Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Room with a View




The Room with the View from the Tub

A view to our barn and the mountains beyond





There are only 2 rooms upstairs
A Bedroom and a Bathroom




It's like taking a bath with the birds




 The bedroom balcony looks over our pond and the valley beyond




The fruit trees are in full bloom
They managed to survive the frost last night




The way to the upstairs




The beginning




Gene celebrating because it is almost finished




And finally finished





We're heading for warmer temperatures this week
Snow is melting fast, water will be rushing down the mountains
Sand bags have been filled for those who might be threatened

Spring has officially begun

Gina


Saturday, May 28, 2011

No Comments - revisited


For those of you who have been unable to leave a comment


Until Blogger has a chance to fix it here's an easy way to get around it.






Before you send off your missives
UN CHECK  the "stay signed in" BOX
and proceed as usual


I have a lot of comments to respond to.  As soon as my SALE is over I will spend a little time doing just that.

Have a great weekend, my dear blogging friends

Gina



Friday, May 27, 2011

No Comment



My dear Blogging Friends
 

Yes, I have been busy painting for my Sale tomorrow


And I have not been able to respond to your wonderful comments. 

 Blogger has promised to fix the problem soon.

In the meantime,  please know that I appreciate every single one of you who
 read and comment on my blog.

Have a great weekend, my dear blogging Friends
Gina

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

I'm Painting, Painting, Painting




For the biggest event of the year in Spring City


When my eyes get tired I look up and see this


And this


And this


And this

I'll be painting, not blogging

See you soon my dear Friends

Gina




Saturday, May 21, 2011

Collecting - Collection


I don't collect, it just happened



While living part time in Santa Barbara, California, we often visited a certain consignment shop




Always, something interesting caught our eye and it would come home with us to Utah. 
No doubt, the flowers were added much later.
I didn't do it (although my friends have accused me of having done so)




No cabinet of this height would have only been 11 inches deep.
The previous owner cut half of it away and also cut a hole in the upper left hand corner to accommodate a thermostat.

As far as the shop owner was concerned  "she had ruined it".




I covered the hole with a home made Tussie Mussie




Large and small, they all fit




Mostly Capodimonte from Italy




A very old piece of Meissen




My very talented friend Renie painted these boxes




Small pieces of Capodimonte are not expensive.  They are easily found on the Internet




Not much room left




Where would I have put my treasures if the  "Lady hadn't ruined it"
and therefore, I could afford it.




 Yes, gold is my color




I like color, I must be a Gypsy


What do you collect?

Gina



Friday, May 20, 2011

Two years of blogging, post number 300

                                 

One, almost Two Years of Blogging.  Can it be?  200, 300 posts?
Partial Re post of August 19, 2010


I'm celebrating



No time to sit around

Canning season is in full swing



There are cucumbers to pickle







The garden is bursting with produce




As I was gathering, from my garden, the necessary ingredients for my pickled cucumbers, I remembered an evening in France.

Driving along a country road, we decided that it was time to find a place to spend the night.  It was late and we were tired.  We stopped at the first available spot.

It looked a little sparse but we knew that it would do. We decided to have dinner and Gene, after having driven for most of the afternoon, wanted a martini.



A martini of sorts.  A Gibson to be exact.  He explained to the waiter that it was similar to a martini but instead of an olive he wanted a small cocktail onion. 

Our waiter indicated that he understood. 

The Gibson arrived and so did a large garden onion on a plate, with garden soil still attached to the roots. 

We used every ounce of willpower not to burst out laughing.  Our rough looking waiter wore a very large and a very ugly red scar on the right side of his face.  In his limited English he had mentioned the French Foreign Legion.

Added note 2011:  Don't know what I was thinking?  Don't know what I wanted to accomplish by blogging when I began in July of 2009.  I guess I wanted to share with you a life that combined an early upbringing in a foreign country with my experiences in the "New World".  Now, so many years later, I'm back living in a small farming community, practicing many of the old world skills which were a very prominent part of my early years.  I thought, possibly, you might be interested. 

Thank you, my dear readers,  for your support and encouragement.  I always look forward to your visits. 

Gina 

   

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

One of my Roosters makes a BIG SPLASH



In a new Kitchen



Client photograph

What a great way to incorporate just one of my hand painted ceramic tiles

Kudos to my Clients for designing such an artistic and original back splash




One Tile, Two tiles, or a whole barnyard of tiles, no matter, they all make a big splash

Gina


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Good Bye my Special One


This is how the recipient describes herself ...




"I'm a little proud, hate to be ignored,
generous to a fault, hate cheap gifts,
can be a little flirty with men when I have a mind
...throw into the mix a big, fat loving famiglia italiana set against a New York backdrop"
Barbara F



I think that my bare-breasted, Winged Lady tile is going to the right home

What do you think?

Gina


Monday, May 16, 2011

Are you lost?


Are your Guests lost?




Have you walked endless halls looking for the Powder Room?



Oh, oh, finally a sign




On the Door, of course




Painted just for you, for your new door, for your old door




Any color any language




Even the kitchen or what about the Library?


Wishing you a clear road ahead, my dear Blogging Friends

Gina



Sunday, May 15, 2011

No skies are as blue as those in San Pete County




Come and see for yourself and learn a new skill
July 15 and 16, 2011































Join us for a 2-day workshop and learn how to paint ceramics in the 500-year-old Italian Renaissance tradition.









 Come and  join us under the blue San Pete Skies.
Gina


All pictures taken yesterday, near our pond, behind our house.