Happy New Year and Bring on the DMARDS

Happy New Year! 

Sam and I spent Christmas day 

at my brother's house. 

Isn't it adorable??

  

 My brother is the Santa in overalls.

My nephew in red shirt, my dad is the guy in khakis, and my nephews in law on the right.

A great group of men! 

As you can tell Christmas is a 

HILARIOUS day full of one upping

in the humor and drinking department. 

LOL. 

My brother and his wife cook up amazing 

turkey in a loving atmosphere.

 

It is the best place to be for Christmas.

Here is Sam on Christmas at our house:

The first pic is the 

MOM. 

Are you going to take a pic 

EVERY time

I open something?  

Sam knows my humor!!

This may be next years card.

I didn't make any this year. 

You'll see why later.

And no.

It's not because 

I won the lottery

or met the man o my dreams... 

disclaimer: I actually did.

Meet the man of my dreams.

Buddha.

Sam has an obsession with Biggie Smalls.

It borders on me planning an intervention.

She also NEVER swears.

Which I find IRONIC.

Wait.

One time when she was 3

I heard her say

Shit.

She was in her room 

and was angry about something.

I heard her through the wall.

It was shocking.

Yet, hilarious.

 

 My facebook post explains it:

  I am GRATEFUL to The Universe that I have an amazing daughter who will be my legs, and an incredible podiatrist and rhuematologist who look after me.

its not all bad. 

Luckily I signed up for 

suzi blu's workshop

and printed all the pdfs.

So yea. 

I'm properly entertained.

Just not properly washed.

but that's another story

with a TMI ending.

Oh. And. This is big.

My beloved friend Teri

washed my hair for me.

and cut it all off.

YUP

I am not worrying about 

what is sexy anymore.

I'm too mature to be

hot rollering.

So that pic above of me and Sam

on Christmas is my

swan song to long locks.

I'm not posting a pic yet.

Not until I am more mobile,

washed, and moisturized.

 New Years Eve Elevation:

My sis came over with lasagna

and champagne.

My beloved godson

and his charming girl

joined us.

We watched Johnny Depp

and Angelina Jolie

in The Tourist.

Which a few minutes into, 

I realized I had seen the original

foreign film, "Anthony Zimmer". 

They are wonderful movies, both.

The Venice scenery and Jolie's wardrobe

are tre magnifi!!!

 

 So there you have it.

I wish all my 

inspirational, talented and generous

art friends

THe Happiest and Healthiest

of New Years.

Thanks for visiting.

Thanks for listening.

Thanks for commenting.

Thanks for sharing 

your amazing talent.

xoS

On the First day of Christmas my Muse gave to me: ZOMBIES

It started out so innocently.

I was simply practicing sketching.

I couldn't get the eyes right.

Par for the course for me.

So I kept erasing them.

I showed my daughter 

what I had done so far.

She said "I love it,

don't change a thing, it's done".

First I thought she was nuts.

Then I thought, yeah, I like this.

Creepy. Different. 

So many variations to be had.

My muse brought me Zombie Katie Holmes.

IMO she is a talentless Zombie.

Feel free to disprove my thinking. 

Ok, that's not very compassionate of me.

I get a bad karma pass cuz

I'm a beginner Buddhist.

Not sure how long I can milk that one.

teehee.

Xanax Zombie

Robot Zombie

Thank you so much for visiting 

and commenting.

Tell me what makes you a Zombie.

And how do you counteract it?

Besides Art of course.

xoS

The Talented Diane Cook

Artists are a special breed of people.

Diane Cook is one of them. 
I was very fortunate to

 meet Diane on the beginning of 

her artistic journey.

A Texan flying to Art and Soul 2007

held in Hampton Virginia,

met a Jersey Girl driving down to A and S

via the wonderful internet.

The Jersey Girl offered to drive the Texan's tools down to Virginia.

A bond of trust and friendship 

formed via email?

yup, it can happen.

In 2007 we thought it would be difficult to get soldering irons, flux, and assorted

scissors, files, and other sharp objects

through security at the airport.
And that was a big box!
It arrived safely to my home via US POST
and safely to Virgina, via Nissan Rogue!!
And so began our amazing journey 
as artists and friends.

Diane is an amazing jewelry artist.

I have watched her work evolve,

I have seen her jewelry on the cover

of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

Now she is teaching at venues similiar to 

where our friendship began.

This soul sister is charming, witty,

kind, wise, talented and above all,

generous. 

I COVETED, probably annoyingly,

one of Diane's incredible

Mexican Calendar Girl Necklaces.

Now this busy lady was working full time,

creating in her spare time,

mothering, grandmothering, 

and granddogging!

as well. 

Then she was submitting work to

magazines, getting the COVER, 

traveling with her true love,

teaching, etsying and all

manor of exciting things.

Every once in awhile I would nag her,

in what I hope what was a charming fashion,

for my MCG necklace.

Well, I got a surprise in the mail.
Look at this lovely packaging:

Here is the best closeup my poor 

camera will do. Love the wire wrapping,

awesome beads, and bling in the form 

of glitter and crystals! 

I love this sooooo much!

The necklace is a box chain

and the length is perfect!

More beautiful packaging!

And here is the most
beautiful packaging of all!
Heart and Soul, incarnate.
Generosity, wisdom, humor,
positivity, talent and faith.
This photo was taken by Charlene, of 
"My Hearts Ease" blog.
Please visit her blog to read about her
experience in a class taught by Diane.
Thank you, Charlene,
for the use of this photo.
And thank you, Diane, for 
your gift of friendship,
and for my new most favorite thing,
my Mexican Calendar Girl Necklace!
xoS