HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope all of you have a wonderful, safe, and love filled New Years.

Grandma's Fabric

I inherited some vintage fabric from my grandmother and I never knew quite what to do with it. I wanted to save it for something special, but I wanted to use it so that it wouldn't just get stuck in a box and forgotten. One day in this wonderful eclectic store I happened upon a hat that I didn't think I could live with out, but it was way out of my price range. ( You know, that "practical price range for a hat" that every lady has to set for herself.) It had this wonderful 1920's look/ feel to it, and would be perfect made out of my grandma's fabric. I decided that I would attempt to make it, and this is what I came up with. It is very similar to the original, and it makes me love the fabric even more.

I sort of made it up as I went along and now I wish that I had tried to formulate some sort of pattern. Lesson learned, eh?!

My new 'happy hat'!!

Merry Christmas!!

A Very Merry Christmas to all of you! You have brought extra joy to my holiday season, and I hope that extra joy finds you during yours.

Some Holiday Cheer

A DESERT RAINSTORM.....Funny to me that this is what put me most in the Christmas spirit this year, but it is. I am from Utah where it snows, and SNOWS, and then snows some more. All though I do not love 4 months of straight wet cold, I often look for those first few sparkling magical snow storms to put me in the holiday spirit. This year we have had an extra long, hot summer in So. Cali, and I was beginning to wonder if I was going to fill that Christmas magic at all. That moment that the air shifts and that twinge of recognizable electric current wafts in and energizes your inner child. Well it happened....with a rainstorm.

Not just any rainstorm, two huge torrential Desert rainstorms. Last week when the barometer went nuts and the whole wold turned to storm, we got our share too. It was beautiful and cold. I drank it in, along with a lot of hot cocoa. :)

Had to share a few pictures, so that next August when I start to think I imagined it all,...I can refer to my 'proof'.

Truly bizarre fact,...when a Palm tree dies it folds right in half and just droops there all defeated like.

After living here for three years, I still laugh at my house decorated for Christmas, with my green grass and flowers.

We got the most snow in our mountains in the last 30 years. It smelled so much like home that I had to take some photos. (The down side,...my oldest son and his entire 5th grade class got stuck up the mountain at science camp until the roads could be cleared of a LAND SLIDE for their safe return. It was really un-nerving. But, alas he is home safe with us now.

HAPPY SURREAL HOLIDAYS!!!

Letters from Santa

I opened up my email today and to my delight Santa had sent all of our family members an e-mail. (If you want to do this for your kiddos it was sent from Santa@kosy.com.) Santa has quite the sense of humor too as he seems to think that I have asked for a new husband and Cheetos for Christmas.

Teacher Gifts

We have 5 teachers to give gifts to this year, so I had to do it on a budget. We came up with magnet boards.

I found white wooden frames at Walmart for $3.00 a piece and took the glass out. The I framed 8x10 pieces of sheet metal that the hubby cut for me. (You can get a pretty decent sized sheet at the Home Depot for around $6.00. It covered all of these and a previous 16x20 project.)

Made the magnets with stickers and scrapbook paper that I already had. I like to buy my "pebbles" at Target because they always have the larger size in stock and you can get a nice big bag for around $5.00. I buy my magnets in sets of 50 at Walmart where they are more affordable then even my local craft stores.

ABC's and 123's seemed appropriate! Too cliche? Oh well, cliche or not, everyone can use a magnet right?

A "Bright" Idea!

Yes it was a light bulb,...and now it's an ornament. I love a crafty re-purpose, especially when it uses something that would otherwise be discarded. I just decoupaged tissue paper onto this little light bulb and finished it off with some ribbon. Imagine the possibilities!

Sentimental Fool :)

I am sentimental,...probably to a fault. But, I don't like to have a bunch of stuff laying around the house unless it can serve a purpose. My last baby (that's the "plan" anyway), has grown out of some of her teeny-tiniest shoes, and I just didn't have the heart to give them away. That is when it dawned on me.................Baby Shoe Tassels!!!! Yay!!!! Aren't they precious? My heart is a flutter right now.

Favorite Spots Friday

Art from the 'Oil on Canvas" collection of Mary Fielding Adams Summerhays.....

I know that I have already posted a piece of her art and mentioned how much I love it. Mary has been my friend since junior high school, and is still a dear friend today. She was also quite the artist then and is an amazing artist now. (Her art is growing more and more well known in Utah.) These are all pieces of her art that I have collected over the years.....(bought, begged, borrowed, and stolen....joke!) This first one is my favorite because I fell in love with it on a trip

to Utah. Later when a wedding anniversary rolled around my husband had sneakily bought it for me and surprised me with it. It really speaks to me.

My terrible lack of photography skills just did not do the next two justice. They are so beautiful,...and here they just look yellow. sigh.

Mary hates this next one and will probably be quite dismayed at my posting of it. It is quite the funny story actually. I told her that it had a very fairy tale-esq feeling to it and that it would look darling in my daughters room. She was actually going to paint over it and I thought that was soo sad. So, when my hubby went to purchase the still life for our anniversary, she told him that he could only buy it if he ridded her of this painting also. Who can argue with that??!!

So, here's where the 'favorite spot' comes in. When I was able to go to Utah over Thanksgiving Mary allowed me to wander around her house and photograph some of her art. It just filled my well to soak in all of the creative energy.

Above is a painting in progress of her niece. Her work area is so cleverly created on the corner landing of an unused stair case. Such a great use of space and an honestly cozy ambiance.

I believe that this next one is unfinished.

I adore this last one. She said it is unfinished because the berries are to have more red.

Thank You Mary for a delightful evening in your art filled home!!

Tis The Season.....

BEEN DECORATING!!!