Have you noticed anything new on this page? Scroll down a bit… do you see that on the left? That’s right, the link to my new etsy shop! You know the promised revealing of the sewing/photography project I was working on, well it was actually setting up my etsy shop. I couldn’t wait to announce it any longer (impatient, why yes I am)!

I actually have several more photographs to add to the shop, but I have to wait to get the prints from the printers. So go ahead and take a look and tell me what you think (or order something:) Oh and I will announce when I get the other prints added to the shop!

I cannot believe the response we have had to the sew along (and it hasn’t even started yet). I am definitely thinking about the first skirt I am going to work on starting monday! It will be exciting to see what everyone else comes up with:)

Oh and thanks to everyone who responded to the dslr camera dilemma! It is good to know that other people are happy with their Canon cameras. I am definitely leaning towards the canon, although it is such a huge decision (or at least it feels like it) that I am probably going to feel indecisive until I purchase one or the other:)

M

Yesterday was a gorgeous day outside, so Ben and I decided to spend it outside at a nearby park. On our drive out to the park I had to take this picture…

One of these days, I am going to take a drive through the countryside and just stop and take pictures whenever I see something I like.

The park we visited actually used to be someone’s private estate, so the grounds are full of lovely gardens and there is also an old mansion overlooking a pond/small lake. (I suppose what you would classify the body of water as probably depends on where you grew up. Around here I think people would call it a lake, but I don’t consider anything smaller than one of the great lakes a real lake.) There are also acres of woods with hiking trails, a river winding throughout the woods along the trails, and little gardens hidden in out of the way places.

We took a picnic lunch with us and ate lunch overlooking the pond and old mansion (which is a retreat center nowadays and while you can walk right up to it, you are unfortunately not allowed inside). After lunch we took a walk through some of the gardens on our way to the hiking trails. I almost got stung trying to take this picture:)

Wildflowers growing in bunches throughout the park…

Shadows in the 2-story gazebo (not sure if this is really the right term for it)…

After walking through some of the gardens, we took about a 4mile hike through the woods. We followed the trails that lead along the river, and got to see some birds enjoying the sun and water. There was also a really neat scenic overview with a bench that these steps lead up to…

After we left the park, we stopped in the small town that is near the park for another short walk (and ice cream, which we didn’t get because apparently small towns only take cash:) This house was along our walk and I thought the little round tower on the side of it was interesting…

All in all it was a good way to spend a nice spring day!

So after blogging every single weekday last week for color day, I go and blog only once this week (okay twice if you count this entry). I think I need another color week:)

I got this in the mail on Thursday…

I actually won it, which is pretty amazing since I never win anything! :) Kristin from Sew, Mama, Sew! has a free fabric friday on her blog, and I entered a few fridays ago and won:) I love the colors (which were a surprise, I knew what fabric I had won but not in what colorway), now I just have to decide what I am going to make with it. Thanks Kristin!!

Speaking of sewing, I have gotten some sewing in this week but it is going to be a surprise. Hopefully sometime next week I will have it all finished so I can show everyone… can you wait?

Now, just because I can and also because I haven’t taken any photos this week other than the photo above….

I read some blogs where the women have gratitude friday where they list the things they are grateful for that week, which is a pretty cool idea so I decided to do a mini gratitude friday today…

I am grateful for cats:)

My two little kittens, Pounce and Axel. (Picture is from about a year ago I believe.)

I am grateful for all the little things they add to our life, they remind us to always enjoy life, eat like there is no tomorrow, and take the time to relax with the ones you love. (Apparently they also declared today cuddle day, each spent at least an hour cuddling with me today insisting I not get anything done:)

I am also grateful for my other kitten, Patch. (Pictures are both from about 2 years ago I believe.)

She actually lives with my parents, but she was my kitty growing up and I still think of her as mine. The girl has attitude (she is a calico, so what do you expect), but when she picks you as her human she means it for life (even if you happen to get other kitties, who she has to pretend to be indifferent about).

So that is what I am thankful for this friday!

Hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend! The weather is supposed to be nice out tomorrow, so Ben & I are planning on getting outside to enjoy it (and hopefully I will make up for the lack of taking pictures all week)!

Look what I got in the mail on Saturday…

Cards from the card swap I participated in! If you want to see more of what others made you can click here. I may just have to look at the cards that I got, since I am not sure I actually want to use these as notecards (that would mean I would actually have to give them away to someone, and I don’t think most people would find it polite if I wrote a note in pencil and then requested the card back after I gave it to them…. although my sister and I use to write in pencil on the cards we gave each other so that we could recycle the cards if we wanted to, but then again I guess we are a tad on the strange side:)

My organized sewing cupboard…

This makes my fabric stash look so much better (and a lot less like I am hoarding fabric). Isn’t it amazing how when things are organized it tends to feel like you have more room and space. Hmm, maybe I should apply that principle to my shoes:)

I can’t believe this is the last day of color week! I have actually had quite a bit of fun each day finding the color for the day and photographing it. It definitely makes you think a little more creatively!

The red bridge at the botanical gardens & forest preserve, we visited today when Ben got home from work.

Me standing on the red bridge:) (Notice I am wearing two sweaters & a jacket! Silly weather, warm up already won’t you!)

We took a little path through the woods of the forest preserve alongside this river. Along our walk we saw a total of 12 deer! We actually saw 6 deer at a time each time we saw them, so it may have been the same herd of deer that we saw twice… Still very cool though as that was only my 2nd time ever seeing deer up that close. (Well at least live deer not been held in some sort of petting zoo.)

We also saw this very cool covered bridge. For some reason it reminds me of Anne of Green Gables… (Is there a covered bridge in that story at all? Hmm, maybe I will have to read some of those books again.)

Close up of the covered bridge from the walkway.

Hope everyone has an excellent weekend! On the agenda for my weekend, hang out with Ben and the cats, go to ballet, and maybe get a little sewing in.

A yellow house on my walk… the only yellow thing on my whole entire walk (well besides the Schwan’s truck, which I would have loved a picture of but it was driving by too fast).

Pounce playing with one of his yellow cat toys… I took a look around our house for yellow things, and the only yellow stuff we own is all cat stuff - a yellow and black scratching post, a yellow cat dish, yellow cat toys:)

Today I finished organizing my sewing cupboard, after several days of spending a little time each day organizing and only cutting myself with the rotary cutter once:)

My pink polka dot umbrella. It was rainy outside today, and this is probably the only pink thing I own so that worked pretty well:) I like having a fun umbrella and cute rain boots for icky weather, it really does help to brighten your day when it is all cloudy and rainy outside!

My green-eyed Axel (staring at the birds outside)

My green-eyed Pounce (who was very curious about the camera)

Green straws - coffee today with my friends Jes, Ashley, & Dorothy (I had black tea lemonade - yummy)

I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do for pink tomorrow! I am not exactly a pink kinda girl…. (Although, strangely enough I do think it would be fun to dye my hair pink:)

I am joining along on color week. Hopefully the weather will get a little bit nicer soon! All these cloudy skies are terrible for picture taking and walks.

Pounce assisting me in organizing my fabric cupboard. (I know there is only just a little turquoise in the picture, but he really was helping by sitting on all the fabric.)