2025: Day 59....."No Ice is Safe Ice"

 This is February 2025 out MY window.

 Unsafe ice.

Someone on our lake posted 

this picture here below.

No. It's not safe. 

It has a crack. See it on the left.

It has moving water underneath 

that 13"...AND......someone else

noticed a key point.

Lakes are beautiful and dangerous both.

They need to be respected as such.

You can't drown ON ice.

But you sure can drown UNDER it.

2025: Day 58....."Stag Horn Fern Styles"

 If I lived in Florida....

I'd grow Stag Horn Ferns in every tree.

Just like this picture I took in Florida on a visit. 

A bouquet in a tree.

All living and growing.

These are my stag horn ferns here in Michigan.

One of them is growing in a tree.

A dead tree.

My version of the Florida version above.

Not as glorious as the Florida look.

Note the spray bottle to keep up

the humidity.

There is also a humidifier underneath it.

Maybe in the summer it will perk up.

The other one is in a pot & looking better.

It's in a southeast window.

It also has a spray bottle nearby.

Making an outdoor plant into an

indoor houseplant is a glorious challenge.

I'll never achieve this look below... of the

fern in a botanical garden....

nor would I want to.

It looks like an alien creature ready

to dissolve me in it's innards.

I can almost see a face in there.

2025: Day 57…..” Bonsai Tea Bags”

 

Sunday Funday was partially in the 

MATTHEI BOTANICAL GARDENS

in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

I was especially intrigued by this

Bonsai Tree and it's tea bag.

I had to learn more.

Here's a link to learn more if you're interested.

https://www.portlandbonsai.org/scotts-branch-tips/tag/tea+bags

I'll never stop being surprised 

to know what

I don't know.

2025: Day 56....."It's Fun to be One"

Stacey made some stuff.

Stacey made pennants.

Stacey made a sign for the entrance.

     Stacey made a sign for the high chair. 

Then she lost control of herself and

bought a pile of 1 year old specific

toys Mabel can't live without and

because it's fun to be a Grandma also.

That's how she rolls.

2025: Day 55....."Tux vs. Amp"

Foamcore amp boxes were and still are one of the 

more popular things we make but

these Tuxedo Centerpieces are closing in.

They seem to work with many different

sophisticated looks and not just

a Black Tie specific party.

More like a celebration outfit for

a classy birthday or wedding or a

high end corporate event or a Grand Ball.

Whatever the reason or season, 

we like doing them both.

And always.....always.....foamcore guitars.

Rinse and Repeat.

2025: DAY 54....."My Maidenhair Fern for the win"

This has been a testy plant for me to grow.

It's my second Maidenhair Fern.

I usually don't buy another one when

I have a fail because I feel bitter at the plant for

letting me down and 

 like my house is not right for it.

But I really like this plant and it's airy

and delicate leaves.

I gave it a second try.

I bought a small one. 

Look at it now.

it's beautiful.

It likes a lot of humidity 

so it lives in my bathroom that 

gets a daily dose of shower steam.

I guess that's the main key.

We went to a botanical garden and

saw many of these growing on the 

fish pond wall and also in pots directly

in a pond.

So the botanical garden also had some

testy looking ferns.

That made me feel better.

Apparently that's what these ferns do.

2025: Day 53....."Signs from a Germaphobe"

Probably THE BEST  & most helpful

public bathroom signs I've run across.

They should be everywhere.

I highly approve.

Everywhere I go I'm always

saying: "Don't touch that" or

    "Here...use this sanitizer" or

"Go wash your hands now".

I'm that person and you'll NEVER see

me touch an escalator hand rail with my hand. 

Eck.

Door handles? No. 

I pull my sleeve down over my hand.

I don't know if that works but I haven't

got covid.

I love those door foot pedals too.

Yet....alas....I do eat out at restaurants.

 I'm still alive. 

2025: Day 52....."Party Base Landscaping "

A base for a party centerpiece is 

an important element to the total look.

Kinda like the landscaping around a house.

For example:

What a difference!

That's why we keep some of our stuff  

in this cabinet that Stacey owns 

and brought back from England.

It's so fancy. 

It adds to the interior landscaping also.

 

2025: Day 51....."Boogie woogie woogie"

 

Ok....'ya made me smile.

Amazon made me frown when the

yearly bill came for Amazon Prime.

Not smilin' so much then on

how much they raise the price every year.

But...hey....they do make life easy.

And in this case....funny 'n fun.

Some smart marketing person likely said:

"Try & keep 'em smiling and maybe

they won't notice the bill. They'll just

hope their house is the trucks next stop".

2025: Day 49 & 50....."Life Interrupted"

I only made it 49 days in a row from

my good intentions to do one post a day

starting on January 1st.

Then fail. 

Life interrupted my good intentions. 

I know who and why.

Something took ALL the space in my head

and absorbed me totally.

I'm sure you've had it happen to you.

I might pause but I face things head on.

 I'm resilient.

I bounced.

Sleep is one of the keys to resilience.

 I purchased these awhile back.

They work.

Soft. Gentle. 

And they taste so damn good.

 

2025: Day 48....."Negative Four"

 It was -4 this morning.

I have memories of that swing with

it's floating canopy and a side table

with an afternoon drink and my iPad

with a good book.

Not today.

But we have some blue sky 

and a pinch of sun to fake us out.

Funky February.

2025: Day 47....."What can I do?"

Zekelman Holocaust Museum in Michigan.

Wall of messages.

For then and now.

2025: Day 46....."Fire that won't melt snow"

Fake fire that gives me a warm feeling.

It doesn't throw off a bit of heat.

Not even a tiny bit.

But I look at it and feel warmth.

That's why it's out there all winter and

not melting one bit of snow. 

I see the glow from my bedroom doorwall

 (that's what us folks in Michigan call it)

 and I LOVE it.

It turns on when the sun goes down.

It lasts a few hours.

Enough to give me a bonus 

warm feeling every day.

Small joys in a Michigan winter.

 

2025: Day 45....."Art By Others"

This paper mache sculpture is by

Lori Hlavs in Florida who came

to Michigan to an art show in the 90's.

I'm very selective on the 

"Art By Others" that I purchase 

but this I could not resist.

The live edge wood corner shelf she is

currently seated on is from another

artist who works in natural wood...another

weakness I have. I love pieces of wood.

I think I related to this figure & wood because I

am that funky creature who would like to dress

like that and also own every woodsy thing I could find.

I do own a jacket like this..with a pointy hat... so 

that tells you something.

If I allowed her to live outside (but I never would!)

this is the type house we both would like.

2025: Day 44....."Throwback to 2014 Valentine's Day"

 Throwback all the way to 2014.

Custom little Valentine's for

2 sisters to take to school.

Personalized and cute.

A fun endeavor.

2025: Day 43…..“Snowy Head”

 

Don’t ask how much fun 

it was cleaning off my car today, 

but at least it wasn’t on my head.

2025: Day 42....."Shift Changing Colors"

Rustoleum has come out with some 

Color Shift Spray Paint.

But Stacey has already created

this look with glitter on her

foamcore cutout letters and names

for party decorations.

The spray comes in several combinations.

Cars have had it for awhile and I've

seen this look at car shows.

But now it can advance into the

PARTY WORLD for us

and all the DIY folks out there.

 

2025: Day 41....."Layers & Layers of Foamcore in our workroom"

This picture from the past of a shipping day shows

layers  & layers of foamcore.

Some stacked foamcore diy guitars and

some foamcore letters layered

onto foamcore Gift Card Boxes.

Layers and pieces of foamcore

used in different ways.

 Stacked in piles.

Here's the reality of it in our workroom.

The first picture is a sweeter view

because the end result always is!

 

2025: Day 40....."Dog Themed Parties from the past"

 

So many folks have dogs yet

we only have a handful of 

things we've done with this theme.

Surprises me.

Yet I still remember this pooch fondly.

This pup wasn't allowed at the

party so we made her replica to be

represented in a bridal form because

the bride really wanted her there.

I'm betting this cute doggie would 

not have been too happy in this get up

and wouldn't have behaved well.

That's why she didn't get an invite.

This is one of those centerpieces that

I wanted to keep though.

And then there were these......

Cute cutout and layered party props 

that got a stick up their bottom for 

party centerpieces.

2025: Day 39....."New Handwriting Font with Ai caricatures”

"Jackson Signature"

That's the name of this cool font.

So graceful.

Looks like you took a pen and wrote it

out and got it right on the first try.

I can see so many applications for this.

A monogram.

A letterhead.

For crafts like embroidery.

For diy branding your party or business style.

Adding to the end of your email.

T-shirt designs.

Foamcore signs for a party.

(We can do that.)

Or create a funky logo with 

Ai caricatures like this one of 

Me and Stacey.

Stacey is the one with fluffy curly red hair

and a paint brush in her hand and a

black belt karate Gi.

I’m in my bathrobe.

2025: Day 38....."Plant that grows Confetti"

Yes. I needed another plant.

It's Michigan. It's cold. 

I can't wander around outside

looking at my yard or the garden.

Self care = nature.

I'm on it.

A plant that grows confetti.

A party thing.

It checks 2 boxes.

Self care/a party decoration I get to keep.

Beside I love plants with pink.

3 boxes checked.

(Instructions in case you get one too or 

I give you a cutting.)

 

2025: Day 37....."Warm Self-Care I deserve"

 

I'm telling 'ya...this is yummy.

I bought this 50" x 60" heated 

throw back in October when we 

started heading into Michigan's winter joy.

Every night I re-experience anew the great

decision I made in October all 

over again when I crawl under it.

It's really as soft & fluffy as it looks.

It heats up fast. I use level 2

most all the time even though

it has 5 levels.

It's on the top of the bed with 2 blankets

underneath it and in a couple of

minutes they are all warm just 

from the heat of this throw.

(Literally the time it takes to brush your teeth.)

I like that it doesn't cover

the entire bed because I'm the only

one that loves this level of self care.

My first reaction to it out of the box was

that it was very light weight and the wires

seemed almost non-existent. I felt some

disappointment because it was not like my

Costco one with thicker wires and felt 

more stiff and was not fluffy at all.

But the Costco one broke and that was

ok because the fabric was looking ratty.

I'm not sure if it broke because the 

controller went bad or the wires broke. 

(I'm careful not to sit on it for that reason.)

I can say for sure that this throw was

definitely the right choice for me and will be used 

tonight because it's damn cold here in Michigan

and even though I sleep inside I keep

the heat in my bedroom in the 60's.

2025: Day36....."Till the Cows Come Home"

Clipart.

Make your own Valentine's Card.

There's still time if you start now.

Or add words

Click it or

email me if you want me to send this

over to you directly:

marlyss@mac.com

2025: Day 35....."Reflections"

 My garage sale flower light I got for $5

because it needed a small repair 

and my new plant glowing under

the grow light I installed in the light 

for some winter help.

Both reflecting in the window with 

the outdoor solar faux fire lights that I

enjoy so much all summer and still

like looking at even in the snow.

2025: Day 34....."Lickety Split Split Leaf Philodenron photo fun”

 

Glorious Leaves!!!!

I mean..... did you ever!

It's called Lickety Split or

more ordinarily known as

Split Leaf Philodendron.

They say it's easy to care for.

I so hope so cuz I'm in love with it.

If I was going to design a leaf this

would be it.

But everyone would say..no...

that's not a leaf.

Yeah. It is and I get to look at it

every day and I just order another plant

light bulb just for it to keep it

happy until Michigan returns to the

land of sun and shine.

I put a piece of foamcore behind

one of the leaves to get this 

photo to play around with on my

Live Collage app.