Jazzing it up...

 
I visited one of my favorite places yesterday -- The Bakery (fabric store) and it's sister store, Blue Stem Studios.  These ladies have the nicest side-by-side shops and they are the cleverest of women too.  They sell the finest fabrics and notions and create beautiful things with them --handbags, aprons. wallets, children's clothes and other lovely things.  They also have some unique antiques and collectibles as well as locally handmade arts and crafts for sale.  For a woman who is overwhelmed by Hobby Lobby, it is much more my style --  small, quaint, eclectic shopping.  I found three crocheted potholders that were once a vibrant red and cream, but had become faded in the store window display.  Still, I liked them and asked if they were for sale.

"Yes, they are, but I can't sell them for the price tag.  How about $2?"
"Yes, what a deal."

I was mulling it over in my mind as I drove home,  how I might revive my new-old kitchen potholders and this is what I thought up.  From the picture above, you can see that I jazzed them up with nothing less than a red permanent Sharpie!  It worked perfectly.  I am letting them fully dry and we'll see how they wash up.
 

I also bought a chunk of minkie fabric for a baby blanket that I will be making, and my happiest buy was a small table with a cupboard door that I wanted for a reading stand to put next to our comfy chair and ottoman.  The table had been altered by one of the clever store ladies and I loved it.  The music score decoupaged on it  is "The Way to Ask a Girl to Marry."  I don't know it at all, but it is a pretty bit of sheet music anyway.

The good news is that I got it for half price which amounted to $24.  Not bad for a fun piece.

Now, the other jazzy bit I want to share with you is about a singer whom I was introduced to through Gretchen Joanna at Gladsome Tidings.  She mentioned how much she enjoyed cooking while listening to James Taylor and Eva Cassidy.  I have always been a fan of JT, but this Eva Cassidy, I had never heard of before.  So naturally my musical curiosity forced me to discover who she was, and am I ever glad I did.  She has become my newest,  favorite singer and I'm playing every piece of music that I can get my hands on.  From what I have discovered, she became popular posthumously and was never aware of her success.  If you have a little time, close your eyes and listen...



and again here....