Pet Love - Etsy Feature

Here are a few fun pet finds from the Artisan Site Etsy. Click on the photo to be taken to the shop & item. Enjoy the weekend and Happy Halloween to all my American Friends! Stay Safe!

Ms NeedlesPattihaskins
Gertie Gear StoreTumus
Annies Sweatshop

Jiniaj

Asherjasper

Friday My Hometown Shootout - Parks / Landscapes

This week's Team theme is "Parks / Landscapes" chosen by Jarielyn of "Write Place!Write Chick!". I love going to this local Art gallery called Mast Cove, as they always seem to have interesting artwork both inside and outside. The grounds are truly like a park with lovely gardens and interesting sculptures. I thought I would share a few of them with you. In my opinion, Parks are beautiful places especially when they have visuals, such as sculptures to view. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge.
Thank you for visiting my hometown shoot out - remember to check out the other member blogs for a glimpse of their hometowns from around the world. Click on their blog links posted in the left hand column of the Friday My Town Shootout Blog .

Have a Green Halloween ~ Thursday Thinking Green

Making your own Halloween costumes can save you money and prevent another costume from ending up in a landfill. The Center for the New American Dream, a nonprofit that encourages responsible consumerism, compiled this list of conservation-minded costumes:

Bag of jelly beans: Get an empty dry cleaning bag, cut holes for your arms and legs, then step into the bag so it is loose around your middle. Fill with different colored balloons, then knot the bag to secure it around your neck.

Dirty laundry: Get an old plastic laundry basket and cut a hole through the middle, big enough to fit around your middle. Attach the basket to your body using suspenders and throw some clothes in.

Fireworks: This is great for kids. Make an outfit from brightly-colored clothes, adding streamers, glitter, and other swirly, sparkly decorations using fabric paint, safety pins, and a glue gun. Twirl, jump, do cartwheels -- and display the firecracker inside you!

Starry night: Wear all black clothing, buy a pack of glow in the dark stars, and stick them all over you.

Freudian slip: Wear an old slip over your clothes, get a big cigar, and make a nametag that reads "Sigmund."

Canvasser: If you have a clipboard, pen, and an outgoing personality, approach people by asking a few made-up survey questions.

Tourist: Wear khakis, a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, a straw hat, and sandals with socks.
Randomly take pictures of people (with or without film in your camera) and ask where the bus stops.

Wanted poster: Get a piece of poster board and cut a circular hole for your face. On the poster board write, "WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE!" Add whatever script you want to personalize it, such as a description of the culprit, list of crimes, and the reward... Be creative!

Bunch of grapes: Wear a purple outfit, blow up purple balloons, and stick them all over your body. Wear a green hat or paint your face green to represent the stem.

A fried egg: Get a cheap white sheet and cut a hole big enough to fit your head through. Paint your face yellow.

Superhero: Great for kids. Use a piece of a colored sheet for a cape and cover it with rhinestones and other decorations. Presto! You are your own superhero. Come up with a funny name and description telling your friends who you are and what your purpose is.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday - Found Treasures

Do it Yourself Message Board

I enjoy using attractive picture frames to create interesting memo boards to sell in my shop Seasonal Vignettes. I recently found this post on the Country Living website for creating your own message boards. The website gives a variety of pretty and practical boards to choose from. One suggestion is given by Gina Provenzano, a stylist, who made the magnetic board below. It is an easy project and shouldn't take you long to create. Here are the instructions:

Supplies: You will need a large frame, zinc-coated steel (aluminum and stainless steel will not hold magnets), particle board, and fabric.

Tip: Hot-glue mini magnets to the backs of playful objects, such as a mah-jongg tile and dice, to create your own custom magnets.

For more ideas on Memo boards visit the original link on the Country Living website: Make a Message Board

photo from CountryLiving.com

Monday Musings ~ A relaxing moment and a cup of tea

Tea does our fancy aid,
Repress those vapours which the head invade
And keeps that palace of the soul serene.
~Edmund Waller, "Of Tea"

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I decided that rather than working outside in the yard I would simply relax. I needed a day to just unwind and enjoy doing very little. I have recently discovered Celestial Seasonings - Lemon Zinger and Orange Zinger Teas. I always brewed Red Zinger Tea in college but I have to admit Lemon is quickly becoming my favorite. What tea do you enjoy?

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis

Quote of the Week

"Tigger is all right really," said Piglet lazily.
"Of course he is," said Christopher Robin.
"Everybody is really," said Pooh. "That's what I think," said Pooh.
"But I don't suppose I'm right," he said.
"Of course you are," said Christopher Robin.
from the Tao of Pooh

Etsy Art Find of the Week : Unique Art

I found a few treasures on Etsy I thought I would share with you. Please click on the photo to be taken to the Etsy shop.

Nyjole Jewellery

Lyss Design

Star of the East

Friday My Hometown Shootout - Classics of Childhood

This week's Team Photo theme is "Classics of Childhood" chosen by Ellisa of the blog- "A Thousand Words". I have all sorts of wonderful memories of my sons childhood but unfortunately we didn't go digital until they were much older. ( IMO scanning photos just isn't the same- but as you can see above, I gave in). The photo above and the image below depicts a game we always played whenever we walked across a bridge - Pooh Sticks. All participants drop sticks into a river from one side of a bridge to see whose stick emerges first on the other (different sized sticks so you know who's who). If you click on the above photo you can see the intensity in my younger son Evan's expression. They both took this game quite seriously. Okay - it's silly but one of those totally, heartwarming memories this Mom cherishes and reflects on whenever crossing a bridge!

Thank you for visiting my hometown shoot out blog - remember to check out the other member blogs by clicking on the links posted in the left hand column of the Friday My Town Shootout Blog .

Thursday ~ Thinking Green from A to Z

Here are a few short suggestions taken from a larger list on the website "A-to-Z list of ideas for Going Green" . Simply a few ideas to get you started:

A - Avoid Fast Food:Most fast food is overpackaged with the companies responsible for producing mountains of trash. By avoiding fast food whenever possible, you'll help reduce this needless waste.
B- Buy Products Made Of Recycled Paper: How can you tell if a package is recycled? Look right on the package. Many have specific claims, such as "made of 100 percent recycled material." However, some recycled packages don't advertise this fact, although there are ways you can find out for yourself. For example, when shopping for cereal, cookies, crackers, and other groceries packaged in cardboard boxes, make sure boxes are made from recycled paper. If the underside is gray or dark brown, the cardboard is made of recycled material. If it's white, it is made of unrecycled material.
C - Contribute To A Good Cause You don't have to contribute a lot of money. In fact, you don't have to contribute money at all. A local environmental group probably can use your and your friends' help in a variety of ways. By volunteering for just a few hours a week, you'll be making a worthwhile contribution to the environment.
D - Donate Your Toys To A Worthy Cause: When you get tired of or grow out of your games and toys and other things, don't throw them away. Even if they are broken, they may be fixed and used by other kids less fortunate than you. You'll also be keeping these things out of the trash.
E- Eat Organic Produce: Organic produce contains far fewer chemicals than other produce. That's probably better for your health, and it is definitely better for the environment. All those chemicals get washed off of farmers' fields into rivers and streams, where they pollute our water. In addition, many of the chemicals are made from petroleum and other nonrenewable resources. So, don't eat chemicals--eat real food!
F - Feed The Birds: Birds need water to drink and foot to eat. Feeding birds not only brings a bit of nature to your backyard, it also helps rid the yard of many kinds of bugs. you can hang a bird-feeder from a tree or place it outside your window, or build a birdbath in your yard from which the birds can drink water.
G - Grow A Garden: A garden provides flowers, vegetables, and environmental benefits. It can help to reduce soil erosion and may help to reduce some kinds of air pollution. Try to grow your garden using as few pesticides and chemical fertilizers as possible.
H - Have A "Green" Picnic: Plan an outing that doesn't create a lot of waste or pollution. For example, if you're having a barbecue, avoid using lighter fluid--it contains naphthalene, an air pollutant which is suspected of causing cancer. Instead, use an electric starter or, better yet, a device that lets you start coals using newspapers instead of fluid. Use real plates and utensils instead of paper or plastic, and reusable tin or heavy plastic cups instead of disposable paper or plastic ones. Wash the cups and use them over and over. And set out separate trash bags for paper, glass, and aluminum.
I - Insulate Your Home: You may find a lot of energy being wasted right in your own home. After you've finished your energy audit, make a list of the things you believe should be done. Your local hardware-store sales person can help you determine how much the improvements will cost, how much energy they will save, and how much money your family will save in reduced energy bills.
J - Join An Environmental Group: There are hundreds of good organizations around the country. Most of them have annual membership fees of $25 or less, and some have special rates for kids or students. Try to find one that focuses on something your are particularly interested in. Go to a meeting, event, or other activity. You'll probably meet some other kids with similar interests as yours.
K - Keep The Car At Home: You've learned by now that automobiles are one of the single biggest sources of pollution. Most driving trips are under five miles, and you'd be surprised how many are under one mile. Try walking, biking, skateboarding, roller-skating, or taking the bus.
L- LOOK Here for the rest of the alphabet and more tips on thinking Green: Going Green: A-to-Z List of Ideas.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Fall!

photo by Denise Dion-Sullivan

How to Knit A Scarf ~ Tuesday Tutorial Tip

I don't know if you viewed the basic knitting video I posted several weeks ago (click here for Basic Knitting). But here is a continuation with an easy scarf project. If you begin now, you might just create a few gifts for the Holidays!

Monday Musings ~ The chilling Autumn Wind...

The Autumn
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.

How there you sat in summer-time,
May yet be in your mind;
And how you heard the green woods sing
Beneath the freshening wind.
Though the same wind now blows around,
You would its blast recall;
For every breath that stirs the trees,
Doth cause a leaf to fall.

Oh! like that wind, is all the mirth
That flesh and dust impart:
We cannot bear its visitings,
When change is on the heart.
Gay words and jests may make us smile,
When Sorrow is asleep;
But other things must make us smile,
When Sorrow bids us weep!

The dearest hands that clasp our hands, —
Their presence may be o’er;
The dearest voice that meets our ear,
That tone may come no more!
Youth fades; and then, the joys of youth,
Which once refresh’d our mind,
Shall come — as, on those sighing woods,
The chilling autumn wind.

Hear not the wind — view not the woods;
Look out o’er vale and hill —
In spring, the sky encircled them —
The sky is round them still.
Come autumn’s scathe — come winter’s cold —
Come change — and human fate!
Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound,
Can ne’er be desolate.

photo by Denise Dion-Sullivan

Quote of the Week

"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary, the evil it does is permanent".
Mohandas K. Gandhi

The Artists Bridge - Saturday Art Feature

The Sunday River Covered Bridge in Newry, Maine, is known as Artist's Bridge because it is purported to be the most painted and photographed covered bridge in Maine. This bridge was built in 1872 to span Sunday River and is named the Artist's Bridge because of its reputation as being the most photographed and painted of the all covered bridges in Maine. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1958 when a new bridge was built downstream. It is located about four miles northwest of North Bethel. Enjoy this video complete with information about the bridge. If you have time and wish to visit here are Directions: From Bethel, Maine, follow Route 26 North, then turn left on Sunday River Road and follow covered bridge signs. The road turns to the right before reaching Sunday River Bridge on the left.

Friday My Town Photo Shoot Out - Sunset over Provincetown

This week's Team theme is "Sunrise/Sunsets" from Sherri. Here are a few I took recently on a trip to Provincetown, Ma., (which I highly recommend). It is a beautiful area with gorgeous sand dunes and sandy beaches. Race Point beach is apparently the only place on the East Coast of the US that one can see the sun rise and set over the water. We didn't get up early enough to catch the sunrise but did catch a glorious sunset. I admit I am not great with the settings on my camera but tried to get a few to capture the moment. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge.

Thank you for visiting my blog and remember to visit the blogs of the team. Click on their blog links posted in the left hand column of the Friday My Town Shootout Blog .

Thursday Thinking Green - Eartheasy - Making it Easy to Live a Sustainable Life

"The health of our environment is a reflection of the choices we make."

Eartheasy is a wonderful website chocked full of information to help you make better choices for sustainable living. I have included a partial list taken from their site of tips on water conservation in the home:

1. Check faucets and pipes for leaks
A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of water per day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons.

2. Don't use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket
Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, five to seven gallons of water is wasted.

3. Check your toilets for leaks
Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install.

4. Use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks
Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.

5. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators
Inexpensive water-saving low-flow shower heads or restrictors are easy for the homeowner to install. Also, long, hot showers can use five to ten gallons every unneeded minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rinse off. "Low-flow" means it uses less than 2.5 gallons per minute.
You can easily install a ShowerStart showerhead, or add a ShowerStart converter to existing showerheads, which automatically pauses a running shower once it gets warm.
Also, all household faucets should be fit with aerators. This single best home water conservation method is also the cheapest!

6. Put plastic bottles or float booster in your toilet tank
To cut down on water waste, put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms. Or, buy an inexpensive tank bank or float booster. This may save ten or more gallons of water per day. Be sure at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly.
For new installations, consider buying "low flush" toilets, which use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the usual 3 to 5 gallons.

Replacing an 18 liter per flush toilet with an ultra-low volume (ULV) 6 liter flush model represents a 70% savings in water flushed and will cut indoor water use by about 30%.

7. Insulate your water pipes.
It's easy and inexpensive to insulate your water pipes with pre-slit foam pipe insulation. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.

8. Take shorter showers.
One way to cut down on water use is to turn off the shower after soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse. A four-minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water.

9. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush
There is no need to keep the water running while brushing your teeth. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing.

10. Rinse your razor in the sink
Fill the sink with a few inches of warm water. This will rinse your razor just as well as running water, with far less waste of water.

11. Use your dishwasher and clothes washer for only full loads
Automatic dishwashers and clothes washers should be fully loaded for optimum water conservation. Most makers of dishwashing soap recomend not pre-rinsing dishes which is a big water savings.
With clothes washers, avoid the permanent press cycle, which uses an added 20 liters (5 gallons) for the extra rinse. For partial loads, adjust water levels to match the size of the load. Replace old clothes washers. New Energy Star rated washers use 35 - 50% less water and 50% less energy per load. If you're in the market for a new clothes washer, consider buying a water-saving frontload washer.

12. Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units
In-sink 'garburators' require lots of water to operate properly, and also add considerably to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to maintenance problems. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste.

13. When washing dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing
If your have a double-basin, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have a single-basin sink, gather washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a panful of hot water. Dual-swivel aerators are available to make this easier. If using a dishwasher, there is usually no need to pre-rinse the dishes.

14. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables
Just rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water. Use a dual-setting aerator.

15. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge.
Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful. Store drinking water in the fridge in a safe drinking bottle.


This is simply one piece of a post on water conservation. Click on the banner at the top of this post to visit their web site for more information, products and articles to help you live a sustainable life .

Wordless Wednesday - Winter Low Tide

Winter Low Tide photo by Denise Dion-Sullivan

Retro Cottage Renovation - Tuesday's Tip

I found this video on another interesting blog called Creative Daily Living. Visit this blog for some great tips on keeping your creative life organized. This video was shot by Etsy and is available on youtube. I thought it was worth sharing with all of you. It is a fabulous cottage redo. Tina has simply used mostly elbow grease, paint and items she loves to create a "home". Retro cottage is not exactly my style, but I do completely agree with her personal philosophy in creating a welcoming space. Oh, and I now want a linoleum rug!

Monday Musings - The Notorious Frankfurter Illusion

Let's see how many of us are awake enough this Monday morning to understand this optical illusion!

If you have two roughly equivalent eyes you will see a ‘sausage’ floating in front of you in mid air, by following these steps:

1. Hold your hands in front of you, at 20–30 cm distance from you, at eye level.
2. Point your index fingers against each other, leaving about 2 cm distance between them.
3. Now look “through” your fingers, into the distance behind them.
4. The sausage should appear now, and you can change its length by varying the distance between the finger tips.
5. For most observers, the sausage will look blurred, at least initially.
6. If you try to look at the sausage, it will disappear, it is only present if you look at something more distant than your fingers.
7. It helps if the background is rather homogenous and has a color very different from your fingers.

Explanation (information taken from website Michael's Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena.)

Basically, this ‘sausage’ is caused by two mechanisms, (1) physiological double images and (2) interocular rivalry and suppression.

When you look at your fingers, the gaze direction of your two eyes is angled towards each other, so that their lines of sight meet at the target. When you then look into the distance, your eyes shift slightly outward, making their lines of sight nearly parallel. For close objects the image in the two eyes is consequently no longer at the right position, the images are no longer merged and can appear double for your “inner eye”. This is quite normal and occurs all the time, usually these double images are suppressed. So, if the two images overlap, why then doesn't the compound image look like the neighboring figure on the right?


At the end of the image of each finger, there is a rivalry between the image from the two eyes when the brain tries to combine them. In one eye the finger ends, in the other it continues. So what does your brain do in such rivalry situations? If the two images are rather similar, the percept can oscillate between the alternatives. Here, however, we have a high contrast step in one eye, namely the end of the finger, where it is replaced by the background. In rivalry the eye with the higher contrast wins, at least locally; this is here meant by the term ‘suppression’. In the figure on the left this high contrast step is symbolised by the yellow halo.

Links:
Wikpedia on binocular rivalry
84 Optical Illusions & Visual Phenomena

Quote of the Week

"Focusing isn't just an optical activity, it is also a mental one. " Bridget Riley

Photo found on Flickr

Where the Wild Things Are - Saturday Film Feature

"The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind..."

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was one of my sons favorite childhood reads at bedtime. I was always worried my husband would terrify them with his terrible roars and gnashing teeth but they would always scream to read it "one more time". My husband and I are really looking forward to seeing the movie! It will be released next weekend on Friday,October 16th. Visit the official movie website to view the trailer of the movie by clicking on the photo below:

Friday My Town Photo Shoot Out - Silhouette

This week's Team theme is "Silhouettes" from Carrie of This is My Town blog. I have been extremely busy this week and was only able to come up with one photo. It is a photo taken at sunrise in my front yard looking across the street into a field. This particular morning the fog was drifting in a surreal sort of way. Remember to click on the photo to enlarge.

Thank you for visiting my hometown shoot out - remember to check out the other member blogs for a glimpse of their hometowns from around the world. Click on their blog links posted in the left hand column of the Friday My Town Shootout Blog .

Thursday Thinking Green - Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins

Top ten plants for removing unhealthy toxins from the air:

1. Areca Palm

Also called the “Butterfly Palm”. An upright houseplant that is somewhat vase shaped. Specimen plants can reach 10 to 12 foot in height. Prefers a humid area to avoid tip damage. Requires pruning. When selecting an Areca palm look for plants with larger caliber trunks at the base of the plant. Plants that have pencil thin stems tend to topple over and are quite difficult to maintain.

2. Lady Palm

Also called the “Lady Palm”, this durable palm species adapts well to most interiors. The Rhapis are some of the easiest palms to grow, but each species has its own particular environment and culture requirements. The “Lady Palm” grows slowly, but can grow to more than 14′ in height with broad clumps often having a diameter as wide as their height.

3. Bamboo palm

Also called the “reed palm”, this palm prefers bright indirect light. New plants will lose of some interior foliage as they acclimate to indoor settings. This plant likes to stay uniformly moist, but does not like to be over-watered or to sit in standing water. Indoor palms may attract spider mites which can be controlled by spraying with a soapy solution.

4. Rubber Plant

Grows very well indoors, preferring semi-sun lighting. Avoid direct sunlight, especially in summer. Young plants may need to be supported by a stake. The Ficus grows to 8’ with a spread of 5’. Wear gloves when pruning, as the milky sap may irritate the skin. Water thoroughly when in active growth, then allow the soil to become fairly dry before watering again. In winter keep slightly moist.

5. Dracaena

The Dracaena grows to 10’ with a spread of 3’. Easy to grow, these plants do best in bright indirect sunlight coming from the east/west. They can adapt to lower light levels if the watering is reduced. Keep the soil evenly moist and mist frequently with warm water. Remove any dead leaves. Leaf tips will go brown if the plant is under watered but this browning may be trimmed.

6. Philodendron

One of the most durable of all house plants. Philodendrons prefer medium intensity light but will tolerate low light. Direct sun will burn the leaves and stunt plant growth. This plant is available in climbing and non-climbing varieties. When grown indoors, they need to be misted regularly and the leaves kept free of dust. Soil should be evenly moist, but allowed to dry between watering.

7. Dwarf Date Palm

A hardy, drought-tolerant and long-lived plant, the Dwarf Date Palm needs a bright spot which is free of drafts. It grows slowly, reaching heights of 8-10’. The Dwarf Date Palm should not be placed near children’s play areas because it has sharp needle-like spines arranged near the base of the leaf stem. These can easily penetrate skin and even protective clothing.

8. Ficus Alii

The Ficus Alii grows easily indoors, and resists insects. It prefers a humid environment and low to medium light when grown indoors. The Ficus Aliii should not be placed near heating or air conditioning vents, or near drafts because this could cause leaf loss. Soil should be kept moist but allowed to dry between watering.

9. Boston Fern

The Boston fern grows to 4’ in height with a spread up to 5’. It has feathery ferns which are best displayed as a hanging plant. It prefers bright indirect sunlight. Keep the soil barely moist and mist frequently with warm water. This plant is prone to spider mites and whitefly which can be controlled using a soapy water spray. Inspect new plants for bugs before bringing them home.

10. Peace Lily

The Peace Lily is a compact plant which grows to a height of 3’ with a 2’ spread. This hardy plant tolerates neglect. It prefers indirect sunlight and high humidity, but needs to be placed out of drafts. For best results, the Peace Lily should be thoroughly watered, then allowed to go moderately dry between waterings. The leaves should be misted frequently with warm water.

Excerpt taken from Eartheasy Blog - post by Greg Seaman on May 13, 2009. Full article can be found here: Top 10 Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins

Wordless Wednesday - Amazing Clouds by the Sea

photo of Kennebunk Beach by Denise Dion-Sullivan

How to Knit ~ Tuesday Tutorial

Winter is just around the corner here in the Northeast. It might be a great time to pick up a hobby and create some projects that will make thoughtful gifts for the upcoming holiday season or just something practical to keep warm. Here is a simple video from Youtube teaching basic knitting. So grab some knitting needles, some colorful yarn and let's begin!

Monday Musings - 20 Random Interesting Facts

Although I did not verify these facts, I thought they were interesting and they contained a visual, which I appreciated. I had a very busy week and did not get to create a post for today but thought this would be fun to share.

Quote of the Week