French General Weekend In California

Kaari Mengs darling shop French General

The Marvelous Molly Meng grandstanding. 

Molly Meng, Me, Kaari Meng and Kick Meng. Kaari's sister and sweet mother.

Busy creators

Jackie and Eileen from Phoenix, Arizona

Pam Garrison's  Sampler

My little buddy Cathy Mogull with me. We were in France together.

Pam Garrison and Charlotte Lyons class on sailor valentines.

Kaari's collection of vintage beads.

Vintage linens and quilting fabrics.

I had a lovely time visiting with the friends I went to France in June 2011 once again. The classes were wonderful and taught by some amazing teachers. Kaari taught a bracelet class, Molly taught a folded book class, Charlotte Lyons and Pam Garrison taught a sailors valentine patchwork class, Michelle Jorgensen taught a shadow box collage class and Anna Corba taught a beeswax coated collage book. Kaari is as gracious and lovely as ever. This March she has her own French General line coming out at Michael's, so be sure and check it out. It is a tasteful paper line based on many of her French discoveries. This is a huge opportunity for Kaari and she has worked very hard making sure each piece was as it should be. Congratulations Kaari! Thank you for a memorable weekend!

Book Snob

"I don't really trust a person who doesn't read." -Lisa Borgnes Giamonti


One of my favorite blogs in the blogosphere is Lisa Borgnes Giamonti's 'A Bloomsbury Life'.
She was writing about the first thing she does when she visits a persons home is to look at their books. I am the same way. I automatically gravitate to their bookcase. It might be a cookbook in the kitchen or just a book that is sitting on a table. If I don't see a book, I am suspicious and do not feel a connection. I am lost for words. (pun intended) Cold.

You can tell so much about a person by the books he or she reads or by the lack of books.

I feel a warmth in my heart when I see a Bible sitting on a night table. If you want to learn an amazing Story, read the Bible. When I visit a friends home for dinner and look up and see on a shelf Glady Taber, Tasha Tudor or a book about the Cotswolds, I relax a little more. I know I have found a kindred spirit.

The new e-readers are great for travel and are very handy, but I like to share my books, too. You can not share your e-reader like you can an old copy of Elizabeth Goudges The Middle Window or D'Aulares Greek Myths. It's how I discovered so many of my favorite authors. Because of a friend sharing her books, I learned about Elizabeth Prentiss and John Buchan.

Are there others out there who feel the same way? I guess I am a sort of profiler. I can tell a lot about the person by the books he or she reads or doesn't read. Does that make me a book snob? Gladly so.

Currently Reading

New Books To Be Read

                                                                     An Advance Reader's Copy

                                                       Recommended by Patrick Rothfuss

                                                        3rd in a trilogy after 'The Tea Rose' and
                                                           and 'The Winter Rose'.

                                                    An excellent series that takes place in Africa.

                           
                               

Leslie's Day

Today is my sister Leslie's birthday. She has been my best friend forever. We live in separate states now, but whenever we get together, we just pick right back up where we left off.

She is my sister, friend, protector, nurse, comedian, roll model, boss, Christian example. She is a mother, sister, wife, flight attendant, secretary, actress, painter, woman, chauffeur, girl scout, hair dresser, maid, teacher, Aunt, homecoming queen and friend to so many.

I can't even begin to tell you all the stories we have that we STILL laugh about. Slamming doors, forks, riding lawn mowers, Planet of the Apes, bomb, stereos, riding in cars, singing in the bathroom mirror, me in the back seat on her dates.

And we still have fun! Yearly sister trips. Santa Barbara, New York, Paris, Monhegan Island and I know I am forgetting something.

Thank you Les for being there for me whenever I call and always having my back.

I Love You Sooooo Much!!!!!
Happy Birthday!
Love,
Julie

Aurelio Zen

I love Masterpiece Theater on PBS and just finished watching three Sunday's worth of author Michael Dibdin's "Aurelio Zen" mysteries. Actor Rufus Sewell played Italian policeman Aurelio Zen perfectly.
So, this has led me to continue reading the next book in the series, Dead Lagoon. I am enjoying a little armchair traveling through Venice!

A Grayton Beach 4th