New Art in the Works...

This past monday i went to visit my friend Greg in "almost hill country." Here is one of the longhorns and the new calf that was about 3 days old when i got there. cute, but still wild.
Greg warned me that the ranch would be getting rid of all the scrap metal, so if i wanted some better come and get it. So i did. He had saved me some rusted old fence-looking material. Today i started cutting one of the pieces into parts to make art. Here is what they look like now-stage 1. will post more as i work on them.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~Wishing you a very Merry Christmas~
look closely at santa~we made a quick stop by my brother's house last night...couldn't resist.
Santa & the reindeer had one heck of a party!

Fra-GEEL-lay

Took my parents to Fire Oak Grill on sat for dinner. It was really good~Britton-the owner added this lamp to the front window for the Christmas season. I think it's great! Had my dad pose with it for a picture. Very appropriate for the holiday season!
I just got back tonight from a visit to my friend down south/west. I'll post some of my scores tomorrow. got some good stuff to use in art~

199

This is my 199th post~one more to a milestone-yea, whatever.
Thought i would finally update-and yes i'm still alive.
this first picture is my recent trash find. It's going to be painted and made into a chalk or memo board- Then we come to the "Life of Riley" literally. This is Riley staking his claim to the bed. Don't let his size fool you-he can be mean-jeckyll/hyde-ish really. Had dinner with a few friends last week. Had alot going on around here, so haven't done much art and what i did, didn't take a picture of...but soon.

Not Much Art

As you can see from my posts/pictures lately there isn't much art. (if any) I get ideas, but step into the artroom and *poof* the desire leaves. So my goal before my christmas break from work is to clean the damn room so i can actually do something in there. I think the clutter is stopping up my mind. doesn't help that i managed to lose my camera chip somewhere between the car and the house. It was reallllly windy that day so it probably blew to kansas. I did start working on some wood blocks that i started in the spring-so hopefully can post those soon.
On a good note, i went w/my parents to a free dinner(that was actually good) and talk done by her Chiropracter. (where i will be going next wk) I won a "spa" doorprize-lotion/shower gel/soap/bath scrubbie so that made my night.
happy weekend !

This book has just been released (finally!) and susan tuttle is having a give-a-way on her blog. OR, you can simply go here
and order your own copy!

A Day of Sharing Song

Lk Ludwig had the idea for us all to share favorite music-sounds that inspire. You can go to her blog to see what others have posted. What i listen to depends on my mood that day-too many to pick a favorite.
I've just posted a link to this: Mario Frangoulis
you tube video. I think he has a wonderful voice.

What i came home to fri night (and Addison)

I went out fri afternoon for about 2 hrs. When i walked into the door-in a dark house-my first thought was "what the h*#%" then i knew.
My yarn. I took a bunch of yarn to work fri to show a girl how to make a woven purse. It was in a large cloth bag in a chair. I thought it was fine-i knew Nala liked to get into yarn and would teach the other two how to do it too. I was wrong. I was accessible to her. As Gary said, "think how much fun they had with it." Easy for him to say-he won't be the one trying to unwind the mess. 8 of them are done so far. The mess circled the couch and love seat, into the dining room-into the living room again a few times and on the couch. Yes, they had fun.
Lastly, had to post Addison and her evil eye. She is only 1 yr old and she has it down already.

A Quote

Saw this on a church marquise today:
We grow old too fast and wise too slow

how very true~

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

"Around the House"

As promised here are some pictures around the house. Tonight i'll be baking and cleaning-tomorrow i pig out! Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends!
the first picture is of stuff i bought when we were in austin last wk. the other 2 are in my dining room.

Busy Busy

I decided (or maybe i actually have a bit of energy now) that it was WAY past time to get the house into shape. I've spent the day really cleaning and putting up clutter. I'm going to post some pictures "around the house" once i get done and you can see a few display areas now that they are clean :)

Artful Blogging

Have you checked out the latest Artful Blogging mag?
I love discovering new blogs through this publication.
If you haven't looked at any of them, you are missing
a treat!

Austin Trip

Gary and I were off mon/tues so we planned a quick trip to Austin. This trip was planned around a few restaurants we had seen on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives. Mon we headed down-i "napped" on the way as i still have a bit of nausea from getting off my meds. We had planned to eat at Casino El Camino, but they don't open until 4, so we went to Milto's, an old favorite, for pizza. We checked out Uncommon Goods and another shop on SoCo, then headed for the hotel. We got checked in a bit after 5, i napped for real-think gary fell asleep too. We got up-decided on what all we would do and headed to 6th st. We found the place easily, parked and went in. It looked bigger on tv :)
The "restaurant" is actually inside a bar-you go to a window past the bar to order-They had a fine b&w old movie on w/subtitles that we got sucked into watching. Had to be from the 50's. Got our food about 25 min later-it was so-so. Not as great as i was expecting. Gary said the same. We walked around 6th st-got some pecan pie to go at another joint and by now it was time to head for the movie. Bond, James Bond. Enjoyed the movie-"Home" close to midnight-so we had a midnight snack of very fattening pecan pie.
Tues we slept in. We headed for Maria's Taco Express for lunch. Wow. Gary got a plate lunch and i got a beef fajita taco and rice. We got some chips too. Everything was so fresh.
I decieded to try the chicken fajita taco too-ton of chicken and excellent. We were stuffed to say the least and will go back here again. The bldg is really cute too with fun atmosphere. Went to an antique mall we like, headed north and hit IKEA since gary had never been, then homeward bound. Nice time together but much too short!

This is cool

Saw this on Carla's blog
You are supposed to bold the ones you have done.

1.Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

What the HELL are they thinking?

Driving home tonight i saw FIVE-houses w/Christmas Lights on. What are they thinking?
CHristmas lights, trees, etc... should NOT go up until the day after thanksgiving at the earliest.
I'm not a scrooge, i just don't see the need for this-it was bad enough that walmart had a tree in the lobby and music the day after halloween!

Want to mention a blog give-a-way: go here
for your chance to win a handmade journal!

Withdrawal

I have come to the conclusion that i am NOT cut out to be a junkie. I am currently tapering off a drug i've been on almost 2 yrs and it is not fun. I had a regulary scheduled dr visit yesterday and when they say "any problems" the floodgates opened. I feel like my body fell apart the last 2 wks.
Then my dear hubby reminded me-"you're going off your meds" and it's withdrawal. whew. i thought i was headed for an early grave-although the headaches have to be checked out. (no, it's not a tu-ma) to quote arnold.
How bad can it be you ask? Well, just imagine driving down the most winding, bumpy road in the middle of august in a car w/no suspension or air conditioning. That's just for starters. Then add nausea worse than that of a pregnant woman. Top that with the dull headache in the back of your head and throw in some shakes now and then just for laughs. Toss in the fact that most music, noise, talking irritates you and you can hardly concentrate on reading anything due to all of the above. Fun. I HIGHLY recommend it-to all my enemies.
Don't do Drugs. (Because at some point, you WILL have to get off them-then it's not worth it!)

Another Cemetery Visit

Gary took me to Cleburne sun to check out a cemetery and some antique stores. Got a few pictures~ the stone is one of two little siblings. the other is obviously the grave of a child. Sad how many babies died back then. This last one i wanted to post on tues-for Veteran's Day-in honor of all who have given their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom-and for all who have served.
When we were out sun, i felt a bit carsick-unusual for me. We got home and watched a movie-the nausea was still there a bit, but the headache started coming on-the migraine. I spent the rest of the eve and all day mon in bed-went to work tues-still not back to normal until last night-hence the late vet day post...

Etsy Updated

Etsy is updated and ready for "first friday"

Halloween Night

Tonight i met Suzanne and Addison for dinner at Firehouse subs (yum-they have the best meatball subs) Addison is walking like crazy-exploring everything she can. Here she is at dinner~
i just love having a little girl in the family!

Happy Halloween

OK-so i'm a day late. We had a power surge (as did my sis) around 5pm or so and computer wasn't back up until this afternoon. (yea gary!)
I had planned to post a story i jotted down yesterday at work (slow day) so here it goes-better late than never:

The house was perfect-maybe bungalow was a better word-just enough room for Abigail and her dog Jack. The surrounding woods were awash in autumnal color-reds, yellows, oranges and a touch of brown. The air was crisp and October was here. Abby knew she had moved in just in time-cooler weather but no snow yet. She had arranged to have the inside of the house painted prior to her move to freshen it up-and cover a scratched area in the living room. It looked like an animal had gotten in while the house was vacant and tried to get at something in the wall. She still had boxes to unpack, but Jack needed to go out for his walk and she wanted to explore the woods. She said the word "walk" and he was at the door waiting for his leash. He was sniffing everything he could while she enjoyed the atmosphere. The crunching of leaves, the colors, the smell of autumn. She could hear geese honking in the distance-it was then she fell over something. She got up, dusted the leaves off and that is when she saw it. The lone tombstone.
It simply read "Laura." What in the world was that doing here-in the woods-not a cemetery. Who was Laura? Maybe she could do some research in town. It was then she noticed it was starting to get dark and she really didn't want to be lost out here after dark. She and Jack headed back. She felt relief once they reached the porch. She fed Jack and started her own dinner. Once that was cleaned up she took a long bath, got out her book and sat by the fire she had started and read. She couldn't keep her eyes open very long-it had been a tiring day, so she went on to bed.
2a.m. Something woke Abby up. She heard a noise. She couldn't quite make it out, but it seemed to come from the direction of the living room. She was so tired, she soon fell back asleep and forgot about it.
After several weeks, she and Jack fell into a comfortable routine. Jack would go out for a romp in the woods in the mornings while Abby got ready for her day. They would both head for her studio in town. When they got home, daylight permitting, they would go for a walk, then have dinner.
By this time, Abby had touched up the paint in the living room a few times. She knew she was going to have to call the painter and have him put some type of sealer on it. She would do that on monday-it was friday-and Halloween; no need to bother him tonight. All day long she had seen kids in town in their costumes-pirates, ghosts, witches and a few she couldn't identify. All the businesses had handed out candy to them to jump start their Trick-or-Treating. She and Jack had their dinner, then sat by the fire she had started. She treated herself to the cookies she had bought at the local bakery. She fell asleep by the fire, perfectly content in this new life.
2 a.m. A noise woke her from her sleep. The fire had died out to embers. The noise seemed to come from behind her. She turned to look-it seemed there was someone there in the shadows! Scratching. at the wall in a frenzied manner. Abby screamed, then passed out from fright.
The next morning she checked the wall. She knocked on the paneling-it seemed hollow around that area. She ran and got her tool kit-tried to pry the boards loose. A section came loose-the back of the paneling had scratches too. It seemed to cover a little closet. She got her flashlight-saw something on the ground right at the entry-it was a locket. It read "Laura."

More Cemetery Photo's

three more photos from monday. The one headstone was so unusual that i wanted to include it also. The other two are self explanatory~

A Visit to the Cemetery

Gary and I ventured north mon since we were both off and had lunch at Fishmonger's. (where we hadn't been in yrs) then went to a cemetery in dallas (greenwood) so i could take some pictures. These are just a few. The first is unusual-had never seen one like this. It was a child and has clothes draped over-you can even see shoes and a hat. The second has the bird and flowers-the third is another bird. I'll post more later this week.

The Twins

I participated in a small exchange with two friends from out of town-halloween/doll was our theme. These are the dolls i made to send to them. When i receive mine-i'll post those too.

Playing

Found this site (picnik) through another blog and was playing with it a little today.
here is one of my photo's that i enhanced. This site has all kinds of options for playing with your photo's. You can add wording also. The effects are fun too-neon, duo-color, puzzle, fractured...you name it. Check it out.

Ft Worth Nature Center

Gary and i went to the Nature Center in ft worth. Here are a few photo's of the place. There are bison, prairie dogs, wildlife and several different land areas. (plains, wetlands etc...) the bobcat was one in captivity (a family pet) that was given up. His claws had been removed, so he is caged. the final picture is a frog-look closely-biggest damn frog i've ever seen!

Quick Update

Wanted to update w/pictures, but gary changed something and i can't upload til he shows me what he did. so i'll just publish a non-photo post.
I learned some new spanish words this week. Nely teaches me ones when i ask. I learned that calzone in spanish is "underwear" and penne-as in penne pasta is a word for the male anatomy. To show my grasp of the words, i used them in a sentence... "Keep your penne out of my calzone"
Yes, it got a laugh at work.
Maybe tomorrow evening i will update with pictures.

Nearing Oct

A faint touch of coolness is in the air...could october be near?
I've been nursing an excruciating headache for the last 3 days-hoping it will subside soon.
I did take the time to get out one halloween tablecloth-and the peanut m& m's... more soon.

Journal "Essentials"

Carol Parks has asked "what 10 things are journal essentials to you. Her is my list (currently anyway.


10 journal essentials
*glue stick
*paint
*black pen/whatever will write over paint or what i use to color page
*photos
*dbl stick tape
*staz on black ink
*old papers
*stabilo pencils
*scissors
*various colored markers

Hurricane Clouds

yes, these are actual hurricane clouds-over north texas today. Not just your run of the mill clouds but honest to goodness hurricane ones... :) (not too great a picture-taken as my batteries were dying)
Had an idea for some art-so i'm off.

This Week (ie nothing much)

Didn't do any art so far this week. The dogs got into a fight w/Mia-my fault-she got cut up pretty bad and had to go to the vet. She got staples in her head & neck (I guess stiches are passe) She will be fine but was scary.
Thurs was the 7th anniv of Sept 11. I thought about it on several occasions throughout the week but don't think it hit me until driving home from work-seeing flags at half mast. Gave me chills.
I leave with a picture of jack and riley. Riley climbed into the couch cushion that they tore up and i sewed shut-to no avail. anyway, here he is inside the cushion playing with jack...

Last Week in Pictures

Here is what i was up to last week-after managing to jam my finger at work...the yellow piece has a glass background. The pieces are the broken pieces i found when visiting greg. The boy/girl i did one night while playing with background colors. The little "film" girl i just had the idea for and did it... hopefully, i'll be inspired this week to make something too!