Foreign Car Show...

Yesterday was a beautiful Saturday in our little town in Northern California.  This photo is an overview looking down Broad Street.  The weather was perfect and in the low 70's.  The sky was blue, the sun was shining and it was a special day for showing off cars.  

Here are a few lined up to get parked along Broad Street.  As you can see there is quite the variety.  

 Here is a typical street scene of cars and people.  The crowds all day were many and well behaved.  Our little town flourishes on tourism and this hopefully helped.  The shops were busy and the restaurants were full.  Many of the shops were having sidewalk sales and specials to offer to the buying public.  For the adults there was also a wine stroll that is very fun.

Here is Mr. C wearing his black Lotus shirt standing by his black Lotus.  He is so technical and quite the Lotus expert so he loves it when guys ask detailed questions.  Yes, this is the car that was on fire on Sunday afternoon and burned through both fuel lines.  There were NO fuel lines to be found in North America as they are so unique.  By Wednesday Mr. C had made even better flame resistant fuel lines and installed them.  By Thursday he was driving the car.  By Friday he took me for a drive and bought me lunch at a lovely restaurant down the hill.  (Oh I was a nervous wreck...but not to worry all was fine.)

This is another Lotus and these are our friends who drove from Woodland, CA to enter the show.  They are such a nice couple and we enjoy them very much.  We met last year when we drove our Lotus's to the National Convention in Red Rock Nevada.  

Here is one of the cars that won my heart.  It was a 1939 beauty.  

I did say there was quite the variety.  From the photos you can see many different types and ages and makes.  This is a little cutie that caught my eye.  Each of the cars is juried to be able to enter into this show.  This is the second year it has been held in town.  Last year it poured rain and they only had a very few cars that were brave enough to get so wet.  We were not!  Our money we paid merely got donated to United Way and that is just fine.  A good fundraiser is always at the top of my list.
All in all this was a splendid day.  Chatting with nice people and seeing so many fine automobiles.  Shopping and dining locally.  Visiting with lots of friends that came to view the cars. And that perfect weather was blissful.
I adore my little town and the activities that abound here.  This is why I volunteer for our local Chamber of Commerce.  I believe in who we are and what we do.  I hope you enjoyed this post of photos.
Wonderful week ahead.  Lots of graduations have been occurring and now for most it is officially SUMMER!  Hip Hip Hooray!!!

Birthday Gift Given...

Here is an ensemble I made for one of my dear friends.  We celebrated her birthday with a day of lunch and shopping at a beautiful nursery and gallery and fabric shops.  There were four of us Ladies Who Lunch.  It was a wonderful day.  Very relaxed and just right.  Even the weather was wonderful.
This is one of my favorite crocheted necklaces I have posted about.  You may click here to see the previous post and how-to.
This trellis yarn is a really pretty silver with several shades of blue.  She loves blue as much as I do so no decision to make here.  I wanted to include some earrings so I managed to crochet and fashion a pair with vintage pearls to match.  The bracelet has no yarn but the beads are in the same colors as the necklace and earrings. If you can see on the necklace I did a new tweak to it.  I added the large hole beads at each side just above the knots.  They really add a nice flair.  
My friend really liked her gift.  I am so grateful to be able to create things personalized for each recipient.
Happy Creating and enjoy your weekend...

 Here it is June already.  This month the ATC theme is '"Mermaids".  Of course I am signed up for Kimberly's ATC swap. You can go visit her blog and see all the fabulous things she creates.  I got to spend some quality time with my sister Marie and we had fun shopping for mermaid themed ephemera for my ATCs I will create.

In the month of May our theme was "Sew Many Flowers".   Here are the ATCs I made for May.  It was only a swap of 3 for 3 but I always make one just for Kimberly as she is the best hostess...always organized and on time.  I also made a few extra for some special friends who are not able to participate in the swap.

 I started with my idea of old sewing cards.  I used to love to thread that yarn or string into the holes and then see what shape it made.  I think those simple sewing cards have gone by the wayside like so many fond items of my youth and my daughter's youth.  But I digress...since ATCs are only 2.5" x 3.5" I kept my sewing to the outside edge and no fancy shapes.

Using paper, stamps, buttons, fabric, thread, lace, safety pins, pattern tissue, ribbon, snaps, and a hook and eye I made my ATCs and I adore them.  I am so pleased with myself for remembering to take photos.
I am looking forward to receiving my 3 swapped ATCs.  It is always amazing to see how each person participating interprets the theme just a little differently.  And the mediums used are all varied and add to the mix of creativity.  This is also a great way to "meet" new bloggers or friends with like-minded pursuits.
Our rain and hail has ended and gone away.  Mr. C and I took a walk about the property.  The pond is nice and filled however the water is brown with mud the rain kicks up.  It should clear in a few days.  This year we have hundreds of polliwogs and they are eating every Lilly pad.  Each leaf has a very "frilly" edge where it has been nibbled away.  Some of the small Lilly pads are completely eaten away.  Every year it is a new challenge with Nature.  Some plants got damaged quite a bit and some plants survived nicely.  The force of the hail actually shredded leaves into slits  and tore holes right threw other leaves.  We had to stake and re-tie some of the roses that were pummeled to the ground.  Overall we think all will survive nicely.  I should be out weeding right now while the ground is soft, however I am not.
I have actually played in my studio today...just a bit.  Gluing, cutting, stamping, gluing some more...
May your weather be just right and may you enjoy every minute...  

June Winter Snow...

 This is June 4th and it is Winter weather.  We have had pouring rain all day and very cold temperatures.  Now it is 9:30 pm and we are having lots of lightening and thunder.  When we began to lose our TV satellite reception we thought we better go outside and see what the weather was.  Major hail!  I had to grab the camera and took these photos just minutes ago.

We are approximately 3400 feet elevation.  Just 50 miles up the hill is the Tahoe area and it has been snowing most of the day up there.  The news always shows travelers who are in shorts and flip-flops and not prepared at all for this winter weather.
I am thankful for the rain as it is helping to refill our pond after draining it down to make the repairs.  However this hail is going to destroy our beautiful roses that are in full bud and bloom. Also our new hydrangeas and all the flowers that are so delicate will have massive destruction.   Tomorrow when the weather clears we will assess everything and begin from there.
I am thankful for this weather and not having to worry about hurricanes or worse.
Carry on June and show us the sunshine of Summer to come...

Beaded Corsage Pins...

 These photos were taken in March when I made and sent these little gifties to my friend Ana for her birthday.  She loves pink.  You may already follow her Scrappy Pink Corner blog but if you don't please visit her.  Ana is quite the scrapbook page expert and she makes the most amazing mini album books.  Ana and I have traded beaded corsage pins and it is quite rewarding to see the beautiful job she does.  I adore what she has sent me.

I included this little pink heart lavender sachet for her birthday.

 This is the fabric folder I created to send her pins to her safely.  Pink of course and with some hand stained lace to compliment the plaid.

 Pink wool felt for the inside and to keep the pins protected.  I don't usually like to use cheap plastic beads however I did for the letters to spell out Ana Happy Birthday.  After all this was to be unique and special.

Ana let me know when she received it and how much she liked it.  It gives me a good feeling to know I brought a smile to her face.
Now we are planning our next one-on-one pin swap.  My mind is in overdrive.  Hmmm...
Do you have any tips and techniques to share for making altered beaded corsage pins?  Do you have any fun or unique ways of sending them in the mail or gifting them?  I can use all the help I can get.  Miss Ana is super clever and I don't want her to be disappointed when she gets my next swap.
This is the joyful part of blogging...sharing ideas and giving generously from the heart.  Finding like-minded souls and becoming friends even though we have never met in person.  I am truly amazed at how I can be sitting at my little spot here in California and corresponding with wonderful people all over this world we live in.  Kuwait, Spain, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Canada...lots of different Canada's, Hawaii, South Africa and so many more places across this United States.  In a very small way it renews hope that this world can some day be at peace.
Our weather feels like it has moved into Summer.  Very warm and lots of sunshine which are both my favorites.  However we are warned of a cold spell with possibility of rain here and snow just 50 miles up the hill.  I will welcome the rain as our ground is rock hard red clay and I am still pulling...tugging...weeds.  Rain will also help us fill our pond.  We had to drain it down below some tears in the lining that Mr. C had to repair and patch.  Last Fall a pair of twin fawns went swimming in our pond.  I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes.  Of course they didn't enter or exit from the sloped beach Mr. C built for just the purpose of critters or neighbor dogs who might want to go swimming.  No they entered at the deepest end through the bogs.  Rip, shred, tear on the entering side and way worse on the exiting side where they had to climb up and out.  Multiple rips, shreds, tears and way down below the water line.  Mr. C had to dismantle the heavy rocks that line the pond and hold the very thick rubber liner in place.  Some of our special pond plants are smashed and ruined however the patches are complete and we are slowly refilling the pond from our well.  It will take about a week.  I so love the pond and we have hundreds of polliwogs turning into froggies right now.  Today I counted 5 beautiful white lillies blooming in the pond.  Our yellow irises and purple irises are blooming so it is quite attractive at the deep end bog.  We still have a lot of damage to repair to the gravel path and edging that surrounds the pond.  It seems the deer have knocked most of it askew and the wood stakes have disintegrated over the last several years.  So much maintenance living in four seasons and harsh winters.  Maybe I will share some photos in a few days.
Blissful Creating to each of my wonderful followers.  I adore reading your comments and/or emails.