We're Having a Wedding

We are having a wedding. And what a wedding it shall be. Colorful...unusual...a day to remember for sure.

The groom is a dear friend. He and my husband go back to college days. He is fondly known by many who attended our wedding as "The Drunk". In his defense, he had traveled a total of 24 hours to get to our wedding. He was studying in Israel and was terribly jet lagged. To our two sons, he is their crazy uncle. To him, we are family. Every 4th of July he is here to celebrate at the farm and is a friendly face at the table at Thanksgiving.
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The bride is new to the family. We first met her during the trek here for the 4th of July. Our friend called to say he wanted to bring someone home to meet the family. We knew this was big since he had never brought someone with him before. We loved her the minute we met her and warned our friend that he better not screw this up. He popped the question when they were here for Thanksgiving. It was then that he asked if he could have the wedding here.

The wedding is going to be unique. Held in a clearing on our property that overlooks the river. It will be during July 4th weekend which seems only right. The ceremony is being conducted by our eldest son who happens to be an online minister. He and several friends did it as a joke last summer. The bride and groom thought he would do a wonderful job since he is a literary geek. Doing some checking, they learned that if he submitted some paperwork to the state, he could legally do the ceremony. So papers have been filled and the kid can now legally do weddings, funerals and baptisms. He laughed that the perfect thing to add to the ceremony is the quote from the movie "The Princess Bride" - "Mawwage. Mawwage is what bwings us together today. Wove, twue wove...So tweasure your woves forever". He'll probably sneak it in during the rehearsal knowing him.

The bride will be wearing a traditional dress while the groom and groomsmen are in kilts. Kilts? Why, I don't know. The groom is Jewish but did attend a college known as the Fighting Scots. My husband is a groomsmen so he's surfing the internet looking for a kilt. The image of him in a kilt is hard to wrap my head around. I laugh that we both have to find skirts for the day.

The youngest son will be handling the music. He is already trying to figure out what he'll play.

And me. I will be spending the next few months making sure the property and gardens are ready for their big day. And probably trying to figure out how not to laugh out loud when I spot hubby in his kilt or listening to eldest play a key role in bringing two people together for the rest of their lives. Yep,it is going to be some day.

Always a Critic

Living with nothing but males, poses problems at times. It is hard to get a true critique of a project I am working on. Most times, they answer with "It's fine." Fine? Fine to me means it is okay - not bad, not good. Not quite what I am striving for. And for the record, another one of their phrases that drives me crazy - "It wasn't bad" - when describing food. Do you really want to eat something described as "wasn't bad"? If it was good, it would have be stated as such. I digress....

The other day, I was working on a new necklace design. I was tickled with how it had turned out. I showed it to my husband and youngest son. My husband said, "It's fine" and my youngest, looked at it for a bit and then commented, "I can see an elderly person wearing that". What?????? I asked for a clarification on his statement and he said "You know, someone around 55." So apparently I am going to be elderly in a few years. Fine.

I chuckled about the comments on the necklace all evening. Shared the story with my Cleveland Handmade friends so they could have a laugh, too. Youngest even inquired if I had shared his comments with my "artsy" friends. He knows me too well.

Yesterday, a young woman came by the house to pick up a necklace I had made for her wedding. She spotted the "geriatric" necklace and asked if she could try it on. She put it on and decided she had to have it. It did look stunning on her. As she walked out the door, she walked past the youngest. He spotted the necklace and just rolled his eyes. I smiled at him and inside, I screamed YES!

It is indeed the little things in life.

Please note - the picture shown is not the "geriatric" necklace. I had not taken a picture of it yet. This necklace fits my Spring Fever mood today.

Inspiration Series - Part 19

One of the wonderful things about running my own business is the people I encounter along the way. Since my business is online, my dealings tend to be the same way but I still feel like there is a relationship. I have gotten to know certain things about my customers. One of my customers that I have been lucky to know shares my love of baseball. During the World Series, we would check in with each other. She was lucky. Her team was playing in it. (Takes a long sigh and thinks some day......) When I hear of weather issues in her part of the country, I wonder how she is. Other customers include you in special events. This past year, I was very lucky to design jewelry for quite a few brides. Their joy and excitement is contagious, and it is a wonderful feeling to think you have made something for their special day.

Today's artist, Marilee Jones, is another one of those people I have been lucky to encounter. She bought a bracelet from me and wrote an incredible note telling me how happy she was with it. The note gets looked at from time to time when I need a boost. Another note from her is tacked up on my inspiration wall. It is a photo of a barn. Having my own barn, I have a thing for barns. I learned she took the photo. We "chatted" back and forth about her love of photography and she mentioned she was going to open up a shop to sell her work. I thought Marilee would be perfect to include in my inspiration series. So I asked her the question -
"What Inspires You?"

1. Color
My earliest memories of creative inspiration start with a box of 64 Crayola Crayons and a fresh pad of thick, white drawing paper. The possibilities were endless; the day's result limited only by my imagination. From even before I started kindergarten, I loved color (the brighter, the better) for all its beauty and potential. I've always been sensitive to even subtle differences between shades, and have derived great pleasure from the utter rainbow around us every day. Sometimes the best color combinations I might see in a day bolt by too quickly before I can adequately appreciate them.

2. Shapes
When I come upon a scene with potential, I try to find the most interesting intersection of shapes I can, which is usually found by looking anywhere but eye-level. Sometimes a tangle of branches will catch my eye; other times, I look for a more wide open scene.

3. Imagining The Vantage Point of Iconic Artists
My interest in art of almost all varieties has been lifelong. (After taking art classes all through school, I finished a fine arts minor in college). Sometimes, if a scene I'd like to photograph reminds me of an iconic artist, I'll imagine things such as: "If Georgia O'Keefe were to photograph this poppy, what would her finished image look like?" Or,"How would a Jackson Pollock painting of these tangled branches reveal itself?" This artistic "vocabulary" keeps expanding my creative horizons, as if I am not always looking at a scene using my own eye.

4. Vermont's Unique Beauty
Although I was not born in Vermont, coming to live here at age three quickly affected my very spirit. It's hard to separate out whether it's the quality of life, incredible physical surroundings, historic buildings, rustic barns, the almost euphoric feeling of spring's arrival after another harsh winter, or the deep childhood attachments to people and places that contribute most to Vermont's undeniable influence on my creative and photo choices. Every time I've ever moved away, I've come back. There's something here I've never found anywhere else.

5. Great Design
Beautiful lines (in just about anything)always inspire me. I love my mother's antique Shaker furniture, or a Vermont round barn for its practical simplicity, for example, but also enjoy jewelry and clothing that mash up traditional with a bit funky and rock and roll. Traditional or modern, I see almost everything as a series of lines and shapes. I enjoy the pure graphics of a scene as much as something that looks like it came out of Vermont Life Magazine. What actually ends up being photographed depends on the day, my outlook, and what I'm trying to express.

6. Friends, Family, Animals, Nature,and People Watching in General
Other people, animals, and nature bring me such great joy. I am almost constantly inspired by those with whom I interact each day. I might see a sunflower Jennifer would love, or an autumn leaf seemingly made for JoAnn, or a shade of blue perfect for Annie. Even strangers on the street can inspire an idea!

To me, inspiration requires only an open mind and keen observation. Inspiration can come from any number of potential sources at any time. Isn't that the true beauty of it all?

I chuckled when I read Marilee's comment about the crayon box. That, too, has been a great inspiration for me. My mother always said to make sure my life had lots of people who appreciated the box of 64 crayons. I understand what she meant.

Thanks so much for sharing Marilee! You can find Marilee's wonderful photographs at www.etsy.com/shop/marileecjones

2011

I love a new year. There are 365 days full of potential. That is such an inspiring thought but of course, it probably will not all be productive or for that matter good. But a girl can dream.

Dream is what I do best in January. I am forced inside because of the winter weather so I gaze out the windows and dream. Dream about what the gardens will look like in spring and new gardens and flowers to plant. I also dream up ideas of structures that my husband and sons can build for the gardens.

The last few days, I have been gazing out at our barn. I love the look of it in winter. In the summer, there are flowers that draw your attention first. In winter, the old girl (raised in 1817) stands regally on her own, behind the house. She serves as the clubhouse for my sons and their friends. When the college students return for breaks, the barn is the first place they visit.

The barn will be getting some much needed sprucing this spring. She will serve as the back-up location for a friend's wedding. If the sun is shining, they will be married by the gardens but me being me, and always wanting to prepare for something to go wrong (with the idea that if I am prepared, it won't), the barn will be ready to stand in.

As I look at the barn, I can't help but think about what will happen after the kids have all scattered. I have been dreaming that a studio might be nice......

The picture of the barn's windows was taken by a dear friend of ours, Geoff Baker. You can view Geoff's wonderful photographs at http://www.bakerfineartphoto.com/Baker_Fine_Art_Photo/Home.html

Mother Nature Gets Creative

We are constantly surrounded by amazing pieces of art work that we barely notice. Have you ever looked at a spider's web in the morning with dew glistening from it? Or how about icicles? Right now, there are some stunning looking icicles hanging by my window. They look like glass. Nature is filled with wonderful artisans.

Earlier this week, Mother Nature did a reinterpretation of a sand castle. Her material this time - ice. The lighthouse is located in Cleveland at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. I think it is magnificent.

Rounding Third and Headed Home

Cleveland lost a sports icon. His name was Bob Feller. By most accounts, Bob was one of the best right hand pitchers to ever play the game. The only pitcher to ever pitch a no hitter on an opening day. Bob had three no hitters in his career. What astounds the baseball nerd in me - he pitched twelve one hit games. To have the mental where with all to not get rattled after giving up a hit, is quite the feat.

Bob's career was interrupted by World War II, and when he returned to the Cleveland Indians (the only team he ever played for), he was part of the last team to win the World Series for Cleveland in 1948. After he quit playing, he became one of the Tribe's biggest cheerleaders. He was a familiar face at spring training and games. He threw out the first pitch during the 1997 World Series at the age of 79. It was a strike.

A lot has been said about Bob today. The one phrase said over and over - a gentleman. In light of the recent uproar over a certain someone rebuking Cleveland and moving south, it is refreshing to hear of an athlete called a gentleman.

Bob's statue will stand guard at the entrance of Progressive Field and remind people at one time, they had one of the best in the game playing for them and oh yes, he was a gentleman, too.

The Tree

I think it goes back to when I was a kid. My mother got this crazy idea that a little tree would be perfect for Christmas. She wanted to set it on a table in the front window. She thought it would look pretty from the street. I hated that tree. I did not fit my idea of the perfect tree. From that point on, there were rules as to what was the perfect tree.

Rule #1 - The tree has to be taller than me. I'm 5'7" and was the shortest person in my family so I was adamant about that rule. The rule holds true today. What helps with this rule, our old house has high ceilings so the tree has to be really tall to look good.

Rule #2 - It has to be real. Sorry, but hauling an artificial tree out and having it up in seconds isn't putting up the tree. You have to go to a tree farm on a blustery day and spend a great deal of time looking for "the one". There is also much whining from my loved ones while I take my time looking. This adds to the ambiance of the excursion.

Once we get the tree home, it is decorated with ornaments that are filled with memories. There are items my mother made, prisms from my great-grandmother's chandelier, ornaments my sons made in elementary school and the year balls. Every year, I take a ball and write down the year and things that occurred during it. It is a great way to remember memorable family events. It is a big deal each year to read aloud the items on the balls. There are also ornaments that I made and ones we received as gifts. My sons fight over one particular ornament. I'm fond of saying "When pigs fly" so of course, we have a flying pig ornament. It is a fight to see who can find that ornament and hang it from the tree. I love that my tree isn't a theme tree. It is filled with memories and love. The best kind of tree in my book.