Davy turns 19

Oh Davy... my little Davy... my happy, funny, care-free little guy...

You are one unique soul, heheheheheh. But of course, that's what we all love about you :)

It's been an honor to watch you grow, and especially to see you develop your talents

Davy...... you have such a gift..... you have so much inside you..... you will do great things

Yesterday was your 19th birthday - how on earth did this happen?!?! Here you are with Val - such a cute photo. You picked out the most awesome mandolin for your birthday. Along with your songs and your band..... it's going to take you places. You have been blessed with so much in your life - great potential, great intelligence, great friends, great wit, and a great heart. I know you will take these things and do well with them, whatever your road may be. And whatever way your road may go - and all the twists and turns different paths may take you - I want you to know that I will always love you down every single one :)

And now, without further ado, just for you, ONE more time, your all-time favorite video - the Freaky 70's Russian Guy:

happy things

Happy happy joy joy! Cindy tagged me with 10 simple, happy things. I *love* simple, happy things. They're my favorite, favorite, favorite. I think simple joys are the best thing in the world. They're all around us every day of our lives. Even when things are going bad. I think it's important to remember happy things every single day. It gives you a grateful heart. And I think a grateful heart is a happy heart :)

I made my list of 10 happy things in photos. It was hard to keep them to just 10! Starting with the above pic:

1) Flowers

I think flowers are God's gift to the world. Look closely - every one is like a tiny, precious miracle.

 

2) Color

Those of you who know me well know that I can't last a day without a saturated world. Color is the cheer in life.

3) This Face

My dog Luna is one of the purest joys of my life. I love my Angel too, but Luna is my friend and my comedy.

4) Pedicures 

Yes seriously. Something just for me. Usually in pink or turquoise. I'm a happy camper.

 

5) Ruffles & diet Coke 

Say it with me now: "I'll have some Ruffles and some DC with V" (vanilla syrup)

6) Vintage Croquet Balls 

One of the few antiques I actually collect. I never tire of looking at them. They just make me happy.

7) Painting & Making Things

I don't know what I'm doing but that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I'm creating something.

8) A Good Hair Day

It rocks my world. 'nuff said

9) Quilts

My other collection. Old quilts fascinate me. Who made them? Where are they from? They're so lovely to me. 

10) These Guys

I adore my family - all that testosterone - more than I can say. They drive me CRAZY but I sure do love them. 

Looking a bit on the grubby side here... we were rushing to get Daniel on his flight to Ethiopia... 

but everyone's head is screwed on and no one's making a ridiculous face... pretty monumental for them!

I missed a few favorite happy things, but nothing too earth shattering... I'll save them for next time!

Thanks for the tag Cindy! xoxo 

  

strength

I am usually a huge Olympics fan, finding it such a source of inspiration, but I have not watched it much this time around. Then I read the news about Canadian skater Joannie Rochette, unexpectedly losing her mother just 2 days ago. Her parents had barely arrived in Vancouver to watch their daughter compete, when her mother suffered a major heart attack and was gone. Gone.

An only child, Joannie's parents were her biggest fans. She and her mother were extremely close, driving everywhere from their tiny town for skating events since Joannie was a young girl. The Olympic Committee felt Joannie had every right to gracefully bow out of the competition due to this tragic event, but were shocked when her coach told them she would continue as planned. No one knew how she could possibly do it. 

But she did it. And it was amazing.

Today was Joannie's short skate day. I hope you saw it. If not, I hope you will find a re-cap or a video of it so you can see it. It is one of the most moving things I have seen lately. Look at the expression on her face on the photo up above. It says so much. You can see her grief. You can see her determination. Her comfort upon the ice, the focus on her routine. I think she gathered every ounce of strength and courage she had and skated for her mother. 

Her routine was just lovely - she skated a personal best and ranked herself 3rd going into the long skate on Thursday. But it was the moment, the beauty of her moment that transcended her routine. I found the love and support coming from the crowd one of the most touching components of that moment as well. They started cheering for her even before her name came over the speakers. Their heartfelt emotion for her was electric - it lit up the entire stadium. They cheered through every move and were on their feet even before the end. I don't think there was a dry eye in the entire house. Even the NBC commentators showed their respect for her by remaining silent for the entire routine. It was truly a magical moment suspended in time. When NBC's Scott Hamilton finally broke the silence, it was through tears. The goodness in people can be a remarkable force. 

I love the above photo. Joannie in her finishing pose, a split second after finishing her routine. She tried so hard to smile, but she just couldn't hold it together any longer. All the grief and emotion, stress and relief, as well as the power she felt coming from the crowd, was too much. She doubled over for a moment and actually let out a few sobs, then quickly did her best to compose herself. In a world where we are constantly led to believe what is all too often something false and phony, this is the real face of strength and courage. It is an inspiration.

Joannie skated to face all four sides of the stadium and bow - with her hand over her heart most of the time - to acknowledge her gratitude to the audience. The crowd stood in their wild ovation the entire time, raising the roof. Every few moments she would breakdown with emotion, as in the photo above. My heart would break for her more every time I saw her do this. What a tragedy, and what a triumph.  

She finally does her best to smile and raise her arms in triumph before leaving the ice and burying her head into the overjoyed arms of her coach. Minutes later she waved and blew kisses to the crowd as she waited for her scores. Her mother would have been so proud.

It's stories like these that restore my faith in mankind in so many ways. That remind me what we're made of. That remind me most people will rise to the occasion. That remind me we have an inner strength to draw on that we don't even know we have. But we do have it. And it can do incredible things. I believe God is part of it all. You may not believe that, and that's okay too. Just believe that you have it in you.

* all photo credits: AP, GETTY IMAGES, or the Canadian Press - don''t throw me in jail

* * *

This is another true story about strength that I happened to read today. (perhaps I should mention I wrote this post Tues. even though I posted it on Wed.) I guess today must be Strength Day :) It's written by a mom to her 3 daughters. I think it's actually one of the most touching stories I've ever read. It's very sweet, very tender. Those are 3 blessed daughters, to be able to draw upon that story during their lives. I hope you'll take the time to read it. 

Our Hero  by Karey M. of Mackin Ink

*artwork by Studio Mela

Awkward Pause

Awkward Pause is not really the name of Davy's new band. Since they don't actually have a name, they kept announcing phony names. Jimmy came up with Awkward Pause and it was my favorite. Though I think it should be spelled Awkward Paws. None of that mattered in the least though, because everyone at Kulak's Woodshed in North Hollywood that night was too busy being totally entranced with these kids and their entire first performance! 

Now you may just think I'm saying that because I'm Davy's mom and I'm so proud and blah, blah, blah. I admit I am so proud of that boy. Like I said recently in this post, "Davy's lyrics are scribbled on his pages straight from his heartstrings. His heart is a well, never running dry of what must be expressed." I don't know how else to say it. It's just a passion inside of him that's so strong it has to come out and be intertwined with music and lyrics. It's a mighty force. And that force combined with his talented and brilliant bandmates blew everyone against the wall.

So that magical night was: Davy on vocals, mandolin, and guitar. Jimmy Melnarik on bass guitar and vocals. Amelia Shelton on violin and vocals. Henry Webster on violin and vocals. And many dear friends who drove to support them there - that was so awesome - and others who watched their live performance via the internet. Barry and Steve, the other artists performing that night as well, who generously gave Davy's band the okay to perform in the first place - and Davy's dad and his band, who gave them half their time. What a wonderful evening it was! 

We can't wait for your next performance!

crazy

Yesterday was the craziest day. CA-RAZY! I woke up smiling at my happy pink pedicure that I had enjoyed with my friend Tracy the day before. My toes had gone nekkid for months, and getting a pedicure is one of those little things that is hugely uplifting to me. So there I was smiling, smiling, smiling. Until I realized that - ow - I had a sore throat. And wait - a really stuffy head. And coughing too? Surely this is a joke. I don't have time for this. 

And from that moment on, I swear, my day was a comedy of errors that snowballed as the day progressed. Not all of it was awful, as you will see. But for a while there I felt like half of Abbot and Costello.


BUT. I got the Mouse off to school, and Davy got himself off to his college class, and I got myself to the bank when they opened their doors at exactly 9:00. Because to my horror I discovered I was nearly $400 IN THE HOLE. Like seriously IN THE HOLE. And exactly $230 of that was in overdraft fees thankyouverymuch. And I'm in major trouble here. I'm sweating. I have no back-up plan. And my husband's comforting advice is "wow, good luck with that". Crime-a-nittly. I know this is a family friendly site but !@#$%^&*!@#$%^&*! I mean come on! How does this happen? Exactly where did my brain go on vacation this time, I would like to know? I realized when I was checking my account online the other night (without my STUPID you-are-getting-old glasses on) it must have said negative $300 instead of positive $300. I guess I missed the negative sign because I didn't have those infernal glasses on - heh. So I had to end up borrowing money from my credit card at 24% interest, which I'm sure will be an interesting adventure to say the least. OF COURSE I FEEL LIKE THE VILLAGE IDIOT. Are you mental? Why do you think this font is so small? I'm hoping you're not wearing your stupid you-are-getting-old glasses.

When I returned from the bank mumbling my mantra "it's just money, it's just money", I noticed that my dogs needed more food. I figured I'd give them some fresh water as well, so I filled up their bowls for them. Aw, what a good doggie mama. I live to serve. Because they love me unconditionally even when my brain is on vacation. As I leaned over to set the water bowl on the floor, my cell phone slipped out of my chest pocket and took a dive right into the water bowl. It would have received a perfect 10 had it been the summer 2010 Olympics rather than the winter 2010 Olympics. Thanks to my cat-like reflexes, I snapped up my phone before it even hit the bottom of the water bowl. I was rubbing it with dry towels and performing CPR even before it knew what happened (I don't think it ever did, because I took it's battery out as a gesture of kindness). Now, normally I would be ecstatic at the thought of a phone I've had for 4 years kicking the bucket (or the bowl in this case), because that would mean only one thing: new phone! But this was a critical catastrophe because I'm saving for an iPhone. Not that I'll ever get one, now that I've had to stoop to borrowing an astronomical amount of money from my credit card at an astronomical percentage rate. But the dream is still alive. My trusty phone must keep working until the day comes that my iPhone and I can laugh happily together as the sun sets. So I guess you could say I was a bit panicked. But not near as panicked as I would be had it slipped out of my pocket into the toilet. LORD HAVE MERCY, NO. That would have been a no-brainer. A sure-fire flushing moment. An irretrievable, no-way-out, I'm-never-going-to- touch-this-again-let-alone-get-this-out-of-here moment. And even if the flushing hadn't worked, as a last resort out of respect for 4 years of loyal service, it would have been a bury-it-in-the-backyard-along-with-the-rubber-gloves- and-the-kitchen-tongs-that-you-got-it-out-with-while-taps-are-gently-playing-in-the-background moment. BUT. Enough of all that drama. I'm happy and relieved to report that after a few touch and go hours, my phone pulled through and is still working like a champ! Ah, pink Razor, you're awesome. But I'll still dump you for an iPhone.


WHAT A RELIEF. Which is why it didn't bother me so much when my dogs came busting in the house with muddy paws. Or that it was dreary and gray outside, which made the light inside crappy, and I couldn't shoot any of the photos I had all lined up to shoot. Or that my cold was getting worse as the day went on. Or that Davy's band went and recorded at Amelia's house instead of here. Or that I ran out of mozzarella cheese sticks and Ruffles (!!!) at the same time. And that one was a biggie, believe me. You know me and Ruffles. And cheese sticks single-handedly keep me alive. But nope, I was a good sport about it all. I really was. Plus I had my pink toenails to cheer me, and they did indeed. I did laundry, I made crafting plans, I wrote all my e-mails and petitions for animal rights, I took Dayquil (hey, maybe that's why I was so cheerful), I started changing some things around in my bedroom, I spent some time on Facebook, and I even caught up on some of my favorite blogs. And that, my friends, brings me to say yet again how strange and fantastic life is. Because my crazy life stayed just as crazy - still to the point of comedy - but the planets aligned, and karma won out, and the craziness all became crazy GOOD.


I clicked on a blog I hadn't clicked on for a while. I thought it was probably time I caught up with Tara over at:

Scoutie Girl is an awesome blog - an extremely popular powerhouse of everything influential, and Tara has her finger on the pulse of all things beautiful, handmade, design conscious, eco-friendly, friendly in general... with an emphasis on keeping Scoutie Girl approachable, fun, informative and lovely. In short, it's a great place full of neat info and eye candy! 


You're probably wondering why I'm going on and on about Scoutie Girl. Oh, I have a reason. When I clicked on it, I was so stunned my mouth literally dropped open. DROPPED. OPEN. Right there staring me in the face was my own artwork and my own name! Three paintings! With a link to my Flickr profile and everything! Tara said the sweetest things about my colorful paintings. I was so blown away. And so honored! I still can't get over it. Out of all days to decide to catch up with Scoutie Girl... what in heaven's name are the chances! I'm still marveling. So if you are here reading my blog, especially if you've stuck with these long, drawn-out paragraphs this long, and you consider yourself my friend... I just know you will be thrilled and delighted to share in my surprise and good fortune and joy... so CLICK HERE :)


My friend Wesla had crazy good things come to her too! She's a talented artist and she's recently opened up an online store of the most loverly things. Notecards, prints, originals - all hand drawn, which boggles my mind - and handmade jewelry that you'll just have to see for yourself to believe. And just as I was freaking out about Scoutie Girl, she found that she had been spotlighted in an online blog as well. How's that for good karma? Give Wesla some love, peeps! Please visit Wesla Weller's "Weller Than Ever" Store HERE :)

The great stuff doesn't even stop there. All the kids came home and brought all their friends too. I got up the gumption to do something really brave. I'm not going to tell you what yet. But it was a groovy thing for this girl to do :) My husband went to the store and bought cheese sticks and Ruffles. Liam & Val & Lauren got to see Johnny Depp! In person! I was able to do a lot of photography work even though I wasn't able to shoot any photos during the day. And I even have something really - REALLY - awesome to announce sometime soon. Nah, you're not getting that out of me yet either. But that announcement will come soon, I promise :) Oooh - and I have the photos of Davy's band's first performance to post too! They turned out great!

So crazy doesn't always mean bad. Sometimes it just means crazy good. 

hip to be square

In my efforts to leave no stone design blog unturned as I cruise around the internet, these are some of the things that have caught my eye as of late. Or in design speak, that I've been "crushing on" - though I make a conscious effort not to speak in trend. Just as I was disheartened with what seemed like nonstop white on white, which not only seems boring but c-c-cold to me, I finally found some color! Sheesh! And usually it's circles that I tend to gravitate toward, but I thought all these colorful squares were just too cool for school. 

Up above is an actual painting of an adorable blogging friend of mine, Sara Mincy. And I admit in front of God and man that I have coveted it for a long time. And now she's actually selling it in her Etsy store. At a reduced price! Be still my heart! To check it out, go to her Etsy store HERE. To visit her darling blog, go HERE. 

Next up we have a cool project that I had never seen before - or would have even thought of. These are all picture frames - no glass, nothing in them - painted in approx. 8 different colors repeatedly, and arranged as their own art statement. I thought this was genius on several levels. I've seen the odd antique picture frame grouped as a focal point occasionally, but I've never seen anything like this. Proves that you don't have to have photos in frames to have some great, colorful artwork on your wall. For the entire article by Sparrow King via Apartment Therapy (of course) - and more great photos - click HERE. Photo credit Dwell Magazine. 

And how seriously adorable is this? I mean, come on! And not just for a glorified headboard either - the possibilities are endless! And here's the most surprising thing of all. It's not paint! Not that painting a grid like this would be impossible - it would actually be a lot of fun. But I was shocked to find out that these are pieces of craft paper! I think the entire project was something like $20. It gets the wheels in your brain starting to spin, doesn't it. Well, visit the link for more information HERE. This article was by Heather Blaha from Ohdeedoh (via the Swell Life), the kid's section of Apartment Therapy. And bookmark Ohdeedoh - it's a great source of inspiration! 

wound up

Oh, I'm good. "Wound up" - get it? Wound up into balls like the recycled magazines in these photos? And the bowl they're sitting in? How they're wound up in an actual, physical sense? A pleasing, colorful esthetic? Compared to the irony of being wound up so tight emotionally? Like at any moment... without warning... whenever that last straw may occur... your eyeballs might explode right out of their sockets? Hopefully when you're not driving? Or your brain may implode and ooze right out your ears? Hopefully after your much anticipated episode of Hoarders is over? Either way, it's just not a good thing. No, it's really not. Being wound up that tight means you're under a massive amount of anxiety. And last week was quite a week. But here we have a new week and we're moving on. 

Which I'll get back to momentarily. But first let me talk about these photos. Because I love them. A lot. 

You all know how much I adore color. Color, color, color :) I also love things that are a bit artsy (not cutesy), a bit global, a bit primitive, a bit retro, and whatever else I happen to like. In other words, I love many styles and all kinds of things, but I'm very particular. I only get things I absolutely love - then I find a way to incorporate it. 

The photo above is my favorite because of the depth of field, and the main focus is on the bullseye in the center of the bowl, even though the balls are still a prevalent part of the photo. I had been trying and trying to get a decent photo of this compilation and it was driving me insane - with all that color and texture, I thought it would be so easy, but it kept proving me wrong. I hate being wrong! Since the bowl & balls sit on my entry way table, every time I passed them I became more determined. Finally, there was one relatively calm morning (I use that term loosely) when the lighting was right, and I got my camera and just kept snapping. Much to my surprise, as soon as I started focusing on the bowl instead of the balls, I got the *perfect* photo I didn't even know I wanted.


Still with me? The moral of this story is always focus on something made from the *certified fair trade community* 

So now we've got a brand new week and we're back to normal. Or as normal as it gets depending on if your world is as twisted as my little world. Even my blog is back to it's normal self after Valentine's Day (I hope you had a nice one!) and ready to go. We were all definitely wound up last week. Big, big things went on all at the same time. A lot of sorrow. A lot of joy. I am a huge believer in faith. I am a huge believer that we don't go through these things alone. And here we are on the other side of that week. I am ready to let go of being wound up and see what's up ahead. Because if I know anything, I know that there's always something up ahead. 

wild child Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day! Brought to you by Dazzled Tarts' Sweethearts Candy in the fun Wild Child themed box. Hah! Can you even stand it? It says Wild Child right on there. As if it were custom made for my little blog. Heaven almighty and mercy me! My blog must be famous and I didn't even know! Ok, not. But it made my day.

I first found out about these little gems from my dear friend Cindy in NY, whos head nearly exploded when she first saw them. My knees almost buckled when she showed me. And the day I unsuspectingly happened upon them here in CA, I seriously thought I would crease four ways. Right in the middle of World Market. In public.

It really is the little things that bring us the most happiness sometimes. All the little things add up to big things :)   

So count your blessings today my friends. Add up all those little things because they're bigger than you think.

❤ ❤ ❤

mo V-Day sweetness

I realize I posted this photo last Valentine's Day, but it's truly my all time favorite Valentine. On earth. In the universe. Among all the galaxies and planetary systems combined. Even including heaven itself. I'm pretty sure you get the idea. My Mouse made it when he was 5 or 6, and it is on permanent display for my viewing pleasure. Especially now that he is taller than me, and belches in my face just to bug me and has hairy armpits. 

I also have been waiting to show you this, because I thought it was so cool! (I only wish I could remember where I found it and who is the talent behind it... so I apologize, unknown talented person... but this definitely rocks!) This is really so simple but makes such a great display. And it gave me a multitude of much needed inspiration. Just think of all the things you could do beyond it with other shapes and items (buttons, coins, cropped photos, etc)!

Happy Saturday and I'll see you tomorrow for V-Day :)

balladeers

This post is dedicated to my middle son Davy and his new band - amazing musicians all. Tonight is their first live performance! I am so excited for them! Davy on vocals, guitar, and mandolin. Jimmy on bass and back up vocals if he feels like it. Henry on violin and back up vocals in case Jimmy bails. Amelia on violin and vocals. So cool. 

This band is very different from Davy's old band. I'm not even sure how to explain it. No screaming teenage angst, head banging, and slick guitar licks. It's a different time now. Acoustic. Woodsy. Passionate. Folky. Not folksy. As in "This Land is Your Land". No. Well crafted. Thoughtful. Meaningful songs that tell stories, rich with emotion. The perfect blend of voice and instrument arrangement. Davy's lyrics are scribbled on his pages straight from his heartstrings. His heart is a well, never running dry of what must be expressed. Jimmy's bass adds richness and depth. Henry and Amelia and their beautiful violins and talent, lift Davy's songs to a whole different level.  

I am so proud of them and what they have created together so far. I cannot wait for them to share it tonight!


*Update: THEY. WERE. FREAKING. AWESOME!!!!!!!

pink Valentiny things

Yup. I've been playing with light and shadows and pink Valentiny things. Pretty fun. Hard to believe Valentine's Day is only 3 days away! I hope all of you are planning to do at least one or two sweeeeet things.

The candy above are actually Dots, made pink and red for Valentine's Day. The pink ones taste good (strawberry). The red ones don't (cherry?). I was hoping they'd be a little more "glowy" but I still like how some of the photos turned out. Especially how a blob of them like up above can turn into something cool like the fun words below.

How Valentiny is that! 

But before we go on, I want to take a minute to say a very heartfelt *thank you* to everyone for their sweet words of kindness regarding my last blog post. So many of you here, on Facebook, and through e-mail, have expressed the most touching sentiments. Thank you for your love and prayers going out to these families that surely need it. 

Now... just look how something like a mountain of beautiful pink Himalayan *salt* crystals in the photo above can turn into something simple and fun and Valentiny like in the heart photo below! How cute is that! Hey, I don't get paid the big bucks for nothing. Someone's got to play with candy and salt around here - sheesh. 

More fun coming - stay tuned :)

heartache

We had a rough weekend. There's really no other way to say it. Watching some dear friends go through tragedy and loss as the result of a terrible car accident. No one's fault, just a fluke at the end of an amazing day. And then feeling helpless, our hearts breaking for our friends. And yet... and yet... witnessing a miracle as a sweet, special girl visiting from all the way across the pond, who should not have survived that accident... did. And as seriously injured as she is... continues to improve. Someone is watching over these good people. Someone is sending their blessings of comfort and peace. Our love and prayers are constantly with you, our dear friends - you know who you are  ❤  

I know when you see this posted here, you may think it strange after what I have just explained. But I received this from my friend Wendy over the weekend and it was the first thing that made me smile and warmed my heart. It's silly and funny, yes, but most of all it's heartwarming and sweet. And besides, the orangutan reminds me of Davy :)   

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

7 things and a rose

This post is because of my dear friend Cindy. I've mentioned her here before. Lovely soul, creative person, music lover, talented photographer, and author of the wonderful blog Quaint Handmade. She was recently awarded the "Kreative Blogger Award" and shared with us 7 unknown facts about herself. It was interesting and most enlightening :) Then she nominated several blogging friends, myself included, to receive this award and share 7 unknown things as well. Thank you Cindy! I told her I am on it. I will try not to disappoint. And the pink rose above is for you my friend. I've been saving it for you since I took the photos of my last rose of the season. I know how much you love pink roses ❤  So here we go:

7 (mostly) unknown things

1. I was on the Art Linkletter show when I was really little

2. during college I studied abroad in Israel for 6 months 

3. my husband and I used to perform as a singing duo

4. I worked as a hair designer for 7 years

5. I once lost 125lbs. (I wish it was still lost)

6. my speed record in my Bug is 125mph

7. if I could do things over... it's probable

I'm gonna think of some really cool things I wish I'd said the second after I click "publish"...

xoxo

music in my head

First off, as you can see, I am still experimenting with light and shadows in my photos. Helpful hint: if I were you, I would get used to it, because I'm having way too much fun to stop just yet :) I love how these photos turned out. This is a Murono glass paperweight that I got in Venice Italy 2 summers ago. You all know how much I love color, and this little gem was just too colorful for me to pass up!

Now. Do you ever get songs stuck in your head? Of course you do. My brain is like a 5 disc CD player but each CD only has one song on it, and it's on automatic shuffle mode, and I have no control whatsoever what song is going to play, or how many times, or when those songs switch to new songs. Sometimes I can have a main song stuck in my head for days on end, with just one other song occasionally shuffling in to taunt me. I know: freak.

Yesterday was classic. It started out with the kindergarten song "Inchworm". Do you remember that one? 

Inchworm, Inchworm, measuring the marigolds

you and your arithmetic will probably go far

Inchworm, Inchworm, measuring the marigolds

won't you please just stop and see how beautiful they are?

Where in heaven's name did that song come from?!?! What file did my brain have to go to and dust off to pick that one out?!?! Driving around town running errands, I thought I would go mad. Oh but it gets better. All of the sudden an Imogene Heap song gets shuffled in. From Inchworm to Imogene Heap? Well, okay. Over, and over, and over. Now, I like Imogene Heap as much as the next person, but her songs are really intense and I can't do them over and over so well. Not to worry! Because "Are We Human?" by the Killers took over. Of course it did. Because this song must be on a CD in my brain that never gets removed. Whenever I have more than a few minutes of silence in my brain and the CD player is miraculously off, I can always count on this song to come on - autopilot. 

I love to share the songs that are driving me nuts. I'm such a giver like that. My family begs me not to but I can't help it. So whether it's "Dust in the Wind" or the theme song from Gilligan's Island, I must spew forth. I live to torment them. I have a secret weapon too. A song that I love, that they all detest. And it's one of those songs that will play on their shuffle for a long, looooooong time once it's been entered into their pointed heads. Remember the song "Brand New Key" by Melanie? The perfect song for maximum torment. The chorus is especially affective :)      

hearts abound

The month of  ❤LOVE❤  is here - happy February! I am a big fan of hearts, and a lover of pink, so I could not help myself... even though I just recently changed the look of my blog, I've been swept away with all the lovely eye candy I've seen lately. My favorite blogs, and Flickr particularly, have had some truly inspiring photos! So I've thrown caution to the wind and broken free from my male infested, burping, farting, testosterone filled world, in my quest for some good old fashioned Valentine charm. I will continue to post lots of fun things in the usual mix.

I've been experimenting in my photography with a light box. Which sounds very technical considering I really don't have a clue what I'm doing. The soapstone hearts you see here are some of my first experiments. The black & white ones turned out great, which I was extremely happy about - and let's not kid ourselves, I also know it was better luck than good management. I'm still trying to get the turquoise ones right. But I had to post hearts today!

I'm also delighted to give you a report on the Hearts For Haiti fundraiser over on Etsy! When I listed my first item they had already raised about $13,000 for Doctors Without Borders. An item of mine sold last night (yay! thank you!), so I stopped over to check on the fundraising details. I was stunned and touched to see that we have now reached nearly $24,000! Bless the Etsians who started Hearts For Haiti. Bless all those who have donated their items. Bless the Doctors Without Borders organization and ALL those working so diligently in rescue efforts. And bless all of you for your generosity in contributing. Wow, wow, wow ❤ 

The month of  ❤LOVE❤  is off to a very good start!!!