Leadership Camp

Madame just spent 3 days at camp with her school, her brother did it also, every 6th grader has the trip planned by the PTO. I remember when her brother went, I saw taped video at his graduation ceremony, it was hilarious, he was trying to walk a rope line while holding another rope at about waist high. No go! One foot kept jumping up and down reflexion in nerves, and he was yelling at the others teasing him. The footage had no sound and the person put in on a repeat loop, it was funny! Even he lost it at the ceremony. (Course he was leaving elementary, what'd he care!?)

First day peace!

Part of the rope course.

Target time!

Ole' fashion time.

A call to dinner.

I know she told me of the poles they stood on a jumped from with the classmates handling the harness rope, wonder if these are them, hummmm...

This is a new addition this year, a inside climbing wall. Sorry for the darkness, Madame made sure she took the photo with people facing away, least I can do it post it.

A foothold, can ya just imagine!?!

A better photo, this is Kieve. It's in Nobleboro, Maine.

Another peace photo.

Madame in her harness, I don't even want to think about it.

C&G Design

Pink Campaign

Julie Fiske, a fashion designer, started a campaign in 2008, designing for companies like Levi, Gymbroee, and Adidas, Julie started her own sisterhood production with "Save the Ta-Tas" t-shirts and accessories.

This graphic is a favorite of mine, just as popular as the other tee's, it shows the love heart in the center of the cause.

Julie Fiske was first touched by cancer as a young girl when her grandmother had a double mastectomy, then again in 2004 when another relative under went another surgery. ***CUTE!***

That was when she decided to promote the importance of self beauty and confidence in the hearts of the women who have or had breast cancer.

Part of the proceeds from sales go to breast cancer research, to date they have donated 339,000.

For more PINK awareness visit Beverly. C&G Design

Lace

I picked up this wonderful book at one of our local discount stores, I'll bet it would be able to be found at the Christmas Tree Shop. My review of this book on Lace is wonderful! Usually when dealing with lace, the craft has kind of a throw together look or a girlish appearance, not true with the projects in this "how too". Just look at this coverlet, who wouldn't want this romantic quilt on their bed?

This backpack is boss! It's a simple backpack pattern with a doily as a flap and gimp as straps. You attach the lace over your cut pattern, easy peasy.

I love this dress form, wouldn't it make a great pincushion?

Lovely vintage looking ornaments. They will be my first project from this book, I have several cotton roses in the size of a silver dollar. At the time I purchased them I wasn't sure what to do with them. Now I know......

C&G Design

Michelangelo Buonarroti 1475-1564

I've had this clip of a wonderfully painted flower in my pictures for over a year now, is it a flower? or is it a face? I fell in love with it and I've never been able to delete it.

The label I assigned to this photo is "Michelangelo" and I remember lifting it from a site that had some of his artwork, today, I can not find the place or name of this painting again.

Mostly famous for sculpting the statue of David and painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, many are not aware that this talented man was also a poet, many writings include erotic love notions, some describe his feelings of his own work. It is said that the enemy of Michelangelo is the aspect of nature, it may be the inspiration behind this beautiful painting.

TWO SONNETS

_LOVE'S ARGUMENT WITH REASON.__


La ragion meco si lamenta._


Reason laments and grieves full sore with me,


The while I hope by loving to be blest;


With precepts sound and true philosophy


My shame she quickens thus within my breast:


'What else but death will that sun deal to thee--


Nor like the phoenix in her flaming nest?'


Yet nought avails this wise morality;


No hand can save a suicide confessed.


I know my doom; the truth I apprehend:


But on the other side my traitorous heart


Slays me whene'er to wisdom's words I bend.


Between two deaths my lady stands apart:


This death I dread; that none can comprehend.


In this suspense body and soul must part.



TO GIOVANNI DA PISTOJA._


ON THE PAINTING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL.__


I' ho già fatto un gozzo._


I've grown a goitre by dwelling in this den--


As cats from stagnant streams in Lombardy,


Or in what other land they hap to be--


Which drives the belly close beneath the chin:


My beard turns up to heaven; my nape falls in,


Fixed on my spine: my breast-bone visibly


Grows like a harp: a rich embroidery


Bedews my face from brush-drops thick and thin.


My loins into my paunch like levers grind:


My buttock like a crupper bears my weight;


My feet unguided wander to and fro;


In front my skin grows loose and long; behind,


By bending it becomes more taut and strait;


Crosswise I strain me like a Syrian bow:


Whence false and quaint, I know,


Must be the fruit of squinting brain and eye;


For ill can aim the gun that bends awry.


Come then, Giovanni, try


To succour my dead pictures and my fame;


Since foul I fare and painting is my shame.



Special thanks to the Gutenberg project. C&G Design

Raggedy Ann Salad

Ingredients:

1. Peach; remove skin if using fresh, or canned

2. 4 stalks of celery

3. Hard boiled egg

4. Raisins

5. Cherry

6. Shredded cheese

7. Ruffled leaf of lettuce

Always make sure whenever you serve or make a salad that the items are chilled and the salad is refrigerated when you finish.
Half the peach and place pit side down (remove pit if fresh peach is used). Place the celery as if the arms and legs (use picture as a guide). Half hard boiled egg and place as head, using the shredded cheese place as hair on top of egg. Slip lettuce leaf under under peach. Using raisins place eyes, nose, and shoes. Cut cherry in half, if you are using a maraschino, rinse to prevent red juice from running on the face.
Enjoy! C&G Design

A Poem

For the man who has my heart;

and the promise never to part.

For the Dad to our son;

and the days of being young.

For the Dad to our daughter;

our blood is thicker than water.

For holding hands while we sleep;

and the rings I'll always keep.

For not having all the money;

priceless is the name of "Honey..''

And in those moments when I'm ''smart''

thanks for putting the horse...before the cart.

Happy Birthday, darling, sweetheart.

From me.

My Mother's Diningroom Chairs, P-2

I finally got three chairs completed! Actually I sound as if it was hard, but really I so enjoy upholstering, it kinda came easy.

Last we left, I had a bare frame with a new veneer seat, replacing the old strapping. Well, I still was a little concerned about the tapered edges so I started my stuffing along the edge, I used my wool batting and folded it over to make it less of a drop.

And then I added a bundle of loose stuffing to elevate the seating.

To finish about the history of the chairs though, as I said I found some different information about the company that manufactured these chairs, like...the company operated until 2000 (making Early American style), it may of stayed longer if it weren't for the fact 175 workers were laid off in 1999.

This photo shows the last of the seating= foam. Foam is nice because it seems to last longer than any other cushion material.

Back to the company, which at this time it was a sprawling 4 sized warehouse with 2 stories, the laid of workers filed suit over unfair labor practices, it forced a shut down of production.

To make the seat semi uniform I used a cover which is actually the dust cover for under furniture but, in this application, it works well.

The company was then sold from S Bent to Samuel Bent Inc., a subsidiary of the Connecticut Furniture Renaissance, shortly thereafter it was foreclosed on.

Wa-la, this is the base and if anyone ever wanted to change the covers from here on in, they have this lower layer which should remain intact for quite some time.

In 2002 the property was auctioned to a businessman for 200,000, the plan was condos, offices and retail shops all in one stop.

This is the beautiful fabric my mother picked, I love it, it however is miserable to work with. It has a loose weave, one way nap and a temperament for unraveling. I think I cured that though, I was afraid if I just used brads, the up and downs of someones bottom would stress the fabric to unravel so I put a small bead of regular glue after the nails as a fray stop.

Even after the town received a 200,000 grant for the re-vitalizing of the chair plant, the factory remained vacant until 2008 whereas it was set ablaze by a arsonist. "The second floor is not salvageable but the first floor remains structural sound." reported the fire chief. Too bad.

I love these, they have a luxuriant feel and look. C&G Design