Sparkly Happy Wishes for a wonderful New Year! Thank you over the moon for all the Somerset Studio love! Your support means so very much to me!! I have all kinds of ideas up my sleeve for us! One having to do with a new friend that my mom has bestowed unto my little creature clan. I have decided that this new creature will be a constant reminder to wish and dream to my hearts content. A reminder to throw my wishes into the night sky (believing they will come true), and to encourage you to do the same...
So, I have an idea. Why don't we round up as many wishes as we can, wishes for loved ones, wishes for ourselves, wishes for the earth, wishes for change, wishes for love, wishes for kindness :) Leave any wishes you desire in comments. I will then take those wishes, and, well, the rest is a surprise that I will share with you picture by picture. We are going to send them soaring... (feel free to leave your wishes in code if they are too personal)
Also, there is grand news in this wee humble palace. There is a new king! Yes a new king!!! His name is yet a mystery. Did he share it with you? Please tell me if he did. If you guess his long fairytale-like name, I will send you a parcel that will tickle you pink!!! Here he is, after a long voyage to us... King Rabbit is what we are calling him for now... (he is in love with Xenia Schmidt it seemes :) She created that amazing little piece on the dark wood to the far right- with the clock piece in her hair)
In other news. I did bring home some fun treasures from my visit to my family over the holidays. I brought home treasures that were not even intended to be gifted. You see, I have made a grand discovery. While everyone in my family pokes fun at my grandfather's treasure hunting (junk as they call it), I find it scrumptiously fascinating!!! And, because my fascination exudes in an overboil of squeals, my grandfather gifted me 3 fantastic treasures.
The first, a Scale. Not just an ordinary scale, a scale from one of the Arizona mines. And, wait, it is for weighing, none other than, you got it, jewels and glitter!!! Oh, thank you Grandpa! That earned him one huge hug and a squeal!
The conversation that earned me the scale went like this. I look down, see it by the giant brick fireplace.
I then exclaim, "WHAT IS THAT!" "WHAT IS THAT!" Grandpa (Pedro) goes, "why it is a scale from the mines, you like that?" I go "Yes Yes YES!" he says, "it's yours, take it, Oh, and you know, I have to tell you about this typewriter..."
You promptly see my brain registering, typewriter? Now, I must confess, I do have a fabulous old Underwood typewriter, but it is nothing like this Underwood. My greed must have gotten the best of me. And, when my grandfather disappeared to go up to his warehouse treasure trove of goodies (not junk) and came back with it, I was more than touched. You see, it was the typwriter he used to use to type invoices and such on, back in the day, in his business. It is now set up in my new office. And, the wash basin Mr. Lovee brought me a few weeks ago, serves as a perfect desk :)
Blog posts will resume from here in 2008. :)
Can you handle one more trash treasure? Well, my grandmother says as I am leaving. "Your grandpa found this birdcage, and he is going to throw it away if noone takes it." Can you hear the record scratching and me looking dumbfounded. Whipping around to look at her, ponytail flailing in the air, "Did you say, b-b-birdcage??????" Mind you, noone else in the entire family even realizes that I am having the greatest treasure moments in life. Noone even budges or cares. They all look at me like I am insane and resume their Christmas gift exchanges and noshing.
So, here it is. A wood, hand-made birdcage. All for me, from someone else's trash. You see, I never ask for gifts. I never care. All I want is someone over the age of 75 to tell me I can choose anything I want from their junk pile!!! Oh ya!!
Of course, the creatures wanted a picnic in it right away. Convincing me by telling me how they had never ever had a picnic in a birdcage...
It has occured to me that I didn't share how the holidays went down in my world. It was so much fun. I am convinced my mother is a fairy. I even asked her, "Mom are you hiding something from me, are you a fairy?" She laughed. She did not say no though. So, That leaves the idea wide open. There are more fairies in her and dad's house than I can count. She put up her enormous village, she baked until she could bake no more... She put up 3 trees. One huge red, one gorgeous brown and olivine, the third, her magic fairy tree (my favorite)... She made us the finest dinner... Mom you are a Queen! A Magical Fairy Queen!!
My gift of a Morning Glori Vine creation to my brother, worked out beautifully. Brothers are tough ya know?
I gave my dad a vase that I made. Kind of girly, but he liked it. He got other dad stuff too. And my mom got all kinds of jewelry pieces from me and more. Oh and my sis loved her magic Jelly treats! It was a good time.
My grandmother cooked on her wood burning stove as always. (mom's parents)
And you were sure to find beans in a cast iron pan, and tamales, gracing the stove. Warm Mexican breads toasted inside, buttered and melty... Dad making sure the fire stayed warm in the stove...
My grandparents giant brick fireplace roared. Mom made a fancy Christmas eve dinner. And, Santa did in fact visit us while we slept. All of the leaves fell off of my parents trees. They floated so beautifully in the pool. My sis and I attempted to rake some up. WE did not do a good job. We ended up playing and hanging from trees instead. There is too much to tell, as I am sure your holidays are packed with tales of insanity or simple peace. Plates full. Below is a menagerie of photos of Christmas 2008. I took a total of 1200 photos. It was impossible to choose...
Oh, my crafty Aunt Denise made me the most amazing birthday cake that was waiting for me at my parents! She made a mock cake. She used a styrofoam ring and glued chocolates to the outside, then filled the center with chocolates! Very wonderful and crafty! I am sooo glad I took a photo...
So there you have it! It is over, even New Year's bashes are over. Wow, it is all so surreal and strange, this time of year.
Don't forget to add your wishes for that super fun secret of soaring I have planned... And help me name the King Rabbit. I have officially bored you blue so I am outta here for now.
Next blog post brings a huge shop update! A few days away ;) See you soooooon!!!
ps: I forgot to tell you about the girls staying late at grandma's huddled near the wood burning stove around a big rectangular table. Chatting. 4th cousins I did not even know, appearing with ghost stories that made me get goosebumps. And other true crrrreeeepy mysteries about our town. Oh, I will tell you more soon...
