Photographic Memory

Pint-Sized Perfection!

2010-02-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

You can see her calm demeaner from a distance. This tiny angel always seems to have one of two expressions going: either quiet contemplation or happy amusement. In terms of little cutie-pies, she's the very definition. It simply doesn't get any cuter than this. I was so excited when I saw her and her mom out walking their dog one day last week. I ran in and got my camera and patiently waited for their return. She is precious and, even with no preparation, and not knowing ahead of time that their pictures would make it to the digital "kodachrome" shall we say, she still took amazing pictures. Of course, if you met her mom, you'd totally get how that happens!

Parents dream about having children like this. In fact, her parents dreamed about having children like this. And their prayers were answered twice over...Her big sister was still at school but is just as perfect.

Starting Anew!

2010-01-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

It's official! I am ripe for some major change. I'll spare you all the details because, for the most part, the details are just plain boring!!!. I think almost all of us have felt what I'm experiencing these days for our own reasons. How did I get to a point where I was no longer living by my own rules and was constantly scrambling to fit my time and life to the needs of others?? Sometimes even to the needs of others I don't know well or am not particularly fond of. I can promise it was/is NOT pretty.

For me, a new year always brings out thoughts of resolutions and fresh beginnings--basically a chance to make right anything that is bothering me. This year the need for change is not subtle and feels so all encompassing that I am genuinely struggling not to feel overwelmed with the amount of transforming I will need to do if I want to reach that sense of peace. Middle of the night... my thoughts go to things like: Should I sell my business that I have no time for or wait until I can garner a fair price for it? Should I completely re-do the house because I'm no longer who I once was when I accumulated so many things that, while still loved, are always in my way? Do I finally listen to my own strong internal urge for simplicity and clean every closet, cupboard, drawer and THAT peace-of-mind-blowing garage? Yes, THAT garage. Will I overcome the fact that I want simplicity but honestly don't know where to begin when it comes to my house? It will take such a commitment and I doubt my stick-to-it-iveness. I think I'm a fairly intelligent person but it bugs the daylights out of me that my "it's all got to get done mindset" is keeping me from really getting anything done. My best hope is rather than taking it as a whole, instead to try breaking it down to smaller more realistic tasks and learning to accept results that are not instant.

So that said, here's how I'm dealing with the post Christmas accumulations these days. Taking apart the holidays used to be such a job. So much undecorating. Alot of tedious work with no enjoyable end-result other than the satisfaction of finally having it done. The past few years, I've made a conscious effort to not make myself crazy getting it all done and that extends to choosing decorations and dressings that can stay in place a little longer once the holiday passes. I can go about the undecorating more lazily and that is an unexpected effect that I really like! Enter the pears above and the hydrangeas and white poinsettias. I really loved them (for awhile) but both have seen better days and even with a relaxed approach, at this point, they just have to go! One workable, realistic task down, tomorrow another. I am ready for some change. In my home. In my outlook. And in my life. So...Stand back.

I have always believed that people change things that aren't working for them ONLY when they are ready so I guess that means I finally am just that. It really is official; it's time to start anew!

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

2009-12-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

Every year, honestly every single year, I swear that the next Christmas will be less chaotic, more full of peace. Teaching myself to slow down enough to enjoy all the days of Christmas and not just the days when I finally finish my yearly 500 yard dash has not come easily. Keeping it simple has always worked best for me but there are just so many "important" things about this season. I let the cards go unsent last year after many years of creating my own cards annually and , you know what? ...It was fine! I did make cookies but not the number or variety of previous years and I slipped in a few made from ready-made dough. Again, no body cared--they gobbled up the store bought dough ready-mades as if I had toiled for hours! Even the tree is pared down to silver balls, lights and a little ribbon. The humble simplicity of these decorations seems to suit the rest of our decorating and we can decorate a tree in very little time leaving alot more time to just sit back and enjoy it. We love a well dressed tree but at Christmas, even an undecorated tree is lovely. Believe me I've been tempted to give the undecorated tree a try too.

I'm striving to find the perfect balance where I've done enough to make it special without driving myself crazy trying to make it perfect.

Away In A Manger

2009-12-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

Every time Christmas rolls around, I find myself thinking wistfully of the days when my children were tiny. The magic of the season is so much more profound when witnessing how children experience it. So... Christmas shots of tiny people and their sweet tender expressions is one of my absolute favorite things. One precious little face (and hands) that I took pictures of for holiday cards was intended to look like a snow princess but when all was said and done, her delicate features and little face ended up looking like part of a nativity seen. I LOVE it!

And then these sweet chubby little fingers. They'll be gone by next year and they'll be replaced by true little girl fingers! I'm sure it's enough to make her parents water up but for now these fingers.... Oh my!

Wrapped in icy blue fabric, she almost looks cold but I promise... it was hot enough here for bathing suits. Within shot of an enticing playground and feeling the heat, this little princess was such a great sport.

Going to the Beauty Pah-lah!

2009-09-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying, I absolutely LUVVVVV this guy. He's funny, smart, and easy to talk to. Why, if he wasn't already involved with someone, I'd probably be tempted to stalk him. Just kidding, of course.

As far as appointments go, there are few (maybe less than that) appointments, no matter what they are for, that I ever look forward to. I hate having my time structured with "must-do" meetings. However, when it comes to the oh-so-revered trip to the stylist, I can hardly wait. If you enjoy having someone run their fingers through your hair, I feel in fairness, I ought to tell you that people line up for this man. He's just that great a stylist and that nice of a guy! Then there's his assistant, she's as fun as he is and she glows from the inside out. Honest, it's the truth! She doesn't even wear makeup. Isn't she pretty?

I have never had awesome hair. Never. But this man has definitely given it a fighting chance. And even better? While I'm captive in his chair, I laugh MORE than I have since the last time I was sitting before him with foil attenae sprouting from my head. My hair and I walk in withered from the world and all its complexities and he and "his PEEPS" go to work restoring spirits. I am not making this up either. You leave a happier person than you walked in and... with a better looking mane! Maybe he should hang a shingle but don't tell him that because I kinda like that it comes naturally and without an added cost. Levity is good for the soul and, apparently, it's been great for my tresses too. I mean, talk about fringe benefits (I honestly couldn't NOT throw in that pun).

Seems I've been talking to them for awhile about taking some pictures but we've never quite gotten around to it. Yesterday, I took the party to them! They weren't expecting it and they were way too busy to spend any time dealing with a photographer so I shot a few of them but, mostly, I got the details that make them and their place special. He loves religious medals (And he knows I do too). Since it had just been his birthday, he had a gift to show me (2 pics down). The rest are simple detail shots I caught while my hair was "curing." I tell you I just love this place and I love them!

Parting is such sweet sorrow!

Thankfully, I'll be back!

Old MacDonald Had A Cow...

2009-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

In this exercise, I painted the same subject from the previous week (but from a different perspective). The deal this time was to use lots of colors--even some I would never pick myself. This week everyone in the class (25 people) picked a color that I had to include in my painting. It didn't matter if it was just a dot, the main thing was I had to use each color somewhere. Remember, it still needed to be done in 5 minutes! The second painting (Just Us Chickens) wasw also done quickly and is now the 4th painting in the farm series I have somehow, unintentinally, started. Ee-Ii-Ee-Ii-Oooo!

The Cow Who Jumped Over The Moon

2009-09-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

I painted my little bovine friend last week. I intended to paint a friendly cow and most likely a girl but I think she's just going to have to be a "he" because somehow "Bessie" isn't feeling like a good fit, namewise, for my hefty range rover.

Occasionally, the woman who conducts the art class I take gives us an assignment to paint with some kind of restriction-- whatever she can think of to mix things up-- it can be to use our fingers as brushes or to paint with your left hand if you're right-handed and vice versa OR to paint without a model, picture, or under drawing. Basically, using only the image as we have it in our heads. Last week, the challenge she gave me was to paint an image from my head using only three colors in, get this, less than five minutes. I was counting my lucky stars (no celestial pun intended) because I figured this challenge would get done, one way or another, without breaking too much of a sweat. So... that was last week. My boy cow was painted fast--in fact, I did make the less than five minute time requirement (with only seconds to spare)-- and then left to dry til the next class.

So fast forward a week... When I checked on him yesterday, he looked a little different than I remembered him and some of the colors had changed slightly after drying. I thought he resembled the moon's surface, texture and hue wise. My brain totally went with it. Before long I was mumbling childhood nursery rhymes and thinking about dishes running away with spoons. So whether it's his countenance that looks like the swiss cheese face on the moon, the colors that look sort of moon surfacey (is that even a word?) or simply his oh-so-implied lunar leap, this guy has earned his title... The Cow Who Jumped Over the Moon!

Branching Out

2009-08-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

Not exactly what the FTD florist delivers but I decided to create a bouquet or two. Normally, I paint in less vivid color but... I'm branching out. Get it?

Airing Our Dirty Laundry

2009-08-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

I am a mother of four--that's right FOUR--boys! Handsome, funny and almost completely disinterested in clothes. So it should be something of a surprise, and it is, even to me, that... lying awake a few nights ago, I thought of making an embellished "very girl-y" t-shirt completely from a single let's-just-say "no longer used undergarment." I woke up the next morning and decided that I was going to give it a try before the week's events conspired and I simply forgot to try. Of course, first there was the little matter of getting every one to school which at times is the major stresser of my entire day. That done, I still wanted to give it a whirl. I know... I amaze myself sometimes. Mothers of school-age children out there, you know what I'm talking about.

Most of the t-shirts in our arsenal of unusable laundry are wearing the discoloration that comes from constant washing in a mineral-laden water supply but I did manage to find one that was fairly white and still in pretty good shape. Seemed a shame to relegate it to the ragpile anyway so I cut away the sleeves of the shirt that just moments before it was destined for a future of dusting and polishing.

The embellishing material came only from the sleeves which I cut from my too-small and cast-off Fruit of the Loom Tee.

Then I decided to try dye-ing it another color. I was thinking maybe a soft teal but...after a thorough check, I discovered Mother Hubbard's Pantry was completely out of that color dye so, as a second choice, I opted for diluting some red dye. I wanted to get a soft pink. This is what I got instead...

Not necessarily a bad color. Just too pink for my taste.

The neckline was easy--rolled down and stitched. Really, it was that simple.

All I can say is... Thanks to the magic provided by a little bleach, I got to the

soft blush color I was after with one washing! Clorox is definitely my close friend.

Mix & Match (After)

2009-08-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

Sadly, the color of the gerber daisies in ALL of these pictures is much more vibrant than it looked in real life and the thistle doesn't show up as well in pictures as it did in reality but here is how it all came together. I was pleased but, best of all, my mom was surprised and I think her friends had fun. Little brown paper packages (of course) filled with chocolates and tied with ribbon and roses were the take home favors. Instead of birthday cake and candles, I had individual cakes which were served on some of my small cake pedestals. I love how these little desserts looked grouped together at all the different heights and I really LOVED surprising my mom and her friends!

Mix & Match (Before)

2009-08-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

This week one of my very favorite people in the whole world celebrated her birthday. MY Mom! Easily one of the nicest and most caring women you could ever run across. I know it and there's absolutely NO chance I could ever forget as people tell me that ALL of the time. I promise it's the truth!

She has a fabulous circle of friends. There are ladies she "garden clubs" with, ladies she "book circles" with, lovely women she knows through charities and other women's organizations, friends who share a love of theatre, orchestra and opera plus the women (some solo and some with husbands) whom she and my dad socialize with. But... there's this tiny group of women that get together every time one of them is celebrating a birthday and for this group I decided to throw a birthday luncheon instead of their standard get-together.

I made a tablecloth out of this fabric and used pink bandanas for the napkins. If you don't know me, it won't take long to realize that I'm all about about juxtaposition! Naturally, I liked that the bandana is ultra casual and yet the fabric has a more "dressed-up" feel. They match, but... then again, they don't. Sometimes, my "which one doesn't really completely belong?" approach is more obvious but here I think it's really pretty subtle.
I had a great time doing all of this because it was for someone so special AND because my sweet friend Elizabeth helped with all the behind the scene stuff. Friends now for almost ten years, I think my mom almost thinks of Elizabeth as a daughter too.

The flowers were plentiful and, yes, I realize I went a little overboard but I also think that having too much to work with beats coming up short. I used lots of roses, gerber daisies and thistle. I'll give you the details on the grand finale tomorrow!

Playing with Dolls!

2009-08-09T10:47:00.001-07:00

A friend and I took her little girl to the park so I could take some pictures. I was thinking she would have a ball playing and, since she'd be completely happy, I'd get some great candid shots which would be awesome for any parent to have. Let me just say, I was right and, sadly, also wrong about my assumption. This little doll is really quite the "observer of nature." She was so busy noticing everything in the park that getting her to laugh and giggle simply didn't happen. But, as a happy consequence, capturing her "uncheesy" grin and sweet natural expressions was a snap (no pun intended). The full color shots are cute but that really wasn't what I was going for; the same shots in black and white are some of my favorites of the week.

I adjusted the contrast in the duplicate picture above just to see if I liked it better and I ended up liking them both so... I'm not deciding. At least not right now.

I LOOOOVE this little expression. Doesn't it just make you wonder what she's thinking about?

What a Doll!

The Icing On The Cake

2009-08-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

I know almost nothing about cake decorating. I'm not just saying it either. I honestly have the big "nada " when it comes to cake decorating know-how or experience but I am a painter and I figure that ought to help me somehow. I may be fooling myself but I figure between "Charm City Cakes" and "The Cake Boss" programs on TLC, I've been inspired enough to believe that I ought to give it a whirl. I guess you could say, I'm a woman on a mission.

I often avoid store-bought cakes because of the shocking vibrance of bakery-counter colors, so I decided to try some neutralized pastels and some fun colors for flowers. Though you can't see them all in this picture, for the most part, I liked how these colors turned out but the frosting was really too soft for some flowers and too stiff for others. I'm filing this under "lessons learned" and will keep messing with texture and color for a few days. I'll let you know what happens and if it even looks remotely edible, I'll post a picture in a few days. In other words, don't go holding your breath!

Exchanging Favors

2009-08-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Brown Paper Packages, Tied Up With...

Fortune Cookies in a Box

There's something about the little something extra that a take-home favor provides. It just makes the event seem more special. And what it does for the table is amazing!

Swing Low...

2009-08-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Empty. I know, It doesn't seem right to me either. But then, I have told you how hot it is here, haven't I? And, did I mention the mosquitoes? Well, swings like these are enough to bring even the most committed of the "indoor types" out for a little lazy afternoon. Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons but I swear I just can't wait for Fall!

Pink and Brown(ies)

2009-07-27T18:10:00.001-07:00

When it comes to color combinations, the partnering of pink and brown is one of my favorites. There must be a thousand different ways to combine the many shades of both colors and, in my opinion, most of them turn out to please the eye. I love the really subtle combos but I've fallen for some of the more vibrant pairings as well. Pink and brown are great enough so when you throw in some fancy caramel brownies well... my heart just beats a little faster. Or maybe it's my dieter's guilty conscience--for those who don't know, I've been known to indulge on occasion. I mean, after all, a girl's gotta live!

The Absence of Color

2009-07-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but... Sometimes, I get bored. It's not that I don't have something to do--just nothing stimulating. When the urge to do something interesting extends to the decor on the inside of my house, I have to remind myself not to go too overboard with the reinvention. It's not that I'm afraid of change because I'm really not (at least not that I'm admitting here); it's just that my favorites are still the same old things. Yes, I may fall madly in love with the latest looks but the crush won't last and I know that about myself. I like lots of things and am tempted to try new designs for awhile but, just like in a relationship, dating it and living with it are not the same kind of experience. Life parallels aside, you really don't even want to get me started.

So I may occasionally have the urge to throw in a strong color or try a totally different type of furniture but I keep coming back. I love neutral and that's all there is to it. I guess I know what soothes me and gives me comfort. I work with color. Having tons of it in my house isn't what I want. I've heard comments for years about neutral being for the design timid souls of the world but I, for one, want to clearly state my dissenting opinion. Neutral doesn't have to be unadventurous--at least, not if it's done right and it isn't necessarily a "playing it safe" choice. Just today, I was thinking of taking a walk on the wild side... perhaps I'll change some slipcovers from white cotton duck to homespun linen and then really liven things up with some natural ribbon trim on the edges of my curtains.

Brown Paper Packages

2009-07-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Something about this picture makes me think of "The Princess and the Pea." Except, of course, that in this case, the item that doesn't belong in the guest bed is on top instead of under ten mattresses. And except that I can't remember how that story even ended. And... except the gift wasn't intended to tell me anything about my guest; I only wanted to show how special their visit was to me. I placed it on a pillow at the foot of the bed and kind of fell in love with the way it looked. No planning at all. Love when that happens. I used silk ribbon which I hand-dye for my business (Brown Paper Packages) and naturally, a brown paper covered box. I don't think it even mattered what was inside...

Oddly Fascinating

2009-07-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

A large department store chain holds a fixture and prop sale about once a year in my town. The worn out, damaged or just no-longer-loved stuff of display teams is hauled to a huge open blacktop area surrounded by a chain-link fence. This goes on for several weeks before the actual day of the sale. Though there is an open sided tent for anything requiring special handling, most of it sits out exposed to the elements--bright sun, heat, rain, wind etc. Since the sale's location is nearby, I can see some of the recent additions whenever I go past during this oh-so-enticing accumulation phase.
Anyway, people line up for hours before it opens. There are usually even a number of people who camp out the whole night before--I guess they get some kind of a memo telling them the world will stop spinning if they are not the first ones through the gate. I'm a pretty dedicated finder-of-things but I just can't see the pajama party angle. There's plenty for everyone so... at least, so far, I've only been crazy enough to show up an hour or two prior to the opening stampede. My friends and I make the most of this unusual get-together time and have alot of fun talking, eating breakfast and cracking open our first diet coke of the day. In other words, it's not all work.

No matter what the arrival time...Very few walk away empty handed.

Generally, I like older fabric dressforms but, on this day, for some mystical reason, I found the surreal-ness of these manequins and form parts almost other-worldly. My gut instincts couldn't decide whether to file this under cool or creepy OR both!

Cameo Appearance

2009-07-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't actually ever worn a cameo but, hey, that's no reason not to dress up a

thing or two. These are plaster relief cameos that have the finish of unfired bisque. I wasn't sure what the results would be when I decided to try and make them but their unfinished look makes me like them even more than the originals.

Oh, the ideas these things have given me!

Just Because

2009-07-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's hot here. I mean, REALLY hot!

And, to make matters worse, it's so humid that everything is in a constant state of "damp." That said, outdoor entertaining at this time of year is hardly the stuff dreams are made of. Winter is an unrecognized season/word where I live--it just doesn't exist except in our dreams. And Fall is threatening to join the list of the "gone missing." Even so, each year when the temperature starts to dip, however infrequently, to anything below 95 degrees, I start thinking about hosting an

outdoor get-together. Some times, I've even gotten around to doing it.

Last year, my friend Elizabeth and I hatched this idea to turn her porte cochere (that's a carport to most of us) into an outdoor dining room. We didn't have a special event or reason ... it was just because! Spurred on by each other's enthusiasm, we actually did set it up. Now, carports are NOT generally beautiful places but her home is "older" and, architecturally speaking, we could probably have held a lovely dinner just doing nothing more than putting a table and chairs in the middle of it. We, however, had bigger plans. So, we hoisted out an oriental carpet, hung a chandelier and brought out the "good stuff." Oh yes, and to create an intimate atmosphere, we draped some fabric panels as a curtained entrance. This definitely was NOT your typical Sunday barbeque.

Starting with the basics, we gathered our supplies. The idea was to make our celebration simple but special and to use what nature was making readily available.

The table turned out great but it was the food that stole the show. I, for one, am all about the appetizers. If I had to choose one food to live on the rest of my life, it would be a savory vs. a sweet dessert. But on this day, there was something for everyone.

For those who think chocolate is a cure for almost anything, there was this....

It might be dark and rich but it was simple and it still had such "presence."

The table settings were inspired by fall plants from a local store.

Ornamental kale!
I think it is just about the most interesting vegetable-- color and texture wise, that is. At least that's what I thought that day. Then...shrub clippings for the individual settings!

This year, if I can find the time, who knows?

Loving Stuff

2009-07-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

I love beautiful things, extraorodinary things AND most of all ordinary things used in unexpected and exceptional ways. I spend alot of my time creating. And I'd be the first to plead guilty to also spending an unbelievable number of hours un-earthing these things and giving them new life. I do it because, like many people, I can see the absolute exquisiteness and beauty in the most simple things. The plain and simple truth is...I appreciate stuff in it's everyday form! This little, shall we say, "ability" of mine has me bursting out of the walls.

And... unfortunately, it also keeps me from getting to the things which I keep saying I intend to get done if (yes, it's a big IF) I can just find the time. After months and months of saying I was going to do this... finally!!! I've allowed it to bubble up to the top of my "to-do" list--I am starting a blog . I will most certainly keep it to myself for a while until I've figured out a bit more about how this all works. But, for today, I am thrilled to be starting.