Opinions, Please...

We just had a power outage, and this photo is supposed to be wayyyyyyyy down...but, I lost it, and had to re-upload it..sheesh. I can't seem to figure out how to move it where I want it, so just keep reading until you see "Sugared Fruit", and by the time you get to that, you'll know what I am talking about..or rambling, as the case may be.Cold, it's COLD in Texas...snow, we are expecting SNOW...lots of Texans are getting very excited about the prospect - me, not so much....I told my husband years ago, "I want to strap a snow shovel to the hood of the car, and drive south, until someone asks, "what's that on the hood of your car?" - that's where I want to live. In fact, my husband drives 40 miles each way to his office every day, and I insisted he stay home today and work from here. Why risk being on I35 (which is bad enough in good weather), with a bunch of Texans (no offense, but they don't know how to drive in snow), skidding all over the place? I've lived in Boston, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and worst of all, Wisconsin (as far as winters go, and this is in no particular order)...I've had it up to here with snow...When I told people in Wisconsin that we were moving to Texas, they would say, "It's hot there", and I would reply, "You don't have to shovel hot".......

We've dragged the eight-foot ficus into the house from the back porch, leaving alot of confused birds, who have even built nests (cardinals), and hatched their babies in it...all the other plants are placed in front of windows..rather enjoying that part. Yesterday, I stumbled about the woods, picking up kindling (live oak), and carried wood from the wood pile to the porch in anticipation of some roaring fires this weekend. Believe me, I know how to do cold... When I was in Salado, my favorite "shopping destination", which is twenty miles from where I live...(it's an old, old town, chock full of lovely shops, galleries, and antique stores), I found three of these lovely pointsettias (I don't buy real...cat's - they are poison to cats, and perhaps, kids)...anyway, they were $1.00 each on sale..I bought three, and I'm hoarding my last wreath form to make a white wreath for my mother-in-law's guest room, so I put them on a tree form, and stuck a little bird in it. I'm not sure, but it kind of reminds me of the plant in the film/play, "Little Shop of Horrors", that kept shouting "feed me"...the jury is out. My husband thinks it looks like a "Mitre", you know, the funny hats the Cardinals wear...

Okay, here's where I would appreciate your opinion....to preface, this is one of the many, many notebooks I have, that are full of articles, photos, recipes, etc., that I have cut out and saved over the years. Being the "Queen of Magazines" , I found that in order to find anything, and to avoid a mountain of magazines, I would cut out the things I wanted to save, and put them in the notebooks...many catagories.."Holidays and Entertaining", "Window Treatments", "Arts and Crafts", "Dining Rooms", "Bedrooms", "Best Recipes", the list goes on-and-on. I have dozens, stored in a couple of bookcases (photos to follow) in my office.

The black kitty, is my "sidekick", Raisenette Funicello Buttafuco" (he's always head-butting things, like a billy goat), who sleeps in his basket, next to my chair while I am on the computer..Yes, the basket liner is hairy, he's a cat, deal with it...and yes, the carpet needs cleaning..this weekend.

This is one of the curtains I made to cover the myriad of books in my bookcases in my studio/office- No sewing...I bought two twin-sized sheets, ripped the sides open to the top, inserted tension rods (tension rods are our friends), glued on the trim, and used iron-on hemming tape to hem them....

This is what is hidden behind the curtains...lots of notebooks, (not in any particular order, and many are upside down...I'm organized in some ways, and in some ways, not so much). I started using the "notebook method" while building client's homes, or doing "Designer Showcase Homes", or "Parades"...I put everything in the sleeves of the notebooks, samples, photos, invoices, every kind of selection, this way, everything is organized and easily accesible...I found things fall out of file folders, and these are easier to haul around...As far as tile samples, countertops, etc., I do what Candice Olsen does on "Devine Design", my favorite design show...I put them in a basket, or when I am hauling them around, a lovely, vintage suitcase...(really).

Whoa, we just lost our power for a few minutes, and thank goodness, I've been "saving" as I went along, or I would have lost this whole thing...I think everyone cranking up their thermostats has caused a strain on our power system...but, I digress.

Finally, I am finally getting to the point....Since I have all these wonderful photographs, visuals, tutorials, whatever you want to call them, would you like me to share some of them with you? I know alot of design bloggers scan magazines and articles, and then, write about them. I enjoy some of them some of the time, but I also enjoy seeing what real people, whether designers or not, are doing - creating, thinking, living "real time" - "real life".....Not putting those types of blogs down, but I thought perhaps a mix....For example, since the holidays are upon us, I thought I'd share a few photos each day about holiday decor ideas...such as...

Table Centerpieces (I mean, I only have so many tables, and so many centerpieces, but have over the years, been inspired, or just plain enjoy looking at these).

Alrighty, then, this is where the sugared fruit picture used to be..should be, but is now at the top...I am about ready to pick up my computer and hurl it across the room...

Anyway, sugared fruit is easy to do..I've done it for clients, and for my own centerpiece many times. Take fruit, a paintbrush, eggwhites, and sugar. Paint the eggwhites (whisked first, please) onto the fruit. stick a toothpick (did I mention toothpicks?) in the fruit where it won't be showing, and roll the fruit in the sugar...or take a spoon, and sprinkle it over the fruit, if you want a lighter coating. Stack the fruit, or with toothpicks, stick it in a form. Add a bow, or not...lovely..don't plan on eating the fruit late

This lovely image is from one of my favorite, foreign magazines, "Marie Claire Idees", which is put out seasonally. It can be bought at Barnes & Noble, Borders, or other, up-scale bookstores.

I love the simplicity of adding a wreath to this lovely bust of a cherub..simple, but beautiful.This is a more "organic", rustic, centerpiece, and considering the way Texan's love their stars, a great, inexpensive idea. Candle, lima beans, cookie cutters, enjoy.

If this seems like the most disjointed post I've ever done, blame it on the power outage...That said, I would like to know if you would like me to share more "seasonal" images I have saved...

A New Dawn, Another Vignette

Awake at 5:30 this morning...dawn-thirty-getting my husband off to a breakfast meeting...I peeked out my kitchen window, looking to see if "Blossem", our resident opossum had eaten the grapes I put out for her every night (she had). The birds were happily eating their birdseed. I tried lovely bird feeders, but between the squirrels ("Fat Fat"), the racoons (what else but "Rocky") and "Blossem", I've given up. Now, there is a cast-iron griddle, and they've managed to knock a chunk out of that...

I can't remember if I posted this closeup (probably did) of the wreath I made, using my friend, Juannell's, generous gift of pine cones. But then, I can't remember an hour ago these days.

My mother-in-law is coming to visit in a few weeks, and I always like to have a little something new in her guest bedroom, so I dug out a white tablecloth topper, and set up a little vignette for her. Last time she was here, I didn't have anything to put there except a small, round metal table. I think she'll be pleased. Yes, that's one of the Belsnickles (I looked it up in the dictionary, it's not in there). Then, I "Googled" it, and my computer went insane, and I had to run a virus scan, so this is today's spelling, and I'm sticking to it.

Yes, Virginia, I know there's only one Santa, but I love these Santa's, riding bears, chasing a fish on a stick. If you double click on the image, you can see the details. I put them out every year; I even save the cornstarch or powdered sugar, and reuse it. When it comes to these things, I'm frugal, other things, not so much.

My bottle-brush trees are a bit dented here-and-there, but I love them. There used to be a little girl with the boy, but she went missing..now, he has a reindeer... I usually have my large angel here, but she's guarding the Christmas tree, and hiding the outlet, which is what this vignette is doing, as well. (I hate outlets, but they are a necessary evil).

I went out to my woods, and found a wonderful, live oak branch with the best lichen in the world on it. I then stole a rock from my husband's fire pit, as it had the perfect hole in it in which to stick the branch (our rocks are very interesting, and we have tons of them, in fact, everytime it rains, we get a new crop). I hot glued some crystal bead trim (I have tons) to the branches, and stuck some (got them at the Goodwill) Christmas ornaments on the tree. Put the tree on a mirror, sprinkled it with good-ol' cornstarch, put the Belsnickels on it, and now, they are gracing my kitchen. I put a mirror behind it to photograph them as sadly, the control panel to all the lighting in the kitchen is behind them (I hate control panels...builders put them in the worst spots sometimes), so I had to remove the mirror from behind them after I shot the pictures. I guess the obsessive-compulsive part of me will just have to live with it.

It was still dark outside when I shot this, and I hate using a flash, so I brought in a lamp to kick up the lighting....actually, it created some pretty interesting shadows, nes pas?

I love these deer. I bought them at Gallery Z last year on clearance. They were the topper for my tree last year, but decided to do birds this year, so they are gracing my mantle. The candles are wonderful. I get them at the local supermarket for (drumroll) $1.48 - they used to be $1.08, but they raised the price. There's a large Hispanic population here, and there is a huge selection of these tall, novina votives...some have Mary on them, some are quite colorful, but I prefer just plain white. I must have about thirty of them now. I used to burn them all at the same time, but we had to open the windows, as they were sucking all the oxygen out of the room. My guests were feeling faint!

It's turned quite cold these last few days; in fact, we are going to have our first freeze tonight, and I had a fire in the fireplace last night...which I had photographed it...it was all so cozy.

Finally, daybreak....You can see that wae have stained concrete floors, which I love in the Summer, but are very cold in the winter...thank goodness for area rugs (and floorcloths).

This is my silly, little tinsel tree, with it's colored lights...I put it in the foyer this year...

For a few, glorious moments we had a bit of sunshine...now, it's gone, and I'm tired...I think I need a nap, but I have shoe sachets to mail, as I didn't leave the house yesterday, and I want to go to my wonderful, little town of Salado, where I saw a Nativity Scene that was very pretty (and inexpensive - hope it's still there)...I am determined to get Baby Jesus in the house somewhere...this is all supposed to be about him, isn't it?

Okay, Pull Yourself Together - Stop Laughing...Stop It!!!

I am still bustling about...one shouldn't wear black velvet pajama bottems, and black top, when one is working with A. Glitter and 2. Corn Starch (corn starch is our friend...I use it as snow for some of my vigenettes). These are Belscnikels (sp)...okay, this is the laughing part...I went to my tool bar, and I went to "update toolbar", and it says the Spellcheck is on...don't count on it. I have no clue. Once I get the house decorated, I am calling in the Computer Geek Squad..lots of issues...I have no clue. Until then, put up with me, please. Back to the Belscnickels. These are some I put out last year. I have been collecting them over the years and love them. I did Google about the, and some guy in the Appaliachian Mountains (I do have a dictionary right next to me) gives them a bad rap. Says they dressed in rags, and threw candy on the floor, so the poor, little kids would have to go diving for it. I have decided I don't like this one....But then, Kris Kringle supposedly was Turkish, and would throw coins over the walls of harems in order to help women escape...who knows?

My Christmas tree is up, as is my wreath. They look suspiously like last years, as my husband requested I do a reinactment there. My mother-in-law was supposed to come for Christmas last year, but had injured her back, so she didn't get to see how I did last year's tree. I did switch out the toppers, and used some pine cones my friend, Juannell gave me on the wreath. Now, I am in full bore...

It is noon, and I'm a mess...I have glitter on my face, and I have splotches of white all over me...I have decided to put on a coat (it's cold today), slap my hat on my "bedhead" and dare to go to the supermarket. Of course, this will be the day that when I walk through the door, sirens and bells will go off, announcing that I am the 1,000,000 customer, and here's the newspaper guy and the television camera person..just my luck.

More later.