summer memories | Bead Happily Ever After

Memories of Summer

Posted on July 11, 2011 by crystal

Isn’t it amazing how little it takes to trigger a memory, sometimes?

You might be in the middle of an ordinary day when suddenly a vivid scene springs to mind!

For example, Carol recently wrote about water lilies she’s growing in a pond in her backyard. As I read her words, I was immediately transported to an earlier time . . .

. . . I’m about 10 years old. I’m in a small rowboat, paddling on the lake where I spent my childhood summers.

It’s early morning.

The water is a mirror with barely a ripple . . . just the few I make with the oars.

Quiet prevails. It’s a dreamy, Zen-like quiet. The only sounds are the rhythmic squeak of the oarlocks and the occasional chirp of a bird in the distance.

I pass little clumps of water lilies. Their sweet fragrance drifts towards me as it mingles with the fresh summer air . . .

Talk about sheer bliss!

I felt it then,

and again at this very moment with the memory. 🙂

Would you share one of yours?

Hugs,

Coloring Book Weather

Posted on August 26, 2010 by crystal

It’s still raining . . .

I’m not complaining! We need it, and it’s really a nice rest from all the heat.

Whenever we have a series of rainy summer days, I’m always reminded of summers long ago . . .

When I was a kid and the weather was dreary, our choices for amusement were limited. We had no computers, or cell phones to text our friends. Of course, we had a TV (black and white!) and board games, but most often we’d opt for the coloring books and our big supply of crayons.

There was something soothing and almost zen-like about a dreamy afternoon of coloring, while listening to the soft sounds of rain and gentle summer breezes whooshing through the trees.

Yesterday, I decided to play for an hour. I had nothing special in mind. I just wanted to pull out some things I’d been gathering for future projects . . .

I had a new leaf-shaped paper punch that I hadn’t tried, and some quilling paper I found on sale (I used to quill YEARS ago and would like to do it again sometime.).

I also wanted to see how I liked the effect of crocheting a decorative edge on cardstock (love it!), and other than that I just perused some of the paper do-dads I might use to make cards or tags.

As I said, it was just “play” time. But you know what? I could hear the rain, and for a minute there, I was a little girl coloring . . . 😉

What do you like to do when it rains?

Hugs,

Pour Me a Tall One

Posted on June 9, 2010 by crystal

Did you ever set up a lemonade stand when you were a kid?

I did – a few times.
Though I think it was Kool-Aid we were selling. 😉

As I recall, sales were a little slow; customers were few – a neighbor, a kid passing by on a bike, my mother. lol

But hey, it was the enterprise of the whole thing that mattered! We had a *business* with decisions to make! You know, making the sign, deciding how much to charge, finding a table cover, and of course gathering some spare change and a suitable “cash box” for all that money we were about to pull in. Good times! 😀

What brought all this to mind, you ask?

Well, I made this pendant yesterday and the lovely pastel color immediately reminded me of a tall glass of lemonade in summertime.

My design features Vintage Swarovski crystals (except for the tiny one, which is contemporary). This shade of soft yellow is called “jonquil”. Pretty name, don’t you think?

Hugs,