Good night Aunties Priscilla, Edna, Grandma, Aunty Lurline and Mom

You gotta have friends....

I can't help myself. I love old tattered scary dolls. The crackly, ragged, worn the better. I like having dolls that have pieces missing. I wonder if in decades to come that all my daughter's Brat dolls with all their feet missing will attract someone like me. She can never keep their darn feet on. They are interchangeable and like their clothes, they somehow mysteriously disappear. And of course she was practicing to be a beautician by all the frizzy hair or butched hair jobs that they now sport. I remember when my Barbie's took a lickin'. Although their hair was not made to be combed back in my day. They had tight doos with little pearl earrings or was that what I put on them. You know, the ball headed needles in a variety of colors? I guess we all tried to "improve" our dolls.

Annie

Made this beeswax collage a couple years ago. Have to take pictures of more recent artwork. I was (and still am) so into wings. At Michael's they use to have feather wings for sale but I haven't been able to find any since the bird flu scare. I'm sure that it's a coincidence but that seems to be the last time I saw them for sale. I have a few left but my supply is dwindling. Used some rusty things I found at a junk yard for her "glasses".

I have found so many wonderful rusty things at "Mr. Jones" junk yard. Old windows (I think I have about 50 of them in hopes that one day soon my husband will build me a big greenhouse studio on top of the flat part of our roof) old doors, fencing materials, buckets of rusty gears and thingys. It's always an adventure rummaging through items tossed by others as junk and found by me as treasures waiting to be incorporated into some piece of art and to have a new life, new meaning.

Jack and Lulu

My little guys. I got so tired of finding little fur bunnies everyday, even though I vacuum each day, that I just took the scissors and gave them a cropping. Not too bad. A bit choppy but ok.

Tonight I am organizing my studio so that I can finish some projects and start some new ones. Looking at all the great blogs out there gives me inspiration. But before I can start to create, I have to make pretty. I can't focus on art if there is a mess in front of me. And after each project, there is a BIG mess.

I bought some semi-vintage metal cabinets. It's rusting just a bit on the top and that makes it even more beautiful to me. Ron hung them up in my studio and they look great. It's almost a Robin's egg blue. Seems to be THE color now. Or am I behind in the color times?

Isn't she lovely, isn't she fa-bu-lous....

Goodnight Mary and your little lamb

Barn sale at Willow's Nest

Last month my business partner, Lee, and I went to a barn sale at Willow's Nest. Oh did my heart skip many beats! It was fabulous. Linda & Ludmil own this property which has a barn, an old 1500 sq ft. gym & they live in the school house. Here is the website http://www.willownest.net

They hold barn sales and flea markets a few times a year. It was just simply breathtaking. The surroundings and the shopping. The sale was in the gymnasium instead of the barn. A handful of vendors were participating along with Willow's Nest owners Linda and Ludmil fabulous finds. When they opened the doors at 8, I walked in and could barely catch my breathe. So much to look at. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the inside but I was too busy shopping. We loved it so much that we are going to be a vendor in the flea market on June 23rd. I can't wait and yet I am a bit frightened. I need to produce alot of new things to take down there to sell and you should see some of the other artists work! It's a bit intimidating but I just want to be a part of it from the other side of the event. Oh and by being part of the event I do believe I may have the priviledge of being an early shopper!! I have my eye on a project that Ludmil is working on. It is a metal frame, looks like a small house, that was from France and used in a cemetery. He had a name for it but it escapes me now. A part is damaged so he is going to weld it & make it into an Aviary. Be still my heart!! He said it would be done by the June event. Now, I am not sure I would be able to afford it but we will see. I have a feeling that all that I may sell will just end up being spent there.

Goodnight Madeleine

May Day!

I cannot believe it's May already! Does time fly faster as you get older? Or is it we are just more aware of how little there is? Am I sounding like Carrie in "Sex in the City"? Ha.

Time just does seem to slip by so quickly UNLESS of course when you are at work thinking about all the things you could be doing at home that is soooo much more fun or for that matter, just getting the laundry done.

To be so lucky to love the job you have. To look forward to going to work each day. My job isn't a bad one, just isn't as challenging anymore and at my age and trying to find one that pays as well as this one does isn't that easy. Not that I am too old, but no spring chicken anymore. And where I work is pretty relaxed so that is a huge benefit. If any of my children or other family member needs my attention, there is never a hesitation in letting me go. It's understood family comes first. Oh and there is almost no dress code. As long as nothing is hanging out then it's pretty safe to say you can wear it. We very rarely have to actually see the public. All of it is done on computer and contact by phone. But I am luckier than most and that I try not to forget.

Different subject....my sister, Maddie and I were in the car. We are at a stop light and Maddie is reading a sign and pipes up from the back seat asking who in the heck would want to "Rent to Own" that pole? We had a good laugh about that one.

Up to my eyes.....

in projects and in various stages. Although I complain just a little bit about all the things I have to do, I am not sure I would know what to do with myself if I had some free time.

And yet, I create even more things to do and my mind is constantly racing on an idea for the next one. So much to do and so little time. I try to condition myself to be one of those ones that don't need a lot of sleep. I love to stay up late and love to sleep in but I feel so guilty that I had wasted the day away if I sleep in past 8. My youngest, Madeleine, is 9 years old now so we do get the luxury of not having to get up at the crack of dawn even on our days off.
My third child, Dylan, he sleeps in until 1 on the weekends. You would think that would drive me nuts, but I figure his time will come so sleep while you can honey. Now as for my oldest daughter, Elisabeth, she too use to sleep in when she lived at home. The only reason I would let her sleep the entire day away is that it was just easier on me. She is my most vocal child and I simply loved it when she rested her mouth. What is it about daughters? I have 4 children. 2 girls (9 years and 22 years old) and 2 sons (17 and 25 years). My sons you can't drag a complete paragraph out of them whereas my daughters you can't run fast enough to get away from the constant yakking. I never never ever had a moment of peace when my daughters are around. Never. I couldn't even take a shower or go to the bathroom in peace. They would be knocking at the door and the would be yelling in the crack of the door some inaudible extremely urgent question like where's my socks or something.

I digress...projects. So many I want to do, so many things I want to learn and so many classes to take. All I need is the time.

Good night chair

Folie a Deux

Some pictures taken by a fellow shop owner, Paul Uhl, who is a photographer, of our shop Folie a Deux. Collectively we are called "The Middle Floor Merchants". He took pictures of most of the shops and we now have a Myspace website. I will have the link posted to the right. Nothing great right now, but it's a start.

In August I am on the decorating committee for our Prom Night. The theme will be "One Night in Bangkok". Couldn't we all have come up with something a bit more easier to decorate?? I have some researching to do. We are going with a vintage Bangkok meets American 50's sort of theme. Will definitely be a challenge. Anyone with ideas, I would certainly love to hear them.

Good night Stella

Salad

I cannot photograph food. Not to mention I think I need my eyes re-examined!

So here is the Caesar. At the request of my sister, she wanted lots of croutons. Granted.

In the summer is when I like Caesar salads the best. I like to top it off with grilled Lemon Garlic Prawns or steak marinated in rosemary, garlic and red wine. Making my mouth water thinking about it. By the end of summer I am so tired of making it because so many people request it. So now my taste buds (and hands from cutting the artisan bread) are ready for the season.

Green grass

Break in the weather today, took this picture of part of the back yard from the deck. It's amazing how well it looks from a distance. I neglected my beds last year and this year they are full of grass. Doh! See that I left the cord out from yesterday. I never seem to put everything away. Always a tool left in the dirt, a cord, the lawnmower, etc. I have more rusty tools than anything. I think I work for hours in the yard and when I'm done, I'm done.

This is the best time of year for my yard. Everything so green and either getting ready to bloom or in bloom. Come summer, not so green. It gets pretty hot here. At least to me. Even though I am part Hawaiian, the perfect temperature for me is about 70'.

Stormy day...

Having a cup of Green Ginger tea and enjoying the stormy weather here. I am so glad I got all my weed eating & mowing done yesterday.

Was going to take a picture of my Caesar last night & my batteries went dead so will have to take one today. I am curious how it will look. There is such an art in just presenting things to photography.

Here is another one of my Laurie's. I am an out of control collector of all her work. I shamelessly have about 45-48 of her paintings and Wall Dolls. Isn't this painting cute? The cat looks like my kitty Sabrina. Just love the basket of kittens.

Got back from the nursery as well and bought some herbs. My FAVORITE herb to cook with is Majoram. It is so lovely to add to goulash and to stuff under the skin of a whole chicken.

I shall return later today.

I

Sunday..a day of rest

How I wish. Sundays seem to be my

crunch day. All the things that I hoped to accomplish and hadn't needs to be done today.

My husband, Ron, has been on a business trip to New Orleans for two weeks. I had such plans on what I was going to do while he's gone. I was going to totally gut the garage and edit putting things back in. While he's gone. That was the key. I (I wish WE) have a rule...if you haven't touched it in 5 years, it really may need to be gotten rid of. We haven't been able to park a car in there for 10 years. I have visions of moving my studio to the garage where I can have a huge long farmer's table to work on. Right now I have the old master bedroom, which is big, but I ran out of space quickly.

Ron is back today and my best layed ( or is it laid??)plans are out the window. Oh well. I am just glad he's coming home. So tonight we will barbeque up some steaks and I will make Caesar salad with my own dressing and homemade croutons. My friends rave about my Caesar salads. It is very tasty. I made it once for our office of 100 and knocked their socks off! HEY! I have a blog now. I will take a picture of it tonight!!

Good night Angel

Aunty Priscilla

I credit my Aunt with my love of cooking. When I returned to Hawaii after I graduated, I lived at my Aunt's house. My cousin Carol and I had a room with our own entrance and bathroom. Life was good.

Every morning before leaving for work, she would have breakfast made for us and when we returned, dinner was on the table. I was so very surprised that, at least the 9 months I was there, she never had a stove fire. She had this peculiar method of keeping her stove clean. She would lift the silver thingys up around the element & line newspaper up all around it. It sure did the job but what a fire hazard. She had been doing it for decades so she had it down to a science.

My Aunt hummed and la di da'd all the time. It made me happy to be in the same room with her. She loved the Mike Douglas and the Dinah Shore Show. I too became to love them.

My cousin, Father Scott, cares for her. She has Alzheimers now for 6 years. The last time she was up here I played music from the war years for her. She was so happy, sang alot of the songs & said that those were the happy years for her. She is such a beautiful woman.

It's funny how a terrible disease like Alzheimer's can be a curse and a blessing. It has protected her from retaining the memory and feeling the long term hurt of losing her daughter Carol to breast cancer in July.