Focus On Life Week 9 ~ Macro Photo

Sally, from The Studio Sublime, has given us the topic "checking out" for the month of March. She says, "March for me is the beginning of spring and a good time for checking out!  There are many definitions of checking out, but I'm talking about checking out and exploring the world around us.  Sometimes when we are checked out of life and checked into technology we tend to not focus on the amazing things that are happening around us every minute of every day.  This week we are going to get up close and really check things out!"

Some of you know how much I enjoy taking macro shots, so I got really excited about this week's prompt.  As each day passed, I became more and more frustrated because I just couldn't think of something to take a picture of.  This has never happened before and I didn't quite know what to do about it.  I took pictures of things in my sewing room, crayons, Annie dog's face, but everything was turning out blurry or not macro enough or just not turning out the way I wanted it to.  So I went through past photos and came up with this one.

Sometimes, tulips are prettier on the inside than they are on the outside!  "Check out" some really great macro shots by clicking on the links below.

Have a great weekend!

xo Annette xo

72.  accepting what I can't change

73.  unconditional love

74.  feeling safe and secure

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The Best Kind of Snow Day

We haven't had nearly as much snow as many others have, but we've had more than what is normal for this area.  Yesterday and today it snowed in the morning, didn't stick to the roads, made everything pretty and was melted by lunch time.  That's the best kind of snow day!  I'm really glad we got out and enjoyed the beautiful spring like weekend when we did though, because it's really cold again.

While Shylee was here that weekend, we talked about making her a new apron since the last one I made her is too small.  We settled on the fun candy, cupcake, and ice cream cone fabric with the pink fabric for the ties and pockets.  It was so nice to have the fabric where I could see it and not have to open bag after bag to find what we wanted!  So the pieces are cut out and I should have it finished in a couple of days.  She also asked me to make a baby doll blanket AND teach her how to sew!  I'm one happy Grandma!

I hope you're having a great week!

xo Annette xo

69.  getting back into sewing

70.  finding shoes that fit

71.  bonding with Shylee

An Afternoon At The Park

It was a most glorious weekend full of blue skies, abundant sunshine, and spring like temperatures.  Shylee was staying with us so a trip to the park was in order.  It's clearly still wintertime, but a day like this goes a long way to relieve cabin fever.  It's going to get super cold again this week and the white stuff is supposed to fall, but I can handle it after this weekend!

What did you do over the weekend?

xo Annette xo

66.  a springlike day in February

67.  watching Shylee run and play

68.  feeling hopeful

Focus On Life Week 8 ~ Capture Color

This week we are to capture color in all it's vivid brilliance!  I turned to my sewing room for this one.

Click on the links below to see how others captured color.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Annette xo

64.  family and friends safe after crazy weather

65.  sleeping in

An InLinkz Link-up

My Sewing Room Reveal

My sewing room is finally done!  This has been so long coming and I am so relieved and so ready to start sewing again.  There are still some things that need to be done.  I need to make curtains, hang a vintage milk glass lamp, hang a few photos when I find frames I like, paint the black desk and a few other pieces, and find a small table to put by the chair.  I guess it will always be a work in progress!

These 'before' photos are really scary.  I don't blame you if you close your eyes!  I had very little storage and everything was in plastic bags and/or piled on every surface.  It became harder and harder to find inspiration to be creative and to find what I was looking for when I needed it.   Remember, I warned you!

You can open your eyes now!  With the help of my family, we transformed this room into an organized space that has plenty of storage and is inspiring to be in.

I have another warning.  There are a LOT of pictures!  This is what you see when you're standing in the doorway.  I'll take you around the room first and then show you some of the details.

The chair is a new recliner so I have a comfortable place to sit while I do hand work.  The wall is bare because I want to fill it with art and things I make.  It also gives me a place to add shelves if I find I need more storage space later.  The white table is my cutting table.  Two leaves drop down and I can open out one or both depending on the size of the project I'm working on.  I love that there is plenty of room to walk around it when it's completely open like below

This is with one side open.  There is enough room that I could leave it like this if I want to.  I love that!

A drop leaf table that extends the sewing table and gives me a place to work on something other than sewing without moving the sewing machine.

If you stayed to the end, thank you!!  I could show you so much more, but I'll do that a little bit at a time!  All the boxes and tins and jars are filled with vintage laces, linens, and buttons, and I found a cool way to store my spools of ribbon.  I'm going to be spending a lot of time in this room so I hope to have lots to blog about in the future.  Thank you for sticking with me!

Happy Wednesday!

xo Annette xo

61.  my sewing room

62.  feeling inspired

63.  family willing to help

Focus On Life Week 7 ~ Capture A Collage Of L♥ve

Sally says one of the best ways to beat the feeling of cabin fever is to feel the love.  It may be as simple as that warm and oh so inviting cup of coffee, the cold nose of your four legged family member, or the smell of a certain flower.  This week love is everywhere and it's your job to capture it.  No bow and arrow needed, just a camera!

I love a lot of things.  Vintage lace, chocolate, Bon Jovi, the color pink, tea parties.  I love a lot of people too.  My family has been on my mind more than usual lately.  My daughter is the closest family member and she is three hours away.  Everyone else is scattered across the country.  I chose to make a collage of them.  My parents, sisters, children, granddaughter and of course Annie dog.  Since none of them are close, I had to use photos I had already taken.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Annette xo

61.  love

62.  family

63.  hugs and kisses

64.  chocolate

An InLinkz Link-up