Lately: Peaceful, Calm and Tidy

With all the worldwide upheavals I needed more than ever my home to be a safe haven of coziness to cope and stubbornly ploughing on with what I believe is right. So here some pictures of what gives me joy and energy. This is a rainbow cloud. It’s the second time in my life, I spotted one..a good omen right?

Charley and I enjoy the Fall view from our house on top of the hill.

During our invigorating cold walks we discovered more beautiful fungi.

At the thrift store, I found this crazy vintage owl jug, which I use as a vase. It makes me very happy! (and ohlala, only $2.-)

I made some pretty toad stools myself. Sewing is not one of my better talents but this was such fun to do and I was happy with the results. Aaaand I could use these old tea pots which I bought for pennies because of the pretty decorations on them. (One man’s junk…) The pattern for these toadstools can be found on Anne Woods beautiful website.

Charley came back from her bi-weekly bath (she has a skin condition) and shivered. My darling girl is getting on in age. I loved seeing her comfortably taking a warm nap under her blanket. (Also a nice thrift find)

And lately, Mr. Walker and I love these chai chocolate puddings..so pretty too in the little mason jars. Very tasty..but yes, how can chocolate not be???

And of course, the ultimate healing thing to do…baking the apple pie!

Wishing you all good apple pie moments in your life!

Love and Liefs,
Johanna

Lately…

Well Spring has sprung and gave, next to work in the garden, lots of beautiful flowers in home to enjoy.

There was painting to be done, the kitchen looks nice and shiny again.

We had lovely warm days and I had plenty of time too, to just sit in the garden and watch birds and ‘our’ squirrels. They hardly left the owl box they live in and I suspected they had babies.

And indeed , we got some glimpses of them. There seem to be two…I am not always a fan of those greedy squirrels but this is so cute.

Knitting at the moment is this simple shawl but such a joy with this incredible yarn in the most beautiful colors. I so wanted to knit in colors after reading this book about Sonia Delaunay.

I watched the documentary on Vivian Maier and I am fascinated by her story. A sad story too in a way. I ordered her books from the library and I am enjoying it so much…what an incredible talent this remarkable woman had!

My sister was here with my brother-in-law for a whole week …such bliss. She spoiled me rotten and amongst the many presents she left me with, this lovely donkey for my collection. She shook her head…

Am I the only one who loves these??? Mr. Walker says, he likes them best in my studio ;0) …but I am still moping and sulking now my sister travelled back all the way to The Netherlands.

So best remedy for that: busy working again! For instance on a tea themed card set a lovey friend requested…it makes me very happy!

Aaaand Mr. Walker and I did also some very exciting traveling ourselves!! Can you guess where we were? More about that later.

Nou dat was een drukke tijd met veel werk in de tuin en ondertussen genieten ook van schattige eekhoorntjes, de keuken kreeg een likje verf, mijn zuster en haar man kwamen op bezoek vanuit Nederland (en gingen weer terug, snif!) Lekker breien en weer druk met tekenen. En meneer Walker en ik zijn op reis geweest…raad eens waar we waren?
Meer daarover later!

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Lately: Apologies, Taking a Break and Happy Easter!!!

Dear blog friends! Myohmyohmy, life is unusual busy here at the Walker residence. Kitchen redecoration, several travels, a garden that needs full devotion in Spring…most of it fun. However, my pace of life is usually very slow so when things speed up, I have a hard time moving along.

I have neglected you all terribly. So sorry about that.

Even too busy to do much drawing but I did make these two birthday cards for two veryveryvery special people.

So I have decided to take a break from blogging! I am going to miss you all terribly.

I wish you all Happy Easter and I hope we can all enjoy good spring weather.

Een ongebruikelijke drukke bedoening hier in Huize Walker! Keuken wordt eens opgeknapt, de tuin heeft alle aandacht natuurlijk nodig, er wordt gereisd ook…ohohoh, ik heb mijn blogvrienden verwaarloosd!!! Dus ik heb de knoop doorgehakt en neem eens even een pauze van bloggen!

Ik wens iedereen fijn Paasdagen toe en een heerlijke lente!

Love and Liefs,
Johanna

About Christmas And A Few Of My Favorite Things

“At Christmas everybody invites their friends and thinks little of even the worst weather.”  Jane Austen, Emma

And my dear friend Jane is so right. What is not to love about Christmas, about the Holidays! Celebrating and being grateful for love, hope, new life and old friends.

Of course, I have not been in the shops anymore since last November;0) Cannot find much Christmas spirit there to be honest!

And yes, yes, I do love the decorations too…Kitsch and all!! My vintage Christmas music all through the house (poor Mr. Walker…)

And talking about friends…this delightful chalk ware dog from the thirties was a present form my lovely friend from The Netherlands, who visited me not so long ago. ( and I moped for the longest time after she left again…) She knows me well, I was over the moon with it. It looks so much like the first dog, Mr Walker and I had together , named Saar. I pat it on the head every morning and think happily of my wonderful friend and that fabulous Saar!

And if you want to know how to make these lovely little dioramas yourself, here is the link to my previous blog.

Ach wat weer verrukkelijk knus met al die Kerstspulletjes overal!! En die leuke hond was een cadeautje van mijn lieve vriendin die hier onlangs was. T lijkt precies op onze eerste hond, Saar. Dus elke morgen krijgt ze een aai over de bol en ik denk blij aan mijn vriendin en aan Saar. En als je ook van die leuke mini diorama’s wilt maken, hier is de link naar mijn vorige blog.

Love and Liefs, Johanna

Lately…Lots of Important Nothings

Whilst I was still daydreaming a little about Yellowstone Park, life went on most pleasantly. Fall has started and most of you know how happy that makes me. Long walks in colder temperatures, enjoying the colors and all treasures Mother Nature leaves us whilst she is preparing for a good rest.  It gives me a chance to show this photo again…already 2 or 3 years old. But I love it so much and can you imagine how many shots that took?;o)

I love the atmosphere Fall brings into the house, so delightfully cozy!

Charley and I want to be outside all day and she is giving me the stare until I grab the leash!

Reading is so much better too when temperatures drop. I am really enjoying these books.

I was really happy to see this flyer from Rickey illustrated by me…

I also spent a week with my sons in Toronto for Canadian Thanks Giving and it was a celebration of so much to be thankful for indeed.

It made even worthwhile to endure the shenanigans of the most spoiled cat in the whole of Canada…

I cannot show much knitting. All these delicious yarns are going to be used for Christmas presents and I really have to keep my ninja needles clickety clacking to get it all ready before the end of December!

However, I will show you soon more of my experiments with pastels! I love working with it and it seems even lovelier on black paper.

But first I am going to spoil a very special person for a whole week. Was I so happy to meet up with one BFF in Denver..now I am again in high spirits and very happy because another BFF from The Netherlands is coming here. I am already at the airport, for I do not want to be late for her plane to arrive;o)

Ach de weken vliegen weer voorbij na de heerlijke reis. Allerlei belangrijke niemendalletjes die te maken hebben met een verrukkelijke herfst, geheimzinnig breien voor Kerst, meer oefenen met pastels, Thanksgiving vieren bij mijn jongens in Toronto en hun immens verwende kat! En nu ben ik al helemaal door t dolle heen omdat ik weer een fijne vriendin uit Nederland op bezoek krijg!!! Oei, ik zit al t vliegveld zodat ik haar aankomst niet mis ;o)

Love and Liefs, Johanna

A Week in Toronto

I see many people making the most gorgeous photos with their smartphones…I am not one of them! This photo of Toronto, Canada was not taken with the smartphone, the others in this post are and I sincerely apologize for them;0)
So, Mr. Walker had to travel to Sweden for business and he discovered that it was easier to travel from Toronto instead of Cincinnati. “Why don’t I drop you of there with our boys and pick you up on my return?” The Walker Boys met the plan with happy yodeling and sending their wishes for the menu.
I love my sons and I love their apartment, so everybody happy!

Of course, both the Walker Boys had to work so I spent happy quiet hours with reading and knitting.

Left them with a freezer full of lunches and did some baking,which caused more happy yodeling from the Young Misters Walker.

Put up with the most spoiled cat of Toronto.

Met these jolly horses and discovered the most depressing art work…could not figure out what it meant or why it was there.

Both the Walker Boys managed to get some time of, and do fun stuff with mommy.
I went to the WONDERFUL new aquarium with the Youngest Mr. Walker and managed to make these rather blurry artful photos?

The Oldest Young Mr. Walker and I went to the Textile Museum of Canada and saw this great exhibition : Artist Textiles: Picasso to Warhol. All our favorite artists and we never knew they created all these wonderful designs for textiles. It was glorious!!! Here you see me in total bliss, admiring designs from Calder, Matisse and Miro..it made me very happy. You can also see that I am truly capable of flapping my ears with joy…

We also bought a new couch at our lovely Swedish friend Ikea and managed to assemble it with little problems. ( Yes, that Christmas Star hangs there all year…)

The result is stunning and comfortable!

Nogal wazige fotos van een wel heel gezellig weekje bij de Walker Boys. Meneer Walker moest naar Zweden en kon t gemakkelijkste reizen via Toronto. Hij zette me daar af en pikte me weer op. Ik had een heerlijke week met lekker breien, lezen, koken en een arrogante kat. Maar ook met gezellige tripjes naar t Aquarium, t Textiel Museum en Ikea!

Have a lovely weekend!!
Love and Liefs, Johanna.

The Joy of Recycling and a Prize!!!

Well, Charley and I did a little dance together..I because I won a prize and Charley because she loves a little dance;0) Dear Timeka from Sewlovable was given a three months subscription by the website Instructables.com. The generous girl decided to organize a give-away and I won! Wow, the website is amazing and almost overwhelming!! Having lots of fun with it.

Also check out Timeka’s lovely website with beautiful sewing, stylish fashion, and delectable recipes!

So now you are wondering about the shirts? Charley and I tried to do a selfie whilst dancing but failed miserably. Ah well..no but Sewlovable got me thinking about my own sewing. (Not nearly as good and presentable as Tamika’s.) Mr. Walker loves his cotton shirts. I do too because he looks so dashing and handsome in them.
But extra bonus : once worn out, I use the lovely fabrics for all kinds of everythings. Like these vintage style potholders.

Some cushions and granny squares.

And these nice pencil cases together with left over funky fabric from curtains. Got that idea from Cathe.

Ha, gezellige fotos van dingetjes en dangetjes gemaakt van Meneer Walker’s oude overhemden. Zoals je ziet, houdt hij erg van zijn overhemden…ik ook want hij ziet er bijzonder appetijtelijk uit ;0) Ik dacht eraan omdat ik een prijs heb gewonnen van Timeka en ik 3 maanden nu een gratis abonnement heb op deze website.

Love and Liefs, Johanna

This Week… and a Little Give-a-Way

Oh man…Facebook is still making me mutter, grumble and scream. I have decided to let it rest until I have had another meeting with my IT fellow…aka Youngest Mr. Walker, very soon. But I still know how to make a nice collage ;0) And no better subject than my sweet friend, Princess Charley.

Tralalala…Spring Equinox brought glorious weather and yes…Spring has sprung and what better way to start it with cleaning up the garden and having a nice bonfire to get rid of the ‘winter debris’.

A Spring Hike made us smile at these very hungry ducks and wonder about Mr. and Mrs. Goose: they lay very still in the water when they spotted us. Maybe afraid, we would be interested in their nesting site? But normally they will honk and yell and hiss, to tell to buzz off right away. We have never seen this behavior before.

Started knitting some easter eggs and I liked the pattern so much that I went overboard and knitted a basket full ;0)

Then my favorite magazine arrived..indeed the Dutch version of Country Living. So often I am asked : ” Are you ever homesick for The Netherlands?” and the answer is simply “No.” We were very happy in The Netherlands, very happy in Canada and now we are very happy in America. But I do miss my friends and family of course and certain foods and this magazine is a monthly joy and little dose of “Dutchness”.

This month even featured a jolly knitting pattern of these egg warmers…what fun.But when I finished four, I thought, what am I going to do with it because I have so many egg warmers already ;0) So I am going to give them away to my lovely blog friends and you all inside and outside the USA can join in. Just leave me a comment why you need them and Charley and I will raffle them of as fair as possible. It is close to Easter so we better hurry up and we will do this on Thursday.

Ik word helemaal dol van Facebook en laat t dan ook even rusten totdat de Jongste Meneer Walker me weer wijzer heeft gemaakt. Ik kan nog wel steeds een collage maken ;0)
Het is wel heerlijk lente geworden, dus lekker gewandeld en lollige eendjes en vreemde ganzen ontmoet. En gezellig aan t breien voor Pasen al en zelfs in t Landleven (jaja, hoewel ik nooit heimwee heb toch  een beetje Nederland in Den Vreemde;0) stond een gezellig breipatroontje. En toen dacht ik, ach…wat moet ik nu met nog meer eierwarmers?? Dus ik verloot ze onder mijn aardige blogvrienden..laat maar gewoon een berichtje achter en Charley en ik verloten ze donderdag…Pasen staat al voor de deur dus een beetje opschieten geblazen.

Love en Liefs, Johanna

Another Diorama

‘Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.” -C.S. Lewis

I love making dioramas. I saw this glass cone and knew it was perfect for another diorama. I just opened my drawer with small/found/discarded thingies…and out came this little sea world.

I suppose psychologist have something to say about this…but I am not such a deep thinker ;0)

Here and here are a few more.

Love and Liefs, Johanna

 

About Happy Times and the Mystery of Facebook…

Although I am very critical towards my own drawings, I was really happy with this one.

Not yet tired of all those winter scene photos?  With all the grey and white, I am enjoying Spring and Fall photos from other parts of the worlds. These birds in the snow are mainly to show of that I finally mastered the trick of making a collage.

The Youngest Mr. Walker was here for a whole week, such bliss!!! Aaaand he is also my webmaster and IT consultant. So we spruced up the the pages for My Work and Sketches. And I decided to change the title a little…what do you think? Good decisions?

The Youngest Mr. Walker also created a Facebook Page for me. It is supposed to be a good thing and in view of more plans for the future too. Hmmm, it all seems a bit of witchcraft there to me. The Facebook button on my blog doesn’t always show up, I still have a hard time figuring out how to like or to respond via Facebook, let alone how to become friends!! Bare with me, dear friends and any advise is welcome….

Also Mr. Walker and I went to the yearly Mid Century Modern Show here in Cincinnati. Beautiful things there but my Dutch frugal heart went wild from the prices. Remember my yodeling about my dining room chairs? We saw exactly the same dining room set for…$4000.-!! Mr. Walker patted me on the shoulder but I just gasped. But we did buy this vase, ‘The Serpentine’ made by Haeger. I fell in love with it right away and Mr. Walker thought it was an excellent buy to celebrate the fact that we had our first date 30 years ago…you see why I fell in love with him right away too ;0)

But earlier, I found in a local store this piece of glass for Mr. Walker’s Collection  and this absolutely marvelous dog..not by Royal Copley this time but it’s cousin pottery, UPCO USA. Mr. Walker was very happy with the glass and nodded thoughtfully at the dog…the prices were very good of course.

It is still cold and nasty…so I follow the lovely Cathe’s example and bake and eat scones.

Ach, de winter gaat maar door hier, de vogeltjes blijven komen voor meer voer. En ik heb eindelijk geleerd hoe ik een foto collage kan maken…De Jongste Meneer Walker was hier en hij is ook mijn IT deskundige ;0) We hebben mijn blog wat opgepoetst en hij heeft een Facebook page gemaakt…dat laatste vind ik erg ingewikkeld. Maar Meneer Walker en ik zijn naar een Mid Century Modern beurs geweest: mooie spullen hoor maar ik kreeg appelflauwtes van alle prijzen daar. Meneer Walker was erg tevreden over mijn aankopen van garagesales ed van de afgelopen jaren. Wel hebben we de prachtige Haeger vaas gekocht, ter herinnering van t feit dat t 30 jaar geleden was dat we ons eerste afspraakje hadden…
T kunstig glaswerkje en de beeldschone hond vond ik eerder in een lokale ‘antiek’ winkel en waren natuurlijk voor de juiste prijs…je kan vast raden welke voor mij en welke voor Meneer Walker was ;0)

Love and Liefs, Johanna