Just Because

Holiday Putz

This sparkly cuteness is parked in my living room. I think the red cellophane is a bit much, but it’s not something I can easily change.
This sparkly cuteness is parked in my living room. I think the red cellophane is a bit much, but it’s not something I can easily change.

The term “putz” was derived from the German verb putzen, which means “to clean” or “to decorate.” Originally, putz was a Moravian tradition that started about a century and a half ago when families created nativity scenes from organic materials as an annual holiday activity. By the twentieth century, putz creations had become secular, larger and more elaborate, and instead of nativity scenes, there were farms, villages, and toy trains. After World War II, Japanese companies started to mass produce cardboard structures with sparkly snow and colored cellophane windows that glowed when a C6 light bulb was inserted through a hole in the back. Nowadays, you see ceramic or plastic Christmas villages everywhere, but to me, these lack the putz charm of yore.

Thank goodness, the old hand-crafted paper and often crude putz structures from last century have been rediscovered and are being reproduced today. The two houses that I purchased were handmade here in the States. To see my second sparkly house, click on the link below.

Just Because

Trick O’ Treat

All items were purchased from Oriental Trading.
All items were purchased from Oriental Trading.

The goodie bags are ready and waiting by the front door, stuffed with edible weirdness and kooky treats. Again I miscalculated the bag size, and it looked like I wouldn’t be able to jam in all six items. It’s a tight fit, seams are strained, and items may be squished, but what’s Halloween without some squish? I haven’t tried any of the candy and probably won’t, but I am currently soaking a brain to see how big it grows. After eight hours it looks it may need a lifetime.

Just Because

What’s a Girl to Wear?

What to pack? Decisions decisions decisions...
What to pack? Decisions decisions decisions…

I’m having a packing dilemma. I’m flying off to vacation in Newport, RI for ten days and just realized that I have two suitcase sizes to choose from. One’s way too big, and the other is way too small. Drat. Why didn’t I think about this before my last day in town? But I’m very prepared otherwise. Since it’s truly autumn up there, I’ll be packing for cool weather—which means bulkier clothing—which means I have no other choice but to use the larger bag. Drat!

FYI: That doll critter is known as the Patsy Ann doll, which my mother named me after. Funny thing is that when I purchased a vintage version and showed it to my mom, she was so disappointed. Evidently, she had remembered another doll which was much better looking. Definitely not this one. Hah!

Just Because

Up Close and Personal

A detail of my cast stone statuette shot with my new macro lens.
A detail of my cast stone statuette shot with my new macro lens.

She may be showing her age, but in statuary, this is very desirable. Her provenance is unknown, but if she’s from Texas, her flecks of time took decades to form. Perhaps you remember her from a previous photograph, even if it was a shot of her rear profile. This time I wanted to use her as the subject using my new Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens, which you see above. For the following photo, I switched back to my standard zoom lens.

Just Because

Her Sunday Hat

Is it a hat or parasol? You choose.
Is it a hat or parasol? You choose.

She came with peonies. A former high school friend was in town visiting her aging mother and dropped by yesterday to visit. We both are very into our gardens — a common interest that we would not have known about if we hadn’t reconnected through Facebook. It was great fun catching up, and now she’s on her way back home. I’ve had this odd glass jar for many years and have never known what she had been used for. Perhaps olive oil. Someone else must have liked her odd shape and had decided to paint her face, but all that’s left now are flecks of red on her lips.

Just Because

A New Day, A New Look

Photo by Harrison Evans
Photo by Harrison Evans

Welcome to my new website. Everything is now visually under one roof. What I mean is that it’s not just a blog but much more. I purchased a premium portfolio theme (template to those not in the industry) and extensively customized it. It’s powered by WordPress and uses some newly available web tricks such as HTML5, CSS3, and media queries. Media queries is just a fancy term for a fluid site that will shape itself to fit all devices.

Please understand that a portfolio website is one that is loaded with heavy graphics and will have slow downloads on handheld devices. This kind of site is best looked at on any display larger than a smart phone. Another problem is, unfortunately, Internet Explorer which has been less than cooperative in keeping up with all the newly available technologies. It’s the only browser that required me to include gobs of extra code in order for my site to be seen somewhat as I designed it. IE is so hated that a lot of web designers have stopped catering to it. The browsers that are perfect angels are Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari. Love them, but hate Internet EXPLODER! Anything older than IE 9 will cause my site to look like doo-doo.

It still requires tweaking, but is ready for prime time. Have fun!

Just Because

This Year’s Holiday Card

christmas_2011

This annual bit of holiday fun was mailed last week. If you normally receive a card from me but haven’t received this one yet, don’t worry, it’s on its way. Snail mail isn’t what it use to be.

I kept the inside greeting pretty tame to compensate for those who may be offended by the lizard wearing the santa hat: Well no… It’s definitely not your typical innocent holiday card. But look at it this way, there’s snow, a sleigh, a glowing church, and a santa hat. Happy Holidays to you and your family!

I’m pleased to say that there has been only positive feedback so far.

Just Because

The Office Redhead

office_2029-saturated

Originally a Christmas ornament, this red head has been part of my office decor for twelve years, and is one of the many creative ornaments that I have purchased at The McKinney Avenue’s annual Blue Yule. What’s different about The MAC’s ornaments is that they can be used all year round. I couldn’t resist not taking a photograph of this one as the afternoon sun was lighting up the reflective paint. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be doing a series of posts showcasing my strange collection.

Just Because

Savoring the Quiet Moments

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Can be far more preferable. This post is for those who are like me and don’t wish to engage in the full on madness of the holidays. It seems like every autumn there’s a slow buildup of activity that begins to peak on Thanksgiving and continues into a screaming pitch that eventually explodes just before the new year. It’s as if there’s a contest going on to see who can out decorate, out party, out shop, out wrap, and out glamour. Instead of signing up for that tussle, my holidays will be about the simple things. So starting tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, I wish for everyone simple daily moments of beauty.