Digital Photograph...the green building



When I first turned the corner and found this building I hit the brakes. Put my

car in reverse and backed up to get a

better look. I grabbed my camera and began to click off a few shots.  When I look

through my camera I sometimes see things

I might miss with just the sweep of my eyes.  I almost always envision what the buildings were used for, when

they were built, who might have

used them, how they were made. 

Little stories pop up

in my head.

I think this building was someones workshop. Their private space. 

Put together with found materials.

A door from here, a window from

somewhere else, an extra roll or two

of tar paper.  Electricity added.

The double doors on the side to get materials in and out,

and on nice days the doors were

probably opened to cool it off. 

This building has stories to tell.

Digital Collage...Angel

Finished Angel ! I used textured background from Jerry Jones - Thanks Jerry!!

First attempt of Angel. I used several textures, erased a few things, etc...

Original photograph of Angel.  I found her in a little church cemetery perched on top of a mountain outside of town. Please feel free to use this photograph if you would like in your art work.

This week I have decided to Make.  To Make some home made comfort food, to make a dent in my ever growing list of things that need to be done, to make a giant effort in turning my downstairs into a studio. To make some plans to visit my mother on her birthday, to make some plans to go to the beach to visit my friends who I miss like crazy, to make somebody in my life feel really special, to make some time for someone else even when I feel to busy, to make my bed a bed instead of a depository for books, magazines, clothes,etc. to make time to enjoy the little miracles in every day. Aww...that is enough for right now.  What will you make this week?

Quote #8...Make a Life

Four Letter Word...Make

The Problem with Remodeling...

The problem with remodeling, particularly the kitchen, is how to eat. We hit day five today and I woke up hungry.  I never wake up hungry.  It usually takes several hours for me to even remotely want to think about food.  Today was different.

Tomorrow, Monday, they start to grout all the tile. Then they seal the grout. I am so excited. I can not wait till everything is done. There is still the issue of putting all the doors back in, making sure they open and close properly, the stairs need to be finished and the bottom landing tiled. Then of course the paint needs to be touched up in a few places, and then the rugs can go down and the furniture finally put in place. The back deck needs to be scrubbed off where they cut the tile and mixed the mortar. Ooh it is a journey.

I have to remind myself that the counter tops have to be removed and replaced the following week. So maybe do not put the rugs down yet. Also, the cook top is to be replaced.  That means only oven cooking and no water for maybe two days in the kitchen. Ugh! I will think about that next week.

Meanwhile,I still have to eat this week.  Here are a few of the out to eat meals I
have had to suffer through last week and
this weekend.  I have been trying out the restaurants that are small and local. 
The food has been delicious!

Grilled Grouper Sandwich

A Gyros Sandwich

Fresh Grilled Trout

Sometimes I just feel like a big lunch and try to do peanut butter and jelly or cereal for dinner. I must say the fresh trout was delicious.  I am anxious to try it again.  I am thinking of investing in a good fishing rod and trying to catch my own.  Maybe this summer when the house is unpacked and I need a lazy day.

Digital Photograph...Locked up Tight

Banana Bread...Comfort Food

I am longing for Banana Bread.  Maybe it is the fact I can not get into the kitchen to make anything that is fueling this desire.  Or, maybe it is that I am just sick of bananas in my cereal and they are turning brown sitting in a bowl on my counter. It could be that for the past few days the only thing my house smells of is glue, mortar, and tile dust. Something warm and yummy would be nice to smell.

This is my favorite recipe for Banana Bread I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do. I use pecans instead of walnuts - just because. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

1/2 cup of Wesson oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs well beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup buttermilk/or sour cream

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil two loaf pans.

Cream oil and sugar; add the eggs and salt. Mix well.

Add flour and soda combined with buttermilk/sourcream.

Add bananas. Fold in the nuts.

Pour mixture into 2 loaf pans.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

When bread leaves sides of pan and toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.

This recipe easily doubles.

I eat one loaf and usually give one away.

Sometimes I slice and freeze the second loaf. 

A Little Royalty for You...

Princess Beatrice 1868

Princess Mary Victoria of Teck

Princess Victoria Eugenie

Princess Alice

Princess Marie Friedericke 1898

Kaserina

This week I thought I would give you some royalty. Many of them look like overdressed, normal people of their time.  Others seem quite regal to me. I have been watching Downton Abbey lately. [Thanks Mom for DVR-ing the show to share with me.] Both season 1 and 2 are being repeated. It is a bit like Upstairs Downstairs. The acting in it is suberb. The costumes are great. The house is so elegant. It is the best show I have seen in a long time. I am always blown away that an hour and a half have gone by so quickly. If you have a chance to catch it - go for it. Hope you enjoy this weeks freebies.

A Barn...Digital Photograph

Tearing up the house...

We have finally started.  They begin to tear up the carpet and find hardwood floors where I was told there were none. Surprise. I am afraid there are more to come. Hopefully they will be good surprises. In the background is Rick the tile guy. He is standing in part of my kitchen.

Here is the stairway off the family room/kitchen that leads downstairs to my Studio, the workroom and workshop, bathroom, large closet/storage room and garage. I am having them tile the bottom of the stair and pull off all this carpet. We kept out fingers crossed and Yes! there are beautiful hardwoods under the carpet. I can not wait to get rid of all of this carpet. It is so disgusting. Dirty, old, and attracts all sorts of grime. I have vowed not to have any carpet in my new house. Today it all goes!

Here is where the old kitchen met the family room. Sometime in the early 80's they tore that kitchen out, added a laundry area and built a new kitchen. Rather than deal with the floor they carpeted over everything and added some linoleum to the new kitchen. It is a hodgepodge of materials. It is time to create one space with one type of flooring.

Here is the fireplace in what was the family room soon to be part of my kitchen. I am going to put my table there in front of the fireplace. I want to have wonderful meals with friends and family in front of the fire.

The new sub flooring is in. This morning they started on the tile.  It should tie these two room into just one large space. When they finish with the tile floor the new counter tops, sink, cook top, lights, and bar stool area should be ready to be installed. I love the huge floor to ceiling window in my kitchen. My plants will go there on a lovely table.I have several bird feeders in storage that will look lovely out that window.

Thought I would share what I have been preparing for the past few weeks. I have been looking at flooring,lights, counter tops, cook tops, window blinds, upholstery material, the list goes on and on. Until the kitchen flooring is installed I have been at a wall. I cannot set up any of my rooms till I get all the extra furniture, boxes, etc. out of the way. My kitchen table is in my living room, etc... The furniture is being reupholstered while the floor is being laid. Soon, I can really set up house and get everything out of storage. It is a long journey. The great news is the weather has been fantastic. So warm. It feels like spring. I have bulbs coming up. I have no idea what they are going to be, but they are mine and I am happy. What is everyone else up to? 

Digital Photograph...Not all who wander...

Quote #7 - Home

Four Letter Words...Home

This week's Freebies ... Boys

Simply darling! Mom has spent a long time getting these boys dressed and their hair combed.



Now these guys look like they are alot of fun. They remind me of my boys getting together. Love the attitudes. I have a couple of chairs like these.





He looks as if he is just now growing in to himself. Love his hat!



Three handsome guys. I love the blanket they are sitting on. This could be one of our family pictures.

I love the little chair with the dog or lion on it. Because he is in black I wonder if this is a funeral picture. They often had the photographer around for funerals and weddings.

Yesterday I took a drive to go visit a couple of my boys and their ladies for dinner. As we finished dinner the waitress told us we had been her "most fun" table all month.  I am taking that as a very big compliment.  When we get together we tend to spend several hours enjoying our food and drink. Several desserts to share usually end the evening.  As I drove home last night I thought about how blessed I am to be able to spend these evenings with my boys. I hope you will find sometime to spend an evening with someone you care about.

Digital Photograph...The Red Barn

Sunday one of my sons and I went to the Pisgah National Forest. It was a beautiful day and the outside was calling us.  On the way home I spotted this little red barn. It reminded me of many red barns I have seen along the way. I hope you enjoy my version of "the red barn'.

A little light in your life...

I have lusted for this lamp ever since I saw it in a magazine. I bought the small version of this light from Ikea.  I had it installed in my studio in my new house.   It makes me happy everytime I see it.



Here is another picture of my large dandelion type light. At night it sends off these delicious shadows that look like flowers.  I adore it. My boys think it is way over the top!



I bought this lamp years ago at a church rummage sale.  It is from Italy and the base is Italian marble, with a brass base.  The lamp is handmade Italian pottery with the most beautiful handmade roses on it.

Here is a closer shot of it.  It is a tall lamp.  I keep it on the dresser in my bedroom.  I love the muted tones of this lamp, the elegant feel to it. It is very understated.

Here is a very close shot of the roses.  Aren't they beautiful? I love that they are lightly tinged with pink.  It is like having roses everyday!

I am slowly but surely getting things rolling in my new house. I have bought new counter tops, a new cook top, a new sofa, replaced most of the light fixtures and door knobs. Painted, painted, and painted. Still have two ceilings to go.  I am putting slate floors in the kitchen and familyroom. Bought fabric for nine chairs to be reupholstered. Lined more drawers, shelves, than I can count. Gone through 24 wardrobe boxes, sorted clothes, taken bags to Goodwill, and to a local consignment store. I figure another two weeks and most of the heavy work will be finished. Knock on wood. It is an adventure. Hope a little light shines on you...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Quote #6...Love is

Birds of Feather...Digital Photograph

Four Letter Words...Love

Around Town...

Thought I would share this owl, window, and cross with you.  I spotted this in downtown on one of the lovely old churches here.  I am always amazed at what you can see if you just look up.  Try it for a few days and see what I mean.

Living in the Mountains...

It has been almost two weeks since I left D.C. for my home in the mountains. I can hardly believe it. Yesterday as I ran a bunch of errands I thought to myself how lucky I am to live here. Every place has a view. Every day the mountains look different. Coming out of Barnes and Nobles yesterday I stopped and was overwhelmed by the contrast of the mountains and the retail stores.  This man stopped and asked if I was new here. I said yes, he laughed and told me he had been here almost thirty years and was blown away by the views on a daily basis. It never got old for him.  Now I ask you, how nice is that? I have found the people who live here want to be here.  It certainly makes them a lot happier. I hope you are having a "happy day".

Some Valentine Freebies for You...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I thought I would share some of my favorite postcard artist's work with you.  I love Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle's work.  Her children are so cute and sweet.  I think they are how she sort of saw the world - with sweet innocence.  Ellen's story is rather romantic and tragic all rolled into one.  We are so lucky so much of her work was not destroyed during the war. I hope you will enjoy these.

Quote #5...The Heart

Digital Photograph...Restoration Needed