River Market Antique Mall Heaven

I visited one of my favorite places today to pick up some gifts; the River Market Antique Mall.

My friend has a booth there and what she's done with these branches and paper birds is amazing. Plus, she has lots of cool stuff. I bought some Santa plates and a little elf figurine. The elf will be showing up soon in a magnet.

Another shot.

I loved these old, quirky little vintage ornaments.

And some more.

This cool booth is Donnie's. He does styling for Deb at Curious Sofa and he sure does have the touch.

I love the random pilings of old beat up bowling pins and the funky flamingos.

Festive holiday table.

Above the table. So cool with the greenery, snowflakes, and chandelier.

Some pottery with tin mixed in.

He had lots of cool cement and metal statuaries. This bull was unique.

I wonder how many holidays this snow woman weathered out of doors.

This was not in Donnie's booth. I'm sure he'd appreciate me mentioning that. I just found this mangled maniquin interesting to say the least.

Cool birdouse.

I was digging this pink wrought iron gating.

More strange maniquins just hanging out.

These ivory winged back chairs were super cool.

More Custom Goodness!

I've been keeping pretty busy lately with the custom orders. It's not too late to place yours for the holidays!!

These magnets are for my mom's friends, Dee and Melody. Since they're like two peas in a pod, I made them nearly identical so the good karma could flow freely from one kitchen to the other.

I had so much fun doing this custom box for Lori's friend, Andee, in Denver. She ordered it for her husband, an obvious comic book lover! On this side, we have Superman. If you look closely, you can see the tiny figurine.

This is the Batman side. Once again, look closely for the figurine. This box is large, nearly 12" x 7", and will be just what Heath needs to keep track of those keys and wallet.

Here's one side where you can see the Superman and Batman sides come together.

Same with the other side.

And here's the inside of the box. I collaged the inside and bottom with Superman and Batman comics! I was going to incorporate some sound effects like ZHROOM, KABOOM, RAAAZZZ, you know, like you see in comics. When I asked my comic book writer husband which ones he would include, he told me that a serious comic book fan would find that cheesy. I'm glad I asked an expert before I ruined Heath's box!

A Little Holiday Decor and Some Custom Mosaics

I am so excited about my little silver holiday vignette!! I've posted pics of my ever-growing tarnished silver collection before, but here, I've combined it with some special touches.

These wonderful little creatures were made by an amazing artist I found on a blog and who has her work for sale on Etsy and on her website. Her name is Crystal and you can find her at http://www.vintagebycrystal.com/.

We have here a little cat girl, a bat girl, and a snow fairie. I was going to take them to work to enjoy on my desk, but I think I'll have to buy more so these can stay at home in this display where they fit so well.

My ever-growing tarnished silver collection.

The tinsel trees are from where else? The Curious Sofa. I bought one for a friend and had to go back to buy mine!!

I made a custom mirror for a girl at work that says "Let it Snow" with a snowman of polymer clay, white, silver, snowflakes, and a touch of lavender.

This old bottle added just the right touch.

Here's the snowman and at the top you can see the last of the vintage swizzle sticks that Becky brought down from Wisconsin a couple of week ago. Yeah!!!

And here's a full shot of the mirror. I have such fun making custom items, especially for the kind of people that just tell me what they like and let me go with little direction. I think this is going in a hutch behind a display of other fun Christmas goodies. All the Austrian crystals and white will reflect in a festive way.

This funky switch plate is custom for my friend Barbara in DC who is giving it to her son and daughter-in-law. They have two small children whom I hope will enjoy the vintage 1950's plastic farm animals and bright colors. Once again, she just told me she wanted a switch plate and the rest was up to me!

Omaha Zoo

We took the kids to the Omaha Zoo last week and it was amazing. Despite many outdoor exhibits being closed, there are lots of indoor environments to explore.

These jellyfish were in a cylindrical tank and were mesmerizing. It's hard to believe they are living creatures the way they glow and float along.

This is a leafy seahorse. Creatures of the deep sometimes look like they're from another world.

This fish was huge!!

Penguins are always fun to see. The penguin display at the St. Louis Zoo still takes the prize as the best I've ever seen.

I won't make the obvious joke here.

Good thing Brendan had his hair to keep him warm, it was pretty cold outside.

Jas and Dash in a cave.

One of my favorite areas was one that displayed many creatures of the night. Here are some shots of the bat cave.

The bats are never all still at once, they continuously swarm the cave. Dash was a little frightened!

Another part of the creatures of the night display was this long bridge over water that was filled with alligators and beavers. These beavers were playing. I didn't realize they were so large!

These piggy-like creatures were in an indoor desert environment that went on and on.

A handsome bird.

We called this a "devil pig" and he was one of the most interesting looking animals at the zoo. Look at his long snout, red color and long, pointy ears. He looks like an animal that Hank III would have as a pet. An indoor pet, that is.

The monkeys and apes were awesome. This monkey knocked on the glass for us. In an adjoining room, two gorillas were chasing each other around, playing keep-away with a plastic lid. I didn't realize that Omaha was such a quick and easy drive from Kansas City. We will definitely visit this zoo again in warmer weather when all the outdoor areas are abuzz, but even in the cold, it was an amazing place.

A Few Mosaics and Mound City, Kansas

Well, after recovering from a cough and cold, my creative juices are finally flowing again! I've knocked out some custom work and have been building my Etsy shop little by little. Does anyone else out in blogland get frustrated by bad photos? I am having a really hard time with the digital camera we have and I'm getting ready to hang it up and have a professional take my photos. In the meantime, I'll have to settle for these.

This mirror says "home for the holidays" and has some great vintage holiday bulbs that my Etsy friend Becky brought me when she traveled all the way from Wisconsin to KC to visit her brother and to take a mosaic class from mosaic celebrity Dee Dee Walters. Thanks, Becky!!

If you look closely, you can also see a few vintage plastic swizzle sticks that say "seasons greetings". Very fun!!

And I collaged the back and added a self-leveling hanger. This mirror is currently in my Esty shop which can be found on the left side of my blog.

This magnet features another great bulb from Becky and despite the horrible pic, this magnet is a bright, vibrant orange. Also in my Etsy shop and hopefully, a better pic will be coming soon. Uggghhhh!

Another magnet, this one red and black with a hint of silver. Also in my Etsy shop.

I love orange and red color combinations. I enjoy using a focal point for each piece, but this one has several elements that pop out, including the large red bead, the chunk of English china across the top, and the whimsical button. More mosaics coming soon. I'm finishing up a fun custom switch plate for my friend Barbara in D.C. that includes some vintage 1950's farm animals and I want to do a few more frames in the coming days with some more great things I got from Becky last weekend!

I took a trip to my cousin Janet's in Mound City, Kansas last weekend and I had to take a picture of her dog, Spud. This weenie dog isn't just striking a quick pose here, he actually sits up on his hind legs with his back straight for as long as you're eating! It is so funny and strange to see him just sit there! Snickers, her other weenie dog, is in the background (he's cute, but he does not sit up like a little baby and beg)!

Brendan and Janet's son, Ryan, had a great time playing their guitars. Ryan has a drum set, too and Janet has relegated that to the nearby barn, as would I!!!

Mound City is an historic and cute little town about an hour and fifteen minutes from Overland Park. This is Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the beautiful limestone gives it a very cottage-like feel. The inside of the church is just as amazing as the outside. My favorite aunt, Kitty, passed away in September and her service was here. Kitty was awesome with an unbeatable zest for life and I miss her horribly.

Another pic of this fabulous little church.

A closer pic of the east side of the church. Look at those leaded windows.

This is a building on Main Street and a good example of some of the architectural detailing in these old buildings.

Another pic of Main Street.

The courthouse is also on Main Street. Lots of great, old trees.

And this is a sign for the very vacant Midway Motel as you approach Pleasanton on 69 Highway. If I had a loft or someplace else to display it, I'd inquire about buying this old sign for its interesting shape and chipped, beat up appeal. And not a bad pic with that same camera that is giving me fits with pics of my work. I will have to ask my friend Dawn for some help; she takes wonderful pictures!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawnsanders/