Tag Archives: Flowers

This Past Week

Here are a couple of shots from inside my studio this past week.  My desk photo shows my two projects that I had going on towards the end of the week.  Patience’s outfit is finished, but I am still knitting the dress for the Little Darlings; lots of stitches in this one.  Amelia Thimble and Izzy have been hanging out with Bella (my Bo Bergemann Dream Doll).  She is happy to have the little ones to keep her company.

wip 4-17-15 740

bella amelia izzy 736This weather this past week in northern Illinois was quite perfect.  Some days were a bit warmer than others, but all were sunny!  Since yesterday felt like summer I had to get out for a nice long walk.  I brought along my iPhone to capture spring’s progress out and about.

weeping willow budding 1699This weeping willow looked so pretty with its yellow green buds against the blue sky.  I found clumps of squill growing along the side of the road; they’re so tiny and blue.

squill 1704These are our daffodils in full bloom.

our daffodils 1694

white magnolia 1692Our largest magnolia tree looks snowy when in bloom.

white magnolia 1687

pink magnolia 743

pink magnolia 742

I love our pink magnolia tree, the blossom’s colors are gorgeous.  Today I finished Patience’s outfit and thought the tree would be the perfect backdrop for a couple of photos.

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a stroll in the garden 838

Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend!

How’s Spring Shaping Up?

It is coming along very nicely here in northern Illinois.  Although most trees are still look pretty bare, our magnolia trees have started blooming.  We have a few white blossoming trees in the front of our house and a magnolia tree that produces pink blossoms in the back around our deck.  These blossoms are short-lived so I’ve been cutting  branches to bring inside to enjoy them more.

magnolia in vase 720

Also, today while driving, I noticed clumps of yellow daffodils blooming along the sides of a two lane road.  These clumps appeared quite frequently for a mile or two.  They were a wonderful surprise!  I couldn’t help but wonder who would have planted them there as they didn’t seem to be on private property.  I wanted to stop and pick a bunch, but of course I didn’t.  I picked up a bunch at Trader Joe’s instead.

How is spring shaping up by you?

This Past Week & A New Dress for Millie

I’m so glad that last week has passed.  Here in northern Illinois, we had such dreary weather practically the whole week and then horrible storms Thursday night.  Mother Nature even managed to deliver more rain to us yesterday.  I felt my mood going downhill with each progressing day last week, and it was affecting my creativity.  I felt like I was going through the motions of creating without any excitement towards my work.  Today was a blessing, warm and sunny…*sigh*.   Finally!!!

I got outside today to see how spring is progressing around our house.  It is slow, but there are some new things to see.  Most notable is the color of the grass—a beautiful emerald green—thanks to all of the rain we got this past week.  Other lovely happenings outside include the magnolia trees starting to bloom, the crocuses finishing their blooming, the daffodils starting to bloom, and the teeny tiny buds becoming visible on the bushes.  It’s a wonder to observe the changing seasons.

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budding magnolia 659

daffodils 0645

tulips 657

pachysandra 641

budding spring 661

I love knit dresses, even in the warmer weather.  This past week, I adapted Millie’s wool dress pattern for knitting with a lighter weight bamboo.  The first try came out too long and not flared enough, so I made some small changes and tried again.  This time I got it right; it fits her shape perfectly.  She is such a cutie pie!  I finished her outfit today and took the pictures.  Since I still had Izzy and Amelia Thimble’s rose garden dresses, I was able to get the three BJD girls together for some photos, and boy, do they look precious together!

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millie amelia 613

millie amelia izzy 618

spring's sweetheart 607

spring's sweetheart 587

spring's sweetheart 583For more information on Millie’s “Spring’s Sweetheart” ensemble, please visit my “Available for Sale” page on cindyricedesigns.com (after 7:00pm CST on Sunday, April 12).  Amelia Thimble and Izzy’s sets are available for sale right now on my “Available for Sale” page.