Let the Games Begin

The Easter fun has begun!

The song? Spring Fling by Fabian's Children

What's on My Wall Wednesday

I really don't have a lot of art on my walls to show off so I haven't ever participated in What's on Your Wall Wednesday. I've seen Blue Sky Dreaming and LaLa in La posting their enviable art collections and I find it interesting what people choose and enjoy. My Botticelli muses (shown above) have offered me a lot of companionship since receiving them as a gift from my dear friend Sara three or four years ago. (You might remember my friend Sara since I started this blog. We were neighbors and spent many times together chronicled on this blog. Here's one. ) One day Sara and I were in her storage space and she had it against a wall amongst a bunch of stuff. I drooled when I saw it. That glimmery aqua blue and the amber's. And the scale! They were like Amazon gals. It wasn't until a year later that she mentioned she was letting it go and I jumped on it. I have loved it ever since.

Happy and Energetic

I been totally happy and energetic towards projects around the house and studio the last few weeks. Yeah! I've had so many plans and ideas for sewing, gardening, blogging, kitchen, etc. all Winter long and it seems that Spring has brought me the focus and energy I've been waiting for! I've finished the Easter dresses for Annie and Lucy (above), and now I'm cutting into some Kelly green and white striped knit to make some simple jammies that I want to make for dear Hollis and for Annie and Lucy. We'll see. I'm not going to push it if I don't have time.

We've been active in the garden, adding new soil, re-seeding, plus we added three new terrariums to our growing collection of indoor "gardens" which add a wonderful aliveness to my desk and studio. (See the second photo down below.)

Annie has been toying around with the idea of starting her own blog for a bit now. She had made a banner (bottom) and chose a title, and last night I helped her launch it. She's so excited about it. It's called Goofing Off! And be prepared, it is uncensored goofiness!

The great song is Sugar and Spice by Zach Aston

All I Wanna Do

O.K. So I started the mural. And I can't stop! It's all I want to do! I'm still blocking in the first layers of basic colors and shapes and I have soooo far to go. I'll admit I've taken on an enormous challenge with this mural. A much bigger one than I anticipated. It is a whopping 32' in total length and to achieve the look I want, I will use a dry-brush technique (hardly any water, mostly paint) loading up the brush with a few colors to get a soft grassy look, one that is touched with the orange glow of sunset (or sunrise?). All of this on a ladder with the light changing constantly. I can only paint for about 30-40 minutes, at the most, each time I make a go of it. Then I'm pooped. My arms are getting a workout, so are my legs, my eyes and my brain.


On top of working on this exciting project, of course our life wants constant attention. Food to be made, dishes to be washed, hair to be brushed, brownies to be baked for the Homeschooler Obama Bake Sale (we made over $600!), animals to be fed, books to be read, phone calls to make, laundry etc.,etc. You know what I mean.



Since I find it hard to even walk through the dining room without picking up a brush, I'm trying not to go in there unless I can paint for a while. That is one way I'm trying to have balance (or restraint) with this project.

I feel nervous showing WIP photos because there is so much that will be different when completed (like the peachy sky, that's just a first layer) but I will post a few here so you can see what I'm up to. Oh, and if you didn't see the initial phase of sketches, you can find them here.

"...and they called it poultry love..."

That's Annie and Nell snuggling up in the rocking chair. Annie has had her in bed too. I draw the line about chickens in bed. So far Annie has made several "Nell" movies with various characters as co-stars. I play a bit part in one of them. It's really me in the background trying to keep Jasper on a down stay. He's painfully jealous of the chickens and moans, yips and all out barks when Annie is playing with them.

And no. We haven't had an egg yet.

I'm hopeful.

And I'm not surprised, considering.

Bird Bath

Annie has made me this bird bath at her ceramic studio. I LOVE IT! I think it's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. It has three birds that sit around the edge with little metal posts that fit into small holes on the rim. One bird is still being fired. Annie pictures it used in the aviary, and I don't want to risk it leaving the safety of the house. For now, it's on the living room table.

As far as the new house goes...we're still on pins and needles. Hopefully we'll know by this weekend! I'll post my celebration or my mourning as soon as I know.

Table Manners 101

Beginning

Intermediate

Advanced

Someone's Getting a Go Cart!

O.K. So I like to take my dollhouse fantasies all the way. So what? Who wouldn't love to get that go-cart? Or the kitchen set, or the big box of Lincoln Logs? Besides, this is the first year (after ten years of building) that I've ever had it out for the holidays!

So, I guess it's Christmas Eve already in the dollhouse and the children are asleep while the parents scurry around with last minute decorations and putting presents under the tree.

I still haven't gotten around to hiding the battery pack that lights the Christmas tree. See it there behind the Lincoln Log box? (Second photo down) And to those of you who want to see the dollhouse all lit up for Christmas, don't you worry! I'll take some pictures with the lights all-aglow before the 25th. Maybe by that time I'll have a tree skirt or a holiday box to cover the pesky Duracell's.


Would it be going to far if I left a tiny plate of (Fimo) cookies for Santa and some carrots for his reindeer?

Fast Forward Fall

I tried to wait until the first of October to break out the
Halloween decorations. I did! But it rained on Friday night and I had to re-arrange in the basement to fit a few things down there that couldn't get wet in the yard, when Annie spotted the Halloween box and started pulling it all out and getting so excited! Oh well, what's a few days? And besides, what better reason to decorate than we were having our Santa Cruz friends, Dana and Jasmine, as overnight guests to celebrate Jasmine's belated sixth birthday? We had a wonderful visit and the girls played and giggled late into the night, and even though they tried, were not able to fall asleep together on the bed they made in the living room as they had planned.


Then yesterday, we met friends in Half Moon Bay at Arata Farms where we bought pumpkins, petted kittens, and played around the farm for a few hours in the warm Autumn sun. Ahhh! So we are fully getting into the Fall mode and I don't care if it's still September! I'll try to take pictures of the foyer that we decorated with thick cobwebs, spiders, bats and snakes all threatening to get tangled into your hair as you walk in the door. I do love this change in seasons, and I'm looking forward to all the festivities up ahead.

Stay tuned for upcoming October posts like
Catching Hummingbirds , and
I Know I'm a Blogger-Bore.

Both in the works!

WIP Tuesday

Having Billy home for three days in a row felt absolutely fantastic! Ahhh. Before we moved we saw a lot more of him. Every day he was home for lunch, with us longer in the mornings and back with us earlier each evening. Now he's gone before we rise, then home later and more tired. Having him here for three days in a row made me realize how much I miss him. Annie too. On top of just enjoying him around, we were able to do stuff around here that we both wanted to do, and I could almost finish the dining room mural!

Of course the mural is "Chinese." I wanted to emulate Chinese wallpaper or screens. Only really pumped up color. With the dark wood paneling, these colors just pop. I'm a little surprised I've gone so bold and colorful. I'm normally so demure. The house just begged for it though. So, really I was just obeying the walls! There are six clusters of bamboo, peony and bird groupings, and here are three. I'm still in the painting-mode. I'll go back over it for a clean-up mode, then I'll take some pics (maybe a movie with Bloggers new addition of video.) Of course, the three little blue birds are Billy, Annie and I. Other birds include Nana, Frances Farrell, Grandma Mildred and Aunt Shirley. Oh yea, Grandpa Al too. Or maybe I still have a bird in me for Jerry Sieler. Maybe a small turkey vulture. Just kidding Pat. Tee hee.

Thrift Score

Annie tells complete strangers that we have a Chinese house.

Especially anyone who looks Asian.

She sees the Craftsman details of our house as Asian. I can see what she means with the columns and the dark wood panelling. I thought she would be satisfied when we made her bedroom a "Chinese" room, but she said "No Mom, the whole house!" So I was thrilled(!) to find these lovely prints with these handsome frames. They have some wear, but they are so striking flanking the entrance to the dining room that any imperfections are hardly noticed. The textured paper they are printed on, almost like a silkscreen process, makes me think they are samples of vintage wallpaper that someone framed a long time ago.

Sneak Peak

Today is two weeks since we've moved into this new house.
We've worked hard to get settled and to get it functional and (somewhat) enjoyable. I do like the house a lot, and there is something hard about it. I think I've figured it out though. It's the color. Basically there is black (the dark woodwork) and white. I'm finding that I'm unable to just live with the white of the walls, and as much as I'd like to relax and ignore it, I'm thinking a lot about color. So I'm painting the living room and dining room. I know the burnt pumpkin color is very bold... and yet I'm going forward. What do you think? The mustard color in the living room is very similar to the color I had in the May Avenue house and I know we like it and it works with most of our furniture and belongings. I've also written a few surprise love notes on the walls to Annie for her to read before I paint them over. So, I'm down off of my ladder for these few moments to load these pictures and write this post, partly because LaLa is curious to see how it's coming along.

You Can't Take Them With You

I knew when I painted these murals that if we ever moved, we would miss them. And now we are. And we will. Especially the mural in Annie's room. I painted the whole mural the weekend of June 10th 2000 and Annie was born February 28 2001. That's 40 weeks exactly! I probably painted it the weekend she was conceived! I painted the moon and sun at her request when she was almost two. They are up above her dresser and bookshelf shining down on her while she slept and played.

The trees and birds painting above is supposed to be Billy and I as birds on a swing calling out to the universe for a baby to adopt. I painted Annie as the little hummingbird waiting in the tree. Can you see her?




Goodbye little house!

It's Hard Saying Goodbye...

Out of all of the people I know I'm going to miss terribly when I leave Santa Cruz, the thing I'm feeling most emotional about right now is the fact that I can't take my couch and chaise with me. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that! But I feel really sad that we can't make them work in our new house. I'm sad partly because I have a high need for efficiency and economy and I know these pieces could serve us well for a good ten years more! Urrgh! And, will someone love them and enjoy them and get use out of them...who knows? So, I've listed them on Craigslist, and now I wait. I don't blame anyone for wanting new furniture (it's kind of a personal item) but what do I do with them if no one buys them? Goodwill seems a bit harsh.

(Notice how much I've packed? No more pictures on the walls or "accessories." Just the basics.)

New Possibilites

I moved this little plant center stage so I could meditate on the tiny and hopeful new shoots vigorously sprouting from a plant that appears almost unchanged for most of the year. I'm certain there are plenty of analogies I could draw from it's current growth and change that pertain to my life, and although I haven't thought of them yet, just looking at it gives me a peaceful feeling.
We had a lovely day of harmonious play and pretending with Maya, surprise visitors, a spontaneous "love party", a night-time bike ride, and an unexpected new possibility looming on the horizon for us to consider. More about that as we get clearer...