Do you know what day it is?

Buy Nothing Day
Happy Black Friday!

Thankful

When I went to Thanksgiving Square last week, I wrote on a small blue piece of paper what I was thankful for: friends, family and skirts.
I'm house sitting right now for friends and four very soft kitties. My reward for unconditional love x4 is 7 skirts, one for every day! I am so blessed with such amazing friends and opportunities. ~Mil gracias

Thanksgiving was spent with family in Oklahoma. It was wonderful...
My new skirt:

It is made from a burgundy and black floral print with bright purple centers. There is a sweet ruffle and pleats at the bottom.
Here's a close up of the print.

My niece and I drew with charcoal sticks that we found in the fire pit.

Handmade holiday decorations:

Something beautiful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Who's ready to eat?

I love to eat, and I especially love to eat BBQ. I tried a new place with my friends today, Mike Anderson's BBQ.

By the looks of it, one would think it was named www.mikeandersonsbbq.com. I should mention that the BBQ was excellent, especially the brisket

Hello! FREE soft serve ice cream. SUPER TREAT! SUPER SWEET!

Those cake decorating classes really come in handy.

And, the women's restroom is appropriately labeled.

Speaking of...

This one is not numbered. I need to go through them soon...
P.S. Mike Anderson's is right across from Parkland. Lots of cute doctors there!


Finally, a craft/art with food waste.
One of my favorite websites Apartment Therapy posted pics of this cute apartment in Madrid. I loved this collage made from food packaging.

What a great idea and excellent way to create from all the waste that will be made tomorrow. This would also be a cute idea to commemorate a child's favorite foods. It's so bright and colorful.
Yumm!

My Stephanies

I am lucky to have two. One of them celebrated her birthday yesterday, and I made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing (a first for me!) in her honor. It was very tasty!

This cake looks like it can't make up it's mind, like me! Actually it was our technique cake.

We learn how to write and make flowers on the nail next week, hoo-ray!

I also talked to my Stephanie in Connecticut, who is busy being an awesome mom. She told me she was making fake food out of felt for her three year old. How awesome is that? I want to make make felt food too! Send pics soon Steph!

Good Morning Wordle

i made a wordle this morning for my post.

I wish it were larger, but it's still so much fun.
Try it!

Making the most of it

I made a faux fire and fireplace today. I had to go to school to decorate my room for Christmas. I think the kids should do the decorating, but I had to provide some inspiration. That, and I hate pre-fabricated educational teaching materials for the most part. I get one idea in my mind and I have to go with it, but I love the way it turned out! I figure the kids can make stockings and mantel decorations: garlands, lights, etc. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
*Incidentally, my mom asked why there was a turkey in the fireplace. That's not a turkey, that's faux fire.

Skirt 45

To learn more, click here.

I recently bought a book by Keri Smith, How to be an Explorer of the World ~ Portable Art/Life Museum. I love it. If you have not had a chance to explore the work of Keri Smith, I encourage you to do so. I've found this book so delightful and fun. It has instructions. (I secretly like being told what to do.)

One of the exercises encourages travel; get lost in your city. I set out to do that yesterday. I didn't think it was the best day to take pictures, but it was one of the best days to be inspi-RED. Red tights make it easy. I took way too many pictures. :)

Public art?

Nope, it's private property and you can't take pictures of it.



I wonder what kind of records they have here. LPs? 45s? One day soon, I'll go in and find out.


In front of the old Texas School Book Depository at the corner of Elm and Houston...


Juxtaposition & so many patterns. Makes me want to draw again...




Thanksgiving Square

Designed by Philip Johnson



Stained glass designed by French artist Gabriel Loire

My city:

It's so ugly, it's beautiful.

Neiman's downtown: kind of reminds me of the Eliasson exhibition.

Glacier

by Douglas Cartmel

I also made another cake yesterday; it's pink.

Which skirt today?

Today is the 45th anniversary of the death of President John F. Kennedy. It is also, just another Saturday for me filled with cake decorating, writing, cleaning, art and meeting up with friends. So, the question is which skirt do I wear today? I could wear Skirt 45 to commemorate the anniversary. I could wear a green skirt, since I will be going to the Grassy Knoll today. Or, I could wear a gray skirt since that's what the sky looks like this morning. Finally, I could not wear a skirt at all and wear jeans or pants. I just don't know...
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
I suppose I should count my blessings - too many choices can be a good thing.

Grass is Always Greener...

One of the kiddos made me a bracelet and a matching necklace today. It was so simple and beautiful. It matched my green corduroys perfectly.

And, it's eco-friendly!

Lucha Libre Cake

Skirt 25 and my boots that I won on Ebay. Yay!

Check out that detail on that cake!

I had cake decorating class tonight; we decorated character cakes. I didn't especially like any of the cake pans that they had there, except for the hamburger. All week I was debating between a matryoshka doll and a Dia de los Muertos decorated skull, but All Souls Day has already passed. After much vacillation and a crafting date with the Crafty Chica, I decided on a Lucha Libre cake that I made and designed myself. Designing a cake wasn't too hard. In 9th grade biology class we had to create a model of the animal and plant cell for a major grade. I forgot all about this, but I made a cake, frosted and labeled all of the parts.

el pastel de lucha libre:

Wanna wrestle?

Books

I haven't been able to sleep lately, so my remedy is to read. Just last night I read a book that was ok... average. I hate that. I love it when I can get lost in books. It's the first fiction book I've read in a while, I think I'm just not that into make believe anymore...

Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs. I wasn't that into it. On a scale of one to five skirts, I have to give this one two. It is a pretty cover though. Kind of reminds me of this blog.

Skirt 65 and a book that I need for tonight's cake class. Hmmm. I wonder why?

Lucha Loco by Malcolm Venville

And the book that is currently on my night stand...


Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
by Gary Marcus.

Crafty Chica

I went to Denton today for the grand opening of Michaels. The Crafty Chica herself, Kathy Cano-Murillo was there with her husband Patrick creating greeting cards with everyone. I talked and created with her for about an hour. She is such a great person and someone I admire. It was awesome. Check out what I made with her products, which you can buy here.

Here's another one I created

Kathy wrote a special message inside for me...

peace and love
xoxo

Katie Awards Skirt

Last night The Press Club of Dallas held their 50th Annual Katie Awards. After a scandalous hiatus (read here and here for the crazy story), the awards were held last night at the Sixth Floor Museum. As part of the program, four men gave their accounts of the events that happened in Dallas, 45 years ago next Saturday, November 22. Hugh Aynesworth, vetran reporter, Buell Frazier, worked with Lee Harvey Oswald, Jerry Hill, officer who helped capture Oswald and Jim Leavelle, who was handcuffed to Oswald when he was shot. It was amazing to hear their accounts of what happened first hand. I turned to my friend, "what are we doing here?" Also on hand was Gloria Campos, a local Latina heroine of mine. I still watch her on Channel 8 and think, "You go girl!" She was wearing a rockin' red leather skirt, and she has beautiful teeth.
Anyway, I wasn't able to take many pics, but I want to go back next Saturday and be at the grassy knoll. It's a part of history that I was obsessed with as a kid, and to think it happened right here in my home town.

Funny shot in the ladies room. Wonder what happened here?


More party atmosphere at Dolly Python
a
Lots of great stuff, I'll have to go back when I have some $$$$$$$$$$....
(sigh)

Skirt 2

Out on the town for Art & Seek this evening, with lots of great art this evening.
@ Light and Sie:


Leaving CADD art lab in downtown Dallas. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas:

@ Hatch. Sure there was fashion, but I couldn't help but notice the cupcakes from Sprinkles. I love the cardboard cupcake stand. What a great idea!

More on this later...

A day in the life...

From our unit on Native Americans, my three year olds told stories with symbols on faux animal skins.

I think they turned out pretty cute!

"I can do it all by myself!"

Sometimes we need a little help from our friends.

A full moon on a November evening...

Lines and color...

Back to the drawing board, I have some projects to work on.