Blog Bling!

I got some sweet bling for my blog today... a new blog award from my favorite blogger & blog! Thank you Liquidilluzion & congratulations to you for receiving it! You are fabulously talented and facinating. I definitely will hook up for a margarita *haha* next time I'm in Mississippi! I will pass it along to 5 others and post those tomorrow.

I played on my blog today. Hope you like it!

Life's a Beach...

I have so many people & things to be thankful and grateful for this year.
Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Count your blessings and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Day At The Beach

How nice would that be, a day at the sea! This is the 3rd in my "Ladies in Hats" Series and the prints are now listed on Etsy.com.

Today in My Studio...

I painted all day with pretty much no interuptions. I finished the 2nd painting in the "Ladies in Hats" Series and started another. This one is called "Garden Party". A print is now available on Etsy.com.

I worked on my large gallery piece and everyone agrees with me, I need to change the background once again. This change will be the 4th. I'll get it right eventually. I should be taking a picture of all these changes!

Beautiful Recycling

Yesterday afternoon 4 of my Swell Sister's came over and we made beautiful cake/cupcake servers for our gallery opening. That's TJ doing a fine modeling job of all our wares! LOL We will be serving bite size cheesecakes on them. Initially we had planned on mini cupcakes but those are hard to find. Maybe not the "in" thing anymore ? None of us wanted to bake for over 250 + people! We bought plates, candle sticks, glasses, & vases from Thrift Stores and used an assortment of old craft bobbles, beads & stones to embellish. The sky's the limit on embellishment. We used a 2 part epoxy that dries clear to glue the pieces together and nothing is budging. It was so much fun! I wish I had a picture of all the finished pieces. Some servers had ribbon with sequins, pearls, and dripping beads. These could be really fun for tea parties and special Christmas gifts or Christmas servers and for just a few dollars. The Thrift Stores have lots of Christmas plates out now and Christmas doodads to embellish with. It's a fun way to spend the afternoon!
For a little refreshment I served a curry dip that I had never made before. I know that's brave serving something you've never made before but for some reason I do that a lot. I made it the night before just in case it was awful. The recipe said to let it chill for several hours anyway. I ran across the recipe online and it was so odd that I had to try it. I didn't follow it exactly (something else I do a lot) but I used all the ingredients. To my surprise it was super good and everyone liked it. It's a keeper and I will definitely be making it again. Here's the recipe...
2 C sour cream
1/2 C light mayo
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp horseradish
2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp of Zerguts Red pepper Relish (recipe called for ketchup)

Nice to Be Noticed!

I was just featured in another Etsy Treasury...http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=22318! Thank you Her Gyspy Soul !

Thank you Kim for my blog award! My blog award nominees are:

http://rosieposie.typepad.com/mousetales/- Art that's too cute for words!

http://enchanted-eye.blogspot.com/ - Fun Fun Fun

http://weight-watchers-points-recipes.blogspot.com/ - Like to stop by to see what's cookin'

http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/ - Aunt Purl is Crazy fun!

http://chickenlipsfolkart.blogspot.com/ - Just fun to look at!

http://www.beaderjojo.blogspot.com/ - Love to check out the beading

http://liquidilluzion.blogspot.com/ - Always entertaining & intriguing!

http://time2cre8.blogspot.com/ - Love to check out the beautiful bead work

http://www.always-amy.blogspot.com/ - Fun Stuff

http://ixela-thoughts.blogspot.com/ - Unique needlework

Here are the guidelines for receiving this award.1. Put the logo on your blog (check)2. Add a link to the person who awarded you (check)3. Nominate 10 other blogs for this award (done)4. Add links to those blogs (done)5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs (done)6. Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool (done)Here are the 10 blogs I have chosen to receive this award!

A big thank you shout out to Enchanted Eye for featuring me & my "Lady in Roses" painting as "Eye Candy" on her wonderful blog and encouraging me to continue with the new series of Ladies in hats!

It's so nice and I feel honored & blessed that people are enjoying my blog & my art! It's nice to be noticed! Thanks to all!

Wordless Wednesday - Everyone Needs Wagons Like These

Did I do that? I Can't Remember...

I was given a new blog award! Thank you Kim! Be sure to check out her wonderful blog and folk art! I will give a list of my nominees to pass it along on my next post. It's hard because I love so many!

My best friends' daughter Lauren finally has her SAG card (Screen Actor's Guild) and can start getting speaking parts now. I was very excited to see her in Kath & Kim which aired on Thursday night! If you watch the last episode look out for my beautiful shopper in the electronics store scene. She is also going to be on Saving Grace when the season begins and that's one of my favorite shows! Lauren is so pretty & sweet on the outside as well as inside and I'm super proud of her. Congratulations Lauren!

I made the salsa with cactus and if I say so myself it was good! It's all gone already! I used 1 jar of Dona Maria Napalitos drained, 1 seeded habanero pepper, 1 clove of garlic, approx 1/3 of a yellow onion, the juice of 2 small limes & 2 tbsp of white vinegar and a pinch of salt. Blended it all together. My limes were a little dry so I popped them in the microwave for about 10 seconds. It made a little over 1 C. It was medium to hot but didn't leave you burning, just burning for more! LOL I think it would be really tasty with serrano peppers too. I will definitely be making this again!

I have been so absent minded lately it's starting to scare me. Is it Alzheimer's setting in? Is it because my husband's home now and upsetting my routine? My mind on too many things? Too many brain cells killed from Grey Goose in Long Beach last week? Whatever it is I have got to get a grip, buckle down, and start making lists to stay on track. I forgot I volunteered a meeting at my own house next Saturday, I am misplacing everything, I mailed a Bee Happy Zine to England without the envelope. That one caused a panic attack! I think I'd lose my head right now if it wasn't attached.

I haven't painted in a few weeks but will be painting tonight! I am looking forward to it. Jim is playing with the Spotted Dogs and I will have the house to myself. I am going to finish up an angel painting that I am working on, put together 3 Bee Happy Zine cards that are sold for mailing and maybe work a little on my gallery paintings. My Bee Happy Zine Cards apparently were on the front page of Etsy while I was in Long Beach. I would have loved to see that. I need to take a better photos! Coz ya never know do ya?

My adorable grandbaby had his picture in the Sacramento Parent Magazine this week! He has the sweetest spirit. He rarely cries, and is all smiles and ooos and awwwwws. I am running out to get a copy...page 31!

New Drug of Choice

Marie Sharp's Hot Nopal/Prickly Pear Green Habanero Hot Sauce

My closest friends just came back from Belize and brought back 4 different hot sauces for me! Yes they know me well. They visited the factory and had a picture taken with Marie. The bottle says it's hot but to me it's medium. It's a party in your mouth and all your buds show up! hahaha I may have to ask Santa for some other of Marie's creations just so I can to try them all! I had to go buy a big bottle of this one! Lucky for me they carried it in my favorite hot sauce store down by the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Every time I go down to Long Beach I stop in there and load up on my favorite hot sauces. I myself make a lot of hot sauces. We go through a lot around here. Can't go a day without a little spice & heat. I even add canned jalapenos to my pickle relish in the food processor. It's great on a hot dog! This sauce is made with cactus and that's inspirational. I'm going to get some and play around. Try making a new recipe....in my spare time or when this bottle is gone!

Rain!!!!!!

Awwwwww it's finally really raining!!!! I'm in heaven today! It smells so good!

Yesterday was my husband's last day at work. He's now officially retired. He's a young 53 so he will be working part-time with the county or somewhere else and booking more band gigs for sure. I will get lots of "honey-do's" done too! The kids are coming over tomorrow for a big celebration dinner then we pack for Long Beach.

I will be in Long Beach for the week. Wednesday night we are going to see Leo Kotke. We haven't seen our friends this year so we are both excited to see them and get out of town. It's a good 8 hour drive from our house to Long Beach. I have to take a painting to the gallery at noon so we won't get there until evening. Going to their house is always like a vacation and we always have a wonderful time. They live in a huge old historical Victorian home that is haunted. They found a head stone in their yard shortly after moving in. The woman was on 40 something when she died. Not much is known about her. She may haunt the place or it may be others. A young girl fell from the staircase and died as well. Things happen there all the time and they are used to it. We are not used to it. Once the ghost turned off the electricity to our room shortly after my husband said he was going to stay in bed and watch football. LOL The ghost decided he wasn't. The guys checked everything, went under the house, nothing was out of the ordinary. They were going to call an electrician when we left but, poof, it came back on as we drove away. Another time we were all in the living room and I got up and walked to the dining room. 2 steps in I was instantly frozen and every hair on my body was standing up. Fear just washed over me. I couldn't go forward and I was afraid to turn and run. After a moment I got up enough nerve, turned and ran back to the living room. They all thought that was amusing. I wasn't amused. I made my friend go back with me! There was no doubt in my mind that there was something in that room with me. It was a very strange experience. The ghost often takes things off the table in there so the dining room is a hot spot so to speak. Oh I could tell you lots of stories of things that have happened there, maybe another time. I think they should call Taps, the Ghost Hunters, but they won't because they say they know it's there, no need to confirm it. We are staying in the same room this time maybe Jim will get to watch his football this time.

I spent the day listening to the rain and painting this girl in a red hat. I love hats and wish more people wore them. I may start a series of girls in hats. The kids say her head is too little but that's what I like about her. It makes her a little odd and I personally like the oddness.