It's that time of year peoples.....Laissez les bons temps rouler!!

OMGOSH....please forgive me for taking so long to write a new post peoples!! It seems I'm having some technical difficulties in getting my routine down with my new job. I do LOVE it though. Meeting so many wonderful folks if only for a short time span and knowing that each day will be a new group of folks to meet. I have met some characters too, let me tell ya!!!

If you have been coming to sit under the old Southern ooak tree to visit then you know in my last post I told y'all about going to Hobby Lobby (ohhhh I could live there I think...hehehe) and buying some new paints for some Mardi gras ornies. Well....I got them painted and they turned out really cute and that's not just me saying that now....really....it's not.

 This one is for Diana to keep once I change the tree to it's new Holiday. It's a fish with the words painted   "Fish River Grill".

See.....cute, ri iiight?? I've had several customer tell me that they loved the tree and the painted ornaments. That makes it all worth while and makes my heart smile too. I really enjoyed painting them and decided that since I'm at work during the day and Diana likes to keep her Christmas tree up all year at the grill that I would change it into a Holiday tree for the rest of the year. Each hand painted ornie has some of my Mardi Gras beads that I have caught over the years at the awesome parades we have down here during this time of year. I also left a few glass ornaments not painted and just added beads inside of them. Pretty effect by just keeping some simple.

Fish River Grill #2 official Mardi Gras tree!! I loved that she used purple and green colors for it for Christmas time because those ornaments can stay on it all year. Besides the ornies I painted I also added some Mardi Gras beads, some happy/sad face garland, some beaded mask necklaces, paper mask, a pair of musical Mardi Gras glasses, a pretty purple sparkly mask that my sweet friend Karen made and a Fleur de Lis tree topper. See the two little reindeer? Diana loves her reindeer and I wanted to keep them out all year too so they will be decorated as well...BAHAHAHAHA!!!! Don't they look ready to "PARTY" with their purple feather boas?

This hand painted glass ornie was done to add to the wreath.

Here's the wreath I made. I love making wreaths and I'm going to make a new one for each Holiday I change the tree to. I hung it on the register desk at the grill so that as folks walk in they can see we are in the Mardi Gras spirit to "Laissez les bons temps rouler". (Let the good times roll)

If you're in the area come see us at Fish River Grill #2. I promise you will LOVE the food and will not go home hungry!!!

Until next time.....remember...GET UP AND DO SOMETHING peoples!!!

Regi

P.S. Pssssst....I'm going to be adding some new items to my Etsy shoppe later this afternoon. 

Mardi Gras is coming soon!!

CHO CO me Boos.....I'm so excited that it's almost time for Mardi Gras!! Mardi Gras is officially February 17th but we all know that all the FUN and festivities start before that day. Our parades here in Gulf Shores actually begin this month...the first being on the 17th. I LOVE LOVE LOVE a parade and one where they throw beads and other items are THE best. If you're a local then here's the link to this years parade schedule.

I think that I'm going to put up my small table tree in the front room or maybe even in the family room if I can keep one tiny, mischievous cat away from it...hehe and decorate it for Mardi Gras. That means that I need to get to painting some glass ornies to put on the tree. I've been doodling some ideas and remember....these are just doodles...^_^

I will use greens, golds, purples and blues with these and of course glitter. Ya just have to have glitter to make it a true Mardi Gras bling bling. I'm thinking of doing a few ornies with just beads from past parades inside. Perhaps use some of the beads as garland for the tree too. Owww weeee.....I need to get started.

Until next time...........Do SOMETHING,
Regi

'Laissez les bons temps rouler' (Let the Good Times Roll)

Oh yes....it's that time of year again and we LOVE it!! What time you ask? Mardi Gras time of course. ^_^

Did you know that Mardi Gras began first in Mobile, AL in the year 1703? Oh yes, it's a long standing tradition and one we just can't get enough of. All the parades, the beautiful bright festive colors of green, purple and gold and Owwww Weeeee...the food!! Ohhh and getting to decorate for it too. Gotta so LOVE that!! I don't go all out but it's enough to make folks smile when they walk in the door.

Some of the beads we caught at a parade (standing in the rain) last year.

Oh yeah....we love our parades rain or shine...hehe

Now this handsome fella is Mr Ted E and he gets dressed up for several holidays around here..like Halloween and Christmas. Click on the links and see if you can find him.....hehe!! He is sporting more of the beads we caught from last year and his sweet owl mask. It fits us humans too but he likes wearing it the most. I LOVE making things and thought I might do a small "How To" on this mask. Want to learn? Well, let's get to it. 

What you will need:

Cardstock

scissors

pencil

black markers

paint

glue

string

feathers

I used a butterfly shape on the cardstock and cut it out. If you aren't good at drawing, no worries because I have a template you can use. (it has several different mask templates just in case you want to make several different mask)

These were found HERE

After you cut out the mask then you need to cut out 12 feather shapes....making one a bit larger than the rest. (it's going to be the nose) and then start gluing them on. I used regular Elmer's school glue (and no it doesn't dry purple..hehe) on just one end not the whole piece. We don't want our feathers laying down completely flat now do we? 

.

Here's the way I glued mine so you will have a pattern to follow.

Now once all the feathers are glued on and we have let it sit for about 5 minutes to dry, we are going to do some detail work. I used yellow for the beak and I used off white for the feathers we just glued on. 

Once you have detailed using your paint you can see that the feathers are pulling up......just like real feathers...all fluffy!! If some are sticking up more than you would like simply put a tad bit more glue. Now you can do some detailing with the black markers.

I glued some real feathers at the ears and the crown and then punched holes on either side of the mask and used my green string so that I could tie it on Mr Ted E. (or the Chazman's) head.  If this mask is going to worn and taken off a good bit then I would put some clear tape over the holes before you punch them out. It gives that area a bit more strength. I also tie knots on the front side of the string to keep it from pulling back through. I added some pretty beads just to give it some Umph...boy style. ^_^  If you didn't want to do the tie on the mask you could glue or tape a straw to it so it can be held or perhaps a smooth tiny branch to let it keep that outdoor feel or you could make your own holder out of paper. Just take a 12x12 piece of paper and starting at one corner, roll tightly on the diagonal. Once you have rolled the entire piece take and tape the end down. If little hands are the ones that are going to be holding this then I might even neatly tape the whole thing. Just a thought!!

There are so many ways to make cute mask. You can use paper plates....simply cut plate in half, cut some eye holes and decorate. Did you know that letting your kiddo do an outline of their hands and then cutting them out makes a cute mask to be decorated?. Ohhhh, I kid ya not!!

Found this cute idea HERE.

It makes a great rainy day project or snow day project (for most lately it's several snow days inside) and one I hope that you will do and have fun with it. 

Until next time.........HUGS,

Regi

Not letting 2013 follow into the new year!!!

I'm one of those that never wants one year to follow me into the next. Good or bad, the past year is over and a new fresh one is beginning. With that being said, I was sitting and looking at my Christmas decorations late yesterday and decided that I wanted 2013 to stay in the past where it belongs so I needed to put all the decorations away so it could do just that. 

All are packed up and ready to go back out in the shed until next year. YEA!! I always hate when I first take them down because well......frankly....it makes the house look "NEKKID" for a bit. I know I shouldn't look at it that way. I should look at it as having a nice clean house back, which is a good thing. I have to admit though (looking around) that I did leave the small tree I had in the B&B room in the closet so that I can pull it back out next month and decorate it for Valentine's and then again for Mardi Gras and then again for Easter. Oh yes...I love to decorate a tree. If ya remember I kept the big tree up last year and decorated it for January and February, but decided it was just to big and took up to much room to do it again this year. Not to mention I used the January winter paper ornies I made on the Christmas tree and packed them up..hehe 

I do like  having my nice clean house back....I really do. I like having my teapot collection back out with Alice and her gang mingling in between. Just love Alice, Mad Hatter and March Hare!!!

 

Do you see (looking around AGAIN) the little pedestal in the corner? That's where I'm going to put the little tree on in February and March to decorate it..hehe  I'll actually get to decorate it February (Valentines) March (Mardi Gras) and April (Easter). It's going to be FUN!!!!

Since I was able to get everything done last night I had this morning to take the Chazman to get a much needed haircut. He wouldn't let me take a photo...he's being shy today. Awwwww!!!! Then we went to the library....we love the library and then to Stacey's and ate lunch. They have the BEST sampler platter of salads. Tuna salad, chicken salad and egg salad. It's so good it'll make ya wanna slap yo momma...but don't, please...that wouldn't be very nice. 

After we got home I decided that since I have some books to read that I wanted a pretty bookmark and since I have been going through my shell stash I found some pretty shells to make one with. I'm thinking about making some to put in the souvenir shop if I can find some more pretty shells. 

Now....it's a bit chilly (where's my lambswool blankie?) so I'm going to go snuggle up in my reading chair and read a bit. 

Until next time..........Hugs,

Regi

P.S.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful New Years Eve. Stay safe, don't drink and drive and remember that 2014 is going to be a very good year. A very good year indeed!!  Come and visit often because I plan on giving away lots of goodies this year BUT you have to come visit to find out what and when!!!

February Holiday Tree is up!!

Well....we might be fighting that gnarly, nasty bug here but nothing and I mean NOTHING was going to make me break my promise to my Chazman about our Holiday tree. I promised him when we talked about doing this, that it would be changed out to it's new holiday the first of each month. A promise to your child is one that needs to be kept.

HAPPY FEBRUARY BY THE WAY!!!  February is a month with several holidays...like Ground Hogs Day which is tomorrow and Super Bowl Day which is Sunday (yes to some that is a major Holiday..hehe) There's Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day which we are celebrating with our tree. There's also Ash Wednesday and President's Day too. So many possibilities!!

A friend gave me a beautiful mesh ribbon wreath for my birthday this past October (thank you so much Shannon) and I have it hanging on my front door....sooooo...naturally, it is going to get decorated. ^_^  It is such a pretty wreath and I'm going to try and keep it looking that way and what better way than to use a pretty Mardi Gras mask and party horn and oh yes.....a few Mardi Gras beads that we caught in the past.

The Chazman got to choose which Holidays we had the tree represent this month. He picked very well I do believe. I wanted to pull the two together so I made two of my Mardi Gras paperdolls holding pretty glittery hearts. As well as making some cute little Valentine's paper tags and heart clothes pin holders.

What would Mardi Gras be without the laughing and sad jester's? We added those to our tree too....of course we had to separate them so no trouble would be cast about...one at the bottom, one at the top. HA!!

There is tinsel with happy carnival faces and strands of Mardi Gras beads all around the tree. We love it!! So happy that we decided to do this.

The Chazman has a special strand of beads that actually have the jester beads on it. The tree kinda overwhelmed it so we found a place that it would be seen and enjoyed. A new addition for this month to the tea party gang.

So that gnarly, nasty bug may have me down but so not out. I kept my promise to my little man and he is smiling brightly. He made my day when he told me that "I was the bestest mom in the world....cause I was making such AWESOME memories with him". Now that is the bestest medicine a mom could get when not feeling well. ^_^  

Happy February and until next time.............Hugs,
Regi