In His Own World…

It’s awfully quiet in the house today.  Patrick was hired by a friend to wait in place for him for the new IPad 2 at Best Buy this afternoon.  That’s him…#6 in line with a book, I Touch, cell phone, water and snacks.  We forgot sun protection = big mistake!

Meanwhile, back at the castle, it is very quiet… I’m watching TV about the horror of the earthquakes and tsunamis that are happening in Japan today.  I guess I had been piddlin’ around in the kitchen for a few hours before I realized that I had forgotten Michael was in the house with me.  “Michael!?  What are you doing?” I voiced.  “Mmmm, playing  with my Legos,” he placidly replied.  The boys and I had cleaned the house that morning and usually his Legos are all over the house, so I told him to clean them up and keep them off the floor. 

It’s an art form unto itself and he could play with them for hundreds of hours straight.  He has built so many things throughout the years and I never take pictures of them.  He does the same with Army men and has built replica scenes of Normandy, The Bulge, Santa Ana at the Alamo and, of course, Army vs. Star Wars Lego.

He adores them and it makes him happy…so that makes me happy!   I loved playing with Legos, too!

Flickr Tags: Legos

My Little Man

I bought this adorable little man years ago and he sits on our breakfast counter.  He is my own tiny French waiter and is made from iron. He carry’s a little serving tray and it is the perfect size to put a little trinket on to celebrate the season.   It may be a piece of candy, a miniature plastic shamrock, the American flag or a birthday candle.  The kid’s teeth have appeared on the tray and ice cream money for school, too! 

My Little Man

I bought this adorable little man years ago and he sits on our breakfast counter.  He is my own tiny French waiter and is made from iron. He carry’s a little serving tray and it is the perfect size to put a little trinket on to celebrate the season.   It may be a piece of candy, a miniature plastic shamrock, the American flag or a birthday candle.  The kid’s teeth have appeared on the tray and ice cream money for school, too! 

Katie’s Handmade Pledge has Arrived!!

One gloomy January day, I was checking out Facebook and saw a creative challenge that my college friend Katie Evancho Harris posted…here it is:

 

Pay it forward 2011: I promise to send something homemade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. However, to be eligible, you must repost this status, offering the same thing to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.

January 12 at 6:26pm ·Like Unlike · · View Feedback (5)Hide Feedback (5)

• Eileen Howley Teagle Hooray! I think I'm 5th!? Love the idea and will do!

 

Terrific!!  I never win anything and I knew she wouldn’t let me down!  She FBed me for my address and then I completely forgot about it!  Katie’s probably the cutest and funniest thing you’ve ever seen.  She’s interested in lots of things and is a super active mom.  I miss her! 

So guess what arrived in the mail today?!?  Katie’s homemade Morning Mix!  Can’t wait to try it tomorrow morning for breakfast…what a great way to start out Lent with a healthy, wholesome bowl of love from your friend in Cali!  Thanks Katie!  Now I will post my handmade promise on Facebook!  What a great idea to try…you never know what cool things will happen!

Flickr Tags: Homemade pledge,Morning Mix,Katie Harris,Facebook

When You Wish Upon a Storage Star!

I caught a glimpse of heaven today and I had to share.  It is the ul-ti-mate in home storage areas.  My friend and her husband built their dream home a few years ago and carefully thought about all the little details that makes this house special.  From the pull out steps in the cabinetry to give her kids a boost to reach counters, to strategically placing doors, staircases and sinks to make their busy lives easier.  It’s loaded with great ideas, comforting fabrics and furniture, family heirlooms and practical rooms that just make you happy for them.  Sure, it’s a big, beautiful home…but the rooms I will remember the most were tucked in the back and not seen by most. 

Let’s talk more storage space than you can possibly imagine a residential home offering!  She loves to decorate her house for the holidays and wanted plenty of space to store it all in…mission accomplished!

This holiday décor storage room has floor to ceiling shelves to handle oversized boxes, etc. 

Can you tell what holiday she loves the most???!!!  Lots of orange in here!  It’s a wonderful space and the holiday décor storage room is off of the main storage room…the size of my garage…and it also has more space upstairs with entry from this dropdown staircase.

Old furniture like baby cribs, dressers, camp trunks, etc. are all here!  Jealous?? Just wait…there’s more!

On the opposite side of the main storage room is the third storage room that houses building items and blueprints, furniture and the geothermals/hot water tank.

Now, believe it or not, there was one more room in the house that had been planned to be another storage room!  My friend decided to turn it into an art room for her children and added the neon colored lino tiles on the floor.  Each child has their own station…and get to draw on the walls when and where ever they want!!  They love it and so do their friends!  I would love all of this…just for me!  Thanks for letting peek into your “off limit rooms!”  They are wonderful!

Flickr Tags: Storage,art room

I Miss the Real Thing…

Today in Fort Smith it is rainy, gloomy and cold.  There’s nothing special about this ordinary Tuesday for most people here.  Both the boys rushed out the front door this morning with their Walmart King Cakes and bags of beads to share with their classmates and I’ll have a pot of red beans and rice for dinner.  We four Teagles will celebrate with the memories we carry in our hearts of Mardi Gras past.   Nothing can beat it.

I guess it’s the excitement of it all…getting a good spot on St. Charles, great, and I mean GREAT food all day long, New Orleans funk Mardi Gras music blaring on somebody’s car stereo, a good buzz, live oak trees stretching out over your head, running into old friend on the parade route you haven’t seen in years, the thunder and pomp of Saint Aug’s band stompin’ on the avenue right in front of you, neck aches from the weight of all the beads, a “terlot” around the corner, beads in the trees, strangers making you feel like family, the smell of stale alcohol in the air at mass the next morning, amazingly clean streets the next day from a party that hosted millions…love my New Orleans and I miss the real thing this year.

Top: the A Walmart sized King Cake baby holding a regular sized NOLA baby!

Next best thing to Mardi Gras…the Irish-Italian parade in Metry 2006

Last year’s fun

Happy Mardi Gras, y’all!

I Won Big Time at the Wynn!

I was a Vegas virgin until last weekend.  Truth be told, I’ve never really had any interest in going.  But I’m glad I did…we went to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday and had a good time with friends.  Talk about another world…there was one I was particularly pleased to step into…the world of Wynn.   John and I walked over from Caesar's to have lunch at the “Country Club.”  Outside the entrance, I was dumbstruck at the massive pines surrounding the property, the rush of water falling into a huge pool below as the desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains disappeared from my view.  We stepped into a visual candy store that overwhelmed me with such colorful whimsy, I pulled out my camera like an Asian tourist to capture the delights!  At first John was amused…

The colors made me smile…childish and happy…sophisticated and seductive

I couldn’t get enough of the gold leafed walls with flowers, the texture of the walls and miles and miles of dense fringe and bullion trimmings.

Happy silk stripes in Mackenzie-Childs Torquay red and yellow…and check out that massive lantern

chocolate browns with cinnabar reds, gold leaf painted on scalloped ceiling trays…

every step deeper into the hotel and casinos took my breath away…as my husband’s breath was growing more labored and agitated!  Look at this fresh arrangement!

I loved the unexpected yumminess of this tufted pear velvet sofa with black and white trim

only to round the corner to see the wide maize and cornflower blue stripes on Louis chairs…and check out the swags and tassels overhead!  

Too bad we had just had a fantastic lunch at the Country Club bar and restaurant over looking the golf course, where I spared John photographical embarrassment, because I really wanted to go inside The Buffet Restaurant to take close ups of the famous topiary light fixtures.

The chic and elegant casino floor with massive shaded chandeliers…

and more of the chocolate ceilings with cream trim and gorgeous moldings…pagoda-ish fixtures?

At this point, John is way ahead of me and not speaking to me and I’m not really sure if we are still in the Wynn or it’s sister property, Encore.  Who cares…look at these red and cream checkerboard Parisian café chairs and pendants!

Who dreams of sculpted waves on the ceilings with chandeliers of colored glass the size of a trampoline?  The nerd in me had to find out…internationally acclaimed architectural interior designer Jacques Garcia!

Butterflies are everywhere from the mosaic tiles on the floor…

to the beaded creatures on the ceilings.

Chunky lattice on the ceilings as well…

and used as stiles on the window ceilings.

Another gaming parlor with cranberry red glass chandeliers…check out the stools!

Cinnabar sculpted fabric on the walls  with butterflies and those wonderful wavy ceilings

lead you to the pool area… with a maze of dwarf boxwood hedges and perfectly blooming annuals…the elevated urns are gorgeous, too!  And just when I think my heart and brain can’t take another moment of design titillation…

we stumble upon another poolside/casino side bar…look at this ceiling treatment!  Jellyfish? Locules?

The chocolate and cinnabar window cornices are upholstered…and the bar posts resemble the massive urns outside.

Lush…just because they can…look at that trim!  This was a 2.7 billion dollar job, after all!

I have hardly talked about the amount of real plants in and outside of this hotel…many times you feel like you are in a jungle with perfectly manicured and blooming begonias to cushion the feathers of this magnificent illuminated peacock!

Nice way to say “no entry” without actually saying it!

Incredible amounts of real plants…this is just around a sign post.  Then we round the corner to find my tried and true…

black and white stripes!  Too bad you can’t see the cool red tufted banquet along the wall or the neon green chandeliers.

At this point, John is doing his best to leave the building…this is what the exit looked like… a massive beveled quilted mirror and

gargantuan ceramic flowers with beaded butterflies…

the opposite wall…

black lattice work, red striped and scalloped awnings everywhere…

and one final flutter goodbye from the mosaic butterflies.  This hotel is a masterpiece!

Flickr Tags: Wynn Hotel,Jacques Garcia,interior design