Road Trip

The day after Christmas my friend Karla and I took a short road trip to check on her guy's animals while he was out of town... it was a beautiful sunny day, but cold. Enjoy the photos....!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Survey!! Forwarded from my two sisters... Here is my response -

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper - I LOVE wrapping paper!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Love the real trees. Usually a Charlie Brown tree

3. When do you put up the tree? anytime after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? By New Years day or the weekend after Christmas

5. Do you like eggnog? yes, with brandy!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? A refurbished old, black Singer sewing machine from my parents - I think I was 8 or 9. I got a fully loaded sewing kit as well, plus lots of fabric. My bestest gift ever...

7. Hardest person to buy for? Everyone, if you don't have lots of money! No one, if you do!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My 11 yr old

9. Do you have a nativity scene? I don't but I'd love to have one like my mom's - an old German set that is like nothing I've ever seen

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Christmas cards, of course!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Its a gift! It can't be bad.
12. Favorite Christmas Movies? Charlie Brown Christmas and Mickey Mouse Scrooge
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Yesterday
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Never
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything, but years ago I loved my grandma's homemade ravioli's! She'd handmake enough for Thanksgiving and Christmas for 25+ people...
16. Color of Lights on the tree? I had white blinky lights, but they broke. Now I have multi-colored

17. Favorite Christmas song? Chipmunk Christmas Song, Silent Night, Silver Bells

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually had Christmas at my sisters (she's now moved to Alaska) but this year at our house, then to my brother's later on.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, Rudolph
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I have my grandma's vintage silver and white star!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The frazzled look of shoppers! Relax, people!
23. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? We have a mixed theme of ornaments that were given to me every year as a kid, plus all of my kids' stuff they've made
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? My family to be safe and happy

Christmas Color

Just thought I'd share a photo of my daughter and my 'grand-dog'!!! Glad they are here visiting for the holidays. The other photo is of my vintage table cloth and napkins... I LOVE this color - not a true red, but very pretty - kind of a pinkish red. It will look good on the table at Christmas!

Winter Giveaway and I Won a Giveaway!

A lovely giveaway is happening at White Linen ~ Lavender Field . Please check it out. Turquoise is the color of 2010!!!! Check out Pantone's color site...One of my favorite colors. I'd love to win this! Speaking of winning - I won an Inspired Living calendar from Melissa of The Garden of Pink Shadows! Can't wait to use this!

A Dream of Mine

This is VERY far-fetched, but I have a dream. I want to have a cute little house where I can have artsy-crafty workshops, gatherings of friends, a small gallery and shop - maybe coffee and treats... I found the PERFECT place right here in my town ~ in a lovely downtown location. Check this out. I haven't made a phone call... it is zoned 'commercial' so I could do it!

Twelve Days of Christmas

Jo Packham from Where Women Create is having some fantastic holiday giveaways! The drawings end soon but you can still comment to win any of the twelve gifts (one of them is pictured above). I really love this magazine and the following is a quote she has shared.

Woman is born to create. In creating she becomes herself, accomplishes her destiny. Her whole life is only an initiation into creative power. To create is not merely to produce a work, it is to give out ones own individuality.-Jeanne de Vietinghoff.

I won a giveaway!

Corey from Tongue in Cheek had a fabulous giveaway and I was a lucky recipient of old French papers and other emphemera!!! Here is a photo of some of the treasures included in the package. Corey is now selling French 'goodies' she finds at the local brocantes through her blog, Tongue in Cheek. Too wonderful!

The Feathered Nest Giveaway

One of my top-10 favorite blogs is The Feathered Nest. I love Dawn's style and her generous nature. She is having a fabulous giveaway! Check it out here.

KC Willis Workshop! Don't Miss This Opportunity!

KC Willis is hosting a marketing workshop geared toward artists. She is putting together is an on-line workshop that you can participate in at any time, whenever you want. She will cover every subject imaginable as it pertains to marketing your work to the public. And it will be delivered in such a way that there is info there for the novice, those working and selling some already and those in the full throes of their art career, but who still want to take it up a notch into wholesale or licensing. There will be lots of videos by subject matter so you can pick and choose which ones you want to see based on the subjects that matter to you.

For the time being access to the class (which will be a lot more than a one day thing) is $144. When the videos go live in December the class will be $244. In celebration of this upcoming workshop, KC is giving away one of these..."The Women-The Flag." 50 women for the 50 stars. Big piece too...32"x50".

Check out more info on the workshop here http://www.marketingmindset.ning.com/.

Also check out her blog here http://www.kcwillis.blogspot.com/.

More Existence!

There was a lot of really beautiful furniture here but covered with furs and tulle! I love the clothing these girls came up with! The guy model is my son Zack. He was in his element!

Existence!

I attended a very special fashion show last night. I'm not sure what I expected when my two sons said they were going to help with a fashion show at a local upscale salon. My son Zack said he was modeling and Nick was going to do the introduction and sound/music. Well - geez. We arrive at the salon. It's in an old warehouse-type building. They have totally decorated it 'anthropologie' style. It's beautiful. The show was titled 'existence' and consisted of fashions designed by some of the employees, their friends, etc. with feathers, fur, bones and leather! I called it 'caveman meets punk'. It was very, very cool. I'd never seen anything like this.

50 Days 'til 50!

If I've calculated correctly there are exactly 50 days until my 50th birthday - January 9, 2010!!! Wow. So much has happened in my 50 years! I will use these 50 days to reflect, wonder and dream about the past 50 and the upcoming 50 (one can hope)... I will try to post about things I've done, maybe some photos and whatever else I can think of! So begins the countdown...

I went to my "art quilt" group meeting last night. We are always supposed to do a challenge or have a project to show. I often don't have a finished project. I did, however, finish a little Christmas quilty! I used tea-dyed muslin for the background, and I also tea-dyed white double-sided bias tape for the 'frame'... those are real sticks for the tree trunks! I wrapped a big twig with fabric for the hanger! Very easy!

Vintage Doll Clothes

I have become enamoured with vintage doll clothes. Most I have found are fairly worn, but very awesome to me. They are difficult to photograph. I need to find some tiny hangers. Here are a few photos of the clothes I found on Saturday at my favorite local antique store - the Antique Barn!

My World

We had an extremely big snow storm last Thursday. We're still digging out. Temps were down to 2 degrees - that usually doesn't happen until January! But the snow is really pretty when the sun shines!

Other floorcloth examples from the workshop

Here are a few of our instructors samples. The batiks look really great! And also a few of my classmates works-in-progress! I like the one with black background and color circles!

Floor Cloth Workshop

I finally got to take the floorcloth workshop. It had been postponed several times! Three other gals and I spent all day Saturday down at Main Street Quilt Co. We didn't even stop for lunch! I had such a blast doing this. I still have finishing to do on this but I think it's turning out well.

It's fabric cut like you were making a quilt but you layer it onto primed canvas and then fuse the pieces together. Then it will be attached with "super bond" and then coated with Minwax. So you can actually walk on it when it's finished. But I will probably hang it on the wall. If I can get some of these made I will have a few for sale before Christmas. If you are interested in one, I can probably do a custom quilt pattern!!! This one will be 24" x 36".

My quilting group buddy Pat makes the most creative things! She made this fabric/fiber candle 'sconce'. It it so pretty. The top photo shows what it looks like from the inside. When the lights are out you can see the candle glow through the threads! Very nice!

Happy Halloween

My oldest daughter made up one of these Halloween gems. It's me and my four children! I am the Bride of Frankenstein! Be sure to turn up the sound!!! Have a great Halloween!!! Go here to see the video!!

Stamps Again

I love stamps. I have collected them for years. I have posted some favorites before, but these are new for the 2009 holidays. Look for more here.

The Flu Bug Got Me

Sorry I've been neglecting the blog! I've been keeping company with the flu bug... hope to be back to the blog in a day or so. I'm staying tucked under this lovely quilt - handmade by my grandma a very long time ago (probably 20's or 30's).

Danielle Muller of the The Vintage Dragonfly is hosting an angel paper doll swap and I get to play! There may be a few spots left. Find info on her blog!

Halloween Swap

I received a package from my swap partner, Tangie. Oh, wow. I love Halloween and this goodie bag of treasures didn't disappoint. I haven't photographed everything but here are a few things she sent to me!! First, the way awesome black bag with feather trim and vintage buttons! The orange package contained a fabulous banner that spells B-O-O! Lots of little goodie bags with candy, trims and buttons. And a fun Halloween cat! It's all wonderful, Tangie! Thanks.