Wisteria!

This is what I’ve been viewing as I drive to work for the past ten? days! Today I had the presence of mind to make sure my camera was in my bag and stop to take pictures. I’m sure they won’t last much longer and I had to capture a little of their beauty. As I was taking these this morning, the lady of the house nearby told me to break some off…so now my office smells like wisteria!

Wikipedia says that wisteria is a member of the pea family…who would have thought? It is a woody climbing vine that is common to the eastern US and other countries such as China, Korea, and Japan. Google also brought up a picture of a bonsai wisteria…now that was interesting. But I shall enjoy them today, and my all male office members will have to endure their perfume. Love it!

Bleeding Hearts

When I was a little girl I loved to visit my grandmother in the hills of Pennsylvania.  My grandmother, Elizabeth Ellen (for whom I'm named after) was a remarkable woman for her small stature. She weighed 88 lbs when she got married. (I have her wedding dress!).   Her little white house (with a white picket fence) was amazingly organized and she had a focus for each day of the week--you know--Monday for wash etc.  I would go down into the small walk-out basement and look at the huge tree trunk beems, all her homemade canned goods, fresh fruit, old fashioned washing machine, and snoop around like any kid would do.  The corner that held the huge coal furnace was the only place from which I stayed away. The smells are still very clear in my mind.  Every morning her breakfast was like a formal meal.  The table was set perfectly with a tablecloth and cloth napkins.  I thought it was the biggest deal when my grandfather taught  me to eat ketchup on my hash browns.  I could go on and on.


My grandmother's back yard was a sloping hill that ended up down at my uncle's house.  You could go through the evergreens or you could go on the stone laid path that meandered down between their huge garden. (I can still see my grandfather out there hoeing.)  On this path, every spring I would love to look at my grandmother's flowers.  The bleeding hearts were just beautiful.  Oh how I wanted to pick them, but that was off limits.  So, I've been meaning  to get this beautiful plant for myself and well now, "Look!".  I've got some, so I had to go lay down on the grass this morning before taking off for work and take a picture before they---can't say it--expire.  It's so befitting to have them flourish this spring (for the first time) with the passing of my mother last October.  Aren't they beautiful?

Some Button Combos

Some button choices for Laurie.  Number across 1, 2, Second Row 3, 4 Third Row 5, 6.

* * * * FOUR STARS! * * * *

Did you ever google your name or your personal website or blog?  I tried doing that last night and found something rather interesting.


Someone whose I.D. is mostlymaple , ("a twenty something day dreamer, publication designer by and and by night is always searching for inspiration and motivation") highlighted one of my  purses (click on purses to see the original blog post) from awhile ago on stylefeeder.com and asked everyone to rate the purse.  It looks like the few that looked at it gave it FOUR STARS.  (not bad huh?) (relief!)


It's amazing where "the surfing of the net" will take you.  So, have you every clicked that "next blog" thingy at the top of blogspot blogs and see where it leads?  Happy Surfing!

Back to fabric land and new fabric and inspiration.  I've got a new shipment coming in and can't wait! I'd tell you that I'm working on a fabulous new bag right now, but I better not....hah!

It Is Finished . . .Introducing The "Amy Bag"

This has been a "good" Friday! I got the day off from work, it's 80 degrees, the sun /Son is shining, (I'm thankful for the supreme sacrifice that my Savior made so many years ago) and I've been able to resurrect this handbag from the "I'm not happy with it" pile.  Thwarted by a migraine of three days, that's finally over too!  I'm so psyched about this bag pattern and I can't wait to make it again in a different fabric.

I shortened the height by two inches and added wider and more decorative straps.  I made the rounded bottom wider and longer, and used very thick interfacing for reinforcement. The hardware really sets it off and only the finest was used.  This purse will hopefully give it's new owner, Amy, much joy.  (This bag is now hence forth to be named after Amy!) Take a look, if you like what you see, I can make another for you--convo me on Etsy--www.pearmcgee.etsy.com or email me at ellen@pearmcgee.com.