Art journaling by Candylei Yap

Drawing, designing and painting are each in themselves a beautiful process. We are not limited in any way, yet we tend to limit ourselves. We are our own worst critic, right after our children. They in innocence point out what they like and don't like. First we need to remember that not every drawing or sketch is meant to be sold. Each sketch is a learning process.  The more we wield the pencil the more it frees our mind and opens our heart. Freedom is what gives us confidence in the art world and what a beautiful world it is.

Often when cooking if we don't have an ingredient in the recipe we improvise according to our taste and substitute a different ingredient. This is slightly where I am at adding a little more abstract backgrounds to my aceos. Different, but overall reads the same!

Stop by my little aceo shop called Dictionary Reader  

Outdoor Garden Party

One way to always have guests

on your patio would be to have

these evergreen deer topiaries.

These two won't eat all the greens

and flowers either.

They have done a great job

shaping and trimming their antlers;

haven't they?  

Too cute!

Next time someone asks to get

a puppy or a kitten and you feel you

have enough already, get them

an animal topiary or two.

French Mirror Doubles as Tray

I love finding things already the color and patina I want.

This vintage mirror is one of those.

Already chippy and white.

Laying it horizontal it made the perfect tray dining alfresco.

Today the weather was beautiful again.

A few of my favorite things were gathered

up and set on the tray. 

The lighting was awesome and I had

so much fun with my camera.

Light was bouncing everywhere.

A sweet spoon from the 1800's

The white hydrangeas are about

the size of a snowman!

They call them Florist Hydrangeas

but they do well to zone 5. Yay!

I had to add flowers everywhere I could. 

The lavender makes me want to iron my clothes

 with lavender water like the French do. 

It might be easier to dry my clothes on the

lavender bushes...like the French do as well!

Mercury glass. Love.

Happy White Wednesday.

Joining up with these friends,

 Faded Charm Cottage,

 French Country Cottage,

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Cottage Garden Party

Vintage Farmhouse

Vintage Inspiration

Organic Green Silverware

Today a fair wind brought

many creative ideas 

my way as I worked outside.

Why not make our own edible silverware?

Doesn't that sound fun?

It was for me.

Someone make dinner,

someone set the table,

and someone cut up the silverware.

Fun. Fun. Fun.

I love all of the little details.

This salad would make a

little woodland fairy happy, too.

I pulled weeds from the garden

and tilled part of it for the 5th time,

but who is counting?

Maybe the ideas come from the

jarring of the tiller?

Weeds or flowers or both.

They are still a pretty spray of white.

So many tiny flower petals

surround the golden sun center.

Connecting up with these friends.
Fridays Unfolded
Inspiration Friday
Simple and Sweet Fridays

Pink Rose and Flower Petals

Pink is still fresh here. This rose I took to photographing.

It looks so lovely.

As I moved it around on the vintage silver platter the

most amazing coincidence happened.

I saw it's gorgeous inner reflection on the silver rim.

The learning process is beautiful too.

I should list the new things I learn everyday.

I wanted to toss these fragrant petals into the bath.

Who has time for leisurely baths?

Their aromatherapy on my fingers was enough for me today.

We are scattering petals about like sugar and spice.

It is quite nice!

This vintage silver spoon's design is elaborate.

Little details speak directly to the heart through the eye.

Fragrance speaks to the heart when you inhale it.

To be alert to these things...

The calm it brings to a busy life.

Pretty soon we will have peonies the same soft sweet pink color!

I will have to look for a silver ladle

to photograph the pom pom's with.

Connecting up with these friends:

Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground

Pink Saturday



My Romantic Home

Saturday Show Off

Decorating Tip for Indoor Potted Plants

Indoor plants and flowers keep me happy until

Spring arrives with baskets of bouncy flowers.

These gorgeous blooms are keeping me company

right now.

The white amaryllis bulb I got for 3.00 after the New Year.

It now has two stalks of flowers blooming.

That makes eight flowers!

I thought it looked good next to the orchid.

My dilemna to solve was the visible pot

after dropping the potted plants into

the vintage white soup tureens.

I tried a white sheer thin fabric like

a scarf, but it ended up looking like a sock

that fell to the plants ankles.

I looked around me for something else.

Problem solving without spending money

is always pleasant, and needful.

A few old books I picked up at a used

book store for art projects caught my eye

across the room.

Three pages for each pot were torn out

of the book and used as liners.

I think they look clean lined and crisp!

(The ribbon hides the title of the book.)

The hardbound book cost me a dollar

and still more projects are left with it.

It almost reminds me of getting nuts or

treats in a paper bag from a street food

vendor or country fair.

Don't be surprised if all of my plants will be

wrapped in old book pages now!

The flower petals on both plants shimmer like satin.

I've keep the white color theme and there is

such a ethereal beauty and calm in this room.

Connecting up with:

Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Farmgirl Friday

Valentine Tokens of Affection

Sweet Valentine candy hearts.

How lovely to arrange a heart on each spoon.

A little extra pretty at the table.

They have a vintage Victorian look.

Drop a candied heart into your tea cup!

Our sweet teacups from Anthropologie.

Connecting with:

French Country Cottage

Common Ground

The Charm of Home

The Romantic Home

The Picket Fence

Stuff and Nonsense

A Country Farmhouse - yippee

Libraries are for learning and gathering information. I had to take my son to the library last night and after I gathered up a few things I plunked down in a chair next to the magazines. I picked up Country Living because I love white decorating and the cover pulled me in.

I was thrilled to find out it was the Burke's aka www.acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com living room on the cover and the most delicious photographs of their home inside. (All of you probably know about their blog, but if you don't head on over.) Trina has the most beautiful country home and I should have "followed" it when I first found it. There isn't any clutter to be seen. Today I went right over and with friend connect linked up. (Hoping the decluttering thing rubs off on me.) Why are we so slow to link up sometimes? It's the best way to find someone again and to keep in touch. Of all the supermarket trips I have made I hadn't seen this new Country Living magazine.

I devoured each picture in the magazine and wondered (quietly) how people keep their kitchens so sparkling white and scrubbed?

Industry West Chairs Galvanized Metal

These industrial chairs came directly to me today on my blog ad! I've seen similar ones on European blogs around dining tables. The buffed gray metal appeals to me. It looks similar to watering can metal, but it's actually galvanized steel (not zinc) from Industry West. Check out their web site as they are on sale today for $125.00 each plus shipping. They tell me they are reproductions of vintage french chairs.

They have a great Facebook page with lots of pictures.

Boxwood Swirls and Twirls Art

I tilled our vegetable garden today and it looks like a blank brown canvas. There is something about the smell of freshly tilled soil that jolts your gardening dreams into high gear. Something tells you that seeds or cuttings need to go into it.I have always wanted to look out a high window onto a knot garden. This week I'm going for it.

My outdoor pots are all of a sudden barren since the frosts took the annuals. Now is when I poke cuttings down into them and wait to see how many take root and find new homes next spring.

Kids Potager Vegetable Garden

The perfect childrens garden. Lots of leafy veggie foliage make this one so appealing. The circular design makes it easy for little gardeners to reach anywhere easily. When the kids aren't gardening the statuary rabbit will watch over each tasty morsel for you. Cabbage and lettuce have never looked so good. This little precious garden belongs to a friend of mine.

A Walk in the Garden Foliage & Cuttings

This cool 49 degree chill makes for brisk walking unless you are looking at perennials and shrubs. Then I dawdle a bit. I picked a few leaves and cuttings to bring inside. Rather holiday colors---the burgundy foliage and evergreens that I love. Burgundy and lime green are very catchy colors.

From bottom left moving clockwise in the ABOVE photo is euphorbia, hydrangea leaf, ruby fringeflower cutting, yew cutting, purple sage, bugbane, cedar cutting, coral bells leaf, cypress cutting.

I didn't bring in all the burgundies. That way I can flutter around, from plant to shrub, and gather another little "foliage bouquet" on my next walk. Why don't we wear foliage boutonieres? Or carry foliage nosegays?

After I took the picture I put them on the tablecloth and the red made the green color pop out. This is what every gardener does...walks around with leaves to match or contrast foliage. Some designers do it in their head, but it's so much better to actually walk around outside holding up leaves and comparing in the garden while the leaves fall like confetti on you and the woodpecker keeps a steady beat. The squirrels chitter-chatter and scramble up trees that no longer hide them.

Somehow in the fall the squirrels think the gardens are theirs! That is when our westie doggy boy is inside the house. They keep a very low profile when he is running with his nose to the ground. The ground that is still waiting for more tulip and daffodil bulbs to be planted...sigh