Linda Nelson, Author at Linda Nelson - The Createaerie

MY CAMERA WENT KAPUT

December 13, 2017

I have been using a “little girl” “dummy” camera since I started my blog four years ago. It was also four years ago that I purchased a “big girl” camera cashing in my credit card rewards points, and did nothing more with it other than open the box, take a look and pack it back in the box. That’s earned me an L+ in Lame and Lazy studies.

Well, just last month my trusty little dummy went kaput, and I’ve been so anxious and ornery about sitting myself down and reading the manual for how to operate my new camera. It’s a learning curve that I’ve avoided like the plague, but the time is at hand; otherwise, I’ll be publishing nothing more than wordy posts about visual subject matter. And, that wouldn’t be very visually pleasing, now would it?

Ughhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, please do pardon my photographic fumbles while I get the hang of operating this device and dub it my “big-girl smarty”.

I made these snowman buddies using quilt batting, felted wool roving and sweater remnants, some twigs and an old sock.

©Linda Nelson 2017

This assemble-it-yourself boho deer head was a fun find from a little art gallery in Montepulciano, Italy.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Good wishes to all during this Festive and Merry Holiday Season! Let’s keep the celebration of life, love, family, peace and crafting(of course!) going for as long as eternity!

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IN NEED OF A LITTLE TLC?

November 27, 2017

Not tender loving care…..

Tuscan Life and Culture.

This post concludes sharing about my recent visit to Italy, of which the last four days were designated to tooling around the region of Tuscany. Enjoy this vicarious tour, and do consider making it a real life experience for yourself one day.

“Today is a good day.” is just one of the uplifting mantras you will find displayed about at Fattoria San Martino Montepulciano, my home away from home where I laid my head to rest for four nights. Visit the website to learn how this husband and wife team brought their business vision and venture to fruition.

How could it not be a good day here? Every day was a good day here.

Montepulciano was by no doubt my favorite Tuscan town. Known worldwide for its wine, a visit there would not be complete without a wine tour and tasting, paired with lunch of the artisanal genre. Avignonesi Winery was our destination, an absolute gem of a place. Go ahead, visit the website to learn more about this winery’s progressive, organic and biodynamic winemaking practice.

We capped each evening strolling about the curious streets of Montepulciano. We just couldn’t get enough of its personality and local dining spots.

Have you ever heard of Monticchiello? Nope, me neither. Here’s a sneak peak of the humble beauty this charming little medieval village holds.

We set aside the last afternoon to make an appearance in the city of Florence, barely scratching the surface with exploration.

I was drooling over this way-out-of-my-price-range pedestrian vehicle.

Instead, I settled for a very satisfying(and affordable!) scoop of lavender gelato.

The following day we tooled around Montepulciano one last time, bid our arrivedercis with Tuscany, then made our way back to home base in Rovereto.

Go see Italy! What more can I say?

Allora…….

This experience was made possible, and only possible, by the love, generosity,

well thought planning, and adventurous spirit of my daughter and her husband.

I will be forever grateful to them, as by nature, I am neither a traveller, nor an adventure

seeker. I simply had to book a flight and get myself on that plane; they took care of the rest.

My responsibility was to enjoy myself. Period.

You two are absolutely amazing! I love you both so much!

And, let’s not forget our furry little co-pilot, Bandito, who ventured with us every

step of the way, melted the hearts of every passerby, and has been to more

places in this beautiful world than I have yet to see.

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HANDMADE HUMBLE HOSPITALITY

November 17, 2017

Oh, it’s getting quite chilly where I live, and my gardening work season is drawing to a close. Cozy, crafty activities are on my mind, and I look forward to having the wintertime to enjoy it wholeheartedly. I seized the opportunity to stay indoors and whet my crafty appetite one recent rainy day, and I’m thrilled to share with you what I made.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Do you have a humble little stash of scrap fabric? I’m sure you do. I came across a 10″ square piece of green and pink floral patterned fabric while rummaging through one of my fabric bins. It’s been in my possession for many, many years, but I was never moved to do anything with it….. until the other day.

I present to you some humble little holiday coasters.

©Linda Nelson 2017

Wait! There’s more………

A humble little ornament.

Humble little place cards…….

And, finally….. some humble little gift tags.

That’s quite a bit of creative mileage out of one little scrap, don’t you think?

Now, you go get scrappy and crafty.

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DOLOMITE-Y IMPRESSIVE

October 17, 2017

The delightful October temperatures where I visited Italy were identical to that of my hometown. No guessing games with packing, and no adjustments my body had to make in order to be comfortable. To clarify, I’m speaking in fahrenheit dialect. I left New York’s temperatures of the upper 60s to low 70s, and was granted the same throughout my stay. The exception was the Dolomites, in the northernmost region of Italy, where which we were greeted with temperatures in the mid 50s. Not bad, nothing that a turtleneck, light wool jacket and a pair of gloves couldn’t provide one comfort with.

On our way up to the Dolomites, we first stopped at a little gem of a restaurant, Tobia De Cuck. Talk about pure, home cooked deliciousness. Monica, the restaurant owner, and her daughter were front of house, and welcomed us warmly. The hearty vegetable soup was to die for. And, if you, like me, thought you never did care for apple strudel, Monica’s strudel would change your mind. Really.

Not long after, we arrived at Moserhof, our two night bed and breakfast destination, where I fell in love with the decorative touches of red gingham pattern fabric. Perhaps it was the rich quality and thread count of the fabric, yet with the humble look and comfort of one’s grandmother’s well cared for linens that stole my heart. I failed to ask my “photographer” to capture some photos of the fabric; however, you can get a glimpse of it by visiting the inn’s website. An early morning stroll around the grounds gifted me an earful of clucking chickens and mooing cows from the barn located below the inn.

Now, aren’t the Dolomites and Lake Braies(or Prags if you speak German) impressive? I think so. Dolomite-y impressive.

The following day we tooled around a bit more, taking advantage of access to some moderate impact hiking areas.

And, though not on our itinerary, Austria was just a stone’s throw away; we crossed the “border” just for amusement’s sake.

Allora…….. stay tuned for a most well planned Tuscan experience and where I laid my head to rest for four fabulous nights.

Ciao!

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