Karla's Cottage

Tiny, Baby Ryan

My pal, Sandy, brought some old photos to our high school  reunion.  One was of little, baby Ryan (and little, baby me).

Not long ago, I had found something I wanted to add to the special album I had made with Ryan’s photos.  It was ideal to glue a picture to and hang from the book. I thought to myself that I’d add one later when I got another, because I’d used all the pics I had.

Then it hit me.

I would never have another new picture of my son.

Those are the moments that hit the hardest.  When I forget.  When I think to myself that I have to tell him something funny, or that a new season of one of our shows is starting, or show him the dog’s new haircut.  To simply share joys or jokes with him.  

That is when I tearfully write him a letter and fold it up with a kiss and tuck it safely into the urn.  And miss him all anew, with a fresh pain.  At first, it is pleasant to forget and to think of him like he is still here, but then, the ache that slams into my heart when I remember that he is not,  just about knocks me to my knees.

I was thrilled to get this new photo.  And to see how my baby was looking at me with love.  

I miss seeing that expression, he was a loving guy.

 

A Lovely Day with Friends

Last week, I drove to Indiana for my 45th reunion and some sister time.  On the way, I stopped for a birthday party craft day for a dear friend.

Not only was it a fun day with buddies, great food (and pink cake!), plus making a sweet project, it was also a pleasant way to break up the trip.

The drive is about nine hours with stops, but I split it into two days starting with this gala get together.

Crafting pretty pumpkins, laughing with gal pals, and having a fancy luncheon was a perfect start for my day of travel.  I drove to two of my favorite antique malls after saying goodbye to friends, then a few hours further til it was time to take myself out for a crunchy, fried chicken dinner and grab some sleep at a Holiday Inn Express.

Too bad all days on the road aren’t that much fun.

These are the little gifts I wrapped up for the party goers.

Thanks again for the festive start to my vacation, Birthday Girl!

And thanks for sharing your big day with us.

Into the Sunflower Fields

Sugarwings’ mama has graduated from her midwifery school!  After about 16 years of of working full time and continuing her education, (while getting excellent grades throughout), she has her degrees.

She needed some photos in her cap and gown, and the sunflower fields were just hitting their peak.  

Perfect timing!

Not only do sunflowers make a beautiful backdrop for pictures, the huge expanse of yellow blooms that rolls off into the distance is magical.

When you first arrive and see the other cars parked, The number of people already there is deceptive.

I usually feel like I’ll have to go way out into the blooms to find a private area for photos.

But no.  Once you step inside, you are surrounded and it can feel like you are in your own private, yellow world.

All of the other families who are visiting just disappear.  Unless they brought a flying, super baby  with them, who can skim across the top of the flowers.

Some years, the weather doesn’t comply and the farmer isn’t as successful. Others, like now, the flowers are massive and the fields are full.

 It’s free to visit, but tips are appreciated, and if you pick  flowers, you should leave a dollar for each.  

I have only taken Sugarwings twice, and what a big difference seven years makes!

Why have I only been a handful of times, when I get so much joy out of going?  Well, weather, timing, many things get in the way, durn it.

This time, the weather was beyond perfect.  We headed out at about 6pm, on the Thursday before Labor Day.  The lighting was ideal, the mystical “golden hour” was adding a soft glow to the air, and best of all, there were no bugs or mud.  

Our timing was ideal.

And what a lovely place for a graduate from Kansas to have a photo shoot.  We are the “Sunflower State.”

Plus, it just plain, old makes me happy to be there.

 

My transition mantel decor

At the end of August, I was ready for a new mantel look, but not ready to embrace fall, pumpkins, or Halloween.

I kept it flowery like my garden outside. In the yard, the rose bushes are looking their best, and I am really enjoying those blooms. 

This look might be verging on too springlike, but I’m okay with it.

UPDATE:

After creating this landscape, I decided to add it to the mantel in place of the smaller, unframed one.  

 

 

 

Another handmade book

The paint pours I have been making over the summer are coming in handy for the book covers I’ve put together. This one is so pretty, I haven’t even added to it beyond the clasp.

The spine for this book is metal filigree and the pages are tied in with leather strings.

It is a bit different than my others, I needed something less girly for this one.

Actually, not girly at all, it is for a friend’s father.

I did not have photos to add, but have made it ready to pop some into.

There are envelopes for memorabilia.

And pockets too.

 

My favorite planter

Quite a few years back, we took out a couple of trees.  Being thrifty, we left the stumps, because if you’ve ever paid to have two trees removed, you’d understand why we were feeling the need for thrift.

At first, I used the stumps as platforms to set planters on, but after decaying over time, they started to sink inward. 

So I filled the hole that was developing with dirt and plants.

Over time, it kept sinking and rotting til it evolved into losing the entire front part of the stump.  I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, so I stacked rocks to build a wall and prolonged its use a while longer.

It was honestly much prettier this spring before the baby pups learned how to climb the rocks like a ladder to dig in the dirt.  I’m surprised that any of the begonias survived at all.  As fall approaches, I’m thinking about switching to mums in this, but I cannot kill the flowers that are still hanging on.  Maybe I can transplant them to a new pot.

Because this would look great filled up and blooming bigger.

And this might be my last year to enjoy this particular stump, there might not be much left of it after this winter.