Two Sisters On the Road

Do I have a story to tell you!

Back in 2007, my sister, Nancy and I took our first "Sisters' Road Trip" to Searsport, Maine.

We didn't know then that it would be our last road trip together.

The memories of our time together at the Shores are special ones and I reminisced about them often on my previous blogs, It's Always Something and  My Sister's Cottage.

Imagine my surprise when I heard that two sisters I never met had booked five days at Searsport Shores (where my sister Nancy and I first camped) after reading about it on my blog!

I often wonder if anyone is really reading my posts so this news was definitely blog-affirming. DH and I made plans to be in Searsport to meet these adventurous sisters, who had  trusted my blog posts enough to drive all the way from Texas and Ohio to be here!

The sisters, Lori and Becky, really wanted to look for sea glass so I took them to my "secret " sea glass beach. 

It was a "good tide" and there was more glass on the beach that day than I've ever seen at one time. Sisters' Karma? Lori even found a sand dollar!

Sometimes spotting the sea glass among the rocks is the challenging part.

Can you see the pice in the photo below?

The blog sisters did well and each returned to camp with a bucket of sea glass. I loved sharing their excitement!

The next day at the same beach, I saw a jellyfish . . .

And chatted with a local fisherman who was out digging clams.

Both this and sea glassing are done when the tide is low.

On Tuesday eveniing, while I was in the Casita in my  old t-shirt and borrowed boxer shorts  pajamas, there was a knock on the camper door. It was Lori and Becky stopping by to say "Goodbye". They were leaving Maine early the following morning. Long ride back to Ohio and Texas!

They surprised me with a pot of bright red Gerbera daisies . . . 

And a very special note.

Meeting two sisters who were following in the footsteps (tire tracks?) of Nancy and I meant the world to me. I watched them explore the Maine Coast and relived my "sister time" in Searsport. I saw them sitting shoulder to shoulder on their deck and could easily imagine the kinds of conversations they were having; the kind that only sisters can share.

Thanks to Lori and Becky. I remembered why I started blogging in the first place. 

This post is linked to:

Dwellings: Amaze Me Monday

Oh Canada!

I don't spend all my time organizing and decorating. Camping is pretty important too! We spent the second week of August road-tripping through Down East Maine and New Brunswick, Canada in our little Casita.

We stayed at beautiful Cobscook Bay State Park in Dennysville, Maine. The sites here are huge , wooded, very private, and sit high over the Bay. In fact, the current issue of Down East Magazine lists it as one of Maine's 10 Best State Parks. We agree.

10 Beautiful Things to Have In Your Craft Room

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."              ~William Morris

Welcome back to my craft room!

In my last post I had some fun thinking about the perfect craft space. I looked around my own craft room and came up with a "Top 10 List" of items in it that I find to be the most useful. Today I'm thinking about how to make a craft space so beautiful that it inspires you to sit right down and start making something.  So, here's my . . .

Top 10 List of Inspirational Items to Have in Your Craft Space:

1. Natural light

You can't top this one. Not only does natural light help us to see what we're doing (and at my age, that's becoming more important!), it allows us to really appreciate color and texture.  In addition to a big window, my craft room has a skylight located right above my work table.

 Ott light over my sewing machine

If you don't have the luxury of natural light in your craft space, or if you do a lot of work at night, an Ott light may be able to provide you with task lighting that approximates natural daylight.

2. Color



I believe in surrounding yourself with your favorite colors. I love orange and turquoise, my friend Mary Elizabeth loves pink . . . our personal spaces reflect the colors we love. Who cares if no one else likes it? Who cares if the rest of the house is "builders' beige"? This is your room; it should make you feel happy and inspired.




3. Words that inspire

I love words and find them both soothing and encouraging as I work in my space.

These words were stenciled on the wall in my sister Nancy's yellow and red Mary Englebreit inspired craft room.

4. Objects found in nature

The shapes and colors found in natural objects inspires a sense of balance and design.

 

This strange looking piece of bark is on my craft shelf because it is shaped like a goat's head (?). Call me crazy but I'm saving it because someday I hope to make something out of it for a friend of mine who owns goats and makes beautiful things from their wool. (Yup . . . you know who you are!)

the view of Casco Bay from the bottom of Applegate Lane always inspires me

5. Things with interesting shapes or textures

Who knows what these things will become . . .  or not?  Right now it is simply their textures and shapes that make me covet them.

 6. Old Things

What can I say besides . . . bring on the rust . . .

and chipped paint, and beautiful wood, and faded lettering, and steampunk goodness!

7. Collections

 Sometimes I think I have too many strange collections lurking in my craft room, but . . . I love them so, there it is.

 

 

 I collect sea glass, buttons, door knobs, sand dollars, rusty tools, old keys, scrabble tiles, beads, vintage postcards, clothespins, tie clips, girl scout patches, miniatures, wooden spools, belt buckles, vintage linens, magnets, children's blocks, vintage Shiny Bright ornaments, old dolls . . .

oh, my!

 

 

I also have quite a collection of Cat's Meow buildings depicting some of my favorite places.

DH attached molding high up on the walls of my craft room so that I can display these without having them in the way when I work.

 

8. Books that teach

 

I love my craft books even more than I love Pinterest. Call me old-fashioned but I like to hold them, come back to them again and again, and have directions and photos right next to me as I work. Thank goodness for my local bookstore and, when that fails, for Amazon Prime.

 

 

9. Things that evoke memories

 

My craft room shelves are chock full of things that bring back happy memories, like this old Patsy doll, with her steamer trunk full of organdy party dresses.

 

 

And my Mom's buttons. Many of them came from clothes she made for my sisters and I when we were children; she would remove the buttons to use again.

 

 

 I love being surrounded by my favorite family photos . . . even the silly ones!

 

 

10. Handmade things

 

Having a few completed projects on display in my craft space reminds me that I really can finish what I start, frustrated as I may get with a project at times.

 

 

And displaying  things that others have made for me just makes me happy when I look at them. This amazing 3-dimensional book was made by fellow blogger, Paula Clare, from Paula's Palace of Altered Art.

 

 

 

So, to recap, here are my Top 10:

 

1. Natural Light

2. Colorful things 

3. Words that inspire

4. Objects found in nature

5. Things with interesting shapes or textures

6. Old Things

7. Collections

8. Books that teach

9. Things that evoke memories

10. Handmade things

 

 

 What are the things that inspire you the most in your creative space?

 

 

 

This post is linked to:

Party Junk at Funky Junk Interiors

Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things

Weekend Wrap-Up at Tattertots & Jello

Flaunt It Friday at Chic On a Shoestring

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Amaze Me Monday at DWELLINGS

 

 

Think Camping's Not For You?

People often ask why we go to all the trouble of camping . . . setting up, bugs, rain, dirt, taking down . . . when "at our age" we could just stay in a nice quiet motel.

 

Good question.

 



I love falling asleep to the sounds of the ocean and the little tidal stream leading to it.

 I love waking up to amazing views . . . like these - of Penobscot Bay and a bridge through the woods -  both from our campsite at Searsport Shores.



I love "camp breakfasts" . . . especially since DH likes to get up early and cook them.

I love the almost spiritual connection I feel with art and nature at camp. Around every turn at Searsport Shores, for example,  there awaits an unexpected little treasure...like these little "campfire teepees" that everyone is encouraged to add to.

Or these chairs under an arbor of squash . . . just waiting for me to stop and sit in for awhile.

In the garden, there are heirloom beans...

Honeybees...

And even dresses  . . .

hanging in the trees.

 

We spend hours combing the beach for sand dollars...

Sea Glass...

and heart-shaped rocks.


Camp is a place where friends, both old and new, still sit on porches...

Take walks in the woods (daytime clothing optional!) . . .

Carolyn & Michele

And share Fried Pickles at the local Pub.

Anita & Fred

Searsport Shores is a very special campground because of its emphasis on the arts; each September they sponsor an amazing get-together or artists called Fiber College. Each week during the year leading up to Fiber College, an Artist-in-Residence is on site teaching a new craft.

This week's artist-in-residence is Steve Schreurs from Maryland, who creates jewelry, armor, and upscale clothing from chainmail . . . thousands of little metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. Here is some of his work.

He has even created a chain mail t-shirt!

And, with a red hat on, Steve does bear a striking resemblance to someone else we all know.

DH even got to try his hand at spinning (not the kind in the gym...he's got that one down...the other kind!)

 

Camping for us isn't always a case of roughing it...we're too old for that! When it rains, we climb into our cozy little Casita and binge-watch Netflix . . .

 

Or read, play a game, and blog at our teeny-tiny dinette.

And there's always shopping!

 

 Cayote Moon...a favorite stop

Belfast Farmer's Market

 

Life is a grand adventure . . .

And we don't want to miss a minute of it!

 

 

On the road again,

 

 

 

p.s. This post is dedicated to all of our amazing friends at Searsport Shores...you know who you are!