Black Cork Treats...

On this last day of February I am sharing Black Cork with you.  My blog friend Donna of Brynwood Needleworks sews the most wonderful creations.  I decided it was time to treat myself to this gorgeous Grab and Go Crossbody Clutch.  I actually had a special need for it at an annual high end car collection meeting and dinner.  I wanted my hands free and I wanted no chance of touching any priceless vintage automobiles with any purse.

These are the accessories I added to my request.  I put mints in the small case shown on the left.  The larger case on the right is what I put my Driver's License and credit cards into.  It works beautifully.

This Wristlet Clutch is another treat and I wanted it to use for those times when I just need a few items.  Phone and ID and lipstick.  I love the handy size and convenience of this.

Donna also sewed a new larger card case for my Blue Cork Clutch I already own. It works perfectly.  Thank you sew very much Donna for accommodating my wishes and creating exactly what I wanted.  Your workmanship is perfection.  I highly recommend anyone to click her link and see the amazing things she creates.  Yes, it is quite okay to treat yourselves!
February has just a few hours left.  We have had mild and gorgeous weather...until...Sunday night. It snowed and iced and made a mess of everything.  Two showings had to be canceled for Monday.  And our Open House on Tuesday had to be canceled due to the weather.  Heartbreak for us and for our lovely broker who worked very diligently towards this Open House including mailing out 260 personal invitations.   Mother Nature is due to dump more snow and ice on us tonight and right on through Saturday.  Mr. C worked so hard to shovel and snowblow and broom everything to no avail.  He fell several times on the ice and I am grateful he didn't hit his head or break anything when he fell on the slate steps.  No complaining here about the weather because we need the water table so badly.  Northern California had a five year drought and we do not need to experience that again any time soon.  So we put our planning on hold and stay positive and continue to work towards our goal.
Safe and Warm at least we have a roof overhead.  Prayers for all affected by bad weather.
March will come in like a Lion and hopefully leave like a lamb.  Blessings and Love to each of you... 

Home Listed Now...

Busy is an understatement right now!  Here is the link to our home listing which went live Friday February 16, 2018.  Please enjoy the photos.  We are hopeful that this will be "Third Time is the Charm" and that "one buyer" will come along.
Thank you Tonya of Tonya Goodwin.com for all the time and work you have put into our endeavors of moving on.
Please click the links for more photos and information.
Thank you sweet followers for hanging in with me.  I do have a bit of fun to share with you in the studio however it shall wait till later.
For now I shall share my home with you and wish everyone a safe and glorious President's weekend.

Hello Fabulous February...

January was a blurr because the days passed so quickly.  And now February is here and doing the very same thing that January did.  Zoom Zoom is not only for car commercials!  LOL
Mr. C and I have been following our directions and we are decluttering our home once again.  We now have a storage unit and it is filled in just one day.  Thank you to our friend John for helping move all this stuff.  We will have a sale in the future when our home sells. But for now we just might need to use all of this to resettle into our current home.  Well...truth be told we won't need all of this.

We spent yesterday staging every room and deck/patio.  Other than the constant schlepping of stuff to see if anything would work, I truly enjoyed myself.  I love having a real decorator with an eye for elegance and simplicity guide me and work with me.  We touched every room and every surface.  My favorite part is that we "shopped" within our own cupboards and repurposed whatever we could.  Thank you sincerely Ms. T for your guidance and expertise and physical help.  Mr. C was a very patient helper and photographer.  You know how women need to have the furniture moved several times before it is just right.

I love how clean and neat everything looks.   This little cabinet before had three colors of towels filling both shelves and I can completely agree it looked too busy.  And it had a towel warmer sitting on top.  Now it looks so much better.   I think you can see how a storage unit was needed.  Bring on the formal Photographer.  We will be ready for our new home photos. Third time is the Charm!!!
Our weather is glorious for me who does not like Winter.  We did get some rain and some snow in late January so that was good for our water table.  And we will get lots more I am sure...however for now I am truly enjoying this sunshine and mid-60F temperatures we are having.
I am enjoying your Valentine posts, décor and creations.  Hearts are Timeless!
Mindful Creative Bliss is how I am enJOYing each and every day...<3

Saving Adeline's Stitchery...

Last August I was fortunate to attend a two day community flea market with my daughter-in-love.  Every home and the community all set out treasures and sell them very reasonably.  In fact on Sunday noon everything is half-price or less.  So I purchased this wonderful stitchery and removed it from a ratty frame.  I just knew I was saving this from the trash bin.  I adore it for the lovely hand stitches and the content represents everything I love!

Because wall space is always in short supply, I decided it should become a pillow for my sewing room.  My friend Martha gave me some perfect linen in a divine taupe color.  Thank you Martha.  I decided to band the stitchery to enlarge it and to feature the stitchery.  The pillow cover is now 18" x 20".  I will keep it flat and unstuffed for now.  We are still living in limbo...

This is the back of the pillow cover.  I decided to make it envelope style. I also decided to use the lovely softly fringed selvedges as they are and not turn them in and sew them inside.  I love the look.

When I removed the stitchery from the frame, this little brown paper signature was on the back. That is how I know Adeline did the stitchery.  It makes me so happy to imagine Adeline sitting and stitching this piece.

Sew...it is with great happiness that I have Adeline's Stitchery as a lovely pillow for my sewing room chair.  Thank you Adeline for your amazing homage to all things I love.
We are having rain and it is colder so now the ski resorts will be getting the snow they need so much.
What projects are you working on in our shorter daylight hours of Winter...Or Summer for my far-a-way visitors and friends?  JOYful Creative Bliss...

Apple Cider Salted Caramels...

These are NOT caramels!   I overcooked my mixture by just a smidge and ended up with Apple Cider Salted Hard Candy. It is still delicious!  At Thanksgiving my Daughter-in-Love made the most delicious Apple Cider Salted Caramels. Soft and chewy and so delicious. 
So...I wanted to make them.

She gave me the link to Smitten Kitchen and the recipe. Click here for your recipe.  I gathered my ingredients and got to cooking.  All was going well until...I almost reduced all of the apple cider.  It looked like I had foam only but I continued.  These are very easy to make...if you pay attention.

I poured my cooked batch into my prepared pan.  It looked amazing.  I let it sit to cool off.  And this is when I discovered I must have overcooked it by just a smidge. My caramels are not soft and cannot be cut with an oiled knife!  Ruined!  I was very sad.  Mr. C to my rescue. He suggested I break it up with a hammer.

I took my hard rock slab and a clean kitchen towel to his workshop.  Then I got his big heavy hammer and began to break pieces.  No need to wrap these delicious jewels in parchment paper.  They are in a container and ready for my pleasure.  These pieces merely melt in my mouth!  I am not going to waste them...since I love sugar and all candy.  Yes, I will try to make the real caramels in the future. For now I am enjoying the yummy flavor of my Apple Cider Salted Hard Candy.
We have been having some rain.  So refreshing and the hills are the most divine green colors.  My prayers continue for everyone across our Nation who are experiencing radical weather.  It is unbelievable that Highway 101 remains closed in the Santa Barbara/Montecito area of California.
January days are going by so quickly I just cannot keep up.  So I shall remain Mindful of each and every hour...even if I have no idea what day it is.
Creative Bliss and Valentine HeArts to each of you my dears...<3