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discolored with age
these resplendent old barn boards
are magic at dusk

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mountain sustenance
thawing in this mid-winter
and flowing down-hill

MondayUPs



Monday's can be rough... But I'm here to help.


In celebration of my 15th year selling my handmade stuff... 
I am going to be featuring things I've seen on blogs, on the internet, in books
...wherever inspiration strikes! On making new items from old goods..
hence, MondayUPs (upcycling)...

***

Christmas is fast approaching.
So today I thought I would feature wreathes
...all made from recycled and upcycled goods:

made from:
newspaper, old decorations, tools
corks, trash bags, pine cones
tin from cans, ribbon, white paper

made from:
old lights, scrap fabric, tinfoil
toilet paper rolls, ties, buttons
christmas balls, Polaroids, paper towel rolls

made from:
feathers, gumdrops, a tire!
soup cans, old sweater sleeves, old cards
beads, fruit and tree trimmings, thin grocery store bags


---and then here are some links to DIY ideas:
pinterest
inhabit design
alpha mom

for the weekend


It's snowing.
ALOT.

I keep thinking it's gotta stop... and then I look out... and it's still coming down.
But the yard sure is pretty...

And alas, it's the weekend... and while today was rather busy;
I am hoping tomorrow will be filled with:
-a fire in the fireplace
-lots of hot tea
-a soft couch and a good book.

But first... let me share with you some links I've collected over the past couple of weeks.
Like this excellent listing of photography books ... perfect for gifting this year
-and this collection of truly weird and wonderful vintage photos
-or maybe this article on some fantastic SNOWFLAKE photos.

And speaking of winter and weather... there is THIS
-and here is a group I joined a month or so ago... with various art postings all on the theme of "winter"...
-or are you dreaming of the beach? Here is something to ponder...
-and this is just wonderful
-and this is thought provoking
--- and this was a HUGE relief.

So ... stay warm.
Have fun... and see you on Monday.

Friday Finds



I read... alot.
I love the written word.

I have decided to feature some of the blogs I read on friday's... hence the title... Friday's Finds.
I have about 250 blogs currently on my reading list... and I'm going to be sharing those links over the course of this year... on Friday's.
(plus any more I come across).
If you have a blog.... or have a favorite blog that you want me to feature...
just shoot me an email (moongipsies@msn.com).

***

Santa is making his list...
and so am I.
Here is this week's list of blog sites:

Helen Green
Cheap Meats
Poetry Revolution
Cerebral Dilettante
Kitty and Buck
New Nostalgia
Little Green Notebook
Orly Avineri
Late Start Studio
Larry D. Crook
Awesome Mama
Sas Petheric

and as a BONUS: Design LoveFest -- a design blog

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The dark-eyed junkos (photo above) have been really enjoying the bird feeder... 
as are the cardinals, woodpeckers, blue Jays, finches, orioles, and wrens.
Which just reminds me how very much I have to learn about birds... and so I keep a bird identifying book near the window.

Most every morning when I look out; I can see fresh deer prints in the snow... and I love it.
It is a wonderful thing living here. 

I am also very glad to have my laptop back up and running... it ended up being somewhat of a costly fix... but I am grateful.
AND... BAJ was able to save all the links on my blog reading list... and .. .
as I've not been able to post them for a couple weeks on "Friday Finds"...
 I thought I would include a list today.


---as a BONUS of sorts; here is a link to a video project that I came across. It's wonderful.

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Well... the laptop is (finally) back up and running... so (hopefully) I will be posting more dependably.
But for today... I will simply showcase some photos I took with the phone this afternoon 
on one of my many errands while I was "out and about".

.



Normally, I would be posting "Friday Finds"... a continuing series of mine where I share blog links that I have come across. 
However, my laptop is in the final stages of being fixed... and I hope to have it back up and running 
sometime tomorrow... so I am going to hold off on my regular posting until then.

In the meantime... I thought I would share a photo I took this week of one of my favorite barns in the area.
I am absolutely in love with the colors on this aged wood structure.

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one fine winter's morn
while the sun peeked through the trees
I heard you singing

unconditional
a love that asks for nothing
save a willing heart

-------------------------

Since Saturday night, we have had a houseguest...
a scared little boy who had obviously been neglected, starved, abused.. and abandoned.
He was very sick... and although he rallied around on Sunday and Monday;
passed away today in our arms.

RIP little one... we'll see you later

MondayUPs




Monday's can be rough... But I'm here to help.


In celebration of my 15th year selling my handmade stuff... 
I am going to be featuring things I've seen on blogs, on the internet, in books
...wherever inspiration strikes! On making new items from old goods..
hence, MondayUPs (upcycling)...

***

Christmas is fast approaching.
So today I thought I would feature decorations to make
(mostly for your tree)
using things around the house...



buttons


tin from cans


fabric scraps


paper


...even some bulbs!

for the weekend



well... Thanksgiving has come and gone.
It's amazing how quickly time flies by.

Last weekend... I was writing about how my laptop had died... and we couldn't fix it until we found the program discs.... which are somewhere in out basement. Well... they are still there. The laptop is still in a coma of sorts... and along with it... all my bookmarks and such that I would normally be collecting and sharing on posts such as this.

But wait. I am not complaining. It just is what it is.
In the meantime though... other things have been going on.

* we hired a local electrician... and he has miraculously installed tons of lighting in the basement studio. It is truly amazing. He also installed an outlet strip... so I can plug in alot of my equipment.. .like the kiln... and the grinder and such. And... I ordered a couple small space heaters online... and now the studio is much warmer at around 58 degrees.
He was also able to repair and/or disconnect some bad outlets.. .including a couple that were outside... and not made to be outside outlets. And... he installed a new light/fan in our bathroom.



* I've hung up a few birdfeeders and treats for the birds in the yard... and we are enjoying watching them (and e chipmunks) frolic about.

* we went to a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner .. surrounded by good food... and lots of family that I haven't seen in quite awhile.

* I've caught up with some of my reading... and taken photos every day.

* I've listed most everything back in the Etsy shop that was there before the "big move cross country"..

* and we've watched several movies... some I liked... others not so much. But I thought I would share some of them with you all here:

Frida: love it. Excellent. Saw it years ago... and forgot how wonderful it was. Would watch again and again.
Dark Shadows: loved it. Sorta predictable... but still well done.
Hot Fuzz: surprisingly really good... plus.. .most of the cast is in it from Shaun of the Dead... which is also really, really good.
On the Road: supposedly about Jack Kerouac. Tons of sex. Not that I am against sex... but it's sorta like watching a fire... you want to turn away... you really do... and for some reason.. you can't. Pretty -- no really, really bad.
Life of Pi: whoa. Stunning visually. Cosmic. Awesome story too.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower: again; surprisingly good. Not great... but good.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green: tearjerker. Predictable. Shouldn't have bothered.
Drive Me Crazy: typical teen romance/comedy. eeps.
Home Fries: saw it years ago. I remember it  being better.
The Descendants: surprisingly not bad!
The Black Dahlia: oh... how I wanted this to  be good... and I kept waiting for it to be good. .. and it never made it there. Stunning photography though.
Hope Springs: truly terrible. wow.
 ---and on tap for tomorrow:.. This one.... hope it's good :)

Anyway.
Hope you all had a fabulous holiday... and are enjoying this wintry season... wherever you are.

Friday Finds



Normally  on Fridays; I post blog links that are in my "bookmarks"... favorites that I look at weekly...
However, my laptop died.. and all my bookmarks are only visible on it... so I am without my links.

Instead... I thought I would share with you links to the books that I have been reading these past couple of weeks..
And how lucky are we... that it's perfect weather to curl up with a good book and a large mug of tea...

- "The Art of Mending" by Elizabeth Berg
- "Good Poems" a compilation by Garrison Keillor
- "The Probably Future" by Alice Hoffman
- "Independents Day" by Lou Dobbs --- recommended by a friend. Not my usual read.
- "Practical Floriculture" by Peter Henderson. An antique book, borrowed from a friend.
- "Stories of the Universe: The Stars" by George E. Chambers. An antique book, borrowed from a friend.

--- and then these two are always on my nightstand...
and the latest copy of THIS

Best wishes for you all today... may you have a "good read" tonight.

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thoughts of days gone by
flying through old stone windows
rising to new heights

.





 deep in the wild wood
where hearts and souls dare fly free
I find peace within

.







late November's lace
each little tendril dances
with snow falling down