remembering

i think i've mentioned this before but it's worth mentioning again... i love classic films! and this week, the film industry lost a legend and the world lost a beautiful, caring and passionate woman who was so many things- actress, philanthropist, entrepreneur and AIDS activist, to name just a few. so today i'm remembering Elizabeth Taylor...

source

tutorial @ wild olive

i'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the super-talented Mollie from Wild Olive. but if you have yet to be introduced, click the image below. i'll wait...

she really is a fantastic designer, illustrator, crafter and embroiderer! and as an extension, her blog is equally wonderful! i really love her style- simple, clean, fun and colorful!


last month, one of her posts mentioned sponsorship spots were available on her blog. the beauty of her sponsor program is that only your blog -not your shop- can sponsor her blog,  which really intrigued me. so i shot off an email and she accepted my blog as sponsor-worthy!

as a added bonus, she has fun and interactive posts each month where she asks her sponsors a question and each person provides an answer. this month's "the story of:" was about sneaking away from everyday life for a while- where would you go and what would you do. there was some great answers and it was a good way for me to get to know my fellow bloggers.


today, Mollie is featuring great giveaways [think embroidery patterns, embroidery supplies, a baby blanket, a shop credit and a fawn necklace] and diys [creative packaging and a crocheted Granny Square Tutorial] from her sponsors. can you guess by reading that list which is mine? :) i would be most humbled if you would check out my crocheted Granny Square Tutorial and let me know what you think...

frank lloyd wright & mason city, iowa: part II

so, a couple posts back i showed you the Stockman House designed by Frank Llyod Wright in Mason City. while driving through the area of town where i though the Wright house to be, i realized that i was on a street lined with Prairie School design homes [and my pictures just don't do these houses any justice but you can click on them for a closer view].

 i just love these beauties! and my favorite was this one...

 can you believe those windows!? the red glass really stands out from the dark trim and white exterior. yummmmm...

the Prairie School architecture in mason city has so much historical and artistic significance that a newly built Mason City Architectural Interpretive Center, located next door to Stockman House, will have its grand opening in May. we are definitely taking a weekend trip up north this summer so we can take one of the walking tours they are organizing.

have a great weekend everyone!

featured

check out this beautiful treasury curated by craftedbylindy ...

i love the calming effect this treasury creates!

listed

vintage just put on the virtual shelf...

*update* i added these children's books too...

frank lloyd wright & mason city, iowa: part I

my excuse for my short absence from this space is that my husband spent the better part of the last four weeks working in Mason City, which is about two hours north of Des Moines. a couple of weekends ago, i drove there to visit for a night. while looking through the hotel's local attraction information, i discovered that Frank Lloyd Wright had quite a presence in Mason City. so before i left town, i went on a search for the Stockman House...

built in 1908, this house is in the Prairie Style, has been re-located once and restored to its original simplicity. at one point the church next door to the house's original location wanted to buy the land and demolish the house to build a parking lot. but thankfully, certain members of the community saw the worth in keeping the house and raised money to relocate it and turn it into a museum.

unfortunately i had to leave town before the museum opened day so i couldn't see the inside. however, at StockmanHouse.org there are plenty of pics of the inside as well as the history of the house and Frank Lloyd Wright's presence in Mason City [he also designed the Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank that are currently being restored].

while looking for the Stockman House, i came across other Prairie Style houses in the neighborhood and i will share those pics in part II...

luck

today, i'm wishing you lots o' luck and a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

happy st patrick's day!!