Alter Me

All go! whizz whizz.........

It has been all go here!  I was away to GB for work for 2 days last week – including a work night out – so that’s been 3 major nights out that I’m probably still recovering from!!!!! 

When I was in GB, I bought the wee man Usborne Farmyard Tales Big Book of Things to Make and Do as a surprise.

At first, he was unimpressed.  He wanted a toy.  He cried.  And then I wasn’t too impressed.  However, he quickly came round and wanted to play.    We did quite a few daisy/car chains and some snowflakes, and he has big plans for more stuff.  And I'll have to find more fabby books like that.   And he’s book mad at the minute.  His current favourites are Green Eggs and Ham and Put me in the Zoo.  Despite his love for Sam-I-Am, he still won’t eat eggs, though, lol.    Stubborn like his mommy.

And he’s been playing with his sidewalk chalk, football, and chilling with CBeebies.  Although TV is only for certain times.  When I’m not working, I normally just chill with him in the morning and we sit and chat.  It is fabulous.  My favourite time where I feel the most grounded.   The TV only goes on then for meals and chilling before bed.  He now quite likes Big Cook, Little Cook; the Green Balloon Club; Charlie and Lola, and Rubberdubbers. 

Oh yes, he’s been out to the beach with us and the dogs quite a lot, lately, too.  He’s turned into quite the dog walker and stone-skipper as well.  He finds little stones to toss, and he finds fabulous shells to take home.  And he admires all of the footprints.  Simple things.

And he now has a very cool reversible bunk bed from Ikea. (picture to come later - camera difficulties!)  He *insists* on sleeping on the top bunk.   And he plays on the bottom one, which he has allocated to Livy for when she visits us.  He mentions that a lot. We are sooooo excited to have Livy and Mom and Kev coming (October) and Caitlin on Friday.  Happy times.  :0)

He’s still into “Why” and “Not again” in a big way.  and the number 21.  and the colour yellow. And he’s still the biggest helper ever.  He insisted on going down the stairs to help me get a shoe that fell.  (“Don’t worry, Mommy!  I’ll get it!”)    He likes to clean the toilets (!!!!!!!!!!!), and he helps his Daddy lift tiles in the kitchen.  A very industrious little man.

He was measured for D’s wedding – no tantrums – and he says he’s getting a YELLOW suit.  A small one.  We have a few months to work on the idea of a grey one…………..

On the arty front, I ordered some new Tim Holtz pigment inks after Angela tempted me with hers. :0)   And I still want some more Luminarte Radiant Rains, but they aren’t the easiest thing to get.  On the girly front, I definitely need to go shopping – new clothes needed – and Benefit keep tempting me with their lovely newsletters about their fall collections.  A mini-lottery win would be nice. :0)

And our house is beginning to look more like a home now.  Mucho painting and DIY going on.  Calum keeps saying that the living room is orange, but it is APRICOT. Really.   We have one lovely print up at the moment.  I’m still searching the Internet to try to find more paintings by Curtis Wade that are similar to the Riverwalk-at-night painting that I adored but didn’t purchase at the time.  Note – DON’T WAIT TO BUY A PAINTING!  I even emailed the gallery asking if he is doing another or would sell a print, but I haven’t had any word.  Maybe I’ll find another painting that I’ll fall in love with at some other point…And I do have some other lovely ones that have been given to me that I must put up, too.  :0)

clay fun

eIt's been a busy few days in the craft room.

I have done Tejae's encased heart class and I am now a clay addict!!!!!!!   I need another go as my inner heart ('fragment') was too big for my inner heart (see purple heart below) but I still love them and want to try again.  Note to self:  buy toaster oven. ;0) 

The fragment stamp is by Cats Life Press.

The stamps below are from Green Pepper press and then carved deeper with a bone folder.

And I did some sculpey faces with my pal Angela. :0)  fun fun fun!!!!!!!

And Calum's been making charlie and lola monsters and more clay faces (with play dough and paint).

nearly recovered....

...semi-human after a great Saturday night.  Pics courtesy of the lovely S-J.

and they made me wear these glasses. pmsl...........!

10 years full circle

10 years ago - well i was a lot of things - younger, thinner lol.  and I had blonde highlights.  Not quite this blonde.  So here we are again, 10 years later.....

lol.  my pal made me PROMISE to text her this pic.  Otherwise you'd never see it.  I *shudder* at being in photos.  I think it will be slightly less blonde in a few days, but overall, I think it turned out okay lol. 

Etsy goodies!

Look at these passport covers I got from Etsy!!!!

This is from Sewing Rabbit.

 

These are from Bridget Davies.

Aren't they gorgeous?????

Now... I just want a painting by Misty Mawn, jewellery by Nina Bagley, a heart from Tejae, and of course some of the other amazing goodies - pendants, bunting, laptop bags, wall letters.............  I could buy that place out if I won the lottery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

flat pack mania

hiya!  whew.... we have been to Ikea 3 times in 3 days.  i am sure that probably qualfies us as officially insane....  and one of the times i built the thing wrong... another time simon bought the wrong thing.  but we have a new 'office' now.  so much tidier than our previous attempt at it.  and my books and photograhs are all together, woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  this room is nearly done, just a few more little things left.  it did mean that i had to totally reorganise the art/craft room  - had to be brutal - and move some of calum's toys in.  but it looks better now.  so go us. :0)  and calum, he helped, too, hammers and screwdrivers and all.  he was pretty excited about it all. 

we are still painting the bathroom.  i now think masking tape is evil, creates more trouble than it's worth.   must have another go at the bits where IT REMOVED THE PAINT again tomorrow. boo.

meanwhile, the little dude has been full of fizz as usual.  unfortunately i can't document all of his stories here, shame that....     and my brain is fried - out on sympathy with my exhausted arms and legs i think - so i'll have to try to be a better blogger about his little gems.  he did tell me today that i HAD to go to school with him.  so at least he says he's going now. that's progress... perhaps we'll survive preschool after all.....  oh yes... and he wants a sister. and he wants to have a baby.  i did explain that only girls could have babies.  he wanted to know why.  (really, i should've known that was coming.)  i said they had special tummies.  then i think he asked why/how.   i did - somehow - work my way out of that.   he talks about babies a lot......... even said he'd change their nappies (but i think that is just positive thinking on his part).   

and WHY is just ever so popular.  most of the time it's grand, but I must admit that something I crack up a bit with that.  and then he laughs at me cracking up, so i guess it's all a game............

and i have some good things to look forward to.  friends coming. :0)  family coming.  :0)   and here's to hoping for some good weather soon - must get the little man to portrush or bangor or something soon...... 

no arting to report but i am very INSPIRED by Angela and Carrie (see links to their blogs) who've both been on separate trips / classes and made me want to learn more.  maybe i will get back into things.... and etsy... etsy is the best.... PAINTINGS.... handbags, necklaces, vinyl letters for your walls (sounds odd but they are gorgeous!) ... passport covers........ baby booties........ and then I think oooh I could get that for.......... but then what if they hated it?   oooh lol and there were the cutest skull cross bone barettes for a baby girl.  i thought they were cute.  my mother wasn't so sure.   but the rebellious side of me liked them......  not that i have a baby girl - but if i ever do perhaps i'll go searching for those barettes!

Oh.. and Santa.  Yes Santa.   I now know that Calum wants 1) more quadrilla things  and  2)  a squeaky mouse.  I asked him why.... "Because I don't have one."  So I guess it's off to the pet store for that! 

what else?  why is it that i always wake so damn early on the weekends when i could sleep for ireland during the week?   it would be bliss just to spend a day in bed watching rubbish tv and sleeping and doing nothing. youth, eh, definitely wasted on the young!!!!!!!!!!

so i have one semi-clean house, one bab and his clothes and meals off to his nan's for the evening.  one other half about to return from football. and me, covered in paint and stuff.  and the bad workies in the morning.    suppose that should be all for now........

and I forgot....

...to add the tidbit about the Sheriff's Department, who ordered me OFF the street because there were "too many people on the road."  They didn't give me time to say that I was STAYING on that road.  5 police cars then pulled up to a neighbouring house (5 houses down or so).  Interesting stuff.  In all of my years in the US, that was a first.   We got into the house very quickly.....

Back from Orlando

Hello, all.  :0)  We are back from Orlando!   The wee man did have a fabulous  time.  Here are a few notes for friends, family and others who may also go....

Calum's Favourites:

--Gatorland

--Animal Kingdom 

--Pool

--Sea World (stringrays, dolphins, sea otters, Shamu)

--Games and Old Town

--Epcot

--American chocolate milk - known to him as cold hot chocolate

There were some very good things at the Magic Kingdom, Universal and MGM but it was pretty HOT OUT THERE so he ran out of fizz mid-afternoon (as did I), but we did do most of the kiddie stuff.  For anyone reading who has little kids - he did a LOT better when we went later in the day.  And if you CAN convince them to get into a stroller, do it.  (We didn't manage that.  Calum is a big boy.  Walks.  MILES.  Is not tired even when he's EXHAUSTED.  Stubborn like his mommy.) 

The villa.

It was very clean inside.  The pool wasn't ready when we arrived, which was kind of a bummer.  But they did fix it.  They also set the air conditioner to 82 degrees. It kept resetting (took us awhile to realise!), and we were only ALLOWED to set it between at 76.   Interesting.  So DO ASK ABOUT AIR CONDITIONING about this if you ever go....  It was a good place, a little far out (Clear Creek).  So if we go again, we'll book somewhere closer and check about the A/C, pool, and a few other things.

Some general pics....

Animal Kingdom

Ball pit universal.  Balls everywhere.  Surrounded by a water play place where you get drenched (not a bad thing, given the temp was over 100 degrees a lot of the days).  If you are going BRING ICE WATER IN THERMOSES TO THE PARKS.  And you'll still need to buy more....

Calum and Mommy self portrait  (more of Calum than Mommy)

Calum throwing water.  My little hooligan. :0)

Carousel (spelling?)

Lightning McQueen and a random kid (They cut off the line before we could get in, but Calum was mega delighted to see Mater and McQueen anyway.)

Di and C

honey i shrunk the kids

goats at animal kingdom and gatorland

it's a small world (after all... c'mon, sing a long....)

looking at a lake

kev on a VERY SCARY rollercoaster

reading a lot of books (yay borders!!!!).  This is Oh the Places You'll Go.

Calum's scary monster impressions

Silly hat he won in a game :0)

Sea World (This looks so MUCH better than being a bid manager!)

More Sea World (feeding stingrays, watching Shamu, etc)

Smiles

And a few bits that we'll remember...

Directions.

Calum  - "Are we lost?"  And somehow he always knew when we were lost, mommy's little mind reader.

"Daddy, have you got the, "irections?""   Leaving out the d.... We got some very interesting looks.

Oh, yes, and google directions first... It took us a few days and a lot of stress to figure out that map reading was not the way forward.  (Or rent Sat Nav for $100.)   And bring money for the toll roads.

Oh, yes, and Calum christened our car the 'doctor car' because of the noise the car alarm made.  (We used it to find the car in car parks....)

Gatorland.

Calum insisted on holding the baby alligator.  Daddy got the snake.  I said that this was only fair compensation since I gave birth to the wee man (and I don't do snakes).  Fair is fair!!!!!  He also fed the goats (who nibbled his hair), fed the gators (hitting them in the nose with hot dogs), fed the fish, and ran through the water park.

Games addict.

It is amazing that he didn't get barred from games booths. He played them quite a lot at Old Town and at the parks.   He's pretty good at tossing rings, shooting water, throwing balls (skee ball, basketball), shooting coins (for tickets), etc.   We took home a SUITCASE of stuffed animals.

Games at ??? (maybe Universal???) and Old Town.

Little swimmer.

A friend lent us a  Super Soft Swim Vest and Calum became a water baby. :0)  He was definitely in love with the pool at the villa. 

Epcot.

He adored the Spaceship Earth and Finding Nemo rides.  He thought that going backwards was hilairous. :0)  And innoventiosn (correct spelling) was great.  Crazy thunderstorms on the first day (eeep).  But we went twice.  No pics, bad mommy, but fab place for little people.

Lights out.

He went into a little doze when we were driving home. It was dark, but not completely black.  5 minutes later, he exclaimed (quite seriously), "Oh my goodness!  What happened?!" in total shock at the dark.  We were in kinks of giggles.

Literal.

Another conversation:

From Pop:  "Put the pears on the table."

Calum:  "Okay." Dumps plate of pears on the table.

Stories.

He's also taken to making up stories.  We had "spikey grass" at the villa that was cut by a "spikey man" with a "spikey lawnmower." LOL.  And there are a lot of "Whys" and "What does that do?"  and "What does that play with?"  and numerous associated stories.  And he decelared he's not going to school because he's too tall and his shoes are too dirty.  (I am sure that there is logic there somewhere.)

Family

"We are staying here.  Dan and Rosie can come."  He quite liked being the star turn for 2 weeks.  In his wee world, we'd all live in one big house.

Terrible twos come late. 

"Calum... come...."  Ignore.  or no.  or No thank you, I don't want to go there/wear a jacket/eat/get dressed etc.   Hmmm.  Many time outs and some grumpy parents who have had to raise their voices a lot.  But on the upside, he'll be very indepenent in later life, I think, lol.

Chalk.

Mom sent Calum some sidewalk chalk before our hols. :0)  The wee man loved it....

Birdhouse.

Calum adores birdhouses.  Happy homes for the birdies.  I picked one up at Michael' s and promised Calum he could paint it when we got home.  So... he has painted... and glittered (crayola makes great glitter pens) and I  helped him glue the confetti.  He will be so happy to put it in the garden.

Paint, glitter pens, confettie, and a very happy boy.

Dispensary of Hope

I don't normally just support any charity... but this one is important to me for two reasons:  1)  I know the person who is running this (went to Vanderbilt with him) and 2) I know very much how hard it is for people who cannot get the medicines they need.

It is affiliated with the St Thomas Hospital in Nashville....but try to think wider concept rather than just location. :0)

Here is some info below.  If you feel like sending a donation, there is a link at the bottom of the page.

The Dispensary of Hope

The Dispensary of Hope seeks to be the leading provider of free pharmaceuticals to uninsured patients through a network of dispensing sites across the country sustained by local partnerships.

1. It’s a matter of compassion: no one should be deprived of the medicine they need because of an inability to pay.
2. Through supplying medications to individuals below 200% of the poverty level, we empower patients to better care for themselves and their families.
3. For every dollar contributed to the Dispensary of Hope, over $25 of medications are returned to the community.

https://www.causes.com/fb/donations/new?cause_id=86905&fundraiser_id=15247034&m=9deb6

a man with a plan

calum was a man with a plan today.  the little due decided (en route to home) that we would take the dogs to the beach. so we (me and him) did, followed up by ice-creams for all  - very happy doggies indeed.  calum even said i'd get a kiss for getting the ice creams, so that must be worth some mommy points!

other current favourite saying:  "goody, goody!!!"

and he keeps saying i need to grow a brother in my tummy so calum can have a bunk bed.  drastic measure methinks.

so you asked about the art room...

this is my messy space. :0)

i am still decorating it... the walls need some paint, and the red carpet, curtains, and lampshade *need* to go, but i am making it *mine* (and i so want a klimt tapestry to hang instead of a curtain... have hinted to simon about this on several occasions)!  and i got some fab shelves to put all of my yummy paint on... and now i have little frames (balancing on the paint lol!) that i need to hang....

here are my shelves...and this pic itself is my favourite view and just makes me happy all the way down to my toes. :0)

here is my all time favourite view, close up... :0)

i have my gorgeous flowers from my dear pals, a tag from claudine h, a bead from my dear friends, diz's friends' book, angela's necklace, a few of my glass house and velvet hearts, my piece house, some art that angela got me from etsy, and art journal pages.

and here is my desk....

it's an old coffee table, recycled, covered in paint, utee, wax, etc....

and my paper mache bowl... i need to make more of these......

and just above my desk, i have my little utee/wax canvas, bowl of most-used items, mother canvas from a round robin, and a few items you saw in the previous pics.

and on the other wall, i have my home canvas...

then - back to the shelves - i have an art journal page, tyvek bowl, coaster, utee pic...

and all of my 'dream' pages and house

and this bit is for UTEE fun - things captured in utee, baked utee, etc....

these are 2 art journal pages from the last year.

and here is my angel space - although you can't see the 2nd angel with the flash.

integrity, a small canavs i never totally felt at ease with

and calum's corner :0)

and my alice canvases (my first) - not overly fond of them but i still have them.

and a frame of my dear friends' work and a tiny bit of mine... i need to dig out a hammer and a nail and hang this :0)

the few things i have in the living area are:

1.  transfer onto tile

2. little canvas

3. image transfer onto canvas with paints

*and* i framed this pic that kerry made for calum, and it's now hanging in his room.

and i saved this pic - drawn by a stranger at the airport - and framed it.  calum says it should go in the hall.  so it will!

so  - i have one more big item (from kerry) to frame, but i'm making progress......

rude rude rude.. i need tori.......

i hate people being rude and ignorant... and i've had SO MUCH of it this week.

tori amos sums it up well..........

and some other goodies from tori...

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frames needed

i have so many gorgeous paintings (made and given by some amazing people), atcs, a few art journal pages that have been 'balancing' on my art supplies (literally) for awhile now. i started to frame a few bits tonight and wow what a difference it made to my small place.  lovely and shiney and just *different*  so hard to explain... but i need a load of frames now - gives it a bit of character.  (now i just need to rid of the red lampshade, red curtains and red carpet.......)

i do have 3 little things in the main area of the house - none too far off of mainstream - but mostly i keep most artsy things in my art room...... so if you are visiting soon (hint people!!!!! ;0) )  you may see some of your own work up in frames soon (as soon as i buy tesco out of clip frames!!!!   will get better ones when i win the lottery lol.)

more pics

mother and daughter and mother and son pics :0)

calum on our bus tour

smiler

sweet

wishing well

and dixie and nelson

happy mother's day (us)

xHappy Mother's Day to all of the American Moms out there.

Love you, Mom. xxxxxxxxxx

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I wanted to paint a figure yesterday - but I just couldn't manage it.  I decided to try Misty Mawn's technique of painting over pictures, but I have a long way to go on this one.  I actually meant to have a contemplative figure, leaning over, but I couldn't deviate much from the original pic, so I ended up with this:

The background is many layers of various paints, mostly lumieres.  The diamonds were cut from oil painted material. 

The window is from a photograph. It's on a crackled background, and it's covered in blue irridiscent paint and glossy accents.

The middle of the house is also cut from oil painted fabric. 

The frame has some mica edges, tissue paper, leafing, and texture beads.

Paints are adirondack acrylics, lumieres and goldens.

The silver webbing effect is a bit about how I feel right now - happiest with Calum - and then a lot of things outside pulling in.

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And... check out this blog - http://dansmamaisonilya.blogspot.com/ Thanks, Anne, for the link. I am loving all of your work!

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and my little glass houses are just too delicate to post (well without taking some serious chances).  the utee hasn't held so i am re-gluing their roofs... so i suppose they will stay with me or be given away in person.

hearts and houses

i am working on a little project... 

i needed some more felt hearts... burned and embossed....

and i thought back to the projects i liked last year - my paper mache bowl and my little glass house (both 2007).   and it's time for more houses, baby..........

house 1:  paperartsy squiggly ink stamp, dried and peeled paint, beads, UTEE, embossing powders

house 2:  burned felt hearts and felt lace, utee, embossing powders

house 3:  paperartsy squiggly ink stamps, beads, utee, various embossing powders, indian leaf

house 4:  utee, embossing powders, beads, gold mica flakes, tiles

house 5 (and the one i struggled with the most):  utee, embossing powders, beads, artgirlz crown, paperartsy squiggly ink stamps, puff paint, paints, pearl mica

so....... do i keep them?  save them for friends?  dare to stick them on etsy (my stuff is out there lol!)

and another little angel

the one was just a silly sketch but she made me happy

little white lights

last year, i discovered solar powered fairy lights on ebay... cheap as chips except for the shipping!!!!!  i do love them, though.... i've only had one dud strand and now have 6 strands at the front and back of the garden. :0)  i can't get a few off twinkle mode (hmmm...) but they are still quite lovely.

i think it's catching on as my neighbour has lights on her new deck - but i'm pretty sure hers are electric!!!!  i must admit to giving away quite a few sets over the last year.... spreading the light love!!!!

and the little man has been blowing on dandelions. he doesn't know about wishing on them yet, but he likes watching the petals fly...................

his lastest word is 'expert.'  says he is an expert on a lot of things............

and here is a great pic from diz after c splashed everyone in the hot tub lol.

and here is a combo art journal page/thank you night.... inspired by the angels of Suzanne Woolcott www.gorjuss.co.uk any fairy lights and friends :0)   calum and i coloured the background (layer 1) with water soluble colours.  then i sprayed radiant rains on, added mulberry paper, added more colours and radiant rains and various paints (lumieres). stamps are from heidi swapp and paper artsy and tim holtz

hope you are all having a fab weekend x

ee cummings

ah......................  i must've known him before................... his poetry always makes me feel grounded :0)

[somewhere i have never travelled]

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain, has such small hands

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in 

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
                                    i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

i love you much(most beautiful darling)

i love you much(most beautiful darling)

more than anyone on the earth and i
like you better than everything in the sky

-sunlight and singing welcome your coming

although winter may be everywhere
with such a silence and such a darkness
noone can quite begin to guess

(except my life)the true time of year-

and if what calls itself a world should have
the luck to hear such singing(or glimpse such
sunlight as will leap higher than high
through gayer than gayest someone's heart at your each

nearness)everyone certainly would(my
most beautiful darling)believe in nothing but love

big catch up

first of all - a few sayings from the wee man:

Nan - "I'm gonna throw you in the bin."

Calum - "No you won't.  You love me too much."  LOL!!!!!!! 

And to his Daddy who was leaving for a flight for work:  "Don't get into any trouble, Daddy."

And to his Pop when he asked for a kiss by.  "No, Pop, you can't have any kisses because it is raining."  Errr.... I'm sure there is logic in there somewhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

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And a few snaps and notes from the weekend :0) 

Simon and Joe and Neil playing the PS3... Neil - a happy man in a recliner!!!!!!!!!   Bus tours, with Calum watching Joe :0)  .... Neil -  Calum telling him to go in to hot tub... my little bossy boots!!!!!!!!!!!   Joe and Ella playing hide and seek with Calum and Calum yelling their names........... Joooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Ellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllla!  and giggling like mad, playing his happy little heart out....   Sweet Daniel and "Tho" (Thomas) the only boy I know who loves trains as much as Calum.....  And Angela and me and Diz drooling over paints and stencils and books...............  Calum announcing to the room, "Come on, Mommy, it's time for bed."  a beautiful painting and wonderful post card from Ella.......... Joe and sweet DIxie - who cried till he came back on Saturday........The beautiful book Diz made me that almost made me cry....  liverpool chat and bobbypin bags (hee hee) and urban decay (altered art for the eyes) and sat nav (hee hee) and lovely long saturday night chats with Diz and lovely sunday sunshine..................  and so much more - it was a fantastic weekend.  here are a few pics xxxxxx

Now come back already.... ;0)

And here are the stamps (urban chic i think) - just stamped with rainbow ink.... i like them :0)