My Busy Paintbrush--Wedding Version 1.0

I love weddings!

And since I'm just the helpful aunt I get to enjoy the wedding preparations without stressing about travel arrangements for out-of-town guests and requested microbrews that don't seem to be available. (I'm going on record now that my two boys can just elope and it'll be okay with us and our bank account.)

I love making signs and chalkboards so I volunteered to take on several projects for my lovely niece.  Like these "thank you" signs--take a photo with the bride and groom holding them and you have  perfect, memorable thank you notes.

 

This was based on the Chopin font with a sprinkle of Brock capitals--I used the  same combo for my Meadowsweet Cottage sign.  You know that the partnership is going to go well when the bride chooses one of your favorite fonts!

BTW, she's fabulous at getting her thank-you's out immediately.  I appreciate that great etiquette and I'm happy to help her out.

I have some swirls to add on her Choose a Seat sign and I'll be finished with that.  I had a lightbulb moment about how to transport and assemble the biggest project I took on for the bride and groom.  (Now I just need some dowels and a drill, she said mysteriously. ) And I'll soon have the food and drink menu in hand so I can do the lettering on those with a chalkboard pen.  The end is in sight--good thing, since the wedding is right around the corner!

Bring joy,

A Peaceful August Day

August is such a relaxing time in the garden. The seeding and planting and transplanting and pruning and digging are done.

  

I can settle back and enjoy eating breakfast and lunch by Lilypad Pond.

I wonder when my neighbors' grapes hanging over our fence will be ripe?  

I love fruit that requires no work on my part.

Our volunteer pumpkin plant is pretty low-key too. Although I did prop it up on some old two-by-four pieces to keep it off the wet ground.  And I did have to wrangle the vine itself so it didn't wander all over the lawn when it was in its how-fast-can-it-grow phase.  It's only mid-August and it's plenty large and getting larger in spite of a most impressive hailstorm (see the shredded leaves).

It sprouted (along with some siblings that I culled) from the compost I used to enrich my raised bed last spring.  The Bombshells like old pumpkins and I guess some of the seeds escaped their notice.  As composters, they're pretty good but not perfect.

And if I can ever find the right-sized staples for my staple gun, this little beauty will be finished.

It's coming out nicely. It's part of a roadside rescue and I have no idea of what I'm going to do with it when it's finished.

This footstool was planned and it makes my old easy chair even more perfect than it was before. 

I had just enough leftover fabric and trim from the chair reupholstery to cover it. Oh, how I'm going to enjoy sitting in the winter sunlight with my feet up while sipping hot cocoa.

And here's a glimpse of my extremely high-tech and fancy-shmancy weight room.  I'm hoping all the tricep/bicep curls payoff as muscle by Labor Day.

It doubles as a workbench when I'm jigsawing, sanding or painting. The dogs use it as their preferred lounging/lookout area.

I hope you're enjoying every last delicious summer day too.  Summer is my absolute favoritest season!