Symbols of Our Nation

For many years, I've collected vintage flag imagery. Here are a few from my stash. I love the graphic quality and the fact that most of my flags are textiles.

A 4th of July vignette at our house. The flag on the table is of a paper-like material. You can recognize an old 48-star flag at 50 paces even if you can only see a bit of it as the stars are lined up in straight rows.

Only two of my small 48-star flags remain. The others have disintegrated.

These silk party favor flags were purchased at a yard sale years ago. Although they are 50 stars, they are old and probably date to just after Alaska and Hawaii gained statehood in 1959.

I love the colors on this postcard found many years ago.

Click on the photo to read the note from Martha to her sister. This is the back of the card shown above and is dated 1913, the year of my father's birth. It is from my home state of Illinois but I found it in NC.

This print depicts WWI images and is dated 1918. I bought it in the early 1970's for just $12. It has hung in our kitchen ever since.

I remember the day I bought the WWI print. My CA sister Sharon and I were antiquing in Charlotte back in the day when the uptown had wonderful department stores - Belk's and Ivey's. There were also Woolworth's and Orange Julius as well as family operated businesses such as Simpson Photo, Brownlee Jewelry and Radcliffe Florist. On the east side of Belk's ran College Street. There were two or three fabulous junque stores there. When I worked uptown, I'd spend my lunch hours rummaging through the treasures. Nearly all of the vintage wicker in our sunroom came from these shops. The one-of-a-kind chairs were old when I bought them and are classics now.

Have a safe and wonderful 4th everyone!
xox Ellen x0x

Happy Birthday, Gracie

Today, Grace turns two! She is the daughter of my God-child Kari.

Happy Birthday, sweet pea!

My Next Goal - Finish the Wedding Quilt!

Inspiration Quilt

When our son Matthew was engaged, I knew I wanted to make a special quilt for him and his bride Suzie. I usually create my own designs, but the cover of Magic Quilts & Patchwork (a French magazine) really spoke to me. I knew I wanted to make New York Beauty and call it Ray of Life.

I drafted my pattern, altering it somewhat from the original, and began stitching the requested blue and orange fabrics with a little yellow and acid green thrown in. I've now made over 100 blocks and at least half of those needed for the border.

The quilt would be finished by now, but I switched projects mid-stream, completing my late Mother's quilt for my sister. It was begun many years ago and was/is long overdue. I'll deliver it in person when we have our family reunion in Minneapolis later this month.

In this trial layout, I placed blocks stitched of only blue and orange fabrics together on the left, but think they definitely need the 'spice' of the yellow and acid green.

I may add sashing to increase the quilt's size without having to make more pieced blocks. I'm auditioning fabrics and playing with the border blocks here.

Blogger has been on the 'fritz' all afternoon, allowing me to post only these two photos. Tomorrow, I hope to show you the initial block layout.

I Promise.....................

A lone daisy dropped at ocean's edge.

After two children and 10 years of marriage, my nephew Josh and his wife Lisa decided to renew their vows and exchange new wedding rings. Each recited several 'I promises ' to the other. The event took place under the cathedral-like pier early on the morning of June 27, their anniversary. It was a joyous and touching celebration. We were honored to be there with them.

Here are a few shots from that wonderful morning.

Note the cathedral-like architecture of the pier.
This photo was taken at high tide.

Dressed in white eyelet with daisies in their hair, Addison, Lisa and Olivia prepare to join Joshua under the pier for the ceremony.

Approaching the pier.

Family silhouette.

Father and daughter share a quiet moment.

Addison is curious about a bit of sand dollar.

A loving family following the renewal of vows.

Vacation Photos

My DH and I hadn't taken a vacation together in years. This year my nephew Joshua and his wife Lisa wanted to renew their vows on their 10th wedding anniversary. They spent three days with us before we all drove to Sunset Beach, their favorite spot, where the event would take place.

Sunset Beach is the southernmost beach in North Carolina. It is a barrier island separated from the mainland by the Intercoastal Waterway with access by a quaint one-way draw bridge. Part of the long pier is visible through the protected sea oats which in turn protect the dunes.

Addison and Lisa.

Tidal pools form at low tide, providing perfect spots for play.

My great nieces, Addison and Olivia, loved the ocean.

This area under the pier provided a spot free from
the harsh sun for Josh and Olivia.

My DH and my nephew Josh share a laugh.

My DH loves kids. We're still asking ourselves why we didn't have more.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to rent bikes but I did manage to get
a shot of their colors in the morning light.

Back From Vacation

Family members left to right: Lab Numa, Lisa, DH, Joshua, Olivia, Suzie with Addison, Matthew. We'd promised Olivia she could watch Numa swim in the creek at the park.

Dear Readers -

I'll be posting pictures tomorrow from the last few fun-filled days. We had a house full and then went to beautiful Sunset Beach NC for three days. It was heaven!

We're dashing out now to a birthday party for a dear friend. Later! Ellen xoxoxoxox

Poor Baby

Matthew and Numa in our beautiful Blue Ridge mountains.

Photo Credit: Avocado Photo

Numa has been our foster-dog for nearly a year. Here she anxiously waits
for someone to come home and play with her.

When my husband Bill took Numa to get her rabies booster, etc., the vet also did a physical. Teeth cleaning was recommended, as Numa had a lot of plaque/tartar buildup on her back molars. Apparently, as in humans, dogs can get into real trouble if their teeth and gums become diseased. Since the work had to be completed within a month of blood work, today was the day.

Neither of us really wanted to do this, but we'd promised Matthew and Suzie we'd take good care of their dog until she can return to them. As with babies, it's impossible to tell animals what is happening and that everything will be OK.

In addition to the teeth cleaning, she had a growing skin tag removed. Bill worried all day, as Numa had to be under anesthetic. He was able to pick her up at 6. She seemed a bit skittish (I don't like the dentist either) and a bit groggy but otherwise fine. The vet had said Numa might not want to eat and her teeth might hurt. The solution? A tiny bit of soft scrambled egg atop her dry food. She ate and then fell asleep for a long nap. We expect her to be completely back to normal tomorrow.