Bloppers on her feet-a family story ....

It is always fun when someone sends me a photo of a story quilt they did. This is a quilt from Laura Taylor and here is what she wrote me.....

"my girls came running in one day with socks half off their feet shouting, "Look Mommy! Daddy! I have bloppers!!" Upon further discussion, Abby said, "You know, bloppers. The things you wear in the ocean to swim... On your feet..." She has now since learned that those things are called flippers. She wants me to change the name of the quilt to the flippers quilt. But no, it is the "bloppers quilt" and that's just how it is."

I think bloppers is far more interesting than flippers and this will be a family memory for them. Isn't that a fun idea?!

Driving around in Sante Fe gives one alot of cool things to look at-Thank you Joann

I took a class once that required making posters for the sports teams and other announcements for the school. It was then that I became aware of what murals were and I have loved them ever since. I always try to get photos when I can. My friend Joann was showing me around Sante Fe one day and I asked her to go over to this building to take photos. It was all super heros and the person was an excellent artist. Such fun to study the shapes and highlights in color and value.

I had no idea who this chicken was but thought his was funny

I recognized Mike Meyers here

This might be the flame running and part of the green hornets leg-I have NO idea how I know this.

I loved the flowers this guy this and wish he had done more

Sper woman is sort of looking like Barbie and her legs are way to long but a man's dream I am sure

This is a great guy who sold these scultures made in Guadaljara. He said he traveled out into the middle of no where to purchase these beautiful dolls (day of the dead) made of clay. I asked him if he was ever afraid and he said "no, I went to school for three years in Mexico city." he had an awesome shop that I can't remember the name of but it is on the main drag of old town Sante Fe and it has all of the murals all across the building, you can't miss it. I hope to go back one day.

This was a hilarious motel turned residence for people and this is only one of them-they are all decorated solid with junk-kind of like going to the goodwill and buying all kinds of "stuff" and hammering it all over the outside of your house- Wouldn't that be fun???

This was a sculpture we drove by....lots of cool things like this. Sante Fe is all about creativity!

This sculture is outside of one of the weirdest houses I have ever seen )although we do have one as weird sort of close to my house here in Washington.

If you live in this house, I wanna see the inside- Joann said it is a house big enough for only one person and it is designed by a well known and popular architect. How do these people get popular I wanna know? Maybe my style is too French country to appreciate this.

Just the same I did have to take some photos as I couldn't even begin to explain what this looks like, can you? If you know who lives here, get some inside shots will you? This person is definately OUT OF THE BOX!

WHO SAYS IT COSTS ALOT FOR TOYS THESE DAYS?

So I write myself on the creativity of my Grandchildren and how they (like me) can find alot of fun uses out of not much. My Grandaughter found a roll of blue tape and instantly she decided to create a mask and some fun! Guess what she is getting for Christmas?

Her Mother may want to remember this photo when she gets in high school. Haha.

NEW MEXICO HAS FOLK ART EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK AND ANGELA'S FUNERAL WAS TODAY

So, I did not buy a Day of the Dead purse although maybe I should have. I love the hats the girls wear and the happy memories that people show when they design these. It is hard for us Americans who are not used to thinking of skeletons as a happy reminder of those loved ones who have gone before us. I "get it" now.

Above was just one of the lovely cupboards in the casita Molly and I stayed at wonderful stained glass and there were other there as well.

This large painting was in the lovely dining room at the bed and breakfast we stayed at. I thought it was lovely for color and action and composition too.

I have always loved these folk art Hispanic cowboys that are carved. Very fun.

I have never liked snakes but adore chickens. Here you see a nice mix of both and with the beautiful colors, I think I wouldn't mind a snake but then I didn't buy one so I can say that. And this is the first time I have ever seen a Navaho lime green chicken. :0)

How would you like a wall in your home covered with these?

I love anything of any culture that shows the love of a Mother and a child. I thought this was quite beautiful.

This sculture is HUGE and it stands out side the Museums in Sante Fe. It is so much more wonderful in person. This is called Musuem Hill and it has wonderful exibits in two or three different Museums. Georgia O'Keefe's Museum (downtown location) is there as well.

They had wonderful metal work of the Sante Fe Trail. I thought this cowboy looked handsome and the horse was wonderful!

Molly decided to ride along with the boys. I thought this was great fun!

This was outside the Indian Museum in Sante Fe. I didn't see anything even close to this when I got inside.

I am not sure why-maybe because my Dad took us to Rodeos every summer and because we often went to the Calgary Stampede but I adore anything with a cowboy and a horse on it.

A sunset scene....wow, I never get over the color God provides to our eyes at the end of the day.

Look at this color! As the sun went down, the buildings turn a gray color and the sun throws this beautiful red/orange color on the building to remind you it is still here a little bit and what beauty it provides.

So, today while everyone else was shopping my Husband and I attended the funeral of my daughter's best friend (since 3rd grade). There were alot of tears shed by alot of people and everyone who wanted to had a nice chance to share what they wanted to about knwoing Angela. I was very proud of my daughter who got up and shared memories including hours listening to Debby Gibson songs when they were young. This lovely photo shows Ange 2nd from the left when she had a break from the hospital and my daughter to the right of her as well as their other good friends. This has impacted my children greatly to see that at 31 it can be over and they all have said they want to let people know more that they love them and not to leave anything undone with family or friends and to let people know you care. Hope you already knew that lesson of life. Count your many blessings and remember that people are our greatest treasure, NOT stuff.

CRASH! BOOM,BOOM!! BANG!!!! (loudly)

So when one is on the road everyday is an adventure and one never knows what they will face. Molly and I rented a darling little casita when I finished teaching so we could look at art and such in Sante fe and Albuquerque. One night I was reading in the living room and Molly said she was going to the desk to plug in her computer and read her emails. It took about two minutes for the loudest crash I have ever heard! I thought the wall caved in (no kidding). I said "are you ok?" And she said, the desk fell totally apart while I tried to plug in my computer. I can around and saw the bottom of the desk on the floor and it had NO nails and NO screws and it was holding up tons of weight. Luckily there was no child there or they would have been killed.

The pot above was resting on the desk and luckily it did not get broken. Here Molly has a relieved look as I take a photo for memories sake. Shhesh! It was a great room but......

Cute buildings and grounds!

WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING BLESSES ME

Here I am with my three children last night at a benefit for my daughter's best friend (the daughter next to me). It was a good chance to get a photo of us. My husband was at work and couldn't attend with all of us.

Ange Ayers (age 31) went to school with my daughter and spent alot of weekends here for sleepovers. They were good friends for many years and Ange was adorable with a quick sunny smile and beautiful blue eyes. She thought she had a hernia and later on found out it was cervical cancer. Last week she passed away. The good news is that my daughter and Ange's closest friends all had a good chance to say "goodbye" and the night before she passed, four of the girls knelt at her bedside and told her they loved her and then they talked about old times, old boyfriends, old adventures etc. Ange listened and smiled and commented horsley from time to time.

Ange had two children and no insurance so the girls called all of the friends they graduated with and got donations and had a large hotel get in on giving them a free room for a silent auction. The hotel offered another room with 80's music and said they would give 50 cents for every drink and a part of the food intake also. They had all kinds of wonderful things to bid on including quilts and hundreds of people came. It all started with a few friends.

I am thankful that out of sadness comes goodness and there will be alot of money set aside for her children's education. What a gift. And before she passed away she said she was happy that "she" could bring so many people together and she did.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for YOU, for my many blessings, my family, my dear friends, my church, my house, heat, food in my refridgerator, health of me and my family and friends, the smell of the air, the snow in my yard that is fun to play with, plenty of fabric and art supplies, a car that runs and so many other things.

Thank you for coming to my blog. It takes time for me to do this and it is because you come and read and see the color and quilts and things that I do this. I do appreciate you and hope that you have many things to give thanks for.

HAVE A WONDERFUL, HAPPY, DELICIOUS AND THANKFUL THANKSGIVING!

Beautiful New Mexico has captured my imagination!

In case you cannot figure out what this is, it is a curled up horse painted on a table. There are two of them and I think they are fabulous! So many ideas, such beautiful use of color!

Who could live in New Mexico and not believe in God? He is everywhere-the light is fabulous!

Can you guess what these pencils represent? Ask Anthropolie and scroll to the next photo.

Below was out all time favorite place to eat and hang out in Sante Fe. Stay tuned either here or on my newsletter as I plan to give you the recipe for the best pancakes in the world. Keep reading.

The pancakes below are ricotta, LEMON, poppyseed and they are the best pancakes I have ever ever eaten. Sign up for my newsletter here on the right and keep reading this blog, I am posting the recipe on one of these places soon.

Here is Molly chowing down on pancakes and a breakfast burrito...I am running back to the table to eat, hence the fuzzy photo.

The other half of my breakfast....yum!

Great sculptures are everywhere! I love the folksyness of this one!

It is surprising that all of that fabulous color comes from people who live here in adobe houses...almost no color. :0) It is quiet and peaceful here in a wonderful way.

here is more of the Mural I took the photo of....there are lots of murals in NM but this was by far my favorite. Kind of a story like my quilts. No wonder I love it!

Here is another table from Harry's Roadhouse Diner. Neat stuff to see and eat!

Molly loved this cow so I took a photo of it. Perhaps she makes you smile too!

This wonderful candle holder was in the first house we rented. Pretty wonderful in color and design also. Wouldn't this be wonderful on a quilt?

Here is Molly and I waiting for a dinner table at Harry's Roadhouse again. We didn't want to try anywhere we might not like. Everyone at Harry's was so nice and the food was good so we kept going back. :0)

The above sculpture was in Albuquerque. I thought it was cool

This bunny standing on his hand was at the same place in NM. I thought this was clever and it made us all smile.

If you have not ever visited New Mexico, please do, as the people are lovely, the colors are sensational, the quilts ideas are endless, and there is inspiration everywhere you look!