This is just some fun I had collaging various pictures together.  At the time I did this I had too many magazines and catalogs, and I was given some more by friends.  I  wanted to save the colorful, cheerful pictures I liked and find a use for them.  I have always enjoyed making collages; yet with work and life being so busy I don’t often get the time I would like to make them.   Below are pictures of some of the little collage pieces which could work as a book mark for a book.  I coated the collages with acrylic polymer to protect them.  I really enjoy the pictures of flowers and animals; plus with some house ware catalogs I was able to find pictures of printed fabrics, pillows or rugs which made a nice color combination with the other images.

In the past I have done collages on cigar boxes, canvases, various boxes, etc.   It is a fun way to express one self.  The John Lennon collage I did years ago was made in 1980 within three days of his death.  For three days I went back to the Dakota building, where he lived and held vigil there with the other people who came to mourn his passing.  Through the years the collage has weathered and turned yellow.   I also made a Diane Keaton collage years ago which I have included a photo of here.  I have always thought Diane Keaton is beautiful.  Wood Allen’s quote  that I affixed on there describes why I admire her  “There is not an artificial bone in her body and not an ounce of pretension in any way.”  I need to replace the frame; it fell apart when moving!  I have some other collages I did with a mix of painting that are older.  I actually need to do repairs on them.  Excuse the glare on the photos!

Fall is here.  This time of year I tend to wear my polka dots dresses more often.  They are black with white dots and in the summer I mostly avoid wearing black.  When I was younger I associated polka dots with freedom.  They are zany and fun!  I prefer to wear my black dresses with red to brighten them up.  My friend Angie Delacroix came and took a few pictures of me.  A few of them are in this post.  I forgot to put a necklace on it one!  I have to get more used to all this posing, etc…   I also am trying to learn to use the tripod.  A few of my pictures are in this post as well.   I will get the hang of this with more practice!  I am still having trouble getting a full body pose.  There is a lot to learn having a blog; slowly but surely I think I am getting it!

I haven’t had much time to write so today I will post a poem by John Reed that he wrote for his wife Louis Bryant.  I think it is a beautiful poem:

A Letter to Louise

Rainy rush of bird-song

Apple-blossom smoke

Thin bells water-falling sound

Wind-rust on the silver pond

Furry starring willow-wand

Wan new grasses waking round

Blue bird in the oak..

Woven in my word song

White and slim my lover

Birch-tree in the shade

Mountain pools her fearless eyes

Innocent all-answering

Were I blinded to the spring

Happy thrill would in me rise

Smiling half afraid

at the nearness of her

All my weak endeavor

Lay I at her feet

Like a moth from oversea

Let me longing lightly rest

On her flowers petal breast

Till the red dawn set me free

To be with my sweet

Ever and forever…

Picture by Angela Delacroix

The polka dot dresses are thrifted.  The red cashmere sweater above is vintage.  The black polka dot skirt with red, pink and white dots is also something I found thrifting. Black tank with it was second hand.  The red shoes I found in a resale store. Antique brooch is vintage.  The grey pearl necklace is from a discount shop.  I really dig those grey pearls!  The bracelets are both ones I made.  Only new items were stockings and the red sweater at the bottom which is several years old by now.  My black boots were a gift.

I have seen a lot of women running around wearing these little bows and vintage looking accessories in their hair.  So I bought this little polka dotted head band.  Vintage blue sweater in that picture.  Vintage Heidi picture from my childhood.

I have been so busy the last few days I didn’t get the time to write and do a post.  One of my friends came over to take some pictures of me for the blog and I was preparing for that.  I also had several other things happening.  I  decided to post a small handful of pictures from an old road trip back many years ago.  In Crested Butte, Colorado they have some fun, quirky ways of recycling or up cycling things in their yards, or on their houses, or as a couple of pictures show a decorated car!  So I hope you enjoy these few pictures.

When I tell city people stories of mountain folk they often think they are quite bizarre, or funny.  People get bored sometimes up in the mountains when its cold.  They come up with some fun ideas.  In Nederland, Colorado they celebrate a Frozen Dead Guy Day once a year!   They have coffin races, people dress up dead and then at night they have a ball.  They have tourists coming from all over now to see this crazy, festive day!  Yes, there is a frozen dead guy up there.  That’s another story.

I have also seen young children who are growing up in the mountains start  successful small businesses.  I was in a Crafters Guild with a young lady who started a soap business at twelve.  Down in Boulder, Colorado they sell chocolates made by brothers who live up in Nederland, Colorado.  Their mother drives the chocolates down the mountain and sells them to stores. In my experience mountain folk are fun and creative.

Fall is finally here!  We’re still having a lot of hot days in New York so I have been looking forward to fall. We’ve had a few mornings where the air was crisp and windy.  That was great; however it continues to warm up by afternoon.  I will have to say “goodbye” to kayaking season soon.  I like to kayak in the Hudson River over at Pier 26.  They close that done around mid- October until spring.  I am sure I can have some fun bike riding more often in Prospect Park this fall instead.

This time of year I usually crave pumpkin breads, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.  I really am not much of a pie eater but, I never can make it throughout fall and winter without making several pumpkin pies.  I even learned to make a dairy less, crust less one since I developed food allergies awhile back.  I also make gluten free pumpkin bread with nuts and cranberries.  I also like roasted beets, and thick soups filled with roasted squashes, carrots, onions, and then topped with pumpkin seeds and cranberries.

This year not only am I getting ready to crave the fall’s delicious flavors but, I decided I wanted more pumpkin in my wardrobe.   I wanted a bit more cranberry and blue as well.  Blue I will get to in another post. 

The whole spring and summer I let most of my black clothing just hang in the closet.  Only on a few occasions did I wear more than half a black outfit.  New Yorkers tend to wear far too much black and I felt like I just had had my fill for a while.  So I am cutting back on black.  Typically I like to liven up my black outfits with quite a bit of red, which I will still do.  I had decided in the last couple of years to increase grey in my wardrobe as an alternative to black. I still prefer the grey but this year I don’t need many clothes added to my wardrobe, so what I do add I wanted to be colorful.

I had found a BeeBop and Wally vintage inspired soft brown polka dot skirt a couple of months back at a Salvation Army for $7.00. The polka dots are crème colored and pumpkin.  I have worn it several times with a white eyelet fabric hand me down blouse from my mother.  I am not sure if the blouse was my mother’s or grandmother’s.  This skirt will look great in the fall and winter with tights and a sweater.  I have an old pumpkin colored wool sweater that I can pair with it as well.  Plus I have a thick cotton cable crème colored sweater which will be cozy on colds days with the skirt.

The other pumpkin item I found was a men’s cowboy shirt sized medium; however it ran so small it fits me perfectly!  It is made of a warm thick cotton covered with small flowers in brown and crème and has little crème colored snaps on the wrists and down the front instead of buttons.  I found it at St. Luke’s thrift shop for $7.50 on a half off sale.  The thrift shop seems to be having some great sales since they had to give up their back room to the children’s school next door.  They haven’t much space now so they are having frequent sales! Lucky me!  Last time I found a half off sale there I came away with a lovely sage green Three Dot viscose dress made in the USA for $7.00.

I had been yearning for a bright red cardigan sweater and searching high and low and just not finding one.  Then one day I was in the West Village and stopped by Stella Dallas Living, a lovely vintage shop.  I was enjoying looking at all its lovely dresses and coats.  I had just left when outside I spotted a barrel of antique silk scarves and next to it a rack of cashmere sweaters.  I decided to buy a cranberry antique Lord and Taylor’s cashmere sweater.  It was $30 and in perfect condition.  Considering how I had been looking so much and couldn’t even find a new one for that price that I liked, I was happy to find it at last.

I also have a cranberry long sleeve tee shirt that hasn’t been getting much wear.  It’s still pretty, so therefore I am going to upcycle it into a dress.  I have silk fabric from what used to be an old cranberry colored maxi dress.  I am going to attach the two, make a shorter dress and use a decorated brocade ribbon to tie the look together.

Those are a few of my fall clothing pieces that I am looking forward to enjoying.  I am eager to see the leaves changing and plan on going up to Westchester County, NY at some point for an afternoon.  The pictures in this post of woods were taken up in Armonk, NY when my mother used to live there.  Two years ago I took a train ride up the Hudson River to Peekskill, NY.  Then I took a long walk across the river on a bridge.  The trees below lined the river and there is a section of forest across the river, to walk through.  An afternoon such as that is what I am craving!