Special Things...

You see a lot of things on my blog about my son being a US Marine and how I love the American flag and that I have a Red, White & Blue art journal....well, yesterday was a great day.  

I have a colleague who was in the military once upon a time and he still does great things for our soldiers stationed in the Middle East....but today, I was the recipient of a special gift from him...because I am now a Blue Star Mother...a mother of a son on active duty in the Middle East.  So he gave me a blue star pin that I will treasure and wear every day as well as a window cling and a small banner with the blue star that I will hang.  People who don't have a relative or close friend in the military....have no idea what it's all about...  My son is the only one in his high school class who was interested in the military...or at least the only one who has pursued it.  I would never overrule my son's calling in life....after all, it is his journey.  So, above is a picture of the small pin that I will proudly wear.  Also in the picture...is a Red, White & Blue bracelet...I went on ETSY in search of one...and it arrived yesterday in my mailbox with a handwritten note from the artist..."Please thank your son for protecting our freedom."  It doesn't get any better than that...so that's my week. 

Home & Garden Altered Book

I have several altered books I'm working on at the moment...one on Females, my Red, White & Blue, the Word Journal and this one....Home & Garden.  So I painted this little stone house and cut a door out and added a piece of screen to make the screen door.  I painted a picture of my dog, Boomer, and he is the greeter at the door.  I added a bead for the doorknob and a lantern at the peak of the house from the Pottery Barn catalog.  The most fun was making a real, screen door.

Altered Book Class - Couture

Last Saturday I had my monthly altered book class.  Last month the subject was Steampunk Divas and this time....Couture.  This goes nicely in my book about females.  Dress pattern paper is the background with paint spread on with an old credit card.  Some rubber stamping, bubble wrap, collage, and ephemera. 

My Red English Racer

The house next door to me recently went up for sale...a house with 2 young daughters and a puppy.  It got me to thinking of my own childhood...when I was their age....it was the best part of my childhood.
We lived in a super neighborhood with lots of kids.  The Christmas I got my red, English Racer was the best.   We didn't have all of the fears that parents raising their children today have....we rode our bikes all over the place and we could go out on Halloween without fear.  Those were the days.  So...I went on the internet today in search of my old neighborhood and found a map which I used on the right side of the page.  My sister, Dianne, got a bicycle that Christmas as well...hers was a black English Racer.   Our bicycles were much more fun than a doll could ever be in my book! So...this is the latest entry in my Red, White & Blue journal.

Fireworks - It IS a Celebration!

FIREWORKS!

 I get into two different frames of mind on the 4th of July....one is about how lucky we are to be where we are and enjoy the freedom we have .... I can listen to any patriotic hymn/march and burst into tears....and I can also enjoy the celebration...the fireworks, etc.  After all, what is the 4th of July without the fireworks!  So...believe it or not, I started to do these pages thinking the page on the left was going to be things we enjoy on the 4th like ...ice cream and popsicles...and it turned into an explosion of ....fireworks.  So....Happy Birthday, America.  And Tom....for you and ALL of  your buddies serving this great country....God Bless You!!!

 

A Day at the Beach

Nothing Like A Good "Read" at the Beach

And so the holiday weekend begins....

I was searching the internet for a photo to post since I don't have any new art at the moment... this is what I think of when I think of the July 4 weekend...the beginning of summer...but how many Americans are actually enjoying a scene like this this summer?