Temporary titles for temporary times

Well, it's been a long time since I wrote in the blog. To be honest, my kids got busy and I didn't make time for my art or my writing. I have since decided that it is crucial to my soul that I keep creating, so I don't yell at my kids or myself. Or eat too much candy, or get sucked into Twitter or Netflix or all the other distractions that keep us from the creative life.

As I write this, we are at the end of day 2 of the coronavirus social quarantine. My kids are home from school for the next 3 weeks and I am trying to work with them in the apartment. My husband's office has also been closed & shit over here is real. Our 900 square feet, 2 bedroom offers no relief from each other & there has been some tension. The spare TV was moved into the kids bedroom, so that their screentime will not interfere with the "office" in the living room and the second "office" in our bedroom. As we live in a condo community with many older folks, we have been taking the stairwell up & down 27 floors! That's right, I now have a free gym membership and will one day utter these words to younger generations: " Back when we had the corona pandemic we had to walk up and down 27 floors with our groceries! So quite your pissin and moanin. And give grandma some social distancing."

I'm trying to keep the kids busy with activities and adventures other than the screens.....which has temporarily made me a teacher, a chef, an adventure guide, a baseball coach(although I'm terrified of the ball) and a therapist. I take each day as it comes and hour by hour. We are in this together. Before this past week, I would scream about too much screen time & feel guilty for letting my kids have too much of it on bad days. Now, on day 2 that ship has sailed!

But, in this time, we have to be gentle with ourselves and it's Ok to have the screens parent our kids if we need to work or think or hide or cry.

This shit is scary.

I was originally gonna name this painting
"Screen time is OVER!"
But, in light of the current situation, the temporary title is now:

Screen time is OVER / I'm trying to work, go find something to watch on a screen
11x14 Acrylic & googly eyes on canvas with 1.5 inch profile 

I'm trying to work, go find something to watch on a screen!

As my late mother in law always said: "Take care of each other"
So, that's what I plan to do.
-Cheree

Healing with hummingbirds

One of reasons I decided to do the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, other than my artist block, was to help heal from the recent grief I have been experiencing.

In the early spring, my husband lost both of his parents. They passed 16 days apart from eachother. And while there is a sweetness in them being on the other side together, the suddeness and shock of the loss is so much harder than any of us ever thought it would be. I wasn't one of those who ever made in law jokes, as I always valued my in laws as another set of parents. I never thought I'd be so sad losing them and now there is a void that cannot be filled. I miss them so terribly sometimes. 

When visiting their house in Wisconsin each year, I loved watching the hummingbirds out their windows and around the flowers. During this daily painting challenge, I often did not know what I was going to paint on the pattern. Then, these little hummingbirds made their way out of my block and my grief and onto the canvas. They make me happy. 

I don't question these little guys, but rather know there may have been some guidance helping me get to where I need to be.

Hummingbird on midcentury circles 2018
Acrylic, glitter, googly eye on canvas board 6x6

Hummingbird wants a rocket pop 2018
acrylic, glitter, sequins, googly eye on mounted clay board 12x12

Hummingbird on midcentury morning glories 2018
acrylic, glitter, sequins googly eye on canvas 8x8

You've got a rainbow lolipop?! You bet I'll be there  2018
acrylic, glitter, sequins, googly eye on canvas board 8x10

Yep, looks like someone just got out the desserts 2018
acrylic, glitter, beads, sequins on clay board 8x10

Hug the ones you love, cherish the time you have, and sit down sometimes to watch the hummingbirds. They will make you happy. 

-Cheree

I finished!

I finished the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge! 

And here's what happened: 

1. I was exhausted for the first 3 weeks trying to get into a good routine to be successful; and I found out how many days I can realistically go without a shower (It's 2 and must be over the weekend).  

2. My kids ate snacks for dinner or mac and cheese for basically a month & so they really want me to do another 30 in 30 again. 

3. I went to work, the kids school, flag football games and many more places with glitter all over my face. 

4. I really wish that I could put googly eyes on my children when they are fighting with eachother. 

5. I am really behind on my Netflix shows. 

Here are weeks 3&4 with some left out for other posts I'm working on. 

Day 23: I don't know, where do you want to eat? Oh I don't care where do you want to go eat?
(And the weekend dinner choice fight begins)
Acrylic, glitter, googly eyes and sequins on clay board 8x10

Day 24: Oh man...all the pizza rolls are gone.
Acrylic, glitter, googly eye on gesso board 6x6

Day 18: There's a chill coming, time to get out the ascot
Acrylic, glitter, googly eye and a pearl on gesso board 6x6

Day 21: Wait a second...it's way too quiet up there.
Acrylic, glitter, googly eye, and sequins on canvas 10x10

Day 26: I hope there's donuts in space.
Acrylic, glitter, and beads on gesso board 6x6

Day 28: Sunflower posers
Acrylic and glitter on canvas board 8x10
SOLD

Day 22: Houndstooth Swan
Acrylic, glitter and googly eye on gesso board 8x10

Day 29: Put your dirty clothes in the hamper, just one time!
Acrylic, glitter, googly eye on canvas 9x12
SOLD 

Day 30: Looks like Mom is making dinner, so I'll just fill up on snacks.
Acrylic, glitter, googly eye and sequins on canvas 6x12
(This one was commissioned by my 5 year old...I'm pretty sure she will never pay me for this.)

Actually, I really wish I could just put googly eyes on everyone and watch them all go about their day. 

-Cheree 

Loving on the process

When I've done my art in the past I did it for the end result and to be done. I'd get bored and frustrated and I'd have a big pile of unfinished works. I've heard so many artists and professionals talk about "their process"...their routine. I'm not the most routine/process/repetitive type of persons, but these last couple weeks, I can honestly say: I AM LIVING FOR MY PROCESS!!! I live for the tediouness of the pattern and the slow progression it's giving me into carpal tunnel,  the struggle to get the color palette right, (or even to have it be off), the thought process with what to put on that pattern. Glitter choices. All of it. 

I now anticipate & feel frustrated with disruption of this process. 

Day 8: Monarch on argyle #2  2018
 6x6 Acrylic, glitter & pen on gesso board

Day 9: Flamingo on Midcentury circles  2018
8x8 acrylic, glitter, and googly eye on gesso board

Day 11: Orange popsicle in the sky  2018
6x6 acyrlic & glitter on gesso board

Day 13: Looks like there's donuts in the breakroom   2018
6x6  acrylic, glitter, & googly eye on gesso board

Day 14: Get off my lawn, I just mowed it   2018
10x10 acrylic, glitter, sequins & googly eye on canvas with 1"profile 

But more importantly, I finally understand why my husband likes to do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Why he gets crabby when the routine gets "sabotaged". 

He's just loving on the process. 

-Cheree 

PS. There are a few missing from this week, I will be posting about those seperately soon. 

$hit tons of glitter

About 2 years ago, I did a 30 paintings in 30 days challenge and I absolutely hated it. I wasn't really very orgaized for it, and I over thunk each painting. For almost 6 months now I have had a bad artists block. I wasn't painting at all & what I did paint, I hated & couldn't finish anything. At the encouragement of one of my art friends, she said I should do the 30 in 30 again to help get out of the rut. 

This time around, I decided I wasn't going to over think any of it & I wasn't going to care if anyone likes it or if it was "arts & crafty"....because let's face it, I AM arts & crafty. I also decided smaller is better & I will make them big later. This time I'm focusing on all my loves: patterns, glitter, metallics, Glitter, sequins...more glitter again...& whatever the hell else I decide is awesome. 

So here is week 1: 

(To follow this journey daily, I post them each on my Instagram account

Chereeapalona)

Eggplant on stripes 6x6
acrylic & glitter on gesso board

Apple on stripes 6x6
acrylic & glitter on gesso board 

Male peacock on argyle 6x6
acrylic, glitter & pen on gesso board

Lady peacock on argyle 6x6
acrylic, glitter & pen on gesso board

Monarch on argyle 6x6
acrylic & glitter & pen on gesso board

Rooster on houndstooth 8x8
acrylic & glitter with googly eye on canvas board
SOLD

Golden chicken on houndstooth 6x6
acrylic & glitter with googly eye on canvas board
SOLD 

Golden chicken on houndstooth 6x6
acrylic & glitter with googly eye on canvas board 

PS glitter is hard to capture in a photo but there is a shit ton of glitter going on. A. Shit. Ton. I promise! 

Oh & some googly eyes too. 

-Cheree 

It's time for my closeup

For quite some time I have been wanting to paint some of my carosel pictures I have been collecting on my phone. I probably have a good 50-60 photos of carousels and their detail parts throughout Paris and Denver that I have taken. I started to paint these carousels initially with the entire carousel, only to discover that they were all very boring & were basically complete crap. So, I put the carousel idea away for almost 2 years....

Then, at the beginning of this year, I started to look at them again in a different way. I started to take my photos and zoom in on the closeup parts of the carousel and found that these were much more interesting & seemed to tell more of a story about the carousel. It really brought these horses to life. 

The painting below is from a seasonal carousel that is on the 16th street mall during Christmas time. They ask for a nonperishable food item to ride the carousel & the proceeds go to help the homeless. 

Carousel CloseUp (2018)
Oil on canvas board 6x8

There is a lesson here in being patient, persistant & never deleting anything off your phone...EVER... so that way when you are your child's 2 hour baseball practice & your sitting in a windoless batting cage, waiting for it to end, because you left your book at home, you can just focus on your closeup. 

-Cheree

Turbo Pet

Sometime last year, I was asked by my work wife to create a painting for her husband for Valentines day. They had recently lost thier beloved dog, Henry, and she wanted to have a special memory of him.  I was honored that she asked me to paint their dog, but, I was not sure I could create him for her. I said: Let me try and see how it turns out. So, in true form, I delayed staring on it, then I got it most the way done & then I procrastinated the final touches until the last minute. Which is basically the same way I do our taxes.

Not long after, another friend asked me to paint her dog for her husband & this one proved to be a great challenge, as the dog, Aspen, was an all black lab. Finding color in black was something I hadn't done a lot of, so I said the same thing: Let me try and see if it will turn out. Once again, I delayed start, then got mostly done, then procrastinated the finish..executed it just like our taxes.

Not long after, I offered to paint a pet portrait in our silent auction for my son's school fundraiser. The winning bid was this little cross-eyed siamese cat, Clarabelle. Once I received the pictures from the winner, I did what I do best....performed my taxes.

Clarabelle 2016
Oil on canvas 8x10

Aspen 2016
Oil on clay board  12x16

Henry 2016
Oil on clay board  12x16

In all honesty, each of these pets, I was deeply honored to paint. Pets bring a joy and a love to a person and a family like no other. My Dad says "Dogs are the best people" (I would add that cats are too). 

Also, painting pets is way more enjoyable than doing taxes. 

-Cheree

The Upside Down

      As I have been working on portraits, in order to complete my entire family by 2017, I had to get myself done. Making a "selfie" is much more difficult than you'd expect. You think it would be easy, but we really don't spend that much time looking at ourselves, at least I don't. I spend more time staring at a computer screen...or when home, at my kids everday messes. Seriously, I'm not sure the toothpaste ever gets in their mouth, but rather all over the bathroom sink. So, when I started this painting, it took awhile and a lot of revision. You see yourself a certain way & when you really stare at yourself, for long periods of time and then start to put in on canvas, your brain starts to trick you. And before you know it, you don't look like yourself. You've strayed way too far off. So you flip yourself upside down to make sense of the nonscese and that is strange to be so upside down at yourself, but it works for a little while...at least to accomplish some parts. But then that starts to fail and you have to go back upright again, where you are somewhat more comfortable. And it continues this dance of the upside down. 

Self Portrait #1 (2017)
Oil on canvas board 6x6

However, at some point you just have to stop working on yourself for a bit, just enjoy what you've accomplished already & make another "selfie" later, when you have a new haircut. 

-Cheree

Here is the finished accoplishment: 

Bombs of sunflowers

Like many others like us, without a yard or with a small yard, we belong to a community garden. It's only our second year in the garden, but we are getting it. Each year when I'm planning out my veggies, my son is planning out his sunflower & snap dragon flowers. 

He loves his flowers, but will not openly admit it. 

He loves sunflowers and snapdragons best because they are "good pollination for the bees." 

He has a style to planting these  sunflowers. He forms the seeds into mud compost balls, so called "seed bombs" and he strategically puts them into the ground. So far, both years he has had great success with his sunflowers.

Evening Sunflowers (2017)
18x24 Mixed Media

Morning Sunflowers (2017)
9x12 Acrylic 

Mexican Sunflowers (2017)
10x10 Acrylic 

So far, he has the ability to successfully turn bombs into beautiful drops of sunshine. 

-Cheree 

It's too hot for life and air conditioning...or the time we bought a minvan

Every-time I sit down to type this story, I end up stopping because  I still can't decide if I find it funny yet. 

Last month, we headed to northern Wisconsin to spend vacation in a place called Lost Lake up by Minoqua & St. Germain, very close to the Canadian boarder. Quite lovely living up there. 

This year, instead of flying to Wisconsin, we decided to take the Subaru, so we could hook our bike trailer and haul all our bikes, plus save a little bit of money by not flying (this little irony is important later). We spent a wonderful week up there enjoying fishing, biking, tennis, swimming, a small bit of antiquing, and napping. Our children each made some new friends and both got much better on their bikes. The little one mastered her 2 wheel pedal bike (no training wheels)! 

A great vacation, well spent. 

We packed up the Subaru and headed on our way back on our 2 day road trip back to Colorado. 

Somewhere, close to the Iowa/Minnesota boarder, in 95 degree weather, the Subaru decided to up and die. Die! Right there on the highway, close to nothing! That's right, we were stranded, with our car packed full, bikes on the back, in 95 degree weather, sweating...sweating so much. 

"What's going on with the car?" (me)

"It's dead...I told you we shouldn't run the air conditioner. That's probably what did it." (angry peacock)

"I'm sure it wasn't the air conditioner. It was only on for an hour. And I'm too F@#*ing hot, I needed a cool down." (me)

(Now I'm about 80% sure that something along the lines of "It's too hot to have the air conditioner running that long." was said. But it could be that "it's too hard on the car to have the air conditioner on"...either way...It's too hot for life and air conditioning and our car...obviously).

Long story, but we finally get ourselves and the car moved to a repair/dealership in a small town in Minnesota. They tell us the car is totally done, engine is done, gasket heads...oil leaking....antifreeze something or other...basically all the running parts of the car don't run... but... it's NOT from the air conditioner...just sayin.  

We're trying to figure out how to get ourselves home with all our crap plus our bikes and the bike rack. I should also mention here that I STILL haven't removed the ski rack from the top of the car, so we have that too. The closest car rental place is an hour away and they are not answering their phones. It's coming on 5pm and we've been stranded now since 2:30. 

So, I got this van I could could sell you.....

WHAT!? I say to the peacock. We aren't going to buy a minivan today, in the middle of Minnesota. That's insane! I don't want a minivan. 

Well, it'll get us home, with all our stuff....and who knows, you might like having a minivan. Help you haul the kids around with all their stuff.

[Daggers are shooting out of my eyes at the peacock now]

I don't want to drive a minivan, it's too big and will it even fit in our parking spot (yes, it did....barely. But it did not clear our speed bump in the garage very gracefully). 

So, we bought the minivan (and for those wondering, yes, a minivan is more expensive than 4 round trip tickets to Wisconsin, but it will haul 4 bikes, the bike rack, 4 suit cases, 1 family, 2 car  seats & 1 ski rack). We drove the rest of the way home in the van WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON!!

We got home & prepared to sell it. We owned it for 2 weeks.  

And you think the story ends there.  However, when we were getting ready to bring it out of our garage for a test drive, the peacock was pulling it out and there was all this broken industrial glass on the street in front of our garage and he popped the tire on the way out...I'm serious. I literally can't make this crap up. So there we are with a guy ready to buy & a flat tire. This is why we owned it for 2 weeks instead of one. 

Journal sketch with watercolor
St. Germain, WI 2017

Journal Sketch with watercolor
On the dock at Lost Lake, WI 2017

But, we got the tire fixed. Sold the van. And survived our first family road trip. 

I'm thinking in about 5 years I will laugh at this...for now I'm still cooling down with the AIR CONDITIONER ON! 

-Cheree 

Live Fun Raising

About 2 months ago, I painted live for my son's annual fundraiser along with 2 other amazing artists.
Talk about nervous excitement.
This  was my first time to ever paint live. I did years of dance recitals and a couple of plays, but never painting. I am an introvert by nature, but I have always been able to "perform" & quite enjoyed it when I was younger without claming up. What makes painting live so nerve racking is the fact that I don't always have a "good painting day" &  I suppose that's also what makes it so exciting. You really don't know what is going to come out of you that day. Just hope it is something good.

I chose to paint a painting that I had done a couple of times before, but go a little rogue by adding some florescent acrylic paint, ink, collage pieces and oil pastels to this new vision. I had about two and a half hours to complete it, but the hardest part was knowing when to stop. When I paint at home I just stop when I'm stuck or want to think about it, and I just keep it up on the easel or raise it up on a shelf for like anywhere between 2 days to 2 weeks or until I decide what to do with it (I have a painting in a corner that I've been picking at since January).

Live art Clock Tower 2017
Mixed Media on canvas 12x24 

When you paint live, there is no raising it  up on a shelf to sit for 2 months. There's only getting it done, having some fun and praying to God that you're having a good paint day.

-Cheree 

-

Crushin it

A couple months ago, the peacock and I took a long weekend to Crested Butte to rest and relax and enjoy the large amounts of snow. The peacock loves to snowboard and I...well, don't. I honestly, have a bit of fear when I downhill ski. I prefer scenic skiing, with snow shoes on.

So for this trip, I decided this was my year to ski!
I rented ski equipment from the local shop & got ready to head up with the family to a T-bar lift in town called Cranor Hill. For those who don't know the area, Cranor Hill is NOT Crested Butte. It is a hill, one hill, with one Tbar lift. I figured that this was a cheap and fairly easy hill to learn to ski. Oh, and I planned to just teach myself by watching some YouTube videos. I've seen my son teach himself all kinds of cool things building Minecraft, so I'm sure my Youtube ski lessons will be similar. Plus, I did ski when I was 7, so it's like riding a bike....

except that it's not. It's not at all.

We got to hill and that's when I decided, there was no way I would get on the lift and make it down intact without acquiring some kind of "trick hip" or any other long term orthopedic consequence.  So, I'll just do some hike ups and plow downs. So up I hiked about 5 feet, put my skis on and down I went...slowly, slowly, slowly. Hike up, plow down, hike up, plow down...crushin the slopes.

Not long after I began tearin it up on the slope, wouldn't you know it, but one of my old high school crushes arrived with his family. Why I never run into any of my old crushes when I'm doing awesome shit, is beyond me. At this point, the peacock was no where to be found, leaving me alone on the hill. Crush.

Crested Butte Spring Break 2016
Oil on canvas board 6x8

I soon found my forever crush inside, feeding our offspring lunch. Doing awesome shit. 

And ya, I'm crushing on it. 

-Cheree

This is an older painting, from last year's Crested Butte trip. Just didn't have the words till now. 

The Survivalist

Many days I come home to our downtown urban abode to find the peacock intensely watching wilderness survival shows. These consist of Dual Survivor, Dude, you're screwed, Survivorman, Expedition Unknown & America Unearthed (the last 2 being a bit of treasure hunting/conspiracy theory...but still elements of survivaling during the conspiracy treasure hunt). 

We live no where near the wilderness, unless you consider the urban jungle a wilderness (and actually, my Dad finds city survival much more dangerous than the wilderness). I know after all these hours put in watching these shows, that if we are ever stranded in Downtown Denver, he could start us a fire, kill a wild boar with a handmade spear, and build a shelter. I have very little to worry about when I go out on date nights these days.

I have had many of lectures from the urban survivalist in regards to having yourself a solid "routine" that allows for calculated smart decisions based in logic. Always leaving the house with "wallet, keys, phone. Every single time." Seventeen mile bike ride commutes every day from work,  passing all the cars on I-25. Living to help the environment survive and thus a survival of the species. Working hard to better the survival of the family. Surviving those days when your children push you over the edge or your wife plans another musical theater date night.

The Survivalist (2017)

Oil on canvas board

6x6

Because it's those who survive that will go and retrieve all the treasure left behind...which could just be the children's Halloween candy while they sleep.

-Cheree

The Judge

Nine years ago, I birthed this amazing, witty, sensitive, intensely competitive...

Judge. 

I noticed it when he started keeping score with fair portions of treats between his friends and equaling out the numbers. He was always aware of whos turn it was for basically anything, who just had a turn, how many times it was their turn, and who is next. Very innocent, basic preschool fairness to an extreme. Then he got older and found sports, and well, the fairness went from extreme to intense. 

Now, before I go on, don't get me wrong, he plays by the rules. Even more so, makes sure that YOU play by the rules and holds all refs, umpires, judges, etc. accountable for their interpretation of the rules. 

When he was 6 (three years ago) this boy wrote a letter to a home plate umpire in a regular season MLB game over a strike out to Troy Tulowitzki that was below the knees & clearly not fair...explaining to him how he got the strike zone totally wrong. He then informed him that because he was wrong, the game needed to be replayed for fairness. 

(I didn't know who to mail this letter to and it was somewhat illegible. I felt kinda bad, but he soon moved on to avenging the next bad call). 

When he was asked to "take a break" from football and soccer at recess this year, he found four square. You know four square, that game that you basically stand in one place and bounce a ball back and forth to each other until someone falls asleep from the boredom of this game...or misses catching the ball & is out. Ya, well, this "judge" has been suspended from 4 square, not once, but TWICE, for losing his shit. Arguing over the game and it's calls. 

"(insert adult supervisor's name) was completely out of their mind today. They called me out, when the rule is that you can't do big bounces and (insert other four square child's name) did a big bounce and it went over MY head, so he should be out...but NO! They called ME out, so I was trying to explain to (Adult supervisor) why they are wrong. 

Mom, the ball WENT OVER MY HEAD! That means it was a big bounce! And those aren't allowed. They called ME out!!! It's not fair! 

That person IS NOT qualified to judge 4 square!"  

Levi (aka The Judge) 2017
Oil on canvas board 6x6

God Bless my son's teachers and recess leaders...seriously, I owe (insert adult supervisor) a drink.
But the ump, who called Tulo out...When I find out how to mail this letter (and to who)....get ready to face the Judge.
-Cheree

Stuffed Animals

As I may have mentioned, I was born and raised in a small mountain town. I was raised by wonderful parents & from them I gained some good survival skills. My Dad grew up hunting and fishing, so actually.... I didn't really learn any survival skills from my Dad. But my Mom, she grew up sewing, reading and cooking & I can do 2 out of 3. So, for example, if I'm ever starving and need to kill a wild animal to survive and in the process of doing this I rip my clothes, I would be able to sew my clothes back together & then read a story about it. So, basically I will die of starvation if left in the wild.

(Which is why I binge watch Dual Survivor with the peacock to gain some much needed skills for dooms day). 

Anyway, when you grow up with a hunter, you have access to antlers, lots and lots of antlers. I grew up with stuffed Elk heads, fish, grouse feet (that my brother and I played with...I know, I KNOW...gross) and, well, antlers as the main pieces of artwork in the living room. My Dad rotated his dead animal crap around the same way I rotate my art and furniture around....frequently. Often times my Mom could not park the car in the garage because there was a dead elk carcass hanging from the ceiling just twirling around and around and around. When my Mom made my Dad finally move the elk head out of the living room and down to the local sporting goods store, my Dad would go down and "visit" his elk head, brush it's fur and stuff. I actually had to talk my Dad out of having some of my Prom pictures taken standing with his dead stuffed Elk head. True story. 

Many people would consider this "redneck" and maybe it is, but maybe not...I'm too biased to tell. But I've come to realize that it's a dying way of life. My parents to this day will use only what they need. They don't even know the word excess...unless it has to do with getting wood for the winter (but that's a Story I already told) When clothes get ripped...they get repaired. My Dad hunts and then has meat for months and shares it with the lot of us. One year I had so much elk meat in my freezer, I didn't buy any meat for almost a year! My mom cooked and baked quite a bit from scratch and still does. I rarely had any fast food growing up & I still don't eat it (excluding Chipotle). My little goldfish's favorite dress was made by my Mom. She made my 8th grade graduation dress and a homecoming dress. This was a life they learned from their parents and these are skills that were passed on (mostly...kind-of) to me and my brother. 

Urban Antlers (2016)
Oil on canvas 8x8

Skull & Bulb (2016)
Oil on canvas 8x8

So, to summarize, if we are in a situation where we duly have to survive, I will need you to do everything, as my only skill is basically finding my way home. 

And if I happen to die, just stuff me like a dead animal, put me in my prom dress (most likely, my Mom still has it) next to my Dad's elk, so he can brush my hair and take a few pictures. 

-Cheree  

Projects-a-runaway

A new year.
Like many, I too am setting my year goals and hopefuls.
I currently have many, many, many unfinished projects....so many half done or not started projects. So many.

Project #1: Lets start with my wonderful thrift store chair find (this is not an uncommon occurrence, as I frequent 4 thrift stores regularly and add in a few drive by's). Now, I bought this chair and it screamed PROJECT, so I bought it and it's been sitting in a corner with a giant plant on it ever since (because there are screw ends sticking out of it and it's a "hASSard") I have plans for a wonderful mosaic top influenced by some tables I saw in San Antonio, but yet it sits. It sits with the bedroom dresser I have planned to strip and refinish and a side table that needs serious TLC or a recycling center. All sitting, collecting dust and looking anything but on fleek.

Project #2: The going on a decade quilt. Yes, I started this quilt 10 years ago, as a gift for my husband, before I had any children. I used a pattern from this book I borrowed from my aunt, please note the title "For the weekend quilter", which is clearly misleading. The peacock is still waiting for it & most likely will continue to wait and wait and wait for his gift. It currently sits in my closet in a Tupperware container, next to the box of fabric with other "weekend" projects.

Project #3: The Balcony mural. We have a solid wall across our entire balcony that is begging for a mural and has been since we bought our place 12 years ago!! The problem with the balcony mural is that I can't even  make a decision as to what I should paint there. Old timey Denver? A star wars landscape (and which one)? Monet waterlilies? It quite literally taunts me when I even venture into planning it. I can't even display it's picture  right now because it has several bike rims (another project in the waiting) leaning on it...and it's dirty has hell...moving on to...

Project #4: The never ending abstract. This one will most likely never get done! Just when I think I'm done, I hang it up....then decide it needs to be "fixed" and then it goes back to hogging up my attention on the easel. It has some serious attention seeking behavior issues.

Oh and lastly, Project Exercise: I believe that one speaks for itself. That one is standard every year...but for some reason always seems to get bumped. But this year I mean it.

So, as I venture into 2017, I am going to finish some of my damn projects that really need to get done, all the while starting new ones, spending time with the family, working, Netflix bingeing....Oh and exercise. Can't forget the exercise this year.

-Cheree