Art and Adventures during March!!!

Hello friends...its been awhile since I wrote a personal post.....March has been super crazy awesome, inspiring, fun, adventurous, and quite the wonderful ride!!!

There was so much to talk about that I just couldn't fit it into one post so I thought I'd do a little video montage about my adventures!

                                                          Click    HERE to go to the video!

I traveled to Saluda, Nc to teach at Random Arts..to Asheville...and then back to near home teaching at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh NC...to the climax of my month when we traveled to the Outer Banks of NC for a gallery hopping trip from one end of the banks to the bottom of NC at Oak Island.....Friends, old and new...you've helped me get back on track to where I was meant to be all along. This month promises to be equally busy as I'll be finishing up 2 new online classes for Artful Gathering, traveling to GA for a show at Acworth, a couple classes near home, another show in Southern Pines, Spring Fest...just to name a few. On top of that, I will be working on TONS of new work to fill all the new galleries that will be representing me soon!!! (Some already have my work)!!!! Sigh....after going through a big obstacle and experience in Jan/February...I am ready to show back up....at home at in the art world. Thank you to those of you who stood by my side in the midst of the craziness. Thank you!! Let the creativity begin once again!!

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If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and see what's new in my art shop!!
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Have you seen my new photography shop yet???  Please take a look! I have some cool 5.00 prints for a special going on now!!!
Click HERE to see!!

Weekend Field Trip

Let me start off by saying I hope everyone's Mother's Day was grand!

I had so many photo opportunities this weekend, I couldn't decide which to share so I made up a few collages of the places we visited this weekend and what we did (the boys and I and some friends).

Remember my subliminal message about my wish for a particular present? Well my youngest DS insisted to his father that he (DS) had to buy me a camera for Mother's Day...and that is exactly what I got! YIPPEE!The brand name isn't a familiar one, but it shoots pretty decent pictures, has a few more bells and whistles (once I figure out how to use them life will be wonderful) and the battery holder actually stays shut (unlike my old one...which is why I had to get a new one)!

We ventured out to Myrtle Beach at the request of my oldest son who had a game plan for the weekend, first stop...Back stage at the soon to be Hard Rock amusement park in Myrtle Beach. What was once the old decrepit Waccamaw Mall, is now in the makings of a gigantic new amusement park, and you can visit a fun interactive musuem like building and tour the different worlds of the park (for free!). The picture above is a cool rug you step on and with the nifty tricks of sound and light, it looks like you are stepping in water! Cool!

((((You can click on the collages for a better view of the pics))))

More pics from the "Backstage Pass". All sorts of fun promised at this music themed park. Remember Led Zeppelin---okay now you rock n roll lovers can ride the ZEP soon! The kids hopped in a cool 60's British flagged convertible, pretended to be on stage singing in front of a massive crowd, jump through play spiders, take a trip through a psychedilic 70's tunnnel, and peek at what is sure to be a fun park to visit in 2008!

This weekend was bike week at Myrtle Beach, and boy was there ever a ton of bikes to look at! I don't ride mind you--but the kids love motorcycles so we headed to one of the main gathering holes for the visiting bikers, a bar called
"SUCK BANG BLOW"....LOL. What a name right? Even though it's a bar, it had a lot of things for the kids to watch and enjoy like a freestyle show out in the parking lot, a cool show called the Wall of Death (a stunt driver is in a huge wooden cylinder and rides in circles around the sides, doing tricks that I about had a heart attack over like no hands, no feet and turned away from the front of the bike...he even rode to the top of the cylinder to grab dollars from the obliging crowd), tons of fair food vendors,all pretty cool.
Hey, one thing though....I know I'm not too fashion savvy, but someone could have told me that fish net stockings over panties and leather bras are back in style! I felt over dressed!




Here you can see the big cylinder wall the stunt driver circled with amazing speed and no fear. Don't try this at home please!
My oldest planned a dinner outing for Mom for Mother's Day so the boys, several of their friends, their parents, DS's Dad, my friend Linda all went out at a very nice restaurant called California Dreamin'. Apparently DS makes a killer allowance because "he" sprung for our bill. After Hardrock, the bike show, and dinner, we dropped the kids off and the adults went to a nightclub where we had an evening totally on the owner (who also plays in his own band, on his own stage).....hmmmmmm that's what I need to do, get a bar, a band together and then I can be on stage myself! My x-did some work for him at no charge so the owner paid in him by treating for an evening out for 8---and boy did we take advantage of it. I rarely drink, so believe me, when I get to dancing, you know I'm torn up from the floor up!


Speaking of being torn up from the floor up..it was very hard to get up the next day....EARLY....to see DS's race, but somehow we all dragged our sorry behinds up and headed over to the track in Conway to spend the day....long day after tying one on..lol...watching DS and his friend in their second race of the year. Can I just say this guy in the orange shirt almost got taken down by me and Ds's friend's mother---we waited 10 minutes to get a good shot of them at the gate and this guy walked right in front of us as they started the race. GRRRRRRR. Despite the great start (my son is 102) and led the pack out of the gate, he finished last because he got hung up and fell of the bike then couldn't get it started again. :(





Good news :), the second race he went from last to 4 th place. the bottom row pic, 2nd one in shows him coming in just ahead of his friend in the green (number 5). We finished the day off by having a lovely Mother's Day dinner at McDonalds. LOL ya buddy, yum yum! We were starving by the end of the day, so I would have ate my arm if I waited much longer for a meal..lol. So, that about sums up my Mother's Day weekend. I won't go into any further detail on how close I was to showing up the dancers on Dancing with the Stars after a few too many vodka tonics...it's good to know that I still can shake it with the best of them :)

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Swap news--be sure to head over to Shara's blog, she's having a "Junk Swap". This is a no frills swap, you don't buy anything, just trade Junk in honor of use what you have month of May (or at least trade what you have for new junk). So anyone down for some O P J??? Other People's Junk?? Yeah! The key to this swap is to fill as much as you can in a large sized flat rate priority box, she even mentioned having a challenge for getting the most junk in the box..hmmm...who's up for a challenge?? Of course, only send clean, decent shaped junk....think little gifts you won't use, unopened bath goodies, samples you've collected, extra kitchen gadgets, surplus craft goodies, coupons you don't need, books, key chains, postcards, trinkets....oh my...just think of the possibilities! Sign up date is through May 20th...a quickie..so don't miss out! This is a good swap to tide you over until Rebecca, and I...and our newest Goodness Girl, Leighann, put on our next swap at the end of the month.....wooo weee..and this one is going to be a HOT one!! HINT!
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Next up--I re-did some additional tags for Raesha's Tag Swap after getting a new book which got my creative juices flowing. These are even better--hopefully I can get them done on Wednesday to show you that evening.
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Don't forget to use what you have this month! Be creative--I'd love to hear stories on your frugalness this month! In fact, I'm going to post tips I've uncovered along the way soon. Share yours too!

Grab Your Umbrella, We're Going on Another Field Trip!

(I just had to add that I love this house)

Okay kids, grab your $ bills, your walkin' shoes, and someone, please someone, bring the umbrella---we are going on another field trip!! I know, I know, I never keep my butt at home you must be saying. Hmmm..well the truth of the matter is, I rarely do anything (notice that I haven't posted since Tuesday??). It's nice to be able to romanticize on the blog and make you all think that I'm always on the go, doing this or doing that----so let's keep the illusion up for literary purposes please, and no one remind me that most of the time I clean the house, cook dinner, do our laundry and what seems like the neighbors laundry too, help with homework and an art project here and there. That pretty much sums up my nights! Today though, it was a really nice day spent with my dear friend, Mizfixit, we planned this little outing to Cameron, NC for their semi annual antique fair today. The weather at the beginning of the week was reminiscent of a sauna like temperatures. Then things took a turn, a downward spiral going from hot and sunny, to drizzle (okay downright pouring rain) and gray. Today it was on the nastier side of the week. Thankfully, most of the rain held off until later in the afternoon so we were able to peruse the 2 mile or so walk up and down the little town who played host to 350 vendors (or so that's what the advertisement said). I believe alot of the vendors chose to skip this show because of the ominous forecast this week.


I couldn't help myself but to go to a few yard sales before the big show...I mean they were on the way, so what's the harm!


And so our journey began, Mizfixit, me, and DS all in hot (okay cold) pursuit for that elusive item that we just had to have. I bought more food than I did antiques, truthfully. But there was so much eye candy for us to look at, I think we were more in sensory overload than anything. I ended up buying more food than anything! I just can't resist those people that make the homemade bread and goodies. I picked up some Lemon Cake (that is the best thing to buy at any craft show...there must be a secret society for crafters out there that hold the key to the best lemon cake in the world, only to be sold at festivals)! DS had his hands in the kettle corn faster than Orville Redebacher can say "POP", okay and so did I, truth be told. The first purchase of the day was won by Mizfixit, who found a set of lotus dishes for a mere dollar a piece! Snapped them up like a true expert thrifter. Made Momma proud! ;) Her plan is to make them into small floral arrangements--can't wait to see her creations!





Speaking of florals--this vendor had a ton of unique live florals. Every chair like this one had a SOLD ticket on it! I loved the idea so much, I bought a chair later in the day to turn into something similar....I think...I plan on doing it.....I'll add it to my list....who knows if I will do it...but that was the intention!




There was just so much at the show, despite the rain, you just never knew what was waiting at the next booth. I love this silverware set. It reminds me of a set my Mom had that would be brought out during the most special dinners and occasions. I wonder what occasions these sweet things have seen???











Along the journey we were treated to lovely sites like this simple yet beautiful church, and outbursts of florals dotting the walkways.

Towards the end of our trip the sun peaked out and the temperature started to rise again, but by then, our feet were giving out and my DS who was a very good trooper during our hike started threatening us every time we stopped at another table! Our one rest stop was at a wonderful little shop that had antiques and new treasures, and the upstairs was full of 1/2 off (or more) goodies. I bought several items there, most of which were pointed out by my trusty thrift buddy. She spotted several items I could use in my projects for 1.00, so what the heck, in the basket they went!

After three hours of walking, we headed back to town..oh but wait, there was one more stop to make. Thankfully so, it was there that I found a great chair to redo and make into a plant holder (hopefully) for a mere 5.00.

So there you have it, a trip down memory lane---at the Cameron Antique Show, Spring 2007!

Come to Spring Fest with Me!

Welcome to my tour around town today, please accompany me to the Spring Fest in Southern Pines, North Carolina. (Oh, you're a day late and a dollar short but no worries, I captured all the fun for you right here at Sweet Repeats!)

This "Welcome" Garden pic is handmade and a big deal--at least that's what the vendor was proclaiming to everyone that passed by! "I sell these for 5 dollars wholesale to the garden and nursery stores and they sell them for $20 dollars! I decided to sell them to you today for the same price!". Okay since you were so nice to do that, I'll take 2!
This is what you get when you try to take pictures incognito. I decided to spare you from the boob picture and the inside of my pocketbook. I actually have 2 feet, not quite sure where the second one is but it's there, I assure you!

I've seen these plants before, or at least others putting plants in unusual containers but I thought if there are any thrifters out there that have an abundance of kitchen vintage and you wanted to put your containers to use this spring, consider taken the washbowl and colanders and refashioning them into pots. This vendor had an amazing green thumb! I was too shy to take a pic of this amazing plant she had that covered about half of her outside tent, it was sold when I happened upon it, for a mere 24.95. Instead, you get a crooked photo of the colander plant. :)

I visited some wonderful shops, one I got a business card from and she even has a blog and an Etsy shop. Her partner for the booth had paintings and other altered art I was interested. just a little above my budget for this excursion. I was disappointed to find out when I got home and searched for her on google that she didn't have a blog or website. She does have a flickr photo where you can get a glimpse of her scarves and a couple of paintings she's created. She was nice enough to give me some tips on where to find premium art supplies in our area. DS, proclaimed as we walked off..."See Mom, you can be making 85.00 for your projects" (everything I do is a project, not a painting or a work of art according to my boys!).





If you ever have a chance to visit Southern Pines, be sure to walk the downtown area which is just blossoming with wonderful little unique stores dotted up and down the road and separated by the train tracks that run through Broad Street. You'll find everything from pottery, shabby chic decorations, high end clothing, eclectic restaurants, beautiful yarn, original art and jewelry and more. I love the green color of this store. It really pops out at you as you walk down the sidewalk.


I've always admired the grandness of this store, A Wild Hare. Inside you will find a bazillion items to decorate your home with. Pure eye candy.





How many times do you get to see an old fashioned train depot? This gem housed a gigantic book sale at the end (or in my case the beginning) of Spring Fest. Vendors dotted both sides of the street as we walked through the downtown area. I only purchased 2 books because I really didn't want to carry a bunch of books for 2 or so hours. Lazy me.






For all you theater "goers", we have here the Sunrise Theater. Often times they feature artsy movies or a local production from one of the several actors in our area. I have yet to visit it, but it's definitely on my list of to-dos one day. Isn't it funny that you live some place for so many years, and you take things for granted that you have under your nose? YET--you will travel 14 states and thousands of miles to tour "other people's stuff"! Take advantage of what is right in your back door next time you are at a loss as to where to go. You might be surprised as to what you will find. We live in a major golfing community. I don't golf. Go figure. But, in addition to all the golfing, there is an abudance of wonderful shops and art galleries as well as a gazillion historic places to visit right under our noses.
Check out another section of town we photographed last fall here.








Last but not least, here is the other Garden thingy we purchased from the boisterous vendor. How could I pass up such a bargain?
Thrifting news---before Spring Fest, DS#1 and I got up early and toured the yard sales and picked up ohhh, a few odds n ends, nothing too spectacular but my one bargain was a virtually new, large sized white microwave oven for 12.00! It was 15.00 but I bargained him down...LOL. I didn't think you'd want a picture of that, after all who hasn't seen a microwave oven..it's the deal that I wanted to brag on! Now before you think I'm living in the stone ages without a microwave, I need to clarify the fact that I did have one but it was on loan from a friend who let me borrow an extra one she had since mine was toasted so to speak. Now she can hers back. :)
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I hope you enjoyed our little field trip today! Please take me on your next one around town, I'd love to see what is in your backyard!

lucy