The Stuff in My Space-Warning: May Cause Dizziness

For those of you who are curious by nature, here is a glimpse into the chaos that is my creative space. Sometimes it is tidier, sometimes it is messier, but this is usually how it looks.

Contrary to popular belief (around here, anyway), I can find things relatively quickly and easily. My "organization" makes sense to me. And apparently ONLY to me.

Please note that I am treating you as family by NOT tidying it up before shooting the pictures. No artifice here, thank you very much!

This poor, flightless bird has been waiting to be photographed and sold for ages now. He needs a little hair-do and some proper lighting and then off he will go.

I know this girl is supposed to be a vase of some kind, but I think she does a great job holding onto my pens, scissors, crochet hook, etc. Everyone should have a purpose, don't you think?

This is Ming. She watches me use the computer. In this picture, she is just standing around, but she also likes to ride on my mushroom crows.

Isn't he funny? Peeking out of an old Bunnykins mug? I love him and the graphics on the mug, too.

Doesn't everyone use the skeleton of a foot as a picture display? No? Hmm. Perhaps I have shown too much.

Directly after this photo was taken, the girls each received a lovely set of chenille arms and will soon be going to a new home.

Don't they seem glad to be moving? Perhaps their next home will be a bit less cluttered.

This just makes me happy.

Tee-hee.

This is someone else's work. I fell in love with it and out it comes every Fourth of July.

Buddha is always in a good mood. He helps me with attitude adjustments as needed. He also sits on my vintage trading stamp holder.

That's about it for the virtual tour of my space. I left some things out. A gal has to maintain SOME mystery.

Until next time, happy spaces!

Theresa

I Have Pink

Nils the gnome has chastised me yet again.

He feels I am guilty of being a monochromatic show-off in my color choices within the garden out back.

There is no logical explanation as to WHY there is so much pink here. Pink is not one of my favorite colors. In fact, much of what I choose to surround myself with would fall under the "earthy" tones umbrella;

browns, tans, greens, rusts and oranges.

But you'll see pink in my blossoms. You can find it in the foliage.

It is here, in the plant that I always neglect that keeps on blooming all the more for it.

Yet again in front of the far back wall, where I have little time to attend to my leafy friends.

This is a fragile, needy pinky pink.
"Don't let me get too much sun. Don't let me stay too wet."
The grand surprise is that she is not yet dead. High maintenance and I don't get along well.

Even my succulents prefer this posy hue. Who knew?

Here is an up close pink, though the center, decidedly NOT pink, is the true star of this show.

And my fuchsia, which continually tries to commit suicide, is pink.

(Secretly I wanted a fuchsia fuchsia, but hey-it's still alive! Sort of.)

A hummingbird's eye view of the struggling fuchsia. Very different from here, no?

To those interested in my artistic ventures, let it be known that, in addition to all of my WIPs which all get a little love every day, I just shaved the head of a Bratz doll (shudder!) and am prepping her for a Halloween makeover. (Though truly, Bratz dolls are already pretty darned scary, don't you think?)

Think inset glass eyes, a face reshape and mohair wig.

Until next time, happy living!

Theresa

To be green or not to be green?

I must admit that the tiny, immature part of myself goes "Harumph" lately when I see yet another repetitive article of TV show that is geared towards helping me to be more "green".

We do pretty well, I think. Please don't misunderstand- I don't mind it when I learn something new. But SO much of what is out there is just the same old information about toilet paper squares, packaging, and composting.

I get it, already! I have always lived by the following:

Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Do without.

This goes a LONG way towards explaining the condition of my garage. You never know when you will need twine, old ribbons and a leather punch. I can think of so many ideas.....

I digress.

The following is one of my kids' favorite ways to use up fruit peels. It isn't fancy, so don't get your hopes up. It will, however, make your house smell great. I promise!

When making a fruit salad, be sure to set aside all orange, grapefruit and lemon peels. Keep apple cores, skins, and tidbits, too. Anything that has a nice smell will do. (I don't keep banana peels, as they don't smell good. They can go directly into the compost pile without passing GO.)

Throw the leftover goodies in a large pot of water on the stove. Bring the water and peels to a boil. Throw in a cinnamon stick (or some ground cinnamon), some nutmeg, a little vanilla, some cloves....you get the idea.

As soon as it is boiling, Viola! Your house will smell great! A nice, spicy clean citrus-y smell. My daughter says it "Smells like Fall."

I like to put the hot pot in front of the floor fan; that really disperses the fragrance well.

Once the peels cool, you can strain them out and put them in the compost pile, too. They will be pretty mushy, squooshy, though.

There you have it. Nothing earth shattering. Just a little fun tip that may be new to you that uses something that would normally pass into the trash can without a second thought.

Until next time, happy brewing!

Theresa

Look What I've Won!

It's Wee Crabbie from Denise at Odd Imagination!

Denise was having a "name this creature" contest and she liked the name I submitted.

I was SOOO excited when he arrived in the mail. My kids, who all knew he was on his way, gathered around when we opened his box. He now occupies a special place on my computer table. I get to look as his sweet little face as I go about my daily routine.

He now sits next to these neighbors:

As you can see, the wooden girls look lovely, but they can be a little mean. In their defense, however, the monster is a bit of a baby and has a hair-trigger when it comes to crying. He sobbed for days when he thought that Wee Crabbie was more popular than he. It can be taxing, really.


And, of course, here is Darth Maul, who is channeling his inner fairy. He sabered Wee Crabbie, but W.C. is secure in his manliness and just let the whole thing blow over.

Until next time, remember to be thankful! And remember to check out Denise's work at http://oddimagination.blogspot.com/

Theresa

What Was My Muse Thinking?

This is what I mean about the flighty, easily distracted muse. I have doll heads. Many doll heads, in fact.

Having doll heads isn't a bad thing, in and of itself. A little wacky, perhaps, but not bad by any means. But one can't help but wonder what purpose they serve. They are, after all, just heads.

Shall I place them in a box in the garage to be found at a much later date? Do I leave them in strategic places to freak people out?

Not one of these has a body idea to go with it. Not one. I am beginning to realize that I have serious issues with over-thinking things.

Even when I manage to generate good and well fleshed out ideas, it takes me forever to finish things because I am afraid to overwork things. (I have had the "just get it done" fever backfire on me many, MANY times.)

I thought this guy was done. Ugh! I can't stand it. I am going to have to drill out a nose hole and put in a turnip or radish nose. His face is too flat. I need to carve out the mouth area and really get rid of those blackened teeth. I can't stand the shiny finish either, so it is time to break out the steel wool. Once he is dressed with a hat, I think he will be OK. Or maybe he should just visit the circular file. We'll see how frustrated I get.

This was a last minute "Oh, I have some clay left and some wire. Let's just throw something on and see what happens."

It may end up well. Or not.

Pretty quirky, but it leaves a lot of different opportunities to 'finish' it.

Here is leftover clay guy #2. He looks a bit like a pupa, I think. He has holes in his head for the insertion of horns. With a bit of paint, he may be cool. Or maybe not.

My goal for next year is to finish projects in a more timely manner. Baba Yaga's house is coming along, but I am so afraid that it will become overworked that I am working in slow motion.

Ack!

What you do think? Any comments or advice would be welcomed!

Until next time, finish, finish, finish!

Theresa

WEIRD LEMON

While in the desert last weekend, my daughter took my nephew on an adventure walk. They found a tree with fruit still on it, but the weight of the fruit let them know that it was old and not likely to be edible.

They decided to bring one home anyway, just to see what was inside.

I have been around awhile and have seen lots of pithy fruit in my day. I expected to see dried out, dessicated yuckiness, but I didn't expect to see a lemon tree sprouting INSIDE the lemon!

Will wonders never cease?

Of course, we gently plucked out the sprouting seed and planted it in a little pot. It remains to be seen how well it will grow outside of the peel! We shall see.

To my artsy friends, I am photographing some paperclay heads for your perusal. The question remains; do I bother to make them bodies or stick them in a box? They should be posted by tomorrow.

Until next time, happy discovery!

Theresa

Nature in the City

Welcome to the natural world. Feel free to come on in.

You might see some red eared sliders and little fishies, if you take the time to stop and look.

If you look up, you may see something new- something that you didn't notice the other times you were here.


If you look down, you may see nature hard at work making new life in unexpected places.

Have you ever seen a tree that needed a haircut? We have!

It is cool down by the water. Make sure you stop and sit awhile.

Was a fairy here during the night?

Or perhaps a whole group of them?

We can be sure that when next we come, many things will be the same. And there will be differences, too, all around us.

Constant change is one of the many joys of nature, don't you think?

Until next time, happy exploration!

Theresa