Behind the Camera: Beauty
Tuesday Treasury Shout Out: Etsy Impact on Haiti
A special thanks to loveartworks who not only included my Violet in this treasury (third row center), but used her as the inspiration for the title. This treasury includes works whose sales are benefitting Haiti. And here’s a whopping number for you! As of yesterday, the Hearts for Haiti Etsy shop has raised $17,765 in sales of donated items for Doctors Without Borders. $17,765! I’m so happy to have been a part of that total. There are now more than 850 items for sale in that shop, and all sales will continue to go Doctors Without Borders for as long as needed, which I’m certain will be far into the future.
As for my efforts, little update on yesterday’s total: I’m now up to $367.50 with a little sale in my supply shop! My sales are going to the Red Cross through the month of January.
Tiles All Around
For Sgt. John Nathan Spearing
I never talked to him again.
Then one sunny day, I saw the old man’s face.
Front page obituary, he was a millionaire.
He left his fortune to, some guy he barely knew.
His kids were mad as hell. But me, I’m doing well.
And I dropped by today, to just say thanks and pray.
I left a six-pack right there on his grave, and I said,
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
--Sarah said, “Mama, I think that when we go to the 100 Acre Wood this weekend, we should leave something on Sgt. John’s grave.” “Wow,” I said, “that’s a great idea! What would you like to leave him?” “Well, I bet he liked oysters, so I think we should leave him some oyster shells.” So there you have it, Sgt. John; have some oysters. Livvie added the red berries in case the oysters were too salty.
That got my curiosity up. Just who was Sgt. John Nathan Spearing anyway? And why is he the only marked grave in the Theodore Roosevelt area outside of the Browne Cemetery? The park shares the story of the Brownes right there on the trail, but nothing about Sgt. John. So I did a little research and found that John Nathan Spearing was the original owner of the property. When he and his wife settled in the Jacksonville area after the Civil War, they first settled in "the city," as the area where this land now sits was far out of the city at that time. Spearing eventually wanted more room and settled on this land. It was he who sold the land to the Browne family, with the condition that when he died, he be buried in a pre-selected spot on the property. His original gravesite was not where this tombstone now sits. When his original grave was vandalized, Mr. Willie (Browne) moved the grave and stone to this spot, which is very close to the spot where Mr. Willie loved to sit and watch the marsh and river beyond. Very interesting!
Tuesday Treasury Shout Out: KneeDeepOriginals
This week's Tuesday Treasury Shout Out goes to kneedeeporiginals for featuring my sweet Miss Eleanor, second row left, in this pretty treasury. Thanks kneedeep! I love this!
For Haiti
Also be sure to check out the Hearts for Haiti Etsy shop, where hundreds of Etsians have donated items to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. I've donated two prints and two glass tile pendants there.
Apron Anxiety Resolved!
Done! It was really difficult to get a picture of the whole thing, so I did the best I could and showed you little swatches here and there. I ended up doing the Wonder Under thing on the floral fabric and cut out various bits and pieces and adhered it to the canvas apron that I had already sprayed with the Adirondack ink. Once I had all the flowers placed and adhered, I broke out the sewing machine and free-stitched the swirls all over it. I sewed a large pocket across the bottom, lined in the striped fabric and sewn up the middle to make two pockets. Then I added the buttons, and viola! Done! Sarah and Olivia contributed by telling me which button I should attach where. :-) Not something I want to do on a regular basis, but I enjoyed the process once I got started. I hope my swap partner likes it!
Apron Anxiety? Really?
I’m not sure what came over me when I jumped on to participate in this apron swap for Artful Journey, but baby, I’m in it now, so I’m finally getting started (um, it was supposed to be in the mail yesterday...). Below are the fabric and fun buttons I picked out. When I took this picture I really had no earthly idea what I was going to do, but I did grab a few yards of Wonder Under when I got this fabric, so I was hoping something would come to me. I also sprayed some Adirondack ink on the ready-made canvas apron I picked up at Hobby Lobby. I wonder if I committed a cardinal sin there, spraying Adirondack ink on it? Hmm…..we’ll see. Started working on it today. Hopefully, I’ll be able to show you my progress tomorrow!
Behind the Camera: Are You Listening?
Happy Thursday! I have a dentist appointment this morning and have to take Molly in for a cast change this afternoon, so I figured it made more sense to just take the whole day off! I have so many things I’d like to catch up on. My little brain has been awhirl with things I want to do lately, so it’s just a matter of finding the time. I’m currently taking DJ Pettitt’s online Memories and Manipulations Photoshop class, and the amount of information she’s been presenting has been mindboggling! I haven’t delved into it too much yet, but I hope to hit it hard this weekend. DH is on a boys ski trip in Park City, Utah, so I’ll have my nights to myself once I get the girls to bed each night this weekend. I just played around a little with this guy this morning. I took this shot in Havana, Florida (just north of Tallahassee), last fall sometime. He just looked like he really had something to say!
Hoping to carve out some time between appointments today to get moving on my apron for our Artful Journey Apron Swap. Pictures to come!