are you ready???

Just 10 more days...I have most of my shopping finished, just a couple of gift cards and that's it..

We now have that cold winter weather..we watched it hit last night..it was amazing to see the wind switch from the south to the north and blowing so hard.. brrrrrr..potato soup for lunch today.

Blogger screwed me up..I was trying to post ahead last week, and it posted my MONDAY post on that day I made it..so today's post has been showing for the last 4 days..I hope you scrolled down and took a look at the toy run post..it was a post that is near and dear to my heart..

Happy Monday (again)

tina

Black leather and big hearts

On Dec. 6th the Brazos De Dios H.O.G. Chapter of Bryan/College Station gave their 20th toy run. Bikers have big hearts if you didn't know. For months they plan, gather, wrap and organize this event. I was part of it when we lived there. I did my fair share, and saw all those who busted their hiney, opened their wallets and spent countless hours getting this together. We were in town that day, to visit old friend and I had to go by. I'm glad I did. I want to share with you what I got to witness from the outside looking in.

It was great to see everyone again and share some of the excitement:

This is Sally, she was Mrs. Claus this year. Their costumes have a biker flair to them. Sally and her mother made them a couple of years ago...you'll see Santa later..I rode in the truck with Sally in her pickup loaded with stuffed toys to hand out to neighborhood children..

This is Stan and Bonnie, the past Santa & Mrs...they are really good friends and we miss them dearly!

It was great fun to see those folks we don't get to see when we make our hit and run visits..








This is the group at one of the stops. They choose families in need. This year their were 11 families with 71 total folks to buy for. My friend Sue and a couple of others do the shopping..that was my job one year..it's organization at it's fullest to get all these things bought and accounted for with that many people.

As you can see, it's a large group and the rumble of those bikes, sets your hair on end..I love it!



Here is an unsavory fellow all in black...This is Elmer another dear friend and has been the head of the chapter and the toy run for several years, but this year he's just a happy little elf..



The hugs you get are just heart wrenchingly amazing from these kids...

And to see their eyes light up when this comes up to the front steps:

We take small stuffed animals back on the bikes to throw at the kids we pass by on the streets, for all that rumbling in the neighborhoods draws them out to see what's up..

This is Leonard, one of our good friends, taking toys back to his bike for Sue his wife and passenger to toss over..I did that one year, tossed toys while riding behind hub, but I kept bonking him in the head and he made me ride my own bike the next time..

Here is Santa taking a wrapped package up to the house. Several nights after work were spent wrapping up everything for everyone. That is one of the best fellowship times we have, wrapping presents.

Most everyone decorates their bikes for the event:
Faye started out with just one, and now she's got a load, even Santa will envy...






Here is a tinsel wrapped set of ape hangers, that is what those tall handlebars are called in case you didn't know..

The saddle bags and other parts on this bike were all gussied up:

Here is the street in front of an apartment complex:

I stood in the back of a pickup to get the shot, I think it pretty much captures all the riders, that were behind the trucks and trailers..







Here is the street view from that same shot, looking back at the front of the line.

So, you see there are alot of people involved and afterwards there is a party and everyone shares what they saw or the hugs they got...your heart if full and your are happy when you do this, at least hub's and mine were..




With there being alot of riders, there are a lot of safety precautions, they set up with the law enforcement for the route, we have dozens of road guards and a few police/sherriff cars
This is Carolyn and Brett,.As road guards, you have to block of intersections, exits and such so all the riders can stay together.

I rode with hub on this one year, you pretty much don't get to hand out presents or be in the thick of things, so you miss out on alot of it. There are times you get to be near the homes, but not every stop. To me, this is the 'thankless' job, for you are a major part of the thing,but you are more 'behind' the scenes.

It takes everyone doing their part to pull this off. And for it to be going on for the last 20 years, tells you the extent of the commitment of this club. I was excited to be able to share a little bit of this with you and show you some of the hard work put into it. If you see a motorcycle with a stuff animal strapped to it, you can bet they have either been or going to a toy run or ride.

Merry Chirstmas,

tina


(seems Blogger had a brain fart yesterday and posted my Monday's post on Wednesday...sheesh..now I have to find something for Monday...if this is the hardest thing of my day, then I'll be doing good..see ya)

Mail Goodies!!

The big black mail box was full!!! and with NOt BILLS! Don'tcha love it when that happens?!!

This little goodie is from my fren Robby, across the pond..in Scotland, she's a displaced Aussie, we met on a forum and she's blessed me with some of her work! Thanks Robby!! I love IT, you did a great job at soldering! I shall wear it proudly!

Then a box from Washington State:

This was a flickr swap...Carol used a vintage garland she got at a garage sale, how cool is that??, added the Santas she made and pinecones she gussied up for this cool garland/banner/swag..and sent me a bag full of small goodies too boot! Carol! you spoiled me, and I feel like I cheated you!!

I purchased this banner from my fren Cindy at her Etsy shop:

It fits right in with my decor here in the shop shack and it's sooo vintage-y...I couldn't stand it and had to have it!!! Thanks Cindy for leading me to it, cauz, you knew I'd buy it, what are friends for???

These are an Ebay purchase...

Yes, Skeery doll heads...but I wanted the little ones, and had to get the whole lot.
But, this whole lot was WAY cheaper than some of the auctions for just one of these tiny frozen Charlotte head alone have been going for..so I'll just wrap the skeery ones back up,they maybe a gift to a friend who has jars of skeery doll heads sitting around her house.


These little ones are too dang cute, I think they will end up on the top of a little shine, like I've been seeing on some of the blogs and in a Somerset mag, this summer..but right now they are too cute in a spot on some shelves in the studio!

Hope your Holidays are going well!

Merry Christmas!

t

On the Work table

On a forum I am part of, one of the gals asked if anyone could use some paper mache' items..
I raised my hand..and low and behold at the door in a couple of weeks were boxes of the stuff! yea!! new collage fodder...She had included these little plates, they are about Seven and a half inches..Being in the Christmas mood, I thought I'd play around with one and see what happened..I knew I wanted a Christmas theme..but not what at that point...so I layered on some old dictionary pages and gesso'd them over..then inked and softened that..then, things started to take shape..I used rub-ons, which I always seem to screw up and this was no exception... had to tinker with some colored pencils hither and yon..basically, just played with the whole thing with not a set purpose in mind..( I read in an artist newsletter I get, that we need to let our 6 year old that is within us, out and play, you put something on the canvas because YOU LIKE it..and go with it from there, so that's what I was doing...but I'm usually a fly by the seat of my pants artist anyway..as things jell as they are happening for me..)


I couldn't get the image to fill up the plate the way I wanted, so since Santa was cut off before the end of the plate,I wanted to hide that straight edge..Going through on of my Elementary Readers, I found the perfect words..thinking about some kids and how they go on and on and on when they get into Santa's lap(remember standing behind them waiting your turn?)...I came up with this list..I really wanted to put something snarky on it..but chicken'd out..

I'm smelling a several more of these in my head...before I'm done with these plates..

Hope your Christmas season is going well..
Have a great day!
t

Christmas decorating

This is what I've been doing around our house:



This is my snowman area..I received these thru swaps, aren't they great??




Here is our entertainment cabinet:

Some of the many little ornies I've received through swaps..that big Santa, I found a Target a few years ago, up on the fan is a Mark Roberts fairy Santa, my sister and I have been collecting them for a few years now, she's more than me..but I love the ones I have..they are fun.

Here is another Mark Roberts Santa fairy hanging out in the bathroom..

My manny..Matilda, she's sporting a Merry banner I made from HobLob snowflakes and Wallymart chipboard letters.

I really wanted a tulle skirt or something for her..but have not found anything at the thrift nor have I wanted to spend the money on fabric..so she's still wearing my Mamaw's apron.

This is what you see when you come in, from the shop door:

But the light is so low here I had to get a funky angle..I can't wait to start the photography classes I signed up for..they deal with low light settings..This is some of my many Santas, most all of this table is Western..

Hope you enjoyed my little tour..Have a great week!

t