Downton Abbey Silver Holiday Decorating Tabletop

Simple decorating ideas are my kind

of decorating. I have these silver plated cups

that I call my Downton Abbey Cups..

They are just vintage silver cups

but I am sure they have lots of stories to tell.

(They will look more like Downton Abbey

on white linen!)

Place each cup in a circle like a wreath

and fill each with boxwood cuttings.

If you are a gardener that is the same

as saying each are filled with cheer.

If only boxwood rooted quickly

like say, mint!  

Old silver has such character!

The combination of brown, silver and gray

with some shimmer and some dull areas

has such appeal to me.

These almost blend into the tabletop.

Beautifully burnished is the best description for the cups.

Happiness is a table full of family and friends

good food helps too,

so I guess I should be looking for new dishes to make

the usual dishes are comforting but it's always good to

have a few surprises each year.

I stumbled upon a cookbook by 
Sam Choy

at a Goodwill store and it was $1.30 

Now I have the recipe for Payapa Dressing!

The list of secret ingredients is in my kitchen.

All photographs are my own from Instagram.

Connecting up with:
   Between Naps on the Porch
Coastal Charm
Common Ground

Styling Collage Photography

It's not what you have

 it's how you arrange them.

It's not how expensive the items are

it's about texture and color.

That is pretty much the rules I use

when it comes to styling collage photography.

These are my two photographs from Instagram

I love how art is in everything around us.

Both of these photgraphs were taken with my iphone 4.

You have to love the iphone...easy to carry and usually

always with me wherever I'm at.

We were very, very fortunate that we didn't lose

our electricity during Hurricane Sandy.

There were a few flickers and I waited up a good

bit during the night waiting to light candles while

the wind roared outside.

I feel bad for all of the others who had extensive damage.

Schools were cancelled for two days and many

business offices were closed as well.

Connecting up with Common Ground Linky Party

Scandinavian Mixed Media Westie Scottie Paintings

These colors are so soft and sweet like new fallen snow. I lightened up in my colors in these two mixed media originals and I feel like I am in Europe with the brightest lights and soft pastels. But I'm really here in Maryland at 44 degrees and no snow on the ground...yet! See the westie racing down the hill. That is exactly what our westie does when our son sleds. They have energy and then some. Both little boys and westies.




I put westie's cousin, Scottie, in this painting. A sweetheart. Karina is ice skating in Sweden! We are going around the globe here. Both of these will be on ebay for sale. 5 by 7 inches each and on stretched canvas with collage papers and acrylic paint. Pink colors are so restful and calm.

Frida Kahlo Altered Art Painting

Paper, scissors, glue and paint made Frida Kahlo soft and romantic looking. Pink always makes us smile! It's true. Frida sleeps with her smile pillow and always wakes up with a smile even though sometimes she hurts. We don't always need to be reminded to do things but often when we look at art it makes us smile. Over and over again.

Some ask why I paint Frida. When I was younger we moved from rainy Oregon to sunny California my first year of high school. They were like two different poles. California is so rich in spanish history, spanish food, spanish music, spanish architecture, spanish clothes, all with the beautiful warm sun shining down on it all. How could anyone not be touched? (I might also mention earthquakes here with sunny California.)

PINK SMILES is up for sale. Details here.

Sushi Girl Mixed Media Folk Art

We've eaten sushi twice in the last few days and it was delicious. Last night after salmon and avocado rolls I came home and with my recylced paper made this 5 x 7 altered art painting. (I painted her as full as I felt.)

Around here we have quite a few sushi bars and they are all doing well, none have had to close down due to lack of business. Do you like the wasabi sauce? I do because it heats it up a few notches and clears up anything that is wrong with your head. The thin ginger is tangy too for a treat.

Up for sale on ebay now.

Westie and Girl Art Collage Painting

Soft romantic linens that have that washed slightly faded look...well I am in love with them. They say, summer in the country, in such a sophisticated-romantic way. So if my clothes are like that so are my girls in my paintings this week. When you live in the country, are a gardener and raise sheep, have quite a few linen dresses lined up for a day so you can change when:

the lambs jump up to say hi and soil the front

puppy jumps up to say hi and soils the front

you spill coffee

you spill orange juice

you start painting and forget to change

you snag it on a rose bush

you get the idea... ironically sometimes all three happen at once when you are carrying orange juice and coffee

The title of this painting is "Sharing a Walk." It looks like she is sharing her hair bows, too! Walking with a dog is like having a listening friend who never questions or berates what you are saying. I remember reading about Robert Pattinson practicing, telling his westie what he was going to say to his girlfriend the next day....and Patti, his westie, was very patient and a good listener.

For sale on ebay.

Daily Painting Hats Mrs. Rabbit and Mrs. Snowman Altered Folk Art

Hats off to 2010! Happy New Year! What do alot of people do on New Year's Day...go shopping. We did. All art supplies and some food treats. We had to walk off the sweet holiday food from the last two weeks. I think we'll be walking for along time yet.

This is Mrs. Rabbit and Mrs. Snowman in the painting above. If you've ever wondered what Mrs. Snowman's wife looked like here she is. What do they do when the weather warms a bit? They leave, too, and go shopping...for hats. We had a spiff of snow yesterday and I got the background colors from outside. The coats are soft and muted colors so that their faces shine out above them. For sale now on ebay.

Collage-Altered Art-Mixed Media-Painting

Papers, pencil, canvas and paint make for a colorful collaboration! This painting is titled, "Class Party" and it's 5 x 10-inches. It's always fun when you can't dress up as something scary! Pick your favorite person, make believe or not and dress up. Up for sale now.