Christmas Day....

This year it was decided that we would buy an extra big roast beast so I would not have to cook turkey today. It really felt strange not cooking a big meal on Christmas day. I got to sleep late and for once really did! We did this so I could go to the zoo with Jessica and Paul this year. It was a blast! Here are the pics we took there. At the end are the pics that we took in the back yard that night while huddled around one of Pauls fires. Such a pyro! LOL

Christmas Decoration on a dime

It was a beautiful spring like day so I decided to dig up some involuntary sego palms. I had to clip and clip and clip to get to them. With the pile I had I felt bad I had to toss them away and my mulch pile is overflowing. So instead of tossing them I tied a bow around a bunch and sprayed them with Super 77 so I could add some glitter. Looked pretty good and I tied it to the gate feeling rather smart.

Since it looked pretty good I added some to the star on the side of the house. I liked that so I went to the garage and found these two large aluminum vases I have and didn't know what to do with. I stuffed some leaves in the back and added some bulbs and other odds and ends. I needed a focal point so I added some Santas I had made years and years ago.

So then I thought what the heck and hung some garland and wreaths i had....then I pulled out a beat up large wreath and added odds and ends.

Then I looked at what I had and added it to the walk coming up to my front door.

Egads...I couldn't stop!!! Swags and lights went next. Then I moved inside. Up one hall and down the other!! Thank goodness Paul came home and i had to stop and cook for him! But not before decorating one of the dogs.

I took advantage of the 70% off decoration sale and bought two 9.99 icicle lights and hung those around the windows yesterday...the urge still exists!

A face only a daughter can love...

Really....my mom always reminded me of Natalie Woods. She is just TRYING to be goofy here and I love her for it!

Happy halloween...albiet late

NUDE PROTEST!! I heard on the radio at there was going to be a nude protest...did you know it is not illegal for women to be topless in public in San Antonio? Who knew. Well. I joined in...only for a little while. Paul was too disappointed that the two young girls where not going to strip. Oh well. Did I? What do you think? Personally I don't like peta becuase they sent Andria a birthday card when she was eight with a skinned rabbit. This to a little girl who raised rabbits!!!! The idea they have is fine but dang. Shock and awe doesn't work. Even Bush realises this now!

PINK MONSTER VANISHES!!!!!

Ok....I have been sniffing paint again. I hated this worn out pink bath. So I bought some self etching car paint in a can (CHEAPER AND BETTER THAN THAT STUFF AT THE BOX STORES) and MOST IMPORTANT a very very expensive gas mask looking thing and sprayed the heck out of the tile. Then I added white. I left the small detail of the tile and taped over the tp holder and soap holder etc. I didn't do the bath tub but I added a surprise on the wall there. Took all of 15 minutes.

So how much did it cost? 1500! It shouldn't of cost that but of course when you remodel you always run into things and 1058.00 of it was just for the plumber to fix the old elbow thingy that goes to the waste plant. I think it may be why Jessica and I where always getting headaches and things and well I haven't had one since this thing got fixed. It was just a toliet sitting over a hole sort of going into the pipe. YICKES> Then my 99.00 sink got replaced with 380.00 sink and my Graigs list toilet got replaced with a one Paul bought at home depot three times because he kept breaking them when he got home! Oh well. It is done. The red seat is a box I built and upholstered and painted. I dumpster dived for the legs a long long time ago. It is a seat AND a clothes hamper. Yeah...I know none of the sides match. I didn't have anything in mind so what the heck. Whats cool about this next pic is you can see some of the toile fabric and how I spiffed up the plain plywood doors. I added some old chair rail I had in the green house and two oval things...I don't know what they are are but I put them on there. Both were broken but I defy anyone to tell just which pieces where missing. See those two HUGE knobs? Those are old door knobs. I have carried those things around from house to house for probably twenty years. I FINALLY used them. I used my dremel to cut off the end of a 2 inch screw that had a nut that fit. I then used some two part epoxy and turned them into knobs. How funny huh? Didn't cost a dang thing. Speaking of not costing much. I bought the yellow paint for 5.00 (oops paint) and was going to mix it to make a color I wanted for my hall way. The rugs I got for 70% off because Mervins is going out of business (how sad). I got the black tassels on the edge of my curtains at a garage sale and the 1.00 a yard toile I bought about six years ago (it is upholstery weight too!) Of course in Dallas there are tons of places you can haunt to get bolts of fabric for .25 to 1.00 a yard. If there is one in San Antonio I haven't found it yet.

So you can see that if I didn't have the expense of the plumber and sink things really would be cheap. One other suggestion. You can buy paint at places like Big Lots for 8.00 or 9.00 a gallon but only use those IF you mix it with a better paint. The coverage stinks. I use it for tonal control and a slight volume increase. I had great white paint on hand. I also silver gilded the mirror to match the mirror I did for the door. ThAT tape over that LARGE mirror on the wall IS NOW OFF BUT THE MIRROR covers the area that we ripped the old counter out that couldn't be tiled nicely because tiles DO change sizes.... after 30 years they are not using the same molds LOL. Oh...the BEST THING IS I GOT A NEW TOOL. I did add this into the total for the room. The piece behind the sink is not marble like the sink top. It is FAUX. People think it is! I used my NEW HAND HELD ROUTER....which is MUCH better than the two handed one I have and could not control. What really makes it look like that marble is i used that really thick bar resin and flicked in silver mica dust. NO...the paintings are not mine. Jessica bought them years ago. I highly recommend getting a hand held router. I did all that free hand and when I checked to see if it was symmetrical it was! I love that thing.

Speaking of pictures ......my four dogs I have painted I have to list. They are xmas presents for someone one (s) and I have two more and I haven't the foggest just what the hell the other two are suppose to be. So I am adding them here so my "client" can let me know what the heck the others are suppose to be! AND REMEMBER ONLY ONE DOG PER 9X12. The instructions I have say: Black face -tan one - all black one. Number six says" pug tan black together.

HUH????

Ok....lets see...besides having a dead computer off and on for several months I also decided to take an inventory of things that I have an excess of. This is an interesting exercise that allowed me to make some pretty interesting xmas decorations. One of them are sego palm leaves. I am trying to dig out a "big baby" from under one of my really large ones and thus came up with some decorative stuff. Little supper 77 and old left over glitter and viola. Here are some pics...i DID a lot more of them but got bored taking pics. Sorry.

wow...the things people do!

I have not been posting because I have been ultra busy then I find out that someone created programs to spam bloggs! That they are not even real people creating them but computers! Go figure.

I watched a program on hippies tonight and they suggested that the womens movement and civil rights movement and the ability to come out of the closet can be attributed to the hippy legacy....I suppose the money hungry industrialists mentality can be attributed to polluting the web. I suppose this makes me a hippie at heart but that sort of stuff is down right evil. I bet a million that they don't even recycle....who the heck doesn't recycle these days? Only evil people...oh...and tulsa oklahoma...

They recycle BUT you have to pay the city to recycle!

What I have been doing or decorating for desperate dames!

I have waited around long enough for hubby to start with removing the paneling and doing the walls. He kept saying he liked the paneling. It looked cheap and tacky but really hip in 1958. I did the entire library for under 125. This includes all furniture and painting and flooring. Here is the flooring as it dried and before I polyurethaned it. It isn't put together in these pics but I obviously don't have a problem with concrete moisture. I put a rope light in the bookcase. Recovered the chairs like that one...and painted the wood on them. It doesn't show in this pic. I will take some "finished" and cluttered again pictures...after the poker game the boys played on the table. On the table i primed and pained. Glued down black felt and dotted around the edges with a gold marker. The lights are crystal chandlers which where in pieces and so dirty most people would not of touched them. Hubby did clean two of the four I had to do. I also did the tv room. Same deal with paneling there too.

Having my head down...working or playing

I have not been online except to quickly check my email. I have been working around the house and creating a lot. I painted my kitchen table to match the hutch and found a top to my dresser turned hutch. I also painted that to match. How cute huh? Well you would say that IF my digital camera worked! I have to go get a new one. Hope someone has a great sale this weekend.

I did borrow my daughters camera and took a few pics of jewelry I have been making. This is ONLY a small sample of what I have made. I will put it on my web site. For sale. Etsy too I suppose.


I joined SAVA. San Antonio Visual Artist group. It is a great group. Our president is awesome. She has really moved this group along.

Well. I also have been clearing out my work room. NO small task. I am turning it into a poker/library/office room. Another big time project. I have the paint but I still don't have every thing out of there. Most of what is left are those dang socks. I need to at least try to sell some. THEY are GREAT SOCKS! I have the pocker table but I have to refinish it. it actually is plastic and Paul poked a big hole in the top. So I will have to REPAIR THAT TOO. Oh well. I must be very wicked as there is never rest for me!

I also have been doing more research/learning. I have one other "art" form I want to try out before I have to REALLY start produfing a lot of items. I will keep you posted on when I have it down. Right now I am just thinking what would be the most cost effective way to do it. I could spend in the thousands just to attempt it because the equipment is so expensive. I am talking about 10K. Since I don't have it now I can't very well do that. SO...my little thinking cap is snuggly on.,