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On my worktable – artificial flowers

21 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, crafts, family, flowers, home, home decor, Inspirational, On my Worktable, Uncategorized

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Tags

artificial flowers, crafts, family, flower arranging, flowers, home decor, On my worktable, spring arrangements

Today my worktable was full of flowers for the spring arrangements. The bins have been in the living room for over a week but I finally had time today. It’s always a pleasure to arrange the flowers, even though they are the same ones I’ve used for years. At the end of a season, I pull all the flowers out of the vases and sort them by color in bins, then they go to the attic. It’s good to start fresh each year so I mix and match the flowers to suit the season and mood.

The arrangement for the foyer. I'll probably add a little more at the base. It looks a bit too tight but I'm crazy over the color.

The arrangement for the foyer. I’ll probably add a little more at the base. It looks a bit too tight but I’m crazy over the color.


The bare brances were in the corner through winter, strung with lights and crystal snowflakes just to add brightness to the room.

The bare brances were in the corner through winter, strung with lights and crystal snowflakes just to add brightness to the room.


The same bare branches now share the space with artificial dogwood and greens. The lights were taken off the branches and placed in the vase for ambience.

The same bare branches now share the space with artificial dogwood and greens. The lights were taken off the branches and placed in the vase for ambience.


I love the new arrangements! They make me happy. =)

Not in the photos: son’s twin size mattress on the floor in the living room because we have to tear out the downstairs bathroom and completely redo it due to a major leak.
Not in the photos: the flat screen tv right in front of the large dogwood arrangement in the corner.
Not in the photos: tears shed because another one of our children moved out last week and we’re all missing him and wishing him well and cheering for him in his new job in another state.

Two of my sons. Noah on the left moved south last weekend. We miss him! Very glad for the job opportunity though.

Two of my sons. Noah on the left moved south last weekend. We miss him! Very glad for the job opportunity though.


We all have a choice on what to focus on. I choose to focus on what’s good and bright and beautiful and sparkling in life. You can have brightness if you choose. Sometimes it takes a lot of work, like clearing a garden of weeds. You have to yank out bad thoughts and deliberately hack at unwanted vines. But it’s possible and totally worth it.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Ph 4:8
The arrangement for the living room table. The velvet-petal roses are showing their age but they are still beautiful.

The arrangement for the living room table. The velvet-petal roses are showing their age but they are still beautiful.

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The Queen’s Restaurant

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, books, grandkids, sparkling, Uncategorized

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books, children, grandkids, kids, playing restaurant, pop up book, queen, story, the Prince, The Princess

The table was set with an exquisite pedestal chandelier. Delightful piano music wafted through the door. The King, the Prince and the Princess looked over the royal menus.

At the Queen's Restaurant, the table glowed from the light of the beautiful chandelier and candle on the table.

At the Queen’s Restaurant, the table glowed from the light of the beautiful chandelier and candle on the table.


“What would you like to order?” asked the Queen.
"What would you like to eat?" asked the Queen.

“What would you like to eat?” asked the Queen.


“I want a fruit tray,” said the Prince.
The King watched as the Queen ducked under the table to pick up a menu.
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“I will have steak, a sweet potato and peas,” said the King. “I would like Sesame Chicken, please,” said the Princess.
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There was a commotion over by the door as the guests finished reading the menus.
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“WHAT?” the prince and princess yelled, “There is a horse looking in the door!”
A horse peeks his head through the dining room door!

A horse peeks his head through the dining room door!


“Oh dear, oh dear!” said the queen as she rushed to the door and tried to get the horse out of the room. The Dragon was a bit distracted but he continued playing piano music to calm the diners.
The Dragon tries to keep playing the piano, despite the antics of the Horse.

The Dragon tries to keep playing the piano, despite the antics of the Horse.


“I must hurry to cook the food!” said the Queen as she entered the kitchen. “At least the cake is done. It looks great!”
The beautiful decorated cake in the Queen's Restaurant kitchen was ready for serving.

The beautiful decorated cake in the Queen’s Restaurant kitchen was ready for serving.


The queen went up to the garden where she picked herbs and fresh oranges from the tree.
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The kitchen bustled with activity as the meals were made.
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Many meals were made ready for guests.
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Soon the King was eating his delicious steak and sweet potato and peas. The Princess thought her sesame chicken was delicious and the Prince enjoyed his fruit, especially the watermelon and strawberries. He also got some extra food because he was still hungry.
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“Would you like dessert?” the Queen asked. “Yes please!” they all said.
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“I have to use the restroom,” said the King. The Prince and Princess ate all their food until there were just crumbs on their plates.
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The Queen set the table with a plate of delicious chocolates, cupcakes and hot chocolate. The King had coffee.
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Meanwhile, the Horse and Dragon went upstairs to the tea room because they were hungry too.
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They looked over the menus and gave their orders to the Queen.
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“This carrot is delicious,” said the Horse. “This is very tasty chicken,” said the Dragon. “Next time, I will order four whole chickens and skip the peas.”
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Downstairs the guests finished their desserts. “Please refresh yourself in the garden,” said the Queen.
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Soon everyone was in the garden getting fresh air.
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Everyone had lots of energy because they ate so much dessert and didn’t want to just stand around.
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The Prince was fascinated with the fountain, especially since it had fish in it.
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“No, No!” said the Princess. “You must not get in the fountain!”
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The Prince wanted to catch the fish. The Princess ran to talk to the horse.
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The Princess fell over but then she got up and started running after the Prince and they decided to play a game of chase in the castle, going up and down the stairs. That upset the Queen because it was her restaurant so she locked herself in the secret room under the stairs so she would be safe while everyone was running around.
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And there the story ended because the lively game of chase throughout the castle required all hands so no more pictures could be taken.

[I bought the book, Princess Palace by Jacqueline East, years before my granddaughter was born. It is one of her most loved books.]

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Just one match

18 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, family, Inspirational

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camping, fire, inspirational, matches, Rocky Mountain, Rocky Mountain National Park

I rarely get the pleasure of a campfire, only once every two or three years. So they are very memorable when they occur.

This was our first night camping at Rocky Mountain National Park.

When we went to make supper that first night, we discovered we forgot the fuel for the stove.
When we decided to make a fire to heat our canned beans and hotdogs, we discovered we’d forgotten our flashlights and matches too.

No stove.

No flashlights.

No matches at all.

So we rummaged around the campsite in the waning light and found a single match on the ground by the firepit, scuffed up and covered with dirt.

We made our little stack of tinder and paper, dusted off the match and prayed for the best… and then struck that one dirty match.

The fire lit!

With just a single match, even a crumpled old match found in the dirt, you can light a fire.

This is the fire.

Our beautiful campfire lit with just one old match, warming our dinner in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Our beautiful campfire lit with just one old match, warming our beans and hotdogs in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Sometimes what you need most comes from an unlikely source.
Don’t give up.

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Snowflake in the window

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, art, crafts, nature, photography, sparkling, sunlight, water

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

All Sparkled Up, condensation, crafts, drops, paper snowflakes, photography, snow, snowflakes, sparkling, sunlight, water, window

1 Snowflakes in the window
We’re hoping for real snow. But snowflakes cut from rice paper will do for now.
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8 Snowflakes in the window

And this is my 200th blog post!

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Happy New Year 2014!

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, crafts, family, New Years, sparkling

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2014, craft idea, crafts, family, homemade party hats, Japan, New Year's Eve

We got THE coolest package from Japan from our daughter yesterday. She and her husband sent us a whole box of crazy cool treats! We’re going to try them tonight. We’re a fairly adventurous family but I’m going to need some bravery tasting dried squid meat, eggplant hard candy and beef & zucchini chips! My guess? Delicious! I’ll let you know.

The evening will be simple – playing card or board games and listening to neighborhood fireworks at midnight. Food will be homemade baguette toasts with hummus and cheeses and a veggie tray. Also those awesome Japanese treats. And we’re going to make party hats from old rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, with a prize going to first and runner up designs.
25 Awesome Party Hats
Party Hats DIY
Homemade Hats
DIY Party Hats
That ought to be silly fun and I’ll be getting rid of excess old wrapping paper too. Reduce & reuse ftw!

Happy New Year to you all!

A tiered server is piled with treats from Japan. We didn't have confetti so I quickly snipped a handful of used Christmas ribbon to make some.

A tiered server is piled with treats from Japan. We didn’t have confetti so I quickly snipped a handful of used Christmas ribbon to make some.

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The ornaments

10 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, Christmas, home decor, sparkling

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christmas, Christmas decorating, Christmas desktop image, christmas ornaments, Christmas tree, ornaments

Some of our Christmas ornaments. They were all over the dining room table after Christmas last year and I dusted each one and packed them away. So many precious memories are in these ornaments! I’m looking forward to enjoying these glittering little pieces of our past again.

Some of our Christmas ornaments. Click photo to access a larger image to use as a desktop image if you wish.

Some of our Christmas ornaments. Click photo to access a larger image to use as desktop if you wish.

I made the quilled snowflake in 1976. The styrofoam ball with blue sequin letters JULIE was made by a friend of my parents in 1966. I made each of my children a paper shoe from a pattern fashioned after a vintage baby shoe in 1986.
The ship was made following the directions in The Decorated Tree, my all-time favorite Christmas craft book, by Carol Sterbenz.
My dear Grandma made the sweet sleeping baby doll many years ago. She made one for each of her grandchildren.
My sister Donna made the tiny mandolin.
I made the embroidered circle and heart ornaments from leftover wedding gown material for our first Christmas.
My sister Suzanne made the little red sled with painstakingly-wrapped teeny gifts on it.
My mom made the ceramic dove.
My sister-in-law made the real popcorn and wire wreath in 1980 and every year we’re amazed that the popcorn survived another year!
My mother-in-law gave me the vintage baby doll in a black tulle clown costume.

Not shown, but will surely be on our tree: the foil covered styrofoam ball with a little bite taken out of it by one of our babies, the plaster of paris wreath ornament made by one of the boys that is so heavy we have to hang it near the trunk on a really sturdy branch, the beaded ornament made by my husband when we talked him into joining our family ornament-making evening and many more. Themed trees are pretty but we have a small house and only one big tree. I admire exquisite decorator trees for their artistry but enjoy the old history of ours too much to ever change.

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Decorating for Christmas

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, Christmas, lighting

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Christmas lights, December night, rain

Christmas rain

I took this photo several years ago. We’re putting the outdoor lights up this weekend, a most happy event.

Christmas lights are pretty even in rain.

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Lune

06 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, God, Inspirational, nature

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inspiration, lune, moon, nature

Lune

Lune


Even on dark nights, behind it all there is light.

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There, in the woods, a flower fairy!

28 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, family, flowers, grandkids, photography, sparkling, sunlight

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

costume, family, flower fairy, flowers, granddaughter, grandkids, imagination, photo, photography, wood fairy

In her little black boots, she stepped lightly between the trees. I observed her world, being ever so careful not to disturb the magic.
Flower Fairy -1

Flower Fairy-2

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She had the dress but needed something for her hair. So I made her a floral hair wreath and wand. But she provided all the magic.

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Glorious SUN!

05 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by Julia Monroe in All Sparkled Up, home decor, lighting, photography, sparkling, sunlight

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

adding windows, dining room, gratitude, home remodel, remodel, renovation, sun, sunlight, windows

That had to be all caps because it’s remarkable. Ever since moving into this house 13 years ago, our dining room didn’t have sun in it. Until now. We are nearly done with the remodel so last night we moved the dining room table out of the living room and back into the dining room. And this afternoon… Afternoon, mind you!!! … I sat at the table to plan an impromptu Wine & Cheese tasting party. IN. THE. SUN. Honestly, I had trouble concentrating on my notes because of the sun. Glorious sun!
There are no windows on the west side of our house and the roof has a big overhang so our home gets very little direct sun in it. The solution was two arch windows extending as high as possible in the west wall. I’ll make a blog post with more details soon.
Just look at this!

First sitting at the table in the sun!

First sitting at the table in the sun!


To anyone else, that photo would be completely unremarkable. But I’m an artist, photographer and lover of sunshine. To not have sun is like Michelangelo having no paint. There are no accessories or furniture in the world as glorious as sun. I can’t believe I actually get to live here!

I hope I never get to the point of taking something so basic for granted. I basked in sun today.

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