Tuesday, May 16, 2006

and the charm...

( the tiny dots are air bubbles in the diamond glaze.)

to accompany the journal featured yesterday. this round robin was sponsored by christine farmer of the artist block and the yahoo group she's organized. there are twelve artists working on one another's bracelets and journals. this one is for heather. her theme is things with wings. i guess i am not very good at following directions...actually i meant to put wings on these special gals, but at the last moment decided that friendship is what gives many of us wings, so i left them out. these two obviously are very special to one another. i feel the same way about my friends.

Monday, May 15, 2006

charming...

good girl, a collage page for the journal accompanying a charm bracelet i'm working on...

hope everyone had a nice mother's day, yesterday!

Friday, May 12, 2006

tagged...

i got tagged (2x) by denise...

five things...

five minutes to yourself: quick pass through house to straighten
five bucks to spend right now: yarn or paper
five items in your house you could part with: THE TV, the entertainment center, THE OTHER TV, the living room curtains, the threadbare upholstery on the couch
five items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house:
the family photographs, the books, the memories, my collection of vintage aprons, my two favorite guys (not necessarily in that order!)
five words you love: lovely, peachy, groovy, fabulous, okey dokey

what's in....

my fridge: sugar free jell-o, skinny cows, low-fat cream cheese, 2% american cheese, boca burgers
my closet: countless pairs of flip-flops, pink crinoline, messy piles of sweaters, cast-off purses, empty plastic bins meant to hold my shoes, lots of vintage dresses
my purse: checkbook, wallet, vintage eye glass case (holding hot pink pair of cheaters), band-aids, packets of splenda, neosporine, sunglasses, hairbrush, change purse, cell phone, gobs of keys, two “idea” notebooks
my car: nothing…i’m a freak about keeping my car cleared of clutter—I think the glove box has a pair of kelly’s sunglasses and our owner’s manual, oh yeah, and some dental floss

Thursday, May 04, 2006

split knitting personalities...

from a wonderful estate sale score -- vintage knitting patterns.
this one should be called "disturbingly demented"!

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

this week, i've been working 10 hour days at the office, driving straight home, eating and crashing on the couch to watch "texas ranch house." after living a dilbert day, the concept of chucking it all to toil at a hearth preparing cornbread and beans is appealing.

when i was little, i so wanted to be amish...i didn't understand it was a religious choice. then i moved on to my fascination with little house on the prairie. it all changed, though, when i realized i couldn't wear eye shadow or have my hair permed. i'm nothing if not a material girl.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

dos and don'ts...

i do like candy.
i don't like milk chocolate.

i do like rap music.
i don't like free form jazz fusion.

i do have a crush on john cusack.
i don't think i'd ever do anything about it.

i do carry more than 5 lip balms and/or glosses in my purse.
i don't carry any other make-up.

i do wear make-up.
i don't wear perfume.

i do like baseball.
i don't like basketball.

i do have an organized desk at my office.
i don't at home.

i do watch t.v.
i don't have cable or a satellite dish.

i do wear self-tanner.
i don't lay out in the sun.

i do knit.
i don't crochet.

i do have a cell phone.
i don't like to use it.

i do fear the dark, heights and public speaking.
i don't have a fear of strangers.

i do have a day planner.
i don't use it.

i do love flowers.
i don't have a green thumb.

i do prepare food.
i don't cook.

i do have 3 stepfathers.
i don't know my biological father.

i do write real, honest to goodness, letters.
i don't do it with any regularity.

wanna play? tagged--angelica, becky, denise, linda, mary beth, sharon

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Monday, April 24, 2006

how i spent my sunday...

kelly and i spent yesterday at the home of our friends, dawn & terry. dawn & terry, if you recall, are the master photographers behind the wonderful family portrait showcased here last week. dawn & terry lured us to their home with promises of barbecue and then proceeded to torture us for hours by taking our picture.

really, i didn't even know they were going to feed us. when dawn asked me if i would be her model for a portraiture class assignment on dramatic or "hollywood" lighting, it was that pretend arm-twisting situation wherein the question is still hanging in the air when i shouted, "yes!" AND to top it all off, i got to wear hats...which are my number one favorite fashion accessory. seriously, in the history of clothes, felt, some netting, beads, feathers and wide ribbon could not be be more fantastic. in whatever iteration they are combined, they are fabulous.

dawn & terry have a remarkably compact lower level studio. when you see the finished product they will not belie the studio's size. i got to wear a black and white sheath dress that i paid, i'm not joking, 50 cents for at a thrift store. that and a pair of faux diamond studs and i was all set for my close-up.

the lights were blazing hot, but dawn & terry made me feel cool as a cuke. after the first session in which i got to wear a to-die-for cream wide-brimmed hat with rhinestones and lush black ribbon rose, they decided to try some dramatic couples lighting. their inspiration was a print advertisement for some men's cologne. kelly had to look brooding...i had to look protected and thoughtful. it was a stretch for both of us, but i think the submission for the assignment will come from this session.

and then it was time for my holly-go-lightly session. bright white background, same vintage b&w dress and a breath-taking black woven hat with a short veil. it was all i could do to not light a cigarette and take long, hot drags through a cigarette holder.

so. much. fun. once they're done retouching them (yes, i have my photographer re-touch my pictures...all the really BIG names have it done!) i will share some here. my dream of modeling has definitely come true.

until then, here is a photo that they took last time out at the end of our family portrait time. dawn wanted to try to work with fur and wouldn't you know i have a faux fur hat and a real fur collar...how could i resist an offer to wear them and be photographed.

please note...this is before touch-ups in which terry darkened my lipstick and made my green eyes greener. it reminds me of the line in the "wizard of oz," "can they even dye my eyes to match my gown? jolly good town!"


Friday, April 21, 2006

someone mentioned to me how much they missed my writing here (hi, nancy!). looking back i realized she was right--i haven't been writing much, but telling my stories with pictures.

there have been many things i thought to write about...

* how the birds keep waking me up at 4 a.m...

* how much i want my neighbor to mow her lawn...

* how i knit and then frogged an eighth of a sweater because my gauge was wrong...

* how i think i am giving myself an ulcer from watching my son pitch--he's doing great, but that's a lot of pressure on a 16 year old (and on his mom)...

* how spring pretty much just passed us by and we're now just in full-on summer...

* how i cannot stop thinking up new projects, but can't seem to carve out an extra 4 hours of each day to accomplish them...

* when we had our family portraits done it reminded me how much i dreamed of being a model when i was a young teen...and then my friends dawn and terry made that dream a reality...



more words and pictures soon...i promise, nancy!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

weekend and tuesday night...

planted 150 of these...


made this skirt from an old pillow case...


made 19 medium and 19 small pom pons for my bookmark exchange contribtion...


look how pretty they look with my new book!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

sprung...

NOTE: i posted this once already today, but blogger ate it. if i fail again, i'll take it as a sign from the gods that my bad-mouthing mother nature was not taken lightly.

i don't really like spring. that may sound like season-ism, but i don't care for things that are so changeable. spring is the season afflicted with multiple personality disorder. in the morning it's so chilly and windy i have to wear a sweater and a raincoat. at lunchtime there may be a sprinkle or a downpour, so wear boots and don't forget an umbrella. by quitting time, the sky is blue with high wispy clouds and the interior of my car is as hot as hades, so i have to shed my sweater and drive home in my skivvies.

however, if spring were the same each day and i knew what to expect (i'm like this in all aspects of my life, not just the weather, so spring should not take this diatribe personally), and the views were as pretty as the pictures below are, then we would be fast friends.



i'm admittedly unfamiliar with any botanical names, but if it were up to me the tree that produced these gorgeous blossoms would be called, ""ohmygoodness you-take-my-breath-away!"

Friday, April 07, 2006

color quiz...

the results are WAY negative, but still one of those quizzes i couldn't resist taking. if you're not very thick-skinned, i don't recommend it.



ColorQuiz.comheidi took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

"Wants interesting and exciting things to happen. A..."


Click here to read the rest of the results.


Thursday, April 06, 2006

knitting night...


look what my fab gf, becky, gave me last night! i have it right next to my computer screen here at the office so i can get a little cheer-up anytime i look at it!

becky gave it to me last evening at wednesday night knitting club (we don't really call it that. but maybe we need to come up with a catchy acronym of some sort to describe the fun we have!) . she also gifted me with a thimble lapel pin. i'm sporting it right now, ladies!

we also welcomed a new knitty member, leslie/lesley (i don't know how to properly spell her name, so i've put both possible spellings here!). leslie knit a very long, very chic bookmark or choker...she hasn't decided what it is quite yet. i hope becky and i didn't frighten her too much...we can be a bit overwhelming.

here's a pic of leslie/ley sporting a very fun cookie monster tee. hey, who took this picture? shakes the clown? no, that would be me.

i brought along my defective cupcake (2nd in a series of two) to show off. below is a pic of the cupcake. i cropped out my face, etc. from the pic because it seemed like an awful lot of heidi and not nearly enough cupcake.



and last but not least, here's a fun photo of ever patient and talented knitter, becky, sporting her new scarf. it is a lovely rhubarb color and the pattern is from the book holiday knits. wonderful, simply wonderful ruffly scarf, beck!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

dark...

after dinner on tuesday (whole wheat pasta and pesto) i needed something sweet. dove dark chocolate promises are my candy of choice these days (thanks to dr. south beach). sometimes the sentiments are goofy, like the one above. sometimes they make me smile from ear to ear.

honestly, i just wanted to try out the "macro" setting on my digital camera! i like how you can see the individual threads of my placemat!

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

thrifting...knitting...collecting


i've been hitting the thrift store pretty hard lately. i scored these two weekends ago. there are thirteen of a series of time life books on sewing. i think the copywrite date is 1973. what clinched the purchase, though, was that the previous owner of these books must have taken a sewing course and the certificate commemorating her first completed garment was still in the front of one of the books AND the date of the certificate was TO THE DAY 28 years ago. each of the books covers a different sewing topic...there are even instructions and patterns to make leather gloves. the covers each sport a different fabric...the top photo showcases a few of my faves. the one on the end is orange corduroy...mod, mod, mod! (hey, and check out my breakfast crumbs in the front of the bottom pic! mmmm, whole wheat toast!)

the blue socks are complete and even survived a trip in the washing machine. the neopolitan socks are 1/2 done. i keep reading and hearing about a way to knit two socks at once on two circular needles...that way you finish them at the same time and they're always the same size (btw...my blue ones are exactly the same size! thank you very much!). but the directions seem so cryptic. any savvy sock knitters out there that have walked the plank and tried this sock knitting method, please let me know. yes, i need to know because on sunday i actually purchased MORE sock yarn. so that brings the count to one completed pair of socks, one half pair of socks and yarn enough in the stash to make two more pairs. i've got it bad. and the allure AND lure of crochet is beckoning me so fiercely, i can barely control it. fabric, yarn, thread, buttons, aprons, beads, paper, old books, vintage patterns all threaten to take over the house. thank goodness i have broken free from my addiction to collecting! (not!)

i have yet to mention my now ever expanding collection of 1960s cookbooks...the most recent addition, "lunches and brunches," in which aspic is often mentioned. yummy!

Thursday, March 23, 2006

14 days is a long time...

and there are no good excuses for not posting for two weeks. however, there are a million and one little reasons why i haven't been a more conscientious blogger, below are just a few:

***my son has turned 16 and it has, quite frankly, turned me inside out with emotion. his steps toward independence (which is, of course, what i want for him) have led me to look at the very near future and what my world will look like when he no longer lives in our home. it is a future filled with promise, free-time and endless possibilities. i just didn't think the future would arrive so quickly!

***big changes at my workplace and in my job. most of the changes are good. some of them are sad and involve someone close to me taking an exciting career jump that leaves me missing her terribly. the day seems long without a good friend to work beside.

***i was mentally preparing for my 3-month oncology follow-up appointment. the report was superb--my cancer markers remain low and my health is tip top. but the thought of going to that office and talking about something i'd rather forget, puts me in a funk for at least a fortnight. more good news--i have passed a milestone and now only need to visit the oncologist every 6 months! yay, me!

***an anonymous comment to a past post made me examine why i write here. blogging has allowed me to form friendships with people i was previously just acquaitanted with. this venue has afforded me the opportunity to stay connected with people who, like me, have full lives but are able to check-in via the internet with those we care about. this is a place to make me feel a part of a larger caring community, not disconnected or distressed. i do not have the desire to toughen up my skin to withstand anonymous comments from strangers. i am an open person and this blog will remain open to all readers and open to all comments. however, all anonymous comments will automatically be deleted...good or bad. whether someone thinks i'm inane or absurd, brilliant or gifted is inconsequential. but they should at least have the courtesy and the courage to reveal their identity...because the comments feature is meant to open a dialogue. if that ability is not honored, then what's the point?

Thursday, March 09, 2006

on the street where you live...

first, the shoppe has been updated! earrings and felted flower pins. enjoy!

oh, yeah, and e-mail me if you're interested in anything.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
i went in late to work on monday...damn the change in weather and it's migraine-inducing powers. i was sorry to get caught up in the later hour's morning commute traffic, but it did afford me the opportunity to get a glimpse of a favorite neighborhood couple.

they are in their late 60's--maybe early 70's. they take a morning constitutional every day. they both walk on the sidewalk, but on opposite sides of the street. the husband is a slower walker than the wife, so he is usually about 10 paces behind her. i have never heard them engage in conversation with one another. but they are so obviously together...because it happens every day.

when kelly and i go for our evening walks, we are blabbering the entire time. when we go out to dinner, there is never a lull in our conversation. we talk on the phone numerous times throughout the day. perhaps we're the exception and other couples who've been together for 20 years have a difficult time staying connected with their words, but we've never found that to be a challenge.

all i'm saying is this...i always want to walk on the same side of the street with kelly and hold his hand.

Monday, March 06, 2006

coming soon...more adornments


as promised...an imminent shoppe update--
earrings, mini bags and pins.

16 in 3 days...


"stop & remember, have fun and be careful."

the last spread of the birthday book i made for nathaniel this weekend.

in 3 days my baby boy will be 16 years old.

this is a picture of him and his 1970 ford ltd sporting his lettermen jacket on his lanky frame.

the countdown has begun...mothers lock away your daughters {just kidding}.

Friday, March 03, 2006

it really adds up...

from mary beth's site, to jane's site, to shari's site to here...

this is me boiled down to the exact numbers. pretty on target...especially the part where it says its initially difficult for me to get to know people.

You entered: heidi sue ludwig

There are 14 letters in your name. Those 14 letters total to 75. There are 7 vowels and 7 consonants in your name.

Your number is: 3

The characteristics of #3 are: Expression, verbalization, socialization, the arts, the joy of living.

The expression or destiny for #3:An Expression of 3 produces a quest for destiny with words along a variety of lines that may include writing, speaking, singing, acting or teaching; our entertainers, writers, litigators, teachers, salesmen, and composers. You also have the destiny to sell yourself or sell just about any product that comes along. You are imaginative in your presentation, and you may have creative talents in the arts, although these are more likely to be latent. You are an optimistic person that seems ever enthusiastic about life and living. You are friendly, loving and social, and people like you because you are charming and such a good conversationalist. Your ability to communicate may often inspire others. It is your role in life to inspire and motivate; to raise the spirits of those around you.

The negative side of number 3 Expression is superficiality. You may tend to scatter your forces and simply be too easygoing. It is advisable for the negative 3 to avoid dwelling on trivial matters, especially gossip.

Your Soul Urge number is: 7

A Soul Urge number of 7 means: With a number 7 Soul Urge you are very fond of reading, and retreating to periods of being alone and away from the disruptions of the outer world. You like to dream and develop you idealistic understandings, to study and analyze, to gain knowledge and wisdom. You may be too laid back and withdrawn to really succeed in the business world, and you will be much more comfortable in circumstances that are tolerant of your reserve, your analytical approach, and your desire to use your mind rather than your physical being.
You are very timid around people that you don't know very well, so much so at times that casual conversation and social situations can be strained. You tend to repress your emotions to the extent that some people have a good bit of difficult understanding you. You tend to be very selective with friends and you don't easily adapt to new environments or to new people very quickly.

The negative traits of the 7 include becoming too much the introvert and isolated from others.

Your Inner Dream number is: 5

An Inner Dream number of 5 means: You dream of being totally free and unrestrained by responsibility. You see yourself conversing and mingling with the natives in many nations, living for adventure and life experiences. You imagine what you might accomplished.

studio friday...inspiration

texture, thread, the color pink, rick rack, beads, my three old kitchen tables (the one in this picture is from my gram's home), needles, pins, photographs...all inspire me to create.

see what inspires other artists here.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

red-faced...

since my surgery i haven't really liked to wear pantyhose. not that i liked to wear pantyhose before, but the incision site from my surgery was really irritated by the waistband of pantyhose. tights were okay and undergarments okay too. but pantyhose were strictly out of the question. waaaay too constricting. but, as most ladies will attest, there are times when it is not a tights kind of outfit and going bare legged is inappropriate as well. yesterday was one of those days. most days i rock the brown 60's style side zip boots, but we've been on a warm-up here in the midwest and it was slated to be nearly 70 degrees. boots would be a bit, well, sweaty. so i picked out some velveteen high heeled mary janes...funky girl meets office chic. the legs though are not yet tanned (or "faux rub on tanned", as i have sworn off the sun). the question remained, what type of leg covering to go for. i pawed through the sock drawer and pulled out a pair of thigh high hose. not the kind you wear with a garter belt, but the kind that have the ever so odd rib of clear silicon that holds the hose up like magic...or so the package claimed. on one trip from my desk to the ladies room i noticed that my left leg felt very exposed. so exposed that by the time i arrived at said restroom, the stocking was hunched down around my ankle.

apparently, the last time i bought thigh high hosiery i weighed 30 pounds more than i do now. hence: skinnier thighs + too big thigh high hosiery = unequaled embarassment as co-worker strides through information technology (read "all guy department") area on way to restroom.

self-tanner aisle, here i come.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

self portrait tuesday...crossbite

today's the last self portrait tuesday focusing on the things we don't like about ourselves. besides my nose, my crossbite is what i struggle with the most. it makes my tooth look like it's missing. i've consulted lots of orthodontists about it and they all tell me "no way." guess i'll have to live with it.

one down...

this is it...my very first finished sock! i knit it from the pattern in the december 2004 issue of martha stewart living. it wasn't at all difficult, but it did take a loooong time. i suppose i am a slow knitter. i was telling becky that the most difficult thing to remember when taking on a project like a pair of socks is, well, that you have to knit two of them. words to live by.

i have two other projects "on the needles" right now...the other pair of striped socks and a cotton kerchief scarf from last minute knitted gifts. i think i'm ready to knit myself a sweater with some stretchy forgiving yarn on needles bigger than a size 2. more words to live by!

Friday, February 24, 2006

old, new, borrowed, blue...

studio friday's theme...

old...a dress form, vintage lace dress, and prized old apron.

new...10 (yes, 10!) gingerbread house kits.


borrowed...my great aunt polly's buffet. when she passed away, i guess it became a gift.

blue...a pair of favorite pants that need to be repaired. i noticed a sincere lack of blue in my studio.

see other artists here.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

something new...


knitter extraordinaire and great friend, becky, made this neat-o knitting needle holder for me and gifted me with it last night at my "knitting lesson." (i swear this picture didn't look this blurry when i took it this morning.)

also, last night, i turned my first heel (with much assistance from becky) on this, my first pair of socks. it's like a little bit of magic, making this happen.


it was a lovely evening of chit chat, lattes and laughing. thank you so much, becky!

Friday, February 17, 2006

silence...



is not what we heard on wednesday night when we attended the ursuline vs. nerinx basketball game. these two all girl catholic high schools have an age old rivalry, so it was "on like donkey kong" wednesday night. imagine hundreds of girls dressed up in their school colors, crazy outfits, outrageous hairdos, a giant bear wearing a school girl skirt, and rock concert noise levels. that image will only represent a fraction of the excitement that happened in that gym. my ears were humming on the car ride home. did i mention that it was crazy loud and that they had t-shirt tosses (of t-shirts specially made for this ONE game)? and did i mention how much i wanted one of those t-shirts, because i'm a freak like that? coming from a high school at which school spirit was high, this was nothing in comparison. those girls cheered themselves hoarse. in addition to three basketball games (freshman, JV and varsity) there was a half time show with dancing.

the cutest redhead in the world is who we came to see...she's at the very end on the left in the front row. oh yeah, did i tell you it was LOUD?


Wednesday, February 15, 2006

tradition...

heart-shaped pizza of love...and

a platter full of sugar cookies.
happy valentine's day to us!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

breathe in...breathe out...


i decided to look fear right in the eye and go forth...my creations are now for sale on the internet.
go here--it's my official sales page with complete descriptions, or you can click on the flickr link below right to see a slide show.

also for sale--fabric appliqued cards.
coming soon...jewelry and small zippered bags.

{hey, this is fun...}
Your Candy Heart Says "Cutie Pie"

You always seem to have a hot date, even though you never try to meet anyone.
A total charmer, you have a natural appeal that keeps you in high demand.

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: multiple dates with multiple people

Your flirting style: 100% natural

What turns you off: serious relationship talks

Why you're hot: you're totally addicting


i don't think this is really me, but i thoroughly enjoy being referred to as a "cutie pie."

Monday, February 13, 2006

word cloud...

there's a great website that will scan your blog for the most used words and make a word cloud out of those words. here's mine...

Friday, February 10, 2006

studio friday...fear

today's challenge is to show what frightens us most...creatively, speaking, that is.

and here it is. no, it's not laundry, it's a pile of work. sweaters to be felted and felted sweaters ready to be cut into bags and bags that are already cut out ready to be sewn and embellished. it seems like the larger the mound of sweaters, the more daunting the entire process is. add this to the fact that my lower level studio (see the laundry hanging in the background?) is a year-round 60 degrees and the creative process really gets bogged down. not to mention that i put this out there and then the fear compounds upon fear. it's about confidence and rejection and a bunch of other pop psychology issues i'm sure many other artists deal with every day. time to confront the fear and push on through to the other side, don't you think?

see the fears of other artists here.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

a banner day...

a glittery "hugs & kisses" banner i made to hang in the dining room window

AND, do you see what's on the ground outside?

yes, that's right, lovely snow.

here's a pic from my drive to work this morning.


please pardon the blurriness, i was actually driving when i took the picture...i know, shame on me.

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

spt...learning to accept

february 1992...me and my nose


i have never liked my nose. in grade school the mean kids called me eagle beak. in this picture, my sister caught me in a rare profile view. i usually avoid this at all costs. pictures are head on or not at all. i've flirted with the idea of a nose job; but after so many surgeries, the idea of electing to go under the knife seems ridiculous to me. besides, this is the nose of my mother, of my grandfather and many of my relatives before me. how can i deny my heritage by changing the way i look?

other self portrait tuesday photos are here.

Monday, February 06, 2006

it was 20 years ago today...

okay, it was really 20 years ago on saturday (but you get the idea), that kelly and i had our very first date...we call it our "meeting day."

he invited me to his house along with, oh, about 20 of his closest friends, for a tuesday night ritual called spaghetti night. each tuesday night bunches of kelly's very monetarily challenged friends either went to cicero's for all you could eat spaghetti or ate spaghetti at the house of one of the group members. it was kelly's turn to host, so i had my first "date" with kelly and lots of folks i had never met before. we played charades and laughed and ate and when he took me home, i wondered if i was going to get a kiss...i didn't.

the next time we went out was that friday. we saw stevie ray vaughn at the kiel opera house and ate cheesecake for dessert. i hoped i would get a kiss after that date...i didn't.

sunday i wormed my way into kelly's plans and steeled my courage up to ask him, why, oh why i hadn't gotten a kiss and at that moment he decided the time was right and then he kissed me. that evening i went home and told my grandma i was going to marry him. she asked me if i was going to date any other boys from st. louis first. i told her i didn't need to...i knew all i needed to know from that one kiss.

this saturday kelly and i drove around town to all of the places we went to in those few weeks of young love...

no one we know lives in the house on washington avenue anymore.


cicero's has been moved down the street to make room for the expanded blueberry hill.


stevie ray is gone and the kiel opera house hasn't held a concert in well over a decade.

the gyros restaurant in the loop we liked has been replaced by a florist.



the ever changing schedule at the tivoli has been updated to accommodate first run independent films.



the sandwich shop we ate at on our first valentine's day together is boarded up.



some things change...but we are still here.

Friday, February 03, 2006

studio friday...accidentally...

these vintage glass jars were left on the basement shelf by the previous owner...along with 5 antique quilts and numerous linens. we contacted the owner's daughter after we moved in, but no one was interested in these items. so their accident was our fortunate windfall. i use the jars to store pens, punches, crayons...a bit of everything. the quilts were too damaged to use on our beds, but i've sewn them into table covers for my display tables when i exhibit at art shows.

see other studio friday participants here.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

groundhog day...

i've been in hibernation mode for the past week and am sticking my head out to see if there will be 6 more weeks of winter. this winter has been the wussiest one ever, with hardly any snow and 60 degree days. it's enough to put a winter lover in a real funk. i think that's what is happening this week...not enough cold weather which means not enough reasons to put on a big bulky sweater and snuggle with a good book and a cup of coffee with cream. makes me feel sad and wistful for the winters of my childhood. once it snowed 12 inches overnight and the entire city was out of commission for two days. all the neighbors around us helped each other shovel their walks and driveways. the kids rejoiced because we got two snow days and my mother made potato pancakes and chili. i keep hoping for even one day snowy enough that we all have to stay home, but i'm not holding my breath.

and to prove my love of winter weather, i offer this picture of... my dining room chandelier...decorated in hopes that the snowflake theme will bring giant droopy snowflakes.

***
and on a "hey, this is so weird, i just have to ask" kind of way...there was a comment left on my entry unexpected differences from someone named chris who said they had a baby grand piano and no furniture in their living room. and the person who left this comment has the same name as the person to whom i was referring. if you visit this blog again, chris, please let me know if you're the same chris who i dated in high school. if not, maybe all the chris-es i am destined to know will have had baby grand pianos and no living room furniture, but i find that very unlikely.