Garden Club monthly meeting

Abbie, Dorinda, Katrina, Barb, Jolene, Barbara (the hostess) and Nancy, the Garden Club girls in Barbara's beautiful dining room in front of a most wonderful painting.  Don't the girls look terrific?  I didn't get the full tour since I only stopped in to take this picture for the blog.  They were all in the kitchen when I arrived (fabulous kitchen) and snacking on what looked and smelled like a foodie's idea of heaven.  Tonight was the last meeting before the summer break.  The girls were planning for next year.  I told Barbara to put me in something fun.  Wish I'd had time to take pictures of her beautiful yard.  This is the East Dallas Art Gardens blog after all.  

I had to go back to my own soiree in my back yard.  Karen, charter member of the Hot Flash Art Girls, was teaching the rest of us how to make an armatour.  That's not how you spell armatour, but my spell check is a miserable failure.  We desperately need light weight methods for the totem garden at the State Fair of Texas.  Karen taught us to sculpt in foam and we will take her teachings and run with them.  More on the art totem garden at the State Fair later, but I will let you know Barb will be knitting her totem.   Can't wait for that one.  

One last note, I stopped in Kwik Kar to have my car inspected this afternoon.  The owner was there.  When I introduced myself and thanked him for his support of Forest Hills, he said he hadn't been in the newsletter with his ad in a while and wants to get that started again.  Isn't it amazing people are now asking us?  Neoma said there's a waiting list for ads now.  She's the driving force and all the hard work that puts out our newsletter every month.  I think it's the best thing to happen to our neighborhood.  She's terrific.

Welding class tonight.  I arrived with a mission, cut out my house numbers on a 2' by 3' foot sheet of metal.  Class starts at 6:30.  The heat was out to get us.  Then the mosquitoes attacked my knees.  Yes, I had on shorts, it's 100 degrees!   What's a few metal burns compared to my hot flashes?  I grabbed a table down with the regulars and started drawing my numbers in chalk.  Maybe chalk's not my medium.  Finally got the numbers drawn on the metal and they look a lot like a 6 year old's drawings.  Cut the numbers with the torch - yes, let's add more heat.  But I think I melted any mosquitoes who were trying to snack on me.

Dan asked me if I sent Staci the picture we took last week.  (Staci who wears diamond drop earrings and a pink feather in her hair when she welds.  Gotta get a picture of her for you.)  Of course I forgot to send the picture to Staci.  I'm delighted I can remember I was at welding tonight.  I did put the picture on the blog last week so thought I'd put it up again tonight.  Told Dan I have a blog and was going to name it Women Who Weld.  He thought that was a great name.  Besides welders Cynthia and Arlene, he's the only other person who would possibly read a blog named Women Who Weld.  

Now that I think about it, Women Who Weld may appeal to a broader base than East Dallas Art Gardens.  Who knows about these things?

Hard to see in the picture, but I also have on diamond drop earrings in Staci's honor.  Maybe if they were real they'd show up better.  A pink feather certainly would.

Pictured left to right - Arlene, me, Dan and Cynthia  

Dan's such a great teacher it's time we made him an honorary "Women Who Weld" member.

I just looked at the picture again.  Now I'm worried JoAnn will be upset.  She might think this it a Sex in the City picture and she's not in it.  Not to worry, JoAnn, in your shorts with the clorox stains, you'd have blown us away with your style.  

Sex and The City

JoAnn and I went to see Sex and The City yesterday afternoon.  She has Mondays off now so we put on our best NYC style and headed out to the movie theater behind Sams.  Always the in place to see and be seen.  Once again forgot my camera, so here's a description.

JoAnn's son is moving to Denton and she's cleaning out his apartment.  She stopped cleaning with minutes to spare to jump in the shower before the movie, because she knew I wouldn't let her in my fancy car.  Her blue jean shorts had been attacked by clorox and had giant white spots on them, always a chic Dallas look.  No makeup and needing a bit of a coif redo, her elegance was shattered when she jumped in my car and was stabbed by rusty metal rebar I'd forgotten to unload.  The bright red blood spot accented the clorox shorts and drab t-shirt.  I scream at her to catch the blood before it made a mess on my 10 year old car seats.  She offered me gum with a rather deadly look.

On to my fashion statement for the Sex in the City movie; bib overall shorts with the lovely big orange buttons I sewed on myself.  Only slightly dirty from welding, I changed from the long sleeve shirt I'd been welding in, fast spit bath and found my stylish purple Sylvestor the cat shirt.  Removed welding boots for flipflops and combed my newly colored hair.  No makeup necessary, the slag from the welding is imbedded in my face now.  JoAnn once again had some comment about the weird color of my hair.  I reminded her "sale" color hair color ($3.88) always has a special hue.

JoAnn treated to the movie plus diet snacks - two very large cokes, largest popcorn you can buy, milk duds for her and goobers for me.  Not Cosmopolitans, but worked for us.

We were entranced by the movie as we saw ourselves mirrored on screen.  Swaggering down the stairs after the movie I even tripped in my flip  flops just like Carrie did on the runway.  Art mirrors life!

Pam and me

Pam and I went to the Arboretum for lunch Friday.  Heaven forbid we find a single person to take a picture of both of us in front of my leaf.  Actually, that's probably good because I always look short and fat next to my fashion model cousin.  No one takes a picture like Pam.  

We went to the tea room for lunch and sat outside.  There was a lady playing beautiful music on a keyboard out in the garden.  Our lunch was delicious, though we talk so much we barely have time to eat.  Pam didn't have time to go through all the gardens so we will do that again.  We should have worn fancy hats and really looked like the "ladies who lunch".   Or does that include high heels?  We're a bit past strolling the gardens in high heels.

TSA award at the Nasher Sculpture Center

Here's Nan with the representative from the governor's office and the certificate he presented to her to celebrate the  Texas Sculpture Association's 25th anniversary year.  We had a nice group from the TSA to watch Nan accept the award.  When I saw the limo in front of the Nasher, I assumed the governor himself decided to present it.  Nope.  Apparently reps from the governor's office get to ride in the limos and park out front, too.  Did I pick the wrong profession?   I was born to travel in limos, guess I forgot to put that on my request form.  Must have really been nice after the ceremony, since the limo driver kept the motor running with the air going.  My car was so hot when I got back in it, my makeup rolled down my face onto my neck.  Next life I'll be sure I get on the limo train.  Dripping makeup is not my best look.

Laura got there a little late, makeup perfect.  She was just a bit busy since her show at the Hayley Hayman Gallery started in a few days.  Any time I get to be with her is a treat.  We went outside and shot pictures of her for her bio in the sculpture garden.   Forgot my camera when Bob and I went to her opening.  Her pieces are terrific and everyone reading this should go see them and of course buy.  

There was a professional camera person documenting this momentous occasion, so go to to the TSA website to see all the swells who attended.

Hot Flash Art Girls for Creative Art Center Fundraiser

Yesterday, the Hot Flash Art Girls congregated at the Creative Art Center to collaborate on a mosaic project for the fundraiser the Creative Art Center and CityArtCal are hosting at the CAC next Friday to benefit CAC.  

Picture flying mosiac tile chips and flinging tile set.  We were in the mosaic room at CAC along with some artists form the CityArtCal.  I'm sure we scared those girls.  I'm always amazed we accomplish incredible pieces with all the shenanigans going on to get them done.  For all our messiness we are fanatic cleaner uppers leaving the room cleaner than we found it.  We have a history about that.  Some things bring you closer together and our mosaic times together certainly make us a force to be reckoned with.

Juli and I grout the stand Wednesday.  I get extra points, because I hate to grout and the girls know it.  But I always learn new wonderful techniques when I hang out with Juli.

The fundraiser is June 6 at the CAC.  See you there.

Go to the CAC website for more information on the soiree.  

Dallas Morning News - Neighbors To Go article

I hope you read the Dallas Morning News in the Neighbors To Go section yesterday.  The picture above was on the cover and the pictures below on page six.  Forest Hills is the star of East Dallas.  Once again, we all thank Tamela and her team for a wonderful event.