Ginny's Small Studio

Life

I am almost never sick.  I get some bug once every few years, but that is it.  Really.  The past 7 weeks I have spent in doctor's offices and medical labs all because of a really bad reaction to a blood pressure medication.  I think the doctors are trying to finish me off. I am feeling back to normal finally. Finally. Now that I have that off my chest....

I am dreaming of summer.

Dreaming of sitting on the patio with a cool glass of something with clinking ice cubes, smelling the sent of fresh mown grass and newly blooming flowers.

I am dreaming of bouquets of flowers in the house that have been cut from the garden.

But, alas, it is dark and dreary and wet outside.  I have been amusing myself by loading more stuff on my Etsy shop. This makes me happy because since I closed down Small Studio Emporium, I still have bits and bobs of stuff and it is more than I can use up myself. 

I also had a birthday since my last blog post.  My favorite thing about birthdays is all the phone calls from family and friends. Who needs gifts when a chatty call will make one happy? Although I did receive some pretty interesting gifts, too.  

We went to see The Adjustment Bureau last night with Matt Damon.  It was pretty good and did elicit some good conversation afterwards, but I think John liked it more than I did.

So what have you been up to?

Dreaming of Christmas Decorating

I don't know why I like  photos of "white" decorating so much when I have done my house in a dozen deep colors.  The white photos are dreamy and calming and impractical for the way we live.  We are a feet-up kind of family.  We own our furniture, it does not own us. Christmas decorations come in all colors. I own mostly traditional red and green stuff, yet I love the photos of the white stuff.  

Here are some photos that appealed to me today.

I also love red and white and look at the black and white checkered floor.

Our bedroom is red and white whereas this one above is white with a bit of red.  Great headboard.

I like the apple green accents and the hardwood floor in this photo.

I just like this black hutch with the wreath.  I can picture the family sitting round the table sharing stories and laughter.

These plates would look great in the cabinet above.  Red and white again.

I like this little pinecone tree, too. All photos are from Country Living, Elle Decor and Fresh Home.

Odds and ends:

1. I can't believe how many catalogs we are receiving in the mail lately and many are for things we never have or would shop for.  We recycle them at our library.

2.  We saw "Morning Glory".  It would make an good tv movie.  Rachel McAdams was over the top perky and Harrison Ford was over the top grumpy and Diane Keaton was the character she always plays. It was cute and predictable.

3.  We have noticed more outdoor Christmas lights already up.  Maybe it is because we had a warm spell and everyone decided it would be easier to put them up early rather than in the cold. Many of the lights are a combination of red, blue and purple.  This color mix doesn't show up as well as plain twinkle lights.

4.  Monday and Tuesday were about 60, Wednesday about 30 and snowflakes that didn't stick.

5. We have confirmed Michael deMeng, Teesha and Tracy Moore and Pam Sussman for our workshops next year (2011).  I will let you know who els as soon as they are confirmed.  Registration will begin in late January.

 

Meryl Streep: It's Complicated

It was a cold (14F) and windy (with wind chill-5) night, but I had a date and I was going no matter what. My daughter-in-law surprised her mom and me with tickets to a special preview showing of "It's Complicated" with MerylStreep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and a cast of other wonderful actors. The theatre was jammed (maybe just to get warm) with people who had high expectations.  We were not disappointed. It was hilarious, poignant and just plain fun.  Meryl Streep is wonderful.  She always has been, but it seems now as if she acts just for the fun of it and is thoroughly enjoying herself.  

Everything about this film is wonderful including the house the Meryl Streep character lives in, the bakery she owns, her kitchen, the actors who play her children, her friends...all of it.  

It opens on Christmas Day and I can't wait to see it again. Everyone was laughing so much that we missed quite a bit of dialogue. I recommend it highly if you like to just be entertained. 

Keeping Up

It was a cold and windy night, but we decided to try another movie.  We went to see Australia and even though it is almost three hours long, we loved it.  It has a predictable story line, but it was done well and each of the main characters were wonderful.  The photography was pretty great, too.  I would love to hear from some of you from that part of the world who have seen the movie.  Was it authentic?

I have been ignoring my paper journal for some time now.  I think it may be a result of blogging.  In the past I was an avid journaller, hardly missing a day of writing.  I started as a young girl with one of those pink diaries with lock and key.  It was easy to break into using a bobby pin.  Do they even make bobby pins anymore?  Do they make the pink fake leather diaries anymore?  I digress.  I continued to journal all through my adulthood adding artwork and doodles and ephemera as needed.  But the more I blog, the less I write in my journals. Have any of you found that to be happening to you too?  I really enjoy blogging and I love getting comments, something that doesn't happen with my hand written journal.  

Don't forget to browse our Emporium for last minute gifts.  We ship every day Monday through Saturday.

The shop will close December 20th until after the Holidays.

For a little holiday cheer, listen to a wonderful and fun Twelve Days of Christmas.