Jen Bowles Design

Today's Flickr Favorites

  Today's Flickr Favorites 
  Originally uploaded by fertree33

Target Finds

Hours after I mailed away my Bird swap, I found these goodies at Target.  Too late for the swap, but they were too nice to pass up. 

The 'Notes' one has 2 pads of coordinating sticky notes under the lovely pink and brown cover.  Perfect for all the assorted notes I am always scribbling down when I'm online. 

The spiral notebook is a smaller size, about 6"x8", great to slip in one's purse to take notes about all the exciting things one sees when one is out and about.  It didn't actually scan that well, the butterflies and splotches that appear black are metallic pink.

I guess you'll just have to go to the Target stationery aisle and check for yourself!

Swap Sneak Peek

Just a glimpse of one of the goodies I made for the Birdy Fever swap:
At first I thought I'd cut out individual letters to do the quote.  When I picked up the book I planned to use (A Quarto Of Modern Literature from 1964, 603 pages) I thought I'd try to find some of the words intact.  'I'm' wasn't too big of a challenge.  Nor was the punctuation.  When I came across 'bird', the game was on.  The word that took me the longest? 'Broken'.  I think I finally found it in Ethan Fromme.  Even though I bought the book at a thrift store for $1 solely for the purpose of using it for text, there are indeed many great works of literature in there.  I was reading an excerpt from Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  It's amazing how relevant the words still sound today, more than 50 years later.  I think I may have to bring my copy on our beach vacation this year.

At any rate, my swap goodies are all ready to go, I just have to package them up and set them on their way.  I'm pleased with the group of things I put together, I hope my swap partner enjoys them and that I did an okay job estimating how much/what type of stuff to send.

In shopping/decorating news today, I went with a friend this morning to the Pottery Barn Outlet.  They seemed to be pretty well stocked but I restrained myself and spent only $20 of my birthday money (from last year).  My most exciting find was new sheer curtain panels for the dining room--for $7 each!  They are ivory and pin-tucked on the top.  They really lighten up the room and make it feel  summery.
Which is a good thing considering the thermometer was up to 104 degrees today.
At least the humidity isn't too bad yet...

New week

I'm loving this garden stake I got at Hobby Lobby (for $4!), I just wish I'd gotten two.  Oh well, I'll just have to enjoy this one.  All of the plantings that my mom helped me with on her visit earlier this month are growing beautifully.  I definitely miss not having a garden, but my planters and pots on the deck help ease the pain.
I've been working hard on goodies for my first ever swap, Birdie Fever hosted by Tammie.  In fact, the swap hostess is my partner--such pressure!  I'll be mailing out my box tomorrow.  Just as soon as I return from the Pottery Barn Outlet...
This week is also the flea market at Metrolina in Charlotte.  I'll be hunting for vintage goodies to incorporate into a banner that sweet Rosanna ordered for herself : D  I also have on the list to make a few USA banners to finally restock my etsy shoppe.  And only 8  more days of school for the kids.  Eek!

Saturday Flickr Faves

  Saturday Flickr Faves 
  Originally uploaded by fertree33

Hope the image is bigger this week.  Of course you can always click on it to enlarge.  Enjoy!

Random Baby Card

So much eye candy, so little time...

I am reminded of the 1970s Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo commercial in which "She told 2 friends, and she told 2 friends...and so on and so on..."

I go to read a blog.  I click on a link.  I explore.  I click on another link.  Then I'm visiting a really cool, new to me blog, and then I click on another link and I'm browsing around another really cool website/shoppe.  And on that website I stumble upon these really cool birdcage wall art pieces (by Linda Kettlehut for Oopsy Daisy).
And that's why it's 7:45pm and I haven't eaten dinner yet.

Today's favorite links:

Design Mom
Mahar Dry Goods
Craftsbury Kids
Birdcage Art 

Now the question is, more web surfing or make dinner.... 

Nicole

This is my first "custom" made banner, created for Rosanna.  In Italy!  That is so exciting to me : )
She saw the banner I made for my mom for Mother's Day and asked if I could make one for her daughter, Nicole.  And here it is.   Rosanna has been so sweet and supportive, I hope she loves it!  I must admit, I do!
{better, more detailed pictures coming tomorrow--in the daylight!}

Weekly Reader Children's Book Club

When I was little, my mom enrolled me in the Weekly Reader Children's Book Club.  I don't know if the books literally came every week or what, but I remember that I had a lot of them.  Actually I don't have to remember too hard because many of the Weekly Reader books are upstairs on the boys' bookshelf.  I loved so many of those books and even back in the day I couldn't bear to part with much.  Thus I have quite a collection of children's books and many favorites.
When I was younger, I enjoyed the stories.  Even the ones that scared the ^&*@ out of me (i.e. Crictor the Boa Constrictor...).
Looking at these books now what I love is the illustrations.  The whimsy, the detail, the curvy lines and simple forms.
One of my mom's favorite books from this group is Lemonade Serenade by Adelaide Holl, illustrated by Don Madden.  I believe it is currently in the minivan, Ebby likes to read it.  The story involves a boy, an older woman, a bathtub and an overgrown garden.  On Saturday I was thrifting at Value Village and this book, One Kitten For Kim, jumped out at me.

I haven't even read the story, I'm just in it for the pictures.  So I think I'm officially launching a new phase in my  Weekly Reader books from the 1960s collection.  Too bad my birthday isn't for 7 more months.  Luckily I have many more to share before then...

Sunday flickr Favorites

  Sunday flickr Favorites 
  Originally uploaded by fertree33.