Maxine Inspired Musings and a Blue Rooster Ruckus

Queen of Hearts Alter

Here it is Monday and no Maxine to post about....she is really, totally gone now.

Messy business when these giant pumpkins go south, didn't think you'd want to see it, but with pumpkins in mind and Halloween on everyones mind out in bloglandia these days I have been inspired to begin my Dia de los Muertos alters.  I was excited to find silk marigolds....dried marigolds just do not have the old, vintage-y look that dried roses do, they instead just look old and dried.  These I think look very much like the real thing.

La Calavera alter

I bought those little dominoes so I could make tiny alters....I just couldn't figure out how to make them stand up....but attaching them to the dresses made of lotteria cards worked so well, it is dresses I am making!

Earlier in the summer we found these tall windows at a garage sale...Mr. R. made a screen out of them that is PERFECT for hanging and displaying the dresses and house cards for the tour this weekend.

Love how each dress has its own little pane.

And....roosters, you ask, what about roosters.  Well, you have met the little Mexican rooster, Maxine's friend, and as I was peeling and seeding a bushel of peppers (ok, only 1/2 bushel, the other half is calling me to finish the job) yesterday here at the kitchen sink I realized I have a few roosters.  Can you find 2 roosters in this photo?

Well, as Mr. R. and I were driving around on Sunday and passed this corner on the north end of town that sells  confederate flags, lovely rugs and blankets with images of Elvis and pirates....carved bears with signs that say 'Welcome'.....you know the place, you have one too don't you?  Anyway a GIANT pink flamingo caught our eye...seriously big, like 8 feet tall and the wonderful shape of the flamingos in Alice and Wonderland.  We whipped a u-y in the little Cooper to have a look....hoping no one we knew saw us pull into this place.

We could just picture it standing behind the blue fence with Melly looking out over the colorful sculpture garden...but holy cow!!! it was expensive!!!

We kept wandering around, very interesting bunch of stuff this guy has....wish I would have had my camera....and we bumped into...

this fabulous big blue rooster....it just barely fit in the back of the Cooper, so of course had to come home with us.

I sure do hope he doesn't scare the little bird in the bird bath!  I'm thinking a rose in his mouth for the Studio Tour...what do you think??

Comments

[eb]

oh my gosh Steph -
you and Mr. R. sure do know "how to live"...
and BE - loving that blue rooster...

may be DREAMing a blue rooster too...

surely he will PLAY nicely with the bird bath birds...

and oh yes - absolutely - a rose will do nicely

just perfect...

xox - eb.

[elsa]

i love the window turned display frame for those beautiful dresses! what a fabulous idea. the colors and marigolds on the dia de los muertos insired one is goreous. i look forward to seeing more!

[carolyn]

Oh no poor Maxine!!!!!!!!!!! But you made up for her loss with all this colour.

[Jungle Dream Pagodal]

The blue rooster is wonderful!!!...but what I really love is the way you have displayed the dresses in that wonderful window pane screen! What a great hubs!

[toni]

Hi Stephanie, Absolutely love the blue rooster. I'm on my way to Oaxaca manana so will miss your blog but hope to steal some ideas fabulosas from the artists in town.

[Lisa M.S. Oceandreamer]

What an absolutely grand way to display your lovely dresses and cards....bril actually!
We are much like you and Mr. R - that pointing and the word "LOOK" and a dash in to see closer! Love the blue rooster...he appears to be guarding rather than scaring the wee bird. A rose in his mouth would be ever so fitting! I long for a garden as colorful as yours!
XOXO
L.

[Leau Phillips]

Stephanie, these are gorgeous!! I've just come from 5 days at the NM state fair and was going to take pictures of our "Maxine" but it was soooo piddly next to the former Maxine, that I decided not to make your neighbors just south look pitiful. Love the silk marigolds too. Your blog is a visual delight! Leau

[Kate I]

Your big blue rooster is magnificent...he really knows how to strut his stuff! And the window 'frames' as display for your art dresses is brilliant! Such a melange of colour on your site!

[amy]

Love the rooster and he's one that is ok since he doesn't cocka doodle in the morning! Yes a rose would be good or even a marigold!

[hrsj]

how wonderful all the color around you! The rooster is handsome, a rose would be a nice touch. I really like the flowers on the blue fence, they are fantastic!

[Lea]

Oh yes, a rose in the mouth and people will swoon!!! I'm sure the birds will return, he actually will make a lovely perch before diving into the water! The dresses and cards in the frames look wonderful. They are so vibrant, like lights in the window!

[Jill]

Oh my Stephanie!
The colors in this post make me swoon....

The blues...

The fence...
The flowers...
The rooster....

Holy smokes!
Simply delisious!
And yes... a rose in his mouth would be magnificent!

[Jill]

oops! delicious

[Jill]

oops.... delicious

[Backpakker]

What amazing colours..I love the blue rooster

[Kathy]

Hi Stephanie! Gorgeous blue rooster... your photos are so colorful and beautiful... makes me want to visit your area in the worst way! I especially love the little dresses hanging in the window panes... how lucky you are to have such a handy "Mr. R"... very clever! Thanks for the note last week, all my best!

[somepinkflowers]

well,
you know what they say...

when your giant pumpkin goes south,
go out and buy a blue rooster!

:-)

...or something like that.

[Felicia]

That rooster is completely adorable. And I love your little dresses on hangers.

[Laume]

Love your Dia de Los Muertos altars. Love your old window frames. Love your blue rooster. I'm always so inspired by your colorful art. And yes, I know just the place you're talking about, full of ...yeah, all that stuff you mentioned. But sometimes hidden gems too. I so would have wanted that pink flamingo too. Did you know that the company that made the original pink lawn flamingos went out of business just recently? Yeah, sad. What is it that turns something trite and ugly into something funky and kitschy? When does it cross over that line? I don't know but I sure love it when it does. I can't resist mentioning the funny flamingo story I wrote about: http://beachtreasure.blogspot.com/search?q=flamingos

[rochambeau]

Love your new Alters and dress collection, Colorful, happy and fun! Not to mention the big blue member of your family. I hope little rooster doesn't get a small roosters complex or anything.
I'm a big fan of Mini Coopers. It's fun to know you and Mr. R have one to go gallivanin'in!

I bought a bunch of Lotreria sets while in Texas for my friends here! Some day I'll tell you tales of Lotteria.

[susanna]

What great finds you found! I just love that photograph with Melly looking through the fence - look at that face...soooo cute!

And your artwork is so lovely. I especially like your luscious colours. They are gorgeous. And you have started making your Dia de los Muertos altars/dresses!
Have I told you before that I adore that festival? It inspired a photo series.

There's a gallery in Denver, Colorado, that has a Day of the Dead exhibition every year. It's the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council. I've shown my work there twice. They also have a gallery shop. I'm not sure if it would interest you, but maybe you could show and sell some of your work there? I've had good experiences with them. Their website is...
http://www.chacweb.org.

[Paris Parfait]

Such delicious, bright, beautiful whimsy! Your work is fabulous!

[susan]

so sweet and lovely! the colors in these photos are just so incredible stephanie! and i see that the pixie cup goes so beautifully there too! you NEED one of her platters! they were made for your decor!
the artwork is so pretty-- when i see orange, i do think of you!
xo
susan

[queen of the carnivale]

Thank you for inspiring me today!!! The colors, and your dresses... gorgeous!

[A Fanciful Twist]

Oh my goodness!! Oh MY GOODNESS!!!