Walls

I'm in a wonderful art group where we share our talents with each other in round-robin style.  One of the things we're working on is graffiti-style work based on the book Walls.  Inside the book are lots of pictures of - you guess it - all kinds of blank walls, just waiting to be defaced.  

We could have taken pictures of walls and then just drawn on them - perfectly good idea - but the book wasn't very expensive and we wanted to patronize the author for coming up with such a great concept.  Here are two photos of wall art I created.  So much fun!

222

My friend Rita at Tattered Past listed 22 Things About Herself and mentioned others doing the same.  I think it's fun to do this now and then and haven't in a while, so here goes.

1-I start listening to Christmas music in October

2-I love Brussels sprouts

3-I hate liver

4-I believe in miracles

5-I don’t believe in magic

6-I enjoy reading historical fiction

7-I seldom read science fiction

8-When I was a little girl, I used to imagine the Beatles were secretly watching me and were in love with me

9-I am completely inspired by music:  to sing, to dance, to cry, to create.

10-I have a scar on my leg from hot plastic that dripped on it when my brother and I were burning army men-age 7

11-I regularly see a close friend whom I’ve known for 45 years.

12-I am double jointed

13-I love to sew and learned how from my home ec teacher in junior high

14-I first watched Star Wars in 2004. A late adapter.

15-I love romance movies. Even the sappiest

16-I don’t trust people who don’t like animals.

17-I remember people by how they take their coffee or tea

18-I put splenda and coffeemate in mine

19-I love to copy quotes and save them

20-I used to copy song lyrics and save them

21-My secret vice is watching the Housewives of Beverly Hills

22-I cannot ski, snowboard, or ice skate. But I made sure my kids learned to do all of that. (I’m a good swimmer, though, and so are they.)

If you happen to do the same, will you let me know?  I love to learn more about my friends.

Gonna Miss Ya, Regis

Teri and Angus at Regis and Kelly Show

When I first moved to New York City in 2004, I left classroom teaching and instead taught children  who worked in movies, television, and Broadway.  One of these students was Angus T. Jones, the (then) little boy from the tv show 2 ½ Men.  When acting kids are out of school on a few consecutive days, they’re required to have a set tutor to help them make up the work they miss.  For me, it was always a lot of fun to discover which show or movie I’d be working.

On this particular December day, Angus was appearing on the Christmas episode of The Regis and Kelly Show.  Everyone in the cast was wearing pajamas for the show, including Regis and Kelly. Angus had knit a pretty impressive scarf as a gift for Kelly, which I particularly remember because I still hadn’t mastered the skill of knitting and was amazed that this little guy had.

Even more than the scarf, I remember the scene in Angus’ dressing room just before the show began.  Angus’ parents were there with us and he was finishing up some schoolwork, waiting for his cue to go onstage. We heard a knock on the dressing room door and looked up to see Regis, who was there to visit Angus and welcome him to the show. A few minutes later, Regis, (dressed in pajamas and a Perry-Como-like bathrobe) Angus, and Kelly’s kids were all singing Christmas songs together backstage. No one - except a few inconsequential people like me - would ever see this scene.  Regis wouldn’t get a sound byte for it. It wasn’t done to impress anyone. It was just the real Regis, a genuine man sharing himself and his love. 

This week I watched Regis’ last show and I thought about how many smiles he’s brought to countless faces over the years – not just the ones we’ve seen on tv, but especially the ones that never appeared on camera. In a time when we find very few celebrity “personalities” who look the same from the back as they do from the front, this man was the genuine article. We’re going to miss him.

Central Park at Twilight

My friend Holli sent me a link to a Pinterest that our friend Brandi had pinned.  It was a lovely photograph called Twilight in Central Park by Rod Chase.  I was working in my Smash Book journal today, so I sketched my version of the photograph in there.  So inspiring.

101 Handmade Ornaments Tutorial

It's that time of year again...when I start hankering to make some home made ornaments.  There are all sorts of things at this link:  Ornament Tutorial, for the most talented and the least.  Put on some happy music and get in the holiday spirit!

GPP Street Team Challenge

It's all about the music, and I can't get enough. Michelle Ward's challenge at GPP Street Team this month was to do a page inspired by one of our favorite songs.  I have all kinds of favorites, and this one is definitely one that touches me.  Ben Folds Five Still Fighting It  (link to youtube vid, below)

If you want to watch a youtube with this song, here ya go:   Still Fightin It video