How Great The Art

Out with the old and in with the new. As we enter into a new year I feel very excited. I have the time to devote to something I have always wanted to do. I am fascinated by greeting cards and have always wanted to design a line of cards. I started some small works and became stumped of what to say or how to execute the verbage. But, am happy I am taking some time to paint items we only usually see during the holidays. I have taken pictures in Cape May and Spring Lake of Victorian Houses during the holidays. I hope to continue painting as much as possible. The computer is still amazing to me in finding what interests me and facebook still presents me with the most information. I follow the Winterthur page the most, because it is a half way point on my drive to my daughter in Maryland. The facebook shared an old card depicting a pink victorian house from the Carolyn and John Grossman collection. I had completely forgotten Winterthur had purchased the collection. I will never

I have been home the last few days to open the mailbox to find Christmas cards. I would do a little happy dance, with each one I opened. I know how hard it is these days to accomplish this. I still love facebook to keep up with friends near and far. A lot of what I wrote about in the beginning of the year is the effect of computers on our lives. How it more easily documents our time, but also robs us of many hours we would have accomplished something. The last few years I really have been taking the time and savoring the Hallmark aisle during Christmas. It used to stress me out, to take the time to find a card for my immediate family. Now, I savor the time and it is full of good intentions, as I read many cards until I find the perfect one. Memory keeping has been a struggle for me the last ten years. Why do I save everything? Going through Christmas decorations, I also found piles of photo cards from past years. I found a way to make ornaments out of the cards and mail

I walked the entire legnth of Third Avenue Spring Lake yesterday. I took pictures of what sparked some thoughts of gratitude. Growing up in Spring Lake stirred up some very good Christmas memories, too. I have driven into town , but haven't taken the time to appreciate all the decorations for Christmas. I looked at the town in a whole new way. Occasionally, it was as a little girl, presently as going through a store closing, and best of all thinking of the future of the town. And, with all the creative spirit and beautiful decorations it looks like the future is bright. There are new stores opening featuring local artisians, an enlarged golf store, wreaths on almost every door, and just an overall welcoming feeling. There was a little bit of reality, too. One restaurant on the corner has put up barriers for outdoor dining. With a strong wind yesterday, some of the tables were knocked over. But, with the decorated barriers and the open sign it showed a spirit of overcomi

As the end of the year is approaching, I find myself planning out the next year. Afterall, 2020 turned out nothing like I expected. So, how do I go into the next year uncertain? But, really every new year we are uncertain of the future. There is the science of what could happen based on history, but no one actually really can say what the future holds. This year I expected to focus with 20/20 vision. Instead the biggest lesson learned , for me, was I have control of nothing! I am liking this lesson. I like trying to make the best of things and then looking, seeing and appreciating what is good around me. I really like looking at the paintings I created. They are small, but to me, they speak volumes. Why did I choose the colors I did? Looking at it now, they are the colors of the store I have been working in, which will close in three days. Why did I pay so much attention to a dollhouse from when I was thirteen? Why do I feel this need to make bedspreads, wallpaper, an

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is bringing a live tree into the house. I have been looking at life through the eye of an artist this year. I realize so much of life, how we decorate our homes, what we cook, and what we wear are reflections of what we think and feel. I also realize the more thoughtful we are about something, it justdoesn't turn out how we want it to. My favorite family memories of when I was young was picking out the Christmas tree. We didn't travel far. We went to Huhn's in South Belmar (now Lake Como). It was a nursery on a busy corner in the next town over. When we would search for the perfect tree, believe it or not it cost us just one dollar. There was a pile of outcasts of dollar trees. My brother, sister and I loved watching the Charley Brown holiday shows together. We would take a really long time at the pile to pick out the perfect one. My brother's job was to hold up the tree and twirl it and my sister, mother and I would

Change is alright. It takes a little while to get used to, but, it's alright. I had to write this morning, because I realized I only have one more week at April Cornell in Spring Lake. The last day we will be open is next Saturday, December 19th. A lot of customers are taking advantage of all the good prices. They will look all around as they are leaving and look me straight in the eye, thank me and give me thier best wishes. It is heartwarming. When asked if I am sad. I answer how can I be sad making all of you so happy with these great prices at Christmas time? One customer said it was surreal, and hard to handle, because the store is her happy place. And boy, did I relate to that! I always thought it was surreal. Of all the places for there to be an April Cornell store, I still can't believe it was in New Jersey. If I picked my five favorite Artists, it would be April. I bought all of her books, bought her clothes and linens and ended up working for her. Wow,

It's times like these I am glad I am a collector. Everything I made this Angel from I collected. I have been using a lot of my supplies and plan on continuing this all Christmas Season. Working at April Cornell and having to buy my mom clothes was a blessing the last few years of her life. She would love and wear whatever I brought her. She would express how beautiful the cloth felt and how it would make her feel beautiful. When I collected all her belongings I knew I had to keep them, especially anything with embroidery. When I was going through all of my collections, I found these beautiful fashion plates (pages from fashion catalogues during the Victorian period) I had bought at a Paris flea market. I had made copies of the ones I used for these ornaments. The idea was born to make these special ornaments for my tree this year. I LOVE them and they give me joy! I added the angel wings this morning. I did buy a pair of scallop fabric scissor shears for the bottom of

Waking up to a dark and dreary day, makes me wonder what to write about. Going through pictures to share, I chose the one above. It was taken back in May, when I was not only painting, but practicing my lettering with a sharpee. Do you believe you can make your own sunshine? I think you have to believe it to achieve it. I am wondering the best way to make it through this day. First music always does the trick for me. I am sharing the one song I heard on the radio this week that lifted my spirits. Then I am going to stay in bed and watch "Godmothered" on Disney Plus on my laptop. This year since my mom has passed, I am really trying hard to heal the little girl in me. My mom and I had a special relationship and I miss her. I was afraid of not feeling like doing anything that makes me happy. I am truely surprised at how much it has been the opposite. Turning sixty one, for me, is about just getting things done. So, since I hosted Thanksgiving and I got a lot done

Christmas is a day of celebration. And yes Virginia, it will be a little different this year. But, being home for the holidays is always a welcome part of the season for me. A place to rest and feel at peace, surrounded by my favorite things. I do love decorating for Christmas. It does come with some stress for me. So, I started early this year. The last couple of years I have really gotten into Hallmark Christmas movies. TV has always been a big part of my Christmas traditions. In the beginning all the shows were black and white. But, as I got older the Christmas shows have gotten more colorful and realistic. They are more relatable, buy yet still a fantasy. Which is what Christmas really is. Christmas was never perfect. In my household it wasn't. But, it was what we made of it. This year spending a lot of time home alone. I do get to watch more Christmas shows then ever. I used to buy snacks at Trader Joes to keep until we had company or the actual day of Chris

I finished the wreath! I haven't been able to accomplish so much in one day in a lonnnng time. Bought a tree and had it decorated by 3pm! I am amazed and found joy in doing it. Here is something I read in the beginning of December, which always helps: I salute you. I am your friend, and my love for you goes deep. There is nothing I can give you which you have not. But there is much, very much, that, while I cannot give it, you can take. No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven! No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace! The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look. I beseech you to look! Life is so generous a giver. But we, judging its gifts by their covering, cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remove the covering, and you will find beneath it a living spl

I am in the middle of so many projects, it's hard to share just one. I love this time of year. This is the delusional time I think I can get all of these things done. I have a long list to check off today. So, if all goes right I will be able to show a picture of the finished wreath in tomorrow's post. So, I finished my Ebay listings for December yesterday. Check! No more listing for the year! WOOOOhoooo!!! It takes hours of photo taking and writing descriptions. So, today I am going to try again to get a lot of tasks done, like cleaning the oven etc., bills, post office etc. Then I hope to move on to decorating and finishing this wreath. I have a bunch of fun and EASY projects to share this month. I hope you will follow along. Quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Song of the Day: Believe sung by Josh Grobin for the movie Polar Express I alwa

Well, November didn't end up quite as expected. I lost my motivation to get all 30 boxes listed. I ended up with some bumps in the road. I had someone bid on an item and it got up to $20 for a magazine and then cancelled the order. I expressed my disappointment and she left me horrible feedback and she wasn't even a customer! Ebay reviewed it twice and won't remove. I don't really understand, because she is not a buyer or a customer and it is feedback for customers or buyers. Then I kept having someone offer below the opening bid and then kept trying and getting within 50 cents of the bid. So, what to do.....what to do! So, I made some changes and am now have a buy it now format on what I could change while listing. Wish I could revise or cancel while in auction format, but will try to get every listing cancelled by the 20th of Christmas. This way everything can be shipped to arrive before Christmas. But, I was happy to come home to two sales last night. I