Final Piece of the Program

The closing piece on my program will be Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata in F Minor, Op. 57. There are three movements to this monster of a piece. The last two movements are played attacca or without any break between. I was first drawn to this sonata by my sister who learned it for one of her recitals. I would sit and listen to her practice when I was in high school. And I'd always ask her to play the last movement which at that time was my favorite. I've since grown to love all three equally. When I listen I cannot help but feel captivated and moved. Here you can hear it played by Valentina Lisitsa. Enjoy...

Movement I


Movement II


Movement III

Tribute to Audrey

Perhaps you have already read them. But these Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn are some of my favorites.

~ For lovely lips, speak words of kindness

~ For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people

~ For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry

~ For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day

~ For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone

~ People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anybody

~ As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others

~ The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to the heart, the place where love resides

~ True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives and the passion that she shows. And the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows.

Tips and photos taken from the book Total Beauty

by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley.

It's a fun read if you've never checked it out. You're sure to find some lovely ideas and illustrations that are fresh and inspiring.

Dreams Come to Life

I'm so excited about this post because I get to share with you some photos of my very first design I plan to sell in my etsy shop this Fall. Yes, it is nearing that time where I get to put my dream into action and open my very own little shop.

Mustard Cowl

I've been loving the cozy texture of this piece ever since I finished it and can't wait to wear one of my own this winter in place of a scarf.

The best part is there is no winding, twisting, or tying involved. Just pull it over your head and press it flat. Ta-da!

This particular creation is in the beautiful fall color I like to call mustard. I hope to offer a plethora of color choices so I would love your recommendations! What color would you love to wear?

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a superb week. Stay tuned for my shop's grand opening coming soon!!!

Third on the Program

In continued preparation for my recital on November 4th I must share with you the third piece on my program. If you've read my earlier posts this week, you know I'm opening my recital with two pieces by Bach. Those will be followed with the Variations Serieuses, Op. 54 by Mendelssohn. In this piece there are so many contrasts of color and character from one variation to the next that I never stop being intrigued. And by intrigued I mean challenged. I've yet to master the majority of the variations but that's what keeps me going. This recording by Horowitz is phenomenal. And if you don't have time to listen to the whole thing, skip to the ending because it'll take your breath away.

Enter the Giveaway

My creative space today is filled with a giveaway! Remember these?

It's time to enter the giveaway at Chantilly Songs to win these adorable bangle bracelets.

I recently created these one-of-a-kind hand-crocheted pink bangle bracelets tied with creamy ribbon. These bangles slide easily on and off the hand and have a wonderfully soft texture. They add whimsy to any outfit and provide that touch of cozy comfort that every girl loves against her delicate wrist. You could be the winner and get to wear them any day you please! Visit Chantilly's blog and find out how to enter.

This is so exciting! Thanks for participating and making it fun! And if you want to feel inspired you can visit more creative spaces here.

Etsy Love

Here is the most recent picture I have of me and my hubby. He took me on a hott date last night and I insisted we take a photo for documentation. Love this man.

Other things I'm loving are, these amazing flowers resting on my coffee table.

My new etsy earring purchase from the author of Along for the Ride. She has such a fun etsy shop. The color of these earrings is peacock. Adorable...

She also sent this fun hairpin design. She mailed both items all cutely packaged and it was such a treat to open.

What have you been loving lately?

Recital Program Continued

You may recognize this piece because yes, I posted it before. My previous post however showcased a performance by Glenn Gould and only included the large Fugue portion of this work. Here you'll find Bach's Toccata and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 911 in its entirety performed by Martha Argerich. The recording is divided into two youtube videos because of the length. The Toccata of course comes first and is immediately followed by the Fugue. I'm loving Argerich's playing lately and in fact it was this exact recording that initially made me fall in love with this piece motivating me to buy the music and learn it myself. It will be the second piece on my recital program in November. Enjoy... and again I welcome comments about your reaction to the music.

Recital a Day at a Time

School began today. Summer was wonderful and I will miss it greatly but I'm looking forward to the routine of classes, teaching, and piano practice. I'll be preparing once again for my recital on November 4th. I thought it'd be fun to share bits and pieces of my progress in hopes of staying motivated. Below is a recording of the first piece on my program. This is the Prelude of Bach's English Suite No. 2 in A minor. I love the entire suite, especially the Sarabande and the Gigue, but this Prelude initially grabbed my attention as a wonderful opener. Martha Argerich plays it beautifully...

This week I'll be posting each piece on my program a day at a time. As you might imagine, it can be a challenge to work on the same music for more than a year. I struggle to remember my initial response to the pieces I chose. It's true there are moments when I love the music so much more now than I ever did in the beginning, but I long to remember what grabbed me upon first hearing these selections. Because of this, I'd love to hear your reactions to the music. Do you like it? And if so what do you like about it?

New Top Design

Here is the promised post about the top design I recently finished. Don't you just love the backdrop for my photo shoot. Nothing better than pictures in the kitchen at night with poor lighting and tacky towels hanging on the oven bar. Makes me feel right at home. In high heels of course.

One of these days I will take my photo shoots outside amidst beautiful scenery and perfect lighting. For now this will have to do.

It's amazing the things you learn from making something like this. I always feel the final product is never quite what I set out to create, but in this case I'm content with the outcome. If I decided to sell duplicates of this design, would anyone be interested?

I appreciate your feedback. Criticism too as long as it's constructive I'm all ears.

A Day In

Rollerblading has done me in. 18 miles in 2 hours sounds like a lot but really is not so bad when you have a very good friend to visit with along the way. I loved every minute! Every minute until I got home and discovered a very painful monster blister on my left foot. I ran errands with my hubby yesterday and all the walking made it worse I think.

So, today I am staying indoors with my foot up on a pillow reading and breathing in scents of my dune sage candle from Anthropologie. Not so bad right?

Today's reads:

The Bible

I try to start my days with devotional time. Lately I haven't been succeeding with that goal but long to do better. So many things in the day pull my mind toward busyness, materialism, and selfishness. I forget to think of God, learn about Him, and apply what I learn to how I live. And then I wonder why I am not bringing people to Christ. How can I bring them if I'm not going to Him myself?

A Voice in the Wind

I am loving the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. This book challenges me with things that really matter. Life in light of eternity. It also is super fun and exciting to read. It is a story of "dependence on God, a dramatic conversion to Christ, trust, dark temptations, family tensions, false religion, tragedy...." It is incredibly romantic and I'm always a sucker for that!

In Style

And last but not least, I have 638 pages of the September issue of In Style magazine keeping me occupied. I suppose you could say it's my fashion indulgence for the day.

Anyone else reading something they love today?

Day Two: Redo

I haven't done a photography challenge post in quite some time. Part of that is because I am a perfectionist and I didn't like how my "Day Two: What I Wore Today" photo had turned out. Last night I had an idea, I would retake it and try something a little more artsy, a little less bland. So with no further ado, here is my redo:

Earrings (Target)

Top (My Design, more on this coming soon!)

Skirt (Thrifted) & Leggings (T.J. Max)

Shoes (Nordstrom Rack)

A fun outfit for a fun day. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Sunset Crochet

Last night I was sitting at my piano squeezing in some last-minute practicing. Since we live in an apartment and my piano is not a keyboard with headphones, the neighbor's with children have asked me not to play after eight. Their little girl's bedroom is on the other side of our piano wall so it's completely understandable. Though it makes me said cause my favorite time to play is after dark. Anyway, back to my story, I was playing and took a quick glance out the window only to be met by this view. I froze and just stared at this gorgeous sky and then jumped up to get my camera so I could show James when he came home.

Breathtaking...

And then since the clock struck eight while I was gazing away, I could practice no more. Instead I crocheted. I'm working on a new pattern design for a top. New patterns always make me excited and a little nervous because what if I get to that certain point and decide it's a disaster and then have to take out all those stitches only to start again? Awful right? It's happened before so I know the pain very well. I can only hope this pattern will be a success.

That tree branch by the way is from way up on a mountain in Montana. We hiked up to touch the snow and saw tons of these along the way. I couldn't resist bringing one home as a memento. It's so rustic and weathered looking!

Table Reveal

Today I quite hastily assembled this fun little wall hanging so I'd have something special to put above my new sewing table! You can find the tutorial by Meredith over at One Sheepish Girl. It's super easy and is a great way to use any old picture frames you have lying around. Total cost is about 3 dollars! I'm hoping to eventually find some old-fashioned clothespins so I can clip my pattern sketches to the wires and look at them for inspiration while I'm sewing. But for now, I hung some pretty cards over the wire to give the wall a pop of color.

And here is the finished table. Isn't it beautiful? I am in love with the original hardware.

I'm also in love with that silk blue floral fabric I'm about to start stitching on.

This is my friend Sarah's super cute sewing machine. I am actually using my mom's sewing machine when I sew but Sarah's looks way cuter in pictures hence the swap.

Here's a better shot of the fabric. Gorgeous against the orange!

One of my favorite parts of the table is the inside of the door...

...where I can store all my thread. Well, some of my thread at least. It only holds six spools. But it sure does look pretty!

Thank you to my husband for his incredible attention to details. The paint job is perfect and to say the least I am rather pleased with the color choice. Remember how it looked before?

Anyone else finish some fun projects lately? I'd love to hear about them!

Lovely Red Velvet

I love the color palette in this photo from Red Velvet's February Lookbook. Of course it isn't February anymore, but I'm still digging those tones. And really I love all the photos in their book. It was tricky choosing only two that might tempt you to go check out their beautiful website so you can feel inspired too. Lovely...

This last photo makes me very happy. Won't be long and James will be finding love notes painted everywhere in our house. Poor man. I am so grateful for a husband who not only puts up with all my experimental bursts of creativity but actually encourages me in the process. Thank you Lord for all your blessings!

Pink Bangle Bracelets

Here is a quick peek at the free giveaway I will soon be doing with Chantilly over at her lovely blog Chantilly Songs. Please do visit her and say hello.

I'll be sure to give you the heads up when the giveaway is posted. For now, you are welcome to fantasize about wearing these adorable hand-crocheted pink bangles and consider entering to win when the times comes.

My inspiration for creating these bracelets comes from the fact that I can't wear normal bangles. My hand just doesn't fold that way! So for all you gorgeous ladies out there who love bangles but can't get them on, these are the perfect remedy... they have a little stretch in them.

What do you think? Are they cute?

Lovin Bloglovin

I just want to say thank you for reading FUN. If you're loving what you're reading I would be honored if you would Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Orange You Sweet

And now presenting my NEARLY finished new and improved sewing table. This color is actually called Red Hot Pepper and I intended it to be quite red, but as you can see it came out quite orange. And since I'm currently a huge orange fan I was ok with that!

James said one more coat after today's coat should do the trick so I have to wait one more sleep as my little brother used to say. (Ironically his favorite color is orange so it is more than appropriate that I reference him in this post. I love you Clayton!)

After the final coat, then comes reconstructing the table, then comes hours of letting it dry, then comes lots and lots of sewing. I'm excited to say the least.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love brick walls?

I also love how my file box has become a sort of end table. It is truly a multi-functional piece.

And lastly today I was admiring the glass knob under the keyboard portion of my piano. James put this on for me when we discovered a screw end sticking through the wood where a knob used to be. The knob is used as a handle to pull that piece of wood open so you can see the inner workings of the piano and clean out the cobwebs. It's beautiful I think so in a way can also be considered a multi-functional piece.

That's all for tonight my dear readers. I hope your week has been a delight.

Sweet dreams, sleep tight...

Bookshelves Buttons & Beyond

Today I spent some more time in my creative space organizing away. Isn't the ironing board cover my sister found for me absolutely adorable! And as you can see, I'm currently a huge orange fan. And by that I DON'T mean that I'm huge and orange!

I finally consolidated my second bookshelf and layered it to please the eye. Not all my books fit back on the shelf so I will definitely need to find a new storage place for them until the day we have a whole room set aside as a library.

On the top shelf you can see my big beautiful storage box from Anthropologie. Wanna know a secret? ALWAYS ask them to gift wrap your purchases because there is no additional cost! I love using their gift boxes for storing things in my house.

I got to go through my newly inherited sewing supplies. My mom used to sew lots when we were little and she has kindly passed all her now unneeded supplies on to me. This included TONS and TONS of buttons. Love the pretty colors.

Last weekend we fit in a trip to IKEA where I found yet another file box.

This one is nice and big and for now I'm using it to store my fabric. Until the day comes when I grow out of my box...

Tomorrow I'll post some shots of the room as a whole so you can get the bigger picture. It's really looking cute! My husband started painting my sewing table today and the first coat is finished so hopefully I can get all that set up by tomorrow night's post. Can you guess which color I chose?

For more creative spaces, visit here.

Skirt Refashion

My Creative Space today is filled with my very first skirt refashion. I am now the proud owner of an adorable new-to-me pencil skirt.

This wool skirt was originally from Banana Republic and has been collecting dust in my closet for longer than I care to admit. I think I may have stolen it from my sister once upon a very long time ago. It was a size 12 and hung nicely on the hips back when hip hanging was remarkably fashionable (or at least back when I thought it was remarkably fashionable). This past fall I tried this skirt on 3 different times always opting not to wear it as I stood in front of the mirror cinching it all over and telling myself that it was cute if only it fit better... Today I finally took the plunge and made it into something I will happily wear come Fall. Here are some before and afters.

Before (Front)

Before (Back)

Before (Side)

And After...

This refashion was a little stretch for me because of the skirt's silky inner lining and the thickness of the outer wool fabric. I was nervous to cut anything, not knowing exactly where to start. But I'm so glad I dug in and worked my way through it. Really all it took was stitching up the pleat in the front, and adding a stitch in the back from top to bottom leaving a four inch slit for walking. I also finished off the inside edges with some extra folds and stitching because I'm a perfectionist and even though no one sees the inside, I know it's there and want it to be pretty too.

So there you have it. And the best part? It was free!

For more creative spaces visit here.