And now, back to the future with Mail Art

The rubberstamps are all getting a bath, freeing them from inks past.  They've enjoyed their 20 year sleep as I battled depression, idiot bf's, my own obsessions and unemployment.  So another phase of mail art appears nigh.

I'd love to post some photos of my past work, but all I have (because the others were mailed to all of you) is some that my Mom saved.  Anyone able to scan one or two of them to send photos to me via email so I can show people what I'm talking about?  Anyone????   Michele?  Karen L?  Barbara?  Anyone?

Snow in Denver

Wheat Ridge got 8".  There was a lot of crashing and banging and hissing all day Friday as the snow brought down every single leaf left on every plant, including the giant ash tree Joel parks under.  It was quite dramatic and at one point Jimmie was minding his own barkety business when a load of snow and leaves conked him on the head...He came in hissing and spitting and shaking.  Very not happy dog.  Don't blame him at all either.  Quite a shock to a little doggie system with miscellaneous stuff falls on you when you're minding your own business in your very own domain.

Today is tree planting day.  I'm sure everyone is raring to go.  Phyllis and Jim already have their trees here - Emily and Dave are going to pick hers up this afternoon.  Trees!  The kind that won't break when they are hit with 8" of snow and still have their leaves.

Lost in Blogland...

Google seems to have redesigned all the aspects of Blogger - and in their infinite insanity screwed my blog up royally.  I only just logged on to change its name, address and everything else...and suddenly it is all working again.  Must have heard my bitching from their exaulted tower of shame.

So lets just try to post this and see where it shows up.

Something (Wicked) Cold This Way Comes

Cold weather is approaching.  Joel has been working hard to put the gardens to bed, since I've been banned from gardening.  It is also hard to garden when you are lying down on the sofa with a heated wubbie on you (and also maybe a small dog).

Ginnala Maple in my front yard

On to the Johnson's landscaping:

The good news:  They are starting with pretty much a blank slate to wit:

A new paint scheme and revision
 of the fascia board trim is in progress

View toward the corner

View of corner of house
and existing forsythia

 Jim works hard with a bobcat (I kept wanting to call him Bob as in Bobcat) to scrape off all the old bluegrass.  It needs to be watered a couple of times, though before it can be rototilled.  Then, it will be mulched with neighbor's leaves and the old sod (if we don't start a compost pile with it) for the winter to help create a planting layer.


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And here we have the scraped yard:

I think that a good time must have been had by Bob-Jim with his scraper!  Good job, man!

The good news about the cold weather is that everything is starting to turn colors.  If we have a true fall, we will get some great color this year.  Or, Colorado could just blast everything with freezing cold and every leaf will freeze, turn black and drop off the plants.  I'm hoping for the former.




Miss Emily's landscape got a big boost when she drove us out to the Tree Farm, where we were chauffeured around their 38 acres in a golf cart. She bought two beautiful trees - a multi-trunked service berry and a ginnala maple - also multi-trunked. She and Dave will return to pick up the trees and my black and white sweater that was left in the golf cart next week. Then we will have some help to plant them in her yard.

I love to get plants in the ground in the fall so they can get their root systems established before next spring. We saw many many beautiful trees - including some Japanese maples that would have broken the bank, but which would have looked incredible. Maybe in time.

Ms Em's place, as it exists today.  Cute, cute, bungalow, no?  So classic and beautifully constructed to boot.  I especially love the contrasting brick belt course on the portico and around the base.

And in her backyard is the real prize - a custom built wrought iron cover for a large patio!!!!  It will be delightful next summer.  I thought I had a couple of photos (one with Ms Em herself in it) but they were evidently of the opinion that they were videos and not stills and wouldn't load.  Well I will get you my pretties, never fear.
Oh, and if anyone has some NM pinion pine to donate, my fireplace is ready, willing and clean to start burning it!  Here's to fall...and cold weather.

Eclectic Women

There is a new meetup in town.  This one is a great, great, group of wonderful girlfriends...just what I was looking for.  The organizer, Meg, is a kindred spirit for me and, I suspect, many of the others, because she is smart and energetic and into doing things and getting to know new people.

Here are three of the members making homemade green and red chili in my kitchen. We are stripping the red chilis on the ristra in this photo and despite having a 4' long ristra we ended up with just under a gallon of red chili.  I hoard it because I love red chili and think it keeps you healthy.  With their help we made the best red chili EVER!

In this picture we are making lemoncello!!!!  Sheila was so nice to volunteer her skills and kitchen to make homemade lemoncello - it totally rocked.  There were only three of us, but we made the lemoncello and two kinds of sauces for pasta.  Joel and I both think the sauce was the best ever Bolognese sauce either of us had ever had.  Ever.

We left Sheila's with a bottle of limoncello and the batch we made is "cooking".  It has to sit for 40 days (and nights?) after which more vodka and sugar are added.  Then another 40 days (so biblical) and viola!  Limoncello!!!!!!

This is Emily; she is the youngest of 9 kids and has mad peeling skills.  That is the thing she was allowed to do while the rest of the family cooked.  She can peel a lemon faster than you can blink.  Then she asks for another one.  Emily will always have an invitation to any limoncello party that happens.

Sheila is ladling the finished sauce into containers for us to take home.  Best.  Sauce.  Ever.

I couldn't resist this photo of Sheila as a kid.  She hasn't changed much, eh?

So I loves this group of women - they have been wonderful to get to know.  Thanks to all of you.

Decorina's Blog

Well, Google, in their infinite wisdom has somehow focakked my former blog into the ethersphere and I can't post anymore.  Not that I was posting anyway.

So I'm starting over with a slightly different address:  www.decorina1.blogspot.com. So there you go.

First up:  Jimmy

Man, did that little dog find a nice place to live.  While we still miss Skylar every day, we are inordinately fond of Jimmy and his loveable ways.  He is very lively and fun and greets each day with some big time enthusiasm by leaping off my bed and heading for the door.

His favorite toy, a stuffed lobster, suddenly disintegrated and it took all of an afternoon to find a replacement.  I had to stand in front of the mega-rack at the pet store and squeak each one until I found one that had the squeaker in the right place....   So he was a little disconcerted that his prize toy disappeared for a few hours.  That night, when he went to bed we looked over there and he had placed both of his new toys right next to his bed.  I think he was planning on sleeping with one eye open to make sure that we didn't disappear any more of his toys...   Here is a picture:

 So here he is on his favorite chair in the morning, I have to move it around the room to catch the sunbeam that he craves.  He will lay on the floor, if necessary, but he prefers the chair because it is just the right size and he looks very nice against the upholstery.

He also loves the cushions on the yellow sofa; I believe he thinks they show him to his best advatage and are oh, so soft and comfy to snooze on.

After all, custom pillows with custom trim, made by Mom, what could be better????

Sheila's Home

I've been working on Sheila's house; specifically the living room.

We started by painting the entire room navy blue, specifically Noir by Pratt and Lambert.  It almost drove the painter mad and I feel for John, but it had to be done.

This summer and spring I've been working on draperies for the wall of windows.  The fabric is Irish Linen.  And I know now that I'm definitely not set up to sew draperies that are as long as these.  I tried using the floor, a table and the clothesline to cut them out.  Arggggh.  What I wouldn't give for a cutting table like real workrooms have.  Joel suggested I could set up my own sweatshop out in the garage and sew for other people.  There isn't enough money and I'm not hungry enough for that at this time.

So here are the middle panels installed.  I'm still working on the two side panels which are easier to deal with because they are significantly shorter and only have the green panel on the bottom - without the center band of the green.  They are made with French seams throughout so that they are finished on the back because they are not lined.  If I'd lined them I never would have finished them because I would have died trying to square everything up and then IRON them.  And that probably would have been at my own hand...

Please note Sheila's collection of muertos.  The big ones on top of the armoire are fabulous; I especially like the lady (called a Katrina) holding her blue skirt in both hands.  They're all beautiful, though and really show up against the blue walls.

Jimmie Schnauzer

I've been messing around with Adobe Photoshop all day.  Little enough to show for all my effort, but here is the latest with Jimmie.

If you will refer to previous posts you will see him as...well, I don't know what it is exactly that he looks like breed-wise without a haircut.  A little bit of everything, but probably Pug and some Yorkie.

So I took him to the beauty salon and I got back a little, sort of, schnauzer.

Landscraping...

The plants around the front path, from the driveway to the front walk, are maturing somewhat.  The lavender is full of bees and butterflies and the daisys are just getting started.

Here it is before we constructed the gravel path:

And here it is this morning:



Changes

I'm so slow at this.  I've been painting and redecorating.

The living room has had its previously all brick fireplace painted white.  It is vastly improved and I don't have to look at the ugly raw brick with its curtain of water stains from a roof leak.

Before:

And then the after:

 

I couldn't be happier with the results.  And so happy to be happy with it because there is absolutely not a chance of going back to brick.  It has taken weeks because of the rough brick, its porosity and the requirement that a full primer coat had to be applied.

So what do we think?

Jimmy Without a Haircut!

Jimmy's former owner sent me a photo with his coat grown out.  He looks like a different dog - but I think even cuter than with a haircut...what do you think?

Pictures!

Jimmy February 2011
Who are you again?

He can stand up and twirl around when he wants a treat.

He is a really good sleeper, too.

Hilarious!

I know, I know, I promised pictures.  But I'm still not getting them off my camera...so those will be along soon.

But my friend B sent this to me and I can't stop laughing.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I.

From the BBC - by John Cleese (of Monty Python fame)
ANNOUNCEMENT

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats
and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved."

Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or
even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the
blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been
re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the
British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when
threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get
the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they
have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300
years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror
alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are
"Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire
that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the
country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to
"Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective
Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance"
to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher
levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat
they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy.
These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy
can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to
"She'll be alright, Mate." Three more escalation levels remain: "Crikey!",
"I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend", and "The barbie is
cancelled."

Funny, no?

Hello Again

Hello Everyone!

I'm back at the blog.  It may be easier to post pictures here than trying to send them through email, but I guess we will see.

Not too much happening here in Denver, CO area.

We did adopt a new dog...his name is Jimmy.  Short for Jimmy Hoffa because he is kind of a little thug I think.  A very cute little guy, only 12 pounds, with a curly tail and what I think are pug ears.  And cat fur - he sort of has cat fur.

Skylar, well, let's just put Skylar down as...not impressed.  He will let Jimmy crawl all over him until he's sick of him and then he will snap and Jimmy has to go find some other form of entertainment.

The next post will include photos of Jimmy.