Too long again.....

This piece called "Anticipation " was one of five that is in the Connecticut show!!!

This is recent pic of Mr. Otis!!!!

Well as was to be expected it's been a long time since my last post. A new year and new situations!!! Otis is now a year old!!! Since we are not sure of his birthday, I guess March 15th will have to do. He has become a wonderful addition to our home and we love him very much.

Here is a recent pic!!!! We still plan on going somewhere this summer but maybe not for a month and maybe more like Montreal or Quebec. We have a new tenant in the studio apt. as of yesterday so that will definitely help pay for the bills. My work was accepted in an art show In Conn. called "Picture That" Women in Art. So hopefully that will be a good thing.....

We will start fostering cats for the Merrimack Valley Feline Rescue group in a couple of weeks.

Luna and Pearl did go home to California at the end of January and are doing very well. Though I miss them!!!! That's all for now and I promise more soon!!!!

Do no wrong!!!

Okay c'mon really...how could you ever think that face could do anything bad?

This is Emma, one of two pugs that we started taking care of last Nov. in our apt. and has been living across the hall since June with their owner, Mike. We are taking care of them for two weeks while he is in Chicago taking training classes. The dogs are so cute!!

Nice day today( especially after that snow yesterday!!!! Yikes!!!) Hung out with Mom in the morning, had a simple lunch at home and have been working on the computer since. Working on some pumpkin paintings later to get ready for next week's Oct. 29th Fall/Halloween art opening in Haverhill. I'll be posting a preview of one of the pieces I am creating later!!! Take care for now!

yikes almost two months!!!!

Well it really has been a long time!!! Sept. came and went and so did our friends that stayed for a month and left for CA this past Thurs. morning.

Brittany and Jeremy and their two adorable cats, Pearl and Luna, had been in the downstairs apt. and Otis staying upstairs. (That is when he is not visiting downstairs terrorizing the other two. But for the most part he has been getting better. )

They began a long drive to CA and will look around and see what part of CA they want to live in. Who knows where they will end up but we wish them lots of luck when they figure it out. Of course it means giving them their cats back when they do decide......hmmmmmm

Speaking of cats by the way we have officially adopted Otis!!!! Who by the way in the pic above is sitting in front of the radiator we got back wonderfully powder coated!!!!!

So now we have an official pet besides the turtles, and the raccoons, and the squirrels, and the mice that live in house!!!!! (well at least we bought the turtles!!!)

Work on the house is progressing as well and we are gathering materials to fix the back part of the house. We will be doing that soon.

Also my art projects are slowly coming together, I finished four paintings of puppies for greeting cards that I hope to put in a shop in Andover called Little Lulu and Dot, that sells adorable dog toys, jewelry , art, collars and a bunch of other very cute things. I'll let you know if she takes the cards.

With fall coming I also wanted to share these photos of a flowering vine I have been planting from seed for the past few years but this is the first time I have had real success. It's a type of Morning Glory I think, called Cardinal Climber and the flowers are small but very bright. What really attracts me though are the leaves. Very odd shape and they change colors so often it's almost better than waiting for Fall. Here are some pics..........

I am getting some Fall/Halloween art together for a show in Haverhill at Angles & Art Gallery and Framers. The reception is on Thurs. the 29th of Oct. from 5 to 8 pm so please do stop by if you get a chance!!! That's it for now, off to work!!! Di.

Away so long!!!

Well hello!!! Sorry it's been so long since I blogged!!! Lots of things happening around here!!!!

Since my last entry We have finished painting the downstairs bathroom ceiling and base color for the walls, painted the downstairs hallway ceiling, and organized the studio to the point that it's almost workable!!! We haven't decided on a pattern yet for the walls in the bathroom which is why the stripes are different sizes. I started gathering information about some things for ebay and will be listing them soon. I did list a doll of Mom's for her so I hope that sells. (ITEM # 170371455655) We hired someone to chip up all of the brush in Mom's yard and cut off a few huge branches that are much too high up for us to reach in my yard. It will make the yard much larger!!! We had my niece and Michael's nephew over this weekend and they got along wonderfully!!! He is 10 and she's almost 14. It really was a fun weekend. And the biggest news is that we have taken in a foster cat named Ottis!!!! He's an adorable 4 or 5 month old long haired orange tabby that a now ex-coworker needed a place for until he finds his own place. Hmmm...sounds like another cat we had for 7 months..........also began with an O.........hmmmm.

Well anyway he's very very cute and everyone loves him. I don't know how long he'll be here but as usual he will be very spoiled while he is. We also have two more cats, (and maybe their owners!) coming for the month of Sept. And the cats will be here through the month of Oct. as well due to the owners going on a road trip to California to try and find a place to live out there. Ah..... Diane's house of lost people, cats and whatever else comes this way........

Well anyway.....that's enough for now !!!!!!

Busy lumberjacking!!!

Well this past weekend was devoted to finally cutting up the huge Mulberry tree and very large Maple branches that fell in my Mom's yard in December. It took A LOT of work and many glasses of water, ice tea and lemonade but we finally got it all cut up. And all of the wood taken away by Monday. Now we just have to either chip up or have someone chip up the smaller stuff. Here is a photo of me in full chainsaw gear! Not that I actually cut anything with this monster. Just for show. Afterwards I saw this Scarlet Tanager behind my house and Michael made this wonderful Lebanese dish with Hummus, beef, tomatoes and chick peas. Yum!!! Saturday I am going to Ogunquit, ME for two art receptions and then we are off to Ikea on Sunday morning to pick up stuff for the office and studio. Ah Ikea!!!! The downstairs apt. hallway  got it's first coat of Kills stain blocker paint tonight with about two more coats to go before the actual ceiling paint. Then we fix the downstairs bathroom ceiling and then.........the outside very huge under the overhang project up on scaffolding begins!!!!! Yikes!!!

Upcoming.....

           This cool fish rug came from Florida in March. Hmmmm..guess where that's going!!

      A painting of my cousin's Bull Terrier that passed away a few years now. I need to finish it!!!

    The pic below it is how the studio looks now that I have cleared some of the office stuff out.

                   

These are two Asian symbols that my friend Harmke gave me for Christmas. They are going in the office.

Hello all!!! Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, been busy taking care of the two pugs that live in the house and working. Well we are in search of a long, low bookcase to fit on the white wall of the office and will be putting some decorations and final touches up soon. I have been doing pretty well cleaning up the studio and have some ideas lined up for the benefit for cats event in Lowell. It's juried show so I hope I get in!!! Also Michael has been in a music studio polishing up his demo CD so when that's ready  I'll be sure to let you know. We are cutting up a ton of wood in a week or two in Mom's back yard, getting ready for a yard sale soon, my niece will be staying here for a weekend, and we are also planning our annual huge end of August cookout. Lot's to do!!!! And signing up for the house swap website!!!! Anyway I will let you know how it turns out. Oh, and a friend of mine Elaine, does a blog giveaway once in a while and I thought I'd try that on the six month anniversary of the blog. Perfect timing for Christmas!!!! I'll let you know what it will be at some point. Take a look at some of the pics and enjoy!!!

Done Done and Done!!!!

Well we have finally finished the office as far as construction, painting and trim work. Got some furniture in and the computer set up and we can move on to the studio and A LOT of outside projects at my house and Michael's house. Still haven't put anything on the walls yet but that can wait. Here are some pics of details of the office, hope you enjoy and !!!! Art projects next!!