She's baaaack!

As the said in the movie Poltergeist, I'm back.  I certainly hope I'm not as scary as the images in that movie, but from some of my shots I'm not too sure. The first photo of the trip wasn't even taken in San Francisco.  We got in somewhat late and were tired and I didn't even take a shot in the city.  The only picture I have is this one of me...

taken in a mirror in a restaurant on the way to San Fran. Pretty crazy, huh? Spend the night in the Ritz Carlton, where the room was really nice, there was a lovely executive lounge on our floor with the best food you could imagine, and a great view and I took zero pictures of it. Tired or excited, I'm not sure which.

I did remember to take a picture of Sister in the Emeryville train station, looking as cute as ever.

Once we boarded the train, I remembered I had a camera...

Here you see Sister Peri, (dressed for comfort in flannel) adjusting the reading light. We had planned on doing a lot of reading and sketching while on the train.

Here is a shot of us both together, taken in the mirror on the door that used to open up to connect the rooms...

I wish I had noticed my shoulder bag sitting on the seat, but alas there it is in all it's glory, taking away from the very loveliness that this photo was supposed to show (us, get it?) Seriously though, after looking at the door (which was closed with packing tape), we ask our attendant if he could open the connecting door and he said he would be glad to. So for the rest of the time on that train we had connecting rooms.  It was fun and made the space seem much larger.

Speaking of seeming larger, I can't decide if the size of the room made me look larger than life, or the other way around. Hmmm, I'm thinking a new weight loss plan is in my future.  I mean, really...when did I become this massive?

So far this post has been only about us, now hasn't it?  Well, it was a sister get together type trip anyway, but I did manage to take some pictures of the scenery.  In fact, I took over 500 photos during the course of the week.  Funny how some of the shots look so much better on the tiny viewer of the camera.  When I went to enlarge the shots of the eagles nest that we saw and the snow storm that was so pretty, the shots just somehow seem anti-climactic. 

So, with all that being said, remembering the trip and the fun that we had is what's important. It's not the fact that after all these years of fancy cameras and photography courses, I found it difficult to take a decent picture from a moving and bouncing train.

But here we go...

We saw a lot of this...

And a lot of this...

But we did see fun things like the San Francisco Bay...

and we saw the Suisun Bay and the Mothball Fleet...

We stopped in Martinez to pick up passengers...

 and a short time later we stopped in Davis. 

This is rail travel, folks.  You stop and go and you stop and don't go.  While you are stopped your shots look like this...

You then go really fast to make up for lost time and your photos look like this...

We had a great time, though and with seven days worth of photos to go thru, I'm sure you will understand if I do my little travelogue in segments.

As a tease for the next installment, I'll show you this and if you know what it's a picture of I just might give you a little gift for your smartness...

So that's it for a couple of days.  Hopefully I will be working on my pictures at a rate that will allow me to post a bit more often.  Till then, enjoy what I've had a chance to work on and please let me know if you have had the experience of rail travel. Inquiring minds want to know.

TTFN.

Steppin' Out

No I wont be going dancing, but I am stepping out of my little box.  I'm going to fly to California to meet my sister and we are coming back cross country on Amtrak.

Of course, while looking for a nice image of the California Zephyr to post, I came across videos and articles of recent derailments and crashes.  I'm not going to worry about that.  I'm going to restrict my worrying to which suitcase to take.  I know we will have great fun and my sister is a seasoned traveler and has already discussed the emergency exits and where they are and how to operate them.  I am too old, at this stage of my life to worry about train crashes.  At least in a train I have a chance.  It's those flights from Virginia to North Carolina to San Diego that give me pause.  But I'm mostly ready, I've got my 3-1-1 bag packed and I'm going to use my regular suitcase that I can wheel through the airport to me Sissy when they pick me up.

We will be driving up the coast to spend the night here and then bright and early we will go to Emeryville to catch the train.  Train travel, for me thus far, has been a two hour ride on the coastal line from LA to San Diego which was fun, so I'm sure this will be quite an adventure.

So with my new camera in hand, motion sickness bands in place and a sense of adventure enveloping me, I will board the plane at 5:30 a.m Wednesday and arrive 10:00 San Diego time.  There is no wi-fi on the train, so I will be internet free for four days. Several books and an art journal and pencils, combined with the always effervescent personality of my sister should keep me entertained.

My next post will certainly have pictures and will recount the fun that we are bound to have.  Since I wont be back until April 8th and my sissy and I will be spending a couple days visiting some of our old haunts and taking pictures to paint from, this will be my last post for several weeks.  Wish us well and have a lovely holiday weekend.

Till then...

What I did last week

This weeks post will be mostly pictures.  I don't know if I mentioned or not, but my friend and trainer, Samantha, has accepted a position at Broward College in Ft. Lauderdale and is going to pack up and move to The Sunshine State.  I met Sam when she taught adult swimming lessons in October of 2010 and we have become good friends. She is a good kid.

When not at the gym, I make time for hobbies and crafty things and last week I realized that if I'm going to be wearing my hair up this summer, I needed new earrings.  So I got busy and came up with a few pieces.

This first set is aventurine and sterling silver wire that I created using some simple wire wrapping techniques. The bracelet is so comfy that I have to keep looking at my arm to make sure it's still there.  I am almost out of good wire, but I had just enough to play with last week.

I had enough to make a simple coil ring.  I wrapped the wire around a metal ring sizer, using it as a mandrel, leaving about two inches of wire to make the coils. Very easy project and if you use a heavy gauge wire, it will be very durable.  I think this is 16 gauge, sterling silver round wire in dead soft. I hammered lightly it to strengthen it. Simple and easy.

Using one of my many books on jewelry design and technique, I created these little bits of sparkle.  I've always been able to wear long earrings and when I'm having a bad hair day, hopefully no one will see anything except my shimmery earbobs.

More dangles. Ceramic beads on the left and a natural stone, resembling turquoise on the right. The ones on the right are threaded onto a sterling silver eye pin that already had a coral stone as part of the design. They came from Fire Mountain Gems, and worked well.

Sometimes the perfect color bead is already part of a necklace that you don't wear much.  These rose quartz beads were components in just such a piece.  I have no qualms about deconstructing a pre-made necklace, even if it was vintage Napier. I needed those beads.

Last but not least, I call these my Bea Benaderet earrings.  If you don't already know why, read the Wikipedia and see if you can figure it out.

Actually, these beads were also part of the vintage necklace that I mentioned.  They look so nice on. 

I am really surprised that any of my pictures came out at all.  I took them out on the deck and my camera is one of the older digitals that the display seems to disappear in the sunlight.  I never know if it's my eyes or the camera, but fortunately, these turned out OK.

Speaking of my eyes, I went for my consultation last week regarding eye surgery for my cataracts and for some reason my lower peripheral vision has changed since September to a degree that the ophthalmologist wants me to do a field test, to judge exactly how much it has changed and determine why.  Perhaps, then we can talk about the surgery. I'll let you know.

Well, that's it for me for today.  Take care.  Have fun and stay safe.

Hello, again.

Seems like the only time I am motivated to post anything is on Saturdays.  We have had a relatively uneventful week. Our state (Virginia) had a presidential primary Tuesday and even though there were only two candidates on the ballot, we definitely voted.  I can't complain if I haven't done my part, right?  Seems like the other candidates didn't get enough signatures to even get on the ballot. That might mean something in itself.

I worked on the little (6 x 9) watercolor of the deer and while it's not that great, I am posting it and another one because you have to start somewhere. Remember to click on the pictures for a closer view.

There are so many things that jump out at me as being "wrong", that I have to focus on the things that I like about this little painting. While I didn't realize that I was centering this tree in the painting, I really do like the shadow side of it and the way the ivy is climbing out of the picture.  I like that the animals do look somewhat like deer, even though the one in foreground looks like he has been cut in half and reassembled somewhat askew.  Oh right, I'm focusing on the positive...sorry.

Earlier in the month I did a painting of the same size (6 x 9) of a wintry scene of birds.  I followed along with the artist on Artist Network TV and even used the line drawing that was supplied, but the birds not only look like emus struggling to stay on a branch, the one on the left appears to be wearing a bird mask instead of having a bird face.   But I'm learning as I go...

This was a lesson in various techniques, and there was so much going on to begin with, that I'm not surprised I struggled some and really overworked several areas. I do have trouble remembering to keep the white of the paper white.  I still feel the need to paint every area on the paper.  Well, maybe that will just be my style.  I'm having fun and it keeps me off the street.

Sometimes the photos that you take aren't the best reference photos, so I'll let you decide if either one of these feel right to you.  If fact, I would love someone would paint their version, if they want or simply state your opinion of the photo.

Here is an closeup shot of my spring jonquils, I have other shots to choose from, if anyone is interested in seeing them, but a daffodil is a daffodil, isn't it?

The fall foliage on our street is always so vibrant that I'm thinking about doing something from this photo...

The dead tree next to the fence has been taken down, so I will probably omit that from the picture if I use this one as a reference.

To prove that sometimes I do have a domestic urge, here is a shot of my take on macaroni and tomatoes. 

I chose a mixture of ground chicken and super lean ground beef, which I browned in EVOO with seasonings and a bit of chopped onion and celery.  After browning and draining what little grease was there, I added one can of diced tomatoes, about one half can of filtered water and a handful of orzo pasta.  I let it simmer covered, about fifteen minutes.  I like a very soft pasta, so I can pretend I'm a kid again, eating beef-a-roni.  It turned out to be very tasty and gave me something warm to eat while the hubby noshed on his chilli.

I'm still working on a needlework project and a gal at the gym wants me to make a newborn owl hat for her friend, so I am planning on staying busy.  I'm thinking about abandoning my weight loss blog and periodically posting things of that nature here.  Blogging seems to be slowing down some and I'm never sure how much interest there is in hearing about my little life here in the burbs of the South.

In any event, I'm alive and kickin' and have my cataract consultation next week. Wish me luck on that. I'll keep you posted.  Take care and give everyone a big old hug and kiss and say it's from me.

Saturday Morning

Well, all is well here on the home front.  With tornadoes all around the country this week, we are blessed to have stayed safe.  The lights flickered once and there was rain with lightening and thunder and high winds, but we were tucked safely here on the hill in the Valley of the Star.  At night when it's stormy I draw the curtains and we watch television and eat yummy snacks, but during the daytime when the light is better, you just might find me painting.

This week I watched several videos on Artist TV Network for inspiration, and decided to get out my very neglected watercolors and try to get a handle on this medium.  I have great control when using acrylics, and I find them easy to work with.  I do use a great deal of water with them and get the transparency that I really like, but, for some reason I have never liked the looseness of the traditional watercolor technique.  Long story shorter, I decided to go in a more dry brush direction to have a bit more control.  I practiced on several things, but they look so juvenile.  I dug my heels in and reminded myself that not all things are easy when you first start them, so I watched more videos and got some books from the library and practiced some more. My results were about the same, so I thought that maybe I was trying too hard (I tend to do that sometimes) and needed to stop over-thinking things.  So, one day this week I watched a PBS artist doing an acrylic painting of a barn and I thought maybe that would be a good subject to work on, but in watercolors.  Now I'm not one to haul my supplies anywhere to paint, I have tried that and it's just not me.  BUT, if someone else wants to do that for my benefit and have a show about it, I figured it's OK if I continually hit the pause button on the remote and use his finished painting as my inspiration.  I did just that.  The end result is still not worthy of any art gallery, but it is recognizable as a structure.

I have a photograph that I took of deer grazing in our woods that I'm working on now and hopefully, that will be "postable".  It's often said to make a picture interesting, it's a good idea to include something living, so I go from making two stroke birds to attempting a painting with five deer in it.  I know, not really logical for the Vulcan that I am, but what the hey, I'm up for a little challenge.

On a sadder note, in my opinion, the world lost two very special men this week.  By now I'm sure you have all heard of the sudden death of Davy Jones, that Monkee that so many of us grew up with. I always liked him and had all their albums.  Didn't miss any of the shows, either.  He will be missed.

In hopes of not losing too many readers, I want to address the fact that my world (the one of the horrible Conservatives) lost a great friend this week also.  Andrew Breitbart, passed away suddenly, as well, Monday from an apparent heart attack. We had heard him speak on numerous occasions and the hubby and I are happy to say we got to meet him several times at functions we attended over the last several years.  He was one of those men, who was wildly passionate about his beliefs and fearless in his pursuit of making sure other folks were made aware of the things that he sincerely felt were true.  That fearlessness and the fact that he went "full speed ahead" all the time, may have been factors in his early demise.  He will be missed, but his work will certainly go on, in the form of his websites and his colleagues who have promised take up where he left off.

Here is a picture of my sweet hubby, Tim take on two different occasions with Andrew.  I took the bottom one when we attended an AFP convention in November, and I found Andrew to be a really nice guy. (In case you didn't know Andrew, he is the taller of the two).

Well, that's all for now.  I slept in this morning (it is Saturday, after all) so I need to hit the shower and get ready for what's left of the day.  Painting those deer will certainly be a part of it and trying to remember to answer my e-mails (Karin, I'm soooo sorry) and thinking about all the things I'm going to do when I get my cataracts removed will keep my mind occupied for the next few hours.

Have a great weekend and if you suffered in any of the storms that were so treacherous this week, my prayers are with you. Stay safe and hug your Bestie. You'll be glad you did.

Pink Snow

Well, after much snow that didn't stick and melted almost immediately, we did get enough of the white stuff to justify me staying in all day Sunday and working on my afghan.  When we went out Monday morning to hit the gym (notice the sweatband) the trees were heavy with snow, and the sunrise was making it's presence known...

The camera sometimes just cannot capture the real beauty of nature, but I kept trying.  Here is another shot of the sunrise coloring the snow pink...

The temperature increased rapidly and by the time we came back from the gym, the snow was almost completely melted in these trees.  It was a heavy snow that knocked out our cable for almost 24 hours.  Twenty four hours with out telephone and cablevision, gave me plenty of time to work on the afghan I have been crocheting for the past three weeks.  I finally put the finishing touches on it today and....

I am really pleased with the results.  I used a cherished heirloom afghan that Peri, my sister, made me way back when, as a pattern.  I was looking for a way to use up some of the yarns left over from the famous owl hats and what originally was going to be a stripped scarf quickly morphed into a small afghan or lap rug.  It measures about 42"x 36" plus fringe.  It is a simple double crochet with a chain between each stitch.  I did vary the pattern in several rows by doing a single crochet.  The yarn that makes the plaid was done by weaving a double strand of yarn in the traditional over/under method using the double crochet foundation as the base.  Simple.  I did wonder why hubby ask me point blank "are you going to finish that today?".  I thought, at first, that he was feeling neglected, but soon realized that was not the case.  When I finished it and held it up to show him how nice it was, he immediately said "please drape it over my shoulders".  So now it's Tim's afghan. Who knew?  I had no idea that he was literally waiting for me to finish this project because he wanted it for himself.  How sweet is that?

I am also working on a embroidery/applique piece that will most likely be a wall hanging, but it is evolving so quickly that who knows what might happen?  Sissy also sent me a box of mysteries, so I'm filling my days with crafts and reading and going to the gym.  Hubby is working in his recording studio learning a new digital mixing program, so we are warm and happy and staying out of trouble.  What more could you ask for at this stage of the game.

That's it for now. Stay happy and don't forget to be creative. Ciao.

Danger, Will Robinson....Danger...

I can't help but feel jittery when I hear the Emergency Alert System break into my television program.  I'm still breathing rapidly.  The Alert System just scared/alerted us to the fact that a snow storm is definite in our area starting around midnight, starting as rain (scarrrrry rain) and changing over to wet snow possibly causing significant (?) accumulation in some areas, tapering off Monday morning.

The local weather gals and guys have been getting us ready for snow since Wednesday.  Everyone should have had ample time to get in extra supplies.

We keep enough water and food in the house to keep us safe for several days (probably ten), we have candles and plenty of blankets if we lose power.  With all this being said, why do I still feel scared?  I think it must be the sound of that dang alert system taking over my television. That is unnerving.

Well, that's it for me for now. Off to make sure the hubby puts the car in the garage. I'll keep you posted. Stay safe and warm and don't go out if you don't need to.

It doesn't happen often...

But every now and then, a movie comes along that you are invested in. Totally committed to. That movie just may be The Artist.  If you are a lover of Silent Movies, I mean the "real deal" silent movies, from way back when...then you will be in awe. Hopefully you will be able to avoid spoilers until you see the film, but if not, it really wont matter.  It's that good.

I, for one, love a movie that I connect with emotionally and since I couldn't stop the tears (the good kind) from flowing even after the credits were done...I'd say it fits the bill.

If  you aren't a movie goer but still love this genre, (i.e. silent and awesome) bide your time and I'm sure it will be out on DVD soon.  This will translate beautifully to the small screen. I certainly plan on adding it to my library of movies.

Well, that's it for me for today.  Hopefully, I'll be back soon with some of the nifty projects that I'm working on.  Until then, enjoy the movie review.

Love ya!

A Picture, finally

Here I am trying to take a photo in the mirror.

Here is the close up....

I made these earrings of silver polymer (Premo) clay, conditioned and rolled on a 4 or 5 on the pasta machine.  Applied silver leaf (the kind in sheets that goes everywhere) and added some Pearl EX powders.  Looks just like metal, but oh, so light weight.

That's it for today, gots to go get my teefers cleaned. See ya later!

Just catching up...

Just a quick post to say that I'm still hanging around.  Too triflin' to make a decent post.  I keep myself busy making sure the house doesn't turn into an episode of Hoarders, while making lots of time to read, make jewelry or do needle crafts.

Since I don't have the gumption to take a picture of any of my current projects, here is a repeat of a watercolor still life that I did several years ago and then lost the painting. Sheesh, I need to get better at organization and stuff. Less time reading, ya think? Nah...

Speaking of reading, after months of putting it off, thinking that I had to have a special device to borrow an e-book from our local library...I finally figured our how to do it.  All I had to do was download a free  Adobe reader to my computer and I have access to lots of free books to read.  I was hesitant to get a Kindle because I'm so funny (funny peculiar, not funny Ha Ha) about what I like to read, that I didn't want to spend money on something that I wouldn't like.  Enter electronic borrowing. Not only can I borrow a book for up to 2 weeks, I can also download a preview of the book to see if I'll like it.  I don't know if you can do that on an electronic reader, but this is working for me.  This is probably old school by now, but hey....I'm old.

I hope everyone is having a good January. We haven't had any snow yet, and actually just a few days of below freezing temperatures.  I'm OK with that, it's just that when it's overcast and the sun doesn't shine I just feel so un-motivated.  I try to go to the gym five days a week, but this week I only did four days.  The hubby hurt his elbow several weeks ago doing something, he's not sure what and it seems that every time he goes to the gym, he ends up in discomfort for the next few days.

Anyhow, that's what's up with us.  I'm multi-tasking like crazy. Fitting in all my reading and artsy endeavors while I surf the web on sites like Pinterest (Pinterest is by invitation only, let me know and I'll hook you up) and StumbleUpon and still remembering to feed the hubs and myself along the way. 

So I'm off to plop myself into a chair, fix a cuppa and do some reading.  We'll talk soon, I promise.

This is different...

As you know, I usually post pictures of art that I have done.  Today, I am proudly posting the pictures of art that my sweet husband has done.

Ta Da!  He finished his studio workstation.  You may remember the initial photograph that showed him out in the back yard starting on this project.  Well, as you can see, he persevered. He designed, built, stained and polyurethaned the desk.  I was really happy that he allowed me so much input, as this was his project, after all.  I suggested the oak for the top, as well as the color of the stain.  I gave him fine grit sandpaper and a tack cloth from my stash of supplies and I think I was even instrumental in him using foam brushes for the first time. He loved them.

While he was occupied with his desk, I had time to think of fun projects around the house.  We had the perfect place in our dining room for a little reading nook.  Yesterday I browsed around a bit on the World Wide Web and found a chair that reminded me of how much I like to rock.  My Grandmother was a rocker and I always read and rocked when I was a teenager.  I found one online that I liked, so we went to a local furniture store to see if they had something similar. 

Once again...Ta Da!

It's a rocker and a glider combo.  There were some that were just back-to-front level gliders, that I liked, but this one, is an actual rocker on a fulcrum type mechanism, as well as a glider. It takes very little movement to get that rocking motion. It is so cozy and comfy, and it's my favorite shade of green. We found the perfect lamp at Home Depot and now, after making sure all my chores are done, I'm going to chill out and read for a while.

I made several really nice pieces of jewelry this week, but I'll save those for the next post.  Hope everyone is having a great week so far.  Remember, as always, stay creative and enjoy yourself and we'll talk soon.

January is upon us...

Man, I cannot believe that another year has passed.  Shucks, I can barely believe that two weeks have passed since my last post.   Hmmmm, what have we done?  Well, the fridge went out and we attempted (unsuccessfully) to live out of coolers in the garage until the repairman arrived.






Fortunately, the repairman had the necessary part for the fridge and we were back in business.  We did have to toss out the food that I tried to keep, but the weather got unseasonably warm here and no amount of ice was going to stave off the botulism.  Gave the fridge a thorough cleaning and off to the grocery store we went. So we're all stocked up again and the fridge is sparkling and working like brand new.


The hubby wanted a new desk for his home studio and after numerous (probably five or six) visits to the few furniture stores that are in our area, I convinced him to build his own.  He is a residential carpenter by trade, specializing in trim, so I knew he could do it. He has built shelves in the past and did a great job on them. He spent several days on the internet, looking at plans, and YouTube videos and decided not only to make his own workstation, but to video the procedure.  Here is a quick shot of him in the initial stages of building the desk.

While he was doing his research on the desk, I was getting together a rather large order from Fire Mountain Gems.  I usually replenish my stash several times a year and FMG had such a good sale going on that I really racked up the items for under $200.00.

They had tons of books on sale for $2.00 and ...

lots of beads that looked interesting. I also got "findings", those little bits and pieces of metal that go into making jewelry look professional. Crimps and clasps and eye pins and such.

I made two bracelets this weekend and

I also strung together some spotted jasper donuts for a simple necklace that works so well with the black long sleeve knit shirts that I seem to live in lately...

I also put together a faceted plastic necklace that is very lightweight, but will definitely fill the bill when I need a bit more sparkle...

Of course, this picture doesn't do this piece justice.  It is very reflective and has the look of hematite in a plastic bead.The beads are reversible Not my usual type of design, but I like to at least try to step out of the box sometime.

Well, that's it for now.  I'm hoping that everyone is having a great first week of 2012.  Keep doing your art, staying creative in whatever manner is you.  Staying true to yourself doesn't mean doing the same thing all the time, unless you have a certain style that your livelihood depends upon.  If that is the case, you can always branch out some, just for yourself.  Like I said last time, it's ok to get your groove on, but stay out of that rut.

That's all, I'm outta here!

Merry Christmas

Well, now that they have been received, I can post the pictures of the crocheted stuffies that I sent to my sisters for Christmas.

You gotta love an armadillo...

The armadillo was a project from the October issue of Crochet World.  It was my first time crocheting from a pattern and certainly my first time doing any sculptural crochet.  There was a bit of a learning curve and the tail of this creature was where I had the most difficulty.  I finally figured out what I wanted it to look like, but there was a lot of "non pattern" work that went into it. (That means I made it up as I went along)


 You simply cannot go wrong with a cardinal and a little mousie...

The little mouse was from a pattern in a special issue of Crochet Today called Crochet Gift List. I really learned a lot about crocheting figures and shapes.  Both were good magazines for learning.  After all, there are more things to crochet and knit than just afghans or scarves.  While I do love making both of those particular items, it was such fun to know that I could branch out, so to speak.

There is a bit of a story behind the cardinal.  I love cardinals and always have. They are such a beautiful color and they are the State Bird of Virginia, the state from whence I come.  That being said, let me share something with you. We recently lost a family friend in a car accident. She was a long time friend, an older gal that loved to be out and about. We were told by her son that she was slumped over in her seat at time of impact, so she probably had no knowledge of what happened.  Meanwhile out on the West Coast, very close to the actual time of the accident, my sister said she was visited by a cardinal, outside their house.  This seemed to be a female cardinal, one that she hadn't seen before.  We, of course, thought that this was a wonderful occurrence and like to think that, perhaps, this little female bird may have been somehow related to the passing of our friend.  The really cool thing is our friend's given name was...Virginia.  I'm sure that the little crocheted bird will be a loving reminder of our friend. I did it free hand, and while there were areas that could have been perfected, I think it will do just fine.

Well, I hope everyone had the holiday that they were hoping for.  Ours was a quiet one, which is our usual celebration.  We did go to a movie Christmas Day and saw Warhorse.  Pretty good movie, but Christmas Day at the movies is much busier that we had anticipated and there were some issues with that.  All in all, we have had a great weekend.

I'm looking forward to getting back to my usual schedule of going to the gym, NOT eating treats and generally getting back in my little groove.  We have been invited to a New Year's Eve party, but I'm really not crazy about going out on that holiday, so maybe we will decline that little soiree.

Well, stay safe and happy and get back in your own groove.  Remember there is a big difference in a rut and a groove.  Make that difference happen in your own life, you'll be glad you did.

Hello to all...

Well, just a quick post to say hello to all.  Hope you are doing well.  I'm hanging in there, nursing a back muscle, that decided to make it's presence known in a big way.  I don't really know how I strained it (probably from lifting weights at the gym) but it is a nagging visitor that just wont leave.

Hubby just returned from his yearly delivery of Christmas envelopes.  Through out the year he routinely takes donuts to our friends at the dentist.  Since we have been going to the dentist for over a decade, we've really become friends with the folks that work there.  We know them and love them.  They are more than just someone that works somewhere. We share the changes in their lives...birthdays and graduations of children, as well as divorce and illnesses.

Anyway, when hubby went in today for a quick dental check up, he took the usual goodies and the Christmas envelopes.  Imagine his surprise when they brought out packages for us.  He was totally surprised and got verklepmt to be sure.

I got all teary eyed myself, when he told me on the telephone and then we both cried again when we opened the gift itself. It is gift basket from Fresh Market...

This was such a good choice for us.  They know that we try to eat healthy and that we go to the gym.  This is a bag filled with gluten free items and it is full, as you can see, with food stuffs that we will eat and not have to re-gift.

Well, that's it for now.  Hope everyone is preparing for a fun weekend.  Don't stress out over the holiday shopping.  Remember what your holiday is really about and take time to contemplate, meditate or pray.

That's it for now.  We'll talk soon.

I've finally made a decision...

I'm dropping out of the weight loss challenge at our gym at the half-way point. That doesn't mean that I've given up, it just means that I want to find a way to customize my workouts and not be at the mercy of a pre-determined generic workout.  I'm tired of dreading the sessions.  Everyone says working out is supposed to be fun.  Well, guess what...going out with your honey, that's what's fun.  Meeting up with friends where your hair looks good and you don't have to worry about passing gas in public because you are in a torturous position, that's what's fun. Meeting new people and not sweating on them when you shake their hand, that's what's fun.   Get my drift? 

I tried to make the most of it, but truth be told, I don't give a rat's patooty if I never do another burpee or another mountain climber.  I'm ready to plan my own workout, doing the things that I do like so the workout will be less aggravating (notice I didn't say fun). I think I can still be fit and feisty if I do it myself.  This is the second time I've tried the standard trainer driven workout plan of bosu balls and crab walks, and this old gal is tired of people thinking she's a miserable old coot, because she doesn't think military style calisthenics are fun.  Maybe I just don't like being on a team, I've always been a loner type when it comes to doing things. Whatever it is, there are gonna be some changes made.

So all that being said, I'll keep you posted on how it goes.  I'm not saying I'm smarter than the certified trainer, I'm saying she's not certified in motivating and training a Silver Fox like me.  I'll show them, you just wait and see!

Black Friday with an update, scroll down yall.

Hope everyone here in the States had a great Thanksgiving. Since we either make our gifts or order online, I don't have to get involved in the Black Friday shopping frenzies. Speaking of making gifts, a friend in North Carolina, who has her own blog, commissioned a crocheted hat for one of her girls. It was my first attempt at crocheting a child's hat, let alone a novelty hat, but I'm happy with it.

The colors aren't true in this shot, as the pink is much prettier than it shows up here, but hey, it's for a kid. She wont really care that much about the colors.

So that's my quick little post for today.  Even though our Thanksgiving dinner is small compared to some of the shindigs that others have, there is still a kitchen to clean.  So with that in mind, I'm back to doing my chores.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend and stay safe and DO NOT get pepper sprayed at Walmart!

Here is a picture of Layla in her new hat, sent to me by her mom yesterday.

The perfect picture!

My, Oh My...how time flies.

Can't believe it's been three weeks since my last post.  Good thing I don't have to do penance for that. As we know, just because I'm not posting doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Some of you may remember that I'm currently on a needlework kick.  That's the way I am, I might spend several years doing nothing but polymer beads and then six months on pastel paintings and so on. So I'm doing needlework. Crochet, knitting, and bit of needlepoint here and there and pretty soon you have nice little frillies for you, your home and your friends and family.

You may remember me discussing my latest stab at knitting.  I cannot remember if I posted the shawl that I knitted.  Said shawl started out as a scarf and morphed into a shawl/lap blanket.  It's got several apparent boo boos, but that's what makes it unique...

In addition to the shawl, I have crocheted several potholders.  I have been crocheting since I was a teen, but I never really tried to learn any more than a standard single or double crochet.  Armed with that knowledge, and alternating those two stitches, you get a textured piece that looks like these bad boys...

If you are a crocheter, you will notice that I changed it up a bit and did a double row of double crochet in the center of the top potholder.  I am always wanting to know what will happen "if".  I have lots of unfinished projects because of this quirky quest for learning new stitches, but once again...that's OK.

I used to love those lacy, yet sturdy doilies that everyone had back in the olden days of my youth.  It never occurred to me that they were being created by some little old gray haired lady in her living room.  They look so complicated that I just knew it took a crew of medieval tapestry weavers and artisans to create these little works of art. Well, I just decided I can do something like this, myself. Soooo, with all that in mind I purchased a ball of red cotton thread/yarn and started to crochet a hairband/head warmer type of thing.  Three weeks I'm working on this thing and this is what I have so far...

It takes so long to do, this decision to make something solid out of duh...thread.  I realize now why items made using this yarn are light and open and done in chain stitch.  Only a novice like yours truly would choose single crochet to embark on her first journey into cotton thread.  We will see how this progresses.  I really love the color and the feel of the fabric that is being so laboriously created.  It may end up as the fabric for a small purse or such.

Last, but certainly not least, is the craft project that I was working on at the time of my last post.  You know the "snob about crafts" post?  Well, I finished it and went a bit out of the box with some added embellishing with several paint pens, and am happy with the results.  It is a craft kit that hubby got off of eBay several years ago.  I have about five or six more and I'm spacing them out to make them last.  So I present to you...

He's a sleepy little owl sitting on a crushed glass branch, with crushed glass leaves.  His feathers are comprised of orange and white crushed stone that I glued on after lining the design out in black waxed cording.  Easy once you get the hang of how to handle the cording and how much glue to use.  Since the original glue was not usable, hello...1970, I used Aleen's white, extra tacky, glue.  Good substitute.

So there you have it.  In between a weekend trip to DC to meet with some like minded folks and going to the gym week days, I still find time to create.  Now, my house looks like a cyclone when through it, but that's another post for another day.  Point being, I still contend that there is an artist lurking within each of us.  We just have to encourage that shy little artist to come by more often.  Mine has taken up permanent residence, so I try to keep her fed and warm and happy.

That's it for today.  Have a great week and have some fun!

Are you a snob?

One thing I was often conscious of growing up, was the people that I thought were snobs.  The definition of snob changes as you grow. One of the definitions from the dictionary goes something like this:

...a person who strives to associate with those of higher social status and who behaves condescendingly to others...

I have always been a down to earth type person, I hung out with the people I liked, regardless of their social standings.  I have known (and still do) people that would snicker at something someone else was saying,  not because they enjoyed their company, but because they were looking down on that person.

I do have to admit that I went through a period of my life where I was an "art snob".  I wanted to do art, but I didn't think that I wanted to do crafts. At one point,  my sister was able to hook us up with an artist type that was giving us personal instruction in pottery.  Apparently he was a bigger art snob than we were. We took care of that. Much to his dismay, he was haughtily dismissed after referring to our artsy adventures as "our little craft thing". 

To me, growing up, crafts meant gluing cotton balls on a construction paper star to make a Santa, or making ducks out of clothespins.  I realize now how much work goes into crafts. So to Crafts, I say "I am sorry I was such a snob". I realized how snobby I had been when a person was asking about a necklace I had made, and she said in a very condescending tone, "oh, you just strung that?", as if to say "how boring is she, she might as well be stringing Cheerios".  You know, I really don't want to be that person.

At least we know that's it never too late to change.  I can appreciate the great works of art that hang in the most famous museums, and still appreciate the thought, planning and work that goes into crafts like scrap-booking and mixed media art, things that I'm not into. I realize now, that I don't have to like the finished product, but I understand and can recognize when someone has really tried on something.

On the other hand, if I don't like you, and that sometimes happens, it will be extremely difficult for me to acknowledge your talent. Especially if you "dis" my sister and me.

I actually don't know what prompted me to go off on this rant.  Maybe because I haven't made a post for a while.  In any event, I have been doing  bit of crafting down in the art/craft studio and will soon have pictures to prove it.

Take care, y'all and try not to be a snob. 

Hello Friday...

Hello Friday, Susan here.  Even though I'm not in the traditional work force any more, I still have that "it's Friday!" attitude every week.  I like to think about what has happened during the week, what we have done, and what needs to be done to start a new week. 

The hubby and I have been a bit under the weather this week.  He has been slightly sicker than I. We both had sinus problems, body aches and general malaise.  That's an interesting word and works quite well for how we were feeling, but it you read further down in the Wikipedia description, you will find all kinds of related conditions. but that's another post for another day.

Any hoo, I just wanted to come by and say hi and let you know what artsy creations I have been working on.  As you my know by now, I am once again trying to perfect my knitting and crocheting skills and I have come up with these...

This little table runner/scarf is a practice piece using bulky, self striping yarn.  This is such a cool way to work. Here is a little blurb on About.com explaining a bit about this type of yarn. I didn't realize there was such a thing until I dug a skein out of a care package that Sissy sent.  I started working with it and soon realized what was happening.

The little cosy on the glass jar holding my silk forsythia, started as a practice piece using the knit, purl technique that makes ribbing.  I knitted it flat and then joined the edges together for a matching piece to the table scarf.  I'm planning on using this same technique for a wrist cuff or two.

I learned to crochet back in the 70's, but I never progressed past the basic crochet stitches.  If fact, I didn't even know there were other stitches, but in one of my new magazines, Crochet World, one of the patterns has a stitch called the afghan stitch. This stitch, also called Tunisian crochet is traditionally done with a long crochet hook that has a stop on the end.  After reading and reading the instructions for this technique, I finally had to go to the Youtubes to see it being done.  After seeing it in action, I realized that I could do a smaller version on a regular hook.  After several false tries, I did come up with this.

You may be able to tell that I inadvertently began to decrease the stitches after several rows.  I finally realized that this was happening and made the necessary adjustment.  This is such a cool technique.  It is part crochet and part knitting and makes an almost woven piece of fabric.  I've seen online this method used for yarn items that are then cross stitched on.  Very cool.

Well, that's what I've been up to this week.  That and continued work on the blue knitted shawl.  I hope it is still going to be a shawl.  It started out as a scarf, but I made it too wide.  So I'm calling it a shawl, but I think it will do double duty as a lap rug.  Well, I'm having fun with it and it keeps me off the streets.

Hope everyone is having a great fall.  Remember that I have another blog (check my right hand sidebar) for other projects that my friends, followers and I will be posting online.

So take care and enjoy your weekend.  Happy Friday!

I'm such a slacker...

I know, I'm such a slacker.  I have been doing all kinds of things this month, but I haven't been taking pictures.  Just now I did manage to pick my lazy self up and take a picture of the bracelets I made this month.

The other thing I have been doing is re-learning to knit.  I knitted a scarf about three years ago, shucks, you might remember seeing it here, but my skill level is beginner to be sure.  I am persevering, and my home is now being overrun by squares and rectangles.  Hubby is being very patient, especially when I grumble when I drop a stitch, or even worse, when the entire row of stitches came off.  Anyway, the main reason I want to learn to knit is to make, what else?  Bracelets.  Ones like these...

I figure it won't take me too long.  I saw some similar in a Vogue knitting magazine in 2008, and I will be using that as a pattern.  Wish me luck on that.  In the meantime, I'm practicing on another scarf.  In cool colors this time, aqua and a heathery lavender variegated.  Should be pretty.

Well that's it for awhile.  Hope everyone is enjoying the beginnings of fall.  Take care and have a great weekend.  We'll talk soon.

Guess who we met?

I'm still a procrastinator when it comes to taking photos of all the art jewelry I've made recently, but that doesn't mean I don't have a new picture. Recently we got to meet a sweet gal.  You may know her from Saturday Night Live fame, but she has done so many other things and continues to be a real go getter.  We met her at a meeting of like minded folks in our area and she was so gracious and happy to pose with us for this picture.

 It was extremely hot, with the sun beating down on us, but not too hot for coffee

Yep, it's Victoria Jackson.  She was a sweetheart, just a down home Southern Gal who made it big.  She had a big smile for everyone and when she admired the necklace I was wearing, one I had made a while back, I gave it to her.  Hopefully it will hold up to her active lifestyle (she still stands on her head) and now I can say a celebrity wears my designs.

You might even remember the necklace shown in the photo, if not or if you're a new reader, you can read about it in more detail here.  It was a blog post from 2009.  Sure hope that Vicki doesn't mind wearing a prototype. After seeing it on her I just might have to assemble something similar based on that design.

Well, now that the earthquakes and eye exams are over and there are no longer bats in the basement, I can mosey on down to the studio and create something fun and fab.  I'm currently trying to perfect my bangle bracelet design and I think I've come up with an unusual armature that just might do the trick.  So with that in mind,  I'll go throw some clothes in the dryer, put on my thinking cap and skedaddle.

Have a great week and remember that there is an artist in all of us.

I'm a busy girl...

I've been a busy girl and don't have a new post ready yet.  In the mean time, please hop over to my other blog and check out the latest artist to be showcased.  Hopefully that will hold you over for a few days. 

In between a weekend trip for a family wedding, and getting ready to go to the eye doctor, I just am unsure what my next art will be, so humor me and leave a comment or two at Where We Really Create.

I'll be back soon, so take care and have a great week!