Pickity Place

My neighbor and friend, Mary took me out to lunch today. But this wasn't just any old lunch... it was a very special afternoon filled with sights and smells to please the senses and delicious flavors to awake the tastebuds! It was the perfect day for an early autumn adventure to Pickity Place in Mason, NH.



The sprawling gardens surrounding the antique cape with weathered shakes offered the remains of flowering perennials and herbs, giving one last show before going to bed for the winter months. Nestled on the edge of the gardens was the Drying Shed whose name says it all!







After touring the garden and gift shops... filled with lots of delicious spices, seasonings, mixes, teas and more... we sat down to a delicious gourmet, 5 course lunch in the house's dining room.



First course was a delicious garden vegetable dip with crackers followed by Summer's End Soup full of vegetables and herbs. A pinwheel with mixed greens garden salad came next with Sunflower Nut Bread. For the main course I had a vegetable crepe with a creamy herb sauce that was absolutely heavenly.





Dessert was strawberry rhubarb pie! (OK, I passed on that one but I did bring it home for hubby!) Everything was asbsolutely delicious and coming from me that says a lot as I'm not a vegetable lover and would typically eat a PB&J sandwich for lunch! I just may be a changed woman now!

It was a beautiful day with great company and fantastic food! I can't wait to bring mom there! I know she'll love it!



Thank you for a lovely day, Mary!!

I'm still here!

Actually, I'm here, there and every where! The end of summer means the beginning of "show season" when you are an artist. And it means the height of advertising, organizing and planning when you are a show promoter with one of the country's largest all-teddy-bear shows scheduled just weeks away.



So, how do I make lots of bears (and actually, my studio seems to be taken over by a herd of elephants at the moment... well, 4 anyway.... does that qualify as a "herd"?) and also do all the work that's involved to put on a top notch, not-to-be-missed teddy bear show of nearly 50 international artists complete with workshop, buffet and silent auction? Well, when I get that figured out I'll let you know! LOL!!



"THE SHOW"... The Chicagoland Teddy Bear Show is October 24th. I will then be exhibiting at the bear show in Hunt Valley, MD the following weekend. That's a lot of bears that have to be made! Then I'll be doing a 2 day craft show in Concord, NH on Nov. 20 & 21. It's a new show so I have no idea what to expect but I'm going in hopes of doing a lot of business which means a lot of inventory! I'm looking forward to this show though because I can make other items besides just my mohair bears... and I have a lot of fun and affordable ideas... now to find time to bring them to fruition!!!

Now you know why I haven't been around. I'll try to pop in to show you some of the critters I'm making for the shows!

If you are interested in finding out more about the Chicagoland show be sure to visit our website! It's Schaumburg, IL's newest and largest teddy bear show with an amazing line up of artists! The list is on the site! Reservations for the Harvest Buffet & Silent Auction to benefit Good Bears of the World will be accepted through Oct. 1..... you could even get a FREE SOUVENIR BEAR (one of the other things I've been working on before sending them to Laura to be finished) just for joining in the festivities!! Download the registration from the website!



Be sure to support the arts.... attend a local arts and crafts show or find a teddy bear show.... don't let the art of exercising one's imagination and creative talents be left forgotten in this technology based era we live in!

Hug to all!
Daphne