Thursday Text: America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890

Barbara Brackman designs fabrics for Moda. She also has some great quilt books out. America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890 looks like a fascinating combination of history and crafting. I love that old skills like quilting are gaining popularity again.

Pottery Barn Iznik Collection

Pottery Barn has a new line based on Turkish designs from Iznik. My husband visited Turkey last summer, and it was fascinating to see their use of flowers and bright colors in design. I really like these pillows.

Whitman's Sampler

I finally found a Whitman's Sampler tin with the Mucha image at Russell Stover. I got it out an outlet store, so it was only $5. It's a pretty little box. I'll have to think about what to put in it after the chocolates are gone!

Marcus Fabrics - Judie Rothermel

When we visited historic St. Charles, we stopped in a little fabric shop. I picked up a fat quarter of this design. It's by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics. I think I might use it for a little wristlet.

Friday Featured Art: Stairway at Auvers

I mentioned the St. Louis Art Museum last week. They have a couple of great Van Goghs, including this one: Stairway at Auvers. It's fun to see his lesser-known works.

Thursday Text: Houses of the National Trust

One of the books that I got for Christmas was Houses of the National Trust. It is fantastic. It's a big, hardbound book with tons of great pictures of houses in the UK that are held by The National Trust. It is a beautiful book that even includes maps!

Small Silhouettes

After working on silhouettes for my Jane Austen class, I decided to make some at home. I got these little frames for $1 each at Michaels. They were white and had plastic instead of glass. I pulled out the plastic and painted them copper. I don't really like the color, so I think when it gets warmer I'll spray paint them gold. Kind of a fun little project.

Cadbury Crunchie

Last week we visited fabulous historic St. Charles, Missouri. There is an 8-block strip of restored homes and shops from the 1800s. One shop that we enjoyed was The English Shop. They had some fun things imported from England, including Cadbury Crunchie bars. If you've ever had a Violet Crumble, they're pretty much the same thing. Yum!

Abraham Lincoln Presidential China

I know I've posted about presidential china before, but I'm thinking about it again. We visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. (It is an incredible place, and everyone should go!) I liked the Lincolns' presidential china pattern - very pretty but also masculine.

Friday Featured Art: Interior with Young Woman Tracing a Flower

Earlier this week we spent some time in St. Louis and revisited the St. Louis Art Museum. I thought that this painting was fun. The artist has a pet squirrel keeping her company!