Rhinestone Armadillo

Dragon Necklace

Hooowheee!  I want this necklace.  Look at the little legs underneath...it's one of the costume dragons.  And I like the red fire crackers dangling from the center tassel, too.

It's way out of my price range, and I doubt this sucker could be made at home.  I'd tell you who produces it, but it's from a place that (I'm afraid) will SPAM me 'till the cows come home if I mention them.  So....if you're from that company, and you read this, please, Please, PLEASE don't fill up my comments with links to your site.  PLEASE!  Isn't it enough that you have awesome jewelry available? 

You can Google 'Year of the Dragon necklace' if you really care.

Anthro-kidding-me

I used to be a HUGE Anthropologie fan, but they're starting to grate on my nerves.  Have you SEEN some of the crap they're peddling lately?

You've got to be kidding me.  If I showed up anywhere in this, I'd get the sidelong "Hmmm...guess Laura's on prescription pain meds" glance.

Sometimes I wonder if they're just messing with me.  (I have to say, though--this could totally be my friend Amy M.  Not the clothes....just the woman.)

See what I mean?  It just doesn't work.  Am I missing something here?  Have I gotten unadventurous or something?  To me, this just reads.....ugly.

Anthro still has some of the cutest dresses around, but they're getting rarer.  Remember the good ol' days when the store was packed with well-made dresses with great details and prints?  Maybe these are just too....I don't know--"froo froo" for their typical customer?

Animal topped craft jars

This is a great idea from House to Home.

You don't really need a tutorial.  Here's a quick guide:

1. Find a jar you like, glue an animal to the lid with super glue.
2. Spray paint the animal lid.
3. Done!
   
   

What's in the Jar Wednesday-Jar #39

Jar #39

Lotsa junk.

Did you roll your coins as a kid?  I remember cramming lots of pennies into these paper wrappers.

Man junk.  Thankfully, the Band-Aid tin was empty.

Little metal baby spoons!

Cocktail umbrellas, ugly magnets (check out the creepy baby pig with a bottle), and random cupcake toppers.  There are 3 obscene toppers (Vegas, maybe?...Can you find them?)

Here are oodles of gumball machine rings.  I think I told y'all, but---someday, I'll have a Mermaid and Pirates party, and all these trinkets will come in handy for treasure boxes.

Year of the Dragon

It's the Chinese New Year-welcome to the Year of the Dragon!

It's thought to be the most auspicious of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs.  There are 15 days of activities (starting today) to celebrate the new year.

Day 1-Everyone honors their elders, and also abstains from meat.

Day 2-Married daughters visit their parents' and relatives' houses. This is great---it is also believed to be the birthday of all dogs. 

Day 3-The day of the God of Blazing Wrath, believed to be an uncharacteristically inauspicious day.  People don't visit anyon, but have their fortunes told instead

Day 4- Son-in-laws pay their respects in in-laws.

Day 5- Dumpling day.  Again, no visiting.

Day 6-Visiting

Day 7-Day of whole fish and noodles.  Also a day to imbibe a drink made with seven vegetables....V8, anyone?

Day 8-Jade Emperor Day, and everyone goes back to work.

Day 9-Jade Emperor's birthday observed

Day 10-Jade Emperor's birthday celebrated on different days in different regions

Day 11-Visiting friends and family for dinner.

Day 12-Same as Day 11

Day 13-Guan Yu day, the Chinese God of War and Success.

Day 14-Everyone prepares for the Lantern Festival.

Day 15-Lantern Festival.  Lamps and lanterns are lit to guide spirits back home.  The Chinese also eat rice dumplings and tangerines for good luck.

Cold Outside, Cozy Inside

I sat down to do....something.  Then, I piddled away an hour on Pinterest making a board called "Cold Outside, Cozy Inside". 

I guess that's where my heart is right now.  I need to unload the dishwasher, fold laundry, and do paperwork.  I want to just curl up and feel cozy. 

Cozy may win.

January days

I love watching the sun rise.  It's amazing to me how many different mornings you can witness.  There's just our meadow, the sun, and weather, but it can change so much.

I like looking at fog.  At first, everything is a big blur, then the scene slowly starts taking shape.

Adam tried to teach Violet to play dominoes this weekend.  She's not ready yet.  They're red...can you even see them on the table?  I found several red vintage sets for Adam for Christmas.

Tilapia with garlic butter sauce and parsley, tomatoes, broccoli, and sweet potato fries with Srirachi mayo.  (Just mix Srirachi hot sauce into mayo to taste)

Adam took the last week off work to get some things done in the studio.  The poor guy spent days cutting up nasty insulation.  Fiberglass is so itchy and gross...it gets everywhere, no matter how careful you are.  He had to cut all those strips by hand using a machete.  People usually use box cutters, but this stuff is super thick, so he found that a sharp machete made it go quicker.

This is looking into the guest room/bedroom.  Adam did all the stud work himself, too.  (Insert stud jokes here.)

See the beams?  In this room, I stained all of them by hand with a mix of stains to give them a distressed, Mexican-type of look.  We've started hanging drywall, and I am smushing joint compound into all the screw holes and seams.  It's tedious, but I'm glad we're making progress.

We're having a cozy day reading in front of the fire.

I'm so happy Violet likes books.  If she hadn't been a reader, I'd have chewed my nails for years.  I can't wait until we can start on chapter books.  I want to put together a Mother Daughter Book Club.  I think it would be fun to choose a different book every month, then take turns hosting.  We could do appropriate activities to go along with the books.  A croquet game for Alice in Wonderland, Halloween costume party for Harry Potter, etc.

What's in the Jar Wednesday-Jar #38

Jar #38...baby booties!

I've been saving this particular jar for a while.  I thought it would be a great way to tell all of you....I'm pregnant!  We're expecting a baby girl sometime in June. 

Crescent Moon

I decided to buy this painting.  I can't wait for it to arrive in the mail!

I've had good and bad experiences purchasing art without seeing it in person.  However, I think I'll really like this piece. I love the soft colors (particularly that muted shade of lavender in her dress), the crescent moon, the flowers in her hair, and her serene profile. 

Lisa Clague

Have any of you seen Lisa Clague's work?

It's odd, but I like it.

I don't think I could live with it, though.  It would be too disturbing to wander into the kitchen for a glass of milk in the middle of the night and have it waiting for you in the hall.  Not like a have a hall big enough for sculpture, anyway.  Or like a big pointy top heavy piece of sculpture would be a good idea with a 3 year old, either.

Hmm...maybe it would work well in a performing arts space?

Her smaller pieces are intriguing, too.  I don't think I could drink out of that cup, though. 

Are there any artists you feel like that about?  Love their stuff, but don't think you could incorporate it into your daily life? 

If I were still single, I think my home would be much different.  However, I share my life with my husband and daughter.  They have to be considered.  And, what I would like for myself is not always appropriate for the two of them.  How do you resolve 'house I want' with 'house we need to have to function'?  It's a tricky one.