Bon Voyage!

The time had come for my family to pack all our belongs from Apartment 1A and travel across the blue expanse my father traced with his finger across our Atlas. Thoughts of Magellan slipping over the horizon became my own. Home was a fearful new place with friends I hoped to have. My mother soothed my worrying with dressmaker visits and a Bon Voyage outfit to match her own.

My cute little brother in his short pants and jacket kept a secret from everyone he greeted as we crossed the gangplank onto the deck of the USS Constitution. Bupsy his pet turtle was nestled in the bottom of my mother's purse, a lettuce leaf to keep him quiet.

Our days were filled with activities, our evenings with glamor. My mother in her long white gloves, my father in his uniform so tall and handsome. Bupsy between the sheets of my brothers berth. New York Harbor just ahead, Lady Liberty welcoming us from just beyond the rail. Streamers trailing into the water, cheers that said this was the best Place to Be. American kids once again, adventures awaiting our arrival.

We're Having a Heat Wave!

As the Heart of Ohio experiences hundreds of thousands of home owners rushing to their nearest grocery stores for bags of ice, Creative Breathing headquarters finds its own unique way to solve the problem of melting ice cream.

FREE ICE CREAM FOR EVERYONE!

Several states away from the nearest ocean, this is now the second Hurricane I have experienced in the mid-west. TSG and Joe and the puppies spent the night by candlelight, our power thankfully coming on in the early morning hours.

Everyone safe in our neighborhood, a party atmosphere developed as neighbors helped each other to clear their yards of debris. The sounds of chainsaws heard above thankful greetings. 

The kids will not have power restored for nearly a week. The big white puppy just entering her terrible twos will be my house guest for the duration.

Not at all used to temperatures in the 90's, this Creative Breather is happy to celebrate summer within the confines of her Cute as Can Be craft room. A favorite banner made that was part of a Cape Cod mystery giveaway. Such fun to make!

I do hope if you were in the path of this terrible storm that you are safe and sound and your ice cream is again frozen.

Please do not Pin pattern to Pinterest.

The Garden Club

My mother-in-law Ruth was a woman who loved bric-a-brac. There wasn't a surface of her home that was not filled with items that had caught her eye over her many years of window shopping.

Ruth was very particular about her favorite finds and didn't like for anyone to move about her carefully placed displays. She didn't cull through her mementos as seasons changed or a new item was purchased, rather she found yet another perfect spot to best enhance her newest acquisition.

One day, as a new member of Ruth's family, it occurred to me that the cabinets and buffets that offered her bric-a-brac a Place to Be must themselves hold treasures yet revealed to me.

I mustered my courage to ask, "Ruth, what do you keep inside your Hepplewhite?"

Side by side on our knees on the floor, Ruth pulled from the deep recesses of her buffet a multitude of cups and saucers and rather small plates. Each delicate in shape, each a different color, each a different pattern. "These are my Garden Club dishes." she said.

I was absolutely charmed as Ruth told me about the group of women who gathered together once a month at each others homes for over thirty years. Each woman had their own collection of mismatched cups and saucers. The woman of the club always admiring the set placed before them.

Ruth has been gone from us several years now leaving only one surviving member of the Garden Club. My mother-in-law's wonderful collection of luncheon ware has been divided among her daughters, favorite patterns chosen. On this day, May the first, I think of Ruth who called this day Decoration Day. Again something new and unexpected to me, absolutely charming.

Please do not Pin pattern to Pinterest.

Seasonally Challenged

Are you someone who has a difficult time adjusting to the change of seasons? I certainly am as Indian Summer weather falls away leaving morning chill confusing my choice of clothes to wear for the day.

My body comfortable with the memory of it's lightweight summer wear resisting any new choices that now feels burdensome and strange.

It seems I am this way about my crafting as well. One last visit to warm weather crafting with a character that just could not wait until next year's summer sun.

Of course there had to be a whale among my Cape Cod Cuties. Don't you just love his spout of spouting water?  You can just catch his fluke over his left shoulder, that is if whales do have shoulders.

My little whale uses the same pattern as Louie the Lobster. This is one of my more simple patterns to make and can easily be completed in several hours.

And so until next season, these fair weather characters will winter within the doors of my wonderful Hoosier. I don't think there could be a Cuter Place to Be!

Well, dressed in warm weather wear, I am nearly ready to begin crafting all things wintry.

Whale uses this pattern as well, create fluke.

GUILTY on a Poorbaby Payday

My husband is someone who never seems to buy anything new. I think he is morally opposed to it. I have deduced this over the years by the scowl that always seems to greet me on return trips that have caused my wallet to lighten.

To avoid this tension filled moment I try to avoid it all together. In fact, I try to avoid him! Poorbaby Paydays always coincide on the one day of the week I know he will be away at work. The window of opportunity carefully constructed to PERUSE, PURCHASE, and PUT AWAY, before he next lays eyes on me! The Jersey Shore housemates have nothing on me with their GYM, TAN, WASH routine.

But on this Poorbaby Payday I have been SUBMARINED! With only moments to spare before my husband's return from work, I pull into my neighborhood court and pull into he garage. With one foot on the stairs to my craft room, who should I see driving into the court as well? Time stands still! I have been caught!

Rationale for my actions? Oh I have a defensive list ready.... "But I never go anywhere!", "I color my own hair, what else do I have to spend my money on?" "These are supplies!" and the very best, "I only spent a few dollars!"

The Dance of Buyers Remorse is very short lived as my husband knows the things I say to him are true. He will say to me he is at his most happy when he knows I am happy.

And I am very happy on this Poorbaby Payday!

Ahoy There Banner

Have you ever caught yourself while in the dentist's office looking over the shoulder of a little one sitting in the chair next to you busily lost in concentration, their Highlights turned to "Can you spot what's different?"

I love that game, but not in my real life. I like things to always be the same. I guess this comes from having a father who only let my mother purchase a household full of very fine furniture once expecting it to last a lifetime.

My brother and I both can describe in the smallest of detail every last item contained within the rooms of our childhood. There is a comfort we share in the familiar I believe because we lost our parents at such young ages.

This is always why a visit to my blog finds the same header and background month after month, year after year. But Ahoy There just a minute. New papers from October Afternoon begged a banner to be made, and the thought occurred to me that perhaps I could keep my craft room cupboard header but change the banner for different seasons.

I absolutely love red, white, and blue especially when combined with the theme of sailors.

Yes! This is an idea that must be.

And so for today from a life that has at least added one change, I wish you a wonderful week ahead; and I will be seeing you soon!

Forever Young

By now you know my brother is quite the character. It is why so many of my cute as can be creations are of the male persuasion and why some of them have black hair. My brother has an abundance of black hair.

His vacation in Cape Cod at an end on Sunday, his first day of school begun on Monday. I asked didn't he need time to make bulletin boards in his classroom. His story to tell was classic, "My Brother".

Mrs. Smith corners my brother every year at the end of the school session to remind him to remove his bulletin boards so the room can be painted.
"Mrs. Smith", my brother begins his yearly diatribe, "I use the same bulletin boards every year. I have much better things to do with my time than take them down only to put them back up again. I cover them with brown paper, and remove it the day class begins again."
To which Mrs. Smith harrumphs and toddles off to find teachers fearful of her imagined superiority.

And so on the day he should have been stapling his always familiar music charts, he was instead walking hand in hand with his long time girlfriend Ann and her little seven year old boy down the furthermost beach of Cape Cod to view the evening's sunset.

Far in the distance Ann's young son spotted a man walking alone on the beach in what seemed to him to be his birthday suit.
"No Branch, the man just has on a white bathing suit." My brother offered.
(Sue Loves Cherries made this wonderful postcard for me!)

Well, That's all it took for Branch to run and see for himself. Catching the man completely by surprise, Branch stopped steps ahead of the man and turned to yell back at my brother and his mom. "He's naked! I told you he was naked!" The man "covered" himself and beat a hasty retreat into the dune grasses.

Unbeknown to the vacationing trio, they had wandered onto a nudist beach! John is ready for another vacation, his bulletin boards are as well!

Value your Assets!

One of the adventures Only Girl and I took during our Blueberry Summer in Maine was a day boat excursion to Nova Scotia. For two girls just entering their teens, this day of independence away from the watchful eyes of parents held the anticipation of a glimpse into adulthood.

We felt brazen in our choice to sit on the top level of the boat and slide into the bench seats close to the edge we were assured would get us the most wet. We were alone to giggle and assume manners we would otherwise be reprimanded for by Only Girl's school teacher mother.

As the turbo engines roared to life, the bow of the boat rising into the blue summer sky, our hearts soared with the possibilities of adult freedom. Boothbay Harbor's familiar clapboard cottages faded as the ocean before us deepened it's blue color, a final island drew our attention. A speaker voice came to us from somewhere below, "To the right you will see the mansion belonging to actress Jane Russell. It is called, 'The House that Playtex Built.' Jane may not have been known for her acting, but her assets served her well."

As the ripple of adult laughter filled the boat, Only Girl and I looked at each other completely confused but with a certainty of understanding that left to ourselves, we were nowhere near ready to become adults.

Please do not Pin pattern on Pinterest