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What I look forward to in 2009

With every new year comes the promise of new things to come and new things to look foward to. I don’t have many resolutions, but I will list the few I have of those, too. Every year I get that old familiar feeling of anticipation of what new things the fresh year will bring. With it comes excitement, and not usually dread. So, here are 12 things I look forward to in 2009.

1. I look forward to seeing a new president come into office and witness how he handles things. I look forward to a new family with young children in the White House.

2. I can’t wait for the new season of American Idol to begin.

3. January brings with it thoughts of everything white-a time of cleaning and organizing and curling up with good books and hunkering down for the heart of winter.

4. I intend to continue making collage paintings and opening up an Etsy store to sell my new art form.

5. I will spend some time in 2009 squaring away my missing college credit hours to complete my degree. When all my ducks are in a row and it’s all official, I will pursue a career in Substitute teaching Art. After dipping my toes in teaching, I will decide if it’s really for me and if it is, I just might pursue an official teaching degree in art.

6. I’m anxious to see a new season of Project Runway.

7. I plan to do monthly color themed blog entries-a color for every month. Sit tight-you’ll see.

8. I intend to keep myself walking, with the intention of becoming more and more fit as the year goes on. I also hope to continue in the direction of eating healthier and eliminating the things in my diet that lead me astray-like sugar and bread.

9. This year I hope to rid my home of unwanted/unused items and live a cleaner, more pared down existence.

10. I hope to write more and read a book a month. (a book a month is a lot for me!)

11. This year, I hope to expose my two youngest to more cultural things like museums and art.

12. By Christmas, I hope to be a person who cares more and thinks more of others.

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2 More Personalized Collages by Me

I made these two new collages as gifts. One was for my friend Laura’s daughter and the other one was for Brittany, my son’s girlfriend. Just wanted to share these 12″ X 12″ canvas’ with you!
I’m really enjoying making these. I still have more I want to do, i ncluding a self portrait one.
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An A to Z about me….

Compliments of Violet (thank you!) I borrowed this meme…thanks!

Accent: I have a definate Chicago accent. Someone on a plane once heard me talking and said, “You’re from Chicago, aren’t you?”

Breakfast: Kashi Cinnamon Harvest and coffee.

Chore: Least favorite – Picking up the dog poo. Closest to a favorite –vacuuming.

Dog or Cat: Cats all the way. Although I own two dogs, they are becoming pains in my butt and the 4 cats are superior in my book. Cats are less demanding and don’t wake me up 2x a nite to go out and pee.

Essential Electronic: Lamps and my computer

Favorite Cologne: Lovely, by Sarah Jessica Parker

Gold or Silver: I like silver. It’s cheap and doesn’t turn green. Handbag: GAP, purple knitted bag, very hip and casual.

Insomnia: Not usually. If I have problems falling asleep, I pop 3 Valerian and I’m off to sleep.

Job Title: Domestic Goddess/art diva

Kids: 5 children-4 males 1 female

Living Arrangement: 5 kids, 1 hubby, 4 cats, 2 dogs, 2 turtles and 1 pet rat.

Most Admirable Trait: I am like sunshine.

Naughtiest Childhood Habit: I love to (and still do) egg people on. I like to press people’s buttons, when it’s something I don’t agree with.

Overnight Hospital Stay: 2 or 3 when I was little for pneumonia. 5 other times when I birthed each child.

Phobia: Walking on mucky stuff in lakes, looking at fingerprints (don’t ask me why, it’s crazy, I know) and sliding down waterslides-for some reason when I go down them, I imagine razor blades straignt up ready to slice me to ribbons….another crazy thought.

Quotation: You need not feel guilty about not being able to keep your life perfectly balanced. Juggling everything is too difficult. All you really need to do is catch it before it hits the floor!

and:

“Did anyone tell Toscanini or Bach, that he had to choose between music and family, between art and normal life?”

Reason To Smile: I’m happy & healthy and delving in creativity and loving life and my kids are happy and healthy.

Siblings: I’m an only.

Time To Wake Up: 6:50am on school days….anytime on off days.

Unusual Talent: I have an almost psychic ability to sense when someone is pregnant even before they are showing.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: seaweed

Worst Habit: I’m too blunt with people.

X-rays: None recently

Yummy Stuff: Chocolate, cakes, cookies, pretzels

Zoo Animal I Like The Most: Wild cats and the Kookaburra

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I’m Published!

Click to Get a Better View!

This just landed in my mail box yesterday, and it will be hitting the newsstands within a week or so, I suppose. My two raggedy designs are in the February 2009 issue of Create and Decorate.

Kim R., remember when you were over and I was just working out the sketch for this pillow design? Well, here it is, finished and published.

The small doll is my 3rd Inaugural Annie. This one is much smaller than the ones from the past, mainly because the magazine needs smaller designs due to size issues.

The big, shaggy dog was inspired by (remember this?) my Cuddly Dudley Dog from the 1960’s I had as a child. Remember he was only available in Chicago and you could only get one if you were a subscriber to the Chicago Tribune? He came in a tall red cardboard doghouse. I loved mine so much he got a limp neck and oh, did I hate that!
As a child, I saw my Cuddly Dudley as being so tall…and to this day I remember him as towering- until I looked him up on eBay today and saw his height is only 28″! I told my husband this, and being the sensible, pragmatic guy he tends to be, tells me ”Well, he was tall, after all, he was probably half your height!” Yes, he was, and 28″ was probably much more than half my height as a 5 year old child and would definately seem to be a towering stuffed animal. So, there!

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Winter Wonderland after last night…

Click on each image to enlarge if you wish to see it bigger…

Me and my dad, circa 1967, hamming it up in a photo booth.

Our old dalmatian, Blaze…


Our 2008 Christmas tree…

Chaz, the black cat checks out the ornaments…

Winter solitude spelled out by two lonely park benches…

Willows dressed up in their icy finery…

Ice cicles dripping over my porch rail….

A frosty evergreen after last night’s ice storm.

Caroline, my daughter took some of these photos today after our overnight ice storm. Everything was captured in icy stillness and is very beautiful. We also put our tree up this weekend and snapped some photos of different vignettes in and around the tree. The first one, however is a special photo booth photo I found of my dad and I-taken in the winter. I’m so smitten with it, I had to share it with you. I miss my dad so much and wish he was here to celebrate Christmas with us.
This year, I’m more in the mood for the Christmas season than I have in the last 4 years. I have my spark back. I want to decorate and have friends over. My sadness has lifted over losing my mother in law back in 2004. She made Christmas so magical for my kids and frankly, it was a hard act to follow after she left us. She would be glad to know I have my spirit back.
This weekend is going to be an artistic one, filled with collaging mixed media canvas’ with my friend Cindy on Sunday. She’s making a special trip over to spend the day with me creating some unique works of art for gifts. I’m really in a sewing mood, too, so in addition to my day with Cindy, I’m planning on making some Amy Butler aprons and sleep masks from her book ‘In Stitches’. I’m really happy these days. If only my dad were here to share my happiness, it would be almost perfect.

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Always remember-No matter what situations life throws at you… no matter how l o n g and treacherous your journey may seem… Remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you, Sharon.