Better or Worse?

Never make a designer use a template... BUT I don't know html, so I'm stuck with what they give me. So... do you like this one or the previous layout for my blog??? I want to design my own. Maybe I will learn in the future...

OH, a real room with a view!

This is a view of Copenhagen, from a window in Denmark's best hotel, Hotel D'Angleterre. I copied it from Hygge House's blog. You would never know that I love color! But I do love black and white... which is why I love simple line drawings done in ink. That, and printmaking. I love the grays in lithographs and intaglio prints. This photograph needs to become a drawing, I think. At least in my head for now.

Winter time is here, snowflakes in the air...

Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang would be pulling out our cardboard moving boxes right now and scooting down the hills...

View from the front door... you can see the "Bowl" that the kids love sledding in!

Below is the back hill. Now imagine a red fox running up it. That was our bit of excitement yesterday afternoon. Craig took the kids to meet the Sumoski's on the back hill of the school field to sled, while we got several more inches of snow. While all the public school kids had a two hour delay from school this morning, Caroline, Nathaniel and I jumped in the van early and made our way north to the stables. The snow was only little flittering flakes and the Corgis happily greeted us on our arrival. I will miss these exciting mornings next fall...

Room with a View

This is what I see the first thing in the morning, from my shower... the sun rises here in the East and I can't imagine a more beautiful view...

"37 years ago, a witch dun' put a spell on me- A spell where when I'm talkin, I'm singin' it with glee!..."

My favorite guy turned 37 last Friday!! Isn't he cute?! We managed to celebrate despite being in moving chaos and I even baked him a cake...chocolate of course! And then I made it look like a giant Pennsylvania Dutch Whoopie Pie..mmmmm! I can tell this is going to be a good year!
("Be Prepared, Be Prepared...this lesson must be shared...")

In traditional Middleton/Stiebing style, a photo of the blowing out of the candles...

("And unless you've got a spare, you've got one life so handle it with care...")

My two other cuties, helping Daddy celebrate! We wrapped up a picture of his present and he'll get that in the mail next week (better late than never!). (Song lyrics from "Be Prepared" of Hoodwinked, sung by that old yodeling mountain goat)
I think Spring is just around the corner!!!

Tree House

We are getting ready to move into what was Brad and Jaynie's house and now our new house (they are settling in fine in Connecticut!), which I think I will call the "tree house" because you can see trees from every window! I absolutely love the woods... it's one of the things I miss most about living in Cincinnati. Of course the painting above is by Gustav Klimt but that is what I think of when I look out at our new backyard.

I probably won't post anything until after the move, as I should probably be packing. And I am not going to get my valentine project done. But I did want to tell you that Anna Maria posted her own design for valentines on her blog which are based on her fabric designs. They are free to download and print, if you are like me with hardly any time but a lot of love for your sweeties!

Look to the right at my inspiring links list and click on "anna maria horner".

Happy St. Valentine's Day!!!!

xoxoxoxo Beth

Frederick the Bird

My knitted bird is finished! Because I made it for Nathaniel, he named it Frederick and took it! The pattern is from Lucinda Guy's book Handknits for Kids. (The dog was also) Nathaniel says this bird likes ice cream with blueberries on top. I might try to squeeze out one more thing before our move...and Valentine's Day-- a heart garland of red felt hearts. We'll see!

Happy Thursday tomorrow!

xoxo Beth

Talented friends

I just received this photo in my in box today :) Becky VanDeren sent me a picture of her cross-stitch sampler that she made as a present. I love samplers and I love the interesting frame she chose for this! Thanks Becky for sharing your art!!!

Inspiration from Barcelona

These beautiful mosaic patterns are from another blog called http://chocolateachuva.blogspot.com/ by Tania Ho.

Countdown to moving: 10 days

Boxes packed: 0 (unless I do that next)

Stress level: 4

Relax, people... I am a pro by now!!!

Snow Walk

Winter finally came!

We put on our snow boots and coats and took our first snow walk (though it was less than an inch deep). The sun came out but the wind was bitter against our faces. It just isn't winter without breathing in the frosty crisp air. C & N found their favorite tree site and climbed them just for good measure...

Saturdays are great family together days.

****

"Don't try to be like someone else,

because it is too difficult...

and you won't be any good at it anyways!

Be Yourself!" ~ me

.....

I was thinking about this yesterday and realized I have wasted a lot of my life wishing to be like the people I admired, instead of trying to be me. There is no way to be successful at my own work if I'm not truly seeking to do my own work. This seems too simple but really, you start to pay attention to everything that everyone else expects from you and you realize that a lot of it isn't what you want in the first place. One great lesson that the 40's have brought, is the permission I have finally given myself to do my own thing. Freedom from pleasing and freedom from anyone else's expectations, basically. I used to belong to churches that were constantly telling me who I should be or trying to pose control over other's thoughts about themselves; or work for people that never put trust in my judgements though they didn't really have any skill in that area; or trying to please a professor who wanted you to be like someone else....very, very tiring. I am in a place where who I am is just that, and trying to be successful at being me is my vocation. I know my parents tried to instill that in me and I finally caught on! I hope my children learn this lesson sooner than I have...though it is a lesson some people unfortunately never learn. As Fred Rogers always told me, "I like you just the way you are!" ... I like you just the way you are!!! xoxo~ Beth

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Knitting notes...

I also got more done last evening on the silly bird: the two sides to the beak and one side of the tail. Those were both more difficult patterns to follow but they turned out very nicely.
Only one side of the tail and the wings to go!!!

Lastly, a very HaPpY BiRtHdaY to

Miss Olivia Martin today!!!!!!!

New Links

This week has been completely crazy busy, so what do I do?? I squeeze a few more moments out to spend on what I want to do! I found some more fun links to peruse. (See the list on the right) There is also a new magazine out called "Craft" which has it's second issue on the newstand right now. The projects tend to be more fine art/craft than grandmotherly. For instance, there is an article about linoprints which I did in college and you might have been lucky enough to get on a Christmas card a decade ago. The copies of Craft don't last long, so get them when you see them...or get a subscription. This is the sister mag to "Make" magazine which has an engineering slant to it. (See "Craft" link at right under instructional links...it does have online instruction)

I have been slowly knitting Nathaniel's bird (late at night) and have successfully finished the two sides and the underbody. I just have the wings, beak and tail left (and the eyes that are supposed to be crocheted but I don't know how...yet.) I am looking forward to making something more useful next.

The best news of the week is that I have a new friend: Mary Kay. She will be my new neighbor and she loves to paint and to quilt and sew! She said she would teach Caroline and I how to sew, so I am hoping to sew curtains for the new house. She is absolutely nice.

The new picture is of me in 3rd grade. Look closely and you'll see someone else (starts with "C" and possibly also "N")!!! I think this is the most fashionable I ever felt: blue and white fur on a white jacket...whew. And I was enjoying my celebrity as the best drawer in my class :))

I'm hoping to do my felt valentines soon too...so stay posted.
Happy Groundhog Day tomorrow!
~Beth