Folk Art

 

Artistic pieces from other countries have always been intriguing.

The colorful art from Nicaragua, Central America, is very unique and beautiful, in its own way.

The cross shown in today's post is from that country.

Every inch of it tells its own story of everyday countryside life there.

The images are simple and kind of rustic but are very inviting.

Throughout this apartment are examples of folk art from all over the world.

DO YOU ENJOY FOLK ART OR ARE YOU MORE TRADITIONAL WITH ONE  FAMILILAR  STYLE?

A Winter Respite

When winter, with its single digit temps and some long, lonely days,  begins to get on one's nerves, one solution is to invite a dear friend for brunch.  

It's fun to decide what to serve, how to decorate, and to share precious hours with a person one loves.

When having a special brunch,  beautiful Old Country Roses dishes, red goblets, and a lace cloth, make a table look lovely.   

Recently, a dear cousin and I, had quiche, guacamole with crackers, fresh cherries, and spice cake with cream cheese frosting.

 Of course, coffee accompanied our little brunch.

These kinds of respites bring sunshine into our lives despite dark grayness and cold outside.

Now, with Valentine's Day around the corner, it's also fun to add hearts and other decor to celebrate the upcoming day of love. 

WHAT DO YOU DO TO ADD JOY TO WINTER ?

 

Where Oh Where Does the Snow Go?

So far, this has been the worst winter we've had in quite a spell.

We've had tons of snow and single digit as well as minus degree temperatures.

It has been quite challenging.

While I'm grateful that my car has held up so far, thoughts of the coming electric bill send even more chills down my spine.

Regarding snow, where does it go if not left on the streets?

Well, recently, driving in one shopping center area, it felt like being on another planet. 

Huge piles of the white stuff were everywhere. 

Surely, that plaza is one of the many snow dumping grounds around.

Kids would probably love climbing to the top of one of those piles and sliding down.

Visions of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips keep me going as I pull on the warmest top in the wardrobe as well as warm socks.

HOW MANY DAYS LEFT  UNTIL SPRING?

Tiny Little Valentines

 Christmas decor in the dollhouse is now a thing of the past.

It has been replaced with Valentine paraphernalia.

Tiny hearts and fingernail-sized Valentine's Day cards adorn several of the rooms.

Two heart covered banners have been hung on the front of the pretty yellow dollhouse.

One thing, above and beyond the decorations, that is absolutely positive is that hobbies bring joy into a person's life.

Dollhouses and miniatures are among my life-long hobbies, as are reading and writing.  

We must seek as much fulfillment and happiness as possible, outside of the daily grind, right?

WHAT IS YOUR OWN FAVORITE HOBBY OR INTEREST?

A Special Gift

Giving gifts to special people in our lives is a great source of  happiness.

So is receiving them.

This past week, a very special gift came and it was ordered by me!

For me!

Have you ever done that?  Bought a gift for just yourself?

Well, here's how it happened.

I looked at my old, ugly pepper shaker and its non-matching smaller in size salt shaker and shook my head.

They looked awful. 

 It's been that way for a long time since moving several times the past five years jumbled everything up.

It was definitely time for a matching set of salt and pepper shakers.

Perusing Goodwill thrift shops turned up zero. Nada. Nothing.

But on ebay, there happened to be a set of glass/crystal shakers that looked absolutely gorgeous.

They had pedestal bottoms and were just my style.

So I ordered them from an awesome seller in the midwest.

A box came extremely quickly----only four days. 

The seller had  packed the shakers very carefully.

While lifting each shaker from its wrapper, sheer excitement punctured the air.

As much as we are not really supposed to get too hepped up about material things, this set of pepper and salt shakers really makes me happy.

In the general scheme of things, that gift to me isn't really much but it means a lot to me.

Bye bye mismatched salt and pepper shakers.

It's time for them to move on!

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU BOUGHT YOURSELF A GIFT?