1798 London Newspaper Artwork

Most of us don't get to actually see or hold an original newspaper from London 1798.

I'm truly fortunate to have three original newspapers 2 from 1798 and one from 1800.

They were a gift from a very dear friend of mine.

I love looking at and reading the newspapers. It's so strange how things really haven't changed that much in some ways. The newspaper is full of advertisements and requests for domestic help. There are a few murder cases and a list of plays featured at the London theater (oops) I mean, THEATRE, of course.

It felt like a shame to put the newspapers away. So I decided to make a piece of artwork for my house so everyone who comes over can see the wonderful print of the newspaper.

Awhile back, I went to Kinko's and made some copies of the newspapers. Guided by thoughts of lost time and years peeling away, I designed this piece of art in several layers.

I'm pleased with the end result. Every time I look at the piece I think, this is a slice of history.

Castles, Horses, And Russell, Oh My!

I am so excited. Another period piece with Russell Crowe. And what a period piece. I love the story of Robin Hood. I think it will be a brilliant movie and usually anything Cate Blanchett does is topnotch. What a wonderful pair and they are both over 35. Yippee! I have high hopes. Check it out here http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/robinhood/

Dreaming Of Summer

January, February and March are so grueling. Sometimes it's hard to believe we really do have nice hot summers here in the Northwest.

When my feet are cold and the weather is so dark and rainy, I like to look back at warm weather photos of friends and family and remember that yes, indeed, it does get warm here and we do go to the beach and mountains in shorts and we do play in the water.

Just hold on. Summer is coming.

I Am A Guest Blogger

Check out my friend Heidi's blog Holistic Momma.

http://holisticmomma.blogspot.com/

I am the featured blogger today.

In that blog I show you how to make a swell Vintage Thread Spool Vase. Like the ones in this picture.

Thanks Heidi for letting me visit!

Okay, this isn't funny!

I am so excited.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/emma/index.html

This Sunday Masterpiece Theater is showing a new Emma with Romola Garai. She played Cassandra in I Capture The Castle, one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite all time books.

Jonny Lee Miller is playing Mr. Knightly. I loved him in Mansfield Park with Frances O'Connor. I think he did a wonderful job as Edmund.

Put this on your calendar. Sunday 24th 9:00 Pacific Masterpiece Theater Emma.

If you click on the link I provided you can take the Bachelors Of Highbury Quiz, just like I did.

Well, guess who I ended up with?

Mr. Henry Woodhouse.

Yeah think?

Yep, you got it.

Emma's elderly father. What the What?

(I provided a photo just so you can get a visual. Up top)

Thank you very much Masterpiece. I have always liked older men but not elderly. :)

No Room But A View

Tiny houses on the hillside blah blah blah.

Well my house may be tiny but I have a romantic view out my back windows. When its twilight, foggy, and rainy I think of Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff and Cathy.

The spots in the picture are big fat raindrops.

I just found this old song "Wuthering Heights" originally by Kate Bush (I think it was written in the 70's) but the version I bought was from The Puppini Sisters. And they put it to a swing beat. So cool. They're just swell and so is the song. Buy it on ITunes

Here are the lyrics.

Out on the wiley, windy moors

We'd roll and fall in green

You had a temper, like my jealousy

Too hot, too greedy

How could you leave me?

When I needed to possess you?I hated you, I loved you too

Bad dreams in the night

They told me I was going to lose the fight

Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering

Wuthering Heights(Chorus)

Heathcliff, its me, Cathy come home

I'm so cold, let me in-a-your window

Oh it gets dark, it gets lonely

On the other side from you

I pine alot, I find the lot

Falls through without you

I'm coming back love, cruel Heathcliff

My one dream, my only master

Too long I roam in the night

I'm coming back to his side to put it right

I'm coming home to wuthering, wuthering,Wuthering Heights(Chorus)

Oh let me have it, let me grab your soul away

Oh let me have it, let me grab your soul away

You know it's me, Cathy(Chorus)

And if you haven't you must see the Masterpiece Theater's latest version of Wuthering Heights with Tom Hardy one word WOW!

The Finished Look

Here are some photos of my finished football collage. It is now up on Etsy

What I'm Working On

This week has been busy. I have been writing like crazy. I am getting ready to send in my book, or rather the first 50 pages, to a contest. We will see what happens. Say a pray for me.

In other news-I am working on a college football collage from the 1930's. I must say its turning out very nice.

I am using clippings from the Oregonian which are original and from 1936. Back then the University Of Oregon weren't the Ducks they were the Webfoots. Soooo cool. The Huskies were their biggest rivals back then.

I have learned a lot from this project. Gridiron is a football field. It is named Gridiron because the field looks like a grid. Duh! And a pigskin refers to the football because it was made from pigskin which was turned into leather.

I love new terms and new words. Of course I have heard the terms Gridiron and Pigskin before but since reading the 1936 newpaper I feel connect to those old days when America seemed to use the terms when writing about college football. You don't hear them much any more.

I have included pictures of my "in the works" project. Tomorrow I will be mounting it to a canvas and putting it on Etsy.

During the holidays a young lady bought my baseball collage (you can see it on my etsy site under sold items). She was buying it for a little boys room. I think the football collage would work so well with the baseball collage.

So if any one would like to custom order a baseball collage (it would not be the same as the one on etsy because I use original clippings but it would be close) and snatch up the football collage they would partner well and be a very cool and unique addition to any room. I also am starting a basketball collage. Having all the sports together would be oh so Pottery Barnish.

NOTE: the photo has my name on it. It is not on the original artwork.

Ta ta for now.

What Type Are You?

Take this fun test and find out what your font is. Mine is Lettres Ornees. I don't care for it very much but I am the type that likes to dance but only if the dance floor is reinforced with heavy beams.

http://www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/

The password is character

I hope this link works I haven't figured out how to link properly yet. Heidi help me!

Comment back and let me know what type you are.

Ciao for now

Leap Year

Leap Year

Everything about this movie screamed ME!

1. Setting: Ireland,

2. One of my favorite actresses: Amy Adams

3. Romantic comedy

4. Handsome Irish pub owner: dark haired and gorgeous, scruffy looking. Love the hair and clothes.

So off I went on opening night something I don't like doing because I generally don't like crowds of people. And when it's busy I usually end up sitting by people that sneak in corn nuts. This time I was in luck. On one side of me my dear friend, the other an empty seat. (The crowds were probably waiting for the dvd- smart move).

Then it started. And yes Amy was lovely as ever. Funny cute and real. Matthew Goode was really really GOOD looking. Yes they were in Ireland and yes it was beautiful. It had such potential. Ho hum.

I so wanted to buy it for my Irish romantic movie collection (I still might just to gaze upon Matthew who probably is young enough to be my son and I mean that, sad but true).

Once the movie started I soon realize this was a Renter. For one thing why couldn't they find an Irish guy to play the Irish guy? You can't tell me there aren't any cute Irish guys available. For the entire movie Matthew's accent kept bugging me. It was only after the movie I found out why, because he wasn't Irish.

The story line seemed contrived really forced. I still wanted it to work but the situations they were put in just didn't. Example: it was really hard for me to believe a woman would walk up a hill, in the mud, in a tight skirt, in a down pour, in 3 to 4" heals, to see the view from the top of a castle even if she was following Matthew . . . okay I would think about it.

Even though the story was weak my heart longed for Ireland (I'll get there someday) and . . . Matthew Goode. So don't go see it if you want depth and cleverness. This movie was bland but beautiful. Sweet but not great.

Signing off.

It's Not Too Early For Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day, always have. I think it's the colors that attract me. Purples, pinks, and reds oh my! But when I think of Valentine's Day I think of sugar cookies. The best recipe is in "The Cookie Bible" better known as The Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. On page 18 you will find Mary's Suagr Cookies. They are sooooo good. If anyone wants the recipe just let me know and I will post it for all.

I have been working on my Valentine's Dress Garland this week. It will be available Monday on Etsy. But if anyone wants it just email me annmpep@comcast.net. I will only make one garland that has this type of paper. So let me know if you want like to order this one of a kind garland.

Happy Saturday!

Fate, Destiny, And The Subaru Service Center

I took my Subaru into the service center today. My windshield-wiper-fluid-squirter-thingy wasn't working. No matter how hard I turned the knob it wouldn't squirt. (no double meaning in that)

While I was waiting for the diagnoses, I sat down by two ladies. That's when I noticed they were both reading the same book. How odd. And it was the very book someone had recently told me I must read.

So, I had to ask if they liked it. One lady was obviously too engrossed to pause and talk, the other chatterbox wouldn't shut-up once she found out that I was interested in the book.

The name of the book is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Anyone read it? Is it really all that and a bag of chips?

The Chatterbox told everyone in the waiting room she got the book on Amazon FOR ONLY SIX NINETY-NINE! She also told every that the author had died before the book was a success. "It's just tragic! Just tragic that he died," she said.

As I cringed from the noise the nice young man (he must have been sixty but I like writing, nice your man) from the service center came in to give me the bad news. I was prepared with coffee, books, paper, pen, and my cell phone, to sit for hours.

But instead, he told me I needed to stop turning the knob and start pushing the small button. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with my windshield-wiper-fluid-squirter-thingy both the front . . .and the . . .back worked just fine. (no double meaning at all)

I smiled and told him I probably should have read the manual. He smiled and nodded. But who really reads the car manual? Come on.

As I quickly but discreetly packed up my stuff, (did I say I was expecting a long wait?) I thought how fate must have guided me to make an appointment to get my windshield-wiper-fluid-squirter-thingy fixed. Because if I wouldn't have been at the service center today I would never have seen two ladies reading the very book I was thinking about buying and therefore I may never have gone out today and bought the book.

There you have it.

Fate, and destiny at the Subaru Service Center.

In The Beginning

Welcome To Swing Time Designs

I had to put Designs in the title otherwise, you would be reading about a woman living la vida loca on psychotropic drugs. Interesting as that would be, I'm not that woman. This blog is also not devoted to miniature golf, Fred and Ginger dancing their way across the screen or a place to find couples willing to switch partners for the evening.

I chose the title Swing Time because I am constantly swinging between--everything. Writing my first book, working on my artwork, being a mom, a wife, a sister, a friend, and anything else I can squeeze into my little life.

Swing time is also fitting because I have an affinity toward the Swing Era. Come on, no one can feel bad when listening to Little Brown Jug, When Buddha Smiles, or Stealin' Apples. The titles alone should make a smile float to the surface.

My love of the Swing Era 1935-1945 or dead people as my 12 year old likes to say, is also reflected in my artwork which you can find here www.roodleytootdesigns.etsy.com (more evidence will be coming).

WARNING: This blog does not have a point. I am not cooking for a year, I didn't lose a bunch of weight and feel the need to share how, and I'm not going on some trek across China. In fact, this blog is just a basic run of the mill blog. Hopefully with lots of photos. I like blogs with photos.

In other words, this blog of mine, is an opportunity to share my RANDOM personal experiences, and hobbies with any sucker who wants to take a look. ( I had to look up what a blog really was and that's what Wikipedia said, excluding the words random and sucker, I tossed those in for fun)

So, if you can forgive my occasional misspelling's, my bad grammar (I heard once you don't rea--lly have to kN--OOOOw grammar to be a writer- I'm holding onto that with both hands) and random thoughts than please stop in and take a look around my life as I know it. You never know what you will find. I certainly don't.

Signing off.