Valentine's Day Soiree with Friends....

For all that know me, know that Valentine's Day is not a HUGE celebration between my sweetheart and I.

I know, it's hard to believe, with us being us, but, well, I'm NOT a big "pink" girl - even though he and friends have tried and tried to make me a convert...I DO love chocolate, but, well, I eat chocolate on a pretty regular basis, so a big 'ol heart-shaped box of chocolates doesn't do it for me.

Neither does a giant boquet of roses. Roses aren't even a favorite flower for me.

Ok. So enough of my poo-pooing the reasons we don't celebrate in the traditional way...

and on to the fun I had with the girlfriends last Saturday.

About a month or so ago, my dear friend, Kristen Robinson invited me to join her and a host of other friends, mine and hers, for a Valentine's Day valentine and cookie swap. Yippee, Skippee. I love to bake and decorate sugar cookies.

Of course, I am a proverbial procrastinator or very busy with numerous irons in the fire or a procrastinator...lol. So, I was off to CHA with good intentions of making my valentines when I returned. Well, one germ led to another and soon I was ridden with a migrating head and chest cold. Couldn't make up it's mind!

Suddenly, I was out of time and pushing hard to create something worthy of the guest list....and make cookies (but I would have made those fresh, at the last minute anyway!)

The party was fabulous. The company was grand. The cookies yummy. And the valentine's truly delightful and creative...

Here's a tour....

 Little cups for sweet chocolate morsels...

 Darling conversation heart rings...Baby Doll, Go Go Go, Kiss Me...
just don't wash your hands..the rings become a "blank", sticky mess....DUH!!!

Yummy delish finger sandwiches...sans crusts...chicken salad and cream cheese/cucumber.

Yummy individual salads. Cookies (like we needed more sugar!) & red velvet cupcakes (more sugar!)
Can you say "sugar buzz" ???

 Goodies.

More goodies.

My AQUA - not pink! - heart-shaped sugar cookies wrapped in soft layers of white and aqua tulle, embellished with a white monogram chipboard letter.

Serendipitously, the china plates I found were made in Japan and are named "Grace"... one of Kristen's favorite words!

 My Forget Me Not valentine. Altered vintage graphic from Graphics Fairy.

Painted wooden ceiling tile, topped with painted muslin, glass vial filled with Forget Me Not seeds, wire wrapped with some aqua glass beads, and sealed with strips of polka dot painted tape.

Topped with a big 'ol taffeta bow.

We exchanged cookies and valentines. Shared some good stories. Ate and laughed.

These creative little numbers were by Jania, Ty's girlfriend (my oldest son). They were so fun. She made them as valentines to give the man in your life. Such a great idea!

 Sculpted Paper Clay Heart with Wings by Laurie; housed in a vintage heart tin.

 A darling hand-made, zippered pouch with a red felt heart by Kelly.

  A sweet mix of PINK and AQUA valentine greeting by Kristen's mom, Pat.

 A very elegant ribbon bookmark embellished with glass and metal beads by Ginger.

 A hand dyed velvet bracelet coiled around a wooden spool.... by Ruth Rae.

...hidden beneath a strip of muslin stamped with Kristen's Love Lines stamp set...

Beautiful vintage-look collaged valentine by Janice. I think I'll repurpose this one with a baby photo of Phillip and I within the hearts and frame it.

 Clockwise from Bottom Left: Janice, Pat, Jania, Deb, Kristen

 Clockwise from Top Left Center: Jania's Legs, Deb, Kristen, Laurie, Kelly, Ginger

 Clockwise Bottom Left: Ginger, Janice, Pat, Ruth, Jania, Deb, Kristen's Legs, Kelly's Hair

 Pat and Laurie.

Kelly wearing the darling T-shirt she made. Three red felt hearts on her sleeve to show her love for her Valentines... her husband, her son, and her daughter...How sweet is that?!!!

 Jania just being naturally cute as ever!

 Jania and I wearing the Red Felt Valentine Pins Kristen made for everyone.

 Me and Janice "posing" in Kristen's studio...

 Kristen, Pat, Jania and I in deep conversation in the kitchen...

Kelly having a good laugh at me being a goof-ball sticking my tongue out at Janice behind the camera!

This was a great time had by a great group of creative and happy women. We must do this annually!

Maybe next year, I'll even wear some PINK! NOT!!!

Sharing over at:

Rambling on a Wednesday....

Well, I began today with a trip to the doctor so my sweetie could find his voice..Sometime in the night, it went missing...

He's feeling a little better now, as am I, but a little tickle keeps making me cough. Oh well. I hope it's gone soon...I have a VERY busy weekend....

***

Friday, I need to bake and decorate my Valentine's cookies for Kristen's little soiree on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to some fun time with her, Ruth Rae, Kelly B., Ginger, Janice, Jania, her mom, and a few others... I need to get cracking on my Valentine's too! I hear tell that there will be some really good things swapped. You bet I will have camera in hand taking some great shots of a whole lotta fun!...Kristen, in case I forget to tell you, I had FUN!!! You throw a great party...lol

I'm sure we'll all be giddy, on a sugar-induced high by the time the afternoon rolls around.

Maybe even more giddy than when I was down in L.A. last week shopping with the girls? Hmmm..we'll see..

 Ruth and Kelly.

Ruth with the cutest RED record box...I LOVE RED boxes!!!!

***

On another note, The Rusty Monkey, is bubbling on the back burner. I was SO inspired by the place Kelly took me shopping.

OH yeah. You can see why? I have a pile of rusty corrugated from an old 1930's saw mill just waiting to be used...."I can pikture it in my mind...."

I'm working on getting my logo in place for my outdoor awning, business cards, totes, t-shirts;

space planning (which includes a girl's bathroom, an industrial sink, a fun classroom area, a coffee bar, and storage);

and then there's the marketplace...OOOOH.

There's so much to do, but good things come to those who wait and plan and dream and plan and dream....

A Rusty Monkey cousin was at Treasures and Junk

.... he was SO adorable...I'm thinking I need to collect photos and print them out for

my monkey

as a family tree...Not really a tree, but a wall of monkey-family portraits....

***

Then, there's art camp coming in April. It falls on my birthday, so that should be fun...It was just announced yesterday that Ruth will be teaching alongside Kristen and Terri. There are so many like-minded women attending. I don't think we'll get ANY sleep! Or maybe the sound of the ocean will lull us there eventually! The place is gorgeous!!! Can't wait...

***

And a big shout out to Kathy Thompson of Katalina Jewelry as the newest ICE Resin Creative Team member...she does great work. I like her style of mixed-media jewelry...I think she'll have to take us shopping in her neighborhood up in Eugene on our way back from camp... :-)

***

Lastly, I am sharing this photo from Joanna's blog post....

Here is Susan's ballerina I mentioned yesterday, that I didn't take a photo of - Lunk Head that I am!!!

I can tell I'm feeling better... My mind is buzzing with excitement....!!!

Cheers!

Never a dull moment...at CHA with Friends!

Aside from coming home a bit under the weather, from what I can only guess was a plethora of international germs attaching themselves to me, I had a lot of fun spending time with friends, old and new.

l-r: Kristen Robinson, Kelly B, and me taking a little break in the booth

The booth looked fabulous!

Lots of eye candy. I think it was a bit French Vagabond.

Old bed springs. Metal and wood steamer trunks. An old egg rack.

Sparkly layered chandelier.

Truly ecclectic.

Sadly, I failed to get a photo of Susan's ballerina, but I hear-tell it's being featured in a familiar publication soon...

.....

A couple of my contributions fit in really, really well. I didn't know the booth theme, but things just kind of worked out...

 "Wanderlust" an altered book...travel journal

 "To Inspire" an up-cycled pocket mirror

 "Grace.. in the wind" a vintage rake wall hanging

"To Light" a brick candleholder

Lots of eye candy...LOTS!
.....

I met a good percentage of the ICE Resin family and celebrated Joanna Pierotti's birthday at Buca di Beppo.

Then the fun ensued....

Jen Cushman started it!!!

And we all hammed it up wearing the little fuzzy black mustaches. Man, that was a hoot!

back row l-r: me, Susan Lenart Kazmer, Kelly B.
front row l-r: Jen Cushman, Joanna Pierotti, Kristen Robinson
not pictured, photographer: Carol, ICE Resin Media Maven

Kelly improvised and drew a little 'stache of her own on her finger...

Those little mustaches migrated to all sorts of places...from eyebrows, to eyeglasses, to chins, to iPhones, to walls in the hotel....

Joanna made her three birthday wishes.

...and then the night was over. Back to the hotel and ready for the next day.

...

Friday, I was a bit hoarse, and then fell victim to a head/chest cold. But, my mind is full of inspiration and ideas. It's amazing how being surrounded by such an abundance of creativity can fuel such a WISH. DREAM. CREATE. energy...Just have to get back to 100% and then the fun begins....