Another Felted Bag

I'm ready for winter now! I finished my Black and Grey felted bag today. I'm not even sure what I'll use it for but everyone knows I'm the Bag Lady!! I was so proud of learning how to do the I cord for the handles. I also did a LOT of painting today - all cigar boxes and now they have to dry about a week. And I made homemade chicken salad with tomato, onion, feta cheese and black olive salad which was so good. Now, I've got so much to do tomorrow I'll be crazy! Pack for Columbus and Florida - bath the babies - run some more errands - load the van - then drive to Columbus tomorrow night! I will need friday to rest for the weekend! I'm also glad to post that my mother's cataract surgery went fine and she says she can see very well. She's already back to house work and cooking! We are looking forward to seeing all the family in FL but NOT looking forward to the weather. Oh well, it's hot everywhere this time of year. Good night - got too much to do!

A quick one

just a note to say I figured out how to knit an I Cord tonight for my bag - pics to follow after it has dried. I washed the bag twice to felt it - now I'm ready to tackle the "Cloche Hat"! Can't wait to see you next week Christy and hope we have a little knitting time!

The Elephant Charge

"The Elephant Charge"

24 x 48

Oil on Board

I think I finished this tonight. I enjoyed painting this so much and looking forward to doing some more wild life. This is for our special friends Shawn and Andrea for their wedding present which I hope will be dry and I can deliver it next weekend. I was so glad to be able to paint today. We had Mel and George (Shawn's parents and our partners in Belloo's) here last night for dinner and spend the night. We had such a wonderful time - a great meal - and good friendship. What makes this painting special is Shawn asked me years ago if he ever got married would I do a painting for him and he is marrying a wonderful girl, Andrea. And she has no idea that I know she loves and collects elephants! Hope I can get a camera shot of her face when she sees it! It's back to work tomorrow at Beluga and I've "done my roots" so bring it on baby!!!

For little Miss Maggie's 5 Birthday

I think I mentioned that I got a package with some very colorful yarn from Maggie in Florida. She looks at my Blog with her Mom and thought I needed some yarn. Of course, I wanted to make her something right away. Now, living in Florida (and me being a beginner knitter) I knew she would not need a hat or scarf or mittens in July - I thought about a picnic blanket then read that the yarn was felting yarn. Which means it will "felt" or shrink really tight when you wash it. So that was out. Then I came up with a bag - of course, I've never made one and the patterns I was finding had all the gibberish about yo and decrease and increase which I don't know how to do yet. And those pesky circular needles - not yet. So as usual, I made it up. I had to guess the size since I've never "felted" anything and believe me when I put it in the washing machine I was scared of what it would look like - BUT it turned out great and about the size I thought it would. I made the straps and sewed them on - I now have a video on how to make a I-Cord - but these are fine and I sewed buttons on each strap. Maggie LOVES stickers and glue and paper so I filled her bag with just that plus a notebook and markers and glue. It's going in the mail tomorrow for her 5th birthday next week. You know EVERY girl has to have lots of bags - this from the orginal "bag lady" - I can't get enough so YES I've started another one. I'm using wool and it's thinner that this other yarn and I'm trying to make it bigger so we will see. One of these days I'm going to learn how to read patterns!!!

Old Women fall down steps!!!!

Ouch. Yep, I did it - fell "completely" off the the stage and down the steps at Belloo's after my second show on friday night. I always go out into the audience on the last song and head for the dressing room. Of course, the lights are in your eyes and you can't actually see the steps. Dehra and I always help each other down and she is out right now due to throat problems. Larry said I'll help you but when I looked over he was playing with both hands on the sax and of course, I can get down the damn steps! I was going to balance myself on the monitor (which was sitting on a milk crate) and as soon and I put my hand on it to balance the "four inch" heels it toppled over and I went right along with it. Several people rushed to help me up I just laughed and said Somebody get me a Scotch!!! The elbow took the worse hit -I was trying to save my microphone by holding it up! There are lots more bruises but I will spare anyone those pictures. And for that show I had on blacks shorts and a frilly top so no one saw my girdle!! I think they did see it on the first show during "copa cabana" when I dance and flip my dress! Oh, well, the show must go on and it did - I was very sore the next day but got right back in those heels and danced the night away (only this time I made SURE there were plenty of young hard bodied soldiers to help me up and down the steps. And Kenny is very glad he doesn't have to buy a new cordless microphone this week - the things I do for this man!!!!

A Lovely Dinner Party

I typed all of this in and hit the wrong button and lost it all. You are suposed to hit control z and it come back but it didn't work this time. Damn.....Anyway our friend Sandra and her daughter Leah (in town from Boston) invited us to dinner. They are friends as well as clients of Kenny. I took along my knitting bag to sit by the pool and knit while did business. Well Leah - she is a doctor in Boston - is also a knitter and gave me a few pointers - yeah. I received a gift today from our little Maggie (and Debi) of 4 skeins of felting yarn. I've never felted so I want to make her a little bag so I'm searching for a very very simple pattern!! Leah gave me a couple of ideas so I hope to start it tomorrow. I do hope for a little down time tomorrow (and it's suposed to storm here). We went to SC on Sunday and came back on Monday so it was exhausting as usual. But my Daddy is getting so weak and I'm very very worried about him. I can't even talk about that right now. And I'm sad too - Dehra won't be with me and the band this weekend and not sure when or if she can come back. She's having major throat problems and is going home to NC to a specialist. So now it's back to Old Claiborne carrying the show. How long can I keep this up? I love what I do - just wish I could have a little vacation - a REAL one. So, I got a package today in the mail of some lovely felting yarn from our little Maggie (and Debi) in Florida - I want to knitt her a little tote bag so I'm searching for a very very easy pattern and to felt it. Leah gave me a couple of ideas so Ihope to start to work on it. I did take them Hostess Gifts - I made Ice Cube Soaps with Olive Oil soap and a little food coloring. Then I knitted Bamboo Face Cloths - put them in a Martini Glass and wrapped in plastic wrap. They were really cute but I tried to take pictures with my phone and they are not so good but you get the idea. I'm thinking cute Christmas Gifts!!! The soap is so easy and the Ice Cube Trays are great! Tatiana is wanting to play Blue Elephant - this is her play time - 2 AM - EVERY night! Matilda is just ready for sleep by this time but you can set the clock by Tatiana! I gave them a bath today and they are so pretty and smell so nice. And of course, it's going to rain tomorrow so their hair will be messed up - it's OK - we need the rain! I made my Micro Wave Sweet Pickles last night (yes, they taste just like the ones your Grandmother Made) and I grew the cumcumbers in my garden. - If anyone wants the recipe let me know - sooooo easy and soooooo good. Tatiana is relentless so I have to bury the Blue Elephant under the covers and let her dig for it! Other wise - she throws it off the bed and barks until I get up and get it. So it was a nice evening and good night to everyone......

A Lovely Dinner Party

Painting Progress

I'm not quite done - got to darken the shadows and lighten the lights but I'm loving this painting - it's a wedding gift - I may do a wild animal series! It was so great to paint for a couple of days this week. I needed it so bad and I hope to get in a couple more next week. It's work time now for the weekend so I have to rest, rest, rest and I can't seem to sleep more than 4 hours at a time. I hate it when I get like this - I'll end up crashing sometime next week.

Our Buddy Ricky

The Three Musketeers!!!!!!!
Before all of the 4th of July stuff - we knew Ricky had to fly to the Bahama's for a gig on saturday and that he had a 4 hour lay over in Atlanta but we were not sure of the time. Just as we were pulling out of our drive way he called and had landed at the airport! So by the time he got taxied in, on the tram, thru the baggage area - we were pulling in the airport! We picked him up and went to a McDonalds for about 45 minutes and it was lovely. I have not seen Ricky in 2 years (that's way too long for best buds!) We got to visit a little and take some pictures and act silly as usual. He WAS suposed to be coming back here for a week but they got another gig in Vegas this week so he had to fly back on Sunday. We miss you Ricky and wish you were here with us all the time!!!!!

4th of July weekend!

Part of the Gang
Me and Dehra

Shawn, our hotdoy "chef"

George and Mel

Pat our fearless leader

me and Kenny - hey, where's his costume????

wow - we had a great time at Belloo's. We threw a "Luau" for the 4th and had a party. They shoot the fire works from the top of the parking garage so our parking lot was closed. So we invited people to come early and grilled hotdogs! I made homemade hotdog chili and everyone enjoyed! After the fireworks we did our shows and a few more people came in. And Dehra's Mom came with her this weekend and we all just love her to pieces. My favorite part of the night is when I sang America the Beautiful and everyone at the club joined in and held up lighters.

Something to wear to the Emerald City!!!

I finally did it! I found a knitting pattern for a hat that you did not have to do in the round! And I made one tonight - it's easy, fast and I love it. I wish they made more colors in this thick yarn (size 19 needles) but I do like this green. I shall just skip down the Yellow Brick Road and knock on the Wizard's door and I know he'll let me in with my green hat! I'm making the Wrist Warmers to match. Damn, I can't wait for cold weather!! The photo is terrible but I couldn't wait for me to get all dolled up in make-up. We also went to the vet today for Matilda's yearly checkup and shots. She was soooo good - not even a wimper and Dr. Arin asked her if she still did her "spin-around" and she did it for her! We also may have found a solution for the "fleas" - I hate fleas and put the stuff on their back every month from the vet and they still get fleas. Now they have developed a pill that kills the fleas in 30 minutes and suposed to last a whole month. Well, I gave them one today and cannot find any fleas on them at all. I just hope it passes the "Columbus" test and will really last a whole month. That would be great. They bother Tatiana so bad and she gets bites on her. We now have to have "pool time" every evening and play in the pool with the balls. Matilda still could care less about it but Tatiana waits to be put in the pool and she'll just stay there and play with the balls - she's so funny. Happy 4th of July to everyone - we'll be in Columbus and see beautiful fireworks from the club and then we're having a "luau" Saturday night - with limbo, grass skirts and coconut bras (sure hope they have some huge cocounuts for me!!!!)