Robin's Nest Treasures

Free Halloween Avatars

2011-09-24T02:31:00.000-04:00

I have been preparing some blog posts for you with free vintage and other Halloween images, and in the process, I discovered a great site that has loads of free avatars for every occasion. I downloaded so many Halloween ones that I decided to make a separate Halloween avatar post. The site is:
http://cartoonavatars.blogspot.com/search/label/Halloween

Here are some of my favorites!

Gotta love Garfield

No holiday would be complete without the Peanuts.

Reminds me of Geoff on the Craig Ferguson Show!

Some very unusual vintage Halloween Postcards coming soon!
Get Crafting!
Be Well and Happy!

Robin

Nurses' Verses -- A Tribute To Nurses Through Their Poetry

2011-09-13T01:04:00.001-04:00

I have alluded to the fact that I have some serious chronic health problems, and along with them go some substantial amount of time in or at the hospital. Both last week and today I spent a good part of a day with the nurses of I.V. Team at the hospital where I receive most of my medical care. I have a port-a-cath in my chest for I.V. access, and they have been diligently (if not a bit frantically) trying to dissolve a blot clot that had formed in and/or around the port. I am incredibly happy to report that after today's administration of clot-busting drugs, we were successful, and all is well. I have known these wonderful women for about ten years, and they never cease to amaze and impress me with the kind, compassionate, professional, and gracious way they do their jobs under the weight of great pressure and responsibility. I wish that I could name every one of them and show you their photos, but to protect their privacy, I will not do so. However, they know who they are, and I think that they realize how much I appreciate their excellent care. Nursing is a complex and difficult profession, and thank God that we have women and men that have been willing and able to meet its challenges to care for us when we are at our darkest times.

I am always on the hunt for poetry books in thrift shops. I especially love the ones that contain poems written by people who are not professional or well-known poets. And so, a couple of months ago I came across a small green book entitled, "Nurses' Verses - An Anthology of Poetry by America's Nurses". The copyrights were between 1941-1943, so I think that it is safe to assume that the poems were written by nurses during the 1930's. Most of the poems have nothing to do with nursing per se, however, for this post, two of the three poems that I have chosen pertain to their hospital nursing care. I will feature several other nurse's poems from this book in future blog posts. So, without further adieu, our nurses' verses ---

The Hospital
There is a warmth of kindness here
For those whose heavy hearts are
Full of pain - who seek again
Their own familiar selves.
It is a place of truth.
The bright lights burn far into the night
To save some shattered soul.
I, too, shall be a part of this
Before long.
--Jean H. Osborne

Photograph courtesy of the Graphics Fairy
http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

They Walk
She walks - the nurse in white, at night
   To see if patients sleep,
To every room, beside each bed
   The night watch doth she keep.

She walks - the nurse in blue, up hills,
   Down valleys dark and deep,
In storms that beat against her will
   Her night watch she doth keep.

She walks - in spirit with a light
   Where soldiers can not sleep.
All through the long and troubled night
   Her gentle watch doth keep.

They walk - with radiant faces bright -
   Each shepherdess of sheep -
In garmets that are spotless white
   They fold us in for sleep.

          --Marie Charlotte Buckley

...To all of the lovely nurses who take care of me...

How Lovely You Are
The sound of your sweet voice upon the night air -
A soft golden moon seems to halo your hair.
Your blue eyes are brighter than starlight by far,
It rivals your beauty -
   how lovely you are.

The trees bow down humbly as you pass them, dear,
Each rose lifts its petals - more closely to hear
The lilt of your foot steps, your light laughter too;
They're proud of your beauty-
   so lovely are you.

I, like the trees, and the starlight and flowers,
Envy your smile, your strange hidden powers;
In each of your eyes the Lord placed a star
He, too, knows your beauty,
   how lovely you are.

        --Virginia Zarder

Until we meet again...
Be Well and Happy!!!
Let's Get ready for Halloween!!

               Robin

I Have Returned!

2011-09-08T16:11:00.000-04:00

Greetings to my blog friends. I feel terrible that I have neglected my blog for so many months. It has been a very difficult time for me. I had to move to a new place...continued serious health problems...the resulting financial problems...some of my longtime "friends" abandoning me.......... Let's just say that this is not a year that I would be anxious to repeat!

Yes, Henry, Bunny and I have relocated to a new "nest" -- a lovely condo about 2 miles from my old neighborhood, and we love it.
Bunny especially likes her new bed.

It did not take Henry long to find his favorite nesting place -- the sink!

I am still struggling to clean out the house and have the estate sale before the end of the month. It's like boot camp! PURGE, two, three, four! DONATE two, three, four! NO, you probably will never be a size 6 or 8 again, so purge all those little clothes -- two, three four!! WHEW!

I am having a good time dreaming up home dec ideas with my flea market and thrift store finds, and I will share my photos with you soon. I brought my signature green barn wood door with me that stood in-between my garage doors at the house for so long. I could not bear to leave it behind or to sell it, so it has a new home now on my balcony.

I continue to take my photographs of flowers and nature, and to enjoy poetry. Here are some photos that I took in July at Canoe Creek State Park in Pennsylvania while I was home visiting my parents.

Here are a couple of shots of my Mother's gorgeous flower boxes!

Looking forward to future blogging, photos, poems, friends, and wonderful discoveries!

Above all, Be Well and Happy.

Robin

Daffodils in the Garden and Bird's Nests in My Hair

2011-04-07T19:16:00.000-04:00

"You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair."
-- Chinese Proverb

You have no way of knowing this, but I have a collection of art in my sewing room that depicts women with bird's nests in their hair. I'm not quite sure how it started, but I'll just blame it all on etsy! Ha ha. One of these days I will give you a tour of my bird nest ladies. My sewing room, as well as my house, is in disarray since I am in the process of getting ready to move - I don't know when or where yet, but I do know that it will be soon, and that I have to purge a lot of stuff!

Poetry, art and photography help calm me down. So do the daffodils that have begun blooming in my yard, and the sights and sounds of the birds who are scouting their nesting sites and looking for nesting materials. Don't forget to put out your dryer lint, pet hair, bits of yarn and string, and other soft nesting materials for the birds now. They need it for their little ones!

As I have said in the past, two of my favorite places are Sanibel and Captiva Islands in Florida. The great lady Lucy Maude Montgomery spent a great deal of reflective time there, and I feel somewhat of a kinship with her, even though we have lived during different centuries. Here is a wonderful poem that she wrote about Spring, and another poem from a lovely fellow you may have heard of.

Spring Song
Hark, I hear a Robin calling!
List, the wind is from the South!
And the orchard-bloom is falling
Sweet as kisses on the mouth.

In the dreamy vale of beeches
Fair and faint is woven mist,
And the river's orient reaches
Are the palest amethyst.

Every limpid brook is singing
Of the lure of April days;
Every piney glen is ringing
With the maddest roundelays.

Come and let us seek together
Springtime lore of daffodils,
Giving to the golden weather
Greeting on the sun-warm hills.

Ours shall be the moonrise stealing
Through the birches ivory white;
Ours shall be the mystic healing
Of the velvet-footed night.

Ours shall be the gypsy winding
Of the path with violets blue,
Ours at last the wizard finding
Of the land where dreams come true.

--Lucy Maud Montgomery

Perhaps the most famous "Daffodils" poem:

                  Daffodils
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
     That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
     A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
     And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
     Along the margin of a bay;
Ten thousand saw I at a glance;
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
     Out-did the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not be gay,
     In such jocund company;
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
     In vacant or in pensive mood
They flash upon that inward eye
     Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

         -- William Wordsworth (1804)

   A gorgeous daffodil bud from my garden.

Another sign of Spring -- lichens on my trees.

I will be back soon. Until then, be well and happy.
Don't let the birds nest in your hair!

Robin

Vintage Singer Dressmaking Book and Free Sewing Printables

2011-02-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of doing a MAJOR decluttering of my house, and yesterday I found a book that I forgot that I bought a few weeks ago at a thrift shop. It is a Singer Sewing Machine Dressmaking Course from 1961 - the year I was born. The illustrations are cute! Some of the things that the hostess stresses crack me up --- like -- "You must always keep your sewing room nice and tidy at all times". Oh my, if she could only see my sewing rooms! Alas, that was the 60's. However, I still need to get things organized and under control!

A note about these pages from the book. Blogger would not let me upload them after I spent an hour struggling with my stupid scanner trying to get them saved into my computer. I'm not trying to violate any copyright laws here. Please do not download the photos I took of the pages from this book. There will be other free downloads for you at the end of this post.

So, without further adieu, here are a few pages from the book. Now remember, mind your manners girls, and, as she tells you in the book, make sure that you always wear the proper undergarments, including the all-important "slip", especially when you are taking measurements for your sewing garments. (I doubt that the slips of the 1960"s sucked in much of the female population's "unwanted" proportions -- what would she have said if Spanx had been invented back then?)

So, there you have it. I just thought the illustrations were cute. I think that many of the sewing lessons in this book can still be applied today, so I'm going to take a closer look at it. Oh, by the way, guess who bought herself a swanky new sewing machine for her birthday? I'll be "unveiling" it to you folks soon. BUT - So far, I've been afraid to touch it -- I'm such a nerd!

Here are some sewing-related downloads for you.

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen out there -- "Keep Calm and Sew Something"!
(But wear your slip and clean up after yourselves!)
Most of all ----
Be Well and Happy.

Robin

Happy Birthday To Me!

2011-02-22T19:57:00.002-05:00

Today is my 50th birthday. I'm not embarrassed to admit this, I think that 50 is just a number, and considering all of the serious health problems that I have had during the past 10 years, frankly, I am happy to have reached my 50th birthday. For weeks, I have been telling people that one of the things that I wanted for my birthday was a big snowstorm - like 25"! Everyone was ready to strangle me! Ha Ha. My hopes were running low last week when the thermometer hit 68 degrees. However, the Snow Fairy bestowed 8" of the lovely white stuff on me last night, just in time for my birthday. This even gave me a chance to wear my new sweater that I bought at Macy's with some birthday money for the whopping price of $7! I love a birthday bargain. Here are some winter wonderland photos from my yard. I wanted to do a nature walk in the woods, but I will have to do that tomorrow. First, a pretty poem.

Winter Storm
Outside the trees are wearing ermine capes,
The eaves are flaunting icicle drapes,
And cascades of diamonds spill
From rocky ledges on the hill.
Red berries glisten in the snow.
The wind-chill factor is ten below.
A winter storm came in last night
And blanketed our world in white.
Inside
There's a crackling fire, an easy chair,
And firewood stacked up to there;
A catalogue of plants and seeds
From which to choose Spring garden needs;
A book to read, a pot of tea,
And food enough for you and me.
Welcome to my hearth and home.
Never mind the winter storm...
Willette Caudle McGuire

Here is one of my Garden Chairs.

My Holly bushes still have a few berries for the birds!

Our lovely evergreens provide shelter for birds and deer alike.

The busiest birdhouse in the neighborhood gets a winter rest!

Grazing Deer.

My vintage wool gloves came in handy today.

It was dark by the time I got home from my thrift shop adventures today, so I fashioned a nighttime snow celebration. This is my yummy cake from the famous Bethel Bakery in Bethel Park, PA. They make the most awesome cakes and pastries! As I typed this post, I ate it and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Here's the full view.

I fashioned the "50" from some of my pink vintage earrings - pretty in pink!

All in all, I think that 50 is going to be a "fabulous" year!
Until next time - Be Well and Happy!

Robin

John James Audubon

2011-02-20T01:29:00.001-05:00

I was absolutely thrilled a couple of weeks ago to find a huge beautiful old hard bound book --- John James Audubon's "The Birds of North America" for only $3.00 at Goodwill! I came home and poured through the pages, examining his drawings with true admiration for his incredible skills and attention to detail that could only come from a lifetime of devotion to the study of birds as well as a God-given talent for illustration.

The book "Bright Wings" contains a poem which is a tribute to Audubon, and I now share it with you --

John James Audubon

Some men live for warlike deeds,
Some for women's words.
John James Audubon
Lived to look at birds.

Pretty birds and funny birds,
All our native fowl
From the little cedar waxwing
To the Great Horned Owl.

Let the wind blow hot or cold,
Let it rain or snow,
Everywhere the birds went,
Audubon would go.

Scrambling through a wilderness,
Floating down a stream,
All around America
In a feathered dream.

Thirty years of traveling,
Pockets often bare,
(Lucy Bakewell Audubon
Patched them up with care).

Followed grebe and meadowlark,
Saw them sing and splash.
(Lucy Bakewell Audubon
Somehow raised the cash).

Drew them all the way they lived
In their habitats.
(Lucy Bakewell Audubon
Sometimes wondered "Cats"?)

Colored them and printed them
In a giant book.
"Birds of North America"--
All the world said, "Look!"

Gave him medals and degrees,
Called him noble names,
--Lucy Bakewell Audubon
Kissed her queer John James.

--Stephen Vincent Benet

Cedar Waxwing

Great Horned Owl

Grebe

Meadowlark

Doesn't the Meadowlark just make you think of Spring? It's Beautiful. So many birds today.
Be well and Happy. Sing like the Spring Meadowlark!

Robin

"Bright Wings" Poem -- The Tufted Titmouse

2011-02-16T05:37:00.000-05:00

The ever spry and agile Tufted Titmouse is always entertaining to watch in my back yard. He is an acrobat, going up and down trees -- forward and backward, sideways and cross ways -- whatever it takes to get his dinner. While at the bird feeder he is equally skilled at maneuvering to get his meal. Not only does he make me laugh, he is also a handsome bird with his little topper on his head and pretty belly.

According to the book "Bright Wings", the name Titmouse dates back to the fourteenth century from the Old English words mase, which meant "bird", and tit which meant something small. In Great Britain, Great Tits and Blue Tits were reported to have broken open the foil caps of milk bottles, delivered to doorsteps, to drink the cream! What little devils!

And now to our poem........

                    Titmouse
   If you would happy company win,
Dangle a palm-nut from a tree,
Idly in green to sway and spin,
Its snow-pulped kernel for bait; and see
      A nimble titmouse enter in.

Out of earth's vast unknown of air,
Out of all summer from wave to wave,
He'll perch, and prank his feathers fair,
Jangle a glass-clear wildering stave,
      And take his commons there--

This tiny son of life; this spright,
By monentary Human sought,
Plume will his wing in the dappling light,
Clash timbrel shrill and gay --
And into time's enormous nought,
Sweet-fed, will flit away.

--Walter De La Mare

So dance like a Titmouse in the Woods today as if you had not a care in the world -- Flit about -- Strut your plumage -- You are an awesome creature!

As Always -- Be Well and Happy!

Robin

More "Bright Wings" Poems - The Chickadee and a Sunny Walk

2011-02-16T05:01:00.002-05:00

I took the opportunity to take a walk outside yesterday in the marvelous sun which we have not seen enough of lately. I found some interesting treasures right in my back yard.
First, some moss growing out of the snow at the base of a tree -- perhaps a sign of spring?

Second, a precious little bird's nest in my trumpet flower vines. I don't know what kind of bird made it -- maybe a Robin?

The trumpet vines look like a Halloween card this time of year without any beautiful greenery and orange flowers and with the hummingbirds buzzing in and out.

Third, my terracotta man looks quite lonely without any flowers.

Fourth, some footprints in the melting snow.........

Deer.

Humanoids.

I saw some Precious little Chickadees flitting about, but they were too fast for my camera. They were hard at work looking for food. I did find some bird tracks in the snow. Probably too big for a Chickadee though.

This time of year it's tough for birds to find water that's not frozen. I think that they should go to Walden Pond.

And now two poems concerning the Chickadee from the book "Bright Wings", Edited by Billy Collins.

            December Notes

The backyard is one white sheet
Where we read in the bird tracks.

The songs we hear. Delicate
Sparrow, heavier cardinal,

Filigree threads of chickadee.
And wing patterns where one flew

Low, then up and away, gone
To the woods but calling out

Clearly its bright epigrams.
More snow promised for tonight.

The postal van is stalled
In the road again, the mail

Will be late and any good news
Will reach us by hand.

           -- Nancy McCleery

    In Walden Wood The Chickadee

In Walden Wood the Chickadee
Runs round the pine and maple tree,
Intent on insect slaughter:
O rufted entomologist!

Devour as many as you list,
Then drink the Walden Water.

              -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Until next time -- Be Well and Happy and Sing Your Heart Out!

Robin

The Four Little Kittens Have Lost Their Mittens But Mamma's Got a Hot New Pair of Shoes

2011-02-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

Today we saw something that we haven't seen much of lately -- the SUN!!!
The glorious sun!! This time of year can be so gloomy, and it was wonderful to feel the warm sunshine on my face. Cats love the sunny spot in the window too. Here are some pictures of my Henry Frank II and Bunny and my sister's Pumpkin and Muffin.
The ever-handsome Henri Francois!

Bunny is playing hide and go seek in the couch!

Pumpkin a/k/a the "Bumble Bee" is having a major catnip seizure!

Muffin is just chillin' on some wrapping paper.

But wait, some of the kittens have lost their mittens!!

Don't worry, all 4 kitties are safe and warm inside their respective houses. If only I could get rid of these winter boots and wear real shoes for a change.

I recently discovered the wonderful clothing website ModCloth, and it has a fabulous assortment of clothing and shoes.
http://www.modcloth.com/
Just this morning I was lusting for several pairs of their very unusual, trendy shoes that I have never seen the likes of before, however, they were all over $125. Ouch. So, even though I was not looking for shoes today, I happened to be at Marshall's and I immediately spied this pair of fabulous goodies. No sooner did I get them on my feet, and a lady came over and said -- They look awesome on you, you have to buy them! Well, given that they were only $25, I felt obligated to give in to my temptation. So, here they are, complete with the purple stockings that I also bought at Marshall's for $3.

I know they're not red shoes, but, Dorothy, eat your heart out!

"Everyone notices nice shoes. They are like windows to the soul."
Natasha Hamilton (British Pop Singer)

Until next time, Be Well and Happy!
Robin

Free Vintage Valentine Downloads

2011-01-29T07:51:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to give you some Valentine downloads from The Graphics Fairy -- The awesome queen of vintage images of every kind!!!

Be Well and Happy!

Robin

Welcome 2011 and Free Valentine's Day Downloads

2011-01-29T03:10:00.000-05:00

Yes, this post is about one month late, but after a couple of weeks of illness, and a week in the hospital, I am finally back to blogging. You may have noticed that I have added some new blogs to my "Favorites" list. I will most likely be adding some more, as well as updating my lists of favorite craft sites and best sites for downloading free images.

I have resurrected a love for yarn! I have crocheted for many years of my life, however, not lately. So, I gathered up the crochet hooks and started on some new projects. I also am going to be taking knitting lessons, which I have wanted to do for years. Alas -- Another obsession -- YARN! I have managed to control myself so far, but once I learn how to knit, I may not be able to resist all of the gorgeous yarns out there! I already have my "Intermediate" and "Advanced" knitting projects lined up! However, I suspect that many "Beginner" projects will have to be completed by these hands of mine before I can move up a level!

I have many goals this year which I will talk about as we go. I would love to buy a new camera and learn how to take beautiful photos. Time will tell. I promise to post soon. I have not bee very good about that, but this is a new year!

Enjoy some Valentine's Day Downloads, many of which are courtesy of the Graphics Fairy!

Be Well and Happy!
Robin

Does Santa Live In Heaven?

2010-12-25T04:04:00.001-05:00

Since I can remember I have always loved Christmas. When I was very young, only about 3 years old, I, being quite precocious, quizzed my Mother incessantly about all of the details of Santa Clause and his life and activities. I remember the house that we lived in at the time was a wonderful old house with many nooks and crannys for me to disappear into when I wanted some "alone" time. I had one particular corner in the living room, though, that was where I prayed to God, and, during the holiday season, where I talked to Santa Clause.

Just before my third Christmas, I remember standing in that corner praying to God and asking Santa if they would bring me a baby sister for Christmas. One day my Mother asked me what I was doing and I told her. She patiently explained to me that God is the one who brings us baby sisters, not Santa Clause. I accepted that explanation at the time, however, I was still confused. In my mind, Santa lived in heaven with God, so they both must bring us babies. After all, everyone said that heaven was up in the sky and, where did Santa and his reindeer come from -- Out of the sky! Yes, I knew that people told me that Santa lived in the North Pole, but, in my little mind, the North Pole was in the sky in heaven with God.

So, during the next year, I continued to pray to God for a baby sister and, lo and behold, a month before my fourth Christmas, my new baby sister arrived! I was so thankful to God. Since it was so close to Christmas, I figured that Santa must have had a hand in it somehow, so I also thanked Santa for my new sister.

My, the years since then have gone by so quickly. I still believe in God, although my faith has been tested mightily. My faith and belief in Santa Clause has, for the most part, remained strong. His spirit still comes alive in me every time I see the twinkle of the lights on a Christmas tree; feel snowflakes on my eyelashes; savor the smell of cookies baking in the oven; or relish the scent of fresh pine branches. Unfortunately, during the past few years, the circumstances of my life have not always easily allowed me to open my heart to the Christmas spirit. I have a serious chronic illness. I have lost my career and virtually everything that I have worked my entire life for. I must admit that I have lost and found my faith in God many times over during the past few years. A few times, it even felt like Santa's spirit was flickering and in danger of being extinguished.

I must admit that I really was not looking forward to Christmas this year. That is - Until yesterday when Santa and God sent me a moment of "Christmas Joy", and reminded me of some things that I had forgotten.   I was cleaning the house and I was listening to some Christmas CD's. My little cat - Miss Bunny - was sitting on the back of a chair in the family room when Placido Domingo began singing an Italian piece entitled - "Mille cherubini in coro". It is a lovely, soothing piece, and as Placido began singing the chorus - "Glory, glory....", I looked over at Bunny, and her little head was gently rocking back and forth and her tail was delicately swishing side to side in time with the music. She was so thoroughly enjoying the music and the moment -- The first thought that came to my mind when I looked at her was -- "PURE JOY - PURE CHRISTMAS JOY".

Tears streamed down my face as I watched her serene and peaceful face. And then I had a thought. I suppose that it is possible that my brain was solely responsible for this thought, but, I would like to think that, somewhere up there in heaven, God and Santa Clause decided that I needed a reminder, and they telegraphed my brain this message, which is as follows:

   "Moments of Christmas Joy, my dear Girl, are all around us every day of the year. You need only slow down, take a good look around, be still and quiet, take in the world, and the joy will come to you. Each day it will be different. Some days it will be more powerful than others, but keep your heart open, and we will both fill it with joy."

Well, there you have it. Straight from the heavens where I have concluded that both God and Santa live. So, thank you God -- thank you Santa, for reminding me to seek out and find Christmas Joy. This Christmas, I will not ask you for a house or for money -- there are so many people who need your help more desperately than I do. I would like to have more days that I am well rather than sick. Maybe the two of you can help me there.

I don't know what 2011 will bring for me or for the billions of other people on this wonderful blue planet of ours. My humble Christmas Day message to all of you in Blog Land is this -- Regardless of what God you pray to, or whether or not you celebrate Christmas, my Christmas wish for you is that you will keep your heart open to finding at least one moment of "JOY" each day for the rest of your life and "beyond". It will make your life more fulfilling and meaningful.

May you all be well, be happy, love, and be loved by many on this Christmas Day and forevermore.

Robin

"May you have the gladness of Christmas which is Hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is Peace;
The heart of Christmas which is Love."
                  --Ada V. Hendricks

Welcome December!

2010-12-01T08:34:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not posting for so long, but I have been quite ill. However, I am feeling much better, and I am full of the Christmas and Winter spirit! Unlike many people, I actually like winter! The weather forecast for today calls for some snow flurries later today - hurray! Our first snow! It would be a welcome change from the absolute deluge of rain that we have been receiving yesterday and so far today.

Anyway, I am doing a show this weekend, and then -- let the holiday decorating begin! I am frantically completing my last minute "Treasures" for my show, but I wanted to share with you some precious vintage Christmas images.

Sleep In Heavenly Peace

Yummies for the Tummies!

Let's Have A Tea Party

Jolly Kitties!

Of Course, Some Christmas Robins!

I think this card is absolutely precious! It reminds me of a very special Christmas card that my grandparents sent to me long ago. I will tell you more about it in an upcoming post.

That's all for now. Be well and Happy! By the way, I came across a very unique and cool Blog yesterday. It is called "My Best Thing Today". http://mybestthingtoday.com/

People submit illustrated postcards which tell the story of what their best thing that day was. It is really interesting to read and look at -- check it out. I would love to submit a post there, but I can't draw to save my life.

Tell me what your best thing today was. No artwork required!

Delicious Autumn

2010-10-29T01:12:00.000-04:00

"Delicious Autumn!
My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns."
-- George Eliot

October's Party
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
-- George Cooper

Professor Wind has indeed been working overtime here in Western PA, and, unfortunately, he has been blowing all of the gorgeous leaves off of the trees too early!! I was able to find some beauties that survived the Professor's huffing and puffing in Bethel Park, PA. If only they could last all winter long.

I still have to buy my Halloween candy for the trick or treaters! Tomorrow I will show you my collection of Halloween primitive dolls. Spooky!

Get your costumes ready you little ghosts and goblins!!
Be Well and Happy -- and Spoooooky!

Robin

Autumn Decorating And Some Fall Creations

2010-09-27T09:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, I've got the fever -- Fall Fever. I have decorated my porch and deck for the fall festivities. The pumpkins are popping, the mums are humming, the grasshoppers are still hopping.....Take a look.
The wreath on my front door.

Some early blooming mums.

My favorite garden bench.

The front porch garden chairs - decorated for every season.

My latest Robin's Nest Treasures Creation-
"Raggedy Autumn" Dolls

We Love Pumpkins!

And scary gourds!

White Autumn Pumpkins!

My Oak Leaf - Another Goodwill Find!

My Lovely Garden Door

The Grasshoppers are indeed still hopping!

Remember - Scaredy Cats are Welcome At Our House!

Please Stop By For A Paw Reading Before Halloween Night!

I have also been working on some new Robin's Nest Treasures Creations for an upcoming Show---

The Halloween Spider Brooch!

Autumn Rose Necklace

Vintage Halloween Decorations

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of our Autumn Nest!
Many of these items will soon be available in my etsy shop.
http://www.robinsnesttreasures.etsy.com

Be Well and Happy! -- Robin

An Imminent Departure And Some Bejeweled Poems About Hummingbirds

2010-09-18T07:07:00.000-04:00

"A flash of harmless lightening,
A mist of rainbow dyes,
The burnished sunbeams brightening.
From flower to flower he flies."
-John Banister Tabb

Something made me smile today. It was the sight of a gorgeous ruby-throat-ed hummingbird feeding on one of the few remaining trumpet vine flowers in my back yard. It should not be too many days now before they all gather for their grueling non-stop journey to Mexico where they will spend the winter months. How such tiny fragile souls can fly thousands of miles non-stop through all manner of perils is beyond human comprehension. These feisty green fairies always make me smile, not only because I love to watch them, but because they remind me of happy memories when my precious cat Sweet Pea and I used to sit in the garden in the evenings and watch the hummers feed on the trumpet vine flowers.

So, in honor of the most lovely and amazing tiny creatures in my garden today, and every day, here are some poems.

The Hummingbirds
Minutest of the feathered kind,
Posessing every charm combined,
Nature, in forming thee, designed
A proof within how little space
She can comprise such perfect grace,
Rendering the lovely; fairy race.
- Charlotte Smith

The Hummingbird
A route of evanescence
With a revolving wheel;
A resonance of emerald,
A rush of cochineal;
And every blossom on the bush
Adjusts its tumbled head,
The mail from Tunis, probably,
An easy morning's ride.
- Emily Dickinson

Hummingbird Eggs
In a crook of a branch of the Queen Flowers tree
Precariously it swayed with every breeze
Reminding him of that infant lulaby.

The Mother poked her head out frequently
Fiercely defensive of the treasure
In her small abode.

This totemic treasure carried folklore
Within its ingenious plaitings
A superior intelligence at work.

Functional and minimalist
Her crimson crest and iridescent
Feathers made her the most
Powerful bird in the world.

As she hovered in mid-air stationary
Like a helicopter searching.

Her eyes reminded in the dynamic flashes
The fate that befell those long ago
Who broke the taboo of her death.

Who now on certain moonlit nights
Howl their pain in lonely hours
Over the well known lake of pitch.

The boy approached. The mother flew.
He saw the eggs such miniature art
And stretched his hands to touch.

She zipped past his ear screeching
Warning of a second totem in anger.
He understood the warning dire

Looked as they lay in their resplendent nest
Climbed down and withdrew from the nest.
The mother circled her treasure

Then calmly brooded.
Overhead thunder suddenly rolled
In the brightness of the day lightening flashed.
- Anson Gonzalez

Until next time .................
Be Well and Happy.
Robin
(And Sweet Pea from heaven who is still
watching the green fairies)

Zucchini, Zucchini, Zucchini -- Some Recipes For Our Abundant Friend

2010-09-15T05:55:00.000-04:00

This time of year when I go to our local Farmer's Market, one of the vegetables that is spilling over in abundance is the lovely zucchini. Nutritious, versatile, it is a shame that it is not in season in our area all year long. For the time being, however, we shall make full use of it. Today I have two zucchini soup recipes to share with you - one is creamy and the other is stock based. Before we get to the soups, I want to share a quick recipe that I made up last week.

Robin's Italian Zucchini
I sliced two zucchini into about 1/8" slices and coated them with olive oil. Then I sprinkled them with garlic chips. (I highly recommend the Organic Roasted Garlic Chips from Garlic Festival Foods. I use them for everything! Their garlic mustard is also to die for! http://www.garlicfestival.com/ )
I grilled the zucchini slices about 2 minutes on each side and removed them from the grill.

Then I spread a layer of basil garlic tomato sauce in the bottom of a 12"x12" dish and began layering the zucchini slices, tomato sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese, finishing with a layer of the cheese. I covered the dish with foil and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. We had this as a side dish with grilled talapia and grilled sweet potatoes, and it was delicious. I hope you like it. You may even add ingredients that will even make it better -- please leave a comment and let me know! Now, on to the soups!

Creamy Potato and Zucchini Soup With Garlic Croutons
Ingredients:
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
2 c. 1% or skim milk
1 1/2 c. vegetable or chicken stock
2 zucchini unpeeled, grated
1 tsp nutmeg
hot pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper
grated sharp cheddar cheese
Croutons - Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sheets of lavash bread

Directions:
Heat oil in a deep heavy saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add potatoes and stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Add milk, zucchini, nutmeg and pepper flakes. Cook on low for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Puree soup, then return to pot and stir over low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese and serve with croutons.

Croutons - Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Combine oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush lavash bread with oil, fold bread in half and tear along fold. Tear the bread until you have long strips 3/4" wide. Place on trays and bake 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Recipe Courtesy of -- http://www.grouprecipes.com/

Note -- Personally, I would just use store-bought croutons -- This is just too much bother for me. I had no idea what lavash bread was, so I looked it up. This is the story -- Lavash is a soft, thin flatbread widely used in Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Dough is rolled out flat and slapped against the hot walls of a wood oven or a "tandoor". While flexible like a tortilla when fresh, lavash dries out quickly and becomes brittle and hard.

You learn something new every hour. However, I would still use the store-bought croutons.

COUNTRY STYLE ZUCCHINI SOUP

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 sliced onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tsp. oregano
6 cups beef stock
1 large tomato, cored, blanched, peeled, diced
1 lb. zucchini, diced
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions:
In a large saucepan, heat oil and brown garlic. Discard garlic. Add potatoes, stir to coat, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add onion, parsley and oregano, and cook until onions are softened. Add stock, tomatoes, celery, zucchini, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is tender. Pour soup into individual bowls and sprinkle freshly ground pepper and 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese over each serving.

Recipe courtesy of: http://www.foodgeeks.com/recipes/

Note:
In the Comments section following this recipe, several people indicated that they felt that the amount of beef stock should be cut back to 4 or 5 cups instead of 6 cups. Also, some people stated that they eliminated or reduced the celery. (I would be one of the people who eliminated the celery, since I do not care for it).

I hope that you enjoy these soups. Be Well, Well Fed, and Happy.

Robin

I'm Dreaming of ...... Beautiful Fall Dresses From The Shabby Apple

2010-09-15T04:22:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love clothes. I also have a certain romantic style, and it is not often that I find a line of clothing that is everything "me". Well, the other day I discovered "The Shabby Apple", which is an online ladies clothing store featuring mainly dresses, as well as accessories such as jewelry, handbags and shoes. I love so many of their dresses, I don't know where to start! I can't order any right now, but let's take a look at my favorites anyway. Prices range from $75-100.

My absolute favorite - The Berkshires - Cider

Yosemite - Black Oak

Yosemite - Chicaree

Aristocrat

1943 - Ingrid

Jody Maxman

http://www.shabbyapple.com/

Proceed with caution Ladies -- This one could be addictive and expensive!!!!!

Be Well, Well Dressed, and Happy!

Robin

September's Lovely Tokens - Fall's First Acorns

2010-09-12T19:43:00.000-04:00

"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
Within summer's best of weather
And Autumn's best of cheer."
- Helen Hunt Jackson - September

Aaahhh September the loveliest! I took a little nature walk at a local park looking for pine cones for some craft projects and, although I could find very few nice pine cones, my efforts were rewarded with some other fall treasures. It is amazing what you can find when you just walk quietly in the woods, stand still, look down, and let your eyes focus on the treasures that nature has waiting for you to discover on her wonderful carpet. I was both surprised and delighted to find acorns! I thought that it was a bit too early for acorns to have fallen, but I found the early crop of both green and brown babies. I was seeking them for some craft projects -- including the acorn caps to put on some needle felted acorns that I am making. Next to many of the acorn trees were chestnut trees, who were also dropping their fruit shells, so I also gathered some of those beauties.

Perhaps the best surprise of the day was the discovery of an old bird's nest which had fallen to the ground!

After my walk, I went over to visit some lovely horses which are boarded at the park. They are the members of the Allegheny County Police Mounted Patrol Unit who have their stables in the park. They were having a bite to eat after a hard day's work. They were all so friendly, they all came over to greet me and to be petted.

Finally, it was a stop at our local dollar store flower shop to buy some beautiful mums to decorate the front porch and the driveway. I bought quite a lovely spread for a little dough. I got most of them planted in my pots, but I ran out of potting soil. I'll post some photos when the outside decorations are complete.

All in all, it was a lovely Autumn day!

Be Well and Happy. Robin

September 11th - The Anniversary And Some Thoughts On the Human Smile

2010-09-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

As we all know, today is the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Everyone remembers where they were when they got the news. I was laying in a bed in Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA at the end of a three month hospital stay wherein I nearly died after a major pancreatic surgery. That, however, is a story for another day.

One of the features that I have started in my Blog is "Something made me smile today". You may not think that there is much reason to smile on a day like today, but I think that there is. Last night I was making a list of the people who came to mind when I think of who has the most infectious smiles. One of the people at the top of my list was The Dalai Lama. I have been interested in the Dalai Lama and Tibet for many years and have read many of his teachings. One of the beautiful books that sits on my coffee table is a large book entitled "My Tibet", which is the story of the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the Dalai Lama's subsequent exile. The phenomenal photographs in the book of Tibet and its people were taken by renowned photographer Galen Rowell, who died several years ago in a tragic accident. Now, before I scare any of you away, this is not going to be a post about religious or political issues. It is about the human spirit. Regardless of your views on religion, I think that you will find insight into The Dalai Lama's teachings on life in general. I know that I have. So, today, of all days, some thoughts on the power of the human smile.
The following quotes are excerpts from the book - The Dalai Lama - His Essential Wisdom, Edited by Carol Kelly-Gangi.

"KINDNESS AND FRIENDSHIP"
"My attitude towards other people is to always look at them from the human level. On that level, whether president, queen or beggar, there is no difference, provided that there is genuine human feeling with a genuine human smile of affection. If someone greets me with a nice smile, and expresses a genuinely friendly attitude, I appreciate it very much. Though I might not know that person or understand their language, they instantly gladden my heart ..."
"Kindness and love, a real sense of brotherhood and sisterhood, these are very precious. They make community possible and thus are crucial in society. Having a heart, and a kind and warm disposition, is an enormous advantage. Not only does it bring us joy, but we can share this joy with others. Relations between individuals, nations, and continents deteriorate only from lack of goodwill and kindness, even though those qualities are so valuable and necessary for the quality of life in society. That is why it is worth trying to develope them."

"We are, after all, social animals. Without human friendship, without the human smile, our lives become miserable. The loneliness becomes unbearable. Such human interdependence is a natural law - that is to say, according to natural law, we depend on others to live. We are all part of humanity, and each of us has the responsibility to improve humanity and to bring it additional happiness in order to make it more peaceful, friendlier, and compassionate. So, if one individual practices compassion and forgiveness sincerely and regularly, wherever he or she may live, it will generate a positive atmosphere. That is a way to contribute toward the betterment of humanity."

The Dalai Lama's words are particularly appropriate on a day such as today, I think. You may not think that your small acts of kindness or compassion towards loved ones and strangers alike each day make any difference, but they really do. They are contagious. People want to "pay them forward". Smiles are contagious. People desperately long for something to smile about these days.

Some people may look at my life and think that I have absolutely no reason to smile. I have had a serious chronic illness, chronic pancreatitis, for nine years. I have spent over 500 days in the hospital during the past 9 years. Because of this, I was unable to work for many years and finally had to give up my 22 year career as a trial lawyer and take a disability retirement. Financially - "materially" - I am destroyed. Yet, in many ways, I feel wealthy. I have a wonderful loving family. I have many many long-time close friends who are my "Rocks of Gibraltar", my muses, my laugh 'till your stomach hurts friends. I started a new business doing the things that I love to do. Yes, I am still very worried about the future, still angry at times, still severely depressed, but I try to make it a point to always find reasons to smile each day, and to try to make others smile when possible. It is what keeps me going - it's what makes the world go 'round.

So, what made me smile so far today, on such a solemn day of remembrance? Well, it would have to be the joyful, impish, smiling face of the Dalai Lama. Perhaps some day I will have the opportunity to meet him and exchange smiles. Wouldn't that be something....

Until next time -- Be Well and Happy -- Robin

Snow Baby Free Downloads

2010-08-29T16:51:00.004-04:00

I am starting to work on some Halloween and Christmas ornaments, and I have scoured the web for photos of sweet vintage winter "snow baby" faces to use for these projects. Here are some to share with you. The last one is special. See if you can guess who she is. She is, of course, the prettiest one of all. Ha ha.

I adore her hat, at least, I think she is a girl!

Notice the beautiful ear flowers on this bonnet!

You can't help but fall in love with this little guy!

Now who could this little girl be in the winter of 1961?

It's Robin Faith - "Mommy's Little Eskimo"
I tried to scan the back of the photo, but I would not pick up
my Mother's comment which read -- "How do you like our Eskimo?".
Well, I've never been to the North Pole, but I sure felt like an Eskimo
last winter in Pittsburgh, PA. I am really looking forward to autumn here.

Until next time -- Be Well and Happy - Robin

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a look
at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."
-- Joanne Kathleen Rowling

     Mounds of seashells on the beach at
                         Captiva Island, Florida
                  Where I long to be every day.
     Sometimes I think that I was a Mermaid in another life -
                 But that is a story for another time....

Summertime Sunflowers

2010-08-23T21:05:00.000-04:00

Summer is drawing to a close. The neighborhood kids went back to school today. I am dreaming of Autumn, my favorite time of year. Bring me the pumpkins, the acorns, the crisp nights, football, craft shows, colorful mums, Halloween -- I love it all. We are not quite there yet, however. I don't decorate for fall until after Sept. 1st.
One thing always makes me smile in August. Beautiful sunflowers. They are like happy faces warming themselves in the sun. When I was driving to the Shaker Woods Crafts Festival in Columbiana, Ohio last year, I came upon a number of sunflower farms with hundreds of acres of gorgeous sunflowers. Here are some photos to make you smile.

The Happy Triplets!

Check out the Bees.

A little Color Select Studio Twist --

Until next time -- Be Well and Happy -- Robin

A List Of Some Great Craft Blogs/Websites and My First Free Vintage Images

2010-08-22T03:41:00.049-04:00

As promised, I have compiled yet another lengthy list of great blogs and/or websites that I have found during countless hours of scouring the internet for inspirations for the perfect crafts to make and sell, and also for affirmation that I am not alone in my addictions to fabric, rubber stamps, paper punches, vintage linens, antique teacups, vintage handkerchiefs and gloves, vintage earrings, ......hmmmmm.... what else is bulging out of my drawers? Oh, it's too much to think about at 2:30 am. Ha ha. I am happy to report that I am about 2/3 of the way finished with reorganizing and redecorating my sewing room, and I will post photos when that project is complete. The problem is that, most of my fabric does not fit in the sewing room, so it is in many other rooms. Ugggggg. A problem for another day.

On to the list. In no particular order may I present these fine ladies and a couple of gentlemen:
http://www.livinglocurto.com/   (Great free printables, DIY Crafts)
http://www.u-createcrafts.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/   (Features hundreds of great tutorials from other blogs as well as its own. It is fast becoming one of my favorites)
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://issasarza.com/
http://ourdailychocolate.blogspot.com/
http://jenniferpaganelli.typepad.com
http://thelongthread.com/ (Be sure to check out the posts for the best 100 tutorials of 2008 and 2009)
http://blog.craftzine.com/
http://kojodesigns.blogspot.com/ (Fabulous assortment of tutorial links)
http://talkcraftytome.com/    (Again great tutorial links)
http://freetrinketstreasures.blogspot.com/
http://artjoystuff.typepad.com/art-joy-stuff/    (This is her old Blog, but it still has great stuff in the archives)
http://artjoystuff.blogspot.com/    (This is her new Blog)
http://thegypsymagpie.blogspot.com/
http://anartsygirl.blogspot.com/
http://trash2treasure.wordpress.com/
http://thriftshopromantic.blogspot.com/
http://www.lindalumdebono.blogspot.com/
http://blog.tizzalicious.com/
http://www.shabbyaccumulations.blogspot.com/
http://sewchristine.blogspot.com/
http://thehabygoddess.blogspot.com/
http://thepatternplace.blogspot.com/
http://retro-mama.blogspot.com/
http://freesewingpatternsdaily.blogspot.com/
http://absintheandorange.blogspot.com/
http://totallytutorials.blogspot.com/    (A directory of craft tutorials)
http://digifree.blogspot.com/
http://vintagebluebird.blogspot.com/
http://mamaspocketbook.blogspot.com/
http://www.vintagedragonfly.blogspot.com/
http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/
http://marijkevanooijen.blogspot.com/   (Take some time to really look through her site at her incredible dolls, they will blow you away! She is so talented. The faces on her characters are so animated it is unlike anything I have ever seen.)
http://het-zoete-leven.blogspot.com/
http://gypsyfleamarket.blogspot.com/
http://www.lollychops.com/ (They have some great free downloads too)

These blogs are also helpful with information about marketing your crafts:
http://www.blogaboutcrafts.com/
http://thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.com/
http://www.craftmarketer.com/sellyourcrafts/
http://sellingcraftsonline.com/
http://www.blogguidebook.com/   (Very good source of information)

Well, clearly this list will get longer, and I will have to break it up into possible 3 or 4 lists by subcategories, but for now, there she is. It is just amazing how much information and talent there is out there in the world, and I have only scratched the surface.

Instead of closing with my usual robin image, I am going to close with two copyright free images that I downloaded earlier today from blogs listed in my earlier post. I am sorry, but I forgot to write down the blog that the girl with the cat came from, but I will be more diligent about giving credit in the future. The girl with the bird is courtesy of   http://oldphotoalbum.blogspot.com/. So, it is now after 3:30 am, and I must go to sleep, so, until next time, be Well and Happy.

Robin

More Free Vintage Image Download Sites

2010-08-21T13:37:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have been interested in vintage image downloads, I wanted to let you know that my obsession continues, and I have found an additional 10 great blogs/sites for us to drool over! I have edited my earlier post to add them to the top of the list, under the Graphics Fairy. I hope to start posting some of my own downloads soon for the few people out there in cyberspace who read this Blog. I really appreciate you! Please leave some comments and become Followers! I promise to become a more active Blogger.

Henry Frank is sound asleep on the bed beside me. He does not think that Halloween vintage digital downloads are very interesting. I bought an organic catnip toy at a great store called the Wildcard yesterday that I thought would put he and Bunny in a coma! Surprisingly, neither one of them was interested in playing with it. Bummer. $8 down the drain.

Until next time .....Be well and Happy.

Bright Wings Fridays -- Lovely Poems About Birds

2010-08-21T00:05:00.000-04:00

I had a chance to open up the windows briefly the past few nights and turn off the air conditioning, and I was soon reminded of the joyful sound that I have been missing all summer which begins just before sunrise -- no, it is not the sound of my Henry Frank scratching at the bedroom door trying to get into the room to wake me up -- it is the sound of the wonderful chorus of songbirds outside in the yard! Cardinals, blue jays, morning doves, sparrows, goldfinches, mockingbirds, robins, bluebirds, and other assorted beauties serenade us from predawn to dusk. Even after the sun goes down, the melodies continue with the lovely owls who roost high in the trees.

Several months ago I discovered a wonderful book entitled "Bright Wings - An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds". The book is edited by Billy Collins. Starting today, I will begin "Bright Wings Fridays", wherein I will share some of the poems from this book with you on my blog. I suppose it is fitting that I begin this series of posts with a poem about the Robin. There are several poems in the book about the Robin, but I chose the most pleasant, and certainly the one written by the most distinguished poet -- Emily Dickinson. And so we begin........

I Have A Bird In Spring

I have a bird in spring
Which for myself doth sing --
The spring decoys.
And as the summer nears --
And as the rose appears,
Robin is gone.
Yet I do not repine
Knowing that bird of mine
Though flown --
Learneth beyond the sea
Melody new for me
And will return.
Fast in a safer hand --
Held in a truer Land
Are mine --
And though they now depart,
Tell I my doubting heart,
They're thine.
In a serener Bright
In a more golden light
I see
Each little doubt and fear,
Each little discord here
Removed.
Then I will not repine,
Knowing that bird of mine --
Though flown --
Shall in a distant tree
Bright melody for me
Return.
Emily Dickinson

      The Owl

His element is silent and inexorable.
Mack the Knife waits in his eyes,
yet he is generous and brings his young
eleven mice four bullheads
thirteen grouse two eels
three rabbits and a woodcock
all in one night.

It is too much to expect prose
to learn from the owl
his exact knowledge of his object,
his exact eyes claws wings
and be the scourge of rats?
It might, like him, then live to
sixty-eight years in the clear impersonal
and look wise and imperturbable.
                   Carl Rakosi

As always -- Be Well and Happy --

      Robin

Crafts N'At Craft Fair

2010-08-19T19:54:00.000-04:00

Calling All Art and Craft Lovers in the Greater Pittsburgh, PA Area!!!

Make sure that you attend the -----

CRAFTS N'AT CRAFT FAIR - AUGUST 29, 2010
NOON - 5:00 pm

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall
4141 Fifth Ave
Pittsburgh, PA
(Oakland section of Pittsburgh)

This show features over 100 craft vendors, as well as craft demonstrations, live performances, and, as always, plenty of fantastic food! So be sure to mark your calendars and check it out!!

I am a proud new member of the Pgh. Craft Collective. Unfortunately, I will not be one of the vendors in this year's show, but hopefully, I will be chosen as one of the vendors for next year's show.

My Latest Obsession -- Free Vintage Image Download Sites

2010-08-10T23:03:00.056-04:00

The past few weeks I have been exploring the internet and various blogs to find some great places to get free vintage and graphic images that are copyright free. At the request of a number of people, here is a rather lengthy list of some of what I consider to be the best sites out there.

By far, the best site is http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/   This site has hundreds of images, and she adds at least 2 or 3 new images daily.

The remaining sites, in no particular order are as follows:
http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/
http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/ (This is their old Blog site, but it still has plenty of great downloads)
http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/ (New Blog site - again, great free tag, label, etc downloads)
http://livinglocurto.com/   (Free printables, DIY crafts)
http://www.vintagejunky.blogspot.com/
http://gomakesomething.com/category/print/ (She has over 1000 free vintage images, but see restrictions)
http://antiqueclipart.com/ (Only certain sizes of images are free)
http://www.matthewmeadstyle.com/
http://blushprintables.blogspot.com/      (Every Friday they post free downloads)
http://borzoi-mom.blogspot.com/    (She has vintage images of borzoi dogs)
http://mfd-iletaitunefoistoimonchien.blogspot.com/   (A fabulous blog with free vintage images of a variety of breeds of dogs)
http://fabricphotomemories.blogspot.com/ (Vintage images of African-American women)
http://olga-borzoi.blogspot.com/
http://1stfloorflatfreebies.blogspot.com/
http://www.theantiqueimage.com/
http://oldphotoalbum.blogspot.com/
http://mudbayimages.blogspot.com/
http://penniwigs.blogspot.com/    (This is her old Blog, but she still has a ton of images stored here. Her new Blog is -- http://bannerhaus.blogspot.com/ On this home page on the right side click the "Picasa Web Album" for a slide show of her already burgeoning collection of images -- OMG!!)
http://mfd-croquetteadubol.blogspot.com/ (This is a French blog, and I only looked at it briefly, but it has the most precious assortment of cat images I have ever seen!)
http://artfreebies.blogspot.com/
http://antiqueimages.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegraphicaddict.com
http://alteredbits.com/    (Look under "free stuff")
http://vintagecatnip.blogspot.com/
http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/
http://victorian-vignettes.blogspot.com/
http://the-feathered-nest.blogspot.com/
http://www.percyandbloom.com/
http://thevintagemoth.blogspot.com/   (This is the old site for percy and bloom - still has great images)
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/
http://www.reusableart.com/
http://hophopjingleboo.blogspot.com/
http://www.scrapologie.blogs.com/
http://scrapbooking.craftgossip.com/
http://hudsonsholidays.blogspot.com/
http://tammytutterow.typepad.com/
http://vintagesnapsandscraps.blogspot.com/
http://magicmoonlightfreeimages.blogspot.com/
http://kathymaximo.blogspot.com/

http://vintageimagecraft.com/
http://karenswhimsy.com/    (See also Blog)
http://e-vint.com/free.html
http://blog.worldlabel.com/2009/free-fillable-suzee-que-vintage-labels.html   (Free vintage labels)
http://blog.thevintageworkshop.com/   This blog only posts one free image per month.
http://hubpages.com/     (Search for free images with keyword of type of image you want)
http://blog.worldlabel.com/    (Search under these Categories -- "Downloads", "Printables", "Labels & Printing", and "Open Clip Art Library").

Have fun searching for hours and hours and downloading your favorite images! Coming soon -- A list of my favorite craft blogs and websites!

Be Well and Happy
Robin

A Sad Update on Tarra's Sweet Pea

2010-08-02T08:06:00.000-04:00

After I wrote my post on Tarra's Sweet Pea from Etsy's The Night Jar, Tarra sent me an email telling me that her Sweet Pea passed away a few months ago at the wonderful age of 20. Tarra still has Sweet Pea's twin brother Spartacus, who is still going strong! She still misses her Sweet Pea also, but I am glad that she has the handsome Spartacus to keep her company. (What a great name!)

More posts to come later today or tomorrow. Be Well and Happy.

Robin

A Tale of Two Sweet Peas

2010-07-21T22:27:00.000-04:00

(I have to apologize for the spaces in this post. I scanned these photos, and I was unable to adjust the spaces in the template).
I am not a conventionally religious person, but what I am certain of is that all living creatures have a soul. Throughout your life, you have experiences with living beings (human and/or animal), and events happen, some of which you have control over, and some of which you do not. I think that some of these experiences cause your soul to soar and grow, while others, unfortunately, take pieces of your soul and destroy them, sometimes permanently. This is the story of a furry, hissy, little soul who made my soul grow and soar to the boundaries of the universe.

She is in heaven now, but as you will see, her spirit is always with me, and every day, she MAKES ME SMILE.

Today began with the ritual of checking my etsy store. No sales. Oh well. I then began scrolling around some of my favorite shops, including The Night Jar. California artist Tarra Lyons is a very talented woman who paints absolutely adorable, whimsical birds which she sells in her shop. Today I happened to notice that she had her blog site listed and I checked it out.
I was absolutely stunned when I saw her post of a precious gray tabby cat laying under her Christmas tree and her post said that her name was Sweet Pea! What were the odds that someone else had an identical cat named Sweet Pea? I emailed Tarra and told her about my Sweet Pea, and I promised to share some photos of my Sweet Pea and to tell her the story of my precious little girl. Here are the links for the Night Jar's etsy store and blog. http://www.TheNightjar.etsy.com and http://www.nightjarnightjar.blogspot.com/

So for Tarra and the one and one-half other people out there who read this blog (ha ha), this is the story of my Sweet Pea.
It was a sweltering evening in late July 1996 and my parents were visiting me from out of town. We were lounging on the deck in the backyard when my next door neighbor Debbie came over with 3 kittens in tow. She was a cat lover and she already had several cats in the house. She explained that a friend of hers was a rural mail carrier and had found these three amigos along the side of the road. Two of them appeared to be older than the third one who was the tiny gray female tabby. I was immediately drawn to the little one, but Debbie cautioned me, saying, you might not want to do that, she doesn't like anyone, she's a little hissypot! Disregarding Debbie's warning, I picked her up anyway. She was nothing but a ball of gray and white fur, she was so tiny. The poor thing was besieged with fleas. I laid her on her back in the palm of my hand and began to rub her belly. She purred so loudly, we all began to laugh. Debbie said that she could not believe it. She said -- She hasn't let anyone else touch her -- You were meant for each other! I knew immediately what I would name her. It was more of a term of endearment than a name. Sweet Pea. And so, after a flea bath and a visit to the vet, our lifelong journey as soul mates began.

I had never had a cat before and I did not know what to expect. I originally wanted to make my little ball of fir an indoor cat, but she quickly made it clear that she was a child of the outdoors, and she would be a semi-outdoor cat for brief periods of time when I was home to keep an eye on her. Not knowing any better, I set about teaching her the boundaries of my very large yard, and, surprisingly, she quickly learned to stay in my yard. My cat loving friends gasped in disbelief when I told them that she stayed in the yard, and my vet just stared at me in dismay. I did not know that this was such an extraordinary event, I just knew that, for the rest of her life, except for the occasional jaunt into my next door neighbor's yard, Sweet Pea happily lived out her adventures in my yard.

My first heart attack came when she promptly scaled the trellis on the deck and bounded up on the roof of the house and ran around, fearless, surveying the property from a bird's eye view. She was only two pounds strong, but she was mighty, and she was unstoppable.

She loved to be outside, and as you can see, she was happy to have a sip of water from the birdbath during a hot summer day. We spent many a warm summer evening in the garden behind the house sitting in a chair near the trumpet vines. She sat on my lap while we watched the hummingbirds dart to and fro between the beautiful orange trumpet flowers. As we listened to their symphony of humming and chirping sounds that filled the night air we were both mesmerized. Her head darted quickly in every direction, trying to take it all in. Somehow she knew that she could never catch them - she was content just to watch and listen in the comfort of my lap. In fact, she was never a hunter of anything, the most she ever did was catch little ground moles and play with them, only to release them unharmed.

Some of my favorite memories of Sweet Pea were in the spring and summer of each year when the many deer in our neighborhood brought their new fawns out in the yards. We have a love/hate relationship with the deer in our community. They have destroyed all of my beautiful perennial gardens that I have worked so hard to develop through the years. It is almost impossible to grow anything in our yards. But, there is no doubt that they are beautiful animals, especially the fawns. Sweet Pea loved to play with the fawns. I regret that I have been unable to find the photo of her with the fawns that I have, but I know it will turn up eventually. In the evening, again, when their Mothers would bring them into the yard, she loved to play tag with them and chase them around the large tree in my back yard. Their long legs were so spindly, it looked so funny. Sometimes she would jump up and try to touch their fluffy white tails. Occasionally, their Mothers would think that she was getting a little too friendly with their fawns, and they would let out a warning snort or make some other threatening gesture to let Sweet Pea know that she needed to back off.

When fall came she loved to play in the leaves. This is one of my favorite pictures of her.

Her love of the outdoors continued in the wintertime. She loved the snow, as you can see from the photo below.

She loved birthdays and Christmas time, since Grammy and Grampy, Aunt Jenny, and her many friends always showered her with gifts. She was such a good girl, she never bothered my very intricate Snow Village display below my Christmas tree.

We were together for 12 happy years. During those years, there were many, many weeks and months that I was seriously ill and could only lay in bed. Day and night, night and day, faithfully, she laid by my side. She was undaunted by the despair of unending pain and sickness. She only knew that I needed her, and she was there. If you were looking for unconditional love, all you needed to do was look into her face.
As with everything in life there must be a beginning and an end. In May 2008, Sweet Pea became ill and died. As I buried her in my backyard that day, I buried a piece of my soul with her. Although I will have other cats throughout my life, I do not think that there will be another furry "soul" that will occupy anywhere close to the same place in my heart and soul as Sweet Pea did. The photograph below is also one of my favorites. In a way it reminds me of her looking into the "afterlife".

I am reminded of a poem I found about death that I like and I will share it with you --

DEATH IS A DOOR

Death is only an old door
Set in a garden wall

On quiet hinges it gives at dusk
When the thrushes call.
Beyond the light lies still,

Very weary and willing feet
Go over that sill.
There is nothing to trouble any heart,
Nothing to hurt at all.
Death is only an old door
In a garden wall.
Nancy Byrd Turner

I know that Sweet Pea is happy beyond the door in the garden wall, and that she is at peace. I miss her every day. Every day I think of her, and SHE MAKES ME SMILE!

Be Well and Happy -- Until Next Time -- For all the Sweet Peas out there -- Give them a hug for me!

An Update On My Forest Babies

2010-07-16T18:58:00.000-04:00

Once again I have to apologize for not leaving any recent posts. Without getting into any details, this has been one of the most difficult times of my life. However, just when things look their bleakest, a ray of sunshine always manages to appear, and I am happy to say that, at least temporarily, things are improving, and so are my spirits. I always find something to make me smile and today I have two posts of smiles for you.

First, look how big baby Nelson is getting! Of course I do not know if this baby is a girl or a boy, but I just decided it is a boy. I didn't want to name him "Bambi" or some other Disney name, so I named him after my late grandfather, Nelson Wise. I think that he would have liked that.
Nelson stopped by today for an afternoon snack.

He was quite hungry, you see, because he had just spent some time swinging -- YES SWINGING -- on Jessie and Allie's swing set next door. I only wish that I had a video camera because it would have been hilarious. He took his little hoofs one by one and and put them on the rubber swing and pushed it to move it up and down. Then, when he got bored doing that, he moved it with his nose. I was not able to get a picture of his hoof actually on the swing with a still photograph, but here he is enjoying himself immensely. By this time next week, he should be going down the sliding board!

Allie and Jessie came home just as I was taking this picture. They thought it was pretty funny. Poor Allie had a boo boo on her elbow. Hope it gets better soon.

The other big surprise in the forest since my last post is that Nelson has 2 cousins. Thus, we have triplets!

So, I was trying to figure out what to name them. I wanted to name them after people who "cracked me up". Well, since I am usually up late at night and I watch Craig Ferguson, who is always silly and rude and makes me laugh -- one of the triplets has to be named Craig. Now that leaves one more to be named, and it has to be a lady -- no all boys club. Hmmmmm. It could be Betty White cause she's like the Energizer Bunny these days -- all over the place. Maybe Dolly Parton since she's always so perky and sweet and blingy.

Well, sorry Betty, sorry Dolly, you are two special ladies but you're just not as qualified to be the namesake of our third twin as a pretty little gal named Sweet Pea that I'm going to tell you about in my next post tonight. Have you ever played tag with the fawns in my backyard in the evening light under the warm glow of the lightening bugs? Have you ever chased after their fluffy white tails only to have them turn around on a dime and find yourself suddenly staring into their huge moon eyes and feeling their big black wet noses against your whiskers? Have you ever heard the alarm snort and seen the "charge" of one of their mothers when she thought that you were getting too "friendly" with her baby? My Sweet Pea did all of those things and more. She is in heaven now.

Every day I think of her. There are some times that I cry when I think of her. One thing is for sure. Every single time I think of her -- SHE MAKES ME SMILE.

What made you smile today? Leave a comment and share it with us. Have a good weekend and be happy.

Robin

A Precious Early Morning Visitor and Glimpses of My Garden

2010-06-11T22:23:00.000-04:00

I woke up just after daybreak this morning and looked out of my window into my back yard. I saw a small brown lump, which at first I thought might be a large rabbit or a big clump of bark. I did not see any deer in the yard, so I did not think that it was a fawn, but the more I looked at it, the more I began to see little white spots on the brown. I picked up my camera and went out into the yard and slowly approached the little brown mystery. As I drew closer, my heart began to sink. It was indeed a tiny tiny fawn curled up tightly in a ball. Where was its mother? They never leave their little ones alone. Was it sick or injured, or worse, dead? As I came closer, I could see that it was breathing, and it raised its little head and looked at me. I talked to it softly for a few minutes and took a few pictures. It was so tiny. I could not believe that its mother was not around. I took one step closer and it jumped to its feet and bounded across the yard on its spindly little legs. It seemed healthy enough. It turned and looked at me and then ate some grass then playfully bucked on its back legs before scampering into my neighbor's yard.

A few minutes later a doe, presumably his/her mother, appeared from my front yard and joined the little one and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I have a love/hate relationship with these lovely creatures. I have a steady herd of about a dozen or so which spend many hours a day in my yard. Over the past ten years they have decimated my once beautiful perennial gardens into shabby wastelands. I have resorted mainly to potted plants, but, alas, they boldly come only my porch and deck and feast away, along with the groundhogs who live under my deck. I persist, however, with my pots, and below is a glimpse of some of my summer lovelies.
First, a glimpse of my precious Bunny in the morning sunlight.

This is her very ornery brother Henry Frank II. He desperately wants to have a "walk about" on the wild side.

I begin with a photo of my "Ivy Soup". I bought a very inexpensive soup tureen at Goodwill and drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage, and planted ivy. [Here are some tips when drilling holes in porcelain. Use a masonry drill bit. I tape the area where I am drilling the holes with a piece of silver duct tape, and most importantly, I put some water in the bottom of the bowl where I am drilling because the bit will get very hot.] I took the ladle and some scrap booking letter labels and wrote Ivy Soup. I also wrote "Eat, Pray, Love" on the inside of the ladle since I am reading that book now and thoroughly enjoying it. I sealed the ladle with a sealant spray to make it waterproof, and tadaaa!

An old ladder can make a shelf for some goodies.

My table pots and trellis. I found these old industrial scissors and gear thingie at a flea market for 50 cents. My brown pottery bowls on the table I bought at Goodwill for $1.

My tomato plants and my pepper plant are going crazy. I will have to fend off the groundhogs once the tomatoes appear, though.

This is a remnant of my perennial gardens. Jack-in-the-pulpit and foxgloves in the early morning light.

My garden bench welcomes visitors to my driveway.

I have potted chairs on either side of my front door. They had twine seats which I cut out and placed a grapevine wreath on the seat so that the pots would fit in the space.

I love birdhouses, and this is a great barn wood masterpiece. It weighs a ton though!

Speaking of birdhouses, this is my little sparrow motel which for many years has produced brood after brood of perky little babies. Honestly, I don't know how their parents survive raising two broods per year. They must be so totally exhausted all of the time! Those babies are hungry little buggers!

Bzzzzzzzzz. Plenty of bees here.

Herbs anyone? An old ash tin is the home for my mini herb garden.

Vibrant blanket flowers make me want to go to Mexico and drink margaritas.

A tiskit, a tasket, a pretty little basket.

Even when it is raining, thanks to my friend Kathy, the sun always shines on my garden.

Words to remember:

So, thank you for sharing my little garden tour today. In keeping with my tradition, it isn't too hard to figure out what made me smile today. It was the precious fawn at dawn. My favorite movie of all time is Bambi. It was the first DVD that I bought. I am a nerd, I know.

On another note, I have reopened my Etsy store. I will be adding new items over the next 3-4 weeks, so please keep checking. I am running a special. Become one of my Blog followers and receive a 10% discount on all Etsy store items now through July 31, 2010. Don't stop there though! Leave comments on my Blog. Tell me what made you smile today!

See the Etsy store for details.
www.robinsnesttreasures.etsy.com

A Monumental Night

2010-06-10T01:36:00.001-04:00

Last night, or rather very early this morning, I spoke about a friend of mine who was going to have a very special day. Last night (since it is now after midnight), my friend Patrick graduated with honors from Washington High School in Washington, PA. As I said yesterday, I have been friends with his parents for over 25 years, and I met his mother in college. I have loved Patrick and his little sister Megan since the days that they were born -- with all of my heart. They are easy to love -- they are wonderful, delightful kids. They are talented, smart, with great senses of humor, and are amazingly down to earth. They are kind, generous people. I am proud to be a part of their extended family. There is no doubt that Patrick is his father's boy. When he was born, it looked like someone took his Dad's head and shrunk it down to a tiny version and put it on Patrick's body. We all laughed hysterically, the resemblance was so uncanny.

Since his Dad is a pilot we wondered if he would follow in his footsteps and fly the friendly skies. As you can see, he even had a bit of early training. But, alas, his talents led him in a different direction.

Here is Patrick at his graduation ceremony.

Here are his parents and his sister Megan who just finished 6th grade with straight A's.

Here I am with Patrick.

It was a wonderful night for everyone. Patrick is headed for Slippery Rock University where he will major in Music -- Voice -- and I believe that he will follow in his very talented Mother - Nancy's - footsteps one day and become a music educator. We are so excited for football season to see Patrick in marching band since our longtime college friend Jim Berry is a Music Professor and the Marching Band Director at Slippery Rock. Nancy, Jim, and I and many, many other great friends share tons of fantastic memories of our college and marching band days at IUP -- Indiana University of Pennsylvania. (Many years ago). Ha ha. I'm sure that there will be more stories of Patrick and Megan in the months to come. This is a wonderful, exciting time for him.

So Patrick, some parting words -- Do what you love -- Love what you do -- Soak it all in -- Get to know as many different kinds of people as you can. Work hard every day and take pride in your work. Love many women, but treat them all like queens. Keep your heart and mind open. Always keep love and laughter in your heart and soul. Thank God every day for your health and your fantastic family and friends. Always take time to be kind, it only takes a few extra seconds or minutes. Most of all, be kind to yourself, you deserve it. Don't let anyone put you down. Never forget that I have loved you and Megan since the days you were born and I will love you both until the end of time.

I'm Back

2010-06-09T04:42:00.000-04:00

It has been a long four months since my last post. I am so happy to see that I now have three followers. I am glad to know that someone out there is reading my Blog finally. I have been very ill and have spent a lot of time in the hospital in March/April, but hopefully things are back to "normal" health wise now. My life is going through a lot of difficult and major changes right now. I am trying my very best to keep a positive attitude as much as possible.

This makes my portion of the Blog -- "Something made me smile today" so much more important to me. It is about 4:30 am on June 9th. Later today one of my very dear friends' son will graduate from high school. He and his sister are the closest thing that I have to my own children since I do not have any children of my own. I have loved them with all of my heart since the day that they were born. Today Patrick will graduate and soon he will be off to college. He will indeed make me smile and cry at the same time today when I watch him walk across that stage. How could time have gone by so quickly? Wasn't it just yesterday that his mother and I were in college together? He has his whole world ahead of him, and it will be wonderful, beautiful, magical. He has a fantastic family, he is in good health, and he will have amazing lifelong friends. Those are the true blessings of life.

I will post some pictures tomorrow. I promise to post regularly from now on. I just started to read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" -- I think that it will be an interesting journey. Until tomorrow -- Robin.

Something Made Me Smile Today -- A Gentleman and a Brooch

2010-02-10T00:04:00.000-05:00

Since my computer crashed over the weekend, I have not been able to access the internet until now, so, I have returned to begin one of our traditions here at the Robin's Nest Treasures Blog -- which is that I will close each post with a segment, which may be only a few words, or it may be longer, about "something that made me smile that day".   So, here is my "smile" for today.


   A GENTLEMAN AND A BROOCH

As I was looking through my coat closet today I passed by my dress coat that I haven't worn much lately and I saw this vintage brooch pinned on the lapel. It brought back a memory for some reason that I would like to share with you.
Several years ago, long before I ever envisioned starting Robin's Nest Treasures, I bought a lovely vintage brooch which I thereafter wore on my winter dress coat. I loved the pin and I received many compliments on it from strangers, but there was a compliment from one man that I will always remember.
I worked in downtown Pittsburgh, PA for about 22 years as a trial attorney, and through the years we came to recognize certain homeless men who frequented our end of town. There was one particular man, whose name I am ashamed to say that I do not know, who lived on the streets for years who appeared to suffer from schizophrenia or some other severe mental illness. He often roamed in and out of traffic, disheveled at best, rambling unintelligibly, and shouting whatever was on his mind to whoever would listen.
One bright sunny winter day I was walking down the sidewalk downtown toward a corner where I needed to cross the street, and I found this man standing on the corner. His clothes were new, he was clean shaven, his eyes were clear and bright! He smiled at me and said -- What a lovely brooch you're wearing madame, may I escort you across the street? Normally, I might have hesitated, but his eyes were so bright, his spirits so high, I could not help but smile and say -- Why certainly kind sir.
So we walked across the street -- just a few dozen feet -- and then we parted ways, but I must tell you that he still makes me smile because my heart leaped for joy for him that day. Not because he had bathed or had new clothes, but because, for a least some brief time, he had escaped from the neurological abyss that fate had placed him into. I don't know whether he received some medication or whether his brain chemistry just decided to give him a compassionate respite from his torturous disease, but, whatever the cause --- for a brief time --- his face was in the sun, and he was whole.
The next time I saw him he was filthy, delirious, rambling - buried deep again in his horrible abyss. I pitied him with all of my heart. I don't know what ever happened to him. Wherever he is, in this life or the next, I hope that he would be pleased to know that, when I think of him, I think of that gallant gentleman who escorted me across the street that beautiful winter day, and that even today - he makes me smile.

Until the next time,
Be Well and Happy --
         Robin

A Slideshow of Canvas and Laminated Fabrics Available for Tote Bags, etc. from Robin's Nest Treasures

2010-02-07T04:52:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Yes, it is 4:35 am and I am in Smilebox Slideshow Hell. I will not even begin to describe the frustration that I have been through the past four hours! Ha ha. Normally I really like Smilebox, but tonight just was not my night. No, folks, today Smilebox will not be the thing that I write about in my post later today that "made me smile"!

We have about 20" of new snow here in Pittsburgh, PA, and there is a state of emergency pretty much everywhere. I have been hard at work on things for my etsy shop. My house is in chaos with fabric and assorted goods everywhere. I have been taking lots of pictures today of vintage flower brooches to post on etsy, and I think that my photography skills are improving somewhat. I do not have the greatest digital camera, but it will have to do for now. I will have to ventre out tomorrow and get some pictures of the snow at a local park. I am thankful that I did not lose power, since many people in our area lost power and are still without it. So, Henry Frank, Miss Bunny and I are nice and warm in the house and I think that it is finally time to go to sleep.

Until tomorrow -- well really - later today --
Be well and happy-

Robin

Beginning Some New Nest Blog Traditions

2010-02-06T03:32:00.001-05:00

Hello, Yes, It's about 3:00 am, and I have not gone to bed yet. This post was supposed to be my "Friday" post, but, we will just pretend that I got it in before midnight, since it will still be here when you wake up. Hey, there's about a foot or more of snow outside and it is still snowing! The huge trees in my backyard are bent over to the ground and I'm just waiting for them to snap and crash into my deck. They are so beautiful all covered in snow, I just wish that we would get some wind to blow the snow off of the limbs.

Before we get down to business, I will share two photos with you. Henry Frank and Bunny are not "outside" cats, so they have never felt snow. They are almost 2 years old, but this is by far the most snow they have ever seen. Bunny is afraid of the white stuff, but I let Henry walk a few feet into the snow. He was so funny - the snow was so deep he could barely walk. I built a little cat snowman at about 9:00 pm -- 6 hours ago -- which has long since been buried by the new snow, but here is a photo.

This Snow Kitty Lady is stylin' with her haute couture birds' nest hat and her mousie purse from Robin's Nest Treasures' Kitty Kouture Line (yet to be launched!). I'm particularly proud of her eyelashes. I have no idea why I had these in my "stash", but I'm glad that I found a good use for them.

So, on to starting some traditions. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what I am supposed to do with this blog, and frankly, I do not have the slightest clue. Its initial purpose is to promote my business, and that is fine, but it should be more than that. So, week by week, we will strive to make it more than a google ad.

So far, I don't think that anyone except for my closest friends are even reading this blog, but that's okay for now. Things will change. If there is one thing that I have learned over the past ten years, it is that you never know what life has in store for you -- don't ever assume that you have it all figured out, or that "it" will never happen to you. Bloom where you are planted, etc, etc, etc.

Okay, since I have developed this fascination for vintage earrings, I have decided that each Friday, I will pick one pair of my favorite earrings out of my "stash" and share them with you. Big deal, you say. Yes, the only person who may be entertained is me, however, there is more to it. First, I will strive to learn and share with you each Friday some knowledge about the history of vintage jewelry (earrings), the artists, manufacturers, etc.

Second, and most importantly, my FREE VINTAGE FLOWER BROOCH GIVEAWAY blog post event begins at 12:01 am on Saturday, February 20, 2010! Beginning on Friday, February 26, 2010, for a period of 5 weeks, on each Friday I will give away one free vintage jewelry flower brooch in a drawing among individuals who have left posts on my blog the previous week during the period of time from 12:01 am Saturday to Noon on Friday. The drawing will be conducted, and the winner will be announced between 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm on the applicable Fridays. Each Saturday at 12:01 am we will start over from scratch for the new week. Sorry, but you can only win one brooch per person.

So, please spread the word among your friends/family! Here are some samples of my vintage jewelry brooches for Valentines Day, but I am currently making others for spring/summer. I will post a photo of the brooch that is up for grabs each week on the blog. As always, I am continually listing these brooches in my etsy shop at http://www.robinsnesttreasures.etsy.com/

The Second Nest tradition that I want to talk about starting is having a weekly post entitled " " Made Me Smile Today. So I will fill in the blank and tell the story at the end of the regular post. It may take three sentences or three pages to tell the story -- whatever it takes to share the goodwill. I have a story to tell today, but at the moment, I cannot hold my head up any longer - I must go to sleep - I will tell the story later today.

Be Well and Happy--

Robin

Filthy to Fabulous -- The Jewelry Cleaning Adventures of Henry Frank II

2010-02-04T23:31:00.001-05:00

Hello, my name is Henry Frank II. I am the handsome orange tabby cat pictured to the left, and I am the Lord of the Manor of Robin's Nest Treasures. My sister, Miss Bunny, pictured below, is the Princess of the Manor. It is Friday night and my Mommy, Robin, just received some vintage jewelry from Ebay. I am going to help Mommy clean some of this jewelry. Bunny and I LOVE to play with Mommy's vintage jewelry pieces. We call them the "shinies". Mommy keeps them in sealed boxes most of the time so that we cannot get to them, but every once in a while, she brings them out so that we can plot our adventures with them. Tonight is a jewelry cleaning night, and I must position myself on the bathroom counter so that -- FIRST, I may play in the water, and SECOND, I may get a closer look at the shinies!

Okay, Henry Frank, this is my Blog, so I will take over the Post now, thank you. I use a lot of vintage earrings to make my various "treasures" for Robin's Nest Treasures", and I love the old vintage clip earrings! Today I received an order from a lady on Ebay who apparently has hundreds of vintage earrings (I'm jealous!), and she wants to get rid of them pronto! So, in addition to my order, she sent me some free vintage flower plastic clip earrings that were very dirty. She probably thought that they were worthless, but, behold, the power of TOOTHPASTE!

Yes, toothpaste is a vintage jewelry collector's best friend. Get a soft baby's toothbrush and some toothpaste - wet the brush - and GENTLY rub the earring to remove dirt and grime. Be very careful with pearl and pearlescent finishes because they peal off easily. Also be careful with loose stones.

It is truly amazing, however, how glorious your vintage beauties will look after a thorough but gentle cleaning! Remember -- Never use a conventional jewelry cleaner on vintage jewelry!

The photo above shows the "before" cleaning on the flower on the left, and the "after" cleaning on the right. Unfortunately it is not as dramatic in the photo as it is in real life.

Anyway, the next photo shows the formerly filthy freebies all cleaned up and ready for action. I do not have many plastic vintage earrings in my stash, but I am happy to add these pretty little flowers. They will be good for making summer flower brooches.

As you can see from the photo below Henry Frank was exhausted by the end of the cleaning session!

Bunny, on the other hand, was totally disinterested in the whole jewelry cleaning process.

She was indignant when I had the nerve to put a lovely pearl necklace on her. No faux pearls for her highness! Perhaps she can borrow Auntie Karen Louise's tiara.

Well folks, that's about all for tonight. More later from "the nest" this weekend. Stay well and happy. Robin

Time to Sew

2010-01-15T02:26:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone -- The small January "thaw" has inspired me to start on some new sewing projects, as well as some "old" unfinished projects. Some of my friends have asked to see some of the canvas fabric that I have available to make my reversible tote bags with, so, instead of lugging my book of fabric samples all around town, I have come into the new age and discovered the SmileBox Slide show! As you can see, the first slide show is devoted to canvas fabrics, so you can browse at your leisure. For some reason, when it downloaded it cut off a couple of the titles of the fabric, but if you want that particular piece of fabric, we will figure it out, don't worry. There are plenty of other canvas fabrics available that I do not have yet, so if there is a particular color that your are looking for, please let me know, and I will find some things for you to look at. I love custom orders!

I have two "sewing" things that I am excited about. As a Christmas gift, I gave my special neighbor girl and friend who is in elementary school a fully stocked Mary Engelbreight sewing kit and a certificate for me to give her sewing lessons on the machine. I was not sure whether or not she would like this gift, but she was thrilled, and we are both looking forward to it. So now we have to pick out a project, and she can dig through the mounds of my fabric to choose her favorite.

The second thing is that, in addition to using upcycled sweaters to make my vintage jewelry flower brooches, I have discovered that you can use sweaters and sweaters/coats in combination to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations. I stayed up all night last night working on my first two creations. It is so exciting making something out of nothing.

Come hell or high water, I am posting some of my flower brooches on etsy tomorrow, and I have also made some special Valentine brooches for etsy. I will also list the two Nordic sweater coats that I am working on now when they are finished.

I hope that everyone has a good weekend. Next week I hope to do a feature on making some very beautiful Valentines Day ornaments. So, please check back!

Stay Well and Happy.

Robin

robins nest treasures tote bag fabric selections

2010-01-15T02:08:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

January 11, 2010 Burrrrrrrrrrrr -- Confessions of a Fabric Lover

2010-01-10T20:05:00.007-05:00

Hello out there in cyberworld! Greetings from Pittsburgh, PA, where the 3 rivers are almost frozen over and the Steelers are washed up!

My name is Robin and I'm a virgin blogger, so be gentle with me. I don't tweet, or facebook, or myspace, etc., YET, but I have a feeling I will be entering into that arena in the near future.

I recently started my own business -- Robin's Nest Treasures -- which you will hear more about in the days to come. I have a store on etsy which I am beginning to stock as we speak. I make purses, briefcases, tote bags, and flower brooches using upcycled sweaters and vintage earrings and pins. I also make sweet aprons for ladies and girls. My most beautiful and unique item are my silk floral teacup wreaths which feature antique teacups, vintage ladies' gloves and handkerchiefs on a silk floral wreath. You can see my store at http://www.robinsnesttreasures.etsy.com/

Please check back weekly the next several weeks as I will be adding new items every week.

I will start my blog with a confession. I am in love with fabric! I love to look at it, feel it, smell it, imagine all of the things that I could make with it (but often ultimately never do)! Moda, Tina Givens, Robert Kaufmann, on and on and on. I will share more of my favorites with you in the months to come. There are several great quilt shops in my area that I can, and sometimes do, spend hours in -- Quilters Corner in Finleyville, PA and Piecing It Together on Babcock Blvd. in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, PA. I am always on the hunt for a sale.

My only comfort is knowing that I am not alone. I routinely hear women in quilt shops saying that they have to sneak their fabric purchases into their houses because their husbands have threatened them with divorce if they buy one more yard of fabric to put in their ever-growing "stash".

Last summer I converted my third bedroom into my sewing room. I was so excited at the prospect of fitting all of my fabric and sewing supplies into one room! It was heaven for about 2 months until I grew out of it. I tried to convince my Mother that the fabric fat quarters and half yards must engage in hanky panky at night while I am sleeping, and in the morning, I find them multiplied threefold, but she just gave me the "mother look".

Hold on fabric -- enter my discovery of the world of upcycled sweaters! After much research and experimentation, I developed a way to make purses, briefcases, etc., as well as beautiful flower brooches out of recycled pieces of sweaters and vintage earrings/pins. This put my fabric compulsion on hold. Hurray!

But wait..... I then focused my quests on local thrift stores for sweaters and vintage earrings and pins. The jewelry is easy to organize and does not take up much room, but, oh no, now I have bags and bags of sweaters in every color and pattern you could possibly want. The good news is that these flower brooches have proved to be my most popular item. So, I will reorganize, and reorganize, and make room for the sweaters. Even better news -- I hear there is a whole new area of design making custom jackets, coats and sweater coats out of recycled sweaters! I'm in love! I really do have a life - Ha, Ha - Just ask my friends - if they will admit that they know me!

But, for the time being, my mantra must be -- I don't need any more sweaters -- I don't need any more sweaters! When I go to the thrift stores, I will not look at the sweaters, I will only look at the jewelry!

So, now the time has come to start sewing and make some beautiful things with all of my "stash", sweaters and fabric alike.

It is cold outside and I am cozy at home with my precious kittys Henry Frank II, and his sister Bunny. Henry is the orange tabby -- the ornery one.