R & R

Wow...I've been away from blogland for a short week (plus a day or two) and I missed so many things. I missed the Bloglandia Ball ... Fifi has been tying up and gagging her alter ego's ... Donna started dating Paul McCartney (was that real life or in her dreams?) ... Sandra Evertson...well you just have to visit to see what she has going on there...un-believable!! Oh and one last thing...I stopped by Sylvia Anderson's blog and she has a picture of an out-of-this world papier mache piece that will knock your socks off...I saw him in person at A Cottage Boutique last Saturday where there were so many talented artists selling their wares. Pop on over to Sharon's blog and see the goodies she purchased that day. Really great stuff.


So I am taking a couple of days off for a bit of relaxation. Twice a year the hubby has work retreats and I tag along. While he has to sit in on work meetings with doctors and administration, listening to blah blah blah...or is that wah wah wah waaaahhhh (think Charlie Browns teacher) I get to do some shopping, hang out by the pool, etc etc. Sometimes I even take a nap but ssshhhhh...don't tell him.


This weekend we are dragging the kids along (much to their dismay)


to the Silverado Resort in Napa. We will leave right after school gets out to avoid the crazy traffic and get there in plenty of time for dinner...oh there are the most amazing restaurants in Napa. Saturday morning will be breakfast and then a quick trip over to Halloween and Vine. I haven't been in ages so it will be fun to see it all.

After that, back to the hotel for a little...

And then get cleaned up for dinner at Artesa Winery (adults only thank you very much!)

Sunday we will hit the winery of my FAVORITE wine...Laird's. I have never been there so I am really looking forward to seeing (and tasting) it.

Have a great weekend...I'm going to!

Say it isn't so!!!

It can't be time to start working on Christmas...it's only September 17 and it already feels like the end of the Halloween season. It's time to put away the orange and black (well not all of it as I am always working on Halloween) and get out CHRISTMAS!!! aaaahhhkkk...what a scary thought...but to be able to meet those Christmas orders...it is time to shift gears.

Here is a glimpse at a few of the pieces I am working on finishing up.

HO HO HO...

The King and Queen of Haunted Houses

I met Sally many many Harvest Moons ago. It was one of my first shows and I came across her table and about died when I saw her Victorian pieces. She had gorgeous cones made from beautiful fabrics with vintage rhinestone buttons and the most exquisite laces and trims. I fell in love with her vintage tea cups filled with old sewing bits and bobs. Of course I had to have one of those, and a couple of cones...oh and a jewelry box...

~

Yet it is only recently that I acquired the most exquisite piece of all...


Sally spent countless hours working on this piece. It is meant to be matted and framed and as you can imagine...it needs a VERY special frame. I will be on the lookout at Antique stores and flea markets until I find the perfect one.


Sally creates pieces like this all based on color. I told her I wanted soft colors. She layers the fabric and sews a random stitchery pattern thru the layers to hold it all together. She then digs into her amazing stash of vintage buttons, trims, and ribbons (let me tell you...it is an amazing collection...I have seen it with my own eyes) and starts hand sewing all these pieces on. It's a true labor of love. Not all of her pieces have this much "bling". She did this one this sparkley at my request.




So now let me show you what Sally does the rest of the year...

HAUNTED HOUSES !!

Sally and Dan...the dynamic duo...the king and queen of haunted houses they are! Look at these amazing structures. Dan makes each house by hand. Cutting every wall, every stair to every staircase, doors that open and close, stained glass windows. He makes the pieces of furniture inside the houses. From leather, he cuts out each shingle on the roof and painstakingly applies them to complete the roof.

He installs the lights that light up the inside and outside of the houses. Once he is done building...Sally starts decorating. Pumpkins, skeletons, wicked witches...you name it these houses have it somewhere on them.

Yes...he made the coffin too!

And here is Bonnie and Clyde!!! If you would like to see their work, it is now showing at the Lazy K House at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette, Ca. See my sidebar for the address. If you want to reach Sally and Dan you can email them. Happy Halloween!

I'll Admit It...

I love Ikea...No no no...not the "I want to furnish my house in it" type of love... but oh how my mind wanders when I go to their "downstairs". So many containers and drawers and cubbies (I lust for cubbies) the organizational possibilities are endless.

When my boys "promote" to middle school I take them over to Ikea and they get to pick out a desk for their room. Middle School is serious business and the ceremonial shopping trip to Ikea right before school starts helps them understand that.

Yes, I would LOVE to decorate the boys rooms like this...

But that ain't gonna happen!! I'm realistic with how much I can pull off in my household.

So...we opt for this...

Not pretty...but practical.

As I mentioned earlier... I do take the time to browse thru Ikea's "organizational area" as I call it. I picked these up this go round...

I am going to paint the wooden drawers a creamy white and cover the front of the drawers with some old wallpaper. I will probably keep old photographs or millinery in them.

With the jars...

Glitter at a glance!!! What a bargain...4 jars for just $2.99!!

Now if you long for a boys room that looks like the pictures above, pick up Carolyn Westbrook's decorating book called "Home". This book has photographs of her amazing home in Texas. Oh how I would love to own a home like hers...but in California??? Well that Ain't Gonna Happen!!

p.s. If Carolyn's name is ringing a bell to you and you just can't figure out why...her studio is on the cover of the book "Where Women Create"...just fabulous I tell you!

To Dream and to be Inspired...

I love to peek into other people's creative worlds. To capture a glimpse of where they work and to see their surroundings, what inspires them, what motivates them, what makes them happy. One of my favorite studios to peek into is Rebecca Sower's studio. So organized, tidy, yet beautiful, artistic and oh so inspiring. I would love to have a nice big studio like this, filled with treasures wherever you look. When you have a second, stop by and take a look, it gets me motivated to organize and beautify.

I am a very ~ Very ~ VERY Lucky Girl!

It doesn't get much better than this!!

At the beginning of August I posted about how lucky I was to be gracing the cover of the Autumn issue Art Doll Quarterly. I didn't want to spill the beans at the time and not until I saw it with my own eyes...but here it is!!! My little "BOO" Halloween Witch girl is on the cover of Somerset Studio!! I mean WOW!! What an amazing thing to be published...I was hoping to be IN the magazine and never expected to be ON the magazine.


I am over the moon and am so thrilled at the quality of photography of all 4 of my pieces that are in these 2 publications.

You can find Somerset Studio at most Scrapbooking stores, Michael's, Borders, Barnes & Noble and Stampington.

Thank you to everyone at Somerset Studio. They put together an amazing publication each and every time and I am so happy to be able to be a part of it.

A Spookishly Ghoulish Time

What fun we had on Friday night as Sharon opened the doors to her amazing shop and we all celebrated the beginning of the Halloween season. Glittery and ghoulish, frightful and fun....there was much to see...much to oooh and aaah at. New friends were made as the ever attentive hostess made sure to introduce one and all to each other.

The American Harvest Opera Fairy had been replaced (but not forgotten) by the Wistful Witch...orange glitter and all!



Amazing one of a kind Halloween artwork surrounded us (as well as beautiful every day pieces) as we made our way thru Sharon's haunted mansion.

These pieces by Ingrid surely caught our eye. Lucky for us, Ingrid was there and we were able to spend some time chatting with her about her art.

Donna O'Brien's sparkley creations were AMAZING...I had to have one for myself!!

Not only does Sharon have incredibly sweet people to help her but they get to work with this hanging over their heads!! Pretty amazing working conditions I would say!

Rodger, Sharon's partner in crime, was the resident photographer. Here is Ulla, myself, Iva, Sharon...aka "The Queen of American Harvest", Ingrid and Lucille.