Scout ART News

Besos, our first cat. Scout drew this when she was 9.

Chip, our beagle. By Scout. Age 9.

Ezekiel, an Esper {mind reader} by Scout, age 14 and one of her first items in her newly opened Etsy shop.
Please have a look: EsperEzekiel.etsy.com

The search term was: dictionary

ox joon

one small step ~ eclectic

I LoVeD finding these new~to~me shops.

The first in a series of joonwalk treasuries. Each one will employ a guessing game ~ can you find the tag search word I used that led me to these beauties? Each item may not have the tag since I arrived at these via my search word, but also sought out a lovely composition, so an item may be another one from a shop I found using the term. Answers for each treasury in the series will be revealed here and in the following treasury. The answer is: eclectic

My sister, ghouliegirl, is the only one who has sent me the correct term. Congratulations!!!

ox joon

Starry Starry Night

Dream Big Dear Scout

We love Oscar Night. We love film. Our favorite films have it all ... exquisite cinematography, extraordinary musical scores, wonderful characters, wonderfully portrayed and, best of all, perfect dialogue.

I have plans to add a flying housewife letter with my top movie picks & reviews. I love reading people's favorite movies. I can't be the only one.

For today, I have this Wonder Boys Trailer from the NYTimes site. I am not sure I can watch this movie too many times. And the significance of it revolving around a writer's life is not lost on me. I hope you'll view the trailer and find it enticing. If this is already one of your favorite films, please leave me a note.

Meanwhile, Scout ~ lucky me: a fellow Wonder Boys fan ~ asked me the other day if being a screenwriter is dreaming too big for a 14 year old. Since then, a number of interesting signs have validated {what I know you all know was} my response. Screenplay books checked out from the library.

See you all from the Oscars some day. :)

You're a Star Just As You Are
But There's An Infinite Universe Waiting Out There Just For You

ox joon

FriDaY FuNDaY ~ Memories of a Mid Winter's Week

This heart shaped bit of lint floated up from the screen and landed so sweetly on the teeny ledge behind.
I could hardly believe my eyes.
And it was Valentine's Day. Seriously.
It's a sign.
ps. love the 'quiet' too.

a little vintage Disney ~ Jungle Book ~ Baloo the Bear was just the ticket.

On Wednesday my Scuppernut came for the afternoon as he was under the weather. I don't like him to feel poorly. I do love helping him feel better with some extra attention. I'm especially fond of the part where he insists he needs Grandma. :)
And how about that Scout as cameragirl? What a wonderful memory for me.
I will treasure this always.
Thanks, Scoutie.

I did make lemon bars on Tuesday evening ~ forgot to take a photo. But last night I finally made the Schrafft's Cheese Bread and {my own recipe} beef ribs dinner I'd been promising Evan all week long.
This bread recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks...
Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food.
Run, don't walk, to your library and check it out. We've started traditions with some of these recipes and the book is only a few years new. If you love New York City, history and food, you need to see this book. Trust me.
And please come back and tell me what you think. I would love to know.

Even under these un~photogenic circumstances, irresistible, no?
YES.

And, let's not forget the boneless short ribs. They were 2.99 lb. {hello Texas}
I made these using ginger ale and just a few other add ins.
Scout's comment: The most delicious meat I've ever eaten in my life.
I'm not sure I can argue.
One of my 2009 goals {the list is coming soon. Stay tuned.} is to return to our weekly menu plan. This meal is a definite inspiration toward that end.
Bon Appetite to all my friends.
ox joon

Introducing joonwalk

On January First I registered my new etsy shop, joonwalk. My goal was to open shop by Valentine's Day. Guess how I spent my day yesterday? Late last night I listed my first 3 items. Mission accomplished! I am proud that I overcame what feels like a million obstacles to get here. My main challenges are me, myself & I and lighting. In theory, only the latter is uncontrollable. Reality finds the former perhaps more so. Like my original shop, my new shop will focus on recycled & upcycled creations. joonbeam will showcase my pinback buttons, magnets & Diamond Girl Thumbtacks exclusively. If things go well, this Spring I will open my fourth and final shop, which will feature small & unique vintage treasures.

I am excited about my new creations.
One is my Vocabulary Necklace which I call true blue & you.

These little cuties are my pocketful of starlight creations. Each one is one~of~a~kind. This one is made from an old hospital gown. I love this fabric. Each star has a coordinating fabric back and each one is hand embroidered free hand, so always different. The star you see in each photo is the star you get. I never feature my handcrafted art with a representative photo.

This little sweetie was my first sale! It is made from an 1970s era worn out quilt I found at a thrift shop and used beyond its time. Still, I had to clip what I could salvage. I just love it. I cover the button threads with a little piece of fabric. How cute is this bunny? {below} It's about all I had left of this vintage piece. There's a bookmark in my flickr pool with the main swatch. The star reverse here was once a {rare} tot Scout dress. I couldn't bear to part with it so into the fabric bin it went! And this is how I do things. Is it any wonder my creative journeys are a long & winding road?

I hope you'll visit my new shop often and see my new creations, all made with Mother Earth and you in mind.
Because peace, love and environment is everything.

ox joon

Salt Lick BBQ with the Family

Evan . Joon . Kristoffer . Valerie . Jon Cody . Scout . Dustin

What a beautiful day we had today. Here we are at The Salt Lick, where we had a fabulous lunch and which, coincidentally, Letterman mentioned last night! Then we went to Barton Springs pool where Jon Cody and Scout swam in the 68* spring fed pool. This evening we had Dustin's homemade secret recipe Caramel Swirl ice cream. OH yum. Sweet Dreams everyone.

Fun with the Fam

Last night lemon chicken, sticky rice & fresh broccoli.
Banana splits for dessert. :)
Tonight lasagne with homemade ricotta cheese and fresh oregano, basil & spinach.
And the always perfect Kentucky Derby Pie....pecans, chocolate chips, Lyle's Golden Syrup, Jack Daniels.

Yes, we're having a sweet time. :)
ox joon

Sharing Beauty on a Sunday Morning

Hello Friends. Just found THIS in the NYTimes online and it is a wonderful, inspiring respite to those who appreciate true art. If you love photography, you'll love the feature.

And, how does Robert Downey Jr. fit into all this? Well, not that he needs a reason to fit in anywhere, but he is featured in the presentation. And, complete coincidence: I am listing this set in my joonbeam shop this morning. Just the pinbacks, ladies. The photo stays with me.

How's your Sunday? Well, I believe it may have just improved significantly. :)
ox joon

FriDaY FuNDaY ~ Pai Natal Silliness

A week of reflection. I am finding it very hard to grasp that the first month of the year is gone. As you see, we still have some seasonal storing tasks before us. Scout & I thought my readers would find this teeny nesting doll set as delightful as we do. I wish I could have gotten a close up of the painting on that smallest little dot there on the end but the light wasn't in my little corner of the sky today. Some very thoughtful new friends gave these to Scout a few years ago, not knowing that she does have a small <--- no pun intended, nesting doll collection. These will give us a laugh every year, without fail.

I don't plan on having a video clip every Friday. It's purely coincidence that one of our favorite recent laugh fests happens to be John Malkovich reading Twas the Night Before Christmas on SNL. Hope you'll enjoy it. This one is about 5 minutes long. Be sure no little ones are watching with you. I believe in keeping the spirit of Santa Claus alive and circling the globe.

Seriously, how adorable are these cuties? Hope wherever you are and whatever you're doing we've added a little to your Friday Funday.
ox joon

ps. That's Scout's first ever pysanky egg. She made it at the Maker Faire.