Mark, ti amo. Il mio cuore, il mio amore.

Heart

“As the ocean is never full of water, so is the heart never full of love”

~ unknown

Tea & Honey Bread's Shutter Click & Chat

Heart

We're at the coast this weekend.

Bliss

"Foot-prints on the Sea-shore"

"I find myself at the extremity of a long beach. How gladly does the spirit leap forth, and suddenly enlarge its sense of being to the full extent of the broad, blue, sunny deep! A greeting and a homage to the Sea! I descend over its margin, and dip my hand into the wave that meets me, and bathe my brow. That far-resounding roar is the Ocean's voice of welcome. His salt breath brings a blessing along with it. "

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

A stretch to include this photo in Hey Harriet's Shadow Shots

Some of the wispy clouds have under shadows....

The ocean is calling

LOW-TIDE

These wet rocks where the tide has been,

Barnacled white and weeded brown

And slimed beneath to a beautiful green,

These wet rocks where the tide went down

Will show again when the tide is high

Faint and perilous, far from shore,

No place to dream, but a place to die,--

The bottom of the sea once more.

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay

Earth

Theme Thursday

“The earth is what we all have in common.”

~ Wendell Barry

Art found here

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, 

and after all our most pleasing responsibility. 

To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal 

is our only hope.”

~ Wendell Berry

Kip's Bay decorator show house

Detail of wallpaper used for 3-D display

both images from here

Maya Romanoff wall covering company 

collaborated with paper artist Jo Lynn Alcorn

to create the flowering tree in the show home's stairway.

For more info click here

Done on a much smaller scale, this would be fabulous in one's home.  Possibly as a family tree with tiny photos of family members in the center of each flower.  Scrap paper or fabric could be used in lieu of wall paper for the flowers....ideas are endless.

Again

Craft it Forward is an art-based pay it forward-where each participant "pays forward" a random act of kindness through art.

The first five people who decide to participate (let me know in the comment section) will get something made by yours truly.

Consider:

You might not like my creation.

You’ll receive it sometime this year. 

(I need to find my work space first)

This was something I made for a past giveaway...

This time it could be...anything !

In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog 

and make 5 things for 5 people.

Respond in the comment section if you're up for the challenge.  Make sure I can get in touch with you for your mailing address.

Found via Tameka at Tea & Honey Bread

If you're not up for the challenge, just say hi!

Tenacity

“Do or do not... there is no try.”

~ Yoda

Juniper trees growing out of lava rocks. 

Deschutes Canyon, Central Oregon

Favorite shop

My mom and aunt visited this weekend. I took them to Bend on Saturday to introduce them to my favorite shop: Royal T

Easter

Wishing you all...

image from here

Dog shadows

There's a dog in those rock shadows

Hey Harriet's Shadow Shots....every weekend

Un Mese

In one month, I will be in Italy....pinch me!

photos from here

Landscaping...still

“Our way is not soft grass, it's a mountain path with lots of rocks. But it goes upwards, forward, toward the sun.”

~ Ruth Westheimer

Progress with rocks

The beds are now edged with small lava rock...

hopefully, this will keep the gravel in place.

“If you see a whole thing - it seems that it's always beautiful. Planets, lives... But up close a world's all dirt and rocks."

~ Ursula K. LeGuin

Alpha

In our household, Cammie is the alpha animal

Poor Trux!

Hike

A hike down Deschutes Canyon

Trux was happy to be off leash....I was happy to see water!

High Deserts hikes:

sunshine

juniper trees

sage brush

sandy dirt

and lots of lava rock

Dream

I wouldn't mind (in the least little bit) 

traveling to this island

and dining under the ocean!  Just imagine the ever-changing scenery Ithaa, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s unique undersea restaurant has to offer. 

Yeah...works for me...

*photos from website