i really did have a happy mother's day

I actually don't like Mother's Day.

Don't get me wrong...I love my mom and I wish I had the funds to honor her the way she deserves (with a first class ticket to Switzerland!). But as a grown woman with no children...Mother's Day just feels so awkward at best.

And here's why. Every year in my church they honor mothers with a lot of talking about mothers and then having all the women -- with or without children -- stand and giving them flowers. It's all very nice. Unless you're not a mother. And then it's just really...awkward. After all the praising of mothers and hearing about all they do for us and all they suffer through and the sacredness of their role...I always feel like such a fraud accepting that flower every year.

Apparently, Karl never knew I felt this way. Until I recently mentioned how I wasn't looking forward to another Mother's Day.

So...do you know what he did?

On Saturday, a beautiful bouquet of orange roses was delivered to our home for me! And on Sunday, he made for me an absolutely delicious meal of grilled chicken quesadillas! And after we watched a movie of my choice (The Assassination of Jesse James...really, really good!) he made me a yummy strawberry milkshake from the fresh strawberries I bought at the Farmer's Market the day before. And he made me feel very special and appreciated...with or without children!

So that's why I married him!

And, you know, it really did help. Even though I have provided no offspring and have made no sacrifices for the children I don't have, even though I'm not a mother and this really wasn't my day, it was a little easier to accept that flower at church. I felt like what I do do for my little family, the sacrifices I have made to help us get to where we are in life so far, the little things I have contributed to our home, really are important and worthwhile...with or without children.

favorite shop friday: pretty ditty

Aprons are so old-fashioned, so domestic, so practical but this week's shop has also managed to make them beautiful, flattering and downright sexy!

Jamie makes aprons for her shop Pretty Ditty. Jamie says of her aprons, "I give special attention to making aprons that inject a burst of fun into this traditional necessity. So whether you are a hair dresser, chef, hosting a party, or just in need of some apron sizzle, I believe my aprons may be the accessory for you."

I know she certainly has the accessory I want!

Look at how pretty!



And how beautiful!



She's got half-aprons, full aprons, halter-top aprons...and all in a gorgeous variety of fabric!







You'll find all of Jamie's sizzling aprons at http://prettyditty.etsy.com. You can also keep tabs on Jamie and her apron-making at her Pretty Ditty blog: http://www.pretty-ditty.blogspot.com.

happy family

I was in Karlsruhe yesterday doing some shopping. I noticed this old advertisement on the side of a building with a great family graphic:



The ad is for mattresses. And I love how happy that family is about their mattresses. And, with that bed head and those pajamas, dad seemed to have had a good night's rest! But what are those hand gestures all about...?

look what's inside craft...

You know what hits newsstands today? Volume 7 of Craft magazine!

And you know what you'll find inside it? A little ad with my Black Forest quilt!

I bought a little ad space within a larger double page ad for Etsy.com and I wish so much I could see the ad in real life, but they don't sell Craft in Germany. But I know that many of you in the US of A will be able to hit your newsstands today to buy a copy of my ad! Plus you'll get a fabulous copy of the very cool Craft magazine along with it!



(Anyone want to mail me a copy?)

may day

The first of May is a holiday day here. I mean a real day-off holiday. So Karl and I went up to see a ruined castle near us. We could see the castle, called Yburg, on the tippy top of a nearby mountain ever since we moved here and on Thursday we finally went up to see it. It was a very pretty day, a very pretty ruin with a newly-opened restaurant, and a very pretty view from our home all the way to France.

favorite shop friday: natural historie

I love detailing my life with beautiful things.

There are many things in our lives we have no real control over. Take my apartment furniture, for example. We live in a company apartment that was already furnished when we moved in and it's all very mix-matchy. Although there are a few things I love (I'm plotting how to remove a beautiful hallway mirror and an old armoire in the spare bedroom when we finally move out without my landlord noticing their removal), most of the furniture is ugly and I don't like it. But even if I have to look at their unattractiveness all day, I know I can add other pretty things to my life that make me happy...and today's shop is filled with those kinds of pretty things!

Natural Historie is the production of Livy, an art history and history student (so she's already tops in my book!) who creates beautiful paper-y things for all of us in need of a little beauty (and aren't we all?)!

Her items, in her own words, are inspired by "all things old fashioned, timeless, simple and lovely."

What's more old fashioned (unfortunately) than paper?



Her prints have timeless subjects:



Her tags are so simple but so elegant:



And, perhaps my favorite in her shop, this birthday card is nothing short of lovely:



See? There's no excuse to add a little more loveliness and beauty in our lives when we got Natural Historie in the world.

You'll find all of Livy's loveliness at http://naturalhistorie.etsy.com. And I must insist you also visit Livy's beautiful blog, A Field Journal at http://www.afieldjournal.blogspot.com.

since you asked...

A few of you asked to see the finished puzzle I started yesterday. Here is is with the clearer picture on the box below:






Karl and I are not big puzzle people but a couple of times a year we'll get out one of our 1000-piece Museum Collection puzzles from Clementoni. Usually I do the people and he does the architecture and sky, but I did the whole thing this time.