one of my dolls from the swap arrived

Vivian Neroni of http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/ hosted a "beat the winter blues" doll swap. i was partered up with Vivian and also Sammy. My doll from Vivian arrived yesterday. she is so cute! (top and middle picture) She was handmade by Vivian, who also makes lots of other incredible goodies! My son and i really like her hat! the bottom picture is the doll i made for Vivian. her base is a vintage bottle of perfume and a candy tin. the dress i took from another doll and then dyed it with red koolaid and tea. her face is from a vintage valentine's day card i own. i want to show the doll i made for Sammy, but she reads this blog, so i'll have to wait!

necklace from Amy Hanna's class

here is my deconstructed necklace that i made in Amy's class. it was really challenging since i decided right away to add 3 strands and a brooch. the brooch is a little off kilter in design, so it really tested my patience as it took awhileto get it to hang correctly! i wasn't very good at wire wrapping, so eventually i gave up and used jump rings (cheating....) i still have some tweaking to do and some soldering; but i love it.

the brooch belonged to my Grandma Frazee and while i was visiting my dad in Nov., my stepmom let me pick out some of her things. the little face dangling from the brooch also belonged to my grandma. it was on a charm bracelet of all her grandchildren. that charm has my name and birthdate on it. there is also a double heart with rhinestones on my necklace that belonged to my cousin, who died very young while she was in college. i've had it for years, so i was really happy to get to incorporate it. the strands contain bits of pearl necklaces, rosary beads, some beads off a vintage necklace and some clear beads i traded Kelly for during class. the rest of my photos from Artnest can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemoncholys/sets/72157603983764642/

this is too cute

my friend, Jean, sent this to me yesterday, i got a big kick out of it and so did my cat!http://cache.valleywag.com/assets/resources/screenclean.swf

My Anahata Katkin collages

here are the collages i made during Anahata's classes. i just loved that class. the rest of my Artnest photos can be found here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemoncholys/sets/72157603983764642/

my prizes from OWOH arrived

My first prize is from Jeweled Elegance at http://jeweledelegance.blogspot.com/. how stunning is this ring? i still can't believe it won something so beautiful. i just wore it to lunch and received several compliments on it. i have to say it sure looks great on my finger!

my other prize came in an ENOURMOUS box. if you go to her link, she is holding up a wreath and i thought that was the wreath i won . http://creativemusingswithmya.blogspot.com/2008/02/happy-valentines-day-owoh-giveaway.html so i had no idea what was in this box that jeff had put on my bed. i said to him, i didn't order anything that big, wonder what it is? i didn't recognize the address either. When i opened it, i was thrilled! it is so gorgeous. i was immediately filled with a sense of spring! look how wonderful it looks hanging on my front door. what nice mail to come home too!

thank you both so much - i so appreciate you sharing your beautiful things through OWOH.

kEcIa

Memory Monday - first job

my first job, obviously from the picture, was a paper route - i was in 8th grade. (that is me on the far left, my sister in the middle and my two brothers on the right side). i can't say fondly, that i liked this job very much! it was after school during the week and early in the morning on the weekends. the part i hated the most was folding the papers. My hands would be black as i folded batches and i was very OCD about it. it grossed me out and i'd keep a bottle of Jergens hand lotion and a rag nearby and every few papers i'd "clean" my hands by applying lotion and then wiping all the black off. it would take me forever to fold my papers using this process!my brother and sister were always done way before i was. on the weekends, my girlfriend, Tammie would sometimes stay over and help me do my route. she was really fast at folding, so this was always a bonus! after we'd finish my route, we'd come home and watch cartoons, our favorite being "Captain Caveman". i also found this job embarassing, as a few of the cute guys from my class lived on the route, so i always had to ride my bike by, delivering the paper wearing that hidious paper holder over my shoulders! (and that thing was heavy, by the way!)One of the guys was a real jerk though and sometimes if he had other guys over, he'd throw rocks at me as i was biking by to be funny.i think i flipped him off in return! also on my route was a little store, so i was always stopping and buying candy, snacks, donuts, whatever! as i collected money from my customers, i'd stop and buy stuff. half the time i could barely come up with the amount owed to the newspaper company, because i had spent most of it at that little convenience store! the cool thing about the route was it took me by farms where i would see cows, sheep, goats, horses, lots of birds, etc. One thing i DID NOT like was early in the morning, there were always snakes out and they slivered by in front of my bike and freak me out. to this day, snakes still give me the heebie jeebies because of that! i remember this one time where i was out late delivering papers and a really heavy rain storm hit. i was at the end of my route and it was really coming down, so the nice wife made her husband drive me and my bike back home.

in high school i did the token babysitting jobs, i did some typing for a relator and then i finally got the prerequiste for all jobs, a job at McDonald's. i sure hated that uniform! i use to smuggle cheeseburgers in my little work towel and then go into the bathroom and stuff them into my mouth! i met my boyfriend, Ken, at this job and we were together for almost 8 years.

see this weeks players:

kim at http://www.kimberleekreations.blogspot.com/

denise at http://paisleydragonfly.wordpress.com/

debra at http://warehouseartchix.typepad.com/warehouseartchix/2008/02/index.html

***if anyone has time to stop by my mom's blog and send her hugs,- i'd appreciate it. she's quite sad over losing Muppet. http://aglessadventures.blogspot.com/

Next week's topic - your first boyfriend

don't forget, tomorrow is Memory Monday!

Okay, it is that time again - Memory Monday! tomorrow's topic is your first job! tell us about it, got a pic? please leave me a link so all players can skip around and read!

i just left Salt Lake at 5pm on a standby flight. i was there all day (9-5). now i am in Denver and my flight to Newark doesn't leave until midnite. as i told my friend, Joanne, you'd think i was flying into a foreign country!

the flight into Denver was so bumpy. i'm already nauseous as i 've been suffereing from altitude sickness and then we hit a dipzy doodle air pocket on the plane. i honestly thought i might throw up. i feel disgusting and really want a nice hot shower!

i'm at the airport waiting to go home!

Well, Artnest has come to a close. it went by so fast! what an incredible weekend. i wish i wasn't so exhausted because i know my enthusiasm probably won't be so apparent as i can barely type! and unfortunately, i can't upload any photos until i get home. We stayed at a beautiful cabin deep in the mountains (elevation 8,000 or so....) of Utah -past Park City and near Hueber (sp?).

the line up for the teachers was unbelievable. it is in my opinion that that line up can not be topped! First day was Anahata Katkin, http://www.anahata.typepad.com/. What an incredible teacher and so sweet. Since i love collage, this was my favorite class. i learned some great techniques and fun ways to make some fabulous new collages. i can't wait to see her again in April at Artfest for her class, called "Wallpaper People".

second day, was Amy Hanna, no blog, but see her jewelry here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=65825. what a crazy day that was! i felt so bad for Amy because as you know, women love jewelry and the students all wanted to buy her stuff right away. So after the buying frenzy was over, we were able to sit down and create a beautiful rejunevated piece of jewelry (i made a necklace). I enjoyed this, but it is very minute, detailed work! it will probably be easier to do at home when i have all my supplies handy (soldering iron, dremel, etc.) i think my piece is absolutely stunning and can't wait to show it off!

the last day, we had class with Pam Garrison, http://pamgarrison.typepad.com/pamgarrison/. Pam does lovely journals (among other things!) using vintage ledgers. again we got to use paper and gel medium - so i was right at home. Pam is so funny and the doodle queen! that girl can make a page come alive and she never runs out of ideas. can't wait to show you my new journal!

during lunch on Saturday, we got to go snow mobiling and sledding. it was really fun! it was nice to get some fresh air. i went sledding with Jennifer, one of my new BFF's and i was so busy taking pictures going downhill that i wasn't a very proper co-pilot. we ended up doing more luging (sp?) than sledding! but it was a blast and i got a darling photo of us. i hate to admit it though, but i am a little sore today from our fun! i found out that Jennifer is also going to Artfest and staying in the same house as me! how awesome is that?

the food was incredible and so were the women. i was so amazed by the talent that i was surrounded by. everyone created gorgeous, beautiful things and everyone had their own unique look. people were so good about sharing things, which was really nice.

I finally got to meet my online friend, Maija and she was even one of my roommates! she is such a sweet, generous person and i was so happy to have spent time with her. There were a couple girls i had met at Artnsoul, Cheryl and Kelly, so it was fun to get to see them again. Then meeting all the other participants, Angela and Amy (more BFF's!), Elise, Laurie, Jane, Michelle (also from NJ!), Ananda, Dede, Lisa, Melinda, Amanda and Marina (gosh, i hope i didn't leave anyone out!)

and many thanks to our hosts, Julie and Candance. It was their dream to bring women together to create art - so their retreat, a little thing called "Artnest", was such an amazing weekend. they worked hard and planned to the detail. I am sure they are exhausted and even though it is sad to say goodbye, they are probably ready for a break! there are still openings for their spring retreat, so stop by and check it out - http://www.theartnest.net/. the teachers for the spring retreat are Stephanie Lee, Carla Sonheim and Alma Stoller. I will get to see these 2 girls again also at Artfest AND they are also staying in the same house as i! my Artnest photos can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/lemoncholys/sets/72157603983764642/

i did want to thank everyone for their sweet thoughts for my mom's dog, Muppet. i am sad to say that my mom had to put her to sleep that very night. It is hard to say goodbye to our sweet pets that bring so much to our lives. i'm am still quite sad over it.

Just in case....

Tomorrow i leave for Artnest in Utah. i am not sure if my aircard will work out where we are staying in Park City. So in case you don't hear from me for a few days, that's where i am! Can't wait to show the art i made!

please say some doggie prayers

My mom's sweet little doggie, Muppet isn't doing so well. She's older and has Cushing's disease. she's had a tough weekend. they are going to the vet today. i'm sad.

going on etsy

here's a few things i worked on this weekend and will be adding to my etsy shoppe (today or when i get back!) guess i was in a Mona Lisa mood. the darker Mona Lisa has some wonderful crackling in the background that i did by hand (and it measures 8x8). i think the lighter Mona Lisa (w/ buttons for reference) is very "Anahata" (it measures 8x10)- i must be gearing up for her class! how cute it the little sprint time princess birdie sitting on her peat pot nest? i will also be adding some of my handmade bird nests delicately woven with all sorts of fibers and goodies. the base is a secret.........

I'll be at Artnest tomorrow thru the 24th. (i leave at 3am - horrible time huh?)

bathroom door

This is my bathroom door. it was already yellow and had the mirror on it, but it just bored me. need something more! i've been wanting to do something with it for about a year, but just didn't know what. so in between packing yesterday (for Artnest) i would work on it. i was in a closet getting out something when i saw all my old stencils. so i decided to do layers of stencils. first i painted huge dark pink cirlces all over. next i started stenciling. the first stencil was a lacy pattern that i did in white. then i added the green wrought iron/scroll stencil in green, the green fence pattern (bottom only) and finally the birds in black. i'll give it a few coats of poly when i get back to protect it.

Our first "Memory Monday"

So i've decided to start a new community here on my blog called "Memory Monday's". (i'll have to make a button!) the gist of it, is remembering ourselves as little girls, teenagers, young women, college days, wedding, pregnancy, etc. (basically who we were before we were married with children). After my Monday post, i will give the topic for the next Monday, to give you a week to think about it, gather up a photo, etc. When you post your topic, come leave a link in the comment section, so that we can all come see! You do not have to have a blog to participate (as i've already had inquiries with that question). Simply leave your story in the comment section for that post. I've got a list started with topics, but feel free to email suggestions to me! The topic for this Monday, Feb. 18th, was a memorable childhood haircut. tell us about how your hair looked when you were younger - when it was in the hands of your parents, not you!

According to my mom, my hair was very unruling, babyfine and fragile. Apparently no one knew what to do with it. (unlike my older sister who had nice thick curly hair.....). these 2 photos are classic pictures of what my hair always looked like! the first one was the ever popular "kitchen bangs" - oh my god, look how crooked my bangs are (and super short as well)! gotta love it - but that was my favorite shirt! the second photo, was also the "in"thing in the 70's- the "Shag", a haircut i absolutely HATED! i think now a days, the term "mullet" would be more appropriate.
In my mom's defense, i have to agree with her. my hair is extremely annoying, baby fine, fragile, stick straight and only wants to do it's own thing. the only time my hair looks great is the day i get a cut and my stylist dries it for me (what a treat!) if i do style my hair, it looks fabulous for about 5 minutes. it's all down hill after that. the safest bet for my hair is a pony tail!

the topic for next weeks "memory monday" is - "your first job"

please visit this weeks participants:

Marci at "By her hand "- http://byherhand.blogspot.com/2008/02/memory-monday-1.html

Debra at "Warehouseartchix" - http://warehouseartchix.typepad.com/warehouseartchix/2008/02/index.html

Denise at http://paisleydragonfly.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/memory-monday/

Jean (no blog,but posted a pic and story on flickr) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/34219096@N00/2271699383/?eOrig=2272458742

don't forget about Memory Monday tomorrow!

Tomorrow will start our first Memory Monday. the topic was "a memorable hairstyle from childhood" - one you adored, one you despised, one that was awesome then, but ridiculous now.....). once you post about it (and add a pic if you have one), leave a link in my comment section- which i will organize for others to see! if you don't have a blog and want to participate, leave me a comment and talk about that hairdo! if you store your photos online and can scan a photo relevant to the topic, then send me the link to that (like flickr, snapfish, etc.)

another nest hunt

aa

after a recent windy, rainy storm, i took the dogs into the back field to look for nests. i was sure we'd be able to find some that had fallen out of trees - and i was right! i ended up finding 5 0r 6 nests. one was this huge straw type nest that was totally falling apart, so i put it into an open nesting box i have. i figured the birds can pick at it later and take what they want. i foud 4 smaller nests (pictured above) and then i also found a rusty old mailbox in the way back by the quarry. when i picked it up, i found a nest inside. i brought the whole thing back and put it on top of my birding cabana. the last picture is something my husband made for me to display some of my nests. it hangs on the wall (a cathedral ceiling) in our tv/computer room. the last empty slot has also been filled with another nest i found.

wow, i actually won something!

I kind of consider myself not a lucky type, so i was thrilled to learn i won, not one OWOH blog giveaway, but two!
first i won a absolutely gorgeous handmade ring from Bejewled Elegance (love her avatar...). go take a look at my bling -http://jeweledelegance.blogspot.com/ i beat out 161 other participants for that ring! She's a jewelry designer and you can find some of her lovelies here: http://www.jeweledonline.com/.
then i found out that i won a this oh so pretty in pink, wreath, made from Mya at Creative Musings w/ Mya - http://creativemusingswithmya.blogspot.com/2008/02/happy-valentines-day-owoh-giveaway.html. i beat out 142 participants in that one as well. so maybe, i am luckier than i previously thought! i have just the spot for it!

thanks so much ladies, i am truely appreciative.

kEcIA

p.s.
i guess my certified letter to Costco paid off. the store mgr. called me tonight and we discussed the hot tub. hopefully things will progress from here.

Valentine's Charm swap necklace

Remember that Valentine's Day charm swap i hosted for "The Charmsters group"? Well, a very sweet lady, name Sammy (http://sammystuff.blogspot.com/) took all my charms and made a necklace for me so i didn' t have to do it. Wasn't that so nice? And she hustled to get it done to mail them back out to me to arrive perfectly on time, yesterday, Valentine's day! i wore it to dinner. i love the clanky sound the charms.

We have a winner!

So how was your Valentine's Day? Mine was great! I got my hair highlighted (and boy did it need it)- so i am feeling spectacular again! then i took Dillon out shopping for his valentine's gift (he ended up picking up a pair of jeans and a video game). then we came home and went to dinner w/ jeff. we just went to a local put called D'Arcy's. not very romantic, but excellent food. it was slow so we were able to order, eat and get out! (i'm not one to linger about.....) then i came home, showered and went to bed as i still have this head cold.
i apologize for not drawing my winner last night, but couldn't get online for some reason. Today i was so happy to see that my blog makeover is finished! what do you think? i had some borders added. i like it so much better than just a plain solid color. looks tidy. Trudy over at Wild Oak Design did it for me. she's got beautiful ebay templates too! take a look at http://www.wild-oak-design.com/. thanks, Trudy!
anyway, dillon drew the name of my OWOH giveaway and the winner is Colleen Gallahger of "Frostings & Sparkles" (see her blog here: http://frostingsandsparkles.blogspot.com/) Congratulations, Colleen! It is packed and ready!

re: be green - forgot this tip

here 's another tip for all those plastic bags that accumulate in our possession - save them up and then give to a local thrift store for them to use. about once a month i take shopping bags (then kind you get at the mall) and put the rest of my access plastic bags in them and drop them off at the thrift store. they always love when i show up with bags for them to use!

wow, big drawing tomorrow and new collage on etsy

The One World One Heart blog giveaways end tomorrow, so everyone will be busy drawing names for their contest. i think i will do my drawing later in the evening after jeff, dillon and i get back from dinner! i wonder who the lucky winner will be? i hope i end up winning something myself from all those giveaways i entered!

here is a mixed media collage i worked on today and just listed on etsy -http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9558093. i was in the mood to collage AND use beeswax, so this is what i came up with. hope you like!

update: sold!

Hostess gift

here is what i sent to Heather Blum, http://boobyfish.blogspot.com/. She's hostessing the 12 days of Easter swap. Since i just finished hosting a charm swap for "The Charmster's" group, i know how much work they are - i wanted to make something really awesome in appreciation.

P.S. the new "be a green BuNnY, SAY NO TO PLASTIC BAGS " button is now up! put it on your blog and pass it around. all you have to do is right click on the icon, save it to your computer somewhere and then load it into your blog.

Sometime's life is good

This is from my friend, Jean , in Pennsylvania:

I had the privilege this morning to hold one of the most beautiful birds in our "flock." I had heard a loud thawack on the window and discovered this gorgeous male cardinal wedged head down in a snow drift on the deck. Some of his tiny downy feathers wear still on the outside of the glass where he had hit and also scattered around his still body in the snow. Fearing that he would perish while trapped there, I brought him in the house hoping that he was just stunned and would quickly recover. Of course, I had to capture this moment for posterity & share it with you! Happily, after more than 5 minutes, he started to show some feistiness and regained his strength, and I released him to the woods. Yay! I feel very privileged! thanks for sharing, Jean!

yay, we are finally getting some snow!

it's time to be green!

Let's talk about plastic bags!

according to an article i found on National Geograhic, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/09/0902_030902_plasticbags.html.

The "paper or plastic" conundrum that vexed earnest shoppers throughout the 1980s and 90s is largely moot today. Most grocery store baggers don't bother to ask anymore. They drop the bananas in one plastic bag as they reach for another to hold the six-pack of soda. The pasta sauce and noodles will get one too, as will the dish soap. Plastic bags are so cheap to produce, sturdy, plentiful, easy to carry and store that they have captured at least 80 percent of the grocery and convenience store market since they were introduced a quarter century ago. As a result, the totes are everywhere. They sit balled up and stuffed into the one that hangs from the pantry door. They line bathroom trash bins. They clutter landfills. They flap from trees. They float in the breeze. They clog roadside drains. They drift on the high seas. They fill sea turtle bellies.

So are you still using plastic bags or have you moved onto reusable totes?

I keep a bunch of those reusable bags in the back of my car. I have a bunch and they all fit in a bigger bag that i use to hold them. So when i go grocery shopping, i just grab them and in i go. I do my own bagging since the clerks really annoy me with the 2 items per plastic bag they use. If i am just running into a store for one for two ideas, i just refuse a bag and throw them into my purse. it is wastesful. i don't need another bag - nobody does! if i find myself in a situation where i've forgotten my resuable bags (my husbands likes to take them out of the car and then i don't know they are gone.....) i will then take those plastic bags back to the grocery store and put them in the special bin they have set up for recycling plastic bags. i'm always amazed at how concerned people are when i say i don't want a bag. Big retailers, like JCPenney, told me that they HAD to give me a bag. i was not allowed to put their item with receipt in the bag i already had. next time that happens, i will ask for the manager to complain. other times, a clerk will bag my item anyway and then when i say i don't want the bag, they crumple it up and throw it away! Oh, and my favorite, if i am using a plastic bag, i ask them to fill it up as much as possible and then they double bag it! arrrrrggggg! alot of these clerks tend to be younger, so i think it's a bit of ignorance on their part of what impact these bags have on the enviroment.

I'd like bloggers, etsy artists and shoppers to start uniting in a committment to stop using plastic bags! You've seen the "buy handmade" logo for etsy, i'm going to be making a button about plastic bags that we can put on our blogs. This is something i've been big on for awhile, but then really started thinking about it a few days ago when i ran into this blog where the owner is making darling little resuable bags. (see her post here: http://rachaelrabbit.blogspot.com/2008/01/are-you-green-bunny.html) so i contacted her and asked if i could post about her bag and encourage you to purchase one and become a green bunny. stick it in your purse and start using it!(they can be found here on her etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8823242.

keep an eye out for my "SAY NO TO PLASTIC BAGS" button for you to put on your blog and

pass around.

kEcIa

Repeater of Memory Monday's w/ a dash of new info

I've decided that i want to start a little activity for Mondays for fellow bloggers (and even non bloggers who want to play, you can leave a comment on my blog with your story - Carol, i now you've got some good stories out there.....). i'm calling it "Memory Monday's. Sort of like a little community for us. What brought me to the idea was something that i think about every so often - who was the girl i use to be before i was married with children? I see alot of art work featuring little girls and i think to myself - is their an analogy between the little girl in us and our art? i believe there is! So, i started thinking about all the things i use to do as a young girl and i thought, how fun would it be to start blogging my memories with some sort of picture dragged out from the archives? i'd love to have bloggers leave their links on my blog and then head over to their blog to see their post on the particular topic. is this making sense?So, starting next Monday, Feb. 18th, we would start our first memory. this gives readers a week to find out about it and prepare. Every Monday, i will post the memory topic and post some probably hilarious picture that corresponds to the subject. In case you aren't following what i want to do, here's an example. say the subject is: "your first job". We would all post about our first job, where is was, about it, anything about it, etc. and try to find some picture to go along with it. following me? you'll git the gist once we get going.i'll post reminders during the week . When i make my post on Monday, at the end of the post, i will give out the subject (homework?) for next weeks memory. I would also gladly encourage you to email and your ideas for topics. you might have an old picture that you'd love to talk about. what ever was going on in the picture, could be the topic. i hope you will share.
So since, this is Monday, i will post our topic for next week, Mon. Feb. 18th which will be our first day to begin. Also, don't worry if you don't have a picture to go along with the topic! i encourage you to play along anyway. pleease email me with any questions if you aren't sure what the heck i am trying to do here! and don't forget to make a header for the topic, explain why you are writing it (mention Memory Monday's) and link back to my blog so that we can all follow each other around).

topic for Memory Monday, Feb. 18th:

your hair as a child. was it curly and unruly? stick straight? always in braids? did you have a horrible haircut (remember kitchen bangs?) any self haircut stories out there? (or did you just do that to your little sister?)

**tip:
for those of you who are super busy, if you find a minute, find your picture (if you have one) and create your post and then save it. you'll be able to go right to it next Monday and viola you are done!

what a blustery Sunday!

It has been snowing on and off today (well, flurries) and the wind is crazy loud! chairs and water bottles (the big ones) were flying around the deck it was so windy. the old house has a chill you wouldn't believe. Dillon is down with a cold and i might be right behind him. lots of sneezing and a scratchy throat; but i am hoping it is because i was doing so much cleaning and dusting in my room. the only project i did today was to package up my little goodies to give out at Artnest. I'm laying in bed watching "For love of the game" with Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston. it's okay, a little hokey for me - but it's something to watch. (don't tell my husband, he thought it was great!) and no, i am not watching it on my tv - my tv is still dead. the good news is though we found out that Costco has a conceirge service for computers and tv's that were bought from their store. so even though our warranty has expired, they are honoring the product. Horray! something good happened for us. The hot tub is still down (the company went bankrupt and says Costco is responsible now) so i am sending them a certified letter tomorrow stating the issue and looking for some help in getting it fixed (it is still under warranty - for heavens sake, the thing is brand new!) i called them 17 days ago and was told someone would get back to me in 10 days. as usual, for the consumer, my issue has gone by the wayside.

I've decided that i want to start a little activity for Mondays for fellow bloggers (and even non bloggers who want to play). i'm calling it "Memory Monday's. What brought me to the idea was something that i think about every so often - who was the girl i use to be before i was married with children? I see alot of art work featuring little girls and i think to myself - is their an analogy between the little girl in us and our art? i believe there is! So, i started thinking about all the things i use to do as a young girl and i thought, how fun would it be to start blogging my memories with some sort of picture dragged out from the archives? i'd love to have bloggers leave their links on my blog and then head over to their blog to see their post on the particular topic. is this making sense?

So, starting next Monday, Feb. 18th, we would start our first memory. this gives readers a week to find out about it and prepare. Every Monday, i will post the memory topic and post some probably hilarious picture that corresponds to the subject. In case you aren't following what i want to do, here's an example. say the subject is: "your first job". We would all post about our first job, where is was, about it, anything about it, etc. and try to find some picture to go along with it. following me? you'll git the gist once we get going.

i'll post reminders during the week and this sunday, i will post the first subject to be ready for Monday the 18th. When i make my post on Monday, at the end of the post, i will give out the subject (homework?) for next weeks memory. I would also gladly encourage you to email your ideas for memory topics, which i will then add to my list! what do you think? i do hope you'll play along.

post happy today!

i think this is my 3rd post today (is there a legal limit per day?) but got do it! this is what Dillon's girlfriend is getting for Valentine's day. i was really touched that he asked me to make something for her (i was convinced that maybe he thought it was dorky that his mom wants to "make" things.... i should give him more credit!) anyway, i just love it. he started the idea - he wanted her initial altered somehow. so i started thinking about what i wanted to do using her favorite colors and this is what came to me. i love it!

nest swap partner

http://speckled-egg.blogspot.com/ is hostessing an altered nest swap (swap is closed w/ 80 participants!) she emailed our partners out today and my partner is my friend, Kim Boeme, of http://www.artdogslife.blogspot.com/! how funny is that? Kim emailed me and asked if i requested her (i didn't). you should know Kim by now, i've posted about her many times. I went to visit her in Ohio for my birthday and we had lots of fun. can't wait to send her the nest i am making (yes, i've been working on it....) and actually come to think of it, Kim was the one who told me about the swap. must be fate.

saturday's goings on

i dropped off a bunch of linens, blankets and such to the SPCA. it always feel so good doing that, knowing the kitties and doggies will have something soft to lay on. i started playing with some of the cats in the cages in the reception area. they all wanted some scratchings. one started playing with my key chain and the kitty below him started yanking on the drawstring on my sweat pants. had half the drawstring in her cage before i noticed! it was fun. i inquired about a volunteer program, which they are in the middle of trying to establish. i'd like to volunteer and have my son volunteer with me at the same time. something for us to do together. still cleaning in my room - got the laundry put away, vaccumed and put donations on the front porch. even mananged to give Lilly (my himalayan) her monthly haircut (i trim around her chin and face and bum area). when she drinks water, her mane gets wet and the fur starts to dread!) she's not happy now that she looks a little bit like ET. here is Lilly sitting in her special basket - which has a heating pad underneath her blankie.

Friday's project

sorry this one is boring! after going to a thrift store (no good scores, darn it!), i mailed out some parcels and then came home. took a nap and then started cleaning my room! i must have spring fever as i want to get rid of stuff and tidy up. i also got my supplies organized for Artnest which is coming up quick! i leave feb. 20th and let me tell you - I CAN'T WAIT!!! It will be nice to get out of dodge. Next month, i will head back to my friend, Jean's house, to play for a few days and we will hit an outdoor flea market - whoo hoo it's that time again!

thurs. project

and this is what i worked on here and there yesterday - an altered jewelry box. i've done many of these before and they always look so great when they are done! i just despise that old brown look and love to see them full of new life! that's vintage lace around the bottom part of the box and also a vintage brooch has been glued down to the center of the tapestry. i will be adding this to my etsy shoppe which can be found at: http://www.keeshagirl4.etsy.com