If God wanted Texans to ski He would have made bullshit white...

Raise your hand if you've got cabin fever. Not you in North Dakota, you others. Because I stole Janine's Suburban while she was in the hospital, Paul and I got to go dig her daughter, Heidi, out of the snow today. Well, that's not why we had to dig her out, our consciences made us but it was kind of fun being the macho rescuers for once. The truck, us, and the kitty litter saved the day (Paul said I just gave orders, but I'm so good at it). Paul calls Janine's Suburban the "Global Warmer". He thinks I'm a hypocrit because I love it so. He's emailing his senator right now-wants to pass a bill making it illegal for liberals to purchase American made trucks. I can't help it, it's the Texun in me.

So, coming home from such manly doings I had to take some party pics of some of the girly things I ponder on and enjoy while I'm sequestered and not out saving lives. I still don't have this stupid picture thing down so I'll just describe in general. The chandelier pic is of my dining room ceiling where we just installed the trompe loi sky light from the nursery we decorated for Longwood Show House year before last. We had taken it to the DC Big Flea, Janine had it in our spot in Frederick then we took it to Fredericksburg and we still hadn't found anyone with enough taste to realize what a fabulous opportunity they were passing up. I could no longer be benevolent and keep this beauty in public circulation so I put it as the medallion for my chandelier in the dining room. I love it! I had offered it to Janine many times, but she changes houses more often than underwear she couldn't commit.

This bowl is one my sis sent me before moving to Oregon. It was made by a friend of hers (her ex-non husband shared a studio in Carmel with him), Duncan Todd, a pretty famous potter who passed away a few years ago. If you notice in old issues of Country Living and Country Home, Home Companion, you see his work here and there. Anyway, I always loved this piece (I have one of his tea pots as well) and my sis gave it to me when downsizing to Oregon. It's filled with one of my collage pieces, a bird's nest that Mellie gave me (that she got at the cottage in Leesburg), and one of Janine's world famous moss balls. Bet you did know moss had balls and so big...

On the other table sits one of Janine's world famous bird houses. She collaged it in architectural book pages then roofed it with said book. Also on the table is a fab antique, robin's egg blue, toy cash register that Janine gave me from one of her world famous garage sale outings and I made it into a lamp.

The other picture is just of a standing lamp I put together in the last couple of days. I got the antique base at PJ's and had to rig it with lamping thingings. Because the cord was exposed it needed a slip which I fashioned from cream and salmon checked linen. I added a beautiful flower assemblage with a ribbon made of the same check to the lamp shade and, ta-da, I thought it looks pretty darn cute.

Okay back to finishing the unfinished...until the next blah, blah, blogging, can you say loopy? Have a blessed life!

Mira, mira! Look at me!!

Here's the cover and art work I did for Somerset Studio Gallery winter 2007 issue. The call for art was "home". I have a better photo of this on a previous post but I've been meaning to have the art and cover posted on here for a while. Snow makes for good follow-up.

Okay, it's bragging time. Forgive me for doing a little mira, mira (look at me! in Texish). Left is the cover of the issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors that my art work, below, was in. It was a challenge piece meaning that they provided the

sketch and the artist was to "Do With Me What You May". I copied the image onto several different fab papers then cut and and reassembled onto a piece of round wood and made it into a clock. She's even got the

requisite Bingo earrings!

Stay tuned, I've been submitting to publications like crazy, I hope to be boring you further in the near future.

Girlfriends, Cake, and Art, Oh My!

I just checked Mellie's (Little Melfie's) blog and so I cannot be outdone by her critique of yesterday. What fun (Nini-look away)!!!!!!!! It's so fun to be with Hope and it had been way too long since we had spent time together. And to be able to have a girly get-together with Mellie and Hope...well...picture the feelings from a perfect birthday for an 8 year old (minus the best friend in hospital) and you'll get the idea of what kind of time we had. Like a giggle fest. Hope is so creative and talented, it's amazing to watch her process, she and her art are perfectly fused. So we have this great meal and time at Eggspectations then Hope says, "Let's the three of us go to Borders and buy the new issue of Somerset Studios.". How cute is that? Three girlfriends share the thrill of purchasing the latest issue of our muse...now that's smellin' roses. Art Bar girls, eat your hearts out!

Our Frederick Shop...

Between shows, illnesses, weather, and sales (yippie), my partner, Janine (Nini-No.5), and I had really let our spot in Emporium Antiques Mall in Frederick, Maryland go to seed. So with an infusion of our friend, Karen of Primative Chic, we got ourselves back into shape. Until we can all find the ever-evasive perfect venue for our collective fabulous items, Karen decided that Nini and I had a good idea of selling at Emporium after all. We are so thrilled to be further fused to her! She also sells on eBay, check out her auctions, she's under the seller handle of glad*nest. Here are initial party pics of the Freddy spot, more to come when we get it filled up the rest of the way...

Virtual Tour Continues...

This one on the left was published in Somerset Studio Gallery III book released in October.

These guys to the left are still looking for a good home. They are a nest of tables collaged and sealed with, starting with the largest and working down, Backgammon, Checkers, and Tic-Tac-Toe. They include all game pieces and I have them for sale in my shop including two antique red metal folding children's chairs.

Our Lady of Oats here just went out in the mail yesterday fresh from being adopted from eBay. She was one in a series of my Al Gore-inspired pieces that I've done recently. She lowers cholesterol and saves the environment just by being beautiful! This all took me way too long. I'm going to get myself another tutorial and add more later. Thanks for looking!

Gallery Day!!!!!! Virtual Tour Now Open

Well it's way too cold and blustery to go to Baltimore or DC today to "do" any of the too many to name FABULOUS galleries that we are blessed enough to have at our fingertips sooooooooooo... Here's my little gallery. Some party pics I've been wanting to share. My laptop has a poopie diaper so I found some great photos I had forgotten about on hubby's computer that I'd like to share plus more of my archived work (gone but not forgotten and certainly recorded). These are some shots of our Ellicott City shop from last year. This next one was an "inspired" piece that was purchased from one of our wonderful patrons at the DC Big Flea, Leah.

If you can't be a good example at least be a horrible warning...

I've waited a few days to say anything about some recent news highlights. For me the most recent was number three, not necessarily literally but it feels that way.

I heard right after Christmas that a woman with whom I had been friendly in California had passed away in October from prescription drug abuse. She was so beautiful inside and out. The main reason her death surprised me is that she was one of the most devoted mothers I've ever known. He left a wonderful husband, a 21 year old son, a 17 year old daughter and a 10 year old son. I have to say that for me she's a prime example of how strong drugs can control a person's life-the drugs had to be in control because I know she would never have intentionally done anything to hurt her children and anyone in control would easily know this behavior would be harmful to their children.

Second, we had our own celebrity-by-voyeurism whose life ended a couple of weeks ago. Her killer? I have to say the media and, since I didn't know her or anyone involved in the situation only what I read in the newspapers, I'm assuming some her own friends and neighbors. Literally, though, it was by her own hands. This beautiful, intelligent woman was hounded by the media and tagged with many handles like "housewife hooker", etc. As many friends of mine have pointed out so perfectly, she could have been doing what she did all day and night and much more openly and it would have been legal if it had been for free. What bothers me most is that I don't personally know these folks who decide how and when my sisters and I use our own bodies but I kind of have a feeling she did. Who is it exactly that I'm paying rent to? And, as a local man so eloquently pointed out in his letter to the Flyer editor last week, we Howard County residents feel oh so much more safer now that our streets have been all cleaned up. Another great example of use of time and money, not that we need it anywhere else.

Third, Anna Nicole. I don't know why I've always been particularly drawn to her. I think it's because my life and hers have so many parallels. We were both born in Texas, we were both flat-chested teenagers, we were both raised in Texas, she grew up in a mobile home, I once drove by a Texas mobile home park...I know, freaky, huh? Her life was a train wreck that I couldn't look away from. Me and lots of others, but that doesn't let me off the hook. I allow myself one guilty-pleasure tv viewing enjoyment at a time. I also went through Sex and The City and Curb Your Enthusiasm stages, however separately. So for a while it was her reality show. I like to think of it as a sociological study, how do these minds work? Why do people watch, why do people do the things they do, etc.? I'll defend myself right here and say I never watch violent things-hate violence in any form. But she too, like example #1, loved her children but still couldn't overcome whatever that need was that couldn't even be met by or covered up with full cranial numbing. So much pain, not enough or the right kind of support or protection...

These were three beautiful, talented, intelligent (okay, two out of three) women who touched my heart for whatever weird reasons and are now gone for whatever weird reasons. I'm just saying this so that all of y'all who are reading this might join me in taking a moment to ponder their pain, mourn their families' loss, and consider how we can keep ourselves and our sisters from going the way these women did.

Red Alert!!!! New eBay listings!!!!!

Never say die-that's my motto. Financial bust in Freddyburg but, much as I prefer human interaction over computers, I've listed just a few of my new art pieces on eBay. Just type in "collage art" and peruse 'til you find me or go onto the advanced search and select search by seller and type in "doojies" to see what's what. Tell your friends-pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeese. This is at least until I get my tutorial for my website which is under construction. Drag me into the 21st century damnit...Oh, oh, oh, when you're not on the computer you MUST watch Taladega Nights-I cannot believe that I haven't mentioned it in previous posts but I guess the fact that Mellie and I reenacted the whole movie for our poor friends over the weekend made me remember to mention it now. Shut up Grandpa before I go ape-shit on your ass...

Cute but still po...

Well us dynamic quatro just got back from trying the DC Big Flea version in Fredericksburg, VA. You can see from the party pics just how cute we were. But what a strange customer crowd! First we thought that the bus loads of folks from AARP had accidentally been dropped off at the wrong convention center (some one thought that the fliers had mentioned free denture cream-hey-no offense-I'm playing the back 9 myself) but then when the younger peeps showed up it was still weird. Janine and Karen got on board with Linda's new motto, "What goes to Fredericksburg stays in Fredericksburg", (still not as fun as my, "what happens in Chantilly stays in Chantilly") and gave new homes to some old goodies but Mellie and I finally figured out that this ain't our venue. We did, however, get some good advise from Robyn and Rene from Robyn's Nest on the art show circuit which we will be checkin' out asap.

Not to worry, we had way more fun than is legal (but I will put us up against any farm laborer as working harder than legal too, just for the three days though, mind you) thanks to best friends Paul and Julie, Linda, Cary, and my personal booth/room mates Janine, Karen, and Mellie.

AND, okay, Fredericksburg, let's just start by saying that if you know any foreigners coming to the States for a visit, right before or after Disneyland they MUST go to Freddyburg. I'm not a mall person (other than DC which has museums and is, you know, outside) but I've never seen anything anywhere near like this area where we were. Pardon me but I have to list a small part of the offerings all in one area: Krispy Kreme (believe it or not, these are not in order of desire), Pancho Villa, Baja Fresh, Qudoba, Chipotle, Cracker Barrel, Texas Steakhouse, Outback, Ledo's Pizza, Asian Cuisine, Thai Pad, Panda Express, Chic Fil A, Mickey D's, Burger King, Quizno's, Pizza Hut, Panera, okay, Super Walmart, Target, A.C. Moore, Michael's, Benjamin Moore, Lowe's, Home Depot, 14 screen movie theater, Ice Palace rink, B of A, M&T, Chevy Chase Bank, Blockbuster, Bed Bath and Beyond, Linens and Things, Old Navy, DSW, Shoe Rack, Payless, Safeway, Giant, Food Lion...this is in about a square mile area. Okay, I'll leave this subject for now but I think you're getting my point that it is indescribably overwhelming commercialism-I saw it but I still can't believe it. I was so taken aback that I'd love to see it through the eyes of someone from outside this country.

The upshot is not that I've been practically bed-ridden with a cold since I got back but that I always have so much fun with my best buds and it's always an interesting carney experience that I love. The weather was perfect for the show but pretty tough for loading in and out.

Please stay tuned as I will be working frantically on my website, this blog, and other new venues for my artwork.