Masculine Birthday Card Design

I really enjoy creating masculine cards lately. I think it is because I really don't like what I see out there. My problem is that I don't like writing nasty "age" remarks, but I don't think what I write is witty enough.  It's a work in progress.

Vintage Family Wedding Photos

These photos are from my mother-in-law, Annette. These photos are so intriguing to me. Look how beautiful this woman is! And that is her again in the flapper wedding below. She looks so happy, unlike the last wedding photo. Wow, do they scared or what?  Anyway, we are not exactly sure who this beautiful woman is, except that she is a cousin of grandpa or great-grandpa....but looking at her, you can come up with so many wonderful stories of her amazing life. 

I don't know about you (women), but my mother would have died if I wore a short dress to my wedding, but note that her flapper style was not only unique but very classy. 

Victorian Era: Did you know that they wore Red or Black wedding dresses. 

Fact: now which one is this one? Black or red?

Awww, now you gotta love those happy faces. No bets on if this marriage survived. Back then you never divorced.  Of course, there was divorce but if they were like my great aunt, they would tell you that her husband died in some horrible death. Nice huh!

Photo Contest Entries

I am entering a local photo contest and I cannot decide which photos to choose for the following subjects: Landscape, Portrait, Animal, Still Life and Abstract.  Which ones should I choose? Can only pick one for each subject. I'd appreciate your help. Thanks!!!

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 Subject: Animal - Siberian Husky or playful painted pony?

Landscape: Maine sunrise or Maine coastline or Mushroom in the woods? It's the Mushroom.

Portraits: Train Engineer or vintage family outing

Still Life: Balancing Rocks or Vintage Airplane Engine

Abstract: Turquoise Wood, Chicken Pen, NYC Building

Photog Friday - For January Welcome to Photog Friday! Where photographers can share their creations and see what other photogs are creating? Because this is the first Linky Party, I'm making it for the entire month of January. So be sure to come back, add other photos and see what others are posting. Then we'll go to our weekly Photog Fridays! Requests: Only submit your own work and photos Include a link to this sharing party or post my button on your site Add the linky party to your own posting -- this is a Blog Hop after all Take a look at some of the other links and comment on them. Make some new photog friends. Don't just link up and leave :-) And be sure to sign up for reminders of the next Photog Friday!

Time to put Christmas away.

My mind is focused on putting Christmas away. I love the holiday and 

its so hard to put it away after such a short amount of time! 

My husband and I go all out in making a Christmas with many traditions.  The most important tradition in our decorating is our tree. We buy a Blue Spruce every year. It is the only type of tree that holds up our heavy mercury glass and hand blown ornaments. Now, if you've ever touched a blue spruce you would know that it HURTS! Those needles are so sharp that they make you feel like you are getting thousands of pin pricks. We end up with scars and rashes up and down our hands and arms, but to us it is worth it.

TIPS TO MAKING YOUR ORNAMENTS ORGANIZED 

store our most special ornaments in metal tins, like the ones you get with cookies or special liquors. I fill them with tissue or the soft cotton use in our snow village. I never worry about them being crushed or broken. Some of these tins are pretty with nice winter designs. I almost feels like you are opening a present. 

The biggest thing is that we write the year and who bought it for us on masking taped on the boxes. Seems like a silly thing at first, but now some of these ornaments are over 30 years old!
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One more thing that makes our tree unique is the baby's breath. Each year we get a boquet and place little amounts throughout the tree. It softens the look and looks amazing next to the bluish boughs.

Well, today I spent the whole day putting my precious gems away for another year. Now, I am looking to keep some color and cheer in the house, so I've got my plants in bloom. I love Christmas, but I love Spring even more. So lets keep it merry and bright throughout the year!

Enjoy!!!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! 

I love my card this year. I took the photo of the two horses last year in Warwick, NY. They had this open carriage riding throughout the town. It was such an old fashion and beautiful sight to see. 

The rest of my card was inspired by my chalk board. I love drawing and writing on it all the time. And the plaid is my favorite pattern this time of year. I use plaid on my presents, in my wreaths and this year I used real plaid scarves as table runners to display my nutcracker collection. I was thrilled to put so much of my favorite things into this card. I hope you enjoy it!

Enjoy the season and stay warm!

Enjoy!!!

Disney Princess Murals

Here I am painting another mural. I had one week to do 6 Disney princesses for a little girl's bedroom while she was away with her mom. I haven't done a mural in awhile, but my heart melted when I heard the father's story.  His wife instructed him to get the walls painted within the two weeks that her and her daughter were gone. He had hired a friend, of a friend, of a friend and they never showed up! One week gone. So, the poor man called every place that said that they were artists. He called my former boss, from American Art Studio, luckily she remembered that I used to do murals and referred me to him. I heard his plyte and saw the handwritten letter from the girl with her list of princesses - or as I like to call them female hero's. I was impressed by her selection. Even though I haven't met the little girl - I like her already! So, here I was, one week and they wanted princesses and background on all the walls. I knew I didn't have that kind of time frame for the background, but I could get her her princesses. So, I was hired!

The smartest thing that I did for this project was to hire my bff to assist me. She was so efficient that I put her to the wall and had her paint as well. She was scared at first, but then she became addicted. She painted the log by my raccoon and she painted, almost all of Ariel, I insisted on painting the lines so it all looked like the others, but that was her baby. She also painted the dresses. By the time she painted Ariel, she was so happy and excited! She was ready to give up her office management position and become a full time muralist. Sadly, not that many jobs come by that often to make it a career, but when they do, I will definitely have my assistant by my side. She made my time so easy. All I had to do was stand on the ladder and paint. What fun! Hope you enjoy them. I would love to hear your comments.

Pocahontas

Tianna

Rapunzel

Cinderella

SnowWhite

Ariel