Pretty Promises

It was a gorgeous Spring morning worthy of a few (cell phone) photos.

CrazyMom got me all wistful with her wild dogwood, wisteria and other gorgeous flora. I commented about a close up of the dogwoods and she shared some awesome shots! Thanks CrazyMom!

In our neighborhood, creamy dogwoods are more common than the white or pink varieties. Ours are just starting to awaken from their dreamy sleeps.

Morning light captured in shy buds. Don't they look luminous as they yawn and stretch their petals?

Just one more...these flowers remind me of teacups.

Check out this weeping cherry.

Cascading pink petals were such a spectacle as to nearly take my breath away.

Spring is certainly in the air, though not yet as fully as in Hotlanta. Do visit CrazyMom's blog for real displays of delicate beauty.

Despair not northern cousins, Spring is on its way!

Decoupage Delirium

Count me among recent converts who have been madly blinging tatting shuttles. What started with a hesitant toe-dip has become an enthusiastic cannonball plunge.

Case in point.

Spring Bling - ITD Giveaway Prizes

Congratulations to Krystledawne who won the blue origami butterfly shuttle and to Jon Yusoff who won the Cherry Plum Blossoms shuttle. You both did a great job with the Online Tatting Class puzzles and games!

When You Care Enough to Enable

Remember when Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane shared adhesive papers with Tat Land? I got some. Then even more decoupage goodies arrived in a huge envelope from Bree's prize giveaway. Between the two of them I had enough embellishments to warrant storage.

Cue my sister Igoya who kicks in with scraps of left-over Japanese washi paper from her Etsy Shop.

This level of sharing could tackle world hunger!

ITD Gets Noticed

Word is getting out about International Tatting Day!

Holiday Insights has the most accurate info.

National Whatever Day spotlights three events today, ITD being at the top of the list.

The Ultimate Holiday Site takes a more tongue-in-cheek approach, winning the prize for Most Frequent Use of the Word Doily in a listing.

Gone-ta-Pott actually has the most comprehensive listing, though some of its data is vague or incorrect. They certainly get an A+ for effort.

Thank you ALL for helping us spread the word about our very special day!

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Three Cheers for INTERNATIONAL TATTING DAY!

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Wishing you all a fun-filled ITD!

If this is your first time celebrating, here are a few suggestions to get you started, courtesy of Marty McCarthy:

International Tatting Day
1. Eat all the chocolate you desire.
2. Wear a little tatting and tell everyone you meet about tatting
3. Tat only for yourself, only what YOU want to tat
4. Remember (or Honor) the tatters who have gone before you and contributed so much to our art.

And by all means, you can send cards.

Photo reprinted with permission
©2010 Paris Breakfasts

Chocolate Fish (Poisson d'Avril)
For the past three years, I have written about why I tat with a flat, fish-shaped shuttle on April 1^st.

I will spare you a rehash. But if it is your first time or you are curious, here's a great primer from Carol Gillott, author of Paris Breakfasts: Poisson d'Avril!

Carol's posts are always chock-full of gorgeous photos and this one is dedicated to seafood, silly pranks and chocolate fish.

A Giveaway - No Foolin'
In spite of the progress we have achieved, many tatters still don't know about our special day.

So in the interest of getting the word out far and wide, I am having another giveaway!

Here's what you need to do to get score one of two ITD prizes!

1. Attend the Online Tatting Class special session at either 3PM or 8:30PM ET (New York time).

2. Participate in the activites to qualify to win.

Two Online Tatting Class winners will receive by mail directly from me (in addition to whatever Georgia Seitz has in store) a chocolate fish and a blinged Clover shuttle. (sample shuttle image below)

Everyone who attends the Online Tatting Class will receive a freebie PDF with instructions to make your own flat shuttle template.

Why not use it to create and bling a flat shuttle for yourself or a new tatting friend?

Spring Step Forward, Snow Step Back

This past week Spring began bursting out all over.

First blooms of Spring
Mid-week the trees were bud-heavy, but before you could say "Bob's your uncle" they looked like this.

March on springtime!

Wouldn't you know? Sunday morning dawned with a dusting of snow covering those delicate pink petals. Thankfully, by noon it had all melted away.

Spring Bling Pink Prep

White stuff got me off my duff to bring some Spring indoors. Putting pink blossoms on my shuttles is my bling-erific goal.

So far I have painted one pink Clover white and am ready to apply the first coat of Mod Podge and flowery napkin.

AUGH! Had to stop to deal with family matters. In this instance it was the breakdown of the car. The mechanic says that it needs a new fuel pump (costing $1,000) and Big Daddy doesn't want to put that much money into it. He prefers to spend that money for a down payment on a replacement vehicle. So we're off to Carmax to shop for mini-vans.

Like Spring, my progress seems to be of the "one step forward, two steps back" variety. Shuttle will have to wait. For now.

Tatting Tea Tuesday - Macarons

To celebrate Macaroon Day (March 20, 2011) I drove 15 miles to a Swiss Bakery and picked up these little gems. They were sold in sets of 3 or a larger package of 6. I saw no reason to limit my taste test. All in the name of blog research, of course.

Their size may surprise you. At roughly 1 inch (2.54 cm) in diameter, they are tiny bites of pure pleasure.

Carol Gillott, author of Paris Breakfasts blog, advises, "Macarons are supposed to be petit - un péché mignon (a little sin)."

Macarons also come in two larger sizes but not many people buy them. Parisians prefer the smaller, guilty pleasures. Who am I to argue?

Light, crunchy meringue exteriors give way to soft, gently flavored interiors (lemon, lime and  strawberry are pictured) with a buttercream or ganache filling.

I am so wild about these almond-and-air confections that I bought this from Amazon.com:

The book should arrive later this week. Once it does, it will be time to get baking! Cross your fingers that I will be able to make macarons to feed my foodie appetite.

A Time for Tatting

As for lace, I have finished the first of two 12 1/3-inch (32 cm) edgings and am working on the second.

Nelson Edging © 2011
Design by Orsi (part of her Napoleon series)

These edgings will adorn a pair of Easter socks.

Adult size Easter socks for my niece Jalice. Silly hats and crazy socks are popular pieces in the fashion repertory of my family.

I still haven't begun the meandering vine edging that Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane has been testing for her sister. And there are still Easter egg laces to try. So much to do and so little time!

Wishing you all blissful me time to create something beautiful. See you next Tuesday for more communi-tea!

♥ for Postie and Spring Bling

This past week I received three wonderful packages that made me feel so special! One had traveled all the way across the sea from JaneE. It reaffirmed my faith in Royal Mail.

This image is from Jane Eborall's Etsy shop listing. It is the butterfly bookmark I bought for Igoya, my twin sister.



Forgot to snap a photo before mailing it out, so I had to wait to share the images. Igoya should be receiving it today. Jane did such a splendid job!

I did, however, remember to take this seahorse bookmark photo. Isn't he a handsome gent!

They are both really stunning lace creations. It was quite difficult choosing which to send and which to keep.

Spring Bling

This second package was actually the first to arrive, but my dithering kept me from doing anything other than fondling the pretty papers and holding Clover shuttles up to them. Thank you, Lace-lovin' Librarian Diane, for your generosity and color-coordinating everything in advance.

The shuttles are mine for the blinging. Diane did not send them. Her gift of papers was generous enough!

Giveaway Prize 

The third package was jam-packed with even more shuttle decorations. Thank you, Bree, for sharing so generously. It is the biggest giveaway prize I have ever received. Now to get blinging!

Dip a Toe or Jump in?

So the moment of truth has come. I decided to toe-dip instead of jumping in.

I covered a bon bon box with mulberry paper and lined the inside with a glittery gold. Toss in a few shamrocks for luck and...

Voila! A travel box fit for a leprechaun.
(He might need Ray-Bans^®...)

(Image courtesy of Ray-Ban^® Virtual Mirror)

Holy cow! Where has the time gone? I have another whole post worth of macaroon goodness to share for Tatting Tea Tuesday. Ah well, it will have to wait until tomorrow. Check back for Mad for Macarons

Happy Macaroon Day!

Since I missed Macaroon Day last year, (organized by François Payard himself to coincide with the jour du macaron in Paris), I feel compelled to spread the word about this little French confection.


This Tuesday, March 22, I propose celebrating the arrival of Spring by settling in for Tatting Tea Tuesday with your favorite cuppa and a tasty macaroon.

Who's with me?

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Curious about these meringue-like marvels?

National Public Radio published this story earlier this year:

NPR - Move Over Cupcake, Make Way for the Macaroon

Paris Breakfasts shares Jour du Macaron 2011 photos.

One of my Twitter pals, @NotQuiteNigella, posts this about her love-hate relationship with macaroon baking.

The Macaron Whisperer

I even competed in @NotQuiteNigella's Ultimate Chocolate Cake Challenge in 2008 and did much better than I expected.

A Parently Speaking (2008)- The Ultimate Chocolate Cake Challenge

A Parently Speaking (2008) - You Still Have Time to Vote

Whether or not you have means to bake or acquire one or more of these tasty treats, I wish you a very Happy Macaroon Day!