SO LONG 2012

You say good bye

and I say hello

I don't know why you say good-bye

I say hello

I am finally getting my muster back...lots to share

one thing I want to say...I do a lot of blog reading late in the night from my Ipad which for some reason will not let me leave comments...but dear ones...I have  kept in close touch with you and look forward to things kind of getting back to normal in the next day or two...

who knows...

I might even take a bath!

IN GREAT SORROW AND HUMBLE GRATITUDE

PURA VIDA

pure life

I was in a wreck on Thursday that was not my fault and I totaled my car

We had our family Christmas this weekend and it was fun 

My brother is here to visit

My baby brother has a new girlfriend

Our new daughter Jena is having morning sickness

Coach Been's team lost

Grace went to California to the art gallery opening of David Caruso

we watched Betty

This morning as I held this precious life close to me and waited on her mom to come pick her up for school

I watched a couple on tv talk about what their precious baby wore to school Friday

including sparkly ugs...just like Betty has...a bouncy ponytail and a bright happy smile

and that when she found out she was gone 

she went home 

and crawled back into the bed that her 6 year old had just left

Pura Vida will pause to pray for this unspeakable loss

and to give thanks for the life and gifts 

that have not been

 taken 

from us

PARFUME FIDDLE

my hippie bff is such a cool grandmother

this summer she had a little yard sale for her 3 granddaughters and I happened upon them

This lovely little atomizer belonged to HER aunt

I snatched it up so fast and paid them extra!

and then I got a most clever idea~

for my dressing room table to be 

I am going to take photos of my small collection of

vintage perfume bottles

and I'm going to 

FIDDLE

them

on to a 12x12x2 wrapped canvas

my favorite is 

Oil Paint Style

You might like

Deep Sponge

Or Knife Impasto

Or Heavy Knife Impasto

Or Oil Paint Mild

I haven't decided yet...still playing around with the thought of it all

you know..backgrounds, placement, all different?  all the same?

which bottles?  all the same color?

and if you visit the site, you will find dozens of styles from sketch to sepia...tons to choose from

I think I could spend all day fiddlling this one little perfume bottle

and my next idea was to print it on some old paper and mat and frame it

for my hippy bff for Christmas and her vintage dressing table!

PEACE

I confess

I have not enjoyed a great deal of peace these past two years

I mean, really, how can one obtain peace when constantly surrounded by

destruction?

I only realize now that we are in the home stretch, how very hard it has been

(mentally) to take a perfectly good house and take it down to the bare bones

to build it back up again.  

It has gone against my nature

 the desire for 

peace

is instilled in us 

deeper than we can ever imagine

Peace is a beautiful ornament we wear

a pleasant garment we put on

an essence that exudes from within

As we remember this day 

December 7, 1941

and the overwhelming destruction

let us also remember in this Christmas season that 

peace

is a sister to 

hope

and to my precious daughter Grace,

I am so grateful that you teach me each day

EMBRACE THE GRACE

so elegantly

Peace creates grace and grace gives peace 

In memory of Roy Lynn Bulls...who left as a boy to fight for his country and made it home to be my dad

TABLE AT THE READY

Long Christmases ago, my dear mother purchased each child (5)

a 12 piece place setting and serving dishes of

Fitz and Floyd

St. NICHOLAS

I love to set my little breakfast table with them

so that they are at my fingertips whether I want a cup of cocoa

or a full blown dinner party

It makes for such a festive view when you step into our kitchen

and I just love how you can see all the way down the house out the window

and into the neighbor's yard!

and when you have little ones around

you need to have a few Santas too!

We found this one under the original stairs when we tore them out and moved them

I love his charming and nostalgic face

We found this treasure in the house too!

I love to mix the formal with the retro with the whimsy with the contemporary

and the soul with the spirit

Yesiree...we are pretty ready at 822

MANTEL 2012

On Barkley Street

we have owls

that nest in the tree down the street

Have you ever seen a baby owl in the nest?

Evidently 

Pier 1 has!

They have nailed it!

They are little tiny white balls of fluff with huge eyes

the mantel in the living room/music room

is a nature mantel

with pine cone garland

bark deer

wicker trees

and

owls in nests

(the nests are filled with shredded music from the piano teacher whose house I lived in years ago..I found the hymnals in her basement)

These little fluffs are our 3 daughters

these two strong bucks are our sons

(I have another one stashed for when we get another son)

And this...this poor lonely little ball of fur (Betty) 

will be lonely no more

because in a few short months 

(actually 9 or so )

well....let's just say...in our excitement we have added a teeny tiny stocking to the 

mantel

2012

YOUR FRONT DOOR

"THEY" say....paint your front door your favorite color...no matter what that color is!  The theory is that when you come home from a long day, the first thing you will see is something you're crazy about!  I like that thought!

Currently my front door is this...and I must say...it may not be my favorite color, but it's my all time favorite 

door that I have ever had.  

I will never be allowed to paint it, but if I could, I would paint it green!

This is my ex-front door and I am so glad our daughter lives here.

I painted it black, and then barn red and then this turquoise...letting all the old colors crackle and show through.

This is a group of photos of doors 

I am so intrigued with I love to photograph them

If they are not from vacation photos, they are from google

and who!  who?

can not love this precious little front door?

knock knock

who's there?

what color is YOUR door?

do you love it?