"Back in the day....."

this is a completely random post

(forgive me, have I shown these to you before?)

I had the great privilege of seeing a lovely collection

of clothing

a friend's mother

was a collector of fine fashion

the details

the fabrics

the lines of the designs

the little things, like the Chanel chain

(how many of you know that story?)

maybe it is just my background in architectural and interior design

the sculptural lines

but I love them all

not for the name dropping appeal

altho there certainly is that

but for the

commitment to excellence

not just in the designs of the garments

but for her mother

who held these standards

in her everyday life

when I am designing quilts, this all reminds me

to take time with the details

and to work with great lines

to have contrast and comparison in fabrics

and to strive for a commitment to excellence

just seeing this collection has made a difference in my work

there is a part two to this post

want to hear about the best lesson, yet?

we'll finish our story on Mother's Day

natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

d u c k !!!!!

today, I saved the lives of two ducks

(not exactly a binding tutorial post)

(not actual ducks involved in incident)

I was chatting with Rose Hughes

on the phone

and happened to see two ducks in the center of

Pacific.Coast.Highway

yes, that is six lanes across, two more turn lanes

(grab tissue here)

I noticed the girl duck was hit, and the boy duck

was valiantly trying to pick her up

or get her to get up

but he absolutely would not leave her there

so being the good animal lover I am

I hung up on Rose

I pulled an illegal U Turn in the middle of the 

highway across two sets of double double yellow lines

and close to the intersection

I pulled in to the veterinary office 

across the street from the incident

and

TOLD

them

(bless their hearts)

they had to help me at least get the ducks

off 

PCH

even if they wouldn't treat the injured duck

and in walked a woman, shaken, saying,

"it's me, I did it.  I hit the ducks...."

so she and her friend

and the vet tech

and natalie

proceeded to walk out towards the ducks

well, I told them to circle them 

while I stopped traffic

yep.

six lanes, busses, trucks, and cars

s t o p p e d

the tech scooped up the injured girl duck

but the boy duck would have no part of being rescued

he could walk, and fly, and started circling around us

as we were carrying his partner

to the vet's office

the vet said they didn't treat birds or wildlife

but I knew

Long Beach Animal Hospital

DID

treat wildlife

so the girls took the duck

(in a box)

with her little head 

poking out of the towel and the box

her soft brown eyes looking at each of us

with thanks

and I called the Animal Hospital

(Buddy's vet)

to let them know that the girl duck should be returned

to her pond on pch

so that her loving boy duck partner

would find her

once again

true story.

natalie.

be.do.create.

"Whatever you can do or dream you can do,

begin it

Boldness has genius power and magic in it."

goethe

Inspiration is everywhere!

take a day off

recharge your battery

forget the spring cleaning

 because it is still snowing somewhere

call it a change of scenery

call it a day with friends

call it life.

natalie.

be.do.create

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

S P R I N G.

note to our friends still battling winter weather

spoiler alert!!  spring in Cali....

 it seems as if it were just yesterday

that the skies were cloudy and dark and threatening

oh how dapper the dog walking friends were in light weight down jackets

and knit caps and scarves

we complained wholeheartedly about the temps dipping into the 30's here

oh my, we are a spoiled bunch

but before I could even think about planting bulbs around the yard

the avocado tree started blooming

 and I had to hustle to get the remaining fruit out of the tree and into the hands

of my neighbors - in exchange for lemons, tomato plants and tangerines

 this year, I am hopeful I will outsmart the birds when it comes to the blueberries

and a friend suggested tulle tee pee instead of the icky sticky bird netting I tried last year

live and let live...they will eat seed, I will eat blueberries!!

 my arugula has served me well fall, winter and spring, so it stays, along with the flat leaf

parsley and mint, but I added cilantro - oh how I love the scent of the greens

it's true

in my small little garden, one of the few here by the beach

I grow arugula, spinach, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, mint, chives (from a dear friend's yard),

rosemary, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, lemons, limes and avocados!!

this year I am going to try cucumbers and spaghetti squash

what does this have to do with quilting, you ask

I do know that many of you

will have your last frost in May

I apologize

(I did put a spoiler alert at the beginning of the post...)

it seems the light in the sky, the reflection on the water, the smell of rain on the dirt

influences our work

colors change in our projects to reflect the light of the days

many people say the best quilters in Hawaii are from UpCountry because it is cooler there

and they can sit with a quilt for longer periods of time

for me, I know that everything changes with our California Seasons

so I know they must really change for those of you that are still under the monochromatic world

of snow on the ground and no leaves on the trees

in this house

soups and stews are being replaced with salads

and a nice spicy hot chai tea has been replaced with cucumber water

purple really does go with green

if you look really, really close, you'll see just a spot of bright orange red in that purple

and if you squint your eyes, there's chartreuse green in there too

honestly, cmmon now, where do YOU get YOUR color ideas?

dust off those bright colors and low volume background prints

spring is coming!!  spring is coming!!

be.do.create.

natalie.

www.beyondthereefpatterns.com

next post:

how to find beyond the reef

after

google reader

retires

please....click on those new

"right side of the blog"

links buttons

for

facebook+twitter+pinterest

...just take a moment.

I have been a bit raw of late...

you know, that kind of 
tears welling up
at car commercials
kind of raw

not that I am all for stuffing your feelings, or putting a good face on it, either

because, after all

we all have our stuff

no one seems to walk that road alone

sadly, there is a lot of company on that road

so I have been taking a moment

but now it's time to focus on the glass half full

the great people that were in my class last weekend...

the moments of seeing an old dog friend with their face in the sun...

the daunting task of selecting just the right colors
from a Robert Kaufman Fabrics box of kona cottons









but for my friend and her son, who have lost their "rock" of a man in their life
I can only hope that the memories of the time they have spent together
will far outshine
the sadness of thinking of the future without him




and for those of you 
who seem to be getting a bit too emotional over beer and Clydesdale commercials
it's okay
we all do it

take a moment to stop and listen to the morning song bird
sort your fabrics
just to enjoy the colors and the designs
stop to tell a dog that they are a good dog
enjoy the quiet of the snow, the rain, the fog, or the sun
and speak kindly to a stranger
just take a moment



natalie.
be.do.create

(yes, even the post is off kilter)
www.beyondthereefpatterns.com