It really is...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year !!

Just like everyone else...I have been crazy busy shopping, baking, wrapping, cleaning and all that goes with the Holiday Season. The Moody family took a few days off of the craziness to head to Las Vegas to see this guy and the Beatles Cirque Show. Both shows were "off the hook" fantastic. Spent a couple of days with my Sis and then back home to enjoy the holidays with all the family.

I hope you are also having the Most Wonderful Time...and have a happy, healthy and safe New Year celebration.

I'll be back in 2010 with a clean studio (hopefully) and lots of new creations coming out of it...

xoxo

Colleen

A Winter Wonderland...

will be arriving on my "available" blog on Sunday, December 6 at 6pm West Coast Time. Come by and visit with Santa's, Snowgirls and wee little Winter girls.

Pop on over....

to the Pfatt blog. Starting tomorrow you can leave a comment which will sign you up for an opportunity to win a piece of handmade Christmas art. Don't miss it!

Mad Hungry

A new cookbook by Lucinda Scala Quinn.

Lucinda was formerly the food editor of Martha Stewart Living Television and she is now a co-host of the "Everyday Food" cooking series on PBS. She's also host of "EatDrink" on Martha Stewart Living Radio....and let me tell you...SHE ROCKS.

Today I canceled all of my responsibilities and commitments (I know...bad bad bad) and hopped on the Bart train to San Francisco...with my "oh so ready for an adventure" friend, Iva.

Why?

Because Lucinda was in town.

promoting her new book!

Lucinda has written a down-to-earth cookbook full of recipes, techniques, hints and humor about how she feeds her husband and "Mad Hungry" 3 boys. Let me tell you...I can totally relate. My boys are now 16, 13 and 11. The older two are bigger than me with the 11 year old almost as tall and I am. They eat...and eat...and eat. (good thing I like to cook) This cookbook has tremendous tips on how to feed a house full of of growing people...successfully.

It was a gorgeous day in San Francisco...

The Ferry Building (where she did her demo and book signing) was alive with activity...

Sweet little shops with sweet treats....

A fantastic farmers market (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings) surrounded the building. Organic, locally grown seasonal fruits and veggies were in abundance.



And Lucinda was there doing a demonstration on one of the recipes from her book. I'm kinda thinking...this gal is my hero. How she can successfully feed her family is amazing. Now you must understand that feeding 3 growing boys is a bit of a challenge...for example...my middle guy is a soccer player. Serious soccer player. He gets home from practice around 9pm and he's famished. He sits down to eat. I present to him his dinner plate with a bit of this and that from our family dinner earlier. I put the plate in front of him, removed the foil covering and waited for his reaction...thinking he would be so excited because I made one of his favorites. What came out of his mouth but....IS THERE MORE??? He hadn't taken a bite, hadn't smelled it, hadn't even picked up his fork yet.

OK, back to My Hero...

So we sat in the warm sun, watched Lucinda cook and listened to her humor. She really is adorable.

After she was done we stood in line so we could meet The Great Lucinda and get her to sign our books. She was so sweet to sign a little note to my curly haired 11 year old. He gets out her book...often....to decide what I should create for breakfast...and lunch...and dinner.


She also wrote me a sweet note with a heart making me a member of the "3 boys club".

Then we each took a quick snapshot with her....


And headed home...

A funny note...I put the cookbook on the counter...open to the page where she had written the note for my little guy. He walked in from school, stopped, read the note, looked up at me with his freckles and dimply smile and said "What's for dinner?"

To follow Lucinda's book tour, you can read her blog at www.MadHungry.com.

p.s. now I am anxiously awaiting the publication of the hopeful book on how to manage the 12,000 weekly loads of laundry that boys create.

Seriously....

Is this not to die for???

Well I guess it's either your thing or it's not. It is definitely my thing. I am giddy over the fact that I am the proud new owner. But.....it signals the beginning !! The beginning of the dreaded bathroom remodel. Something I have put off and procrastinated on since we moved in 8+ years ago. Funny thing is that when we were looking at this house I remember standing in the master bath with the husband and the real estate man and we all agreed that if we decided to buy this house (the worst house on the best street) that the master bath would be the first thing to be overhauled. Here we are over 8 years later and pretty much everything BUT the master bath has been overhauled.


But now I am excited about the project and inspired by this sweet thing. It's going to look fantastic over the claw foot tub (yet to be discovered, purchased and delivered).


I'm contemplating this piece for the guest bath...which was "cleaned up" when we first moved in but really needs an overhaul also. Sssshhh....don't tell the husband. I don't think he will go for the 2 for 1 special on this one.

These were found at Sweet Magnolia in Danville, Ca. A gorgeous store not to be missed if you can make it here.

Dolly Love...

Yes...I have a thing for dolls...have you figured that out yet? One of my most favorite cloth doll artists is Kaf Grimm of Olde Cape Primitives. Her work is fantastic. Each and every dolly has their own personality and seems to want to be your very best friend. Stop by her blog and see her boys, girls, cats, witches, pumpkins, devils, raggedies and so on. She has a wonderful assortment of her work on the right side running down her blog.

Tell her I sent yah!!

p.s. not only is her work special and sweet...she is too!!

photo courtesy of Olde Cape Primitives

Loading up the sleigh...

These guys are heading to Texas to celebrate the season.


You will be able to find them at

Two Friends Folk Art
3701 West Alabama
Suite 120
Houston, TX
(713) 523-8889

I will also have more holiday goodies to offer on my next blog sale

Sunday, December 6
6pm PST

Breakfast Conversations....

Lately I have been cooking breakfast for the boys. It used to be fend for yourself...have some cereal... but I have come to realize that if I cook then they will all sit down at the same time, eat and have some great conversations with me. Here is one from this morning that I will treasure...

Curly haired 11 year old munching on waffles ~ "Hey Mom...Dad and I were talking last night about Christmas."

Mom ~ "mmm hmmm"

Curly ~ "Dad asked what I wanted for Christmas."

Mom ~ "mmm hmmmm"

Curly ~ "Well I thought about it and I realized that I don't really want anything. I mean I have everything I need. Maybe a new video game or two would be nice."

Mom ~ "You have a good point...none of you really "need" anything."

Curly ~ "So let's have a low key Christmas...each get one or two things and then we don't have to spend lots of time Christmas morning opening presents. We could play a board game together and we could walk down to Starbuck's together for a mint hot chocolate."

Mom ~ "I think that is a great idea."

Curly...big smile on his face.

Two big brothers....lots of grumbles.

It's love....

Seriously....is this not the cutest thing you have ever seen? Besides a newborn baby...or that pair of Prada shoes you just HAVE to have....this has to be the cutest~!

I first fell in love with Karen O'Brien's "Quiet Companions" a number of years ago. When I first saw Karen's work it stopped me in my tracks. So much personality in these faces. So much sweetness. I was participating in the same show as Karen and I thought I would stop by her table "later" and claim a bear. I couldn't decide which one I wanted so I thought I would wait until there were less choices.

BAD DECISION.

BAD ~ BAD DECISION.

The show started, the doors swung open and WHOOOOSH....bears gone. I don't mean that there just weren't enough to choose from...or that the ones that were left weren't to my liking. I mean they were GONE.

Nadda, zip, zero....none left.

This time, at the Tinsel and Treasures show, I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I ended up bonding with this guy and I absolutely, postively ADORE him.


Wait...is there a bigger better word than adore? I mean just look at his face....he's about to tell you a secret, a little story...

And he tells me ~ every ~ single ~ day. He sits on his shelf...looking out at me...sending love with his eyes.

I am over the moon that I am the proud owner of this fella. I absolutely adore him...did I tell you that yet?

adore: to pay divine honor to; worship

Adore and Worship....I think those are the correct words. I adore him and worship Karen's talent...

I think he needs a friend.

p.s. click on the pictures to enlarge them...but beware...if you do...you will want a companion too!!

The Fall Welcomes in...

Many Merry Hallowe'en Wishes will be brought to you at

The Fall Blog Sale

Sunday, October 4
6 pm PST

What a weekend...Part 2

After our shopping expedition we headed over to Gilding the Lily for their Friday night trunk show. The store was full of giddy artists perusing the beautiful items Nancy had to offer. Please make sure to pop over to her blog to see some of the sites. Holy cards, gorgeous rosaries, reliquaries and much more. There was a definite buzz in the air as customers greeted each other with hugs and shared what treasures they had found.

Here are a few photos I snapped of some of my favorite things at the Lily.

The ribbon wall...

A peek inside the glass cabinet...

Truly wonderful treasures surround you from the moment you walk in to the store. The longer you look the more you uncover. I could spend days just enjoying it all.


Saturday and Sunday Iva and I taught back to back classes with wonderful new friends. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

My Sunday Vintage Cabinet Card class. I was thrilled with the way that everyones art work turned out so different. From purple to pink to Pearl's ah-mazing creamy dreamy doll dress. Absolutely wonderful.


Marilyn (right) and Sharon. Marilyn took all 4 classes that Iva and I offered. Saturday she left early to go to a baseball game. What a trooper...she must have been exhausted by the end of the weekend!!

Some snaps from Sunday's class. The ladies all worked so hard...
Where are my Saturday ladies??? I didn't take any pictures. ;--{

I love Ancee Grandma's face in this snap...

These are the ladies from Saturday's class...sunning themselves in the front window of Gilding. Didn't they do a fantastic job sculpting?

Sweet Carol signed up for both of my classes and then her transmission died and she couldn't make it. We missed you Carol...we named her teacher's pet for the weekend (even though she wasn't there) !!


And this is the gal that made it all happen. She kept me laughing all weekend. She has never ending energy and a permanent smile on her face. She is the best! Thanks for everything Mz. Dede... p.s. I adore your pink witch !

As Iva and I headed home on Sunday night, reliving the wonderful weekend we had, I summed up the Lily as this. Gilding the Lily is a female version of Cheers!...without the bar. A place Where Everybody Knows Your Name. A place where you become a part of the Lily family as soon as you walk in the door. A place where you are met with a smile, a hug and greetings of Sisterhood. Nancy has built a real gem...I only wish it where closer.

Thanks Dede and Nancy for allowing us to be part of the Sisterhood even if only for a weekend.

To learn more about Gilding the Lily you can pick up Romantic Homes. The October issue has a wonderful 8 page article on Nancy and the store.

Note to self...take more pictures next time!

What a weekend...Part 1 !!

This past weekend was our road trip to Southern California. I have been itching all summer long to head out in the car and see some sites... aka... do some shopping. So on Thursday morning, at about 10 am, Iva and I hit the road. Our 6 hour journey was to take us to Southern California for food, fun, art...and shopping.

After our arrival in Fullerton, we dumped our bags into our hotel room and went to check out Old Town Fullerton. We peeked inside shop windows, found our way around town and enjoyed some live music on the brick patio outside of Gilding the Lily. We feasted on deep fried mushrooms, Greek tacos and salad at Stadium Tavern. Yum!

The next day was to be shopping, shopping and more shopping. We got up and went for a quick workout to take care of those deep fried mushrooms from the night before. Isn't fried good? Anything fried is good in my book. After our workout we headed to Roger's Gardens in Newport Beach. All I can say is "wow". This place was worth the drive. We spent much time checking out the Halloween shop. So much to see...

The Secret Lab

This display was freaky and my pictures don't do it justice. There was a tall doll looking into a large mirror and the mirror was surrounded by smaller dolls. All the dolls were sprayed gray. It was a fantastic effect...

There were displays of pumpkins all around outside. Every kind of pumpkin imaginable.


And lastly....my favorite thing there. I spotted this fresh flower arrangement on one of their counters. It was absolutely gorgeous.

If you ever have a chance to get to Roger's Gardens make sure you allow yourself enough time. It's a large place with tons to see.

After we left Roger's we headed to Paris to the Moon in Costa Mesa. It was a fun little shop. I found this wonderful marble statue to add to my collection of girls.

As we were headed out the door I asked the gal there where we could have lunch. She recommended Taste Buds. If you are ever in Costa Mesa this restaurant is a must. Lovely interior and the food was fantastic.

After we left Taste Buds we headed to Old Towne Orange and the Country Roads Antique store. This store is all we had time for but that was fine. Look what I found !!! It is a wonderful old apothecary cabinet. I was thanking my lucky stars that we didn't fly to L.A. because this would fit just fine in my car. I was/am one happy girl!!

Now to find a place for it....one minor detail.

Decisions...decisions....

I have found myself in a bit of a pickle. I am running out of time for my blog sale. I have many pieces in process and won't be able to finish them before Sunday. So...I have decided to postpone the event until Sunday, October 4 at 6pm PST. Thanks for understanding.

On Saturday and Sunday, September 26 & 27 I will teaching classes at Gilding the Lily in Fullerton, CA. Nancy has announced that Friday night she will be hosting the

Tresors de Temp . . . Treasures of Time

trunk show. I am so excited to be able to see and shop the treasures that Nancy is bringing in. Pop over to her blog and see what she will have. Pure gorgeousness...

It was certain magic...

What do you get when you combine 15 wonderful women, amazing art, gorgeous weather and yummy food?

Magic for certain.

The Tinsel and Treasures pre-show day started off with unloading cars and setting up displays in 100 degree weather ! We continued on by gathering together for dinner at the big table under the stars. As we finished dinner Mother Nature gave us a little reminder that we had to head off to bed for a good nights rest. Little drops of rain had begun to fall.

In the middle of the night there was thunder and lightning. A fun and cozy atmosphere it gave us. We arrived back at the hall the next morning, fresh and ready for a fantastic day.

And what a day it was.

Here are a few tidbits...for more photos please visit the Tinsel and Treasures blog.

By the end of the day we were all exhausted. I headed to bed right after my nutritious dinner.

A perfect end to a perfect day!!
(I know....gross huh? But it was good!)