New Dollie

Hola all, just a short one today. I joined in the fun over at ADO and decided to create a framed doll for the 2nd Quarterly Challenge. Well, here she is and I had so much fun creating her. After seeing some of the adorable work over at Pam Smallcomb's way, I thought I'd invest, and I do mean, INVEST, in some soft Sculpey clay. Yikes, it's a bit pricey, but sooo nice to work with...almost reminds me of porcelain, but a bit sticky. I'm so accustomed to the Sculpey II, which you need to make sure your carpel tunnel isn't acting up...it's like kneading a dry batch of bread dough!! However, I shan't throw away my Sculpey II since I love working with the coloured clays and I can pop a couple of Advil if necessary.

I painted one of those shadow box frames, minus the glass, and then made my doll. The netting is from one of my stepdaughter's old prom dresses. Years ago, she wanted this gorgeous dress and her father, DH, said not only no, but HELL NO!! The dress was very costly, but her mother conceited and purchased it for her. It had a red bustier, tying up in the back, and this long, flowing tutu like skirt. She looked adorable in it, but when you're 16, who doesn't??? Ok, I've seen a few that look like they've been poked with too many 10' ft. poles!!

Fast forward to about 4 years ago, she and her hubby were invited to a Halloween party and she decided to use the bustier and add it to the rest of her costume...I think she went as a Goth girl. Anyway, she gave me the skirt since it no longer fitted and told me to use it on my dolls. I forgot all about it till yesterday; I then went to the closet and pulled it out of her prom dress bag. There are 2 other dresses in there, but I don't dare cut those up...they can be recycled. Anyone a size 2??

I found this old necklace my mother had given me years ago, and some how, it ended up in my junk bag...hmm, wonder who put it there!!?? Anyway, this piece is called, "Dancing with the Stars." I had so much fun making her, I think I'm going to make another frame doll...maybe a skelly girl!! You know me, I can't stay away from those skellies for too long.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and spend some time doing something completely fun and frivolous and as I tell my friend, Chris, "Do some misbehavin'!" Peace out.

Ol' Hippie Music and Other Stuff

My honey gave me a new stereo for my birthday after the old one died back in September. I think I blogged about it...I was limited to using cassettes and most of mine were long gone, thanks to sticky-fingered children. I remember I had certain cassettes and was looking forward to listening after taking them out of retirement, like my B-52's, The Doors, Mary Ann Faithful, Buffy St. Marie, the above album and so many more. I told my daughter about the missing cassettes, during one of our conversations, and she laughed and said she and Joel, my oldest one, got into many of those years ago. Love the big confession after the fact!! Well, I tried to remember some of them and decided to treat myself and order them on Amazon. While helping Joel last week moving his stuff out of the storage unit, I noticed he had a plethora of vinyls...my vinyls!!! Told him some of those covers are worth some $$ and he better not sell them or else, I would haunt him!! He assured me he wouldn't and he loved listening to them on his old stereo...really old stereo I suppose and probably my old stereo!!

The above album is one of my favorites from my youth. In 1966, when I was a freshman in high school, my sister went away to college to USF, a small Catholic college in San Fransisco. The school was located in an area that is now full of history. She was just blocks away from Watts, during the Watts riots, and the Haight-Ashbury district, or known back then as "the Haight." She came back that Christmas break and introduced me to what was called the Bay Area sound and The Jefferson Airplane was one of them. She told me she had gone to this club where people were turning on and tuning out, ala Timothy O'Leary, and of course, she didn't...yea, RIGHT!! LOL She described all the lights and stage special effects during their performance, something our children and grandchildren would scoff and laugh at now. She also introduced me to the "The Association," and their song, "Cherish." So, I fell in love with the Bay Area music and in turn, introduced it to my high school buddies. That sound or songs didn't reach the El Paso area till at least 7 months later. I recall looking for the Airplane albums at this funky record store downtown, and they looked at me as if I were growing lobsters out my ears!! "The Jefferson what??" or the "Who???" well, I also was a Who fan, but I was referring to the "Association." There was also, "Country Joe and the Fish," and of course, "Big Brother and the Holding Company," with none other than, Janis Joplin.

I wasn't a full-blown hippie...I wasn't allowed to be...my parents didn't let me!! LOL However, I attempted to wear the paisley dresses and skirts, the wire rim John Lennon glasses and the "l-o-a-ve" beads!! LOL A dear friend of mine went to Mexico City and brought me back all these cool necklaces and bracelets, so they became my "love beads." This girl once at the school library, who was dating my ex-boyfriend, told a friend of hers, who was a friend of mine, that I was "a hippie" because I wore wire rimmed glasses....so did my friend!! She said it as if I were some kind of weirdo...another words, it was a bad thing!! I wasn't a very good hippie, though. I bathed and washed my long locks every day, shaved, wore make-up, but I dressed really kewel!! LOLOLOL I also didn't tune in or out either...drugs scared the crapolla out of me. I saw too many friends experience bad trips and I could swear, some of them didn't return!! I experienced first hand, how these additions contributed to the demise or death of some really nice people. Hey, this isn't far from over...still going on and now there are more drugs around and quite available.

So the only drug of choice for now is a vodka cocktail. I still like the hippie look, have a few of my peasant shirts left over from the late 60's and 70's, in storage since I've put on some weight since then. I still enjoy the music but now, I dance around in my studio, alone, while jamming to the "Airplane" instead of the smoky, pot-infused environment from back in the day. Prefer the air I breath now and glad I'm not 15 anymore...that sucked!! Peace out.

ADO & Shrine Auction

Greeting All! I have a bit of good news that's happening out here in my little corner of West TX. First of all, I have been accepted into ADO, Art Dolls Only, http://artdollsonly.blogspot.com. This is such an honor and privilege to be part of this very talented group of doll artists. I've been waiting 2 years for there to be openings for new members and Monday, as I was going through my dashboard list of buddies, I spotted a post from the ADO blog and there it was, they were accepting applications for new members. I'm sorry if I missed any of your blogs, but I clicked right to their list of instructions on how to apply and by the the next morning, I had an email stating I was accepted. I did my little "happy dance!!" Ok, mental picture that will be burned into your psyches forever!! LOL I still have to set up my page and get the ball rolling, but I have already gotten some very good feedback from other members, doll artists I have admired and followed their careers. I'm still in shock and so humbled by this honor. I just had to share the good news.

The next little tidbit of information, is the coming auction of for the street children living in Oaxaca, Mexico. I believe I did a post about this some time ago. I learned about it from the wonderful and talented, Abi Monroe, and decided it was join in. Here is my little offering, called "Lupita's Shrine."








Opening day is Friday, April 29 in the evening to the global public for a preview and the online auction bidding to be held Sunday, May 1-Saturday, May 7. For more information about times, please visit Rebecca at http://corazon.typepad.com/gallery_of_hope/.
Rebecca is one of the most beautiful ladies I have ever known...she's just amazing! So go take a look and please, consider bidding on one or as many shrines you desire.

And now for more news, my daughter is finally a "Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady!" They tied the knot yesterday afternoon, strep throat and all, and said their "I-do's." Michael's parents, now my daughter's "out-laws," were present, I'm happy to say. It was good that someone from the family was there other than the bride and groom. A friend of hers made them a "420" cake, celebrating the happy union and er, another occasion. I haven't done my research yet, but "420" is a day of recognition and celebration for the little lovely plant called, "cannibus!" For those who are not familiar with the "Latin" term, it simply means, weed, pot, Mary Jane!! I'll Google it later, but I think it all started in San Francisco, of course!! LOL So my girl married her first on Feb. 29th, now the 2nd is on 420...great!! In her defense, she didn't recognize the date till yesterday when she phoned me and told me what day it was...I already knew! Hey, don't judge me, I'm up on current events!!!!!!!!!! LOLOLOLOLOL!!!

Well, my friends, time for me to head on out and do some more work on this 'puter. I even had to politely ask DH to please vacate the desk chair during his lunch break, (he can play hours of Solitaire) because I had to get some emails out and do other stuff before 3:00....picking up my oldest at the airport. He's coming into town just for a couple of days to pick up his stuff at his storage unit and drive a U-Haul back to his new home, in Houston, TX....finally has a job after being unemployed for almost one year, so much for having 2 undergrad degrees. So adios folks, hasta la pasta, don't forget to check the date for the auction on your calendars, daily planners or write it on your forearm, have a wonderful weekend, don't eat too many chocolate bunnies and their eggs or they will haunt you later, maybe sooner if you eat too much of them!! Peace out.

Love Is In The Air, I Hope!!

Above is a picture of my daughter, Andria, when she was five years old. She attended a private kindergarten then because she, as my other 2 children, were born in Sept. (I'll save you the counting of fingers...December was apparently our "whoo-hoo" time), which is the cut-off age for children entering school in TX. She was going to turn 5 Sept. 15th, 1983, but since she wasn't 5 at the end of August, she and all the other Sept. kiddos had to wait another year before they could enter Kindergarten. Well, Andria wasn't going to wait, not her, she had been ready for the classroom from birth!!

She used to play both teacher and student from the time she was two. My sister had given her and my oldest son, Joel, who is 2 years older, desks and she took that Fisher-Price piece of furniture really seriously! I recall once she came into the family room excited about the fact she "could read," and wanted me to go back to her blue and pink little room to listen, so I complied. She read a long soliloquy of Cookie Monster and the importance of brushing one's teeth. I sat on her Strawberry Shortcake covered bed as she read all five pages. I was impressed since she was only 3 and I had never really taught her to read. I thought perhaps she had listened in during her older brother's required reading time and heard me help him pronouce words. I had difficulty showing him how to read since I was taught phonetically as opposed to sight-words, but we managed.

One night at the dinner table, Joel gave away her secret out of anger and spite because she had eaten his Milky Way candy bar his grandmother had given him...she also got one, but Andria always lived in the moment and was one of those "instant gratification" type of gals, still is!! It turned out, she sat at her little desk, listened to one of her Sesame Street vinyls on her record player and memorized the story. I was still pretty impressed since she knew when to turn the pages. Joel was "spittin'" mad at is sister as he had every right, but I couldn't help but think what a clever little girl I had sired. Of course, she was reprimanded, no dessert after dinner, and had to buy her brother a candy bar to replace the temptation she had succumbed to earlier, with her allowance...ya know, hit them where it hurts!!

As I said, the photo above was taken at age 5 right before we headed out to her school for her Kindergarten graduation ceremony. I don't recall exactly why they dressed in costume, but she wore my sister's China (cheena) Poblana outfit. If your interested, Google China Poblana, but it's a native dress of Mexico, well, one of the many. My mother had it in her "Ope Chest-er" which is actually " Hope Chest," but that's how my maternal grandmother pronounced it...we liked her version better!! LOL My mother had to rebead the silk skirt and we went to Juarez, right across the border from us, and we bought the sash and I think, a new blouse. I bought the huge ribbons for her hair and this is the finished product....she was adorable!

That was me during my "big har" days....someone talked me into getting it all permed up since my hair is as limp as old spaghetti....really glad I got over that look!! LOL Amazing, was I ever that young and that thin??!!! Take a look at those shoulder pads!!! That pic was taken in front of our fire place in the only house I owned with the ex.

The reason I'm dedicating this blog to my daughter is that she is going to do it again, as she told me over the phone yesterday, "Mom, he's buying the cow!" Odd way of telling me she's getting married again, but that's Andria! My future s-i-l asked me and her father for her hand in marriage, via a text back in early December. He gave her the ring for Christmas, but no definitive date was set, until yesterday. The baby was sick Wed., so she stayed home from work to take him to the doctor...stomach flu...yuck!! Michael had gotten the good news that he had been hired by Apple and will begin working in May but will continue working on towards his college degree. Stomach flu and all, it was turning out to be a really happy day, so they decided to go to a little town up the road from them and get their license.

So next Wed. is the big day and I, unfortunately, will not be attending. Her last marriage was also through a JP, but here in town. The bride wore a lovely lavender dress with small floral embroidery work and was 7 months along with my sweet Sean!! LOLOLOLOL They did have a reception at what was my old house and everyone had a great time. Her father didn't' stay long since his bride was waiting for him at home and as he saw the guests arriving, my aunt and cousins walked in, he knew my parents weren't far behind, so he high tailed it....my father never got around to calling him a "son-of-a-bitch," and he wasn't about to stick around and give him that opportunity!!! Again, LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!! So, she and Michael will have their civil ceremony next week, but they are going to treat themselves, with a little help from me (very little help) and have the "big fat beaner" wedding next summer. I'm hoping she'll be with child again, this time with maybe, hopefully a little girl. I love my Penis Posse, but I would love to have a little granddaughter so I can dress her in her aunt's China Poblana skirt, rebead it and put big red ribbons in her hair someday! Peace out.

Mice & Men

"The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men...." a quote from Robert Burns poem, "To a Mouse," pretty much applied to my morning. This would have been the first real morning where I didn't have to get up early for either taking my mother on errands, doggie doc appointments, cleaning lady, my dental appt., etc. My SM even left earlier than usual and I slept in till 8:14 a.m. I had a rough night, have had those kind-o nights since menopause, but now that I'm "post" menopausal, WTF???? I'm still symptomatic...still get hot flashes too...again, WTF?????? So I slept in and it was wonderful! I got up, poured myself a cup of java, grabbed the newspaper, sat on our new couch and just hunkered down for delicious solitude and silence. Then they came! I hadn't finished reading the first article about the government shut-down on the front page when, they arrived. Yes, the mowing guys! My honey works for a lawn care company and as a perk, we get free mowing, weed and other critter chemical control services.

Right away, Senor Cacahuate, our crooked-mouthed, almost toothless, Chihuahua (thinks he's a friggin' lion) began his yipping and yapping, off the decibel chart!! The motors started from both the mower and edger, on top of that, the 2 guys were screaming at each other over the noise of their machines...actually, it was a conversation, but in order to hear each other, they had to shout ...again, off the decibel chart!! So I decided I'd forgo the paper for now and go take a shower and listen to my favorite morning local talk show. I put up the volume on the radio so I could hear it over the shower, and as I washed up, I was yucking it up listening to a couple of comedians who were preforming at one the comedy clubs around here this weekend. Then they decided to finish up in the backyard, there went any kind of peace and quiet in the bathroom, no more radio listening, so I turned it off. At the same time, now both Chihuahuas were yapping and carrying on, I thought they were going to have a cardiac from all the excitement....sheesh!! They were clearing up all the dirt and debris from our recent dust storms...that's our lovely Spring weather around here. I then had to endure their discussions about the previous night's adventures in their prospective bedrooms or where ever!! Talking about a "rolling your eyes to the back of your head and oey vey" moment!!! Oey Vey!!! I decided it was time for a little breakfast, left over chilaqueles from last night, and head back into the living room and turned on the tv...LOUDLY!! At some point, the only thing I could hear was the sound of the rather loud television and realized, they were gone. Once again, it's peaceful, except for the distant barking of some other dog who also wants to rip the throats out of their owner's mowing guys!!

I have completed a portion of my studio projects, packaged and shipped them off to buyers and the gallery...feels good. For those of you who don't FB, here is a sample of the rest of the Easter Skellie Bunnies I have sent off to Xico, Inc. Also, I received this wonderful print and post cards from one of my FB buds, Sandy Garcia, from CA. She was born here in El Paso, but like all good Mexicans from here, the fam moved to LA!! I lost many pals to Cali!! I hope to meet her someday since most of her family still lives here and some in Austin...hmmm, she and I have that in common too!!
Small paper mache eggs

Larger paper mache eggs

Sandy's stuff

This week and part of next, I've decided I'm going to work on some stuff that I have put on the back burner till now. First, I'm making a couple of Calavera head pins for the shop owner who is renting my father's old office...she asked me back in November to make her a couple for her mother and aunt, two absolutely lovely ladies. Also, one of my dearest friends daughter married in Dec. and even though Iwasn't invited to the nuptials and reception, open to only family and very close friends of the bride and groom, I told Renie I'd make something for Megan and her hubby as a wedding gift. Megan loves the old paintings of local churches I used to make years ago when she was a little girl..her mother asked me to make one of St. Francis of Assisi in Tularosa, NM. So once when we were on our way up the road to Ruidoso, NM for a weekend getaway, we stopped in front of the church and I took some pics, then came home and made Renie a painting for her birthday....oh Lord, so long ago...was another lifetime. So Megs wants something like that. I decided on painting the Ysleta Mission on the Tigua Indian Res., which is just down to valley from us. Haven't painted missions in years, so I hope I haven't lost my touch!

I also have a book I must start for book club. I have had the book lying on my coffee table for a couple of weeks, but haven't had the time to even crack it open...have no idea what it's about, so going to be surprised!! My mother has another doc's appointment this Monday and it's with the marathon wait doc, so maybe I'll be able to read it in it's entirety like I have other book club selections, unless some woman comes in with a screaming baby who likes throwing bottles at people...remember that blog???

Before I say my adieu, I want to wish my ol' buddy, Linda from http://lindaomasoldebaggsnstuftshirts.blogspot.com/ and her adorable grandson, Ry, a very happy birthday..."HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU OL' PEDO!!!" & "A GREAT BIG HUG TO YOU, RY!!" Peace out.