Carousel Horse Painting

I do occasional dabbling in acrylic painting.  Not that I'm terribly talented or anything, but it's fun to put color on canvas and see how close to the imagined finished product you get.  I've really only completed a handful of paintings, so I'm still very amateur.  My sister Julie is always very encouraging to me. This painting was done specifically for a gift for her.  I'd sent her a painting before that she loved, one I'd done as a 'memory' painting of a young girl at piano lessons.  Julie had spent a few years learning piano and today still loves to sit down and play lovely melodies.

She used to have a good collection of ceramic carousel horses.  She also had 4 young boys, and those carousel horses met with one mishap after another.  So she was delighted that I chose a carousel horse for her painting.  I am very pleased that she likes it.  Maybe I'll pull out my paints sooner this time.

Little Stone Houses

I had stopped at my favorite Goodwill store the other day for a quick skim of the shelves on my way home, when this caught my eye.  It's a house handpainted onto a rock.  They have books out there on how to paint houses and animals and flowers onto rocks, but this is the first time I have seen one of them on the resale market.....or anywhere, for that matter.  I paid the 99 cents they were asking for it and took it home.

This little piece of handicraft is signed on the bottom, 'Moe'.  I don't know who this Moe is, but they took a lot of care completing this little home.  The wood slats were done in a steady hand, and every shingle added. There are adorable details, the chimney, the eaves added as an outline to the rock with a sculpting substance, I forget what's used. You can even see curtains in the windows.  This would have been a lot of detailed work.  I know, because several years ago, my hubby and I also dabbled in finding appropriate rocks and turning them into little homes.  We just did a few, and they were varnished and put out among the plants on my patio. Let me locate my favorite.

Not this little bunny.  He was my only foray into the painting animals on rocks set, and while I'm very proud of him, I do notice that the paint is fading out on his coat.  I guess I'll leave him hiding among the bushes.

My husband worked on this Tudor style stone.  Never quite finished it. Don't know why we don't.

Aha!  There's the one I consider my best piece.  It's intended to be an English cottage, I worked a long time getting that thatched roof right.  It was a labor of love to make that blue door and the plants on the windowsill.  Okay, it's rather weatherbeaten out here, let me clean it up and  bring it in for comparison. 

Hmm, even with a quick wipe down, it looks 'rustic'.  That's okay, it's been a charming accent among my pots and plants for several years, what more can you expect.  The varnish has darkened, so the paint is not as clear and bright as it was originally. 

Side by side they look rather different, tho they're both very similar in intent.  I need to put a coat of lacquer or two on the new cottage, the Moe home, before I put it out to peek among my plantings.  In a couple years I'm sure it too will look rustic and weatherworn, and like it has been home sweet home for many years.

I'm linking up with Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.



New Pretty

Check out my new Tiffany-style decorative light my husband got me for Christmas. I love it!  It goes well with that carnival glass compote, doesn't it?  I used to have a very similar one, got it at a good sale at Lamps Plus, had it for maybe 3 months, then......

Noooooooooo!

That little incident was about 3 years ago, shortly after we adopted our little Shadow. She's a sweetie, but how she managed to knock the turtle off a shelf is beyond me, she only weighed about 3 pounds at the time. And to be truthful, we don't know that it wasn't her larger sister who did it. But hubby found me this lovely replacement, so everything is good. We haven't had any recent breakages, so hopefully our new turtle is long-lived.

I am linking up with Cielo at The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Monday.

I am also linking up with Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.  Lot of parties to visit, I'm trying to stay in touch with so many wonderful others.

2010 in Review

I started blogging in May of 2010, and while I know there's many dedicated bloggers who have started later than me and are already pros at this, I still am just feeling my way. Looking through my blogs, tho, I have picked out several photos which remind me of favorite times and blogs. So for 2011, I wish to enjoy more of similar times.

More time on my patio, alas now in winter disrepair, here in spring leisure.

More shopping forays, like this one to Main Street Seal Beach.

More fun with vignettes, using new finds and old favorites.

More Rooster Parties!

More Twilight parties. This was for my daughter's sweet 16 birthday party. Okay, it doesn't have to be Twilight-themed, but more occasion for elegant parties.

More Fall Fun.

More indulgence in the spirit of the Christmas season.

All in all, I guess this means, more fun in blogland! Thanks to all my fellow bloggers for leading, encouraging, and just being here through this year illustrated and shared. I'm looking forward to finding more adventures with you all in 2011.