Monday in Seattle. Picture and Quote for the Week, First Snowfall

first snow, Nov 22, 2010, our garden at Greenlake, Seattle

Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go;

it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.”

~Alice M. Swaim

Studio Snapshot. Vintage Postcard Inspiration

Early 1900's antique post card...

Although I regularly sell vintage and antique post cards at Bumbershoot Supplies, there are a few that I keep for myself because they inspire or touch me in some way. This card sits on a shelf in my studio, by the ribbons I use to wrap up jewelry purchases, so I see it all the time. I love this card because it reminds us that amidst winter, the memory and the reality of spring is still present. It also reminds me of my snowy Canadian childhood - we don't get much snow here in Seattle. Plus the back of the card is very sweet, it was written by a mother on behalf of her young daughter, clearly too young to write herself: "Here is a card Miss Olga McMillan sends to Marie. I would like to ask you what do you want Santa Claus to bring you for Xmas. I remain your friend." The address is merely a name, city and state.  Imagine that... 

Yet more snow...but a little spring too

From sunny skies at Alki Beach, to this:


Our poor hummingbirds:

I know this is nothing compared to what many parts of the country receive (I grew up near Buffalo), but it's been a lot of cold this year for Seattle.

But I know spring is coming. Just a couple of days ago I was walking at Discovery Park and the place smelled like the inside of a greenhouse, all wet and warm and green. And, it's only about 1 month until the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

So today, in anticipation and for inspiration, I spent some time with tulips.

Like this:

And this:

Brrrr!

Don't put away those woolies yet! We have had two more days of snow here in Seattle. Of all the winters I've been here (since Nov 91), this one is the coldest, with the most episodes of snow. We haven't had a lot of snow the last two days, not like at Christmas when we were snowbound for 9 days, but it is still cold, cold, cold. A good day for this:

I crocheted this scarf with Noro's Kureyon sock yarn, very simple single and double crochet pattern and to me it looks just like Discovery Park in the fall (I'll post more about Discovery Park later, it is one of Seattle's jewels and I get a lot of inspiration there). I love the fringe, alternating shades of dangling green vintage Japanese crystal beads. Perfect for cold, wet, grey, cold, did I say cold? days - they wink and sparkle like mad. Just like little pine trees, only shiny. I feel warmer just to see them.