COFFEE FILTER CREATIONS

 
If you've been following my trail of hints on facebook, you're probably wondering what the heck I've been up to, knee-deep in coffee filters all week. Well I'm about to show you!

First I was tea-dying them.

Then I was adding polka dots with one of my Adirondak paint dabbers.

Then I realized that 50 of them just wasn't going to be enough, so I tea-dyed 50 more, and left them drying overnight in the kitchen -- which caused my hubby to give me that you've-really-lost-it-this-time look. I get that a lot.

Then I was scrunching them into cone shapes, pulling off millions of hot glue threads, and saying some rather naughty words over scorched fingers.

Finally, I ended up with this. I had originally planned to hang it here on the pantry door, but things seemed too pale...

 then I decided to try it on the front door, but things were too dark and exposed...

finally I tried it in the dining room, and that was just right! Well, except for one thing.

Glitter!

Now it's absolutely perfect.

DRAWING NAMES: GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

Well, I had planned to have, not only a fun new Artsy Ornament to share with you this morning, but also photos of the fabulous dinner I was planning to prepare yesterday (one that has to cook for several hours). But then Hubby invited me to go "adventuring" with him in Austin first thing yesterday morning. What's a girl to do? I, of course, opted for adventure!

A "Fiesta" travel cup and shopping totes, all in my favorite colors!

Meanwhile, it just occurred to me that I never showed you the rest of my Christmas gift from sister Gus. You see, a few years back we finally made the decision to pare down our Thomas Family Christmas Celebration a bit, and started drawing names. The good news is that now, instead of making yourself crazy in search of 15 or 20 It'll-Do-Gifts, you have all year to concentrate your time and effort on one special Over-The-Moon-Gift. The bad news is that, we now have all year to concentrate on one special gift, and some people, it would seem, have trouble knowing when to say "enough is enough!" She says it's my fault, because everywhere she looked, she saw stuff that she was certain would make me positively giddy. She had only intended to buy a few tiny things to tuck into the pockets of that wonderful Origami Tote Bag that she made for me. Instead, I got this:

and these...

and amazing absorbing thingies that can each take the place of a whole role of paper towels...

and all of these really cool "green" food wrap alternatives...

and best of all, a kit for making my very own cheese!

Hmmm, maybe she's right. There does seem to be an awful lot of stuff that makes me giddy!

SUNDAY'S SIMPLE GRATITUDE: FAMILY-RUN RESTAURANTS

 
My hubby had an appointment with his dermatologist in New Braunfels this week. While I sat in the lobby, waiting for his return, I began to ruminate on where we should eat lunch. (No surprise there!) I know of a nice place to have a very special dinner there, but when it comes to fun and casual, I'm kinda at a loss. I felt certain that such a quaint little town just had to have more to offer than Burger King and MacDonalds, but how was I to find a really good one? Then I remembered my friend High School Debbie, whose daughter happens to live there in NB, and who spends a good bit of time there herself. I sent her a quick text, and moments later we were headed to a little mom & pop place called Cravings, over on W. San Antonio.

The name says it all!

My Pesto Prosciutto Paninni...

which came with a side of Taco Soup and some Fire Crackers

John's Portabello Mushroom on Focaccia

Chalkboards filled with funny sayings -- my favorite was the one behind the tree, about Johnny Depp.

Years and years ago, when we were living down in Kingsville, a friend told me "Support your local businesses, or one day, you won't have any." So, next time you're looking for a place to eat lunch, I want you to think about that. Don't be the guy who just gulped down yet another Big Mac or Whopper without thinking, then had to slap his forehead and say "Wow! I could've had Cravings!"

THE PROBLEM WITH COMMON NAMES

 
When I was a horticulture student at Richland College, having to learn the Latin names of every plant was a bit of a nightmare for me. Memorizing useless trivia has never been my forte. My perennials and propagation teacher claimed it wasn't useless trivia. She said the problem with common names was that there was no controlling them -- people in different locations or in different eras could all slap the same common name on several very different plants, so how would you know which one you wanted? I guess I should have paid more attention to her.

They had an amazing vine there in the demonstration gardens that I was crazy mad for, but it wasn't its spring flowers that I loved. I can't even remember what color they were. No, it was the gorgeous papery samaras, which covered it in fall, that made me go weak in the knees. It appeared to be covered in masses of fluttering butterflies, in varying shades of chartreuse and rust, hence the name "Butterfly Vine." I bought one at the department's annual plant sale, and installed it there in our Dallas garden. Unfortunately, it's a slow grower, and we had to move before it ever really took off.

A few years ago, when I was out shopping for plants for the Cantina Garden, I stumbled across a Butterfly Vine, and snapped it right up. For several years now, I've been watching for those "butterflies", but they never appeared. Finally I had to admit that I had planted the wrong vine -- that it may have been a butterfly vine, but it certainly wasn't MY butterfly vine.

A few weeks ago, however, when I was over at Gardenville in San Marcos, getting a truckload of mulch, I spotted these fellows. I recognized them immediately, squealing "There they are! Those are my butterflies!"

I was hoping they had some for sale, but when the manager checked in the greenhouse, there were none left. He did take my name and number though, and promised to call as soon as he got some more cuttings started. Of course, we may not even be living in our house long enough to see the vine reach its full glory, but that's ok. Someday, someone is really gonna love me for my efforts.

SHOOTING STARS & ARTSY ORNAMENTS

 
I can't believe it! I saw SIX shooting stars this morning, just sitting in my usual spot on the dining porch, looking out the window. Must be part of that meteor shower. Pretty amazing, considering I didn't get up until 6:00 this morning, and by the time I got my tea made and oatmeal started, it wasn't all that dark out. Plus, peak viewing time isn't until tonight. I guess my little nest must be perfectly situated, for once. Gotta make sure I get up in time for the real show tomorrow!

Meanwhile, thought I'd share with you the second ornament I made as part of the 12 Artsy Ornaments of Christmas class I am taking online. This one from Mindy Lacefield scared the bejeebers out of me. I don't do people -- especially not faces -- and I sure as heck don't do them painting freehand with a brush, so this was quite a stretch for me. But after Mindy broke it down into manageable little steps, it wasn't all that difficult.

Of course, my girl didn't end up looking anything like hers, which was more waif-like, and reminded me of a Poor Pitiful Pearl doll I had as a child...

and I couldn't find a cute gumdrop spray for the top like she had, and had to use these tulle doodads instead.

Nonetheless, I managed to fall quite in love with her when all was said and done. Though it was certainly not intentional, she ended up looking like a cross between my niece Merrit and daughter Alexis. I think I'll call her...Melexi!

A ONE-MONTH MIRACLE

Yippee! My sister Poo did not take any "Before" pictures of her new/old townhouse, but it turns out her daughter did, and was happy to share them with me. The people who bought her previous house did so with the stipulation that she had to be out right after Thanksgiving, and she didn't even find this place until a week or so before, so she had no choice but to put all her furniture in storage, and stay with friends or family until she can whip this booger into shape. She's given herself until Christmas to get it done.

Entry Into Formal Living Area

Dining Area

Kitchen

Breakfast Area

Den

Bathroom

Guest Bedroom

Master Closet

Looks like she's got her work cut out for her, but if anyone can do this, and in only a month, it's our Poodie!

A WEE BIT OF BLISS

Hubby gave me a couple of Christmas cacti last holiday season, and they bloomed like crazy for a while, but after that I wasn't sure quite what to do with them. They are not very attractive when not in bloom, and I didn't see the point of giving up space to, nor having to hand water, such an unattractive plant, all year long, in hopes that it might bloom again some day.  Still, I felt guilty just tossing them away. So, instead, I stuck them into the ground down in the Cantina Garden. I didn't figure there was much chance they would bloom again before we had a freeze, but it was better than the compost heap, right? Well, thanks to our unseasonably warm winter thus far, you'll never guess what I spotted in the garden yesterday...

just in time for it to dip down below freezing that very same night.

Still, I don't think I would have done anything differently, had I known. I mean, one day of bliss is one day of bliss, is it not?