Gee I must be getting better, no catastrophes to report.
My art retreat in Round Top, Texas (population 92) was fantastic. Unfortunately I cannot share photos on this friggin blog account. At least Typepad did respond this time and I know what the problem is. Of course for a techie like me, I don't understand how to do something to fix it. I spent six hours on it yesterday with no results except a lot of very bad cuss words.....Let's drop that subject or else I'll need another drink....
Round Top, Texas is about an hour's drive from Austin and the weather was warm but a wonderful breeze. The lodging was The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell. She is the decorator who invented "shabby chic" and has written many decorating books. She bought this place a couple of years ago and has renovated it in her "shabby" but adorable style. The floors and walls may be worn out old barn wood with white Muslin triple-ruffled sheets and fabulous French chandeliers! There are five or six old cottages on the 40-acre ranch which are the guest rooms with bed and bath. A big old barn type building is the kitchen and dining room. Very rustic but in good taste and out in the middle of nowhere!!
I made a necklace with old vintage jewelry pieces, a bracelet with three vintage watch faces which we gutted and put other stuff inside and the best thing of all (which I still cannot believe I actually made) was the clasp/focal for a bracelet. It began as a sheet of copper and we cut it, sawed it, textured it, patina it, made a bezel and soldered it to the base and then set a jasper stone in it! I wish I could share a photo but will email a picture to you upon request. It is awesome and now I have to string some beads to it.
Everyone there except me was from Texas, but they were all very sweet and fun and talented. One gal told us the story of meeting her cowboy husband. He was a REAL cowboy who did rodeos and stuff. She was at the rodeo and saw this tall, lean cowboy with his hat and boots and tight Wrangler jeans. She said "ooooh, that there is nice looking" and told him to turn around so she could see his FACE!!! Too funny.
Well I know this is boring because The Domesticately-Challenged Queen has not exploded anything this week????!!!! Oh but listen to this....I opened the door to the shower in Texas and was met face-to-face with a Scorpion!! He was about three inches long (but again, I cannot show you the picture of him smiling up at me....). Up until that point, I thought I could really live there......
Loves from The Queen
