Decoupage Art...Sort of.

A while ago (although I think it was only two or three posts ago, because I'm suffering from ICan'tFindTheWordsToWriteButYouCouldProbablyCallMeOnThePhone and have not been very chatty...in the writey form) I mentioned my new little robot piece I had made for Foolsewoode...?  It's so very sweet, so if you'd like to scroll down I'll wait.

OK.

Isn't it just darling?

Well, take my word for it, it is even better in person and sadly, not big enough to take up the entire wall above the mantel, although I'm not sure I'd want a piece quite that large (only I have one, but I can't remember if my father has it, or if I have it...and it needs to be framed.  Anywho...) I decided it was floating around on the wall all sad like, so it needed some kind of art companions.

Now, I happen to live with a lot of art.  I love art...and it mostly loves me back, in the fact that it hangs on the wall and is beautiful just for me.  Well, and my guests.  And my cat.  And my lovely house mate DaNece...you get the picture.  But sadly, none of the art I posses was quite right in that spot.  Either it was the wrong size or the wrong subject matter...so I had to really think about this.

Which led me to finally do something with the stack of windows I have that lean against the wall by the mantle.  They originally came from an estate sale in town and are a light pink with green showing through all the crackled paint.  The have their original green glass knobs, and some 1920's looking hinges.  They used to live outside all individually leaning against the house under the picture window (for lack of a better place to put them) and when I had the house repainted, they clashed and had to find a new place to live.

Which really means that they sat in a stack leaning against the wall...and trapped dust, dirt, and spiders behind them.  Every once in a while I would trip over them and then think they needed to go elsewhere, leave them there, and go on my merry way.

Luckily, along came Robot and Sock Monkey and I was finally forced inspired to do something with these windows, because I couldn't possibly get rid of them, and tripping over them wasn't doing anyone any good!

I took the rather shiny and glaring hinges off of them exposing the dark unpainted wood underneath, and proceeded to clean them up (because I'd just hauled them in out of the elements and commenced to stacking, so they were dirty.  While that made the paint age and crackle even more...it made the glass quite dirty.  Ahem...)  Because the knobs were still on the windows, and they were connected to their original hardware, which basically means there's a hook extending from the windows about an inch...which then basically means to us, that they won't lay flat against the wall when hung...it was off to the hardware to figure out the best way to hang them so they would remain mostly stable.

Since they were being hung by a canvas, I decided to use round hooks (is that fish eye?) and attach some random wire I happened to have in the junk drawer to them and then hang them on picture hangers nailed to the wall.  They are stable, and don't extend any more than the canvas they hang next to, so problem solved!

But now what to do with clean shiny blank windows to make them look like art?

Well...I guess you could run hither and fro and gather all the little pieces of mail, art, cards, prints, fortunes, souvenirs...and all those little sweet things that you can't possibly bring yourself to throw away or get rid of, and use them to create seasonal and sweet little displays (with tape ThankYouVeryMuch) on that clean shiny glass of those beautiful little windows that are finally serving a greater purpose than an obstacle to jump over whenever you walk through the room.

I just adore these little thrown together pieces of art and happy reminders of things I adore, and have absolutely no idea how I did not have them hanging there all along?

Of course, this whole wall art overhaul started with me taking down the three pieces of art that had previously hung on that wall and moving them somewhere else entirely...I will take a few quick snapshots and show you how that all ended up soon...

The Storm of the Century! OK. Not really...but there was a whole lot of hail to contend with, so that's something...

Well, it's official.

Monsoon season in Arizona has started!

(OK, it may not actually be official, but it's been raining...and on one case hailing ((at my house)) for a few days now.  Also?  Since I mostly refuse to watch the news, I think the mere fact that the swamp cooler at Snap! Snap! is barely making a dent in what is humid ((yes, for Arizonans that's a totally different scale...for instance:  Usually around 5% humidity I'm sticky...what?  It's dry here!  But my good friend Claudine called to say that it was 107 and 40% humidity down in The Valley...and while that may not be a lot, together it's crazy ridiculous ThankYouVeryMuch)) So, it may or may not be official about the start of the Monsoon season, but I am drawing my own conclusions here based on observational facts and being a long-time resident.

So there.

During the crazy hail storm Sunday Mena actually looked at me, rolled her eyes and got down from her perch on the back of the couch (she lays there to catch the cross breeze from the windows) and got on the floor, where she sat rather pathetically looking at me out of the corner of her eye while I ran around the house from window to window to make sure that the insane amounts of water were not flowing down the driveways and into the back door.

Although, I think I may have helped that problem out with all the hoe-trench-digging I did a while back.

Then again, one can never be too sure about such things.

So, that was a scary storm for the cat...and she was probably further traumatized by me running around because I was being further traumatized by the memories of me with a hoe in hand running around in ankle deep water with lightning striking all over while trying to divert water...In my pink sparkly socks.

Which didn't make it through that particular storm.

Like the casualties of war...

Socks:  The Casualty of weather

(and a poorly planned out drainage system...although, the be completely fair...the house has sat there since 1925, so perhaps the dirt and silt has finally just caught up with everything?)

Luckily though, we mostly came through that unharmed...except for the cat, who was traumatized, and a couple of shredded leaves on the plants outside.  And later when I was sitting on the porch, I watched a little bird jump through all the branches of the pyrocantha bush knocking water on itself and taking a bath.

Which can only mean one of two things:

1.  Birds also do not like hail

2. I need to fill the birdbath with water because there are some dirty birds out there who are being forced to bathe in my bushes...

I've taken to placing lit candles in the front window of Foolsewoode in the evenings...

This is not a new tradition by any means, but one that is new to Foolsewoode...as far as lighting candles goes and placing them in windows, I usually have candles just sitting around the house in various places.  To me, these candles symbolize the warmth and security of the family hearth and are signaling loyalty and safety to family members and loved ones who are not currently at home with me...and a sign that I'm still here...

They're pink in color, for love...and there are three for Past, Present and Future.

And not to be confused with candles in the wind.

We have a lot of Spring winds in our parts of AZ and I wouldn't want my curtains to catch fire.

I am especially enjoying the warmth and glow they give to the room I spend most of my time in (if you don't count the sleeping part of the time I spend in the house) and the way that they reflect off of the window...giving the illusion of a double glow...which brings even more light and warmth into the house.

I don't usually find myself lighting a lot of candles in the summer...since the sun's light stretches farther into the days, and somewhere in my mind I associate candles with warmth and winter.  And heaven knows that we have an overabundance of warmth in the summer in AZ, but I have a feeling that this year is going to be different.

There's something sweet and ceremonial that I feel lighting these candles and they are also helping me to signify the end to the day and the transition into the time I get to put my feet up and relax for a bit before I sign off to start another day.

Which when life gets busy, is sometimes just what you need.

Crazy Towel Lady Get's Her Groove Back...

I hope everyone had a lovely foray into Spring this weekend...and were able to welcome it somehow.  I've read that some of you welcomed it with snow and rain...I personally celebrated by working an extra day at Snap Snap and then began the first of what shall probably be many hours of Spring cleaning.

This begs the question, why do so many of us feel the need to clean and purge at the beginning of Spring?

Is it mass consciousness or some other primal urge to clean out the cave we've been hibernating in all winter?

Whatever it is...deep cleaning began Sunday and lasted for several hours:

• Removing any and all furniture that could be moved:  Check
• Dusting and washing and removing of dusty (ahem) spider webs up high:  Check
• Doing the same sorts of things down low:  Check
• Washing the tops of shelves, appliances, cupboards, window molding, sills, and door sashes:  Check
• Cleaning inside window glass and other glass surfaces:  Check
• Scrubbing various things that sit out in the kitchen (electronics and other decorations):  Check
• Washing down of walls (oh yes) cupboard doors (inside and out) and the stove:  Check
• Sweeping and pre-mopping the kitchen floor (sometimes crawling around with a sponge):  Check
• Polishing the linoleum with special floor wash:  Check

There was a whole lot of the above things before everything got moved back in to the kitchen and put in its own place.  Also:

• I accidentally dropped on half of a vintage salt and pepper set down the heating vent as the vent cover was soaking in the sink due to some unfortunate chai-tea over boil situations in the past...I can't figure out how to get to it.  I tried the vacuum hose....sob.
• There is one less vintage floral juice cup in the world as it fell to its untimely death after being washed and shattered all over my newly polished floor...tiny shards of glass are really hard to find and clean up...double sob.
• I hit myself in the head with the mop handle at one point (at least I'm my own comic relief) ...grumble grumble

There was also a lot of reorganizing going on...putting things in new spaces (and why didn't I think of putting that there before now?!) and then a whole lot of purging as the question:

How many vintage kitchen towels does one girl need?  Especially if that girl just uses mostly the same ones over and over and none of those happen to include the embroidered ones...cause they just sit in a drawer?

And also...how many vintage aprons does one girl need...for all the same reasons?

And what the heck is all this other stuff for anyway?

After going through the two baskets and one large drawer that house all these vintage linens (which is not including the napkins and tablecloths I have seemed to amass, but those are downstairs so they totally don't count) I came up with a radical obvious new and different organizational system for myself.  I folded each towel and apron up and then rolled each one up (kind of like I pack when I go on vacation, don't ask my why I didn't think of it sooner...)  Not only did they all magically fit where they were stuffed to the gills and falling all over before, I was actually able to get more in the baskets and out of the drawer...ensuring I would actually use them (which is mostly why I buy them in the first place, that and they look darned cute hanging in the kitchen)

Only not the embroidered ones.

Those are special.

Only, I'm really kind of unclear as why or when one would use their special kitchen towels, as I have a wonderful appliqued dancing anthropomorphic plate and tea-pot and I almost beheaded my exhusband for using it as something to which you dry your dishes with.

I also cringe if someone comes over and washes their hands and uses it...I have it up for display purposes only, and it hangs in a place that you would normally not even see, much less use it.  I mean honestly, the one that hangs on the stove handle is so much more accessa...

I may need help.

I have a rather large bag of goodies to go elsewhere and I may be holding a blog-giveaway this week...so stay tuned for that.

Until then I'll just sit and gaze into the reflection on my newly almost sort of waxed linoleum (which is I dearly love) and all the new open spaces in between (From the vantage point of the floor, because that's where I landed after I put everything back.  My body is sore!)  ...heck, I might even eat at my kitchen table!

I know.  That's a lot to ask for.

And a special shout out to the Bathroom:  You're next!

Corners of my Home...

The view:

Looking down towards my feet lodged in the entry way of Foolsewoode, and the combination of a wonderful vintage and very worn rug that lives there...placing itself over my wood floors, which are also very vintage and worn...and which need to be re-sealed.

I'm thinking this will happen sometime this summer.

(I may not even sand them first)

(shhhhh...)

Again with the toes.

(I really wanted to show off my new plaid wool skirt)

Standing on the 1920's hand tied Chinese silk rug that was picked up at a yard sale.  My mother and I watched it being brought out from the house and saw them unroll it to reveal a small corner of it which a plant had obviously been set on and watered repeatedly, thus causing a hole.  Upon leaving this yard sale my mother turned to me in the car as we drove away and said, "You know?  That rug would match your house perfectly...did either of us ask how much it was?"

Stop.  Back up.  Get out of car.

When presented with the question of price, the lady told us the history of the rug and finished with, "...I wanted $40, but I'll take $25..."

And we hadn't even asked for a discount as we both thought it was a steal at $40.

This rug covers almost my whole living room floor (which is saying something, but then again, rooms were much bigger back in the day) and since it has the hole in it I don't feel bad vacuuming it (which you're usually not ever supposed to do because it ruins the threads and the pile of the rugs and makes them wear out faster...but my house is really meant to be lived in...vacuuming on, walking on, and spilling on as I go about my day to day life)

When I bought the rug and we loaded it into the car we realized this rug weighs possibly as much as a dead body.

It is also about that cooperative when rolled up.

Waking in a Winter Wonderland...

Don't you love the pure novelty we in the West find when looking out over a snowy landscape?
We wake up...dance around clapping our hands the whole time.
 (mostly because it hardly happens anymore...and snow melts a bit quick up in these parts)

We also cancel school over a little ice on the roads and 3 inches of snow...well, maybe 5.

It's hard to tell...it was so windy last night, one of my wind chimes blew off it's stand.  It was chiming in a wild way last night due to the 50+ mph winds...and then it went CLuNk...and I thought, "hmmmm, that sounds a little weird..."  Pulled the curtains aside to peer outside and thought it was a little too cold and wet to brave hanging it back up again.

It's buried under the ice and snow now.

As is my front porch, welcome mat, and wreaths.

Due to the sounds of tires slipping on ice on the road next to Foolsewoode and the sounds of sirens in the distance, I will be walking to work today.

And enjoying every second of it.

The first thing I did when I got up this morning after turning on the heat was run out to take pictures.  I am just swooning over how beautiful Foolsewoode looks with her new colors in the snow.  I am thinking that the new colors *pop* a little more than the original white did...making my house look more cozy than before.

Which is good because according to a neighbor, we lost power from 10:30pm to 5:30am.

I missed the whole thing.

The only tell I had was my radio display in the living room is acting up...and the food in the freezer is a little softer than normal.  My clocks are on battery so I was totally clueless...this is what comes from being snuggled under flannel sheets, two feather comforters, a wool blanket, a quilt, and a warm kitty all night...

With visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.

Fall Equinox...

This Season:

Waking up to a new crispness in the air.

Looking forward to the leaves changing colors.

Planning on baking pumpkin muffins...and more delicious treats and gladly spending more time in the kitchen with an apron on.

Excited about picking out and carving a pumpkin and the scooping and roasting of its seeds.

Unpacking and changing out the Fall and Winter clothing for the Summer clothing.

Happily turning on the fireplace for the first time tonight...and enjoying a roaring electric fire.

Enjoying my new candle holder that I picked up out of the creek bed in Beaver Creek...I was totally inspired by the shape of the rock and had to bring it back home...And in celebration of the Fall season, I lit a special candle tonight.

I knew the rock would be just the perfect shape to hold a candle.

I was right.

Cheers to the eventual slowing down part of the year...and the many surprises it brings.

Happy Fall

For Future Garlic Breath...

Saturday Night found me doing such things as this:

I lead a very exciting life full of social activities.

OK...usually I do, but this weekend was a lot more about quality relaxation, and oddly...organization.

It was also about separating and peeling a rather large jar of organic garlic my mother had given me...and then preserving the fresh cloves in olive oil.

So I can have garlic breath this winter.

Garlic breath is very important to a foodie such as myself...and you can bet I munched on several cloves while I was doing all the peeling (I couldn't help it, everything smelled so good and besides, they are a great snack while watching Austin Powers and peeling peeling peeling...who knew?) The entire house, as well as my hands smelled divine...although my thumbs are a little sore (from all the peeling technique and whatnot)

I also found myself craving Italian food...but I'm pretty sure that's to be expected after an adventure such as this one...and by Sunday morning, I had an entirely filled jar of peeled cloves in oil.

Don't worry.
I didn't stay up all night peeling...I put it aside and went to bed and got crackin' on Sunday morning when I woke up.
(there's no rest for the weary...and garlic cracks a mean whip!)

Garlic also acts to me like spinach does to Popeye.

After I got done peeling the mass of cloves and cleaning up the piles of peels that had whisped themselves around the house...I wandered down into the basement to look for something specific and emerged a couple of hours later with a much more organized basement.

I know.
(there may also have been a bit of procrastination due to another ongoing project, but we won't mention that.)

There were many trips up and down the stairs, taking old boxes to the recycle can, as well as piles of things loaded into the car to be taken to Snap Snap and my mother's shops to be sold. I have no idea what precipitated such a thing...only that I've been watching a lot of Clean Sweep lately...but I think it was me stepping over and around boxes and cords that finally made me stand there with my hands on my hips only to say, "This place is a mess!"

It was one time too many of saying such a thing...and really, don't you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?

So, as we speak, the basement is more organized...camping equipment all easy to get to and in one spot, all the holiday decorations in another spot and in their various color coordinated bins...cozied in next to my fancy china (I figured holidays and entertaining kind of go together) Honey was filled to the brim with a load of goodness to sell...and there's still a pile to donate. It is not done down there, as I still need to go through the tools, the linens, and the Christmas things...and I was thinking rather brazenly, that I would love to sew up some more curtains to hide things behind and make it look more cohesive and like a room down there...

My basement is very cozy after all.

And darned near clean...And looks much bigger than it did.

It's such a great space, I could probably move my studio down there if I had to...Of course, I did kill one black widow and rescue a skink (there was a shriek when I discovered it in a box of stuff...I was also talking to Rich at the time on the phone. He may be deaf.) So, there are a few critters to attend to...but all in all...

The garlic worked it's fragrant magic and makes me wonder what is possible after some pesto and pasta?

Fluffing the Doorways...

I think we all know that when decorating a space, it's all in the details.

I happen to have a lot of details be-bopping around my spaces. I like to say it's an inherited trait, having two antique and collectible dealers for parents, you slip into that habit early. Plus? People usually love Foolsewoode when they walk in...it's homey, full of fun things to look at...and you can put your feet up anywhere. It's like both of my parent's homes...and it's important for my house to be a home for me to actually live in. This has always been more important than having stuff and fluff floating around...

I'm a big believer in being able to put your feet up.

So now, unless I get busy and rearrange things (which I find myself doing sometimes for fantastic new loves) or clean it out and take it away...my extra space is kind of being used up. But, what do you do when you when you find new things that you think you can't live without? (as in the form of gold carved goodness at the thrift...)

Sometimes I have a list of questions I ask myself mentally...

but in other cases...


You realize somewhere in your mind that you do have some extra space to fluff.

It just happens to be above the doorways...

Focusing On...

::On two different views::

::Things in the Distance::

::Looking into the window...and almost being able to see the mantle decorated for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday...and the lights twinkling therein.

::Another fantasy photo shoot...props gathered, photos taken, stories written...hopefully at the end of this month.

::Designing and completing a book based on the pictures and story from The Mad Tea Party for Clay, Lo Sciocco Favoloso...to express my thanks since he is currently without a computer.

::On things that are right in front of me::

::Kickin guacamole (my own special recipe...and a meal in itself) with a good friend.

::The sound of rain pouring off the roof, flowing right out of the gutters...the thunder in the distance...the reflection of lightning bouncing off the walls.

::My grandmother being rushed to the hospital and having trouble breathing...taking charge of Rozz, cooking her dinner, and watching tween TV. Waiting for updates via cell phone...will GG be admitted or not? She's 95. I don't suppose this is a great surprise, but it always is, isn't it?

::Laughing uproariously during phone updates with my mother about the conversation when she went to get GG...

As my mother tenderly threw her arm around GG, "It's OK mother. We'll get through this together."
GG stopping to look at her, "Good Heavens! Have you been eating garlic?!?!"

::The reminder of the strong women I come from, and the fact that whatever happens, we will indeed get through this together...and we'll be going down laughing.

::UPDATE::

GG was sent home last night after being in the emergency room with my mother for about 6 hours. I "guess" she's fine now, and they didn't really find anything wrong?

In The Fading Light...

...of the summer afternoon, I often find myself on the porch of Foolsewoode...drinking in the last bit of sunlight...watching it shoot through the clouds that often cover our skies. Clouds that make me delirious with joy. I can sit and watch clouds for hours, and I have been known to pull over and grab the camera that sits next to me in the car, to capture such skies.

Sometimes this makes me late to places that I have to go.

It's always moments like this...in this light, that I feel I can do anything. That anything is possible...and it's all at my fingertips ripe for the asking, if I can just compose the question.

Because the dusk is magical that way...chasing away the sunlight before it turns to dark and the stars come out to visit and play.

And then, I totally forget all about questions...my mind drifting elsewhere.

Sometimes it drifts to the corners of my home...to the boards that were replaced many years ago when we first bought this house when we put on a new roof, back even before the we turned into an I. And they still aren't painted? (this is the impatient part of my mind that is logically always trying to whip me into some semblance of shape and order)

But no. They are still not painted. Maybe sometime this year?

Instead, I jiggle my feet which are propped on a chair, and look up and through the branches of the ornamental cherry tree (although, I suppose that isn't fair...because once? Once I found a cherry hanging around in there for no apparent reason other than it just grew that way)

...and then I remember that I'm supposed to be reading. I just started the book Practical Magic...it jumped off a shelf at a thrift, and I was happy it didn't land on my foot. So, I picked it up to take home, and have been lost within the pages since.

Maybe I should ask the dusk to grant me the wish of being able to write a magical story such as this...or lyrics like Iron and Wine. Which is playing in the background.

I have a set of outside speakers that look like rocks, you know.

They match the large rock that my patio is built around (my house has a couple of rocks like this in it, rather than working to remove them...they were just sort of incorporated) A fun game is to turn on music and watch new guests look around in confusion as to where the music is coming from.

Things like this make me smile.

And then my attention wanders over to the portico...and the mercury glass acorns that adorn the entryway to my home. I immediately compose a shot in my head...and jump up to grab the camera.

And then I get impatient again, because as I have the shot already set in my head, and I happen to know it will look better when my colored twinkle lights come on. So, I devise a plan...and come back and wrap my nightgown around the timer (my timer comes on just after dusk, and turns itself off a few hours later...controlled by some high tech light sensitive sensor) and sure enough, after the nightgown is in place...the lights come on. Although, now? I don't know if I got the shot I had intended...

But I celebrated the magic of the dusk anyway...

And then I vigorously shook out my nightgown before I retired for the evening inside so as not to be covered with spiders later, because I don't care how amazing the light is...no one looks good covered in spiders.

Back to Basics...

::Something simple to start the day::

I went to bed last night knowing that I would not attempt to get up at my regular early morning hour and try to blast my way through the snow and ice on the roads in an attempt to get to the gym. Instead, I would wake up and shovel all my walks instead. I'm not saying that this simple action makes up for missing the gym, but it makes it much easier to walk around out there. My home sits in a shadow and the snow doesn't really seem to be melting...which is something, as we supposedly have another storm on the way...

So, I spent some time shoveling the snow away and knocking the heavy snow off branches of the trees, and bushes that were bent over from the snow load.

::Something simple to end the day::

Driving Honey home, through the snow and the ice...marveling at how well she does in both. I just adore this car...

Making one of my very favorite soups from Apples For Jam, the Broccoli Soup. I love this soup because it is the gentle cooking of 3 simple ingredients in water (broccoli, potatoes, and onion) adding salt to bring out the flavor of the broccoli...coupled with pepper. Using the hand blender to puree all the ingredients together, making this super green and creamy...and adding a bit of soy cream to further thicken the soup.

It's easy to miss thick creamy soup when you don't eat dairy...this soup is a perfect and delicious blend...and thick and creamy to boot. Plus? I can make enough to take to work all week.

Sitting in front of a roaring fire and looking outside the window at the snow, and at the candles reflected in the window? The perfect way to end the day...

Things To Do When You're So Buisy...

That you should be doing something else...

but hey...

Let's face it.

The tea situation was out of control...

It was.

Seeing as I ran out of decaf coffee for my morning beverage, I needed an alternative, and thought sometime in my sleep last night that I might just have some chai stuffed away somewhere here at Foolsewoode...

A few minutes of searching, and I unearthed a chocolate caramel box of chai...

20 minutes of organizing found:

• several empty vintage canning jars, which are now full of tea bags (instead of just sitting there with nothing to do)
• neat stacks of boxes with labels facing out where I can see them
• a slew of tea I didn't know I had on hand
• all the tea finally in one place instead of stuffed wherever I could put it
• a lot of organic chamomile (I guess I think I need to be calmer, eh?)

Now at least I know what I've got for my evening Winter cup of relaxation...

With all of the lovely rain that we've had this season comes fun new lawn art...

Heck, along with all of the lovely rain that we've had this season comes fun new lawn. Period. I'm in Arizona, I don't spend a lot of time trying to keep my lawn alive, so it is always a plus when it grows at all...and usually it's super healthy only during the spring and fall...but, it's been mightily green lately...

Which means the fairies like to come out and dance at night...

Especially under the full moon...

And make fairy rings among the mushrooms...

And I can imagine that the rather large mushroom right across from the fairy ring would be perfect for the band...

I find myself peeking out through the curtains to see if I can catch a tiny foot or a bit of a wing...trying to spy them dancing in the moonlight, hoping that they will invite me to come dance and play with them some wild summer night...

The Caulk Master...

This weekend, among many other fantastically exciting things In The Life of a Sort of Single Gal (only because Rich was working the. whole. flipping. weekend. Otherwise you can bet we'd have been up to no good together...plus, I know you're all just dying to know what sort of single girls do these days...I also know you're thinking it's mostly all Sex and the City around here. ha.) things such as going to the Farmer's Market then out to brunch for some Mexican Crack (what's Mexican Crack, you ask? That would be the best blue cheese dressing this side of the border...I know, it's strange, Mexico is probably not usually known for its blue cheese...but Casa Sanchez has the best hands down) napping, reading, napping...running errands with a friend, napping...and then came the bathroom face lift.

Or maybe that should be the bathroom butt-lift.

What?

That's usually what's going on in the bathroom isn't it? More butt-type things. Ok, you have a point, I do actually get ready in the morning to go out and face the day and put my face on using the mirrors in there...but, you know what I mean.

I love my bathroom. It's dead center in the middle of the house, and there's only one of them...in a 1925 craftsman style house, what do you expect? Upon moving into Foolsewoode lo those many years ago, we noticed that the original battleship gray linoleum (holy cow. I am doing some major drooling on the selection of vintage linoleum they have...) was coming up in several places. This could have been due to the large holes in both the pipe of the sink in the bathroom and the pipe in the toilet...every time you flushed, clean water poured out onto the floor. Ditto with running the water in the sink (clean water=no good for flooring) We had not overlooked this when buying the home...it's just something that needed to be replaced before we could use the bathroom (note to self: Plumbing is very expensive. No major life altering decisions like "should I replace the non working trap in the original vintage wall sink, even though it's quaint to use a plug on a chain instead...and then watch as the plumber rips the sink out and realizes that he can't repair the trap or put the original sink back in the wall...and then you have to get some HUGE ugly new sink put in that you overpay for, and rips up your beautiful wall tile and then have to replace with a vintage pedestal sink in the near future, only not the tile because you don't know how and now you live with that, because you've just moved into a new house and no one but your ex husband [whom you happened to be married to at the time] showed up to help you and you were so tired you didn't know what kind of decisions you were making only you wanted to just use a sink at some point?" yeah...)

Um.

Oh.

So, we (and I use that term lightly because it was my project that my ex had to come in and help with because I couldn't do it...which means it was 2 days of full contact stripping of linoleum off the floor with a furniture scraper strapped to his foot to get to the original wood) removed the linoleum and then when I got feeling back in my extremities, I managed to design a stencil modeled after William Morris' Blackberry pattern and hand paint it over the edges of the floor, and then put about 10 coats of non-gloss all over the floor. (you should have heard the fight my ex put up about that one...he wanted super extra glossy, but as we didn't play basketball in the bathroom, I thought something not as slippery would be better, plus I want to be able to walk around my house without worrying if I have non-marking soles on my shoes...sigh) I also have a cute vintage cupboard that hangs above the toilet...and the original tub that is backed or rather, sided with glass bricks...

But the caulk around the tub was icky. Icky caulk is not something that one wants to look at when they're in the bath trying to relax. There's no amount of bubbles that will hide something like that. And the caulk? It's been like that for some time. Saturday dawned and I had an industrial razor blade in my hand stripping off the old caulk (and yes, even when I was talking to Rich on the phone, our only mode of communication this weekend. Did I mention he was working all. flipping. weekend? I used the word caulk so much that I know he was worried that I now have a form of Tourettes that will leave me yelling the world caulk into polite company for no reason...that and I have a naughty teenager living inside of me) getting out my bleach pen to douse all the ickiness and scrub and clean so I could let the entire caulkless tub dry for 24 hours before I applied spanking new caulk (heh) White to be exact.

It looks damned good, if I may say so myself. I am a caulk master (too far? sorry) But, the problem is now solved, and my bathtime is much more relaxing. Only now all the necessary bath crap that litters up the sides of the tub looks too messy...

Le Sigh.

I also noticed that my oak toilet seat is needing to be replaced, because oak toilet seats tend to get a bit funky around the edges after a while...Let me tell you something about my toilet. It is from 1925 and totally original to the house...which means it flushes a crazy amount of water when it's time to do things like that (I should put a jar of sand in the tank right?) but that's not the worst of it. The worst thing is it's shaped funny. It's an odd shape for new toilet seats and the holes for the screws that hold the seats on were drilled not quite even...so it's cockeyed as well. Which means that the toilet seat that was on there was always a little slidy aroundy when you sat on it, and no amount of tightening those fantastic plastic screws that came with the toilet seat helped secure it in the least. One wrong move while sitting down and wheee! You either ended up hitting your head on the sink or hitting your head on the towel rack (why else do you think I hung those cute pin-up vintage towels on it? Padding...and yes, their little skirts lift up and they have applique panties on...swoon)

I thought I'd outsmart the toilet seat thing though and spring for the "seat that fits long toilets" or some such nonsense...and you can believe that the oval toilet seat is certainly more expensive than it's smaller counterpart.

Well.

It certainly fit on the toilet, but look at how much it hangs off there in the front. Good grief. This also means that there's a lot of porcelain hanging around the front when you sit on it...but, you'll be happy to know it's totally sturdy and doesn't slide around anymore, which was worth every extra penny I paid for the oval toilet seat...I think anyway, we'll see as time goes on.

And look at all that sense of accomplishment I have now! The caulk master and home owner extraordinaire...

Lord my life is sad when Rich is working. all. flipping. weekend.

Decorate...

I know there are those of you out there that wait for me to decorate the mantle here at Foolsewoode for the holidays...

Well, I've been a bit preoccupied with some things in my life lately (namely my personal sanity) and I actually woke up feeling more like myself this morning than I have in quite a while (it's amazing what a good night's sleep will do) So, I decided instead of worrying that this bit of feel good won't last, I would take advantage of the little burst of energy and decorate for The Fourth of July instead (I'm hoping I have this burst while at Snap Snap as well...It's time to celebrate the World's Oldest Rodeo by putting shiny sparkle red white and blues in the windows downtown, after all)

Usually when I decorate the mantle...I walk around the house and peek about trying to find just the perfect things that will make for a celebratory mantle. I don't have a ton of patriotic things lying about...so, I look for mostly red white and blues.

This would explain why I put up my Prescott Farms vintage milk (and orange juice) containers...because of the colors. I don't necessarily think that the USA has the corner of the market on dairy products...nor do I celebrate Dairy.

Mostly because I'm lactose intolerant...






I've also saved these vintage Dolly Dingle paper dolls (which I also framed) for just the occasion...So, they're making their once a year debut.

And that little weird pop metal statue was one that I found on my journeys somewhere...

He was in sorry shape, so I decided to paint him white, and make him some sort of patriot. He's holding an apple...so who knows? Perhaps he's related to George Washington? I mean, he is wearing that nice fancy long coat, ruffled shirt, and cool hat...


Finishing up here on the mantle is my little soldier pull-toy...Isn't he cute? I can vaguely remember playing with him as a young tyke...

I am a little worried though, that when I think of decorating to celebrate our fine country I'm thinking of soldiers...

Then again...I guess that's what all the fireworks are for right?

The bombs bursting in air...

Well, I'm happy the mantle is decorated before the Fourth...and in keeping with my apparent theme this year (see late Easter decorating) I'll have a few days to enjoy my festiveness before I take it all down again...

In Which She Makes Up Her Mind...

Yeah.

I wouldn't hold me to that...but, there it is at any rate.

I have made up my mind.
(again)

While walking to the chiropractor earlier this week, I glanced to my left and noticed them unloading a couch at the thrift. I stopped in my tracks and thought, "hmmm...that is a nice couch if one was inclined to like things such as that..." and then went on my way. You see, I haven't had a couch in the house for years now...even since before. When I was married. I am not thrilled with couches in the least, throwing them by the roadside in favor of chairs (I do want it known, however, that I haven't actually thrown or left a couch by a roadside...I am not the person who is abandoning couches in your town) Preferably large overstuffed chairs...comfortable chairs, chairs you can really sink the bootay into. I think having individual chairs in a space is actually more conducive to conversation. Plus? The most recent couch I had was one of those craftsman style futon ones with all the wood. See: not comfortable. So, one could argue, why on earth would I ever need a couch again?

Only...

Only...
(Yes, I'm using that voice)

I've been spending a lot of time in a place that does have a couch (only I don't think that me having a couch will replace that) A couch where 2 people regularly stretch out snacking, watching movies, snuggling under blankets, playing footsie, smiling at each other...And, then I realized something more recently...I can not, no matter how I try, comfortably stretch out on my chairs. I can not take a quick nap in front of the TV, I can not rest reclining when I'm sick...This is not to say that I am all of a sudden anticipating falling asleep in front of the TV or being sick as a common and normal part of my life, but I realized something...A comfortable couch affords a place to flop.

Especially one that only needs a thorough vacuum with a Dyson, and some light sponging of it's microfiber covering or a quick run through the washer of it's zip-off cushions...One that happens to be all curvy, overstuffed, and have nail heads (and I love me some nail head furniture) One that I have a feeling will happen to match the living room in which it will be residing perfectly.

One that was only $65 to boot.

I walked back and snatched it up after a quick phone call to mum to see if she wanted my cream silk and down wrapped Henredon chairs (purchased at the same thrift brand new, years ago) I sadly say goodbye to what may be the most expensive chairs I will ever own, not realizing at the time that I was buying some of the more costly furniture in the USA when I acquired them (but mum was very excited after I told her I had bought them) I had just been looking for overstuffed chairs for about a year, patiently biding my time until they came through one of the thrifts...when much to my delight, I coincidentally bought 3 overstuffed chairs and one ottoman that same week, in quick succession of each other and fulfilling my furniture needs for quite some time. Such it is in the world of the thrift...I've often been able to afford things I never thought I could (and buying silk and down wrapped chairs...cream colored ones no less, in a resale situation makes one feel easier about putting one's feet upon the furniture or letting the cat climb around on them) but, these uber shi-shi chairs are only making a quick exit to mum's house...I will probably still be enjoying them for years to come (I meant to try to have her talk me out of buying a couch because of the reasons listed above, and totally forgot...maybe it is time to get a couch?)

I stood in Snap Snap most of the day, sneaking glances at my new couch...flirting with it, picturing it in my living room, mentally trying to work out it's exact placement, and wondering what it will look like when it makes it's way to Foolsewoode, instinctively hating the pillows that come with it and knowing that the ones I currently have at home will be perfect...knowing that the style of the couch will also match the style of the nail head floral chair and matching ottoman that I will be keeping in that same room, the color will match the colors of everything in the room, giggling inside my head because it's like some kind of What Not To Wear for the living room (congratulating myself that the couch is a neutral, and what doesn't match a neutral?) ...and resisting the urge to yell,

"stop touching my couch!!" whenever I see someone walk by it, stopping long enough to casually run their hands along the arms or the back...willing them not to sit on it, or run up and slyly load it into their car and speed away...ultimately kidnapping my latest family member.

It is currently sitting out in the sun (as I write this) waiting to be loaded into the truck that will take it home for me, and I was feeling a little concerned...maybe it would fade?!?! I decided to talk myself down that ledge and realize that probably not in the small amount of time it has been sitting out there, will it fade...and appeasing myself finally with the idea that only good things can come of the couch sitting in the sun...the most important being that it will magically be disinfected by the suns healing rays. I am also hoping that everything will be rearranged and moved in and out by the time the rain gets here this week...cause' you know if I've got upholstered furniture sitting out it will rain...maybe I should wash the car just to double negative the effects of the weather...

I've made up my mind...I'm taking some of the seriously small amount of my stimulus check, and stimulating my neighborhood economy (I will then be sending the rest back to the IRS in time for my quarterly tax payment.)

It's time for me to have a couch again...

A couch fits with the person that I've become.

For now anyway...

How Do You...

Good Morning?

I saw this little idea while I was popping over to visit Lois. It seems to be a bit of a meme (Most folks drink some sort of a morning beverage, be it coffee or tea, and most likely from a mug. Please share a photo of your favorite mug(s) and tell a story about how it became your favorite. Include what you drink with this mug) and I thought it was a fun one indeed...I thought in leau of having you over for a morning cuppa (and you know I would if you were closer...and if you're ever in town, do give a call, because I have plenty of coffee cups) I thought I would invite you to sit down and take a sip with me...

Until very recently, I actually drank my morning cuppa, which is usually an organic dark decaf (did you know that the dark coffee has less caffeine in it?) from a coffee cup given to me by a good friend...it said "good morning" in all different languages all over it. I loved it because it was like waking up with someone who wanted to tell me something...in any way they could. She gave it to me after the divorce and since I had been waking up to more of a Miaow than a Good Morning, I really appreciated this (now I usually wake up to a Good Morning call from Rich) Unfortunately, while talking on the phone one morning, I dropped the mug in the sink and shattered it (then again, maybe since meeting Rich I don't need a mug to tell me good morning)

So, I was without a morning mug for a few days. After going up to Sedona one weekend with Bert, Janie and Rich...Janie and I found our way into the Life is Good store. Did you know life is good makes mugs? Well, they do, and they are quite wonderful. Not only because they have their best logo's on them, but because they are heavy...like old restaurant mugs. I love old restaurant mugs, in fact, I think those are the best ones to have and I am usually drawn to buying them in droves (I have calmed down a bit over the years) The simple reasons being:

• They are the right weight and feel good when you hold them with or without coffee in them
• They are often thick so that warm beverages stay warmer longer
• They are the right shape as they are usually skinnier mugs and are shaped so that there is less surface space for your coffee to get cold

Anyway, back to Janie and I and the Life is Good store...I was drawn to the mugs and found the perfect one in a pink color...I liked this one because it has a heart on it, and I am big into hearts around here. On the other side it has the words:

Do what you like.
Like what you do.

I usually start my days with coffee. I love the taste of coffee, we're all kind of like that in my family. I take mine with creme. Silk brand soy cream to be a little more specific (for those of you that worry that since I am lactose intolerant, that I may suffer in any way...I don't, this is darned good cream) Sometimes I will have Chai with vanilla soy milk and Agave syrup instead...but mostly it's coffee for me.

During my old age, after 3...otherwise it's hard for me to sleep (except for Tuesdays, Tuesdays we drink home made ahem...I noticed that it's a little better for me to try to stay away from coffee caffeine, as I can take it too far quite quickly and either become very shaky and buzzy or very helpful and chatty...The tea caffeine doesn't seem as bad for me. And, I try to stay away from anything that is caffieinatedChai at my mom's house.)

When I drink my afternoon and evening tea, I drink it out of a special tea cup that I bought in Deruta Italy. It was hand painted and created there (Deruta happens to be the pottery capital of Italy) and has a very cool dragon on it, and some lovely scrolly designs on it. It has a much bigger opening, as you can plainly see...which actually means that my tea gets a little chilled before I have a chance to drink it all, but I must confess...I am more of a room temperature kind of gal. I like Luke-warm chocolate (with or without marshmallows) and sometimes luke-warm beer (perhaps this is why the idea of wine appeals to me? Most often you can get away with it not being chilled) I do like my iced tea however. So...

And, may I say that I am absolutely swooning over the quality of the pictures the 10D is taking? Yes, I realize that they are of coffee mugs and such (look, you're talking to a woman who didn't hardly set foot outside of her own home this weekend...just pressing the shutter down on the camera made me practically burst into tears I was so excited to be taking pictures again) Just look at all that shiny! The reflection of the tree outside in the face of my toaster? Phuleeze. And other than that nasty little coffee drip on my pink mug, that is one clean looking cup. I wonder if I can just run around the house and take pictures rather than cleaning from now on?

No, you're right. Probably not.

So...How do you Good Morning?

Corners Of My Home...

I suppose technically this isn't my home, but since it seems like I spend more time here than home, I thought I would post pictures of the latest window display at Snap Snap today instead.

I have been in a rather creative mood after the success with the skirt this week (creativity seems to be a snowball effect) and while sometimes this translates easy into one part of my life...getting it to translate into all parts of my life? Not so easy. But, seeing as I needed to change the window up at Snap Snap, now was my chance to try to carry the creativity over to work. The conversation in my head went something like this:

"...uuuugh...(heavy sigh) I really want to think of something creative to do with the window...(mentally searches brain for supplies for such creativity that I have on hand at Snap Snap, all while casting around with eyes to locate something usable) Why aren't I being more creative in the shop!?! What's wrong with me??"

And, this can either slip into all sorts of confrontational self esteem issues, which often results in making lists of things...Or bring me a flash of instant inspiration. This week, it resulted inspiration. Now, since there are no major holidays to decorate the window for every month, sometimes I need to come up with other themes instead (yes, I've been doing it for 13 years, and I'm lucky since my stock is constantly changing, I have all sorts of other reasons to be inspired) All that coupled with the fact that since I sell all things wearable, I like to try to get that across in the form of a creative sidewalk stopping window display.

Now, if all that's not enough for you, the sun here in Arizona is quite strong, and glares through the window at least once a day for quite a long time...enough time to fade clothing if you don't change the displays in the window often enough...and the sun is also strong enough to fade shoes that are made of anything other than synthetic materials.

Oh, but we love shoes!!

Yes, I know...but, I have faded many shoes in my time. And, since I only put one side of the pair in at a time...I've faded one shoe of a set, which completely ruins the entire pair of shoes...because at Snap Snap, they're buy one shoe get the matching one free (unless I can fade the other one to exactly the same shade...but alas, shoe fading is not an exact science) Which has left me no choice but to exclude shoes from my window displays...

Oh, but we love shoes!!

Well...hang on, because this is all leading to the exciting idea that I could probably hang shoes...so they would still be visible in the window display, and out of the suns harmful way...and Ta~Da! I present to you:

April Showers Bring May Footwear
(a concept window by the designers of Snap Snap)

Oh yes, and that's just perfect for today, because as you can guess by the glare in these last couple of photos, we have some seriously cloudy weather going on up here...In fact, it is actually raining right now.

And not just designer footwear either...

Drought? Bah!

(Update: The fabric did make it's appearance yesterday. It is washed and ironed, it has complimentary fabric matched to it, and I've already completed one project....but, I'm gonna' make you wait until tomorrow to see it...

Bert and Janie arrived last night for a visit here in Prescott...they are Rich's friends and the most charming couple. Bert is a professional photographer and writer, and they both travel all over. Bert is writing an article about Prescott, and I am so very excited both to get to know them better while they're visiting our little corner of the world...)