A Mcinnis Artworks

In Loving Memory of Master Sgt. John R McInnis, Jr.

2012-05-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

The military has always been a part of my life. My father, whose wisdom I still rely on and who lives in Brandon, was a Naval aviator. He has many friends who made the Navy their life- long way of life. I understand, to some extent "military" families.

But, for the first time in my life, I really watched war movies ALL weekend.

As I watched these movies, I absorbed the horror of it all and was struck by the true sacrifice these men and women gave for our country and its people.Whether treading water for days on end, or storming the beaches of Normandy or being involved in hand to hand combat, it's amazing what these people endured.

How could you NOT be grateful to them?

If you've never taken a few hours and watched true heroism as portrayed in these OLD movies, take the time today. If you don't have time to watch, then just look around at everything you have...

those heroes are why you are able to live in the best country in the world. I've been told that the movies aren't the same as the reality...very probably true, but it's the closest to reality that I can get.

In honor of Memorial Day,

I'd like to remember my husband's father and his remarkable life and death story.

John R. McInnis, Jr. was a native of Jefferson Davis county Mississippi. He was one of 7 children and grew up in the Clem community. The Clem community is just a little speck of a place in one of the smallest counties in the state, but it's typical of the "homes" of so many of the men and women who fought the wars in WWII and Korea. Johnny, as he was called, was All Army in basketball and football (imagine that!)

He entered the service July 17, 1941 and served in the European Theater with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was briefly a POW and was wounded in the Italian Campaign. He returned to the states in 1944. In 1948 he volunteered for parachute duty and was stationed in Japan until his unit was called to Korea in July of 1950. (My husband, John III, was one year old at the time and he and his mother were in Japan with Johnny celebrating John III's first birthday. John III and his mom returned to the US shortly after Johnny was called into action.)

(Johnny, John III and mother, Anna pictured above right in Japan. John R McInnis Sr is pictured top left.)

It was believed that "Johnny was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. The division was the first American one to do battle in the Korean War after North Korea launched a general attack across the border on June 25, 1950" (incidentally MY first birthday.)

Johnny's unit was one of the first to paratroop into enemy territory.
"Information received reveals that his battalion was stationed in an area where a battle occurred between the Americans and Koreans between July 7 and 10. Later reports say that virtually all of that unit was killed." (Government officials believe he died in the Cho Nui battle on July 11, 1950.)

Johnny was declared MIA on July 10, 1950.

Now here's the kicker to this story...after all the years of heartache and the uncertainty that the family endured, on October 30, 1981, they received notice that Johnny's remains, his helmet and dog-tag had been found by a South Korean policeman. (Also part of a wallet, comb and lighter and other assorted items.)

The grave was reportedly shallow as if the body had been buried hurriedly.

Pictured below are local villagers and Chi Kapchong,
chairman of the non-profit non-political U.N. Korean War Allies Association
who led in a silent prayer for the fallen soldier.

(This act of kindness was very much appreciated by the family, as you can imagine.)

A member of the Associated Press learned of the find and the news surfaced before anyone had time to contact us. John III learned of the discovery of the remains by way of a phone call from his Aunt Jean Booth who had heard the news on WDAM television in Hattiesburg.We were in close contact with Congressman Sonny Montgomery's office for the next two months.
After the remains were flown to Hawaii, there was positive identification of Johnny.

The remains were flown home in February with a military honor guard which stood guard 24/7 until the service at the Phalti Baptist Church and burial in the church cemetary. A rifle salute was followed by Taps and according to military tradition, the American flag that covered the coffin was given to John III., who was 31 at the time, the same age as Johnny was when he was killed.

Below is pictured Johnny with his one year old son, John III.

I always initial documents with AMc rather than just AM...wonder why?

It's in honor of the last name McInnis....not just any ole name...but one of honor and sacrifice.

Master Sgt. John R McInnis's, Jr. life and loss of his own life ensured his family's name would be remembered with honor and respect.

In memory of all those who gave all they could,

Copper Kettles

2012-05-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

When my son was a toddler, he would not go to bed without being rocked. As we rocked away the hours (literally), he always had two special song requests. One he called, Copper Kettles (aka: My Favorite Things by Julie Andrews) and It's Not Easy Being Green by Kermit the Frog. To this day, whenever I hear either of those artists belting out those songs, I smile. I must have rocked a million miles.

Today was rainy and I was alone sitting in the den when I caught myself looking at various things in the room and smiling. (What a life! I suppose you are thinking.) But for the past few weeks I've been in a blue funk and stopping to "smell the roses" has always helped me return to a sunnier disposition. Certain "things" in my home are my favorites. I thought I'd share some of them with you.

My eye was caught by the light coming through the front window and cascading through my collection of paperweights.

My first paperweight was given to me by Mother...I keep it separate from the others.

Then there is my grandfather's marble collection...

My Mother's Day present (above) was a huge surprise. We had a glass piece like this in the shop and it sold before I remembered to buy it for myself...I was so disappointed, but my son and his wife remembered and when they spotted another one, they bought it for me.

My silver baby utensil collection and my salt spoons.

My mother in law's hand carved wooden crochet hooks in my pine needle pitcher.

Part of my pine needle basket collection...so pretty.

All things blue and bird-ie.

My two new mugs made by my lovely friend, Michelle Leach (Michelle Leach Art) who BTW is moving to Alabama this summer AND SHE IS ABOUT TO HAVE A SWEET BABY BOY!! Notice she carved Mississippi with a heart and GuGu (what my grandchildren call me) and Ryan's name (grandson). We have coffee every morning together in our new cups...also BTW she and her husband, Buster are moving to help plant a church...I feel like I am losing the daughter I never had.

A tiny tea pot...I love all things TINY!

Sweet old books....

Tiny china doll of my grandmother's in a cradle carved by my daddy when he was a boy.

Grandchildren, Ryan and Gracie....

Beautiful old embroidery...one of a pair.

My mother's secretary...

Grandson's award...

Then moving outdoors...my rainchain...a retirement gift from my friend Libby.

Maybe I will even have time to sit on the porch and enjoy it shortly.

Nothing fancy, or costly...just some of my favorite things from some of my favorite people.
Things that tie me to the ones I love.

It's not easy being green you know,

Do You Dance for the Right Audience?

2012-05-21T08:13:00.000-05:00

I am still trying to "wrap my head around" (trite, overused phrase) the fact that this week marks the end of a 31 year career. I've been whining about this for a while. Everyone who knows me well, knows that I WANT this, yet, it's disconcerting. Maybe because all is not right with my little world or maybe it's normal to feel this way or maybe it's because change is indeed, difficult.

I am re-reading a book by Jean Fleming, Between Walden and the Whirlwind. It was a gift from former assistant pastor and longtime friend, Steve Hill. I first read it during an especially difficult whirlwind time in my family's life. It's interesting to see the items I highlighted in pink. They are just as needed now as they were then.

Fleming's premise is that while we spend many of our days trying to organize and simplify, what we really need to do is FOCUS. And by FOCUS, I don't mean focusing on ourself or our many activities, but rather we should focus on our Audience. Audience meaning our Director....God.

She gives a wonderful example of while a ballet company dances for an audience, they actually dance for their director...their true audience. Because he was the one whom they loved, feared and wanted to please even more than the public audience. Should we do less before God?

I have spent the greater part of my almost 63 years trying to please others. And I found out a secret that I wish to impart to you. Pssttt....It hasn't worked!!! People are fickle. They are working out their own agenda...and surprise (!), it is usually focused on themselves...NOT YOU! No matter how hard you dance, they want a different step, new music, better lightling and costumes....Folks, we are dancing for the wrong audience.

Ecclesiastes 12:8-"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!" NIV (or if you like King James, "Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.") Now, I know this type language is a real turn off to some, but this quote was quite a blockbuster to me (I knew it but I didn't practice it.) "When we determine our audience, we determine our reward. If we play our life to men, we receive the kinds of rewards men give; if we focus on pleasing our Father in Heaven we receive the kinds of rewards God gives," says Fleming.

Here on this earth, all these years, I have been given all sorts of chances. Now I've been given one of retiring from the work I considered "important" all this time. All of a sudden a thought formed in my mind. I had always wanted to have a little shop, sell my art and such...but is that what God has in mind for me? Maybe so, maybe not. The constant advertising, showing my stuff online, talking about how to do things...it's exhausting. Why? I think I know...it's been done for an audience....a wide audience. BUT IS IT THE RIGHT AUDIENCE?

Heaven knows I understand the rewards of good advertising...look at Coke and McDonald's but, have I focused the advertising of my "art" on pleasing man for a buck or on God for the good I could do...should do? (I need an extra income...retirement for teachers who don't have all their years invested in the public schools is NOT lucrative.) But I think my focus has been skewed.

As I walk (limp) on my journey (as to what God has intended for me), I will share what I learn but for a different reason...Fleming says, "Decisive living requires the selective burning of bridges." "To live with firm direction requires deliberate choices." I will practice focusing on THE Director and how He wants me to dance, until it becomes a way of life, even at this stage in my living and on the stage HE has provided.

Until later,

The Popcorn Pillow

2012-05-19T21:20:00.004-05:00

A quick update on my duck egg blue popcorn crochet pillow! (Now that's an introductory sentence!)

If you remember several posts ago, I was in turmoil over bringing in the duck egg blue of the foyer into the living room. The great hunt for satisfactory sofa pillows ended and then I decided I needed another blue texture and hit on the idea of crocheting a popcorn pillow.

I've noticed quite a lot of these pillows on Etsy lately, so I jumped right in. Of course, that means buying the correct color of yarn. (I am on a "use up all the supplies you have before you buy anymore kick" and this was against my self imposed rule...however...so I finally found the shade at Hobby Lobby and began.

It adds just enough texture to the loveseat.

I thought about crocheting a second one, but decided against it...
"stop the madness"....as they say.

Now this post wasn't really important, but I had mentioned the popcorn pillow,

and I certainly didn't want to leave you without a happy ending.

Hope you had a productive Saturday.

Haven't Zinnia In A While!

2012-05-18T20:26:00.003-05:00

Today began uneventfully....made my way to work at my little shop, Dwellings, around 8:45 this morning. Helped son and daughter in law unload their purchases made on the Longest Yard Sale...from Meridian, MS to Michigan. (They only made it into Alabama.) My friend, Libby, stopped by the shop and much to my delight we sneaked away to Hattiesburg for some light shopping. Made a few purchases and late this afternoon I finished a small project I had started earlier this week.

At Trees 'n Trends in Hattiesburg, I found some wonderfully priced zinnias. I needed a summer wreath and since I already had the wreath and the black and white ribbon, all I purchased was four bunches of flowers for $4. The wreath had a birds nest left on from its previous incarnation.

Now, I don't know if you can stand this next part of the porch re-do...because I think you will be sooooo jealous of my SteinMart finds. I had painted the rockers black and was just ready to re-paint when "what to my wondering eyes should appear"? But the cutest outdoor pillows I have ever encountered!

I told you! Aren't they absolutely wonderful?!

Now, somehow I felt something was missing. There is a large space above the ferns between the two rockers. What to do? What to do? (Picture light bulb going off in head and me snapping my fingers!) Sister Leslie had made me a really cute "M" for Mother's Day. Perfect! Tape on a dowel and insert it into the fern and viola!! Problem solved in a very cute way! (Thanks, Little Sister.)

I am a happy camper! And so to celebrate, I am
joining Beverly's Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound...please, join us there for all things PINK!

Eureka! Perfect Pillows Were Found!

2012-04-23T19:27:00.001-05:00

If you remember yesterday's foyer Do-Over, I moved the Duck Egg blue into the living room and I was less than happy with the sofa pillows I found. They looked ok in the store, but once they were situated on the sofa...they were so very terrible! See below! I didn't want to over do the blue, but I needed some touches and everyone knows pillows are the quickest way to add a little pow. But not this kind of pow....ugh.

I began the search anew this morning. First stop, Hancock's. I found wonderful fabric, but when I got home, it was too light. It will find a new life on a small antique child's chair I have by the fireplace. On to HobLob, Ross's, TJ Maxx and finally...Pier One....And Eureka! After much ado, I unearthed the perfect pillows for the couch! I should have started at Pier One, their color selection is much more in keeping with what I needed. See below...every color I needed...rust, red, gold, cream and Duck Egg blue!

Below is the before...(before the new blue hombre stripe..what was I thinking?)

Too heavy for summer...or any time really. After is below.

Just enough of the blue to highlight the foyer...I added a few other touches and I am satisfied. (Except for the blue throw I need and the rug at the front door and...well, ok, maybe I'm not quite finished.)

I wanted to add one other little tip...#1 Grandson and I love our morning coffee...we've been coffee buddies for years and I enjoy making it and doctoring it up a little. But that means we have coffee supplies all over the kitchen. About a month ago, I said, "Enough"...and brought my painted breadbox out of hiding. My friend, Bonnie, painted it years ago and I stored it when I did some rearranging in my kitchen. Out it came...

...and up on the counter, filled with our coffee stuff!

Now, it's much more pleasurable to make coffee every morning...everything's right at arm's reach!

Do You Ever Have a Hankerin'?

2012-04-22T21:13:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I open Blogger and it's been completely revised....grrrrr....

In the south, we often say that "we have a hankerin" to do something...a hankerin' for fried catfish, to take a walk, to work in the yard...well, this morning I got one...a hankerin'...a hankerin' to repaint my foyer.

Yes, I know...it's tiny...like really, really tiny. But that's the great thing about it! It doesn't take much paint or much time and before you know it...you have a different look! It's been painted red, rust, light green, dark green, aqua, cream and now Duck Egg Blue! Above is before...mossy green. Below is After!

This picture isn't the true color...too much light coming through the front door.

Below is the before of the wall you see when you enter the front door.

This is a Betty McCool print. I love the colors and the print itself, but I had another place to put her and I wanted to change it up a little and hang a new painting by Brandon artist, Cherry Roundtree. Mrs. McCool is probably my all time favorite Mississippi artist. I have a number of her prints and would never move them out of my house...this is just a little departure and shakin' up the place was part of my hankerin'.

I moved the pineapple container I had this arrangement in and put the arrangement in my McCarty cotton row vase. The color of the wall appears to be two colors, one lighter on the top, but that's just the sunlight coming through the door. It's all one color. BTW: I lightly painted the berries in the arrangement...what color? DE blue, of course. I've gone DE nuts.

On to the living room. The couch (as much as I like it) is "heavy" in the summer months. I need to lighten it up. Using another Betty McCool print as my inspiration, I set out to bring Duck Egg into the living room by using small touches of the color here and there. Found some pillows, but they aren't doing it for me.

If you will look carefully in the upper right hand corner of the above pic, you will see the print. It has all the colors of the couch and in addition to those, the little boy has on duck egg stockings and cuffs and collar. Now, I know I missed on the blue pillows. Tomorrow is another day and I will do better, I promise. But I photographed them on the couch to see the effect. YIKES! Looks like some type of road kill.

Do I dare paint this little old table? It's been in my mother in law's home for ever...do I or don't I?

Why, heck yeah, I paint it! It's just enough and I Annie Sloan-ed it. (Secret revealed...I couldn't afford to Annie my foyer...so I matched the paint at Wal Mart and it's a VERY good match!) But the table has the real deal.

One other little tip...I Annie-ed the old book below, too. Painted and waxed it. What fun!

Tomorrow will be a treasure hunt for two pillows and any other little touches of the DE I can rummage up. Last thing my sister said to me this morning was, "Now don't overdo it". Me? Please.

If you are ever "blue", I hope it's Duck Egg,

Angela

Help Our American Idol!!

2012-04-17T19:28:00.004-05:00

Hello, everyone! Hope you are having a good week! I've come to ask your help! As you know (or maybe you don't!) my home state of Mississippi is extremely proud to have a top 7 performer in the present American Idol competition.

Now, this isn't just any ole performer...Skylar Laine Harden graduated last year from the high school in which I teach and her father is one of my all time favorite assistant principals! So our town of Brandon, Mississippi's honor is at stake here!!

Not only is Skylar a superior performer, she is a musician and a song writer...you will see a whole lot of her in the years to come. She TRULY IS the Whole Enchilada!!!

I am asking a favor of all my friends in blogland...WOULD YOU PLEASE VOTE FOR SKYLAR TOMORROW NIGHT (WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18) AFTER THE AMERICAN IDOL SHOW? You can vote as many times as you wish and you can vote online or by text message.

Skylar is up against some stiff competition, but she is up to the challenge. Our state is solidly behind her, but we need a little help from our friends! So if you don't have a relative in the competition...would you cast your vote for our hometown gal?

Be sure and tune into Fox 40 Wednesday night,

Annie Sloan Make Overs

2012-04-09T07:33:00.016-05:00

I have been scoping out everything in sight to Annie Sloan chalkpaint.
As I was leaving the shop the other day, I spotted this old chair back.
Ready for the burn pile? I think not!

Old chair back....needs some tender loving care.
I cleaned it well.
Painted with Annie Sloan "Old White"... one part paint to one part water.
Waxed with clear and then dark wax. Buffed.

Maybe it could be used in the kitchen to hold dish towels or....

Hand towel holder?

Swedish embroidered hand towels paired with old damask napkins that I embroidered.
I use vintage napkins to repurpose as hand towels.

Magazine rack, anyone?

Project II:
Brown carved bowl from India. Pretty, but could be better.
Let's see what AS paint can do.
PLEASE, don't look at this mess...when I get in the middle of a project everything stays out until it's finished!
Drives the Coach around the bend.... :(
So I say..."Build me a studio!" Fat chance.

First coat of A Sloan Old White paint.
Covered that dark wood in one coat!!

Just before the final waxing. (Click pic to see closeup.)
Mine takes a while to seep in and dry thoroughly.
Left overnight.
Steps: Old White paint; clear wax; distress with fine sandpaper; dark wax; clear wax, buff.
See final look below.

Project III:
Sometimes I almost have to stand on my head to paint.
This is what happens when you forget to do a "before" picture. I would have just flipped the pic and hoped you wouldn't notice the paint can suspended in mid air...haha.)
The finish on this chair was very shiny and thick.
With the Annie Sloan, I don't have to prime or sand...it is wonderful!
Covered well with one coat and some touch ups here and there.
No distressing here.

This fabric leaves a lot to be desired.
Not to be insulting, BUT...what were they thinking?
Just sayin'

Finished chair.
Steps: Old White paint, clear wax, dark wax, buff.
Used some of my Easter "tablecloth" to recover the seat....click on picture to see closeup.

Four candle holders, chair back holder and a chair...finished!!
These projects took about 4 hours.

I am linking up to Metamorphosis Monday

I need to be on Annie Sloan's payroll,

Hippity Hoppity, Easter's On Its Way!

2012-04-09T06:15:00.028-05:00

Happy "After" Easter, my sweet followers! Hope you had a peaceful day! It was beautiful outside and we had a quiet, but happy day. My dad and his vivacious, lovely friend, Marianne, visited for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and then toward sundown, I got the "Annie Sloan" fever. (Next post.)
I was late getting out my Easter decorations this year. Traipsing up the ladder to the attic was too much to face, but the hubster made it easier by traipsing for me.

I post these pictures for several reasons...NOT TO BRAG or to "have SWAG"! I post them as a reminder for myself of the decorations used each year. And I hope you might see some little something that you can use in your own decorating. I love seeing what others do with their homes, hope you do,too! Below are some candid shots of the table, etc.

China: Lenox Brookdale Silver: Gorham Buttercup Crystal: Elyse by Tiffin
Still love my selections after all these years!

Setting: B&B plate; dinner plate; ecru crochet place mats and coasters; vintage linen napkin.

I've had these bunnies for quite a few years.
They are centered on a Shelia Clark ruffled pottery platter.

Mercury glass candle holders with birchbark candles.

BTW: the tablecloth isn't a tablecloth at all, but some beautiful fabric!

I scattered my vintage Easter cards all over the place!!

Marianne's "favors" to take home.

Bits and pieces of the centerpiece.

Buffet with pottery raccoons and moss mushrooms.

Lefton bunny was an Easter gift from a dear friend.
More vintage Easter cards..."more is more" when it comes to cards.

China hutch with all my favorite OLD bunnies.

Robin's nest on my tiny kitchen work table.

The velveteen rabbits!

Close up of the china hutch.

Snow bunnies. I love them AND their cousins, Snow babies!

I painted these bunnies for my mother years ago. She kept them on her bedroom dresser year round. Even though they match nothing in my house, I display them in remembrance of her. I especially miss her on holidays like Easter. She loved "fixing" up her house with her decorations.

Even the backdoor bench got a dose of bunniness!

Hope you had a peaceful Easter,

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall....

2012-04-03T21:14:00.009-05:00

Can you stand one more post on the Annie Sloan Chalk paint? Today I remembered a lovely gold leaf mirror that was hiding at Dwellings. I grabbed it and as you can see, it was quite pretty just as it was...however,

Just a little too gold for my taste.

So I "Old Whited" it and let it dry.

Then I "Duck Egg" blued it and wiped away both colors on some areas so the gold could twinkle through. A little clear wax all over and dark wax in a few areas finished it off.

Look up close and you will see the sheen that the clear wax imparted and the depth that the dark wax added.
This added so much beauty that I was astonished at how easy and how fun it was to do the transformation.

I also had a small wrought iron piece that needed a little attention.

Above BEFORE. Below AFTER.

Hope you will try this paint soon!

Annie Sloan Paint

2012-04-02T19:48:00.012-05:00

Guess you all have heard about Annie Sloan paint...I've been talking about it for months, but have just now slowed down enough to actually be able to use it. Today, my friend, Libby and I went to "Paint", a little store in the Fondren area of Jackson to look up close and personal. Libby has used the paint, I, on the other hand, have only drooled. I chose Duck Egg...a beautiful blue that my pictures don't do justice to at all!

Below is my pitiful little maple side table..in bad need of a makeover! The only problem with maple is once you have it, IT NEVER WEARS OUT!

One coat is all this chalk paint requires (NO! it's not the same thing as chalkboard paint, even though you can use it for chalkboards, too.) Below is the table in the drying phase.

After painting, I waxed with light wax, buffed, distressed and waxed with dark wax.

I am debating on the two pillow choices. Which do you like?

I also did a quick plastic frame makeover.

Again, my lighting just doesn't show up how pretty the blue is peeking out from under the Old White.

This paint is pricey...but worth it. I barely could tell I'd used any from the can. It really goes along way. As I do more items, I will post. The 30 or so colors they have are all really neat! To see them, go to Annie Sloan's website.

* The Black Hole

2012-04-01T16:40:00.005-05:00

It all began innocently enough. Setting: Sunday afternoon...mad dash to pick up a skein of yarn and ink for the printer. (Grandson is writing a research paper...and it can't print out in rainbow colors because we are out of black ink.) As I am approaching Office Depot, I realize that I don't remember the number of the two cartridges, so I wing it and buy what I "think" will work. I have this bad feeling that these don't look right....so....

I call home, no answer. Coach is visiting his mother, so I head to store for yarn and after the purchase, head back to OD. Sitting in Office Depot's parking lot, I make the call. This time he answers. Those of you who are regular readers know that the Coach thinks that computers are the devil's spawn, so I gave exact instructions as to which machine on the desk is in fact the printer.

1. Go into Grandson's room.
2. Face the desk and look at the printer. The desk contains several books, a monitor and the printer.
(He asks if the thing on the right is what he's supposed to be looking at...oh, boy, here we go.)
3. I tell him to gently raise the top and he will see glass. I hear the top go up.
("So? What now?" he questions. )
4. Put the top back down and this time, lift the entire top up...I instruct. You should see the inside of the printer.
("Wait, I need my glasses," he reasons. ) Thump, thump..back with glasses. At this point I hear something that sounds like the hood of a car going up. Houston, we have a problem.
5. What's wrong? I inquire.
("I need a flashlight, he replies.") Wait, what? A flashlight? You don't need the flashlight! Where is he? Thump, thump...he's back with flashlight. I am sitting in the parking lot of OD hearing my Lexmark printer being ravaged. "Stop, stop," I yell..."what are you doing?"
6. "There's nothing here but a black hole and a white strip of plastic," he says lamely.
7. All I need are the numbers of the cartridges...why, why, why? "Do you see two little plastic things that are pushed down? If you do, the number of the cartridge is printed on top!"
8. "No, all I see is a black hole." #*@ (that was my quote, not his.)
All of a sudden he says, "I see the number on the outside of the printer...it's Lexmark X6570!"
9. Hallelujah! The Eagle has landed! "That's fine, I can use that," I say quietly.

Relieved, I return the wrong cartridges and get a refund of 32 cents. All's well that ends well.
I am considering knee replacement. Do you think there is a chance one of you could be "on call" when I come home?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Speckled Trout or Spring Carrot?

2012-03-25T18:38:00.007-05:00

The wife of one of my friends at school is expecting a little one and has chosen owls as the nursery decor theme. This is a mixed media canvas I recently painted for them.

I know that some of you may be perplexed with the concept of mixed media. If you will look closely, you will see that the background and the tree and its branches are painted with acrylic paint.

I also added shadows with acrylic paint. The owls and leaves are made from scrapbook paper. I enjoy sketching off designs and finding papers that lend themselves to the designs. I have always loved cutting out paper shapes and these little owls were lots of fun to sketch and cut. (Father is orange; mother is green and baby has a combination of parents' colors.)

My friend, Martha Ray (from Grenada, MS fame) and the subject of several of my blogs, and I would sit at her breakfast table for hours and draw outfits for paper dolls. So this isn't something particularly new to me. I am more of a realist in my painting and anything whimsical (don't like that word..too overused)...gets me out of my comfort zone (also overused). But the owls were a pleasure to do for two young super nice parents to be!

Last thing...I labored on a spring carrot made of brown paper for my front door. As the Coach was walking by and saw it, he remarked, "Why is there a fish on the door?" I moved it to the back door. Yikes...some people just don't get me and my "whimsical side"...lol.

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way,

Self Checkout at Wal Mart

2012-03-23T13:34:00.012-05:00

So I almost had a meltdown in Wal Mart this morning...what in the world?!

I was returning some shorts that were too big..for Ryan, not me and before I knew what was happening, tears welled up.

I keep looking around every where I go and thinking to myself,

"In a few weeks, my life as I've known it for over 30 years is coming to a close."

Retirement should be a happy time...

new roads to travel, spare time to fill and new canvases to paint.

Why the long face?

It happened at the Self Checkout.

This is pitiful to admit, but I have never (and I mean that seriously) had time, when shopping in Wal Mart, to learn how to operate the Self Checkout. This morning, I did. It was early and there were no shoppers in sight...the only checkout I was close to was the Self one and the lady wouldn't take me except I do it myself. At first, I was ticked off, but then she came by my side and helped me step by step. She was so nice and told me they were getting more self check outs...she said, "Guess they won't need to hire so many of us then."

For some reason that just hurt me for her.

Tears welled and I had no idea how to answer that and I stupidly said, "Thank you for helping me. This is like pumping gasoline for the first time."

She replied, "It IS, isn't it? Well, you have a good day now,ok?"
I wondered if she would have one...a good day, a good life, I mean.

Life moves on, doesn't it?

Self Checkout is just one more thing to add to the "I learned to do this today" column. Retirement will be the same, I suppose. One more thing I learned to handle. Don't get me wrong...it's what I truly want and need to do, but it, like pumping your first tank of gas, is a little unsettling. My friend, Emily, said it will take me 3-4 months not to feel tired anymore. And my friend, Libby said it would take me longer than that not to always "feel" like I should be doing something.

What a feeling...I DON'T HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE OR BE DOING SOMETHING I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO DO! That seems,well, just sort of unnatural. Can I adjust?

All bets are off...I hope so.

I Was Never Good At Treading Water

2012-03-11T20:59:00.005-05:00

Did you think I'd died? I haven't.
Did you think I'd moved away? Nope.
Did you think, "Something's happened?" It has.

Remember how I always put the Emily Dickinson quote, "Dwell in possibility" in all my headers? Well, I quit dwelling and launched. Launched a new business, Dwellings, (but kept teaching), launched a new Etsy Shop (amcinnisartworks), tried to keep being a decent wife, grandmother and friend (have done my best), and tried to live with knee pain 24/7 (not doing so well here).

Lots of water has flowed under the bridge since I last posted. I must confess that it's been a lot like trying to keep my head above water through a tidal wave. I've overloaded and it's showing up in all sorts of disagreeable ways.

People kept urging me to post a blog...they wanted to see what I was doing and read something funny...but honestly, nothing has been too mirthful these past 5 months and the little things I'm trying to do haven't been especially great.

This week is Spring Break and the dogwoods are in full bloom. All the normal spring flowers jumped the gun and bloomed two weeks or so ago. And I am sitting here treading water, trying to get my life back into some semblance of order. I need some "art" time. I need some rest. And I need encouragement. Trying to make my mind up if "dwelling" is indeed better than actually "launching".

See you soon,

Do You Feng Shui?

2012-01-16T17:03:00.023-06:00

I've been investigating Feng Shui. Some parts of it seem, well, a little loony, but other parts are very interesting. I find some things about the concept just common sense, at least to me. For instance, order and having an overall design concept is important in FS.The picture below would be very UN-Feng Shuish.

My bedside table looks even worse than this, but I couldn't ruin my rep by actually showing it to you in its unvarnished state. So I tidied it up a bit before the BEFORE picture. This state of affairs would, according to FS, make my ability to peacefully sleep diminish.

So I cleaned out my top drawer and stored the most recent magazines right beside me and now...

I only keep 4 or 5 magazines close at hand in the drawer which is now tidy and straight. I know exactly which magazines I am looking at and the others are stored neatly.

Now, look closely at the traffic wreck above, and I must say that the "hubster" is mostly responsible for the mess on the dresser. Unclosed drawers, change, old permission slips, junk, junk, junk...all strewn about the top. This situation would make our life just one big bundle of negative energy. And heaven knows, I don't need that. So after a little adjusting....

Now positive energy just flows around like a tornado. Very important for your bedroom...it should be a place of quiet and comfort. (FYI: FS says to sleep with the bedroom door closed and the door to your master bath closed also...the FS people seem to really dislike the bathroom and all it stands for. PS: Keep the toilet lid closed. Not sure why...but it seems reasonable plus you won't fall in if you get up in the middle of the night and the "man of the house" has "forgotten" to put the lid down.)
Moving on to the outside front of your house...orderly, inviting and tidy...hmmm, mine is just as bland as unsalted grits. I really have trouble at this time of the year..things are so bleak and dismal outside. The outside of my house lends itself to spring and summer...not winter...at all.

So out with some black spray paint and sprayed the two rockers.

Someone gave me an old stripped rocking chair (above) and I added it to the other lone one. Brought out an iron shelf and placed some pillows on the chairs. Not perfect, but certainly a little better!

Next, I will address the front door, but first, I need to do some reading on what a FS front entrance should possess. Yikes! Now, this is depressing!!

I even did a little FS-ing to #1 Grandson's room...Some of you may remember when I did this Pottery Barn Knock off typewriter...

I hung this on a wall where there was once a portrait of a solitary child...not good FS...solitary indicates lonely....this typewriter is a sign of productivity and order.

I added the black vintage Century fan and exposed the Mickey Mouse tin....red is good...fan surely will help positive energy flow. Books are now more orderly. Closet is cleaned out and all clothes and shoes hung and straightened. Can't wait to ask him in the morning if he slept well.

A few nice marbles in the window...not too much in the window...but the light filters through some of them nicely.

Now, lest you think I've totally lost all MY marbles, I found this experience rather calming. It was an interesting exercise. Have you ever tried to Feng Shui?

Here's hoping you have good Tai Chi,

* The Great Cappuccino Incident

2012-01-15T06:43:00.011-06:00

For those of you who have been loyal followers for the past few years, thank you. I have been very negligent of my blog and I apologize for the missed opportunities to make you smile or those moments you needed encouragement and I was "out in the work world" and not here. Thank you for continuing to "follow"... I WILL do better, I promise.

And for those of you who regularly read and follow this thing I call "My Life...It's the Only One I Have, Thank you very much"... you will already know that "the Hubster" aka "The Coach" does our grocery shopping. Now, don't start with me about this...he LOVES it. So I say...go for it, Coach!

Well, Saturday, he was preparing his grocery list and asked me to add my needs. I listed a few things... diet Green Tea, Little Debbie's, and so forth, and then I made THE fatal mistake. I added Cappuccino. (Let me enlighten those who don't read this blog regularly...the Hub will NOT use a cell phone so when he enters the electronic doors of Wal Mart, he's on his own.) "How bad could that be?"you ask. Read here, here and here and see. Those of you who know him well, know that he LOVES to please me and he really IS a sweet thing...but I have finally given up on the grocery drama and I just let him alone to do his damage to the check book.

When he read Cappuccino, he began to pace around the kitchen...."You know that they never have the same selection"... "I'll do my best, but they don't have English Toffee"... "What if the hazelnut is an off-brand?" On and on... the fact of the matter is, I just need something in the coffee...it really doesn't matter. Once I made the mistake of saying, "I really like this cappuccino you got me, thanks." From that day forward he has tried in vain to find that exact kind...to no avail.

When I pulled out the pantry shelf this morning to get my coffee making supplies, I could hardly pull the shelf out it was so heavy! Oh, no.... in addition to the coffee (both instant and regular..another story for another time)...there they were...Creamy Hazelnut Cap., Chocolate Mocha Cap., Hazelnut Creamer, Mocha Peppermint Creamer, on and on. One thing for sure, I won't need to make a Cappuccino or Creamer request until 2013.

We were laughing and talking about which muffins to bake this morning as I was fixing my coffee (he doesn't drink coffee) and suddenly I noticed that I had put all the sugar and anything else I was adding to the coffee into the Cappuccino container, not my coffee cup. He asked me why I thought that action was so funny. All I could think of is that we are both getting so old that things that would normally send me around the bend, have sort of become funny. I think I've morphed into my mother. Everything she did like putting something in the wrong container or calling all the grandchildren by the wrong name, I now do. I used to roll my eyes heavenward and pray that I'd never do stuff like that. Oh, well... All's well that ends well.

You might enjoy my business blog, Dwellings Re-fined Post: here.

May all your coffee be flavored to your taste,

Book Bundles at the Shop!

2012-01-11T19:46:00.014-06:00

In the December 2011 edition of Southern Living magazine, there was an article about a lady who collected only red books...this grabbed my eye immediately and the wheels began turning.

(I hope I'm not doing anything wrong by showing a tiny part of the page)...please, get the Southern Living Dec. mag and read this article. It's a lovely writeup about a collection that has never occurred to me. I love red and I love the look of the all red book collection. I began looking at my own books and discovered that I have some really pretty books. Not just red books, mind you, but turquoise, blue and greens also!
I had purchased a small two tier antique table from myself (lol...at Dwellings) and I decided to do a little arranging of a red vignette featuring my books, paperweights and a piece of McCarty pottery.

Then I had an idea! Why not take the labor out of the project for my customers and sell bundles of color coordinated books for decorating purposes? Wha...La...the Book Bundle was born!

Here are two examples...the red and blue bundles. Four nicely sized vintage books bundled and ready for use for $5. I did the legwork and the coordinating...all you have to do is purchase them and use them as you see fit.

Three book black bundle is $4.

The green bundle is lovely with an assortment of green shades.

Some books can be purchased individually like these blues.

Or these with the pretty spines and fronts and backs!
I enjoy the hunt, but you may not have the time or the inclination...if not, I've done it for you!
Before I sign out...look what arrived in the shop today!

OLD red ladder...

it won't stay long and I love it so! I might have to interview potential ladder owners for this one. It MUST go to a good home!

Hope you can see the value in my latest nutty project,

"Scatter Shooting" & Decorating Tips for the New Year

2012-01-05T20:43:00.021-06:00

A quick post to wish you all a Happy New Year and some ramblings from me to you...My son and his family will soon be moving into a home that was built a number of years ago...we've been mulling over color choices and I thought you might enjoy seeing the process unfold.
We are dealing with 1960's and 70's colors...particularly avocado green in a bathroom! So daughter in law, Robin and I pulled this avocado Fire King cup (shown below) from one of the display tables in our shop, Dwellings, and began formulating a design plan and color palette. (Click on image to see close up.)

This green is so very 60/70'ish that we decided to treat it as the "neutral" in the room. Below you will see the fabric that I am using in my "office" at the shop and we decided on that color palette which uses medium blue, turquoise, avocado and lime.

(To make shelves in the office, I turned dresser drawers on their sides and stacked them in the corner.) If you will look closely you will see the colors we chose.

Precious melmac plates from the era give us good strong shapes to use.

The little girl with the goose statue adds orange as the contrasting "pop" of color!

Close up of the colors we like.

My motto has always been, when you are handed a decorating problem (ie avocado) and don't have a million bucks to throw at it...use common sense and incorporate the "offending" color. But make sure you use colors you do LOVE with it! We will show you how this works as we move along.
Moving right along...I found this cute little white hamper this weekend

and have it priced reasonably at the shop.

It is small and would make a wonderful little addition to a little girl's room

...or maybe painted and put in your little ball player's room!

Next...onto my latest obsession...teabag roses! Heavens!

It's always something!

I can't say I'm responsible for this idea,

but these are the cutest little paper roses!

Let me tell you how they were made.

Directions:

To make, use a "used teabag".

Cut off the string and top of the bag,open the bag,

empty the grounds into the garbage, and rinse the bag well.

Then let the bag dry.

(The steeped tea dyes the paper a beautiful aged color.)

When dry, cut the paper in half lengthwise.

You will have two sides to make two roses.

At this point, fold one of the papers lengthwise.

I begin rolling the paper around a toothpick to make the center of the rose, remove the toothpick, and then continue scrunching and rolling the paper until it makes a little rose.

I trim off the bottom and hot glue the rose to the desired surface.

If you want to make roses for later use,

I'd suggest paper clipping the bottom to hold it until you need it.

Above are the roses used on my wicker baby shoe tassels. (For sale at Dwellings.)

Below are the roses used in small silver baby cups

with tiny bird's nest and a card of welcome.

(These are also for sale.) Cute baby gift!

I also decided to make a small sewing basket containing old wooden thread spools.

For these roses, I used old dress patterns!

Enough of my "scatter shooting"!!
Hope you're all healthy and happy!

T'was the Day After Christmas...Life's Lessons

2011-12-27T07:40:00.011-06:00

T'was the night after Christmas and the holidays have been officially "put to bed" at our house. I have a confession to make...(don't tell anyone)...I wasn't in the holiday spirit this year. Oh, I tried, but the new shop made it super difficult.

When offered the opportunity to rent a building, buy the previous owner out and open "Dwellings Refined", I jumped at the chance. I have always wanted to have my own shop, but I wanted it on my own terms and in my own time. I have found out something extremely important...you NEVER get anything in YOUR time and totally on your OWN terms.

Why did it take me 62 years to figure that one out? Life is about choices, opportunities, failures and victories. You never quit learning, no matter how old you are. Once a upon a time, I thought I knew it all...I was 16. By 28, I KNEW I knew it all. By 45, it began to dawn on me that there might be others who really did know more than I knew. By 60, I decided I didn't know even 1/4 as much as I once thought I knew.
Next year (2012) will usher in my 63rd year on this earth...boy, have I got a lot to learn!
# ONE on the list is to listen more, talk less and to not sweat the small things. :)

Happy week after Christmas,
Angela

See our Dwellings items here!

Your Dislike Turned into My LOVE!!

2011-12-12T09:41:00.009-06:00

Are we on the countdown to Christmas or what?!
We took a swift trip to Paul Michael's in Monroe on Saturday morning...

It was the first Sat. I've had off since Dwellings opened.

At Paul M's I was able to make someone else's mistake my great fortune! While strolling around, I noticed a huge wreath...it was made of lime and copper mesh and leopard french wired ribbon.

Most of PM's wreaths are very pricey and very similar...this one was really creative and I LOVED it! I noticed it had a tag on it that said "Transaction Cancelled"...hmmmmm. I found my #1 lady that normally waits on me and got the good news...it wasn't what the customer envisioned AND (drum roll, please) I got it for 1/4 the normal cost! Oh, happy day!!

I think it's just scrumptious! Below is the view of my tree from outside. (This is NOT the PM wreath...just one that I put on the outside windows.)

One other funny happening...cracked two eggs Monday morning for breakfast and look what I found....two tiny yolks! In all my years of cooking, I've never had that happen before...just had to share! It looks like a little face!

BTW: I was guest blogger on A Hole is to Dig, my friend Hannah's blog...please, join us!

May you find a double yolked egg soon,

Lost Christmas Wreath

2011-12-07T18:11:00.004-06:00

Ok, everyone! I need your help. Today a lovely lady came into the shop looking for a lost ceramic wreath. She was given this treasure by a friend who is now deceased. It would mean lots to her if she could locate another one...above is the picture of the "lost wreath". Please, email me with any information you might have regarding this...I know my friends in blogland will come through if anyone will!!

Christmas Tour: 2011

2011-11-27T07:02:00.039-06:00

Christmas is here! I can't believe it's been a year since I posted a Christmas tour! This year I started every room with an inspiration piece and worked from there. Usually I make the decorations fit. I have finished the dining room, living room and kitchen. Take a tour!

Inspiration for living room was my beloved Betty McCool print.
I LOVE the colors, they are my very favorites...

rusty red, dusty gold and little bits of blue-green.

I bought ribbon accordingly. Glad Fads and Frames had theirs 60% off!

I repositioned the tree to the front window this year.

Topper was fun to construct...

feathers, birds, berries, ribbons and glittered Merry Christmas and seed pods.

Birdies of all types abounded...chirp, chirp...hoot, hoot...etc.

I really enjoy decorating nature inspired trees.

It brings out my "wild" side..lol.

Fireplace is all decked out...

(after going to WM at 10 pm for more lights...grrrrr.

This is really where you see my wild side.)

That leopard ribbon got a work out at my house this year.

My mother's secretary gets a touch of red and green.

Some of my paperweights get into the act.

On to the dining room, which is connected to the kitchen...have to be careful here.
Dining area inspirations...some new pictures.

Oil on canvas and wonderfully painted. (Not by me, I must confess.)

Nothing in my house has anything related to shells...however, I am always willing to try something new...so shells, it is!

Coordinating ribbons are pictured below...I used the copper and leopard from the living room to tie things together from one room to the next.

I added lime and turquoise to change it up a bit.

This tree drives everyone in my family nuts, but me! It leans...so?

It's tough living with perfectionists.

Since I had NO shell ornaments, I just glued hangers on the back of shells and hung them as ornaments...the topper is some sort of sea creature.

My Peter's pottery vase and McCarty shells came in handy here.

Side hutch doesn't need too much...it's getting a little busy.

You know how I am about visual noise.

Nativity scene has been updated some since this picture.

Ribbon on the buffet lamps and

more glittery ornaments set at different heights have been added.

Kitchen inspiration...bowl of new and vintage ornaments...

notice lime, turquoise and red appear again.

Below is the transition piece from dining room to kitchen...

And no holiday is complete without a lantern!

McCarty jade bowl and nutmeg squirrel reside happily together.

on my new little island.

Enough for now!!

I still have a few rooms to add...but I don't want to drive you as crazy as I drive my family. (Small doses of me is the prescription, they say.)

Hope your holidays are in full swing,

* Tale of Two Hairsprays

2011-11-25T20:50:00.006-06:00

Ok, so for the first time in my life, I know what it's like to be on the other side of the counter on Black Friday! I just woke up from a little nap...it's now 8:45 pm and when I arrived home at 5:30 this afternoon, all I had strength to do was to eat supper and lie down "to rest" my feet. We had a very brisk day at Dwellings..to say the least.

Just a short post because I must remove my mascara, take a shower and hit the sack so I can start the madness all over again in the morning. Speaking of hairspray...for years, I have used an old Pantene hairspray bottle to mist my hair with water while rolling my hair. It was a pearly white color (the bottle, not my hair) and for some strange reason, I looked at it the other day and decided to throw it away...just like that, after years of faithfully pumping out a fine spray of misty water, I just tossed it. (This was my first mistake. Lesson: Never dispose of a tried and true friend in a moment of thoughtlessness.)

I use Suave hairspray..I know, I know...your great grandmother used that hairspray... you are probably horrified, but when you get to a certain age, a swing "do" just doesn't "do" anymore. I have to spray my mop until it feels concrete-ish. I don't carry off "swinging in the breeze" very well anymore.

I had purchased a new bottle of Suave and it has a new look, very updated. (See picture below to compare new and old design.) So I decided to retire the old Pantene bottle and use my "old" Suave bottle instead of Pantene to mist my unrolled hair. If you must know, this misting gives tired, limp, thin hair a tiny boost at the roots. (I heard you snicker.)

Now, I'll make this short...I was late for work at Dwellings the other morning. I don't know why, but I have made it to school by 7:15-7:30 every day for 31 years and I can't make it to work at my own shop, which doesn't open until 10:00! I digress...I was hurrying to tame the wild beast, as my hair is affectionately known, and as I finished it's morning tease, I began spraying the "concrete spray" for all it's worth. Completing that job, I grabbed my toothbrush and began brushing...hurry, hurry. I gave my hair a last once over and noticed, it felt funny, so I grabbed the Suave again and began spraying away. What on the planet is wrong with this NEW spray, I wondered. Every time I sprayed, which by this time was the fourth time, my hair looked more limp and a whole lot like I'd been caught in a tsunami! This new formula certainly didn't dry as quickly as the old one either...uh, oh. You see where this is leading, don't you? Of course, you do...I was spraying with the "water" bottle, NOT the hairspray bottle. STOP THE MADNESS!

After blow drying it and quickly re-rolling, misting and spraying it with the right bottle, I was on my way....one more hurdle in life cleared...where is my Pantene bottle when I need her? The "new" misting bottle now has a great big X on it...I think I'm getting old in my old age.

May your hair swing freely your whole life,