Thursday, November 17, 2011



about 30 in all-


about the artist-

Howard Handlen has been devoted to ‘line art’ since boyhood when he admired the techniques of the cartoonists who drew marvelous illustrations of nothing more than lines with pen and ink.  He especially liked the work of cartoonist Milton Caniff who drew a widely syndicated strip called Terry and the Pirates.  Handlen never drew cartoons, but he did like to draw portraits, first in pencil, and then ink; later on he took to drawing maps, emulating as much as he could, the look of classical mapmakers; still later he began to do architectural drawing and studied the work of the masters of that genre.  He was also greatly influenced by poster art.  He never had formal lessons and not until late middle age did something that was just fun to do become business. 

Howard Handlen was born and raised on Long Island, New York.  He had a classical education which had the practical effect of making him a professional writer.  For a time he lived in the West Indies and for fun he drew maps of various islands which his wife sold to shops and galleries.  He retired to Florida in the 1990s and again took up doing maps and architectural drawing, and so finally became a professional artist.  He continued to draw mostly islands, from the West Indies to the Bahamas, to Florida, and on up the east coast to Cape Cod.  Prints of his work have become widely admired.

Born on an island, Handlen presently lives on one in his old age: Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Saturday, July 30, 2011


Mind your Manners
avoid social deportment
happy handmade(s)


elbows off the table, say please and thank you,
try it you may like it, take your dishes to the sink,
ladies first, no reaching,
sit up straight, say grace
put your napkin in your lap, pass the peas
mother may i, may i be excused

 heard these before?

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

could someone make this for me?






Beet and Black Eyed Pea Salad

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 cups coarsely chopped peeled beets (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Sort and wash black-eyed peas; place in a small saucepan.
Cover with water to 2 inches above peas; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain peas, and place in a saucepan.
Cover with water to 2 inches above peas. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients (vinegar through salt) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. (Go easy on the orange rind)
Steam the beets, covered, for 25 minutes or until done.
Arrange the beets on a platter, and top with peas. Sprinkle with cheese, pecans, and parsley.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad.
http://www.sapelofarms.com/recipes/beet_pea.htm

Thursday, March 3, 2011

not lost in time-

Posted by Picasa
a lot of history here-
these beautiful pieces were built from
the wood of an old church on hwy 17
in Eulonia Georgia

Sunday, February 20, 2011

before the world got up...

jenny and i ran the causeway




when I run I feel His pleasure
eric liddell- Chariots of Fire

Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

what a great idea Brooke Hall of Oh Brooke had for a Mama Love Play date-
love love love the invitations by Gracie Girl Notes-
it has been so long since I used anything from bottles to pacifiers to diaper bag clutch
i loved reading about all the new products
but have to say....
we love that Brooke loves our loot!
THANKS SO MUCH BROOKE
for having us over for your
Mama Love Play Date!

Friday, February 11, 2011

isn't love grand?



thank you all for such sweet comments-
we had a lovely day
reminiscing and refreshing
he sees right through me
dangerous territory
for him
xo



Posted by Picasa

Thursday, February 10, 2011

lucky me-


Posted by Picasa


15 years ago today
john w mckeown made a decsion that surprises me everyday
he said "i do" to me.

once upon a time
blue skies
priceless pictures
3 babies
hard heads
strong winds
emotional volcanos
empowering trust
stronger passion
safety nets
when skies are gray
fluttering butterflies
overcoming
overriding
not an option
loving Jesus
redos & doovers
lots of love notes
cold feet
holding onto
letting go
better together
happy accidents
voice of truth
second chances
God has turned us into a really beautiful mess
happy anniversary-john
just so you know
-if i wasn't married to you
I WOULD WANT TO BE!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR



these door stops
could not be more fun!
1oo% cotton duck
filled with sand from st simons island,georgia
with very specific instructions
cottage,beach house, or traditional home-
prop it open.


Posted by Picasa

just a pop of color-

a few weeks ago my lillie frances ask me "what are you afraid of?"
odd as you may find it
my quick response was-color.
i'm afraid of color.
she thought that was the craziest thing she had ever heard.
color is commitment.
not many days later-
my dear fashionista friend- catherine slade
in ALL her southern glory said
brigitte- you've got great design-
you just need a pop of color.
and color was pronounced
culur.


so-
i popped "alittle color"
and
The Atlanta International Gift Market 2011
received it well.
thank you sweet friend.
this week on this blog i will highlight individually all the fun things
we made that were running around in my dreams. xo






























Sunday, January 2, 2011

RE:


as I see it-
I will relive. refocus. rededicate .restore. replay .regain.
a lot of re’s to reap in such a task.


began running in 1995-
in an attempt to deal and heal with the illness and loss I was facing of my
father & grandmother
new York city marathon 1998-
the ownership I took in discliplining myself to complete the road
gave me so much in return
I continued to run on & off for years
in the on time I was amazed I allowed a lapse
I have not ran in two years –

being an extremist
extremely on or off of almost anything
i need challenge.
& not being a quitter-
I signed up.






Saturday, January 1, 2011

the best day all year-

re-prefix
used to have the meaning "do-again", especially to verbs
reuse. rebuild. restore.

-but the best is REDO.
this is my favorite day of the year.
i have been so surprised listening to the apprehensions of folks to enter into this new year
for heaven's sake-
It's the best day of the whole year.
A shot at a DO-OVER.
A grand opportunity to:
rethink.
revise.
renew.
repay.
replay.
revisit.
relearn.
reteach.
relive.
refocus.
rededicate.
recreate.
restore.

What is your favorite RE: ?

HAVE A HAPPY NEW DAY.