Five minutes summer door decor

Bought this grapevine/basket at Michaels on clearance for $2.00, moss was free (already had some) and the starfish came from my beach shell collection.


So here's my $2.00, 5 minute summer door basket!

My red front door!  Benjamin Moore Heritage Red is a great true red.  I have painted this door at least 5 times in the past year.  Our house faces West and we're about 6 miles to the beach.  I'm thinking it's getting a fresh coat about every 2 years!

Rainy days project

This is the second piece of furniture I recently bought at an estate sale.

Started working on it during TS Debby, in the garage, dehumidifier on full blast, in the dark.

Finally gave up and moved it into the studio to finish.

I purchased it to use in my booth at Patty & Friends, but

I think it's staying right here!

Colors:  ASCP Old White (outside) and Chateau Grey/French Linen/Duck Egg combo (inside)

Left the desk part inside the original very dark cherry-mahogany, just touched it up.

Just finished for the bedroom!  (Happy Birthday to me)

  Old white with clear wax ASCP.

Thoughts on shoes

Glass slippers are found in your own heart, quietly tucked away for safe keeping.  Prince Charming only had one glass shoe, and had a difficult time locating the match.  Glass slippers are fragile and will break easily.  Don't be a Cinderella and loose one of yours.


Dance down the path God has laid out for you; it's probably not a yellow brick road.  Dorothy was lost and confused, but she did keep her red shoes on.  Kansas was a nightmare.


Belle didn't even need shoes to move like a ballerina, swiftly and diligently and wasn't a bit concerned that a beast might step on her toes.  Confidence and self-esteem do not come in a box.


It would be terribly difficult to "whistle while you work" in stilettos, and you'd have to wear flats in a room full of dwarfs anyway.  Snow White was a brilliant hard working young woman who had enough common sense to wear sensible shoes.


And finally, Rapunzel, who didn't even need shoes!  Dancing, painting, fleeing the castle and falling in love, barefoot.  Think of all the closet space she must have.  And you never have to look for your shoes or worry about which ones to wear.  Yes, life is easier without shoes.






I wrote this at midnight during a tropical storm.  That may or may not explain a lot, depending on how well you know me! My granddaughter, Olivia, lost a shoe during her recent visit to Mama Suzys house, and I have been looking for it ever since. It's still lost.  

Cleaning Up The Porch

Spent most of yesterday cleaning up the sun porch and preparing it for stormy ( see how I didn't say hurricane ) season.  

Book Tower

Great way to stack overflow books that just won't fit in the bookcase.  I will have to remove these for a while when my grandkids come to visit!

Georgia House Portrait

Three great houses all in Georgia.  The top one is their current home, bottom left their first home, bottom right their second home.  This is a anniversary/new baby gift.  Thinking I need to do this with my past homes, but wait, I'm too busy working!  That's a good thing:)

Old White Mirror

Cool old mirror found at a thrift store here in St Pete. Chalk painted Old White.

Found this cute shelf for the bathroom at an estate sale. Chalk paint color Cream with clear wax. Great for holding all the overflow stuff that won't fit under the sink!

Still loving it!

Our new master bath was finished just before Christmas 2011. I still love it and wouldn't change a thing! Duck Egg Blue ASCP with dark wax, walls are Martha Stewart Sterling.

Graphite Pencil House Portrait

House Portrait with three homes commissioned for an anniversary gift. Shows their current home on top, then their first home and second home.

Let me Chalk Paint your stuff!

I've painted several furniture pieces for friends recently, and really enjoy it! So if grandpas desk is looking a little rough, call me. I promise, it will be gorgeous!

This is a Bombay Company cabinet that I use for overflow CD's. It's painted Duck Egg and waxed dark.

Detail on the top of a large cabinet.

Curio Cabinet - Old White Chalk Paint

This turned out really well with Old White. Lightly sanded and I left the inside the dark walnut color.

Estate Sale Table - After

Here's the after! Versailles Green, Cream and French Linen with Clear Wax.

Hello February!

February has been very warm here, but just had to plant some pansies. Found this old enamelware pan with just happened to have a few holes in the bottom - perfect!

Table Before

Estate Sale purchase end table! This is obviously the before picture. Still in progress but should have the after soon.

Painting with Cream and French Linen.

Antique desk - chalk paint

Antique desk done with chalk paint. This one took me quite a while to finish, but it is my favorite so far. I made the legs a bit darker with duck egg and dark wax.

Chalk Paint Buffet - Old White

Reflections of Cape May

Watercolor 5x7 - 8x10 with mat

Yellow River Marsh

She Loves Me - Watercolor

Traveling West - Watercolor Koi

BungalowFest Cover Art

House Portrait

House Portrait Christmas gift a friend commissioned for her husband.

Graphite Pencil 11x14

9/11

Evil slips into her room

Uninvited, unannounced

Takes what is not his,

What was hers,

Though he reviles it.

His precise hands are methodical

Defiling flesh and steal

Concrete and bone efficiently,

He does not stop to feel.

He seduces her like a lover,

In a spiteful last embrace,

Then he coldly snaps her neck

But has never seen her face.

He covers her torn body

In a blanket made of dust

Leaves her broken down and naked

On the desecrated earth.

The city now consecrated

Still the proud lady weeps,

Tears of anger turned to acid

Burning streaks down her cheeks.

Susan 9/11/01

Yellow River Marsh

Yellow River Marsh

6"x6" Gallery Wrapped Oil

Empty Pockets

5" X 7" Oil on Canvas

This past week our Russian, Polish, German? plumber named Simon has spent quite a few hours working on our 1923 house. New plumbing for us (Yea!) not so good for dollars, as Simon would say.

I was working on this painting at the time, an the appropriate name came up by the end of the day. Empty Pockets. Pretty much describes how I'm feeling right now.

Hemmingways Window

4" X 6" Oil on Linen Board

Clifton, VA

This one's titled "End of the Lane" - I took some beautiful pictures recently while visiting the Washington DC area. This is around Kay and Joes property in Clifton, VA. I hope to have a few more paintings from this gorgeous area. Joe and Kay are planning to open up their "compound" by next summer for a youth camp. Needless to say, It was very inspiring!

Weekly watercolor, yet to be named. Help!

Right before dusk the sky turns the most amazing blue color. I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to capture this. Hard to do in our yard because of all the oak trees, but I finally got one!

"The Cat & Fiddle"

Watercolor 16 X 20

If I knew where this was, I'm pretty sure it would be my favorite pub.

Did one similar a few years back for a show and it sold, so I did another similar for the next show on 5/26. Skyline Fifth Ave, St Pete Fl. More details about that to come.

Latest Acrylic

Finished! 16"x20" Acrylic

Bessie

Quiet . . . . . .

Took a break from painting/framing today. Five paintings in 2 weeks is a lot for me. It's nice to have a day to breathe and a gorgeous day to be outside.

I love my old quilts and they remind me to take time each day to do something that makes you smile. I've never done any quilting, but I can picture how much joy this brought someone each day while sewing. Joy will come when you do what you love.

I only wish I could find this much joy at the gym!