The Holiday Preparation Continues

Did you craft with your grandmother when you were a child? My father's mother never learned to drive, so for a time she lived with us before moving next door, and then into a house of her own with her brother, a retired minister, who could act as her chauffeur. She wasn't as crafty as my mother, or at least not in my presence, but she did love to make Christmas tree ornaments. I found this tree topper photo on the BH&G website and loved it, mostly because it reminded me of Mommie, as we called her. One year she used white styrofoam balls, sequins, beads, and straight pins to decorate ornaments that were simply magnificent. I don't have the patience for tackling such a project, but this tree topper sure looks like a possibility to me.
All you need is a styrofoam ball and some bamboo skewers or wooden picks. I've seen pick-up sticks at the Dollar Tree and I'm betting those would work. Or maybe I'll go smaller and use toothpicks. We'll see. Dip the wooden picks into white glue and sink them into the ball. When you're satisfied with the overall shape, spray paint first in the color of your choice, then spray on adhesive and sprinkle with glitter. Make sure to use one bamboo skewer so that you have a way to wire it to the top of the tree. You know we can do this!

Now this topper has a lot of appeal because I just love that explosion of color. Quick and easy, once you gather all your ribbons. Back in her crafting days my mother would take us to the flea market where an older gentleman drove an old station wagon (and I swear it was older than me) and parked it right in his "booth" space. Inside that station wagon he had a zillion rolls of ribbon. You could see them piled to the roof in the back. I'm telling you there was barely room for him to squeeze behind the wheel and drive it to and fro. My mother would dive into that car as though there were cash money to be found. Me, I was mortified to be seen with her, cowering as far away as possible, while she spent a couple of hours digging for treasure. She shouldn't have been so generous with me considering my attitude back then, but when I began to craft she gave me dozens of rolls of that very ribbon. Now I look at this photo and wonder aloud if I can't find some of the widest, brightest rolls and create this very same look on my own tree.

I've brought the bottom branches trimmed from the base of my tree into the house and they've made it as far as the coffee table. Every year I decorate my downstairs mantle with this greenery, adding my artificial berries and holiday ornaments. Today my monkeys and mantle clock are still in place, but tonight the magic will happen.

If you should be in the neighborhood and drive by my house you'll see my newest addition...a 3' tall wooden snowman standing on the porch in front of that artifical tree. His hat is made to hold greenery, and so far it has some of those tree branches only, but it's excited to know there are going to be additions tonight. We've got some of the most fabulous bushes in our side yard that are almost yellow yearround and I plan to give them the slightest trim tonight for the sake of my snowman's hat. Then I'll give another trim to my Nandina bushes around the back patio and add a few sprigs of berries for accent. The holiday spirit may just have arrived.

One final note of interest. My tree isn't decorated and I didn't watch even a minute of Boston Legal. Instead we pulled out all the strings of lights and got those onto the tree. My husband thinks you have to stretch out each string, then plug them in and make sure they work. And then he drags up that great big ladder, thinking he'd start at the top and work his way down. Have mercy. So I sent him to work on a much-needed new window lock in the studio as I began at the bottom and worked my way up with the lights. The tree is about 8' tall and it's standing on top of a very low table, so I couldn't possibly reach the top. His only job was to get the last third of the tree finished and I've gotta say, it's less than attractive. I'll be forced to climb that ladder (did I mention my fear of heights?) and tweak those last 3 strings, and then tonight we'll start with the ornaments.

Wish me luck. We didn't even climb the stairs last night.

I'm Alive, I'm Well, and I'm Worthless

At the beginning of last week we bought a tree. It waited patiently on the front porch with the artificial tree for 2 days before we trimmed the bottom and got it into the stand with water. Two days later it made it into the house. After hours rearranging the livingroom to accomodate it, we carried it upstairs. Then we rearranged the family room furniture a zillion times before proclaiming that we were done for this year. It's not where we want it; nor is the furniture, but at some point you have to know when to say when. There it sat for another 48 hours waiting for a refill of water. That poor tree has been waiting patiently for lights and ornaments...and it's still waiting.

My wreaths are still in the attic cubby, not on my windows and carriage lights. My mailbox remains unadorned, as does my foyer, both mantles, ... you get the idea.

I did buy 2 boxes of cards. So far I've mailed only 2 cards. I've done more shopping, and tomorrow night I'll be out with my son doing more. No rest for the weary.

We went to my son's house yesterday for lunch. My mother and step-father also joined us and she did most of the cooking. You know how good mothers are...not moms like me I'm afraid. I'll gladly buy you a meal anywhere but you'll be hard pressed to get me in the kitchen to prepare one. Especially this time of year! After lunch, my daughter-in-law drove us girls up to her salon and fixed our hair. I have a totally new look and once it grows out a bit more, it'll look even more fabulous. Mother even had her brows waxed, which is an idea I've never entertained for myself. My blonde & white eyebrows don't show anymore than my blonde & white eyelashes.

Speaking of which, my eye surgery is 30 days from today. Have mercy. I'm wearing my bifocals full time now and HATING it!!! All for the greater good...that's what I keep telling myself. So if you see me in the next month and my makeup is no less than scandalous, be a dear and blend it for me. Take a tissue and wipe off the excess blush. Ignore the fact that I'm not wearing mascara because I can't see to put it on. Or, heaven forbid, if I've attempted to apply some and it's all over my eyelids, take mercy on me and help me tidy up. Vanity will win in the end and in Christmas photos I'll have this far-away, dazed look because I fully intend to take them off when I see anyone pointing a camera in my direction. I'll tell you now that I'm so blind I can't see my own reflection in the mirror unless my nose is 3" away or closer, hence that dazed look I'm warning you about now. I'm charming. I'm witty. I'm personable. But trust me, I'm blind beyond all definition of the word.

We loaded up the puppies in the Mini Cooper and drove to Florida the week before Thanksgiving. Today I remembered that I'd used my cell phone to take a couple of photos of the puppies being walked in Savannah. So here they are, loving every minute of their time out of the crate and out of the car.

If there are typos in this little blurb, forgive me. I said I'm wearing bifocals, not tri-focals. Translation: I can see miles down the road, and I can see my hand in front of my face. But the computer screen might as well be in the refrigerator with the door closed and the light off.

I've made a to-do list for tonight that includes dragging all the Christmas finery out of the cubby and with any luck sprinkling some it throughout the house and onto the tree. But keep in mind tonight is the very last episode of Boston Legal ever. And it's on from 9-11, so you know I can't be expected to let the DVR record it without actually watching it. Priorities people!

As I said up above, I'm alive and I'm well, but clearly I'm also worthless today.

Happy B-Day to the Men in My Life!

Today we're celebrating not one, but two birthdays...my son and my husband. What are the chances of that?
When I met my husband 11 years ago it was the day after Thanksgiving and his birthday was just days away. When I discovered it fell on the same day as my son's, it was quite a surprise.

It's hard to imagine that I have a grown son. I can remember the night he was born as if it were yesterday. It was my mother-in-law's birthday (what a coincidence!) and we'd invited her over for dinner. My husband was a policeman, working the 11pm to 7am shift, so he was dozing in the chair while I began to tidy up the kitchen. I'd been having pains all day but didn't realize it was the beginnings of labor. So when my mother-in-law saw me come check his watch more than once the gig was up! She made us say goodnight and rush her home because she wanted that baby born on her birthday.
And sure enough, at 10:36pm, he arrived, within an hour of our arrival at the hospital. The nurses were terrified that he'd get here before my doctor but we all made it.
It's fun to think back on all the cakes and all the parties. Birthdays are wonderful, aren't they?
I'm sending out big wishes to both my guys, with many more celebrations to come.

A Little of This...

Artists are special people. I consider myself a collector (perhaps hoarder) who eventually finds uses for all my purchases. I'll find a close-out on inventory where there are only 5 or 6 left of something really clever, and I'll tell myself it would make a great, intimate class in the studio.
Which is why my 500 sq ft studio is running over with riches. I've got 2 cubbies in the family room behind the built-in bookcases that are chock full of (let's call them) supplies. And I've got a closet with built-in shelves down on the first floor in guest room #2 that's also overflowing with even more priceless samplings. And let's don't even talk about the cases of wooden cigar boxes that are in the basement storage room!
You get the idea. I'm living in the world of "too much of a good thing is no longer good". And so as I'm doing my annual purge, deciding what has to go, I've come upon a great idea for a few people out there. I'm putting together kits, boxes, and bags of treasures that need new homes.
I once found about 6 photo storage boxes with a hinged, snap lid that are meant to be decorated with inks, paints, stamps, or even collaged with papers. The fold-over lid has a frame mounted for slipping in a photo. My original idea was a small class for a select few, but I've never found the time for it, so now they must go.
I had the same idea when I came across these really large ornaments that are flat, scored white chipboard screaming for Luminaire paints and rubber stamps, or paper collage elements & 3D embellishments before being folded to form the pyramids that will not only house small gifts, but also make fabulous gifts themselves once completed.
And then there are the little boxes with tabbed cards inside, perfect for holding recipe cards or a catalog of cards sent to friends & family.
Remember when Tim Holtz introduced his Junk Bags with zippered compartments for holding scrabble tiles, metal alphabet letters, jewelry findings, beads, and other trinkets? How much fun would it be to hold a small class limited to the number of bags left, filling them with ephemera? Each lucky participant receives their very own bag of goodies and then we begin decorating a canvas or a journal or assemblage project using those bits and more.
I'd love to do these classes, sharing ideas for the creation of these little wonders, but I'm thinking perhaps I should just sell them, letting someone else give them a good home. My studio is filled right now with boxes and bags of these items and more. If you're interested in a class like this, or interested in some of these treasures, send me an email. Meanwhile I'll keep digging to see what else I've hidden from myself. I'm telling you, it really is like Christmas at my house.

23 Days and Counting

Thanksgiving is a time of counting our blessings. Then December rolls in with a countdown of a different sort. 23 Days. I can say it out loud without panic in my voice. I've begun my shopping. I've begun my decorating. (There's a new snowman sitting on the front porch)

Of course I haven't bought my tree. And I haven't unpacked the holiday decorations from the attic. We've begun to rearrange the living room downstairs as well as the family room upstairs, both in anticipation of a tree. Not sure where it will go, or if we'll have 2 this year. One real, one artificial. The latter is assembled & sitting in my foyer. We considered putting it out on the front porch which is large enough to protect it from the weather, but the tree's far too large for that if we expect anyone to see the wreath on the door, or actually enter the door.

You know how getting something unexpected throughout the year makes you feel like it's Christmas? I love that feeling when we start pulling out our holiday stash. The cubby is probably 6' wide, 12' deep, and 4' tall, crammed from floor to ceiling and wall to wall with box after box of wreaths, ornaments, decorations, door mats, a huge sleigh and more. Each year we add to our collection so when we start opening boxes we've forgotten all the fabulous goodies that were tucked away the year before.

It may surprise people to know that I don't make my holiday cards. Never have, never will. I'm not a card-making person at heart though I will make sets of cards to give as gifts, complete with their own little portfolio holder. These are well received, particularly when they include birthday, get-well, thank you, and blank cards. Tucking in a book of stamps is a nice touch of course.

I'm planning just such an endeavor this year and I'm including the neighborhood kids. I'll assemble the portfolios that need only their artwork for the front cover, fold the cardstock for the actual cards, and then let the little ones decorate small works of art to adorn each card. It's a day of play for me and them, and it gives the parents a chance to shop or rest or vacuum while I'm entertaining the tots. Maybe you could do the same this year in your studio, store, or kitchen. Make sure you have a camera nearby to capture those hands covered in ink and paint and glue, and of course the smiles.