Okay...that was absolutely the coolest...ever.
In less than 3 hours she had my home looking like I had just moved in...walls...facings...baseboards...counters...appliances. Next visit she is steam cleaning the carpets! I am so hooked!
May have to put a bowl of white roses on the table...lol!
Even Chris stopped by this morning and said "Wow! Look at this place!"
I know, right?
Should have done this from the moment I moved in.
She moved the sofa and loveseat to vacuum, and we MAY have found Jimmy Hoffa, just sayin'.
Actually, what we did find was all of Tucker's lost toys. We deposited them in his bed and he just jumped in and curled up in their midst looking very happy with himself.
Woke this morning and the freshness of the place felt so good I was my own turndown service at 6 AM.
Crazy.
Celebrating Tina's 26th Birthday! She and Chris at her Mom's today and then all of us together for Chinese later...and Saturday night at her Dad's. Chris woke up this morning to make her Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Icing and candles.
(...best fiancé ever...)
Don't let the dress up fool you, though. She is The Eternal Disney Girl. Found a Minnie Mouse Hoodie, A Registered Disney Minnie Huge Coffee Mug, and a perfect shade of pink throw to snuggle under that feels like it was "knitted from kittens" it is so soft and fuzzy-fluffy. I had the cake decorated in Minnie Mouse Pink with quarter-sized round flat dots and a black bow in one corner...lacking only the ears to be certified copyright infringement, I think. You could have heard the "happy-squeak" from there!
So, onward with the Virtual France Trip...exploring Arles and Montmartre and Giverny. Although I am waiting on Spring/Summer to explore Claude's gardens. It just seemed right. The Impressionists (Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Renior) and the Post Impressionists (Van Gogh, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec )...Pointullism with Seurat, a crash course in Absinthe louching and La Fee Verte. [green fairy] Exploring the icon that was Moulin Rouge back in 1888...learning about colours and paint/canvas preparation and stretching.Painting on board and jute cloth...who knew? So much to see/learn/try!
Wanted too work on one of my own during this segment and have started working up that foxed parchment/paper look for a background.
Just the very very beginning...when complete it will have the Effel Tower and some muli-medium inlay (scrap parchment with French writing and the like...). A couple of twining "ghost balloons". The tower will be my first on-canvas attempt at painting with the palette knives. It is all very exciting! Salt helps achieve the foxed look. I learn something new every day.
Speaking of crash courses...I found something during my tour of French Patisseries that I simply must learn more about. Decorating. Specifically cookies, cupcakes and cakes. A pastry bag with assorted tips, dragees and edible confection glitter is in my near future.
Yes. I can DO this...
Try EVERYTHING!
This week's books are non-fiction centering around the life of Toulouse-Lautrec...and Monet...also a re-read of "The Yellow House" which details Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh's brief history together in Arles.
I think they refer to this as: The Complete Immersion Method.
So, without further adieu...back to France in 1888 :)
And a tribute to Leonard Nimoy who died today at 83, and who taught all of us how to LLAP.
