Blogging Etiquette: Am I Doing Something Wrong?

RING PHONE RING! Ever feel like that?

Feeling a little down about my lack of comments (i.e. friends) so I decided to cheer myself up by compiling a
List of Possible Reasons:

1) I have a big sign over my blog that I can't see that says, "Stay Away From Her!"

2)To have a friend you must be one. But I've left hundreds and hundreds of comments...

3)It's summer and everyone's too busy. Yeah, yeah, I know. So how do I explain the abundance of comments everywhere I go.

4)I came in too late in the game. Okay, but doesn't anyone have room in their heart for a newbie?

5)I have a comment-neediness that is so obvious that it repels would-be commenters.

6)My lack of consistency with posting ~ working on that one...

7)My text is too small (grasping here).

8)I was put on this earth to be a comment fairy, going around sprinkling comments about.

9)My posts are just self-absorbed and boring.

10)My posts are just too amazing, leaving the reader speechless.

Don't get me wrong, I am not aiming for some large number of comments or a sense of popularity. Just some human connection, that's all. A group of friends that stop by to say hi on a regular basis would make me smile. And I do have a couple of those that truly warm my heart with their visits. Posting a rant about not getting comments is probably not the way to endear you to me and invite comments, but at least you've allowed me to vent. Whew! I feel better. Bottom line, I love to read your blogs and I love to express myself in writing, so I'll keep blogging no matter how many comments I get.

Promise not to laugh...

Oh go ahead and laugh ~ I did! Back from my first fly-fishing experience and it was everything I hoped for and more. Here I am in my chest waders.

Not only were they not pink, they resembled an oversized paper bag made of heavy, scum-green rubber. They were neither comfortable, nor cute, but despite my fashion-starved surroundings where the only bling to be found were the beaded nymphs dangling from our fishing line, I can actually say I had a good time. Standing in the stream for hours each day had sounded like a bit of a chore to me before going. But the air was so fresh and the spring so cool and peaceful that the hours passed without even noticing.

By the second day I had perfected my cast and I even caught a fish!


One of G's catches.

And the 6-hour road trip home was dotted with several
small-town antique shop stops where I found my best catch (I'll save that for another post). I can't say that I'm totally "hooked", but I will definitely go again the next time my husband invites me along.

Uhh...fly fishing? Ehh...me?

Yes, I'm going to learn to fly fish! We're getting ready to go on vacation-mini #3 for 2009. Trip #1 and #2 were both Ann-oriented, so I've agreed to try something my husband loves as our #3 destination. I'll be donning the lovely and fashionable hip waders (please, could I have pink?), learning to cast, and finding out what it is that makes my husband go berzerk for this past time. Time spent in the cool springs of Montauk State Park will be refreshing and, who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and actually have fun catching fish?! I'll post pictures in a few days when we return.

Blooms & Views, #4 ~ Late-blooming Peonies?

The truth is, these peonies were in bloom a few weeks ago, but it's taken me till now to post the pics.

This is the view I see from my north-facing living room window.


Cant-cha just smell the fragrance?



We have 5 nice size peony bushes, each of which blooms like crazy in the spring. But for years they were hidden in a shady wooded area on our property, unbeknownst to me, where they remained straggly and barren. A couple of years ago I remarked to hubby how much I loved peonies, and he showed me the little patch of growth-stunted stragglers that he had known about all along. At my request, we immediately transplanted them into sunny spots. Since then, they've quadrupled in size, and, to my delight, produce the most beautiful blooms.

Happy Times, Sad Times

Chapter One of Northland Vintage Market was a success! Click here to visit Three Shabby Chicks and see some of the fun that was had.

On a sad note, I had to say goodbye to my beloved kitty cat Sneakers. We got her when she was 8 weeks old, and last Friday she died, at the old kitty age of 16 years. Here are some pictures of the fun times I'm remembering. She was the best cat EVER! I hope this will be the last post about someone I love leaving my life for a long, long, long time.








On a happier note, here are some pics of my sweet grandson helping PomPa shine up his riding "aw-more".

Summer Porches

I'm excited to tell you about an upcoming event that I'm blessed to be a part of.
If you're in the Kansas City area, I hope you can make it! Find out more by clicking the pic.

Another fun event that I attended recently was "Takin' it Back to the Farm" at the beautiful farm of talented designer Kelly Littmann.
Here are some pics of me and my hubby (what a trooper!) at the event.


Three days from my next hair appointment and a windy day made for a very long and shaggy "do"!
You can see more of the Farmstead by clicking here.

Rust My Style!

(In my most operettic voice)...taaa-daaaaa! So maybe these don't actually deserve all the fanfare, but I've seriously tried to get them finished and posted for soooo long! I've been creating things from rusty wire, and these are the first two I have ready to show you. A crown made from rusty wire and a crusty wire bird's nest/stand.

"Queen of Rust" is a crown topped with a finial, wherein resides a 1920's flapper girl.




"Bird on a Wire" features an embellished bird wearing a rusty crown topped with a sea blue-green Swarovski crystal.

The stand sports a blue egg cradled in wire and a curled wire "nest".

They are listed in my online boutique, and can be viewed in greater detail by clicking here.

I would like to take a moment to mention my late father-in-law, who went to heaven Friday, May 29. He knew where he was going, and went peacefully. A very funny man with a kind and gentle spirit, he will be greatly missed. I'll always be grateful to him for raising the wonderful man that is my husband. Here's to you Jewell ~ I'll see you again.

I'll Be Back

Just a quick post to check in and let my friends know that we're in the middle of a family emergency, hence my absence. I hope to be back soon to post again.
Lotsa love,
Ann

Haunted by Mirrors

One of my many vintage loves is old ghosted mirrors. They have such a haunting, romantic feel. Like reflections of the past, they reveal a muted picture. Like a faded memory that you can see in your mind but is not quite as clear as it used to be. Ghosted mirrors epitomize my decorating style. The characteristics that make some people see them as trash are the very things that make me see them as treasure. The more ghosting the better, and some de-silvering is good too. Here are a few from my collection.

My favorite! It has the best ghosting ~ like sand drifts.


This one is part of a rusty metal dresser and is no longer mine.


Love this old blue one.

My very next post will finally include pics of a couple of rusty wire pieces I have created. I can't wait to show you ~ see you then!

Coffee Makes Everything Better

We celebrated our son's 24th birthday last Saturday. His request for a mocha layer cake that I had made a time or two before made me jump for joy. It's so yummy and I had been wanting an excuse to make it again. Nothing too fancy about these ingredients:


It's this one that makes all the difference:

That's right, the cake, the frosting, and the extra layer of chocolatey goodness drizzled on top all have brewed coffee added to them.

Just one piece of this and I was singing happy birthday with unbridled enthusiasm!
Happy Birthday, Abe!

Blooms & Views, #3 ~ Lily of the Valley

Hidden beneath lush green leaves, delicate white bells hang secretly. The tiny blossoms of the lily of the valley are easy to miss if you don't know they're there.

Lily of the valley lines our front walk.


A kitty cat's view from the front door

The familiar scent is intoxicating. How amazing that so much fragrance comes from so tiny a flower.

Beautiful and simple, a spring favorite of mine.

Goodbye Post-Vacation Blahs

I used to suffer from post-vacation blahs. You know that feeling you have when you have to get back to the real world after vacation ~ the cooking, the cleaning, the mountain of laundry? This time back I didn't feel that way. I feel refreshed and ready to face the challenges as well as the monotony. I think it has to do with the fact that we changed our vacation strategy to include several mini trips throughout the year, so I know I'll get away again before what used to feel like an eternity.

One of the four beds we slept in during our trip ~ wish I'd have taken pics of all four.

Love the gingerbread trim on this B&B.

Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas was ranked #4 on the American Institute of Architecture's list of the top buildings of the 20th century.


The amazing structure made entirely of wood and glass stands 48 feet high and contains 425 windows.

A common scene in small-town America, but so enchanting.



We stayed in B&B's all nights but one. We came across this cool old historic hotel with a "Sunday special" that we couldn't pass up. As we talked to the clerk before renting a room he handed us a key and said to go check out this suite he called the sunroom suite (the only one of its kind in the hotel). Wow! It was huge, with a gorgeous bedroom, 2-person spa tub in its own open room, kitchenette, bathroom and sunroom that overlooks the downtown shops. The special was for $109 per night and ~ get this ~ included a 50 minute Swedish massage in their top floor spa! It was a case of being at the right place at the right time.

My husband and traveling companion, the man I've loved for 28 years :).

This Makes Me Happy!

We're getting ready for a road trip ~ yay! At the beginning of 2009, G and I sat down with our day planners to schedule some R & R time. We don't do a lot of major vacations, but we usually try to have a pretty good week-long trip every year or two. I've been itching to get away to somewhere tropical. But as we discussed our options, we decided we could either blow our whole vacation budget for the year on one big one, or take 4 or 5 minis. We opted for several 3-4 night minis so we would have more getaways to look forward to throughout the year. Our second such trip is approaching, and in preparation for it we bought a GPS a few days ago. I'm SO EXCITED about all it can do! I played with it for a couple of hours, and wanted to show you how accesible this little gadget will make my daily cups of joe while on the road.

How great is that? The complete list shows all kinds of coffee shops, including the local diners, which we love to check out on these trips. And of course it then routes us right to their doorstep. If we want Italian food, we can touch the screen and get a complete list of Italian restaurants in the area. When we feel like stopping for ice cream, we can get a list, complete with address and phone numbers, of all the mom & pop shops. If we want to do some antique shopping (if ?!) a simple touch will bring those up too. Little things make me happy I guess. We'll be leaving soon, so I may not blog again until we return. Have a wonderful week!