Laid back Sunday afternoon....indeed!!

Happy Happy Sunday peoples. I hope that you have had a great weekend and are just having a laid back, restful afternoon.

I'm so excited and hope that this week flies by. Noooo, wait.....I can't wish that cause I have way to many projects I have got to get finished by weeks end. I need the week to go by kinda pokey like. Now I'm in a quandary. Do I want it to fly by or poke along? Hmmmm, poke along I guess but I'm still VERY excited about this coming Saturday. The Chazman and I have been invited to a Christmas ornament swap and they do the swap by playing dirty Santa. It's going to be soooo much FUN!!!! Bahahahaha...practicing evil laugh for when I take someone else's gift and ya better believe I will cause I know they are gonna do it to me too and more than once I'm sure.

I have been painting the ornaments that the Chazman and I are taking. I did one of my silly fish (Bubbles) and crab for him to take.

For mine I did one of my mermaids. She is still drying but will also have one of the hemp twine ribbons tied to the top and the sand and shells on the inside.

I have so enjoyed painting the glass ornies this year and I plan on going to Hobby Lobby after Christmas and buying several boxes of the ornaments so that I can paint some all year and do sets of certain themes to be ready for next year. Sooooo, if you have any in mind that YOU might want just give me a hollar. ^_^ Ummm, perhaps I should add...not want as in I'll give them to you but would like for me to paint so that you could buy. hehehe

Now....I have got to get my hiney in gear and get those family gifts made. Y'all can all just call me Whootie (as in night owl) for the next week as that's what I'm gonna have to be to get all of these done. Wish me luck....pppplease!!!

Until next time.............Hugs,
Whootie  (hehehe)

Bout there y'all.....the cave remains!!!

Happy Happy Tuesday peoples!! I hope that you had an amazing weekend and even an awesome Monday. Yes, I know, you're sitting there shaking your head thinking "Regi....who likes Monday and who ever has an awesome Monday?"  Just think of it this way....if you awake on a Monday safe and warm in your bed then YOU made it through another weekend and we all know what can happen in a weekend. ^_^

I had a good weekend since I helped out at my favorite little gift shop (Beach Reflections and the Blue Mermaid) on Saturday and then started putting up my Christmas decorations on Sunday. I'm a bit late getting them up this year but at least I'm about there y'all. Finished with the exception of the Chazman's cave and then it's all done. YEA!!! I have to get a few more garland strands and then I can do his. So happy happy that my child is like me...weird ummmm I mean festive...hehe!!

So....now that I have everything done, how about your annual Southern ooaks Christmas tour. I have old new things this year thanks to a wonderful friend that remembered me. (Thank you Sharon) I love having friends that keep me in mind when they come across treasures that someone doesn't want anymore. They know that I surely can figure something to use it for. (and I always do) ^_^  So let's begin...shall we!!!

HO HO HO...Welcome Welcome to this old humble home!!

This is a Santa I painted years ago but revamped him a bit this year. What better way to greet my friends and family than with Santa. His stare and look are saying "Have you been good this year?" Answer honestly now or are you one of those that your letter would read:

Dear Santa,

I've been good all year. Oh okay, most of the year.

OHH okay, once in a while. 

OHHH never mind.

I'll buy my own stuff.

Once we close the door (which is by the way...always opened to my friends) I have my vintage planter sitting by the door and it's filled with goodies in the top basket. Those that know me, know that I'm beary fond of my bears...hehe...and I really love using them in my decorating. This Ted E and his snowman offer my visitors a gift choice from the items in their basket. Nothing fancy but made from the heart....some of my card tags and chenille ornies and even one of my oyster/moon/scallop shell ornies to choose from. Come visit!!!!

Now our front room that you walk into when you enter is lovingly called "Regi's B&B" and I love to sit in this room and read. So comfortable and calming. The Chazman lets me use his vintage tree under glass in here and well I'm trying to figure out a way to get him to leave it with me when he moves out one day...hehe. His aunt and uncle gave it to him when he was just learning to walk. We would visit and at Christmas time they would have this out on the coffee table and he would immediately go straight to it. His uncle wants everyone to think he's this tough "I don't care for humans" but he is really just a big old softy. He gifted this to the Chazman that year. Since I have the angel at the head of the bed I used the pretty clear lights and the red for around the little tree. When Chaz saw it he said "Hey Mom....you did it for "Naughty or nice". I hadn't even thought of that but we'll go with it. I like it!!!

 See my little reading corner....love it!!!

 Other side of the "B&B"

See...I really do love using my Bears. I  have ummm let's say lots and lots of them. Once ya love a teddy ya always love a teddy. See the wooden rocking horse? My Daddy made that and all of the grandkids really enjoyed using it too. (even when they got big...hehe) It's the Chazman's as Daddy gave it to him when he was little and Chaz is just as sentimental as his mommie and says he will always keep it......so his grandkids can enjoy it too one day. (in the far far FAR away future)  

 This little tree was one of the treasures a friend gave me last year. It's has the fiber optics and is so pretty when lighted.

This door takes you into our family room from the B&B. I loved making this wreath and YOU could make one too. Just click here for my "How To". Simple and easy to make...just time consuming...a little. ^_^

My ribbon netting is my old new decorating item as well as the cute candy and large ball ornaments. These are the ones my sweet friend, Sharon, brought to me. 

If you visit with me each year for the tour then I'm sure you noticed that we don't have the tall, full tree like we have had in the past. Nope...it finally bit the dust BUT we enjoyed it for many years. This year we bought a live tree and OMGOSH, I love the way it makes the house smell. Piwacket does too for she is practically living behind it..hehe. Hopefully though, I can find another pretty full big one after Christmas on SALE. This little tree would not hold all my ornies but at least we have a beautiful tree with the ones it would hold. The Chazman and I are HAPPY!!!

This Santa is hanging over our sofa and hanging from the little Santa clothes pins I painted are two of my favorite Christmas cards from one of my bestest buddettes. (luvs ya Johanna)

Now, if ya come to visit be very careful who ya walk under the kitchen door with cause that little Ted E is holding mistletoe and we all know what you're suppose to do when walking under mistletoe. Noooo, it's not sneezing....hehe!!!

 More pretty ribbon from Sharon!!!

I LOVE to bake and this time of year my little cake plate stays filled. I made a delicious chocolate cake with apple caramel frosting. Yum yum yummy!!!

Have ya noticed all my mugs? I collect them and love them all but especially the vintage old Santa ones. 

 More pretty ribbon from Sharon!!!!

Our little cookie cutter tree..hehe. The Chazman and I love to make cookies and it helps keeping them close by not to mention they make a great decoration too. 

Now...that's the tour for this year. I still have the Chazman's cave to go and then it's time to get my hiney in gear and get to making gifts. Ppplease remind me next year to start early. ^_^

I do hope that YOU and yours have a wonderful Christmas and remember what this time of year really means. A time that we as Christians commemorate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Celebrate and be kind to one another!!!

Blessings, Peace, Love and Hope,

Regi

Pretty Pretty Peacocks

Good Morning peoples and WELCOME. I love when you come and spend some time under the old Southern ooak tree.

I finished the special order of hand painted peacocks on the glass Christmas ornaments. I think they are going to look lovely hanging on a tree with lights shimmering off of them. I really enjoyed painting a pair of these beautiful creatures. What a unique item to be a collector of, yes? That's who these were ordered for. Perhaps I can talk Shannon into sending me a picture of the tree.....we would all love to see it I'm sure. If she does I will post it here in an update. (good way to get you to come back...hehe)

Today I'm going to work on a steampunk piece....one I started planning over a month ago. YIKES....has it been that long already peoples? Do you remember the piece? I did get the main focal piece started for it A wise old Steampunk owl.

I need to go to Hobby Lobby (ohhh poor me...a trip to Hobby Lobby...snicker snicker) to get some more watch pieces to use for the monocle that the owl will be a part of. Yes, you read right. I'm making a monocle necklace. A FUN piece for sure.

I hope that YOU have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend. Do something creative if you get the chance....make some gifts. Nothing better than a gift given that's been made from the heart and with your hands for that special person.

OMGOSH....I still have to put my tree up too. Good grief how did December sneak up on me peoples. ^_^

Peace,
Regi

I think I'm addicted to.....................

Happy Tuesday y'all. My, my but Mother Nature truly is showing us her bipolar anxieties. Yesterday, I wore a tshirt and my flops and thought about turning the a/c on for a bit. Today it's a thermal shirt with thick socks and my flops...hehe!!! (and if I had a fireplace there would be a fire a going)

Now....I  have a confession to make peoples. I think I'm addicted to............painting on glass!!! Go figure and just how did that happen. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I have been painting non stop for two weeks now. That COULD be it, yes? ^_^  I finished the ones that Diane commissioned for Beach Reflections and delivered the last five this morning.

I think this is going to be my design on any simple turtle ones I do from now on. I like the tribal look of these. Each one, like all the others, have sand and tiny shells found on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL.

From doing these, a friend contacted me and wanted me to do one for her but not of a turtle. She wanted one of her pretty yellow and white cat.

She loved it and that made my heart very, very HAPPY!!! Instead of the hemp bows I have been attaching to the ornaments I decided to use some of my pretty yarn. I mean it is of a cat and cat's LOVE yarn!! ^_^

I've also received a request to paint two ornaments with peacocks. I'm really excited to work on them as I haven't painted birds in a very long time. My muse is already whispering. What? What was that? HEHE

I hope that YOU have a wonderful day today and remember to say "Thank you" for at least one of your blessings. My thank you for today is YOU. Thank you for coming to sit under the old Southern Ooaks tree even if it's just to read what's happening in my whimsical world.

Mermaid kisses and starfish wishes,
Regi

It's the beginning of a Thankful week!!

My last post wished y'all a happy middle of the week. This post is wishing everyone a HAPPY beginning of a brand new week. One where we should be giving "Thanks" for all the many blessings we have.

As y'all know I have been working on those hand painted glass Christmas ball ornaments and they seem to be multiplying on me peoples...hehe. That's alright though because I'm really having fun painting and using glitter. Ohhhh, the use of the glitter is an added bonus indeed. ^_^  I took the ones I finished into the gift shop yesterday as I was helping out for the day and three of them went.....just like that. Yeah!!! The three sea turtles so I guess today I'll be a painting sea turtles.

The three that SOLD!! ^_^

Here's the remaining ones that are at the shop. I hope that if you are a local that you will go by Beach Reflections / Blue Mermaid gift shop and if not local or just like to shop online then please visit their online store. 

Now...time to paint some sea turtles and enjoy a relaxing Sunday. I hope that YOU have a wonderful Sunday, the beginning of a new week. Remember peoples, that it IS a new week which is like a new chapter in a book where you are the writer. One where you can start over, each and every day......enjoy!!!

Sending you Mermaid Kisses and Starfish Wishes,
Regi

What do you see when you look at certain objects??

Happy Wednesday morning peoples!! Ya know what Wednesdays mean.....it's getting closer to those three nights and two days that we all seem to love so much. The weekend!! I'm hoping that ours will include a beach walk cause heaven knows, I NEED more shells....hehehe!!

I finished the tree topper yesterday and Robin loves it. I love making special pieces and then having them loved as much as I loved making it. That's a lot of LOVE peoples!!

Pretty, yes? I really enjoyed making this piece. I had originally planned on using 4 of my oyster shell angels but it would have been to wide at the bottom to be a topper and also probably to heavy. Don't want a leaning tree that could topple over, now do we? I ended up using three angels and instead of the cockle shells I use on my single hanging angel I chose to use scallop shells. Turned sideways they do look so much like a pretty wing. I'm thinking of making a few of the hanging ones with both types of wings and even sculpting a few of the faces instead of using the moon shell. Still in the muse whispering stage at the moment though. ^_^

As I stated yesterday in my post, that I was going to work on the two projects, I actually got both completed. I think Santa turned out rather...........beachy.....hehe!! I love using items I find on my beach walkabouts. Every shell on these were found on walks taken in Gulf Shores. The moss is from a walk in the woods (in Wetumpka) from a long time ago that I dried out myself. So...all are gifts from Mother Nature, that were just laying around, waiting for someone to see what more they could be.

What do YOU see when you look at certain objects? I've always been one to see "hidden" objects in just about anything. A wooden floor, a rug, paint swirls on walls, clouds overhead and even shells. Santa just JUMPED out at me with these two. I must confess that I have more shells that have Santa peeking out of them as well.

Here's some I'm going to be working on today. Notice that some have additional oysters started on them? What do you see? I see some sweet kiddo faces or perhaps an elf. Who knows just WHO will pop out once I start with the clay.

Until next time..........LOOK,
Regi ^_^