Mermaids of the Lake Blog

Mad Housewife Wines and Branding

Girls - this is too fun! My friend Renee gave me this bottle of wine called, "Mad Housewife Chardonnay" for my birthday. The bottle says, "Somewhere near the cool shadows of the laundry room; Past the litter box and between the plastic yard toys; This is your time. Time to enjoy a moment to yourself. A moment without the madness. The dishes can wait. Dinner be damned."

The branding and Web site for Mad Housewife is darling and well executed. Too fun.

 

See their Website for more info and cool products!

Thought for the day...

"An open mind is like an open window, it lets the fresh air in."

Mike Hernaki from Passport to the Soul, A Lifelong Journey by Beth Mende Conny

A little bird told me

By Mermaid Shelley

It is finally here! Spring! It is a time of new birth and new beginnings. I say it's my favorite time of year. (But...you will hear me say that at summer, fall and winter, too.)

I do thrill at the changes and phases of our world. With the vernal equinox just passing, I know the long awaited season of rebirth is here.

Spring inspires me with the yearning to be new and fresh. A desire to be all I can be! 

A Little Bird Told Me

Today I found half a robin's egg shell,
Still moist from its occupant.
My heart quaked at the astonishing blue.
Its mesmerizing hue compelled me
To madly search for the other half.
Digging and scratching and grumbling served no purpose,
The errant half was not to be found.
The color! That form! It must be made whole!
When I stopped my rustling,
A little bird voice played on my ear.
There was the true beauty, new life, a new beginning.
In my palm I crushed the shell
And blew the fragments into the wind.

By Shelley Hepler

I hope you find some special sign of spring; a purple crocus, a sunny buttercup, a tulip pushing its way out of the earth. Know it's a wondrous time of year, not only for it's beauty, but because it reminds us of the never ending opportunity for a new start, a chance to begin again. Happy Spring!

Pink Saturday!

Happy Pink Saturday to everyone! What is Pink Saturday, you ask? Visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for information and a list of all of the participants. Its fun!

Sentimental Pinks

Shelley's sweet, baby boy who is almost 18 and about to launch out into the world

 

Debbie's Great Aunt Elsie's pink hankie 

 

Shelley's Great Grandma's sweet doily 

 

Debbie's late Mother-in-law's gorgeous pink teacup

 

Debbie's now 13 year-old daughter's tiny footprints

  

Enjoy your weekend everyone!  

Another Chocolate Giveaway!

We are lucky Mermaids! Chocolate Apothecary is located in our great city. We can make a little trek there and experience the pure joy of fine chocolate any time we want to.

For your chance to experience the taste of Chocolate Apothecary, please enter our giveaway. We are giving away all of the chocolate products shown in the photo above.

Instructions:

1. Just like last time - comment on this post and say, "I want chocolate!"
2. If you link to this post on your blog, please let us know and we will enter your name twice.
3. Giveaway ends on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. The winner will be notified via email and announced on Wednesday, April 8th.

Good luck to everyone who wants chocolate!!!

Inspiration

By Mermaid Debbie

I love the word "Inspiration." It means so much. Inspiration is a gift from God. I love the feeling of it when it hits; my heart races a bit, I feel energized, happy, almost giddy!

I notice Inspiration in many places. I ask for it. I look for it and I am grateful for it! Inspiration is what gets my creative juices flowing! I personally say a prayer each time I sit down to create, asking God to send me Inspiration. He always does. Each time... it feels like a special gift and it, in turn, inspires me to give. I find Inspiration in nature, in music, art, magazines, books,in the goodness of others, and in the beautiful blogs I have visited. I am continually inspired by Shelley and Jennifer, my Mermaid partners.

I would like to share with all of you some of what has inspired me recently.

Nature ~ Inspires me to be grateful. I saw these cuties while driving home

 

A little further down the road

 

 This stately couple was hanging out near the river, where my Grandma lives.

 

The ice melting and receding after a long, cold winter, just last week

 

The lake today!!!

 

My tulips continuing to grow in the sun. Did you hear that? I am inspired today by the sun! We have not seen much of it lately.

  

Sun on my ivy

  

My Grandma celebrating her 95th Birthday last week. My Grandma has inspired me in so many ways. Cooking, creating, loving, giving, laughing, living!

 

This amazing little book validated what I have always believed, and inspired me to continue to  live and work using these principals. I highly recomend it!

         

My 17 year-old son and many others donated their time and more during a fundraiser to raise money for The Mark Rypien Foundation for children and their families dealing with childhood cancer. Now that is inspiring!

 

~Music~ My husband and I saw K.D. Lange in concert this last weekend. Oh, what talent! I am completely in awe of the musical talent of others. 

I discoverd this fun blog a couple of days ago. It is called The Graphics Fairy. I got this awesome butterfly there. Butterflies remind me of my Grandma, whom I mentioned above. She loves them. This inspires me to create!

 

I am completely inspired when I visit Jane at Posy. Jane lives in a seaside town in Devon England. Jane's blog and her beautiful posts inspire me to decorate my own lakeside cottage, to enjoy my life and surroundings, to always appreciate my husband and children, and more.

As an artist I am frequently inspired to CREATE! I was recently inspired by something I saw at The Red Bulletin Board; So much so that I created something and decided that I must send it to Jenny. I will be mailing it today so I better not share the photo until after she recieves her gift. Okay, maybe just a hint! Don't look, Jenny.

Look for Inspiration while going about your day; ask for it, expect it, and act on it!

Taco Tuesday

Make these fun and super easy chicken tacos for your family.

1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
2 TBSP Cilantro (fresh)
4 soft taco shells
3 chicken breasts
1 pkg. taco seasoning
3/4 water
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Cut raw chicken into strips. Fry in 1 tsp of oil in a pan for about 5-7 minutes. Add taco seasoning and water and cook for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add black beans and corn to a saucepan and heat. Add the cilantro. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 25 seconds. Fill with chicken, bean/corn mixture, top with cheese, and fold. If you'd like, add sour cream. Super easy, delicious and healthy!

Update on the puppy

By Mermaid Jennifer

We've had Indy the Jack Russell Terrier for a week now. A week of potty training at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and so on. Although I am severely missing sleep right now, much like with a new baby; it's worth it with this little guy. He is now 12 weeks old, so he should be able to sleep through the night pretty soon.

He is getting to know each person in the family. He spends time with each of us separately. With my daughter Elizabeth he loves to lay on her chest and sleep away the morning. With Andrew, he plays tug-of-war with his toys. With my husband he will play and roughhouse.

Indy and I have lots of quality time together in the middle of the night. He barks I sleepily pull myself from the bed and try to locate shoes and a jacket so that I can take him out. After he goes out to potty, I have to really will myself to diligently put him back in his "house" to sleep. We want him to be kennel trained for sleeping and for when we are out. Some nights though, he is so sweet and furry and cute that it's very difficult to put him back.

He pleads with me with those sweet green puppy eyes to hold him and love him. Could you deny this little face?

Can color be a treat? You bet!

My home is decorated in colors from nature; rich deep browns, warm umber, and several shades of verdant green. The scheme is peaceful and calm. Yet, in almost every room I have a little surprise in a shade of blue-green. It might be aqua, it could be turquoise or teal. The color just pops out of the more sedate background. The accent color is a fun treat to myself.

Let me share a few of my special delights...

This is a beautiful silk scarf my sister-in-law gave me. I just loved it so much that I wanted to see it all of the time, so I covered the top of my bookshelf with it. I love how it contrasts with the wall behind it.

I painted this one small wall a peacock shade of blue-green. It's behind my tapestry, so it isn't too overwhelming. I love it when people's eyes open wide and they say, "Oh, what a great color!"

Here is a little surprise of turquoise on my end table. This beautiful embroidered piece was a gift my friend bought on one of her trips to Japan. 

This aqua teapot just thrills me! My mom gave it to me for my birthday. It was fun because I had gushed over it on a shopping trip to Macy's. She ran out the next day to buy it for me. 

I have a couple of these beautiful metal switch plates. An artist from the Seattle area makes a variety of shades. Of course, I picked this color! They are definitely a fun surprise. 

Here is a switch plate I made when my daughter and I had an art date. Its pretty crazy, but I do love the colors. And, I love the memory of creating with her.

I tucked this Asian pitcher in a bookshelf amongst other treasures. I could eat up this shade of aqua.

This incredible mariners lamp sits above my sink. When the sunlight hits it, the color is breathtaking.

I collect Mud Men figurines. This handsome man sits in my entertainment center looking like he's ready to give his wise opinion about something!

Even mouth wash can make me smile! But, it has to be the perfect shade of aquamarine.

Another way I brought my favorite color to a room is to set out one of my antique books. Isn't this cover beautiful?

I have many more small spots of delight around my home. Here's one last fun treat. I see it every time I get into my purse!

Yes, color can be a treat. If you have a color that thrills you, find a way to give yourself a smile by putting it in large and small places.

Happy Pink Saturday

Please Visit Beverly, at How Sweet the Sound for the list of over 100 Pink Saturday participants.

This week all three Mermaids chose a couple of pinkalicious things from their own homes.

Mermaid Shelley's beautiful, cherished dogwood vase from her Grandma Valdean

 

Shelley's stunning pink crystal orb

Mermaid Jennifer's gorgeous touch of spring on her kitchen table

  

Jennifer's awesome, beautiful, pink, vintage coat (Debbie wants it!) 

   

Mermaid Debbie's pink-rimmed Washington plate

 

Debbie's pink Rose Quartz candle on a vintage, pink-ginham apron to be shown on another Pink Saturday

Thank you so much for visiting! Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the first few days of Spring!!!

Please scroll on down and see our Project Friday post and also Mermaid Jennifer's Birthday greeting.