Art show in Portland

Doesn't this look like fun? Affordable too. You can bet I'll be there on Friday with 31.00 in cash!
http://www.thirtyshows.blogspot.com/

Dancing around the world!

I hope you take a moment to watch this video clip. It will make you want to dance around the world and I am sure everyone will find some connection with it. Make sure the hd is turned off (you'll find the hd on the upper right hand side of the video frame) and your music is tuned on. The music is catchy.

http://www.vimeo.com/1211060

Have a lovely day!

Butterscotch will never be cold again!

Butterscotch, daughter's favorite bear, who travels everywhere with us now has a ballerina wrap sweater. The silver sparkle is thanks to my mother in law who expertly crocheted the trim onto the sweater for us.

The sweater has ties that make a cute little bow in the back.

Next project is a matching sweater for daughter. Which, I better get knitting before she grows too much and it doesn't fit. After that's accomplished, I'll knit a sweater for myself (not a lavender and silver ballerina wrap...I promise!).

Toujours Amour, always love

I picked up these euro sham covers in Paris last April at Fragonard. My plan was to put them on my bed along with a custom made (by me) white cotton duvet cover with black piping. But, it's mid-July and I don't have the duvet made. When I opened the Pottery Barn catalog yesterday and saw ads for FALL color favorites I knew I had to get these pillows on my bed now, before the summer was over. I think they are just lovely, a fresh update on the "His and Hers"pillow sets. Toujours Amour means always love. Did you do something lovely for yourself today? If not, there's still time!

Hello, old friend!

Well, it's not exactly an old friend, but it felt like a reunion when I found this skirt hiding out in my closet during closet organization day. I re- attached the yo-yo flowers (they were drooping like a neglected flower plant) and gave it a good pressing. I just love this skirt because it's a complementary piece to a jumper that my mom made for daughter when she was about 4. I told my mom that I must have one too, but not wanting to match daughter in that Hanna Andersson sort of way, I asked for an a-line wrap skirt. Daughter has well outgrown her jumper even after attaching a coordinating ruffle for length (!), but lucky for me, I can and will wear this skirt for a long time to come.

Introducing Oscar Blue

Oscar is my "newish" parakeet. He's been part of our family for a couple months now. He was a surprise birthday gift and it took quite awhile to come up with a good name for him. Husband wanted Larry, as in Larry Bird (he's a big sports fan), daughter wanted Sapphire, and I was all over the map: Secret Agent 37, Sir Edward Feathers, Pippi, Blue....but we never felt the offered names were right for him until one of us (we can't agree which) said, "Oscar Blue, I love you!" So it stuck....and we cannot wait until he repeats it back to us. In the meantime we shout, "Let's see who's louder: Oscar or the blender, vacuum, dishwasher, etc." He out chirps most electronic appliances. He can even out chirp the crows. Really!

I have not been able to find suitable cage decor for his home, (note project list at side) so I am designing and making him a seed cozy (parakeets throw their empty seed hulls everywhere) and a beautiful cage cover cozy for nighttime. Right now, he's using a beach towel, which is fine because it's summer, but since he's a part of our home, he needs something lovely. He'll be moving into the sunroom once that's done; complete with his own trickling fountain, lush tropicals and outdoor bird's eye view.

Have a lovely day and do share with me about what made YOUR day lovely!

Skort remake 1 done! Lobelias in the garden.

I had some time today to get one of the four skort remakes done. It looks even better than I expected (love, love, love when that happens because it doesn't always). And.....good news! I don't have coordinating fabric in my stash to finish the other three so I have to go to the fabric store. That means I either have control over my fabric buying habits, or don't have a big enough stash! Now I want to make a coordinating top for daughter out of the swirly ruffle fabric. I am eyeing her old t-shirts and considering some kind of applique. Lollipops, Popsicles?


In the garden, I planted some sky riviera lobelia around the base of my camellia. I hope it grows into a pretty little lobelia wreath.

Wishing everyone a lovely 4th of July. We'll be celebrating at the lake, bbq'ing with family and organizing our closets (not necessarily in that order!).

A few lovely little things from Paris, Geneva, Venice

My family and I took a lovely trip to Europe last April. It's a lot of fun wandering around taking inspiring photos for projects back home. Here is a photo I took in a small bookstore in the Left Bank. "It's my new signature wrapping," I mused (maybe squealed) to my mom. It's so simple: plain wrap, contrast ribbon and wax, and an initial seal. In Venice, there are beautiful bins of colorful sealing wax that smell wonderful during the melting process and look so lovely when sealed. I'm pretty sure I purchased presents that I could wrap with my new method. The picture on the left is of a few little gifts I picked up for my family. Italian wine, a Murano glass wine stopper and fleur de sel.

Coming soon! An ongoing list of les bonnes addresses where I list fun shops, restaurants, hotels as well as activities with kids. http://lesbonnesaddresses-camille.blogspot.com/ . I'll post when it's ready to view.

Have a lovely day and be sure to do something special for YOUrself!