What A Week

Some things will never change.  Comforting in these times.  I won't bore you with all that happened last week, but when I saw a call on my phone from middle daughter, I thought, oh no, I hope she hasn't gone into labor.  All three of her children have been early, so not such a huge surprise, but the timing was off - for last week anyway.

Cady named the newest member of our family after herself.  I'm going to call her Little Cady for now.

Isobel and Oliver are very happy and will be a lot of help.  

What I didn't mention is that there were many problems with this pregnancy.  The placenta was in a bad position and genetics tests were bad.  There was a one in 16 chance of Down's Syndrome and four other genetic abnormalities.  All is perfect, so our family is very happy with our new little bundle of joy.

Wearable Art Redux

As per some of your requests, here are a few of the other necklaces I found at the farm.  It was good to see what I had left as I noticed something.  A lot of the ones that sold were paintings strung with pearls.  All different sizes and colors.  There were none left. This one was a favorite - the one in jade I told you about.

When my son was young, I always bought him red boots to wear.  They were the cutest.  I did a series of red boot paintings.  Can't find red ones anymore for the grandkids.

All the little bird nests sold except for this one.  I liked the sunset with the evening star.

At the clasps of some necklaces, I added little silver charms.  The little cowboy hat went on a boot painting, etc.

It is funny about the jewelry.  Coming from a woman that doesn't wear any jewelry except a pair of earrings - studs for winter and a little gold disc for summer.  I like it on others, but just would feel weird wearing jewelry.  Another quirk.

And finally, for those of you that aren't interested in jewelry (and I promise never to speak of it again) here is what's going to the booth today. My original copy of Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones.  I'm a Stone's girl instead of the Beatles, whatever that says about me.

Wearable Art

I found a few of my necklaces.  For scale, the larger paintings are about an inch and the smaller ones about a half inch.  I just finished vacuuming the house and mopping the floors and don't feel like running errands yet.  So I dug around in my old jewelry box supplies.  I haven't made any in years.

This lone tree is painted in gouache and I can't remember what the beads were.  The prices depended on the frames, whether or not the materials were in gold or silver and the cost of the beads and pearls and/or semi-precious stones.  The larger the silver chain links, for instance, the more it costs, etc.  I do have one in jade that turned out pretty, but it must be at the farm.  

This still life of white hydrangeas is made with tiger eye beads, but this isn't in real gold.  I only did some earrings in 14k gold as they were pricey, even before the price of gold went up.

Some were even more detailed than these, so you can imagine how one stroke can change the entire painting.  I did enjoy it, but didn't have the right market to sell them.  That, and back then, it was very hard to find frames that weren't outrageous.  I wanted to make some wooden ones, like tiny framed oil paintings, then gild them, but they were much too intensive and the price would have gone up considerably. Today, there are tons of frames to choose from.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

John Derian

I received this John Derian coffee table book for my birthday in December and have yet to go through it.  I have seen his work in magazines and in stores, but knew little to nothing about him.

It seems he has collected all these pictures and papers for many years. A few years ago, I painted some Victorian eye paintings, like the book cover, in gouache and put them in jewelry frames for necklaces and charms.

I too love ephemera, but never know what to do with it other than stick it in drawers, books and other dark places, occasionally framing some of it.

Wish I had thought of decoupage before he did.  Actually, I did a lot of decoupage in my younger days, but they were more childish things.  I'm looking forward to perusing this book.

A Toy Of My Own

Yep.  Got a toy today.  And, it really works.  It says so on the package.  Barnes and Noble wouldn't lie.

The grandchildren are out of school Monday and you know who is taking care of them.  We are going to build this toy of mine, then, I am going to terrorize them.  Just kidding, but I bet I do get a few bald faced lies out of them.

Would love to try it on my husband, but he knows better.

The Vase

Sometimes I just can't help myself.  I spied this Weller pottery vase at the mall and just had to have it.   And yes, it was an impulse buy, but I have found that oftentimes, if you don't get it, it won't be there when you go back. The vase is in perfect condition, from around 1920, and I bought it as a gift to myself. I need a form of emoji here.

  The little pockets that hold the flowers, are in the back of her skirt and her colors match the white horse painting above my fireplace.  Sometimes, you just gotta go for it.

BTW ~ I have many beautiful pottery vases and dishes in my booth and cannot give them away.

Idioms

I've always used 'old saws' or sayings.  When my kids were growing up I used them as teaching tools.  Once in awhile, I'd have to tell them I didn't make that up.  Sometimes I did.  If they'd do something I'd tell them not to do, I would adapt something they would relate to, i.e., then don't cry for me Argentina, or there's gonna be big trouble in Little China.  

Between the devil and the deep blue sea - I like that one.  I have always loved The Wave painting and recently bought this 3D postcard that moves the water around.

Love is blind...  Oh, how we could all have heard that more.  A few others I have used ~

Devil is in the details

Waste not, want not

Measure twice, cut once (I thought my husband was going to have a stroke when I used that one on him.)

There are literally thousands and not just in English.  For instance, kick the bucket, means to die.  It is humorous, in a slightly disrespectful way.  Kind of. The version in Arabic, wad'aa" means, he said goodbye (sounds kind of sad.)  Reminds me of 'whadup'.  In Lithuania, instead of kick the bucket, they say, pakratyti kojas,

or to shake the legs (doesn't sound quite as funny.)

In this computer age, they have become common, in the form of memes. 

BTW ~  It took me years to figure out what a meme was.  LOL meant lots of love, or so I thought. I'm hopelessly ignorant of modern day lingo or computereze.

What are some of your favorite idioms? I know you have some, or is it just a generational thing?

Movies To See

This preview is from the movie Ashes And Snow.  Let me just say my head exploded.  I ordered the dvd from Amazon.  I have a list of other films to watch for these winter days and staying in.

I haven't watched them all so I will be trying to find places that show them.

Feel free to comment if you've seen them.

Nowhere In Africa

Man On A Train

The Widow Of St. Pierre

Sunshine

Usual Suspects

The Visitor

Cairo Time

Snow Flower And The Secret Fan

Wings Of Desire

The Consort - The Virgin Queen (rated HE, head exploded)
Cherry Blossoms (HE)
The Killing (HE)

And, I am waiting to see the new film Silence.  Love Japanese culture.