I'm still lucky!!!

Even though I fear that you might think that I indulge myself too much I still can't go without sharing my latest fun. My theory is that you have to do what you can to treat yourself on a daily basis. No, not always material things. One of my very favorite things to do is to lay in the grass under a tree and gaze through the leaves into the sky. I also think reading time, Oreos, and bubble baths qualify as great options for daily self-nurturing. Sometimes, however, I do treat myself to material items. They have to be really special so they can be, you know, really special. So, I recently allowed myself to browse through Earth Angels (link is on the right) knowing very well that it could be financial trouble but, more importantly, soul-soothing, but I was very responsible. I'd been on before and knew that a lot of my favorite "heavy hitters" are on there but I also found someone I hadn't heard of before~Caramia's (come on, the name alone requires purchase)Hotcakes Jewelry. I got a necklace and a ring. I can't take photos like they can so you'll either have to wait to see them on me (my hand is not worthy of the ring until it gets a manicure) or look at them on their website. I can tell you that they are even more beautiful in person and I'm filled with much material happiness as to last for a very long time. I shall desire nothing else until which time I see something else I want! I ordered only the the necklace and ring but, as you can see above, like Amy of Inspire Co., they add even more fun with unexpected treats like the POLKA DOT socks wrapped with ribbon imprinted with "HI", a POLKA DOT wrapped Tootsie Roll and a peppermint candy. Fugetabout Santa who?

I added this other photo view of the prizes because you can also see one of Stacey Bear's button cards. Stacey is also one of the artists who offers her wonderful artwork on Earth Angels. I was lucky enough to be first acquainted with Stacey in person when she, along with a couple of other very creative friends of hers, did the DC Big Flea of which my group and I are a regular part. We had just finished setting up our booth for the show and walking around checking out the other booths we found their booth. We were hysterical but we decided to be respectful of the pink "Booth Closed" sign posted and not go in. Then we ran into our friends, Amy (Inspire Co.), and Ann and Linda (the cottage) and they were on their way to pillage Stacey's booth. Amy had gotten permission from Stacey to go into the closed booth, make selections in piles leaving names on the piles, and come back the next day to pay. You should have seen (and heard) Amy, Ann, Linda, Karen, and I going through the thousands of small pieces they had in that booth. They had to close the building to get us out of there, and that's late. We hid our piles under their draped table and it was well into the next afternoon before there was a line short enough for me to justify standing in line to pay while leaving Karen at our booth alone. Linesssssssssssssssssssssssss, not many vendors have linessssssssssssssssssss. So are you going to check out their website or not? All the artists are equally fabulous. People with wonderful taste like me should win the lottery (I think you have to actively buy a ticket~I'll have to investigate that further). Not just to buy all this fab stuff; I'd give a lot of money to Code Pink, Oprah, my church, Young Life, and I'd find a lot of needy people to help (yes, Sis, that's you, too), ect. first.

Here are some fab freebies that are just one of the endless perks of being friends with Mellie (Mel Lobdell of Little Melfie's). Check out the above. Come on! This was a gift from her when we met Hope (Wallace, Paper Relics) for lunch. As if having lunch with Mellie and Hope is not enough of a blessed gift, she brings this. Don't even think I'm going to eat those chocolates, how much cuter can you get? I'm still researching the best way to permanently preserve them. So far keeping them in a locked, airtight safe is working out okay but the fact that it's not a SEE-THROUGH safe is making having them a little less fun. Any suggestions?

The last fun I'm going to share with you today is this little dittie I won on eBay last week. How I got so lucky, I don't know. I think there must have been a misspelled word in the title. To give you an idea of how much pleasure this baby brings is that it is over a foot tall. It's a wonderful uplifting, addition to my dining room. I have no idea who the artist is who put this together but I got if from an eBay dealer called victoriagardenaz.

That's it for today folks. Let's try to make our world better inside and out. I have to have pretty things to look at, my art work, and this blog to keep some of the drool off my chin from what comes from the outside world. It's what helps me be stronger, if I know there's a little leopard print box with a POLKA DOT ribbon and glitter S with chocolates inside waiting for me when I get home, I can get through the rat race of who can get to the best parking space at the post office without killing a little old lady walking back to her car. Have a blessed, creative day.

P.S. Please, if you are inclined, pray for my sister and her family, Gabi, and all the folks at Virginia Tech. Thank you.

This is a photo that my sister, Valori, sent to me of her son's (my nephew), Aaron, recent class photo at the Monterey International School in Monterey, CA where Aaron has always attended school. If you look at the girl at 6 o'clock and then count three to the left, that's Aaron (long reddish brown hair). My sister and her life partner moved last May from Monterey after 30 years to Corvallis, OR where her daughter, my niece, Maya and her husband Eder and their baby Ben and our mom all live. After a lot of meditation and discussion it was decided that Aaron would stay in Monterey with his dad Eric at least for the time being. One of the main reasons (other than Eric is a great dad) was this school. It is an exceptional school and it's an honor for the students and parents who get to be involved there. Eric was just notified that, after managing an inn for almost 10 years, he is being laid off. Valori, Eric, and Aaron are Buddhists (I only mention it because it strongly influences them, as any religion is designed to do, in how they operate their lives). Eric, in addition to running the inn, has been studying for many years for his Chinese Medicine Degree and is almost finished. The plan had been that when he and Aaron finished their schooling then would make the major changes they had so long been working toward. Now they have 2 months in which to decide what to do. Most folks who have visited and not lived on the Monterey Peninsula see it as a dream come true or a blessing. There are many blessings and wonderful things about living there just as there are in many other places but there are also a lot of curses. The cost of living is insane (not so different from living here, but it was not like this when we moved here, thankfully). It is not set up for those who want to live simple, decent lives. It is for the very wealthy, others must work 2, 3, or 4 jobs to survive. My sister worked 3 jobs for many years there just to get by just as I worked 3 jobs as a single mom of two when I was there. It's not a realistic option for them to stay there. The only reason they were all there for so long was that they had jobs that also included housing which is very hard to find. Oopsie, I'm getting long-winded as usual. I'm asking for prayers for them now and in the coming months as they make all these hard decisions with very little, if any, room for error. And as they begin to have to say good bye to the only home Aaron's ever known in his 11 years plus, of course, their friends, and the usual angst that goes with leaving all the memories and comfort. As they say, "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know". Which, in hindsight, is not necessarily true, but certainly feels that way going in. They are a caring, sensitive family who, obviously, mean the world to me and, factoring in all worldly relativity, I would appreciate your prayers for them. Thank you, in advance, for your kindness.

Mo Paris Flea Market

Just got this in the mail today. Isn't it totally fab? As I mentioned before you can go to www.thecottage.com and find out more about this market. I already waxed so poetic on the previous post regarding this that I'm afraid I'm going to get into the Brazilian zone should I continue to obsess. Suffice to say, drop everything and go...The Washington Post did a blurb in their Style section...the dates are Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th... see you there! This is last year's advert that I wanted to share. Too fab, too, huh? It just give you a little hint of all the fun.

Nene's Abode ~ The Last Stand

This is the swirl of encyclopedias with the beautiful bust in the powder room that I had mentioned in a previous post.

This is a better photo of the Matisse that J's friend, Gabi, painted and is in the powder room.

Last stand because the home is not at all as it was before these vulturest swooped in several days ago and took her perfectly appointed home and tore it limb by limb . Left is Nene and me. Right is Nene, Nancy, and Karen. We are equal opportunity grab~and~buyers but we were very polite and took time to assess what was most important to whom. There was a time or two of grabbage but there was also plenty to go around. Nene (Nene and Janine and J are the same people~it's random how I use them~deal) and Woody had a lot of stuff in storage for a long time and this house allowed Nene to empty storage, go through boxes, and spread out all her fabulous collections. Now, suddenly and quickly they have to cram all their treasures into a house half the size. That's where the benevolent vultures come in. I had been phoning and emailing Karen trying to coordinate a caravan with her and Nancy out to J's and hadn't heard back from her. We had tentatively set it for Tuesday but I hadn't gotten a confirmation. So I tried to call Karen about the time I had suggested and when she didn't answer I called J to see if she'd heard from them and she said they were on their way! Well, I jumped in my car and drove the speed limit as fast as I could and thankfully got there while they were still in tour mode. Okay, a couple of claims had been made but nothing I couldn't live with. But by the time we left with our car loads of wonderfully priced treasures, the house was not the same. That's how I can make the promise of this being the last installation of this house. Above left is a photo of a vignette that I had tried to place on the previous posts but the pic hadn't come out. It's just little wooden stand that J "No.5'd".

Below is another photo that had previously not come out. This one depicts well J's craft paper roll-ups, handmade curtain panels, custom No.5 chandelier, and custom put-together clock table in the living room.

Another book vignette that's tucked in beside teh piano. This is the wonderful piano that Woody surprised Nene with for her birthday. It's electric and can be played traditionally or many manner of instrumental sounds~it's so great.

Howdy Pardner, The Sequel

Yes, Virginia, this is a clarinet lamp that J made. If you are just tuning into the Howdy Pardner Show, please check the original post futher down so this makes sense to you. Some day I might get this photo thing down. Until then, we'll see you back here after you check out Howdy Pardner...

Here's that danged-old master bedroom picture I was talking about. Did I forget to mention that J likes clocks, too? She may have more than even me in her house and this is pretty good proof. She took an antique screen, reupholstered it, added the criss-cross ribbon, then topped it all with black and white photos, clocks, etc.

I went home and shamelessly duplicated the scale thing. I had gotten an antique standing doctor's scale from one of the show houses we did and I added a wire basket that holds the spare rolls of toity paper in our powder room. Shameless!

This is one of the guest rooms which includes one of the many chandeliers that J makes herself. That's a main focus for her creatively professionally, the beautiful chandeliers. The room also includes the requisite Santa Fe cowboy hat that the girl will slap on and strut about in anytime.

Right is another accidentally deleted from the previous post. It's one of her vignettes in the kitchen. And a vignette from the living room...

Don't forget that this house is under contract so rest up as there will be another tour of the new house when it's "done".