5 Pounds of Stuff, In a 2 Pound Box....

This cabinet resides in my dining-room. It has a lot of hand carving and is massive, to say the least. It could use some TLC. We tried to sell it a while back, but you just have to have the room for it. It is made up of three sections, top, bottom, and a marble slab in between. It is stuffed, (and I mean stuffed), with various china, cups, silver, and collectibles. You can see the spill over onto the top. Steven loves this piece. I need to clean it out, sort, and get ready. You see I want to host a tea. Goodness knows I have enough things for one (okay, maybe a few). This is one of *3* cabinets in the room, which is a large dining-room. Our home used to be a Parsonage for the Church next door. While the kitchen is small, but efficient, the dining-room is quite large. There are four windows, lovely oak french doors and the kitchen door in it also. My table seats up to 8 quite comfortably, but could seat a couple more in a pinch.

For now though we I will just share this cabinet.....

I will show you a peek at the middle section, behind the glass.  I would show you behind the closed doors but I have so much stacked and packed in there, well it isn't pretty. So let's just look at some of the things behind the glass doors. Let's start with the Tea pot, it was for sale at my friends garage sale for $5.00 (it has a chipped spout). So you can imagine how surprised I was when two years later, walking along at a flea market, I spied the creamer and sugar bowl! They were not very much, as the sugar bowl has a chip on it also, but they were so pretty and what a happy find.  The bird in the back is one of my "flamingo's" from a set of them. My one main collections has been these "shiny birds". I have packed many away, but have again filled a cabinet in the front room with them (I will share that another time).

This is the bottom shelf and you see here a small sampling of my collection. Even though I china paint I love collecting the works of others. I seem to go on tangents, I collect bits of  painted china, glass cake plates, old silver pieces.... but I will always collect my birds.

Two little boyd bears sit atop my tarnished tea set. I need to get busy and polish it up, that is if I plan to have a tea soon.

See the pretty painted casserole? My friend Cathy Teller painted it for me one Christmas. I love receiving her painted pieces, they are so pretty and well done. The blue salt shaker (Steven broke the pepper) was painted by me. There is the tiny cruet set I got from my neighbor across the street before she moved. I love heating water for tea, or serving coffer from this old percolator.

So there it is, just something to share. I love seeing old things and collections and thought it was time to share a little bit of mine. I hope you found it interesting, and perhaps I will share the contents of the other cabinets at another time.

Oh My, I Won This!

Okay, I don't know how many visited the OWOH giveaway. I did and there were so many great "Bloggers" and "Artists" that shared their work and their lives. I spent many hours visiting each one and adding to the long list of favorites to my site. One of these blogs "Charmed Life" was added. She does the most wonderful work making charm bracelets. I want one, but have to be good (I have dropped hints around here).

I was visiting her blog to check out some of her latest posts and it had turned out she had also posted on "Pink Saturday". She had the most adorable set of Pink doll shoes on a plate of buttons. Well then I noticed she was celebrating her "One Year Anniversary" on her blog. I think it is so neat when people celebrate and she had such a clever and sweet post she even had cake. She was generously giving this cup and saucer away, and I was lucky enough to win! It is such a nice cup, a good weight and deep enough for a good cup of coffee or tea.

Thank you Melissa!

I love Mary Engelbreit's work. Congratulations on your great blog! I will keep checking in, and for those of you reading this, please stop in and check out her bracelets. They are so cute! Her blog in in my list on the right "Charmed Life"!!!!!

A Surprise Visitor

A package arrived. It was placed on my table. It had been carefully addressed to Ms. Debra Abel. I opened it up and said  "Who might you be?".  The cute little rabbit just sat silently. Not a sound did she make, yet on her dress I did see, a prize winning ribbon that just said "Bunny". "Welcome Bunny" said I, "do come in, sit with me.  I will put on the kettle, and we will have tea. Now where have I seen you? Ah yes, I recall, your Sweet Sarah Spring Bunny, I remember it all."  I had been to the PFATT Marketplace shopping one day, and entered to win on their "give-away".  All the prizes were lovely, and my chances were slim, but I was so very lucky, to win you "Sweet Sarah", from the artist, Kaf Grimm!!!!

I poured tea for Sarah, "A cookie? I ask",  then "Surprise" Sarah says, as she pulls off her mask. Well your was not really a bunny, just disguising as one.  A sweet little girl dressed up for Spring fun.   

The End

This little lady is so beautiful, and well made. Believe me when I tell you all that the pictures do not do justice to the talent that made this piece. She sits now in my craft room where she keeps me company and I can admire here every day. Please readers, go check out the work of all the talented artists at the PHATT Marketplace http://pfatt.blogspot.com  and be sure to check our Kathleens (Kaf) blog www.grimitives.blogspot.com

Thank You, Thank You, Kathleen Grimm. She is wonderful !

For Madame Victoria

I call the painting "Goodnight Moon". I finished it and took it to Ms Vicky this last Sunday. You see I have made one for each of my friends. Terri received her little "Alice with Kitty", Nancy received "Flying Girl (blue)", Kim received "Bird of Paradise" and this one for Vicky completes this personal "giveaway".

You see Ms Vicky loves to sleep, she loves lounging in her PJ's and looks forward to the Moon coming out to bid her goodnight. I wish I had the whole piece in the photo so  you could see her pink bunny slippers, but alas I am a lousy photographer. So here she is looking all dreamy and drowsy, off to bed Ms. Vicky, goodnight moon......

Today I Will Be At The CaRnIvAl!!!!

I will be here today, please join me for fun and games!!!! I may have to step out to attend a shower for a bit, but will be back in to join the fun! Come one, come all and just click the button on the right bar to enter the fun!!

Finally!!! It's here, it's here.......

All my OWOH Prizes are in!!! Today I received the final one. In a previous post I showed off the lovely charm necklace from Deidre (Riley-Coyote). Now I can share them all! The incense from Alena (The Funky Fairy) It smells so good, (She mixed this blend especially for me), I can't bring myself to burn it. So maybe I will just keep it in my linen drawer for a sachet for now? From Alice (Inspired tokens). A big white box arrived, and you can see thru the window hints of the treasures it contains...... I placed it here with a few other goodies. Look at the wonderful detail in this pastel from Graham (Greywolf Art). The soft shading, and light capturing a tender moment, (I need to go and get this portrait matted and framed). The white box, containing my prize from Alice (Inspired Tokens). All nicely wrapped in lavender tulle, first thing I noticed was a wonderful scent coming from it. Then as I spied through the window on the lid I saw the book and shawl I had entered to win. The shawl is lovely, such beautiful workmanship. I opened the book cover to read the jacket notes inside. I had to make myself stop reading, it looks like a very good story, and I wanted to take photos of everything first. Alice had written a nice note in the little Engelbright card enclosed. This was the prize I had entered to win......... but wait, what was this? Another little package. It wasn't posted in the giveaway? I have to say I loved the pretty colors, and now I could tell where the lovely scent was coming from. BONUS!!!!! The sweetest fabric Tussie-Mussie cone was inside. The package with the lovely lady on it is filled with scent and now hangs here in my studio filling the air with fragrance. Such a pretty bejeweled gift in shades of greens and pinks, and wait did you see it? The wooden "stick pin" to hold my shawl in place, how sweet is that? So here are my winnings from Alice, all together. (I know, a real jackpot haul from all these artists) I want to thank, one more time, Graham (http://greywolf-art.blogspot.com/) the Pastel. Deidre (http://rileycoyotecreations.blogspot.com/) Domino Necklace, Alice (http://inspiredtokens.blogspot.com/) Shawl, Book Tussie, and last, but not least Alena (http://www.funkyfairyshoppe.com/) Incense. I was very, very lucky and really appreciate the hard work these artists put into their creations. To Lisa Swifka, thank you for being such a diligent host. To all that gave of your time and craft, may we the "winners" appreciate the thought, care, and love that goes into these "gifts", may we take the time to thank those who have shared with us. Please take a minute to check out their blogs, see their work, and leave a comment for them!

Blue Monday....time for a break

That's it I am done. I am going to step back and just take a break from all the madness for a bit. I spent considerable time on Blogger this weekend with Pink Saturday, and setting up awards. Well I lost my award post. It kept scrambling since I changed backgrounds, and I just had it. It's gone, I let it go. While I appreciate the sentiment and love that people would pass them to me, they were never my agenda. It's okay. I only had a couple people pick them up anyway. I thank both Terri, and Nancy, for sending them my way but I just could not handle the frustration. What started out as something fun is getting to be work. It wasn't supposed to be this hard, and it was supposed to be fun. I was the first of my friends to start a blog here, and they have passed me by. They are having a ball and I am happy for them. I feel now like I am running to catch up, and frankly I don't remember wanting it to be a race. So I am stepping back. It's back to basics for me. I will post what I want to, when I want, and not worry about who is reading, or if anyone is. This is for me. So while I appreciate the awards, they were not why I started blogging. I enjoyed the sharing, and meeting so many talented people. I will still be checking out other blogs and posting, but maybe a bit less. For those that stop by, welcome, if you want to comment fine, if not it's okay. As for me I am going to pace myself, come here when I need to share, or just check out all the other beautiful blogs for inspiration.

PiNk SaTuRdAy!!!!!

Ta-Da! Here it is my first "Pink" Saturday! I gathered several (and I mean "several", many of which will have to wait until the next time) items, and started trying to lay out a pretty picture. I love pink, it has been one of my favorites for some time. I am of course a big fan of the pale turquoise too. So ladies I have decided to lay out the beginnings of a small tea. Please stop in for a delicious "lofthouse" cookie, and a cup of afternoon tea.

Here is the other shot I took. While I like the effect above this allows you to see more of my "pink" items.

Here is another photo, a little further back, I couldn't really decide.

So this was my first "Pink" Saturday and I am sorry for those early birds who came over and thought the previous post was it. You are too kind. I apologize for waiting.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane..NO! It's Just Me!

Here she is my alter ego, she prowls the streets at night, seeking truth, beauty, and maybe a few Vintage Finds. She looks for justice, using her whip of truth to expose lies and corruption, on occasion a little "fun" at home. Her cape sheild her from cruelty and ugliness in the world, while making a bold fashion statement. Her special glasses give her the power to find beauty in her surroundings, also protecting them from harmful UV rays. Her mission, to create beautiful things, recycle, to protect the weak, and to expose lies and hippocrisy in the world, clean her home, make dinner for her family, grocery shop, run errands, all the while mainting her svelt figure ane her impecable taste in fashion. Making the world a safer, better "prettier" place.................................

and then of course, she wakes up!

Want to be a Superhero? Well I found this little tidbit on Lori Andersons site, "Pretty Things" (in my blog list). Well here is where you go to make your own:www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory

A Wake Up Call and a Good Laugh

I just watched this little number on a post at http://sfelkins.blogspot.com/ and laughed my head off. Why? because it is so true. People have been so spoiled and feel so entitled they forget to be amazed and appreciate all the advatages they have. Just watch and see if you don't agree.

Treasures, Prizes, and Fun, Oh My!

Here it is! My prize, and a few nice things. I entered, oh, maybe half of all 900 giveaways on the OWOH posts. I was picked three times. I received my prize from "Riley Coyote Creations". It is the very lovely domino charm necklace. I have to tell you the piece is so much prettier in person. The finish and quality is impeccable. Deirdre, I will share that I was born on the 8th, and the card with the number 8, was a very coincidental choice, I loved it. As you can see I have not removed it from the card yet, as I am relishing my win.

I delayed posting because I was waiting for the other items to arrive but as of yet nothing has appeared. I just could not wait any longer. I did send her an e-mail to thank her when it arrived, but foolishly waited to post, sorry Deirdre. I am asking all of you to go and check out her e-bay shop. They are so well done, I know you will all want one (http://stores.ebay.com/Riley-Coyote-Creations).

The other items, well ,they are just thoughtful gifts from two very sweet ladies. Jodie at "Everything's Vintage" (check out her link on my blog), had a giveaway. I entered, ...and lost. Lost? So what's with the pretty personalized bookmark? It seems that Jodie has a very giving heart (and thank goodness for me, not a ton of entries for the giveaway), so she decided everyone should be a winner. She made each of the entries one of these. It has never been much fun to lose, but Jodie sure made me feel like a winner. I haven't the heart to place it is a book where I would not be able to see it. I keep it on a shelf with my artwork from my group, and take every opportunity to show it off.

Last, but certainly not least is the wonderful Anne Murray CD. It was a nice surprise from dear Renee at "Circling My Head" (link in my blog list). She is an amazing spirited woman battling cancer, managing to keep her head up, and inspire others. I stumbled upon her blog and have been hooked ever since. She has bestowed many a kind, and understanding comment on my blog. My first visit to her blog she seemed to be having a "blue" day. I immediately wanted to do something. I sent her a little something, hoping to add a smile and some cheer (who does not like a nice surprise in the mail?), I wanted nothing in return except to make her smile.

She really surprised me with the CD. Having had a particularly rough week, and coming home from an errand for my sister, I was greeted by Steven with "What did you order from Canada?" I went over to look at what he was holding and saw Renee's name on the return. I opened it and the lovely card (lots of "glitter" so me), and of course ran up to my work room to e-mail her , and play the CD. Oh, and yes Renee, I was smiling for the rest of the weekend!

I thank each of these ladies, and treasure the time they took to make my day!

Thoughts on Sharing, Caring, and Consideration

I wanted to share this image above. (It is by Christi in Cal) I chose it because it relates to something that has been playing around in my head. It isn't meant to provoke a response but rather to express how I have been feeling and thinking recently regarding certian matters. You see I am one of those people who puts a great deal of stock into follow through. If I say I am going to do something, like pick something up for someone, mail a letter, or send a package, I do. I also try to respond to someones kindness and generosity immediately. After all, if they are anything like me, they want to know you received their "package" , that it arrived intact and that you liked it. I can think of a few things that will really gnaw at my brain, and waiting for a response is one of them. Do I expect to hear that moment? No, but I would think maybe sometime that day, the next day, that week. For me knowing someone received something I sent, and hearing nothing from them becomes in my mind a negative response. (This is even more acute when I have put delivery confirmation on a package, and know it has been delivered) I tend to get a little bummed when after waiting several days, I still have heard nothing. I start to assume that perhaps they didn't like it, were disappointed, and do not know how to tell me. Maybe it was delivered to the wrong person, it's happened. Do I e-mail them? Do I dare ask "Did you get the package? What do you think? Was it okay?" How long do I wait to ask? I ponder these things, like why when I send an e-mail do I feel like am I begging for something, or pestering them. This is not my intent. In some cases this person has expressed a desire for the item in question, so what is it? For myself it is in part common courtesy, and in part a display by the receiver that they are as happy to receive this package, as you were to send it to them. I enjoy sharing. If someone has mentioned something to me that has touched me, or if I read something on a blog, where a person is having a particularly bad time, I often want to share something good. I love nice surprises, as well as surprising others. I do not know too many people who do not get a small thrill when someone sends an unexpected item to them in the mail. Perhaps you get that piece of art you entered to win in a giveaway, someone sends you an item you commented on, or something you mentioned you collect in a post. I am one of those people that want to share it with everyone. I think it is great to hear that people are still giving and caring, but most of all I want to contact that person and let them know "Yes, I got this and it arrived fine. Thank you" When I visit blogs where people display items they received and publicly thank the person, it makes it even harder. Not that I need to see it displayed like that, but when I do not hear anything, it can make it very disheartening for me. I participated in the recent giveaway. I have had to contact a couple of the people and ask "did you get it?" Eventually they responded, but it wasn't the spontaneous response I had hoped for, I guess because I felt I forced it by having to ask. So is it me? Do I expect too much? I still haven't heard from the another person, and I have made up my mind not to chase them down for a response. Those reading may say I am being foolish, what does it matter? True, when I chose to give something it was not for kudos's and compliments . I never regret the giving. So what does it all mean? Well for me it means I will have to think about why I am participating in some giveaways, but most of all that I have to realize that not everyone shares the same appreciation for these things, or shares my expectations. I will admit these experiences have done one thing, I have a real appreciation for those people who reach out, share, and are considerate. I want to say to those who have been kind to me, visited my blog and left your comments of support, Thank You!