::Digest::

...and it seems blogspot has digested The Majorityof my blog faves

Dayum.

Bear with me...and let me know if you are one of the missing

sounds so ominous.

ouch.

So…..

::Thankful::

...for Big Black dogs managing all the comings and goings...

For the imperfection ( perfection?) of messes in the kitchen

made by once little people

creating a part of the meal…

and husbands

brining turkey’s

because they saw an article online…

and Grandma’s

making apple pies… teaching those with once tiny hands...
now large.

yep.
Thankful…sooo thankful.

~~~

The best to you and yours this Thanksgiving Day...

Hold ‘em tight.

Zen and the art of window painting…

As this thanksgiving week lands upon us

I plan to be thankful for rustoleum paint

and 1 and1/2 inch brushes…

among other things....

Bathroom window painted

as I plan to paint our metal windows…

black. Well a mixture of black and brown...ish

And maybe I’ll even get the big butt done.

chair that is...upholster the big butt chair...

Thankful for time.

To a productive week for all!

They came…they shot…they left. Photo shoot part II

…And now life goes back to normal.

Who am I kidding…Normal is a city in Illinois.

Life goes back to… the way it was. Perfect all the same.

The kidlets came out of hiding. Those that were home stayed away…far away… and would come around only when the gang left…with that look of are they gone now?

And yes they can brush and spit and shower to their hearts content.

Bo... the big black dog is exhausted…tough job to weave your 175 lb body between the photographers tri-pods and several thousand dollars of cameras and lenses.

I still cringe.

But… someone needed to direct this shoot

for Heaven’s sakes.

conferring on the correct angle.

I knew when I saw Gene Pollux... the photographer rolling on the ground playing with the dog …that I liked him.

Shots would be broken up by a loud barking…

And it wasn’t the dog…it was the photographer.

They bonded…what can I say.

What a process…Phew...who knew that one shot could literally take 2 hours.And the whole process two FULL days!

I loved watching the set up… taking turns looking behind the thousand dollar lens…

lens envy. still.

Then running back to the computer to warp it and weave it and triple check

and work their magic

Let me tell you… you haven’t lived until you see your bathroom grout blown up 100 times…and realize that it is not the same color as it used to be…and you can almost see the faces on the mildew family waving back at you

eeeegads.

Gene’s wife Simone was his assistant…and a more able one you never saw.

She is actually holding a chain out of the way of the shot…and practicing her "so you think you can dance" contemporary routine. really.

an amazing multi tasker!

What a warm and friendly couple they were. The whole team made the experience that much more wonderful and injected with FUN!

But some things…

plug your ears poor pitiful key lime chandy

just didn’t make the cut....

That would be Grandma B and Simone…and a ladder on the table… holding the kicking and screaming

key lime brancholier out of the way of a shot.

You just can’t take the diva out of the chandy…tsk tsk…

The writer/stylist Becky Jerdee had such an eye for detail…and fascinatingly always kept the reader foremost in her mind

“They want to see how it fits together….they won’t like that they can’t find this…oooh they’ll like this”

a consummate professional…and talented…Oooooo is she ever talented

she left me with a couple of the design books she wrote . Love!

So…the scoop.

They were here to capture images for three separate stories for Meredith Magazines

Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen and Bath makeovers.

They liked that we did most of the work ourselves...they just didn't know they would get the bonus of the grout family.

lucky them.

No clue when They'll be out.

...and does anyone have a recipe for pomegranates

I own seven now

and a few other goodies left over from the shoot…

Yeah me.

Thanks for the opportunity Meredith!

Thanks for the fun... photo shoot gang.

Count your lenses Gene.

Just sayin'.

A magazine??? Really???

Ok…so let’s pretend you are a 13 year old that has been playin’ little league since you were 7…even on the all stars

Then one day a couple of NY Yankees come over…and ask if you wanna play catch.

Or…as I couched it to the husband…Bill Gates pops over to show you his new stuff…

AND asks your opinion.

Ok…not my dream world…but trying to get the point across to my ever loving family.

So Today…Three of the most fab, professional photog’s and Magazine stylists were over at this humble casa.

Playin’ catch

With ME.

Me….for heaven’s sake.

well…not so much me..but the abode…or parts of it.

Really?? This abode?

And I ate up every styling, photo propping and shooting

minute of it!

with a spoon I tell ya.

It was amazing and eye opening to watch these three in action.

What eyes…what talent…

My kidlets…and the husband were way over it two days ago when I announced that

all showers…tooth brushing and whatever else goes on in the bathroom

has to stop.

yep. hold it folks.

Go to grandmas…go to the local campgrounds...

it just ain’t happening in this bathroom. Nope. Not till we get the shot.

Good grief people. priorities!

ok…so I might of been a tad over-dramatic…they’ll survive.

And the props….Oh what a ball…cherries, pomegranates… Tropical fruit and flora… enameled cast iron cookware, orchids…spa towels...

And two words…

Lens envy.

More Tomorrow…as they shoot the kitchen.

Whaaa?? Our kitchen??

Pinch me...

or don’t.

Plum tuckered out…and he barely lifted a paw to help.

Bozo. Not so much the photographers assistant.

Chair love…or not?

So…I like the warmth of tropical colors

ya think?

Yesterday...as I’m passing by the David Francis workroom ...I spy it has

some bolts of fabric outside in the driveway for 4 buckeroos a yard.

a lovely chocolate cotton

striped muted linens.

I paw through...

and there in the bottom of the box is a wrinkled up mass of color

my color

and it feeeeels like liquid mercury

yep. used to play with it…in my hand…as a kidlet

explains lots.

They have 4 yards.

It hops in my car and comes home with me.

And commences to flirt

with my big butt chair

the one from habitat.

The one desperately in need of some love

Are they made for each other?

Or... should ole’ big butt keep on lookin’?

Poor loveless big butt.

Knock knock…Who’s there? Orange. Orange who?

ORANGE ya glad it’s Friday????

And the 13th??

No problem.

top two photos: Canadian House and Home. Dan Duchars photographer

last two:Our Humble casa

Have a weekend like no other!!

Ooooh....and Check out the Handwork Chronicles...another

beautiful letterpress giveaway. Enter today until noon...

May just be your lucky day.