Saturday, December 29, 2012

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!



Monday, December 17, 2012

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





Monday, December 10, 2012

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 
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!




Friday, December 7, 2012

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


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

Thursday, December 6, 2012

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

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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

Tuesday, December 4, 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?