A Is For Alibi / Sue Grafton

Just zipping thru the Alphabet with Kentucky Native Sue.

In the Beginning

When I first started making jewelry I used vintage buttons, charms, beads, etc...and turned them into Big-Ass Brooches. Then I photographed each one and identified all the parts. This week I found these cool turn of the century buttons already assembled. As you know...The thrifts are great this time of year!

Happy

Weeks of darkness were finally taking a toll on me. There are only so many closets that one can install new hangers.

Rick returned from Florida bringing some sun shine. Cropped the photo removing all unatractive background. Only Rick and his new paisley shirt. I do love a paisley!!!

Met for lunch at our favorite Cafe. Tomato Dill Soup and Pimento Cheese Sandwich later..........Life is Good.

Hearing all about the Magic Kingdom and not having to be there makes me happy.

One Day Only Sale

My Store 50% 0ff

Out with Old

In with New

Mikie and Makala Brumm

Jamison Brumm has a new grad daughter. Love this pic that Mike uses on Facebook.

Magic Kingdom

Kent and Rick are still in Florida.

Hope it is not a let down to return to their lovely Silver Hills home after hanging at the Magic Kingdom.

Avoid Tinkerbell gift shop at all costs!!! Friends don't let friends max out their credit cards in the TBGS.

The Best / Trash

Last week I tossed out 6, for those of you keeping track, big-ass bags of trash. I had to tip my trash men because I felt so guilty. So when I was driving down the street and spotted this cute cabinet.....I drove on. You can't tempt me. Then I drove around the block and picked it up.

My first memory is the 4th grade. Colorful construction paper in one of those round metal grade school trash cans. I wanted it....BAD!!! After what seemed like hours of torture....I finally picked it up and my teacher called me a GP. Garbage Picker. She may have been trying to shame me. But it didn't work.

When Sam and I were first dating he brought me something. Not flowers, candy, or jewelry... No it was something he found in the trash. I was Smitten!!! Later in early marriage...he rushed in after a jog saying "ROB GET IN THE TRUCK"!! It could only mean one thing...A trash find! I choose well in a mate.

The Best / Luggage

When you travel you realize that your black luggage looks like everyone elses. Esp. after you have pulled a couple black bags that were not yours off the luggage carousel.

Saw some adorable black and white poka-dot luggage. But then didn't like the size of the bag. Wanted one just like the one I had...only poka-dot. Well fret no more...just take regular (wall) acrylic paint and the end of a foam roller and make your own dots. Add a new lime green luggage tag and your set. No one will have luggage like yours.

The Best / Shoe Chest

An ordinary old wood chest that was a catch all for shoes etc...I never could find anything. So I took everything out and installed those shoe and sweater organizers that you use in closets.

Now the chest is a lean, mean, organized, shoe and boot machine.

The Best / Flocked Hangers

Thanks Deb for turning me on to these slimline flocked hangers. They are the best!!!! Any organizer will tell you the first step to a tidy closet is making sure all your hangers are the same style. Well I am here to tell you it works. Now that all my hangers are these flocked slimlines my closet seems larger. Also no worries about garments falling off of hangers.

OK....yes I should be working on my taxes and all sorts of other icky paperwork. Instead I am on an organizing frenzee. When I was in college and needed to study I would polish all my shoes. Speaking of shoes........Next up my new shoe trunk.

More Snow / The Reader

I plan to curl up with a good book. Inside instead of Out!

ACRE / Kent Epler

Here is a Pic of Kent's big ass booth in Orlando.

He finished this piece the week he left for Florida and was worried that she was over the top.......Who is he kidding??????? There is no such thing in his land! Not surprised that He sold her three times.

By now Rick has met Kent in Florida and they are on their way to Disney World and all the other tourist things in the sun.

Hope they don't spend too much money in the Tinkerbell Gift Shop. Have Fun Boys!

Video Kitchen / David Scheldorf

Big-A thank You to David of Video Kitchen and his trusty dog King Bear for converting some slides into digital in a few hours. You Rock! Gotta love a place that has an in store dog. King Bear was the most laid back, well behaved, rescue I have ever seen.

This year finds me late on everything. Show applications are already due and I have missed deadlines. I did remember that alot of them are due in January.

Finally I have time to work on show applications.....only to discover it was early and mid January that I should have had the applications post marked. I will beg for forgiveness but don't blame them if they say no! Now to forgive myself for taking toooooo many snow days!

Tools at a Glance

This is the best..........turn over a metal basket and put sizzors and tools in the grid. You can find the tool you need at a glance and to return is easy. Maybe I can find a pair of sizzors with this system.

Congrats Pam Schiller

Pam has just signed on to Kentucky Slelect Properties as a Sales Associate. She loves this job and the people she meets.

Pam has always had a keen eye for real estate, fashion and home decor. Rock On With Your Bad Self Pam!!!!!!

Bear Gets a Set of Shoes

He's not afraid of no stinkin salt brine!

The heat is on....The geothermal has been repaired and my store will be open today 11-4 and Sunday 1-4. Regular hours next week. Remember the Trolley Hop next Friday and our ONE DAY ONLY SALE on Saturday the 29th.

Show applications are due. Each show seems to require different things. It is daunting sometimes esp. now that technology is needed to get "jury work" on a CD. Now one show requires each shot to have 3 designs and a total of 6 shots. Another may require one. The application I worked on last night needs an outdoor shot of my show booth. Yikes....I only have an indoor shot since I use the same basic booth for both. Also, each application requires a $20-35- application fee just to apply. That doesn't mean you are in the show. Just the honor of applying. Not complaining...I'm just saying....

Mixed Media / Caroline Waite

As I type Caroline is doing an 8ft wall installation at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft for the Artists Collect Exhibition.

So glad to know that artists collect! We just love stuff! See potential art in all stuff. Just look at the stuff Caroline is using. Lighters, used. Who knew???

Note how Caroline Waite signed her work. Love it! Can't wait to see this show!

New Ruby Slippers / LuLu

When I told Sam about LuLu's disposable "sno go booties"...he decided to do some online research to find her better boots. Yesterday the FedX guy brought the package just in time for another big snow storm and brined roads. Yes, Sam's shoe fetish does extend to every member of our family. Earlier in the week UPS brought "Light Duty Traction Devices for Winter Safty of Packed Snow and Ice"...devices that we add to our own shoes. During the maiden voyage of LuLu's new shoes...Bear (who has not been bothered by salt brine) suddenly started limping and crying. Yes, he will have his own shoes by tonight's walk. Bring it on snow...We're ready!

After and Before

OMG is that the top of the table!!!! I can also see the floor!!! What a difference several days and 6 bags of trash can make! Now my studio is a lean, mean, functioning machine. Or Organized Clutter which ever you prefer.

Stairs Project / Jenny Elkins

Wow!!! Jenny and Ed always have the coolest house. It doesn't take Jenny long to make any dwelling her own. She wanted to wait a year before she tackled any improvement projects. Which surprises all who saw her home this past summer at Katie's bridal shower. Her house is already a show place. Well..the year was up last week and she took some ordinary stairs, a few tools, a bunch of yardsticks, And WOW a work of art. Yards of improvement!!!See her blog for details.

jenny elkins: Craftaholics Anonymous: t-shirt pom poms TUTORIAL

jenny elkins: Craftaholics Anonymous: t-shirt pom poms TUTORIAL

Store Hours / No Heat / Rumored Snow Storm

The Geothermal Heating system needs repair @ Mellwood so my store will be closed this Thursday and Friday. Hopefully open on the 22 and 23.

There is another rumored snow storm on the way. The salt trucks are brining the roads. This is a problem for LuLu. Her sensitive paws must burn due to the salt and she cries out and limps. It is so sad. So @ Feeders Supply I discovered booties that I can put on her paws. She is sooooo adorable in what I call her "Sno Go" boots. The neighborhood kids wanted to know why she was wearing shoes:) LuLu knew she was stylin and pranced the rest of our walk.

Art Car / Costas Schuler

Costas Schuler used 10,000 pens to pimp out his art car. While cleaning my studio I found that many. Also sizzors. If I wore a magnetic suit into my studio I would be stabbed to death by all the sizzors. Yet, when I need them they are no where to be found so I keep buying more.

Pottery Fruit / Sarah Fredricks

Every summer Sarah and a group of local potters have a Hot And Humid Sale 4th of July weekend. Folks would stand in line for hours waiting for 9am so they could scoop up bargains. I aways had a plan and headed for the fruit. I have paid full price for a few but most were from the SALE.

Pottery Ear Ring Holder / Barb Lund

This is Barb Lund's million dollar idea. These wonderful pottery ear ring holders are sold in my store. They retail for 28- but will be 14- during my One Day Only Sale, January 29th.

My fave, often worn ear rings become part of an art object. At a glance I can find the ear rings I want to wear. Making jewelry boxes obsolete.

Necklace / Roxy Lentz

Roxy makes her jewelry out of found metal. Anything she can get her hands on. I purchased this necklace when Roxy was saving her "jewelry profits" to take her mother and sisters to Hawaii. She then sent everyone who purchased her jewelry a photo from the trip.

Happy B-day MLK

This is the sight that greeted me this morning. Sam is off due to MLK Day. Bear thinks he is a lap dog. So finally Sam relents and allows Bear up in his chair. Both are really cute and make me laugh. This male bonding is going on while me and LuLu are still getting our beauty sleep.

Improvement

Ok Two days and 4 big ass bags of trash later........this is workable. But sill need another two days and 4 more bags of trash. Artists see ordinary trash as treasure! Sometimes I wish I saw it as trash.

The Ugly Truth

This is what my home studio looks like after the 4th quarter is over. It is no wonder that I have avoided going out there for the past 15 days. The weekend of truth is here and I must organize, declutter (really using this word loosely),throw away (goal 4 lawn and leaf trash bags), give away (stop by today and tomorrow for free stuff), finally clean (this word means something different to me)......Here it goes.....If I you don't see another post by monday you may need to send in a search and rescue team....Wish me luck.

Hostess Gifts / Jana John

Jana John of Gallery JanJoBe has a line of whimsical, colorful, not to mention adorable, bottle stoppers, cheese spreaders, etc...All would make perfect gifts for that hostess or for your own use. I am all about using what we have instead of saving for good.

Small Sculptures / Kent Epler

Kent gets ready for Orlando and is loading his tabletop sculputres two by two into the ARK, I mean BAT (big ass truck). Rock on with your bad self!

Tired of the Snow / Anyone?

Bear and His Bones

Sam plays a game with Bear where he tries to steal one of the bones or rawhides that Bear is savoring. Bear wags tail and growls. Sometimes Sam even wins and gets the bone away. Well last night while Sam was savoring a Big Ass T-Bone steak....you guessed it....Bear decided to zip in and steal the steak. All I heard was the thud of the steak hitting the floor. The game is simply no fun when Bear wins:)

Acre / Orlando

It is only a matter of time before the show will be called Kent Does Acre Orlando. Esp. since he has his own Isle.

Not sure if he is taking Kitty with him on this trip. He left her in a hotel room on his return from Vegas last summer. What happens in Vegas really does stay in Vegas until she found her way home.

Bottle Tree in Snow

Big Snow hit Louisville yesterday. Roads are salted even in my hood.

LuLu wore her doggie booties so the salt would not sting her paws. At first she would not put paws on the ground. But had to so she could stand. Then she decided that she was stylin and pranced the rest of the walk. Even the neighborhood kids notticed her white sno go booties.

Kent leaves for Orlando to do a Wholesale Craft's Show. He found out he has an entire row dedicated to him. As it should be. Thank God he has the BAT (big ass truck) to haul all his wares to Florida. Rock on with you bad self Kent!

One Day Only Sale

Snow Storm

Theresa Kibby stayed over last night on her way to Indy. She is conducting an Artist Workshop. She called her contact person to get a snow plan but he responded that snow or no snow the show goes on.

Not sure he was that dramatic but his response was "icy" or "snowy" Apparently, Indiana doesn't cancel anything due to snow. In Kentucky we cancel everything!

THERE WAS A SNOW STORM LAST NIGHT PEOPLE, THINGS GET CANCELLED!!!!

Today I snuggle up with my dogs in front of the fire filled with gratitude that I live in a state that believes in snow days. What's next Indiana, the Easter Bunny???

The Ground is Still Covered

Sam Suits Up

One never knows when you will need a lined Carhart Jumpsuit. With fur lined boots specifically designed for the snow. Sam has the proper gear to withstand any weather situation.

Baby it is cold outside so Sam suited up to take LuLu and Bear for a walk. Caught Miss LuLu when she came thru the door with snow on her face. Bear ran stright for his food dish and only has tail showing.

Great day to stay inside. In front of the fire. Pot of Chili on the stove. And tackle all that end of the year paperwork piling on my desk.

Hmmmmm.....Maybe I will venture out today....