Why is it that we are drawn to heart shapes? Especially organically shaped hearts - that have grown directly from nature - like the heart tree above. I wonder about that. This tree does have a look of cutting shears, but maybe not. Could it be a gift of nature? Look at how the branches create the undulating top of the tree. Photo from MA BELLE.

But back to the reasons we are drawn to these lovely shapes: love love love, warmth, happiness, serendipity, chance, simplicity...

Everyday that I drove miss is to school (40 minutes away), mostly she took the bus or drove herself, but back to the story, I would see an island in the middle of the river as I crossed the Sikorsky Bridge. I called it the love island - it was uninhabited, just a spit of land covered in grasses - long, tall, waving to me as I drove by. And it was shaped like a heart. The only way to see the heart shape is from the car as I drive across the bridge - see above - a little dangerous trying to snap the picture from the moving vehicle while travelling 60 mph - this is the best shot of the island ... can you see the heart shape? It always makes me smile and think happy thoughts, no matter how difficult or traumatic my day has been.

Then there is the rock on my desk...one day it was just there...I have no idea when or where I found this rock, but I love it and it makes me smile.... When life is hard or troubling, it is soothing to look at the hard stone shaped in a heart. It gives me hope.

Imagine my surprise when I turned the rock over during my photo shoot! A little, magical inscription delighted me - from miss is at a tender age. I did not know this wonderful sentiment was inscribed until yesterday. Serendipity...to find this inscription as I write a post about love.

Seabeans, the wonderful shop in Wilton where I sell my frames and memento boards, has lots of heart shaped stones mounted on boards... picture to follow...

and my friend, jeanne over at nantucket mermaid, is always finding heart-shaped rocks and painting them for her studio - check it out here - and here, or better yet, visit her when you are on Nantucket.

and read this wonderful post from mackin ink about "the love of her life"...it is beautiful...words to remember...read it all the way through - click here

Yo-Yos

not the child's toy

but these fun circles sewn with scraps of fabric

You have seen quilts made with hundreds of these yo-yos.

Sis Boom has a tutorial.

I read it - but decided I needed to sit down with someone 

to figure out this yo-yo thing.

This winter I attended a how-to session offered by Ambler Farm.

A wonderful lady from the deep south

showed us how to make yo-yos.

Painstaking work but i figured it out.

I have a new appreciation for those yo-yo quilts.

 

modern take on Yo-Yos

new hair accessories as seen on habitually chic

click link here

and a painted version by Nantucket Mermaid

love the colors and organic shapes 

 Nantucket Mermaid circles

painted box above 

shrinky-dinks below

Jeanne turns these into fun pins and earrings

everywhere 

i keep seeing circles

crocheted jewelry as seen on Hidden in France

Preston Bailey's circle designs 

not sure where this lamp came from

it is made from cut-up plastic containers

sometimes i feel like i am chasing myself around in a circle

contemporary fashion yo-yos  

button wear

last but not least, circles of needlepoint 

stitched by moi as a special birthday present for d.h.

Do you recognize the picture above?

My friend Jeanne 

aka 

Nantucket Mermaid 

did this fun Obama-like Cheer Up message for me.

I feel better already.

thanks Jeanne

Check out Jeanne's blog and etsy store

I did a few posts on Jeanne last spring.

I drink my tea and coffee out of her mugs every day.

I love all her art - it is everywhere in my house.

The guy who created the Obama image went to RISD

go here and play around

Here is a great article about Jeanne van Etten, aka, 

Nantucket Mermaid 

You may remember that I did a post on Jeanne back in May

so I just had to showcase this wonderful profile on Jeanne

One of Jeanne's mermaids greets me every morning

 as I reach into the fridge. 

She rests comfortably under my very messy memento board!

Inspiration comes from unexpected places - take this coffee cup for example.

It was painted by a Jeanne van Etten. 

I first saw Jeanne's work in Boston at a shop called La Ruche, 

owned by Apple Bartlett, daughter of Sister Parish.

My sister Betsy sold her work in this shop too.

I love to drink my tea and coffee from this cup.

The waves of color, dots and stripes inspired me. 

Soon it became a good luck mug - couldn't create without a cup of tea from this cup.

I remember vividly - a two room studio on Charles Street, five floors up, in a pre-civil war building, yes that's right, and a walk-up too, but it had five windows and two fireplaces, the rent was $325 in 1990, can you believe it.  We tried to keep it when we moved to Connecticut by subletting it - but we were found out ... so a memory... I still have a few pictures somewhere... I painted boxes and flower pots at that time - (I had a real job too and still do) - you should have seen the place when I was in full production-line mode.  I couldn't paint without a mug of tea in this fun Jeanne van Etten cup.

Later I bought more cups.  We use them every day. 

Cups that lost their handles become receptacles for pencils, pens, scissors etc.

I would see Jeanne at shows around Connecticut and would always buy more coffee cups and other stuff - look at this fun knife holder

My daughter and I loved our annual pilgrimage to Jeanne's studio in 

New Preston, Connecticut - we would buy a special cup for Isabel's teacher 

and something else for our house. 

Jeanne lives in Nantucket now - you can see her work on

Nantucket Mermaid 

Thanks for all the inspiration Jeanne 

I need more coffee cups!