Happy Birthday to me

this weekend, I turned 47 years old. I planned a big weekend of fun for several of my friends. I knew that with Dillon leaving for school, that I would need the distraction. It was the perfect plan! Kim drove in from Ohio, Lesley came for Pennsylvania, Keli was in from Montana, Pam from Michigan and Jane came from Northern Jersey. We managed to hit 3 flea markets, eat great food, drink yummy drinks and even took a show in NYC. I thank my friends for choosing to spend this special weekend with me.

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Thursday, Kim and I met up with Lesley and Keli at Columbus flea market. Many deals were to be had. I got this sweet, but heavy, cement deer that now has a special place in front of the camper.

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on the way back home, we stopped for a photo opp with a NJ land shark




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Friday morning we hit another flea market and then sat around and waited for Jane to arrive. (Pam arrived late the night before). It was fun to laze around with my friends as we all sat around doing some sort of creative endeavor.

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Lovely flowers arrived from good friends, Tom and Lesley

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after Jane arrived, it was time to hand out the goodie bags. I spent the last month ish, making special things to give to my friends to say thank you for coming. I had a lot of fun creating things for them.

i hand painted white paper bags to hold all the goodies

filled to the rim with goodies, these bags beckon my guests.

keli is excited to open hers.

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some of the fun things found inside:

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my gifts:




kitty from Jane

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encaustic piece and vintage handbag from Keli

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wall hanging from Kim

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hand dyed and felted scarf from Leslie (recently created in a workshop she hosted with India Flint). Hand made brooch from JoAnnA Periotti.

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Friend plaque from Pam

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later in the afternoon, a henna artist arrived to tattoo us. boy was that fun!

i decided to go for the full sleeve

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we drank lots of this!

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Saturday morning we hit another flea market at Allaire State Park. Although a small one, we all got some really great things!

trunk show back at home with everyone's goodies

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waiting for the limo, getting ready to head into the city to see "Sleep No More", Lesley took this pic of Jane and I to use as a publicity pic for an upcoming adventure to Farm Chicks. (more info on that soon).

fun limo ride!

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waiting to go inside:

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a pic after the show with us wearing our masks (all participants are required to wear a mask during the entire show)

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the next day we headed back to Allaire State Park for pictures and to pick up some black walnuts to use in dyeing projects. (boo hoo, Kim had to leave.)

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i think we tired out the pups with all our antics and laughter.

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this was a picture that Lesley took of me at the flea market on Saturday.

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On Sunday, everyone had to leave, but I asked Pam if she'd stay one more night before heading into NYC to visit her daughter. she kindly agreed. We spent the evening painting and laughing.






and drank more of this!

Remembrance

I don't know about you, but I still have a hard time looking at photos or hearing about the victims from 9/11. It was a horrible tragedy for America- unspeakable; an event that left our country shell shocked. I'll admit that 9/11 was a catalyst for me to experience major post traumatic stress (PTSD). the characteristics that followed the event (uncertainty, fear, terror, sorrow, sadness, shock, disbelief), were all feelings that i associated with Tucker's initial brain injury. So to be plunged into those feelings unexpectedly like that, was, a little difficult for me. I remember having this constant sense of fear in both events. it is very difficult to be whole and be in the "present" when this sense of doom is sitting on your shoulder. With the 10 year anniversary tomorrow, images, videos and more are on the news, on the internet and all around us.

I watched one video, a video about Mark Bingham, a passenger on flt 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania and i listened to messages that his mom left for him on his cellphone after she realized what was happening. it was powerful and it was harrowing. My stomach was in knots and all i could think about was, that could have easily been my son on that plane. The loss is insurmountable. it makes me catch my breath and then I realize it is the same feeling of loss I have with Tucker; it's suffocating.

that is all i can watch. I can't view any more photos or listen to the news. I can't handle the feelings - they are too powerful and too consuming.

Today though, I made an effort to see an exhibit in Ocean Grove. We happen to be riding bikes there today and then I read something about it at a pit stop and I said, we have to go back. I have to see this and take photos.

It was beautiful and I love the gesture. I love the representation and I love that others took the time to do it. I didn't linger long, as again, its just too raw for me. But the power in that gesture, amazed me. 2,978 pairs of shoes sit in observance.

http://www.app.com/videonetwork/1151488216001?odyssey=mod|mostpopvideos

reclaimed discardia

those of you who know me, know that i am all about upcycling materials and items. I scour flea markets and junk stores looking for inexpensive items with potential to be something new and cool.

recently i purchased a piece of old leather for $6 and have been excited to sit down and figure out what the heck i want to do with it. it's a material i haven't worked with before. Another potential place to purchase old leather (should you be so inclined, would be thrift stores - check out the clothing for old leather pants, skirts and jackets)

so last night watching, "The King's Speech", i created these. not sure what they are "suppose" to be, but really they could be anything. they would look great hanging from a journal, a book mark, a keychain, something to hang from your rear mirror or even throw on a chain. Regardless, my mission was accomplished, because they are quite cool.

Porch of the month

Good morning everyone! i just wanted to send you over to Jill's blog to see the write up she did featuring my enchanting out door living area. So stop by and take a peek, you'll be glad you did!



http://gypsyfleamarket.blogspot.com/2011/09/porch-of-month-september.html

more painting

ever since Pam was here, I've been really practicing my painting techniques that she taught. it's been fun to explore using them in my own way. this was a page in my journal that i had started out by with some spray painting (did that a few weeks ago).

randomly i painted in a face and as i was painting the white in, i felt the stuff around her face looked like hair, so i just incorporated it instead of painting in hair. to me, the orange blob on her blouse looked like a koi , so that is why a random koi fish is swimming across the page!

Irene has come and gone with minimal damage. we were very very lucky as we didn't even lose our power (we are usually the first to go!) I am so grateful for that because Tucker requires suctioning and we just don't want to not have power, ya know? someone was watching over us for sure.