State Fair of Texas

HOWDY YA’LL WELCOME TO THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS! That’s what Big Tex (wearing the largest pair of blue jeans ever made) says when you walk into the fair. Wednesday was a bright, cool day & perfect to go to the fair. Hubby & I hadn’t been in a LONG time (we don’t like the neighborhood it’s in or the parking) but, our friends suggested riding the train. IT WAS PERFECT! Dropped us at the front gates of the fair. For 3 cans of food each(to be donated to the local food bank) we were in for $2.00 a person (a great deal as entrance fee is $16) Great to get a “deal” & know you are helping a good cause.

All Aboard!

We stopped along the rails in downtown Irving to walk a short block to a famous old DRUG STORE called Big State. They have an old timey soda fountain which our friends told us “fixes a mean breakfast or great hamburger with milkshakes or floats”. Since it was early we did the breakfast & it was wonderful. This family owned store was started in 1948 & was in this month’s Texas Highway Magazine. YUMMY food & a pancake as big as a dinner plate & 2 to 3 inches thick. You can see us all lined up at the bar!

Once at the fair we found Exhibit Halls full of History, Cars, Vendors selling all sorts of stuff…

From $12,000.00 vibrating chairs (yes, all 3 of the guys had to try that out). You can see Jerry(far back) & my honey are grinning from ear to ear but, look at our French neighbor Pierre (front) trying to figure out “WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON”. And talking about what the heck… WHAT is that on your head Jerry??? WHY would you make a ball cap (not one of my favorite things anyway) look like that? And WHY would you put that on your head?

And why would you take a vintage Ford Mustang & make it into a pool table?????

Or have “City Girls” try to milk a cow?

Speaking of cows… This exhibit is CARVED BUTTER! Bigger than life size all 100% butter. In a 40 degree HUGE cooler in the Arts & Crafts Exhibit Hall. AMAZING detail but, really…. BUTTER????? Paula Deen eat your heart out! But, look at the details. Even the roap was butter. Have you ever seen anything like this?

And Pierre wanted to see the Pig Races. Now that I could have done without but, everybody got to choose what to see so off we went to meet… Yes #4 is Forrest Grunt. Run Forrest Run (no he didn’t win). Hamma Montana did.

My favorite thing of all was the ride on the HUGE Ferris Wheel called The Texas Star.

It is a Dallas Landmark & I had never ridden it before. It is the tallest amusement ride in the western hemisphere standing 212 feet. Manufactured in Reggio Emilia, Italy & weighing in at 678,554 pounds. There is a total of 44 gondola's seating up to 6 people each. All of this giving us a perfect view of…

The Amphitheater below.

The Cotton Bowl where Oklahoma University & University of Texas explode each year in a ferrous rivalry. This was once the place where the Dallas Cowboys FIRST played football. We’ve come a long way baby if you look at Cowboy stadium today!

A beautiful shot of downtown Dallas all from the Texas Star Ferris Wheel.

I think I hear the train whistle blowing… or in other words, it’s time to say goodbye. Hope you enjoyed a day at The Texas State Fair! That parched Texas landscape is looking a little better after 3 nice rains (finally). Come back soon!

HUGS! Charlene

Fall Decor

This is what I WISH the fall looked like in Texas!  This photo was taken at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, N.C. a few years back.  No matter how much I LOVE Fall…  Texas doesn’t have much of one.  And with the horrible summer & drought it is hard to get in the mood.  But, I did get out my Fall & Halloween Decor. 

A new addition has been added.  A BLACK tree with pretty glowing ORANGE lights.  And on the tree I have placed some wonderful images sent to me from Kris Hurst.  SHE is an amazing artist that LOVES Halloween about as much as my sweet Lulu (speaking of Lulu I sent her Kris’s Halloween Calling Cards for her Birthday & I thought she would flip).  Go visit Kris (HERE) & her Etsy shop to see all the fun things she has to offer.  Great CD’s loaded with images.  Below is a sample of the cards I sent to Lulu.  Go HERE to see her Etsy Shop.

Back to the tree & the cute goodies from Kris…

At the top is one of my favorite cards which I want to believe is myself… choosing which broom to ride.  And the hat as the topper is Ms Elle’s hat for Halloween.

See how cute is all of that?  And I did 6 soldered ornaments of myself & friends the year we had a “Witch Party”  in that top right photo you can see the one of me in my hat next to the cute Trick or Treat Flash Cards from Kris.  The bottom left has my purple glittered Spells & Potions sign above the Calderon that CACKLES as you walk by.

And on top of my refrigerator is this adorable black metal witch (her lantern lights up with a tea light), my pumpkin arrangement, Scrabble letters, & my reproduction vintage pumpkin cans.  Also, I LOVE the card “Best Friends” my friend JoAnn sent me one year (it comes out every year).

My cute witch candy dish sits on the counter in front of my sink.  She makes me smile while I do the dishes & I am soooooooooo proud that I haven’t eaten one of those Almond Joys.

My breakfast nook chandi wears her cute fall shades & has a beautiful garland wrapped among the arms.  And my table sports a much loved tablecloth & has a candle, pumpkin bowls & leaves in the middle.  See the leaf plates on the plate rack?  Those are great for salads, snacks or desserts.

 

The vintage hutch has so many goodies on it & I LOVE the arrangement & those two cute cards I had framed.  The artist is Susan Wheeler & I LOVE her art!

The hutch holds my pumpkin tea set & those stunning blown glass pumpkins Hubby bought me in a Gallery in Asheville.

Just a tiny part of my collection of cut glass salts, salt shakers, & cruets.  And behind those is a tin plate with a stunning fall scene on it.  This was a gift from my sweet friend Nan of Retired in Alaska Blog.

  

So, here’s another shot from Asheville & me pretending I’m there (I’m sure one of those houses would be perfect).  And wishing I had been at Jenn’s Event held there this weekend… but, my home is decorated & I stayed home to spend my 41st Anniversary with my sweet Hubby.  As I told all my gal pals… You have to know when to NOT PUSH YOUR LUCK with Art Events!    Hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into my home.  Do you have yours decorated?  I am linking with all the girls at Show Off Your Cottage Monday & Show & Tell Friday.  Click the button below & go by & see what they are all up to.

HUGS! Charlene

Granite, Fun & A Weekend With Rain

As all of you know Texas is in a severe draught. HOW do you end the draught??? Plan a weekend trip in the RV. Take the GRANDS to the lake, pull the boat, RV, pack up all the stuff…. And presto RAIN! It’s OK I’ll take the rain for the blown plans as we NEED it so desperately. So, what do you do instead? EXPLORE! Do you love Granite/Marble? Do you have those gorgeous counter tops at your house (or want them)?

Do you know what it looks like in the natural state? Well we were in Marble Falls, Texas & the entire area is surrounded by acres of Granite. Above is a whole hillside of it & you can see the surrounding dry acreage just barren from dry conditions (but, it didn't hurt that cactus any did it?). As you can see above, NOTHING grows on the granite.

Above huge “CHUNKS” sitting in the field after being mined. Some of them roughly broken & others have been mined to be huge square slabs. Each slab is numbered & waiting to be transported. Below you can see how it is cut out of the side of this mountain (almost looks like it’s been sliced doesn’t it?) & loaded into the rail cars. The Capitol of Texas was built out of the pink marble in this area (with convict labor as the the workers to mine it).

The company(Cold Springs Granite) that owns this mine has been in business since 1951. While driving back to town we found the showroom for Cold Springs & in the parking lot was HUGE slabs of different pieces of granite that has been sliced, polished & ready for US (you & I) to install it in our homes. Oh I looked in the showroom windows & I will be back to see all the amazing designs they showcase in the showroom.

You can see the size of these slices of granite as hubby is six foot tall… And below is the side of the slice so you can see the rough unpolished side.

Colors!!! Oh sooooooooooo many colors.

Green, Pink, Black & White (Loved that one & the quartz pieces that shot throughout the whole slice) Only $60 a square foot!!!! YIKES!

So, if you have granite, want granite, or just never thought much about granite… I hope I’ve shared a bit of insight into this amazing beauty of nature. Formed from huge amounts of pressure on the earth, thousands of years ago… a gift for us today. Hope you found this as interesting as the “GRANDS” did. They loved this trip.

Hugs, Charlene

The World IS A SMALL Place

This is my New Gal Pal Angela & our story is a funny one…

When Cindy & I went to Austin to take Diane Cooks “Framed” Class (previous post if you missed it)there was a mystery student. Diane had told me before that there was student from the town where I live registered for the class but, that it was a man’s name. Did I know anyone by this last name(it is unusual)? I said “Yes” that’s my vets name but, she’s a woman…

Well, the day of class Diane said “No one has responded to my emails on the mystery student”. Pretty soon the doorbell rang & in walked Angela.

Now that in it’s self is not so unusual. What is unusual is that Angela & I had met at least 6 to 8 months ago. I had gone into Pottery Barn in Ft Worth & she was working there. She walked up to me & said “I KNOW YOU”. Hmmmm I had never met her before. She said “I read your blog all the time & I’m one of your stalkers”. We laughed & talked, promising to get in touch as we wanted to start a local Art Group (because she too has issue’s with her friends “getting” what she likes) We lost each others phone numbers, life got busy & in the way but, we had been wishing to hook up. It took her husband buying the class for her (as a surprise) & planning a weekend together in Austin for this to happen. She & I were so excited & have since hooked up. She is an amazing artist & we have SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON! Like Mermaid/Ocean LOVE!!!!

I have to show you the AWESOME Art Case (above)she made for attending classes & Art Events. Below she is sitting at her spot while Diana is teaching. The case is open so she can see all her treasures for creating.

Back of the case below.

And inside…

TREASURES!!!!!

A New Art Buddy…. PRICELESS!

Stay tuned for more info as we put together our Art Group. And if you are wondering if Angela has a Blog so you can learn more about her… NO! But, I’m workin on that.

HUGS! Charlene

“Framed” Class with Diane Cook

Two little sisters holding hands… FRAMED in a Mother of Pearl Buckle.

WE were the LUCKY girls to take this class! It was in Austin, TX & taught in Janise’s home. Janise is AMAZING!!! She is also a PMC Silver Clay teacher & you know after Diana’s class I just took… I’m HOOKED on PMC! Janise & I already have a PMC Play dated planned.

Ms Diane brought all kinds of tools & information to share. SHE IS AN AMAZING TEACHER & FRIEND! Here she is teaching us to use a flex shaft to CAREFULLY drill the holes in the Mother of Pearl. This is Janise’s studio. IT ROCKS!

Table one has Diane helping Angela, Sue, my buddy Charlotte & at the end is Pat (another PMC pro). Below is our table with Rita, Konnie, Janise, & Cindy. Janise & her sister in law are also quilters so you see the “Stash” of fabrics, books & patterns. ART CAN SURROUND YOU & bring such joy. What I wouldn’t give for a studio like this to work in.

Diane brought many TREASURES to sell. Some already made pieces & components for us to buy/use in our creations.

4Sale.. Don’t you love her balls of Sari Silk? If you need some… CONTACT HER HERE

I LOVE both of these pairs of earrings. And don’t you love her card they are displayed on? Again, 2 sisters holding hands. This is a family photo & Diane uses the phrase “take my hand & we will learn” as her teaching motto. LOVE THAT GIRL!

And learn we did. This was Cindy’s first jewelry class ( it was an intermediate class but, she did a great job & I think she’s hooked) & it was baptism by fire! Literally!!!! Below you can see that she & Diane are torching the enamel work on a piece. Cindy’s hubby was worried about her using fire… NO NEED TO WORRY!!!! The other photo shows all the colors of enamel we had to work with. Remember this is FINE ground glass so you must never breathe it. Diane is so careful to teach all the safety aspects of every class.

And some of the finished pieces…

Only Janise finished hers completely (as she used a red set of rosary beads to be the necklace part). The rest of us went home with our finished focal points. I have been working on my piece to finish it & hope to show you soon.

I hope you’ll come back soon so I can share a funny story about the “Mystery Student” for this class. And share a cute vintage suitcase for supplies that she brought with her. This story shows what a truly small world we live in. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

HUGS! Charlene