A Shabby Attempt

I don't "do" the Shabby Chic Cottage Quaint thing myself, but because I know people who adore that certain shade of blue and certain avarian symbols, I naturally accumulate those items when I find them. Some people are just too easy to shop for!

This house shaped shadow box (thrift store purchase!) was literally Ugly Dickling gray when I started. I am hoping to have a beautiful swan of a creation when I'm done. It isn't coming easy, because, as I said, I am not naturally a Shabby Chick. Any design suggestions are welcomed!

I have said and shown too much, but it KILLS me to keep really good, tasty morsels to myself.

Your secret is safe with me, just not my own!

hee hee hee hee

Currently I'm Working On...

A junk sampler a la Tim Holtz.

His is Patchwork Pandemonium.

Mine is Hardware Hullabaloo.
Authentic rusted relics soon to be mounted on color tinted papers
and attached to painted wire screen salvaged from an antique pie cupboard.
Say that 5 times fast!


Amazingly enough, the rusted things were all waiting for me in one tattered box I had squirreled away in the laundry room. The vintage picture frame was a thrift store find.
It all came together like it was meant to be!
But the most amazing thing is that I remembered where to find everything!

What are you currently working on?

Marie Antoinette

I entitled this piece, "Bling Serieux". It's for Patty's Marie Antoinette themed pages in our current Queen Bee 5 swap. I used a piece of velvet cut from a child's party dress, some old looking lace, a piece of embellished bridal lace, a feather and a couple pieces of junk jewelry. Marie's image is from a free collage sheet offered by The Graphics Fairy. Marie is available on The Graphic Fairy's July 22, 2009 post.

Serious *bling*.

Glorious Morning

I have spent the whole summer sleeping in late, but now with school just a week away, we have started the "earlier to bed, earlier to rise" routine to train for the very early mornings coming up. I take great pleasure in rousting the kids before they want to be up!

This morning I discovered the beautiful morning glories blooming in our yard while I slept away the summer. Purple ones (or blue?) have grown around our pond and white ones bloom over the trellace framing our gate into the yard. The pink blooms in the photo is a rose of sharon bush by my bedroom window.

And the most lively flower in the yard, is of course, Rebecca. She barely stands still long enough to be photographed. Here she is posed in mid-fidget; one leg poised to run as soon as the photo session is over. She'll be off to a second year of pre-school this year, 3 days a week. I'll have a few mornings to myself to commune with the flowers and a cup of tea.

More Summer Vacation Pictures

I have more work to do in my resurrected travel journal, but I wanted to share one current collage about our weekend at The Lake. We went down there for Seth's birthday weekend, so naturally we had to go out and celebrate. No Birthday Boy photo (I would only lose it before printing anyway...) so a dated receipt from the restaurant (The Happy Fisherman) and some magazine photos illustrate the event. Seth turned 10.

You might have noticed a glaring absence of typewriter type in my collages. My "necessary" camping item was never pulled out and used. And now I can't find it. I thought I had carried the typewriter out from the trailer when we unpacked, but we were so tired when we got home Sunday evening, that now I am not remembering much. It's around somewhere. Possibly still under my side of the bed in the trailer. I'll find it. Later. For now I am still doing laundry.

It's good to be home!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Two years ago we took a wonderful, 2 week, family road trip, east to Delaware (Rehoboth Beach) for a mini family reunion (my family) and wisely, I started a travel journal. Not so wisely, I gave up after 4 pages (Tennessee) and even worst, the places I left blank for photos were never filled. The pictures were lost before I could print them out (how many times has that happened to you?)
Instead of ripping out the pages, as was my first impulse to do, I decided to salvage the journal. And add to it. This past weekend, we took 4 days to go camping down at Lake Ozark as our last hurrah before the kids started school. I took along my sorry journal, a photo album trash picked from a neighbor down the street, a couple of slide frames, some vintage photo corners, glue sticks and scissors. Oh, and my favorite portable typewriter, "just in case". Cuz you gotta have a portable typewriter while camping.

Down at the lake I found a free tourist magazine that gave me lettering and inspiration.
I like my vacation better illustrated with my neighbors photos!
hee hee!

I never thought the 1970s would be nostalgic, having grown up then, but they look pretty good in my journal. :)
And it was amazing how well a stranger's photographs "fit".
Weird even.
Very weird.

What did you do this summer?

And Now For Something Really Different

You see the projects I'm puttering on all the time so I thought I would show you what my husband is up to. This past Wednesday evening he joined in some fire training with Odessa's fire department. It was a controlled propane burn, but HOT and a little scary nonetheless.
Each fireman was fully suited up in bunker gear and oxygen masks.
Remember, this is JULY.
Imagine dressing in a sleeping bag (a fire proof one) during 87*F. heat.
Then add a huge fire 5 feet away from you.
That's being a fireman.

The drama was greater after the sun set.

Sylmon is the one with the soles of his boots showing.

Victoria took this picture.

Might be another one destined to go to State Fair (next year).