What a Week! {crazy post}

It's been one of those weeks you know…

      

Where everything happens at once.  Including, party, after party, after party and still two more to go before Sunday.  Looking at this picture, tells me so much about my future and the life I am living now. Haha.  Unconventionally seated & covered in frosting.  Yep, that could be the story title of my life 😉

      

So, why have we been partying like it's 1976 you ask?  Well, let's see, the Mad Hatter had a birthday that was celebrated wonderfully…

       

Lots of gooooooodies…  I even baked a chocoflan. 

       

 

And, believe it or not, I am getting ready to bake another chocoflan for another special birthday party.  In between all of that I have been painting like crazy…

      

On Tuesday, I went to my mailbox and found quite the surprise.  I had forgotten completely about one of my illustrated children going to Iford.  That is, until I received the internationally stamped kind of parcel that makes you wonder where it came from (no return address)…

Inside - 

  

 

If you are anywhere near Iford, or will be this summer, you might want to visit here…  I could live under this bridge…

  

 

Imagine, opera set in an enchanted English Garden?  This is the place!  The 2009 opera festival season at Iford is Carnival themed this year.  You can see all the dates and details at the link above.

The programme is beautiful – filled with information and great photos…

 

  

 

3 operas will be put on this summer (as well as other events).

One of my little illustrated gals is playing over on the pages of the programme with The Barber of Seville… (below)

       

 

I am beyond delighted.  I hope she is having fun!!  😉 While she is enjoying a British operatic summer just outside Bath, what are we doing??

Today I am going to prepare for a wee little party journey.  Yep, 2 more parties to go.  My Dad's Birthday and Father's Day…  All the men in my life have a birthday this week…

      

I am going to visit the 2 characters that dressed me up like a mouse when we had freak snow in Arizona around 1979 (they had no choice, I suppose it was the closest thing to a snow suit, ha!).

 

Did I ever tell you about those 2 characters, who I lived in a gingerbread like house with, before we lived way out in the desert?  I had them all to myself until I was 5 and a half years old…

Yes, you guessed correctly.  My parental units.  Mom and Dad.  I didn't realize until I was looking at some old photos a few years ago (that I was forbidden to steal, which is why you are getting bad photos of old photos) that they are the ones who infused my life with whimsy.

They always told me to reach for my dreams, and not give up.  They were very strict on grades and such, but were totally open about us being free spirits…  They love travel, the arts, and unusual places, and are very open minded…

I am still dressed the same, 27 years later (below).  This photo reminds me a lot of my life now.  Of course, I do love being a woman, and an adult.  But I like my life infused with childlike splendor…  It's funny, it took "growing up" to understand what parts of a youthful life I wanted to keep in my world today…  Funny how that works…

Growing older, in order to grow younger, sort of thing…

 

When I was little I used to wonder how on earth I was ever going to love any other man in the whole wide world, more than I loved my Dad?  The answer I have found for myself is, you won't, and that is what is so special. 

My Dad was (and is) a kind of storybook Dad.  My Mom as I have shared, is a bit of a magical being herself, beyond wonderful.  Such selfless parents.

They are both amazing human beings.  Since Father's day and my Dad's birthday are around the corner, and I rarely talk about my Dad, I am going to tell you a bit about him…

(I was 5 years old below, and used to put in my own curlers.  I also stole my Mom's clothes and make-up when I could, and would drag her huge high-heels around.  Did you do that too?)

      

You see, to me, my Dad was larger than life.  A great Dad, a busy businessman.  Yet, would drop anything and everything for his daughter.  He still does.  He loves to tell stories and sayings and proverbs about life.  He has been a bit of a best friend all my life.  Talking to me for hours and hours on end, for as long as I can remember being alive.

We have special sayings between eachother.  Private to us, and used like a secret language…

He has stacks and stacks of me and him on tape when I was little.  Audio recordings.  He would say, talk to the people in the recorder Vanessa.  And I would say, What people?  I don't see any people.  I was about 3. There are many home movies of all of us kids too.  I want to get those transferred on to DVD someday…

I wonder, now that I write this, if my Dad sees himself as a bit of a Life Guide for anyone whose ears he gets a hold of.  Yes, that might be it.  He cares, and he is lovely…

Yet, knowing my personality a tiny bit, you can imagine that I used to torture him.  He has always called me his Chinese Water Torture, while illustrating this by using his finger to tap on his forehead. 

I suppose he says this (jokingly of course) because I wouldn't give up, on anything, ever.  Including wanting his attention or something… 

As you can tell from the above picture, face to face attention with those I love, has never been good enough for me.  I sort of need to throw a leg over, and pinch lightly, while I am talking eye to eye, hahaha ;)  Although, Mister Lovee gets that now ;)  Perhaps it is the literal form of "Capturing a person's attention."  Only, I lean more on the capturing side of things… 

I wish I could tell you oodles more, but there is too much to tell.  All I can say is, I love these two.  They are beyond words to me, Mombie and Dad.  So, I am off to spend a few days with them…

Mombie is always good at sporting some of my jewelry ;)

                 

I need to scan some of these photos while I am there, they are so pixelated and weird…

And one day, hopefully soon, I might even be going to the beach.  I need a real vacation, I do, I do…

  

 

Maybe after the Mad Tea Party?  White rabbit time is getting closer…  EEEEK!

       

 

Oh and before I go - If you are a Grey Gardens die hard from way back (or of the recent variety), you might love this book, Grey Gardens Scrapbook (lots of transcripts too).  As you know, 1994 was the year I fell in love with the two Edies, and I found this book delightful.  BUT!!!  Guess what???

      

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

There is an audio CD hidden in the back!!!!  And it is goooood.  I listened to it twice yesterday while painting.  It gives some extra insight.  Much more real than anything I have heard or seen, in my opinion…  And, the real thoughts right after both gals saw the Grey Gardens documentary for themselves.  Quite different from anything that has been portrayed…

  

 

I also am enjoying a scrapbook of the Maysles work throughout the years (not just Grey Gardens).  Delightful as well… 

             

 

And, I re-ordered a hard cover of Frida's Diary/Art Journal.  I had given my last two copies away… 

      

       

 

Sooooo, those books are coming with me…  I am only going for a few days, will be back Sunday night or so.  I will be checking my e-mail while away…

Mister Lovee will stay and man the fort, as he has workers coming this weekend.  It seems, my office will finally be closer to done, I HOPE!

He is such a good Lovee.  This morning my tea cup was waiting for me, surrounded by groceries.  I love him for doing most of the shopping!  And he is a bit of a gourmet shopper to boot.  Always brings me the good stuff…

      

Now, I have to figure out what items from my wardrobe to take with me…

       

 

I am a terrible packer.  I just stuff it ALL into a bag and deal with it at my destination point…

 

Now remember – don't have…

       

  

🖤 ,V

ps:  I will have internet service on my wee trip, and will be checking my e-mail.  As well as adding anyone to the party list who wants to join!!

pss:  I adore making desserts, I adore looking at desserts, and when I am in the mood, I love a bite or two (but mostly sugar gives me a headache).  98% of the time, I would rather have savory, or a nice dinner instead of dessert.  Is that weird?  My Mom loves dessert any time.  Mister can eat raw sugar with a spoon all day and be happy.  And, he always smells like cookies.  He eats bags of those chalky Valentine hearts all by himself in one sitting…

Hmmmm, could be an interesting topic…