And Inspired and Productive Week!

I just LOVE weeks like this...where the inspiration is coming faster than you can imagine, and everything just seems to flow...

First, there was the Spells and Potions chest - one of my favorite pieces EVER, which actually didn't make the reserve price I'd set, so now I'm deciding whether to re-list it on eBay or offer it up on Etsy....(Or keep it here, hehe!)

Next, there was the wicked cool cake/treat/display stand ("Eat, Drink and be Scary") which is listed on eBay now....

And today, there's "Firefly Magic", inspired by the gazillions of these little guys flying around the backyard. Two beautiful felines on this one - a sleek black cat and a long haired tuxedo. Sooooooooo much fun, and also up for auction on eBay now. :)


Then there's a commission in the works and a super large order of new pieces arriving Thursday (Happy birthday to me, hehe!)....The new pieces include a few large tables and boxes, so look for the first Halloween game of 2009 very soon!

That's about it for today...I'm off to grab a very late dinner. Would you believe I've been working since 7AM and it's nearly 10PM now? Ah, the joys of self employment....

(Good thing it doesn't feel like work!!)

Back again soon with more goodies to share.....

♥Carolee

A Birthday Surprise (and Eating my Words!)

What a weekend!!

After admittedly lamenting the fact (here on the blog, in fact) that we wives and Mothers typically end up planning our own celebrations, my family and friends took me by complete surprise yesterday with the PERFECT 50th party!

Given John's recent cardiac issues, I had put any thoughts of a celebration out of my mind - assuming that 50th or not, such things would be put on the back burner for awhile...

Well, while I was busy assuming, daughter Courtney and niece Sarah were busy conspiring (along with friends Jen and Dustin) to host an absolutely enchanting gathering in my honor....


A large white tent, lit with fairy lights and set in Jen's beautiful garden....

An absolutely delicious menu, which included grilled shrimp and chicken and assorted salads and vegetables....

Beverages galore, including an amazing concoction called "electric lemonade" (sooooooo good, and REALLY sneaks up on you, hehe!)

Key lime and vanilla cupcakes for dessert....

And best of all, so many of the people who are dear to me; my family and friends, some of whom I haven't seen in far too long, and who drove many miles to help me celebrate....

What a blessing to have such a thoughtful and caring daughter and niece (I love you both to the moon and back!) and what a blessing to have these amazing friends; family really...I'm truly fortunate.

As for hitting the half century mark, well, it hasn't happened yet. I still have a few days in my forties. But it's bothering me less and less. I'm seeing age as an awakening, a realization that life is what we make it, that there are still so many new things to experience, new adventures to be had, new paths to follow, new art to create...There's a freedom in aging I think. You worry less about the small stuff, and, as the saying goes, most of it is small stuff. ;)

I'm still hoping to host a little giveaway here soon, in honor of hitting the half century mark, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I'm painting madly and counting my many blessings....

Happy Birthday to me. ;)

♥ Carolee

New Work, New Tunes, a Little Craziness, and Much Love ♥

SO many things happening here at the moment, and just not enough hours in the day to keep up with it all...LOTS to share today, beginning with with a sneak peek at the new work. *UPDATE* - Listed on eBay now. :)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this one was soooooooooo much fun (I can't help it - they're ALL fun!)...I love these chests because they're so versatile - in the kitchen for herbs and spices, on the dresser top for jewelry, in the studio for art supplies, in the bath for makeup and perfumes...endless possibilities for this one. :)

It's listing tonight at 9PM eastern, with a "buy it now" option, so stay tuned....

Oh - and before I forget, I updated the playlist. I seldom set it to start automatically (I just know some of you are reading this at work, hehe) but if you'd like to give a listen to some of the painting tunes, just scroll down to the purple playlist on the right.

You may have noticed I mentioned craziness? Well, yes....As those of you on facebook know, it looks as though another heart surgery is in store for John, and soon. The mitral valve repair done last year has tightened, leaving him short of breath and pretty exhausted most of the time. The minimally invasive surgery is not a option this time, so we're looking at open heart, and probably an artificial valve.

I know he's strong, his attitude is positive, and he'll come through this just latest challenge just fine...But it's going to mean a big lifestyle change for a while as he goes through another hospitalization and recovery. Assuming they schedule it sooner rather than later (there's one more test we're waiting for), I'll be dividing my time between the hospital and studio for a while, as painting, commissions and show preparation need to continue. So it's quite possible - likely in fact, that I'll be absent from chat and groups, and prioritizing emails for awhile.

I also want to thank all of you who've left comments here and on the FB page, for all the prayers and positive thoughts - you're all just wonderful to think of us, and I can't tell you how much it helps to feel so lifted up. :)

And to those of you who've been so generous with your bids and art purchases, I can't thank you enough! Your support sustains us in a very real way, in a very difficult economy. Sending you back MUCH ♥ collector-love ♥, and I promise as soon as I have a few minutes, I'll try to work in a giveaway as a more tangible expression of my gratitude!

That's about it for today....There's a commission and a whimsical Halloween cupcake platter calling my name, so I must run....

Until next time,
♥ Carolee

Recipes, Spells and Potions....

I'm not sure what's up with my kitchen obsession these days - maybe a longing for autumn? It is, after all, the season of comfort foods, the season of the harvest...

Whatever it is, it's certainly making it's way into the work this week...

This is the most recent offering, listed on eBay now - an old fashioned recipe box. I love the little place on top to set the recipe card while you're working. Even in the age of internet recipes, where everything can be found with a click or two, and printed out, I have to admit I still love my hand written cards. Nothing beats recipes passed on from friends, or handed down through generations.

In fact, I should really share a couple of them here, perhaps as we get a little closer to autumn? I have an amazing pumpkin pie from scratch recipe. Once you try it, you'll never use canned pumpkin again.... Oh - and cider-baked butternut squash soup - sooooooooo good! (Note to self - must share favorite autumn recipes!)

Speaking of which, the latest work in progress is for recipes of a different sort, hehe - a new "Spells and Potions" chest. There's still quite a bit to be done on this one - painting, decoupage and the addition of some antique hardware. Here's a sneak peek...

I'd like to say it will be finished tomorrow, but I'm afraid tomorrow will find me down in Bryn Mawr with John, for a visit to the cardiac surgeon. Some major challenges ahead on that front, but I know we'll make it through.

I want to thank everyone for their well wishes and kind words, for the thoughts and prayers - they're much appreciated! I'll keep you posted as much as I'm able these next weeks and months, but between this latest challenge, all the works in progress, the commission schedule and the upcoming Ghoultide Gathering, I'm likely to be working every minute God sends. ;)

That's about it for now...I'm off to the Land of Nod now, determined to get more than four hours sleep for the first time in days. I can go along like that for ages, then just hit a wall and absolutely crave a good eight hours!

Until next time,
~ Carolee

Kitchen Witchery

Being a bit of a foodie (or at least as much of a foodie as a vegetarian can be) the kitchen has always been a magical place for me. Like painting, cooking is a creative endeavor; something done with lots of love, and a wish not only to nourish but to nurture family and friends...

We're fortunate to live in a place with some of richest farmland and freshest produce in the country, which makes cooking even more of a pleasure. So every once in a while (like this morning) I take a break from the painting to visit one of the local farm markets and pick up provisions. Here's one of my favorites, just a couple of miles away....


This is the view of the main road from the parking lot. Check out the old water pump in the front yard of the house across the street. It's one of my favorite houses - whitewashed, with a bright red door, and sit sits right on the Conestoga Creek...

Oops - sorry, getting off topic, hehe. Back to the market....

Although they weren't on my list, I just couldn't resist these blueberries - the plan is to freeze them for smoothies, but I may just have to set a few aside for blueberry muffins. ;)


And the green beans - yummmmmm....steamed crisp-tender and served with a splash of lemon juice.


And watermelon - summer's perfect food! I found a recipe for watermelon salad I've been dying to try, with feta cheese, cucumber, cilantro and red onion - almost like a watermelon salsa.


And finally, a post about Lancaster County farm markets and local food just wouldn't be complete without showing you a local delicacy - the whoopee pie.


Two cake-like cookies filled with a shortening and sugar concoction sure to send children bouncing off the walls for hours. Now, what I'm about to say is sacrilege, but I really don't understand the appeal of these things. Unless you're like, five years old or something....Can't say that too loud around here though - disliking whoopee pies is like, well - like disliking scrapple, or red velvet cake (also guilty!)... But to get back to my original point, the produce in this area is truly amazing.

Well okay, and the snickerdoodles. ;)

I also have to share, with the spirit of kitchen magic in mind, I painted another kitchen witch piece this week! I'm loving the plum, turquoise blue and sage green combination....

This one is listed on eBay now, on just a three day auction. Look for more kitchen witchery as autumn approaches - a witch's pantry is waiting in the wings too. :)

That's about it for now.....Back to the kitchen I go (thought I was going to say back to the studio, didn't you?!) Actually, we're hosting a little gathering tomorrow, and I'm baking a batch of chai-latte cupcakes for dessert. Easy to carry around outside, and no need to wash dessert plates, hehe.

However you're spending it, I wish you all a magical and creative weekend!

♥ Carolee

Good Fortune

"Black cat, cross my path,
Good fortune bring to home and hearth
When I am away from home,
Bring me luck wherever I roam."

I just love this old English black cat charm, and of course, as someone who's owned by a black cat (and several others) I know them to be good luck. ;)

This handsome fellow is painted on a pine plaque, after our own Mr. Merlin, and is listed on eBay now. I haven't told Merlin he's famous yet, 'cause he already thinks he's all that and a bag of chips, hehe.

So yes.....good fortune. Been thinking about it a lot lately, as we face some challenges around here, and I've come to the conclusion that just like our friend the black cat here, a great deal of fortune depends on our perception. I mean, we really can choose to see life's challenges as either stumbling blocks or opportunities; as a reason to complain or a reason to celebrate.

Those of you who've been reading here for a while know that my husband John went through heart surgery last year to repair a damaged mitral valve. Complications and heart failure followed, so recovery has been a bit of an uphill battle.

Well, long story short, we found out yesterday he needs another surgery - most likely an artificial heart valve this time.

Not the news we'd hoped to hear.

But then, maybe it is. Because it means there IS something that can be done. There IS a fix. What a blessing that is! To be living in a time when life saving surgeries like this are even possible. It's a miracle, don't you think?

We'll know more next week, but in the meantime, we're taking it one day at a time. We have each other, we have our beautiful daughter living close by now, we have an amazing support system of family and friends, and we have our optimism.

And that's fortunate. ;)

♥ Carolee

"Double, double toil and trouble"....

..."Fire burn and cauldron bubble"...

Just had to share what's been keeping me so busy the last couple of days; a little footstool with three ghostly witches, and the quote from Shakespeare's "Macbeth" around the edge. Soooooooooo much fun, this one! It's listed on eBay now. :)

You know, this verse used to remind me of act 4, scene 1 of The Scottish Play. But these days, thanks to the soundtrack, it also conjures up images of the Harry Potter movies, hehe....

And tonight's the night! Since this is the final movie, or the first part of it anyway (ETA - I stand corrected! There are two more after this - yay!!) I was toying with the idea of braving the crazy midnight showing, but I left it too late. They're already sold out. So I've put the last movie in our netflix queue, which we'll watch as a bit of a refresher, then probably hit a matinee of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" later in the week. If you haven't seen it, here's the trailer.

Much as I LOVE these movies, I loved the books even more, but it's always that way, don't you think? The imagery and characters we create ourselves are always so vivid, so perfect...then the movie comes along and alters our perception. I mean, Daniel Radcliffe IS Harry Potter, yes?

One of my absolute favorite reads is Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. It took friends MONTHS to convince me to give the first book a try, and being a bit of a snob about the historical romance genre (bodice rippers are always soooooooo poorly written) I was sure I'd dislike it. But OMG!! Talk about completely HOOKED, hehe...It's got everything - great characters, Scottish, English, French and American history, time travel, WITCHES....need I say more? I read the first five books in about eight weeks, the sixth as soon as it came out in hardcover, and September 22 will find me at Barnes and Noble as soon as they open the doors, to pick up the seventh book, "An Echo in the Bone". Not that I'm a fanatic or anything. ;)

Anyway, there's been talk of a movie based on the series for years, but I'm not sure I want one. I already have the perfect movie playing in my head. :)

Another favorite book is Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon". Has anyone seen the movie? Actually, I think it may have been a television mini-series...I avoided it at the time because I was immersed in the book, but I suppose I could add it to the netflix queue now.

So yes - books and movies, movies and books....Not that I have all that much time for either these days....

EBay, Etsy, The PFATT Marketplace, commissions, the Ghoultide Gathering, Twitter, facebook (yes, I'm on both now)....There just isn't a spare moment. Seriously, I'm beginning to resent the hours I have to spend sleeping, hehe!

Speaking of which, I must fly now (sooooooooo much to do today!) but I'll be back very soon with a little giveaway.

In the meantime, have a magical, creative week - and those of you are seeing the movie - enjoy!!


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