A Hat Fit for a Baby

I get to go to a sweet little baby shower in the not so distant future... So tonight I made the baby's gift. The challenge was creating something gender neutral cause is it a boy? is it a girl? only the parents know. I stuck with more boyish colors, but added some girly details and I think (I hope) it'll be a good fit both in style and in size. What do you think? Will they like it?

A Little Birdie Told Me

I can't say I'm a bird watcher, but the other night I was very intrigued by these little birdies! At one point there were five of them perched out on our porch railing just hanging out enjoying the sunset. And yes, leaving little "gifts" behind... We had to be really sneaky to get their picture through the window without scaring them away. 

Feel free to make this post even more fun by playing the "compare-the-two-photos-and-find-what's-different" game. 

I really do love all the things God made!

Creative Space

Today in my continued effort to create a room I feel enticed to play in each time I pass, I went to town on the shelf in the corner of our cozy little den. I found the organizing baskets at JoAnn Fabrics and filled them with yarn, crochet hooks, beautiful paper, and other fun things. 

In this room we house our piano, another shelf stacked full of books, a corner desk. And hopefully soon, a sewing table in the only remaining open corner. Are you feeling crowded yet? I'll be honest, it's not much space which can stifle creativity but if I can keep it uncluttered and organized, plus looking cute, I think I might enjoy its company.

Some things I love:

The way the sun shines through the curtains,

The bowl of two dozen dried roses from my man on our first date,

The recovered cushion of the chair,

The very old piano,

And the curtain holdback that has a not-so-functional mirror front.

I will keep you posted as this room evolves into something truly lovely and inspiring. 

Hope you all have had a wonderful weekend. It's about to storm outside so I'm gonna go cuddle up with a book and some tea.

A Peek into the Past

Things I remember about my wedding...

Feeling beautiful...

Pretty flower arrangements created by my sister, sparkling apple cider, my shoes...  

I loved my shoes...

And the sparkler send-off. What are some things you remember and love about your wedding?

Coloring On the Lines

Who knew a summer course on score preparation could be so much fun? Stressful yes, but also a little bit fun. Did you know another name for the Trombone is Posaune and a Glockenspiel is also called jeu de timbres? In my head I imagine myself saying jeu de timbres in a beautifully French accent and its wonderful. 

 This week, we are learning how to sight-read by singing fixed do as opposed to movable do. Not really at all like Julie Andrews singing "Do, a deer, a female deer..." but it comes to mind.

My favorite part of this summer course has been the coloring. 

Our first assignment was to color code our scores.  

RED for the loud dynamics

BLUE for the soft dynamics

etc., etc.

I'm finishing up my final project tonight. Working through the first movement of the orchestral score of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467. I played this in high school, not exceptionally well, but well enough to understand it a little better now. Anyone else taking some summer courses?