NUMBER 200!

My ART Room





.

This is my 200Th. post!
So I thought it might be fun, to give you a little glimpse inside my crazy, wonderful world.
....I apologize for the way this page might look..I I made a left turn at a (/p) thingy.. and HELLO..... too late to turn back. I'm still a novice at HTML.. and it goes without saying I need a lot of training!..
off too"HTML 101.. I go....

(SEE ALL THE PHOTOS BELOW)

I'm

MaryEllen.... (Hi MaryEllen!!!)...... and I'm ... (this hurts me)... 52 years old... (ouch!...... are you kidding me????)...
In my mind, I'm only in my early 30's.. gravity has NOT taken over, "things" are still "PERKY" and nothing jiggles. I'm still "cute" too. I'm still trying to decide what I want to be when "I grow up."

I'm a self taught artist, living (almost my whole life) In Cleveland, Ohio "The Best Location in the Nation. I moved to Brunswick, Ohio this past May, and I really love Apartment life!

My job. Well let's just say I'm not very happy there.
I work in a call center, for a large Catalog sales company.. ugh.

My Best friend Gloria calls me "Bag"... shortened from "Ho-Bag"..... there's a story behind the name, that I'm not telling!

LOL.. but it's not as bad as what you're thinking right now! She and I go wayy back. She was my Maid of Honor... and I got married on her birthday! She has been there for all the thick and thin. I only wish I could be the kind of friend, that she has been to me.

To my nephews and nieces, I'm "Aunt

Sas"... another long story!

I am happily, blissfully divorced. I am the lucky mom of 3 gorgeous, all grown up, and on there own, smart and wonderful children. Eddie 30, Jamie 29 and Allison, soon to turn 27 on January 28

th.
I am the happiest when I have talked to, or have seen all three on the same day!
None of em are married.. and no babies. (fffewwhhh!)

Eddie is a real cut up! We can spend 15 minutes on the phone, ( jokingly) carrying on a conversation in "Spanish" which neither of us can really speak! Either he or I, will call the other every morning just to say hi and I love you.

Jamie loves to cook, and has become the keeper of our family traditions and cherishing our new found extensive family tree, presented to us by a cousin I "found" at Ancestry.com!

Allison is a nurse. She just bought her first home, and lives there with her boyfriend Andy, her dog Luke (which she shares custody of, with sister Jamie) and their rescue dog Cody.

I have 3 crazy older sisters. Rita, Susan and Debbie. We like to get together for our birthdays, spending the entire day together, shopping, eating and laughing a lot. We end the day at the Birthday girl's house for a sleepover. Then get treated to breakfast...cooked by the birthday girl.. OK what's up with that??. I'm so lucky to have such a close bond with my sisters! For Rita's 60

Th. Not-so-surprise birthday party, we dressed up as the Supremes, and performed our Choreographed "number" for the guests!

In 2003 I hosted our very first "Mothers & Daughters Day"... now called "YA YA". It was a brain child I had, to bring all the females in our family together for a day of fun. It has now become a regular tradition, and last October, we held our 6

Th annual YA YA! I'm so happy to see that it's still going on! The little "Petites".. (the youngest Ya Yas) Love it, and look forward to wearing their handmade "YA YA" hats! My 3 sisters and I, have taken turns hosting. For the past few years, we've held "YA YA" at a cozy little cottage, on the lake in Madison, Ohio. Where we can spread out, and have big fun! and even have a sleepover! Lots and Lots of food and fun! All the males in the family, have tried to have their own day of bonding, by going fishing on YA YA day... They call it "YEE-HAWW" Day. LOL...

As if that weren't enough, I have the best girlfriends EVER! We call ourselves the "

PSMWG's" (pronounced: "pussemwoog") It's just our initials. Patti, Sheila, (ME)Winnie & Gloria. We "are" the PSMWG's and we also refer to our get-togethers as a PSMWG... as in "when is the next PSMWG?"... ya.. we're just that kind of goofy. We have BIG fun whenever we're together. We've known each other for about 1000 years. Patti and Winnie have been friends since Kindergarten, Winnie and I met in Jr. High school in 1968.. (omg)... I met Gloria in 10Th grade, through another friend, and Gloria and Winnie met each other in Homeroom in High School. Sheila, (the baby) was Winnie's next door neighbor, and is married to another Classmate from way back. We have a life long girlfriend bond, and nothing or nobody will break it.. ever!

I've've never had any formal art training. Back in Jr. High School, I did receive a 6 week art scholarship, to attend Cooper School of art, here in Cleveland. This was at the height of the "Hippie Days", and I was about 13 years old. I attended my first class, and I was so intimidated by all the "older" kids, that I never went back. I learned recently, that Tommy Hilfiger attended Cooper as well. I wonder if he was in that class with me?

I finally got my own art space, when my youngest daughter moved out.
Now, that I've moved, I have an even bigger art room! I can spread out, and create. Surrounded by all my "art stuff" I can leave it where it is, unlike before, when I had to work at the dining room table.

Yay me!

I've been doing collage lately. This is something new for me. I've mostly done Acrylic painting, and some Polymer Clay work. I love working with all the cool papers, vintage images and Ephemera. I'm having so much fun. Especially since I started selling on

Etsy.com. Unlike Ebay, where I sold for 5 years, Etsy is just for "All things handmade" I feel a real sense of belonging there.

Besides my passion for art. I love photography, and graphic art.
I love decorating too.

I'm a Pepsi-

holic, but I also love a good cup of coffee or Cafe Mocha.
Give me a steak or roast beef with a side of mashed potato's and GGGrrrravy,
oh, and don't forget the corn swimming in butter, and I'm a happy girl.
Ok.... I can't forget homemade Tostada's , Breaded Pork Cutlets, Homemade Pizza, or my favorite War Su Gai from "China Kitchen" Ok.. not the healthiest menu... I know.. I know.

How about some dark chocolate too?....
Khaluha & Creme mmmm.
Lambrusco, or Ferrante's Pink Catawba are my favorite Wines. Yes they're cheap wines and I don't care.

A good time, is taking pictures of a storm coming in. I'm addicted to watching radar.
I'm mesmerized by snowflakes, and I love how they sparkle under the street lights.
Autumn is dazzling. Nothing better than a crisp fall day in the park, and having my breath taken away by the colors of the trees.
A Pink sunrise or Sunset... wow. I always say "Thank you Lord" out loud when I see one.

I love Halloween. The costumes, the candy it's all good!

I've always been a night owl and I always will be...zzzzz

I love, love, love old 30-s & 40's movies. I love watching reruns of FRIENDS. I think Carter

Oosterhouse is the cutest little thing on TV.

I love listening to "oldies" like The Beatles, Motown or Queen while I'm doing art. Sometimes Billie Holiday , Etta James,

Alanis Morrisette, or Janis Joplin when I'm in a Bluesy-funky kind of mood. I really love Nora Jones too! Neil Diamond's voice, makes my knees weak. He still "got it" A couple years back, my sister Rita, Daughter Jamie and a few others, went to a Neil Diamond Concert. Jamie was having a great time. Almost blushing, she said "mom, he's hot!"... I laughed and said.. "ya!... and he's 64 years old!"..... but he is!!!!!

I am silly, goofy and I refuse to grow up.
God, my family, friends and art are all I need

Feel free to file this post under "too much information" LOL.

I'm blessed and you are too.

MaryEllen

Me and my babies on Mothers Day




The Supremes!

















YA YA! 2008





The PSMWG's



















Storm Clouds!