Conversation with a Nut

I overheard this funny exchange at the Cardinals game on Friday night.

Son (with a bag of peanuts): How do you open these things?

Son's friend: You bite them. And if you lick the outside it tastes awesome.

Son (holding up a peanut): Do I eat this part?

Father: Yes, that's a peanut. Are you from Mars?

Night Lights

The other day, we saw an episode of SpongeBob called Night Light, and it made me think about night lights. Of course, SpongeBob used about a million of them, and it turned into a fiasco. I think I would like one. You see the fine art ones everywhere, and I like this Maxfield Parrish version. I also really liked this rabbit one that I found on Etsy. In the daytime, it looks like a normal lampshade, and at night the bunny and his tree appear!

Friday Featured Art: Dance at Bougival

When I was a sophomore in high school, I took a humanities class that I really loved. One of our assignments was to copy a famous painting in watercolor. The one that I chose was a detail of Renoir's Dance at Bougival. (It started out OK, but then I kind of lost my sense of perspective...) Since then I have really liked this painting. I loved seeing it when I visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 2002.


Thanks, Heather & Andy for letting me visit!

Thursday Two Things: Farmers Market/Jonamac Orchard

Here is another thing that I'll miss and one that I'm looking forward to.

1. Missouri - Columbia Farmers Market

2. Illinois - Jonamac Orchard (and corn maze)

Utah Arts Festival

If you're in Salt Lake this weekend, go visit Joe (and Sara) at the Utah Arts Festival - booth 8, to be exact. Joe's work is always a great source of inspiration.

10 years ago today...

I was married in the Salt Lake Temple. Seven years ago (April 18) I was widowed. To honor my late husband and his commitment to the temple, we have made a donation to the Temple Patrons Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hope that whoever our donation helps will find joy in their temple attendance as I have.

Joel Dewberry - Deer Valley

Joel Dewberry's spring line is really beautiful. It's called Deer Valley, and I really like the azure palette. I bought some on Etsy - now I just have to come up with a project to use it for!

Friday Featured Art: Cast Gallery

One of the interesting things about the University of Missouri is the Museum of Art and Archaeology. It houses some interesting pieces and a couple of rotating exhibits, but the most fascinating part is the Cast Gallery. The plaster casts of ancient works include some really famous pieces, like Winged Victory. I loved discovering this unique aspect of the University.

Thursday Two Things: Forest Park/Oak Park

Week two of what I'll miss about Missouri and what I'm excited for in Illinois...

1. Missouri - Forest Park (home of 1904 World's Fair, St. Louis Art Museum, zoo, etc.)


2. Illinois - Oak Park (home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio, Frank Thomas house, etc.)

Jill Roberson - Sneak Peek

The Jill Roberson sneak peek on Design*Sponge was so inspiring. Did you see it? I love the bunny picture! And the grey walls, and the hall of mirrors - and how about that ladder in the bathroom? It looks like a tight fit, but I really like the idea (and the tile).

NES Tennis

Do you love the original Nintendo? Because we do. Tony got his out and set it up, and we have been playing tennis ever since. So simple, but so hard! We have yet to win a match.

Sara's House

When I was in Utah, I finally got to see Sara & Joe's house - the finished product. Beautiful. I love the bamboo floors and the hex tile in the bathrooms and the white walls and all of the perfect finishing touches and original artwork everywhere.

You can't see the picture in this one very well, but it's a genealogy fan chart that Sara hand lettered. So fabulous. The chest with the marble top was our great-grandmother's.


Some paintings: a Jared Sanders barn, a farmhouse by Joe, and Sara's portrait by Joe.


A bud vase mounted above the kitchen sink. Sara's house is so wonderful because she thinks of things like this. (Thanks for letting me visit! You'll really have to be my personal stylist someday...)

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Chakra Pennywhistle

Today's featured Etsy seller is Chakra Pennywhistle. Rikkianne is a member of the Etsy Eco Team and creates beautiful pillows and things inspired by early American design. (I had seen her shop before but forgot about it until I was reminded through Stephmodo's blog.) I really love the tulips and wreath.

Thursday Two Things: Missouri Botanical Garden/Garfield Park Conservatory

As we prepare for our move to Illinois, I've been reflecting on our time in Missouri. There are many things that I love about both places (believe it or not!). So I've decided to use Thursdays to post two things - one thing I'm going to miss about Missouri and one thing I'm excited for in Illinois.

1. Missouri - The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis


2. Illinois - The Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago

Charm Bracelets

When we were teenagers, my grandma gave my sister her charm bracelet. It was the greatest gift ever. It is silver and full of charms that were given to her by former boyfriends (or, beaus, as she would say). Last year I started a charm bracelet of my own with a sego lily charm that I got during the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002. So far I've added the Statue of Liberty, a Midwestern squirrel, the Liberty Bell, a Nauvoo Temple star, a copper beehive from the Bingham Canyon Mine, and a few others. It has been so much fun. Here are some cute examples from Tiffany's (with the signature blue box) and the Met (using Russian animals).

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

The Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house is going on now. I like that they built a temple this size and shape in Utah - it reminds me of the St. Louis Temple. I especially like the tall, pointy trees that mimic the chandelier in the celestial room.

Turtles!

When my sister Sara and I were in Nauvoo a week or so ago, we found these two tiny turtles. Sara helped them off the road to safety. Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen? Turtles are definitely something that I love about the Midwest. I just wish they'd stay away from the road!

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Thimble Blossoms

Camille's quilt patterns in her Thimble Blossoms Etsy shop are adorable. My only problems is that I wouldn't know what to do with one if I got one! I need to take some more sewing lessons so that I can make this...

Thursday Tunes: Bruce Hornsby - again

We've been listening to Bruce again lately. This time it's been the second disc of the Intersections set. It has solo piano, tributes, country-bluegrass, and songs from movies. His piano solos are tranquil, and Shadowland is especially beautiful. Sample here.

Blik Surface Graphics

On the flight back from Utah, I saw a little article about Blik surface graphics in the airplane magazine. I know that vinyl lettering is trendy right now, but I really like their options. These farm graphics are so cute - and reusable. This would be a great way for renters to add pizazz to their abode, and the prices are pretty reasonable.

Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Martha's new cupcake cookbook is out today. I ordered it last night, so it should arrive on my porch in a couple of days. I really have been into cupcakes lately, so I'm excited to try some new recipes. I'll let you know how they turn out!

HomArt

Sorry for the sporadic posting last week! My sister came to visit, and we had a blast - then I flew back to Utah with her to visit my family (including baby James). Tony joined me in Utah and then we flew back to Chicago on Saturday and drove home to Missouri yesterday. Whew!

While Sara was here, we went to Nauvoo for a couple of days. It was beautiful. As a souvenir, I got a bee box made by HomArt. Mine has bees in hexagons with beehive accents. It's kind of hard to explain, but this one's close. I've kind of had a thing for bees lately, being from the Beehive State and all.