Gerrie's view of Olympics

I think her camera captured it much better than mine ;)

It's the Small Comforts That Matter

I am always thrilled to receive a Christmas card from Shelley. Thoughtful, playful and I keep them on my trees year after year! This year she did not fail in her mission to delight and shared her process over at Paper Forest - It's the Small Comforts That Matter.





And Gerrie made me this adorable ornament as her Christmas card, to be enjoyed for years to come! Thank you!

Snowflakes

Sent from my S-I-L who is stuck in the snow ... Snowflakes Under an Electron Microscope. Love you!

Word verification

I am sorry, but I have to turn the word verification for comments back on. I am getting about 20 anonymous creepy comments/email notifications a day since I turned it off. ;(

Sun rising on Oylmpics

My cameras can't capture the beauty I see from my family room window. The sun rising on the Olympics casting a pink glow! I decided to run down to the beach to shoot from there. By the time I scraped the ice from my windshield, I had all but missed it.
The first photo from the Rebel. The second taken with my little Pentax Optio. Not the best but you get the idea.

Meikleour

When I win the lottery, I am going to purchase this property, Meikleour in Perth so I can drive by The Meikelour Hedge. Planted in 1745 and officially recognized by the Guiness Book of Records as the tallest hedge in the world.

This one in Dunkeld, Perthshire wouldn't be bad either!

Text messaging for seniors

Ha. Got this in email today. Finally, something for the older texting crowd. Thank you, Carol!

Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). If you qualify for Senior Discounts this is the code for you.

ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Farted
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWBB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil

GGLKI: Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In

2010 Year in Review

2010 Year in Review - The Good, The Bad Art and the Ugly Unemployed? This year has had its' highs and lows. I have to go back to even remember what I did, where and with whom. And if you know me, you know I love my blog. I love finding new (to me) and talented artist, ways to recycle, recycled art, quilts. And I love going back and looking at all the treasure I have found, the flowers I have photographed and friends I have made. All and all, it was a good year.

JANUARY
Finding the alyssum seed pod and shooting it!

Trying to make Rock on alphabet

Margaret Dorfman vegetable bowls

Had a great mini-vacation with my friends and family in Seattle and the snow

Discovering Krislyn Komarov and her blog

FEBRUARY
Lovely visual messages by Ethan Park

Publishing my book of flowers!

Always enjoying The Flower Show

MARCH
Susan Lenart Kazmer class at ArtFest

Finding more amazing chandeliers

Trying to accept I am getting older with humor

Finding Anne Siems

APRIL
Ruth Rae's poetry scarves

Fossil Garments by Diane Savona

Sculptures by John Geldersma

Dispatchwork, repairing and rebuilding the old - one Lego at a time

I finally went gray

MAY
David and Matt went to New York for Essentially Ellington

Finding Russian graphic designer, Tatiana Plakhova

JUNE
Prom night

Matt's last Big Band Dance

Matt graduated

Voewood revisited, receiving a surprise email from Amanda about those amazing butterfly curtains! This was such a pleasant surprise!

When the peonies bloom!

Elana painting up a storm

And we can't forget the Vuvuzela

JULY
Beautiful rings by Corinne Hamak

David packed up the car and we took a road trip with the kids

Mom and I addicted to Midsomer Murders

Falling in love with Old Spice

Discovering the Sumi Ink Club is a Los Angeles-based drawing collective founded in 2005 by Sarah Anderson and Luke Fischbeck.

AUGUST
Becoming unemployed

Taking time to smell the macro flowers

Watching Duane Hoffman flourish

Submitting desktop wallpaper to Smashing magazine

SEPTEMBER
Robin photographs Obama!

Ruth, Mom and I take a road trip to Idaho

Fell in love with Mariah Hourihan work

Finding great stuff at the thrift store

OCTOBER
Loving Kathleen Pate recycled glass jewelry

My aunt and uncle visit and we sent them home with the flu.

Having the Dahlias bloom late

A month full of taking online classes, a time for rediscovery, trying not to panic

NOVEMBER
My Esty store, artist having fun, finally live

Wrapping up my Tendril font

Having my calendar printed, plus lots of applying for jobs, etc.

Book cover illustration by Kim Carney ;)

An early snow for Thanksgiving

DECEMBER
Watching Broadwalk Empire

Featured on The Food Network blog via They Draw & Cook. Thank you, Nate and Salli.

Almost witnessed a lunar eclipse

David wrapped up his new 5-CD Christmas music set.

I started a new blog, Something from my Studio, a place to talk about my upcoming projects.

Trip to Steven's Pass

We drove to Steven's Pass yesterday so Tara's better half could ski. Tara and I hung out at the lodge, she brought the paints and brushes! I took the humus. My new unemployment book. But mainly we painted. AND the parking Gods were looking out for us!






Tara wanted me to do my practice art in her new little notebook.

Hanging Hearts

I took down the branches from the ceiling! Yes. It was time. Spider webs and dirt.

I put my metal cutting Dremel tool accessories to good use today. My S-I-L gave me these wonderful tarnished silver hearts and I decided to hang them in the dining room. I cut some of my vintage, tarnished forks, fashioned a hook and used them for the hanging device. Thank you, Kate, we love them!!!!







Hung my new Native American hand-carved fish that Santa brought me for the "wall-o-fish".



Going to the mountains and snow tomorrow. I received a rejection email from a job I applied for over a month ago. But, hey, at least they had the courtesy to email me back. So I am not complaining. Also trying to put away the mounds of tissue paper, recycling ribbon. Thinking of opening up a "gift wrapping center" so I can get paid and use all the gift wrapping stuff I have stored away in boxes. ;)

I started redesigning this Something blog before Christmas but decided to just start a second one, Something from my studio, to talk about my art, art projects and products I am working on. Stay tuned!

Pardon the mess

While I redesign my blog ;) It is time.

Merry Christmas to all!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas holiday. See you all in 2011!

2010

My very dear friend gave me a gift tonight, The Unemployment Survival Guide. This gives me something to read when I wake up at 3:30a! Instead of jumping on the computer. Probably should get this book as a companion.

Tara gave me the most delicious necklace for Christmas. We visited her beautifully decorated home yesterday for the holidays. Thank you, Tara! It is perfect!

Deanna explores one word that encapsulate the year 2010 from #Reverb10 a place to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next.

Gwen Bell's How to create your personal manifesto.

John Rainsford is looking back in the sign of the times.

What Eight Hour Day learned in 2010.

My word for 2010 would have to be Intuition or Premonition of what was happening or about to happen in my life.

And my word for 2011 is Reinvention. Finding my way back from the brink of losing my last shred of self-esteem and self-worth. Reinvention, relearning, rediscovering. They all come in one package labeled "to you, 2011". Moving ahead, not focusing on the past.

Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf's Tokyo compression and the bastard chairs of China.

Grocey store charms

Do you remember these? I do. Grocey store charms collection via box vox.

stuff made from stuff

stuff made from stuff, clocks made from recycled by pixelthis.

Christmas Tour 2010

Make sure you have allotted some time to go through the first two links ;)

The Nester has over 700 homes features in her Christmas Tour of Homes 2010.

Between Naps on the Porch Deck the Halls: Christmas Holiday Decorating!

CAN'T STOP MAKING THINGS makes a Minimalist Xmas Tree.

Baked Holiday Brie

Baked Holiday Brie from fresh365.

What Katie Ate

I want to eat every page of this magazine, What Kate Ate, Christmas '10 Edition!

Via Bright.Bazzar, which is another place I want to eat up with a spoon!

Sugar overload

I feel like I need an insulin shot. Too much goodness. Whiteness. Beautiful things.

Quite Easy

HVÌTUR LAKKRÍS

Mari Eriksson photography

An Angel at my Table

Made in Persbo

Christmas inspiration

Workshop 154

OMG Posters!

OMG, it is OMG Posters!

A Pine Tree for Christmas

Martha and Tom make A Pine Tree for Christmas.

Studio Tord Boontje

Tord Boontje, I love your mind!

2011 Lunar Calendar

Loving this 2011 Lunar Calendar by Alec Thibodeau.

Cheese of the Month

Cheese of the Month - Cheese Collections from Dean & DeLuca. Wouldn't that be a great treat that gives all year long!

Star Fox 64

Star Fox 64 (1997) Memorable quotes. Is there nothing you can't find on the internet? The phrase, "It's quiet. Too quiet..." (a phrase from Nintendo 64 Star Fox game) popped into my head (because everyone is gone and the house is very quiet). I know, I know, I played way too many hours of Nintendo games to actually remember the characters, let alone the phrases but I did. Mario 64 was the culprit that started my addiction. Then Star Fox, Mario Cart, Banjo Tooie, and Banjo-Kazooie and The Legend of Zelda. (All the games Matt and I shared ... meaning, equal time at the console). Although it took me longer than most to beat the game, no one had more fun playing than I did!

Solstice Lunar Eclipse

I hope I can stay awake for Solstice Lunar Eclipse.

Dog days

I needed some magic today, so I have just lit a fire and some candles while I clean and work. This is what Pica and Pixel do when no one is watching ... waiting in the most comfortable spot nearest the front door for everyone to return home. ;) Ah, to be a dog.

You guys made my year SPARKLE

This message is FOR YOU from me. Thanking you for hanging out at my blog for a piece of your day! Made by Handmade Font. Wait a minute for the page to load, it takes a minute or two. So this was a little animated font ... and I think it is taking too long to load. Thank you, LindaSonia for letting me know that ;)

This was my message, imagine that it is sparkling ;)

Made By Suzi

Made By Suzi's Blog and her beautiful Flowerista.

State budgets

For the last year I have been telling people this is the next big event! And most people ignored me! State Budgets: The Day of Reckoning on - 60 Minutes. I think it is very scary.

Duet of regret

Just in case you missed it, So Long To Ya, 2010 | The JibJab 2010 Year in Review!

Wrapping up Christmas

Wrapping up D's 5-CD-Christmas-Music set and mom's canning goodies today.






A few (more) of my favorite tree ornaments.



Listing tree!



Put out the bird suet. Next, find the bird seed.
The Olympic mountains with fresh snow look beautiful today.
Trying to get the basement/studio back in order after our flooding.
I feel like I want to cry all day.
More meds?

on prayer

This is lovely, on prayer… at FeefeeRN's blog.

A berry backyard

Tasty treat

I got dressed in my *grown-up* clothes and ventured out with my friend, Elana, to visit our friend Chris, selling her lovely jewelry at the Ballard Craft Fair. Got my mom some wonderful earrings. It was so refreshing seeing old, meeting new friends. Ran into an photographer friend, Meryl Schecnker. It seems like a millions years ago since the PI (print) days. 

Also stopped by an amazing store, Tasty Art on Greenwood Ave and found the greatest bobbleheads, ever. Yes, I know we don't need anymore, but I couldn't resist one for D's and M's stocking.

Jealous Fruits

Inspired by Jealous Fruits typography, I have redone mom's Peach labels ;)

Where I found peace

It is completely dark at 7:15a! I have been up since 3:30am. Wandering through Pinterest and discovered new and wonderful sites and stuff ... The windstorm predicted last night has just hit. Our very large Sweet Gum tree is really rolling in the wind. Sometimes I am afraid that tree will fall on the house but the tree specialist assured me it is deeply rooted. Reading this description these are definitely the drawbacks of this tree:

• The wood is brittle and the tree drops branches easily in storms.
• The spiked "gumballs" can be unpleasant to walk on (in fact in California they are known as "ankle biters" or "ankle twisters"), and their profusion can leave a lawn lumpy, since the fruit do not decay well, unless removed.
• Branches may have ridges or "wings" that cause more surface area, increasing weight of snow and ice accumulation on the tree.

Grass at the home of Grassland showcasing this grass lamp by Grassland at STYL.in rooms where I also found Hindsvik's Etsy and their blog.

Magnificent home in the San Juan Islands, wow!

Loving this blog, 16 house - a scrapbook of inspiring things. Where I found this Concrete sofa! Wouldn't that be terrific in the backyard? Perfectly suited for a place that is always raining. Just thinkin'.

Also found this incredible lamp there by designer, Sylvia Marius.

And finally, this beautiful book by Romina Bacci NATURAL HISTORY, a photographic study of natural elements. And her inspiring blog.

Virtual vacation

I noticed this location on the Feedjit feed - Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire and thought, doesn't that sound like a charming spot in the world. I love to Google locations and have a look around. Virtual vacation. Mom and I have traveled back to places we once lived, walked around the street, looked at the old homes we rented. It always amazes me to do that. Anyway, back to the point. Saltburn-by-the-Sea is not very far from Dundee, where I lived in my 20's! I wish I had done and seen more when I lived there! I passed by there many times on my train trips back and forth to London.

My family lived in very small village of Rait, not far from Dundee. Beautiful, isolated area of Scotland. The house was very old, creaky and wonderful. The water heater was small capacity and we shared hot bath water. ;) Before that, we lived in Aberdeen and Dundee. Eventually, my folks purchased a house in Insch but unfortunately sold it while they were divorcing. My mom grieves over the loss of her precious home in the idyllic Scottish location. She thought she would live there forever.

I have been working on that crackle repeating background inspired by the vase I bought the other day. It is remarkable how similar the crackle pattern is to the satellite map of farm land.

I also painstakingly made this dot pattern and trying to make it into a repeating pattern. I love it!

I also mocked up this for a new friend I met yesterday at the Networking seminar. Something she wants to learn to build in WordPress. I got carried away but I was having so much fun.



And the last thing I did was finally make Peach Preserve labels for mom. She only has a few but I love wrapping them up in a special way! I made them so I could use the 3" round punch I love.

All in all, a pretty productive day, in a non-paying way. ;)

Making a Difference

One of my favorite things about my previous job was doing anything that involved with Making a Difference. This story exemplifies why. Leaving a legacy of happiness in LeRoy.

Deleting my whiny entry concerning my unemployment. I was having a weak moment. ;)

Love/Hate relationship

I hate the internet because it distracts me, spam and viagra emails and because it distracts me.

I love the internet because I can purchase most of my Christmas gifts online, I can meet new and wonderful friends and it can be snowing at my S-I-L's house in New Mexico and I can instantly see it!

Three

A funny thing happened while stealing a branch. Driving home last night, I passed M's old elementary school that have the coolest, more wonderful trees *ever*. It was dark and the parking lot was empty. So I thought, I will stop in and grab me a branch, unnoticed. The *minute* I started breaking off the berried branch ... about 50 cars pulled in, shining their lights on me in my thievery moment. There must have been a Christmas concert or something going on. I took my little treasure and drove away. So much for unnoticed.

Watch it!

LEGO Watches are put together perfectly. Great Gift!

Squirrel Glove

I want to make this Squirrel Glove.

Twister

I drew this today while waiting for my mom having an eye exam. Can you relate? I feel like a tornado has taken over my brain. The trailer park, the barn, the brain, all blown away now. Applied for lots of jobs today. Since we are flooding in the basement, I now need to go clear out my sewing room, of EVERYTHING. Not sure where I am going to put it. The carpet is damp under all of my very large pieces of furniture. Arrgghh.

Cooking up some memories

So while searching for some illustrations, ran across an old illustration portfolio. I love the treatment of Kim Carney, I had it on the bottom of each page of the book with a different paint splat color. I think I must have been in my 'Endora adoration' phase ... with this illustration.



Accidently made a screen shoot of the eye and it looks so cool.



I might use this idea again while putting together my next little book.

Legos go better with Coke

T-Reichling’s Coke can made of Legos is amazing via box vox.

Tree treasures

Through the generosity of friends and family (and of course, David), we have quite a collection of Christmas ornaments. Unwrapping each one, remembering who gave it to us and what the significance of the gift was. What was going on that year for that particular ornament. Like, the year we turned over in the canoe and lost our camera equipment, D gave me a little yellow life vest and canoe. We have lots of fishing Santas, fishing bears, cowboys, cowgirls and Indians. Chaps, boots, saddles, moccasins. SpongeBob, Rug Rats, Batman driving and climbing up the tree for when Matt was young. Trombone and baseballs, bats and such for older years. They are a timeline of our lives. The camping mice for when we all camped out often. I love them all. Shelley has sent me some stunning handmade ornaments over the years. 







Saw this The Star-Spangled Tree on  BHG the other day. I made tons of these the year of 9/11 using painted paper bags. It just seemed the thing to do.



This sleeping puppy the year Santa brought us Pica.



The most precious are Matt-made.

Useful Vintage Goods

I need to go here, Useful Vintage Goods.

The Feminine Touch

The Feminine Touch, is filled with proof that woman looked far better without plastic surgery. Ester looked fabulous, as did Carrie Donovan. These portrait comparisons are great. Geneviève Bujold with her wrinkles! Emma Thompson looks stunning. Kathy Bates always looks good. Aren't Carole Lombard and Cate Blanchett the most beautiful women in the world?

Robin Layton

Robin is an amazing force of nature, energy and talent ... even Oprah would agree, I bet. ;)

Before they melt off the branch

So much rain lately, before the berries melt, I want to capture them. Got home a little late to get good late. Will try more tomorrow morning.



This one screams Merry Christmas to me!

Fourteen for the Fourteenth

I really might have to bake a Fourteen for the Fourteenth at bakerella.

Good Food

Delicious Good Food on Typography Served Via Pinterest.

Waiting for Santa

My back is completely out! But the trees are up and lit and decorated!

Wet and wild

We have had so much rain in the PNW that the anemone seed pods are more like soaking wet cotton balls ... they normally look like and have the texture of Cotton bolls ready for harvest at this time of year.

Having to force the dogs out in the rain. Carry Pixel up and down. Leaves haven't dropped are a black mushy substance clinging to vines. Won't even mention the pond where the grass once was. Trying desperately to finish the trees and clean it all up  before 60 Minutes! Onward!