Under The Red Roof: More This and That

It'll be a few days before I can post finished projects because I've got several partially completed. I'm working on a few Halloween things and I'm also putting together my Sweet & Sinister Swap goodies. I thought I would just share a few pictures of fun stuff. I apologize for not being in the mood to set up a pretty photo shoot. It was pretty much all I could muster to clear away a little space to slap the paper plates of junk jewelry down. Do you like junk jewelry?? I love it. I love finding a few precious treasures among a big blob of junk jewelry and I also love looking at some of the amazing atrocities I find! I like trying to make something pretty from something ugly and I like finding creative and different ways of using clasps and what not. A bag of junk jewelry can captivate me for hours.

Before I insert the photos I'll tell you a little story. Brian and I took the kids to the fair last night. Luke, of course, always has to take a friend and Jackson is not yet to the age where a friend matters to him. He just loves riding all those little rides over and over. Traditionally, we take Luke's lifetime best friend, Blake. He's in full comfort zone with our family. He's been there as long as I can remember. Love those kinds of friends. Well, Luke and Blake ran into a couple of their middle school friends so we let them do the midway, with their cell phones on high and vibrate, alone. I wasn't actually planning to let go of the leash this year, but I always let my instincts guide me when it comes to those decisions. It felt right. While we were still with them, I thought I would test their cell phone awareness. So, I call Luke's cell phone and watch him. He's looking around, talking, pointing having no idea his phone is ringing until it was almost over and I saw the look on his face that said, "my pocket is vibrating.....it must be my phone." He then fumbles around and fishes out the phone with hope flickering in his eyes, takes a look at the screen, looks at me and rolls his eyes. So, I then immediately call Blake's cell phone. Same thing EXACTLY. Looking around, talking, pointing; then the flicker of realization that his pocket is vibrating....the fumbling.....fishing out....looking at the screen....rolling eyes. I had to run them through the paces and I also had to annoy them. It's what I do for a living. I did the whole thing again about an hour later when we met up with them. I crack myself up. Guess what? They went through the paces just exactly as they did the first time. It's like predicting what a Border Collie will do if you throw a frisbee.

I do loving going to the fair. We went every year while I was growing up. Always went with the Wofords. They had a son my age and we were very close. Bill Woford was a Highway Patrolman like Dad. Most all our friends were fellow troopers' families. Dad always rode the rides with us until we were old enough to ride alone. Mother wouldn't get on one of those rides if her life depended on it. Sissy. Isn't there always one parent who rides the rides? For Luke and Jackson, it's me. Brian doesn't do rides. Anyway, one year I won a goldfish. I was so pleased with myself. So happy I had won something and THRILLED it was a living creature I could take home and care for (in reality neglect and kill). My dad fully tricked me. We were heading into a building and he said, "you can't take the fish inside the building." I believed him. Why wouldn't I? So, we decided to leave the fish outside in a safe place off to the side of the door. Later when we exited the building do you think my fish was there?? I was horrified. It marked me for life and I was an adult before it dawned on me that the man had set me up. He didn't want to hassle with that fish all night so he schemed a way to dump it that wouldn't be apparent to me. Only a parent would sink so low.

I still love going to the fair. Although, I miss those upper teen years and my twenties when I could eat and go through every building. That's what I love to do at the fair. I had a good dozen years of never seeing the midway. I've now come full circle and find myself back in the midway. I was almost back to the buildings and food then up popped Jackson. I'm looking at another 8 or 10 years of midway. Thank God I love seeing joy in the eyes of my children. I guess I can stand the midway for a while longer. I'm afraid, by the time I come full circle again, I'll be gliding through those buildings on my Hoveround.

Okay, I'll start with photos of Barbara's beautiful box in actual use. You can pretend my island and studio walls are painted. I'm guessing I'll be on my Hoveround when those get painted too. The last photos are more millinery flowers (I've been replenishing my stash) and junk jewelry which I'm constantly buying. Don't miss that Elvis pendant!

Comments

Did you eat a corndog????? That says fair to me!!!

OOOhhhh, those mounds of junk jewelery look fun!!!

But the big question I have for you is about the milinary flowers!!! Where do you get them? Are they vintage? I would think a company that makes reproduction flowers like that would be very popular!

Posted by: Laura | September 22, 2007 at 02:13 AM

What eye candy. I love finding old jewelry and vintage flowers also. It gives me such pleasure just thinking about how I will reinvent them.

Posted by: sharon | September 22, 2007 at 11:33 AM

Oh yes, the fair and Dads! Mine loved the rides and since I was an "only" for a long time, it was my lot in life to be dragged on every one of them with him. Horrified of the rollercoaster and still am to this day. He enjoyed it tho and I think that's what our fair days were all about.
You don't honestly think my mother was going to get on one?

Posted by: susan | September 23, 2007 at 05:15 AM

Sounds like you had a terrific time at the fair!!! I love how you used the box to store the flowers. What a drool-worthy stash you have of flowers and jewelry. I can hardly wait to see the gorgeous things you will be creating with them!!! Great photos too!!

Posted by: Barbara | September 24, 2007 at 06:15 AM