An absolute moving update...

Hi everyone! I guess I have been very evasive when it comes to my move. Now is as good a time as any to get it all out.



After 2 1/2 months on the market, my house sold this past week (for an amazing price!) I have had a tremendous amount of traffic in a real estate world of nothingness and foreclosures. Gary and I have put so much of ourselves into this house because we thought we would be staying here forever. I never wanted to stay in CA. I'm such a NY-Brooklynite-Jewish momma type of woman. We never saw this great job opportunity coming (it side blinded us) and we both agreed that this is as good a time as any to "go home".



So, after screaming, yelling and mega tears from our children, we will be moving in 5 days. My 2 younger sons (ages 16 & 12) are coping with it much better than I ever thought they would. They realized that they must move with us, but I also think they are ready for a new adventure. I would like to think that I have instilled in them that sense of "moving is OK" since we have done it every 7 years. They say that they are ready...only time will tell. I worry about my 16 year old, David. He has emotional issues that take a LOT OF PATIENCE on our part. But he seems to be the most excited about moving. A FRESH START...



Then there's my 18 year old, Jacob. He's coming with us because we are his financial institution. He keeps telling us that he's moving back to "da Bay" as soon as he can. I keep telling him that he'll need much wealthier parents than he has. Damn, it's so EXPENSIVE to live in CA! And since he is not the prodigal son, my guess is that he'll fall in love (again) with Manhattan since that's the closest big city he's gonna see for awhile.



I'm going to try to keep a visual diary of this experience. First I need to delete the beauty contest photos from my digital camera that my sons have taken of themselves. Wish me luck.



And now to wish a Merry Christmas to all my non-yiddishkeit friends. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with love, joy, and the stability of a permanent residence.



Happy New Year as well....you all rock my world!

with much love,
sandee

Ohh...I just love this journalin' thang!

I had so much fun with Daphne the bird! I'm enjoying journaling WAY TOO MUCH!

Wow! My 100th Post!

I can't believe this is my 100th post! I didn't think I had that much to say-LOL!!! I have been busy arting; just too lazy to upload. I'm moving in 9 days and with everything that I have to do, uploading is not a priority...

Here are my Golden Arches for the Paper Whimsy Gothic Arch Swap.

I loved working in Kathy's Journal for my Altered Pages RR Group. Her theme was whimsical...what a joy to have a theme like that! The pages are not side by side so I had the freedom to come up with 2 different layouts.

4 x 4 Friday Challenge

OK...I'm on a challenge roll! This piece is for the 4x4 Friday Challenge (see link under ART Challenges). This week's challenge is Silver and Blue

I also did last week's challenge which was Mona Lisa. This piece is called "The Real Mona".

Gothic Arches Challenge

This week's challenge theme was "Joy of Christmas/Children".

I'm getting into this journaling thing!

Unfortunately, I had a slight fever yesterday and really felt like crap. But it didn't keep me from my promise of trying to journal (or working in my journal) every day. Here's my creation from yesterday!

My attempt at journaling!

I keep looking at everyone else's journaling and asking myself if I could do it. I've always wanted to but I'm such a chicken! Anyway, yesterday, I took the plunge. I walked into Borders and bought myself a large, unpretentious scrapbook album (it was $2.99; plain green cover and LOTS of empty white pages). I saved the image of the woman (below) because I just loved the expression on her face. I knew that I wanted to art and journal based on this picture. Here is my first attempt that I completed last night. I'm VERY happy about the way it came out!

I know this is late...

but Go Make Art is having a count down to Christmas giveaway of images. Here is the link in case you are interested.

http://countdown.tentwostudios.com/

Enjoy!

I've been tagged by Jodi!

I've never been tagged before, but I do know that I have to leave 7 random facts about myself. Hmmmm.....let's see:

1. I'm 46 years old and have very few gray hairs.
2. I'm a rock & roll freak married to an NPR geek. (But I do listen to NPR with him...I guess that makes me a geek too!)
3. I LOVE to listen to my ipod and dance around my house where no one can see me.
4. I've never taken an art class so I'm learning by trial and error!
5. I was born cross-eyed and have had three corrective surgeries.
6. I'm addicted to coffee.
7. I'm really short!

I'm too tired to tag 7 people at the moment, but BEWARE!!!!!

The Gothic Arches Challenge is...

sparkling wings! This piece is called "Pray for Peace".

Theme Thursday (on Friday LOL): Playing Cards

I FINALLY had the chance to do a Theme Thursday ATC. Check out the link under challenges!

I have too much time on my hands!

The cover of my tip-in didn't seem finished to me. When I started working on the inside of the cover I decided to add the beads. I liked the way it made the cover look. So now I think the cover is finished.

My tip-in is on poets. Someone asked me to explain how a tip-in works. Instead of your journal being mailed to someone new to work in every month, an assigned artist makes the pages for your journal according to your theme and mails them directly to you. You get to watch your book grow! Each month you are assigned a different person and you make the pages according t their theme. The upside is that you get to see your pages right away and it saves A LOT on postage. The downside is that you can't see the other participants work in other people's journals.

I've only done RRs and they are wonderful except the postage is a killer. It's also really awesome to get your completed journal back at the end after it's been gone for a LONG time. This is my first tip-in so I can't tell you how I feel about it yet. All I know is that I'm very excited for it to begin!

So different from what I usually do...

I'm participating in a Tip-In with the Altered Art Swap group. For those not sure what it is, it's like a Journal RR, except instead of sending the journal from person to person, the pages get sent to you. Anyway, my theme is "Favorite Poems and Poets". I tried to do something new with my journal cover and I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. I collaged with different papers, covered it with gel medium, painted the cover with 2 different paints and then rubbed it off with a paper towel, used old book pages, glaze pens, rub-ons. It took me all day! And no vintage image...that's a first for me!

ANother Gothic Arch for Altered Designs...

It's amazing what having some free time can do for a woman! This is my second out of three for a mingle on Altered Designs.

"Sisters" challenge for Altered Designs

This is this week's photo challenge for Kelly's group. It's a darling photo...

My Altered Designs Gothic Arch

We are having a Gothic Arch Mingle in Altered Designs. Now that I'm a lady of leisure, I joined and made my first one. The theme is romance...

My last day of work was today...

Today was my last day of teaching. I had to say good-bye to my 34 awesome 5th graders. It was such an emotional day. They presented me with a "Connecticut Survival Kit" which included the following:

1) a handmade fleecy blanket with a huge red heart appliqued on it. The blanket is to wrap around me on those freezing days and nights so I can feel their love.
2) purple (my favorite color) fleecy socks to keep my toes toasty while I'm wrapped in my blanket.
3) a wonderful book that describes all the sites of New England.
4) boxes of different teas and hot chocolate to drink while I'm wrapped in my blanket wearing my socks and reading my book.

I also got from a student a silver charm with the work CREATE. She wanted to thank me for doing the art journals every Friday in class. She said that she didn't think she was creative until she started the journal. Hers is BEAUTIFUL!!!
To add fuel to the crying fire, my husband sent a HUGE bouquet of flowers to my school, I received a dozen red roses from a boy in my class, and more altered letters and cards that one could possibly imagine. I was in shock.
Now, I get to sit home for a month before I move with my 3 sons to be with my DH in CT. It's a good thing it's a month away...hopefully the swelling of my eyes will go down by then.
I guess I'll have lots of time for art now.

Something's cookin' for Barb!

This is for a RR journal for my friend Barb. Her journal is made from an old cookbook. This was very challenging for me since I don't cook! There is a mini bundt pan and a spoon hanging off the side. You can't see them. I hope she likes it!

A challenge for Altered Designs...

Kelly posted a challenge to use the hands that I used in my 3x3. This is my interpretation of that image. It's how I feel right now...like I'm holding the world in my hands...

Sunday in California!

We're back from our trip back East. I had LOTS of laundry to do, a house to clean, and school plans to make. So...I decided to finish my 4x4s for a Polka Dot and Paisley fatbook I'm in! It was a great way to spend a Sunday! Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a happy turkey day. Mine was lovely, eating here at my in-laws house in upstate NY. I am so incredibly burnt out from looking at houses and checking out Newtown, CT, the thought of cooking was not appealing at all.

I wish I had better news but my house still has not sold. We did secure a GORGEOUS lakefront property to rent for three months. Now my children can register for school legitimately. The superintendent of schools here was very nice; he was going to let me register my kids with the promise having a permanent home in 120 days! After that, we would have to pay tuition. The Newtown school district is impacted. But because I showed up with my realtor and I'm a teacher as well, he was going to "bend the rules". Now we can have them there guilt free.

Back to the lakefront property...it is simply gorgeous. It is a 3rd home owned by a multi-millionaire. He was originally going to rent it to a director to a movie being filmed here, but the director never signed the lease. We really lucked out. The house is completely furnished, and I mean furnished! I guess I have something to really be thankful for this year!

Until I have more news...have a great time celebrating with family and friends!

OUT OF ORDER!!!

OK...hopefully that got your attention. I'm currently in Danbury, CT with Gary (yay!!!) and the three boys. It was a VERY uneventful trip which is a miracle when traveling with my sons! Today is the day we hopefully get an offer on our house. If that actually happens, we get to put an offer on a house out here. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let that be the case.

I can't do any art for a few days, but I will try to give an update as to what's going on in in my insane world!!!

Have a great Thansgiving everyone!!!

I had time for the challenge

on Altered Designs. I feel like I don't have time to breathe; art is a REAL treat right now! But I just love this image. ANd I don't want to fall out of the loop.

We had another Open House today,,,

so I took the boys to see American Gangster. I just love Denzel Washington. The movie was long but very good. When I sat down to make my 3x3 this evening, I found this image and for some reason it reminded me of the movie. So I named this one "Frankie and Johnny" in honor of the Open House and the movie!

For whatever reason I felt like making two 3x3s. Maybe because I haven't made one in 2 days and I don't have to go to work tomorrow. Wahoo! A day off! Anywho...this one is titled "H". H is for home, Honey...hold me, help, HOUSE FOR SALE!!! Ya think I want my house to sell and see my husband or what?!

I'm in a "Dark Book" RR with a group of fine ladies!

The top photo is my cover. It's made from 2 5x7 canvases. The second photo is what you see when you open the journal. The last photo is the back of my book/sign-in page. This should be quite the interesting RR because I usually work in light colors. The artists in this RR are awesome; this is going to be short but sweet!

A "Non-moving" Piece.

I just didn't feel like thinking about the move today. Instead I just wanted to focus on my class. The day was loooooonnnnnng! The students were tired and I had such a headache and didn't really feel like doing anything when I got home. Then I remembered the promise I made to myself about the 3x3s and tried to make a happy piece. It certainly made me forget about the move for awhile!

A Peaceful Day...

Which is really hard to believe! I managed to avoid all parental contact, although I did get a few emails from parents that I couldn't ignore. I'm really happy that the parents are letting me have my privacy concerning the move and my last few weeks with their children undisturbed. I do have to meet with them for Parent-Teacher conferences and that will come with a lot of questions! But it will be my last week working when that happens.....

I made this piece because it was a happy, peaceful day. I don't seem to get too many of those lately. Perhaps I'm on an upswing (and my house will sell??? )

The Tears Fell...

I had to tell my students today that I was leaving. This was so difficult for me to do; I knew how they were going to react. It seemed like everyone was crying, boys as well as girls. Those that didn't cry just sat there in shock. I turned their world upside down and it felt just awful. The amazing thing to me was how quickly the news spread after school. School dismisses at 2:45 and by 2:48 I had students from every grade level in my classroom! I was truly amazed. I'm NOT looking forward to the reactions from the parents. (They're going to be angry; how could I possibly leave?) I now know that I have 13 school days left with 34 of my favorite 5th graders. I want to make the best of it!

Lend a Hand?

This is how busy I was today. I could have used an extra hand several times today. Since I didn't have one, I figured I'd just make one for myself! All I know is that I'm SO happy it's the weekend.

I have to go to my son's wrestling tournament tomorrow. I wonder what kind of a 3x3 that'll produce!

I'm moving...

And man, is it a move! My family is moving back to the east coast after living in California for the past 9 years. This is a BEAUTIFUL area to live in, but the schools in this state are horrendous and the cost of living is out of this world. It is also extremely crowded; we miss the beauty and tranquility of NY state.

So, we're moving because my husband got a WONDERFUL job opportunity in Connecticut. Both of our families live on the east coast and we saw this as the perfect opportunity to go back. Needless to say, my children are not thrilled, but they are very understanding and I think a little sick of California living as well. My oldest (18 years old) is having the hardest time out of the three boys. He goes to the local community college with a bunch of his friends and would like nothing more than to stay. But realistically speaking, he knows it isn't feasible.

I'm currently miserable because my husband is already in CT working and I'm here in CA teaching full time, taking care of the kids AND working like a slave to keep my house neat and clean for the people who are coming through. I HATE THIS PART!!!!!

To get through this move, I thought about keeping a written journal to record this whole pain in the arse experience, but then it hit me...why not record this experience by making the 3x3s that I love to make? So here we go...

This is the first piece I made on October 29th. It's called "Get a Grip!" I used blue acrylic to reflect my mood and Kosher salt for the tears I've been crying just about every day. The wings will help me fly away from all the stress. The red crown represents the fire I know I still have somewhere inside me...it just needs to be rekindled.

This piece was made on Halloween. I was home all alone. All three boys were out and about. I ate dinner by myself, had a glass of wine, and made this on the kitchen table while waiting for the doorbell to ring. I also worked on a RR journal that evening as well. First quiet and completely relaxing night I had in a long time...

I made this one this evening. It's called "SELL MY HOUSE!" I had to lower the price of the house because the market here is just horrible. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude, but it's so incredibly hard. the houses here used to sell in a day; LITERALLY! Now they're on the market for weeks. I'm not a happy camper.

Check back tomorrow...I'm going to try to make a 3x3 everyday...

Journals, journals and more journals!

For whatever reason, Blogger wouldn't let me upload any pictures for about a week. It kept telling me it was aware of the problem and they were working on it. I was about ready to just toss my computer across the room because all my other Blogger buddies were able to upload. ARGH!!!!!!! I hate being at the mercy of cyberspace!

OK...I vented!

I have worked on 3 RR journals and wanted to share them with you. All three are for one Yahoo group that I belong to. For some reason, the mailing got all screwy but at least they're all safe! The first spread is for Bonnie. She turns 60 this year and wanted that number represented somewhere on her spread. Her color was sepia and her theme was Time Flies.



This spread is for Donna. Her color was blue and she didn't have a theme. I work so often with vintage images that I thought a change would be good for me. I like the way this came out...


This is for Martha. Her colors were whites, pastels and a hint of red. Her journal is an old children's dictionary. What a fun book to work in! The photo is of relatives of mine whom I never met. Unfortunately they perished in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. I like using pictures of my relatives when I can; it makes me feel like they didn't die in vain.

The last of the Circle Journals is finished!

What a fun RR this was. I participated in a Circle Journal where everyone picked a word that they wanted to focus on and the layouts related to that. These pages are for Heather, the originator of the Circle Journal. Her word was FEAR. Her entire journal was done in black, reds and whites so I stayed with her color theme. I hope she likes it!

The last 2 are finished!!!!!!!!!!

These 2 make a total of 48 made! Phew...I feel like I ran a long marathon. But now they're done and they were a LOT of fun to make. If I ever get the chance, I'm going to make a book of them for myself!!!

Almost done with my 3x3s...

I had a little hiatus from the 3x3s. Now I'm back to making them. I have 2 more to make and then I will have made a total of 48 of them! Holy cow; can't believe I made that many. The top 2 are a white theme. The one with the heart is for Barb. Believe it or not, there is birch tree bark under the white heart. The other one is for Paula; her theme is White Caps

I just love Autumn...

I think Fall is my favorite season. I just love the crispness of the air, Halloween, the changing leaves...I really can't think of anything that I don't like about it! These 4 ATCs are for a "Favorite Season" Mingle for Altered Designs. I sure hope the recipients like Fall as much as I do!

A Diva Dictionary!!!

I belong to a great art group called Altered Divas. We are putting together a Diva Dictionary. My word is divadipity: a diva's good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries. The pages are 5x7, a real nice size!

Halloween Tag Book

I'm participating in a Halloween Tag book in one of my art groups. I love Halloween; it's always been one of my favorite holidays. I think it may be the time of year that I really love!