Sorry. I am forced to take a break today. The story parts may not seem longer than my usual blog posts, but they take me all morning and sometimes into the afternoon to write...and I am just not up to it this morning. My own fault. It was such a gorgeous, perfect day yesterday...
...well, later in the day, actually. We started out with our usual 80% humidity, but by early evening the sun had dried it up a bit and it had gone down to a pleasant 50%. So, after working on the blog until afternoon while I washed clothes...and making a vat of cabbage soup in the afternoon...I was on the verge of overdoing it, right? Gorgeous evening. So, for the first time in ages and ages I opened the place up! Ahhhhh! And Karma and I spent the evening on the porch. (This is an old shot of Karma on the comfy porch chair--pre herb garden.)
I decided to leave the bedroom window and the porch door open all night because it was supposed to get down into the 50s. Perfect sleeping weather. Supposed to have sun for a few days, so I left things on the porch and the padded chair uncovered.
****
I did sleep well. But I woke up to a darkening sky!
I was lucky it hadn't rained or, if it did, it didn't get into my porch.
Packed everything away...and by that time the sky was completely dark. But as I have been waiting for pictures to post and writing the clouds are starting to break up?
Anyways--it went up to 82% humidity during the night. And I haven't the heart to close it up just yet. Been waaaay too long closed in up here!! So...break time today...intermission. On the edge of overdoing it...can do one of these regular posts in an hour or two...extra sore from the humidity...and you all know it turns out well, right? LOL! Hopefully tomorrow. :):)
****
Meanwhile, I do have a couple things to show you. My paper order came from Writer's Bloc, the new-to-me shop. :)
****
Karma claimed the box, of course.
I slid the package out from all the popcorn pieces...
...and there they were!!
First of all, I found this shop by googling Clairefontaine after I fell in love with their gorgeous, fountain pen friendly paper. Was looking to see if they sold regular 8 1/2 X 11 inch sheets and I discovered these! Packets of 100 sheets in lilac...
...and cream. They had a grey, too, but since there were a couple other things I had my eye on...LOL!
This Clairefontaine notebook, for example!! It's called "Mlle No". (??) I just love it! So colorful with the giraffe, leaping tigers, parrots flying, and flowers!
And when you flip open the magnetic closure flap...you discover the girl standing under the giraffe with a tiger (very small in proportion to the girl--LOL!) leaping away from her feet...and more birds and flowers on the backside of the flap.
And the lovely Clairefontaine paper inside, of course--lined.
And this is the back side with the flap opened...
...and closed. More flowers, a purple rhino, more birds.
I know they are kind of abstract and cartoonish (remind me of manga, even tho it is made in France) and I wondered if I would like it as much when I actually had it in hand...well, I do! Too pretty to write in! But, I'm sure I'll find some use for it. ;)
****
Anyways, the main product I was waiting for with baited breath was this refillable journal.
It's made by Exacompta--another french paper company. The forest green "buttery soft calfskin-like Maderia cover" is just that--buttery soft and supple--whatever Madeira is? Feels like leather. But what I was interested in more than anything was the paper and would it work well with fountain pens?
****
There are a couple of printed pages next to the inside covers, but there was still one regular page glued to the bottom edge so that I could cut out my trial page.
I ordered the blank journal refill so I can use my own writing guides. And it even has a built in bookmark!
I wrote with all my fountain pens--and even a couple LePens and Triplus fineliners...
...and no bleed-thru at all! Not even with the wide Parallel pens!! :):)
My quest for a refillable journal is over--tada! Now all I have to do is slowly stock up on refills. Happy Dance! Happy Dance! :):)
****
Also, several days ago, I decided that I was sick and tired of running out of my bookcards. When I went into my prepped stash (all cut, folded, sorted--ready to be punched and sewn) I decided to sew them ALL together! All 42 of them!
Over a couple of days I punched the holes in all of them, picked the embroidery threads...
...and then sewed them together while I watched TV at night.
So, I'm set for a good while--LOL!! Is it any wonder why I need this intermission!? ;) Like I said--my own fault. Sorry.
****
This afternoon Caroline comes to clean. Tomorrow night Dagan and Leah are planning to come over. And on Monday my dear friend, Ruby, is planning to drive all the way up here from Wisconsin for a long-awaited visit!! We have not laid eyes on each other in nine years!! So excited!! :):):)
****
But--today--I will be very good, I promise. ;) I will take it easy and be back next post, hopefully tomorrow, with Flowers and Garbage. Hope you are having a wonderful week!
****
"If a nightingale sings with her breast against a thorn, why not we?"
Susan Gilbert Dickinson to Emily Dickinson in 1861
18 comments:
I want that beautiful journal!!! I'm going to have to check all these new places out! :)
Kiss Karma for me.
And Rita? Those samples, woo!!!!! You've been a busy girl and you're gonna be busier now!
You don't need to apologize. You need a break, have one! :)
Also, lilac paper... Yeah, you so had to get that! :)
Love the quote!
The sort of writing you were doing requires some time to regroup. I am glad you are giving yourself permission to take it at just the right speed. And the needed intermission is just perfect!
Nikki--I know! I just love it! I wanted the red, but they were out. Had this forest green color. And now I can't imagine it being any other color--hehe! ;)
I grabbed Karma and gave her one of my big kisses where I lift her front end off the ground and bury my face in her fur and shake my head back and forth making kissy and growly sounds. She tolerates this from me on occasion. I told her it was from you--LOL!! ;)
Tori--Yes! I had to try some colored Clairefontaine!! I love that quote, too. One to remember when I'm having a painful day. ;)
Djan--Thanks! Yes, you have to go back there to write about it all--and I am a slow writer when it comes to this kind of soul writing. And it is heavy duty reading, too. I think we all needed a break--LOL! :):)
Rita... You have been busy. I love all your new goodies, nice journal and the photos of the sky are great.
Rita, the writing you have done ismvery emotional and exhausting mentally and physically. You need a break to fil back up. I am learning so much about beautiful paper and ink from you. Terah
Storm clouds...lots of them around here, too. No matter how many times I look at your pictures, your open, flat area still amazes me.
Karla looks like she's sticking her nose in that box. Does she have her paw in there, too? My cat Boots used to do that.
I love your colorful notebook! Someone put a lot of thought into it's design. Very, very nice!
Nice stash of pens and paper. And those bookcards. Wow...lots and lots of them. So pretty. You HAVE been busy.
I hope your break day helped you recuperate. I stopped by yesterday but didn't have time to read your whole blog, so here I am this morning finishing up and commenting. Time to get ready for work now, tho. I tried to finish a post this morning that I was working on last night, but I kept getting server errors when trying to upload pics so I gave up. Will try to finish it later.
Loved the quote. Makes you think about life. Hope you have a great Wednesday!
I love the notebook with the giraffe, that is so cool. You find such interesting stuff when you go shopping, I bookmark lots of the sites you find. Have a wonderful visit with your friend.
wow!! what beautiful gifts to yourself!! i love that Mlle No (?) notebook!! so colorful!!
and the nice thing about getting gifts...is it also makes karma happy! YOU get the goodies...and she gets the BOX!! everyone's happy!
i'm so jealous of your 50* weather!! wow, i would love to open up the windows at night!! i'd love to open them during the day...i can't wait til summer is over! why the heck am i in florida??!! oh well!
i have to tell you...i LOVE fountain pens too! i could spend hours in the office supply store...looking at all the pens & paper...same way in craft stores! so i try to stay away...it could empty my pockets!
also...LOVE your clouds!! :)
((the comment u left at my post...chameleons = anole! yes, growing up in NY, we had those little lizards as pets...called them chameleons too...they always escaped & we'd find them weeks later...dead and dried up...behind the couch or somewhere! poor chameleons! hmmmmm...i think i'll mention that in one of my posts!)
take care!! and have fun with your new stuff! :)
Karen--Thanks so much! :)
Terah--LOL! Funny how much I have cried writing this--in a good way! ;)
We write about what we love, Lady! I learn about quilting and ranching from you!! Hey--still waiting to see a giant cottonwood tree from the real western plains. ;)
AliceKay--The clouds the last couple of days have been compelling and beautiful. I'll have more pics when I am done storytelling--LOL! ;)
Yes, Karma stuck her whole front end in the box. She still thinks she is smaller than she is, as I do--ROFL!
I hope Blogger works okay for you now. I almost lost my post today after working on that little thing for three hours! Whew! Hope you have a good day, too.
Barb--Oh, I am happy to share the different sites I discover or have used for years. Glad you like them!!
I can hardly wait till Ruby gets here! I don't know how often I will be able to blog that week, but know that I will be happily chatting over coffee with my dear friend!! ;)
Laura--LOL! Yup! When I order things, Karma thinks she is getting presents, too.
I wish the cooler weather would keep some lower humidity with it. Humidity wreaks havoc on my bones--LOL! But I am so thrilled to have cooler weather I just haven't cared the last few days. My achey bones are loving the fresh air!!! ;)
Ahhh! Another fountain pen, ink, paper, pens lover who can window shop in office supply stores! Totally relate! And the same for the craft stores, too! :)
I had only one chameleon escape. My grandparents had been staying for a visit and discovered it--alive--in their suitcase when they got home!!
Stay cool!! ;)
(((to rita! ha!! the 'stowaway chameleon'!!! maybe he just wanted to get away from the kids! and decided to try life with the older folks for a while! haha!!))) :)
Laura--LOL! I think it was just trying to get away from my cat who followed it around to touch ti with her paw and make it jump! ROFL!! My grandparents did not see the humor in the situation--hehe!
You've been very busy. Where in the world do you come up with the ideas of the projects you work on... they are great.
Love the notebook.
It has cooled off here some, too, but the humidity... yuck!
Deanna--If you mean the bookcards, I wanted to make cards with our handmade paper and was trying to figure out how to attach a sheet of paper on to our rougher handmade stuff to I could write inside. You could glue it in, but I got the idea to sew a sheet inside...looked cool. Well, if I could sew in one sheet--and I write long letters--why not sew a bunch of them in there? I switched over to printed paper and have kept making them for about two years now. It is really just a simple pamphlet type booklet. I just love using them for letters, tho!
Our humidity went back up after a couple of days, too. *sigh* Oh well. Winter will be here soon enough. ;)
Oh I love that journal! And will be checking that online shop out, not sure I should say thank you, lol. YAY at all the bookcards you made! so many, great success! :)
I know you will enjoy your visit with your friend, such a blessing! :D
Desi--Ya! I am probably a very bad paper/ink/pen influence--ROFL!! ;)
I am really looking forward to a visit with my dear friend for a whole week!! You're right! Truly a blessing. A blessing to have a true friend in the first place. They are a treasure. :)
You don't need to apologize. You need a break you go ahead and take one!
Those goodies that came in the box where really nice! ...but I wanted to see more pictures of the box (and Karma fooling with it)!
:)
Iggy--Karma tried to climb inside that box. Didn't get much past her arm pits, of course. LOL! ;)
Post a Comment