The Retro Dress

This past week has been fun, the kids have been on break from school, & Richard took off most of the week.  For Thanksgiving we cooked some here, & then took the food to Richard's Dad's house.  We got to see 3 of Richard's sisters & their families.  Then we ventured on to my Uncle Larry's & Aunt Monica's place, with our Tofurky in tow.

Sage cooking on Thanksgiving

India on the mosaic wall

This morning, bright & early, we had our photos taken.  I've been wanting to get some good family shots for awhile, also some of just Richard & I.  Of course I had the perfect picture all planned out in my head.  We had them taken at this artsy, outdoor place....so I didn't want it to be the typical stuffy family portrait. So  I ordered this vintage dress for myself, & got the girls cute outfits too.  I waited, & waited, & waited on my dress to come...after all, it was supposed to make me look like a retro housewife/supermodel.  Finally, it arrived yesterday(the day before the pictures) & boy is it "vintage".  It smelled vintage, & it was wadded up in a really small box.  After trying it on, & realizing it wasn't working the wonders I expected, I decided to go with Plan B.  That would be jeans & a red shirt.  What can you do?  
Also, we could not find one of Cody's shoes at the last minute, so we brought him with one shoe off.  Most of the pictures he is barefoot in, & refusing to smile.  Sometimes I make myself laugh with what I envision in my head, & how something actually turns out.  It always works out ok though...& I'm sure we will love the pictures.

Trying to get Cody in a good mood

Sage posing

Not quite the look I was going for

Feeling Blue-ish Green

10 x 10 Mixed Media(acrylic paint, pen, paper on canvas)

I started working on an art piece, for my ETSY site, & it was all dreary out.  So I decided to make the girl in the picture a little sad, surrounded by big blue/green rain drops coming down(or they could be tears).  After the artwork was done, I was liking the colors & in the Teal mood.   I got some other pictures yesterday, out in the day, with some similar hues.

Pretty Cabinet

Reflections

Some good books

Playing Around

It's been cold & rainy out this weekend...so I haven't ventured out too much.  I've been watching my kids play in their tent, that's set up in our living room, & playing on Photoshop. I snapped this picture today, & thought I'd share.

Pretty.

Lately my beauty regimen(which isn't too much), has been stepped up a notch. I decided to try Hemorrhoid cream.  Not for the usual place, but for for under my eyes.  I heard it helps with puffiness.  So I slather that on every night, as well as Vitamin K cream, for my dark raccoon circles.


Now that I'm on the other side of 35, I've been noticing these not so lovely changes.  The old forehead is not as smooth as it once was.  My under eye circles seem to be getting darker.  I won't even get started about my disappearing neck line!


So I think to myself, did I contribute to all this somehow?  I'm sure drinking water all those years, instead of soda, would have been helpful.  Maybe all those many Marlboro Reds & Salem Menthols weren't a smart idea!  Well, I already knew that!  Is it just my heredity?  Whatever the cause, I guess I have to admit, I'm aging.


I know it's inevitable, getting older, & I don't mean to sound vain...cause believe me there are far worse things in life!  I just want to be real about it, & the real me is not enjoying this process so much!  Although, I do like the idea of gaining wisdom as I grow older & becoming ok in my own skin(I think I'm getting there).  So this is all part of the journey.


Sometimes it leaves me wondering, how many creams & potions are in my future?  How much will I try to prop up, or pull back?  That could be painful!  Or will I embrace this whole getting older thing, & be ok with it?  That is my hope.

Little Babushkas & A Windy Day

Hello.  These are some shots I took, just screwing around & having fun.   I thought my girl's Russian Nesting dolls would make nice photo subjects.  I love these kind of dolls...some people call them Matryoshkas or Babushkas also.  I think I'd like to go to Russia, to see the old buildings & towns, & shop of course!

Every once & awhile it gets super windy at our place.  The other day, it almost seemed like mild hurricane winds.  It was trash day, so trash was flying everywhere & our neighbors tree fell over.  The dogs still have to go out, of course. I think Chewie enjoyed the wind whipping through his fur a little, Persimmon not so much.

Adventures of Flat Stanley

Great clothes on Flat Stanley made by Aunt Royce

My daughter, Sage, got to do a fun 1st grade project recently.  You make a paper doll "Flat Stanley", & send it out to friends/relatives & they take Flat Stanley out, & show her a good time.  You can take her different places & take her picture, make clothes for her, etc.  Then she makes the journey back home, in the mail.  Sage then got to share with her class, what Flat Stanley had been up to.  She sent out two Flat Stanleys.... one went to her Aunt Royce's house in Washington & one went to her cousin Jacque, who took her to her job at Cal State LA.  Looks like the Flat Stanleys had a lot of fun! 

Going Native(American)

When it gets to be this time of year, & I see all the Thanksgiving decorations out, I think of the Pilgrims & the Indians. I am kind of partial to the Indians though, afterall, they were here first. Also I've been told from day one how much Native American I have in me..."you have it on both sides of the family, you should've got a college scholarship"...ha ha.  So I guess I can call them my peeps, even though I am lily white. 
Anyway, I've been on this kick, making collage pictures of little Indians on canvas. I put them on my mantle, because their little faces make me happy.  Once I put the artwork up, I remembered my little Indian doll, my aunt gave me as a kid.  Upstairs I went to rummage around in my closet & find it.  After finding the doll & putting it on the mantle too, it felt like it was missing something still. Perhaps the doll needed a friend?  Off I went to search on EBAY for another vintage Indian doll. I get slightly obsessed when I think I have a brilliant idea.  I am happy to say I restrained myself that day, & I haven't bought another doll yet.
When I was thinking about this post, I was thinking about a picture I like of my Dad & brother, in Indian costumes, that I will share.  Back in the day, there were groups called Indian Guides & Indian Maidens.  My Dad & brother were in the Mohawk's & my Mom & I were in the Navajo's.  My Indian name was Little Sunflower.  I think we went on some camping trips, & got to wear our costumes in the Temple City parade...pretty exciting stuff. 

So that was my train of thought about Indians & decorating for Thanksgiving.  It's a crazy,wild ride in this head of mine sometimes. 

The Past 10 Years

Richard & I just celebrated our 10th Anniversary.  We didn't go away on any big trip, but instead had a QUIET weekend closer to home. Did I mention how quiet it was?  That is because my parents entertained our kids for the weekend!   We got to get out & jogged/walked a 3 mile loop near our place.  We also went to check out this Indian area, in the city of Artesia, we've been wanting to go to.  Very authentic, I must say!  Tons of spice stores, clothing stores(with beautiful fabric), & Indian restaurants of course.  It was a nice weekend!
In thinking about the past 10 years, & what we've done/what has changed, I came up with a few things.  For one thing: we are no longer in our twenties(it had to end sometime!) The 30's have been good though..I like to think I'm a little wiser now.  We moved from Arcadia, where we lived when we were first married, to Orange County.  At the time, it seemed like a big move to us, after having grown up in the same area our whole lives.  We've had 3 kids, so the past several years have involved pregnancies(& me complaining), babies, & alot of diapers.  It has been quite an experience & I wouldn't trade my kids for the world.  They have made me a better person!
So the next 10 years should be smooth sailing right?  I know life is never like that, but I do wonder about things.  I wonder if we will ever make the "big move" over to Oregon or Washington, like we talk about?  My daughters will be teenagers within the next 10 years.  Will they even like us?  What adventures does God have in store for us?  Hmmmmm, I wonder.

Oak Glen & other happenings

This past weekend we went on a little outing to Oak Glen(near Yucaipa), with some family.  My parents, brother, Aunt Lindy, Uncle Gil & my family of 5...to be exact.  It was a beautiful clear day, with a little chill in the air.  That makes for good mountain weather.  There were these huge acorns all over the ground, so I started shoving my pocket with them. I have them in a little bowl, here at my house. They were my souvenirs. 


Sunday was the day my kids had been waiting for, Halloween.  They got to wear their costumes to church.  Actually they pretty much had them on all day.  Getting my money's worth!  My parents, & brother came over to our place in the afternoon.  Then we all headed over to Fall Fest in Aliso Viejo.  It was free & full of little rides, games, food & lots & lots of people.  Since we were in the area, we headed over to my favorite Vegan restaurant, Native Foods for dinner.  It was good as always!  Since my brother got out of the hospital recently, after another bout with Pancreatitus & Diabetes complications, I've decided I have a plan for him.  I want to slowly convert him over to the Vegetarian side...ha ha, of course I guess he'll need to be on board with that.


All in all, a great weekend.  Now off we go to November!

Apple Orchard

Showing off my socks

Toby & Me

Richard, India & Cody