Calling all artists

I would love to warm up my house. I have taken down most of our family photos because the frames were mismatched and the pictures were mostly outdated. My interest in house decorating ebbs and flows, but if anyone knows where I can get some funky art, preferrably by local artists at a price that lends itself to the starving artist theory, then I am in the market. Abstracts and still lifes are not my scene, but I love most everything else. Thanks ahead of time!

Silver Fox

My husband is not much older than I am. Only a year and a half, but he has begun to grey in the last few years pretty rapidly. He usually keeps a really short haircut and because it looks like his skull is silver, I call him the silver fox. Now, his dad had red hair (sorry Ben, but you know what's left isn't red anymore) and Ted's beard always grows out red (with grey, he he). Anyone who has met our sweet Petunia knows her hair is red (light red). The last few weeks I thought my eyes were failing me, but it is now confirmed. My sweet PRESCHOOLER who is not even five years of age is getting grey hair. She had a total of six I could EASILY see as of yesterday. I think her hair will be beautiful with red and silver mixed, but I hope it takes its sweet time... say maybe high school before REALLY starting to show.

Someone please explain

How does Amazon know everything? When I look for books, cds, etc to spread into from my current interest and past experience, I am able to type in something I know I like and 8 times out of 10 find my way to something new and equally likeable. Many times it mixes up books and the like and keeps me swirling about in my own little tornado of memories and thoughts of how much I thought I would like to hear that/read that/see that someday. I am thankful this feature exists, but in my paranoid moments it feels very Big Brotherish and scary. Does anyone experience this or is it just me?

Christmas was good

Another year gone by to be thankful that we were able to gather with family and friends and enjoy the holiday. The kids were grateful, the food was good, and chaos was minimal. I have confiscated the middle child's Nintendo DS and the oldest childs Iron Chef America game and I will now run off to eat my Christmas chocolates while I rot my wee little brain....

snippets

Aurelia says to her preschool teacher... baby Jesus is gonna run outta the manger... why....to find his family....where....in the forest.... what are they doing there?....looking for bears....

Daniel says I give the warmest hugs. He wants to take his teacher a AA battery so her Smartboard pen will stop "going out of calibration."

Aurelia wants to ask this question every night before sleep: What if a ghost comes in my room? Well, you give it a hug to see if it is just lost and looking for its mommy. But if it is mean then your big, bad ferocious brothers will come in and beat it up and make it leave. ..... She hears that answer and smiles, drifting off to sleep.

Cory has a lead in Lil Abner. I really hope he keeps his schoolwork and behavior together so he can do this. I know he loves the theater and I only want him to be happy.

I burned myself with Nair.

Online shopping rocks.

Ebay snipers do not.

The news makes me battle depression.

Went to see Kathy Mattea at Mountain Stage Sunday and wound up seeing a Duff Goldman cake (from Ace of Cakes).

Cory decided he wanted to contact his biological person. I hope he receives all he is looking for with that relationship and it doesn't create any conflict. I think he loves Ted too much to start saying "your not my real dad", but the worry is there. I think it will be ok. I wish I could remember when it became awkward to hug and kiss him and harder to talk to him. I wish I could go back and make it not so. I miss my baby.