Photo of the Day

I know the days when I walk in a room to find this are really numbered. Afraid this could be the last time, I actually grabbed the camera and clicked before they had a chance to duck.

Ongoing Project....

After cross-stitching for years, I have branched out into embroidery. I've listed this as an ongoing project because, at this point, "ongoing" can be read as S-L-O-W! I'm still learning. I'm sure if any readers out there are experienced embroiderers, they will be able to tell just how novice I am! But I found this pillow kit on deep discount and it spoke to my love of bright colors and purple, in particular. I have, however, decided to skip the pillow part & just frame and mat it for my wall. The kit is by Kristin Nicholas, who also has a blog. I love Kristin's work and her love of color. She has a great book, Colorful Stitchery, that I highly recommend, as well as a book for teaching kids a love of stitching, called Kid's Embroidery.

It's hard for me to convey what an escape needlework is for me. I read once about a woman who found solace & strength in knitting when she faced the death of a child. Thankfully, I don't know what that feels like but I do know that it certainly helps me unwind & forget after long, stressful days.

Photo of the Day

I found this patch of heaven on the busy city street that I drive down each day to deliver my daughter to her middle school. Beauty really can be found most anywhere.

Project of The Week....Succulents

It's my hope to feature a weekly project on writecreateclick. It might be something to improve your home, a project to do with your kids, a project to bring out your inner artist (we all have one, you know) or just a simple craft to do for yourself or give as a gift.

This week's project would fall into the "improve your home" category & is one of my favorite things to mess with - succulents. Succulents are plants that retain water in their leaves which often gives the leaves a strange "fat-looking" appearance. Succulents originate in arid or desert climates but they do surprisingly well anywhere, as long as the soil is dry or sandy and the water is sparse. I love that they require little care & was shocked to find that some of mine that I failed to bring indoors actually survived the Arkansas winter (not exactly Phoenix!). This morning I took my favorite brown containers that held my paperwhites over the holidays & replaced the bulbs with several varieties of succulent. You should try it too. Mix equal parts potting soil and sand and plant several varieties in each pot. Don't worry about crowding. They are more attractive if the pot is full.

If you're looking for succulents, I highly recommend Chris Olsen's Botanica Gardens if you're in Little Rock. He usually has a great variety to choose from and several sizes of succulent as well. It's just a great little shop & a gardener's wonderland. I challenge you not to find something that you want! If you aren't in Little Rock, many home centers carry succulents too, but I encourage you to try your local garden shop first! Good luck!

R.I.P. Bea Arthur

As I logged on to my computer Saturday, I was so sad to see in my Yahoo newsfeed that actress Bea Arthur had died of cancer at her home. Actually, what went through my head was, "Dorothy Zbornak was suffering and I knew nothing of it? While I've been laughing my ass off at re-runs of the Golden Girls every morning for the past 10 years or so, she was enduring endless rounds of chemo and suffering?" I know that no one can live forever and we all have to go to that golden retirement home in the sky, but there are some voices that should live on and Bea's was one of those. What a wonderful gift she shared with us while she was here....

A New Home on the Internet....

Look for my new blog to appear here soon! I have changed blog providers and am looking forward to starting up again with daily (or near-daily!) posts!