It's Done!

Well, after 2 weeks of hard labor, hubby got the big doghouse done. He has never made one before, and I have to say, when I saw him building it in the garage, I wondered how we would EVER get it to the back yard. His solution was that all of us as a family- he, I, and the four teens we have- were going to use our mammoth strength to carry it back there. Umm, right...

Well, it didn't happen because after he finished it, he realized it was too heavy for even 6 people to carry between them. How did he do it? He and our strapping teen son rolled it back there a bit at time...go figure...I thought for sure it would fall apart, but I guess it was built way too strong and solid to do that.

Now, the dog is befuddled. He has this fabulous "mansion" and he isn't quite sure what to make of it. I don't think he realizes it is for him. I tried crawling in there and he came in for 3 seconds the first time...the second time he came to the door and looked in at me like I was a kook, then turned around and left. ( I guess I am a kook..but that's another story)....

Well, I will keep trying to convince him it is his. I sat in there today and it was so roomy that I pondered the personal use I could get out of the doghouse. It would be a good place to hide when the in-laws visit...or when I don't want to clean out the fridge... we'll see...

In the Doghouse...

We have a family mutt...he is a Humane Society special and we have had him for 8 years, since he was a pup. Buck is his name and he is part Husky and Terrier mix.

He is what you call an outdoor dog. He doesn't like staying indoors, especially during the winter- mostly because he has a fur on him so thick that you can't hardly bathe him. He knows what you mean when you say "snack", "squirrel", "kitty cat", and "go for a walk"....and he knows "sit", "stay", "lay down", "speak", "roll over", "high five", and "shake". If only I could train him to follow, "do laundry "...

My husband tries to pretend he isn't real fond of Buck...but I secretly think he is. Out of the blue a week ago, husband decided he is going to build Buck a new doghouse. The old one is a simple plastic thing he's had for years. My husband is a lot like Tim the Tool Man Taylor in Home Improvement...he does things in a BIG way.

He went to the hardware store and began off the cuff designing a dog house. This doghouse is going to be so big, I dare say husband and I could both fit in it together...not a bad idea if we need to escape from our four teens in the house...

It will have wood slatted boards covering on the outside, tiles on the roof, a built in dog house heater for the winter, a swinging door , and even a mini porch roof to insure the elements won't get in. I think when he gets it done, the neighbors are going to think my mother in law is moving in it because it almost looks like an in-law quarters...eeek!

When it is fully done, it will be stained nicely and will most likely look like a wooden cottage...I may even go in it occasionally to read a book in peace...who knows? Finished pictures to come when the finished product is outside and ready, so stay tuned! :)

In Honor of Father's Day...

" He who is taught to live upon little owes more to his father's wisdom than he who has a great deal left him does to his father's care"- William Penn



I know not everyone has had a great father, and for that I am very saddened. I was fortunate to have been blessed with a terrific father, and for that I am truly thankful.

I can remember my dad coming home from work, (he worked at Chrysler). and he'd always wear these pocket T-shirts. When he'd come home, I'd often run to greet him at the door and he'd swoop me up and I'd hug him...while sneakily reaching down into his t-shirt pocket...where I knew he always carried a packet of Doublemint gum.

Dad never had a lot of money, but he made sure we had the most important things, like any kind of ice cream or special treat when we were sick... He'd take us as a family to church, and when we three siblings were young- up until our mid teen years- we sang gospel songs together at nursing homes. I think that is one reason today I am so fond of the elderly!

Dad always took us to lots of places for fun, but they weren't costly, he didn't have that kind of money. He and mom would pile us up in the pick up truck and we'd go to a school playground and have fun on the swings, or go to a park and play there. One of my favorite places was the A and W root beer stand- That is the only way I will drink root beer to this day, in a frosted mug at a stand. (Odd, huh?)

I can remember my teen years and going on dates...and going out the door one evening and having him say, "Better button that shirt up a few more ." Ok, Dad, I will...even though it was already up my neck as it was! :) Or the time a guy I dated hurt my feelings really badly and unbeknownst to me, Dad took him aside and had a "talk": with him. My Dad was and is a gentle spoken man , but whatever he said, that was the end of dating that guy! :)He told me before I got married that no dad really ever thinks the man his daughter marries is good enough for her. (I like to tell that one to my husband every once in awhile to tease him...

I want to say I am glad Dad has passed on to me is his sense of humor, and the importance of having a deep faith in God. My Dad jokes, teases, and laughs quite often. Not everyone appreciates humor, but I can relate to that too! I would rather laugh then cry or be crabby any day!

So, happy Father's Day to all, especially you Dad, and thanks for raising me to have fun in life! I am grateful! :)

What I Do When Creating...

Do you ever wonder what other artists are doing when they're working on a new and creative project? What kind of music are they listening to? Do they watch television? Do they sit silently working? Are they sitting in a studio throwing scraps of material everywhere, or spilling paint on their clothes?

Well, here's what you will find me doing...Sitting at a large table by a picture window at the front of our house, my "studio" so to speak. You will see boxes of supplies sorted in various corners, and scads of fabric tucked in plastic bags in those containers...sorted by type of fabric. If you look under the chair where I sit, you will find a million bits and pieces of fabric, ribbon, that bit of trim I accidently dropped but didn't bother to pick up yet because I was waiting to drop more things to make it worth my while to bend over and pick up several things at once. (Sorry about that run on sentence!)

I also keep the curtains open so I can watch the neighbors, what few we have in the middle of cornfields, and see the storms playing themselves out on the unbroken horizon, or the sunsets...(I don't do sunrises, too hard to get up!)

The biggest thing I do though, while doing my art work is that I have to have noise. I know, you are thinking, "If she has four teenagers at home, why would she want more noise to do her work?" Working in silence is not my thing. Not any noise will do though. I have certain kinds of music I listen to...like Paul Potts, Andrea Bocelli, and some gospel music. But, the biggest thing I do, is watch dvds of old t.v. shows and movies. I watch dvds of shows like- I Love Lucy, Waltons, The Andy Griffith Show, Little House on the Prairie, and ( ok, this may be weird)... but I watch The Three Stooges occasionally too.

And yes, you will most likely find paint, clay, and bits of thread all over my clothes...I have a work apron if I could just remember to put it on once in a while...

So there you have it, a little peek into what I do and where I am at when I am making my art. I always think it is interesting and a bit insightful to hear of how others do their crafting and designing a project.

Where and what do you do when you are creating???

Can You Guess Who This Is?

I love doing caricatures of famous people, well known characters, or authors, etc. It is a big compliment to me when someone knows who the character that I made is without me telling them...so, for fun...here are some ones I have done and see if you can tell who they are.... And I won't post the answers! :)












How did you do??

Yes, I Really Have Read it 12 Times!

Gone With the Wind, that is! I discovered it back when I was in high school...I don't remember how I found it...but I do recall liking it so much that every so often I would check it out again from the library, and read it over...and I really have read it 12 times...it is one of my favorite fictional classics!

Not sure what it is that appeals to me so much..maybe it is the time period, the descriptive writing, or that all through it you want to be annoyed with Scarlett because she is so spoiled...but somehow you sort of end up liking her too...go figure!



One thing is for sure, I like the movie, but really can't say I like it like the book itself. As is common, the movie leaves out a lot of must have details to get the full effect of the characters and story . If you have seen the movie, but not read the book, it is a must read, I really mean it! You will get a lot more feel for the story and the characters so much better!

My niece gave me a leather version of the book this past Christmas and I was so happy I could have carried it with me everywhere I went! But for now, it sits on my shelf, waiting to be read for the 13th time in my life...and I just may do it!

Vacation Time

I don't know if our family will be going on a vacation this summer yet or not...but if we do it will most likely be camping in our pop up camper with a dog and four teenagers...doesn't that sound romantic? Actually it isn't so bad...

When I was a kid, I remember some vacations I never forgot- like the time my dad took us to Disney World. I remember I wore polyester pants that day, (I was 9) and there was a little cart train that took all of us to the edge of the massive parking lot. At that moment, the skies opened up and a sheet of rain came down so hard I couldn't keep my eyes open to see...and the rain quickly soaked my pants so that they slid to my knees...so my two siblings and I took off running like crazy trying to figure out where to go...we gave up and crouched down by a car to shelter ourselves, and pretty soon we heard my mom screaming "Kids!kids! Where are you?" (We still won't let her forget that one! ) And, to top it off, Dad had run to get the car and the rain was so bad, he drove past all of us and we had to chase after him!
After we got in the car, my older sister cried about her camera being wet..(sheesh!)

Or take the time Dad decided we should all go camping, and he bought a waterproof tent that was not waterproof...we found out the hard way when he set it up that nioght and it poured rain. Nothing stayed dry, not even the cereal, and of course my older sister cried- again!

Well, as many say, sometimes the things we do that seem not so funny at the time, will indeed eventually produce a chuckle in our memory. I know that to be so, because I still laugh at all the vacations Dad took us on and they ended up having some mishaps!

Hopefully my brood will do the same!