Hmmmmm

Mom is going to work. I wonder what we can get into today? I've been really good, so if something is amiss when she returns home, I can always blame it on my brother. This could be fun.

The plotting Aussie.
Linda

Oh, Bother!

Poor Jake. He absolutely hates the big camera. I think because he can't see my face when I hold it up, and he is not yet confident enough to know mom won't disappear. So this shot is what I got the other morning. Jake looking very forlorn, ears down, waiting for mom to stop this nonsense.

On the other hand, Miss Diva Princess knows a few things for sure: she is beautiful, photogenic, and no matter what she does, I am going to take her picture. Until SHE decides the photo shoot is over. And turns her head. I have 4 shots of Gracie turned away, the one paw hanging off the edge of the bed. We're done, mom. Get it? Finished.

Ordered a new little camera on Cyber Monday. I am going to try a Panasonic Lumix, which had some glowing reviews from users. It also had a very high rating from Consumer Reports, which the little Canon cameras did not. I have sorely missed being able to carry a little camera with me on our walks, and for taking pics of the crafts. After being robbed in September, I will not leave anything in the car, knowing the thieves will break out a window to get what I have. So the big camera and case have to be with me, and that is a hassle.

Have a wonderful day. Enjoy.
Linda

Christmas Hanging

Good Morning!
This is a wall hanging, on chipboard, that I created with odds and ends that is going into the craft booth. The first photograph shows the detail and colors better, but the bottom tulle kind of got lost in the dark table runner. (I have the board propped up against one of my many Jim Shore Santas.) So I hung it on the pantry door to show the entire piece.

Have a great day. The sun in out, it's cold here in central Indiana, but warming up as the week goes on. Love it!
Linda

Dogs

My dogs are spoiled. Just in case you didn't know that fact, I am stating it.

Last night I was watching television in bed. Gracie had gone into her bedroom (the guest room with a queen size bed), and Jake stayed with me, as he does every night. There are five pillows on the bed, which is king size. Jake had pulled two pillows out to his liking, and was circling to make his nightly nest. Heaven forbid that this dog just sleep on the mattress, which is a Tempurpedic, mind you. Oh, no. He has to arrange pillows for his pallet. This little habit started when the weather began to change in early November.

He stopped, and looked at me. I had three pillows, two of them very soft, old feather pillows. And the boy just stared. So I took the smallest pillow, and placed it on top of his nest. He circled again, and laid down with a deep sigh. And that is where he stayed all night.

Yes, I am certifiable. Absolutely nuts.
Have a good day. Hug your pets.
Linda

Tis The Season

It is that time of year. I started making my own Christmas cards last year. And this year is a whole lot of fun.

The internet is full of free images that you can download to your computer, then print out at home. I think the quality is excellent. I chose some Christmas collages, and would love to tell you where I got these, but honestly don't remember. I do know that I tracked them on Pinterest, if that helps. Except for the top two tags: those are from iralamija, and the link to her blog is on the side bar. If you would like to make a purchase, click on her etsy store link. She has a wonderful variety of vintage images, especially for the holiday season.

It is very cold here today, so thinking the dogs and I are staying in and making more cards and tags. Enjoy yourselves.
Linda

Winter Light

During the late fall and winter months, I open the blinds on the two bedroom windows all the way. This is a favorite spot for the dogs to look out at their world. They lie on the bed, sometimes making a bed of the pillows (Jake), and if they hear something, the windows are right there to gaze out at the yard. This is the time of year that I can get great shots of the pups with just natural light.

Yesterday morning I hit on the bright idea (it takes me awhile sometimes) of sitting on the floor with my back up against the wall, shooting towards the dogs. Gracie takes it in stride, having had the big Canon D40 stuck in her face since she was a baby. Jake is still fearful of that black thing mom holds in front of her face. So I talked, very low, to him the entire time. Look at the light in his eyes. That is a natural light that gives his face depth, something I strive for. Love it.

My babies. Have a great day. We stay home on Black Friday. About the only thing we'll venture out for on this day is a walk. Stay safe.
Linda

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. What are you grateful for on this day? I have a long list, but won't bore you with all of it, just a few....

Image from Google

I am thankful that I can still afford to buy groceries, and go out to eat with friends. Not true for all seniors, or other segments of our population.

Image from Google

I am thankful for the music that gives me joy. After 48 years, I am still not sick of the Beatles. Or any of the music from the 1960's that we listened to constantly. I am thankful for the fact that I can listen to music or read a book, and be entertained. Just can't imagine being in the generation that has to be constantly stimulated by visual and audio attacks. (Yes, I am old. Proud of it!)

I am extremely grateful for my dogs. They are my companions, my life, my constant joy. Life would be so dull without them. Unconditional love.

Hope you have a calm day, filled with good food, good thoughts, and contentment.
Linda

One More Time...

This is Paul McCartney, on stage at the Scottstrade Center in St Louis, MO. on Sunday night. This man is 70 years old. Just a reminder.....

Pat and I were in very good seats to the left of the stage, straight up. We had an excellent overall view of the performance, and were much closer than when we saw him at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Paul came on stage around 8:20pm, and did not exit for the last time (two encores) until 11:15.

So how do two 64 year old women from different cities get to a third city to see this man? Pat took a train from Homewood, IL. to Effingham, IL. I drove from Indianapolis to Effingham and picked her up. We then drove to St Louis. On Monday we simply reversed it. Except....now you know there is always an exception. Her return train to Homewood would come into Effingham at 5:49pm Central Standard time. We arrived at the station, after shopping and cruising around Effingham for hours, at 3pm. Sitting in the car to keep warm (had turned cold, folks. Really cold), we wasted another hour, then decided to use the bathroom inside the station. Which was locked. OOOPPPPS! I had planned on leaving Pat about an hour before the train was due, because I still had over a two hour drive home, and had to stop and pick up the dogs as well.

Off we go to the local Walmart and a bit more shopping. I did my grocery shopping for lack of anything else. Fortunately, by the time we got back to the train station, there was someone there and it was open. I left her, and headed home.

Was it worth it? The sound quality at this venue sucked. It's a sports palace, so that is really not surprising, except Sir Paul is a bit of a perfectionist. He probably had plenty to say. The performance was superb, as always. His band is beyond reproach, playing the hits as they were first performed. The big screens with images from the stage are excellent, giving everyone a chance to see exactly what is going on. And we stayed at the Sheraton, right across the street from the Scottstrade Center. Even though it was raining, we had a very short walk to get there.

The locals were very happy to see us. St Louis is a great city, full of warm Mid West people. All in all, it was an excellent time. We met a woman who had made her own coat from old concert tshirts. We met people seeing Paul for the first time, seeing him for the fourth or fifth. Everyone was delighted to be participating.

Lots of driving. Some confusion, when I thought I had lost my credit card (was in the car. DUH!). But the experience was priceless, and one I will treasure. You go, Paul. You keep on going....
Linda

Bath Time

Take a close look at the different lengths of fur on this boy's face. Why is that? Because I trim his face myself. And he moves. A lot.

Whenever I pull out the scissors or grooming comb, the dogs pick a fight with one another. If we are out on the deck, which we usually are for grooming, Gracie will come up to Jake and he takes that opportunity to take off after his sister. They know. Of course they do. "Mom wants to comb us, run!"

Both of the dogs are overdue for a bath. It is happening either today or tomorrow, as this is the last of the warm days we'll have for awhile. Besides, they are going to the pet sitter's this weekend for two days. I try my best to present her with fresh smelling babies. But before the bath, I have to do something with his face. It is mandatory to trim the hair around his eyes, or he can't see. The rest of it I do just to give some sort of definition to his face. Oh, and the beard. I HAVE to trim the beard, or he is dripping food and water all over.

Sigh. Jake is so cute, so loving. And such a pain in the ass to groom. Have a wonderful weekend.
Linda

Primitive Bowls

These are resin bowls that we picked up at a local wholesaler. They were kind of distressed, but to be brutally honest, they were ugly. So I brought them home and painted them in warm colors, then antiqued the finish. They can't be used for food consumption, but I think they'd look great with some Christmas ornaments or pine cones as a side table decoration.

Every year, the artist Tim Holtz does 12 tags in this size for Christmas. This year he is doing 12 tags for 2012, all year long. But his work is always an inspiration to paper crafters world wide to try new techniques. My tag is not a new technique, I just wanted to use that striped paper as a background. I like it, and I'm keeping it!

Jake supervising. Anything to eat, mom?
Vote!!!!!!!
Linda

Working hard, or hardly working?

These are pint size mason jars, covered in a combination of paint and glue. You then sprinkle cinnamon all over the wet paint and let them sit overnight. Uh huh. After they are dry, a great deal of the cinnamon falls off. I had cinnamon everywhere, folks. In the box I put the jars in, on the kitchen table, on the floor, and I'm certain on the dogs who have to see what mom is doing constantly.

The Christmas images are from a download I purchased from iralamija. She is a hispanic paper artist. I don't want to call her a scrap booker, because her creations are more than that. If you would like to check out her blog, it is on the sidebar.

Back to work. Have a great day.
Linda

My Babies

I had the camera out yesterday morning to take some shots of crafts. It had been a few weeks since I took any pics of the dogs, so with the sun pouring into the kitchen, I decided it would be a good time to get a few shots. 

You will note that Jake will not look directly into the camera. First he gave me one side, then the other. But no straight-on face shot. Gracie also had to be persuaded to look at me. And then I got "the look". This is her Highness's supreme put out by life look. Oh, bother. Mom wants a photo. 

Today it is raining, and we can't walk or go to the dog park. They are bored and basically driving me nuts. Just like kids. Only with fur. Ya gotta love them.

Have a great weekend.

Linda