SATURDAY NAP

Sometimes you just need a nap.
I've been working overtime at my "pay the bills" job and I'm exhausted.
I worked this morning and then got home a little after Noon. I ran down to the library and got some books on gardening and then my sister picked me up and we ran over to a new Vintage/Antique shop that just opened. It was WONDERFUL. But I knew that it would be because I know the woman that opened it. She used to have a beautiful shop in the same neighborhood but she closed it up and moved to California. Now she's back and has created a new little shop. She is one of those people who just naturally has exquisite taste. I took some photos and I will try to do a post tomorrow.
Suddenly all the past week has caught up with me and I'm going to take a NAP!

I want to recharge myself so that I can get some things accomplished around here and also visit some of my favorite blogs later! So, I'm napping on the OTHER loveseat because obviously Blue and Twinkle have taken over the THAT one!

MICHAEL SOWA

Michael Sowa is one of my favorite artists. I first discovered his work in the movie - "Amélie".
I love that movie! Yes, it's in French but the subtitles just flow along the bottom of the screen and are so easy to follow. Visually it's such a beautiful movie to watch. I adore the music and the storyline is wonderful.
And then there's Michael Sowa's artwork. I love the prints hanging in Amelie's bedroom!

You've probably seen the "Diving Pig" print before.

Or maybe the "Girl with Bear".

My niece Maggie loves rabbits, so I've gotten her several of the different "Bunny" prints.

I'm thinking of getting some of THESE prints for myself:

Maybe one of these in my dining area -

This is such a small sample of his work.
I love how there's a "story" in each one. Here's one entitled "Duck flees Manor".

I love how his work is so unique.

LOL!

YASMIN and TWINKLE

My friend Yasmin Mundaca, Illustrator, Artist and Graphic Designer was inspired by a photo of my Twinkle in her Halloween Costume when I entered Twinkle and Blue in a contest (they went as "Dancing with the Dogs")

 
and I am totally blown away with the results! She captured her perfectly. I love the "eyes". So many artists never seem to be able to capture the right look when it comes to the eyes. Yasmin has achieved perfection! That's my Twinkle! What a great honor to have such a talented artist paint my Twink!

Please take a moment to stop by Yasmin's blog.
http://mundomundaca.blogspot.com/

She is a sweet and caring person with such a BIG heart, and a FANTASTIC artist!

Sometimes she's in Brazil, sometimes Portugal and sometimes Cleveland!!! She shares my love for animals and I'm proud to call her my friend.
She also has an Etsy shop filled with her fabulous prints! Here's a link to it:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/mundomundaca

Thank You, Yasmin! I adore the painting and YOU!
XOXO - Cindi

HORSEY AROUND

I forgot to mention that I recently sold some paintings at my job at the vet clinic.  I have several paintings hanging in the exam rooms and the bathroom but I hadn't put any prices on them.
I have such a hard time trying to price my work but finally I did and SURPRISE! I sold two! Then last Tuesday someone asked if I painted horses. I said that I had never really tried but I'd give it a go. I warned her that it might come out looking like a hound dog.
Then on Wednesday, I had ANOTHER person ask me if I paint horses! I told her that I planned on trying and I'd let her know when I got one done and see what she thought. (She also wants me to paint one of her dachshunds).
So I will be researching horses.

I think the reason that I've never tried painting horses is because I don't want to think about them.

When I was in grade school I remember that towards the end of the day the music teacher would put on a"record" and tell us to sit quietly at our desks and close our eyes and listen to the music and to make a daydream in our heads as we listened to the music. I realize now that she just wanted us to quiet down but I LOVED listening to the music and my daydreams were ALWAYS the same. Horses. Horses running. Horse jumping. Me on a horse flying through green grass.

I remember during summer breaks playing "skits" with my sister and our friends out in our backyard. It was usually centered around us pretending that we lived on a ranch and rode horses. Or sometimes I'd just go out to our swings and swing as high as I could and feel the wind on my face and pretend that I was on a horse.

I remember my best birthday ever when my Mom organized a birthday party for me and my friends and we all went horseback riding.

We went riding a couple of times after that and then she started talking about how I could probably get a horse when I turned sixteen. I was only 11 or 12 but I was so excited! Unfortunately life doesn't always turn out as we plan. She passed away when I was 14. When I turned 16 there was no party and definitely no horse.

I remember making a new friend when I was in junior high school and I would hang out at her house as much as possible. I would walk to and from her house that was about 2 miles away. One day I decided to cut through some of the backyards and across a field to go home. As I walked through the grassy field I noticed a fence running parallel to it. I wandered over and there stood a HORSE. It came to the fence and I would rub it's nose. I always walked that way home from then on, hoping to see the horse.

That was probably the last time I was around a horse...

Some dreams aren't meant to be. So I just prefer not to think about them.

Sigh...but now I guess I'll have to.

AARRGGHH! TESTING! TESTING!

I've tried to post twice and Blogger keeps "saving" my text and then deleting it out!
Am I the only one having these problems?

Thomas Edison and the NEWEST plan

http://greigedesign.blogspot.com

You mostly likely know someone who has a plan, a scheme, an idea for what they are going to do with their life, their career and that changes daily, weekly or monthly. You get might get tired of their ever changing plans. They seem to flutter here and there and only land on something for a moment, not taking the time to finish what they have started. Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man (woman) and I will show you a failure.

Maybe they are on quest for happiness or just a good enough income to pay the bills but they can be exasperating to listen to sometimes. You start thinking to yourself, will she just PICK something and just do it!
But maybe she just wants to do it all. Yes, I'm sure that you know someone like that because that someone is me. I was getting a bit tired of myself too but then I thought of my mentor.
Thomas Edison :

 I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
I've talked about him before in other posts, but sometimes I need to go back and remind myself.-
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
and
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
So, here's my NEW idea (but I haven't abandoned my others) I plan on combining my home improvements with pet related products! The value of an idea lies in the using of it.
If you been reading my blog for very long you know that I love White and Vintage/Junk mixed with Modern Country and Black.

http://greigedesign.blogspot.com

I follow a lot of Design Blogs and the majority of them show their OWN homes as they re-do them. They are always posted before and afters......Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

So I got to thinking (while looking around my home at half finished projects) Why don't I start posting MY improvements and/or remodeling projects!? I was thinking that the "pressure" of posting would PUSH me to get it done. Now I warn you, my house won't look like so many of the fabulous homes on other blogs

http://greigedesign.blogspot.com

but Your worth consists in what you are and not in what you have.So, there will probably be times when you will shake your head and think - What is that? Why does she have that in there? Does she actually LIKE that? But - Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish something.

I plan on doing most everything myself,  mainly because of the cashflow problem! LOL!
And I certainly won't get it done as quickly as a lot of the other blogs because I work full-time (and sometimes over-time) but slowly and surely it will get done. So the posts will be random. But I agree that -
If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.
and the pet products part? Well, I find that I can't afford the dog beds and things that I would like and that would fit into my decor. So I must make my own. (The items I CAN afford seem to be poorly made and are in colors and patterns that just don't fit into my home). So I plan on also making some things that I would like in MY home and will sell in my Etsy shop.... eventually. They will be one of a kind things like dog beds and signs and things made with "found treasures". So stay tuned!

 To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
Thomas A. Edison

FULL HOUSE

Well, I have a full house now.

Yes, Yes! I can hear you all out in Blogland screaming that it was already full but....

now it truly is.

I have had some of my cats staying at the vet clinic that I work at for a couple of years. It was nice because they got alot of attention from everyone, the employees and some of the visitors.
They were running loose in the cat room. The Doc had OK'd it but now he wants to redo the room into a Water Therapy room complete with a Water Treadmill. So, I brought my cats home.
I spent the last weekend and I mean the WHOLE weekend, cleaning and PURGING out my basement. I've gotten it all organized and then I set it up with industrial carpet squares and a few rugs. I then used some of the CHAIRS that I just HAD to buy and arranged it into a couple of nice "rooms". The basement is painted cement block walls and completely open.
I used one of the DOORS that I got from ReStore and blocked off a section and put the litter boxes behind it (for their privacy).
The cats now have the whole basement to themselves, well... except for the areas stacked with my vintage finds or my "boards" to paint and other odd and ends, but basically the width and length of the house and they have two windows. I've stacked Rubbermaid containers underneath the windows so that they can lay on top and watch the rabbits eat my flowers and the squirrels jumping in the trees taunting my dogs.


So, who did I bring home?
Kanga, my cat with no front legs.

http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/2009/09/kanga.html

Horton, my fat cat who is scared of dogs.

and Little Bug, my crippled cat that is scared of NOTHING

and chases Ralphie upstairs when he tries to enter the CAT DOMAIN. (None of the other dogs come downstairs because they are frightened of the openback stairs.) well, wait....sometimes my old Griffin comes down

http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/2010/04/griffin-raccoon.html
in search of "kitty granola" but Little Bug bats him away too.

I DO let the cats upstairs, but only when I'm home. I have some furniture upstairs that I would rather not have shredded. They are actually pretty good about not doing that. But of course I trim their nails regularly and they have their scratching posts downstairs. Sometimes I don't let them upstairs while I'm home because some things I can not get accomplished if they are upstairs.
Like cooking.
Cotton, who is my old white cat that is basically a walking skeleton covered in white fur. She has a hyper-thyroid problem and is on medication that must be given twice day. (which she hates and fights twice a day). She likes to sit on my stovetop. I'm assuming it's warm there and she sits on it until the pilot light gets too hot on her bottom and then runs around the top area of the house JUST out of the dogs reach. The little dogs REALLY want to get her for some reason. I know her days are numbered, so I let her eat all the canned food she wants. She has a ravenous appetite.

And then there's Harry.

http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-museharry.html
The cat love of my life. He is always trying to wrap his front legs around my neck and rub his face on my chin. He loves doing that. Hanging on, purring and rubbing. On the other side of me is usually Ghost,

http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/2009/06/this-is-my-cat-ghost.html
My white cat that was LOST for a month and 3 days. I did my very FIRST post about him.
He follows me room to room and constantly reaches out for me and demands to be held. So...if I'm really trying to accomplish something, I have to keep them downstairs.

So now you know why I work at the vet clinic and probably can't ever quit unless I win the lottery!