what is happening in my studio.......

If this painting looks familiar....it is because it is TOTALLY ART ENVY on my part! Alicia LaChance is an local artist that I L.O.V.E........I started this last Fall, a complete take-off on her work! No, I will not sign it or sell it. I love her colors, style and detail......and....integrated the same elements in this piece to get a similar effect. I know that the Impressionists copied the style of one another all the time. I like the way this piece looks in my powder room:)

Here is the beginning of a painting I am working on! I like the layout so far......but have just begun:) I will post when it is complete.

THANK YOU for sharing time with me!

To friends Old and New........I enjoyed our time together!

"doing lunch"..........

Meems and I had lunch at a new restaurant in Wildwood today! Really good food and nice atmosphere:) I seem to be making up for all those years when I couldn't do lunch because it interferred with work...ha..ha! It is nice seeing how the other half lived all these years:)

So Creative........SpoonerZ shop!

Look at these darling pieces all made from discarded spoons and forks:) Such creativity and resourcefulness!!!!! Find them HERE!

I just love ETSY.......

It has done so much for handmade!

There are at least 5 I would love to have:)

So here we are at 3:47 am..................

Autism is such a strange disorder in many ways. One area many deal with is an unusual sleeping pattern. Margo has many sleepless nights..............like tonight! After going to bed at 9:00, she suddenly awakes at 1:00am. Since she has little language and needs to make herself heard.....she screams. We have gotten used to this (sort of) and go to sleep with one eye open:) After ignoring her for a few minutes, hoping she will fall back asleep.......we both get up! One of us volunteers to stay up....not always happily. It is now almost 4:00am and Margo and I have retreated to the lower level so Papa can catch some sleep. Here she is standing by my computer while I type this post. One must have patience while dealing with an Autistic child or adult. Your time is never your own, because they might need you at any moment in time. I am not complaining, just explaining this late night post:)

Odds and Ends......

Today we celebrated Memorial Day at Chris and Sheila's house.....

the last party at their beautiful home

and

yard in Lafayette Square.

Soon they will be Webster residents (where Chris was born)!

Some darling earring I found on Etsy! Check out this blog to see more:)

Have a Great Day!!!!

Check Out My New Blog....."Nana and Papa's House"

Nana and Papa's House Blog!

See what is happening with our peeps!

Soon to have NEW ARRIVAL.............June 26th (we think)

Also lots of fun stuff for kids!

Friends...................

Always fun to be with them.......and.....today was no exception!

Above, Sharon and I took in the Botanical Gardens today. The roses were nothing short of devine! Great lunch and conversation in the prettiest of environments:)

Tonight we spent with more friends:)

On Friday nights Eureka comes alive with the help of all the restaurants

and bars.

Tonight the city provided entertainment

and

blocked off the entire street so that the crowd could mill around finding what they wanted to eat!

Thanks Mimi for sharing your good fortune....LOL

I love rocks......but this is something else:)

Check out this Etsy shop where rocks are covered with knitted covers........

Thank you Pam and Nelda:)

Thanks to Nelda Ream and Pam Garrison......I finally started on a new piece of art! Girls, I sure needed the inspiration!!!!!

This morning I started working with a box I found at a thrift store several weeks ago!

I loved the shapes but had NO IDEA of what to do with it:( After seeing Pam's post on pieces she had just finished for her family room wall............I was inspired....YEA

Nelda had spoken this morning about changing course and trying something new to get her muse going.........................Thanks again for the push!

I decided to do a "self portrait" of sorts! I pulled out all the things that have meaning to me and started laying it all out on the floor. What a mess I made, but oh so much fun!

At this point I only have the basics glued down with more to come, but I thought I would share since it has been a while since I posted any artwork.

This is what keeps me young and happy!!!!!

Today I gave Sheila a break and spent quality time playing with my boys!!!!!

Spent the Day with My Girl:)

Isn't She Lovely.........

Playing with Paint, Picasa and Gimp!

I will keep this short, but when our computer died last Christmas....I lost all my programs:( Many of them couldn't be copied on more than one computer and others were older and I couldn't find the CD's. I was upset because some of the programs were very valuable to me. Anyway.......one program lost was Adobe Photoshop Elements! I used it all the time and was soooo sad when I couldn't find the disk! Today in desperation...I typed "free photo altering program" and low and behold!!!!!! Up popped an answer.......Try GIMP...it is very similar to Adobe Elements and FREE! Well here are some of the results:) No fine art here, but sure a lot of fun! I really want to learn the layering and combining images. That will take awhile I fear.

A watercolor I was working on combined with Picasa has some interesting results.

I am a huge AMERICAN IDOL fan!!!!!

I have loved the show since it first came on......and wouldn't miss it for the world.....

Thank goodness for Tivo:)

Anyway................he is the man!

Never heard a voice like his....with such a rang....WOW!

Can't wait for the finale....Break a Leg, Adam

Mother's Day.............

Today I spent Mother's Day with my hubby and sister and family!

Unfortunately, non of my kids were available.

It made me sad not to be with any of my babies......

but, maybe next year:(

The art show was nice as was lunch at Chevy's,

but.....never the same without your kids.

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day!

Second Time Around..................

New fountain installed in the back yard......the sound is musical!

Backyard fountain relocated in the front bed:)

Last Fall, some of you will remember......I rearranged this bed and got rid of most of the plantings since the trees had grown and it had become a shade garden rather than it's original status as a sunny bed:) Well, I couldn't find the photos so that you could make the comparison....but I had to re-do it again!!!!! The Boxwood I transplanted didn't weather well over the winter and looked terrible this Spring....yuck! What I really wanted were some English Velvet Boxwood, but they ran more than I was willing to spend. After much thought, I purchased these Arborvitea......almost like little spheres which is what I wanted. These ran me 6.00 ea. at Walmart and did the trick. Once the Hydrangeas and Hostas grow I think the bed will be pretty:) Do you see the little fountain in the background? Upper left corner of the pic! We moved that from the back yard....where we replaced it with a wonderful vintage 3 tier fountain I purchased at "Recycled Rose":) I am lovin it!

Odds and Ends...............

Look at these sweet prints I purchased from Rosie Posie!

They hand in my babies room so they can see them from the bed:)

One of the treasures I found last week-end in Maeystown!

I have it sitting in my foyer on an antique desk.

A little Spring on the dining room table!

Today I picked up the prints

I had framed

and

hung them in my newly decorated Laundry Room!

My sister and I attended a paper show several years ago

and these were one of the things I fell in love with!

Two pages from a large book of botanicals:)

These prints were larger than any other I had seen.

A Must Have!

It took a couple of years to find the spot for them, but I am really pleased

at how they finish off my newly decorated Laundry!

The chandelier was certainly not diappointing when hung! Can't wait to iron a few shirts and run a load or two. I feel spoiled and pampered......LOL

Maeystown, Ill.

Maeystown, Ill. is about 1/2 hour away from St. Louis city!

They celebrate their Fruehlingsfest each year

on the ground of their stone mill in the historic part of town!

The river running behind the grounds is CHARMING with a capitol "C"!

This little German town puts on quite an event for one Sunday in May.....including antiques and plants! A wonderful way to spend the day!

Today was no exception.....

the clouds were there,

but the rain stayed away

and

the weather was perfect for some eating and shopping.

I found a darling crystal lamp for my laundry room

and an antique doll head.

That came home as well as a group of herbs

that are already planted in a large pot on the deck. A little wine garden was set up along the river as well as many street vendors selling potatoe pancakes, brats, fish and pork steaks. The little town is charming and worth a drive in the spring and summer of the year:)

NO ARTWORK THIS WEEK!

This was the week of babies:) Jury Duty called my daughter-in-law and the boys have been here the last three days!

Just trying to get the bed made was a challenge....LOL!