Maja's Muse

Back to basics

2012-01-12T19:56:00.001-08:00

What a pleasure it was to do this drawing entirely with pencil crayons. It really makes you work layer by layer for every square centimetre of colour! I've always enjoyed pencils, and this was the first time I'd attempted a "real" piece of art work using this medium. Julia is my niece, and Simba, my lovely quarter horse gelding, who as you can see by this, loves to be cuddled!

12"x 14"

Pencil Crayon Drawing

Just a couple more...

2011-11-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

Just a couple more pieces of art work... created in my "spare" time. I'm busy tiling our master bathroom... work in progress photos coming very soon... I'm so excited to get that bathroom done (soon)!!!

"Cottage Garden"

A Watercolour on paper. (Not a very good photo of this unframed piece lying on a drafting table.)

This is drawn with pencil crayons on brown recycled paper.

Just me

2011-10-20T10:30:00.001-07:00

Most people who know me well enough, know that I love playing around with make-up and have fun getting "dolled" up when I go out.... BUT.... this is me sans makeup most of the time... just me.

Add ons!

2011-10-20T10:01:00.001-07:00

We've added to the farm! A new Ram Shed, and addition onto the existing lean to/barn. Now they just need to be painted to match the rest of the outbuildings.

Fall Colours

2011-10-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived. The grasses are yellow, the leaves bright in the sunshine. The horses coats are getting fuzzy. We've had a couple of frosts at night, and I expect before too long, we'll have snow.

Hangin' out...

2011-09-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

I recently had a chance to spend some time with a dear longtime friend of mine! It was a short but fun visit! Here we are, about to head off to a concert in Vancouver - great photo opp! Haha!

The desk...

2011-09-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

O.K.... so I'm a sucker for a bargain find, always thinking I can fix it up and put it to good use. This type of "recycling" I strongly believe in! I picked up this desk with good "bones" for cheap.... chose a funky paint colour and now, it has claimed it's home in Peter's bedroom. He loves it, and spends many hours at his desk. Another successful refinishing project!

Pre sanding... I've already removed all the hardware, which was tarnished. I soaked them in an aluminum pan filled with hot water and baking soda.... then polished them up a bit... and voila, almost as good as new. I liked their retro design which suited the desk, so went with them instead of getting new ones.

Coat number one applied....

Here it is, a happy desk, in it's new home in Peter's room.

Here you can see the handles that I re-used. Total cost = some sanding paper and 1 quart of paint. Not much. :~)

Inspired by a cow!#*%@!

2011-09-22T02:54:00.001-07:00

Certainly this one will inspire a painting out of me sometime! Just look at the tuft of hair on her head! That alone makes me smile! Stay tuned....

Because She Is!

2011-09-22T02:46:00.003-07:00

Migrations have begun!

2011-09-22T02:37:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned that our home sits directly below the migratory path of the Whooping Cranes, Canada Geese and Swans. Every fall we have the pleasure of witnessing thousands of fowl honking, and whooping, and trumpeting as they pass over head. The Whooping Cranes are always the first, followed by the Canada Geese, and last but not least the beautiful Swans. I find the Cranes the most amusing with their funny "whoops" and random large circles. They really are quite something to watch, and unfortunately my "point and shoot" camera doesn't do their sheer numbers any justice! All this - a sure sign of impending winter!

Tomato Gifts

2011-09-22T02:23:00.001-07:00

Our lovely friends at the almost famous D&D Diner gave us a bunch of delicious heirloom type tomatoes in all shapes and colours, and also some lovely cucumbers! Oh my, were they ever delicious! Nothing like home grown veggies! I can't wait to be able to have a garden again. Thank you D&D!

A Fall Ride

2011-09-22T01:54:00.001-07:00

I had the great pleasure to go on a lovely fall ride the other day. Simba is coming along nicely and it was such a good ride. It was the first time I'd taken him up to this area. I'll definitely go here again as the ground was good, lots of places to gallop or canter, plus the views were spectacular! This time I finally took my camera along on a ride.

Another portrait

2011-09-22T01:45:00.001-07:00

A watercolour painting I did as a birthday gift for a dear friend of her beloved cat which passed away. I should have taken a photo of it after it was beautifully framed.... oops.

Productivity!

2011-09-22T01:34:00.000-07:00

As you can see, the chickens are all grown up and have been VERY busy!

Bring on the Eggs!!!

2011-09-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

The chickens (and our two roosters) are looking FANTASTIC!! They've also been very busy (apparently!)

Ben has officially been fired from the "egg collecting" position after my "little" discovery in the hay barn today! Haha. The position has been turned into a "job share" and will be done by Peter and Justin now.... Shameful - really! Hahahaha!

My poor boy!

2011-08-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

Faithful Simba keeping watch over his brother!

Poor Monarch, day 2 of his "possibly injured Gastrocnemius Tendon" just above his hock... I'm hoping the vet's diagnosis is "exaggerated"! I found Monarch in between night shifts out in the pasture with a hock swollen to twice it's normal size, a very small puncture wound to the outer aspect of his upper hock and completely lame! A vet visit later..... some new care! Every night he gets a comfy new bed of straw, feed and water. He gets a daily I.M. injection of Excenel (antibiotic), his puncture wound flushed with diluted betadine, and at least twice daily a new charcoal poultice to his wound. I also hose his hock and leg down with cold water for at least 20 mins. per day now. Initially it was a lot more often. He also gets some "Bute" to help with pain if he's showing signs of it. He has been an absolute doll for his care. I don't even have to halter him. He stands perfectly still while I jab him in the neck, or wrap his leg with dressings. He wraps his head and neck around me as if to say "thank you". Monarch is such a lovely horse!!!!!! I love him.

Poor sweetie... obviously in discomfort here. He's MUCH better now.

UPDATE! Day 4: Monarch is weight bearing on his leg and during the day is out in our smallish winter paddock. I can hardly believe how he's using his hind leg already - much sooner than I expected! I'm really feeling hopeful ****! His swelling is WAY down... things are looking better for sure. After the devastating news.... Oh I hope..........

Porch

2011-08-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

Work on resurfacing the porch has slowly but surely been started! I've finished the sanding down now, but lo and behold after I coated half the porch in an "epoxy" we had the worst lightning/hale/rain storm blow through ever! I was so upset. I'm sick and tired of the "porch paint" etc. not lasting more than one year on this porch, that I've decided to give Epoxy a try after much research. Hey, can't be worse than what has been on there before! The next few days will tell whether or not all my hard work has been in vain after the rain we had! More photos coming soon!

This is only the beginning!

Oh ya, this is so much fun!

Where can I buy one of these - NOT! As you can see, working well into the night.

In The Saddle Again!

2011-08-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

How wonderful to be riding again! My ribs seem to have healed up nicely and for the rest of the summer I will hopefully be spending more time in the saddle. Monarch is back from his 30 days of "boot camp" and I had my first ride on him. He was quite well behaved, but I didn't ask him for much. Simba on the other hand was being a bit of an egghead and bucked a few times when I pushed him... He's also normally very good, but I think having his buddy Monarch back home has given him a bit more of an attitude again. I'm sure I'll get that out of him soon :~)

They still come back.

2011-05-24T19:20:00.001-07:00

Two of the three pigeons I raised last summer still come back home and scratch at my bedroom window when they want feeding! It's such a rewarding feeling, having them still come back home even though they disappear miles away to join up with a larger flock. Pictured below is Athos standing in the feed bowl. He's grown into a handsome fellow!

Back at it again!

2011-05-24T18:45:00.001-07:00

I couldn't go too long without another furniture refinishing project... I could see through these two ugly chairs to the "cuteness".... a bit of paint and new upholstery and tadaaaaa! What cheerful and fun chairs they are now!

Isn't this fuzzy fabric fantastic! NOT.... Ew...

Nice "bones" as they say in the biz... haha...

Tadaaaaa....

Retro, fun and totally funky!

Did I mention Hawaii!!!

2011-05-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

In March we went to Hawaii for a long overdue family holiday! It was AMAZING! None of us wanted to leave, and of course we came home questioning whether it was time for another move! It seems that we're all more warm weather, beach people and the type of climate in Hawaii would suit us perfectly. Hmmmmm.... Anyway, here's just a handful of photos from our trip... there's 100's so it's difficult to choose which ones to post and my internet is so slow that too many is out of the question! My next post will most certainly be of the endless snorkelling we did and all the underwater photos featuring a 4X surprise guest!!!!!

This was the edge of our hotel's beach - lovely!

Guess what I ended up getting for my birthday! A completely fantastic surprise! Every day I would go into this shop and play one of the Ukelele's and sing silly songs very loudly to passing by tourists. The shop owner got a real kick out of it and I think he secretly looked forward to my goofy visits. How many great laughs I had in this shop! I love my Ukelele - what a happy little instrument!

Losing my Marbles?

2011-05-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

I still love creating jewelry. One day I had the idea that mounting one of my precious childhood marbles on a necklace might be kind of cool! I loved how it turned out and gifted it to a friend who's infectious youthfulness is always inspiring! Perhaps I'll make another one similar to this?

A little love...

2011-05-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "I love you" like a treat that's waiting for the boys when they get home from school. These fabulous cookies was a recipe from "bunsinmyoven.com" and the antioxidant loaded fruit shakes are banana, mango, mixed berry, soy milk, maple syrup, water and some whey protein powder.... yummy! I love my boys!

Growing like weeds....

2011-05-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

The lambs are 7 weeks old now and getting really big!!! We're very happy with this year's crop! The only one that will be sold is the ram lamb in the photo below. As the rest of the lambs were all ewes... they will be kept and having babies of their own next year. You can check out the Castle Rock Farm blogspot (link on the right) for more photos of the sheep and lambs.

Fresh Eggs.....Soon!

2011-05-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

Frustratingly I've been unable to do much of anything for the last week and a half... For one week I was completely bed ridden, and during this time Ben went off and got some chicks.... He's been so excited about this - as have I. Sadly I couldn't go with him to get them, but the box was carried up to my room so I could look at the little fluff balls when they came home. A week has gone by and they've grown like stink. I'm now able to go outside for a bit and putter around, so I finally got some photos of our new feathered friends. The bigger ones are 4 weeks old and in their "ugly" phase for sure... The little ones are 2 weeks old now and still quite cute although their adult feathers are starting to "sprout". In another 12 weeks or so, we might start having some fresh eggs! Omelette anyone?

Lola

2011-02-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have the urge to go back to the basics and create a good old fashioned pencil sketch. This one's for a friend.

Party Time!

2011-01-22T23:25:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it's necessary to go out and have a little fun!

There are no words...

2011-01-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

More Pictures of Winter...

2011-01-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr... enough said.

Winter garb...

2011-01-22T22:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, unfortunately this is my typical garb for a winter walk on the farm. I feel that I need to fit in with the animals and surroundings, hence the hat, it allows me to really blend in. I just came off night shifts... so if I look a little tired, I have a legitimate excuse.

I'm so in Love!

2011-01-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry - I'm not biased... Lilli is the best little dog in the world EVER!!!

Dreaming of chasing cows!

How far we've come!

2011-01-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

It's that time again!

2011-01-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

Twas the season for baking.....

NussEcken

I call these "Mond Cookies" but that's not their "real" name...

A work in progress...

2011-01-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to work on the fireplace whenever I feel the urge...It's taken some time, but I finally put the tile on around the fireplace. It now needs grouting, and then I'll put the woodwork and molding on and build up the mantel... trust me... I have a vision in mind:) Setting the little stones on the hearth is also a slow and tedious process, but I think it'll look nice when it's finally completed!

Better late than Never!

2011-01-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

A few Christmas pics... I know - a little late!

Justin, very happy with his new fencing jacket!

I framed some of Peter's artwork for him...

A beautiful reindeer ornament.

It's Wintertime!

2011-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

Winter is 1/2 over thank goodness!!! Aside from Christmas, not my favourite season! Ben's birthday was celebrated at the beginning of January. The animals are all fat and content. The sheep are visibly pregnant and we look forward to the arrival of the lambs at the end of March.

Oops... I misspelled pigeons...

Pidgies...

2010-09-27T20:37:00.001-07:00

Ben the "pigeon whisperer".... (actually with the pigeons I raised!) Too funny!

Aramis coming in for the landing!!!

Aramis is on his head, Athos on the left and Porthos on the right.

Aramis and Athos with Ben!

Little Flock

2010-09-27T20:09:00.001-07:00

I hadn't really taken any good photos lately of our little "flock" of 4 sheep. So... of I went on a sunny day to snap some pics...

Moose hangin' out...

Of course the goats had to come and join in....

"Lefty, B.B., Lamby and Sheepy"

A Wedding....

2010-09-27T19:28:00.001-07:00

I was honored to attend the wedding of a friend this last weekend. It was perfection! Everything was wonderful. The bride and groom looked spectacular. A special day with lasting memories. Below are a few of the "snapshots" I took...

There are 100's of dazzling crystals hanging under the arch - which you can't really see in this photo... they were so lovely!

While everyone was looking at and taking photos of the beautiful bride arriving - I thought it would be good to capture the grooms expression when he first sees the woman he loves as his bride!

What a gorgeous couple!

The "Candy Bar" which I helped with... making the labels arranging and so on.

The wish tree and gift table...

The lanterns and lighting was beautiful! Very romantic!

And the celebrating continued on, well into the night!

A wonderful time, had by all!

Teardrop Glass Rings!

2010-08-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've finally listed some of my rings on etsy! They are Sterling Silver and Czech Glass Teardrop rings and are truly lovely and unique. You can find them for sale at majapapaya.etsy.com

Tell all your friends or get one of these beautiful trendy rings for yourself as a treat!

An Evening Walk

2010-08-25T20:23:00.001-07:00

How lovely it is, going for evening walks with the "whole" family... You'll see what I mean below...

Fiera, looks on as the boys walk ahead... she takes off after them shortly...

Monarch quickly finishes his grain...

Simba heads off to follow everyone!

Monarch canters to catch up!

Simba looking back to see when I'll catch up!

TIME ON THE WATER

2010-08-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

My lovely boys on the boat!

Celebration of Light in Vancouver.

Some of my favourites!

Even Lilli came along to watch the fireworks... (she fell asleep!)

Anchored in English Bay with lots of other boats gathering round to watch the fireworks... (my other half in this shot)

A highlight - Pacific Whitesided Dolphins by the hundreds around our boat!

Dawn's beautiful light on the sea... off Thormanby Island, B.C.

Vancouver's beautiful skyline as seen whilst sailing English Bay.

An exhilerating day of sailing! Thank you Opa! xxx

Tubing on Shuswap - THANK YOU Donna! :)

Hard to believe that in two short weeks the boys are back in school! Hey isn't that a song or something?? Aside from a couple of lovely short boating trips, we haven't done too much this summer. Here are a few photos of the two trips so the photos will be a bit mixed up. The B.C. coastline is gorgeous during the summer, and any chance to be on the water was snatched up. A swim in the ocean is the most therapeutic thing I can think of. A grand night of fireworks was thrown in for good measure! Did I ever mention I LOVE fireworks!

Burrowing Owl

2010-07-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

"Burrowing Owl" 8"x10" Watercolour

I fell in love with these tiny little owls on a trip to our local game reserve... They nest in the ground on our local hills and fields. I just couldn't resist creating a painting of one of my new favorite birds, besides, it's been raining... what a perfect excuse to sit and paint.

Adoration

2010-07-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Did I ever mention that my two lovely horses seem to adore children... I think these photos kind of show that. They have never shown any nastiness or bad behavior EVER! I'm so lucky to have two such lovely animals! I will definitely post some better pictures of Simba and Monarch soon!

Hunt for History

2010-07-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to head off to find the "infamous" monument of J.T. Ussher who was killed somewhere near our farm by a gang of outlaws called the Mclean Gang in 1879. Researching and arming myself with some knowledge of what had happened and a description of the lay of the land, I set off. After many hours of searching areas that I thought fit the descriptions... and with only rumours of it's existance... I finally found it! It was a very unusual experience... almost as though I imagined I was there when this all "went down"... what a night it must have been! So glad I found it.

I finally spot what looks like something in the distance. Lilli sees it too!

This must be it! I'm so excited... the area looks just like what the witnesses stories have described and that I've read about.

Tadaaa....

Another view...

Amazing Skies...

2010-07-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

On our farm we are privileged to frequently witness the spectacle of the skies around us. These are just a few pictures of the amazing views that regularly occur. Sadly these photos don't do the actuality any justice.

Beautiful things...

2010-06-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of things around the house...

I made this shelf using some lovely brackets and a very old piece of old barn wood.

Some lovely flowers picked from our fields. Peter in the background.

A dinner table - set for guests.

A great way to present chocolates - yum!

Couldn't resist this photo of the light playing through the glass!

Views of the property

2010-06-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

These are a few photos I took the other day. We've had quite a bit of rain so everything was looking nice and green!

Moose on the porch
Here it's about 8:30 p.m. The light is starting to disappear slowly.
Sitting on the porch swing looking south.
The grass is very luscious at the moment!

A Gift...

2010-06-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

I was working on this "gift" for someone today.... It was a fun project, although I felt a bit guilty when there was so much "other" stuff to get on with - you know how it is!!!

September 11, 2010.... Just a little update! This finished piece just won 1st prize at the local Fall Fair - an added bonus for the soon to be recipients!

Round and about the Farm

2010-05-06T16:17:00.001-07:00

It was such a lovely day yesterday that I just felt the urge to go out and take some photos around the place. I particularly had fun snapping the animals - they were being so silly "behind the scenes". Simba kept pushing his bum into my face because he wanted a scratch. Monarch kept following me around and putting his face in all my shots. The goats were butting each other (unfortunately I never captured the rearing up that they do which is quite funny!!) It was altogether a lovely morning!

The Vanity

2010-05-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd just throw this first photo in for fun... it's a great "French Flea Market" mirror I found - and LOVE! It hangs in our entry foyer and looks fabulous!

The vanity is complete! I love it! I've started putting my "girlie" stuff on top, but what it really needs is a beautiful lamp and bouquet of flowers! The drawers easily fit all my things - with room to spare! Now, I'm keeping my eye out for a cute stool!

I've been using it (with a temporary stool) that I took out of the photo for obvious reasons (haha). I really enjoyed this refinishing project... it was certainly worthwhile.

Vanity Revival Underway...

2010-04-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

I've scraped, sanded, filled and painted some.... After scraping off the old chipped and bubbling walnut veneer on top of the vanity, there were quite a few deep scrapes, cracks and wood imperfections underneath. I filled the worst of them, and sanded again, but decided after more filling and sanding - that I would leave the enormous amount of imperfections remaining, as I thought it would show the character of this old piece, and the fact that it's clearly been "around the block" a few times. I think it may have found it's final resting place with me :¬) I thought of perhaps having a piece of glass cut to fit on the top... I'll look into that. Tomorrow I will most likely arrange for a mirror to be cut to fit the mirror frame. I'm so excited. It needs one or two more coats of paint, and new knobs put on. Some beautiful decorations on top and voila... Now I only need to find the perfect chair or stool for it! More photos soon!

Glutton for Punishment...

2010-04-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

THE PULL BASES I FOUND IN A DRAWER!

I've been looking for a vanity FOREVER!!! So - as Justin was at his Fencing class... I happened to stop by one of the local thrift stores... lo and behold, I found this beaten down but beautifully crafted vanity - instant potential... Imagine the elegant women who sat in front of this vanity once upon a time and applied her rouge for a dance or date... slowly putting on their necklace and earrings... You'll never guess what I picked it up for... even if it's a disaster - nothing lost! :) I'm going to get started right away (even though I don't really have the time)... I'll post photos when it's done! Wish me luck....

Spring Lamb!

2010-04-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday April 18th our little lamb was born! It was witnessed by the entire family, including a couple of dear friends of ours. What a special day! She is absolutely perfect and already has her momma's feisty character. She is bold yet sweet and is already hopping around playfully! Momma did a great job lambing and is proving to be an excellent mother! Now we only need to think of a great name. The photos below are in the wrong order - oh well, you get the idea! The first animal born on our farm!

More California pics...

2010-03-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

The boys atop the fire hall coach at Disneyland

Ben and Justin at Huntington beach, CA.

Griffith Park, L.A.

Had to take this cheesy shot!

Some Time in the Sun

2010-03-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

Lilli came along and was an AWESOME traveller,

never causing us grief!

A kite festival at Huntington Beach, California

At Griffith Observatory in L.A. - stunning views!

The type of door and wall I would like around a "secret"garden at our farm!!!

The New Orleans section of Disneyland on my Birthday...

We recently took a short camping trip to California for Spring Break. It was so refreshing having the warm sun on our faces and having to wear only shorts and a t-shirt! We loved the palm and eucalyptus trees and of course the ocean, the refreshing ocean! We're definitely warm weather people and relished our time there. I'll post some more shots from this trip in my next blog.

Reminiscing...

2010-02-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

No wonder I'm such a proud mommy! No wonder I'm so in love with my boys! They're a lot bigger now, but in my "unbiased" opinion.... still just as cute!

Justin and Peter, Summer 2001

Commuting...

2010-02-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Some people think that commuting means lots of traffic, lights, and frustration! Our "springlike" conditions has brought with it an early thaw and has resulted in a muddy, muddy road! So, below is a photo of what our commute into town looks like for the last month... Did I mention the mud!

Jackson Road, February 2010

A Date with Justin

2010-02-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

How lucky am I to have spent 3 lovely days skiing with my boys. Peter spent most of the time skiing with his friends from school (it was after all a "field" trip with his class)... I had a wonderful time skiing with Justin. He is so fun to hang around with and becoming such a good skier too! It was mostly overcast when I took these photos, but it cleared up and became gorgeous and sunny, of course after I had put the camera back in the car! I felt so privelaged to be able to have such great one on one time with Justin (and some with Peter too of course!)

Wintertime

2010-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of our winter so far. There have been some truly beautiful days. Christmas and New Years have come and gone - quickly as usual. Today I finally took down all the decorations, always a slightly sad time for me as I love the warmth and "sparkliness" of the holiday decor. Twinkle lights are of course one of my favorites! Tonight a few birthday decorations will go up for Ben's birthday tomorrow... I'm eager to finish and organize a couple of areas/rooms of the house. Ie. A computer area upstairs... my "studio" on the main level. Endless things to do... sometimes frustrating not being able to accomplish them faster! Well... Happy New Year everyone, 2010 will be an interesting year to say the least!?

Peter with Fiera

Taking Simba for a ride on Christmas Day...

Justin with "Shreddie"

Peter with Monarch

Shreddie and I

Ben with Shreddie

My boys and I :)

It's beginning to look a alot like Christmas

2009-12-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

I've finally done the decorating in our house and I must say it turned out very cozy. The boys decorated the tree and did a great job as I knew they would, save for a couple of creative spots... as you'll see below. In the first photo... Ben and I are all dressed up ready to go to my work Christmas party. It was a lot of fun.

Below is the little village made of paper that I made a few years ago. It's on a kitchen window sill this year.

This is a cute little "smoking" man figurine that my sister in law Monika brought back for me last year. They are called "raucherman". (I hope I spelled that right).

A fine example of what happens when you let your children decorate! Are they racing? Too funny! We love our tree. It's very unique and filled with at least 60% handmade ornaments and such. It's not particularly glitzy but rather more Scandinavian style. Lots of wooden, paper and straw ornaments. As I do love glitter, there is of course some flashy ornaments to add bling. And a couple of fun ones - photos which I'll post later. I hope you are all enjoying the season so far!

The end result. All ready for the festivities surrounding Christmas. All that's missing are the presents around the tree. Oh wait, I don't have any yet!!! HELP!

It's Coming on Christmas..

2009-12-18T11:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight's the night the tree decorations go on! The boys are excited. The fire will be lit, Christmas music will be on and I'll be sipping on a hot tottie watching the kids have fun. This is what I love about Christmas! Tomorrow I'll be helping decorate the hall at T.R.U. for the work Christmas party in the evening. Did anyone say Helium? Silent Night sung like Minnie Mouse - I can hear it now... Good times to be had.

This was the "slow" start to my decorating. This is our chandelier above the dining table... I was quite pleased with the sparkly result...

Justin loves to help me in the kitchen.... here we were baking "nussecken" a traditional type of triangle cookie and a long time family favorite. The recipe is from my mom who is a great baker on the rare occasion that she decides to use eggs, butter and sugar!

Justin - junior baker in training! He's so helpful... but... he also knows what the results are and really looks forward to them!

I made some long dangly decorations, large round balls to small... this photo is during the glitter application stage... a messy job, but someone's gotta do it. The final result was beautiful!

School Desk

2009-12-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

Another Thrift store find... I've always loved the old fashioned type of school desks. I thought if I refurbished this one and added some creativity, it would make a lovely shower gift for a friend at work. I hope she likes it! It was a fun project.

Dinner is Served

2009-12-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

"Gooey Grilled Goodness"

Our waiter...
THE MENU

The other evening our son Peter gathered us into the great room for a dinner he had prepared! I won't mention that we'd already had a dinner a couple of hours earlier... but as growing boys are - constantly hungry... he decided another meal was in order. How wonderful was this. He made chocolate Mouse (aka Moose) and other things. The service I have to admit was outstanding. I mean who gets chocolate milk served up in wine glasses! 5 star all the way!

Thrill of the hunt...

2009-11-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

My mom has me hooked. I love checking out the thrift stores now for neglected furniture that needs refinishing or a facelift. I LOVE doing this. One of my latest finds is a beautiful dining table... I researched the table and found out from the manufacturer that it is from their "Fontaine" collection which was made between 1964 to 1969. It is solid Mahogany. I've sanded the top down and hope to restore it to it's former glory. I'm so excited! The pictures show the table before the sanding. It also has two leaves that can be added to allow seating for up to 12 people! Dare I say how much I paid... a steal!

China Cabinet

2009-10-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful China Cabinet I picked up at a lovely shop called Cranberry Junction in Kelowna, B.C. If you're ever in that neighborhood go and visit this cute little shop. It's filled with lots of beautiful furniture and finds...

Start of the Chook House

2009-10-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

We've started on the chicken coop... It will be lovely when we get it done!

"Fall Pumpkins"

2009-10-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Watercolour on Illustration Board

4"x 6"

Just a little reminder of the season!

Fall Is In the Air

2009-10-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

The woodpile grows as we are slowly getting ready for winter. The hummingbirds are long gone, and the Whooping Cranes now fly overhead on their way to warmer waters. Soon to follow will be the Canada Geese and the Trumpeter Swans.

"The Look"

2009-09-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

"The Look"

8"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

A practice portrait... clearly I was still in the mood to paint people...

"Isabella's Rose"

2009-09-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

"Isabella's Rose"

11"x 14" Acrylic on Canvas

A red carpet premier perhaps? This woman exudes the glamour and charm of a bygone era. I don't paint people often, but this painting was quite enjoyable... perhaps I'll paint a few more pieces similar to this...

Pelican

2009-08-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

"Pelican" Acrylic on Canvas 12"x12"

I love the Australian Pelicans... my favorite birds! Because of their striking black and white feathers, I thought a study in black and white might workout O.K.

Lilli Lalla

2009-07-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

The greatest little dog ever! This little 10 lb. bundle of endless joy, energy, humor and loyalty is my most constant and dedicated companion... She waits for me while I'm at work, and displays the most outrageous welcome home ritual when I return - no matter what time of day or night. She's a brave little dog, always game for a new adventure.

"Petite Fleur"

2009-07-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas 12x12

I painted this yesterday... instead of going to the river for a swim, I opted for a relaxing day on the porch to paint. Well - I started off on the porch but after battling gusts of wind for some time, I moved inside... The whole process was so distracting and agreeable, that I decided I really must paint more often... It's been years since I've picked up a paintbrush of the "artistic" kind.... This painting is of some lovely flowers that a friend gave me.