Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!

Every year for years we set up our courtyard as a cemetery.  We had coffins with a dead someone jump out.  We had lights, fog, webs, and tons of scary props.  We had kids play dead kids who scared the bah-jibbies out of the kids.  It was a blast.  The past couple of years the kid helpers have outgrown the fun and our neighborhood has grown up, too.   Not many kids out so we haven't had a haunted courtyard cemetery for a long time.  I miss the fun. 
 
Gabi & Christine.  Gabi would walk towards the trick or treaters and ask for her mom.  It was so scary for the kids.

This was the last major group of our haunted yard.  It was so much fun.

Creepy graveyard.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Back in Arizona

Road trip to the Midwest.  A stop in Lawrence, Kansas with my sister and Tom to watch a football game at Kansas University to watch my nephew play football.  Overnight in Overland Park, KS with a fabulous visit with family.  A stop in Lincoln, Nebraska to visit more family.  Tom off to Randolph, Nebraska to play with big boy toys, harvest time.  While I headed to North Platte, Nebraska to help paint a house!  Then off to Denver to meet Tom at DIA and finish road trip home via Taos, NM.  I will post pics soon.  Overall, it was a great time.  Lots of amazing things to share with you.   
The biggest challenge was to work on pendants and I must say it was an epic fail...no time for jewelry.  I did stop in a shop in Lincoln and talked jewelry.  Stay tuned!
** update **   Winston did get better and all I noticed when I got home was he really needs to be brushed! 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Letter writing

This is Sean and he joined the Army last June & in boot camp right now.  The family asked us to write to him while he was in boot camp. 
 
 
 
I have a large collection of postcards I've collected over the years of places I've traveled.  Sometimes I mail them to myself and sometimes I get duplicates.  So I dug them out and sorted through them.  I found quite a few I could use for my writing project for Sean.  I bought some new ones, too.  I found some of Flagstaff (Sean's hometown) and of Arizona.  I didn't know what I would write so I ended writing him knock knock jokes.  I send him 3-4 per week and it's been fun finding knock knock jokes.  Today I found some other jokes that were pretty funny.  He finishes boot camp at the end of the month.  So proud of him.
 
 
Look what I got in the mail today!  Army Strong letter!
 
 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Busy day, but a really nice day outside.

Feeling a little overwhelmed today.  Getting ready for a long road trip and have a gazillion things to do.  Packing my soldering suitcase since I have pendants to finish for a show I have next month!  But first I have to finish cutting, filing and cleaning metal bases for my pendants, oh and did I mention I'm watching the Red Sox.  I'll have to finish the designs and set resin while I'm on my trip.  Maybe the colors of autumn will inspire me.  Next on my list of a gazillion things is packing packing.  It's so nice outside it's hard to know what to pack for Nebraska's weather.  Boots for sure, oh and sweater weather!!  Gotta remember to have all the electronics and camera, cords, chargers, etc.  Then finally, music and snacks for the road. 


One big worry is my dog Winston, he isn't feeling well today.  He has this thing that happens out of the blue for no apparent reason and it lasts a day or two and then it goes away.  Bad thing is he's in pain because he moans and cries when he moves around especially when trying to lay down.  He tilts his head to the left and will not move it to the right or up or down.  We've taken him to the vet when he was like this but as he jumped into Mini and by the time we got to the vet's office he was fine and I mean fine.  The vet really didn't have much to say since Winston was fine, but a little tender when he moved his head to the right.  Vet said something about a neck disc thing but that was about it.  Part of me thinks I should take Winston for a ride and maybe that will cure him like the last time. I hope he's fine by the time we leave.  He is eating, drinking water and walks with me outside and wags his tail....ugh.

** update on Winston**  Took him for a ride and it didn't help! He did like the ride but it was tough getting in & out of Mini.  I bought him a new dog bed, gave him aspirin and put him to bed.  He's still showing a tilted head and some moaning when he lies down.  We may need to delay our trip a day to take a trip to the vet.  Last time this happened he was fine within two days... keep fingers crossed he will be better tomorrow....worried.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Homecoming 2013

Here's Gabi and it's her senior year so everything she does is a photo event. It's hard to believe she's a senior and will soon be on her way to college!  Where has the time gone....
 
jobi & gabi
Homecoming 2013

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Studio time

All the copper pipe is cut and on to drilling holes tonight.  All the wires are cut & wrapped.  Next to set plaster then on to my designs .... hope to set resin by the end of the weekend!  I also hoping to get some bracelets made and some more etching metal.  On the other hand, the weather is absolutely wonderful and I may need to go to the garden section at Home Depot and get some plants. 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Rearranging, cleaning and purging!

I needed to clean up some space in my studio for my sewing machine, needed to clean out some space in the office for treadmill, needed to find space in the bedroom for some rearranging of the bed to make room for a cool stack of books that I removed from my studio book cabinet to make room for my jewelry making stuff and supplies to make room for my sewing machine, full purging circle!  I went through my collect of books & magazines.  Soap making, wood projects, paper crafts, cement, scrap booking, lots of quilting, gardening, paper making, home decorating, potpourri, and lots of good reading.  Most of the magazines are scrap booking and paper craft.  I don't need any of them, so I'm purging magazines!  


 I moved all the good reading books into the bedroom and made a really cool stack along the wall.  All I need is a comfy chair (and time) to read them.  Actually I think I've read most of them.  One thing led to another and I found myself cleaning, reorganizing, and purging more stuff than I intended when I began.  I found a collection of photos with no common theme and realized I need to spend time on photos and photo albums.  I have too many envelopes!  I have too much paper ephemera.  But I do have tons of cool stuff!
 
It's the end of the weekend and I got it all done.  Bed was moved under a window and not sure how that's gonna work out.  I like it but not good for TV viewing for Tom.  Overall, I love the changes in our bedroom.  I love the changes in my studio, sewing machine on one table and jewelry on the main table with lots of room for supplies.  Treadmill in office, a little crowded, but who cares for now.  I may move it to the patio now that the weather is cooler and by cooler I mean under 100 degrees, haha.  I have a pile of books & magazines to give away!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Okay, Okay, Okay, I know it's way too early for Christmas....

I went to Hobby Lobby the other day and all the Christmas stuff was 40% off, so what's crazy about Christmas girl to do?   Buy stuff.   This is what I found, some cool glittery Santa, tiny tiny brush trees, I plan to bleach and tint into some cool colors, some red & white pipe cleaners to make into hearts.   I remember last year by the time I got around to shopping for my holiday crafts the craft store shelves were empty.  I may need to make another trip this week to get some more cool supplies.  I didn't get a chance to shop the snowman isle.
 
 

Maximus still hanging out with me late into the night

When Maximus was just a puppy he would stay with me until I went to bed.  He always laid under my chair.  That was three years ago!
 

Here we are just the other night.  He still lays under my desk near my chair.  He's tall enough to see over the desk.   This night he decided he needed to watch what I was doing.  He's the one to tell me when it's time to call it quits and go to bed.  He's my loyal companion way into the night.