What happens to tchotchkes when they are no longer favored? With the few that I’ve decided to keep and the items chosen from the family estate, I have placed them in unexpected and odd locations. Hopefully I have avoided the bric-a-brac look that is so commonly associated with antique malls and held in huge disdain by interior designers. But I’m pretty sure that things will be continually shifted, and that I will never be satisfied with their placement. That’s just the way I am. Always insecure with the decisions made the day before.
Just Because
Color Box Holiday Open House
Join Rhonda Camp Warren for her first ever Open Studio Event. If you’re still looking for some creative gifts, this is the place to find them. The Color Box Design & Letterpress studio is located at 9021 Angora Street, Dallas, Texas 75218. Just look for a little white house with a turquoise front door. The dates are Friday and Saturday (December 17 & 18) and Monday and Tuesday (December 20 & 21), and the hours are 11 am to 6 pm.
Who Will Notice?
Quirky Christmas decorations. I’ve always loved the quirky seasonal decorations that can easily be overlooked while driving down any street in the Park Cities. Each year in late autumn I replace the three Fabian Aralia trees on the ledge of my front porch wall with three dwarf Alberta Spruce trees which I then decorate for Christmas. My unprofessional decor takes no more than thirty minutes to complete and doesn’t cost me a dime. I love it, and it makes me smile. The next time you’re in my hood, drive by slowly–like ten miles an hour. Only then will my Christmas greeting catch your eye. Don’t blink! Otherwise you’ll miss it.
Too Busy to Post
something intelligent. This is just a quick fix for the moment, because my graphic design jobs have me overwhelmed. The creature you see in the above photo is the “Patsy Ann” doll my mom named me after. If it hadn’t been for eBay, I would never have known what she looked like. She was the tallest in Effanbee’s “Patsy” group and was popular from 1928 through the 1950s. About ten years ago, I did a series of promotional pieces using her. From time to time I will be reusing some of the images for my posts. She is also used in my logo/mark/brand that is in a bad need of an update which I plan to do in the near future.
Third Annual Jingle Bash
Handmade and deliciously tactile. It’s funny how small this world is, but I wouldn’t have known about this group, etsy Dallas, if it hadn’t been for a collaboration between my client, Katy Trail Animal Hospital, and Rhonda Warren, who specializes in custom design and letterpress paper goods. Without this coincidence, I wonder how long it would have been before I finally discovered this little pocket of wonders in my own backyard.
About the Jingle Bash. For the third year in a row, the Jingle Bash, Etsy Dallas’ handmade holiday shopping event, will offer up the very best in handmade apparel, bags, jewelry, home décor, accessories, art, pottery and more from over 50 hand-picked artists, crafters and designers. This year, the Jingle Bash will be held at The Palladium’s Lone Star Room (within the Gilley’s event complex just south of downtown Dallas at 1135 S. Lamar), a larger and more spacious venue than the former and beloved Sons of Hermann Hall. For more detailed information visit their website.
And the Best Costume Prize Goes to:
Anna and Steve ready Gabe for action. This little fellow was one of my last, but not least, trick-or-treaters. Custom designed and made by Anna, this attire is definitely not your run-of-the-mill variety. I could not stop laughing. Especially when he kept trying to escape from his mask. Years from now, when he is a fully grown young man, he won’t remember the outfit. But fortunately there will be plenty of digital proof to show him that he actually wore silver lamé in public.
Trick o’ Treat
Prepared for the onslaught. And the troops are ready. Goodie bags filled with a mix of novelty toys and candy has been my Halloween custom for many years. And as usual I relied on Oriental Trading for the items. This year’s trick is Alien Test Tubes of Slime which is meant to gross you out but is not recommended for consumption. And the first treat is Werewolf Hair (cotton candy). Unfortunately, it is no longer on their website, so I can’t show you what the package looks like. Instead I’ll show you what I used last year, Toe Jam Cotton Candy. The last, but not least, treat is Decayed Bone Powder.
Usually there are at least 50 kids who drop by. But it varies so much between the years, that I have no way of gaging on what to expect and be prepared for. Three years ago, there were 90. Last year it was less than 50. But if the Rangers win tonight and play on Halloween…
Ah Hah! Caught!
Snuggling or spooning? Bertha, the red head, and Bubba, the one wearing the devil’s collar, sleep in separate beds when the temperature is higher than 80 degrees outside and higher than 72 degrees inside. That’s their choice, not mine. Gauging by their overnight change in sleeping habit, they have determined that fall has officially arrived. And none too soon! Especially after yesterday’s ninety degree high. So it’s official.