Merry Christmas!

What's been going on, what's around my house,memories and then some...and a little recent artwork.....

Circa 1987.
Circa 1980.
A Kick Ass definition by my kick-ass fabulous niece and hubby (ex-Marine & all around wonder guy) given to my hubby before his brain surgery 4 years ago. Preparation for the surgery included Power Words air brushed that are still around the house. This is part of the Kick Ass sign.
China head doll pin keep.
Kiska kitty and very old hand painted, water color, large, wooden, Ukrainian/Russian egg from where my grandmother's family is from-Galitsia. It is now mostly Austria & Hungary.
My anniversary card this year from hubby before he passed away. Written with help from my daughter. He signed the bottom-barely legible with his 'stroke' mind & body.

It says,

" Dear Lydia, I would like to write to you a letter telling you how much I love you. I love you because you write well, and some of the lilacs you gave to me smell good. I love you. Sincerely with love, KenBuvShluv" "It says" pointing to what he signed- dictated to Lara . So he signed his name with his initials, and told her what to write.( My husband wrote extremely well himself. He wrote articles for tennis magazines as a side line).

I had gotten a small handful of lilacs from our garden & put them in a tiny glass on his stand by his bed while he was in Hospice. It's funny how he said, "some of the lilacs", because there were only a few that would fit into that tiny glass. They were my anniversary gift to him. He loved his gardening. It is my most special card and now resides on the fireplace mantle.

BtC- before the cancer.

Three little old chalk ware dolls who rest in front of an oil painting, as if they had just walked out of it. Notice the little Cossack guy.
A great card that I had gotten and given to hubby that is eternally up on my wire card rack hanging on my laundry room door.

It's there because it reminds me to find humor in my otherwise not always humorous days: Failure to diagnose cancer for my hubby by a doctor who said, "you have pain in your arm and chest and you smoke, I can't find anything, you're ok because you're an athlete"-so that when he finally is diagnosed he has stage IV lung cancer. 4 years of cancer treatments, brain surgery, massive stroke, blood clot in the lung, multiple bad seizures, 3 hospitals, hematuria for 70 days, massive weight loss, major debilitation, lack of cognizance most of the time (and he was a very sharp man), Hospice, not always recognizing us, running tennis tournaments in our family room, and not knowing that I had Lyme and Mono when he was first diagnosed and had brain surgery, 4 years ago. I do need to remind myself to find the humor.

A watercolor painting by my wonderful friend Patty, who painted this of/for our family. She said she was sending me some flowers. We are each flowers. Isn't it wonderful?
A cute find ...keep, make pin cushion in and sell...not sure what to do with it just yet...
A corner old shelf holding mugs. The top 2 were my Mom's. I always loved them growing up. The bottom one I found antiquing somewhere about 10 years ago.
A tiny kitty pin keep.
An old oil painting which now hangs in our powder room. Found at my Mom's, when she passed away. Someone gave it to her.OK- I am trying to come alive again. You see, the day after Thanksgiving 2009 while visiting Ken's family, my husband got up and had a massive stroke, blood clot in the lung, and multiple bad seizures, all on top of stage IV lung cancer. It was very tough, and continues to be. I am trying not to book too much, as I have to try and relax and enjoy life. It is so difficult to do without the one you love. And life doesn't exactly get easier.

We went to my brother's house and had a Norman Rockwell looking and tasting turkey. Then we had a blast for a few hours playing Scrabble with my niece and her hubby. It felt so good to laugh hysterically for such a long time. And their delicious little daughter, my grand niece, melts you when she just says, "Yess". We are looking forward to going to their house for Christmas. It will break up what we usually do. We need that.

God Bless, and I pray you all enjoy your holidays.

So Sorry for Not Posting Lately...

...life has been very hectic lately, as we came upon the one year anniversary of hubby's massive stroke.Hit a deer, baking element went right before the cooking demo, jobs, interviews, artwork for shows and shops, and a great big mess around the house getting cleaned up...a noise in the garage sends for the police, but it looks like it was just the ladder that slid---I guess. Nothing found-phew!

It has been a very tough time and year, so please bear with- will post more very soon.

Thank you all for all of your support. What a year.

God Bless.

PS- The Russian Cooking Demonstration was a success! Cookbook to come??? haha

Russian Cooking Demonstration

Zhulyienne,Russian Tea Cakes, and Variations of, and maybe some piroshki! Oh, My! I have never done anything like this before. Cooking, baking, talking, teaching language and culture...well, I have done all of these, just not together for a group, outside my home. 3 1/2 hours!!!

Wish me luck!

xo

What I Want to Work on Soon...( and a Giveaway Coming in the Near Future)

This is a cell phone picture that I took at a local antique place. I bought this cabinet, because I feel it will be good painted up and displaying for shows. I am always trying to think of ways to make the display work situation easier.

So I will paint it a cream color, as it will blend well and show off the items in and on it. I want to hang 3 vintage frames on the doors and back that have a cork panel on them. That will be for (mostly Alex's) jewelry. I will put a large but slender piece of foam in between 2 identical frames , facing each other for transporting. I will bind them with a big , strong headband style elastic.

The doors can close. The back will also have a frame with cork, or velveteen with cork under it , so that all sides will be utilized. It has a mirror on the inside back panel, and even had had electric( an outlet), with a light, at one time.

So, I have never had a giveaway and have been going through things. I have come up with some nice items to share for a giveaway. But, with a few p/t jobs under my belt, it may take me a little.

I think the cabinet will be pretty. What do you think?

Meet you at the show....

...if you are in the area. It's actually in Timonium, right by Lutherville.

Booth 422.

I have art work and vintage items. Hope you can come. (address and zip of the state fairgrounds is listed in shows and shops listed to the right). See you there!!!

LOOK AT THESE FABULOUS RINGS!

(made by Alex)

All three available in our Etsy shop, click here! Along with many other goodies!

I can live for 2 months on a compliment-Mark Twain

Miscellany..........................

Anyone going to the Country Living Fair?

Anyone going? Give a holler. Not sure yet if going.

DC Big Flea-July 2010

Random photos from the show in July. If interested in anything, email to inquire if still around.

Pom Pom kitty in vintage clothing.

A book and a bauble.
Alex and Larissa's glass bauble weights/inspiration.
Cream mini birdcage with vintage cowboy statuette inside.
It's all good. Need I say more?Vintage little puppy dogs and vintage cast iron dalmation bookends in background.
This is a tiny doll cup and a tiny kitty-vintage.

Alex's collaged vintage (with some new) jewelry hanging up in a drawer.
Vintage bird on vintage looking mini wreath ornament.
Cool photo transferred deer ornament with jingly little bells.A vintage Peter Pan doll. Tinker Bell already sold.
Reprints of earlier work Halloween watercolors mounted on cardboard, backed with artist paper, and sealed-all on vintage blocks.


Adorable vintage orange ceramic shoes.
Tiny kitty pin keep... 'Dance'Blurry photo kitty pin keep.
BOO baubles.

Alex's collaged bracelet.
Vintage Glitter letter.
Vintage broche.Vintage clown dolls and vintage look, original watercolor reprint made into a glazed pin with googly eyes.
The vintage cowboy in bird cage surrounded by mini collaged notebooks and glass baubles.
I know, I am way behind. Life is tough, what can I say. Enjoy your day.

A cold, A Wedding, and a Show

My beautiful bride-niece and my beautiful daughter(maid of honor).

Nasty head cold from my # 1,

Wedding joys from my niece in NY,

and preparations for a great , big show.

More to come, to see, to glee about:)hehe

PS- I know none of this rhymes, but it is concise...and a nice , little visit from my mother-in-law this evening. She lost her Mom and her only son within 2 months of each other.

Later.xo Lydia