Books, Geekery and Chicken & Dumplins...

...I don't know what it is about books. I must just love having them, with the hopes of one day reading them all. Seems as though I'm always buying books that are supposed to "teach me something". Of course, I just jump around the pages until I *think* I've learned enough and then I move on to something else, never quite finishing the book in it's entirety. Right now, for instance, I'm reading 4 books ~ one about camping, one about HDR photography, one about PhotoShop Elements 8 and one about my camera [oh yeah, and the one about biodentical hormones that I always tend to start reading again when I have a hot flash - it's always in the stack]. I guess the thing is, they are all interesting enough and I just want to learn everything and read about everything, but only in small bursts ~ * sigh * ~ maybe one day ALL of my books will be read...that is, if I stop buying new ones!

So yesterday, I was missing my Mom and yearning for some of her Chicken & Dumplings. She would always make them for me when I was gloomy, or not feeling good. It's my ultimate "comfort food". I have never, ever made them for myself. I felt as if I did, I would be having a one person "pity party" and nobody would be there to comfort me [or wash my dish!]. I was looking in my refrigerator at that package of chicken breasts [with an expiration date of 04.01.10] and thought, "I really need to cook that chicken today". Then I went and stood inside the pantry to see what I could whip up to go along with it. Low and behold, there on the shelf was an unopened box of Bisquick ~ why the hell I had Bisquick, I'll never know...it's certainly not like I bake, or make pancakes from scratch , or anything like that! I really think my brain subconsciously purchases items in the store that I have no control over or even remember buying. And then, like a light bulb came on over my head, I thought "Chicken & Dumplins" ~ I made them, they were awesome and my Mom would be proud. She said I could make her some next time we visit. They were so good, I had to take a picture! Of course, I also had to throw some "geekery" in ~ look close and you'll see that the picture is actually a jigsaw puzzle! If you're really bored, you can print it out on some card stock, cut it out and put it back together again! I created the picture & puzzle with "Picnik" [of course].My yard is full of daffodils!! They are popping up all over the place! Spring has "officially" arrived! Yay!! And the lucky winner of those awesome earrings from my last post is "Faye"!! Congratulations, Faye!!! Ozzy ran off with #3 this morning! I hope you enjoy your earrings!

I had to go into town this morning to get my "privilege license", so I can sell my jewelry @ the "Transylvania Tailgate Market". I'm not quite sure if that will be my "privilege" or theirs [hee hee]. Then I met my wonderful friend, Paula for lunch @ the Thai restaurant and then I stopped by to visit my awesome friends Mike & Paula and drop off a necklace that I'm donating for a benefit tomorrow night. While I was there, I gobbled up [at least that's what I felt like I was doing ~ grabbing & snatching them out of his hands] some of Mike's new glass pendants!! They are gorgeous!!! Be on the lookout for some new necklaces I'll be making with them for the shop! They will all be a "one of a kind", so save your pennies, I know you'll want at least one!

For all of you on Facebook...I found this awesome site that creates facebook applications. Most of them are "free" and they are wonderful!! I downloaded the "Twitter" one and the "Flickr" one for my "Dornick Designs" Facebook Fan Page. Check it out ~ I promise you'll be smitten!

Welp, I'm off to enjoy the afternoon ~ it's gorgeous outside today!!! I have a new necklace made to list in the shop, too....but that will have to wait until this evening ~ the sunshine don't last long enough. Have a wonderful day everybody!!!!
[wow ~ I sure was talkative today...must be that hot Chai I'm addicted to!]
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." ~ Native American Proverb

Show & Tell...

[My Booth!] ~ this past Friday & Yesterday kicked off a back to back weekend Art show. But next weekend we'll be outside again {burrrrr}! Thanks to Paula, we had a great space and lots of fun! Some really awesome Artists showed up, with some great things, like this bag:

modeled by Carolyn....and these awesome yummy treats & organic coffee:from Mike & Anne...wonderful music from The Moon Shine Babies:A "Santa" bartender {none other than Wayne, of course}:And what night could possibly be complete without a visit from little Jack:Happy Sunday!!! ♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

{I know I've used this quote before, but it really is the most appropriate for this post and, besides, it's a really awesome quote and one worth using more than once}
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ~ Aristotle

Frozen Art Show!!!

Brrrrrr......so yesterday's show was pretty much a bust. Everybody was freezing to death and not very many people were out shopping. Our hero of the day, though, was Wayne! Yay!!! He bought me a propane heater and we stayed snuggled up around it like Ozzy & Lita do when they have a good bone to chew on:You can't tell by this picture, but me Mike & Paula were all getting our butts toasted while we waited for customers to shiver & run by...awe, this lady actually spent more than 5 seconds looking @ my jewelry ~ sweet ;)and this sweet little lady scored some really cool head-bands from Carolyn...

but Mike's glass pendants....and Paula's awesome yarn broaches, hair pins, bookmarks & earrings were the hit of the day!

And I'll be making some new things with some of Mike's glass pendants {which will also be for sale soon in the "Purplebus Studio" on Etsy}, so check back often!

Happy Sunday! Stay Warm & Toasty!
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.” ~ Winnie the Pooh...

Whew....what a day!

Well yesterday was a sorta blur...my husband ended up in the emergency room having emergency surgery @ 2 am {Saturday}. He had a severe nose bleed that would not stop {no matter how many "google" remedies we tried and believe me, there are gazillions}. Come to find out, a small artery had split and was steady bleeding. So nothing we could have done would have stopped it. It was very scary & frightening for us both. They had to call in the surgical team {we live in a small town, so a surgical staff is not on duty 24/7 at the hospital}. So they all drag in right from bed ~ I asked them if they needed coffee or something before they started operating on my husband! They assured me that they "hit the ground running" and have done it a million times. They had to go in and cauterize the artery to stop the bleeding. Thank goodness they were able to find it! Needless to say, we didn't get back home until 4:15 am yesterday morning, both thankful and exhausted at the same time. But now, after a day & night's rest, I'm feeling 100% and he's feeling lots better! You know, I felt a little guilty when I realized just how much I love him, and what in the world would I ever do without him, while I'm sitting in the waiting room @ the hospital and he's having surgery. All that's going through my head is, gosh maybe I should have cooked him some meat loaf today, or gave him a massage, or just sat with him and had a conversation. So yes, that's what I'm doing today! All 3 of those things! And of course, what better reason to also cook some garlic mashed potatoes! The ultimate in comfort foods {besides chicken & dumplings} Yippie!And I did make this awesome little necklace yesterday with some gorgeous Keishi Pearls that I got from "J.Nic Designs" on Etsy! I named it "Free Bird" and, you know where to find it :)

So Happy Sunday!! We may get some "sneaux flurries" today! I'm spelling it like that, you know, because I'm from Louisiana and everything that ends in the pronunciation of "o" - "oh" or "ow" is spelled with an "eaux" ~ you kneaux! But, before I geaux, I just have to share one these awesome little bookmarks that my dear friend Paula is making:This one is my favorite {of course} ~ please do check out her shop! She has lots of things that would make really great Teachers/friends gifts :)

And don't forget!! 20% off from my shop until Midnight tomorrow night! {Nov. 17}
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." ~ Winnie the Pooh saying to Christopher Robin

Special People…

Gosh, it's amazing to me that only after living here for 6 months that we can *literally* fill up our house with friends on a Monday night! Yes, Monday! So we hosted Music Monday again and had a wonderful turn out – about 30 people! And one of the best parts about it is that ALL of the food was eaten! *Yay* ~ it only took about 15 minutes to throw the dishes in the dishwasher. I think it took Wayne longer to carry out all of the beer & wine bottles to the recycle bin this morning. And to top everything off, Rainbow & Jeff {who is an amazing drummer/musician} brought this wonderful homemade apple pie:

It just don't get anymore *American* than that, complete with a heart in the center! Unless, of course you include this awesome homemade humus from Jerry & Suzanne {Moon Shine Babies}:

Yummy ~ I could have just eaten it with a spoon. And my little turtle from Nick {The Duckpond Pottery} was chock full of flowers & herbs from the garden:

But the cutest thing of all were these precious diaper covers that little Jack {The Duckpond Potter's little baby} was wearing:

Nick & Jen always have little Jack dressed soooo cute. He's always sporting the latest fashions in handmade, mostly organic, clothes, shoes & diapers. They wouldn't hear of putting Pampers on his little butt. After all, remember the saying "Give A Hoot, Don't Pollute" {hee hee}.

Now Nick & Jen's pottery shop is right on the banks of the "French Broad River" and all summer long they host a slew of musicians who happen to be coming through this way, in what's been named "Duck Pond @ Dusk"
The events start up again this Thursday evening with "R.I.S.E. (Rising Appalachia)" – a group of 2 sisters {Chloe & Leah} that are pretty popular and very entertaining. I'll blog more on them after the show.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far. Before I go, I just have to share this awesome little yard art/bubble wand mermaid that my sweetest little friend in the whole world, Paula {Purple Bus Studios} made. I think it's just the most clever thing ever. And the world could use more bubbles, after all:

Off to make something new & enjoy the rest of the day ~ Hope you are all having a wonderful Tuesday!!!

Xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

A "blue" daisy that I found yesterday when we took Ozzy & Lita to "Fawn Lake"

"In this world, artists are joyous. Unpredictability is the life of their paintings, their music, their novels, their creations. They delight in events not forecasted, happenings without explanation, retrospective." – Alan Lightman