Early A.M. Light

The good thing about sleep issues,

cause there must be something...

is the early morning light

in my home.

No retouch here.

Yes, my home always has this yellowish glow...

I think it is the light palette paired with

the heavy cream color on walls

Here is the living room,

haven't shown it in awhile.

Not much has changed.

Compare this to Holiday pics to come!!!

Winter wonderland lol

You walk into the bowling alley style room

via the front door where I stood to shoot this.

There is a soaring 2 1/2 story slanted ceiling.

That doorway in front of the honey colored

 pie safe leads to kitchen and family room.

Cabinet by front door.

Yes Sue, you have dibs on it.

(She already knows where she would put it)

Stair wall below studio

So early a.m. at Z's

Coffee in hand with salted caramel mocha

creamer.. oh my!

Waiting for carpet cleaning estimate appointment,

watching the Sandy reports

and worrying some...

Stay safe my eastern family and friends.

We love you

Z

OH, and Z's and 2 and 3

Oh

 How I love numbers and letters.

I collected type for many years

filling up two cases before I stopped.

I don't know why numbers and letters 

make me so happy

but they do.

I may have inherited this quirk

from dear dad.

I think I'll make a tree this year

with nothing but numbers and letters

in my favorite shades.

Grey, brown and cream.

Lots of paper around this holiday.

Think I'll do that this week.

First I have to finish a weird chandelier

I painted yesterday and finish up 

some samples for a class, ( show you soon)

and Oh, there's the yard work to complete 

and the new burlap ottoman cover,

and the pillows, the stockings,

and of course the worry over Sandy...

Stay safe my dear friends,

my darling daughter.

******

Miss Justice is a wee bit better

and darling daughter has passed 

the half way mark, every $5 and $7

inching her closer.

I made a quick trip to UT with

my pal Sue and slept 11 hours straight Friday

finally catching up on sleep.

All is well.

Z

Personalities

One picture shows personality 

in an instant.

Justice.... quiet, curled up inside her bed,

Howie.... hanging half way out, looking for trouble.

Justice has been ill, and 

will continue to be so.

She is now completely deaf,

blind in one eye 

and has very little sight in the other.

Many lights have to be left on at night 

for her to find her way.

She has an infection we are trying 

to bring under control. She's a trooper.

Their beds are under the desk where I 

write, where I peruse your blogs, and surf.

I can stretch out my toes and give a quick ear rub,

and frequently get a little kiss and a lick.

As the weather cools they will be here

a good bit of the day

searching out warmth.

I too, settle in tight,

keeping the heat off, wearing flannel shirts,

fluffy socks and leave a cozy throw

upon each seat. 

Candles are lit from early morn and

into the night.

I wait.

I wait for the family to be here,

 secure in the warmth and love

of home and hearth.

My personality...

my family here with me.

It is who I am,

what I've been,

and what I choose.

I am much more than "just...."

but my family is my life's work.

I make no apologies.

*****

Darling Daughter is nearly at the half way mark 

with her INDIEGOGO campaign.

Thank you again to all who've so

generously helped and written

her emails of encouragement.

Casting is complete, location is set

she'll be filming soon.

btw...My favorite blue bucket and mop 

are the today's special on HSN, 

cheapest I have ever seen.

A blessed weekend to you all.

Z

Back In The Studio

When the volcano candle from Anthro gets lit,

and my fingers start to sift through 

the stacks of linen and 

burlap and wool, well there must be 

something new created. 

I have purged most of my "store bought" decorations,

so this year, in my goal for a handmade

holiday... out came 12 days of Christmas 

stockings for the upper railing.

Vintage MOP buckles, just enough in one jar,

and some luscious pearlized organza, some linen...

Some small grunge tags, 

covered with a book page, 

then stamped 1-12

Behind the railing, my memory wall,

mementos from friends, bloggie and life long.

A wee cone in  my Mom's tin,

and

a precious memory

typed some 40 years ago,

always, always Macky.

Life of Z

Soothing My Soul

Time for coffee by candlelight once more.

A morning ritual that helps me set the day's tone,

and bypass troubles for a wee bit.

In the past you would find witches and goblins 

galore scattered throughout the downstairs, but 

they are all bewitching someone else-somewhere else,

since the "last great purges".

I now prefer a simple palette with a

whisper of fall here and there.

I found brown bottle brush wreaths

which will carry over onto the brown porch 

Holiday design where the brown paper tree resides.

Isn't it wonderful that we can find the 

vintage look now without the $$$

I am no snob.

If it looks the way I like, then good enough,

and it'll be vintage when my kids get it.

My only nod to the 31st.

We made these in a class I taught many 

full moons ago and I just love the little bugger.

It is wee.

So it stays

I tend to doodle while phone chatting...

I also do laundry, dishes, sweep, pay bills etc.

Z is nothing if not a multi-tasker.

So last week on a long chat to Annie,

I doodled this, and yes it does look like a third 

grader did it. 

I also doodled over here, and hung my fall calendar.

A nod to our sweet Libbey, the two felt cockers 

that are homage to Justice and Howie,

two precious notes from my kids, 

my favorite fortune cookie fortune

and of course...

"Don't Make Me Get My Flying Monkeys"

SO I guess there is still a witch around.....

or a _itch around, cause this gal needs sleep.

and yes the coffee is half caff

Check out Hannah's progress up there right hand corner. 

We're so proud of her.

TMI - TOO SOON?

SO, I had this lamp that I needed to rewire.

For over a year.

Yesterday I decided instead of moving it from

one side of the workbench to the other, 

I would make a run to the Depot for parts.

If I had remembered their obnoxious political ad,

I would have gone to Lowes or Ace....

I bring all the parts home and for the next 90 minutes

 I mess with converting this hard wire into 

a swag style.

I was rerouting the original design and ran into some "issues".

That might not surprise you eh?

One of them being it is very hard to 

discern neutral from positive wire when you need to 

feel the coating for ribs and smooth.

I have no feeling in my fingertips due to neuropathy,

so I decided to mark one wire but every time I pulled

 it through the marking had rubbed off. Damn.

....and I tried it four times! DUH!!!!

I went for broke, took a chance, wired it up, plugged it in..

and promptly blew the fuses.

What does this have to do with a Christmas Tree?

I had just bought this tree from a friend @ garage sale,

and I was debating spraying it brown,

for my brown paper ornaments.

Bought the brown paint on my trip to HD. 

Before I made the decision I thought I would set it in place,

and see if the green would work just fine.

I was feeling lazy.

I thought yeah, it will work, but let's hang a few ornaments 

to be sure, so I pull the brown ornament box from the 

shelf in the garage.

No eye rolling you local chums,

yes I am THAT organized.

I hang a few on and then a few more and yep 

before I knew it the dang thing was done.

Except for the few snowman, none of it really screams

Christmas.

Alright alright, I am justifying.

It was raining, I was bored, I had 3 hours sleep

I am nuts :D

SO, Too Much Information

and waaaaaay Too Soon,

but there it is.

the first signs of Christmas @ OGM

BTW, I threw all the lamp parts into a bag, and the pile

is back on the workbench. *&^%

Hannah's fundraiser is coming along.

I cannot thank you guys enough

for your encouragement, donations and love.

You all Rock!

Even one of her HS teachers saw it on Facebook.

This is when I love social media. 

If you wish to put a link

on FB

I would be so grateful.

Stop on by and see what is happening.

Indiegogo

Indiegogo

When you are a film student at NYU,

and per year pay more than 5 times what your grandparents

paid for their first home,

and are required to make films in order to graduate

you would think NYU would help fund the cost.

You would think wouldn't ya?

(where have we heard that before?)

anyhoot ....all through grade school and jr high and high school

I never allowed my kids to hit up friends and family

for fund raisers, their dad and I would just buy what we could afford and call it OK.

Well, except for Girl Scout Cookies..

we had requests for those...

and we still stacked up many boxes in our pantry.

Again..anyhoot....

Darling Daughter has her first 

fundraising site up and running as of last night 

and I am posting the link right up there at the top right column,

and right below here in this paragraph.

Her dad is putting up a giant sum for her to make her film,

Leftovers, but it still won't cover the cost so 

like all these other kids, she has to go out 

and try to raise funds however she can.

Indiegogo makes a safe, informative place to help

these students.

No pressure guys, none, honestly

I just told her I would do it to help spread the word.

Times are tough and lots of people need money 

for far more important things... I get that.

But if you wish to toss a dollar or two into the mix,

well then, DD thanks you and I thank you.... 

and God willing, someday you may say

"Hey, I know that Director"

Her Mom and I are friends.

UPDATE: 9/10

Thank you Thank you 
to all my buds who have donated to the cause.
Hannah is thrilled,
and commented to me that I know some
 wonderful and kind gals.
Don't I know it.
I get all weepy just thinking about you.
My heart is full - I am so blessed.

Please notice the giveaway upper top right.
You too have the chance to own one
 of Tanya's gorgeous pendants.
Enter before Sunday.

I ADORE FALL

A friend wanted a burlap wreath but I wasn't sure which size she would want so I made three.

She chose the large one like my fireplace one, so I kept the other two and found them homes.

Small

Medium

Large

 As if Fall isn't enough of a gift, I was recently gifted these beautiful charms and necklace from my dearest pal Tanya.

Three beautifully crafted charms and they're reversible!

and with my favorite subjects....DD and DS

LOL Yep when I flipped the last one over

and saw RDJ !!! love/adore/crazy for them 

She even hand wired the chain. I am one lucky gal.

Don't you want a custom one for you too? :D

http://beadandneedle.blogspot.com/

Enjoy your fall days- Glorious

Z