A new year is coming so I decided to create a new header...

can't decide if I like it, so it may be changed in the next few days. 

Any suggestions?

OLD HEADER

NEW HEADER

I spent all day creating the header, it represents my favorite place, 

you know? 

This blog is for me. I didn't create it to sell things as some do, I didn't create it as a showcase. I had to create it for a class I was taking during my Masters program. I did what I had to do for the class, but I created it as a place for me to go to and write, share my day or just randomly talk. Also, I created it as a place to share my art and the art of my sweet students. It's a mixture of many things. I would like to say I am multifaceted, but I am more of an all over the place kind of person.

My house is a quiet house. My husband is not a talker. My son is back home, but he is about his own agenda and has always been a calm easy going sort. Me, on the other hand, well, this art teacher girl, talks non stop and about everything. I will tell you every detail and go off on many tangents before I get to the point...you know, set the stage sort of rambling.  This blog helps me collect my thoughts, helps me put things in perspective and helps me talk things out... sometimes. I enjoy sharing with like minded people, people who I really don't know, but have come to recognize through their own blogs. 

I gather from my guys they are glad I have this place to go. I'm here for them when they need me, but they don't have to listen to so much from me now. They know that I am happiest when I am creating, and that this is a form of creating for me.

Why am I saying all this, when I started out saying 

I had created a new header? 

Maybe because I'm not sure the header will be understood,

or that it really expresses me.

It does express me.

I love burlap, and that's part of the background. 

The fence post photo was taken on our trip to Maine. 

The bird is from a book that belonged to my Grandpapa, I blogged about it last summer.

And the road marker photo was taken by a childhood friend.

It is a vanishing part of Georgia, found on a back road, and it tells the directions to the town I now call home. 

I may be deciding I like this new header for this new year. 

I just realized this is my 99th posting! I promise my 100th will be something better than a long ramble about my header...promise.

BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS TO THOSE WHO BRIGHTEN MY DAYS!

SCENES FROM A CHRISTMAS POP-UP BOOK, JARED RECEIVED FROM SANTA WHEN HE WAS 3 YEARS OLD. IT COMES OUT EACH YEAR TO MAKE SURE WE REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THIS JOYOUS SEASON. 
THE PICTURES ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Some of my favorite Christmas decorations and things that make me smile...

My Santas...none are fancy. One is playing the bass, for Jared, and one is actually a Caroler dressed as Santa...my daddy gave her to me when I was around 12. There's a green bell Santa that my mama painted for me just after she had a stroke...there's even an Artist Santa.

I painted this small nativity when I was 15...poor baby Jesus has been broken for years.

My mama's little Christmas box...she kept it year round in the top drawer of her dresser and brought it out on Christmas...I still keep it in her dresser and bring it out for her.

Candy canes made by my little students out of empty carpet rolls. They colored the white and I rolled them in red.

K-Mart Nativity Set...rushed to after Christmas sale to buy it and got the last one. Loved it for many years. The stable is a yard sale find.

Bathroom shelf made from a shutter, my favorite cat and pine cones from my yard.

Our tree and mantle...will definitely look different in a few hours.

 Hope you enjoy your time with family and friends!

Merry Christmas, Vicki

 

HO, HO, HO!

Created with a halo from a horse's tack, and wire wings from a mystery piece, this Joyful Junk Angel is holding a wreath during this Christmas season. 

I made her for my resale booth...my junk angels are flying out of there...but I think she will stay around our house for awhile. 

She's a bit of plus size girl so she fits in really well here. All of the wood used is very hard, so I guess you could say she's really hard headed too...even more reason for her to stay with the determined lot in my home.

Her elegant footing is an old lamp base. Lucky for me it fit perfectly into the porch post. The porch post was purchased at the Historical Society Flea Market sale that I wait for each year. It is by far the hardest wood I have ever tried to drill into...resorted to gluing most of the parts together. The post was created in sections too.

Made to hold a wreath she is shown here holding a somewhat tacky wreath made from a wire basket tray type thingy. The silver ribbon was way too long, but when first arranged looked very nice. Not so much now after being moved and inspected by family.

Not as big of a girl as the 9 ft. Junk Angel Midge posted a few weeks ago, but she can hold her own. She's a little more than 3 foot tall.

Her elegant base is an old lamp base. Lucky for me it fit perfectly into the porch post. The porch post was purchased at the Historical Society Flea Market sale that I wait for each year. It is by far the hardest wood I have ever tried to drill into...resorted to gluing most of the parts together. The post was created in sections too.

Every girl needs a little glitz...
necklace was created by a former student and adorned another project until I snatched it.

I'm linking my Joyful Junk Angel with Beyond the Picket Fence...stop by for a visit! 
There's lots of under $100 gifts to see there!

Of course she's on JunkMarketStyle!

Full view with out stretched wings and a strong determined stand.

Every girl needs a little glitz...necklace was created by a former student and adorned another project until I snatched it.

I'm up late...

my usual thing to do when I am out on a break from school. 

I love staying up late, in a semi-quiet house. 

Tonight's background sounds are coming from upstairs. 

My son is practicing his double bass and 

the metronome is keeping time with a soft clicking sound. 

Other sounds are from the movie "Eat, Pray, Love"

I am trying desperately to keep up with the story!

It's a good movie, but a little deeper than I need right now.

Another sound is the crunching sound from the Chex Mix I shouldn't be eating.

Oh well...for now I'll eat it, I'll pray about it later and I love it...

Listening to my son playing up stairs as caused me to be a 

Contemplating Mama tonight...

He will soon be 25 years old.

A quarter of a century. 

Where have the years gone?

Along with sitting and trying to watch Julia find her purpose in life, 

I am looking at my Christmas tree...

stay with me now, 

I am rambling 

with a purpose...

there are ornaments on that tree years older than my son, 

and there are some just a few weeks older than he is.

When I was pregnant with him I had a bit of trouble right before he came into the world and the Dr. put me to bed. Not one to just sit, or lay in this case, I had to do something to pass the time. 

So with a craft book beside me in the bed

I tried my hand at the German paper cutting art...  

Scherenschnitte. 
It was a learning experience but I managed to make 
Scherenschnitte Christmas ornaments.

They've been on our tree each year for 26 years now, 

and held up fairly well. 

We have our own little paper Nativity scattered over the tree...

I know there is probably a sermon in this, but this year I misplaced the Baby Jesus. I should find Him and post Him. 
Maybe along with that sermon. 

 When I look at these ornaments each year several things go through 

my mind and heart...

how fast time flies, how I made them as I waited for the birth 

of my one and only 

and how I heard as I was watching TV from the bed 

about the death of one of my favorite art students. 

He was killed far from home in Newfoundland after joining the military. 

He was around 14 when I taught him art in my gallery and frame shop. 

He loved to draw army planes and tanks, and no matter what we were drawing for the class, he would work them into his picture. 

He was very tall for his age, and would have been a wonderful soldier.  

That was an emotionally mixed time... sad for a loss, but mixed with happy anticipation over my son's birth. 

Also, a time of satisfaction for finishing the paper cut ornaments, and learning about a new art form.

OOOOOO one more...

A dough ornament I made when we first got married almost 29 years ago...I pushed the dough for the lions mane through the holes in a salt shaker top, and then covered the entire piece with Mod Podge.

Still one of my favorite ornaments.

A little bit more late night rambling...

Blessings...

I visited my 85 year old Aunt Kathryn today. She is still full of life though her memory is fading. I took Gypsy with me...Aunt Kathryn plopped right down on that floor with her! 

I guess I'll have to wait for 85 to do that cause 

I certainly can't do that now!

 I love her dearly!

Late night contemplating my blessings...

 a family, memories, movies, ornaments and...

the Baby Jesus!

He's always there...sermon over.



I am joining in the merry making at  
Bobbypin's Boardwalk's Bragfest,
Savvy Southern Style, and 
Common Ground...
stop by! 

What a blessed day we had yesterday! 
We held our annual Cousins Christmas at my house, 
and so much fun was had! 
So much food too!
It's such a blessing to get to be with my family. 
We are all fairly close in age and grew up being together 
almost once or twice a week. 
We are close! 
I call some of them my Sister Cousins, 
because I do not have a sister, and we do a lot of things together still. 

Here's one picture of the 100's we took...we get a little out of hand when we are together, but that's the fun of it...this one is a rather calm shot.
Love them all!
(that's my baby brother in the back, he always gets in at least one of the pictures each year with all us girls) 

I am joining  

The house in the roses: Show off Your Christmas Tree Monday fun...
come on over!
When you are finished there hop on over to Bargain Hunting(and chatting) with Laurie, I couldn't help myself, I joined the party there too!

Here are just a few of the Holiday cookies, 

Christmas cookies , pendant cookies,

Winter cookies, ummm...

thingies with a hold in them cookies 

that we just finished in my classroom. 

It's hard to decide what to call them 

when you are trying to think of others during this time of year and respect their traditions and beliefs, 

as well as, create an art project that will cover simple clay techniques.

We rolled the clay into a ball...pressed it flat and stamped different designs in the center. Usually the design of choice was the students initials. After the clay was fired students colored the cookie with construction paper crayons and painted over the crayon with glitter paint. 

Amazing fun!

When told to put the paint on quickly, but lightly one very quiet student whose voice I had not heard this year said, " I'm finished. I put lots of paint on that sucker!!" 

Made my day that she talked to me, and the comment was priceless!

Even the paper on the painting table was beautiful!

Keeping up with popular Southern fashion...notice the monogrammed ones.

CHRISTMAS!

Let the decorating begin...

 I need a few more Christmas balls for this tree.

I made two...

one is so tall I am not sure
where it will end up.

 

When finished this tree will be in the center of my dining table.

A shelf in my kitchen filled with silver shakers, plates and such.

My mantle...now white from it's summer painting. 

The wreath's made on a 10 cent form I bought at my favorite sale, put on by the Macon Historical Society each year. 

They have the BIG sale and then a few weeks later they have a half price sale...I could still be there digging through all that glorious junk, but someone has to decorate my house.

Borrowed this idea from a blog. I need a little more bow practice.

A peek at the mantle just as I began painting it this past summer...this makes me feel good to see it, because it's proof that I do get some projects finished. Well, sort of...I want to paint the brick fireplace next...that will be some job!

More mantle...want a new fireplace cover also. Or, at least to paint the one I have...tires me to think about all that I want to do.

Here's my new curtains...painter's drop clothes. 

I like them, but think I'll be adding some bling to them sometime.

So, that's it. Got lots more work to do before ALL my family comes for our Christmas get-together. It will be done, but I just might be too. I really can't wait...I have the craziest bunch of cousins showing up here in about two weeks...FUN!