There's just something about this very imperfect front yard with its tilting brick column, mismatched wood fence, cracked concrete steps, and useless leaning wrought iron gate that appeals to me. I even like the uneven mortaring of the bricks and the slightly off-center cap on the brick column. This "mess" is located on First Street NW and whenever I pass by I find myself enjoying this not-so-neat juxtaposition of materials. While it's probably a hazard for pedestrians to enter this house yard as the steps are so damaged, you have to admit there is evidence here of someone trying to make their front yard look better than just dirt and concrete. But it looks like snow and ice and rain have done their inevitable work and heaved everything out of line. Other front yard entrances on First Street are very neat and tidy, even architectural, and that's what everyone likes and presumably wants. However, this home-made attempt surely tells us that weather and water are more powerful than our sometimes good intentions. And, wouldn't you agree, the palette of colors here -- reds, beige, grey, greens, white, black -- is enjoyable just on that basis alone?
Determined to use up some bits of old white and black lace and a shiny ornament, I went into my closet to see if there was some blouse or shirt that could use some embellishment to get me to wear it again. I found a somewhat worn white and grey printed blouse that I hadn't worn for two years and thought this was a good candidate for some scraps. It turned out I had just enough bits and pieces to make a fairly pleasing square shape out of the strips of lace. I stitched them on with the machine but hand-stitched the metallic diamond shape as I might have damaged it with the presser foot. I think it came out all right and I've worn this a few times this summer and got some use out of something I might otherwise have cut up into rags or something.
