art attack!

Been busy with art, life and enjoying these lovely days! I have a show coming up in about 2 weeks. My friend Jana and I are teaming up and our booth is going to have a theme... a Mexican ofrenda for Day of the Dead! I am making shrines and having so much fun! I am feeling super inspired! Hopefully this burst of creativity will last and see me through the fall and winter months that are not my favorites!

Lots of flu here in north Texas. It is pretty awful. So far we are all well. Keeping my fingers crossed (and sanitized) and hoping we can skip this illness!

Well, off to dreamland. Nite nite blog friends! xoxo

making art!

Oh joy! I have FINALLY gotten back my art groove! I am in a creative frenzy getting ready for a show in October. It feels so good to be creating again!! I am making retablos and shrines and Day of the Dead things! FUN! Glitter is in the air!

The weather is PERFECT and I'm off to a wine tasting with some girlfriends tonight.

Life is GOOD!

so it begins...

So today is the first day of autumn and it feels like it! It is grey, rainy and chilly... all the things I do NOT love about fall. I need soup and a blanket and a wake up call around or about April 1st. I can't help that I'm a sunshiney gal. It's in my DNA. Clouds make me sad. I hate the cold. I like flowers, not dead, bare branches. I know many, many people adore the fall, but fall and winter tend to seem like one really long, cold night to me.


Yes, the colors are pretty and I like winter clothes... boots and sweaters are fun, but if I could live on a sunny island year-round that would suit me fine!


But, at least I live where the winters are somewhat mild and I am grateful for that. Today, to combat the gloom, I am working on some colorful, fun art projects and making tortilla soup.


It's all good...

Hope your first day of autumn is snuggly and sweet...

xoxo~Dale

a week of RAIN!!

So, a loooooong week of grey, wet days is inspiring me to make some ultra-cheerful banners! I am hungry for color and joy!! I KNOW the sun will return, but I am beginning to feel like I am living in the novel "The Road" (great book~ read it!)...

On a more sunny note, I did actually stroll into my studio and make some pretties on Tuesday! It was wonderful to get back in the glitter groove! I think I'll make a mermaid grotto today... Sea thoughts always cheer me!

Well, I am off for another gallon of coffee. Hope your Thursday is filled with light and joy!

xo~Dale

Sweet Cowgirl Tina

Cowgirl Tina, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

My friend Tina is a dear girl, a sweet mom and grandma, a terrific artist and one of the organizers of the fabulous Paper Cowgirl Altered Art Retreat. Tina has such a kind and generous soul. To know her is to love her!
This week Tina has been diagnosed with cancer. This is heartbreaking news, but Tina is one tough cowgirl! Across blogland prayers are being offered and support systems being formed to help Tina and her sweet family through this trying time. Jan of The Polka Dot Barn http://polkadotbarn.blogspot.com/ is organizing a fabulous gift for Tina. If you want to check it out and participate just pop over to her blog for the details.
You can also leave an encouraging comment for Tina here... http://tina-wright.blogspot.com/

If you are a praying person, please keep Tina and her family in your prayers.
take care~Dale xoxo

Mojo and the Blessed Virgin

Mojo and the Blessed Virgin, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Even the Beloved Virgin could not resist Mojo's charms. He time traveled to the ancient Holy Land to receive Her blessing... and a sacred wafer.

Oh that bird! He is a rascal. as I write, he peers down at me with his wee round eyes. I am smitten!

Hooray, for the long weekend! No real plans, but certainly we'll be poolside at some point.

Hope your Labor Day is restful and fun!~
xo~Dale

Mojo hobnobs with Marie

Mojo hobnobs with Marie, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

My parrot, Mojo, is a time traveler. Here he is with his beloved Marie Antoinette. This lovely painting hangs in Versailles, where Mojo often visted to the delight of the young Queen.

Yes, I love my bird. He is a constant source of amusement! You'd love him, too... I promise! He is pretty irresistible!

We are having a spate of incredibly beautiful weather here in north Texas. It is quite inspiring. Mostly it inspires me to lay around by the pool... ;)

take flight

blues 1, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Ah, what a beautiful morning in the Dallas 'burbs! I think this must be what the weather is like in Nirvana!
Today I am going to straighten up my studio space and get busy on some new projects. This hiatus from non-virtual art has been refreshing. I feel energized and focused!!
LOL! My parrot just flew by. He is so fun and GREEN! I adore his peppy spirit!! I was meant to have bird in my home! What a joy!!
Hope your Saturday is full of wonderful things!
xo~Dale

My boys have survived the first two days of school and better yet I have survived all the paperwork!!! Having only 2 kids in school is like a walk in the park. For years I had to do everything times 4. My oldest son is married and done with school and my daughter is in college. Now I have a high school junior and a 7th grader. Easy~peasy...
Now I am ready to return to my studio after a lovely summer-long hiatus. Well, I am doing LOTS of digital work, but it is time for some non-virtual art. I can't wait... well, maybe another lazy week, but then I swear I'm getting busy! Really!!!
xo~dale

feeling dreamy...

???? Vol.2 ????????, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, what a lazy summer I've had... nice and easy...
School starts on Monday, so it will be the end of my 3 months of sloth. I am eager to get back in my studio. I have so many projects I want to start (and finish! LOL)!
Hope your last days of summer are filled with smiles and sunshine... and a dream or two.
xoxo~Dale

Cape Hatteras,NC

Does place matter so much to everyone? I'm not sure. I am deeply effected by my environment. I love for my home to peaceful, pretty, reflective of who I am, of my family and our shared journey.
I like north Texas. The wide open skies are truly inspiring. The flat land feels grand and vast. Our winters are fairly short and mild. I love the sunshine and even the heat. The schools are good. Crime is low.
But my heart's home will always be by the sea. I grew up visiting North Carolina's coast. The Atlantic is fierce and beautiful. I have been to many beaches and now prefer the Caribbean's gentle azure waters, but anywhere near the ocean works for me. As a child I would love that first whiff of sea air that you could smell, well before the water came into view... and then that first glimpse of the ocean that never failed to thrill. Every time, every single time, I have those experiences my heart is filled and know that I am "home".
Someday I will live near the coast. Which coast? I am not certain, but that is my dream, my plan...

my bad...

memory necklace, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, I have neglected this little ole blog so badly this summer. I must do better! My knee injury and subsequent time being an invalid really allowed me to see that it is fine to take it easy. Okay, so maybe I've taken it a bit too far (LOL!), but I have discovered that everything pretty much just rolls along with or without me. No one went naked when I couldn't do laundry or starved when I was unable to cook (oh, those blissfull days!!). It is very freeing to realize that you are merely a pebble in the river. Your presence is not so vital, nor is your asence so keenly felt.
I am busy, but not frantic. Inspired, but not racing to my studio to create. I am percolating, I think... stewing ideas and enjoying my favorite time of the year. I am loving every minute of sunshine and savoring these last few weeks with my kids out of school. Soon the house will be quiet (well, we do have a parrot now, so not THAT quiet) and I will find my way back up the stairs to where my glitter and ephemera wait. For now, I am content to make digital creations and shut my laptop when the beautiful Texas sunshine calls me.
xoxo~Dale

~~~love~~~

Mojo & Will, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

My youngest son and Mojo, our parrot, are buddies. Birds are amazing! This guy TALKS! Show me a cat, dog, snake or potbelly pig that can do that? Mojo does like to take little nips of us, but we are working on that.

My son Ian's Caddy is a total loss. So sad, but he is taking it well. That was one fine boat... er, mean car...

I cleaned up my studio space this week so MAYBE I'll actually create something soon. I have been pretty busy with digital work, but I need to touch some paper and glitter soon!

We are having some rather amazing weather here in north Texas, which is to say it is well under 100 degrees!
Hope you have a beautiful weekend! xoxo~dale

awwww... crap!

Well, here's my 16 yr. old's prized '84 Caddy after he crunched it today. The good news is that he and everyone else involved in the accident are fine. Ian LOVES this car like it is his baby. He bought it in March. It had only 28,000 miles on it and was in beautiful condition. He piddled with it all the time and was always planning the next thing he wanted to do to it. Poor kid...

Having kids that drive cars pushes the parental concern levels to the roof... and this is why! It is always in the back of your mind when they are out in their cars. If you could know this feeling before you ever got pregnant in the first place, I doubt the human race would continue...

But, as I said, everyone is okay and that is what really matters. But my boy's pretty sad and that makes me sad and it's a dreary rainy day and I wish I could make it all better! Parenthood is always such a roller coaster ride and I don't like roller coasters. I long a nice, long, straight road where you can see well ahead and all you see is sunny skies... but that'd be heaven, wouldn't it?
Tonight I will give my son an extra tight hug and be very grateful that he is here and fine.
xoxo~Dale

lazy days of summer

gilded avatar, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Will and I have had a most relaxing and enjoyable week. The rest of the family (husband and 2 older kids) were off to New Orleans for a week of Katrina repairs (yes, there is still plenty to do). So, my youngest and I have been to the waterpark, the natatorium, the mall, out to eat (too many times!) and have generally lazed about and savored these lovely summer days.
I swear I am putting myself on a schedule starting Monday. I MUST get back in my studio before my head explodes with ideas! By this time next week I hope some of those ideas will have taken shape and I can share them here.
Meanwhile, I am getting ready for a visit from an old friend who is moving back here after several years in the saltmines (aka~Oklahoma). I am so excited to know she will be close by again. Tonight I will blend us up some frozen concoctions to enjoy out back beneath the palm fronds.
I LOVE summer... but I say that too much, don't I?
xoxo~Dale

What a glorious summer morning! I wouldn't mind straightening the arc of time a bit right here, slowing it down so might savor my favorite time of the year. Yes, it is very hot, but there's the pool and frozen beverages to help one one cope with that.
I am busy with digital designs right now. My studio is dusty and neglected. I am giving my non-digi muse a little break now. It's not that I am uninspired, but actually over-inspired! My head is filled with ideas! I need to pause and consider my next creative direction.
Meanwhile, the digital work keeps me creating and satisfies that need in me. Soon enough I will be snipping, glittering and losing myself in non-virtual art.
xoxo~dale

Mark Twain visits NikolaTesla

"Mark Twain in the lab of Nikola Tesla...taken in the spring of 1894, and originally published as part of an article by T.C. Martin called 'Tesla's Oscillator and Other Inventions' that appeared in the Century Magazine (April 1895)."
Ah, so much brilliance in one room. These are two of my fantasy dinner party guests. What an amazing photograph, an astonishing moment in time!

I love summer!

domestically disabled necklace, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Yes, it is crazy hot here in the Dallas suburbs, but I ADORE summer!!
I love the sunshine, the long days, the firefly filled nights...
I've been stocking my Etsy shop with some new necklaces. I have more to add, but I think I'm headed to the pool.
Hope you are having a beautiful summer day!
xoxox~dale

Lots of digi

gilded avatar, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

I have been super busy with digital orders today. What fun! I adore doing them so much!
I am listening to rain patter on my front door. We are having a little storm right now. We need the rain and it brings some relief from the crazy Texas heat.
I'm feeling lazy today... wishing I was somewhere in the Virgin Islands... St. John would be nice.

Monday...

I so need to devote today to housekeeping. Mojo has scattered seeds on the kitchen floor, everything's dusty, the stairs need a vacuum.... but I am really not in a houseworking mood. I was hoping for a burst of domesticity this morning, but thus far it has eluded me. Ah, but it is early. Perhaps one more cuppa' joe will spark my nesting urge.
Meanwhile, I have worked on some digi orders and enjoyed this very quiet morning. Kids are all sleeping.... ahhhh...
Later I must photograph my trinket necklaces and bracelets and pop them into my shop.
Oh, where's that housekeeper anyway?

thankful

What a beautiful morning here in Texas! As I enjoy the quiet (well, Mojo is cracking open sunflower seeds) I pause to consider the blessing of being a citizen of the United States. Our country is flawed, I know, but still it is a beautiful, diverse and gloriously free place. I am grateful to call America my home sweet home. Tonight as I watch fireworks with family and friends I will thank my lucky stars that I was born in the USA.

Paper Cowgirl Afterglow

LOL! Here I am playing teacher to my WONDERFUL and TALENTED students! It was so amazing to see what these incredible gals created with their class kits. We laughed and had so much fun. Is there anything sweeter than kindred spirits???

What a FUN time! Glitter, lace, birds, laughter and FROSTING SHOTS!! I had the BEST students!!! Such clever, creative sweet gals!!! I will post pics soon!! ... happy sigh...

big baby!

OMG! How did this happen? My baby is 13 today!!!!
How utterly astonishing!
Will is such a sweetheart. In this photo he is doing one of his favorite things, though he isn't usually this calm in the pool. He also loves art and is really talented in that area.
But 13! Oh, my! No more babies at my house... sigh...

summer... sigh...

Oh, how I love summer! Fireflies, long days, the pool, happy kids, lazy mornings,

sunshine, my tiki bar, fresh cut lawns... ahhhh....

I am busy, though... playing catch up from my long months of recovery from a broken kneecap. It feels so good to be able to do laundry (what did I just say?!?), drive a little and (slowly, carefully) climb the steps to my studio space! I am regaining my life! YEA!!!

Paper Cowgirl fast approaches and I am in the thick of preparations for this awesome altered art retreat. I am looking forward to teaching my class and hanging out

with some very cool and fun girls!

Life is good!

Hope your summer is off to a sweet, sunny start!

xoxox~dale

this makes me smile!

Why do these tiny tomatoes delight me so?

Well, they're so darn cute and they're in

a topsy-turvy planter and that in itself
is silly. They are growing so fast!

I am looking forward to homemade

pico de gallo!

soon!!

Paper Cowgirl is in a few weeks and I am busy preparing class kits and vendor night items.

I have made some fun necklaces and bracelets loaded with vintage trinkets, beads and other sparkling treasures.

My knee continues to heal. I am limping along and getting stronger day by day.

School is out~~YEA!!!~~~ My house is full of kids, happy kids!!

Hope your summer is off to a fun start!

I've been doing some digi work, making jewelry for Paper Cowgirl and reclaimimg my life one careful step at a time. My knee is better, though far from healed. Sleep is still difficult and I am walking very carefully and using one crutch or a cane. But I feel better and am beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

My boys get out of school on June 5th. Hooray for summer! I am ready for the pool and the deliciously slower pace of life around my house for the next 3 months.

I LOVE sunshine!!!

May is flying by! I am slowly reclaiming my life as my knee heals and I regain strength.

A patella fracture is a complicated injury and takes longer to heal than a broken bone that is not part of one of the major weight bearing joints of your body. Some people seem surprised that I am not completely healed by now. Well, it is a long recovery from this. Muscles have to be retrained. My quads are shot. I still have so much swelling and my surgeon tells me that this will take a year to dissipate. I am not able to drive yet and am still using a crutch, but I am making steady progress.

I think what I truly need is the healing warm water of the Caribbean! The photo above is of Cayo Espanto, a private island resort in Belize. It looks like a bit of heaven on earth to me. I guess I need to get rid of all crutches, canes, etc before I try to walk on the beach. Now that is incentive!

dreams of flight

I love my life. My family is my heart's treasure. My home reflects the things I love. I am blessed with dear, caring friends. And I have time for art and writing, two of my great loves...

Still, there are times when I dream of flight. After these long months of health issues, I sometimes find myself contemplating escape... not from my life, but to a place of calm and good health. I am wingless, so I will continue on my more traditional route that requires patience

and effort on part. Today the sun has returned and brought with it a generous measure of joy and hope.

I hope your day is filled with light and smiles.

xoxox~Dale

It is a grey, stormy Monday. Doesn't feel much like May.

Despite the gloominess of the dayI am trying to be cheerful

and get some things done. I have lots of digi work to finish.

My knee is improving, though not as rapidly as I'd like.

I might need to find a giant wren

and train it to fly me around. What do think?

a little romance...

paying the piper

So yesterday my orthopedic surgeon pared me dowm to 1 crutch and no brace.

In my jubilation, I overdid it and had a pretty lousy evening and night. Today I

have lazed around in an attempt to reduce the swelling and pain in my knee.

Ah, well... a little setback, but I know I am making progress.

I must be patient... MUST BE PATIENT!!!!

It is gloomy here, storms approaching. I hate thunderstorms and I super-hate

tornato watches!!!

I worked on digital orders today and watched "Cash Cab". Tonight is "Deadliest Catch"!!

Can't wait! It is the closest thing to going on a cruise I can manage right now.

Hope your Tuesday was pleasant!

xoxo~dale

woo hoo!

Hooray! Today I had an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon. X-rays show that my
kneecap is healing nicely. And I am down to ONE CRUTCH and NO BRACE!
~~~~~OH, JOY!!~~~~~
I feel like I have wings! That evil brace was trying to EAT my leg! I think I want
to burn it! No wait... it was $750. Maybe I need to put it on Ebay!!! LOL!
Kate and I went to Olive Garden to celebrate with breadsticks and salad!
I feel like I am finally getting better!! AT LAST!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!