The Days After Christmas

Christmas was quiet around my house, and I didn't mind a bit. The closest family member lives 8 hours away. We usually don't travel anywhere for the holidays because my two teenagers have retail jobs that has them working on or right after the holidays, so if family doesn't come to visit us, it's just the 5 of us.

Santa brought me a thermostat for my little studio heater. See it sitting underneath?
Oh my gosh! Here's how it would go in the mornings.......I would get up extra early, put my winter gear on over my pajamas, get woken up by the bitter cold air, trek across the backyard with a flashlight just to turn the heater on for a few hours before actually being able to comfortably work in my studio. I know! You're asking......why didn't you just leave the heater on all night? Well, If I left the heater on all night, it would be like an oven in the morning, and I'd have to leave the door open to cool it down. Crazy, huh?
Now.....I can go in anytime and it's nice and toasty. Perfect temperature every time.
 I am so happy!!
It makes me wonder why Santa didn't bring me one sooner!

I'm loving the week after Christmas.....no schooling, no set appointments and lots of studio time. I'm currently working on three different journals. Each one is in a different stage.

I could do this for a living....spending all day in my studio making things. {Someday}

This journal is almost complete. It just needs a clasp.
I can't wait to share it with you.

Blessed Christmas

Forwarding a wish that was sent to me in a Christmas card.

May your home be warmed by the love of the Savior....
your hearts wrapped in His peace....
and your new year filled with His boundless joy.
Have a Blessed Christmas.

A Christmas Story In Chicago

I went to Chicago for a couple of days with my family to do some shopping and to see the musical "The Christmas Story." Chicago is my favorite city to hang out in, and I love walking down the magnificent mile. It has so much to offer.

   

    This is a 26 foot sculpture of Marilyn Monroe on Michigan Avenue. She has not been treated kindly since she was unveiled. She has been vandalized several times and there wasn't a time I walked by her that some guy wasn't having his picture taken under her skirt making some kind of crude gesture. If you walk behind the sculpture, you get a full view of her behind. So far this sculpture is rated as one of the world's worst public art displays.
Yeah....I'm not so sure about this one, Chicago.

On a more personal note, I experienced my first live musical, "A Christmas Story." It was funny, and my whole family enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

 It was also my first time inside the Chicago Theatre. Wow!
The beauty starts outside, and once inside, it is so elegant. You can also see a lot of history hanging on the walls inside.

The architecture and light fixtures are breath taking, and in the minds of many people, it is the best "movie palace" ever built (1921). I noticed some people still get very dressed up to attend the theatre. It is a must see if you ever visit Chicago.

Christmas Shopping and A Little Knitting

I spent the day at the mall with my girls doing some Christmas shopping. After hours of standing in long lines, dodging baby strollers and packages, I was physically and mentally exhausted. My favorite part of the trip was eating lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Their food and cheesecakes are out of this world!
To unwind, I decided to spend the evening doing something that relaxes me.

Falling Snow

Woke up to the first snow fall of the season. I love early morning walks while big fluffy snowflakes fall.

Falling Snow
See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the wall and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes
All look soft and white,
Every twig is laden,
What a pretty sight!
by anonymous
Wishing you a blessed day.

My Best Friend

I am in the process of going through some storage boxes, and I came across this unfinished quilt I started back in 1995. The reason I know this is because I date everything. I was making it for my little girl who is now 17.
Holy cow, time goes by fast!

Of course I had to pull it all out. Here I go....getting all side tracked.
I noticed I have one more girl block to make before I can assemble it. I was shooting for a throw size quilt at the time. Here's what the finished quilt would look like.

It is really cute. I wonder if it's too childish looking for my daughter now?
I guess the real question is....Do I have it in me to finish it?

Blog Makeover

I worked with a very sweet and talented lady, Karen Valentine, who did a beautiful job on my blog. Thank you, Karen! There are so many cool looking blogs out there, and it makes me feel good to be among them, now! 

I love creating art, and being in my studio is my "Happy Place." I have several favorite mediums I like working with. One is Beads! I love beads! I love using beads in everything. Another is metal. I love manipulating metal. Working with metal is how I ended up with this tiny studio behind my house.

You see, my studio was in our basement. I would wake up at 4:30ish every morning and go downstairs and start working away. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. will only make sense to you moms who know how important it is to get some "me time" in before chaos breaks loose. Anyway, with all the hammering and drilling and such, I would wake my husband up. Long story short......I guess he lost so much sleep that after a while this little studio was his solution to many sleepless mornings. (Hint, hint to you ladies wanting a detached studio.) 

I still get up early and trek across our backyard (my slippers in hand) and work in my studio until it's time for the family to get up. I can do all the hammering and drilling I want, and even play my music as loud as I want. 

 I hope you will stop by again and say hello.

Journal Page and A Cool Colored Poster

Watercolor Journal Page

I love using watercolor in my journals. They are very forgiving. I just realized I left a blank space at the top! Oh boy, I'll have to fix that.

Below is a new piece of art that is getting hung up today. My 12 yr. old daughter colored this 16" x 20" poster using crayons, markers, and colored pencils. It took her a few months to finish it, and I just love it! The poster came from one of her American Girl magazines. They used to put one inside each magazine, but I noticed they stopped. I should send the editor/publisher a picture to let them know that girls are coloring these posters, and to continue adding them in the magazine. This is the second poster she has colored.

She didn't want me to frame this, but I'm not about to let this poster go unseen.

Journal Backgrounds

Here are a few backgrounds I did in my art journal over the weekend. I always like to have a few decorated pages ready to jot down my thoughts.

This one is pretty bold. I realized I did this background while releasing my anger towards our dog for chewing up some wiring outside my studio. That would explain all the red!

Hope you had a great weekend.

Oh Christmas Tree

My daughters have started a new tradition where they put up the Christmas tree while I cook Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not sure how this happened, and how they got out of helping me cook, but that's how it's been.

This is what our tree looked like on Thanksgiving Day.

I know, it looks like your 1970's Leave It To Beaver tree, but my girls do the best they can with what's in the ornament box. This tree consists of Hallmark ornaments that my beautiful mother gave me every single year since I was 18 years old, and a few ornaments that my kids made when they were smaller. They are all cute, and I love them, but after 22 years of the same old looking tree.....Sigh!

You see, every morning I sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the living room. This past weekend, I was really studying our Christmas tree, and I just couldn't take it. The white garland had to go! I didn't want to make any huge changes because I didn't want to hurt my daughters' feelings, so I thought.....I'll just make a couple changes. I removed the while garland, added a few glass balls, some huge felted poinsettia flowers and a few Cardinals here and there (which you can't really see.)

It could probably use a few more lights and a few more poinsettias, but now I can bare to stare at it in the mornings.

 

This is a quilted tree skirt I made several years ago. 

Hope you are having a good weekend!

Jeweled Christmas Trees

 Here is a Christmas tree that was made by my Grandmother from old costume jewelry. As a child, I remember seeing this picture hanging in her house. She gave it to me when I was in my teens (I'm in my late 40's now.)  Back then, when she gave it to me, I didn't think much of it, and packed it away in my Hope Chest.

 Fast forward many, many, many years.....my Grandmother's tree had inspired my mom to make one. I remember my mom collecting just the right pieces for her tree, which she eventually made about 15 years ago. My mom lovingly hung her tree up every year. 

 Back then, I didn't think much of it.

Since then, I have come to appreciate the beauty in these special trees made by two women who were not crafty, but who were inspired enough to try their hand at making something. I'm so grateful that I didn't do something stupid like donate these to the goodwill. I have never seen anything like these, and I feel very proud to display these in my home.

My Grandmother and my Mother are no longer living, and I will make sure I explain the value of these pictures to my children. 

Oh, and I'm thinking I need to make one to add to the generation of the

Jeweled Christmas Trees.

A Trip To The Mall

I had a great time shopping at the mall today with my daughters. I mostly tagged along to watch them spend their money along with some of mine. I window shopped for myself and got gift ideas for a few people. It's hard not to shop for myself.

Did I read somewhere about a down economy? People not spending much money these days? Well, I didn't see none of that at the mall. Of course, the people I saw were probably the smart ones who saved all year in a Christmas account. Then come October, they received a huge check from the bank.

Anyway, I did buy these beautiful tree ornaments.

 This fairy will end up in my studio after Christmas to join her long lost friends. That's another post.

 Who can pass up a cheery snowman jumping rope?

 

Black Friday

Black Friday? Not me! There is nothing I need nor want bad enough to put up with the crowds. Black Friday at my house is all about sleeping in, lounging around in pajamas, eating delicious leftovers, and putting up Christmas decorations. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with loved ones.

Many Blessings.

Project Bowl

I always have a couple pieces of handwork sitting in this bowl next to the couch. Here you see a Cathedral Windows bedcover in progress, and a scarf I started knitting last winter. Having quick access to these projects makes it easy for me to sneak a stitch here and there. I will rotate projects around because my attention span is not that long, unless I'm very close to finishing. Come to think of it, I dont believe I've ever started just one project and focused entirely on that one until its completed. I'm always coming across something interesting that I've got to try.

Fall Colors

 The air is cool and crisp these days and there are leafless trees everywhere reminding me that the fall season is coming to an end. Each season seems to get shorter. 

 There are those few trees that are struggling to hold on to their leaves. I love this tree in my front yard. It goes through at least three different color changes in the fall, the last one being a stunning burnt red color. It's one of the last trees to shed its leaves, my signal to get ready for some cold weather. 

As I walked to and from my studio today, I noticed each time, this tree had less and less leaves on it. By sunset, it was completely bare.

 What is left is a carpet of multi-colored leaves laying around until the last mowing of the season. As a little girl, I'd be raking these leaves up into a big pile just to jump in them.

I am grateful for being able to witness the beautiful Fall colors.

Take Flight

During November on Dawn's blog, d'blogala, you will find a daily journal prompt. I decided to join two of the daily prompts on one page. Dawn is trying to get everyone, who is interested, to do a little journaling every day. I think it's a great challenge. I enjoy working in my art journal, but don't always make the time. I find that I can't be in a hurry when I journal because then I feel I'm forcing the creative juices to flow, and then my mind shuts down. These daily prompts should motivate me. Want to join in on the fun?

Aww....

You feel bad laughing, but it's so funny.

My Kind of Weekend

I spent most of my weekend stitching. Saturday, I spent the day stitching with Pam Kellogg of Kitty and Me Designs at her warm and charming home. Pam is a very creative lady and her crazy quilts are so beautiful. You can see more of her work on her website.

I think it's cute how her cat, Nightmare, snuck into the picture.

It was a rainy Sunday, so it made for another perfect day to sit on the couch and stitch. I worked on a Christmas pillow case.

And my Cathedral Window bedcover.

Hope you all had a good weekend.