This cabinet was at the NYIGF and featured on Stylebeat's blog.

It reminded me of a post from Pigtown Design - Meg keeps her shoes in a repurposed steel cabinet not unlike this one.

I thought this cabinet would make a fun post, if I could decipher the message on the cabinet in the painted signal flags, but it turned out to be futile.

I tried to read the painted signal flags above using a reference card that was tucked in my needlepoint bag (Why was the reference card in my needlepoint bag? More on that later.)

I think the artist took some artistic license because all I could figure out is below.

row 1: z _ _

row 2: _ _ j

row 3: mix

row 4: l

row 5: p

row 6: z _ n

Is anyone better at translating these signal flags. An atta girl or atta boy if you figure the signals out and maybe a prize.

I know a little bit about signal flags. A couple of years ago I was a needlepoint fantatic creating dozens of signal flag needlepoint coasters for my father and several other family members - Using signal flags, I stitched names and initials on sets of coasters for various family members to use on their desks (Dad's below), summer houses and boats. It was a fun project; I could finish the coasters quickly and derived almost weekly satisfaction in the completion of another coaster. Therefore, a satisfying project... See a couple of the finished projects below. My thanks to my special aunts for their inspiration, instruction and reference card!!!

The coaster on Dad's desk.

Spells the first letter of each town where Dad has lived.

Second one, well used, in the kitchen, coffee stains and all.

Dad's initials with a j for Jr.

My fellow knit wit, Kris, found this fun and practical knitting bag on etsy.

Love the new take on the popular WWII poster from London:

from Keep Calm and Carry On to Keep Calm and Carry Yarn.

More projects "off the needles"

I carried my yarn to my home territory near Boston and was able to finish this blanket.

Two and one-half years in the making. Slow and steady wins the race - right?

My Father and I made a trip to see the college student so that I could hand deliver this treasure just in time for another snow storm.

Great picture of Grampa and Miss Is

on a cold and bright winter day.

Still have quite a stash of yarn and projects.

More off the needles later this week.

The momentum is great.

I may even finish putting together a sweater that I started more than 6 years ago!

Knitting is a wonderful way to pass the time during cold winter evenings.

Very relaxing too.

And I have so much more time to knit during my hibernation period.

This is my mother back in 1985.

She looks so happy and full of sparkle.

She died 25 years ago today.

This photograph makes me smile.

We were fooling around in my Aunt Brenda's pool.

I was taking loads of photos because I wanted to create

a photocollage in the style of

David Hockney.

Look carefully at this photocollage and you will see how Hockney

created this one picture with dozens of photos.

He experimented with these designs between 1982-1987

and he called them joiners.

I was fresh off an art history program in London

1985-1986

where I learned all about David Hockney

and was excited to create my own joiner.

I never made the montage

but I came across these photos when my sister asked me to dig

for old photographs so she could create a

computer photo frame for our father.

Dad loved seeing all the old pics.

Last year I did a wonderful post on my mother

and how she inspired me

and still inspires me - click here.

I think about her often

and

wonder how different life would be if she had lived a long full life.

I am almost the same age as she was when she died.

Hard to believe.

I miss you.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE SCHOOL HAMPERS FRUITS

I went to a fun wedding in Maine this weekend and then I was looking through draft posts and look what I found. Rococo is a fabulous chocolate shop. I lived in London for a spell and this delightful spot was just down the road - I was a student at the time and on a limited budget. Lucky for me the dollar was trading at a very favorable rate! But I still limited myself to 3 truffles at a time. Wish I remembered this post earlier. I could have brought a chocolate bar for my lovely Aunt Brenda, mother of the groom, who looked beautiful. The bride was a beauty too! I know Brenda would have loved a rose-flavored chocolate bar. My mother would have loved a rose-flavored chocolate bar too, especially today because today would have been her 57th wedding anniversary. A fashion feature called 'Mother of the Bride', in the Best Scottish Weddings, said of our Dark Chocolate Floral Bar With Rose: "Couture chocolate is oh-so-now and we think this dark chocolate bar with a hint of rose should be given as a sweet little thank-you token to Mums-of-the-Bride everywhere." Here is the full ad and the copy in case you want to jump the links... We couldn't agree more! Why not show your appreciation even further by giving the Mother of the Bride a delightful Gift Set of 3 Rococo Floral Bars? As well as Violetti di Parma, how about some rich delicious chocolate wafers, infused with flavours like Cardamom, Peppered Mint or Earl Grey? Need to say a really big thank you? Then take a look at Rococo's classic The Cat That Got The Cream Ganache box. Share the joy of Rococo Chocolate Floral Bars this year. Great gifts for Mums of the Bride everywhere - not just in Scotland...

ps.sorry for the wierd post layout

i could not get the full page

to appear - hence the squishy, lengthy column

great photo from slow love life

reminded me of my girlhood.

every autumn we would make a pilgrimage to the chestnut tree

and collect dozens and dozens of chestnuts

then store them like squirrels.

i even found one lurking in my desk drawer recently.

it dates back to one of my early hunts;

hard to believe, but true.

i never wanted to throw that chestnut away.

it would be like giving away one of my fondest childhood memories.

and then

two weeks ago

miss is, dh, and i were walking around the city campus

and we

found a chestnut tree.

such fun.

we stuffed our pockets,

filled empty water bottles,

and took our stash back to our respective rooms.

mine sit on my desk.

miss is ... has her stash too.

we think of our walk when we look at our stash.

they are nice to hold and roll around in your palm

and the color brown is wonderful, warm and rich in tone.

my stash also reminds me of my favorite book:

pride and prejudice

remember elizabeth's aunt, mrs gardiner,

in the book she reminisces about running to the horse chestnut tree at lambton

and mr darcy recalls his fun boyhood runs to the very same chestnut tree.

i will hold on to this recent chestnut stash for a long time

because i am an empty-nester now.

DREAMS

by Langston Hughes

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

-------------------------

And to my dear miss is

on the day of your commencement

well done

we are so proud of you

xo m

off you go - enjoy the ride - we love you!

xo

This winter I did a series on the artists in my family:

here and here and here and here

and now for the latest installment

TA-DA

the work of the one and only

miss is,

my lovely daughter,

who is 18 today.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

We have a tradition of making our own cards for birthdays

and Valentine's Day.

And for the last few years miss is created special artwork

as Christmas presents.

Last year I received the charming vignettes above

to illustrate our monthly activities.

I love it.

This happy piece hangs proudly in my day-office cube.

Gotta spice that place up!

Below is the Christmas present from 2008.

I made a little book with the watercolor sketches.

It is a work in progress...

I plan to add rings or ribbon to hold the book together.

We campaigned for Obama as a family.

Here I am making calls to Pennsylvania voters

miss is and dh canvassing in Rhode Island

Campaign headquarters - downtown Philly

Voter registration in Philly on Easter weekend

We hung out on a street corner in North Philly

trying to get people to register to vote in the primary.

and our invitation to the inauguration

(along with millions of other people)

We watched from the comfort of our cozy cottage in Connecticut

Another artist in the family; this is Liz's self portrait.

Liz, daughter of my sister B, whose work I featured here and here,

is also my goddaughter.

Hanging On

Liz graduates from college this spring.

She is a wonderful, happy, talented young lady.

Not sure whether she will be an artist or a social worker

or a sailing coach...or maybe she will continue her studies...

maybe all of the above...

Terrific work Liz.

Good Posture

Liz has sold a few paintings recently -

Congrats!

the one below is on its way to a NYC apartment.

Not sure if this is the NYC subway or the T

(9 ft long)

Check out Liz's blog to see more of her art - click here

Continuing with the family theme -

here is artwork of another sister.

P started taking botanical drawing classes

a couple of years ago

at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens

These two pen and inks were P's

Christmas card in 2008 and 2009

I just love them.

another work in progress

P has a beautiful studio - windows on three sides

hot chili peppers

a special b'day present for T

Beautiful work P - you should have cards printed with your artwork.

In my last post I told you about some family talent.

Here are some paintings by my sister B.

You can see more of B's artwork on her website here.

Don't you just love the bottles of nail polish above.

Choose a color, any color, for your weekly indulgence.

This painting is in B's bathroom in her beach house.

I love it.

Another fun painting located in the guest bathroom.

A painted reflection of the real medicine cabinet to the right.

Check out the colorful contents.

And then here is another style.

This is Quissett harbor.

Remember the post about a winter walk at the cape

on the Knob - click here -

this is the very same harbor

This painting greets me every morning as I traipse downstairs

for a daily cup of coffee and the NYT -

it is nestled in a nook above the staircase

and here I am at the Cape - painting and photo by B

along with a delightful mermaid from

the Nantucket Mermaid - more here

ps. nantucket mermaid has some loverly treats for Valentine's Day

My sister B is also a very talented interior decorator

check out her website here

Give B a ring if you want some help on a project.

B works with clients throughout New England .

I did a post last year about B's talent - click here

Love your work Bets!

That cupcake looks delish!

In memory of my mother

JSR

19 August 1929 -

4 January 1986

I was going to publish this a month ago

but something intervened and it just did not seem to be the right time.

My mother loved Sister Parish's work.

Pictured above is SP's NYC apt.

This decorating scheme looks so current,

yet it dates back to the 70's or 80's

watercolor by Mita Corsini Bland

in the new book

Did you know

that Sister Parish made it into 2010 decorating trends

according to Mrs. Blandings?

Read some excerpts from the Kansas City Star via Mrs. Blandings:

“More craft and things that have been touched by hand,” said Keith Johnson, buyer-at-large for Anthropologie stores and the subject of the Sundance Channel’s “Man Shops Globe.” This trend is good news for my business, mrr design and my products: new fangled pictures frames and memento boards made by hand in the USA - the entrepreneurial spirit lives on.

We’ve heard “this ain’t your grandma’s …” A new buzz phrase just might be “that’s so granny.” Patricia Shackelford thinks we’ll see more patchwork quilts, hooked rugs, needlepoint and chintz.

Shackelford said it’s the return of Sister Parish design, using heirlooms or pieces with history. “It’s a way to bring comfort to formality,” she said. Susan Bartlett Crater, granddaughter of Sister Parish, said using family pieces can be stylish. “My grandmother always said houses should be receptacles of memories,” Crater said. “What better way than using grandmother’s things?”

Looking around my own house I see Sister Parish's influence... I love her style and use lots of objects and pieces from my family...in fact, I see my heritage everywhere in furniture and objects. Each piece brings back memories and is a touchstone for a story to tell my daughter.

Not only furniture but clothes. My mother died a long time ago. She was too young. We did not dismantle her closet for a few years. I have five siblings. I think we all stopped at the closet and gazed and thought about her - it wasn't morbid. It made me think she wasn't gone. She was still with us somehow - it was something real we could touch. She is still with us - in thoughts, in conversation, in a random memories sparked to life by a word, an action, an image, a color, a flower... I talk to her often. I miss her terribly. Somehow we all managed to have our babies and to raise our families without her. There were so many questions we wanted to ask but never got the chance.

But back to the clothes. We finally did dismantle the closet years later when my father sold the house. We saved the very special things. My sister P just mentioned to me that she wore Mom's Bonnie Cashin coat a few days ago when she was walking the dog on a frigid morning in Vermont. Now it is hard to picture my mother walking a dog, but she did love that coat in the winter and she looked beautiful in the warm salmon color with raccoon fur.

My mother was a great knitter. I have lots of her sweaters. They have been stored away and just the other day my daughter and I explored the cache. So many hand knit treasures and so beautiful and they fit Miss Is to a tee so she started wearing them. When Miss Is is complimented she proudly says they were her grandmother's. Some other 17 year olds might think that is bizarre but I think it is wonderful.

My mother influenced me in so many ways; she had great style and a great eye. Years after she died I found magazine articles about the Isabel O'Neil School of Decorative Painting in NYC that she had saved.. and what is stranger still is that I had taken a dozen decorative painting classes in nyc years after she died ... talk about being in sync... I never knew she was interested in painting...she was artistic...she would have loved all that my sisters and I have done...and my brother too...more on my sisters' talents in upcoming posts...and so in a tribute to my mother and to all mothers, especially one new mother, sarah and her beautiful baby Huck...and for my dear friend d as she moves through these dark days, I toast mothers and their children and leave you a few special photos of my daughter and me.

happy and cozy mother & daughter

i am back

our college tour was a whirlwind

from north carolina to new hampshire

and then to the "cod"

loads of fun with cousins and round two of "the aunts"

ie: my sisters & me

this was a funny sight

old cadillac with bicycle and fishing rods jumbled in the back seat

crazy parking spot

the guy jumped out of the car and started cleaning the hood

a seagull...

i worked on a lot of small projects

one was knitted wash cloths.

some of my family members thought i was nuts

to spend so much time on a washcloth.

zoom in to read the wash cloth pattern.

i use them all the time instead of a sponge.

just pop into the washer at the end of the day

and use a fresh one in the morning.

here is another lady doing the same thing.

she was set up on the street in woods hole.

zoom in and read her sign.

she had great sweaters and hats for children.

if you need a perfect baby present and you don't have the time

nor inclination to knit

send sarah graham mann an e-mail

she doesn't have a website yet

DiscoverNE@aol.com

funny looking sight

that is the drawbridge in the up position

with brother, daughter, niece, nephews watching the activity

the temperature was high

and the water was perfect