Quiet Sunday among the Honeysuckles

The boys left very early this morning at 5:00am headed back home to St. Louis! Yes, I had to take a little nap from 6am-8am.... Now we will be getting back to routine stuff and some creating!
OMG, I have to work a full week..... ohhhhhhhh - once again life can be tough when you have to use your annual leave at the end of the year and then all of a sudden have to work a full week.
Today has been pleasant. Had a wonderful salad

while watching a PBS show on the Big Band era of the '40s. Great music. I have always loved the Andrew Sisters,

Had tea (I was inspired over at Magpie's Nest)
Larcy brought me this tea from Philadelphia as one of my goodies for babysitting Oliver. It was very delicious,

Larcy and I are getting ready to make "tea books" inspired by our dear friend Beth. She and a group of Craft Chix are visiting the local tea rooms and they each keep a wonderful handmade book outlining their adventures! (Larcy is cutting the book board tomorrow at work on their big cutter!)
After tea I began making Christmas tags. I told you about my Christmas Marie Antoinette digisheets, well here they are so far....

Glitter cures everything, don't you think?

You go girl.......
I ended up covering the tags with the "old" music I bought over at Where Women Create.... (look ma, I'm not hoarding....ok I saw the ads for the new season yesterday)

I added the Santa hat and accidentally snipped off the furry white ball at the end so I just glued on a jewel. Also added on some silver stars to cover some oops.... Well, anyway, so Maria, don't you think?

Need to run and get my bubble bath, Larcy, Phil, and Oliver are coming over for chili and cornbread later on...... I do want to work a bit on the Wicked album. Hugs, everyone!

Thanksgiving's Come and Gone in the Breeze

What a wonderful time was had by all on Thanksgiving Day. Yesterday was spent recouping after eating and eating on our Turkey day.... and OK, we got in a movie also, 2012, which I loved! Critics begone! It was a wonderful festival of special effects along with a good story and an ending that I had not figured out. OK, boys and girls, quit snickering.... I know what happens on December 21, 2012.... Go see the movie or rent the DVR when it comes out and then let me know if your snickering was worth it.
Scenes from a holiday celebration.......
The table was set in anticipation of the day to come....

The dressing was waiting....

The turkey was cooked

and carved

The guests were all gathered...
Phil, Larcy and Oliver,

Marlynn and her brother, Jim,

Her nephew/Godson Aaron,
And the Christmas Cactus in bloom,

What more can be said --- Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all I hope you had a grand time fighting the crowds on Black Friday and were successful in buying your bargains. Now we just need to take a breath and get ready to start our Christmas Holiday planning! Love, hugs, and kisses to all!

And to all a Blessed Thanksgiving!

The boys are in Indy tonight and will be headed here tomorrow for our annual Thanksgiving holidays! The boys = my brother, Jim, and my nephew/Godson, Aaron. As you know, Oliver is home with his mommy and daddy but all three of them will be back over here for Thanksgiving. I am trying to organize a few things before life gets a little hectic. The table centerpiece is set and waiting for the dishes and silverware. The grocery shopping is done. The turkey is thawing. I love this holiday and love the cooking.

First of all I am working on some gift tags and trying a new design. I am going to be using regular office tags and I found the most wonderful digital art work over at Itkupilli Blog/Shop. It is Marie Antoinette in pink for the holidays. Check it out here. Below are a few of the ideas I'm playing around with. Please note this digital sheet was just printed off on plain white paper and you cannot see the brilliance of the designs and they look a little yellow due to the lighting in my living room where I took the photos really quick before running up here to blog.

I used the ATC notecard with the Tower in the background and then added Marie along with an added Santa hat and ribbon to her neck..

On this one I added a fan to her hair and a ribbon to her neck...

Here I added the front pink tree and the Marie image - or it might be the "mother" ... but most likely Marie....

Sad to say I have not decided on my design for my Christmas cards this year. But am starting to work on at least two cross stitch "presents" and will insert a photo in each. I have had these little kits for years and years. Bought them on sale and put them aside. I know at the time I had great plans for them. Oh, well, guess this is called going "Green" - pull out the old and use it! LOL.

And......once again pulled out the Christmas Quilt. Been working on this for 6 years and pull it out each Thanksgiving thinking I will get it done for the next Christmas. Oh well, one year you will see it done....

And ... And .... and of course, I am still going to be working on the Wicked photo album which will also be a Christmas gift.

Yes, panic will set in soon and you will be listening to my lamenting! Same warm tonight and if you are getting ready to hit the road, drive safely. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Dear Miss Nurse J. Rosebeetle in the Breeze

Yes, all good things come to an end and our little nephew pup Oliver went home with mommy and daddy this afternoon. He was anxiously awaiting their return and kept wanting to go outside to watch for them. We are happily reporting that they had a great reunion. I then proceeded to do laundry, buy turkey, and finish the November page for our Edward Gorey calendar.....

You know dear Edward is spinning in his grave with what I have done to his art work these last 11 months. Yes, 11 months I have been doctoring his "Neglected Murderesses Calendar for 2009." This month we have dear Nurse J. Rosebeetle who "tilted her employer out of a wheelchair and over a cliff at Sludgemouth in 1898." Do tell...

Now most of you know, and some of you don't (as I found out), I make up most of the story to go with the illustration. I have a murderous sense of humor and a taste for the blood. I imagine that dear Jane (as she has become known to me) Rosebeetle had a sad life which led her to the white cliffs in Dover. She started out as an orphan # 3481 in a small village east of the cliffs. No one claimed the child who was left on the doorstep. She grew up in orphanage and decided to become a nurse instead of a sister. The nuns were disappointed. However, much better off with Jane going to join the nurses...... Jane flourished at the nursing school and you would have thought all was well.

She headed out to work with old men in wheelchairs who lived in mansions. Why? It makes a good story and we don't have a Miss Marple mucking up the tale. Nurse Rosebeetle was sought out in the village for her excellent care of old men. Then one day she found a letter ... one letter from a man to his preggers girlfriend. "Dear J - sorry, can't marry you. Get rid of baby j. Think of her as an ugly little rose beetle. Sincerely, Colonel Beckham." Jane realized she had found her father and decided to show him exactly what a Rose Beetle does to the roses. Suck them dry from the root up. So, instead of that, she just rolled the poor soul over a cliff. Probably the very first roller coaster...... Yes, as in true Gorey detail, she was caught and put in jail as Inmate 3481. She came full circle in her life and never did regret dumping poor ole dad over the ledge.

So from this:

To this:

I love you Edward Gorey...... I really do.

Musings in the Honeysuckles

Oliver is down for his nap. He has had such a busy morning. Yes, we woke at 8am and did our morning stroll.

He did his stretching:

Then his morning exercise:

He helped make the crock pot stew for this evening.


We then ran errands - I needed to grab something from the office. He loved the McDonald's drive through.


Now taking a nap while I proceed to work on the November Gorey calendar. I have started it but have not created the work..... Back in a few with my creations.


And woof woof from Oliver.

Somerset Studio Gallery in the Breeze

First of all the important stuff, Oliver is in the house and ruling with glee. He is now on the side of the table where the computer sits but because it is dark outside he can't look out - instead he is watching me and the tv across the room. (He just laid his head down for a nap, just too cute.)

He's been walked, he did his business, and he had a little dinner in preparation for my dinner. His mommy, Larcy, told me he loves peanut butter cookies (and we know he loves popcorn) so tonight..... in celebration of his first night away from home, you know what we will have, don't you? Come on, guess.

As mentioned in a previous post, I was published in the Winter 2010 issue of The Gallery on stands December 1.

I have known about it for a while but you know you don't like to mention it in case they change their mind. In the last issue of Gallery they printed this work:

And then they contacted me and said they wanted to publish some of my Marie book in the "book section" and they did! These are the two pages they selected to be published in the magazine:

It is always interesting to see what they select versus what I would have selected. They did good but another of my two fav pages from that book are these:

This was a Marie stamp created by the absolutely beautiful and talented Michelle Ward. It was a limited run and I was so lucky to pick one up. I love Michelle and cherish the time I have spent with her in her workshops. She is a special and beautiful soul that we all have been blest with! Okie Dokie boys and girls, I need to (1) wake the little Oliver up; (2) go downstairs to fix dinner; (3) just be .... I have a great life and I am really grateful for it! Love and kisses and hugs to you all and to all a good night! LOL