Bella Dia

M is for Magazines

Like many of you, I've always loved magazines.  When I think back about all the magazines I've read it's funny how they represent a kind of timeline for my life.  I have a very clear memory of buying my first issue of Seventeen, feeling somewhat timid since I was only fifteen.  This was when Seventeen was the big oversize issues - like Vogue used to be too.  When the babies started coming along, I think I bought every issue of Parents, Parenting, and Child for about seven years.  I started scrapbooking right after my daughter was born (15 years ago) so Memory Makers was a wonderful resource.  Of course I remember when Living premiered and being so impressed with the quality of the pictures and beautiful layouts - it really stood out from the other magazines in it's niche.  I try not to hold onto as many magazines as I used to, so every now and then I go through my piles and pull out pages that I like and set them aside to create new collages in my inspiration book.  It's a great way to recycle and enjoy your magazines all over again.

This is not a comprehensive list by any means but here it is:

A Magazine Timeline of My Life

Young Miss
Teen
Seventeen
Glamour
Mademoiselle
Cosmopolitan
Self
Vogue
Metropolitan Home
Victoria
MSL Living
Vanity Fair
Parents
Child
Memory Makers
Family Fun
InStyle
Country Living
Home Companion
Real Simple

Sweet Bran Muffins

My favorite homemade made-from-scratch muffin - and it's good for you too!

Sweet Bran Muffins

This recipe makes a lot of muffins but you can keep the batter in the fridge to make fresh muffins or you can make them all up and freeze them. I add raisins to my version - at least 2 cups.

Mix 2 cups of boiling water and 2 cups All Bran cereal. Let cool.

3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
5 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 qt. of buttermilk
5 cups flour
4 cups All Bran cereal

Mix sugar, oil, soda, and salt with bran mixture. Add eggs one at a time mixing after each. Add buttermilk, then flour. Beat well then fold in last 4 cups of All Bran. Grease muffin tin and fill 3/4 full - the muffins don't rise very much - and bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 4 dozen muffins. Batter may be kept in refrigerator for several weeks. Do not restir.

Book Review: The Art of Embroidery

I put off buying this book, The Art of Embroidery, for awhile.  Even though it has gorgeous photography and is full of inspiration, I kept telling myself that I don't need to buy another craft book.  But, I kept thinking about it.  Whenever I saw it in the bookstore I'd pull it off the shelf and slowly thumb through one beautiful page after another.  I tried to remember all the ideas and techniques but my brain is on overload as it is so that wasn't working.  One late evening, I pulled it up on Amazon and, well, darn that "one-click" purchasing.  Two days later I had it in my hands. 

The first part of the book focuses on the basics of embroidery while the second half explores design composition and interpretation.  Images from nature lay next to their embroidered translation.  Mimosa blossoms inspire seeding, bullion stitches and beading while grass lends itself to whipped running stitch in shadowy grays.

Ruffled cabbage becomes a scarf.  Brilliant.

The author, Francoise Tellier-Loumagne, has a wonderful straightforward writing style (even though that may be due to its translation from French) which I really appeciate.  If you enjoy Japanese craft books and Marie Claire Idees for their new take on traditional styles then you would probably like this book too.

I love these quotes from the author:

"To embroider is to look, analyse [sic], choose, explore and translate."

"To embroider is to express yourself."

L is for Little Things That Make A Difference

clean sheets
a hot shower
watching a favorite movie
an afternoon nap
a drive in the country
a great find at the thrift store
window shopping
a goodnight's sleep
a walk around the block
a cup of tea
sitting by the fire
love notes from your kids

K is for Kan't Stand It

Substituting the letter K for the letter C or Q drives me crazy, yes, krazy!   I know it's intended as memorable advertising - a way to stand out from the krowd - but for me it's like nails on a chalkboard.  Koffee Korner.  Kosy Kitchen.  Kritter Kountry.  Ugh.  I feel antsy just thinking about it.  I prefer a bouquet of flowers rather than a bokay.  I like things quick but not that kwik.  And, a klassy kreation, well, that just can't be. 

For some reason this one doesn't bother me quite so much ;)

J is for Juxtaposition

juxtaposition
n. 1. an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast.  2. the state of being close together

I is for Me

If I were an umbrella drink I'd be a Relaxed Rum Runner; if I were a color I'd be blue; if I were a dog I'd be a Scottish Terrier. 

Spending time online means that I have to sum up who I am in written words more than I ever have to in real life.  "Describe yourself. "  " Tell us a little about yourself."  "Write a one sentence bio."  Oh, I hate that.  As soon as I read those words my shoulders slump and my mind goes blank.  I can put down words like "I'm a single mom of three, I homeschool, I like crafting and animals and gardening,"  but it seems so generic and... I don't know, boring.  I envy people who can describe themselves briefly yet interestingly and not sound like a statistic.  I know who I am and I know what I like but it's hard to put the mixed up jumble that's me into words.

When I do hear or read someone describing me my first thought is, "Really? Is that who I am?"  I usually hear words like stable, organized, nice, good mom, creative, independent, easy going, smart -  not so bad, but those are the good words.  Luckily I'm not around people that remind me of my unpleasant qualities:  I'm a perfectionist, I over-analyze,  I worry too much, I can be very moody (ahem), lose my focus, and get easily overwhelmed.

I took a lot of quizzes over at Tickle to see what they had to say and I was kind of surprised at how consistent the results were.  My strongest sense is common sense, I'm inspired by learning new things, my best quality is that I'm stable, and I'm also motivated by stability.  Anybody looking for stability?  Over here! 

No, I'm not a party girl, don't take any risks, rarely spontaneous, and I'm not very social.  I prefer small groups over big get-togethers, I do not enjoy discussing religion, politics, or any other flammable topic, I believe in respecting other people's choices in life and expect them to treat me the same way.  I'm silly with kids and enjoy their company.  I don't take myself too seriously. I'm trying to live more in the moment instead of worrying about the future but I'm also trying to come up with some goals and a plan to live by.  If you spent an afternoon with me we'd enjoy tea or mojitos on the back porch swing and talk about our latest interests.  Read any good books lately?  Did you see that article in Real Simple?  We'd poke around in my studio and flip through some Japanese craft books oohing and aahing over their amazing attention to detail.  Dogs would be at our feet and at least several cats would be milling around - one might jump into your lap.  There would probably be Bach or Norah Jones or Jack Johnson playing in the background while we laughed and shared funny stories about our kids. 

I love basking in the sun shining through the window, the sound of raindrops and thunder, the whistling wind, and curtains blowing in the breeze. 

I guess I'm that kind of girl.