studiotempera

want........want..........want! look at these amazing lampshades listed on etsy by studiotempera. this turkish artist paints the gourds, drills the holes, and inserts colorful beads into the holes so the light will shine thru the design.

as if the shade isn't gorgeous enough by itself.........look at the amazing design cast by the light onto the wall..................i think i've been "twitter-pated"!

check out studiotempera's etsy shop here.

shadowshotsunday #52

alien twins?...................i took this shot thru a window. it's the backseat of a car....the shadows are coming from the antenna wires in the back glass. check out everyone's post at hey harriet.

photohunt 162: painted

this week's photohunt theme is "painted".

this is where the annual turkey shoot is held in our community each fall.

check out what other's have posted for this theme here.

helen musselwhite

helen musselwhite is a wonderful paper artist from the uk who makes hand cut paper sculptures and collages.

check out her work here.

eye of the beholder

me looking at you...........you looking at me........ ol' sonny was keeping his eye on me thru the window of his soul!

shadow shot sunday #51

i know.....it's not sunday anymore but i couldn't reach cyperspace yesterday. here's my shadow shot of the stables at h. cooper black state park. check out the others at hey harriet.

PhotoHunt 161

a couple of us girls decided to leave the men folk at home, packed up the horses, and took off to h. cooper black state park near cheraw, sc for a weekend camping/trailriding trip. we really enjoyed our "girl" time. i packed my camera and laptop so i could get my blog fix and post a photohunt pic but the powers that be decided i didn't need to access cyperspace from our campsite. sooooooooooo......a little late.......here's my "in memory" picture.

in memory of flight......................

check out everyone's take on this theme here.

christy silacci

i love christy silacci's creations. i've been following her work since i saw her in a magazine several years ago. she used to use a lot of found objects in her "dolls". this is one of her more recent creations...........it gave me a good laugh...........entitled......"ralph's receding hare line". check out christy's site here for more of her "chillrens".

Shadow Shot Sunday #50

here's the picture i took for Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday. this was done by one of the art students at winthrop university. i wonder about the significance of the year 1984. hey harriet................glad your computer's back up..........was it the swine flu?

photohunt: walking

this week's photohunt theme is walking. check out what others posted at tnchick's site.

what kind of jeopardy?

i've been mulling this over for days now trying to decide if i should post this. quite frankly....i don't see how i can't post it.

let me begin by saying if you are easily offended by body part names.......stop reading now. if you choose to read this post and become offended......i apologize.........here goes............

i'm required to take periodic classes to update the skills needed to do my job. some are interesting.....some not so interesting......but this last one......well........it was different.

it was a series of speakers teaching a mixed group of public officials the skills needed to interview and prepare a case for the child victim of a sexual assault.......not a very pleasant subject but everyone needs to be on top of their game to help these children. our class began at 9am with a court prosecutor that gave us some useful info on what to ask, who to ask, how to present our case in court, etc. ok.........that was good. next speaker was one of my personal friends that works in computer crimes. she spoke on her specialty................internet sexual predators........she's one of the officers that pretend to be a child online to hunt down these sick individuals. i'd heard her speak many times before but did pick up some tips on a few new trends. next speaker talked about how her agency interviews these child victims and offered their services to our agency. then lunch..............alright! a much needed break and food to boot!

we spent an hour eating and networking with the folks from the other agencies. it's always good to have contacts. ok........call to order.............our last speaker of the day is up. we're all full and tired and a little sleepy. they dim the lights (not good......did i mention we were ready for a nap?) and here on a full size movie screen is a VERY intimate picture of a vagina. everyone kinda slides down in their seats and tries to become invisible. our last speaker is one of the doctors who perform the exams on our child victims. she goes on to explain all the medical terms.....what they look for......what's normal......what's not...........now, unfortunately, we've all seen this kind of thing before......but it's one thing to be a first responder and handle the situation based on our training and another to sit around in mixed groups seeing these pictures and listening to case histories........ not so good.........but hey.........it's the last speaker...........we're almost outta here! and THEN..........the doctor says............ "now for a little test to see if you were paying attention"........... and low and behold......up on the screen pops "vagina jeopardy"...............say what???? .......and were we allowed to volunteer? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! we were called on.............ahhhhhh........i'll take vulva for $400 please....................

welcome to my world........................

shadow shot sunday #1

i really like these photo challenges. it encourages you to think outside the box. this one is for shadow shot sunday. i'd been taking shots all week trying to find one i'd like to post when on my way into court friday i saw this. i had to shoot this one too.

if you haven't guessed.........it's a radio tower.

enjoy your sunday.

protect(ion)

this week's photo hunter theme is protect(ion).......keep your hands out of your pockets............no concealed weapons allowed!

cathy rose

cathy rose is such a talented mixed media artist. this piece speaks to me on so many levels.............."fly girl" check out her other pieces at the volakis gallery website.

PhotoHunt: Purple

my first photohunt pic...... the theme............purple.

this one was fun..........wind was gusting so i had to chase the umbrella across the yard to get this shot.

miss prickly and friends

i inherited this cactus from a friend. i've never been much of a cacti person and i'm clueless as to what to do with her. she's been sitting outside my woodworking shop all winter.....she's huge........and thrives on neglect. with the new growth on top it looks like a community of little cactus people with arms outstretched in welcome. i'm not going there..........she's already taught me a lesson in respecting her space. i really need to move her away from the door 'cause i'm always backing out ....arms full of whatever i'm working with and......ouch! well....you get the picture............

random acts of gardening

"when richard reynolds began planting flowers secretly at night outside his tower block he had no idea that he was part of a growing global movement committed to combating the forces of neglect, land shortage and apathy towards public spaces"......so says the review of his book found on his blog. what he does is called guerrilla gardening......basically.....it's random acts of gardening.... done covertly. i love that!

may 1st is international sunflower guerrilla day.........grab a pack of sunflower seeds and help beautify a neglected spot in your hometown. and be sure to check out his blog where groups from all over the world post pictures and videos of their guerrilla gardening.

alphabet for life

Accept differences. Be kind. Count your blessings. Dream. Express thanks. Forgive. Give freely. Harm no one. Imagine more. Jettison anger. Keep confidences. Love truly. Master something. Nurture hope. Open your mind. Pack lightly. Quell rumors. Reciprocate. Seek wisdom. Touch hearts. Understand. Value truth. Win graciously. Xeriscape. Yearn for peace. Zealously support a worthy cause. - renee stewart

mistah rabbit

mistah rabbit is wishing you a happy easter and hoping you find the egg with the best prize!

i'd settle for a mocha coffee................

reclaim2fame

oh these are just toooo cute! mixed media sculpture by will w of reclaim2fame. check out his etsy shop here.

jealous ranting yelper

i ran across this picture i saved from an email. it's just tooooooooo funny. "whatever spiteful fools may say, each jealous ranting yelper, no woman ever went astray,without a man to help her." - abraham lincoln

my talented friends

i'm going to begin this by saying i know if i really, really, wanted to return to school.....i'd find a way. i never got to finish my art degree because of........well......life. i have some friends that have returned to school and i am sooooooooooooooooo jealous! i stay involved by attending gallery talks and showings but each time i go it sure tugs at my heartstrings! i went to see some new works this monday nite. check out these pieces by my friend, beth........

the color green (envy!) doesn't suit me...............i need to do something about this...................someday................

ina's tomato and goat cheese tart

it finally stopped raining after a four day deluge. today the sun came out in all her glory but the wind makes it impossible to do anything outdoors so i've spent my day baking. this is a tomato and goat cheese tart i cooked for my lunch.....a recipe i got from the barefoot contessa show. don't you just love her? she could cook for me anytime! of course..........my tart didn't end up looking like hers but it sure went down easy!
here's the recipe if you want to make it for yourself:

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:
30 min
Inactive Prep Time:
hr min
Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
4 individual tarts

Ingredients
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
Directions
Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

After lunch i baked bread............i'd made some pimento cheese yesterday and thought i'd make some bread for sandwiches this week.

there's nothing like the smell of baked bread......or that first warm slice when it comes out of the oven. if the weather doesn't clear up soon so i can get outside and work in the yard i'm gonna have to order new clothes from omar the tent maker................oh well........it was worth it.

searching for spring

mother nature is such a tease! we were given a little taste of spring and..........boom..........here we are.............right back in the ole winter coat! i bought all my herbs and a few tomato plants last weekend and the poor wee things have been banished to the covered parkway......i hear their little teeth chattering as i sit warmly here at my computer.......such a terrible mom to my new little chillrens. they're calling for rain, thunderstorms, and possible tornados tomorrow and maybe a break by sunday afternoon. meantime...........i keep walking from window to window........nose and palms pressed against the glass........searching for spring........

my drug of choice

my mom was a voracious reader in her later years........i couldn't keep her in books......but i never remember her reading during my younger years.....and she certainly was never a mother that read to her children. i grew up in the country....serious country. we had a school that taught all twelve grades in the same building (one that we walked to.....probably close to two miles one way!), a gas station/grocery store combination, and a fish camp. that was the extent of our community.......no fast food.....no library. that being the case...i wasn't turned on to books until i spent the weekend with a friend when i was maybe eight or nine years old. her mother took us to the library to check out books and it was love at first sight! i was hooked.......beverly cleary.........walter farley.......i became our school library's biggest fan. from that day i have always read.........anything..........cereal boxes! shampoo labels! i don't care.....i've got to read. if i had the money i've spent on books and magazines...............well....i'd be a rich woman! i can spend hours in a bookstore......lost in the heady smell of new books.......or a library........i never come out empty handed. i'm ashamed to even admit how many magazines i subscribe to. reading is my drug of choice..... add a cup of joe and a little something sweet to nibble ............heaven! reading gives me the same kind of high i experience when working in my art studio...or the garden.........if interrupted it takes a few seconds to clear my head enough to be in the moment. i've tried listening to books on tape but somehow for me it's just not the same. my eyesight has degraded significantly this past year.........i can't imagine a world without books.....i sure hope it never comes to that point. in the mean time i'll feed my habit as often as i can. i can't even remember the lady's name that got me those first books.......but i thank her with my whole heart!

happy birthday baby brother

my youngest brother was born on the first day of spring in the year that i was nine years old. i remember being so infatuated with him.....those tiny fingers and toes.....what a joy that i was actually allowed to give him his bottle and help care for him. well.........the shiny wore off pretty quick.....not that i didn't love him......i'd just always had the freedom to roam the woods and creeks around our home and now i was getting more and more "chores" that had to do with this little person. one of my "jobs" when he was a toddler was to lay down with him until he fell asleep for his nap...........i hated being still that long! i used to blow on his eye lids so he'd keep his eyes closed. when i finally thought he was asleep i'd ever so slowly ease off the bed.....inch by inch....and UP would pop that little head! then we'd start all over again. and then..........when he was old enough to be out and about........he had to go everywhere i went.......everywhere! we lived on a huge hill...........my best friend had a little sister the same age as my brother......see where this is going? yep........we entertained ourselves by putting the two little ones in the wagon and rolling them down the hill. seriously.........it's a wonder we didn't kill them! when i hit those teen years my mom appointed him to be my chaperon...........picture yourself out and about with your friends or a date..... with your little brother.....donned in a bath towel cape (batman) and cowboy boots...........i was always buying his silence! i wasn't always happy to have him around.......but i always loved him........and thinking back now.......i wouldn't change a thing except being a kinder big sister. happy birthday "tookie".

happy st. patrick's day

wishing you a happy st. patrick's day! this picture via nostalgic collage on flickr.

sweet potatoes on steroids

my youngest and her family just returned from a trip to the seaside and brought mummie dearest some sweet potatoes...............sweet potatoes on steroids! omg! these things are huge! that's a large onion in the bowl! this is one of the small ones...............

now......the question is............how in the world do i cook a sweet potato this big? i'm thinking i'll cut them into something that resembles a normal size potato then bake them as usual. hmmmmmm.........sweet potato pie...........and a cup of joe........life is good!

keeper of the memories

i'm a collector of old pictures..........other folks memories. i scour flea markets.........yard sales........you name it.........looking for them. i happened to mention this to a coworker and she told me i should look at her family pictures......as luck would have it........she is her family's keeper of the memories. now i don't know about you....but....on my personal family pictures.....and those i collect.....names and dates are few and far between...... not so with the pictures she brought me. whomever passed her the family torch did an absolutely amazing job of not only names and dates.........but whole stories in the albums......and she let me scan them for my files! christmas in march! as a way to say thanks i used a couple of her pictures to make her this mixed media collage. i hope she enjoys it as much as i've enjoyed the glimpses into her family history.

who's dreams........

every time i ride by this derelict house i can't help but wonder.........who's dreams..........who's joys..........who's love..........who's tears........ it makes me sad to see abandoned structures.......so full of the energies of past lives...........forlornly awaiting the return of their owners............silently.......watching..........waiting...........

southern spring show

i always look forward to the southern spring show..........the official harbinger of the coming spring. i took a half day off work and joined some friends for the trip to charlotte, on friday, to get my "flower fix". i grabbed my camera when they pulled up and .........oh no!.......blinking battery light! and .....of course.......my spare battery wasn't charged either........soooooo........no pictures! i mentally kicked myself the whole way up there but after touring the the show.....it really wasn't that big of a deal. it was nice to see the exhibits but they were all just everyday landscaping .....nothing magical........nothing whimsical..........no fairy gardens or any of the "arty" kinds of things i'm drawn to...... so we just took a walkabout and tried to ignore the "fair" food that kept calling our names.

the only thing i wanted to purchase was some of the plastic grow bags like they use in nurseries (which i didn't find). i've decided to grow my tomatoes and squash in hanging bags suspended from an old school yard sized swingset that i've got. have you seen the price of those "topsy turvey" thingys? that ain't happening! i went to the dollar store and bought a cart full of two gallon sized trash cans made from a plastic ribbon woven on a metal frame and will line it with the grow bags (or make my own from heavy duty trash bags) then suspend them from chains on the swing set. i'm thinking of planting my carrots in those half whisky barrels. the thought of getting beat to death by the tiller gets less appealing each year. i've got three raised beds but i planted one with asparagus a couple of weeks ago so now i'm down to two. i'd planned on adding a new one this year but i'll just make do with what i've got..... there's plenty of room for the herbs. maybe i'll get the new bed in before fall so i can plant the garlic.

i've been spending my nights trying to teach myself how to do digital collage with photoshop. i must just be an idiot cause i sure am having a hard time.......but i'll get there......slowly but surely.....i'll get there.

the quietness of snow

what i love most about snow is..........the quietness......and so.....i quietly share a glimpse of my silent world this morning...........