ANNOUNCING....ESMEE LYNNE

My ETSY Shop....
ESMEE LYNNE, Something Old, Something Handmade

Embroidered/Appliqued Half Apron

I have stocked it with Vintage Everything: Aprons, Christmas, Curtains and more...

Check out my Departments (aka Sections in Etsy lingo): Aprons, Christmas, Curtains, Handkerchiefs, Fabric (Feedsacks)...

Feedsack 38" x 40"

If you love Vintage, like I love Vintage, you will find something you just have to have!!!!

Mini-Quilt in free-standing
decoupage frame

I also have a Section for Art and Supplies...Check them out!




I am in my Shop everyday...stop by and find something you love!
A lot  of new items on the way!  I love finding things in my stash of "old" things to offer you.


Looking for you at ESMEE LYNNE...SOON!

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

We wish you a Merry Christmas; 

We wish you a Merry Christmas; 

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Good tidings we 

bring to you and 

your kin: 

Good tidings for Christmas

and a Happy New Year. 

and To All A Goodnight!

and Santa Says....

Explosive Eighteen

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do not know how she does it!  Janet Evanovich manages to keep Stephanie Plum and her family and friends involved in interesting stories book after book.  Usually, after eighteen books (she also writes other books in between) most writers have run out of interesting plots.  The books have "I wrote this because my editor wanted another one" air about them.  Not so with Evanovich. I have to admit there were a few that fell short, but very few.  Also, it took me three books to hook me. 


Everyone is there: Morelli, Ranger, Lulu, Connie, Grandma Mazur, her mother and father....and many more! You will wonder about halfway through this book about the significance of the title...just be patient.  You'll love it! 


BTW...

"One For the Money",the movie is to be released in January.  


Kathryn Heigl will play Stephanie Plum, 

Jason O'Mara will play Morelli,

Daniel Sunjata will be Ranger

 Sherri Shepherd is Lulu.  I pictured Lulu as a little bit

more endowed "everywhere".

The biggest casting surprise is Debbie Reynolds for Grandma Mazur.  I can't picture it, but am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.  

I usually like a book better than I like the movie (click here see trailer)...we'll see!

If you haven't read the Plum books and see the movie, you will want to read them now.  Be sure and get on the list at your library. I am sure there will be a long waiting list as soon as the move is released.  Those of us that have read them will probably want to read them again.












View all my reviews on Goodreads.com

A Madrigal..ing We Shall Go!

We seem to be keeping I-40 "hot" lately.  We went back the University of Central Arkansas.  This time we attended the 36th Madrigal Feaste presented by the UCA Chamber Singers. We were treated with an awesome concert of Renaissance music and a dinner of Prime Rib of Beef or Chicken.

 I had never attended a current day Madrigal dinner, but Chuck has been to a couple of them.  John Erwin, the Director of the UCA Choir, was also his church choir director in the mid-70's.  He was the UCA Choir Director then and is still the director.  Madrigals were popular in the 16th and 17th Centuries. 


As we arrived we were announced to the other guests.

The singers arrived in a processional and serenaded us before dinner and during dinner.  The waiters served dessert...a flaming "figgy" pudding...tasting a lot like spice cake with powdered sugar icing.  Then, the Chamber Singers serenaded us with more period Carols as they moved around the room.   







We had a wonderful time!
The music was great 
as were all of the singers. 
We were completely in awe 
by the their talent.  


It is hard to imagine 
the work that went into 
preparing for this
Madrigal Feaste.  


Congratulations to 
Director Erwin and
each and every singer.  


















Also, thanks for the great service provided at the dinner...
...kudos to the servers. 

To Be or Not To Be Inspired

I don't know about you, but from time to time I go "cold" on my creativity.  As a result, I do nothing.  Then, I start to clean up/organize my craft area(s).  

The minute I start touching and looking at my inks, stamps, clip art, embellishments I get all kind of ideas.  The morale of this story...keep in touch with my "stuff". 

I can close the doors on some of my stuff.

I see a lot of suggestions/tips on how to organize your work space.  To tell you the truth, I do better if it is not organized.  

To give you a peek at how an unorganized work space looks I thought I would take a few pictures of my mess.  I confess to liking the mess and enjoy getting inspired by its messiness.  My "stuff" is spread out all of my house.  If we have company, it has to be planned.  I have to do some major picking up so they will have a place to sit and a table on which to eat.

Am I the only one that likes and gets inspired by this jumble of stuff....or do all artists have lovely studios with a lot of "cubbies" with all of their stuff organized and color coded?

James Carville On Stage

We went back to the University of Central Arkansas this week to see James Carville.   You ask #1 who is James Carville and #2 if you know the answer, you ask what could he have done to entertain a "full house"?


Well, let me tell you...I have never seen a "Political Consultant" put on a show.  However, I saw James Carville do it.  He is a very entertaining "one man" show.  I was totally impressed by his stage presence and ability to keep on topic and at the same time interject his humor...all without notes or a teleprompter.  All he had was a mike and a bottle of water.  He was introduced by a video of SNL clips that poked fun at him.  He came on stage, rolled up the sleeves of his blue button-down collar and started talking.  




In between his humor about past and present politicians and their campaigns, he left us with some bits of wisdom.  At the end of about 45 minutes of "stand-up" commentary, he took questions from the audience. He wrapped up all questions with three things that will insure that our children will share in the "American Dream".


1.  Make sure the value of education and its costs are equal.
2.  Keep money out of politics.  
3.  Make healthcare affordable.


There were a couple of comments he made that I found interesting:
1.  Regarding the Supreme Court's review of "ObamaCare", I heard him say that he hoped they would vote for it by 5-4.  His reasoning was that any failure of the Plan could not be placed in the lap of the Supreme Court, but blame would fall to those who were responsible for its passage.
2. He did not think he was a particular favorite of President Obama right now.  

It would have been even more fun if his wife, Mary Matalin, had joined him on stage:)

Mad Madge

Mad Madge: 
The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, 
the First Woman to Live by Her Pen
by Katie Whitaker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A short synopsis: 
Margaret Cavendish's life as a writer and noblewoman unfolded against the backdrop of the English Civil War and Restoration. Pursuing the only career open to women of her class, she became a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Henrietta Maria. Exiled to Paris with the Queen, she met and married William Cavendish, Marquis of Newcastle. In exile, Margaret did something unthinkable for a seventeenth-century Englishwoman: she lived proudly as a writer. Eventually she published twenty-three volumes, starting with Poems and Fancies, the first book of English poetry published by a woman under her own name. But later generations too easily accepted the disparaging opinions of her shocked critics, and labeled her "Mad Madge of Newcastle."Mad Madge is both a lively biography of a fascinating woman and a window on a tumultuous cultural time.


Well, I finally finished "Mad Madge", Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle.  I bet you thought I never would.  (After all, I started in back in February.)  I really enjoyed this book. It took me a long time to finish it, but I savored every moment. Some reviewers thought it slow, but that is what I liked about it. It was not a "page turner", but held my interest. 


If you like history, you might like this peek at the mid-1600's through Margaret's eyes. I thought Ms. Whitaker's research excellent. Not only was Margaret not "mad", but was an imminent figure of her time as noted throughout the book and in the Epilogue. I recommend it to you.


View all my reviews

Maisie Dobbs (#3)

Pardonable Lies 
by Jacqueline Winspear

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 As always, Maisie starts out with one case, but ties it to a few others and solves them all. When I start one of her books, I don't want to put it down.  I haven't said that about too many books that I have read in the past few years.  I did find myself skimming over some of the story at the end...once all of the lose ends were tied up.  I will be reading the next book in the series and the next...and the next. 

View all my reviews on Goodreads.com

Tripping into Fall

Buffalo River at Ponca

We have been on a journey...a couple of "day trips" to be exact.  We took two "day trips" to find some Fall color in Arkansas.  Why you say?  Because Chuck is looking for inspiration for his painting.  


We took one trip to the Buffalo River through Atkins to Dover to Ponca back to Clarksville  and home.

Sumac

The River at Ponca

On the road back to Clarksville

On our second trip we took our sister, Peggy, and headed to Heber Springs, Red Apple Inn and Greer's Ferry Lake.  

Some "color" at entrance to Red Apple Inn

Us

Me

These pictures were taken at Swan Lake (see Blog) outside Heber Springs...after we had lunch at Macks Fish House.

Peg and Me 

Chuck and Peg

What we found....Not a lot of color, but we enjoyed our trips and got some photos to inspire "the artist".

No Color...I just liked this picture!

Show Me State-Missouri No. 33*

Missouri "ATC" 

Good memories of Missouri the 33rd State in my Odyssey. I am counting down to the 1st State.

Graduation Day, 1991

Sherri, the 1st daughter, graduated from Washington University, St. Louis in in 1990.  We had a great time at her graduation...saw Shaw Gardens, formally known as the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  (I even worked in time for "junking" known by some as "antiquing".)  

In 1998 we gave ourselves a weekend at the Big Cedar Lodge in Branson for a Christmas present.  

A real treat...we saw the Andy Williams Christmas Show at his Moon River Theatre and visited the Outlet Malls.








Stay tuned for No. 32!  Which State will it be???


*For "new to my blog" friends...on May 17, 2010, I visited Wisconsin.

 I can now say that I have been in, to or through all 50 United States.

 I am committed to make an Artist Trading Card "ATC" for each of

 the 50 States. 

Where did my time go?

I can't believe it...I haven't posted since October 12...not one word. I honestly do not know where the time went!  I even keep lists so I know that I have accomplished something from day to day.

Looking back over the 12 days---








I ran a My Memories Suite giveaway.  Which I confess did not prove to be successful except for me.  I did get a free copy of the software for running a Giveaway.  However, there were no takers from my Blog followers or from my Facebook.  Perhaps there weren't any "digital" scrapbookers among them or if there were, they already had the software they needed.

Click here to visit my shop.

I have also been busy stocking my etsy shop.  I now have 45 items in inventory with more to come.  Right now there are vintage aprons, curtains and handkerchiefs.  I am almost ready for the Grand Opening.  I am not sure what that means.  I have already had a few sales without a Grand Opening or any publicity.

Work at the library took up some of the time as did golfing and quilting.  Also,  just day to day chores...cleaning, washing, cooking...reading...watching dvd's...going to the Rep and an Emmanuel concert in Conway!

Now the big question;  Am I really retired?  hmmm....Technically, the answer is "yes".  However, I am as busy as I was when I worked a 40-hour week.  That was when I worked five days and was off two...never enough time.  Now I work three days a week and am off four...still not enough time.

I have always liked what I am doing at the moment and I still do!!!  That is the secret-Like what you do!  If you don't, find something that you do and do it, Now...