Fabric on the wall?

Our little room is totally cleared out. It's taken me weeks -- but at this point, I am happy to report that I went through every file, folder and bag (there were thousands)...I've recycled a ton of paper and magazines. Using ten banker boxes -- I sorted through and organized four decades of paper -- correspondence, photographs, books, patterns, etc.

The old furniture is gone -- John burned a huge antique oak desk, a large magazine rack and a typing table. Val inherited a kitchen counter-height table -- which only leaves one bookcase in the room.

So, FINALLY -- the room is a blank slate. Everybody expects me to do some kind of wild paint treatment on the now-white walls...well, sure....

But then, I thought it would be fun to put fabric on at least one wall. Many years ago, I used fabric starch to put some yellow burlap on a bathroom wall.

The starch treatment doesn't damage the wall, there are no holes or staples -- and down the road, you simply wet it down and remove the fabric...which is LIKE NEW...hummm...

I asked Joanne & Pat if they remembered how to use starch to put fabric up on a wall...and Joanne replied, "the internet will remember"...

Well, I haven't quite figured out the actual FABRIC -- much less the TECHNIQUE...but I am keeping my eye on the prize...

The next time Elliott & Emily come for a visit -- Lillian will be sleeping in her new room...

THIS is what I'm working towards...MAYBE EVEN AN OVERNIGHT VISIT??

Ya's Ya's in New York

Mary Mulari and I will be Ya Yaing in Rochester, New York in October 2010. To help promote the event, I had to send a photo -- and this is the one we've been using...

Notice anything? Yes -- that's right -- MARY. SHE NEVER CHANGES.

When we posed for this picture, I cleverly insisted that Mary stand IN FRONT OF ME. lol. Of course, it's still evident that I'm the fat one...

Hey -- I'll always be the fat one! But I'm not as fat as I used to be...

I'm happy with that...but the next time we get together -- we ARE going to have a new publicity shot done....I swear...

My Baby Shoe Obsession

This is my third attempt at making a little pair of useful baby shoes with Ultrasuede soles -- and as you can see -- Lillian is crawling away so fast, the little shoes are just a blur...



Here's a close-up of the shoes. You can see I deliberately made each top different, but the backs (zebra) and sole (turq ultrasuede) are the same.


Here's another angle...getting the elastic the right length is the big challenge...this pair is pretty cute, but the fit is not quite right...

So, I'm making ANOTHER pair -- and, to be clear, here are the three pattern pieces required for a pair of shoes. The sole is going to be turq ultrasuede, the top is tie-die t-shirt print, and the shoe back is zebra stripes....

Okay...I have figured out something MAJOR...

If I basically make the shoe inside out -- the elastic would be a lot easier to adjust and to tack down...

Hummm...I'll keep you posted...

Greenstock At the Putnam

Okay -- it's well established that I LOVE having ADVENTURES with people you enjoy. And, I'm sure there are amazing things happening right in your own back yard. Recently, the kids were out of school for Spring Break...and I told my niece Amy I'd like to spend a day with her two oldest boys, Cale and Garrett. We picked an arbitrary day -- and -- in a complete stroke of RITALUCK -- the Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa was having their annual "Greenstock" event.

What an AWESOME time we had. There were many crafty events set up all around the room -- here, the boys are making necklaces out of old computer parts..

After two hours, the HEY RITA tote is full of crafted treasures-- windchimes, bracelets, coffee-ground fossils...


We all made a fabulous TIE-DYED t-shirt AND we even got a tree to take home for planting.

THESE BOYS WERE WONDERFUL. Cale is 10 and Garrett is 7. (I think) Altho I see them frequently -- it's often a holiday occassion -- and they're at the kids table while the "adults" visit. But on our Greenstock day, the boys and I talked about everything under the sun. Favorite foods, civil rights, what they're going to do when they grow up, who Rosa Parks was, and why everybody pays taxes...

At one point, I thanked the boys for making it such a fun day -- and I said, "one day soon -- you won't be caught dead spending time with your old Aunt Rita..."

And Garrett said, very somberly, "that is never going to happen to us..."

Oh, yeah, I'm one lucky Great-Aunt...and I know it...!!

Fabulous carpeting AND Orange County shoes

When Clinton Iowa brought the REAL HOUSEWIFE, Vicki Gunvalson, to town -- the event took place at their newest biggest hotel. AND I LOVE HOTEL CARPETING.!! ISN'T THIS FABULOUS?? Does anybody know how I can buy this for my house??

Of course, I had to take one of my famous "shoe shots"...you already know which foot belongs to me (the pink and orange pedicure) -- Amy and Rachael both have cute shoes. But, you've gotta admit -- Vicki's assistant, Heidi -- TAKES THE PRIZE with her orange high heels...



OOPS -- I forgot to put HEY RITA in the picture. AND, of course, Heidi did her job and got Vicki's new book in this shot....

Seriously -- don't these shoes just about say it all? I mean -- ORANGE COUNTY is HOT, HOT, HOT...!! And they have the shoes to prove it...


We DID get a chance to ask Vicki questions...and, of course, I told her I'd be putting her picture (with the Hey RITA tote) up on this blog...

So -- if you could ask Vicki ONE question -- what would it be?

And what question do you think I ASKED???

Unusual Lamps

I love buying unusual lamps. And YOU KNOW I'M NOT KIDDING....Here are a few pictures of my special lamps:

One of my all-time favorites -- because of the three ORANGE globes in this lamp -- I had to completely repaint the room. This lamp is the reason ORANGE plays a major role in my house...($2.50 at an auction)


A gift from Elliott, this lamp captures my personality perfectly...and it enjoys a place of honor in my living room (I added the yellow coil, because -- well, why wouldn't I?).

Lillian's special light -- and inspiration for her "new room". At night, the green spiral has a bolt of light that moves...amazing...($4.38 at the Goodwill)

A 70's classic -- an actual POLE LAMP with pink and blue globes...($1.00 -- shockingly, I was the only bidder!)


You've got to admit -- these lamps have A LOT OF PERSONALITY. Really. What could be more fun?? I simply cannot imagine...

The Original REAL Housewife

The Clinton, Iowa Women in Business did a GREAT spring event -- with a very special speaker....here's a picture of me with my niece Amy and her friend Rachael...we're waiting for the VIP...the Very Important Person who will be the guest speaker...

Yes -- that's right -- it's VICKI GUNVALSON -- the ORIGINAL Real Housewife of Orange County. In the picture below -- Amy is on the left and Rachael on the right. Of course, Vicki was envious of my fabulous HEY RITA totebag...

Vicki was autographing my copy of her new book -- and I was explaining why we had to have the totebag in the picture...

This is my best picture of Amy and Rachael. These two young women have been friends since they were five years old. AND when they had a chance to ask Vicki questions, they wanted to know where to go in Florida for an airboat ride (they're planning a Florida"girlfriend" vacation in May). In a recent episode, Vicki arranged many weekend activities for her "housewives girlfriends"in Florida...except, of course, Scummy Slade crashed the party...


WHAT A GREAT EVENING WE HAD!! Thanks to the Clinton Chamber of Commerce for bringing Vicki to town. They did a first class job -- complete with a chocolate fountain. Vicki was nervous about speaking to a large women's group -- but she did a GREAT job. I'll write more about Vicki -- after I actually get to read her book... (More Than A Housewife)