Crabpot Variety

Today in our crabpots, we hauled in dungeness and rock crab and a sunstar, of which most went back into the drink.  But tonight for dinner we will be grubbin on 2 giant dungees, can't wait!

One of our pots, our smelly bait must have done the trick.

A couple of big ones to take home for dinner tonight!

Sunstar

Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle July 13 and 14, 2013

Urban Craft Uprising :: Home  Happening in Seattle this weekend.  Well done to everyone that it made it such a fun place to hang out. A wonderful meld of people and their art.

Here are some of my favorites today, and ways to reach them too.

Fernworks, www.fernworks.org, okay these handpainted layered necklaces, tiny worlds unto themselves.

texture, www.textureclothing.com, outta Bellingham, lovely thick comfy knits, the skirt that hit just below the knee I  really admired along with the wristers, which I would love to have some to wear at recess.
 Really hoping to win her raffle :)

Son of a Sailor Jewelry, www.sonofasailorjewlery.com, all the way from Austin TX, modern flair of colors shape and design, how do you choose? Definately a favorite shop.

Rebe, www.specksandkeepings.com,  has clothing that defies explanation, sedate colors and patterns with great shapes and accoutrements, I can't begin to do them justice.

Le Petit Elefant by Genevieve Santos, www.genevievesantos.com an illustrator with watercolors that make you smile and imagine. She has done up in several different products, from prints to pins.

Hasenpfeffer Incorporated,  from Camano Island, has an Etsy shop, which has lovely handmade dolls with outfits for them that are just too cute and hugable.

Such Sweet Tierney, a local Seattle greenwood girl has, londontierney, a  shop on Etsy, check it out, love her screen printed bags and towels and other goodies.

Estrella Soap, estrellasoap.com, is Seattle based also, and what a varied selection of vegan based soaps. A great booth, complete with coffee beans to clear the senses, I really liked the Orange-Spice, mmmmm

Tuesday Scarves, located in the International District of Seattle, has an Etsy shop also, tuesdayshop. Rian has infinity scarves that are wide enough to wear as a shrug even.  She got in her new line of fabric made from her own photography of local area pictures she took too, and best of all, was able get her new scarves done in time for the show.  Great texture and color combinations are paired up it makes it too hard to choose just one.

Nell and Mary, www.nellandmary.com, these handmade products outta Portland OR,  just made me happy.  The bags, napkins, tea towels, oh my. The Roof Line Tote was my favorite.  Keep on printing and I will dream to take just one of everything please.

The Sprinkle Factory has an Etsy shop luckily and they have the cutest mini dessert necklaces, pins and earrings and the like. Just pick your favorite treat, no calories.

Fininshing off with Half Pint Homemade Ice Cream, a Seattle favorite, I tasted the Earl Gray Chocolate that my girlfriend Cathie got, mmmm but I ate a whole Chocolate Brownie bowl, Yes! The brownies used for the ingredients came from d:floured a bakery also from Seattle and were gluten free to boot. Keep and eye out at the local farmers markets for both these guys.

Urban Craft Uprising, I will be back again!

Singing and Dancing to 45's

I decided to hang old 45 records around the house for my birthday, they actually look pretty cool, these pictures of course don't do them justice.

I came home today to a streamer and balloon installation Chihuly style, a balloon chandalier in the middle of the living room ceiling, really all colors shapes and sizes.  Super cool!  Way to go Alaina!

A banner to celebrate my first year of my blog

My new banner is one we nick named Pork Chop, for the eagle swooping down is going after our crab bait that was adrift, and yes, it was a freezer burner pork chop.  This eagle flew it back up to the trees there on the right for further examination and possibly lunch.  That is our favorite Mt Baker peeking in on the left.

We launched our full boat, me and my husband, both our daughters, our dog and our cat for a day of exploring, crabbing and fishing, out of Cornet Bay. I believe the first time I had been to Cornet Bay was when  I got to go camping with my favorite childhood friend Cathie and her family when we were about 11.

Memories flooded back, good times, and it was with Cathie's family and friends that I went camping for the first time. Cathie and her family have always made me feel like family and I just love them for that. We camped across from the state park, not at Camp Cornet, which is where my husband and even my mom went to Broadview's 6th grade camp. Cathie and I just got the day trip to Fort Casey in 6th grade.  Nowadays Parkwood sends their 6th graders to Camp Islandwood, over on Bainbridge Island.  I think that both our girls had fun over there.

I also remember boating this way with my brother and  grandparent's on the Moby Dick II, my Grampa Don's 1959, 35' Chris Craft.  What a beautiful wooden boat and did we have great times on that too!  My love for boating  started young, along with my husband, who actually went through Deception Pass on his grandparents boat!  Wild ride! We are so so lucky to be able to explore our beautiful Pacific Northwest, where should we go next?

Eric and I, Swinomish Slough 1984

Teenagers, Sisters, Daughters

Our oldest daughter graduated from high school this spring with awards at the top of her class, which is great, but it is really the little things she does that makes me the proudest. Writing sincere thank you notes, helping friends with homework, staying behind to clean the stadium stands after events, sharing, no cooking a receipe she learned at school for our dinner, are a few.  I also admire her self worth and dislike of self destructive behaviors in others, heaven forbid I drink a beer on a hot summer night.  Her thoughtful homemade gifts can be cooler than things bought and often surprise the recipients.  Not to just people, but to the animals and our Earth,  I think of her as a kind of guardian who will lead others to be their best too.

Our younger daughter who will graduate from high school next year, is just too smart and can whip off a comment that can go over my head, but yet she can be so reserved, only few get to enjoy her real side.  I enjoy hearing her views on the world and her own world too. If it can be said in a few words, great, she is not a rambler like me.  Private with most of her thoughts, I just enjoy the person she is and I feel lucky she is in my life.  As she grows up I get to have a friend who, understands me and stands by me too.  It is a real treat to receive gifts made by her.  The latest was a ring from a set of matching rings made by her in her jewelry and metals class at school. Not only did I get a ring but she gave one to her sister also.  I love that we 3 have that symbolic link, and I think it means more than words can say.

Sisters.  I observe them.  My daughters.  My husbands sisters. My Mom and my aunt.  My husbands mother with her sister.  My nieces.  My cousins. My childhood friends with their sisters. I remember other sets of sisters too, my Gramma with hers.  My Great Grandmother's and theirs. All around me.  I always wondered what it would be like to have one of my very own.  And sometimes even just a little relieved to know I never messed up such an important relationship, which may just be my ignorance coming out.

I watch my daughters, who as far as sisters go, I think, get along great.  Sure they snap and bark at times.  By being so close in age tho, I think it has created an even closer bond.  They are very different people, yet they talk to each other in a language that I think only sisters get.  Their comedic bantering impromptu performances can be quite entertaining or baffling, to their poor little mother.  Having each other, they have not made as many friends, or should I say, made friendship commitments as I would have liked for them.  I do enjoy seeing them laugh and get the kind of satisfaction only you can get from the friends that are important enough to be allowed into their world.

Inspiring. Creative. Magical. Family. The sum is greater than the parts.

plaster french macaron ornaments | paper, plate, and plane

plaster french macaron ornaments | paper, plate, and plane

This is the super cool site for learning how to make real looking macaron ornaments, I can only hope when I try this they can look almost as real as hers.

Many of my favorite illustrators have a last name that starts with the letter B.

I just found a new one, Emma Block, http://emmablock.co.uk/   I am including links so you can check out their wonderful creations.  The following artists I put into my "B" category many years ago, back when my daughters were young. Maybe I noticed the connection because our younger daughter went by the nick name B for many years.  We don't get to call her that anymore, but we haven't forgotten.

Susan Branch http://www.susanbranch.com/

Marjolein Bastin  http://www.marjoleinbastin.com/en

Cicely Mary Barker (1895 - 1973)
http://www.flowerfairies.com/US_version/home.html

Elsa Beskow (1874 - 1953)
 http://www.florisbooks.co.uk/authors/elsa-beskow.html

and Molly Brett(1902 - 1990)
 http://www.blytonbooks.co.uk/articles/molly_brett.php 
who illustrated for Enid Blyton even. How cute is this bath time print?

janwillemsen / Animals Photos / CC BY-NC-SA

Now I could start a new list

 for the ones whose first names start with the letter B couldn't I?

Beatrix Potter (1866 - 1943)

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/b/beatrix-potter/

Becky Kelly http://beckykelly.com/shop/  A favorite of my sister-n-law Kristi, who also found

Fritz Baumgarten (1883 - 1966)  here is an example of his work

summer fun, afb the party  p 18

Photo credit: janwillemsen / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA