Summer Phone Call

Come with me... And you'll be...In a world of...Pure imagination, Take a look..And you'll see...Into your imagination...**ring, ring** (someone answer the phone)**ring** "hello...anybody home? Hi (your name here) its Regina calling...how are you doing today? Staying cool I hope. It is hot here in Cincinnati...You are feeling OK today you say, that is good.... Um I was wondering if you could come out & play? (remember your eyes are closed therefore *imagination in use*) Figure maybe we could sit by the pool under the trees and sip cool drinks. Or sit in on my porch and watch the world go by. Do some handmade craft? Maybe a game of gin rummy or canasta? We are in the lazy, hazy days of summer you know **possible replies** well here is where you fill in the blanks,,, that is for your end of this conversation...**my response** "that's great looking forward to seeing you..you have a good porch for porch sitting you say some iced cool drinks on all ready and cookies fresh from the oven *really the store* .....Well great I will be right over. It will be good times" **phone disconnects** *BIG SMILE* someone can come out & play....

August...the end of summer

Yes... August is really here...already. It seems like just yesterday it was May with summer just around the corner. Sadly August is the month children are sorry to see , parents quietly rejoice and teachers dread. Stores have had their inventory sales, some even have winter coats out (yuck). This is when you take your children shopping for their school supplies, now days the schools kindly supply the lists before school starts and the local stores have your list. Much better than trying to fill a list after that first day of school so you can have it for the second day. The new clothes that must be fought over, moms and daughters do anyway. My favorite line was " but all my friends are wearing that "________" to school" (which has not started yet) You can fill in the blank in this household it was about shoes. How they all knew what everyone will be wearing, I have yet to figure out. This was before internet and twitter and they had not seen anyone yet! Sadly (not) those days done for me, it just means cold weather is almost here. But to give you parents a break, maybe something for you or maybe your are an early holiday shopper.... Here is a new coupon good for all of August...(drum roll) 61% off any item. Coupon code: augustdeal.


Hope you have a great day and Happy August!

regina aka red

Ode to an Art Teacher...

As the school year ends... I thought I would re-post this on in honor of all teachers. But especially those who teach our children the arts. Enjoy!

for all the teachers....
A recent quote from an Art Teacher I know,"Hours preparing for the art show tonight: too many to count...Graeters gift cards for those who helped hang the artwork: $20.00...seeing the look on a students face when they see an award ribbon on their artwork: priceless..."

I am sure at one point in your life you had a memorable art teacher, even if you did not like art. Some of those memories might be great, some not so great.

At some point everyone loved to cut and paste, I know I did.

When I went to college at 31 to get an associates degree in commercial art, I found that I had to redefine my image of art teachers. The curriculum covered everything from drawing to hand paste-up for printing and computer drawing and of course the required dose of English, History, and Econ.

The fine arts drawing class was the real surprise. The professor was a big fan of having your still life run off the page. *Gasp* "What do you mean? Like cut it off, not put it in the middle of the page?" *horrified* I was in shock. I got over it, loved the class and what that professor passed on to me.

And yes, you can draw a still life of crumpled brown paper bags!

And you can always run the image off the page.
Kinda like coloring outside the lines.

Besides grading, art teachers spend countless hours on lesson plans, examples for the students, ruin their clothes and clean up the messes. And hand out the awards at school art shows that make our children's eyes light up, our hearts swell and tears sneak into our eyes.

Hopefully sometime in your life there was an Art Teacher, who encouraged and allowed you to 'think outside the box' and 'color outside the lines.'

Thank them sometime, for they can change how our children view the world.

Art Teachers are priceless...

music monday

Well the end of summer was made official here in Cincinnati with last night's WEBN Fireworks. This is the 37th year for this end of summer spectacular from barges on the Ohio River. You can view the fireworks from either the Ohio or Kentucky river bank or even on the river. Those on boats start to claim a good spot a week before the fireworks. A little background on WEBN-The Lunatic Fringe of American FM. This link to wiki tells the tale well. Album formatted rock & roll going back to the 1960's. ***sidebar-Pure Prairie League actually recorded their demo for the song "Amie" in the WEBN studio.***
Photo byLeigh Taylor at The Enquirer.

The end of summer fireworks blast has been choreographed with music played on the radio station since the very first show in 1977. If you wanted the music you dragged along a portable. Yesterday at the end of a three day festival on the river a half a million people forage to the river for this light show. With its outstanding and awesome pyrotechnics from rozzi fireworks the evening is tops.

The music track usually features everything from classic to hard rock and there is your music for this rainy Monday. You can catch the whole of the broadcast on this link WLW fireworks (this is the whole show)
Hope you have a good Labor Day.
While you grill out, enjoy those Negative-Calorie Cookies along with some 'tree frog beer'.

"ribbit" says the frog
regina aka red

Music Monday.. on Wednesday!

Music Monday: Pure Prairie League
Yes, we are having Music Monday on Wednesday. I got a little distracted this week. Oh the simple pleasure of summer, the weather in Cincinnati was gorgeous, cool breeze and clear blue skis. Time to sit in the shade, drink my coffee, read a book maybe or dream of summer’s past. Summers where swim practice was at the crack of dawn, we spent the afternoons hanging around the pool and listening to the radio.

Today we can chat some of what I remember as ‘summertime music’. Well music from the 70’s that I consider summer music. Now days you can turn on any oldies radio station and hear the song “Amie” by Pure Prairie League. Originally released on their album “Bustin Out” in 1972, then released as a single in 1974. This song triggers many memories, starting in high school. Pure Prairie League has had many members over the years, thank you to Wiki for the history because there have been too people associated over the years to list. Needless to say Pure Prairie League has had members from the Cincinnati area The Goshorn Brothers (the Cincinnati connection). You can still catch The Goshorn Brothers playing in the Cincinnati area. In September 1978, Vince Gill (vocals, guitars, mandolin, banjo, fiddle), joined Pure Prairie League. Previously he had played with the bluegrass outfit Mountain Smoke, as well as Boone Creek and the Sundowners. Pure Prairie League’s album “Firin Up” produced a couple of Top 40 Hits for PPL. The songs “Let me Love You Tonight” and I’m Almost Ready” on which Vince Gill sang lead. I read on some place that Vince Gill wrote about 60% of the material on that album. Vince continued to play with Pure Prairie League until 1982. Pure Prairie League still plays live concerts today even though members have change the music remains the same. For you listen pleasure…Amie by Pure Prairie League

till next time....

Summertime...

Summertime and the livin' is easy...
So the song goes, but right now even if it is summer, things are not so easy.
Let's celebrate the joy of a good sale! And beautiful baubles to brighten the day.
Hopefully this will makes someone feel just a little better this summer.

I will be having a 50% off sale in both of my on line shops. For the next 7 days (5/29-6/5/2009) .

On ArtFire the prices listed reflect the 50% savings.
http://designsbyred3of5.artfire.com/

On Etsy I will have to issue you a new paypal invoice that reflects the reduced price once you have made your purchase.
http://designsbyred3of5.etsy.com/

Come join the fun in the sun. Also during this sale we will have free shipping.
Thanks for stopping by,
regina aka red