house wren studio

peachy

Got a new camera. The LCD is big enough for me to see what I'm shooting without wearing reading glasses. I like it...almost as much as farmers' market peaches and my new thrifted bowls. On the subject of sweet, wonderful and unexpected (didn't know the bowls are Meakin from England), I was nominated by Susan at T-Cozy for a thinking blog award. She wrote some very nice things about me. I keep editing this to get the right words. Enough to say that I am honored to be one of her choices.....and there is more involved beyond a mere thank you. {Thank you, Susan!} I now get to nominate 5 other recipients. But I'll have to, um, think about it. Which I will do. Soon. I have some projects to finish and get out the door. Soon. xoC

love letters

I was visiting over here and was reminded that I had this. Remember this day? How much do we love letters....and baskets....and bowls....and polka dots?  and GIRLS!  xoC

go outside, go see

Just returned from an impromptu evening on a friend's big summery front porch. Citronella candles, creaky wicker chairs, a bottle of wine, neighborhood dogs and cats stopping by to visit us as we 3 girlfriends sorted out the year to come. What we would like to be doing, where we could go, all the big ideas. Before summer disappears, I'm going to get out of the studio and explore the here and now- even if it's in the rain.....must.go.outside.and.see. Almost August- how could that be?

memory game

I'm still chipping away at the studio straightening. I keep running into things that make me want to stop and admire an object or open a paint can or get out another something to add or grab the camera. There is so much in my studio that is just for inspiration. I need to see it- the stuff that makes me remember who I am when I get too scattered and unfocused...creatively, that is. Problem is I like too many things, too many styles, techniques, eras, images and so on. It's a layered, collaged life in here. 

When I was a kid, a very popular birthday party game was the memory tray game. The party mom would show up with this tray full of little things and we gathered to admire it for a few minutes. Then the tray was whisked away. We, the excited guests in our party dresses, wrote down everything we could remember from the tray. The child who had tallied the most items won a prize (that was long ago...we all smartened up on the party prizes issue). Of course, I never won. I was always stuck on one or two objects that I couldn't look away from. So- running across my blue summer collage, I can see that I'm still playing that game. Only now I get to compose the tray full of objects. No prizes needed. Already won them all. Sweet.  xoC

what's in here?

I know this looks all pixelated. Perfect metaphor for life in the studio this week. Can't make anything out. Can't make sense of the place. When I opened this book awhile ago, I was surprised to see what I had done to alter it a few summers back. Last time at the beach, we found vintage books on the street piled up ready for the trash (not cool!) and altered them on a rainy day (lucky find!). One is still my favorite cut-up book. Anyway- I can't find anything in the studio...not even this book or the other. Everything is jumbled around and unorganized and piled here and there. Like a storm tide, it's continuing out of the room into other parts of the house. Whatever work I need to do requires a total sorting of bins and boxes and the scary looking piles. So, I guess that's what I have to do. Off then to surf the stuff- in a life jacket. But I won't be putting piles at the curb for the trash. The church is accepting donations....for the fall sale. (Can't wait!) xoC

 

   

T is for

This foofala celebration is the well-planned work of a most amazing friend! Party hats from all over the globe are arriving on her doorstep today. Don't judge the effort by mine- a scrap-shabby construction pulled together at the beach where glittering supplies were scarce (no rhinestones? how about a beer cap star?).... The shells are pretty though (Teresa, pull them off when you pitch it. You'll think of something very cool to do with them)....and the thought is there. It was great fun to make and to be part of this whimsical, top-secret gala. Check out the rest on the new link here and on blogs today. O my! Party hats and crowns fit for a queen! Which she surely is, but today she is the birthday princess too. Happy Birthday, Teresa! xoC

sunny days

Everyone hopes for sunny days at the beach. I actually don't even go to the beach itself that much. Walks to town, crafts on the deck, a newspaper to linger over, coffee pot then lemonade pitcher, books on the lounge. Suppose I could be in a field in the midwest- which was my beach growing up, but the sound of the ocean, the pace of life makes the beach so appealing. Everyone is always happy there. Doing nothing at all, just enjoying the sun and the freedom to be lazy.

When the kids are there, I do drag a chair into the sand where I sit entirely under our ancient rusty umbrella, the big watermelon slice now our personal family marker. Can't even concentrate on a book for long. Flipping through magazines, group crossword puzzling, people watching, shell collecting, talking, sea-gazing, rearranging that sliver of shade. And loving the busy-ness and giggles of children running in and out of the water- outwitting the tide.

Everyone is happy at the beach when the sun is shining. xoC

ferry wonderland

The ferry from Bay Shore to Kismet is about a 20 minute ride. But ask anyone on board and they'll tell you that it feels like time travel to another planet. The rumbling ride across the Great South Bay is dramatic on the top deck where the world as it was spins away as fast as the wind can carry it. Stepping off the ferry onto Fire Island is one of life's startling pleasures, particularly if it is to the excited, waving arms of a greeter- or two. That's what we think anyway.

 

Virtually without cars, the island is laced with boardwalks and sandy paths. Everything that has to be moved is by wagon, bike or beachbag. But the space between the bay and the ocean on the other side of the barrier island is only about 3 blocks. Not too much to manage. ( That's the Betta there...finally happy in the bay. The captain is happier too.)

But if you get thirsty, there are refreshments along the way...

to a rental cottage with a clever name like Make It So, Beachnut, the Lawn House, Chance, the Sanctuary or my favorite o-wish-it-were-mine, Shells. Luckily, we picked one with a cross-breeze, a deck and some charm. (Okay, yes, and some decent mattresses, seating and kitchen equipment.)

And then we just head a few more steps to the dunes and the beach.

No shoes needed at all now. For anything. For a few weeks. Amazing, right? Forgot to mention that this is all an hour or so from home. Once a year. Amazing, indeed. xoC

found my shoes

Re-entry is always hard after vacation, isn't it? Please can I have a few more days of lying around, reading, laughing, talking, wandering, eating, sipping lemonade? Those daily tasks that are lost to leisure seem mighty hard to take up again. I love doing laundry on vacation, why not here? What I do want to do is edit 526 vacation photos, blog all the details, catch up on everyone else's blogs, get to work on all the art and craft I imagined and sketched while staring at the sea....and more than anything- have my kids back here next to me. I did put my shoes on though. That's a start.

Food, laundry, mail sort, emails, details are standing at the door. But all the sweet memories of our wonderful 2 weeks by the sea are still twirling around the atmosphere. Mo and I are making a scrapbook for my mom. She dropped in for the second week and was over-the-top blissed by the joy of family, the sea, the big adventure. Who wouldn't be? It was so much fun, I don't know where to start. Hey, I said I got my shoes on...I'll get my blog groove on too. BRB...xoC 

back to shore

 

Made it safely back, to land, to home. A perfectly wonderful time away and now so much to catch up on. Tomorrow. xoC