Three Muses Challenge...Keys...

"The Key To Solace" by Jamie Miller

And The Winner Is......

Sweet Donna from Bluebirdlane!!!!!  Send me your address Sweetie!!  Thank you to each and everyone who make this blog feel like home to me.  I never would have made it to 200  posts without your support and friendship.  Love, Jamie

I love these three Ladies.  I bet they are sisters.  They are perfect for the upcoming winter in their heavy coats and winter hats.  I think the sister on the far left is pregnant and hiding it. It was rare for ladies to be photographed while pregnant in the Victorian times.

Art-e-ology's 200th Post Giveaway!!!!!!...

Dear Sweet Friends,

Well, today is my 200th blogpost!!  I would not have blogged for so long if it had not been for all of you wonderful Friends.  I can't express enough the joy you bring me and how much I love seeing you here. Our blog community has more heart and soul than I ever thought possible from the internet.  So thank you.  Thank you for your kind words.  Thank you for your talent and all you share.  Thank you for the warm shoulder when I need it.  Thank you for letting me have FITs every week:)  Thank you for being such an important part of my life. 

Love, Jamie

Now.  On to the LOOT!!!!  Sorry it's so late in the day.  Today was CRAZY!!!

I am going to let the giveaway run until next Tuesday (November 16th) and the winner will be announced on the Free Image Tuesday post.  So just sign up here on this post and I will use the random number generator to pick the lucky duck:)

First let me post a disclaimer that the photos you are about to see are HORRIBLE!!  I missed the daylight today so please forgive.  Photographer, I am not!  LOL!!!

The Giveaway is 36 antique photographs.  There are tintypes from the civil war era, Carte de Vista photos, cabinet cards and Real Photo Post Cards.  It is a wonderful set for a beginning photo collection.

The Whole Shebang!

Tintypes and Real Photo Post Cards

Cabinet Cards

CDVs

I hope you like it!!  Thank you so much and Good Luck!!!!  Love, Jamie

Today Is Art-e-ology's 199th Post!...Free Image Tuesday and A 200th Post Giveaway!!

I can't believe that I almost missed it!!!!  Long ago, I missed my 100th post and by the time I realized it, it was too late to do anything.  LOL!!  So, in celebration (of me actually getting my act together!) Art-e-ology is having a 200th post Giveaway.  I will post the Giveaway tomorrow (Since it will be the 200th:)  and then anounce the winners at next week's Free Image Tuesday.  I'm so excited!!!  I'm SO excited I didn't miss it a second time:)   

Look at this stunning Beauty!!  She is perfect!

I love this monkey and his toy puppy.  I wish I could have dressed my boys like that.  Right.  I don't think there is enough money in the therapy fund for that!  LOL!!

This Little Angel is perfectly posed and such a cutie.  I love her dress and shoes!

So many lovely Artists have used the FITs in their artwork.  Please let me know when you post a piece because I love to see your beautiful creations.  I am setting up a special post every week to showcase them and show them off.  You can email a link to my email account (askarteology@yahoo.com) or just comment here on the blog with a link.  I have no idea why I haven't been doing this all along!  Foolishness on my part, for sure!! I am so amazed everyday at the wonderful people who we encounter here in Blog World.  I know it has made my life richer in ways I never imagined.  Being absent for the move just highlighted how much I depend on each and everyone of you.  I missed being here and seeing your art.  So, forgive the sloppy hugs and enjoy the new FITs:)  Love, Jamie

Mail Love and Free Image Monday...

Look at the lovely art canvas Sweet Tami Roth created for me!!!! She is participating in the Random Acts of Kindness for 2009 and boy was this a wonderful surprise! I love the vibrant colors and the sweet message. I haven't forgotten about my RAK girl!! We have until Dec. 31st, right? LOL!!!!! Run over to her blog and see all her wonderful creations:)

Inspire by Tami Roth

Ok. On to business.


1. Old house sold. We were on pins and needles towards the end, but it all worked out:)


2. New house almost unpacked. (You will be hearing this for the next year or two! LOL!!)


3. I am blessed. I have the most wonderful blog friends. Thank you each and every one of you. I know my time here has been limited of late, but your comments and emails mean so very much to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!


So how about Free Image Monday today and Free Image Tuesday tomorrow? How does that sound? You won't know what to do with yourselves! LOL!! I have some really sweet photos for you. (Don't forget you can access all past FIT images by clicking on the button on my sidebar.)

This is a RPPC (Real Photo Post Card) and I am really in love with the border framing thisLittle Miss. It would make a great Photoshop frame.





Ok. This little Guy is just screaming for a party hat!!! Don't you think? Even though he is wearing a big bow and a dress, he is still all boy! LOL!!

Look at this Sweetie all ready for the cold weather in his peacoat! I cleaned him up a bit, but left the frame shabby for you.

FIW!!!! (Wipes Brow)...I'm Exhausted!...

It's Free Image Wednesday. Yes. I know. I am totally late. Again. Thank you so much for being so patient and sticking with me. Someday soon I will get my stuff together. But, not this week. LOL!!! Oh, the boxes!!! Why don't you all come over and help me unpack? We could get it all banged out in a couple of hours and then we could have a great big 'ole art party. We'd laugh and art and have a wonderful time. We'd stay up late and take a midnight walk to the grave yard and scare the beejebus out of each other:) I wish! How fun would that be?! Here are some pics of the inside of the new house. The old house closes next Tuesday and then we are DONE!!!!!!! Yeah!!!



This week's FIT photos have the theme of affection. All these photos show such great love and affection. Even the beautiful sweetie more interested in loving her stuffed toy than getting a boring picture taken:)

This is Master Karl H. Madison and his Mother. Oh, the baby love and the beautiful pride in Momma's Eyes! This photo was taken on March 26, 1906 in Leetonia, Ohio.

I picked this young couple because they seem very much in love. I love how their head's are leaned in and touching. I bet they are newly married and ready to start their lives together.

Look at this Angel!!! Those pudgy cheeks are begging for kisses! Now she can pat the bunny:)The very ornate wicker chair was a very common studio prop in the early 1900's.

On the back of her photo is this ghostly image. I love finding these because they are like an extra treat:) This image transfer happens when photos are stored stacked on top of each other for long periods of time. I wonder if this was her Mother?


Here are some more gravestone photos. These are from a Church that is only 5 minutes drive from our neighborhood. I spent a cloudy morning there last week and took some photographs.

Nettie J.


Gracy

Rosebud

Sarah A.

Eliza A.

Fannie and Evie

Feel free to use any of the gravestone images in your art also:)

Daily Quotes:

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”
~Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.

“The best way to hold a man is in your arms.”
~Mae West

We're Home!!!!...Creepy Folks FIT for Halloween!...

New Front Door

The Miller Family is home and getting settled in just fine! The neighbors are awesome, the new school is awesome, the house is awesome and there is a circa. 1845 graveyard within walking distance. Who could ask for anything more? LOL!! The boys and I and some of their friends took a walk up there last week. It was so cool and spooky!!!!

The move was CRAZY. Fast and furious!! We found the house, bought the house and moved in little under three weeks time. Things slowed down after the move, but there was still that little other thing. What was it? Hummm. Oh! I know. We had to get the old house ready to be sold. It FINALLY went on the market Saturday. I have been running back and forth between both homes. Cleaning at one and unpacking at the other. I'm tired. Happy, but tired.

Edited to add:We got an offer on the house today!! (Wednesday) Can you believe we got one so fast?!!!!! We have countered and are waiting to hear back from her realtor.

Edited to add again:) Old house is sold!!! It was on the market less than a week. We are so relieved:) Closing is on November 3rd!

Here are my extra creepy FITs for the week. I know I owe you guys some extra FITS, but my studio stuff is still packed. Luckily, I had these set aside before the move. I have done nothing to them. This is just how they turned out. The man and woman must be husband and wife. The CDV photographer is the same for both and they are posed the same. Their eyes just look spooky to me. The baby ambrotype is the creepiest EVER!!!! Those eyes!!!! AAHHH!!!! Poor baby. I am sure she was lovely in real life:)

My favorite new thing with the boys is to walkaround the neighborhood. There are 8 ponds and 11 common areas with walking trails. It is so nice to just explore and see what we can see. Most of the back part of the neighborhood is undeveloped, but they have already built the streets and put in lamp posts so it is a wonderful safe place to walk and ride scooters. The photo below is some of the treasures from one of our adventures. It was so nice being showered with flowers from sweet boys.

I am making the rounds slowly but surely! You guys have been BUSY too!! I am loving all the wonderful art you are posting:) Love, Jamie

Quotes for the Day:

"Every house where love abides

And friendship is a guest,

Is surely home, and home sweet home

For there the heart can rest."

~Henry Van Dyke

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. "

~Marcel Proust

FIS...Somehow That Does Not Work As Well As FIT, LOL!...

"Jackson" Original Digital Collage by Jamie Miller
image used from my personal collection

Oh My!!!!! What a whirlwind everything has been!!! What were we thinking?!! LOL!!! In less than two weeks we found a house, made an offer, got approval for the loan, got it inspected, got issues fixed, started the boys at their new school, called in contractors to paint and touch up the old house after we move, changed over to the new address for all the bills, had utilities and what not set up for the new house, got movers ready to go and have been packing every day. We close next Wednesday and move on the 12th, next Saturday. All in all, it is kind of like ripping off a band-aid. The faster the better:)

The new school for the boys is AWESOME!!!! They are really wonderful and have welcomed us with open arms. That means so much to us. They only attended their old school for two days before they switched so it was not too bad changing. They were sad at first, but the new school is so great and they love it.

Unfortunately, while they were still at the old school a little boy ran into David and hit his left ear. The one he had surgery on in July. The one we have had to be so careful about all summer. Ear drum grafts are very fragile and you really have to baby them. I took him to the ENT surgeon and sure enough his ear graft has been torn. We are hoping/praying that it closes back up on it's own, but that's rare and we are most likely looking at another surgery in the Fall. In the mean time, poor David can not have PE or recess. He can't even go outside in case someone else runs into him. He is being very good about the whole mess. I, on the other hand, am a total wreck. I know that the new surgery will be more involved this time. I know it will be more painful and have a longer recovery time. It makes me so sad for him. He was so brave for the last surgery. He spent the whole summer with no swimming and no running/playing to ensure the graft took and it was all for nothing. Now he can not play baseball this year. He can not do anything active. It feels really frustrating and really unfair. I am like a petulant child with this one. I want to throw a temper tantrum and get my way. Silly. I know. It will be ok and he will be ok and we will do the best that we can do.


Thank you everyone for your well wishes and sweet new house thoughts. I have not even sat down at the computer until yesterday when I made "Jackson". I can't tell you what a relief it was to just be and create and not think of anything but the work before me. It was a much needed reprieve from all the crazy:) So, here is the original image for you to play with also. He is such a sweet Boy. I have left him as I found him. Scratches and all. When I have some time I will clean him up for you:) Sometimes imperfection is just perfect.


To all my Sweet Art-e-ologists (Followers and Lurkers),

You all add joy to my day and knowing you are there is such a wonderful feeling. Thank you for your support and friendship. Love, Jamie