I was asked to make some “large, hippie-type” earrings based on a design from an overpriced (but really beautiful – wow!) catalog. I had so much fun making the first pair that I made a second pair. I’ll be interested to see which pair she chooses.  And Murphy camped out on my bed while I…

In the realm of useless trivia, did you know that the word “news” is actually an acronym standing for the four cardinal compass points — north, east, west and south. How cool is that? Thank you, Twitter. I’ve retreated to the computer to check out the news and to, well, escape NCAA basketball. And it…

Spring Break is almost over and I’m celebrating by taking tomorrow off! A trip to the bead store is in order and I’ll make a few new pieces. I might even start a new batch of recycled newspaper beads. Beyond that, I am going to do…absolutely nothing. And I cannot wait. No alarm, no hose,…

A type of magnolia? I’m not sure, but I noticed five of them blooming on the way to church tonight. And each tree appears to have a bird’s nest in it (vacant, I’m assuming). Seems like a smart place to build a nest, actually. Makes a lot more sense than the water pipe in my…

Since the kids are at my folks’ house this week for spring break, I wasn’t in a particular hurry to get home. I hadn’t been to Laumeier in a while, so I figured I’d go there and walk the trails.  Nothing new in the way of artwork, but it was a unique experience just the…

A nice, long hike today. Green is trying so hard to push its way through. I think I remember from last year that the green cluster of leaves below is a Virginia bluebell, so it should have beautiful flowers really soon. But why a Virginia bluebell would choose to root itself here in the Midwest…

Saw this steeple replacement while taking a different route home from work. Don’t see this every day. Now I’m home with my praying kitty, so happy that it’s Friday.

Tonight’s project: chocolate stout and crimson velveteen cupcakes. I recently bought a new cupcake cookbook, not fully recognizing the implications of the word “vegan” in its title. I’m not a vegan. I’ve managed to phase out meat from my diet for Lent, but not a vegan. I bought the cookbook for the wide variety of…

Every now and then I read a blog of “Dear So and So” notes. It’s really funny. It’s the blogger’s way of expressing what he/she is thinking about someone without actually saying it out loud. A couple of things happened today that instantly brought “Dear So and So” notes to my mind. When I picked…

Artwork by my boss. She created and painted everything you see. So cool. Is it wrong to start planning for the weekend on a Tuesday? I have already identified a Saturday hike if the weather holds out and lots of spring cleaning stuff to do. I might even take my holiday decorations out of my…

This morning I saw an article on tinybuddha.com called 10 Ways to Be the Person You Wanted to Be as a Kid. What a perfect way to start a Monday. There’s some great stuff in there. But as I looked at the list, it dawned on me that I really haven’t grown up all that much…

{03.12} …rain out my office window, kitty in my bedroom window. {03.13} …trinkets at Mom & Dad’s house on a weekend trip to Jeff City. {03.14} …weathered building next door to Central Dairy on an ice cream run for the family. Awesome. Now we’re home and March Madness has taken over our house. Brackets have been printed…

Chocolate. Covered. Peeps. Totally lacks the cuteness factor of its colorful, shell-less counterparts, but still awesome. This was one of several useless, temporary-happiness-inducing purchases made today at the drug store. This induced the most happiness, though. Except for maybe some over-the-top red nail polish that says that it will dry in 60 seconds. On the rare…

It’s probably time to let the birthday tulips go. But they look pretty neat in an Addams Family sort of way. So I’m hanging on to them just a little while longer.  This weekend, I inexplicably picked up a yoga magazine at the airport. I still haven’t figured out what prompted the purchase. I don’t…

So I made donut holes for breakfast this morning. Don’t they look great? Ummmm….they weren’t. They were vile.  Drew (after one bite): “Mom, what’s the cream stuff on the inside? It tastes funny.” Cream stuff? There was no cream stuff. I hadn’t cooked them enough. It was gooey dough. A dozen and a half of…

Two of the things I enjoy most about New York: you can walk everywhere and there’s always something to see. This cathedral was along the walk to MoMA this morning.  MoMA. I finally made it. Reservation in hand, I was the first person to check my coat at the museum this morning and the first…

I think I’ve crammed more in two days than I possibly could’ve imagined. Yesterday was the Alice in Wonderland debut in Times Square, followed by Mary Poppins on Broadway. I’d bought the Alice ticket ahead of time, but Mary Poppins was unexpected. She was on the same block, so I went for it.   Notice…

Meet Bender. He’s the therapy dog of a colleague that I’m writing a story about. He is SUCH a ham.  I spent a couple hours of this afternoon getting quality puppy time.  It’s not often that someone turns the camera on me. I’m usually behind the viewfinder, not in front of it. Sleepy boy was…

(clockwise, from the top left) one of three bouquets of tulips, one of the kitties who joined us for lunch at my boss Suzy’s house; angel from Suzy’s sunroom; more tulips; a children’s book that is clearly meant for me; lovely arrangement in the sunroom; sleepy kitty; crown made for me by a sweet friend…

Beauty outside my office…. …beauty inside my office. Flowers from a dear friend at work. So sweet. 

Leave it to my Mom to find me a Pepe LePew for my birthday. He is so cute, picking his little flower petals. Press his foot and he talks. “I love you” was his first comment to me. Yay! I love you, too, Pepe…and my Mom. Although the voice box really freaks the cats out….

Short walking break from a weekend-long work project turned into a somewhat-long walking break. In the wrong shoes.  The heavy *clink* of the aluminum bat at the high school baseball field, crazy guy down the street pelting countless sweet gum balls into his neighbor’s yard with his golf club (he does this often), little kids…

From a bouquet at work belonging to my friend, Lorraine. Celebrating her last tuition payment on her daughter’s college education — three months before graduation. So awesome!!!