Recently my dlf Andrea of The Yellow Cottage threw an outdoor movie event in her backyard. It was a smash, everyone loved it! Or so I'm told. I actually couldn't attend because of a (serious enough to miss out on such fun) prior commitment. To compensate my loss I spent the earlier part of the day with her helping to get things ready. Her house is such a pleasant place to be. She has two cats, Percy and Pablo, and one dog, Pascal. Pascal is an Australian Shepard. He always makes me laugh because Aussies like to lean on you. Literally. At first I thought it must just be a particular quirk, but then out on a walk one day we met up with another friendly Aussie who walked right up to me, and leaned her whole little body up against my legs. Pascal also likes to tread on my toes with his back paws, and then sit down. Perhaps this habit is unique to him.

Pascal with Percy the kitten

Anyway, while we were getting things ready I snapped a few pictures with Hipstamatic and Camera Bag on my ITouch.

Vases, bottles, and flowers.

The bottles and vases came from all over the house, and we cut fresh flowers from her garden. The people who lived in the house previously were avid gardeners, and the array of loveliness proves it. 

We also put candles in anything glass or colorful that could be found. The wine bottles are candle holders too!

I enjoyed being outside in the sunshine, it was a good start to the summer months.

Happy Memorial Day!
    I've been a fan of Norman Rockwell for as long as I can remember. Here are a couple of prints I thought were appropriate for today. I'm grateful for those who have served, and are currently serving our country, and for their families. Remember today to pray for them.

Mending the Flag
Literary Digest Cover - May 27, 1922
Norman Rockwell

Mending the Flag found via King Paper.

"The Homecoming G.I." Norman Rockwell
Saturday Evening Post, May 26 1945

Come again?? Indie Craft Experience  next weekend? Oh my, yes please. So exciting! A friend at work was kind enough to inform a bunch of us that we really shouldn't miss this one. Thanks Angela!

Woohoo! 

I've been browsing through the vendors we can expect to find presiding. (Have I said how excited I am? This is like Etsy live, what could top that?)


The first one to snag my attention was What's In Your Cellar...

I think these little guys are cute. And the bruised eye could be appropriate  after a little kid has given them lots of love.

Baby Penguin

Mr. Whale

The next attention grabber will be at booth 73, Esther Lipscome Pottery. She has Raku pieces!

  So far my favorite discovery in the vendor's list has been the fun life lessons illustrated by Katie Coleman. Right now her work is being displayed at Park Grounds Coffee Shop in Atlanta if you want to stop by! Her work catches my attention because it reflects how I often see or imagine things, but generally don't know how to express. Her illustrations have a slightly awkward feeling, while being simple and to the point, and very cute. Here's her Etsy shop, Miss Marjorie.

So me.

Janae Easton is another one I'm looking forward to! She does a lot with birds, and something important to know about me, I fall for lil' birdies every time. Every time. Seriously.

So, yes, this is just the beginning. Financial damage will be inevitable. Take a look at the vendors list here. See you next weekend!

It was a beautiful day outside on Saturday. Some friends of ours were getting married, (congrats Jason & Savannah!) and they picked a great day to do it. My husband was in the wedding, so while he was off taking pictures in a field somewhere, I took the opportunity to slip away and find a coffee shop. Yes, it was a  Starbucks. Though actually I decided on hot chocolate over coffee... sometimes you just have to give in.

My buddy Jonathan O'Brian was photographing our friends' wedding. He also shot our wedding, and I can't even begin to tell you how happy we were working with him. I'm so grateful to be one of the seemingly few people who can say that they just love their wedding pictures. You can see a few of Chris & my pictures in Jonathan's first January 2011 post, but here are a few of my favorites.

Jason and Savannah got married at Chukkar Farm Polo Club. The place is amazing, I felt like we were tucked in a tiny green valley somewhere up in the mountains. I got to spend some quality time with some horses, two pigs (really), a rooster, and I managed to make good friends with one particular fly that decided I was pretty. That's my story alteration. Savannah and the family did a wonderful job, their wedding was beautiful and we all had fun. I'm sure they've got some good pictures coming their way!

Orange Carnelian Earrings

While I was sipping my hot chocolate between wedding events, I took an eagerly anticipated plunge. I changed the name of my Etsy store! I went from being White & Rosas, to a name you're now familiar with, A Cranberry Day. I'm happy with the name so I figured both of my current artsy endeavors should go by it.

Another factor in the change is that I've won a free logo designing from Maiedae! I had been debating changing my store name for a while, and when I found out that the wonderful Savannah and Jenny will be designing a logo for me, I thought it was an appropriate time for a change. Can't wait to share my new logo with you!

Cranberries

Cranberries!     Photo by The Adventures of Tehya

Hellooo, I'm Christie. I'm beginning this blog because I have so many things in life that I enjoy,

and I need a place to write them out and spread the enjoyment. You'll see mostly artsy things, but

I'll share real life things as well, like this first post. I also love to cook, so when I make yummy discoveries I'll be telling you about my kitchen accomplishments.

I live in Atlanta with my wonderful husband. Sounds a bit cliché doesn't it? Well.. what can I

say. My husband really is wonderful. He takes great care of me, especially in putting up with my

quirks. Which are many let me assure you. He's handsome too, oh my yes.

I'm using the name A Cranberry Day partly because some of my favorite childhood memories

include visits to my Grandparents in Massachusetts. I love New England, especially the sea shore. Cape Cod is so beautiful. Sometimes we would drive out to see the cranberry bogs. I loved to see all the berries floating in the water, among gorgeous landscapes. I also love eating dried cranberries (the kind without sugar, with their natural bit of sourness are the best!) I crave cranberry muffins, cranberries are great on spinach salad with yummy soft cheese... And best of all, cranberries are so good for you.

Cranberry Bog, by Amanda Parlow                                 Cranberry Bog, by Amanda Parlow

See? Lovely floating cranberries.      By Buchanan Imagery

Looking at these pictures brings back all sorts of memories. Mostly of my grandmother. She

was beautiful, and she loved all of us. She had a close friend who sold Avon, so she had lots

of little soap samples. She kept them in a small cabinet under the bathroom sink, and I loved

how they smelled. She kept an entire jar full of buttons, and small decorative plates were found

throughout their house. Many she kept on the window sills, and I loved how the light shone

through them. Some of them were based on the stories of Thorton Burgess, which my Grandfather used to read to us. When we lived far away, he would record them on audio tapes and we'd listen to them as bedtime stories. Here's one of the plates, this color was one of my favorites-

'The Prickly Porky' This one is for sale on Ebay, I'm tempted...

I love this painting of a Cape Cod lighthouse.               Painted by the very talented William Hugh Lutz  of Cape Cod Fine Arts

So, there you have it. My blogging beginning.