My sister is really good at giving her artwork tounge-in-cheek titles like: "the secret lives of suburban housewives", "Life after (self) medication", "All I need is cheap wine & sunshine", and "smoke and mirrors". She's amazingly productive for being the mother of four small children, working a part-time job, and also working the grueling hours at weekend art fairs. I always wonder when she finds the time to create. We're working together right now to update her website. Be sure to take a visit to her blog if you can, she'd really love some feedback on some of the new artwork she's just posted there. It's hard to live in the sticks of Minnesota, believe me, and if you don't she'll tell you!
They had a panel of four on CNN this morning talking about the best and worst of 2004. The funniest bit was the girl on the panel who worked for VH1, who noted how celebrities were having babies in the limelight this year as if they were chiwawa lap dogs and naming them odd things like Apple Blythe, Phinnaeus Walter, and Coco. (She also had a thing or two to say about Paris Hilton...but let's not even go there.) Also in the mix was a story about Martha Stewart losing a "decorating contest" in jail. Of course the scope then turned to how we don't like people when we think they are too perfect, and now that she's seen as someone who makes mistakes, and gracefully does her time...she'll rise like a Phoenix. I agree.
Last year I listened to my extended year forecast for 2004 at Rob Brezsny's. He kept going on about how 2004 was going to be "the year of the gift", to be ready to "receive" and "give". He wasn't kidding. I had the strongest compulsion this year to send things to people I know, new friends, and online aquaintences for multiples of reasons. I just read a snippet of 2005's forecast which quotes philosopher William James, saying: "I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillaries." After days of watching the horrific aftermath of the tsunami's, this quote speaks volumes. 2005 will be the year of the humanitarian.
This photo marks the turning point in our holiday photo-shoot where things started going downhill. Naturally, it's the funniest...Jerry looks like he's had quite enough. Turns out, I'm not such a freak after all...there is Christmas gallery for both Cats & Dogs!
Yesterday I was running around all day trying to finish up my last minute Christmas shopping. On the way to the mall I saw a stray dog grazing on someone's front lawn. It made me think of this story that Ellen once told on her show about how she likes to save stray animals. Like me, she was driving around doing errands and saw a stray dog on someone's front lawn. She parked her car, and checked to see if the dog had any tags. It didn't, so she decided to take it home with her so it wouldn't be in danger of getting hit by any cars. That week she made up flyers with the dogs photo on it, and posted them around the neighborhood where she picked him up. She got a call from the owners almost immediately, and took down their address so she could deliver the little guy back home. At this point feeling really good because she was a hero. When she arrived at the house, her heart immediately sunk into her stomach when she realized he hadn't been wandering at all. She had taken this "stray" dog from his own front lawn!
So now that we've somehow inadvertently started "The Unofficial we love Hugh Grant but aren't really smitten by him Fan club" or better yet U.W.L.H.G.B.A.R.S.B.H. Fan Club (for short, thanks Leslie!), I was trying to find a clip of Hugh Dancing from Love Actually so I could ceremoniously post it here, but unfortunately had no luck (Boo!). The last comment string is so funny. Reading it has been such a welcome diversion from the usual Holiday stress. And who knew that my Haloscan comment box could go past 30. Whee...
Last week I came across this really funny link for a Scared Santa Gallery (via cyntergomes), if you really want a giggle check out number 9. He looks like a very BAD SANTA! Number 5 really scares me. A clown-face Santa, I'd be screaming too!
Jes, posted a photo the other day of what a winter day in Maine looks like. So for fun I thought I'd post a picture of what a winter day looks like in Southern California. This is a shot of our garage, skeleton 60 ft. pecan tree, and my favorite Mexican tin star lantern ( a wedding gift from my Rocker cousin, who wrote the songs for one of Van Halen's albums...did I ever mention that I've got a very interesting family?) .
Last night I wrapped up all of the jewlery I'm giving as gifts...you know how much of a paper whore I am. So I just had to share the fact that I lovingly sacrificed some of the origami paper that my father brought back for me from a recent trip to Japan. To me they resemble mini kimono's.
Be sure to check out Kim's blog, at littlesomethings. How could I not love a girl who uses drink parasols as Christmas tree decorations?! We must be on the same wavelength...this is my tree.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 11:05 PM
12.17.2004
Surprise, surprise...look what I've been making more of:
Lately, I've been partaking a tremendous amount of guilty pleasures. If it's not a marathon of watching sappy romantic holiday films (like Love Actually), then it's using Christmastime as an excuse to bake the most sugary decadent treats in all of dear existence... I even tried eggnog for the first time, and liked it. I always thought it would taste like eggs, I'm so naive! If someone would of told me earlier that it tasted like a nutmeg flavored milkshake I would of tried it a long time ago.
I was having a hard time coming up with an idea for an invitation design for our Christmas eve party next Friday. Since the main event of the night is the white elephant gift exchange ...a little cheekiness was in order. When your printer is out of ink, and you don't feel like braving the mall to buy invitations, then kid crafts once again rule the day. I know they look like something a fifth grader might of made...but I love the fact that you can pull the ears out and unfold them to reveal that they are actually in the shape of a heart with a little secret message inside.
I've been trying to mentally note all of the cool ideas that I've seen on web recently. Like: Pluckyfluff's project quilt, and Heidi, and Tania's hand-illustrated ceramics. I can't wait to buy some of those porcelaine pens...it looks like so much fun!
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 3:27 PM
12.08.2004
Yesterday at the post-office the most disgruntled worker there (who I always, and I mean ALWAYS end up having to talk to) was singing Christmas carols cheerily and was bopping around in a santa hat. I had to laugh. Despite the 12 scowling women waiting in line behind me.
I managed to get all of our holiday decorations up, after a little help from a late night Target spree. I decided to go simple with lighted garlands, big velvet bows, electric candelabras in the windows, and 6 red poinsettias lining the porch stairs. I just love it. (If you want to see the decorations...you've got to click the links!)
This time of year I get so many catalogs, and emails for things & places to shop I thought I'd jot down a few things here that have recently caught my eye.
The ( "if bones rained down from the sky" ) doggie dream bed for you know who.
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 5:06 PM
12.01.2004
So, the countdown officially begins. This guy taunts me every-time I go to wash my hands, or a dish, as he holds his little sign in my face reminding me the race is on. After Thanksgiving, it was as if the holiday atmosphere in my neighborhood turned it's gears toward Christmas overnight. I was driving home from a quick trip to the store that weekend and saw my first glimpse of a California Christmas...7 lawn flamingos with twigs glued to their heads to look like antlers pulling an empty red sleigh on someones very green lawn. Later at the mall I spotted Santa, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and a straw hat posing for photographs.
Last spring our city kept it's holiday decorations up way past their expiration date for the filming of "Surviving Christmas". Life is really surreal when your streets are covered in snow when it's 75+ degrees outside, and better still with Ben Affleck & Christina Applegate posing for photos with your star-struck neighbors down the street.
Lately I've been spending all of my free time making things for people. This knitted scarf, the past three nights. (The crocheted pink flower is actually a pin, I love the fact it can be moved around. )
I'm also working on a few new flower pins. I had taken my last batch of beaded flowers to show to people to see what they thought of them, and they completely sold out.
We went to my parents house for Thanksgiving. My mom gets an A+ for presentation, the table looked so lovely. I made my new favorite dessert, persimmon biscotti dipped in white chocolate for everyone. We sat around dipping them in coffee after dinner, they were so--- good. My little town is so delightfully ho-key. Last month they had a "persimmon party" in the little historic park down the street. We all were given four persimmons and a special cook-book to make things to sell at the party for a special fundraiser. I made the biscotti, and fell in love. I'm planning on making more for Christmas.
(below) : Our Thanksgiving dinner table, and my parents baby "Jenny". This is what happens when you grow up...you get replaced with dogs. I'm glad I learned this early, as I'm already the proud owner of two.
I'm working on a special "holiday" itunes mix, that I'll link to in the side bar under "listening to" for December. I'm thinking of making some holiday cds to send out again, after I saw a really great idea in Martha Stewart Living where she used home-made square envelopes, with really fun holiday wrapping paper labels. While I was unsuccessfully searching for a link to this project I did find this link instead for making some really unique cloth envelopes. Her website is an endless stream of inspiration when it comes to finding things to make for gifts during the holidays. Forever still a Martha-holic, jail bars or no.
