Wondering About Whimsy

I spent all last year being serious and focused. At least all of last year until December. Then it got a little silly. There were antlers and mustache leaves and holiday merriment. And I really liked that. It felt like I could breathe again. And I dared hope that maybe, just maybe, my life might become FUN again.

Well the universe decided to throw the doors wide open on that front last week. 

My dad came to visit while my husband was gone.

Now what you need to understand about my dad is that he is a total ball of fun. And I am not talking about a super ball. My dad is like the sun, full of energy and radiance and adventure. And he takes up about the same amount of space. There really is no containing him. So I knew I was in for a party, like it or not.

My dad needs something to do all the time, so as soon as I got off the phone with him I started brainstorming and feverishly looking through all the local events pages I could find. Monica Boland's events page (in the DC area, sign up here to get her events page in your email) mentioned that Sunday was the last night for the Holiday lights and mini train display at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton MD. Done!

Yes, this is Nessie and baby. I was not expecting a sea monster 
in the pond at a botanic garden.

I loved how the picture above turned out. It kinda reminds me of a really cool dance club.

 The tropical house was at the bottom of the hill, and a nice, toasty break from being outside. See how fun the trains were? There were a variety of tracks and trains were going everywhere you looked. There was even an ice skating rink with actual moving skaters.

They had even made a miniature of the building we were in, complete with teensy, tiny train that moved!

After we had thoroughly explored the jungle and the trains, we headed back outside.

Doesn't it just make your heart happy?

 It was truly spectacular. 1.5 million lights.  You should go next year. 

Don't worry. I'll remind you.

It was completely enchanting. I wished that my husband's excellent camera was with me instead of with him in the South Pole. But I think my iPad did alright. Plus, I could take videos, like this little gem. Sorry about all the heads in the way of the lights. I am still very much a video novice.

This was Sunday. Now let's fast forward to Tuesday. 

Dad and I decided to drive to Richmond, about 1 1/2 hrs south of here, to go see a display of Dale Chihuly's fantastical glass sculptures at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. I had been waiting not-so-patiently for this show since last summer. And I was not disappointed.

It truly filled me with wonder.

How can you look at this and not smile? It just makes me so happy to know that somewhere in the world is a man that has this kind of thing in his heart. Perhaps he's the real Willy Wonka.


You walk from the room of marble and glass fire-filled boats into a room with nothing in it. Until you look up.

This is the ceiling.

There are over 1000 pieces of glass in a huge variety of shapes layered on one another and then lit from above. Don't you love all the cool light patterns down the walls?

Who thinks of this?

There was also the room that looked like it had been attacked by a rabid balloon animal guy. But in a good way.

Your mind just can't take it all in the first time you see it. We walked around this section about 4 times and then sat and stared at it for a while. I still don't think we saw everything that was there.

The pink and white tree is about 15-20 ft tall.
There is nothing to prepare you for the magic of it all.

These white pieces reminded me of the seaweed that I found on the beaches of Oregon as a child. Except that these were huge. You can see the people in the background in the photo above for some scale. See the faint red jacket there on the right side of the picture?

Here are some of the "sketches" Mr. Chihuly makes when he's just feeling like painting. 

I like the black on on the bottom right the best. It reminds me of a party. 

And these kinda reminded me of giant clams. I don't really know why.

These are baskets made of glass in the pattern of the Native American tribes 
in the Pacific Northwest. 

How cool to think of making baskets when your medium is glass?

There was an entire huge wall of these Pendleton blankets in the Basket Room. 

I just kept looking at all the different patterns and colors they had. 

And here are a few more of the baskets. 

Don't you love that they were displayed on half of a huge tree?

This one was like a giant neon hairball. 

But I did like the reflection on the floor and the fact that he just made it to see if he could.

I love doing stuff just to see if I can.

 So after 5 days of being with my dad, I've decided that the 

Universe must be trying to tell me something.

I wonder if this may just be the Year of Whimsy?

No Resolutions

  So it's a new year. 

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 And all the bloggers I am reading at the moment have all these excellent insights for where they are going in the next 12 months or where they've been the previous 12. That is all actually really cool to read. It makes for a thought provoking post and excellent food for thought. And I thought I would be doing the same thing this week.

But I'm not.

I'm purposely NOT making any blogging resolutions or barn sale resolutions. Because there is only one thing in my head right now, and that's ART. You know. The real kind, where you look at it and try to figure out what the heck the artist was thinking, what kind of a statement this is. Visual philosophy and all. It has been almost a year since I created that kind of art. 

You can read about this piece here

This decision coincides nicely with my husband being out of town. He doesn't like it when I camp in my studio 24/7, so this is a particularly timely absence. He's at the South Pole, making sure your tax dollars are being used responsibly. I am totally not kidding about that.

So I just get to bust out my exacto knife and start cutting up 

mat board and gluing it to stuff. 

All day long.

Well, that last bit might be a bit of wishful thinking. I AM a single parent at the moment. I am sure I'll stop long enough to shove a freezer pizza in the oven. But I do plan on giving myself plenty of space to make the art that has been swirling in my head, talking to me for months. I have one piece started, one piece almost finished, and one piece not started but completely fleshed out in my mind. I even know how I'm going to frame it. 

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It involves wing nuts 

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 and the Taj Mahal. 

Seriously. In the same piece. 

Now don't you want me to stop typing and go back to my studio 

so you can see it? 

Me too.

I promise I'll show you as soon as there's something to see.

Late to the Party

I had every intention of posting my holiday decor pictures before Christmas. But first I had to make caramels. And clam chowder. And wire a boxwood wreath from scratch. And then I had to wrap presents and set out luminaries. And then, all of a sudden, it was Christmas Eve. And I hadn't written a word.

On Christmas Day, I certainly wasn't going to ignore my family to blog. I was too busy enjoying my new iPad case and looking up what new hairstyle I would get this week courtesy of the money Santa gave me for that purpose. (Well, if you want to get technical, the note was from Vixen, Santa's reindeer. She mentioned that I was to use the money to up my "sass" factor. I have the note if you don't believe me.)

So there was no blogging there either.

And here we are on Day After Christmas Eve. And as I happen to believe in the phrase "better late than never," here goes, a tour of my Christmas house!

I decided to go with fresh pine garland this year. I like how it looks, but maybe I'll add some ribbon as well next time. And I made the Williamsburg style wreath at the peak of the pine garland myself! I have always love the fresh fruit wreaths. They are just so welcoming. I just don't have the over-the-door space for a traditional one with a pineapple, but my smaller version with a pomagranite and komquats was just right.

And then there was the fresh boxwood kissing ball I made. My husband started calling it "The Holiday Death Star". It even got it's own theme song. Every time he came in the front door, he'd start humming "the Imperial March" from "Star Wars" while adding Holiday lyrics like "Jingle Bells" and the random "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

 Once you come inside you can see my Miss Mustard Seed "inspired" decorations. I loved her idea to hang a wreath off an old ladder. And I had finished making an ornament wreath I started last year, and then abandoned during the Christmas rush.

Here is a close up of the fresh boxwood garland I made. I just used trimming from my unruly boxwood bushes in the front yard. I also relied heavily on the over-the-phone construction advice from my dear friend Andrea, creative floral genius at Lynn Vale Farms. (She also made the gorgeous wreath on my front door) I wanted to make two garlands, one for each side of the ladder, but the first one took me about 5 hours when all was said and done, and I never had the second 5 hour block. Oh well. I love it anyway, and I am crazy proud of myself for learning how to do it.

 
In the next room, the kitchen, I stole another Miss Mustard Seed idea, a garland with ribbons and ornaments hanging off my chandelier, inspired by this post.

This little ornament was made by my dear friend Leah McGee. See all the tiny stars inside the glass ball? She folded them all out of vintage encyclopedia pages. She's amazing! She made the one behind it with the bow also. All this vintage glitter and sparkle inspired me too.

I filled an iridescent clear glass ball with sparkly white mini pom pom balls that I got at the craft store and put the top back on. Impressive, right? We are sending a few of these to our cousins who live in snowy places to start a "snow ball" fight.

My bay window is the perfect place to grow stuff. And I couldn't resist a few Christmas paper whites and a pretty "Red Lion Amaryllis", that bloomed right on cue.

But the best of my decorations is definitely my mantle. Don't you love the cow boy boot stockings?

And yes that IS a cow skull. I may live in Virginia, but I am still from Phoenix.

I have a small collection of Cowboy Santas and reindeer cows. 

Or just cows looking jolly hiding from their cowboy. 

I even found a place for my antler.

So there you go. My house at Christmas. 

At least this year. Just in time for New Year's. 

Oh Well. At least I got it posted in 2012. 

Happy New Year to you all! 

And thanks for reading my blog.

Choosing the Light

I have a 5 year old daughter. I don't know if all of you know that. 

So even though Friday's unspeakable events didn't happen to me, they still happened. 

I didn't spend time finding out the details. 

I just wept.

I felt so impotent against such great darkness.

And for a second there, I was filled with despair. 

And then I remembered the song "Hands" by Jewel. If you've forgotten it, here is the video.

I have always loved this song. It fills me with hope even in the most extreme situations. 

It's the line 

"I will not be idle with despair". 

It moves me from horror to action. 

And I think there is tremendous power in action spurred from love.

I have decided that I CAN do something to help. I can gather light to people. 

image from the RecycledLightCompany on Etsy

I can hope that somehow, in some unexpected way, God will cause something 

miraculous to rise out of the ashes of that community. I am fasting and praying for this today, 

for experience has taught me that great things can come from the willing sacrifice of others. It makes me feel empowered again. And has filled me with a desire to fight back against the darkness.

 I WILL NOT BE IDLE WITH DESPAIR

I am going to have a Merry Christmas and make sure that all those around me do as well. I am going to keep creating art and helping other people to create things and reach for their potential. I am going to put as much energy and light and love into my children and all those other kids around me. I am going to donate to my local fire department. I will decorate my house so that people smile when they walk by.

I am going to invite all the 5 year olds in the neighborhood over to decorate cookies. 

Because this will bring them joy. 

So, remember that Darkness cannot abide nor over come the Light.

Go into the world and be kind and happy.

For in the end.......only kindness matters.

Antlers, Broken Instruments, and Giant Leaf Mustaches: The Stuff of Pure Fantasy

Antlers can be so inspiring. At least they have been to me lately. And please save me the "poor deers" comments. Antlers are shed naturally, so no deer were hurt in the writing of this blog.

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Actually antlers are the reason I set out on an unintentional journey into raw creativity this week. 

My friend Andrea is a floral designer in Gainesville, VA. She owns this huge, 100 year old stone barn at Lynn Vale Farms, and does some crazy good floral arranging. She was one of 15 local designers selected to be in a contest held at Arena Stage. The contestants had to make a floral arrangement inspired by one of Arena Stage's costumes. Andrea had chosen "Artemis, goddess of the hunt and all things wild and innocent." I can still she the flecks of crazy energy floating in her eyes as she told me about ordering a case of real antlers to serve as the support for her arrangement. 

When she said "Wanna help?" this little Western girl was there.

When I got to the barn, she had already pulled out all the stuff we needed: Spanish moss, zip ties, a large vintage pedestal, a picture of the costume, and a mailing box full of antlers. It took a while, but eventually we figured out how to lean and zip tie them together to make a stable base and gradually built a sort of chalice to hold the flower bowl. 

It occurred to me as I was feeling the surprisingly warm December sun on my back shining between these huge, open, old wood barn doors, that this was the first purely creative thing I had done in a long, long time. I have been so focused on home and barn sale and being professional this year, that I keep forgetting to play. Yet here, I was, in a barn, holding a bunch of antlers together for no other reason than it sounded fun, so there must still be some hope for me.

I drug my husband on a date downtown so I could see the finished piece. Impressive, yes? You should get Andrea talking about what each of the different elements symbolize. 

Now that is impressive:

Artemis costume from "Agamemnon and His Daughters" and inspired flower arrangement 

by Andrea Gagnon of Lynn Vale Studios

Our story continued when I got an email the next day from a local music store, where I had left my name and number to contact me if they ever had any unplayable instruments. They had a clarinet for me! Now many of you may not get all excited about an unplayable clarinet, but for me, this was a playground of potential. I could make a lamp like this:

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Or I could paint it all cool like this one:

The ladies at Bees Curiosity Shop on Etsy who made this piece do some really cool stuff. 

Check them out here.

All these fabulous possibilities were flying around my head when I walked into the store to collect my lovely broken clarinet. Terresa, the woman who emailed me about the instrument, just happened to be there and said she had something else for me. I just held my breath in wonder. When she pulled out a broken violin, I started jumping up and down -seriously jumping- in the store. I had a dream about a blue violin about a year ago and have desperately wanted to make a piece inspired by my dream ever since. I thought it would be years before I'd get my hands on one. And here it was, broken neck and all, in my hot little hands.

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Think of all the ways you could make a violin blue......

I am thinking about decoupaging on this lovely navy blue handmade paper with tiny Chinese characters all over it, but then again, it might be hard to make that iridescent. Maybe I'll use nail polish instead.....

So many options. So little time to work on it.

But the week wasn't over yet. Apparently the forces of random creativity still had something to teach me. In the form of a whole bunch of leaves in the hands of two young girls. That's always the ticket to fun, right?

Can you see it hiding behind my deck?

My husband wasn't feeling well, so my kids and I decided we'd rake the leaves for him. I started blowing them into a pile and both girls started going "No! no! mom. They need to make a smile." Um....OK. 

So I blew them into a smile. 

And then into a handle bar mustache.

 They had already made the eyes and the eyebrows. Yes folks, MY leaf pile has eyebrows.

 

It was such a simple thing. A yard covered with leaves. And yet, when I thought about the pure joy involved in making a mustache instead of a leaf pile, I was completely blown away. What a gift to have time to do this! To be a part of such random bliss! 

It's so easy to become focused on accomplishing and becoming. That's what we're all "supposed to do" as grown ups. But I am so grateful that for one week, the universe decided that I should stop all that and play. It has recharged my heart and soul, and brought the lighter, funner part of me back to life.

Thanks Heavens for antlers. 

Hmmm.....I wonder if they would look good with my cowboy Santas on the mantle? Maybe I can talk Andrea into giving me a few now that she's done with them. It's time to decorate you know, and they are all the rage on Pinterest....