The Super Moon was awesome!

I hope you were able to see it! I set up the tripod & was able to snap a couple of decent pics....need a better camera though. Love this first one of it, behind the neighbors' tree.

Once it got high in the sky, it glowed so bright that it created a glare....this was as good as I could get.

It was just glorious and what a beautiful night for it!

Thanks for all the prayers & condolences....we're holding up. We have many wonderful memories to temper the sense of loss and that is always a blessing. Been staying really busy...making use of Spring Break last week to get some one on one time w/ each of the grands. Whew! It takes a lot of energy to make every day special! ;) No rest for the weary though as now I'm into spring cleaning & Easter decor....be back later!

Good times w/ good friends!

Last weekend, I went on a wonderful crafting retreat w/ some of the girls @ Memory Lane Inn in Tyler Tx. Oh my goodness...what a set-up, y'all! Memory Lane Inn is a FABULOUS victorian inn, decked out w/ all the luxuries (wait until you see the stained glass!) & specifically set-up for us crafters. They had huge work tables w/ lights, plugs, shelves for supplies & drink holders (so you didn't spill your drinks on your work) plus they had a cricut, printer & computer for us to use. Oh yeah, and they had a candy bar...stocked w/ tons & tons & tons of candy. It was a crafter's haven! I has sooo much fun!

This is the front of the inn...charming isn't it? You ain't seen nothing yet!


Love the wrap-around porch w/ all the rockers. We laughed & laughed about my hubby talking me into keeping folding chairs in the back of my blazer...said I may need them. It didn't occur to me until we were shopping that he did that to deter me from buying too much...the sly devil! Little did he know, I'd have ditched those chairs in a heartbeat if I needed the room. LOL

This is one of the crafting rooms (there were 2)...we each had a huge work space w/ all the amenities. Love the little shelves...they were sooo handy. I thought about putting one on my work station @ home but I'd probably decorate it instead of leaving it bare.

This was the supply closet...full of stickles & inks & Tim Holtz products. I figured the supplies would be marked way up but she must have been selling them @ her cost...stickles for $2! And crackle paints for $4!

I didn't get any pictures of the girls, as I didn't even break out my camera until my car was loaded for the trip home. There was at least one of us in pj's & no make-up at all times though, so a group shot wouldn't have been possible anyway. But I do want to thank Cheryl, Alisa, Shannon, Joanna, Dana, Liesl & Marie for a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Check out the stained glass! It was everywhere! Some vintage, some reproductions, all very beautiful!

This door led into the First Ladies Quarters...the most luxurious of all the sleeping quarters & the only one I didn't get pics of. :(

The kitchen was fabulous w/ not one but 2 swinging stained glass doors!

In the room beyond was the cricut, puter, candy bar & crafting closet.

*sigh*

LOVED this staircase lamp!

Now we go upstairs & this is where my photos get bad. As I said, I was literally loaded up in the car & about to leave when Marie convinced me to unpack my camera & take some pictures...I'm so glad she did! But you'll have to forgive the bad photos...I just rushed through taking them & didn't bother w/ lighting etc. Anyway, this is the media room although we never so much as sat in it.

And this was our room...it slept 6. I was concerned (very concerned) about my snoring but I wore breathing strips & crossed my fingers. The next morning, I was told by Joanna, that yes I still snored. (I knew she would be the one to say something LOL) She said it was only lightly but it was almost continuous...when there was a delay in bouts, she said it worried her & made her think "why'd she stop? is she still breathing?" *grins* Maybe next time I should take hubby's suggestion to bring ear plugs for everyone else instead of breathing strips for me.

The buffet? (dresser?) in our room...it's gorgeous!

One of the many beautiful chandeliers in teh house...this one was in our bathroom.

There were only 8 girls in our group ( we slept 6 in one room w/ Cheryl & Alisa staying in the First Ladie's room) & the inn houses 20 people so there was another group of women sharing it w/ us. This is one of their rooms. It's called Miss America's rooms because a Miss America lived in it back in the days when the inn was a boarding house....it slept 4.

This room was decorated closest to my style....loved the mantel! The picture on the right of the mantel is a newspaper article about the Miss America that roomed here. I think it was from the 20's & read "she can fry up a steak, sew a fine hem & she can read"...cracked us up that it was a big deal that she could read. That gurl done got herself an edumacation!

Another sleeping room...this one sleeps 8. LOVE the pillars & teh chandelier!

Another stained glass window in a bathroom.

The back of the inn was even more charming than the front.

With multiple seating areas (sure didn't need those chairs did I? LOL)

And a water pond.

The junk shopping in Tyler is awesome but these ladies are experienced, they're quick & they know what they're after. I thought I was good but I'm gonna have to step up my junkin' game if I wanna compete. I did score a half doll in great shape for $15, some aluminum jello molds (been looking for some for over a year to use as bases for misc art projects) & a wonderful old tin in a faded pink....it'll become some kind of altered doll.

Cheap velvet ribbon but it's old & nicely aged.

A mesh coin purse (I'll either use a patina finish on it or I'll stick it outside until the Spring) & I love the tiny, fine lace.

Crocheted snowflakes for art projects.

MORE aluminum molds...I hit the jackpot! 48 molds for $10!!!!

Cigar box full of aged embroidery floss. No need to tea-dye these!

2 china ballerinas for Caralyn's playhouse...@ 30 cents a piece (they were half off! LOL), I don't have to worry about them getting broken.

And a beautful, porcelain ballerina for my collection. I already have one just like her though (hate it when I do that!) so she'll probably become a swap gift for someone.

And I bought this tag @ one of the antique shops...couldn't resist it.

I can't share much of what I worked on that weekend, as I made the stocking for Joli Paquet's Vintage Stocking Swap, as well as a couple of goodies to go inside but I did try making some polymer clay roses. They still need to be baked (trying to find a used toaster oven!) & spritzed w/ some glimmer mist & the holes are so that I can string a tiny bead in the center. I'll share them again when they're finished.

And I also made some image transfer tags. I bought shiny contact paper & not matte though so I'm not completely thrilled w/ the way they turned out. I gotta find some of the matte stuff.

Wish I hadn't stamped gesso on this one but once it was done, wasn't much I could do. I'm gonna get a gold paint pen & add scrolly's to the stark white though & that should help.

LOVE this tag....you can just barely make out the prism I hung from the bottom.

You know what's one of the best things about hubby traveling (aside from having some alone time ;) )? It gives me the time to nurture, encourage & enjoy the friendships I've made through blogging & Paper Cowgirl. Today, I'm off to meet Jan & Marie for a fun day of tea rooms & shopping @ Lone Star Antiques w/ maybe a trip to the cattle barns flea.

But I better skip the cute mules & wear me some running shoes if I wanna keep up! LOL

White Wednesday...whites at Lone Star

Hi! And welcome to another White Wednesday.... hosted by Kathleen @ Faded Charm. I was @ one of my favorite antique haunts last month, Lone Star Antique mall (located on Hwy 377 in Haltom City) looking for a very special tea cup for a very special little girl. I gift my granddaughter Caralyn, w/ a tea cup every year...on her 13th birthday, I will gift her w/ a tea pot. What a great idea, huh? ;o)

While there, I snapped a few pics of my favorite booths & wanted to share the "all white" ones w/ y'all today for White Wednesday. This is Dream in Cream's booth although it looks totally different now.

click on any picture to enlarge for details

Look at the mannequins she has up above!

Bountiful...I think her's is the most beautiful booth!


The Shabby Y...this is one talented, creative lady. I always get lots of great ideas from her booth!

She blinged out this cross...I'll try to copy her somewhat w/ the cross I bought, while thrifting last week.

How clever of her to use pattern paper rosettes as candle stabilizers, huh?

Love the sheer shade on this lamp!

Ruby Grace's is another of my favorite booths but she mixes in red or blue or pink w/ her whites so I'll feature her another day. But I did want to share this gorgeous wedding dress she had in her "red booth". Lovely! I just bought a vintage wedding gown in the Halloween section of Thrift Town yesterday...it's not quite this lovely but it's still very beautiful. And it was only $20!

I didn't buy much that day.... I was on a mission. If it wasn't a pink tea cup then I didn't have time. ;o) I almost didn't find one....in an antique mall as large as Lone Star. The guy @ the counter told me that I really lucked out cause the Red Hat Ladies were in that week & bought up all the tea cups.

Caralyn's tea cup is not white but I'll share it anyway...she "just luvvvs it!" LOL


Visit Kathleen for more stylish whites!

It's a big weekend!

There's lots of goings on in Ft Worth this weekend. First, there's the annual Jazz on the Boulevard. We sometimes go & sometimes not...it was a lot more fun 10 years ago when it wasn't as well-known. It's held on the grounds of the Will Rogers Coliseum. We take lawn chairs, drink some wine (it's sold there), listen to some jazz music & tour some artist's booths. There are some incredible artists represented! It's a guaranteed good time as long as you don't have to go to the bathroom but the porta-potty situation is hard for me to hang with. ;o) It goes on all weekend long...Friday, Sat & Sun.



Also there's the Fall Gallery Night on Saturday evening...put on by the Ft Worth Art Dealers Association. My husband, Chris, was actually a featured artist @ the Gallery 414 in 1998. That was such a fun night! He even got his picture in the Ft Worth Star Telegram w/ his creation...a muffler boy walking his dog. That's him & his art on the bottom. He created it out of old mufflers & car parts...recycling at it's finest!

click picture to enlarge for details

The "muffler boy" (he was never given any other name...we should have @ least called him George or something!) resided on our front lawn for many years but then we moved. He just didn't look right in front of the newer, 2 story home we have now so Chris moved him to the shop.

But for us, this year, the big event is the ZestFest 09. We go every year. What's the ZestFest, you ask?

"ZestFest 2009 is the ultimate party for bold and flavorful food enthusiasts. Hosted by Chile Pepper Magazine in Fort Worth, Texas ZestFest will be action-packed. Cooking demos by celebrity chefs, live music, interactive contests and thousands of bold food samples will make September 11-13, 2009 the zestiest weekend of the year!"

I sent them an email w/ a link to my blog & asked for press passes so that I could get a "behind the scenes" perspective & they said yes! I hope to do an interview w/ one of the celebrity chefs....wouldn't that be too cool? I'll take lots of pictures & sample lots of products (I'll get hubby to try the really, really hot suff! LOL) & feature it in a future Foodie Friday post. I'm so excited ...can you tell? ;o) The ZestFest is also Fri thru Sunday.

I hope y'alls weekend is as fun-packed as mine will be. Have a good one!

I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it!

I'm going, I'm going, I'm going!!!!!

Where you ask? To the Fall Paper Cowgirl Altered Art Retreat in Waxahachie. I cannot wait! To hang out w/ people who "get me" & the things I love, to learn how to make a wire crown from this talented woman, to shop & dine here... this is almost as exciting as a new grandbaby.

Oh yeah! And they're serving cupcakes too...I'm telling ya, these people get me! ;o)

If you're in Texas & would like to go, rush over & sign up...there are only 20 seats available.

ZZ Top performance @ Billy Bob's...I got to see it!

Last month we were able to score seats at a sold-out concert of ZZ Top... opening for Billy Bob Thornton & his band @ Billy Bob's Texas. Billy Bob's Texas is my favorite venue for concerts because it's a HUGE bar but the concert area is small & intimate. We've seen Johnny Rivers perform there, George Thorogood & the Destroyer's, BB King (see my pics of BB here ), Hootie & the Blowfish (forgot my camera!) & now ZZ Top! It's like seeing the big bands give a private concert in a neighborhood bar.

We have an ex-employee/friend who works the stage at all the concerts. He gets primo seats to them all & lets us have seats to any concert we want to go to. I'm not a big fan of country (I know, I know....almost sacrilegious to say that in Texas!) so we don't go all that often but when we do it's always a wonderful show.

Needless to say, ZZ Top rockled the house! And I scored some great shots.

This shot is good enough to be the cover on one of their CD's...I'm proud of it!

Billy Bob Thornton seemed shy & awkward @ first but his smile lit up the room & he soon got to grooving. I have never been a big fan of his (not after the display I saw him & Angelina put on @ an Oscar ceremony!) but he won me over w/ his smile.

What fun this show was...thanks Jerry for squeezing us in on such short notice!