DH Garden FEATURED in The Cottage Journal Magazine!

Howdy friends,

I feel like it's been forever since we've visited! I hope your summer is going well. 

Our family took some much needed time away from the buzz of blogging and social media to recharge and refresh by the sea in our tiny off-grid beach cottage.

 We've been very lazy, soaking up the sun, ( and some rain too ) reading, walking, eating, connecting with our summer friends and enjoying some quality time with our teens. I hope you've had a chance to enjoy some " down" time too! It's so important to give in to the long slow days of summer and let ourselves " just be" once in a while.

 Along with the anticipation of our vacation we were also excited about our " first ever" Dandelion House magazine article. 

 We had the great honor of having our garden featured in the beautiful pages of The Cottage Journal magazine this month and I can't tell you how exciting it was to see the little red hen house and our treasured flower gardens inside along with so many other wonderful features. Katie Wood did a fabulous job with the article ( which she titled, " Put Down Some Roots and Bloom ") and they even used our photos which was extra exciting! We had fun sharing it with all of our friends at the beach and I couldn't wait to get home and share the excitement with you too! 

Here's the spread!

If you've got some down time comin' your way,  and you haven't discovered this lovely magazine, let me tell you every article is a feast for the soul! Pick up a copy and steel away to your favorite escape ( even if it's just the bathroom with the door locked) and enjoy!

Much love,

Deb, aka  beach farmgirl, Deborah Jean, me...

Meet Artist Karen Dixon ~ Bear Maker and Poet

My Aunt Nan listens to her inner voice and creates teddy bears that have a history. It wasn’t always so.

Nine years ago, she walked into the back yard and it was like a voice said, “you’re going to need a place to go when you retire.” Although she wasn’t ready to retire for a number of years, the idea of a “place to go” became a project for her husband, Harlan. “There was an old apple tree in the corner of the yard and, on that spot; he built a studio for her. Their daughter named it

“The Apple House”.


 It has all the comforts of home…lovely to work there even when the snow is falling and the wind is howling. She is as “snug as a bug in a rug”!

In the beginning she had no idea what she was going to do in The Apple House, but she knew she was going to do something. So, she moved her forty year old sewing machine to her new studio, added some shelves and rugs and a comfy chair and foot stool and sat down to think about what to do next. She recalls my grandmother asking her what she was going to do…having absolutely no idea, she told her she was going to make critters! She was unaware that her words would come true, but not for some time. For three days my aunt sat in The Apple House feeling bad because her husband had spent the money to build her a wonderful “retirement home” and still she had no idea what to create. Finally she decided to make a child’s corduroy summer hat, just to be certain she remembered how to read a pattern. Then, she began to make designer pillows and consigned them to three shops and they started to sell.

One day she was watching a television program of a woman making a teddy bear. She thought, “I bet I could do that”!

She stopped making pillows and started making bears. The bears are cut from scratch and come in all sorts of personalities. 


My aunt says, “The bears tell me what their names are going to be and what they’re going to wear… whether they need a hat or a ribbon. They come with their own history and, at first; I would just tell people a story about their background. Then the bears began “telling” me poems. 


Now, when a new bear is ordered, it is with the understanding that a poem is included. Each bear arrives at his/her new home with a poem tucked under his arm for safe keeping. 


Like these two cu-tie- pie's below!

THE LITTLE GOLFER

My palms were hot and sweaty,

As I put on my golf shoes,

You know I felt like running,

But I’d been in all the news.

They really thought I knew my stuff,

An illusion it would seem,

Instead of being happy,

I was stuck in a bad dream.

I had my cap,

I had my clubs,

I had my caddy too,

I knew they all were waiting,

Just to see what I could do.

I marched out of the locker room,

I made it to the green,

My little knees were knocking,

A coward it would seem.

The gallery went crazy

They hooted and they yelled,

I knew inside that I was doomed,

The victim of a spell.

And then I started thinking,

On just how much I’ve learned,

I closed my eyes,

I smacked that ball,

My little heart was sinking.

I guess I really let ‘er rip,

I was aiming for the sun,

I missed the lake,

I missed the sand,

I got a hole-in-one!

Sometimes life smiles upon us,

Turns out better than one thinks,

So when you get your hole-in-one,

Remember…they all get drinks!

5/29/06

Karen J. Dixon

News of the bears spread by word of mouth. Soon, she had orders for 18 bears and was still working full time. Her bears live all over the country now and on Halloween 2004 she retired, knowing full well what she would be doing in her cozy studio.

 THE DAYDREAMER

Have you ever sat and watched the clouds,
As they went floating by.
Just laid down flat upon the grass,
And looked up to the sky.

Have you ever watched a butterfly,
The color of its wings.
Have you ever really listened
To how a Robin sings.

Have you ever wandered in the rain,
The drops fell on your face.
Just took delight in how it felt,
No hurry…slowed your pace.



Have you ever sat down on the beach,
And let your thoughts run free.
And closed your eyes,
And felt the wind,
Happy…just to be!

Karen J. Dixon
April 4, 2010
Easter Sunday


The lights in The Apple House are on most evenings, a yellow glow shines through the window on to the walk way leading to the front door and if you listen, you just might be the first to hear a new verse or two being whispered to my Aunt Nan. Don’t worry, she won’t keep it to herself…she loves to share!

 I re-vamped this yard sale foot stool for her as a studio warming gift. It rests at the foot of  her comfy red and white checked wing back chair in The Apple House! 


Aunt Nan tells me it's just right for propping up her feet and daydreaming! 

What  inspirations,whispers, or LOUD knockings have you LISTENED to lately? It's never too late to follow the tug of your heart!

A Seasonal Sojourn ~ Jack Dickerson Art

Two Row Boats, Bright Marshes

Dandelion House is all about spreading the seeds of inspiration and I was honored when Jack accepted my invitation to share just a smidgeon of his work with you here.

MULTIFARIOUS~ opening reception

( post card created by J Long )

Last night was the opening reception for an art show I was invited to participate in with two other great artist's titled MULTIFARIOUS!

( Turquoise bowl created by Kendra )

I LOVE IT!

The three of us couldn't be any different in the way we approach the creative process and in our creations which makes this show very exciting! I'll share a few pix from our evening.... but first, here's a little " history" on this born again creation! It started out as your basic pine dresser...It's the perfect size for a child's room, so I channeled some of my favorite children's book illustrator Mo Jo and came up with the idea of gold stars for drawer handles and a starry night sky sprinkled on the dresser top just for fun!

 Hence, the title REACH FOR THE STARS!!!

Bring a little child like magic into your life ...Think BIG and BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS!!!

On with the show...

The Multifarious crew! Kendra D' Angora ( sitting on my hand painted bench titled Out of Africa )  is a master with pastel's and a potter as well, who channels Alice in Wonderland, J Long  is an AMAZING computer artist who seems to delight in keeping his viewers guessing at what he's trying to communicate with his art and me, the girl who loves to find any old thing and make it beautiful and functional again.... with a story book twist.  

While folks mingled around inside chatting about all things artsy fartsy, we heard drumming.... Loud drumming.  Some of us thought it was a marching band practice. Turns out it was our son and his friend who were providing the meditative back beat to our evening inside the gallery!  I LOVED that they found something creative to do once they had looked at all the art and had devoured had a bite to eat.

We enjoyed the performance art in the park...it added a cool vibe to the night.

My hubby even ran over to play the bells!

It was a GREAT NIGHT!

I hope you enjoyed the show!

Day Dreamer

Day Dreamer

Have you ever sat and watched the clouds,
As they went floating by.

Just laid down flat upon the grass,
And looked up to the sky.

Have you ever watched a butterfly,
The color of its wings.

Have you ever really listened
To how a Robin sings.

Have you ever wandered in the rain,
The drops fell on your face.

Just took delight in how it felt,
No hurry…slowed your pace.


Have you ever sat down on the beach,
And let your thoughts run free.


And closed your eyes,
And felt the wind,

Happy…just to be!


Karen J. Dixon
April 4, 2010
Easter Sunday

Impossible Puzzles

O.k.... It's the end of January.....It's cold, it's too early to do anything but daydream about gardening, and my head is foggy from too much sugar, carbs and COLD!  How about you?

I got the bug to pick up a puzzle over the holiday break thinking it would be fun to spread  it out on the end of the dining room table and see if I could draw any one  away from their " screens" for a little old fashioned quality puzzle time together. You see, we aren't really puzzle people...

In the Studio with ARTIST Kendra D'Angora

Luck was in our favor when we met our Guest Artist of the month Kendra D' Angora a few years ago at our Local Community Arts Center in Plymouth, MA. I was looking for quality art classes for our two home schooled children and that is exactly what we found  and more with Kendra. She offered a varied array of art mediums, tools and projects for her " aspiring art students" with a bit of Art History on the side!

The Apple House

My Aunt Nan listens to her inner voice and creates teddy bears that have a history. It wasn’t always so.

Nine years ago, she walked into the back yard and it was like a voice said, “you’re going to need a place to go when you retire.” Although she wasn’t ready to retire for a number of years, the idea of a “place to go” became a project for her husband, Harlan. “There was an old apple tree in the corner of the yard and, on that spot; he built a studio for her. Their daughter named it “The Apple House”. It has all the comforts of home…lovely to work there even when the snow is falling and the wind is howling. She is as “snug as a bug in a rug”!

FALL ART DAY Plein' Air with SUSAN SLOWEY

Susan Slowey lives in the Ellisville section of Plymouth, MA. She has been teaching art to children and adults for many years. This year she opened her schedule to give more people a chance to see art as a way to open their eyes to the world around us.

Sue says, “I believe everyone has creativity”. There are learned skills and techniques that can be learned at a young age or older if you have never given it a try."

ART Day with friends~ Clay and Crystals

On a rainy day in June we invited our friend Carolyn and crew over for some jewelry making fun, snacks and laughter...

You never know where you will meet an " artist"!

It was in the stands during our children's baseball games that we got acquainted.

I shared my portfolio of Hand Painted Furniture http://www.paintedladydecorativearts.com/ with

her and she said,"I make jewelry"! At the next game she was wearing one of her beautiful pieces which instantly got our attention! Our daughter expressed an interest in learning how to make the beautiful beads she was wearing as well as how to finish her pieces more professionally. Carolyn was happy to offer her time and expertise! She was also kind enough to give Nicolette and I some of her finished pieces which are featured here.

What I love about Carolyn's work is that her beads look like glass! When I learned they were made from Sculpy clay I was very impressed and wanted to know more about how they were made. I also love the way that her pendents are interchangeable.

~Thanks Carolyn and crew for a great day!