Trick or treat, I'm packin' heat...

I am going to a costume party for Halloween, and I wanted a fake gun to go with my Halloween costume. Due to gun violence and kids getting shot and all that stuff that ruins the innocent fun of blood and guts and Halloween, you can't buy a decent fake 9mm in the toy department anymore (or even the dollar store, thank you, China). I will add that you can still buy fake hatchets, machetes, and bloody fake body parts, however, so all is not lost.

So I went online for my fake gun. As luck would have it, I found the perfect little plastic model through Amazon for 75 cents -- with $3.25 shipping and handling, I still considered this a bargain. It arrived yesterday. Here it is...



No, this is not a re-enactment of Lincoln's assassination, nor is it a photo commentary on the state of the economy. It is my 75-cent gun, and yes, it is smaller than a penny. In my defense, that's not how it looked in the online photo when I placed the order. However, if I had clicked photo number 2, I would have seen this guy, and that might have clued me in...




I am still going to strap this baby to my thigh, with a piece of scotch tape. Can you say sexxxxxxy?

Merry Christmas!

I will leave you with a picture of Max, waiting for Santa (or, more likely, a squirrel).

The best kind of snow day...

Not a flake fell from the sky, but it was still a great snow day... I spent much of the day Saturday with a few friends to try our hand at making some magical, glittery snowmen and women. Many thanks to artist Sue Pelletier, whose article (and cover art) in an issue of Cloth Paper Scissors inspired us. This was truly some of the most fun I've ever had with my clothes on!

There really is something about sharing a creative day with like-minded souls that is utterly satisfying. We enjoyed great food, lots of laughter, amazing creativity and an assortment of materials that would make any mixed media artist weak in the knees!!

The first two photos are "group shots" of our creations before we (reluctantly) left for the day. Due to drying time & transport issues, we all had to do our "glittering" at home, so these were taken pre-glitter. The glitter really makes them magical, as you can see in the last shot, which is a line up of my first (but definitely not last, snow people). It has been suggested that they make great gifts, but I do not see myself able to part with any of mine anytime soon!!!

...and as if on cue, today we had our first real snowfall!!! Somehow, looking forward to making more snow people makes an early November snowfall just a little more tolerable.

Happy Halloween!!

...and happy birthday dad & Unc!!

VD is about to plague us again...

Valentine's Day that is.
I hear very mixed opinions about this holiday. Most of my single girlfriends -and for that matter, married girlfriends- grumble about the potential for disappointment. And the men I know grumble about the fact that they know they are going to disappoint someone. If there is even one guy out there who reads my blog, here is what most women I know say: a well-chosen card, with a few well chosen words inside, is enough. Now, is that true?? Personally, I would also like Chinese take-out and a back rub, but that's just me- still, it's not expensive. I think I can speak for most of us that what we want is for you to think of us, and to give us a little effort - a little time and attention. That's it. And we're more than willing to do the same...in fact, most of the women I know do that every day.

Have a dream...

I used to love to make and send Christmas cards. For years, decades even, I would plan my cards well in advance of the holidays, with plenty of time to make fifty or more for friends and relatives. I enjoyed the process, and it never felt like an obligation.

In recent years, however, the holidays seem one moment to be ages away, and then BAM!!!, they're over, and with them, so are all of my good intentions to make cards, cook, bake, and find little ways to say thanks and show appreciation for my friends and relatives.

But I've discovered that I love the first weeks of a new year - ALL THAT PROMISE!!- 365 new days to do more and better than before. And of course, to drop the ball way before it drops in Times Square (but that's no doubt a future post). With the holidays behind me, all of a sudden I have time again.

So I started last night. I didn't even know what I was starting. I had bought a few discontinued fabric swatch books in the fall, and the colors and textures have been calling to me. So I began cutting. Hearts. I know. More hearts. But I love them. And they're not done with me yet. And the obvious choice with all these hearts would be to send Valentines, but I'm thinking that I may take inspiration from Martin Luther King, and send Have a Dream cards.

Just a little reminder to listen to your heart.

Merry Christmas...

I wish you all a magical, miraculous holiday season. Once again, I thank you all for your prayers, support, encouragement and friendship during this past year. I am blessed beyond all measure.

I don't know when I'll have an opportunity to post again during the next week or so as I'll be off to spend Christmas in Boston with my mom, sisters, and especially, Avery. I am looking forward to waking up to her beautiful face on Christmas morning.

This montage of photos was taken on thanksgiving day this year. Last year, Avery's journey began on Thanksgiving day, and we could never have imagined all that would take place in the next twelve months.

This year, many of my thoughts and prayers will be with the family of Avery's donor, and the angel with whom she shares a heart.

Giving thanks...

Among the many, many blessings that my family and I will give thanks for this year is my niece Avery, who has been home now for a month. She now has a new heart, and we have renewed hope for her future and endless gratitude to her donor family, for the most amazing gift our family could ever receive.

We are looking forward to a day of love, laughter, celebration and most of all, gratitude tomorrow, and I wish you all the same!!!

Here are the most recent photos of Avery, home one month (no more tubes, and two missing teeth!).

Happy thanksgiving.

Halloween fun...

I went to a halloween party this year at my sister's boyfriend's house. My sister (and her boyfriend) both work for Progressive Insurance, and Flo, the Progressive spokesperson(?) is one of my favorite tv personnas. I totally identify with the eyelashes & hair & lipstick. At first, I was intimidated to put on false eyelashes, but they were super easy once I went back to buy the adhesive, which for some reason, is sold separately. I want to wear false eyelashes all the time now because they made me feel so groovy and super sparkly. And I have 2 pairs left because I bought several, sure that at least one pair would end up stuck to my elbow or down my sink. My sister was "twister sister." This photo does not do her justice - she had red patent leather go go boots & her "hat" was the actual spinner board. Her boyfriend was a vampire, complete with a coffin that he built himself.

Now that's what I call a party!

Holiday wishes...

To everyone who finds their way to my blog during this season, I wish you all a peaceful, abundant, magical holiday season.

I wish I could have posted more frequently this month, but for me, "tis the season" to be overwhelmed with all that I still have to do, so blogging falls to the bottom of a very long list...I am sure many of you feel the same way.

I will leave you with a few pictures of my Christmas tree, which is a skinny little fake tree that I still think is beautiful and charming. I hope to blog a little during the next week, but if not, I will be back in January with lots of art & life.

Fa la la la la
la la la la!!

Happy Halloween!!

Hist Whist
-- e.e. cummings

hist whist
little ghostthings
tip-toe
twinkle-toe

little twitchy
witches and tingling
goblins
hob-a-nob hob-a-nob

little hoppy happy
toad in tweeds
tweeds
little itchy mousies

with scuttling
eyes rustle and run and
hidehidehide
whisk

whisk look out for the old woman
with the wart on her nose
what she'll do to yer
nobody knows

for she knows the devil ooch
the devil ouch
the devil
ach the great

green
dancing
devil
devil

devil
devil

wheeEEE

The egg...a perfect work of art...

As I filled the pot to boil eggs for my dad's deviled egg request for this Easter, I contemplated the egg. Like all of God's creations, it's one we cannot top. Smooth, perfect, symmetrical, simple, colorful (if we consider eggs beyond those of a chicken), and if I do say so myself, wow- what an amazing thing for a bird to pass (can you say ouch in bird language - holy tweet!!) Not to mention all of the ways in which this particular work of art can be enjoyed, beyond viewing, holding, and decorating. Just a few of my faves are soft-boiled, hard-boiled, scrambled, poached, the omelet, egg salad, and quiche.

Incidentally, I googled info on the origins of why they are "deviled", and it has the explanation that I settled on has to do with chopping and the piquant spicing, rather than the devil, so I am safe to serve them at Easter!

Happy Easter!!!