Aaaaah, Spring!!

Warning: Flower Spam. :) I love spring! Granted it sets off my allergies and asthma and means a lot of hard work weeding and raking up leaves and branches, but the results... Well worth it. It all started with just a few of my first flowers poking up,

Then soon enough the tiny little Daffodils poked up and I cut a few for my studio for inspiration (I'm painting them right now in my studio) and they look so delicate and early Spring inspiration.

I posed them next to my mixed media spring box I made and love so much. This box is mine and the first I made, but I have another similar one up at my Etsy store if you are interested.


And then the bushes and trees started budding and I just love to see my Lavender bush that is usually neglected doing so well in the corner of my backyard. It'll be beautiful when it blooms!!

I have a few lilac (accidentally called it lavender earlier, whoops) bushes around, but this one showcases also our personally designed, handmade, painted and made with love picket fence. The fence took a LONG time to make as it was so complicated to cut, sand and paint several layers of paint by hand and then put up. It's time for a new coat of paint, but it looks pretty distressed, too. The amount of work that went into that fence alone makes me never want to move. LOL

And another reason? Stone cottages are hard to find in the city. Here's a view of the back of our 'cottage' viewed through the peach blossoms just starting to bud. Aren't they pretty?

I love that view.

More gorgeous flowers just blooming now...

Even the weeds are blooming and trying to convince me they won't need to be pulled for some new flowers to be planted there in a month or so.

This view is a large stone step we made out of the pieces of huge stone that is in the 'ruins' around our house. The same stone the house was made with over a hundred years ago. They are great for steps or to make a Pagan ritual sacrifice table or something. Just kidding. I use them to make my garden pretty.

And here are my peonies just now growing - they look really ugly at this stage like something alien, but soon they will be gorgeous heavy blossoms with such a beautiful scent...I can't wait!!

You'll note they are heavily protected as are the other two I have - otherwise someone might accidentally run over them with the lawnmower, plus they will need some structure for the heavy flowers to lean on.

And last, but not certainly not least, my neighbor's beautiful Magnolia tree that extends over our yard. So pretty this year!!!!!

Hope you all have something pretty and fragrant to enjoy this spring. I'm so happy I can see most of this from my studio windows. Aaaah...spring. I'm so glad you finally arrived. It was 80 today, can you believe it? Or at least if you live in the midwest? It was so cold a few days ago.

Happy Spring!!

Another Movie Rec - Or Rather - Experience Rec

This weekend is Girl's Weekend Off! My father is off on a wilderness Board Meeting Retreat of some sort with his coworkers and having fun fishing, hiking and doing manly sorts of stuff. (Unfortunately for them this evening they had a horrible storm and tornado scare that sent them all to the basement of wherever they are playing cards and waiting it out - too bad!)

Anyway, while the guy's away - the gals shall play!

We were too tired to get up to much mischief on Friday evening, but first thing in the morning Saturday my mother couldn't wait to go see a movie, not just any movie, of course, the new Craig Ferguson movie as she calls it. LOL (She has a crush I think I've mentioned, we're gonna see him live in Chicago soon) and to the rest of the world it is the animated flick called "How to Train Your Dragon."

As I know there's a lot of parents following my blog I'm sure many of you are being dragged to see it by your kids, (and here, ironically, my mother is dragging me), but I can tell you this - it's pretty good. It's by the makers of Shrek, though I still prefer Shrek and Shrek II, I've always liked dragons and Vikings so it's pretty cute to watch - lots of Nordic Viking details and cool and funny dragons. This pic of the cutest dragon in the movie actually shows him rather scary, but he's so endearing, really. I loved him most of all in the movie. I also loved the girl Viking's clothes - the Gothic chic kinda clothes with little skulls was adorable.

For some reason I can't find a better pic that shows off her outfit - I don't usually like skulls and such, but it's cute here as a belt with the leather studded skirt and her homespun (and rather clingy) shirt. Very cool looking outfit. LOL Obviously the teen boy in the movie falls hard for her. Hard not to like a tough chic that looks like that and fights Dragons! You go, girl!

But I'm not really so much as reccing the movie as the Experience I had - we went to the IMAX 3D version which knocked my socks off!! I've seen the Harry Potter movie with a few 3D scenes in it and was totally underwhelmed - not really worth the extra cost of the movie ticket then, in my opinion, but this entire movie - and it's Shrek 4 trailer were all in 3D - even the logo in the beginning of the film with Dreamworks was cool. You really feel in the movie.

So if you have such an IMAX 3D available to see this movie - or the Alice in Wonderland (which I haven't seen yet) - I totally recommend spending the extra dough for the full experience. Wow was it cool. Whatever new film technology they have for making 3D movies so real - it's amazing.

Yes, I'm gushing, but I just wanted to give parents or just anyone that wants to see the movie a heads up on the 3D. Now as for the Shrek 4 trailer. Funnily enough I'd just thought on the way to the theater that they really shouldn't try to make any more Shrek films - I mean the first one was great and the second one - well, Puss in Boots Rules - but the third one doesn't even register...all I remember is they had some babies...and I own the DVD. I saw their little Christmas special, too...and it just started to feel worn out. But the trailer for Shrek 4 looked original in ideas again and funny as hell - I mean heck. You'll just have to watch the trailer for yourself to see - I was laughing so hard I wanted to see that movie right away. :)

So having a great weekend so far - even went shopping. Kinda nice to have a girlie weekend. Maybe we can hit an Antique Mall or craft store or just make some art and/or crafty tings if we don't feel like going out. Chinese is definitely on the menu. :)

Have a Great Weekend!!!

A Movie Rec, an Article and an Earache, Oh My!

If you liked Gosford Park and/or the BBC Pride and Prejudice with the absolutely perfect (NO OTHER Mr. Darcy exists in my house) Colin Firth then you might enjoy 'Easy Virtue' - a movie I hadn't heard of until I saw it on cable a week or so ago. I LOVED Colin in this movie - the perfect amount of sullen suffering and dry wit (reminds me much of Hugh Laurie in Sense and Sensibility a bit, but with more of a backbone) and I also loved the costumes, the time period - the feeling of Gosford Park scenery and the sarcastic servents (the butler is so great!) and well...I even liked Jessica Biel - what a surprise! She never really registered on my radar of good actresses, but boy was she good in this one!! Wow.

The absolute best part of the movie has to be...the Tango!! Firth is dead sexy when he's dancing. As Mr. Darcy or doing a devil may care tango in front of his seething wife.


There is plenty of humor and acidic wit (Kristen Scott Thomas at her best as evil mother/wife), but the romance and Happy Ending....ahhh, those made me love this movie.

An article to read - for those of us who have love/hate relationship with technology and like a bit of humor - Parade magazine's column by Craig Ferguson. Anyone who has gotten a ticket in the mail or knows someone who has will totally agree. LOL

And finally, an earache from hell. I never really suffered from such a bad earache before - is it usual to radiate down and around your whole half of your skull and cause sooo much pain? I can't sleep on that side at all and getting quite a crick in my neck on the other side. I could even feel it trickling down my throat all night and woke with a bit of an upper respitory infection from it and a cough - ugh. Bad infection = lousy weekend. My jaw hurts and it makes eating hard. Eh, I'm whining, I know.
Luckily I've got my antibiotics and pain pills and it is slowly getting slighty better. The cold rainy weather we got this weekend didn't help one iota. Hope everyone else had a good weekend, though. I'm still a bit cranky, though a new book and dvd are cheering me up right now.

Happy Monday, if such exist...

Post-Pat Day Letdown and a Childhood Memory

Missed a dentist appt. AND St. Pat's Day in a haze of pain, painkillers, heating pads and reading Twilight (caved to pop culture pressure - kinda like peer pressure). I turned around doing some boring task and something went click or snap or something and AAAAAUGH! I hurt my back. And hip. What makes it funnier is it happened just after my mother's knee popped going up the stairs on Sunday. Meant we were in misery together and I was the healthier one only slightly in making sure we were fed and had water.

This is the first year we didn't make corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. I missed that. Oh well. Goodbye St. Patrick's Day, better luck next year, maybe I'll catch a leprechaun.

When I was in the first grade, and very naive - really really gullible, I'm telling you. I believed my First Grade Teacher (Miss Evil - I mean Miss Williams) who told us this thrilling story of catching one on her neighbor's doorstep that morning and then squeezing him until she made a juice out of him, she then passed out cups of green Koolaide and I was horrified and refused to drink it. Is it just me or is that a mean thing to say to a six year old?? My mom was pissed off at her for that because I was almost in tears when I repeated the story to her later that day. Just a funny memory to share of childhood.

She was a bad teacher in a number of other ways and remains my #1 evil teacher of all time, (though I've had worst ones since then), but I attribute my age and childhood trauma to making her so evil in my memory. I'm happy to report she didn't stay a teacher for long, I could tell she didn't like kids so I wasn't surprised. She went on to work with animals and I saw her again at a demonstration in the 5th grade and she was forced to stand in a corner, looking away as the owls and other birds of prey hated her and wouldn't demonstrate their abilities in front of her. See? Animals sense evil - even birds of prey didn't like her. LOL Sorry, just had to share that...

Studio pics and rambling...

You'll have noticed by now that I'm posting more decorating than creative stuff lately. That's mostly due to being sick for the past two weeks or so and continued pain from surgery, especially when I overexert myself on days I feel good - making me feel bad again until that wears off - vicious circle as I the throw myself into cleaning and working on the house to make up for the sick days. Fairly dumb of me - I need to hire a housekeeper. First thing I'll do after my lottery ticket wins.

I do have things that if I just finished them I could show off and maybe even sell, but instead...more decorating things. My studio is like 95% ready (as in constructed - still needs a little work on it) and I've been moving things in, moving them around. Trying to get more inspired to create rather than do boring household chores I'm just not up to, but can't help myself from doing.

So...well, here are a few photos of my studio. Just in case anyone is curious. I promise to get back to the studio to actually work - I'll even show you the mess of my main work table so you can see the trouble of a cluttered mind and the problem of a still-moving-in-process a studio can create. LOL

First - my main paint and finished works cabinet as the big closet got stuffed full of junk by well meaning other folks whilst I was on my back recuperating - ahem! I need to haul all the junk out and sort it out so no peek of the closet yet. This cabinet used to house our DVDs AND my artwork in the living room - I was sort of taking it over a shelf at a time. :O) I like it, got it at Pier One on sale. On top you can see a few of my little houses.
Temporary set up of what the studio feel should be. A mix of inspirational things (like the typewriter and bird tier organizer an just cups of colored pencils, tools, brushes, scissors, etc. Just a little desk area for now - I didn't set it up so I'm not sure what exactly to do with it just yet.

By my daybed is a handy set of drawers, painted a favorite blue-green paint I had once painted the hallway of my house and then found it to be much to much - on furniture it's fantastic, though, I think. On it is finished artwork and on the shelf inspiration and art mixed together.

And yes, the dreaded messy main table, which come to think of it doesn't look any worse than most artist/craftspeople I've seen on their blogs. Am I just too much of a neatnik? Probably. Still, I want to get it organized and pretty even while I'm working.

That's all for today - have a Great Weekend!!

Inspiration Thursday: Spring is here! Okay, almost....

Oh, I know it isn't 0fficially spring yet, but the garden doesn't know it yet, shhh...it's coming alive... And just look at these beautiful crocus flowers...

Just a glimpse of a bit of my room, you can see my white N and a fleur de lis, my white headboard, pale blue walls and the beautiful impressionist painting of ladies at the beach I put up whenever warm weather approaches.

And a common thing for me to do - buy an old lady picture in a gaudy gold little frame that no one wants at the garage sale for like a quarter, paint the frame white and voila:

This is my favorite - got it at a flea market. Love the pink flowers and the detail of water in the glass vase: But sometimes I'm given or I buy a pretty frame and paint it white and then find the perfect little piece of art to go in them and place them around the room - this hangs on the other side of my bed above my other lamp:

And my round mirror - another gaudy gold mirror - this time given to me by my grandmother, I painted it white and LOVE it, I clustered little (varying shades of white) pictures around it and one darn cute small mirror.

Just spreading a little spring around. Have a great day!!

Pretty Little Presents and a Happy Weekend...

A belated post on two really cool gifties I got for Christmas. One, a pair of cool retro heels, rounded toe so '30's an the two little buckles at the toe - oh so cute, even love the caramel color.

They are pretty tall heels,which is what scares me, one good fall is all I need to land me back in the hospital and I've sworn off any future surgeries. I don't want to ever have to go through that again.

Me, awkwardly trying to show you how they look on feet - they'd look better on someone with a tan and like standing and not me taking the pic at an awkward angle while sitting. :)

But they look cool next to my one and only piece of genuine vintage luggage - luggage courtesy of Vintage Fairy Godmother at an antique store, shoes, from my mom an incredible find (at Xmas, mind you!) on the clearance rack and my size. If only I could wear heals, mum. She was so excited to show these to me she couldn't wait - even though she knew there was no chance of me wearing them so soon after the operation, I was still using a cane and sometimes a walker! LOL But I've been admiring them as decoration and they may stay that way. *sigh*

And my second present was one I've waited years for - a few years ago my dad bought my mom a really great high quality shiny silver watch necklace and had it engraved in front with her initials very pretty and on the back an anniversary message - best present he or anyone has ever bought my mom hands down.

Oh, how I coveted that watch and wanted one for my b-day, but unfortunately - there were none to be found or some so really cheapo - totally not the same thing. My mom hunted and hunted herself for one for me and found me this beautiful one:

The front, not too decorative, just a touch, same size as my mom's and just as good a quality of watch. Not just a decorative junkie one like I've seen a few online at fashion shops.

You see what I mean about opening it up and seeing the quality - beautiful face.

And the back?? Oh, my - so decorative and beautiful - the flowers and curly cues. So sweet. And it really is the thought that counts even more - my parents knew how much I wanted a good clock pendant of my own - I LOVE it.

Have a Happy Weekend!!

Happy Anniversary!

To my parents, on their 33rd anniversary!!!! They were high school sweethearts and despite all odds they stuck through the good times and bad and they married far too young, but I'm damn glad they did so...

I love you so much. The ride may have been bumpy along the way, but your marriage is still one I wish I could have one day: one based on friendship, respect, laughter and yes, even tears. But most importantly - frequent hugs and kisses and saying 'I love you' every day.

I Can See Clearly Now...

The lyrics just keep going through my head as I turn my blue-gray walls of the huge main hallway into a light sunshiny yellow. It better be a bright sunshiny day as soon as I finish the monster I started.

See the huge difference? I still love blue, but the yellow is more cheerful, I concede. And brightens up the whole house as soon as you walk in which is what I want.

Just standing in one spot where I've done most of my work you can see what I have to tackle. It is two floors and one wall of the stairs going down to the basement. Oh and another small wall at the foot of those stairs. HUGE job - believe me, our ceilings are really tall and I'll need special equipment to get high enough - not to mention I hate painting walls - the splatters, the fixing of the wood trim as I get paint on it, but then the trim needs retouching in lots of places anyway. I just started the upstairs (not seen here and there is just sooo much work.)

Ack - why do I do this to myself?

I'm supposed to be exercising and rebuilding my strength from the surgery, but I severely doubt this is what my docs had in mind - lots of bending which I'm not supposed to do, pecariously balancing on stairs (see last post for near fatal fall details :) and holding on for dear life at some points. I have pretty much single handidly done this HUGE hall three times - first two times I kept asking my mother - you like this color? 'Tell me now - before I go further, then she'd wait til it was done and then say - no, I don't like it now.' I have her pick out another shade of the color, she likes it much better, I ask again - you're sure - oh yeah! Then, hmmm, nope.' I finally, I told her to just go pick the paint all by herself and that's how it ended up painted a dismal blue - I love blue, but this is a blue that is depressing and dark and makes the hall and whole house dark so we discussed again at GREAT length and looked at magazines and books and finally decided on yellow, but I won't tell you of the year+ we had in discussing the right shade.

And then she chose a different one at the paint store without me anyway - she's driving me up the wall, literally. Ugh. Whatever - this yellow is here to stay. I'm not much of a fan of yellow, except so many pretty magazine pics have yellow hallways and white banisters and they looked so cheerful I decided that was what we needed. Now I get to do the hard work and try to rope others into helping just a tiny bit now and then.

I'm crazy. I'd much rather be working in my studio or anything else, but I just keep singing those lyrics - gonna be a bright, bright, bright, bright sunshiny day... And maybe it will be. It'll take more than one coat to cover up the darker colors, too.

So my hallway wall of pictures and letters I was just showing off a bit will have to change in some ways, I disagree with my mother in putting the gold M back up (see previous posts for pics if you are confused - it's only a few posts back) and I should either paint it or leave it off.

Gold and yellow??? Not golden yellow - it looks like GOLD. Whatta you guys think? I think it'd look better white like the one in my room.

Oh, and I'm repainting my bedroom, too, soon. Yes, for someone that hates to house paint, I sure do it more than anyone would imagine - also need to do huge livingroom/kitchen again as the paint seperated horribly and the patches I tried to do showed clearly it won't turn the same color anymore no matter how hard I stir. *SIGH* Can't even forget the project as I've already had the holes and bumps patched up and currently staring at white patches on beige paint. Ick. Can't live with that for long.

The reason my bedroom needs painting is because I tried the same thing in my room - just touch ups - and the paint as soon as I opened it, though it was absolutely unopened and full, was just ruined - I still stirred and stirred and tried to make do - and it looked worse than when I started - so I try to buy more - the hardware store doesn't carry Ralph Lauren paint anymore, which had my paint color - schoal water. And they couldn't find a paint chip to match it in another paint company, and though I know I had some a while ago - I can't find any currently - I might find one and then just try to match it and avoid the trouble, otherwise - might as well go for a new shade of blue, I guess. *headdesk*

Looking up at the tiny skylight up above me - hoping the work will be worth it for that little light to bounce off the yellow.

Spring brings out the worst in me - cleaning, redecorating and painting - they sound good in theory and are horrible to do alone. LOL

Whoopsy Daisy!

Nearly took a header down the flight of stairs in my house - all due to my bad loose slippers(they are evil and have caused me to hurt myself in the past, I'm through with them now).

I need some that are like ballet flats, glued to the feet and not loose and leaving me twisting my feet terribly like today. I'm so lucky I grabbed the banister as I twisted around. And the banister is loose already so I'm also lucky it held, too. We really, really need to fix those stairs and secure the banister - too many accidents!

So, anyone got a good brand of slippers in mind?? I had some, but wore them out and can't find any decent ones. I'm figuring I'll have to find some online.

Everyone else - be careful, it's actually been only one in a series of several small accidents and bad things today - I'm rather wary now. What else will happen?? *knocks on wood*

So, the whole reason I went up and down the stairs was to get my paint clothes - I'm gonna try out the new paint color we bought for the hall, the soft grayish blue in the main hall seemed dismal and dark - so now we're going for a buttery, sunny yellow - boy I hope this one works, I've painted this huge hall three times already since we bought the house and I'm sick of doing it, but we never get the color right.

Have a Happy Tuesday, and cross your fingers for me. LOL