Happy Thanksgiving

Today is a day of Thanksgiving....we all have our very own lists of things for which to be thankful, and I especially am thankful to the people in our Armed Forces and their families...many will have an empty seat at the table this year.

I encourage all of us to embrace one another and give thanks....

Once I Had A Gallery In Paoli

Isaac Denison (also known as Karen Blixen), wrote in "Out of Africa"; "Once, I had a farm in Africa". I had a Gallery in Wisconsin - I also had a farm, but I'll talk about that later. I mentioned the gallery yesterday, and became nostalgic for it...so, I've pulled out the photos, and decided to give us both a tour of yesteryear.

I shot so many Civil War reinactments, and I also became familiar with hand-colored-black-and-white photography, that I learned the technique, and opened a gallery in an 1853 Schoolhouse, in a little town, called Paoli, in Wisconsin.

I couldn't afford to rent, let alone fill the entire space, so I convinced my friend Debbie to open Cottage Gardens, and brought in two other shops. She now owns the schoolhouse, and it is known as the Paoli Schoolhouse Shops. Here is the link to her website.....paolischoolhouseshops.com . (for some reason, if it doesn't come up..."Google her"..shoot)

My space was small, but people referred to it as, "the little jewelbox", and it was chock-full of photographs, handmade vinegars, gifts, floorcloths, jewelry, etc. My life has been one, big ETC..

If you double-click on the image, you can see the photographs clearly. That was when I was using my Nikon 35mm, and the images were crisp. I took the photographs, developed them in my darkroom, printed the images, sepia-toned them, then, hand-painted them with special oil paints. I did all my own matting and framing. That was back when I had energy!

To get to my gallery in the back, one had to pass through "Cottage Gardens" (Now, Debbie owns the entire schoolhouse, and it is so different...but, wonderful. You must visit her on-line.

I did her merchandising for her, and many of the wreaths and florals. We shared much of the space during the holiday season.

These are my "Widow's Weeds, the grieving attire of a Civil War Widow on a dress form in the corner. Sometimes, I would "suit up", but I had worn them so much when I was doing reinacting, they are pretty much retired. I do still have them.

We did have wonderful holidays in the School House; with a giant tree (16ft ceilings), which only fell over once, and nothing was broken! A true miracle.

Whoops, twice posted...oh well




I have sold all my photographs of those days except this one, entitled "Grace", I just can't part with her. I also made the hat box and the dried florals

When I lived in North Carolina, I contributed photos to a book, entitled, "Out on The Porch", which I believe is still in publication.
This darling bunny is resting under a topiary I created...She's made of panty hose..really.

The first photograph in this line of photos was perchased by the actor, Tom Beringer (Platoon), and given to his wife. I still haven't washed the spot on my cheek, where he kissed me! Again, if you double-click, you can see some of the details (if you wish, that is)

I sold a great deal of my herbal vinegars, and the pansys on the labels were from my garden...Also, more of the hand-painted glass.

This was my beloved garden....I loved it so, and hope that, one day, to have another. However, here in Texas, I think I have to rethink my methods.An antique carriage seat holds two of my pillows, along with one of the hats I would "dress" and sell. If the cherry fabric looks familiar, it's because I just made the last of it into "shoe sachets"...I never throw anything that might be used later away, which can be a problem...

So, that was my life for four years...I then became too busy as a designer to make the photos, and all that went in the gallery. It lives on fondly in my heart.

Pamper Me Jessica

Thought of the title because of "Tickle Me Elmo"...don't know why...my thoughts are all over the place this morning. Yes, that's moi - Woke up this morning and thought, "today, I am going to pamper myself". Why today? Why not? It's been a difficult few months, and I sold a floorcloth, and by golly, I'm going to go on a "spree". No, not diamonds, but a pedicure would be nice...then, ink and paper for my computer (it's very expensive, and I love printing out my photographs as cards, and, of course, I have a six-color printer, and have to use the best paper or why bother).

I have a quilt, which I bought (nope, didn't make it - and I probably should make another, but have other priorities right now) when I was photographing babies and small children...the quilt would go on the grass, the babies would pee on it, and I have washed it about a thousand times in the past twenty years. It has so many holes in it...I have duvet covers I did make, but the quilt is to put over the duvet in the guest bedroom on chilly nights. Anyway, this quilt has so many holes in it that it's looking like Swiss Cheese. So, off to Tuesday Morning (they have great quilts at great prices). My mother-in-law is going to visit for the holidays, and she deserves a better quilt (that's my rationale).


Time to "stop and smell the roses"...even by candlight. I took this last Saturday, as I lit the scented candle in the powder room. It has that wonderful effect of light and dark...the Italian's call it "chiaroscuro"...Rembrandt was a master of chiaroscuro.

I made this frame from velvet, which was once an Eileen Fisher top (it died, after a million wearings-I can't afford her clothing new, but have had great luck in resale shops), and then, made the roses from ribbon. The lilac sprig is vintage, and yep, that's a photo of one of my subjects - you can't see it, but she's standing on the quilt. The frame, the roses, and the pitcher are in my powder room.

This photo (the larger one) is of my Mama, who was so beautiful...taken in the 1940's..it's one of my favorites. She passed over twenty years ago, and I think of her every day...she was younger than I am now, and I remember vividly, as she lay on her deathbed, saying, "I wish I had done more, traveled more".....I don't want to go like that...so, I refuse to feel guitly about a pedicure, or a quilt, or a good lunch with a good friend. I'm not trying to be maudlin nor defensive..just reminding myself - and you, to drink in life to it's fullest. (you're probably thinking, "I thought this was a design blog"). Some days it's just my ramblings..

My friend, Kelly, has the best blog "Much to do With Nothing", and she's the queen of slipcovers. I have hesitated showing this chair and ottoman, which I did before her tutorial..I sure could have used some help on it. It's faux leather (no animals were harmed for this chair and ottoman) and linen. The pillow was a fabric sample. The ottoman was tapestry, which I got at a garage sale for $40.00. The only thing I really dislike about it, are the Queen Anne legs..not quite right, but maybe someday I'll find one with more rustic legs, and replace them.I took this photograph at a Civil War reinactment...I once had a gallery in Wisconsin, which was in an 1860's schoolhouse. It was called "Widow Weed's Gallery", as I dressed as a Civil War widow, (the grieving attire at that time was called widow's weeds). This was my political statement against war. I traveled from reinactment-to-reinactment, all over the South, and we lived in an Officer's Tent, where I set up a "parlor". Once I was through with that, I opened the gallery - one of these days, I'll put up some photos of it...

This is the floorcloth...I liked it so much, I painted an extra one for my powder room.Yes, this is me..."Widow Weed"...I've been fortunate to be able to follow my heart, when it comes to my various "careers" throughout the years. I truly pity people, who have to drudge though life...(I'm sounding very "Auntie Mame" today, aren't I?)

Amen