Criss-cross, applesauce

Traveling across Arkansas this weekend, we were amazed at the outrageous amount of contrails in the sky!

For most of the afternoon the sky remained full of the fluffy white streaks.

And I could NOT stop taking pictures.

All this aerial condensation photography obsession certainly made the trip go faster.

Have you ever seen so many contrails at one time?

Edible art

Here is  an art form you can really sink your teeth into. (Did I really say that--how lame!)

I found it on this new blog called

Low-Committment Projects.

The Georgia O'-Keeffe sandwich

I'll be checking back in with this blog, because this sounds like just the medium I need to be investigating these days-low commitment.  

My art projects have been pretty few and far between lately.

Now run along and see the rest of the art sandwiches. Hover over each image to see which artist it represents

Then come back and tell me if they made you hungry too!

Do you prefer mustard or mayo? both? neither?

Full circle and around again

First there was black and white, then there was color.

We all loved the color. 

 Then it became fashionable and artistic to go back to black and white.

I ran across this artist that starts back at the original black and white photos

and colorizes them in a very natural and believable way.

Ironic, isn't it?  We have color, but glamorize b&w.

Back then, they would have loved to have color.

I guess what we have now that they didn't then is variety.

I like that.

Visit the links below to see more iconic photos 

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Closing down the open house

Since I started it, I should finish it..before it gets any more stale.

  Rather than prolonging it into two posts, I'm lumping the whole thing into one.

With the exception of the bathrooms, laundry room and utility room, I present

the conclusion of Open House 2012:

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

BREAKFAST NOOK

KITCHEN

KID'S ROOM

MASTER BEDROOM

CRAFT ROOM

UPSTAIRS DEN

I hope you enjoyed 'touring' our home as much we I enjoyed sharing it with you.

I used BigHugeLabs to make the mosaics.

Welcome to our home:

Open House 

1-1-2012

FRONT FOYER

Snowman collection is displayed here.

GUEST ROOM

DEN

For you eagle eyes:
A close-up of the strange board on the piano that we displayed during open house. This is section of wall we saved from a renovation. Why? you are asking? It was signed by the electricians and dated July 20, 1911.

Each room contains pieces belonged to, and/or was made by parents, grandparents and great grandparents. This is really the hallmark of our home.  I made a card for each room listing these items and their origin, placing it on a small easel on a bed, bench or table.

I hope you enjoyed the first part of the tour.  There will be more to follow.

Happy 100

In the fall of 1996, we were blessed to be able to purchase our current home.

 2011 marked its 100th year.

circa 1911

2011

Structurally sound, it was a blank slate that had been sitting idle for a couple of years.  We will always fondly remember the vine growing in through the back door.  We giddily moved in with an eclectic collection of semi-modern furniture that had filled our previous house, now sprinkled throughout this cavernous beauty like an incomplete set of building blocks.

Throughout the years we have done some remodeling, some restoring, some collecting of antiques, and best of all: gathering of heirlooms. Every room, graced with precious pieces that once belonged to parents, grandparents and great grandparents, is furnished with a comfortable mixture of the old and new.

While our home has been the gathering place of many family, social, and church events, these are usually confined to the downstairs, the more public areas of the house, if you will.  But on this, the 100th anniversary of the house, we threw privacy to the wind and had an Open House on New Year's Day, to celebrate the grand ol' girl, share her with friends and neighbors, and satisfy some curiosity. Countless times we have had remarked to us: "I would love to see your house sometime."

Preparations began the day after Thanksgiving--a now or never type decision: the official 100th year was drawing to a close.  Christmastime would be a good time, with the ol' girl all dressed up in her holiday finery. We made a list of back-burnered projects and over-looked eyesores (when you start looking around your house with the fresh eyes of visitors, you see things very differently) and set to work.  For a while, the list grew; even as some things got checked off, more were added.  Finally, we began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

This past Sunday, January 1, we opened our home to family, friends, and neighbors.  It was a wonderful day.

While I work on a photo collage to post, (now that I'm not cleaning every.spare.minute) you can read more about the deliciousness we served our guests (and snag the recipes!) here.  My very own generous and gifted daughter 'catered' the affair!  Never mind all the historical  mish-mash: these cookies were all the rage!!