Sideboard Makeover

My sideboard was a plain Jane. She asked for nothing, and didn't even cry when dear daughter smashed her head into her glass door and cracked it (the door). She is an old gal, of questionable background. So plain, we didn't notice her much. Well, she did have that one intersting tile inset composed of teal and white.....

I thought about getting rid of her for some flashy new thing. But, aside from the lack of redecorating funds, I decided to give her a chance. I repainted her and made her look unique. That is a nice way to put it! Anyway, if anyone is interested in the method of my madness, here is a step-by-step for painting glass doors. I really wanted to hide the secrets within (i.e. all my art and other crap stored in the shelves) and went all out on the doors.

First you pick a design. I copied some stained glass patterns. Tape the pattern to the outside of the glass. Trace the pattern onto the glass using a permanent marker. Paint the pattern with acrylics or watercolors, depending on how much transparency you want. I used both. Remember, you will be seeing the reverse side. Hang up the doors and voila! I painted the wood a cranberry red and used some antique gold paint as a highlighter.

And a big thank you to Hayley, who assured me I could do this!

No more sitting in the corner for my baby :)

Dear daughter saw the camera and insisted on a photo op for her blossoming little girl pout career. Style and pose by Ellen, age 5.



Aren't my girls somethin'?

I haven't replaced the glass since the head incident. The cats like to jump in there for now.

Mission Survival

No, not talking about cancer, blah, blah, blah on that topic. Talking winter. In Chicago. Since we are hitting 70's and 80's this week in California and the Chicago forecast is butt-ass cold, I am fondly remembering my first winter in the Mid-West.



Mission: Survive Dental School


Launch Date: Fall/Winter 1989-90


Location: lake side, downtown Chicaaaaago


Enemy: besides gnarly teeth (not mine), nazi-esque instructors and a piss-poor student budget~ the wind, the below zero cold, the icy streets, the cab drivers


Cohort: my roommate Maria, who was from Miami


Mitigating Factors: none, OK maybe our youth


Fancy Gadgets: none (no cell phones or Internet, this was still the 80's)




Maria and I were talking in our dorm room one Sunday afternoon. We were pretty sure we had the proper gear to make it through the upcoming winter.

MINE











My coat, on the left, didn't have a hood and it was BRIGHT royal blue. Remember, this was the eighties. I was sure I would be fine, but I was not so sure about Maria. She may have had to wear a pashmina to the disco once or twice on a cold night in Miami, but her heavy coat was unlined leather.


So we call the experts~ our classmates from Canada, New York and the Mid-west. We asked them to come and check our gear.


They laughed. And laughed. And belly laughed. And peed their pants. Then they asked us did we have winter boots? Boots? we say. You need boots? OK more laughing. Then we pull out our boots...

MINE





.....MARIA'S

Then the experts lost it and dragged us to one of their rooms where they had actual winter gear. Their coats looked like sleeping bags with belts. They had hats. (OMG I was going to have to smush the chi-chi poof down?) and boots that were a combination hiking boot/top-siders. We had never seen anything more ugly in our lives.



We tried to be cool, and brave. But by Mid-October our chi chi was blown to bits, our feet were frozen and our dream fashion glamour was in the toilet. We had to catch the el to the Loop and buy some ugly-ass coats. We made it that first winter nicely in our ugly coats and survived many other indignities that year.



We petitioned the dean to assign dorm rooms matching each warm weather student with a cold weather roomie.



Maria, where ever you are, I hope you are nice and warm.

Camp Nukemboobies

Well, I must say the whole breast cancer thing sucks. During active treatment, I especially despised the radiation therapy. It was literally cold. and impersonal. and exhausting. and depressing. Like the rest of it wasn't? But personally, I had the most trouble with the radiation both physically and emotionally.

When I decided to make my own cancer-related designs, the radiation designs were some of the very first to come to my chemo-laden imagination. They are still some of my best-selling designs, so I know other people share my sense of humor, or pain, or both. I revamped my Camp Nukemboobies this year and I think it turned out nice with the radiation symbol on the pink tent. Going to radiation treatment is a lot like camp: you meet new people, get a sunburn, miss home, get tired. Fortunately there are no bugs, but unfortunately there is no fun either! Camp Nukemboobies shirt may help you put a little fun into the marathon of radiation treatments for breast cancer.

And my generic radiation design Been There Fried That has a big dose of reality... Put a fork in me, I'm done!


If you know anyone undergoing radiation therapy, be sure to give them lots of encouragement and hugs. But check with them on the hugs, sometimes places can be a little toasty!

Discovery

I. just. left. him. there.

OK confession... I put him in the microwave for a little bit and then put him back in the freezer. Some Rescue Hero. Can't even take on a Desperate Housewife. Or a fourth-grader's curiosity.

Multi-Tasking Manga Master

For those of you begging me to come up with some non-kid material~ tough. My School is Back in Session Break is not for another week.

Looking on dear five year-old daughter's desk this morning, I see she had out her mini-manga drawing book that Santa put in her stocking. Santa was not sure she would like it. But he wanted to be fair since her brothers got the same kits. She was the first to try it. Here are the included instructions. Her sketch is on the left.




I think she did pretty well, especially considering she used a ball-point pen. I told her how impressed I was and she said "Oh, that. I just did it real quick while I was sitting on the pot."

Talk about a casual artist......

Hope Your Wife Is In Good Shape

The kiddos are happily eating their pancakes, eagerly awaiting present time. I noticed the following note next to the fireplace:

Dear: Santa Clause
I have been a good kid this year. and I would also like to know how youre reindeer and wife are doing? Rudolph still got his nose bright for Christmas. Does Rudolph ever get his nose polished? Well, hows your wife? Is she in good shape? And health is doing good right? I'd really like these questions answered Christmas morning.


Sincerely, Scott

P.S. hope you are in good health and shape too.

No rest for the weary Santa. You had better get back to him on this :)

Merry Christmas all of my bloggy friends. Thanks for your friendship and support all year!!!

The Greaty Eighties

Can't you just smell the Love's Babysoft now? I am going to post some old photos from my scrapbook, but gag me with a spoon for sure, don't know how it happened, but I sure remember looking cooler back then. LOL

This chick is not me ----------------------------------->
but I had that exact hairstyle for at least a few years. My kids will be so proud.



My favorite 80's memories:


* when a friend sprayed her hair for an entire minute with a can of Raid on accident~ DUH! It looked a little like the AquaNet can.......



* shopping at Miller's Outpost and a little store called Ragsmatazz for shiny, tight clothes and anything "ESPIRIT"

* going to SF with mom to hit the outlets, back when outlets were little hole in the wall stores or basements scattered all over the city

* feeling kinda left out when all my friends got perms since my hair was already curly



* dreaming of driving a new Datsun 280Z but really driving a Plymouth Satellite also known as "The Shark" which, BTW, can fit up to 10 non-seatbelt wearing girls with big hair and big talk and big aspirations. Also good for Chinese fire drills for the same reason

* Def Leppard, Van Halen, Flock of Seagulls, Duran, Duran, The Cars.....


* the birth of MTV especially the "Rio" video


* eating junk food, including TAB and all the Hostess stashed in my friend Bonti's freezer in her parents' garage, without worrying about fitting into those 501s or acid wash jeans with the high waist

* talking on the phone (the only line in the house) for HOURS about absolutely NOTHING

* dreaming of where to got to college


* dreaming of how the guys will be so much more mature that year......


* counting down the days until the braces came off and then when they finally come off, figure out nobody noticed the braces anyway

* staying out of "The Stoner Bathroom" at high school

* going to football games/the movies at night when it was probably 20 degrees out not wearing a jacket of any kind

* chewing green apple gum because it stunk like pot and somehow that was cool

* telling my parents I was spending the night at Jessie's house (oh so naive they were..)

* wearing bright red nail polish and matching waterproof lipstick, covering up curling iron boo boos and the occasional hickey


* cruising down Jefferson Avenue on Friday and Saturday nights in Napa~ woohooo!


* in college working in a store's lingerie department and seeing the look on the wife's face when I would say hi to my
professor(s) as they both walked by

* "Oh My God!!!!!"

* cassette tapes, empty hairspray cans and hairbrushes scattered all over the inside of our cars

* passing notes while driving in cars

*hard alcohol was wine coolers

* working out was aerobics. period. workout clothes involved leotards, headbands and reebok high-top sneakers






Well, found my high school portrait. You can even see the pink feathers, but you can't see the ugly tube top you had to wear under it. Sun-In in my hair and some ridiculous lip gloss and eyeliner. Also strangely preserved are some of my swim team photos. Notice the red nails and lipstick even under water...







I would love to have that old hair back.....