PAINT OR PEACE?

This may look like a canvas of strewn paint....but, it's really that... and much more. I was going through my "appreciation of Pollack" phase and just wanted to simulate the joy he supposedly experienced while slinging paint on a canvas. The flow of the colors, the textures, the splat of paint from different angles and distance...all was quite interesting to me. So, one afternoon I purchased a huge 3'x4' canvas...laid out an old sheet on the driveway...and began slinging. It was quite invigorating. The lack of concern for how the paint addressed the canvas, the vibrant colors beginning to blend...the giant mess that was developing...it was FUN!


Not to insult Pollack...but, this was like taking a refresher course of Art 101 as experienced in 1st grade. It was about no parameters...not being conservative with the paint...no care for the end result...no premeditated vision...really it was like putting a blindfold on, getting behind the wheel of a car and hoping for the best. There was a huge sense of adventure with no idea of how it would end.


This particular afternoon my daughter was just an observer. She made her side bar comments, but felt totally humiliated at my prancing, and was praying no neighbor or friend would happen by as the canvas ritual was going on. But, as time passed, the watching and the embarrassment became instruction...like, "throw this color on there...toss it over your back...why don't you just throw the canvas and see what happens", to the point, I invited her to participate. With much reluctance, we both were slinging paint like Metropolitan Professionals while giggling and solving all the ills of the earth. We slung so much paint it took 4 days of 98 degree weather for it to dry. Layer upon layer of acrylic paint, with layer upon layer of stories to match. It became our version of the "Divine Secrets of the Ma-Da (mother/daughter) Sisterhood." We had a terrific, creative experience!

All this said...I now look at art a little differently. I have often made snide remarks about the simplicity of something, yet, I don't know what went on in the process of its creation. Buried beneath all that paint could be the answer to solving world peace....who knows?

Toasty Tags!

I love to receive a handmade gift...and if the wrapping of the gift reflects the giver has made a special effort in not looking mass produced...it makes me feel all toasty inside. Sometimes the presentation is just as much the gift, as the gift.

Well, I will often make the gift...but I stink at packaging it. To spend time on the wrapping...the card...the bow....not going to happen. This basically says, "I'm a traitor to the handmade pledge." Generally, I just slam the widget in one of my 28 recycled/re gifted gift bags, add some tissue...and hope I can tell the recipient it is from me, for I refuse to pay $4.95 for a card.

2008 is my year of "Packaging Presentation". What has caused this epiphany is currently unknown, perhaps I'm sick of waiting to do everything at the last minute...maybe I'm cheap...possibly I've collected so much miscellaneous pieces of quirky paper I need to purge...perchance I'm getting nostalgic in my old age...the possibilities are not worthy the contemplation. So, in an effort to be somewhat clever, I've made a stack of funky gift tags for all my packages in 2008.

The key for me is doing it and putting it in the gift drawer for future use. So, this morning, I did it! I made 25 cute, quite simple, yet obviously handmade gift tags for my future gift giving transactions. I simply punched holes in monopoly cards, bingo cards, tickets, old milk caps and several vintage playing cards; attached a cute ribbon....and neatly stacked them in a box in my gift drawer. Simply flip them over, write your greeting and garnish a gift with toasty goodness.

Do You Tingle?

This past weekend I visited some relatives which required a road trip. Just as a car needs gas...humans need food...I need to stop at one antique mall advertised via an obnoxious billboard on the interstate. This trip was no exception.

I often wonder why people will only wear brand names...that the latest Louis Vitton makes them tingle with delight...well, the mystery is solved. The whole process of tingling is subject to what makes you tingle. For me, it is a simple sign hoisted into the air about 80 ft. and reads "Over 150 Booths". The mere thought of crossing the threshold of uncharted junk cubbied into 10 ft. squares, with hand written signs reading 20% off TODAY ONLY! is sometimes more than I can handle. My car has an innate magnetism to antique malls! When I enter the building, the refuse of earlier times calls to me, and I always want to answer.

This particular stop had its many rewards. But, the one I enjoyed the most was the cigar wrappers. I have looked for these for years! I grew up on a tobacco farm...my father raised it... was a buyer of it...and auctioned it. I myself helped many summers planting it...setting it...and benefiting from its sale. We all know the consequences of tobacco and there is no debate, but one aesthetic value of tobacco...was the packaging. The boxes...the wrappers...the papers...all beautifully ornamented and pleasing to the eye. Through the years I've seen outstanding things made from cigar wrappers...but, not by me...because I never could find them.

Today...and today ONLY...I found cigar wrappers! Lovely little $1 bundles with an artistic future. They called to me....they said, "find some good in me"...and I did. Quickly I snapped up the five bundles and called them mine. It kind of made me tingle!

Flock of Friends!

Have you ever heard?..."If you surround yourself with people smarter or more talented than yourself, you will be great!

An interesting thought of how the influence of friends can effect who you are and what you do.

The smartest people in the world can't do everything...but, the true definition of genius to me...is hanging out with people who are quite genius in their own way. There is no doubt their essence will enhance your own person.

Naturally I gravitate to smart and creative people. I want to be smarter and more creative. I have managed to assemble a wonderful group of smart and creative women friends that no doubt impact who I am. All to my advantage! (It is part of the master plan.)

In creating this blog, one of my mental obstacles about committing to this task was...."what will I write about every day?" I feared having nothing to say and nothing to share. Which brings me to this thought...when you decide to write something everyday, and you want that "something" to be positive...or interesting...or funny...or colorful...the anxiety of

not coming up with a topic can often keep you from making the attempt. So, you either leap and hope for a soft landing, or leap and let things come to you.

Which brings me to today. I had the good fortune of receiving this delightful flock of birds with a signature bird envelope in the mail. These fowl are the creative genius of one my dear friends. Everything she does ends up looking just this happy! I love it! The quirky peacock on the envelope is one of her signature images that evoke the warmest feeling when I see it. I thought sharing these images could only benefit the masses. Enjoy!

Which leads me to all of this "deep" contemplation and surmisal...I am thrilled to have my dear friends. I so appreciate their intellectual and creative genius. And if these same people continue to allow me to hang out with them, I will be great! So, with this brilliance tucked in for the night, my advice to everyone is quite simple: Go find a flock of outstanding friends!

Gratification!

If you happened to read yesterday's contribution to the necessary human arrangement of jammies and spoons that will encourage the flakes up in the sky to alter all school schedules...I unfortunately have to report that our ying and yang must have been skewed. For the snow stopped roughly 17 flakes after I snapped the wagon photo last night. Several schools in our area did close..but unfortunately, my household was in deep mourning. My daughter anxiously watched 72 minutes of local and national news waiting to see and hear her school name chirped by the snowbird...only to learn that the use of a snow day was not going to happen. After much lip service addressed to the television and me, she gave up and put on the school uniform.

We elected to build a mound of snow pellets (i.e. mini-marshmallows) in our hot cocoa in honor of the occasion. Notice the delightful stir stick that has a mini whistle on the end. This is one of my favorite trinkets. I have somehow managed to amass a collection of about 30 of these musical toddy tools. All purchased at a yard sale for less than .50 per bundle of 4 or 5.

I don't know who thought of this outstanding device, but a whistle on the end of a drink stirrer can only be to the drinker's advantage. No more getting up to replenish your drink...no more stumbling to replenish your drink...no more wondering who is supposed to replenish your drink....just blow on this teeny tiny whistle and there is no doubt someone will come running to shut you up. This piercing tone will quickly bring a hostess...spouse...dog...or most anyone else willing to shut down the sound that highly resembles the feedback from a piccolo. As annoying as they are to hear...they are equally enjoyable to see. Once again, quantity is the key! Fun colors...and I have a sneaky hunch if they just could talk, they could tell a tale of equal gratification!

HOPE!

Yes, it is snowing here! Now to some this may not be a big deal...to those in our area...this is HUGE! We see snow very seldom, and as seen in this photo...this amount of snow is just this side of a blizzard. My daughter is sleeping with her pajamas inside out, and has put a spoon under every one's pillow. I think this may be some type of direct channeling method to the droppers of snowflakes in the sky...or some futile attempt at creating a southern, snowfall urban legend. Don't know. We are all on pins and needles regarding school attendance tomorrow. Keep in mind heavy snow moving equipment is virtually non-existent, and salt trucks (all seven of them), if summoned, could only cover minimal terrain...plus, there is a reason why we don't have snow removal tools. But, the unknown certainty that snow may fall, and virtually immobilize our city looms heavily in the minds of anyone attending school in our area. Once again, this is truly a testament to the innate human condition that thrives on the slightest glimmer of HOPE! Our household is filled with anticipation that school will be closed, and a snow day is imminent. There is nothing better than waking up to snowbird listing your school's name as "CLOSED, DUE TO SNOW AND ICY CONDITIONS". So, as I sit here with the surged inseam of my pajamas resting on the exterior of my body, and see a hint of a stainless steel utensil poking out from under my pillow...I too, have a little HOPE!

Just Use It!

One of my biggest fears, and joys is having someone pilfer through my things, at my future estate sale. Fear being, I obviously have croaked...or possibly, I have had to scale down to one small bedroom at my future nursing home or....my finances have gotten so depleted I am resorting to pawning off my worldly possessions fifty cents at a time. But, lest joy not be forgotten....I hope should my worldly possessions be pilfered through at my future estate sale...the lookers will be thrilled with the huge assortment of stuff available, dust included...provide lots of thoughtful contemplation as to "why in this world would someone have this?"...and do not forget the sheer delight someone gets in finding the perfect knick knack to finish out their collection for under $1. All of these thoughts rummage through my brain from time to time when I occasionally open a drawer or cabinet and find some little treasure I have totally forgotten I had. Once the doo-dad is discovered...again...I try to remember how I became the owner of this little nugget of vintage joy...thus, the brain-onic tennis match begins in my head as to "what in this world am I doing with this much stuff? What am I going to do with it? Where can I put it, because I just think it is so cute? I love the color, why haven't I had placed this somewhere for a daily visual pick-me-up? I wonder what will become of it in 30 years?" This banter in my brain always comes to one clear conclusion: Just Use It!

So, consequently, in my home there are no cute matching bathroom sets (soap dish, Kleenex box, toothbrush holder)...no matching decanter sets...no desk sets...really, no sets at all. My decorative garnish is the remnants of someone (probably deceased, in a nursing home or needed some pocket change) else's life. Is this creepy or good? Back to the brain-onic tennis match...

Anyway, the pictures you see are all wonderful, pieces of estate history that now have purpose. This is just how I use it!