I'll get that Thrash dog....

" Why do I have to wear this hat if Thrash doesn't? But I do look good, don't I?"

Now, I ask you, why can't my Thrash, sit still with his Santa Hat, like Rusty?

Fading Treasures

Everytime i go to my parents house and my childhood home, i stay in the old bedroom of my folks. And on the dresser, there is a twin set of pix - one of my mother's mother and one of my father's mother. My Russian granma and my Italian Nanny. The photos keep deteriorating so i took them this time, with the promise to return them , and will hone my photoshop skills trying to digitally capture them to preserve them. They are what my mom says are the last photos taken of them alive.
Granma and me in Rego Park NY
My nanny when we were at my Aunt's house.

One I barely remember and the other I remember well. but what i do remember remains in my heart forever.

Christmas 2007 - NJ, NY and PA

First stop on the Christmas tour was to NJ and Chris and Robins house. It was Chris's birthday, Matt and Angela, Em and Rob were there as well as Owen and Bella. The house was full, the dogs were playing and barking and Perogies were made and consumed. As you can see, we finally had the Tuxedo Convention with all the Boston's making merry. Christmas Eve day we got up and continued on to NY to celebrate Christmas with my parents.

Mom puts up a small Christmas tree now, but it goes in the same place as when I was a child - in the front window! Just the sight of it brought back good memories and happy childhood times, when Santa came and left all sorts of presents for me to play with.


The day after Christmas we started back towards home, with a stop in Bethlehem PA. Christine and her mom and dad, Alexandra her daughter and Bill, her Sig Other all were there and again, copious quantities of yummy food were in abundance. after dinner, we played Launch Uno, with Alex some how winning every hand.
All in all a lot of traveling, but we got to spend all the special days with family and dear friends. But the holidays are not over yet!

If you don't like it, "re-gift it"!

Ruby seriously wants to downsize, that is why she lives in a trailer park. So getting something for just the sake of someone giving you something...well, can you say - "re-gift" .

the new policy...NOT

Why can't people just publish annexes or changes ? sigh, spare me the drama.

Halllmark find

I've seen this saying before, and thought it was cool. But I think during this holiday season, it might be a good thing to say this to that one special person of which this is true. Don't wait till its too late.

rent that movie

You have to take care of yourself! and if folks disappoint you, still forge ahead and make time for yourself!

Christine, enjoy your me time!

Ruby and pals...creative thoughts

The other day a work friend was looking at my blog and some of the art and cartoons. She commented too on my frame for my fridg magnets and was amazed, said i was 'creative' . As i thanked her, she said something that has made me think a bit. "You know that is a God given gift". And for the first time I said , I know, and felt like I am not wasting that gift any more.

SnowHood, part 2

Our intrepid crew creates a phat looking snow man, down in the hood.

Frogs in Art

Jen - Here are the tiles for you. Bonus tile as well ! Ribett, Ribbett!

Corporate Strangeland

OPen door policy means basically one thing to military types as well as many corporate leaders and managers. So when we were told we had an open door policy, imagine my confusion when they meant our doors, and blinds. Wait till i have another conference call and put it on speaker! :-) Sometimes, people can be so 404

"Life is Good" in Strangeland

I know you all have seen the T-shirts, tire covers, hats, mugs and just about anything else, with the moniker, "life is good" on it and some cutsy little character, dog or something on it. Well Ruby wanted to make her own statement. Perhaps not too Christmasy, but you know Ruby, she speaks her mind! Always.

Things I have been working on..

Frog tile for a request for a little boyz room..a bonus as i am finishing the bigger tile


Spraying and painting on a t-shirt. this project made me wante to paint on canvas [and i just happen to have one laying around...]

and this was done with gifted cut outs and some scrap lumber with some ribbon and wire attached for hanging

Yes, i had a burst of creativity tonite....what a release of pentup frustrations!

magnets off the fridge!

Everywhere I travel I try to find unique frig magnets to commenorate the trip but not so ucky that they are not worthy of display. but the fridge started to get a little kitchy with all the magnets, so i decided to display them like a living piece of art, able to rearrange and move them around as the whim hit me.
I piece of metal spray painted with Krylon, a do it yourself frame kit..and voila! Living art !

revelation from a crossword puzzle

this one is kinda rough but hope you get the idea....

how does the achievements of someoe like Nelson Mandella, and the sacrafices he made for his cause, equal a documentary that Al Gore did? Don't get me wrong, but at 30,000 feet it just didn't seem equitable...

finished with travel, for now

All sorts of ideas pop in your mind when you are waiting to be scanned by TSA. Especially if you pay attention to those around you.....So I am back from travel to Melbourne, Florida, the Space Coast, with no pix this time but some doodles of observations and stuff during meetings. Fought migranes the whole time there, so not sure what i captured here.

But one 'aw shit' did happen. While the shuttle was scrapped , they did launch a delta rocket with a spy sattelite in it. Of course, I am sitting in my hotel room on monday early evening, and the news announces it . but it sounded like it had already happened, which it hadn't. I just would have had to drive 10 min to the shore an i would have seen it . But those who did said it was spectacular. Bah, humbug!

The Hat!

"Geez, do i have to wear this hat? I'll show you !!!!!"



my attempt at getting Thrash into the holiday spirit...he likes the lights, tree and trimings he just doesn't like the costumes!!

geenie

green meanie and love...what a contrast

Can't see the forrest for the trees

Ever meet , work with, work for, have work for you, friend, neighbor, not a friend - that just can't see the forrest for the trees? Can't seem to take that introspective look and view any comments and feedback as maybe a positive thing that needs to thought about? Always right and always the last word?
Why is it that I always seem to run into or have work for me, at least one of these. No matter what you do in their best interest, they just can't seem to see it that way.

Thrash likes to participate in the creative process too

of course, his contribution is play and play time! But we do love to play.

this weekend i wrote those nasty note out

yes, i paid bills. And was thinking that we go from month to month, writing out those things and with out realizing it, part of our life slips away into the night. Or actually, the mailbox.

Ruby in progress

Working on a Christmas Ruby. Sassy broad who says.."Jingle my bells, honey!"

Paying Customer

Another sign for someone who paid me ahead of time, at the crafts fair last month for a sign for a Christmas present. She also bought quite a few things from me , so I wanted to do a good job.
Signs for sale!!!

Only a year late

it's only about a year late , but here is the finished sign Vicki! I just need to put the chain on it for hanging and it will be ready to go...Finishing projects, one at a time!

Lunch Time at work

One of the joys and perks a company can offer it's employees is a full kitchen, with microwaves, frig's for groceries and a place to sit and eat it all [along with the requisite gut bomb vending machines]. Isn't it nice to know everyone takes advantage of such wonderful amenities? NOT

A hunting Lesson

Suppose the prey you were hunting was smarter than you? Seems our silly hunter got a pair of tie on antlers....bottom line: Don't mess with Bambi!

More Majik! Art tablets, Photoshop and...

hitting every button and trying multiple filters to see what majik can flow from the pen and mouse of my wacom tablet...it very well can be the twilight zone, and all for the sake of art

Thanksgiving 2007- NY and NJ

Thrash got to visit all his relatives this Thanksgiving. First, a few days in NY and as you can see he made himself right at home immediately.It was a good visit and some good home cooking, but every trip home makes me realize that my folks won't be here forever. The house needs so much work, realization way too late on my part that they could not afford nor have the energy to tackle all the projects needed. They are way too proud and independent and I don't know where to start. But I need to start somewhere, probably the first floor bathroom, and go from there.

Next we stopped at my brother and sister in law, and got to visit with everyone - Chris, Robin , the cats, and neice and nephew and their finacee's - Matt and Angela and Emily [Auntie Em, Autie Em, LOL] and Rob. And Thrashman got to visit with his new outlaw, Bella, and we had a small tuxedo convention !

You can see from below, she is still so tiny, and cute but gave Thrash quite a run for his money on who was king doggie! arf arf!

All by the hand of Mouse..

PM = pure majik! , all drawn with a mouse on a very tiny, but elegant mouse pad.

tile work...

i started gluing bits of glass and tiles on a painted piece of glass to see what it would look like. It is supposed to be a cross, with ground and sky, and some rays coming off it. But it looks like a skinny dragon fly as well. I got a raw wood frame, painted it and mounted the piece in it. not too awful bad.

foolishness

can one watch too much HGTV? the overdose
of watching it and Style
channel too much is evident in not the normal way, aka sketching kitchens and such, but as maifested here. The 'becoz I said so'
has nothing to do with HGTV,tho

Diaster before the clean up

This is only a slight view of what has seemed to take me 2 weeks to clean up and toss stuff out. I need space and organization again ! So i got some put together cabinets, and got my own version of Martha STewart baskets and wacked away ..:) of course it is always messiest before the clean!
And while Thrash was a great pal in keeping me company, he wasn't much help in sorting out the crap from the good stuff ! Here he's just sighing and saying , "when are we going to play, mommy?" Well that came a bit later, but we did play.

Photo shop Elements..

for all ewes that know me...you know this is a truism!

Seems to be just one of those weeks

I just don't know if it is the weather or what but it seems like i just have one of those continuing headaches that won't go away. Makes it hard to concentrate at work, when all you want to do is lay down and close your eyes, and all that people bring you during the day are problems, issues and noise? argggggghhhh

work, work , work ,work

Ever wonder what we did or how we worked before email ? Those stacks of 'to be read' documents and memo's in your In box on your desk? The almighty buck slip, where you signed off you saw something and passed it on to the next person on the list? Now we have return receipt on emails, delete receipt notifications, filters, limits and just plain old splatter casting. Do you have someone in your office that equates their importance with the amount of email they receive each day, and how many they CAN'T read coz their isn't enough time ?

oh, for the good old days !

floating thru time to you...

have scanner?
well, you can make art or experiment by putting objects on the scan bed and scanning.you get some interesting results...

study in seriousness

by the glow of the monitor, and a little help from some new digital applications