"Cept You!"

This was a little typed poem found in an old book....no doubt a "woo-er" from the south.

The typed imperfect font....love it!

The end result....

Maximalist Collage!

This is one of my latest!  I found this old multi-game board box at an estate sale...loved the colors! Plus, the crazy amount of pieces...parts....and remnants of miscellaneous stuff is burying me, so I decided to stack...glue...and collage it all into the game board box.  Certainly the essence of a maximalist!

Fun...FUN!

Ga-Zillion Mile Yard Sale 2010!

I thought the Ga-Zillion Mile Yard Sale (GMYS) was going to be missed this year....but, the gods of junk were with me!  My little friend spent the morning at a triathlon, and readily agreed to hit a few good spots before she passed out from the heat of the day.  Being a veteran of the GMYS I knew a couple of great stops where multiple vendors would be located.  I had to strategically use my time for I knew she was going down fast.

The above sign was quite pleasing to me.  If only it were true.

The first image we walked upon was this....a mannequin leg sticking out of a lamp shade...flanked by nutcrackers.  The leg was for sale...$19.99.  This is one of the many reasons I go.  You can't make this stuff up.

And yes, this is a uni-armed mannequin wearing a former Dolly Parton wig... holding a hose with running water....I suppose creating a form of a fountain...but became the local watering hold for any pets that were shopping this day.  It had to be 102 degrees with severe humidity!  whew it was miserable!

It has become a GMYS tradition to stumble upon taxidermy animals.  What is up with that?  This gigantore head on the right....

followed by this life sized "whatever" perched on a wood box with tiny dribbles of dead weeds mounted at each corner.  It was only $1500.  Do people actually purchase these things....or is it there to amuse me?

Just a few random shots of some fun vendors I always go see.  

The Ga-Zillion Mile Yard Sale....Home Away From Home!

Crazy Daisy!

Just had to share....
My precious, little, dainty flower of love, Daisy Mae, has decided this drainage pipe is just not working for her.  I really think a chipmunk escaped her grasp a few weeks ago by running into this pipe, and now she thinks it has taken up residence here.  Her objective is to rip the tubing out and retrieve said, chipmunk.  Hmmm.

Reality....
Chipmunk has been gone ages ago....pipe has now been gnawed down about 5" in length, mulch has been removed about 5' into my flower bed....and Daisy has undoubtedly realigned her teeth in some way.

Oh flower.....

Bowling, the Ultimate Find!

FYI:  My little friend wants to be a part of the bowling team at her High School this year.  

So the story goes.....

Upon going to pick up pastry the other day, we exited out of the back parking lot to find the Alzheimer's Foundation having a yard sale.  Driving slowly...canvasing within the coolness of our car...my friend spotted the above bag.  Car was immediately rammed into park, I jumped out and loped over sidewalks as if 17 people were spotting the same find....and quickly took bowling bag in hand to determine the price.  Hoping for the best...the kind proprietor said, "$3".  Inside my head there was a party!!! Whoop! Whoop! Exchanged currency and casually walked back to my car as if I had found the Holy Grail.

My little friend has become a lover of retro (could it be the ever so subtle persuasion of parental influences?...it doesn't matter how...just that she does) and a bowling bag was one of our pursuits this summer.  In our possession, we now held the ultimate bag...in her school colors....original name tag hanging on the handle never been used....the most adorable modestly used powder blue bowling shoes (5 sizes too small)...and a yummy marbleized green bowling ball.  The hopes and dreams of a future bowling letter being acquired in her high school years was now in her grasp!  The mutual 'warm and fuzzy' feeling of true harmonious retail therapy was bubbling in our hearts.  

Although, the ball was clearly purchased for someone with much smaller hands (not going to work for my friend) and the shoes she out grew when she was seven, the yard sale find was perfect.  We found a home for the shoes with a good friend that appreciated their charm as much as we did, and the bowling ball is taking residence in my antique booth...but, the bag is proudly awaiting the opportunity for tryouts in the Fall.  

Bowling Ball Bag checked off the Bucket List! Bah-da-bing!

Communication History!

Found this precious little postcard...and the writer was requesting information about the sewing club. How cute is that? The card was dated Feb. 1, 1961.  The whole idea behind the postcard was to have a little chat. No big earth shattering news....no information to confirm....just a sweet little card to exchange niceties. How weird?  Do we do that now?  Obviously, this was pre-email, tweeting, texting, and blogging.  Just trying to preserve a little communication history.

You too, Can be Queen!

Should be one of all women's mantras.  

Some times it comes later rather than sooner....but, eventually you are crowned!

Tye Dyed Art!

My "Big Guy" just celebrated five decades!  A small party was thrown in his honor.  In an effort to  have a theme, his love for music was chosen.  Now keep in mind, his musical taste is everything they play and have played...and those who have wanted to play at Bonnaroo!  So, we called this special day Jeff-aroo!  It was all things "Woodstock-ish"!

Which brings me to another form of art...

Lesson I have learned over the years....Hire people that do their job well, and DO NOT micromanage what they do.  Let them do their job with creative abandon.  Provide simple parameters or guidelines and leave it alone.  Over direction on your part stifles their ability to perform and do what they do best.

Fast forward to cake ordering for the party:   I went to my favorite bakery, shared the want for "tye-dyed" baked goods (i.e. largest cookie cake they make, cookies and cupcakes) and said, "go for it".  I saw no photos or examples of their tye-dyed work, but knew they did their job with utmost care, creativity and precision.  Guess what?  I was not disappointed.  

If you need some artistic baked goods I highly recommend, Piece of Cake Bakery!

Love...love...love them!

Mega Mixed Media!

Well, after much life getting in the way....I am back!  The art has been pumping out of my basement....big art show this weekend!  Can't wait to participate, teach a couple of classes and hang out with very special people!  I think a little junking may be a part of the agenda!  But for the next few days until I return....art will be featured...that hopefully will not return.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Many parts of the above piece have surfaced over the past few months...but, for the first time you see the whole.  Once again, a piece of maximal ism from me!  Enough, is just not enough!

"Logic will get you from A to B.

Imagination will take you everywhere."

-Albert Einstein