F Is For Filho, Favorite Son, Firefighter, Fast Cars, Fuzzy Chin....

It's Alphabe-Thursday and the letter of the day is F.

Who is this dressed in fire-engine red?  My bright eyed little boy.  My filho.  My favorite son.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Speaking of fire-engines, see the littlest firefighter!

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Fast cars at the Pinewood Derby put big smiles on the faces of these young scouting friends.  (I won't tell you how I glued my fingers together with super glue while attaching the weights.)

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Fantastic fellows all.  My son in the middle wearing the flashy sunglasses, surrounded by two older cousins, DH on the far left and my brother-in-law on the far right.  The boys were all acting goofy and going for the "MiamiVice" look with turned up collars, the night before a family wedding.  

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Where did the years go?  Now he has fuzzy stuff on his chin.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

And he is off to further his studies at this fine institution of higher learning, where one of his areas of study is a foreign language.  So proud of him.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Go to Jenny's to see all the other fantastic F posts.

Cottage- A Home Where Love Resides

Cielo at House in the Roses is hosting Show Off Your Cottage.  And see  Mosaic Monday posts over at  Mary's Little Red House.

Cielo asked what cottage meant to us.  For me it's welcoming and  comfortable, homemade and vintage.  It's folk art and collections.   It's children and pet friendly.  It's taking care of things that your great grandmother made.  It's where faith and imagination can flourish.   It's a home where love resides.

Top row: Quilt made for me by my Great Grandmother, embroidered linens, hand painted platter and blue and white dishes.

2nd Row: Wooden spoons in a crock, folk-art bird painting, potted flowers and herbs on the deck.

3rd Row: Shawnee pottery bluebird, heart wall plaque,  chinese-checkers game.

4th Row: Folk-art carnival painting, cat on crocheted afghan,  green depression glass.
5th Row: Wooden pig cutting board, metal star,  enough flag decor to make Betsy Ross proud.
6th Row: My daughter's nesting dolls,  santos,  guest bed with another quilt my great grandmother made and embroidered pillowcases.
7th Row: Cobalt blue nesting hen,  crewel sunflowers stitched by my mother,  my grandparents chime clock.
8th Row: April Cornell and vintage tablecoths, hand painted  metal tray, my son's favorite stuffed shark.

What is cottage to you?

See  Mosaic Monday posts over at  Mary's Little Red House.

E is for Eeeek! And Emerald Lake

E is for Eeeeek!   I have been so busy I almost didn't get this posted for Alphabe-Thursday.

E is for  Emerald Lake, in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, where our family used to hike and canoe during summer camping trips.  The color of the water is amazing.

This is a picture I took of my baby sister at Emerald Lake in  1969.    I was young and this was my first camera, and it is not a very clear picture.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Click on this link to see what Emerald Lake looks like today.  It has an amazing Lodge and the water is just as gorgeous as it ever was.

Join everyone over at Jenny's ABC's for all the other E posts.  

More Quilts

The little wall quilt is all done!   The hand sewing on the binding is done.   The label has been attached.   It's been washed and I have shipped it off for the auction (for Orphans Africa) at the end of the month. 

And here are pictures of a few baby quilts I have made for friends in the past.

(I made this quilt, but the photo was taken by my friend R.)

Quilt for baby E.S.

Quilt for baby M.H.

Quilt for baby J.G.

(I made this quilt, but the photo was taken by my friend R.)

Quilt for  baby M. S.

Needlepoint Lovebirds

I'm joining Laurie's Valentine Party with these needlepoint Lovebirds.  I am a beginner needlepointer.  (Is needlepointer a word?  Needlepointist?  One who attempts to needlepoint.)   I recently finished this simple design that I started years ago, a canvas of two little lovebirds sitting in a berry tree and plan to turn it into a pillow soon. I like to think that the two birds symbolize Mr. Garden and me. 

One of my childhood friends is an artist who designs and paints needlepoint canvases for  Jean Smith Designs.  Those of you who needlepoint will recognize this design house.    Two things I associate most with Valentines day are hearts and flowers and so I made a valentine mosaic with some of their amazing and beautiful heart and flower designs.   (Some of the pics are a little fuzzy, but you can get a better look by clicking on the link to their web page.)

I want to try one of their simple canvases next, and maybe someday I will be ready for one of the more intricate designs.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  

D Is For Darling, Daughter, Dresses, Daffodils, Daisies and Dancing

It's Alphabe-Thursday at Jenny Matlock's,  and  today's letter is D.  

Darling daughter hunting for easter eggs in the daffodils, wearing her Easter dress.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Daughter a few years older, in my garden of daisies.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Daughter in a whole field of daisies, a few years later.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Dancing daughter, delighting the crowd at the Irish Festival, in her fancy bright pink dress. (center)

 (this photo was taken by one of the other dance parents.)   

You can join the alphabet fun here.

Dreaming Of Green Leaves And Blossoms

I think just about everyone is ready for winter to be over and for the snow to disappear.   I'm dreaming of green leaves and blossoms bursting with color!

Thank you to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.

February Snow

We are getting the kind of snowfall that everyone wishes for on special days ... like Christmas.   These snowflakes are massive and gorgeous!   Seriously, they are bigger around than a quarter.  Everything has already been coated in white and it's supposed to just keep coming down for several more hours. 

If you enlarge the picture above you can see the huge snowflakes coming down out of the sky.  Those are not droplets on my camera lens.

Both of my college kids were planning to come home this weekend.   I hope they are careful on the roads.
I have just come in from shoveling snow.  It is heavy, wet snow and it's about 8 inches deep on the drive.  What a great work out!  But I probably won't be able to move tomorrow!  LOL!!

Crocheted Hearts

This is my collection of vintage crocheted hearts.  There is a sweetness about these pretty little cushions: the pineapple crochet pattern on the front, the various lacy crocheted edges, and the satin ribbons woven through.  Sometimes these hearts were used as a pin cushion in a sewing box or to hold favorite brooches at a dressing table.   My Mom used small hearts as drawer sachets, scented with rose or lavender.  

I am linking to Vintage Thingie Thursday  and Alphabet-Thursday (C).     Please visit the links to see lots more interesting posts.

Felted Hearts From My Sister

Look what my baby sister  just sent me!  

Valentines!    

Two little felted wool hearts with tiny glass seed beads sewn all around the edges.  

The beads really sparkle in the light.    Aren't they pretty?  

I love them!