friends – Page 2 – Karla's Cottage

One person’s trash, was thoughtfully shared with someone who think its treasures. That someone was luckily me!

By Karla Nathan / May 19, 2025

A couple of friends came by to enjoy the exquisite spring weather and have some chicken salad on fresh baked bread with me in my courtyard.

Both brought bags of stuff they had around and wondered if I could use.

Jen’s husband had bought a case of air spray cans meant for cleaning a key board and she asked if I wanted a couple since they’d never use up that many. She’d remembered me complaining about how dusty Good Juju was and that I was worried that my sun catchers would soon become dirt collectors.

It wouldn’t have occurred to me to try spraying the crystals with an air can, but once she mentioned it, I was thrilled with the idea. There are so many things there that could be so much simpler to keep tidy this way.

Shanna had a couple of sacks with her and seemed almost apologetic to offer them. She said they were things her grandma had for years and were in pretty bad shape. My ears pricked up with those words and my heart might’ve skipped a couple beats.

One package was stuffed with pieces of vintage fur, ideal for crafting Santas at Christmas. The other contained all of these millinery floral bunches. One of my favorite things in the world.

See why? These are all perfectly faded and tattered. I see many exciting craft projects ahead for me, as well as clean chandeliers in my booth. Thanks to my pals!

A big surprise

celebrations, friends

By Karla Nathan / May 15, 2025

My birthday was a thoughtful one. My husband planned a surprise party and a bestie offered to host it at her house.

She even baked her mom’s special Italian Cream Cake for me. And it was even better than it looks. My buddies knew about this for a couple months and all kept the secret. I almost blew it by doing yard work all day til 5, then begging for Rich to go pick up a pizza so I could stay home and eat in my Jammie’s instead of going to a dinner reservation at 6.

ooops

Shan’s home has a screened in porch where we took in the perfect, May weather while eating dinner. Then I was surprised again by being showered with bouquets and plants, as well as a bag of vintage goodies from Angie, and a hand made friendship scrapbook compiled of over twenty years worth of photos of people I love.

It was a lovely evening, always is when I spend time with friends.

One more surprise was seeing this painted tin I’d done decades ago for my pal’s mom. It’s now hanging in her own home and I don’t remember the last time I saw it. I was pleasantly pleased to see I still liked it. (Sometimes art of the past can cause remorse.)

There were even balloons! And a banner! Both are happily on display at the cottage. I don’t think I’ve gotten either since I was a kid.

Thank you, Rich, and to all my friends. It was kind of you to do this for me.

In appreciation of a generous friend

Books, friends, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / May 8, 2025

A while back, Beth gifted me a bagful of vintage paper scraps, odds and ends, plus a pile of delicious, old linens.

Inside the bag of goodies was a book cover she had started but never finished.

There was wonderful ephemera, original and printed along with pages of cardstock she had stamped too.

And the lace!

Oh! The lace!

I see fairiy dresses galore in my future. So many great bits and bobs to craft with.

As a thank you, I finished putting her book cover together into a junk journal she could embellish. The only item I used that wasn’t part of her de-stash, was this Charlotte tag.

I decorated the cover with a sweet button card that was in the pile of never ending, vintage goodness and used the two remaining buttons on it as a clasp to wrap a string around as a closure. It was hard for me to stop at that point. I adore crafting a book, but I wanted her to have fun adding tidbits to the interior.

Thanks, Beth!

An Indy Visit

dogs, family, friends

By Karla Nathan / April 16, 2025

This doll baby is Keifer and he is a thoughtful, introspective young man with a sweet nature. He’s Sissy’s doodle and is keeping me company while I’m in indiana visiting family. I offered to help my sister move into her new home and have done a bit of unpacking, but mostly I’ve just been enjoying family time with her and the neices.

As well as some doggie snuggle time, of course. Plus, I got to see some life long best friends and catch up over Pinot Grigio and salmon. Why didn’t I take photos? Dang, I was just talking too much. They looked so beautiful, I really should’ve made an effort to take pictures because no one will believe me when I tell them how unchanged these pals are. My heart is still full this morning after our evening together last night and hearing stories about their lives and families.

Ahead this week is antiquing, attending (and most likely over shopping) at the gem show, and a fancy dinner out with the girls.

You know what going to a gem show means, right? Craft days! There are a couple of those coming up too.

A delightful day

friends

By Karla Nathan / March 9, 2025

Last week, we celebrated the birthday of a dear friend.

I find myself lucky to be a part of a circle of like minded women who enjoy each other’s creativity, interests, love of the history of beautiful antiques, and poetry. It’s an uplifting group that leaves me feeling positive and refreshed after an afternoon together.

We gather for birthdays, meeting for lunch, then going to the home of a friend for Chantilly cake and champagne after. Our pal, Angie, searches out the perfect poem or essay in a very vintage book to read before we toast the celebrant.

And boy, did she ever find the right one for the birthday girl this time. Cira’s daughter has moved to Europe and recently had a romantic wedding in an Irish castle.

Sometimes we bring little tokens to each other along with the small gifts to the birthday gal. Melissa often treats us with something from the Hopeless Romantic shop, which is always special. I brought paper roses individually planted into tiny, terra cotta pots.

And did I mention they are a fun group to laugh with? See the thermometers as candles? Ha, Cira is a doctor, and that was a silly little joke that made us all chuckle.

Yep, a fun day.

It’s still February, so it’s not too late to celebrate Valentine’s Day

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, friends

By Karla Nathan / February 22, 2025

I had a Galantine Party planned for before the holiday, but the weather cancelled it. Too bad, because with this dreary, cold, endless winter, we needed a break to be together and have some fun.

After the February Juju sale, I brought home my leftover inventory with a heart theme and decorated with it to make the cottage festive for my friends.

We rescheduled our gathering for after the 14th and I did not mind savoring all of my roses and hearts in the kitchen for an extra week.

Our party was right before more snow and hideously cold temps were beginning to rage across the plains again. So I salted my sidewalks, had logs blazing in the fireplace, and lit lots of candles for a cozy evening and we made the best of it. Our timing was pretty good, snow started falling later that night, we had our evening together before it hit too hard even though it was bone chillingly freezing already.

Originally, I’d planned mostly snack type foods. With the never ending cold and the dismal forecast, I figured we needed a more hearty meal and whipped up a beef stew casserole topped with Duchess potatoes, and set the table for a dinner party instead of a casual hang out evening. I was glad I did that, it’s good to enjoy your pretty things and spoil your buddies sometimes, isn’t it? I eat off of paper plates a lot, and completely forget I have these lovelies.

The day before, I made a chocolate cake. But not just any old cake, this was Bobbie’s buttermilk cake, a trademark, family favorite, best cake ever cake.

I’m not a recipe person, but I got out Bobbie’s cookbook where she’d complied recipes from our entire Downey clan and followed her directions to a tee to bake her cake.

Between Valentine’s Day being the adoption date for my sons, and Ryan loving that holiday so much, my sister’s last name being Valentine, and the 16th being the anniversary of her death plus her daughter and our mom’s birthday, well, I desperately needed that buttermilk, fudgey delight.

And it was sooooooo good. It tasted like home.

I was glad to have my friends to share it with, and served it on my grandma’s plate. Which I did not put away back in the high cabinet. That chintz floral pretty is going to stay out year round and get the use it deserves. We never forget the ones we lost, but I think honoring them in small ways keeps them close. Like using their things, making their favorite foods, doing things they loved.

For me, sharing these moments and talking about them with others I love is healing. Thank you to my buddies for indulging me.

A Cottage Christmas Open House

celebrations, cottage, Food and Drink, friends, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2024

Angie, Beth, and I cohosted a holiday get together at my house last week.

We had planned for plenty of food, and generous guests brought delectable goodies too.

It became a true feast!

And a feast for the soul too.

I loved having a houseful of festive friends filling up my space and my heart too.

Dorothy got plenty of attention and spent her days choosing which laps she wanted to visit. The hooligans, I mean, big dogs, were banished up to Ryan’s apartment.

Because they’d have loved to be climbing onto laps too. It’s not as cute when a 60 pounder does it as it is when a 6 pound dog wants attention.

Two nights earlier, I’d made dinner for my book club buddies, then Rich was out of town, Sugarwings was at mama’s house, so the cottage was already for party number two. I just shifted the extra tables around and brought in chairs from the studio.

Since I was on my own for a couple of days, well except for said hooligans, the house stayed cleaned up. I did need to re-mop, but with 2 doodles and a golden retriever that is the story of my life. I’m a full time mopper.

The outdoor tables with lights strung underneath worked well for the dinner party on Tuesday and just as well for Thursday afternoon’s gathering. They are my new favorite hosting trick and I’ll be wrapping lights under them all the time in the future. It will be a nice bit of sparkle for a summer night’s garden party too.

The cocoa station got beefed up for the day too, and we set out some tasty liquors plus whipped cream to mix in with the chocolate.

I might’ve gone overboard on the cocoa packets. But as much as Sugarwings and I enjoy our parties by the tree, plus with family coming, it might not be too over the top.

I feel quite blessed to have had these fun ladies all come to our party. Most were from Kansas City, so had to make a drive to get here. I appreciate them making the time to come and celebrate with us.

Holiday party season, part one

celebrations, Food and Drink, friends, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 13, 2024

An event that I look forward to every year is our book club Christmas party

We do a book exchange, have dinner and wine together and just take time to chat.

I try to come up with party favors to reflect the season. This year I made stretch bracelets in genuine stone beads the colors of the holiday and used them as napkin rings.

Dinner was slow cooked beef with red wine gravy, rice, and sweet potato/squash casserole. Plus a salad. I realized at the last minute that I forgot to buy salad dressing, so whipped up a cranberry vinaigrette with the berries I’d bought to serve as a side dish. Lucky I had them available, huh? Plus, now that is my new favorite salad topper. I boiled the cranberries in orange juice with cardamom, then whipped it up in the blender with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and fresh thyme, from my flower bed with a little salt and pepper. The blender made it almost creamy, I guess that is called emulsified?

Typically I make the entire meal, but this year I asked if friends could bring desserts. What a great idea! These bon bons were sorta like cake pops, but even better.

And who knew you could make cookies with tumeric? Oh my, what a treat.

We have a large group, which meant I had to be creative with the seating. Instead of setting up a folding table, I brought in my two glass topped garden tables. Our special farmhouse table that we had made has a an epoxy river running down the center and lights below it. To match that, I taped up some lights under the glass of the two I brought inside and I really loved the outcome.

Then we had a few cancellations, and ended up not needing either one. Oh well. It’s party week and I am using them again for the next group, so am glad to have carried them into the cottage before it got so cold outside. It all worked out. In the meantime, I was playing musical chairs, switching up place settings as each person dropped out.

In my world, the best time to host a party is the same week you just had one- you only have to clean your house once! I had a great time with the book club and am looking forward to part two with the next group.

Time with friends

friends

By Karla Nathan / October 22, 2024

SEVENTY FOUR magic wand/ plant stakes done and ready to market for the holidays!

Beth came over for a craft day, she was wanting to learn how to make Swifty bracelets, so I gave her some tips. I had an order to fill of my own bracelets for a friend, so worked on those a while before starting on the plant stakes. I stayed on task late into the day. Actually into the evening. I didn’t leave my post til after 9pm and this magical pile was all done.

But I’m afraid that’s all I could manage for the day. The final part, price tagging, was done at my mosaic group. My pal, Shan, had just finished this beauty, and there I sat like a lump, making price tags. This group is full of talented people and I love the look of the mosaics, but I typically find myself doing busywork like tags, or covering dozens of mushroom caps in velvet.

Someday, I’ll make another shiny glass piece.

It was a week full of friends, how lucky! I had craft day with Beth, mosaic day with the group, plus had a gathering at the cottage to write postcards to send to swing states reminding voters to skeedaddle to the poles on November 5th.

My political opinions are strong, but my main one is, get out there and vote, no matter what your opinions are!

My Mosaic Group Friends and a New Adventure for Seashell Fairies

friends, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / July 24, 2024

My buddy, Shanna, has hosted a mosaic group in her home studio for years. Its always nice to bring a project and visit with friends.

Not too long ago, she switched it up and rented a studio with our pal, Mary. The group continues in this new location and we have the same members plus a few others joining in.

As artists, we are often working alone. So, an opportunity to hang out with friends while creating, catch up on each others lives, chat about books, restaurants, travel, hear some funny stores, or commiserate over problems, well, that is something I feel lucky to have.

Seeing what’s up with others’ work is inspiring too.

Even though I’m not a mosaic artist, I love the medium. Every once in a while I take on a glass project, but typically, I bring some other, small portable job I’m in the middle of.

This summer it’s been a lot of mushrooms, or beading. I really wish I could attend the group more weeks, but I am pretty sporadic about attending. It’s on a Friday, and that seems to be a hard one for me. Not just First Fridays each month at Juju, but other weekends for travel, or who knows what. Fridays just are a busy day for me.

So, when I get a shot at being there, I make my best effort to pack up a tub of supplies (typically only forgetting a few things I’ll need for the afternoon) and skeedaddling across town to see what everyone is working on and hear about what’s up with who.

Technically, I guess this is a mosaic craft. I decided to make some sea shell fairies that aren’t washed away by the waves, so I took a basket of shells to work on last week. (Oops, after taking the photo, I realized the right wing wasn’t right, so I flipped it around while thinset was still goopy).

These little sprites are something I’ve been wanting to do for a while. On one of my sister trips with Bobbie and Sissy, when I was feeling really bad due to a concussion, along with the anniversary of Ryan’s death, we explored Passe Grille Beach after a walk through the Don Caesar Pink Palace.

The beach we were staying at was low on shells. When I visit Indian Rocks, I always scrounge to find enough to make just one little fairy to leave on the sand.

But this spot? Holy Moly!

Now, the shells I found aren’t what most beach goers are looking for. I like odd shapes and broken pieces, and this place was ankle deep in those. I filled bags with heads, wings, arms, I was in a fairy makers dream location. The terrain was rocky and the beach itself wasn’t as inviting, the parking was awful, but it wasn't crowded and the views were spectacular. My sisters patiently hung out while I climbed around boulders and searched for just the right bits and pieces.

So here I am, a few years later with these baggies full of memories of a special day when my family went out of the way to big sister me, using one of our limited vacation afternoons to take me someplace to gather art supplies. Sis had brought her post cataract surgery sunglasses to help with my concussion headache and Bobbie, who had some mobility issues, hung out with me while we walked this rocky shoreline that wasn’t easy to get around on.

I’m still experimenting with the right technique to transform my fairies into a permanent piece of art. And thanks to my sissies, I have plenty of shells to work with. Each one I create will hold special feelings from our day on the beach.