Sketching up a storm!

 I recently joined an on-line group of 'sketchers' - people who love to doodle, draw, piddle, paint, watercolor, pen-n-ink, etch----well, you get the idea!  It's really made me start thinking about what's going on in my little 'creative universe'.  I use to be a fine art major, many, many years ago--but marriage, kids, life, life, more life then divorce, singlehood, raising kids by myself, work, work and more work---again, you get the idea---all this caused me to put aside all thoughts of creativity and especially drawing, on the back burner!  And so, speed forward to current times, and I find myself wanting to get back to my creative roots.  Thus, joining the sketching group.  I'm VERY self-conscious of any artwork I attempt but I figure I've got to 'get over' it and just have fun for a change.  So here are a few 'doodles, drawings, piddles, yadda, yadda, yadda!  I will put a link to this sketching group on my blog  for those of you who would like to beef up (or 'tofu-up' for those of us who are vegetarians) your drawing skills or are just looking for a new adventure!  God Bless all and any who read this-
 Pat, A Remade Life

I've always loved working in just plain pencil--this was my first attempt in over 20 yrs.--needs work but it sure is getting the 'drawing' juices flowing!!

This goes back to my hippie days-well, ok so I was never really a hippie, but that was my era!  I used highlighters on this and a Sharpie.  It was great fun!!

I love to draw plants, trees, foliage, etc.  There are so many beautiful designs in nature.  This again is highlighters and a fine-point Sharpie.

This is another pencil drawing with a little bit of Sharpie for definition.  I  kinda like it!

This is a project I'm working on for the sketching group.  We were to pick something we highly price and this is my mom, who is fighting cancer for the 3rd time.  This is just in the beginning stages, so I'll be sure to post it when it's finished!

"Oh Christmas tree, oh christmas tree---"

My beautful silver tree-not vintage but so cool!
And it rotates!!

Well, Christmas is almost here and I hope this message finds everyone waiting with great anticipation for this most holy of holidays!!  And, hopefully no one is still fighting the crowds as you do that last minute shopping, or baking like a madman/madwoman as you prepare for all those out of town relatives you only get to see once a year, etc. etc. etc.  And me?  Yes, I am still doing the 'last-minute' thing and although I am preparing for my oldest daughter to come visit for the holidays, I am NOT preparing/planning any meals other than chicken-n-dumplings for Christmas day! And yes, even though I'm a vegetarian I know how to fix chicken for my children! (I pick the chicken out of mine and just eat the gravy and dumplings--so would that be called 'dumplings-n-dumplings?!)  This is a great time of year, filled with joy and good cheer for those of us who are so blessed and have few needs--but let us remember those who have little or even nothing all year round and how hard this time of year is for them.  My prayer is that we all learn to step out of our own comfort zone and share the blessings we've been given with those around us in need--not just in this Christmas season but all year long!! Amen and amen!!  God Bless all and any who read this,
 Pat,  A Remade Life

Some of my ornaments are old, some are just groovy!

My mantle and the fireplace I painted and antiqued

And no Texas Christmas is complete without a snowman in his sombero!!

Colors Abound!!



For those of you who don't know me very well I will share a deep, dark secret----I am a vegetarian!!  I've been a veggie-ite for almost 20 yrs.  Now, I'm not a vegan which means I do eat dairy products such as eggs, cheese, etc and I've been known to eat fish about every 6 mos. but basically no other meat gets pass my lips!!  This was simply a lifestyle-choice, no other reason behind it and I do love my veggies!!  So, I will be passing along some of my 'health-tips' every once-in-a-while just to share with you a little of my dietary life!!
 First tip:  Make it colorful!!  Nutritionists say that one of the ways to get a well balanced meal is to have a wide variety of colors on your plate.  Of course, we need to be sure these colorful choices are, as much as possible, from all the different food groups!  After all, Jelly Belly jelly beans are about as colorful as you can get but they are VERY limited on nutritional value!!  It also helps to have a really fun, colorful plate.  So, here is a picture of a typcial meal at the Gill home-let me know what you think and please feel free to share your tips and comments for a healthier lifestyle.  God Bless all and any who read this---Pat,  A Remade Life

This meal consists of:  salad which is full of
lots of colorful veggies-vinigrette dressing; sweet potato
fries, baked, not fried; fruit, cantelope; and soy
protein ribs (sorry, not meat); there was also
whole wheat bread on the side.  YUM, YUM!!



Moving at the speed of Life!



It has been really busy these last few weeks.  We discovered my mom has pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and that her left lung is now non-functioning.  Not good news, but managable.  She is currently on oxygen at night and boy, has it helped!  She is still weak, but at least now she can function and stay at her own house which is where she is happiest.  Going over there tonight to stay with her so I'll take stuff to work on since she goes to bed early.  Did a show last week and got great complements on my little 'glass bottle snowmen'.  They are really great fun to make and each has his own personality!  I'll share more on these little guys later.  I also made some 'cuffs' out of different items and I enjoyed showing everyone what they were.  Most had never even heard of cuffs!  So here's a few pictures of my stuff--hope you like it!!  God Bless all and any who read this--  Pat,  A Remade Life                

Anatomy of a Trade Show

As part of my regular office job, I manage a Trade Show 6 times a year.  We usually have around 80-100 vendors of all kinds, but mainly antiques and collectibles.   I've worked this show for about 9 yrs and I decided to show everyone the 'inner workings' of setting up a Trade Show.  My son Jonathan also works with me on these shows and really works hard to make the show a success!  I set-up the advertising for the show as well as coordinate the booth assignments, review product lines and well, anything else I can do to help the show!  My co-worker Cindy is also a great help organizing and keeping everything straight.  Here is what we do:

 

First we must sweep the entire Expo Hall which is no small job since it is....


  

HUGE!!!!





We must then 'mark' all the booths with numbers which takes a while!



Jonathan hard at work













Then comes the fun part-putting tables in the booths

  

Jonathan does MOST of this work, but I help (a little)

   

And now the booth is ready for the vendor.



The vendors begin their part of the job!



The show opens and in rush the customers



And then the show is over, the vendors pack up and Jonathan and I clean up

Whew!!!  and there you have how we put together a Trade Show---It's time to go home
 and rest now 'cause we will do it all over again next spring!! 
God Bless all and any who read this,  Pat--A Remade Life







Firmly Rooted

I have a hibiscus plant in my front yard--it was there when my son and I bought our house 2yrs ago.  No one had lived in this house for 2yrs and the previous owner was an older lady who couldn't do much, so the yard wasn't tended to as it should have been.  Needless to say, the yard (and the hibiscus) was a mess!  Shortly before we moved in, a hurricane came through our area.  It leveled the poor little hibiscus!  We staked it up and prayed it would recover.  It did.  Our first summer in our 'new-to-us' home was hot and very, very dry.  Our yard and the hibiscus dried-up and turned brown.  We watered the hibiscus as much as possible and prayed it would recover.  It did.  Our 2nd winter in our home was one of the coldest we've known for a while with 4-days of below freezing temps and snow--twice!  This is quite an accomplishment for this part of Texas!  Most plants, including the hibiscus, froze to the ground even though they had been covered.  We cut the sweet little hibiscus back and prayed it would grow back.  It did.  Yesterday as I was leaving for work, I glanced over at my thriving hibiscus and saw that it had bloomed--a beautiful, huge red bloom!!  I'm thinking we could learn a true life lesson from this little plant.  No matter how bad things are or how difficult our situations, all we have to do is to remember to pray and ask our heavenly Father for help.  Not only will we survive but we will eventually bloom right where we are!!  I Peter 5:6 '...casting all your cares on Him for He cares for you.'  God Bless all and any who read this,  Pat  A Remade Life

Under Construction!!

Support your local police dept. victim unit and donation huggable bears!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted, but between getting the antique mall shop up and running, ebaying and getting ready for 3-shows--well, time has been short!!  This blog will be under contruction for the next few weeks as I begin re-vamping and re-doing my shop, business and LIFE!!  Please hang-in there and continue to check back as I step into the next adventure in my life.  God Bless all and any who read this!  Pat, A Remade Life