Brrrrr It's Chili

It's 4 am do you know where your mind is? Mine was in total denial of the heat wave we've been having and I got busy chopping veggies and herbs, browning meat, opening cans of red kidney beans and using my own blend of chili mix I made a huge pot of Lisa's 4 am extra spicy chili chock full of our incredible Heirloom Tomatoes fresh from the garden! It is now happily simmering to surprise my husband when he wakes up! Thank God for air conditioning so we can enjoy this treat!

Greenhouse of my Dreams!

This Greenhouse picture clipped from a magazine has been an inspiration for years. I want to build this beautiful greenhouse one day using all reclaimed windows and lumber. I have been collecting all of the above for some time now and hope to have a greenhouse up within a year. I recently purchased a beautiful gas cast iron heater with logs to use as my heat source. Now it is a matter of finding the crew and the time to finally realize this dream.

The Loves of Our Lives

This beautiful being is our full bred German Shepard Jessie Boy. He is going on 11 now and is totally spoiled rotten. We've never told him he is a dog, so he thinks he is one of us which he is of course.  He is stubborn and doesn't listen to my husband very well, but he usually always listens to me. I set the pecking order early in his life so he knows Momma rules this roost!
He grew up with our other beloved dog and 3 cats plus assorted kittens.

Jessie Girl we adopted from a neglectful home when she was 16 years old and very ill. "Jessie Girl" a Lab/Chow mix, we had until 2 years ago last May when we lost her at age 22. She was the most gentle loving soul I have ever met. At first it was a tad confusing having two Jessie's here. Jessie Girl would get so crushed when we'd be telling Jessie Boy he was up to no good and to stop it, she'd think we meant her.  So my ever funny and quick thinking husband nicknamed her Squat Blossom, it stuck and we all soon adapted.

Jessie Girl aka Squat Blossom

We still haven't gotten over her loss but we know she knew she was so very loved and adored. She had a great life towards the end of her years and we will always be blessed and better people for having had her in our lives.

We also had kitties. The Three Ladies. Cleo, Lucy and Tracy, all of whom used to torture and tease Jessie Boy when he was a wee pup. He soon learned like the rest of us that Tracy ruled all of us animals in this home.
Cleo was the quiet giant. She was a true calico and was as beautiful inside as she was out. She was so sweet and was my husbands constant companion. She followed him everywhere. I think this came about because he used to carry her around in his work overalls front pockets as a babe.

Lucy kissing a startled Jessie at age 9 months

Now Lucy was the kissing gal. She'd give everyone who came here sweet "kisses". She and Jessie Boy fell head over paws in love and we didn't have the heart to tell them they were different species. They'd pal around together everywhere! That love affair lasted til the day we lost Lucy to cancer. Jessie was just lost without her for months, as we all were.

As Cleo and Lucy were the gentle kitty souls of this home, Tracy ruled us all with an iron paw. She was tough, scrappy, loving and could hit a nearly perfect C when she sang with me, which she did every time I sang. She was also a constant talker. If Tracy didn't like something she'd let you know. She started singing with me when she was 8 weeks old and never stopped til the day she died. I miss her voice so very much.

We lost our Cleo several years ago when she was hit by a car and we lost our last kitty Tracy last year at age 22. All of our pets were our children and the pain of their passing is palpable.
We were so very blessed to have all of the animals we have had in our lives. They made our lives so very full. They were all such unique, loving characters and irreplaceable souls we haven't been able to think about adopting anyone new as of yet. One day we do hope to give Jessie boy a new sibling and to adopt another dog who needs a good loving home.

Hug your pets today and let them know how very special they are,
Cheers,
Lisa

Beautiful Craftsmanship

I buy, sell and use unique Quilts in my purses and pillows from the Middle East. Each one of these pieces is hand woven and then embroidered in traditional patterns that have been passed down from family to family for hundreds of years. They never cease to take my breath away.

Oh The Mosaic Days of Summer

I adore Mosaics. I adore making them, researching them, looking at them and designing them. I collect all sorts of things to use in my mosaics from old Silver wear to old keys and jewelry to antique plates, cups and saucers. It is so much fun to add texture and depth to a piece.

I just purchased a Jig saw to help me make my critter and bug forms which I will start this week. My signature item is a Dragonfly which I will be over sizing to hang indoors and out. I also love love bees and beetles ...not the Fab 4 whom I still adore but the ones that fly.

It'll be fun. Lucky for me I have a friend who is a professional tile installer. I end up with some of the most unique and expensive tiles, marble and glass tile for free. Granted they are often thicker then say Smalti or ceramic mosaic tiles but I can use them in all sorts of outdoor pieces like stepping stones my bugs & critters and fountains and furniture.

One of my favorite pieces I ever made was an old seatless chair which I mosaic'ed then added a mossed chicken wire reinforced seat I filled with potting soil then with flowers cascading over. Of course I didn't take pictures of it for my portfolio which I am famous for forgetting to do, but it is easily re-created.

One of my new goals is to ALWAYS take pictures of everything I make from now on. I love the digital age and my digital camera! One of the best purchases I have ever made. Until later.....

Remember to be creative and kind in your thoughts and actions, have a super day,

Cheers!
Lisa

Garden Spot that Inspires

Doesn't this look like the perfect place to steal away to read a book or just sit sipping an iced tea wearing your favorite floppy  hat  as your toes revel in the dewiness of  freshly mowed grass? This photo has always inspired me and one day soon I hope to recreate a  similar spot tucked away in my gardens!

Sun Face Medallions

Today I wish I could spend more time working on this Blog however I am busy finishing the bead work for these Sun Face Medallions I made which I need to get to the shop a.s.a.p. I love the weathered look and the Copper paint peeking through. They are much more 3 Dimensional then they appear in the photos. Meant to hang indoors and out. How fun it would be to hang them on to a tree trunk or onto a gate or fence for an added element of surprise! 

I love to add whimsical elements to a garden. To hide a mosaic critter around a curve in a flower bed. Or to have friends stumble across something unexpected and hidden amongst the veggies like a whimsical tid-bit of wisdom painted on a wooden sign. To  use special containers for plants like old boots I have waterproofed or old soapstone sinks filled to the brim with herbs. Most everything I create has a garden theme somehow. It has been bred into me from a long lineage of green thumbs in my family starting with but not ending with my Great Grandmother Christina.

Not only did she own a nursery in the early 1930's but up until her 90's she was still growing her beloved Begonias and Geraniums.  My maternal Grandparents taught me the fine art of composting and companion growing for natural pest control for vegetable gardens. They also taught me the fine art of weeding, a task I was often "allowed" to perform for them, much to their delight. My parents taught me the fine art of using plants to add not only color but texture and depth to a garden. They had beautiful English style flower gardens, one of which I was married in.

Well time to get back to work. I have a full schedule to try and keep up with. Mosaics I hope to start next week. I will be working on Dragon Flies, Beetles, Bees and other bugs and critters. It will be fun and I promise to post pictures.

Have a super day...remember to take time to enjoy every moment as possible.

Cheers,

Lisa