29 March 2007

These three pretty things are handblown glass tumblers that I made!  Every summer for the past three years, Ginger and Kelly and myself have had the wonderful opportunity to study under the amazing Shannon Jane Morgan of Girl Glass. Shannon is a mostly self-taught, extremely talented glassblower.  We consider her a master, although she will sometimes argue that.  She has generously given us the gift of her time and her studio and her supplies, and we have tried to be the best apprentices we can be.  It is after all, the opportunity of a lifetime.

Somewhere along the line, I developed a particular love for the use of glass “canes” as colour in a piece, and I’ve chosen to make a number of items using them.  I made Kyle a blue one that he keeps at work, then the pink one for myself, in 2005.  Then, in 2006, I made the purple and green ones.  What I’m crazy proud of is that these three are so similar in size and shape.  They sit now, on the little shelf over my kitchen sink, and I get to look at them every day.  Every day beauty. 

Today, another full outfit left my possession to go home to its new owner—Leah’s burgundy and ivory ensemble is complete.  Woo Hoo! Tonight I worked on sewing more pearls onto Emily’s sleeves.  And now, I’m going to get some sleep—I’m in bed before eleven for the first time this week.   Heck—I’m in bed before three a.m. for the first time this week!

~MB

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28 March 2007

Early in the day, I got a wild hair that I should take a photo of this necklace to send to my dear friend Allyson.  She is a very talented jewelry designer and creator, and has herself made some of my very favourite pieces.  This one she did not make, but I am desperate to have a cool pair of earrings that matches it!  I know she can do that!

To see some of Allyson’s available designs, check out her website–Persimmon Jewelry.

There was never time today to take any other pictures.  Another day of work, work, work.  In fact, the self-imposed deadline I was trying to meet tonight—still not met.  It’s four a.m., though, and I’ve got to get a little sleep.  I will finish all this hand sewing tomorrow! 

~MB

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27 March 2007

Happy Birthday Mama! 

Of course, I know she’ll never read this, but it just feels right to say it.

Kyle and I were on our way to dinner when I realized I now have pretty little purple phlox in bloom in the garden.  The poor, neglected garden, where I haven’t even had time to pull weeds or take up last fall’s leaves.  Just a couple more weeks of working seven (or eight) days a week, and I’ll start to have time for such things.  I really look forward to doing some gardening!

So, anyway, when we got home from dinner, Kyle disappeared and I caught him coming back inside the house, camera in hand.  I have no idea what photos he was taking, but it gave me the idea to try to shoot the phlox.  It was dark, so the flash washed too much colour out of my photo.  Kyle then volunteered to hold a flashlight for me!  So, he held the little torch he carries in his backpack, and I desperately, and not-too-successfully, tried to hold my camera still enough to get a decent photo.  Sadly, this is the best of the batch. 

The purple and white phlox are part of a work in progress—all the flowering plants in that garden zone bloom white or purple, and nearby is the TCU spinner, a giant horned frog resin sculpture and a “horned frog crossing” sign.  Someday, I’d like to have purple and white blooms in there the year ’round.

~MB

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26 March 2007

This one’s for Leah.  I’ve been working on beading her underskirt a couple of hours at a time, for three weeks.  It’s gonna be yummy!  Ivory damask with pearls and little gold beads.  And the bodice and overskirt are this beautiful, fancy geometric brocade, trimmed in a custom-made gold fabric trim.  The sleeves are big, hanging sleeves that have a soft, sexy, curved shape and end in a point.  The whole thing ought to be done within the next day or so. 

~MB

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24 March, 2007

One, Two, Three, Four, Five…Five Stop Signs…mwahhh, hahh hahhh haaaaa!
I guess TXDOT (TX Department of Transportation) REALLY wants people to STOP at this junction. The composition isn’t what I would normally strive for, and perhaps some day I’ll go back and re-conceptualize the photo. As is, it was taken from the driver side window of my car as I waited at the cross light. This area is under a massive amount of construction right now as they are completing a bypass that circles around to the South of Midlothian. Sadly, it seems that downtown Midlothian businesses are suffering from this new highway. In fact, the only reason I even got to take this picture is due to the side-trip we took to get food at a fantastic little Mexican food restaurant in the downtown area. Sadly, it’s closed up and gone so we continued on our saddened way. It’s then that I saw this row of Stop Signs. WTF?? I took the photo.
Cheers.

~KR (24 March, 2007)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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24 March, 2007

One, Two, Three, Four, Five…Five Stop Signs…mwahhh, hahh hahhh haaaaa!
I guess TXDOT (TX Department of Transportation) REALLY wants people to STOP at this junction. The composition isn’t what I would normally strive for, and perhaps some day I’ll go back and re-conceptualize the photo. As is, it was taken from the driver side window of my car as I waited at the cross light. This area is under a massive amount of construction right now as they are completing a bypass that circles around to the South of Midlothian. Sadly, it seems that downtown Midlothian businesses are suffering from this new highway. In fact, the only reason I even got to take this picture is due to the side-trip we took to get food at a fantastic little Mexican food restaurant in the downtown area. Sadly, it’s closed up and gone so we continued on our saddened way. It’s then that I saw this row of Stop Signs. WTF?? I took the photo.
Cheers.

~KR (24 March, 2007)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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24 March, 2007

One, Two, Three, Four, Five…Five Stop Signs…mwahhh, hahh hahhh haaaaa!
I guess TXDOT (TX Department of Transportation) REALLY wants people to STOP at this junction. The composition isn’t what I would normally strive for, and perhaps some day I’ll go back and re-conceptualize the photo. As is, it was taken from the driver side window of my car as I waited at the cross light. This area is under a massive amount of construction right now as they are completing a bypass that circles around to the South of Midlothian. Sadly, it seems that downtown Midlothian businesses are suffering from this new highway. In fact, the only reason I even got to take this picture is due to the side-trip we took to get food at a fantastic little Mexican food restaurant in the downtown area. Sadly, it’s closed up and gone so we continued on our saddened way. It’s then that I saw this row of Stop Signs. WTF?? I took the photo.
Cheers.

~KR (24 March, 2007)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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24 March, 2007

One, Two, Three, Four, Five…Five Stop Signs…mwahhh, hahh hahhh haaaaa!
I guess TXDOT (TX Department of Transportation) REALLY wants people to STOP at this junction. The composition isn’t what I would normally strive for, and perhaps some day I’ll go back and re-conceptualize the photo. As is, it was taken from the driver side window of my car as I waited at the cross light. This area is under a massive amount of construction right now as they are completing a bypass that circles around to the South of Midlothian. Sadly, it seems that downtown Midlothian businesses are suffering from this new highway. In fact, the only reason I even got to take this picture is due to the side-trip we took to get food at a fantastic little Mexican food restaurant in the downtown area. Sadly, it’s closed up and gone so we continued on our saddened way. It’s then that I saw this row of Stop Signs. WTF?? I took the photo.
Cheers.

~KR (24 March, 2007)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 58 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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We both drove this route from home to Scarborough’s faire site yesterday, and neither of us ever saw any blooming bluebonnets.  But. today, as I drove down around noon for the Costume Parade event, (which was too much fun, by the way!) there they were!  Bluebonnets!  Beautiful, blooming bluebonnets! 

I love bluebonnets!  When I first moved to Texas, of course, I’d never even heard of bluebonnets.  We don’t have bluebonnets in New York.  That first Texas spring was absolutely magical for me.  I thought they were about the prettiest things I’d ever seen.  Years later, when I was married to Roger, he and I went out and took a bunch of photos in the bluebonnets one spring.  To this day, when I see a field of bluebonnets, I picture myself, twenty-something, in that little white short-sleeved, shirtwaist dress, kneeling in the bluebonnets.  I think they are an amazing gift.  They’re here for us, again!  Go out and find some.  Take some photos.  And enjoy!

~MB

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23 March, 2007

What we have here is a collection of glasses, mugs & steins in varying shapes & sizes from all over the world. The one thing that all of these vessels has in common is that I acquired each and every one of them while drinking a beer out of it. The Flying Saucer, which used to be in North Arlington, used to have beer night on Wednesdays. Buy the special beer of the night and keep the glass. Half, give or take, of the glasses you see here are from that event; the remainder are items I have collected from various bars and breweries in various locations. It’s a fun collection if not particularly useful.
Cheers.

~KR (23 March, 2007)

Camera: Canon PowerShot S1 IS
Exposure: 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

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