Karla Nathan – Page 208 – Karla's Cottage

A new computer and some old pictures and some pictures I’ve NEVER seen before

By Karla Nathan / January 20, 2011

While I had family members in town who were much more computer literate than I am, I took advantage of their skills and had them help me buy a new laptop.

Its WONDERFUL!!!! I'm using it with a docking station so that I have the same keyboard and screen as before, but can now have the option to be more portable. Plus, this guy is speedy. Wow, I didn't realize how slow my old one was till this new one started whipping through pages at lightening speed!.

There is a slight learning curve with the update to Windows 7, and moving from Outlook Express to Live Mail.

And a few little glitches like, I can get emails but not send any…. That will be an easy fix,I'm sure. I'll unplug the laptop and take it back to the sweet boys at the Geek Squad who are probably sick of me by now. But I can't go quite yet, my car is trapped in a snow drift and I'm not going anywhere for a while.

So, I've been cleaning out files and poking around trying to learn this new machine's tricks. I had to re-download Picassa and when I did, it went a little wild and added dozens of pictures that I'd never seen before.

I don't know where they came from, but they weren't mine. I've been deleting file after file after file of hot rod cars, pin up girls, and who knows what.

One really weird thing was that there were a lot of photos that looked kinda familiar. But weren't. Like photos of kids that were sorta like Sugarwings. And Yorkies that weren't mine. And pictures of artwork oddly similar to what I do, but that I did not do.

Is my new laptop haunted?

To delete all the photos that didn't belong, I had to go through all of my pictures and clean out ones that weren't mine. While doing it, I found a few that I'd taken but never shown. Like these paintings I did at a downtown Lawrence shop. Once upon a time, I was a muralist and faux painter.

I don't miss all the ladders. It was hard work.

So is shovelling out cars from the snow. Which I'd better get busy on. Uck. Unless I can charm my boys into doing it for me…. There is nothing better than having adult sons!

Thankful

family

By Karla Nathan / January 19, 2011

Well, I think its time things start to get back to normal around here.

I feel like I've been in some sort of limbo, between nonstop holiday fun, then a week's vacation followed by wrapping up and sending hundreds of purchases from my Boutique sale. After barely catching up and getting settled back home, a big snow storm hit and then, the bad news about my father-in-law.

This weekend we will be driving the body up to Nebraska where he wanted to be buried. We are also taking his favorite recliner to the nursing home there, but no, we won't be strapping him into that. Although, I do think he might have enjoyed it.

So, I won't be back into my routine for a bit. Thanks for all your messages and kind words, sorry I haven't been able to answer them all. But I read and appreciated each one.

Its a sad time when someone dies suddenly. Its a realization that hopes are cancelled, relationships will never improve, this was it, all there was. Potentials never fulfilled, reconcilliations never made.

My husband's family is amazing. Caring people with sharp wits and the capacity for deep love. All of them came together to be there for each other to celebrate their sibling love and honor their father.

He was not an easy man and like all humans, had his flaws. But I will love him forever for creating this diverse and adorable group. They are all wildly different people with opposite religious, political, and lifestyle views. But all enjoy each other's company and accept the huge variations of their beliefs.

In his last years, my husband's father learned to show a softer side with these two great grand children. Pixie Pie and Sugarwings got through to him.

Sugarwings knew he loved her and that she could make him smile by singing the Nebraska fight song for him. Her memories of Grandpa Ardell will always be good ones.

Even though our home was filled with laughter and fun with all the relatives visiting, she picked up on her Pop Pop's underlying sadness and when he tucked her in at night, she told him, "When I grow up I will go to school and be a doctor and make sick people better. Then your daddy won't die, Pop Pop."

Yes, families aren't perfect. But there are perfect moments in each. We had a lot of those this week. And I am thankful.

Thanks so much!

flowers

By Karla Nathan / January 16, 2011

Thank you all for your nice messages and prayers. We gave my father-in-law a great send off and had a fabulous family gathering to say farewell. I have to say, that man sure had some wonderful kids. I'm lucky to be a part of such a family.

They came together with lots of love, caring and laughter, and made this week one to always remember. Sometimes the saddest occasions can also be the happiest. When you belong to a group of people like these!

A Good bye

celebrations, family

By Karla Nathan / January 12, 2011

Yesterday, my father-in-law died suddenly.

Today, family from all over the country is flying in. My husband has the best family, and we will have a wonderful gathering, all 7 of the kids, plus most of the spouses, together- talking, laughing, sharing memories.

The group is quite varied. About as many different religions as people. And as many different outlooks on life. But one thing they all have in common is a deep love for each other.

I'll be away from my blog for a few days, and won't be opening up the Bird Song event on May Day weekend for sale till after things get settled. Because I'll be busy enjoying the blessing of this close group of people coming from far away to be be together for this farewell.

Now, I'm off to freshen up beds and do some baking with Sugarwings to make our house welcoming before we start airport runs.

Kansas City will be lacking Curiousity

antiques/junking, free images

By Karla Nathan / January 10, 2011

Yesterday, I just had to go and say good bye to the Curious Sofa. It was Debbie's last day and I figured there wouldn't be much shopping left, but that isn't why I wanted to go anyway.

I just wanted to say so long to one of the prettiest shops I've ever been in. Debbie has decided that she is ready for a change and is happily moving on. She has tons of customers who love her and I think all of them turned out to get one last purchase from Curious Sofa.

Knowing that her clearance sale had been a success, I still was shocked when I arrived and saw this! Nothing left but sold items waiting to be claimed, extension cords, and work room supplies like the microwave and blender.

Yet, with all the inventory gone, the shop still held its beauty.

Even though the store was bare bones, it sure wasn't some spooky Halloween skeleton! With everything moved out, I could really appreciate the care that Debbie put into creating the whole atmosphere.

Each bit of wall and ceiling held evidence of her vision. That woman is so talented that even with her inventory sold, her shop still was an inspiration to see.

No matter what her next adventure in creating will be, I have full faith in her success. She has the dedication to detail that makes everything she touches make her audience say "ooooh".

I feel really lucky that she will be coming to my studio to teach one of the workshops for our Bird Song retreat on May Day weekend.

(details about the event coming soon- I'm not quite done with getting the website up for sales yet, thanks for waiting. There will be 20 spots to sell, its going to be a cozy, casual weekend at my home)

While I wasn't expecting to shop at Curious Sofa, I was lucky to find a few old photos left over from the big exodus, as well as one lonely post card sitting on a shelf by itself.

The card's picture seemed appropriate for the situation, a road leading off to the distance and a person walking away, with the words, "A bright and happy new year" printed below. I hope that this is a what awaits Debbie, as she walks away from her well loved shop toward greener pastures.

I've scanned the card for you, so you can have a souvenier of Curious Sofa too. Click on it to open in a larger window, then save that bigger image to your computer to print.

Fairy Friends

Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 8, 2011

Sugarwings is still talking about her visit with Vivvie. When I told her that we were going to see some of my friends and one of them had a little girl who liked fairies, Sugarwings said, "I'm a fairy!"

She was sure that Vivvie would like her, and she was right. They hit it off right away and were immediately busy sharing markers and drawing fairy pictures together.

We met up with Jenn and Suzanne for lunch at Country Club of the South in Atlanta.

One of the many joys of blogging is making friends from one end of the earth to the other. People that I never would have ever met if not for blogs, but that I have so much in common with and who I enjoy tremendously.

And these two belles are a good example of why I love blogland. Not only are they interesting to read, and very talented, each has become a true friend in real life.

Remember the New Years crowns that I made? They were for the two fairy friends to wear for lunch. But in making them, I didn't take into consideration just how dainty thier little heads were and the star I glued to the front was too big for the crown to bend around their heads right.

Sweet little Southern Belle, Vivvie gave it a polite try anyway and modelled for us. Sugarwings just said NO. Maybe Jenn can reuse the tidbits I glued onto the crown to make something else for her little girl. Or she can just soak the glue off the bunny plate and use it for tea parties.

Sometimes a quickie project goes well, other times it just doesn't. This one was something I was happy with. A quickie thank you card for the Gunkles.

I snuck into Randy's studio and made use of his supplies to draw a bird and nest onto two sided scrap book paper to make the card.

I had planned ot leave it on his desk to surprise him next time he sat down to create. But both guys work such long hours, it could have been a while before he had a chance to place in the workroom. I sat it in the kitchen instead. I wanted to be sure they knew I appreciated their hospitality, we enjoyed our stay there so much.

And also, thank you for all the shopping in my Boutique! I'm glad to clear out before my redo. The shop will be closing soon while I have the marvelous HOPE redo it for me into an easier format to shop from.

Don't forget, the sale in the Boutique has been extended. 40% for a while longer! Make sure you use THIS LINK to get to the store for the discount.

At the Gunkles/ 40% off in the Boutique/ and a May Day announcement

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 7, 2011

Any trip we make to Florida has to include a visit to the Gunkles. (Gay Uncles) They have a home filled with magical decor, vintage treasures, sweet puppies, and lots of love.

Plus great food and laughter!

The guys are such good cooks, we never take them out to dinner as a thanks for having us stay with them. Instead we get fresh seafood for them to fix for us. This time lobster! Last time we were there, we had lobster tail on the grill with some fish too. When Sugarwings saw it cooking, she asked what the fish was and Gunkle Kevin told her it was flounder. So, she looked at the lobster tail and asked if that was Ariel.

Gunkle Randy sets up elegant dining in the back garden. This year, they'd had a freeze and told us that it looked awful. To me, they were wrong, any time there is something blooming and some green left in January, its quite beautiful to me! Plus the layout and design of the yard is so interesting and full of little surprises stashed amidst the plants. Its always a treat to sit out in the gunkle's garden.

Even better when there is a big plate of fresh seafood in front of me.

He makes a mean mac and cheese too. With chopped peppers, onions, white wine and dijon.

This little guy didn't care for Sugarwings, but the other dogs cuddled up to her. Bella, the Bichon especially took a liking to her.

So much so, that the two girls decided to draw with markers on each other's heads. Well, at least that was Sugarwing's story. That Bella drew on her head too. They both did it to each other.

We'd brought WASHABLE markers that were supposed to be invisible unless used on the special Color Wonder paper that came with them, but the Crayola company needs to change the label to say that the colors will show up on dog fur too. And that they don't wash out. At least not all the way.

Just ask Yella Bella.

Ollie managed to avoid any of the marker play. He's not a puppy like Bella, he was interested but kept his distance while the two girls drew on each other.

One of the best things about the garden was the fruit trees.

Nothing tastes better than fresh orange juice and lemon-aide that you get to make yourself.

I ate way too much good stuff while staying there. After the holiday treats and the vacation food, I'm afraid to wash my jeans. You know, how you wear them a couple days and they stretch out to fit nice and comfy, but if you wash them, they shrink up and become way, way too tight? It might be a while before I can wash mine again, if I want them to zip.

Christmas goodies were everywhere we went on the trip. And decorations were still up all over. I was so glad that Randy and Kevin still had theirs up, they have such a flair with decorating, and their house is so festive.

Its extra special to get to be at a family member's home while it is all decked for the season.

Although, I am sick of my own holiday foof and ready to see it go, I loved being at my bro's home and seeing his.

When I got home from the trip, I walked into a house still overflowing with not only my Christmas decor, but the holiday mess from opening gifts and having lots of company. I didn't have a chance to clean before I left, and it was a shock to come home to such clutter after staying at Randy and Kevin's perfectly clean and decorated house.

(all of these photos are from their lovely home)

Not only was my house messy, it was dusty and just felt deserted. I vowed to never go out of town and leave a dirty house behind again. Its worth the extra effort to pick up and spiff a bit before leaving. The end of a vacation is sad enough without being depressed about coming back to an unwelcoming house.

And it hasn't helped that my furnace bit the dust while I was gone. The house was freezing cold too. There is a repairman here now, and I've got my fingers crossed that its a simple repair and that we'll have some heat soon.

Luckily, the studio has a separate furnace, so I'm staying out here till the main part of the house warms up. Its a good excuse to avoid cleaning it or taking down the Christmas decorations too. I'm not ready to face all of that yet.

So,I'm hanign out in the warm and toasty studio and I'm slowly but surely packing up all the purchases made during my BIG clearance sale. Thanks so much for shopping with me!

I'm going to extend the sale for a few more days. If you want anything for 40% off in the Boutique, please use this link to go there to shop.

There are big plans for redoing my Boutique and the less I have in it, the easier it will be to redo. I'll be making new labels and categories, so will be starting from scratch.

I'm also working on setting up the sale site for my "Bird Song" art gathering on May Day weekend. I've had lots of inquiries and promise to have the sign ups ready soon. Sadly, we've lost Dawn of the Feathered Nest, she had to drop out as a teacher.

But, the timing was good for asking my friend, Debbie Dusenberry to join in her place. Her fabulous store, Curious Sofa, is closing this weekend, and she will be branching out into different ventures (and you can still shop online with her). I'm so thrilled that she agreed to do a class at my workshop!!!!

Things are really hectic for her at the moment, so I told her not to worry about photos of her project yet, just a YES was all I needed from her. I have a feeling that anyone who signs up for the classes will agree with me. We'll all be happy to learn from her, no matter what she teaches!

Thanks for all of your interest. Its going to be the BEST, with Lisa and Carol as teachers too, I'm feeling pumped about the weekend!! Plus, Beth and Mary Green will be setting up vintage goodies for sale.

As soon as I get project ideas settled and menus priced, I'll open it up for enrollment.

Hiccups, glitches, and bumps in the road on the way

family, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / January 6, 2011

We're back! What a trip. Not everything went as planned, but all was good. Sometimes you just have to roll with it and let it all turn out which every topsy turvey way it will.

No matter how carefully you plan the details, life happens and changes develop. There is no use pouting or being sad. Instead we looked for the good parts and made the most of them.

On the first leg of our journey, our free hotel room disappeared and we had to stay elsewhere. We found a room nearby at a good price, and it was fine, just not the freebie, 4 bedroom guest house at the ritzy country club we thought we'd have. But the friends we met up with and the fun we had made up for any inconveniences along the way.

Then, in Hilton Head, where these shots were taken, our ocean view room disappeared too. We stayed at a great resort and were able to get a half price room, but we had a roof top view instead. Our plans of tucking the fairy in early and toasting the New Year while sitting on the patio,sipping wine, and watching the ocean didn't happen.

But Sugarwing's comment about the ugly view of hotel roof tops and parking lots as far as the eye could see- "Why would anyone do this to our world??" was so funny and heartfelt that it will be 1,000,000 times more memorable than any glimpse of the ocean that we could have had.

And the hotel was still on the beach. The weather was chilly, but that didn't stop Sugarwings from running headlong right to the waves as soon as she saw the water.

If we'd stayed in a room facing the water instead, I might have missed that awed look on her face as she walked over the hill toward the beach and saw the Atlantic waiting for her.

While the weather wasn't perfect, it was plenty good for a Kansan, and good enough for me to decide that there is no place better to be on New Years Day than a misty beach with my fairy grand baby!

I think this little sprite agreed with me.

We'd packed a portable DVD player and a stack of movies for her to watch during the driving parts of the trip, and it stopped working as soon as we turned it on. So, I pulled out my magic phone, looked up children's DVD players online, and then found the closest place was to buy one, and 15 minutes later, she was engrossed in the adventures of Pooh and Piglet, and we were only out $99.

Which, if you've ever travelled with a 4 year old drama princess, you will understand that is a small price to pay for her entertainment. And the sanity of the adults in the car.

Her only souvenir from Disney World was a balloon, she isn't a child who demands anything or needs to shop. When we took her to the Disney store in our Orlando hotel, she ran straight to the coloring books and crayons set out for kids to play with and was content to make pictures. No thought at all about the merchandise around her.

And one of her favorite things at Disney was chasing bubbles in the dark.

I think she has her priorities straight in life. So, I don't think it hurts to spoil her a bit by treating her to a new pink princess DVD player.

My husband's vacation got cut short and at our Baltimore layover on the flight back, he rented a car to drive to VA to work. I flew the rest of the way with Sugarwings on my own and was so happy to have that "princess computer" as she called it. Although she was perfectly happy pretending that the seat belt was a snake and my fingers were baby snakes, I am old, tired and was ready for a break. The DVD player was much more important to me than to her.

Disney, and all of the rest of the trip was fun, but it was the little things that were the best about the trip. Laughing with family, visiting friends, watching the joy in Sugarwing's face as she fed the seagulls from this restaurant in St. Augustine.

Yep, feeding pigeons and seagulls meant as much or more to her than any ride at Disney. Here is a couple seconds long clip of her laughing at the birds. See what I mean? Kids know that its not what you spend, its what you do that counts.

To and From

holiday decor, show and tell, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 5, 2011

Before going to Florida, I whipped up a couple gifts to take along. I needed a hosting gift for my baby bro and his husband for having us stay with them, plus a Christmas gift for both of the guys.

This year, they lost their darling Tilly, who had been their baby for many years. They've adopted a new Bichon, named Belle, so I made up a Belle fairy box for them.

I covered a wooden box from the craft store in this vintage dictionary paper printed with butterflies (a gift from Mary) since the guys raise butterflies in their garden.

Its topped with a tiny Bichon figurine that I added wings to. She is nestled in moss by a couple of mushrooms I made from paper clay and a mini bottle brush tree.

The arch is a wire, bent over and poked through the top of the box, then twisted under the lid to stay in place. It was then covered in millinery, a sparkled branch cut from a garland, and a vintage bumble bee brooch.

Another box was covered in vintage paper and topped with a snowman head. I'd made a dozen of these heads up for Christmas Dinner Craft Hour at my home, but the night became so chaotic, that no one had a chance to sit and play with me. I guess I'll save the heads for next year.

But for now, I thought my little brother, Randy would enjoy one. His husband, Kevin gets a foofed tree.

Its fun to have gay brothers, they love the things I make more than anyone else!!

I go the idea for this little guy from my buddy, Dawn. She makes the BEST stuff!

I know I'm a bit late with Christmas goodies, but these guys decorate their home big time and will certainly get use out of both of these.

This tree is a gift for my pal, Angie. We didn't meet up before the holiday, but I can see her setting out this pink frothy tree for Valentine's too, can't you?

I'll take her to lunch too. Something to look forward to after getting back from our Grand Adventure to Disney! Planning a day out with a buddy will help with that after Christmas/post holiday let down.

While away on the trip, I'll be meeting up with Suzanne and Jenn. So, I made them a couple of Frozen Charlotte fairy brooches.

I just love these 1" little dolls! They are so dainty and sweet, they just HAVE to become fairies.

And this is not from me, its to me. From the talented Miss Sandy! What a nice surprise when Beth brought it over. Sandy sent one to each of us in a box to Beth. I chose this one because 5 is my lucky number. (my birthday is 5-5-58, and it would be even better if I was born 3 years earlier, but then, I'd be three years achey-er and tired-er)

My good friend, Kim, sent a Fairyopolis book for Sugarwings and me to share. Its got this great pop-up in the back, and we have really enjoyed exploring all the details.