My Weblog

"Taking one for the team...TEAM MARIE that is!"

My friend Marie is a person who brightens the whole room when she enters.
She has a contagious smile and equally infectious laugh. 
Marie is kind, caring, and beautiful.

Over the past few months, my friend Marie has been faced with one of those life-altering things that no one ever wants to go through: divorce.
I don't care how you slice it, divorce is a difficult trial. Think about it, how many times have you heard a story told, whether in real life or in a book or movie, when the protagonist says something along the lines of
...."I had just gone through a difficult divorce..." 
Yet, you never hear anyone talk about their "easy divorce."
When you love a friend the way I do Marie, you want to be able to help to do something, anything...when life gets tough. In many instances, helping a friend through a hard time has come fairly easy for me, but with something as painful and all-encompassing as divorce I've  found myself faced with a different kind of challenge. I have been very blessed in my life when it comes to marriages making it through the rough and tumble of life's challenges. My parents are celebrating their 45th anniversary (today actually-wtg Mom & Dad-I love you both so much!) and my in-laws are in their 43rd year right now.  These marriages have brought great comfort and stability to my life--that's not to say nor imply that they've never had problems--it's the fact that they do both have problems and trials yet somehow continue to love and work on their marriages that brings the stability, and I am grateful for that. Life's not always like that though and once I knew Marie's divorce was inevitable, I really struggled to know exactly how I could help...I knew I loved her and wanted to be a supportive friend...but I also knew I had no experience to offer.

A group of my close friends (the ones who introduced me to Marie) felt largely the same way as I did. For the most part, none of us have much experience with divorce but we do have a lot of experience with unconditional love, compassion, and lending a listening ear. A collective desire to rally around our friend and offer support (emotionally and financially...uggghhhh divorce is expensive) somehow organically led to the formation of TEAM MARIE!

We made shirts for the team and all showed up at GNO a few months ago wearing our new team logo and then donned Marie with her own shirt that proudly states "I AM MARIE!"  Of all the things we wanted to do, we wanted to remind Marie that she needs to remain proud of WHO she is: a strong, loving, wonderful person who will survive this trial in her life with loving friends surrounding her through the rough spots in the journey. TEAM MARIE immediately started planning a rummage sale, a bake sale...anything we could think of to raise money to help with the additional expenses of divorce and life as a newly single mom.

We also told Marie we'd be in our TEAM MARIE gear and ready to help pack boxes once she found a new home. That's exactly what we did too...and it felt so good. I saw the expressions on Marie's face when she'd stop to glance at her friends  all sporting black with bold white letters screaming TEAM MARIE. Even though she was feeling vulnerable and weak on the inside, she knew she could keep going and be strong with the reinforcements offered from loving support all around her. I'm not even sure who's brain child TEAM MARIE was originally but I'm so proud that we followed through, and even more proud that Marie is doing so well, in spite of this trial she never thought she'd be going through.

If you have a friend going through divorce (or any difficult trial, for that matter) never underestimate how much your support can help them.  And...if like Marie...you are going through a divorce right now...TEAM MARIE is here for you. Feel free to tell your friends they'd  better make t-shirts that say TEAM YOUR NAME on them and help you make it through this nasty mess. On the other side of  the tears and anguish of this trial sits the rest of your life, waiting for you to embrace it with a big Marie-like smile.

For my parents who have made it through an amazing 45 years together, thank you so much for teaching me how to be a friend to others, even when life takes the unexpected and sometimes ugly turns. You've both always been there for me and have shown me that you don't turn away when friends and family are in trouble. I love you for that. Happy Anniversary!

It may seem strange to post about divorce while also celebrating a milestone wedding anniversary like 45 years, but the truth is... my parents' marriage and their example of how to make it through tough times and how to be a friend is part of who I am...it's part of why I can and will be here for Marie while she battles this one out.  Life is  full or beautiful ironies I suppose...and this is just another example.

To Marie and my teammates..thanks for being such good examples on how to be a real, bona fide, through and through FRIEND!
I love you all very much~E

Ps. True story here: At the TEAM MARIE rummage sale (over Memorial Day weekend), we met a woman who was shopping for a high chair and a few other baby items. Our shirts got her asking questions, and so the story unfolded.  Her response: "I want friend's like Marie's..."  Giselle (the woman we met that day) now has her own TEAM MARIE shirt and has started joining in on the fun. Spreading true friendship is contagious so create a team near you :)

Tag...I'm it!

Blogging is so much fun...it's a way to keep in touch, to learn, to vent, to journal, to share creative  projects, swap delicious recipes, find great items to buy, to make new friends and .... to play childhood games like TAG! I've been tagged before and am sorry to say I've never yet joined in.  It's not because I don't think tagging is fun...just plain and simply... I rarely have the time on my hands needed to follow through. My sweet friend (whom I met through BLOGGING btw) Jenn just tagged me though and this one was simple which is perfect for me--the biggest challenge was keeping the responses down to one word.

The Rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Your significant other? strong
3. Your hair? roots
4. Your mother? loveable
5. Your father? sentimental
6. Your favorite thing? cooking
7. Your dream last night? weird
8 Your favorite drink? soda
9. Your dream/goal? mission
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your hobby? sewing
12. Your fear? snakes
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? secure
14. What you’re not? boring
15. Muffins? pumpkin
16. One of your wish list items? vacation
17. Where you grew up? Oregon
18. The last thing you did? scolded
19. What are you wearing? sweats
20. Favorite gadget? computer
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? hewlitt
23. Your mood? hungry
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? reliable
26. Something you’re not wearing? socks
27. Favorite store? here!
28. Like someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? green
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? weeks

I'm tagging: Tara, Tiffany, Sharese, Natalie 

P.s. Here's a sneak peek of recipes coming SOON!

Pss. Click this logo to find more fab recipes

Psss. RUN... do NOT walk on over to Old Red Barn Co. blog to enter to win this beautiful quilt

made in Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market fabric.

A scone to remember...

A few years ago, my mom and I found ourselves in
the middle of a new obsession...
a hunt for recipes and techniques for creating the perfect tea scones.
If you live out west, the word scone might
conjure up thoughts of large pieces of
fried bread smothered in honey butter or blackberry syrup. ..
oh how I used to love gobbling those type up at the county fairs in Oregon and Utah when I was a kid.

Tea scones are different though and well worth being introduced to:

In the pastry lineup somewhere between a biscuit and a muffin, these
cream scones are an amalgam of crispy yet soft, sweet with a hint of savory while also providing a subtle explosion of flavors like cinnamon, cherry, and pecans all with the "comfort food"  feel of
cream lingering in the background.  Add a touch of lemon curd and you'll feel like you're having afternoon tea with the queen.

I had breakfast guests from Baltimore this past Friday and we enjoyed a spread of scones and berries out on the back porch. It was a perfect way to start a weekend.  In keeping with the cook it, blog it venture with  Patty (thanks so much for the shout out on your blog sweetie!) I really wanted to share this recipe with you.
I hope you enjoy
...oh...and thanks for all of the sweet emails and comments about the blueberry muffin recipe.
I think you'll love this one just as much-we sure do!

Much like biscuits, tea scone dough takes a bit of TLC to create perfectly so I have included lots of pictures to help you master the recipe. Helpful hints include: keeping the butter as cold as possible (I cut the butter into small pieces and place it into the freezer before mixing it into the flour) and blending the dough together as little as possible.

My favorite store-bought lemon curd comes from Trader Joe's but if you don't have a TJ's nearby,
this version by Dickinson's comes in as a very close second and is available at most grocery stores
like Kroger or Smith's next to the jams and jellies.

Leave me a comment and you just might win a gift from me including some recipe cards and something pretty sewn by me for your table.

Ps. Remember my landscaping adventure and the "dead grass dilemma"? Well...look how nicely my tender little guys are coming along now? I should have a full yard of lush new grass in another few weeks. Thanks for all of your hints for helping us along to greener grass ;)

Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies...muffins and mentos, anyone?

To kick off our Fourth of July Holiday weekend, I started off the day yesterday by making these super yummy Blueberry Muffins. I've been needing to blog a recipe ever since agreeing to join in with my friend Patty on this fun new Cook It, Blog it! project.

Click here to join in on the blog or just to find some great recipes.  I hope you're all enjoying the holiday weekend.  Try out these muffins to sweeten up your weekend. I've made them twice in the past 2 days; once with frozen blueberries and once with fresh ones.

The fresh blueberries took "best in show" in the minds and mouths of everyone here in the Taylor homestead.  It's a good thing blueberries are in season right now and I still have another pint in the refrigerator to use for some Sunday after church treats.

So far, we've eaten muffins, enjoyed an early morning flag ceremony and breakfast with our ward at church, had a bbq and gone swimming with friends, and lamented the fact that the legalized fireworks here in Ohio are not quite as exciting as the ones in Tennessee. They're more like mini sparklers and colored smoke clouds--next year I guess we'll need to make the drive across the state line to the Fireworks Superstores where they sell fireworks that are seriously bigger than a car battery.

The kids had to get creative this year and go for some Mentos and Diet Coke eruptions to liven up the patriotic festivities.  They want to do a repeat of this tonight so I'll try to get some more pictures. Enjoy your weekend.
Lots of hugs~Eva

As Summer Blazes on by...blogging retroactive

Sheesh! I guess it's about time that I pick up where I left off after my last blog post. Ever since I returned home from my trip to Portland, the summer schedule has been jam packed. I've been dying to get back to my blog.  And, after many email jolts from lots of you and my friend even issuing "the threat" as she calls it  (to delete my link from her blog for not posting that is),  I decided it was time to dive back in.  Am I alone here, or do others of you find yourself taking loads of pictures intending to later "blog the moment" but then as life raising kids and running a business takes over, you end up with 100's of pictures to upload and not knowing which story to tell or how to even begin?! Well, that's exactly where I find myself. 
So... lucky you my dear readers,  you now get
to deal with my BLOGGING RETROACTIVE-- maybe I'll start a trend here.  I'll begin with what I've been up to the past few days and move backward over the next few posts through some of the fun things we've been up to this summer--there are plenty of pictures to share that's for sure!

Any landscapers or green thumbs out there? I've been doing yard work non-stop for the past 3 days; I think that seeing all of my mom's beautiful irises  while in Oregon inspired me to get things spiffed up in my own neck of the woods. Word to the wise though...never ever ever believe it when you read on the packaging that weed and crabgrass killer won't kill your lawn.  My poor front yard looks like it's been through some kind of chemical warfare (I guess technically it has, but still!) I've spent hours and hours painstakingly fixing yellowed grass patches and re-designing the overall landscape in our front yard--going for a more colorful, texture filled curb appeal here. Since hydration of both the plants and the planter (moi) is key while gardening, I pulled out my thermal Oregon mug to keep the ice water chilly out in the 90 degree heat.

After removing  a tree from the front yard  and tilling through all of the dead spots in the grass,  I've been adding some lush top soil and then using Patch Master to repair the lawn.  It's a good thing my sweet friend Tricia came to the rescue--her yard was a casualty to weed killer last year so she knew just how to help me. Here are some "work in progress" pictures.  I'll be sure to share photos of the landscape overhaul  once all the grasses, trees, hydrangeas, lilies, and hostas are all transplanted and looking great. I've been trying to keep the kids off the yard with my best Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite impression by referring to my seedlings as "tender little guys!"   Wish me luck--my grass seedlings should be looking nice within a week or so!  If I'm really lucky, all of these tropical grasses  that I've planted will be settling nicely into their new home as well. 

Be  back to blog  some more of June in a day or two. Hugs to all!

This lil (fabric) piggy went to market...

...this lil (fabric) piggy had fun
this lil (fabric) piggy ate chicken korma
this lil (fabric) piggy could never have none
and this lil (fabric) piggy cried "WAH WAH WAH" all the way home!

You'll please excuse the silly nursery rhyme poetry but I'm still on a complete high from my trip to the International Quilt Market in Portland--I'm hoping my recap and these pictures can capture a bit of why the weekend was so much fun, it's left me singing inside my head.  Seeing old friends, making new friends, hobnobbing  with industry insiders, great food, and unprecedented weather all made the trip to Portland
a time to remember.

Wednesday the 14th:

I left for Portland a few days early so that I could meet up with my lovely friend (you know--the BFF kind of friend) Tara for some much needed girl time. After a bit of a traveler's snafu and missing my plane the first night (ask me later) I arrived in the city of roses around noon on Wednesday the 14th.  Tara had driven down from Washington  so with her car (the red caddy) and her keen navigational skills combined, we were ready to hit the Portland  ground running. After a brief stop at the hotel, we had a yummy lunch of lettuce wraps and ginger chicken at PF Chang's followed by dessert (AKA SHOPPING) at this hot spot. I love that both here in Cinti and in Portland these 2 places are adjacent to each other-what more could a girl ask for?! After shopping we had to head back to the hotel to pick up my cell phone (don't worry Patty-you aren't the only one who left things all over Portland-LOL).  I was expecting phone calls and how can a girl be without her phone these days? Cell in hand, we headed back out for more "dessert" and stayed at the mall until they kicked us out at 9. Joel called as we were leaving and we made plans to meet at the Convention Center the next morning.  I couldn't wait to meet up with Mr. Dewberry (Myrinda would refer to him as the fabric pimp- click on the picture of me and Joel below to enlarge it and you might see the  Fabric Pimp pin Myrinda gave to him--LOL)  anyway----couldn't wait to give him the Zen Robe I'd worked so hard to create with his beautiful new fabric.

Thursday the 15th:

Zen Robe in tote and a few wardrobe changes later, Tara and I headed off to the convention center to meet Joel. What a fantastic moment for me. It was like meeting someone you've known forever--I am so happy to report that Joel is absolutely as beautiful a person as his fabrics are--so genuinely real. Everyone loved him--I still need to tell Joel that the fabric gals decided he is kind of a cross between Rami from Project Runway and Dave Matthews from the DMB. Can you see the resemblance?

After giving Joel the robe, he immediately introduced me to his beautiful and talented mom Donna Dewberry and then made her try the robe on right on the spot-I wish I had pictures-she was so cute in it! Donna was at Market with a booth right next to Joel's debuting her first line of fabric for Westminster.  What a talented family.

Once the robe was settled into its place in the booth, Joel took Tara and I to meet the oh so lovely ladies Heather Bailey and AnnaMaria Horner.  I was so thrilled to meet both of these beautiful women. Their talent is utterly obvious. The nice surprise in meeting people you have admired from afar comes when they are as kind and giving as Heather and AnnaMaria were. Thanks to both of you sweethearts for taking the time to chat with me and for personally showing me your new lines of fabric-wow wow wow!
A Pop Garden Party blinged out in graphic bijoux all the way! Hold on to your hats seamstresses and fabric piggies like me--you're in for one amazing ride when these new collections hit retailers. Here's a peek at Heather and AnnaMaria chatting in the blue ribbon prize winning booth by none other than Ms. Horner.  Congratulations AnnaMaria-you so deserve it.

Tara and I were also privileged to meet Heather Ross-what a sweetheart! I've always wondered how Heather's fabrics can be sooooo soft--you guys notice that too? And ... Jennifer Paganelli  has got to be the most loving person I can think of--I adore her fabrics.  After meeting these fantastic designers, I trudged through the huge convention center to find my friend  Chelsea  who was working on her booth for the debut of her new pattern line. Chelsea's booth looked so alive and inviting-I know she'll be a huge success. Just around the corner,  I then found my friend Sandi and her sweet mom knee-deep in 2x4's,  misty seaglass paint, posters, light fixtures, and clothing designs galore. This gal went all out for the debut of her new fabric and pattern line. It all paid off too because she won 2nd prize overall for the booths in her size category.  I can't believe I never got a picture of Sandi's booth but you can visit her blog to see some as soon as she posts.  The booth was always buzzing with buyers that's for sure!

As I'm writing this I cannot believe this was all just Thursday morning--no wonder I'm singing poetic inside my brain! So...Thursday continued with a little more shopping for me and Tara followed by meeting up to chauffeur Patty and Myrinda to the Fabric 2.0 Meet & Greet at Oba hosted by Caroline  (JCaroline Fabrics) and Kathy Miller (the Miller of Michael Miller Fabrics).  The food was yummy and the company present was "star-studded" for a fabric lover like me.  I was able to meet up with old friends and also meet new ones as well. Here's where the pictures really come into play(click them to see them bigger if you'd like)
hope you enjoy all of these:

Me and Joel

Amelia (Intimate Photography), Daria (Boutique Cafe'), Me, and Megan (Brassy Apple)

Oh how I love these gals. I wish so badly we could have had more time together--Houston baby Houston!

Me and Heather Bailey (talented, kind,  AND beautiful)

Patty (ModKid) and Me

Me and Sandi Henderson (Portabellopixie)

Amelia and Me

My new friend Beth (EPD Dolls) and me. I LOVE this chica!

The gals getting chatty

L to R:
Me,  Sandi, Charlotte Barnard (Deputy Editor-Country Living Magazine), Jona (Fabritopia) and Myrinda (Fabrichound)

Sandi was gracious, giving nice hugs and told me I smelled yummy--thanks girl--wild fig has always been my scent of choice. Charlotte was fascinating and showed interest in my work--how cool to have her at the shindig. Jona was pure sweetness and a dessert party coordinator as well. Myrinda was fun, bubbly and full of information-thanks for livening up the weekend.

To see more great pictures from market and the party at Oba (Thank you Caroline, Kathy, and Sandi), check out these blogs here, here, and here. Ohhhhhhhh----and remember this design of mine? In my post, I drooled all over Tina Givens' fabric I used for "Summer Vogue" and hoped so badly to meet Tina in Portland.  So happy to report I did get to meet her--she is a breath of fresh air--a designer with amazing soul.

There's so much more to share and I still have more pictures to post so I'll add a part 2 to this post in a day or two. Hope you've enjoyed so far. This lil (fabric) piggy is off to get some rest for now :)
Much love, Eva

A Zen Moment before Market

Sometimes when the FedEX man comes to the door,  a nearly religious experience occurs. No...it's not that I have a crush on the delivery guy (I've never even seen him).  Again...it's all about the fabric baby...and when you open a package as amazingly beautiful as this one I received from my friend Joel, how can you do anything but stand back in meditative awe.

Mr. Dewberry's new line of fabric is as stunning as the last ones  and I was honored to create the FAV Zen Robe with this fantastic Ginseng sample yardage that Mr. FedEX brought to me.  This Zen beauty will be on display  at Joel's booth at Market in Portland this weekend.  She's nicely folded, wrapped in tissue and waiting to be put into the suitcase.  She and I are flying out tomorrow.  I'm so giddy with excitement I can barely stand it.  Not only do I get to meet up with some fantastically cool fabric and clothing designers while in Oregon (my homestate by the way-I was born, raised, and married in that beautiful land of evergreens and endless water), but I also get to spend time with my dearest friend who's joining me for some girl time,  and  also get to see my mom to boot.  What could be better?! If you're coming to Portland, make sure to drop by Joel's booth
and try the Zen robe on.
My beautiful friend Tracy who modeled for me says it's super cozy comfy!

If you leave  me a comment you'll be entered to win a little surprise made by me in some of these amazing fabrics. I'm off to Portland--I promise to come home and spill the beans with pictures galore.   I hope these pictures bring a little zen to your  day; they did to mine.

Going, going...gone to #113

Auctions seem to be a mainstay in my life right now. Not only do I have my entire "Summer Vogue" collection up for auction on e-bay, but I recently spent the morning at a real estate and personals auction here in town. I love the excitement of the bidding process: spying great items, positioning myself (in this case, #113)  whereas to be within sight of the auctioneer but not in full view of my competing bidders, the musical sound of the auctioneer's song taunting onlookers to "go higher," and just the overall fun of the whole experience. When an auction sign showed up in my neighborhood a few weeks ago, I marked it on my calendar in big red letters. Life's just crazy and busy enough, if I don't put it on the calendar--it may not happen. RED means I'm not missing it for the world (my upcoming trip to Portland is totally in RED by the way...but oh how I wax tangential). Anyway, my real estate agent even dropped by my house a few days before the auction  to make sure I was planning to come--she said she'd been through the house and knew that there would be plenty of the vintage goodies that are right up my alley. Boy was she right.

Look at some of my winnings--this amazing silver pitcher, butter dish and tea set, a vintage aqua jewelry case (lined in pink no less) and the most darling petty cash compact were my favorite of the day's booty.

I find myself mesmerized by the age group of auction hounds--they ranged from 18-80  that day. I love communal experiences like this--the ones when the love of something from the past and the drive to find a good bargain build a conversational bridge between young and old. An older gentleman raises this sweet painting high above his head for all the crowd to see and
the bidding begins...

Look how cute this petty cash compact case is. I've been treasure hunting for years in countless antique stores, flea markets, and auctions and this is the first compact like this I've ever seen. I just love it. As I'm writing this I realize I should have taken a picture of the inside--it's so darling. Maybe I'll fill it up with some change and post a picture in a future post. I have to say...this compact got me thinking about petty cash--ohhhhhhhhhhh how times have changed since this little accessory was made. Petty cash used to be made of metal and jingle in your pocket.

These days it all folds. I try to keep some $5's, $10's, and $20's stored around in various places like my desk and the glove box just in case--
I suppose nickels, dimes and quarters just don't cut it anymore, do they!?

Ps. You can find these pieces of my "Summer Vogue" collection by clicking on the picture below.

By the bolt please...by the bolt

When you're an artistic person, you just can't help but fall head over heels in love sometimes with things like colors, shapes, silhouettes, and in my case today...a FABRIC... that has it all! Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I can't quite explain how deeply in love I am with this incredible print by Tina Givens. I have often sat in bed at night wishing for a fabric in this exact color scheme. I didn't even bother to take the dream as far as being picky about the shapes or graphic designs on it; I just wanted these colors. I'm happy to say, I got it all when this fabric arrived in the mailbox and I could not wait to design a creation for LimeVine's latest launch:

Vintage Aqua and tomato pinkish red?!! Talk about yesteryear yet so now yummy! This vibrant color scheme "euro- inspired" me to create this new shirred bubble tank design. You can check out the appliqué jeans and peasant blouse here. Thanks for taking a look-see and thank you Miss Tina for being so artistically on my wishful wavelength. I think I need to buy more of this lovely fabric by the bolt baby! Cross your fingers for me that I'll get to meet this wonderful textile designer when I go to Market in Portland  in a few weeks.

And, just to keep you smiling, I thought I'd share a little of what I do to keep Chloe engaged during our long photos shoots (I'm not gonna lie-she was a wee bit cold during this one). Whenever I see her starting to fade (or freeze) on me, I ask her to give me to the goofiest, angriest and/or saddest face she can muster. Here's goofy from yesterday...enjoy sweet readers!

A Manatee's Metaphor

Don't you just love a beautiful Spring day trip to the zoo? I don't know how I got so lucky when I chaperoned Chloe's field trip to the CincyZoo today,  but the weather was perfect (not too hot...not too cold... no rain!) and the kids in my group were all well-behaved. You parents know that the stars don't always line up so well for days like zoo-day. Many times, if it's not blazing saddles hot and all of the animals are hiding in the shade, then it's raining cats and dogs ( and...who needs to go to the zoo to see those domesticates?) OR a kid or two (or three) are so cranky or hyper, it hardly seems worth paying to GO to the zoo when you brought the zoo TO the zoo with you. (did you get all that?!)

By far, our favorite animals we saw today were the manatees.

This beautiful sea cow gracefully moved through the water and even paused to strike this perfect underbelly pose for me. I think she liked my camera. I must say I'm pretty proud of this shot. I needed to capture a moment of carefree grace with the lens today. Life's been hectic and to some degree a little sad the past few days.
My new manatee friend took me on a metaphorical swim with her today and it was just the weightless feeling I was needing.
Thank you for your graciousness, kind animal.

Chloe and I also stopped to pose with the elephants. She especially loved the baby one and was amazed that a baby of any kind could be so BIG!

If you have a local zoo, I highly recommend taking a Spring visit before the weather gets too hot and the kids (or moms) get too cranky. And...thanks for letting me wax metaphoric with you. I'm feeling pretty introspective these days.