Bouffant Blonde

Have you ever known someone who always, but always, seemed to look like she stepped off the pages of a magazine? Yep, me too. I know a young woman like that. She can wear anything and make it look like she stepped off a fashion runway. Her hair and make-up are always perfect. Her clothes may be from Target or Ross but she looks like she shops on Fifth Ave. It's disgusting. If she wasn't so nice I probably wouldn't like her at all. But that's just it. She's wonderful. Sweet, outgoing, and totally not getting this fashion diva gift that she has. I'm someone who can pull myself together. If the lighting is just right, I can even look passable. Then I walk out the door. The dogs have to say goodbye. Did I mention all three dogs have long hair? Then, inevitably the wind kicks in and all that hair flies every which way. And, no, I don't use hairspray. I know I'm supposed to. This is the Deep South after all. But I refuse to tease and spray, tease and spray, ju...

Have you ever talked with someone and knew immediately that you'd met a friend? That happened to me recently. I am always amazed at how God works things out. He broadens us and enriches us when we least expect it. Adults can probably relate to this more than young folks. While we're all in school, it's so easy to make friends. Not only do we share classes -- and homework -- with people year after year, but we also share activities. Band, sports, art and so many other things bind us together. As adults, it isn't so easy. We may have "work" friends and "church" friends. We may even have friends through volunteer activities. But they tend to be segregated to specific parts of our lives and few ever enter the realm of really good, share your life totally, friends. Laurel Griffith, publisher of Wiregrass Christian Family magazine, recently interviewed me for her magazine. That's always a good thing. Struggling artists love free publicity. The chance ...

I'm not much for fishing. Not at all. Please don't invite me. I have zero interest in putting wet, wiggly worms on hooks. I'm even less interested in taking desperate fish from said hook and into a bucket for death. Did I mention that catfish BITE ? My big nephew loves to fish. He's very outdoorsy. And he's really, really good at it. He could fish all day and seemingly feed the world with his catch. I'd rather he throw them all back in. Sometimes he does. But sometimes he keeps the big ones for his Gran to eat. She loves to eat fish. Not as much as she loves chocolate but fish are definitely in the top five. The dogs love to go fishing with my big nephew. They think it's a lot of fun walking around in the pond muck and watching the fish flying in the air. Little Guy wants to help. The look on his face seems to be "I'll get it! I'll get it!" Ladybug prefers to supervise from higher ground. She prefers to not get her feet dirty. I don't...

I love my dogs. Really I do. We have three and they bring me such great joy. And exasperation. Yeah. That's a good word for it. They have totally different personalities and are gifted in different areas. Isn't that what any parent says when something doesn't go quite right? Take this morning, for example. It was time to move the cows from the rye field. For those of you who aren't familiar with the country, during the winter we plant fields of rye to feed the cows. Of course, they also get hay, etc. This is extra. You don't want to leave them in the lush green field for too long. It's like leaving a kid in a candy store. They will eat until they get sick. It's very messy, if you know what I mean. Ladybug, the Australian Shepherd is the expert. She just looks at a cow and she heads toward the exit. No one wants to tangle with her. It's quite comical to watch a 2,000 lb. bull trying to get away from a 56 lb dog. She also knows exactly how to make them go...

Those who have ever experienced a bad hair day, please raise your hands. Okay, just about everyone has had one of those days. Now, every one who has ever been responsible for their own bad hair day, please raise your hand. I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Last year I got really frustrated with my hair. I needed to get it trimmed. Money was an issue. Money is always an issue for an artist. (At least those I know.) So at four in the morning I decided to trim off the ends. Did I mention that I'm not a morning person? I shouldn't have even been up at that hour. Did I also mention that I am notoriously bad with hair? I'm the one whose hair is always, but always, doing what it shouldn't. So are any of us surprised to learn that my hair ended up a bit uneven? I have a wonderful friend who is a beautician. Actually, she's more of a hair artist. She works at one of those chic salons, follows all the latest trends and always looks like she stepped off the page of a fa...

Rhinestone Pig looks like she's headed to Destin or Panama City for a day at the beach. She's got the flash of a Diva. Just look at those jewels on her sunglasses! Who would guess that she's a country bumpkin created with scrap wood, a few jewels and one pipe cleaner. What I love most about her is her attitude. I bet all the guys look as she sashays past the local mud --er, watering -- hole.

This Pink Cat definitely has an attitude. She looks ready to take on the fiercest dog. Or maybe she's just having an attitude because her humans aren't doing what she prefers they do. She's a dimensional piece, with layered lightning bolts and a speckled tail. I painted her on scrap wood, which is my favorite starting point. She has a wire hanger to complete her folksy charm. I guess I think of cats in hysteria because with three dogs, any cat brave enough to come around would soon be hysterical. I'm not sure the dogs even know what a cat is. I can just hear them asking each other, "Is that a racoon? Or a rabbit? Is it okay to chase it or will we get in trouble? Will it come after us like the goose does? Or will it play with us like the baby calf?" Somehow I think they would go for the chase first, then ask questions later. Instinct goes deep.