house wren studio

travel brochure

Galway City, meringues in a bakery.

A number of people have asked me where are the pictures from Ireland? They expected to see more than sheep and manhole covers. But that's what I like to take pictures of. (And horses too.) I'm working on one of those online photo-books which has made me realize that there are far too many images to choose from. Here are a few.

In another life, Andy could have been a king with a castle or at least a duke or something. He was right at home here- as we expected. This is also where I found all the daffodil shots posted earlier. (Kilkenny, Butler Castle)

Blarney Castle

The seaside village of Kinsale. Sunshine then showers, then a gale.

More-so-than-ever-windy cliffs of Moher.

Bog and peat trench near Roundstone.

Outside of Clifden at Kylemore Abbey.

Dublin, 2 days of steady rain, indoor attractions.

Guinness storehouse- complimentary glass at the end of the tour. Possibly her highlight moment. Notice the cladagh ring, purchased on a NY street many years ago. Our Irish princess.

My highlight moment (Ashford Castle, Cong).

Already seems like so long ago. For more armchair adventures, stop by to see Silver Bella pal, Pam, just back from teaching in Paris where she and Amy met up with Kim and friends. Remember when we all went to CHA/LA back in February? Updates on that promised creative sharing project coming along very soon. We've been hard at work, almost ready. Really, soon! xoC

related

Isn't it amazing what is inside a camera after a week away, 973 images suddenly fullblown on the screen like a drive-in movie? It feels as if I'm off on a whole new visit there. I had no idea that so many images were related in ways I would just discover now. Does everyone think that kegs on the street and marble carvings are connected somehow....or is that only me?

It was a sweetly relaxed and sunny Easter here. Maggie, Andy, our friend Jane and I stayed on at the table laughing and telling travel tales. Maggie and James recently returned from a vacation to Austin, San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country. Maggie's stories were perfect counterpoints to ours- hilarious encounters with cowboys and critters. And it even looks like we are unwittingly drawn to similar sights, mine in Ireland (above) and hers in Texas (below). Although it is pretty amusing that the kegs would appear in my collage because I have never liked the taste of beer. Maggie, on the other hand,  ......

well, I must say, she has a well-trained eye for detail.

That's my girl! xoC

the races

Our first day there we headed straight from Dublin airport down to Kilkenny...you know, 6 am, jetlagged, what else would you do but rent a car and drive off into the misty dawn- on the wrong side of the road? Andy had the entire day mapped out and have to say he did a perfect job not only with itinerary and events, but also behind the wheel. I'd forgotten that he took a Mario Andretti road course somewhere once and he was all set up for this. The Irish roads are terrifyingly thin and the speeds are insanely fast. (The racetrack was a fitting place to begin our adventurous week.)

Me? I took the back seat counting crows and sheep out the window and Mo rode shotgun. FYI- a GPS is essential...worth every euro even when she ditches you on a bog cliff road in the middle of scenic nowhere. Eventually she gets you back on the route after a bit of sidetracking. We became very accustomed to her curt though calm British voice announcing, "Recalculating." We learned to love Roundabouts.

Wish I'd known that this would be the only sunny day for the next 6. It was blustery, as they say, and dramatic and very exciting at the racetrack way out in the countryside. Gowran Park, Kilkenny.

The betting stations were perplexing and intimidating. I finally figured out that these big carpetbags were "purses" - the betting cash goes in there and the winner gets the "purse". The contents anyway.

We put our money on The Pride of the Yankees. Naturally- he sports a number 1 on his saddle blanket.

These horses don't just run around a track and call it a day. They have to jump over hedge fences- about 6 times!

Our horse came in last. He looks kind of bummed I think.

We didn't see the inside of any purses.

Watched the scene, felt the track buzz, enjoyed the local color, froze my hands in the wind, but it was very thrilling. Something about horses- always does that to me. Cooler than rock stars.

As we headed to the car, a smiling man asked Andy if Mo was his daughter. Yes, she is. Is she a princess? Yes, of course. An Outlaw Princess? Sure. Okay then, I'm placing a bet on that horse next race. Um, you know our girl's a winner, but our horse just came in last, so I wouldn't go betting the ranch on it. Oh. Well then, thanks.

And I have no idea how Outlaw Princess did in the next race. With a name like that, she sure had a lot to live up to. I bet she ran as fast as she could. Good enough for me.

green day

Butler House Garden, Kilkenny

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the studio desktop again. Home at last from a true adventure and trip of a lifetime with Andy and Mo as we criss-crossed the greening countryside of Ireland. Not sure how to put it all together, the images and miles still a little jumbled in my head, popping up like spectacular calendar pages here and there.
I do know that the Irish and all their excited visitors are celebrating today, and that I am too- though a bit more quietly with a mug of coffee, the parade playing in the background. Right about this time yesterday, I was in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin standing beside the tomb of Jonathan Swift, listening to the choir practice before services. Amazing.

Home, home, refreshed, inspired, and feeling very lucky for so many things- mostly those right here inside our own little green nest.  xoC

postcard :: 4

Chinatown in San Francisco. Realizing that I've managed to visit the Chinatown neighborhoods in NY, Chicago, SF and LA.

postcard :: 1

Island beach off the coast of Cartagena, Columbia
Dominoes and conversation under the tree on a salvaged table.

away again

We are taking a spring break trip to Ireland with Mo. It's a birthday plus Christmas present (suggested by her sweet sisters who are unfortunately, busy at their desks). The gift card came with a little PS attached: you have to take your mom and dad because they've never been. Andy has worked for weeks to create an itinerary that promises to be an incredible adventure, so we are all excited...though if you have spoken to me, you know I'm a bit anxious about the logistics (getting Mo here first, flying, driving on the wrong side of the road), but surely it will all be fine- and way beyond wonderful!

I'm wishing I had a laptop to send all the sights back to you, but since I don't, I set auto-posts with some of those forgotten favorites I never got around to. Postcards from the past, sidetrips here and there.

Enjoy your own adventures, my friends, and borrowing a bit more of that famous luck, I'll be back soon with a camera and journal full of amazing tales.  xoC

pieces of heart :: 4

Driftwood found here last summer. The mesh tote bag is from our honeymoon in Merida, 1974. Weathered, though sturdy stuff.

I'm off to CHA and LA for a bit. Looking forward to seeing old and new friends and getting an idea of where the crafts industry is heading. Posting more of this series through the week- there are lots of these sentimental hearts. It's been fun to look around here and find different pieces to share- and I love hearing that you are looking around now too. Have a super sunny February week of valentines wherever you are.

xoC....from the other beach. In California.

just kitting

You know that feeling of coming home from an amazing getaway and being so "away" that you forgot where you came from. A fleeting moment when you are wondering where is it that you live, the green house or the pink one, what does that old life look like? The spell breaks when you walk in the door....oooooooooo, it's here, this house, that stack of mail, that message blinking, this is YOURS, not that. And then it's all there, clear as can be.

My reality this week is making the kits for Silver Bella. I can't wait to be there- to share the projects, the kits and have the fun of teaching the workshops, but omigoodness, so many of them, so many parts and pieces, so much work! This is why I need at least 6 more children- so they can each have a job here on the assembly line. And then I give them/they give me big huggy kiddley kisses when the job's done and we get to go out and play again. O, come on- REALITY is more like they tiptoe out when I flop on the glittered couch and take a nap. Quit kidding, start kitting. Dream over, back to work.   xoC

beachy

 

Today was one of those glorious summer days that has everything right about it - the temperature, the color of the sky, the quiet of August and it even stopped by on a Sunday. A good day for the beach. I ran across envelopes of snapshots and a last lingering look at the just-over vacation days we spent on Fire Island. Pictures of my nieces with their giant rainbow bubbles drifting out across the bay went into the scrapbook Mo and I made for my mom. There are a few more too.

Kat's crafty shell placecards for dinner on the deck....

our painted driftwood signs for everything we could think of....

Erin and John Paul

James and Maggie

Momo

My mom. On a boat, no less! How grateful I am that Grammy Charlotte enjoyed herself so much at the beach and shared part of this vacation with us. The scrapbook made its way across the country to her midwestern mailbox and of course, she loved it. By now I think she has shown it all around her building and well beyond. Definitely can't blame her for that. After all, she doesn't have a blog. xoC