Lizzysapronstrings.com

Libraries, Summer, Susan Branch, and Little Free Libraries!! (and Titcomb's Bookshop!)

Don't you just love a good library?!

Susan Branch, one of my favorite authors and illustrators puts it best here on one of her blog posts,

Susan Branch has been a source of creative inspiration to me for years!
Check out her blog and books here!
http://susanbranch.com

I had the great pleasure of meeting her at one of my favorite bookshops which I blogged about here...
http://lizzysapronstrings.blogspot.com/search/label/bookshop

and she will be back at Titcomb's in August for a book signing of her new book,
A Fine Romance!!

From: Google Images-Friends of Susan Branch

Save the date: August 19th at 4:30!
For more information about her newest book and book signings check out this link on her blog!

http://www.susanbranch.com/coming-soon-events/

If you can't make it to one of Susan's book signings order from her website directly your own signed copy!
I promise you won't be sorry!
Susan's book... a cup of tea....Bliss!

A Fine Romance

: )

My favorite libraries I love to visit!

Concord Library, Concord Mass
http://www.concordlibrary.org

A sweet library in Berlin, MA

http://www.townofberlin.com/town/Library/index.htm

This is one of the cutest libraries on Cape Cod....6A : )

This is my favorite library...
The Sandwich Public Library
http://www.sandwichpubliclibrary.com

They have the nicest librarian with wonderful events throughout the year!

: )

While researching online to find out where I took that picture of the cutest library (I think) on Cape Cod (above, with the blue shutters),
I came across this great website:

Little Free Library

: )

Here is a video about it from: Tiny House Talk
(which is another thing I am fascinated with...save for another blog post!)

From: Google Images

I am so excited I found this!

I read about it on one of the blogs I followed, but I thought it was their own idea, and I loved it!
I had no idea it was a movement!
I think I want to join in!
How 'bout you?
: )

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Happy Father's Day!

Love you Dad!

Liz xo

Happy Weekend! : )

June Inspiration...and another clue on our journey : )

Welcome June
with your days
of longest daylight hours

: )

I have been so thankful to have been substituting this past month at a wonderful elementary school.
(and therefore too tired at the end of the day to blog!!)

I feel inspired the minute I get out of my car and see the busses pull up

with lots
of little

energetic people.

A few days this past week were rainy, but as I walked down the hallway it was lit up so bright and colorfully with these adorable bird creations from the first grade class.

The students have a wonderful Art Teacher, Ms. Hackenbury

So many of us at school comment on how we want to frame every piece of work that goes home with the students from her classroom.

Whatever most people end up being when they grow up,
it is very likely something they liked to do when
they were six or seven.

I just re-read this quote last night and thought about great teachers like Ms. Hackenbury, and so many of the wonderful elementary teachers I have had the opportunity to meet and who are planting seeds of inspiration every day to help so many find their passions.

: )

Do you know what I LOVED to do when I was six and seven?
Play school/teacher, write, draw, color and TALK a lot!

What did you love to do when you were about six or seven??
(another clue : )

As you ponder this...

here's a peek at more of these adorable birds....

I love the pockets and the glasses! : )

And for more creative inspiration : )

Here is a link to the students Fantastic Printmaking Art Show this year and the work inspired by Ms. Hackenbury's art classes.

: )

Happy June!!

Sunday night dinner and music.....

Today

I was happy to find

The Gluten Free Goddess

If you too, are looking for alternative healthy recipes,
you will not be disappointed with this site!

Tonights recipe: Irish Cottage Pie

Tonights music: Thankful by MaryMary

I especially like this song:

Can't Give Up Now....

for whatever you are going through...

I realize if I had thought this through a little more I could have picked some Irish music.
But, I was thinking more of Sunday worship music, and MaryMary is great worship music!
: )

You can tell by the way the sun is going down that it is finally Spring.

Cooking in my moms kitchen is so much easier than mine.

It has plenty of room to get around and is fun to clean up!
Imagine! : )

6 Red Potatoes
I realized after I made this that I should have kept the skins on....
next time....

1 lb ground turkey....with some olive oil, salt and pepper....

3 carrots...I used 4 : )

2 leaks....still getting used to these.
This is the 2nd time I have cooked them!

4 garlic cloves

1 cup of peas....
mine got a little rambunctious!

Cook the potatoes until fork tender....
(These are drained and tossed with some olive oil and salt and pepper)

Add leaks and garlic cloves to turkey

Add carrots....

Add peas....

(I don't know if my niece will remember this, but when she was about 5 and I was about 13, on vacation at Cape Cod, we went into a candy store. There were so many choices. She bought candy called peas and carrots. It looked exactly liked diced carrots and green peas.

I remember thinking that would not be my choice.

I didn't really care for vegetables....even ones made out of sugar...)

I am happy I am a bit more adventurous with food now!

P.S. She has grown up to be a great mother with the best kids who love vegetables!

Add roasted tomatoes...

You may have to ask for help finding these like I did.

It is fun finding new ingredients that you never used before!

: )

I used Merlot wine "The Path"

Some for me....some for the recipe : )

1/2 cup

*Wine glass from Nashoba Valley Winery : )

A great place to go wine tasting!

Raw sugar and balsamic vinegar

I used the spices I had ....

The recipe calls for a few more.

The cinnamon is a nice touch!

: )

Put in a casserole dish.

I used a pie dish.

: )

Top with potatoes...
Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes
: )

Bon Appetite! : )

: )

"Lizzy Loves" Mondays...

Lizzy Loves getting an Award!!

: )

Today I am happy to say that I am the recipient of

the

I was nominated by
Pavinee Sripaisal

of
Merry Day
blogspot

who resides in Thailand!

(Don't you just love how the internet makes this world so much smaller!)

(We also became Creative Courage friends through Stephanie Levy's
Creative Courage Online Course.)

Pavinee is a talented artist with such cheery illustrations to inspire! : )

Thank you so much Pavinee for your nomination!!
It really means a lot as I try to find my creative voice in life's journey!!

I would like to Pay It Forward by nominating blogs that I have found to be inspiring...
(and Pavinee's blog as a bonus!)

My focus is on illustrator's blogs because that is what I have been working on lately!
And it is my dream to illustrate and write children's picture books!
I hope you don't mind, but I picked 6 instead of 5.
I am inspired by so many of you!!

: )

Drumroll please....

1. Priscilla Burris who has a wonderful blog called Priscilla Burris Illustrates.

As I stated on my facebook page, I don't know what I love better, what she writes or what she draws!
They are both so heart warming.

: )

2. Esther Lankhaar who lives in the Netherlands. She has journals filled with sweet illustrations and wonderful posts about her creative journey.

(She too, is a friend from Creative Courage! : )

: )

3. Heather Powers of Humblearts Journal
who I found from Priscilla Burris.

I love Heather's illustrations and especially like her
"Tiny Studies"

: )

4. Denise Hughes
Denise is such a naturally talented illustrator with the sweetest illustrations!!
She illustrates and writes from the heart.

: )

These next 2 blogs belong to well known illustrators and writers, but their blogs still qualified for under 300 followers!!
I was happy about that (only in the fact that I could swoon about them here and make sure you knew about them too!)

5. Mark A. Chambers an award winning UK children's books illustrator and writer.
I love his illustration style and he loves tea : )

6. Peter H. Reynolds with the blog spot, The Stellar Cafe
He has been an inspiration to me for years now with one of my favorite books
"The Dot"

I gave this book to my beloved Principal when I left my last job due to layoffs.
I thanked him for making me feel appreciated and helping me make my mark.
This book tells the story of this so simply yet so poignantly.
(Had to look up how to spell that word-but it fits!)

I had the pleasure of meeting Peter this year at a book signing in Dedham and he was just as nice as I had imagined!
(I find this to be true of all the artists and writers I have met along the way)

: )

Thank you again Pavinee for the nomination!!
I am so honored!
And happy to be able to pay it forward!

I know I've posted this song before, but it always puts me in a good mood,
just how I feel when I read all of your inspirational blogs!

So here's to all of you bloggers out there!!
A song dedicated to you by Bill Withers : )

I hope you too, have "A Lovely Day"

: )

Lizzy's Sunny Sunday Post : )

Sunday's Musings with a cuppa : )

On this sunny Spring Sunday,

I wanted to share a few blogs

I have found along the way

that are sunny

to me : )

A sunny blog mini vacation...
come along with me!

Hooks and More
This blog is in Dutch. Often I don't even translate it because I love to just look at her pictures!!

Lisbeth's Little World
Although she has posted in awhile, her pictures are timeless and beautiful.

One Sheepish Girl
A lovely blog.

I realize that many of these blogs include crocheting or knitting.
Crocheting, I have never done.
Knitting I have not done in many years.
Maybe I should get out my needles : )

Sweetbriar Dreams
This is also a lovely blog to read with a cuppa!
(I am pretending I am English!)

and finally,
My new blog friend
Stins : )
Where you can find beautiful pictures of nature and crocheting, her sweet cat Pippi and new kitten to come, Betsy
and other posts about her cozy life in the Netherlands.

Enjoy!

: )

Happy Sunny Spring Sunday to you!!
I hope you have a wonderful day!
: )