The Great Reorganization

With children leaving the nest, hubby and I have been doing some home renovations which included moving my studio from the upstairs to the first floor. Having worked in the same room for 15 years, you can imagine the accumulated dearth of "stuff" collected over all that time. It has been wonderful to clean out and reorganize, assess some needs (like new tools!) and rearrange my workspace into a more user-friendly configuration.

Although there are still piles of stuff stacked on the floor and desk waiting for their new home on the 12 ft wide wall of shelves (thank you, my helpful hubby), I have organized things to within an inch of it's life and the "done" stage is almost in sight. The room has beautiful blue/green walls, chocolate velvet curtains and

some gorgeous primitive watercolors done by my friend H..... I have surrounded myself with colors, creative inspiration, and objects I love to look upon. I may never want to leave this room again. When it is finished and looking properly organized, I'll post some more pics. I love this organized life.

Maple Meadow Farm Festival

I bundled up the leftovers of my booth and left the Maple Meadow Farm Festival in Mapleton, Maine with a smile today. The Gregg family graciously opens their farm to the public and introduces them to past farming practices, including the tools, machinery (or horsepower) and a way of life that is slipping into the annals of time. The squeals of children playing rang through the air and the bustle of farm life demonstrations occupied the entire property.

I watched hundreds of families wander the grounds shopping for antiques or Maine made handmade goods, riding horse drawn carriages or just talking "farming" with the demonstrators. The family aspect of this event is heartwarming. I appreciate the Gregg family's vision and the commitment to do the work necessary to hold this event. The past is honored, family is celebrated and communities are knit together. It was a wonderful weekend. Thank you Gregg family!

Watching the Red Sox and Making Faces

I spend my evenings watching the Celtics and Red Sox, so in order to justify the "down time" I prepare things for the day to work on at night. This week it has been some more primitive ladies. I've been sewing them closed and making their faces with embroidery thread. I stop every once in a while when the game gets really intense, but the ladies gradually appear as a little audience in front of me. I know they are wanting my teams to win too.