Camouflaging the 'oops'

Last night was the Palouse Suzuki Strings Spring Concert. The children did a fabulous job and sounded so beautiful! I love the mellow sounds of strings, the high notes float out and linger poignantly in the air. The final piece was simply delightful, called 'Russian Fantasy.'
Bravo, PSS!

With only 15 minutes remaining before our departure from home, I needed to whip out a quick gift tag to coordinate with the frame we selected as a thank-you gift for DD2's lovely and oh-so-worthy teacher....Mrs. Diane Worthey. We thought Diane might enjoy one of my most popular designs, the dragonfly and vine. (I try to keep at least one item with this design on hand, as it seems to have high appeal for many different tastes.)


Anyway, I intended to just stamp a simple 'Thank You' sentiment in sage green with a small vine motif to echo the frame and call it good. Fast and easy. Right.

But as you know, I have confessed previously to my terrible stamping technique. And sure enough, ...I did it again. I got ugly stamp edges framing the sentiment in that awkward, obviously 'oops' fashion. Now what?

Thank goodness for cats-eye liquid chalks by Chalk Box! I grabbed the sage green and started dabbing and wiping. Soon you couldn't see those unsightly edges, but now I had another problem. All my pre-made paper filigree leaves are in sage tones; I needed some contrast. A Tim Holtz Distress ink pad in 'vintage photo' brown was laying nearby from another project, so the dabbing and swiping began again. With just a few minutes left, I popped down a dozen leaves in a vining pattern, and we ran out of the house with the glue still wet!

Could you have guessed that this was a major 'oops' in disguise? (my daughter snapped the photo enroute using her black skirt as background!)


It's not anything amazing, but I wanted to illustrate that mistakes can be covered in some pretty effective ways!

I've been 'branded' a GN

[sigh]

I fear my carefree life of blogging is done...kaput...over before I've barely begun.

My few readers are doubtless wondering what has brought this on.

I'll tell you...careless comments, that's what.

Who would have guessed?

I try to keep my 'grammar nazi-ish' tendencies in check, really I do. While I can't help noticing mangled and hemorrhaging English usage at every turn, I try to avert my eyes and pass on, pausing only to assist those I know and love or those who call out for help.

But occasionally I forget myself. In an unguarded moment, when challenged to spot a typo, I carelessly admitted to noticing such things. I blame it on a natural love of words and past training/employment. I try to keep it hidden, squelching the urge to leave red notations in my wake (except for my children's writing, that is).

But that's all it took. One thoughtless comment...and now look what's happened. I've been gleefully claimed as a personal "Grammar Nazi!"

Now everyone is going to be reading her blog, eyes on the sharp lookout for mistakes. And I shall be found wanting in my titled role, revealed as a rank amateur grammarian before the entire www community...Bill Gates and everybody!

Even worse, my own writing will be subjected to greater scrutiny. People will come here expecting to find all my i's dotted and my t's crossed. Boy! are they in for a surprise! They'll find posts riddled with errors that any self-respecting Grammar Nazi would never allow...tense changes, mixed metaphors, dangling participles, you name it.

Stuff happens.

Typing fast and not bothering to proof my musings is partly to blame. Worse yet, sometimes after polishing a portion I totally miss some glaring error - like verb/noun agreement. Hey, it worked perfectly in the original draft...I just forgot to check far enough back is all. An honest mistake...could happen to anyone, right? While I can give all sorts of reasoned excuses, I'm downright embarrassed by the number of typos and errors that somehow manage to slip into my posts and comments. The little buggers just leap in! Honest!

So I have two choices: become uptight and paranoid about my future postings for fear of revealing my own ineptitude through countless mistakes, or lightheartedly pooh-pooh my newly acquired 'honors'.

I choose the latter.

Pshaw, I say...in my very best 'Bertie Wooster' imitation.

What's more, I offer this meek disclaimer: I really only admitted to grammar nazi-ish tendencies. What unnamed persons read into innocent, unguarded comments really isn't MY responsibility, right? While it's true that I did offer to help out, the person claiming me has little need of my vastly over-rated skills. Her blog is a treat, with well-turned phrases and insightful observations. (An occasional error pops up, but I suspect she's afflicted with the same little leapers that plague me.) I go there for an enjoyable read, not to work! Besides, I rarely carry a red pen when I am going to be nine miles from anything.

There.

Am I off the hook now?

I didn't think so.

Drats...

[muttering]

...where did I put my red pen?

(source)

[Thanks for the honor, Suzanne....I'm delighted and highly amused!]

In Honor of Poetry Month

I didn't realize that April was poetry month...that's how uninformed I am. Thanks to Toni at 3AM Designs for giving me a clue!

I currently prefer to write prose vs. poetry. Poetry was something I did in my angst-y teenage years. But a few years ago I discovered an on-line website for the great refrigerator magnetic poetry packs. Surely you've all seen them, right?

I used the "Artist" kit and had loads of fun creating the following poem (obviously some of my teenage angst is still with me!). Because you can only use the words provided in the kit, it demands a bit of creative twisting in order to find a word that conveys your intent. Soon after I posted it to the poetry forum on the website, the company selected it as their 'poem of the week' and gave it front-page exposure. What a hoot...I guess that was my fabled 15 minutes of fame!
So, in honor of Poetry Month, I give you....

Reflections on Modern 'Art'

You fashion a latex rhythm,

then meanly break harmony

with
psychedelic
passion

and
empty
metaphor

...and imagine it a masterpiece.

(poem by Paula Bauer 9/04 using Magnetic Poetry Artist Kit; 'artwork' also by PB...photo of one of my paper filigree designs seriously messed up with photo editor!)

Grrrr...I have given up trying to format my poem the way it is supposed to look. Blogger refuses to insert tabs where I need them!

Have fun playing with mag-po - why not share a poetic creation in the comments section...

I dare you!

Tomorrow: May Quilling Club sneak peak!

C'mon back and see how much fun I had with my Father's Day design!

blogging sans camera

Camera-less...it's been gone for weeks. Sent off for repairs.

I borrow eldest's when I can, would hog it if I could, but she needed it back.
Even with my poorly developed photographic skills, (pun!) I find the state of camera-lessness highly restrictive. No before-and-after photos of our "extreme yard clean" episode on Saturday (I fear the snowball bush will never recover from the haircut we administered) nor of my crew in their tireless sod-hopping efforts, nor my giant husband extracting shrubs with the ease of Paul Bunyan.

My blog without photos = a 'blah-g.'

So, I dug out my old photo albums to find this shot of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox from 1983.

Paul Bunyan is a world-famous mascot/icon from my hometown of Bemidji, Minnesota.

I snapped this when I introduced Paul to my boyfriend of 5 months (destined to become hubby 2.5 years later).

To lend some sense of ol' Paul's size, BJ ("Big J-name") is 6'8". Paul is one of the rare men that BJ looks up to.


Searching for appropriate photos on the 'net is time consuming, but I did discover a great free stock photo website called Stock.xchg Check it out!

Hard work but welcome

Our community has a great resource called 'FreeCycle' where people advertise things they would like to pass along to others, or share wants/needs. As a result, we are now the proud owners of 6 shrubs and a trailer full of sod. Hurrah! This means usable lawn behind the patio for the wedding reception in July!

The sod had to be hauled from the backyard up a steep incline to the driveway. Hubby - a sod-hauling maniac, favorite son, future son-in-law, daughter#2 and I made short work of 5 full pallets of sod rolls, sorta like these

(Photo by Brad Kovach from Stock.xchng, a free stock photography site)

I didn't haul, but helped fill wheelbarrows. That was strenuous enough...the muscles on my right arm and side have definitely atrophied after 9+ weeks of convalescing from the shoulder dislocation.

What a lot of hard work, but oh...the dividends! Soon our yard will be sporting a large arctic willow like this but bigger, two yews, and three replacements for our badly deer-damaged arborvitae. I am not sure the arborvitae shrubs will recover from the severe buzz-cut the deer gave to all 19 of them. They are sad, sad things. I'm distressed our local wildlife made the "Bauer Buffet" into the 'hot' dining spot this winter. Distressed is putting it mildly...I am really torqued off! To add to the outrage, they have eaten my emerging tulips for the first time that I can remember. What is to be done with these cheeky marauders? No yard is safe!

We have some hot sauce called 'Da Bomb' and I am seriously tempted to spray it on the trees next fall and winter. The problem is, this sauce is sooo hot that I worry my kids will brush against the trees, get the stuff on their hands, and transfer it to their faces or eyes, so it is probably not a solution. I will be working on my defenses for next fall for I have 4 new apple trees to protect and defend. They are sitting in the front porch patiently waiting to be planted.

I dosed on Advil last night and went to bed a happy woman. The hard work hasn't even started yet, but I am so eager to begin. If only our rainy, cloudy weather would cooperate. We had sleet/snow again yesterday. True, it did melt off immediately but it was not a welcomed sight even so.

[begins chanting]
C'mon spring...c'mon spring...c'mon spring...

I am still trying to determine if netiquette requires one to respond to comments on one's own blog or on the commenter's blog...or does it even matter?

It seems right unneighborly not to acknowledge comments -- like driving past someone on a country road and not lifting your hand in greeting! But it also seems inappropriate to inject your response into the comment section of someone's post that has nothing whatever to do with the content of your post or comment!!

I have a 'blogging without obligation' logo up...

...maybe I need a 'commenting without obligation' logo too.

Hand-me-downs and traditions

The tablecloth in the previous post was given to me by my mom when I moved to Idaho. If I am not mistaken, it was one of her wedding gifts from 1952. It is a small square linen luncheon cloth with several shades of blue stripes and a 3" blue border. The border is noticeably stiffer than the rest of the cloth...I am assuming it either is due to the dye, or the cloth was woven tighter and with more threads on the edges. Does anyone with vintage textile knowledge know if that was a common practice? At any rate, it's the perfect size for my round table. When I was a little girl, my mom would use it on the small table she would sometimes set for tea, warmed eggnog, or hot cocoa for my younger sister and me. I cherish the memories and mother's love interwoven into its fibers. And I am reminded again that I need to ask if she remembers who gifted it to her so I have that provenance info to pass along to my children.

The food is shown on a 1950s-era rose Fiestaware plate, one of 6 different ones gifted to our family by Bro#2 and his lovely wife. I need to shop for one more since we added another child. Actually, one suffered irreparable injuries at the hands of dishwashers-in-training, so I guess I need to shop for two more. And now that I am thinking about it, my daughter is getting married in July, so I guess I really need to shop for 3 more!

I have been trying to decide if I want to add antique/vintage Fiestaware plates for each new member of the family. Fiestaware sets such a festive, colorful, cheerful table and it has become a family ritual to use them for birthday dinners. So, if I am to continue the tradition, I must get more plates. Right now we supplement the Fiestaware with cheap pottery plates in similar colors. But they look clunky and ...well....cheap. So I guess the hunt is on. I don't know if I can find the extras in time for favorite son's birthday.

Are you shocked that I admit publicly that I have a favorite? !

As a mom of five...all boys except for four...it has been a source of family amusement to dub him 'my favorite son.' But when I acquire sons-in-laws, I will have to retire the expression. "We're not losing a daughter, we're gaining a son" sounds cliche' to say (and never fear, I shall NOT utter it at any of the wedding functions!) but I DO want to live that sentiment out. I called my husband's parents "Mom" and "Dad" just like I did my own. And I shall plan to 'own' all my kids-in-law in similar fashion.

I really wanted to find a photo of fiestaware, but I have grown weary of searching the 'net for one that I like. I might try my hand at snapping a shot of my few plates later on today...or I may just let your imaginations run free!

Fried oatmeal

I've been enjoying my blog surfing recently...expanding my world by looking at things through other's eyes. Found some very talented writers...gifted in painting their world with words that nourish the soul.

Then, I come here to my blog and the first thing I notice is my 'blah' banner. I shall be adding something that reflects me - when I seize upon the right thing. I tried to add something earlier and puttered about with a few photographs of my paper filigree work, but abandoned the attempt. My photo editing skills are so limited and the recent emotional/ mental morass made it seem like too much bother. My awakening aesthetic sense is a hopeful sign...maybe my creative muse is about to stir also! And we have sunshine today...God is soo good! (He's good when it rains too, but my soul isn't nearly as grateful when the yard is a soggy mess, I'm afraid.)

Right now my Annie (age 14) is working on her newest culinary experiment....pan-fried oatmeal.
Hmmmm...you say. Yes, well, I agree.
My initial reaction was, 'Uh...that's interesting, Annie." But I tasted it one morning and it isn't bad at all!

I quit buying processed breakfast cereal over 10 years ago. The thought of all that sugar and chemically-enhanced 'food' (using the term loosely) at 4x the price of wholesome cooked cereals suddenly became ludicrous, especially on the limited budget of a one-income family. Besides that, it didn't satisfy and the kids were asking for snacks usually before 10 am. It's very hard to learn on empty, growling tummies, which their teacher--me, since we home educate-- soon recognized. So we switched to muesli, oatmeal and 10-grain cereal, known as "Green Cereal' in our home. It was dubbed by tot #4 at age 3, who couldn't remember it's proper name. When she asked for 'Green Cereal' one morning, her older siblings and I found it so adorable that the name stuck. Now guests in our home wonder what the heck we are talking about when we serve 'green cereal' for breakfast! LOL

Anyway, my 6th grade teacher once shared about eating fried cornmeal as a boy in the tail-end of the Depression. I told my children about it once, probably as part of the 'be-grateful-for-your-food-because-I-knew-a-man-who-ate-fried- cornmeal-and-lard-sandwiches-when-he-was-growing-up' speech. Surely other mothers have their own version of that speech?! Well, that lil' story recently inspired Annie to form the leftover oatmeal--usually tossed now that we don't have chickens-- into a patty and panfry it. It gets a nice toasty flavor outside but is moist in the middle. She eats it with syrup like a pancake and has also tried it with honey, peanut butter, mustard & ranch dressing. Those last two are a bit too odd for me, but she likes it even while recognizing it's a tad weird. ["You're going to put THAT on your blog too, aren't you?!" she just said over her shoulder as she walked past my desk.] LOL

So, using a Tupperware hamburger press and about 1/4 cup of cooked oatmeal, she presses it flat and lays it on a hot, greased griddle. I will say this, it is a high fiber alternative to traditional pancakes and a nice way to use up leftover oatmeal, at least until my new laying flock is established...doggone raccoons! Can't wait to have farm-fresh eggs to serve with fried oatmeal cakes. Hmmmm...maybe the hens won't get the leftover oatmeal after all!

so...have you ever heard of fried oatmeal? Annie wants to know if it is widely known out there.

[edit:
Hats off to those, like Abbie , Suzanne, Ruthann, & Rhondi who include such fab photos on their blogs. I discovered our usual easy-over eggs don't look very appealing in the camera, but Sunny-side-up eggs take lots longer to cook! I don't even want to tell you how much time and fussing it took to take the above shot. Setting is not such a simple thing to achieve and how some take such marvelous shots is a thing of amazement to me. Annie and I were laughing at our ineptitude!]

Thanks Abbie!

Not only did she surprise me yesterday with a lovely post featuring my paper filigree work, today she shared several vintage graphics...freebies to download. Please stop by to pay her a visit (just click on the title and it will whisk you right over!)

And a warm welcome to all those coming by for a peek at Abbie's urging. You will have to page down a few entries to get to samples of my work. Or you can visit my website www.gemstatequilling.com and look through my galleries there. Please email or leave a comment if you have an idea for something and want to consult with me on the possibilities.

You are a gem, Abbie...so glad I met you on Etsy!

Hydrangea Instructions now available!

Though not considered 'paper filigree' by a purist's standards, I often incorporate shaped and shaded paper flower designs (using paper punches or hand-cut pieces)

Currently available via my website: (click on title to go directly to my pattern page)

• Wild Rose Blossom - step-by-step instructions to create individual flowers (no project included)
• Poppy Card - step-by-step instructions to create poppies plus project instructions for card
• Hydrangea - step-by-step instructions to create individual flowers (no project included)
• Folded Rose Technique - step-by-step instructions using my alternate method

Future designs to be added:

• delphinium
• hibiscus
• bells of Ireland
• freesia

I am willing to work on other design instructions from my previous work - simply make your wishes known!

Project handouts from Quilling Club classes will also be available soon. They require more detailed info and photos since I am not there to demonstrate in person! Will be working on these in the days ahead.