Sandy Haynes' Studio

Come See My New Blog

2011-01-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Rather than posting on 2 blogs, I think it would be more realistic to focus my attention on my NEW PAINTING blog. Please come and visit my Daily Painting Site. I will concentrate my efforts on painting, and try to scale down all the other "irons" I have in the fire. I love lots of things, but to be practical, I can only devote myself to the one I am the most passionate about. Thanks for visiting Roxy, but please come on over to my other blog and see what you think..... it's http://www.sandyhaynespaintings.blogspot.com

and Thanks for your Support -Sandy Haynes

Playing Catch Up

2011-01-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted a blog entry in quite awhile... not on THIS blog, anyway. I've been preoccupied with my painting blog, and I have to paint everyday, in order to get a posting ready for that one. I've neglected this blog, and for that I'm sorry if I've left some of you 'hanging'. Now that the holidays are over- getting back to the routine of things around here. Back to the exercise aerobic dance class, and the tap class that I love so much. I've let the treats and snacking get out of hand, so I've got to get serious about thinking about watching the food intake a bit... Parties, including the one for my BFF who just retired from 35 years of teaching, have relaxed my discipline when it comes to watching my diet. Back to the routine, to eat better, and not so much.
Tracey left for graduate school in Arkansas, and is going to get a teaching degree for secondary English. Hope she enjoys teaching as much as her mother ! Hope she can find a job, too ! Jim and Ted are still as active and involved as ever. Jim has his business running, where he does marketing and internet services for his clients. He really loves what he does, and works hard at getting new clients, too. He and his cousin, Christopher work together with businesses, supplying their computer needs. Ted is working hard at Heritage, along with the Yemm clan ! He travels some, and when he's at home he's such a fantastic dad ! He takes over when Di needs a break, and is so great doing things with the girls... He's a 'natural' !! Bus has been so great helping out with all the Christmas decorating, while I've been hiding away down in the studio, painting. He not only puts everything UP- both inside and out, but he also does the dreaded, "Take Down" of all the decorations, too. He truly is the 'Christmas Boy' at our house. He's been off from golf for a couple of weeks, due to the cold and snowy weather. He did plan on going on the golf trip with his buddies again this Feb. They always have a fun week of golf, and eating, and just basic fun ~ I've decided to take on the job at supervisor to 2 student teachers this semester from UMSL. I've not done that before, so I hope it's fun- visiting the classrooms and helping to advise the new teachers on some of the finer points and pitfalls of running an art classroom... I'm going to take part in Visitations 'fine arts day' also, with my firned, Sue Lorenz. She has several of us teach classes on that day, one is my sis, so that's always a fun time for all of us, getting together. Well, I'll post some artwork here, too, maybe not the same paintings that are on the other blog, but I'll try to write a bit of art philosophy, and maybe about other stuff on this blog, too. Stay tuned, I'll try to be more proactive from now on !!

P A I N T I N G S---daily, or almost !

2010-10-13T06:09:00.000-07:00

I've been posting daily paintings for over a month now on the sandyhaynespaintings blog. It's been an adventure, and very fun. It takes a certain amount of discipline to post each day, but that's the joy of it, too. Kinda like exercise. Just do it, as the Nike commercials say... and you might be surprised at the results !

Maxine's book signing

2010-09-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here is Maxine, my friend from exercise and dancing, signing her recent book, Missouri's Wild Mushrooms. It's a beautiful book, which is a guide to hunting, identifying and cooking the state's most common mushrooms, by Maxine Stone. It includes 24 delicious recipes, too !!
The book is available at the Botanical Gardens shop and amazon.com.

Maxine is the past-president of the Missouri Mycological Society and serves on it's board of dierectors. She is a passionate mycophile (someone who is fascinated by mushrooms), and loves studying and teaching mycology. She is a Master Gardener with the Missouri Botanical Garden and is on the Master Gardener Advisory Board. She is also a Master Naturalist with the Missouri Department of Conservation and is on the board of directors.

More cherries...

2010-09-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

As lots of daily painters do, I've come to realize that when you work with a subject matter, generally you want to do several paintings, due to their size. Here is my 6 x 8 painting in oil of the second composition, using my complementary scheme of the green apple and red cherries...

Daily Painter? we'll see.....

2010-09-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

After not having posted in what seems like "forever", I've decided to try my hand at a series of paintings. The last paintings that I did were uber realistic portraits,and I enjoyed doing them. I've been determined to loosen up my style, though, and possibly through a daily (or close to daily) regiment of painting exercises I will be able to that. Here is the first posting of a 6 x 8 oil on board entitled, "Cherries Jubilee"

Mini Loaves today !

2010-05-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

I woke up early ( about 3:45) this morning, and decided to start baking... ( A habit I got into years ago when I had trouble getting back to sleep) So, this morning I decided to do the mini loaves and try a few new types of quick breads. (Love the Walnuts). I made a zucchini with walnuts, cranberry with orange, and carrot walnut, too. They each had a slightly different consistency, and one of the types took about 10 minutes longer to bake. I just had to share my newest discovery. I love this Baker's Joy cooking spray with flour in it. It enables you to have breads and cakes pop right out of the pan, and NEVER stick !! That way always something I hated. Just when you have messed up the entire kitchen, and have been waiting for an hour to bake something, I T S T I C K S to the bottom of the pan, and half of it rips off when you try to get it out !!! NOT with this spray.... IT'S FANTASTIC ! (I sound like a commercial) If you like to bake, give it a try !!

F.L.O.R.I.D.A.- 2010

2010-04-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jackie, and I went to Florida to visit our friend, Judi recently. We loved Palm Beach and the view from the condo of the water... The weather was amazing, and we had a delightful trip up to Jupiter to visit one of Jackie's friends. As it turned out, she was a former teacher at the school where I taught for almost 25 years, so we had a lot of mutual friends, as well. We took a great boat ride on a tour of all the famous people's homes in Jupiter, on the water. Homes of Olivia Newton John, Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Burt Reynolds, Perry Como, and many others were amazing to see. We spent several days on the great beach in Palm Beach, and had some of the best food anywhere. A wonderful shopping area called, City Place, is a "must see" if you visit West Palm Beach. Judi enjoyed our visit, and was a gracious hostess, as usual. We had a delightful time on our "all girl" trip. !! fun, fun, fun !

Tradition...

2010-03-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

We have this great tradition at our house. (at least I like it a lot)
Every year for our anniversary I get a bouquet with one more rose, for the newest year. This year my flowers numbered 43, and were absolutely gorgeous. We picked them up 2 days before our trip, so we wedged them into the back of the SUV, between the golf bags, and took them with us, to be able to enjoy for the week with our friends in Savannah. They lasted a total of 10 days, and still looked decent. (don't ever cut the stems without having them under water) actually, we didn't even cut them, we just added a bit of water every day or so,and they did great... Thanks Dierbergs-- you always do a super job on my flowers !!!

Aprons for Haiti

2010-03-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

The word was out..... The "Nannies" who take care of the little ones in Haiti needed APRONS ! They needed them with pockets to tuck necessary things in, too.... Here are some I've made, and am getting ready to send. Mostly they were made with pillowcases that I've found and washed, and some double bias tape and a homemade pattern.... Oh, also, I used my NEW SERGER on the edges..... It's just a dream to use. (got a deal, the Jackman's fabrics is going out of business)

If you'd like to join in and sew some aprons, little girls pillowcase dresses, or make some "ditty bags" to send items to Haiti, click here...... http://haitirescuecenter.wordpress.com/

No Oprah selections here...

2010-03-04T04:37:00.000-08:00

My daughter and I have our own little book club. We decided to choose a book, and read it together, talking about it as we go. (She's on the west coast and I'm in Missouri) Our first selection was the diary of Anne Frank. It really is an amazing account of the life of a Jewish family at the time of Hitler's Germany. I'm almost through it, and our next selection will probably be something like Twain or Dickens...

2 More Baby quilts ready to go !

2010-02-23T07:29:00.001-08:00

2 more quilts.... they may not look like baby quilts, but I love to use up the fabrics that I have and try to "babyify" them....

The first one is different because it uses a large piece of a dominant print, surrounded by a strip of leftover prints from an earlier quilt. I added the lighter border this morning- to increase the overall size, and because I think it looks better with a lighter edge.

The brightly colored 9 patch one uses a pattern that is new for me. I ran across this bunch of Laurel Burch fat quarters while I was making my bags for Haiti, and thought they would make a fun bright baby quilt. I love the playfulness of the Laurel Burch prints. The prints here are probably 5 or 6 years old, and I was just lucky enough to find an additional 1/2 yard on ebay to add as the final border, to tie the idea and prints together.

Now, it's off to Sally, the incredible machine quilter who finishes my quilts with batting and backing. Then I cut a matching strip 3" wide, iron it in half, and machine stitch to the top edge. I whip stitch the other side by hand. (I do this while watching tv in the evening, when I'm too tired to do anything else !) ha ha !

Bags for H A I T I

2010-02-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

I saw the tutorial about the bags for Haiti and remembered putting similar items together in boxes as a child. I don't remember who they were for, but I vividly remember the process, and loving it !!!!

I started making the bags out of my "stash" fabrics for my quilts, and I guess I just couldn't stop. ( It's like my mother used to say, "It's like eating salted peanuts") Anywho- I started sewing the bags and before you know it I had over 50... Then I made some smaller bags, just because I had some fat quarters of material that I couldn't figure out what to do with...

I found the items that were needed, and my sister, Linda, helped out with the granola bars, and toys, as well as other items that we had run out of.... My wonderful dentist, Dr. Michael White in Webster Groves, was kind enough to donate more than enough of the toothpaste tubes to fill all the bags, and then some !!!! THANK YOU BOTH SOOOOOO MUCH !!!

We (my sis and I ) spent all day Wednesday filling and packing up the items for the kids and even some adult bags for HAITI. Now I have to make sure they make it to their destination, in Milwaukee, so they can be shipped to the kids who can really use the items...

Our newest venture is the making of "pillowcase" sundresses for the little girls of Haiti, and pillowcase aprons with pockets, for their moms... Also, diapers for the babies, which can be washed and re-used, over and over again. Can you Help?? DO you have a sewing machine, and would you love to do your part to help? If so, go to the website to see how to make some easy patterned dresses for the children who were victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

In our bags we included:

Washcloth

Soap

Toothbrush

Toothpaste ( thanks Dr. White !)

4 Granola bars

Toy and stuffed animal

Hard candy

Valentine Bags for Chase and Hunter

2010-02-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

Have had such fun making the ditty bags for Haiti (up to about 50 now) that I've been making other lined bags as well. I took my grand baby to the fabric store and let her pick out fabric for several bags for her and her sister. I didn't like the way the raw edge showed at the side of the casing, so I devised a way to tuck it under and clip to the seam to sew the side seam.

I measured 1" from the top edge, and 5/8" from the side and made a dot. I clipped the fabric to the dot and pressed under the little section. Then I sewed my casing, and pivoting on the dot, continued to sew the seam... If that's not clear, I tried to take a few pictures to explain how I did it.

I also made a few quilts for the Haiti children, and with the leftovers, I stitched some bags for my nephews twins, Chase and Hunter for Valentines Day... I filled them with "boy" type books, and crayons, coloring books, candy and stickers. They were out for the day, so I left a surprise for them when they got home. Such fun ! Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day !!!

Baumcat: Hope Ditty Bags for Haiti Children

2010-02-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

Baumcat: Hope Ditty Bags for Haiti Children

quilt of LEFTOVERS

2010-02-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

The whole idea of one of the earlier quilts was to use up scraps and make use of worn out dresses and other clothing. I had loads of left over strips, and squares from the quilt I made for my son's birthday, so I put them to use and made this lap quilt for him... He can keep warm watching football on these cold nights. I changed the pattern a bit, and added an additional small stripe- just to keep it interesting (for me- ha !) I just finished the binding so I posted it to share.

I had soooooooooo many leftovers from this one that I also made a small reversible version which I sent to my daughter, too.... Guess next time I shouldn't get so carried away buying fabric !!

thanks for the help!

2010-02-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

I'm going with curtain Number 1 !! Actually, that's the first one I designed, but then decided to "play" a bit. Everyone else seems to like number 1 too. I guess it functions as a "whole unit" better than the others, due to the repetition. Of course, as you can see, I need to do a lot more of these flying geese, and x shaped squares.... Just keep going, I tell myself, don't think about how many !!!

Quilt decisions !!!

2010-01-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

HELP ! If someone out there has an opinion on this, please let me know !

Sometimes when I make a quilt the piece can be assembled in various ways, making COMPLETELY different "looks", because the pieces form secondary patterns, which, in themselves can be either what you like, or distracting, or just look "disorganized" in a way,,,

I remember the first quilt I ever made, which was a logcabin design, back in 1987, when our family lived in Monterey, California. I remember laying it out on the livingroom floor, rearranging the pieces like a huge puzzle, until finally deciding how I liked the pieces put together. (My daughter still has that quilt, and even with it's old dated colors of mauve and blue, she loves it and won't stop using it)

Anyway, this red and white are rather "involved", if you know what I mean. The pieces are very small and intricate, and involve corner stitching, rather than just parallel or perpendicular seams. They are also challenging because I need so many pieces. I started out with a baby quilt in mind, but reallty loved the way it looked so much that I decided to make a full comforter for Gracie, when she gets a big bed at my house.

Okay, so here's the gist... Do you like the pattern of the smaller pieces in picture 1, 2, or 3 ?

There are subtle differences, and the pattern will look different overall if they are moved around. I have 16 boxes for each square, and each box contains two sections of "flying geese", if you know that term.

Which do YOU like ? thanks for your opinions- just leave a comment and I will appreciate it !

NEW QUILTS for NEW BABIES

2010-01-26T15:23:00.000-08:00

Two New Quilts--- 5--- NEW BABIES in 2010 !! Here are two quilts for two of them... (One is going to London with my daughter on Wednesday) So exciting for the brand new Grammies and PaPas, too !

One of these quilts is made from Mary Englebreit fabrics, and the other is a new pattern I've done only once before. Love trying something different for a change. --

Christmas outfits

2010-01-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of the outfits that I made for the baby girls for Christmas... I found some adorable selections of corduroys that I found irresistable, and made up four different ones.... I tried to complete the jumpers with matching tights and turtlenecks.... JoAnn's fabrics is a wonderful resource for patterns and fabric ! It's been so long since I've sewn little clothes, most of my recent projects have been quilts !! It was fun !

2009-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

This is the best I could do, I'm afraid... My camera was crying for new batteries, and of course I didn't have them with me.

The "SOIREE" at Recycled Rose was so much fun... All the artisans who make things for the shop were there with their "wares". We visited and talked to customers, and nibbled on homemade treats. Loads of people were there, and many did their Christmas shopping!

Lin had her wonderful boxes for Christmas, filled with decorated journals to keep track of all the Christmas happenings. Her wreaths were a real hit, made of recycled Christmas glass ornaments. They are stunning.

My niece, Carrie brought her beautiful "bling" -perfect for the holidays coming up ! Her children's clothes are precious, and soooo very unique. They range in size from 3-8. She also sells on Etsy, under the name Milly and Margo.... (Carrie Benkelman)

I painted on a portrait of Carries daughter, Margo, to show my process to those who wandered through the Christmas treasures. I also sell individual handmade vintage cards, and the altered mini-journals, as well as my decorative pillows.

Some of the wonderful items there are gorgeous jewelry by the "Con Artist", handmade sheep from felted wool, by Laurie, oh so sweet hand crocheted hats and things, womens very unique styled clothing, and all sorts of great vintage and handmade CHRISTMAS DECOR !!

Sorry, my camera was not ready to go with fresh batteries... I know the pictures would have been better to explain what fun we had !!

A Friday Thanksgiving ! Perfect !

2009-11-27T19:00:00.000-08:00

What a fun time we had today ! Baby Madison, Jeff and Arica's 6 month old , Grace Ann, and Katie stole the show, of course...

We had a full-fledged Thanksgiving Meal - Lin, thanks for the wonderful mashed potatoes, by the way !!! It was a gorgeous day, and we all ate until we were almost comatose from the triptophan. We missed having our Tracey, and Carrie, Michael, Margo and Milly, also, Chris, Sheila, Chase and Hunter, who are still sick. We hope the boys are feeling better soon.

Family is the BEST !!! Can't beat it ! it's fun "MAKING MEMORIES" for everyone !

Cookie Day

2009-11-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was our (my sister's and my) 3rd Annual Cookie Bake Day.
We got quite a lot done, and shared the morning with Milly, my sis's cute grand daughter. We managed to finish 4 types, with at least 2 more to go. If we make the double batch of rolled out sugar cookies that takes quite a long time, by the time they are all iced. We froze the finished ones, and after the next session we will put them on platters to give to our kids as early as early Christmas gift.... Hoorah !

Adam Lambert

2009-11-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

Adam, Your performance on the American Music Awards was a disappointment. So many people that I know really thought you were great. We certainly were fine with your lifestyle preference, and loved to watch your performances on American Idol, waiting to see what you would come up with next... You have overstepped the line now though, I'm afraid. Most do not want to see sexual innuendo taken to this extreme, and certainly you did things that would never be considered acceptable, whether from the heterosexual or homosexual entertainer.

I guess you went overboard just to get talked about, and create a stir, as you always did on the Idol show. If that is the case then, that is what you did, and maybe this is the reaction you were trying for. I really would love to see you come back and tone it down some, so that we can the great singer develop into the true talent that I think you are ! Think About it !

MINI JOURNALS

2009-11-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the new altered mini journals I've been working on for Recycled Rose in Glendale. They are little blank journals that I collage to sell as gifts or to use to jot reminders, or to do lists.....

I first sand and paint all four surfaces, and cover with background papers that I have selected. Each front, back and the inside covers becomes a small collage with mostly vintage images that go along with the theme of the book. I embellish the images and tie the idea together if I can to give it cohesiveness. These have been lots of fun to do, and they are selling quite well, earning me a bit of extra cash to put back for Christmas gifts !! ho ho ho ~~

SPAIN

2009-11-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few picture of our trip.... I was only allowed to download 5 of them, so I posted again. The picture of Bus and I , we took of each other at the airport, right before our flight to Dallas, where we boarded another for our 9 hour flight to Madrid !

GO TO THE NEXT POST<>

The rest of them are various scenes of our travels !

Spain- So Much Fun

2009-11-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

We really didn't know exactly what to expect from our trip to Spain, but were pleasantly surprised at all the great things to see and do there. It was quite easy to get around, too.
We took all public transportation, and cabs, from time to time, and we navigated the cities with relative ease. First leg of the trip was 4 days in Madrid, then 3 in Barcelona, Valencia, for 4 more, and then back to Madrid for the final 3 !

We took in the major museums in Madrid, and saw the famous artwork, which is "my bag", but hubby, Bus, loves the museums and all the art, too !!

We walked the beach in Barcelona, and took the Metro to the beach (a five minute ride) in Valencia. That city was so fun, because the day manager at our hotel was so excited about his city, and shared that excitement with us.... So, we saw all of his recommendations, and then some !!! We stopped in all the beautiful squares, and parks for cerveza (beer) or wine, and they always serve you tapas (usually a free little appetizer) or we would eat a full-fledged meal. We both ate loads of seafood, since it is caught right there, and I, for one, had lots of calamari !

Guillermo, our hotel manager, had some great conversations with us, and promised to email me, I even took his picture, cause he for sure wanted me to paint him !!

The last 3 days in Madrid were in a completely different part of the city than where we were before. We stayed in a converted Palace, and had, what we figured, were 15 ft. ceilings in the rooms... we had a balcony which opened into the busy plaza, teeming with activities and people. We were within a block or two from the Plaza del Sol, with streets that have been closed to traffic, and loads of shops and restaurants, and mimes, of course.... I took a couple picture of them.

We had so much fun--- The combined 8 years of Spanish we had taken years ago was only a little bit helpful, but was enough of a help for Bus to pick up the newspaper, and read the articles on sports, getting the gist of the text..... I would recommend this trip and these cities to ALL of you-- if you are at all interested in Spain, DO IT ! You'll love it like we did !!

2009-11-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

On our latest trip to Spain, I documented with pictures, but also, every night I journaled, and tried to use the scraps of this and that, as well as drawings of some of the memorable sights.... The finish of the book fell exactly in the right spot of the concertina fold reversible book I found at the thrift shop before I left. I first added a bit of watercolor, and used approximately one page per day...

I'll post photos later of our journey--- Buenas Dias !

More...

2009-11-02T10:08:00.001-08:00

New (OLD) box with sectioned off treasures. This is for sale at Recycled Rose in Glendale.

NEW ARTWORK-

2009-11-02T05:21:00.000-08:00

NEW Artwork... IMAGINE THAT !!!!

I know I've been bad about posting, and I promise to get back in the groove... It's just that we got a new computer, and I'll be darned, but I couldn't seem to get the hang of the picture processing thing, and so I got frustrated and let it slip.... I'M NOW DETERMINED TO FIGURE IT OUT-- even though it is still a bit confusing, and far as how to retrieve the pics....

Here are some of the newest cards I've been working on. Some are at Sue's shop in Glendale, on Sappington, "Recycled Rose" and there are a bunch more, too.... I've had a lot of fun with the old images and texts.... I love the old photos, too... I love to imagine the people in them and what their lives were like, and what they are thinking and doing.....

2009-11-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from the recent trip to visit Buff in San Francisco..... We had a great time, staying at the B and B which we have stayed at two other visits.. It's called the Grove, and is run by Claus, who is German, and very cordial.. We always have fun at his breakfast, where we meet people from around the globe... We met Russ, from Vienna, and Joel from Zurich, as well as a woman from Atlanta, and a nice couple from Michigan. We rented a car and went to some fun restaurants with Tracey. The first place she took us for lunch was so special. They are known for their Beignet (French doughnuts) and they were scrumptious. We went to the new San Francisco Science Center with a fabulous aquarium, and wonderful Earth Science displays and exhibits. We always have to have seafood at Alamo Square Grill one of the nights we are there. It's directly across the street from the Grove B and B, so that makes it so fun! Also, the highlight of our visit was going to Tracey's friends' house, Heidi and Jim, to listen to her cousin's wife serenade us with her classical guitar. She plays all around the world. She had just finished a concert in Los Angeles, and was on her way to Norway for a concert, so she was kind enough to stop by SF and entertain us. SHE WAS FABULOUS !!

A quilt for Madison

2009-07-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

My nephew and his darling wife just had their first baby, a precious little girl... This is the quilt that I made for her. It's a bit larger than the others, which I think will come in handy when she gets a little older, and it's also a new pattern for me. I was pleased at the final result after Sally and quilter finished with it... the binding fabric was a lucky find- it matched well, I think.

Jimmy's birthday quilt

2009-06-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

Our oldest son, Jimmy, had a birthday a few weeks ago. It was a gathering of family for the traditional crableg dinner, and 4 types of homemade cookies, rather than the birthday cake that most are accustomed to, but which were the request of the honoree.... We had a fun time, and I gave Jim the quilt that I had been making for him.
The quilt was made up of many Japanese style batik printed fabrics, in a masculine style of pattern and quilt stitching that will even stand up to the likes of Jim's dog, Castor, who has been known to lay himself down on the bed on occasion... I was happy with the results. It's a queen size, which is 90" x 108", and machine quilted.

Group pics @ Bella Vista

2009-05-22T07:10:00.001-07:00

Fun time in Bella Vista

2009-05-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time in Arkansas, with our old friend, Judi, and her new hubby Paul... We were privileged to meet new friends, Ellen and Gene, from North Carolina, and Bobbie and Mike, from California. We all had a week of golf, great food, great conversation, and a super get-together...
Thanks Judi and Paul, for including us--- we had a ball !

Ellen is very involved with a great organization called "Project Linus", which collects hand made blankets of all sorts (knitted, crocheted, quilted, etc.) to distribute to those in need... They do a great service, by giving a needy person a gift that shows that someone truly cares for them...
Ellen shared some very touching stories of the people she has met along her journey. We can all be inspired by her dedication and commitment.....

Bye Bye Guys !!

2009-05-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Graduation stimulated me to give out some portraits as graduation gifts... I will miss looking at the faces on my studio walls... They have become part of my environment, but the paintings have served their purpose, and "schooled " me in the art of the portrait, so they must be on their way !!!
All the recipients were delighted with their gift, and the best gift to me was the fact I learned that three, YES, actually 3 !!! of my former students, who I painted, WILL GO TO COLLEGE TO BECOME ART TEACHERS !!! WOW ! It made my day, and year !!

Yeah, Mehlville High--- I loved being part of the lives of the students and faculty there ~~

Spring Cleaning ?

2009-05-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Me and my sis worked for almost 6 hours on our booth at the Antique Mall. We rearranged, straightened, cleaned out loads of stuff, and generally spruced the place up !! Lin rearranged the upper shelf to create a theme, using vintage aluminum on most and childrens things , too. It looks great, I think. Somehow, moving things around seems to stimulate sales.... Hope it works !

2009-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

On September 30, 2008, the unthinkable happened at Mehlville Senior High School. A darling, smart, sweet, and beautiful girl, named Ashley Marsters collapsed an died from a severe heart condition. She was sitting in her art class, in room 345, with fellow students, and her teacher, Kristen Kleyer. Ashley had previously been diagnosed with a heart condition, but her parents were told that she could not be operated on for it until she reached 18 years old.
Of course, the family, students, and faculty were in shock, with counselors trying to help grieving fellow classmates. The students and teachers decided to commission a portrait of Ashley and raised the money by collecting donations. I was asked to paint the portrait. I knew that it would be difficult, since I had never met Ashley, to obtain the type of "likeness" that would be required for this very special painting. Several photographs were sent to me, only one of which was suitable, but it contained two other people. I worked for quite awhile on the painting, and had to combine several images to finalize the hair, since much was covered in the photo I was using...
After finishing it, I had it framed in a frame which I thought would be a nice compliment to the portrait. I thought the piece should be presented to the parents- Ready to Hang...
It was a very solemn occasion, but a rewarding one. Meeting her parents and older brother, David, was a privilege.
I was most satisfied with the comments from her father, brother and mom who said it looked exactly like her. It was my foremost goal.
I felt good being a part of this, and watching the outpouring of love from the students, teachers and administration for this family. It also gave her family an opportunity to tell some stories and memories of their beautiful daughter to the people who had gathered at Mehlville High School to honor her.

2009-05-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Surprise, surprise !

2009-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

After returning from a 2 week trip to San Francisco, my husband surprised me with a complete bathroom REDO ! It looks fantastic, although the pictures don't do it justice. It's hard to get a good picture, since it is such a small space, but it looks so much more up to date and nice !!
He told me later that he had the whole place in an uproar, with fixtures and tools in every corner of the house ! He had to figure out plumbing, wiring, flooring, and walls, as well as decorating it, too ! His color picks are so great, with new fixtures, beadboard, trim, and matching towels, rugs, and shower curtain, too !! I'm so proud of all the great work you did ! Way to go , Bus !!!

2009-04-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Fun

2009-04-22T20:13:00.001-07:00

Two weeks in San Francisco- don't ever let anyone tell you that it is warm there.. it is breezy and the air is generally moist and cool to cold !! take a heavy coat !! But it was such fun ! My daughter and I just "hung out" and had fun, as well as working to fix up her new (old) apartment. It needed painting and sprucing up, and we put together lots of IKEA furniture ! he ! We rented a car for a couple of days, but usually we were on public transportation, which means bus or train (BART) and I can tell you, that is an experience. I'll be posting some of the adventures, so I'll start with a few of the choice pictures.... It REALLY is a beautiful city !!, and the architecture is out of this world ! Thanks, Buff, for showing me such a great time !! I love you !

42 and counting

2009-03-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

Recently we had an anniversary, in fact, it was on St. Patricks day !! (St. Patricks day was not as big a deal as it is nowadays !) Anywho, the first year anniversary my husband brought me one single rose, to commemorate our year together, and the following year it was two.... well, never could he imagine the 42 long stemmed roses that this year would barely fit into the vase... they were truly gorgeous, and I love them !! (and the man who gave them to me!)
p.s.- that other handsome man is my sis's husband, Roger....

Aussie girls

2009-03-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here are two new portraits that I just finished of my friend, Marlene's grandbabies... They live in Australia, so I wasn't able to take my own photos. That makes it more difficult, because I have something particular in mind about how the finished painting should be, and that just changes the process a bit. There are certainly times when it's just impossible, though...

Marlene will have all 4 of her grandchildren's portraits now, because last year I completed the two grandsons...

We'll miss you, Christy !

2009-03-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

We went to a very sad funeral today for a fun-loving friend, Christy.... She was taken too soon from us all, and makes us realize how precious each and every day is ! Christy was a great mom, and a wonderful, caring wife. She was a funny, charismatic, dry witted friend. She was fun to be around, we traveled many places together, with couples, and with "the girls"
Christy, we had no time to say "goodbye"- let us all take the time to tell those that we love how important they are to us. You made our lives a little richer for knowing you ! We will miss you, Christy

Eddie (Skagetti)

2009-02-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

Here is our wonderful, sweet, funny, entertaining, mail carrier, Eddie Tappen. He, for so many years kept the neighborhoods around Kirkwood, Glendale and Warson Woods alive with his presence. Never would a day go by without the laugh, and joke of Ed the Mailman !!! Sometimes we would kid him about talking so much to people that his route would take him extra long to deliver the mail.... He forever would tease my husband about his golfing, and then he would say to me,"I guess he's out "working"today, right?" and then laugh... The joke between the two of them would ALWAYS end up with the phrase, "Hey, man, I've Got Your Back!!!"
Well, Eddie was supposed to retire last June, but due to circumstances he was not able to, anyhoo, I had taken a photo of him for a portrait, and then decided to give it to him when He Actually DID retire... well, long story short, I presented it to him for a Christmas present in 2008 ! In early February Eddie had some heart trouble, and will have to have a bypass operation. We Miss him terribly, and his smiling face !! Such a wonderful person! We all hope to see you again, soon, and wish you all the best!! You ARE the best !!
Here's Eddie with his portrait, and the painting in the process....(Eddie Skagetti is our nickname for him)

Booth 10C and 13C at the Antique Mall !!

2009-02-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

My sissy, Linda, and I have a double booth at the Great Midwest Antique Mall in Eureka ( on the outer road next to 6 Flags ) We spend lots of time searching the sales and thrift stores for goodies that we think might sell for a bit of profit.. We usually paint, fix, glue or clean some items, and others just need a bit of TLC. It's hard to keep the booth looking great, since we don't work there all the time, but Friday we spent the day painting the walls. Roger, Lin's hubby, was nice enough to build us a shelf which goes around the booth at the top, and gives us so much more display space-- thanks, Rogie....
Anywho... we were there all day Friday, moving, painting, and rearranging our "merchandise" which spruced everything up a lot !! Then we added a few new lights, and a rug, to complete the "homey" feel... We were proud of our results, take a look !!!

Catchin' UP

2009-02-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Lots of happenings. A trip to Savannah, and side trips as well... A night out with the fabulous voice and visuals of the magnificent Celine Dion ! What a voice ! Other than that, just getting used to having my daughter gone again... She's found her way back to SF and sounds like she is getting settled just fine! She was even able to snag a great apartment in the same building where she resided 3 years ago ! She has many wonderful friends in San Francisco, and that gives her much joy ! Still Miss YOu, Buff !

I miss you !

2009-01-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

My daughter has spent a year in St. Louis. (she hails from San Francisco, where, it seems she's "left her heart") She has lived with her brother, down in the Soulard area, and spent the last month or so with her ole Mum and Dad.... (I talked her into staying for the holidays, at least)
Anyhoo, she's had a bit of time getting to know her niece, Gracie, and then the little one, Kate, and has spent some quality time with both, I can assure you. (I love to watch her with the little ones) During that time she has worked as a free-lance photographer, photographing weddings for several companies, as well as for herself, and working on projects of that sort.... She has gotten her website up and running, and up to date, as well.
It has been such a fun time for me, and now I've put her in the minivan cab to take her, her bicycle in a big box, and her backpacks, to the airport to send her back to her new adventures in the Sunny state of California, once more..... While making my homemade cauliflower soup, with Vermont Cheddar cheese, last night, I missed her S O ! It was so fun to have someone to cook with, laugh at stupid stuff with, try new things with, learn stuff with, and most of all S H A R E with..... I Miss You, Buffer !!!- but I realize you must follow your dreams, and pursue the life and adventure that is such a part of you ! I love you so, and wouldn't have it any other way, but I can't help feeling a little pang of loneliness when I look at your computer and the empty chair where you spent so many hours.... Mom

Christmastime....and Thanksgiving shots, too

2008-12-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

Somehow the pictures that Grammy takes, are usually of the little ones. Go Figure ! I do, occasionally get an adult in there, for a change. Here are a few from the gathering for the Thanksgiving feast, and the rest are Christmastime...

Holiday festivities....

2008-12-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

Friday and Saturday were nights of great food, and fun. Will Green, Jim's brother, came in from Iowa, and we haven't seen him for years, so he wanted to get together. We truly enjoyed the great meal, and atmosphere of "Portabella" restaurant in Clayton.... The food was outstanding, and we had time to catch up on news and do some sharing. We had fun seeing Will, and finding out what he's been up to. Cindy and Jerry talked about some of their recent travels, and Judi and Paul shared a bit about all their Christmas plans with family. ---- if you go there, try the rainbow trout with pistachios, and the sauted spinach---- out of this world- everyone loved their meal !

Paul fits right in...

2008-12-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

Judi and Paul are in St. Louis for their family gathering at Trent's house, so we all got together at our favorite restaurant, Kirkwood's Amicis--- the greatest Italian food around !! We usually try their "specials" or the tuttomare or penne vodka, and love the salad.... their pizza is great, too... We take all our friends there, and have never been disappointed..... They do an amazing business, even in this time of uncertainty in the market, etc.. I guess folks still like to go out for a great meal !!
We laughed and joked, and had a great time... We even got 4 desserts, and passed them around the table for everyone to try !!! togetherness !! ha !

2nd Annual Christmas Party--

2008-12-13T08:54:00.001-08:00

What fun... Loads of great stuff to nibble on, Lots of funny stories to tell, Lots of things to reminisce about, and then the most fun-- The CRAZY FUN bunko game (each person provided at least 4-6 crazy, regifted, Goodwill, or White Elephant gifts to share... Some of them were acquired at the party last year !) tee hee...
After the "taking of the gifts" from one another, We circle the room with the unwrapping, one at a time...(we love to drag it out !) The Ziggy theme was Jennifer's, and we all loved our Ziggy stuff ! They get funnier every year ! Thanks, for coming and sharing your joy and laughter with me ! I had a great time, too !

Ka, Ka, Ka, Katie !

2008-11-27T08:50:00.001-08:00

Here she is wide awake.... What a precious little bundle she is. She looks like her big sister, Gracie !

New "boys" for Christmas...

2008-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Brad and his partner Michael are back in Dallas, again... Unfortunately, Santa Fe was not the retirement "dream" they had hoped it would be, so they're back in "big D", and have adopted two new babies to keep them company. Aren't they adorable?! (Brad is hubby Bus' younger bro)
I had a dachshund when I was 12 years old, named "Gretchen" and she was the love of my life for a long time !!
These two little boys are named Cole (the black one, who weighs in at 3 pounds) and his bigger brother, Clay (the brown one, of course, who is a whopping 4 pounds) They won't get much heavier than double their current weight, and are just too darling for words... I'm glad it's not ME that has to potty train them, though. ! Good luck, guys !

Always loved to BAKE !!

2008-11-21T01:42:00.000-08:00

I've always loved to bake.... Cookies, cupcakes, brownies and cakes, biscuits, cornbread, even coffeecake !! In all the years I've been married, though, I don't believe I've ever made my mom's recipe for Black Walnut Cake.
I run across the handwritten 3 x 5 cards every once in awhile, but never have gone to the trouble-- before yesterday, that is. For one thing, it calls for Black Walnuts, which are hard to find ( I'm not sure why) and it also specifies Cake flour, instead of regular, which I never have on hand. The third obstacle was the baking pan, which is a tube pan, but Not a bundt pan. Anyhoo, I saw the black walnuts one day at Dierbergs, and decided to take the leap.... I even purchased a special pan at Viking for the task ! Another trip back to the store for the cake flour, which I had forgotten to get, and then one final one, because I was totally out of butter, and needed a cup of it !
My grandbaby sat up in her highchair watching me mix the batter. I'd like to teach her to love to bake, too, someday.... You finish the batter by folding 4 whipped egg whites into the batter. It looked just the way I remembered it did when my mom used to make it. (She was an excellent cook in every way, I think!)
Here's the recipe. Maybe you won't wait 40 years to try it ! Ha !

Black Walnut Cake

Sift 2 cups sugar
Beat until soft 1 cup butter

Add the sugar gradually. Blend these ingredients until they are very light and creamy. Beat in one at a time:
4 egg yolks
Sift before measuring: 3 cups cake flour. Resift with 3 tea. bakingpowder. Add these ingredients in 3 parts to the butter mixture alternately with third of :
1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk
Beat the batter until it is smooth after each addition
Beat in:
1 tea. vanilla
1/2 tea. almond extract (optional) ( I put it in )
1 cup chopped nut meats
Whip until stiff but not dry:
4 egg whites
1/8 tea. salt
Fold them lightly into the cake batter. Bake the cake in greased loaf or 8 in. tube pan in a moderate oven 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or ice with carmel icing.

RBFC- girls gone wild (well, maybe not soooo wild, ha !)

2008-11-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

-Our RBFC (Retired Best Friend's Club) was missing 2 members, Marlene, and Kris on Wednesday, but we had to carry on !!! WE MISSED you guys !
We had our usual meeting at the Bread Co. and then headed off for the St. Louis Art Museum for a little art history lesson in the contemporary galleries on the top floor. We ran out of time and have to go back to catch the Pollock and De Kooning exhibits in Sculpture Hall. Anyway, we headed to the Central West End and the B O W O O D Cafe, with the nursery attached... The cozy little restaurant has just been open for 3 months, although the Nursery part has been there for 3 years !
We had a nice lunch and shopped among the greenery. I purchased a huge Amaryllis bulb, which is beginning to sprout, and should bloom, perhaps, by Christmas. A very fun time was had by all. Here you will see Joyce, Jan, Lisa and Sandy enjoying the company, the food, and the sights !
--- Next month we planned a luncheon at the Robust restaurant, and a matinee of the movie, "Australia" with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Fun out with my peeps...

2008-11-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

We had a little birthday get together, and I got to visit with my good buddies... It's so hard to find time while you are teaching, as Julie and Suzy still do... I miss them ! We've been planning a night out for the last year to see the Celine Dion concert- Unfortunately, the diva had to cancel due to sore vocal cords...
Hey, Celine, we'll catch up with you in Feb.! Rest your voice for awhile...

B I R T H D A Y 's Aren't so bad,,,

2008-11-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

I had one of those memorable days which add to the sum of your years !! Birthdays sometimes make you feel old, or at least older, but when you have a wonderful family like I do, they are not so bad...
I feel so blessed with a fabulous husband of 41 years, a dear and darling sister, 3 fabulous kids, the best daughter-in-law in the world, and the most lovable and precious grandbabies anywhere !! I feel so lucky the "number" for my birthday doesn't mean a thing !! Super great friends top off the list, and make me feel so special. S O B L E S S E D !

Just like "Papa"

2008-11-07T05:30:00.001-08:00

Grace kept us "in stitches" yesterday with her antics !!
She is watching every move you make, and when Grandpa reads the paper he always wears his reading glasses. She climbed up on the couch, brought a section of the paper with her, and then promptly wanted glasses, too. I ran for the camera, and Grandpa and I got considerable fun watching.
I finally found a pair with clear glass lens, and she wore them around for half an hour, too ! Too funny !

Yes We Can, and we DID !!!!!

2008-11-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

click any image to enlarge
After spending a day canvassing for Obama in the city on Monday, Tracey and I worked outside the polls on Tuesday. It was a beautiful, but long day giving support to our candidate by greeting voters and answering questions at the polls. We worked outside of the Meramec Elementary School with some dedicated Democrats, including Sha'Ron and Monzel... We found both of them delightful, and full of hope and enthusiasm on this day of monumental change for our country. We were able to meet so many great people, and share with them our hope for a better America to come.
Tracey was able to attend the celebration at the Chase Park Plaza. I was so tired and hungry that I went home, after the polls finally closed. While watching the election returns with my hubby, whose father was appointed to a post by Missouri Democratic Governor Warren Hearnes years ago, we celebrated along with the crowds across this nation in the choice of Barack Obama for our 44th President ! --SO INCREDIBLE --
Hopefully we will ALL work to achieve the changes we need in this country to make us strong again ! It can't help but give us all hope to see how change can occur for the better with he work of EVERY group in our nation working together !!!!

28 year friendship

2008-11-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

click image to enlarge
It's been a year since our old group of friends has gotten together... Judi has met and married a wonderful man named Paul, and we had the opportunity to gather and get to know him a bit. Judi's children, Trent, with wife Julie, and Trisha, with her husband Boyd, had a great party to introduce Paul to the St. Louis connection... We had so much fun, sharing grandbaby pictures, catching up with what's going on in our lives, and just generally having lots of fun and conversation... Trent's home is beautiful, and everything was so delightful. The day couldn't have been nicer. We were inside and out, and enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks, guys !

"Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat..".

2008-11-01T19:22:00.001-07:00

Halloween is getting to be such a big holiday...

Grace had more fun this year, but only went Trick or Treating to 2 houses, because some of the costumes and masks were JUST A BIT toooooo scary for her. She had fun, though in her Bunny suit (not like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story") Kate slept through the whole thing !!

Shabby Chic baby's room

2008-10-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures of the chest of drawers and the new paint job in Gracie's room. The cottage white furniture is very fun. Her Daddy put up a chair rail, and Grammie still has some curtains to make, but it's coming right along ! Both of her Grandma's got that painting job finished in no time !!

Our new little Haynes-- Welcome Katie !!

2008-10-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Katherine Marie, aka "Katie" is such a sweet little thing..... Her mommy and daddy are so happy with their little family !!!--- WE LOVE YOU KATIE !!

RBFC- adventures !

2008-10-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

The new and exciting adventures of the RBFC (Retired Best Friends Club) continues with it's first scheculed get together.... We met at the So. County Bread Co., and then several members went for a long walk in the park. After the walk, some joined in and went for a "house tour" of Lisa's and Durwood's fabulous new home, overlooking the Mississippi River, with so many wonderful added features. My favorite was the "project" room, which is a wonderful cabinet and countertop filled room with storage, and water supply, and it will eventually have two large electric saws installed for Durwood's carpentry work. Lisa plans to cut fabric, sew, and work on her stained glass projects there. Also, their garage was something to behold, with places for at least 6 vehicles, including their boats, antique car, two motorcycle thingies, and lots of room to spare. The decks on the back of the house which overlook the river bluff are wonderful, and most of that side of the house is glass..... They have added a fire pit, to sit and drink a glass of wine and watche the river in the evening, how romantic. Unfortunately, no pics of the wonderful space, you'll have to let your mind imagine the view...
After the tour, we headed to Kimmswick for a wonderful time on the porch of the Blue Owl, enjoying their home cooking !!!

Next month it's Joyce's turn to plan our event !! (We MISSED you, Kris !)

New baby sister

2008-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at 1:48, Gracie's new baby sister was born ! Momma and baby are doing fine, and baby is precious! Grandpa and I kept Grace entertained while Mom and Dad were very busy at St. John's Mercy Hospital.... We got to get a peek at her and hold her for awhile . She was only 4 hours old ! WELCOME , precious baby girl ! We love you already !

Marty's debut show

2008-10-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

A former art student of ours, Marty Ryan, had his first one man show , which opened at a Maplewood gallery on Friday night. My good buddies, Julie, and Pat and I met at Schafly's mini brewery, and then went to the opening. Other Mehlville teachers, Judy, and Sue were there, also.
We were all so proud of Marty's accomplishment, and his drive to include 100 paintings in the exhibition. All of his work showed very expressive imagery, and use of vivid color. His inner thoughts were his subject, and he showed great courage to put himself out there the way he did.... His work was all on canvas, and he uses acrylic for his medium. They varied in size and approach to the subject, with images ranging from landscape, to floral to portrait... He sold quite a few, too, and had an EXCELLENT turn out !! Congratulations, Marty, Keep up that painting !!!

Our little dancer...

2008-09-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

Gracie and I love to dance... Well, to be honest, I've somewhat ambushed her, and made her watch dancing with me, HA! I love to watch , "So You Think You Can Dance", and, as a result, Gracie really seems to enjoy it now, too. (I don't let her watch other TV, I try as much as possible to give her actual hands-on experiences instead-- But this show is my one exception)
Anyhoo, she has a couple of "dance costumes", and I think she knows they are like the ones that they wear on the show, and yesterday she tried on her first leotard. She seemed to enjoy the whole experience, which includes looking at herself in Grammie's full length mirror..... WHAT A HOOT !!! She is such a JOY !!!

2008-09-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

The first official meeting of the RBFC (retired best friends club) took place with the charter members present, Kris, Lisa, Marlene, Joyce and Sandy,(and Gracie, too, as an honorary member) at the St. Louis Bread Company... Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008.
The purpose of the group is to live up to motto : Live Healthy, Spend Wisely, and Enjoy our time together.... We will meet each month to that end, with each member setting up the schedule for an event (walk in the park, trip to the zoo, a class, some other activity, or just a fun outing) It sounds like fun !! Here's our first official PIC, and the woman who took our picture for us, HA !
If you have a cool suggestion for us, just email me @ sanso46@yahoo.com
thanks, Sandy

2008-09-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Joe Biden comes to MEHLVILLE HIGH !!

2008-09-08T06:24:00.001-07:00

Joe Biden will be coming to MEHLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL !!!

Joe Biden will be there for an open forum discussion on Tuesday, September 9th. The assembly is open to the public... LOOK for the coverage on the news Tuesday Evening.... YEAH, JOE, and BARACK !! Here's hoping people are listening to your wonderful message, and will elect the two of you in November, to set our country on a better path !!!
I will try and leave a link for your informational website-- take a look !!

http://www.biden.senate.gov

2008-09-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

What a Game !!! Fantastic !! Full of energy and electricity in the air ...
First we went to a MIZ ZOU party at the Maulin's, and then the game later in the evening...
We had excellent seats, and during half time, our son Ted got us passes to go onto the field, and we loved it !!!
By the way, we saw over 90 points scored, and the Missouri University Tigers defeated the fighting Illini !!! A very close and exciting game !!

2008-08-19T06:39:00.001-07:00

click to enlarge

2008-08-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pics allowed !! Georgia and I went to have a soothing "detox wrap" on Monday... My first, ha !! It was very relaxing and is meant to work with the lymphatic system to cleanse the body of toxic chemicals through the skin... How do you know if it works, though ?? It makes you feel, and perhaps look, like a baked potato, or a burrito (thus, the NO PIX rule, ha ) Anyhoo, we enjoyed ourselves immensely, and then went for lunch at the Macaroni Grill, and then dropped in to the nearest Goodwill store for a look around... I found a few treasures, and so did she, and then our Day was COMPLETE !! HA !
(thanks, Melissa, if you happen by to see this.... great job !)

2008-08-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge

gRaCIE LOveS ANImalS !

2008-08-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Gracie loves to see the animals at the zoo, and at Grant's Farm.... We have gone both places in the last few weeks. She gets so excited when we back, I show the pictures to her on the computer and SHE LOVES THEM.... She recognizes the rhino, the elephant and the monkeys... she loves birds, too, and is thrilled to see them all... It's so much fun to be part of it with her, and teach her stuff !!

Fun at Maggiano's

2008-08-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Seems all we do is go out to eat.. tee hee, but THAT's REALLY NOT THE CASE !

Even so, here are some pictures of our evening with some great old college friends. Robert just had heart surgery, so this was his first big outing.... And he even got to have ONE glass of red wine to boot ! (After all, his birthday is tomorrow)-MAGGIANO'S restaurant is fabulous, with great tasting food, and huge portions !! They even recommend that you split orders, or even half orders, which we did... Plenty, believe me... and the salad, "the Maggiano salad", that is, has huge golf ball size chunks of blue cheese all through it. (We LOVE blue cheese at our house)
I made his favorite chocolate cake, which we had when we got back to our house after dinner...
The recipe is from http://www.epicurious.com and is called Chocolate Whiskey Bundt Cake
It is made in a bundt pan, with no icing, and it has coffee and 1/2 cup of Jack Daniels in it !
Since there was no icing, I served it with a little scoop of white ice cream (vanilla) ha !

the epicurious website is GREAT, for those of you new to the joy of online recipes. It's free, and so quick! You can even keep your selected ones in a file to reuse (on the site)

Old friends are best !

2008-07-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

New friends, Old friends, you remember the old girl scout song, don't you ? Old Friends are very comfortable, they make you feel at home in their presence. Tim and Pat are friends from our old neighborhood. We used to socialize almost every weekend with several of the couples there ! It's been 8 years since we've moved, but we manage to see these good friends from time to time, and catch up.... We also tailgate with them and some others when Rams Football season starts ups again (which won't be long) We started in their newly decorated livingroom, and ended up at Ted Drewes, with a wonderful meal at LaRussos in between..... What Fun !

Saturday Morning Adventures

2008-07-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday, my dear friend, Jennifer, and I decided to do some garage saleing. She has been a fan forever, and I needed to find more goodies to sell at the booth at the Antique Mall. Anywho, she picked me up at 7:15 and we took off ! I found lots of stuff, great bargains, and had a great time...
We finished up with a light lunch at Einsteins and then I went by to see her new kitchen at her house. I had to visit with the 8 cats, and husband Peter, too.
It was so fun getting to spend time with Jennifer. We used to teach together in the same room at school, and I miss seeing her and getting her sage advice. When she dropped me off I got to pick her brain about an oil painting technique called "glazing" which I'm now going to try on the latest portrait that I'm doing. Jennifer is a fabulous artist, in all mediums, and is now doing a lot of designing of rugs, and rug hooking.

2008-07-14T17:39:00.001-07:00

My husband and I attended a wonderful wedding on Saturday. The bride was the daughter of friends of ours, Dave and Diana Bussen. Brooke attended the Univ. of North Carolina, and had attendants in the wedding from all over the globe. The wedding was at the beautiful Graham Chapel at Washington University, and the reception was spectacular, at the Missouri Athletic Club. Everything was so lovely, but as is often the case, after about 5 or 6 pictures, my camera showed me the sign, "change the batteries" -- seems like it always happens... I do have a few of us at our table, with the beautiful white towering florals... The live music was incredible ! , a 7 piece band with talented vocalist, who did a great job ! The food was fabulous, too !

Tuesday instead of Wednesday

2008-07-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our outing yesterday to the Central West End for lunch, and to the St. Louis Science Center to the Omnimax theatre (finally) (I've been meaning to go to that for years!).. The show was about a mountain climber whose father died 40 years ago climbing the north face of the Eiger, a treacherous vertical top peak of the Alps. The son has been haunted with that memory, and challenges himself to conquer the snow packed mountain ! The screen of the Omnimax takes up the entire top of the inside of this amazing dome ! It's spectacular! You can imagine the photography of the snowy mountain range taken by helicopters, WOW !
We left there for a little lunch at the CWE and sat outside in the shade of an umbrella at Luluma..(236 N. Euclid)
We had a fine time, and finished with a cupcake at the cupcakery down the street, after checking out the cute little mystery book store tucked in on Euclid.... (The salad with roasted chicken was delightful !)
It would be so fun to live in one of those wonderful old 2 or 3 story homes down in that part of the city !! They are all so beautifully maintained and unique !

2008-07-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

The orangatans were so much fun to watch... that was last week, and the giraffe, the mother, had a two week old baby who was born at six foot one ! Adorable ! The ostrich was in the same pen and protected the baby, too...

Wednesdays with my daughter !

2008-07-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I have set aside the middle of the week to spend a whole day together, talking, exploring sites in the area, and sharing both a light breakfast, with our much loved coffee, and finally a bit of lunch !!
The last several Wednesdays have found us at the St. Louis Zoo, and the Shaw's Botanical Gardens, as well as today's visit to the unique St. Louis attraction, the CITY MUSEUM...
Every year my high school students were given the assignment to attend a museum or galleries, etc, and do 3-part project which included a visual, written, plus an oral presentation to the class, sharing their experience in the artworld outside the classroom. Many reports were done about the City Museum, but I, myself, hadn't actually been there for a good 7 or 8 years.... The place is AMAZING !! They have done Wonderful things, and the displays are INCREDIBLE ! The Museum is the brainchild of Bob Cassilly, a local artist and sculptor, with VISION and CREATIVITY beyond what most of us can imagine.
If it's been awhile since you have been there, or maybe you've never been there, PLEASE consider going... AND CERTAINLY take the kids (or grandkids) You'd LOVE it, and so would they !
Here are a few choice pics from the last few Wednesdays.....

Best year ever for the Oakleaf Hydrangea

2008-06-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

I put in this oakleaf hydrangea possibly 4 or 5 years ago, and I never remember it looking quite this wonderful... We DID have a rather mild spring, and the loads of rain have kept it from drying out, I suppose. Anyway, thought I'd post a couple of the backyard. (By working in the yard those delightful days last week, I got my worse case of poison ivy ever !) It's miserable !, and you'd think I'd learn to stay away from it ! I DO spray it with Round-up whenever I spot it, but must have missed some !
Here are a few other views of my deck, and garden, too.

GARDEN VIEWS

2008-06-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some views of our wonderful Botanical Gardens from Wednesday. My daughter and I started off at a cute little coffee shop on the "Hill", which was in a converted bank building, called Shaw Coffee.... Then we visited the gardens, trying to capture some images, and then a lunch in the Sassafras Cafe, with it's outdoor seating. THE DAY WAS DELIGHTFUL !!

Recent Stuff

2008-06-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

Aren't these cute? I recently found them and just sold them on ebay... I haven't sold much that way lately. Still busy with the house and other ventures. Our son Jim's birthday was this weekend, and the family came over for dinner, and lots of yardwork has kept me busy , especially when the weather has finally been pleasant.
I think these two porcelain figurines are possibly German. I found them in Perfect Condition.

Newest Paintings

2008-06-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

My newest paintings, a commission from a dear friend who just retired, These cuties are two of her darling grand children, and I'll be doing the two girls (who live in Australia) after I receive the pictures. I've been seeking out commissions for portrait painting lately, and have taken a few examples to display in Kirkwood and Glendale, at the Recycled Rose, a darling shop on Sappington Rd. The creative woman who owns the shop has such great vintage things there, as well as fabulous hand-made gifts and items for the home. Sue does the most fantastic flower arrangements and wreaths, also. Her shop is the place to stop in Glendale for a little charm and inspiration. She also has wonderful vintage and hand crafted jewelry... Sue is having a "Flea Market" on her parking lot on Sappington Rd. across from the Glendale Fire Station, this Saturday, starting at 10:00. She has arranged for 12 or so people to be there selling their things, It should prove to be REALLY FUN !!!!

Mehlville Summer Party at the Beach

2008-06-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

2008-06-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

You haven't heard from me for a few days or weeks, I guess, but I'm here, sorting out the various challenges that our 90+ year old house has lately decided to throw at us !!
First off, our central air conditioning "conked out" on us, leaving us with the choice of staying in this house for the long haul, and investing $8,000. in a new complicated a/c arrangement (it's in the attic, you see)...Next we woke up several days ago to find no hot water.... Our hot water heater would not light after 3 tries, and we finally realized it, too, would have to be replaced.
I still got to stay with Gracie, and instead of cooking our usual crableg birthday feast, we all went to the Miso restaurant in Clayton for sushi-- It was a delightful change, and I think we have made it over the worst in the house.....
4 window air conditioners are humming along, in different parts of the house, and a new hot water heater... I guess it says something about being flexible, because you certainly can't control some stuff, so you just might as well " go with the flow" and make the best of it.. HA !
Here we are for Diane's 32nd birthday,( We love you, Di Di) and a few choice one's of sweet baby Grace...

2008-05-29T06:34:00.001-07:00

Here's a few of the Savannah pictures....
The city, weather, food, and fellowship were so fun !!

Wrought Iron "touches" in historic Savannah

2008-05-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge pictures
These beautiful sculptural ironwork decorations are everywhere in Historic Savannah. I've tried to capture a few of them for you.
The Historic district is composed of mansions interspersed with wonderful Squares every block or so, completing the "grid" of the old city. The homes are fabulous, including the home from the family of Johnny Mercer, the famous lyricist (Moon River, and over 1,000 songs) . This home was the setting for the book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" where the true story of the murder took place. The book was later turned into a movie with Kevin Spacey. We also passed the beautiful birthplace of Juliette Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of America.
The architectural detailing on these homes is amazing, and they are beautifully maintained.
The surrounding area is alive with ART, as well, with the famous Savannah College of Art and Design popping up everywhere. Their campus seems to be the entire city, with locations all over, and galleries around every corner. We never saw an actual "campus" but all through the city there were buildings designated as S C A D .
This is the first of a few collages I will post about our fun adventure in Savannah!

I'm in Savannah Georgia !!

2008-05-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

We're at a friends condo on a little island off the East Coast of Georgia....
It's beautiful here, and in Savannah, especially in the Historic District. You'll get to see some pictures when I get home on Thursday, although I've already filled the card up on my camera. The art is so cool, and the design community and art community are very extensive. It's really getting hot, though, and it probably is no cooler in good ole St. Louie ! More to come, stay tuned !

2008-05-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

I love little birds, and collect them to arrange, and rearrange on my windowsill, to keep me company while I wash dishes... Here are a few new ones I found yesterday, to join the flock !

Mehlville Night

2008-04-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Last evening was Mehlville School Districts Recognition Night, where Educators, and all personnel are honored for years of service, and each of the many schools awards their, "Teacher of the Year" award. Jessica Riddle, a Mehlville High School art teacher, and my co-worker for years, and well as a former student of mine, was given that honor by her colleagues. I wanted to attend to give her my support and praise....
I felt like I had never left, and enjoyed the company of my very best buddies. We always had such fun together, and it was good to be a part of the group.
Mehlville has Six full time art teachers, with an outstanding teaching staff. The work that their students produce is fabulous. I always felt priviledged to be part of that elite teaching staff....
Here we are, with Vince Viviano, the head principal after the festivities...

Congratulations, Jessica ! We're all proud of you !

Book Club

2008-04-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun this week, at Sylvia's house ( striped shirt in picture) discussing our book club book, "Captains and the Kings" by Taylor Caldwell. It's a hefty one, at about 800 pages, filled with great characters, well developed and multi-leveled, and a story line which has been compared to the Kennedy family, although it is in fact, fiction...
I had read the book long ago after my dear Aunt Nita recommended it to me, and it has been my favorite book for a long time. One reason she had recommended it was because of the references to a world-wide Secret Banking organization, which supposedly controls lots of the politics, wars, and affairs of countries around the world. It is based on facts, and still is in existence today. It is "eye-opening " to read and think about. In fact, Sylvia mentioned during our discussion that Taylor Caldwell has been on the F.B.I. list of people investigated for many years. They have "kept their eye on her"
Since we are officially "Wine, Women, and Prose" I thought I would show us before the discussion in our "wine mode" tee hee. We always have a lively discussion, Barb keeps us all on track, and we enjoy hearing and sharing our ideas. !!

Debbie and Lacey

2008-04-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Here's Debbie, one of the secretaries at my old school. She's holding the picture of Lacey, her daughter, that she bought. Debbie works for Angelo, one of the 5 principles and Lacey was my art student 7 or 8 years ago in Drawing class. At that time Lacey had white blonde hair. Lacey now works at a wonderful salon in Webster called Naturally Pure, and she cuts my hair. She is an absolute doll, and talented..

Sisters "workin' together" and havin' fun, too

2008-04-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

This week my sister, Lin, and I worked a bit on our booth at the Antique Mall in Eureka. Lin is so good with rearranging, and Heaven Knows, we NEEDED to re arrange !! Anyway, we took some stuff home, and brought new things to sell, and both of us gave lots of the afghans away to the nursing home in Eureka, and they were happy about that... The folks there would have an understanding of afghans, we figured, and would know what went into making them.
We always have to go to lunch afterwards, and this time we tried a cute little cafe in downtown Eureka called, "Michelle's" and had a wonderful little lunch! Right on Main Street, worth a try !!

Here's Lin, with the cute convertible high chair I found, that converts to a desk when you flip it over. -- How unique and clever !!

Fun with Gracie

2008-04-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Gracie is so inquisitive... The last time I stayed with her, I had my usual tote bag full of stuff, my book, my projects, my camera, and other goodies, and she was so interested in it. I watched, as she took each item out, and had the most fun exploring !! It's so fun that they are always learning new things !!

Art, Art, and more Art !!

2008-04-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the portrait show came down, and there to help me was a former student, Godiva, who wanted to "shadow" me for the day for a school assignment. She is a very talented young lady, with wonderful artistic ability, and she wants to pursue a career in art. She will be attending either Washington Univ. or USC next fall, and is trying to decided between the two. ! - Not a bad choice to make, I'd say, either would be excellent !
We spent the day taking down the art, and then chatting over tea about the countless possibilities in the field of art. She is not interested in teaching, but rather combining her art with Medicine in some way, or possibly business. Lots of "food for thought" that can seem daunting when you are finishing High School and looking ahead to all the choices !!
We were joined by my daughter, Tracey, who echoed lots of my thoughts about getting started as an artist in the community, and then we took off for lunch !- Well, eating always goes so well with visiting !!! Anyway, we all had a fun time, and hopefully were a bit of help to Godiva....
Good luck to you, looking to the future ! Such a darling girl, and such an exellent student, you will surely be a success at whatever you choose !