Pixie Dust

"All you need is trust and a little bit of pixie dust."

-Peter Pan

Contemplation

"Art is contemplation.

It is the pleasure of the mind

which searches into nature

and which their devines

the spirit of Nature herself is animated."

-Auguste Rodin

Remington Steel!

"Don't expect the typewriter to ever completely disappear."

-Hal Fair

The Silver Lining

"Clouds may come, but clouds may go

and they all have a silver lining.

For behind each cloud you know,

the sun or moon is shining."

-anonymous

Finding Snow!

"The summer hath his joys,

and winter his delights

though love and all his pleasures are bit toys,

they shorten tedious nights."

-Thomas Campion

Going away for a few days with the family....we are going to find snow! We seldom see it here and I don't really think 1/8 of an inch counts in the scheme of snow playing. So, we will go find it. I understand the mountains just received 32 inches. We are all so excited! I will leave you with some fun photos for a few days! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Sing!

We Have A 200th Post Winner!

Utah Grammie is the Winner! It still is Monday, I think...life and mucho Christmas cooking duties took on a huge part of my day. All comments were numbered as they came in ...and the random number generator selected number 6! Thank you to everyone who left all the kinds words, encouragement and just outright cool friendship! I'm thrilled and honored that so many people from everywhere pop in occasionally to see what is going on in my little world! Thank you...and Merry Christmas. Now, if Utah Grammie will email me at: alexalett@comcast.net with your mailing address, the 200th Post swag is coming your way! Popped in my favorite antique mall a few days ago...had to share this little decorative gem. You all know my affection for the infamous beaded fruit....I parleyed it into beaded pumpkins and jack-0-lanterns...and yes, I have been topped with a beaded candle with a Santa on top! Love it!

200th Post Giveaway!

It's My 200th Post Giveaway!!

We must celebrate with goodies!

Simply comment to this post with your email and you are entered in the giveaway for the handmade snowman hanger below and the lovely vintage book, "Artzybasheff". The book is tied with silk ribbon and garnished with a stack of buttons and flowers...quite a fun little pile of swag!

Sharing moment....just received this awesome gift last night. It's so fun to receive a gift from someone who really "gets" you. Lovely somewhat tarnished silver tray with four vintage Christmas ornaments tied with yummy pistachio green grosgrain ribbon! It was quite delish! Thank you my friend...xoxo! (she knew better than to give me unmentionables)

Will announce the post winner on Monday!!!

I Want It To Be Memorable!

"The Greatest Gift is a portion of thyself."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I noticed many of the blogs I daily read are featuring a post discussing the "worst or best" gift ever received...which got me to thinking about what gifts might fall under this category for me. So, I elected to tell the most "memorable" gift saga. In a former life I was a working musician. Pretty much spent every Friday and Saturday night playing a rehearsal and wedding. I have played so many nuptials it makes me tired....I have even played for the second and third wedding of many blushing brides. This time in my life is for the most part a complete "Here Comes The Bride" blur. As a wedding musician...I generally charged a fee...but, this particular Christmas wedding my fee envelope came with a gift. I'm sitting at the rehearsal dinner party with a table of complete strangers when the generous Christmas gifts were passed out by a Wedding-ish dressed Santa Claus. We all began to open our gifts....everyone watching and wondering what each other was receiving...when I opened my present to pull the beautiful tissue away to find a lovely pair of white silk Granny Panties. The kind that make your bottom appear 18 inches long...the kind that totally insure you are not in the least bit interested in being seen in them...the kind that you know your mother would approve of...the kind that make you cringe should anyone think you actually wear them. The whole table had this little quick suction of air....followed by a tiny little moment of silence...followed by someone yelling "Merry Christmas!" I quickly tabled my underclothing...smiled....and hoped my future husband was not inadvertently attending this wedding party unbeknown st to me. I kept the box...tissue...and panties in my lingerie drawer for about 10 years. It remained a reminder of what not to give....unless you want it to be memorable!

The 200th Post is really, really soon!

We will honor the occasion with a Handmade Gift!

Check back tomorrow to see!

Art For A Friend!

Art for a friend.

It's Always A Journey!

This is the attitude we should all take on during the creative process...it's always a journey!

Oh What Do You Do?

I took the "Handmade Pledge" and so far...so good. I'm busily making many of my Christmas gifts...or buying handmade gifts....yea! But....there is always a fear of creating something... and the receiver not be so thrilled. Most everyone receives with open arms...but, do they really like it? This is always the question. If and when the next time I visit ...will they run dig it out of the closet and place it in an obvious place of distinction? I would never want anyone to feel obliged to display one of my pieces...yet, giving of yourself is quite the true definition of giving...for me. All this ping-pong debate swirls in my brain. Hmmm. This is always my fear. Oh what do you do?

New Art Coming!

"The only place where housework comes before needlework

is in the dictionary."

-Mary Kurtz

Lace and Tatting!

Recently found five bolts of yummy tatting and crocheted lace.

Here is a little taste of the goodies.

All Naturale Is Quite Perfect

Just returned from my local Lowe's....honey had to purchase more electrical blingage for the Grizwald family Christmas display in the front yard. While the family determined which totally obnoxious, yet sparkly electrified yard ornament they felt was needed to enhance the current pile of obscenely sparkly electrified yard ornaments...I wandered around. In my effort to avoid looking at said electrified yard ornaments...I went to see the live...real...green...Christmas decor that I feel makes it the Christmas season. Poinsettias! To my dismay...I stumbled across the above paint blown versions. What was once a beautiful, natural form of Christmas tradition colored with rich shades of red, pink and white, has now been enhanced with the most unrealistic colors of royal blue, gold sparkles, fuchsia and purple! I am always an advocate of creativity...but, paint colored poinsettias? The people that gathered around the display all seemed as perplexed as I was. Strange comments and confused expressions all seem to ask the same question, "why?". I was completely torn as to whether the plants were pretty or such a freak of nature it made you look? Creativity abounds...but, I think it is not always necessary. Sometimes all naturale is quite perfect.

Ear Candy!

The Christmas Season has officially begun for me. I attended my favorite Holiday Music program at my church. Truly...musical ear candy! Find yours and define your audible portion of the holiday season!

Girl Elves?

LOVE...LOVE these little guys. Do girl elves exist? Hmmm.

"Her eyes the glow worm lend thee,

the shooting stars attend thee;

And the elves also, whose little eyes glow,

like the sparks of fire, befriend thee."

-Robert Herrick

Worthy of Thought!

"Music is the purest form of art...

therefore true poets, they who are seers,

seek to express the universe in terms of music...

the singer has everything within him.

The notes come out from his very life.

They are not materials gathered from outside."

-Rabindranath Tagore

I was sitting here doing some computer work for my daughter's school...a gentleman was here doing some painting...I turned up my radio to ensure my focus on my work...and my head filled with yummy music. My taste is massively disloyal to everybody. I listen to what I like and that could be anything from Journey (my former teenage days) to the latest teeny bopper tune "Womanizer" by Britney (feel free to talk about me now)...my IPOD is like visiting a musical buffet....it has everything on it.

My work consisted of writing minutes for a meeting I had attended the day before. This monthly meeting is always about raising funds for something....sometimes the arts...sometimes sports...and often the academic needs of my daughter's school. Classic over-share on my part, but crucial in creating the reasoning of my post. This combination of thumping rhythm in my head, along with figuring out a way to get money for the art department made me question the difference in the two. This being music and art. Which one deserves the most funding?....which art is more important?... I feel very conflicted and the debate was quite interesting. The above quote made me mull differently....not necessarily my stance...but, worthy of thought...

Christmas in August!

The art of a good junker is always keeping the radar up...attentive...and willing to purchase with no purpose at the present. The downside to this philosophy (as defined by my significant other) the insatiable need to keep everything with the guaranteed hope that someday it will come in handy. Thus, creating stockpiles of eclectic watch-a-ma-bobs that seem to have little or any purpose. Nevertheless....the junker prevails in this story. My daughter and I regularly stop by a particular thrift store in our area...you've heard about it many times. One extremely hot and humid day in August of 2008...(in Tennessee the heat and humidity can bring you to your knees) we made our typical "run in - scope - and purchase" and there in a large bin in the front of the store were snow shovels, sleds, hockey sticks...and the above pair of pristine white ice skates...with a sign reading "Anything in the bin....$1." As you stand there putting your antiperspirant to the ultimate test....loosing weight through excreted perspiration...dreaming of a time you might have the opportunity to use the discarded recreational snow toys...I envisioned the completely unused skates bringing my Christmas decor a whisper of winter hope! I snapped up the skates...thanked the junker charma...and now remember of thinking about Christmas in August!