banksy...

...a renowned British street artist and someone I have become quite interested in lately.

No one knows who he really is or what he looks like but his artwork is very recognizable. Banksy, to me, has brought street art to a whole different level. His artwork has brought up a lot of questions in my mind regarding what is considered art. What he does is graffiti. It is usually seen on walls, buildings, billboards, and sidewalks that do not belong to him. However, there is something to me that really makes his work art. There is definitely some serious thought put into not only the artwork but the location. I think I like his work because it makes you think. Like any artist however, I don't alway agree with everything they believe nor do I like every piece they create.

What do you think?? Is it just glorified vandalism or art? or both?
Dawnelle

on the Israeli West Bank barrier

sources (images and information): banksy, wikipedia

Sweet Leilani chandelier

The goddess of all the found objects chandeliers... Sweet Leilani... Heavenly Flower. She measures 78" x 39".  It was one of those things when I saw, I thought... I want to make that!.  And so I did.

Here's Leilani hanging in my basement right after I finished.  This project took 1 year of gathering, contemplating, and constructing.  It was completed this March 2011.

I used vintage crystal drops on the bottom.

Dawnelle, Ali and Amber all lent their scrutinizing eyes to make sure everything was balanced, correct and not over done.  What do you think...did I cross the line?  Okay...some might think she's a little overdone... it's not easy to reign in a goddess like this.

Leilani comes with a detailed list of the found objects that she embodies.  This is what makes her such a great museum piece.  You could spend alot of time searching for things like: a cupid, a eyelash curler, a sapphire ring, or a spiderman action figure.  All Sweet Leilani needs now is a good home.

Here's looking up through the bottom.

Do you see a pair of baby fingernail clippers...?  These were used on all 7 of my children.

Approximately 300 water bottles were cut and painted to make the flowers.

Most of the old jewelry and junk was donated by the women at the West Deptford Curves in South Jersey.

The frame was custom made and donated by Dutra Sheet metal in Vineland NJ.

The thing that makes Sweet Leilani so special is: it has several generations of  found objects in it.  One very special lady brought in a old pair of emerald green cuff links that her grandfather wore.

This brooch was worn by my 100% Hawaiian grandmother, Hanna Haumea Meyers.  Which means I'm a Little Hawaiian, and my children are too.

My vision is to have a philanthropist buy the chandelier and donate it to a childrens hospital or museum, and for us to donate the money to charity.  I see Sweet Leilani hanging over a clear acrylic table, with small binoculars attached to the table by long cables so you can look up and into the chandelier. Seated around the table are these amazing "ghost" chairs from http://www.hivemodern.com/ .  What are your thoughts?  We'll be waiting for a buyer...please spread the word!

Vicki 

christopher's forsythia

my first finger painting...

we used water color paper...

 nani painted the line...

i painted the yellow flowers...with a little help...

then I took a nap...

stormy smile

Have you ever walked across a rainy parking lot in sandles, you finally get to safety and realize your feet have just picked up the worst case of refuge... then they slooowly dry... Are you feeling better now...?  Or are you feeling it's still there... just in dried form?

What about wearing stelletos in the snow?  It's kinda like taking the black diamond when you've never skied.  Really wearing stelletos on a bright sunnyday is a danger all of it's own, unless you have had lessons on how to wear and walk in them, and you've had "mucha" practice.

This past fall-winter season, the high-over-the-knee boots were so knock-out trendy. I got 2 pairs for Christmas, one in black, oh sooo sharp not hoochie, flat heel.  And the other grey, nice too, flat heels as well.  Do you think I'm gonna be wearing these out in the mud puddles of South Jersey, or walking through the rows at the outdoor Crumpton auction?  Not a chance! I wear these when I'm going out with Mark, when it's not raining, cause he always says he likes my boots when I wear them, and other things as well.

Rain boots have become part of my favorite footwear.  It's amazing how versitile they are.  First, they're so easy to put on, this could be your childs first shoes where they can feel successful about executing the command... "Go put your shoes on". 

I got my first pair of rain boots last year, leopard...yup! This year it's a pair of Henry Ferrera's "Annabelle Hunt".  Love them.  Why are these rubber beauties so special, and why is it that every lady, man, and child should own a pair?  Well... it's because they definitly keep the water out.  And they look like you know how to dress on a rainy, stormy, foggy, snowy day.  There is something comforting in knowing your prepared if the "what if" happens.   Hence the beloved rain boot saves the day, and not to mention the feet and the outfit as well.

I mostly wear them with leggings because I mostly wear leggings.  But,they are darling with jeans and shorts too.  For me a classic black is most versitile, but the patterns are irresistable if you can splurge on more than one pair.  Henry Ferrera's line is extensive and reasonable.

Now you can smile when you see a storm.

Click here and here to buy some of these adorable boots.

Vicki

Buttons upon buttons

When I was little, my Mother used to give my sister and I buttons as rewards for doing chores around the house. As an eight year old little girl I thought this was fantastic. Then about a year ago I was looking for some fun craft to do and I was looking through our craft room. I came upon two big jars of buttons. Suddenly this awesome idea popped into my head. Button. Sweater. Brilliant.

So pretty much this is just a whole boat load of random and fun buttons sewn onto a dullish sweater. The buttons really gave the sweater a "POP" factor that it really didnt have before. I absolutely adore my sweater now and I wear it all the time.

This is a great thing to make if you just want a little craft to work on for a day. It litteraly took me about 2 or 2 1/2 hours to complete and it was so worth it. I can't even count how many compliments I got on this. Keep your eye open for some really fabulous and unique buttons and you can start your collection and eventually you will have enough to do it!

*ALi 

"In Circles Chandelier"

"Well I go round in circles...well I fly high like a bird up in the sky...".  Remember that song...?  Recycling is so much  like going round in circles.  Life is so much a circle.  This earth was created from matter, matter that already existed.  There is something divine and spectacular about reusing matter, which by the way is what trash is.  I wonder if in another world after ours we will find fossils of computer keyboards...? 

The thing about reusing things is if you have enough of it you might actually be able to make something.  For example the story of "The Three Little Pigs", did they not have to have enough straw, sticks, and bricks.  I know brick definitely seems more valuable than straw, especially as the story goes.  But let's not lose our focus, the point to this whole thing is that they really had to have A LOT of straw, sticks, and brick to get something built.  And in the end it was a home that they built.

Remember this is not about the house standing up, it's about needing a lot of something to build something substantial.  Some might think, "I'm not going to pack and store, and gather, and sort all that stuff."  I understand, we are talking about a certain "class" of people...a certain class that like this kind of stuff.  It's OK..., we can't all like the same thing...., that's what makes the world go round, right?  So this is really for die hard re-users. When you discover an artistic way to gather and sort your matter while your collecting you'll get this little adrenaline rush, promise.  Start saving and get your piles going.

The gift cards in this chandelier were originally used in a game I taught for a class of seminary students.  There were probably more than 100 cards and only a few actually had money on them.  I begged for them every time I went into Wal-mart and Target.  The soda tabs were collected at a gym that I own.  You can purchase the the frame that houses a light through Present Time.  Dawnelle and I collaborated on the design.  Question, now what do we do with it?  Where would YOU hang it?  I'll brace myself now.
Vicki

gone with the wind

Being a fourteen year old, there aren't many old movies that grab my attention. Sunday afternoon my mom asked me if I wanted to watch Gone With The Wind. Of course, I wasn't to sure if I would enjoy it, or if I would even like it. I must admit, the beginning really did show the age of the movie, but as we got farther along I really did start to enjoy it. Granted this is not a movie you watch all the time. This movie takes a lot of effort to stay with, not to mention the fact that it is really, really long.

But like my mom said before I watched it, "This movie is one of the top ten movies you must see in your lifetime."

She was right, this movie is up there with: Pride And Prejudice, Emma, Jane Eyre, Sound Of Music, The Count Of Monte Cristo... (My mother's personal favorites.)

This movie can really grab your attention with Scarlett's Irish accent, eyebrow raises, ridiculous love life, or even her BIG dresses. But aside from the costumes and accents, the story is very good.

My older sister Hannah told me that this movie scarred her in a bad way when she watched it for the first time. Maybe because she was a lot younger than me when she did. Don't get me wrong, you could become an emotional wreck when you watch this movie. There are so many sad parts that you can't help but frown sometimes; but others you have no choice but to laugh. One thing I can guarantee if you watch this movie, you will not be able to go a long time without thinking about it. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing yet... Well, I guess the moral of this whole post is: Gone With The Wind is a great movie, so watch it when you have the time.

AmBer

grow a knob

I had these old little knobs that were nice... but I was looking for something that would make a statement on some cabinets in my Louisiana house.  So here's what I did.  Dawnelle was little and she and her siblings were making all kinds of stuff with sculpty clay.  I nabbed what I could and moulded it around the knobs, baked it, found some images out of a magazine then decopaged them on.  Easy...
If you don't have a green thumb in the garden...try growing some knobs!
Vicki

fruit

I love the fact that my husband does most of the grocery shopping, yipee!  I'd be happy if I never had to do that again.  It used to be when he shopped he got exactly what was on the list.  But shopping has really evoled for him, he is willing to go to great lengths for food, thankfully, cause I'm not.  Besides growing it, he will go little farm markets, big wholesale stores, and your regular grocer.  Usually what happens though is all the fruit comes home from the grocery store and gets left in the clear plastic boxes, or the mesh bags, or the plastic bags you get in the produce section with the little ties.  We have nifty teired baskets, platters, and bowls for displaying and accessing our bounty.  But for some reason when the fruit gets home it goes into all these lovely recepticles in the store packaging...ugh.  I can't figure out how this escapes everyone.

Fruit needs to be arranged, and sorted and displayed.  We need to put the plums,nectarines and pears in easy reach for the whole family so as to be eaten first.  Then at the next level, which is reachable but not as reachable as the plums, nectarines and pears comes the apples and bananas if they need to ripen.  We usually put oranges on the highest level because it takes someone mature to eat oranges.  Now grapefruit goes in the bottom, because if you are going to eat a  grapefruit you have to be very deliberate about it and you'd be willing to bend over for it.  We put them with the pineapple, papaya, and honeydue that are all waiting to ripen.

Rotating your food is a great practice and will ensure you remember you have it, you use it at optimal time, and it all gets eaten.
Bona Petite!
Vicki

image: http://www.homevestures.blogspot.com/ 

branches

Unlike Gaston in "Beauty and the Beast" who uses antlers in all of his decorating, we use branches.  Right now is a wonderful time to take those prunnings, especially if you have flowering trees, and bring the branches in.  Make sure that your container is the right scale for your branches otherwise it loses its statement.  Not all the way, but in a way that says you might not understand proportions.  I like the 1/3 rule where the vase is 1/3 of the length of the branches.  The bigger and taller the vase the better, then you can really play the beauty of mother nature.  And by the way, this display could last twice as long or more than fresh cut flowers.  You can bring the branches in when the tree has begun to bud but is not opening and then each day will give you a new display of blossoms.  Enjoy!
Vicki

image http://blog.uniqueuniquedesign.com/2010/01/

broken watch...

Is it ok to wear a broken watch?

Yesterday I got a free watch in the mail from something that I ordered awhile ago. It was way cute, pink band, big silver face, and green hands. I was super psyched, it's not everyday that you get free goodies in the mail. Well I put it on [it matched my outfit pretty fantastically] and I went out with my family. Lo and behold I look down to check the time and the minute hand is goin' nuts. Every time I moved my hand it would swing in every which way! I looked down at my watch one minute and it would say 1:45pm, the next time I looked, (give or take 15mins later) it said like 1:15ish,  I am almost positive that time is not supposed to go backwards... yep, def broken.
In my opinion, it is perfectly okay to wear a broken watch. Honestly, I don't think anyone will notice. A word of advice, however, if you don't want to look like a complete idiot bring a back-up time telling device. If you don't- most likely when asked what time it is- you'll have to answer, "I have no idea!", because your watch DOESN'T ACTUALLY WORK! Get it? ahahaa... yeah. You may or may not be laughed at a little. (My money's on 'may') Or, it's possible they could think that you are a fashion genius.

Honestly wearing a broken watch these days is like wearing one of those beaded scarves that is about an inch wide. It does nothing but it sure looks pretty awesome. So go ahead! Rock that broken watch! And if anyone asks you where you got the guts to do such a thing, tell them Ali from Homevestures convinced ya'. 

tressy bracelets

Tressy is all our favorite bits and scraps braided into a "let me get your attention now!" bracelet.
Ali and I frequent the "Fame Moda" show in NYC.  Here we saw these precious adornments and found ourselves saying "we can make that"!  Especiallly since the trade company was looking to get $18 wholesale, which means they'd retail for somewhere between $35-$50!  So here you go...a very HOT new look that you can make for a fraction of the cost that says you literally have your finger on the vintage pulse.  For me... I would definitely want to wear them in multiples. Umhum...
Vicki

photos: Dawnelle Sarlo http://www.homevestures.blogspot.com/

sowing seeds of larkspur

Now is a great time to sow larkspur seeds.  These babies grow to be 3ft tall and make a stunning fresh or dried flower arrangement.  They are so easy to grow and will bring sunshine and happiness from the moment they start growing till they are cut fresh to a vase, then dried in big bunches or pressed for bookmarks or mobiles or confetti at your next party. 

Till a large spot in the ground then sow seeds.  Leave a few to go to seed and they will reseed every year.  Save seed packets for future chandelier.  I'll show you.

image sources: up close, in the garden, in the field

toothfairy

Did you know that there is no cap on what the tooth fairy leaves under our pillows? My seven year old notified me that some of the kids in his class are making as little as .50$ on a good tooth while others are getting as much as $10. For those of you who are still receiving visits from our little flying angel, you too might discover more going under the pillow than you had thought.