Studio Renovations

I have done some serious rethinking!!!

Made a few 

Vignettes 

Along my way 

The last week

In progression 

Is a thing

Of the past

Tried 

A 

Myriad 

Of 

Configurations

I knew

The only way to salvation 

Was 

Minimal 

Minimalism 

And 

Floating 

Furniture 

To release the jesses

So we 

Can

Fly

I directed 

Dust

And stain

With

Tub

And brush

Uncovering 

The hidden

Treasures

Let them go

While I prepared 

For more substantial 

Finials

And 

Flourishes 

Untangled 

A years worth

Of camouflage 

And let

Those elements 

Climb

And thrive

In

Newer nests

The day was ending

And my cup was full

Ready 

Really 

Ready 

For the next moves 

Before the torrent 

After bliss

Settling images 

Into places

Some 

Very temporary 

Others 

Landing proposals 

And staking claims 

As

An army 

Of resolve 

What’s next?

The lil desk from our porch

Gets a full clean and emptying 

Putting 

Me in relax mode 

For today…

The Studio

Has taken a new breath.

x~J aka Painter Le Fay 

Tales From My DIY Xmas Past to Present

This is what My coffee table looks like 2weeks before Xmas (Last year)...

ah bliss...

These were me trees.... Last year...

Studio tree last year, w/me-made ornaments for the friends....

This was after Xmas. I'm never really ready to get rid of festive & sparkley...

Especially when winter is so dark n gloomy...

I like to celebrate winter... 

Helps it go by quicker...

Paper mâché deer head me-made in its first incarnation....

Studio desk after Xmas last year, ready for wedding projects like sewing The Dress...

My lovely lady lamp...

Faux hearth, toasty... Getting my Nordic influences in there....

Closer...

Closer still...

Stars on a stick hangs at the entrance of our Gypsy Porch...

Bell wreath, w/bow & sheet music ornament me-made...

I added some black elements last year, matte black, glitter, candy canes painted black... Icicles... Obsessed I was!

Me-made Stockings...

Outside the Studio...

This was a few years back.... May be the last real tree....

Needles... Still finding needles....

I reuse all the lovely tissue papers & brown bags.... TWINE! 

With this years gift wrapping I will be reusing other things.....

This years tree... Up to speed, with the new star...

Bent the branches downward to give an Alpiney Dr.Seuss look...

Gave Santa a Makeover!!!!! 

Never underestimate the transformative power of a bottle of nail polish...

More projects like this will be finished before the holiday gets here!

There's still so much to make!!!!

And Wrap!!!

Cards to Send! 

Vignettes to Arrange!!!!

Hope you're as busy getting Festive as we are! 

And I hope you're MAKING SOMETHING!!!

XOXO

~JM

Project X: Xmas is on its way!

Oh I'm on it!

Tree!

Insert Sia song here:

Kitchen Vignette!

Garlands up in Kitchen...

Brekkie is ready to fuel me!

Our blog time is limited this week, but Charli Dog is helping make it quality time!

:-)

I have MUCH to do! Pressies are in & wrapping must start! 

Can't wait to share my themes & materials w/ya! 

What do you all like to Make?

Share, Share SHARE!!!

Gotta go MAKE SOMETHING!!!

XOXO

~JM

Thanksgiving: The Results & Aftermath

Host Thanksgiving...

No problem!

Clean up after, oh my goodness!

If you have a chalkboard, you should use the chalkboard...

Even if it doesn't turn out perfect, erase, try again... 

Have fun w/it! Get your Festive Messages out there!!!

This is in the living room facing our front door... 

It all came together with some effort...

Before...

My Living Sketch...

The morning of...

Making both tables level, w/the obstacles of an uneven floor, & two dramatically different tables...

We made use of the cardboard box that came with our new couch from ikea...

And duct tape to secure it all together!

Large drop cloth from Home Depot... I will layer another large table cloth on top...

Mmmmm.... Layers.....

Napkins n silverware! 

Mixed & Matched Like I Like it...

Twine! Easy Peasy!

I pressed some leaves in a sketchbook in late September, threw em on the table...

Used some pumpkins that had helped w/Halloween decor, along w/local apples...

Some were SO Tiny & cute! 

Toss in some fake pumpkin knick knacks & clementines! 

CENTERPIECE! 

We had everything laid out buffet style...

Chargers (mixed & matched from Target & Michaels(link n/a)) & napkins stayed on the big table, while the dinner plates were in the kitchen...

Near ALL the Food.... 

It was Chaos!

So Much FOOD!

I took a break, and caught my breath out on the gypsy porch...

It was brisk, we had just had a snow storm... Pretty!

The faux mink throw keeps me toasty!

After meal sugar-fest w/as many deserts as there were dinner foods! OMG!

Turkey was delish! Thanks to Hubby! Thank goodness you're domestic! 

Carcass saved in the freezer for a friend who makes bone broth :-)

A Few Dish Washer Cycles Later...

A couple of broken items, leftovers given to folks, leftovers in the fridge...

LEFTOVERS ON THE PORCH!!! Good thing it was cold enough... ;-)

And a couple of days recovering...

The experience was totally worth all the work! 

Everyone came & had a place to sit & enjoy the feast & each others company...

And I'm full of ideas to improve our set up.... 

For the next Gathering.....

This Drink Cart for instance, was a last minute idea.

It helped make our wine glasses & coffee/tea supplies, etc... Easier to access...

I liked it SO much, I'm keeping it around!

I put the remaining coffee/tea supplies in yesterday...

There's one cubby left for wine, etc... ;-)

I celebrated w/a root beer float! 

This cart had been orphaned on the side of the road years ago...

I gave it a good home, w/a kitteh to sit in it...

One of its first incarnations as an art cart on the porch...

This summer it helped me as my painting cart...

Last year it hung out w/me in my studio...

Long may it live now as our drink cart! 

The first step in making our kitchen more efficient for the entertaining! 

I will attempt a kitchen island today.... If I can dig out the items to repurpose... :-D

I hope you all had a Great Holiday! 

We made some Good Food,

We made the Clean Up Educational,

Now we MAKE the Kitchen Kick Ass!

I Gotta Go MAKE SOMETHING!!! ;-D

XOXO

~JM

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