Its Starting to Look Like...

CHRISTMAS!!

Tonight, I took out my boxes of Christmas decorations to see if I had any thing to re-gift for a White Elephant exchange tomorrow at work. It has been years since I looked through my decorations and I decided on a whim to get out my small tree.

As you can see, Paul and I compromised both of our styles in decorating the tree. Paul absolutely adores bubble lights (his grandparents used to have bubble lights on their 12 foot Christmas tree in their old Victorian house, so he has a lot of sentimental memories associated with those lights). I absolutely adore antique ornaments. So, we used both on the tiny tree and it turned out pretty well. I just hope the tree doesn't fall over!



Of course, Paul has to sneak in a dorky item (his Yoda with a Santa cap and candy cane) and I have to sneak in something artsy fartsy (my red crystal balls). They go together pretty well, don't you think? Hee hee!

Only twelve days until Christmas...

Lovely Mornings

Every morning when I go downstairs, I am greeted by a symphony of lovely, flickery fairy lights on the dining room walls. It is such a nice start to a cold, winter morning.

Where do they come from?



They come from our many stained glass windows when the morning sun shines through them. They become a beautiful, dazzling gold and gives the house a cozy ambience.

Ah, how I love the house.

Welcome to Winter!

Hey! Wanna go outside?

"Pfffbpt."

"Ha! Right!"

"Do I haaaaave to?"

Hey! Lets go inside!

"Do I haaaaave to? "


"Can I just live out here instead?"

"About freaking time!"

My Dream Weekend

This weekend has been pretty busy with several "creative" projects.

I wrapped most of my Christmas presents and made cute little name tags.


I started on several new collage projects. These three in the picture are NO where near finished.


I took out all of my watercolor paintings out of storage. I had much more than I expected. Amazing how many of them are still in pristine condition after almost 10 years!



I also winterized most of the windows in the house. It is feeling much less drafty and much more cozy. Its been a very busy, yet creative weekend! Too bad I have to return to the grind tomorrow.

On this chilly Saturday, I have been doing a lot of pondering. I have been toying with the idea of opening up my own shop. I have a dream to open an antique/art/jewelry business where people can purchase affordable pieces and obtain inspiration from their items. It is very difficult in today's economy to afford a beautiful piece of furniture or art to place in one's home. I have a strong belief that everyone should have the opportunity to take pride in owning a fabulous object that reflects one's personality, let it be an antique dresser, a beautiful pair of pearl earrings or an abstract painting.

Yesterday, I stopped by the store and bought a couple of canvases. Its been years and years since Ive painted, much less on canvases. I decided on a whim to make several pieces and start experimenting with different mediums. I think a good place to start is to sell a few pieces on Etsy and see if there is a demand for my works of art. This will help me hone my vision for a future store and potential items to make/sell.

Another idea I have is to start making "reclaimed" or "recycled" items, such as using scrap wood to make art or functional furniture. I think it would be great fun to explore flea markets and shops to find unusual objects that would change into a functional pieces. Why not go green as much as we can?

Wouldn't it be neat to have a store in an old brick building such as this one? Have a store in the main floor and a work space/studio upstairs. My dreams have to start somewhere, right?