Lady Snazzyhat

I whipped up a few fascinator hats for my friends and I to wear to Art In Bloom today. Fascinator hats are those cute little hats Kate Middleton wears.

We got so many comments about our hats. People just stopped and stared at us and asked where they could buy one. It was an absolute hoot. Too bad I didn't jump on this opportunity and make up a bunch to sell in the gift shop. I would have made a fortune!

My favorite comment of the day was from two couples touring the show. The ladies were walking in front and commented on how cute our hats were. The men followed behind and were heard saying "They better not go out during duck season". Ha!

My jaunty cap is made out of nylon window screening fabric! I think it turned out pretty cute for a 30 minute/$5 project. Note the judicious use of polka dots in the design. I'll post a how to shortly. Now I need to figure out what to do with the rest of the roll of window screening. Hmmmmm........

What made you happy today?

P.S. I am changing my name to Lady Snazzyhat for the rest of the weekend.

This is one of my favorite pieces at Art In Bloom. It was AMAZING! Definitely go see the show if you can. We toured China, Egypt, Africa and Plains. Really interesting interpretations of the art.

Art In Bloom

Visiting museums makes me happy.....especially when it is cold, rainy and very dreary........again. Luckily the Minneapolis Museum of Art will chase those blues away at Art In Bloom this Thursday - Sunday. Traditionally the 1st week in May, they decided to move it up a week this year. Maybe the powers that be knew we were in for a chilly April and wanted to give us a break.

The theme this year is oh so appropriate: Sensing Spring. No joke, I think Art In Bloom is just about the closest will get to Spring in April this year.

If you miss Art In Bloom, there is also a wonderful Titian exhibit that runs through May 1st. I recommend taking the tour (free with admission to the exhibit).

What made you happy today?

O'Happy

Wouldn't you know that Lady O (as in Oprah) is into happiness? Check "Your Happiness Plan" on Oprah.com. There are a bunch of articles. I particularly like Happiness Is Contagious.

What made you happy today?

Send 13 Ounces of Happy Mail!

In my ongoing hunt for all things happy, I came across this clever website chock full of cute ideas called GiversLog. Happy Mail can be any object that you can put a message or trinkets in and send through the US Mail..... Easter Eggs, plastic bottles, Frisbees....... Wouldn't it be fun to send happy mail as a thank you note? get well card? party invitation? Christmas card? Mother's Day card? I think it would be as much fun to send as it would be to receive. Plus, you know your mail carrier will get a kick out of it! Details on how to send are on the blog.

If you come up with any fun ideas, please add them to the comments.

What made you happy today?

Maintenance 101

Will and I took a free bike maintenance class at Hoigaards in Saint Louis Park this week. Our instructor Dan did a great job teaching us how to lube the chain, adjust the cables and change the tires. But, the most worthwhile part of the clinic was spending one-on-one time with Will. Think of it as a little relationship maintenance without the distractions of homework, tv and the ever-dreaded video games. One and one half hours of pure bliss in my book.

We put our new found skills to test the day after the clinic and had a greasy mess of a fun time. One bike done.....three to go!

Hoigaards offers lots of clinics and special events like the Edina Bike Rodeo on April 30th , the Bud Break at the Arboretum on May 1st. to benefit the Arboretum and Padding Minnihaha Creek with Hoigaards Outdoor Women on Mother's Day May 15th. Check out their website for details.

What made you happy today?

Fridays With Friends

OK, it is a very dreary, cold, damp April Friday. Luckily it is my weekly coffee outing with friends. Today we went to the newly remodeled Turtle Bread Company in Linden Hills. Love, love, love the new interior, especially the pear, black and white color scheme. Of course I just happened to be wearing the same colors, so maybe that influenced me. Needless to say I felt right at home :-)

Kathryn tried the pancakes and they were pretty darn amazing. They were the size of dessert plates (2 to an order) and were super fluffy. Most importantly, they were quite tasty ...... scrumptious, yummy, delish!!!

OK, I think we really liked them! Should have taken some pics.... next time (and I am sure there will be a next time)

On the way to our cars, we spied a new shop (at least to us) called the Linden Tree Shop. Talk about adorable! This little pocket shop is located on 44th & Beard right across from Turtle Bread Company. The shop is filled with specialty fabrics, hand-crafted clothing, and unique gifts, all created by local artists using traditionally feminine art forms.......and it is a veritable polka dot heaven!!!! Polka dot fabric, polka dot aprons, polka dot chandelier lamp covers. I am in love.

What made you happy today???

Pancakes at Pop's

I was sorting through pictures and came across this gem. It is one of the best pictures I've ever taken.

Will and I visited my Dad in Colorado in February. We were treated to pancakes and bacon everyday for breakfast. Being a master short-order breakfast cook, we were also offered eggs to order, coffee cake and coffee, but the pancakes were our favorites.

Can you say SPOILED?????

Dad is famous for his breakfasts. When we were kids, we went skiing every weekend. Dad would whip up pancakes, eggs and bacon every morning for a crowd of people. All of this was produced out of a small, but efficient , kitchen at our condo. When I say crowd, I mean crowd. There were usually six O'Dea's, two dogs and various friends and neighbors packed into a Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon every weekend. Such great memories.

What made you happy today?

Inspired

I can't think of a better way to spend a dreary, chilly April day that to wander through the American Craft Council Show in Saint Paul. I even found a fellow floor cloth artist, Fran Rubinstein, who makes absolutely gorgeous floor cloths. I also loved the Flinn Designs relief sculpture paintings. She sells her mixed media paintings to help her rescue dogs. Love both artists use of color.

Seeing all that creativity and talent in one place not only inspires me, but makes me happy as well. Need to go home and do something creative!!!!

What inspired you to be happy today ?

The Cutest Little Shop!

I stumbles across the cutest little gift shop in Saint Paul called Artful Belongings. It is tiny, tiny tiny, maybe 400 square feet, but it is filled with charming hand-made gifts. I found it on Google when I was looking for a Jan Carlson Leaf Mobile .

The shop is just east of Lexington and Grand ( 42 Oxford St S, Saint Paul, MN 55105, 651.225.1422) I felt like I was going into one of those mini shops that are scattered throughout the galleries of Paris. I could only spend a few minutes in the shop, but I already have it on my list to return to when I can linger and enjoy all the beautiful gifts they have.

What made you happy today?

Bridge The Divide

Bill's computer finally gave up the ghost and we have to invest in a new one. Problem is that we already have 1 old computer collecting dust in the basement. Now we'll have two (plus assorted cables, manuals etc..... They are taking up room we DON'T have!

Enter FREE GEEK Minneapolis. Another great find on Google from my search of "how to recycle old computers". This is a really cool organization. Started in Portland Oregon, Free Geek's mission is two fold; help close the digital divide by providing computers to low income families AND reduce the amount of electronic waste going into landfills. Can't argue with that! Basically they collect old computers, refurbish them and install open source software. They sell the computers for $40 - $80. Any computers that can't be refurbished get broken down into their component parts and recycle them.

I plan to volunteer once a month. They are open on Saturdays 12 - 5. They need old computers, printers, scanners and volunteers. They will train you and you will get a chance to give back to the community and help make the world a little greener.

Free Geek operates in Portland, OR, Minneapolis, MN , Columbus OH, Chicago, IL, They are popping up everywhere. Google your town and see if they are operating.

P.S. kids can volunteer too....get them off the game console and put them to work!

What made you happy today?