wow!!! super duper long time!

Micah at 5 months..loves his books already!
Little Man eating!
and the dolls..playing in the snow! This year we didn't get any snow until a few days ago! At least the dolls have their snow!!
Santa back at the North Pole feeding the reindeer after a long night of deliveries!
The boys on Christmas! We had such a small crowd this year without the girls and Ashton and Shannon came over later in the day with Micah!

Well rather than trying to recount what has happened in the last 10 months i suppose it can just start new. Again i am on the weight loss trek....i had successfully lost almost 40 pounds last year..and unfortunately 30 of it found me again...so here i am back to square 2.....This year i am taking a bit of a different approach and am working on healing my self image...they say that extra weight represents protecting yourself. So i think it would be wise and beneficial to dig a bit deeper and find any of the root causes..besides the fact that i am getting a bit older and menopause is coming some time in the near future..so my hormones are probably all f-ed up and wacked out on top of that!..haha!

So here it is the 15th day of the New Year...i basically have been resting the last two weeks and getting my land legs back for the boys and the busy school days. The newest things i have been interested in is Pinterest, which recently has sparked an interest in nail art...as soon as i find a bit of time that involves enough free time to let nail polish dry i plan on playing and trying some stuff out...i have gathered enough supplies now to begin...I for sure will share on here when i do!

I have now put on a new background....obviously the other one had been here a year or so...geesh what neglect...so hopefully i will remember to come post!

Oh the most exciting thing going on right now is that i joined the Brave Girls Club and am participating in the Body Restoration..that is actually why i am on here to begin with..printing out this last weeks assignment and photos...so i can make the art ....new assignment tomorrow..so i need to catch up~!

i haven't done much art lately, and have not taken many pictures the last few weeks..but i guess i could share some from Christmas...oooh and of my new Grandson Micah...my new little love!

so for now i won't talk and bore you any more and promise to come back with some more pictures next time...those are much more fun that talk..haha!

love and hugs!!

Weight check in

Just a quick check in..taken on February 24th , me at a 26 pound loss so far! yay!

my face and neck have become much smaller..weight off my shoulders and my chest..still the same jeans but they are looser now and totally more comfortable..lol! I had a 3 pound gain during our week vacation in Cancun...but i was relieved it was only 3 pounds and not more like I had expected...Mood has been very positive through all of this and even looked forward to getting back on my diet when we arrived home! No regrets!

Life around here is so fun...

My new toy arrived yesterday! After having been watching pole dance videos for a year on youtube, admiring the grace, flexibility and strength of so many talented dancers..i just had to have one! I got it installed successfully yesterday..and looked at it...and then attempted to just hang on it...oh my! I have a long way to go..but I am determined...as i lose more weight it will get easier...so i just have to not give up and keep trying. Fortunately the website i found that has lessons..starts at the very very beginning..first learn the sexy walk...haha....i think i am definitely happy starting with that for now~! One step at a time!

So this evening..i broke the news to Art..prefacing it with "you want a laugh?..let me show you my new toy..." a bit nervous at how he might react...He cracked up, hugged me and said "anything that makes you happy and gives you joy is fine by me"...haha and then of course the conversation deteriorated to when i become a "spinner" once again...i guess in this case it will be literally..and if you don't know what a "spinner" is...um email me and i will try to explain...hahaha

So there...my new toy..and maybe in a month or two i will have a video to share...um..we will see..haha

Now on to a bit of artwork...at least around here you get a smidgeon of all sorts of things...i definitely have never been accused of being boring!!

I am participating in a caalndar themed round robin, each month we work on the next book,creating an artwork spread that correlates with that month..either a holiday or seasonally related! I used a book created from recycled paper,printed to look like various old forms and school papers..a fun book to play with! Traditionally an altered book would be using an old book of sorts..covering the writing on the original pages...

My cover..Time Flies: birds and beauties is the loose theme. there is a card with a vintage image of a woman in the pocket, it is counter weighted with the beads.


sign in page...i left the image large so you can see my mess of various page elements and adornments...it doesn't matter how clean my area starts..it always ends up about an inch larger than the piece i am working on..lol
my name and address..this shows some of the printed elements that exist in the book already...on the right page is a "boarding pass" element printed on it...fun things like this are through out the book!
January....sort of an introductory spread...i didn't want to glue all of my sections pages together so i did two spreads...
My main page for January...one of my favorite things in the art world are the vintage "pin up" girls from the 40's and 50's
So that is it for now..time for me to go play in my studio..not sure what yet..but hopefully some more fun things to share here!
have a wonderful weekend everyone!
xo's

February Calendar page for you!

February Calendar page for you!
Originally uploaded by gemini angel's art and dolls

the vintage image version of the page...have fun! sorry for being late!

February Calendar page for you!

February Calendar page for you!
Originally uploaded by gemini angel's art and dolls

Here is the Blythe doll version of the calendar page..sorry for being late...hope you all enjoy!

A Lesson in perseverance

This is Turner, my 11 year old son. He has had difficulties in school from the second day of kindergarten on....well, until this year in 5th grade...things have changed. I should have known it was a bad sign,when on the second day of Kindergarten when i went into Turner's bedroom to wake him up...his response was an exasperated "Again?!!"

Kindergarten was spent just trying to keep him from hiding under the table when things like singing happy birthday were required and not smuggling "Big Red Dog" artwork home in his backpack...it was a struggle but he had an amazing teacher. !st and 2nd grade showed behavorial problems..he was contantly getting into trouble to get out of class. We implemented a chart system for his behavior..his 1st grade teacher again was amazing..she really worked with him and also spotted some learning problems so we had him tested for learning issues and various other things. He was diagnosed with having a learning disability...then it got worse...his 2nd grade teacher was not patient with him..long story short he got pulled and put into a special ed class. But this time things were really bad. His special ed teacher was fantastic with him, his attitude improved and he finally started to catch up acedemically. 4th grade comes along..this is where i got frustrated with the whole system. Turner was supposed to be reintegrated into the mainstream classroom..another long story short..after 1 failed attempt he got put back into the special ed class. Now since we had problems with the middle school with our other son..we decided it was time to move him. He was too far behind acedemically and emotionally and socially to be able to survive the challenges of private school at St Joeseph so we found another option to send him to our local charter acedemy. Endeavor. Needless to say the new environment, fantastic teachers and special ed staff...all encouraging him, he is in maintstream and is thriving!! Well, his hard work has not gone unrecognized..he has earned the moral standards award that is awarded to less than a handful of students each quarter..his award is for "Perseverance" I am so proud of Turner, i smile every day when he gets into the car and says he had an awesome day when i ask how it went. he has such a fantastic attitude now and tries his best everyday..and despite 5 years of struggle is really shining this year...He is getting his award on Monday..he doesn't know about it...i can't wait to see the look on his face. I know his father and I are going to cry our eyes out...thank goodness though for happy endings...and happy new beginnings~!
Well, i have to say, pondering this word of perseverance..i too am in my own battle..the battle of the bulge. It took a lot of self control and finally knowing that by giving up my alcohol and sweets and anything else not on my strict plan..to finally dig in and do this. Here is my first month's picture...4 weeks of the program and i have successfully lost 16 pounds so far..I may not look a ton different in this picture..but it is a fantastic beginning for me...this time I am NOT giving up..i am going all the way with it..i am persevering myself...I have noticed some changes, my face is smaller, i don't have much of that belly any more, i can't tuck my fingers under it to warm them...roflmao...my fingers are smaller, I noticed, Art can wrap his arms all the way around and even overlap them now, it is easier to run up the stairs, my feet already are not hurting as much, i hardly snore at all any more..and my blood pressure is going down and down...and these jeans don't squeaze the life out of me anymore..hopefully next check in they will be too big!
since i am not buying clothes right now..i had to splurge on these nifty red mary janes...if you don't know already..my favorite color is red...the green and then hot pink..but these come to find match my car...perfectly! haha! Toto...this isn't Kansas anymore...click click...there's no place like home....no place like home...
a post wouldn't be complete without a doll picture and some art....Raven discovers a new vampire in town...more stories to come later...and a haunted mansion....i haven't named her yet...any suggestions would be fun!

last but not least...a little art. I made this clock for one of the girls that works for Art..her husband commissioned me to make her a sea turtle clock..she loves it...yay...it was fun to make!!
and on that note...i am feeling fantastic! Again i have learned how stubborn and strong willed i can be when i put my mind to something...I always say..when there is the will there is a way...this 85 pounds is now down to 69...not such a scary number...it is happening...finally!! I am a happy girl!
xoxoox's

a doll story, new dog, latest news...and some art

Olive and Floss begged me to let them have a slumber party in their new beach cabana. For some reason though Olive was doing all the work...until i pointed this out! Olive sat down, and had a temper tantrum and went on about how best friends and such....finally Floss gave in and helped!
The girls wanted me to see how nice they made the tent and asked for popcorn! After making them promise me they wouldn't make a mess i made some for them...Floss(the pink haired girl is visiting from Maryland)


Here is the cabana i made for them..we are going to Cancun at the end of february so i want to have some props to take with...it folds flat so it should fit into my suitcase..yeah I know..all this for dolls! hahaha! I also made the mats and they have matching bean bags....
Best friends love to have matching everything...so they got matching night gowns..they keep talking me into letting them wear their new stuff...haha

On to the newest addition to our family! It seems i can never do anything in small amounts..6 kids....down to 3 at home now..and now 3 dogs to go with the 3 boys! Here is the story of Buddy..
We were on our way to go to Tyrus's training down town with Coach Caper and stopped for a snack pick up at the Marathon gas station. The boys ran inside and I was watching this girl..oh maybe 16ish walking around with a small dog in her hands. At first i thought she was getting into the car parked in front of me..the woman opened the window and promptly shut it...then the girl came over to me sitting in my car...i told her how cute her dog was and also noticed how thin he was...he immediately jumped into the window into my arms and on my lap...um his little face won me immediately...*see sucker written on forehead* So after her sob story of how she found him wandering and she needed to find a home for him, that changed to her sister needing $50 because she had no food...and then when i told her i would take care of him and either keep him or find his home she said it was her cousins...any how..by this time i already had decided he was going home with me no matter what..I firmly told her i wasn't giving her money and she gave up and said well dad said i needed to find a home for him....so he came home with us! It was instand fit in with the family. The only thing is that he gets jealous and aggresive with Oscar....but he is getting fixed tomorrow. He checked out good at the vets, is around 1 year old..and got his shots, deworming and heart worm check....so he is officially ours!

here you can see him perched by my computer. He has decided that I am his..and follows me everywhere, he tried to mark me yesterday..i caught him just as he was lifting his leg. He also keeps me company in my studio and sleeps on his fur or in front of the warm vent on the office floor!
he has an unusual eye...part blue and part brown..his other eye is brown. He is a mini dachshund mixed with something...and sweet as can be!
Now...on to the art part...I am in a swap with my Diva friends...here is my contribution...the E's...made to look like Valentines...it is obviously a Valentine themed swap!
and last but not least...on my 3 week and 2 day mark..i have so far lost a total of 14 pounds. On Friday is my one month mark so i plan on taking a picture...hoping for a good week!

well i hope i didn't bore you all with my details..i need to post more often and shorter..i promise i will try to do better! love and hugs to everyone!