A Happy (and Healthier!) Easter

Looks like I did it again - 8 days without a blog update, eek!

I have a good excuse though. I was in the hospital. Then the day after I got out, John went in again. Seriously. Stomach ailments for me (still no diagnosis, but I'm on the blandest of diets, and will be going through some more testing), and another episode of heart failure for John.

He's much better now, and we're enjoying a quiet Easter at home. The brunch we'd planned has been moved back a week. At least. I'd really like to be able to order something other than jello or oatmeal before we go. ;)

Meanwhile, I'm painting like mad, trying to catch up on commissions - some long overdue - and also trying to meet a deadline for the upcoming PFATT Marketplace. Well, actually, I already blew the deadline, but was very kindly granted a reprieve. Truthfully, I was all set to skip it this month, and just be "out on vacation"...

Until I saw this...

How could I resist?

"Follow Your Heart", now in progress...

Yummy colors, yes? I think it would make an amazing treasure chest or memory box, and the black frame around the top will be lettered with inspiring phrases. I'll post pics here and on facebook when it's finished. :)

In other news, it's looking as though the epic "Road Dust and Wanderlust" trip will be a two parter, with the larger leg of the trip postponed until I gain a little more mobility - which means not only weight loss, but adjusting to a new, permanent, ankle brace. The first leg of the trip - Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida to the Keys and back again - is still on, and I'm beside myself with anticipation! Details soon on the Road Trip blog (as soon as I find time to post that is, hehe)...

For now, it's back to work. ;)

Wishing you and yours a Happy and Blessed Easter, and a joyous spring! Back again very soon with pics of the completed chest....

♥ Carolee

The Gypsy in My Soul

So, remember I said I had some exciting news?!?

Well, it looks as though a longtime dream is actually manifesting; a cross country (and back again) road trip with a dear friend!


Two months plus, stopping to see interesting sights (and artist friends!) along the way, a lot of two lane and back roads, big cities and small towns, gorgeous scenery, quirky attractions, diner food...the iconic American vacation, Thelma and Louise style (um, but without the guns and driving off the cliff thing). ;)

The dates and vehicle are yet to be determined, but we're shooting for late spring/early summer 2012. I was hoping to take the Beetle (FUN little car to drive) until John pointed out there's a mileage cap we've already exceeded, lol, so it's looking like we may be in my friend's Expedition. Which means I need to learn to drive something more than a foot off the ground, hehe...

But those are details, and we'll work them out.

I read somewhere there are two kinds of travelers: journey people, and destination people. Journey people are gypsies; they like to wander, to veer off course, take interesting detours, and often throw any kind of schedule out the window. For journey people, it's about the experience. Destination people, while they fully intend to have a relaxing time once they GET THERE, need to get from point A to point B as quickly and efficiently as possible. And they often like to know exactly how many miles per hour they averaged doing it. Husbands tend to be the latter. ;)

My friend Ann and I are the former. We're journey people. And we are sooooooo looking forward to this adventure - and to sharing it via a travel blog as we go along!

In the meantime, I need to get my head out of the clouds (and every road atlas and travel guide I can find!) and get some painting done.

But oh my, how I'm looking forward to this!!

I'll leave you with a little Van Morrision, and be back very soon with new work. :)



♥ Carolee

New Work and a Road Trip!

I've been busy as a bee these last few days - completed a commission, and listed four new pieces of art (two on eBay and two on Etsy!)

The first I have to share with you is a bit of a departure for me, and completely primitive. If only the pieces in this assemblage could talk....the homes they've graced, the lives they've witnessed....Very cool to work with materials so steeped in history!


The shutter still has it's original layers of paint, and the lettering is pieces of antique hardware. It's listed now on eBay. :)

The next two pieces are tiny trinket boxes listed on Etsy. Actually, only one is still listed. The siamese sold overnight.




Lots of fun these two! Their collars are Swarovski crystals.

And finally, the birthday canvas shown in the post below. Tempting as it is to keep this one, it's more tempting to pay the bills, haha...So it's listed on eBay now, with the offer to personalize the top layer of cake! I thought it would make a fun birthday gift if someone wanted to purchase it and have the recipient's name or number of years painted on for posterity....

That's it for new work, until the wicked cool stationary box I've been promising - look for it early in the week. ;)

In the meantime, I'm off on a little road trip today!! This one will be all by myself, as John is down with the plague this week (I'm pounding Airborne and echinacea tea in an effort not to catch it) Sooooooo, I'm off to the wilds of northern Pennsylvania all by my lonesome....

You may remember a mention here a few months ago about my favorite wood supplier going out of business - another casualty of this economy, and so sad. I bought everything I could before the closing of course, but supplies are dwindling. At any rate, after failed attempts to contact the former owner, I did a bit of sleuthing, and was able to contact their woodworker - a retired gentleman who lives a few hours north of here, who very kindly agreed to accept an order from me. (I was doing the happy dance for DAYS!) His work is just exquisite, and I'm thrilled to say I'll be picking up some pieces I thought I'd never see again, including the large chest shown on my banner, a couple of ornament chests, and several smaller boxes. (YAY!!)

I'm told the trip is a beautiful drive, much of it running north along the Susquehanna river, so even though this is technically a work related trip, I'm hoping it will feel like a real, live day off. And I couldn't ask for a better day - 70 and sunny - just perfect! :)

I'm off now to grab some tunes for the car....Hoping to take some photos too...

Wishing everyone a magical day today!

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´
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(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`• ~ Carolee