Inspirations…..Finding inspiration in everything

Wow…I wanted to share images on new art… but when I looked up new art under google images what I saw shocked me…It looked like death, decaying flesh, scaling skin, odd…..What do you see….I would love your perceptions of what the google images look like to you under a  new art google search.

Combining…A new creative thinking exercise for the weekend…

Combining is a bit like playing with Mr Potato head-you combine different facial features and add them to a plastic potato. You combine different foods to make a beautiful meal.  But what I want you to try is mixing things up a bit.  Try combining unusual things together and see what you get. Like mixing natural perfumes to get a beautiful smell out of odd combinations.  Who knows the world is your oyster. Tell me what you cam up with..

Paul Smith is coming out with a new book….Paul Smith A to Z

I just love Paul Smith. His twisted and humorous takes on the classics…So when I heard he was coming out with a second book due out in the states in June I hoped on it. Available on Amazon is where I found it.

A have to see video-Corning Glass

The video a day in glass….talk aboout a cool future….I mean amazing…Loved this video

A Day Made of Glass… Made possible by Corning.

Play video Watch “A Day Made of Glass” and take a look at Corning’s vision for the future with specialty glass at the heart of it. Learn more about Corning at corning.com. Search for career opportunities at… 00:05:33 Added on 2/07/11 18,661,134 views

Creative thinking game….

Okay lets play the game of Combining..

This is how you play.

FIrst pick an item…any old item.

Okay I picked a spoon….Now if We could combine it what would we combine it with? Okay you got 1 minute….

A bowl, a tray, a saucer, a cup, a fork, spagetti……Come n keep going you have one minture…come up with all the things you can combine it with in one minute….how can you multiply the purpose of the spoon? I know you can do it…Your goal is to come up with as many things as you can possibly combine a  spoon with….come on you can do it.

Okay what did you get?

if you scored over 6 items good, over 10 better….over 20 you are something!! Great work.

What if you could????

I love that…What if you could….

fly a trike?

fly like a bird

jump in the car and escape the city?

go to an exotic local?

swim naked in the ocean?

run around the yard during a full moon?

Well what if you could?????

What inspires You?

The sunset…a sunrise…

Birds of a feather…

Art…

people..

books…What is it that lights your fire?

Won’t you share????

One of the Last Great Places…..Off Grid Living..Tranquility….Peace Of Mind

One of the last great places…

A retreat to relax into the tranquility, and spaciousness of the desert mountains.

Put your feet up… enjoy a cup of cowboy coffee and look into the wide vistas away from the hub nub and busy-ness of the city.

Don’t you deserve a place away from it all?

This may just be your idea of paradise.

WILDLIFE EVERYWHERE

Not only are the sunsets to die for…but the wildlife is in abundance.   Roadrunners take a daily jog to the water holes, Javelina (no…  don’t call them- pigs), are always out and about socializing with each other.   Then there are the coyotes up in the mountains serenading you.  Look out for rare and endangered birds-over 1200 species migrate through here-450 species of hummingbirds alone.

Warblers sing their songs, cactus wrens build their mock nests, and lucky you may find the one they raise their young in.

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE…

Want to go fossil hunting? What about walking the trails of the Christmas Mountains. Is hunting your bag- there are many places to hunt…what about river rafting, taking in the Big Bend National Park, and the Big Bend State park.  It is all here…even the famous Chili Cook-off.  Meet interesting people, and have the time of your life enjoying the night skies, and your own personal fireworks when the thunder heads roll in.

YOU CAN’T ASK FOR MORE…BUT THERE IS MORE!

This one of kind home made from sustainable construction materials can be yours. It consists of the home, and art studio/guest house, and a carport that could be converted into another guest house. The possibilities are endless for this self sustainable home sitting on 80 acres with 360 unobstructed views in all directions, nested into the red iron oxide volcanic rock hillside. Talk about gorgeous.  The home, art studio and carport are powered by a 9KW solar system. That’ll power up your ac units and all. Enjoy all the modern conveniences without an electric bill.

And then there is the house. It has had every nook and cranny meticulously thought out from abundant closet space, pantry space, a basement, slate floors and custom made blinds, glass block showers, every room has a view…need I say more. Custom woodwork throughout, cross breezes and ceiling fans…and 18,000 gallons of water catchment let alone 2 working wells…now that in itself is a rarity is West Texas.   Working wells, one sweet water, with a filtration system, one totally filtered with a state of the art water filtration system.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT THERE IS MORE…

Everything has been thought of by the owners of this house.  There is a tankless hot water heater, all appliances are new and are run on propane. There is a 600 gallon propane tank and a caterpillar generator.  You will always be powered up as the generator will kick on if there is not enough solar to take you through the day or night.  There is an aerobic septic system totally redone and running smooth as can be.

Nothing to worry about, no electric bills, no water bills, no water hauling….nothing but enjoyment.

Just maintain your systems of which the owner will provide the information necessary to live stress free, and in tranquility.

OH AND DID I MENTION….

The greatest neighbors you ever want to meet. If you want to meet them they are a mile down the road and couldn’t be nicer. We will introduce you when you take ownership of this gem…And if you don’t want to meet the neighbors you have stone gates at the top of your drive you can lock up, with security cameras…So  you  have the best of both worlds.

AND THERE IS MORE….

Just give Pam  and Ken Clouse a call at West Texas Realty 432-837 7486, and/or Ginger Turner a call at Mountain View Properties at 432 837 5518….Both realtors would love to set up an appointment and show you around this last of the great retreats in America.

OH…..AND JUST TO MAKE THE RETREAT EVEN BETTER…..

The  owners are willing to throw in all of the custom made furniture, and new furniture they bought for the place so you can be move in ready….Nothing to do but turn the key and move into a relaxing lifestyle.

And that is not all….The owners can move when you need them too. SO the place is yours when you want it. This sweet deal won’t last long. It is that special. A no worries kind of home…somewhere you can definitely enjoy for all the rest of the years of your life…Call Pam and Ken at 432-837-7486, or Ginger at 432-837-5518.   Hurry …like I said this won’t last long…already we have had a serious buyer through just this week.  CALL TODAY!

Off the Grid Living-Sharing my experiences-creating an off grid paradise.

I just wanted to share with you some of my experiences as a family living off grid in the wilds of West Texas.  I guess I feel like reminiscing as we are planning on moving to the great state of Maine.  My husband is going to pursue his dream of Medicine, and I the creative endeavors that so stoke my heart and soul.  SO…. with this move in mind and my constant days of elimination, and discernment of what we may want to pack up and what not to pack….well I just wanted to share our experience with you so that you know you can live easily, comfortably, and as modern as you like off grid. WE did and so can you.

As we are packing to go I figured I would share with you are sales letters that show what the house is like finished. Next, I will  go backward in time from choosing the site on through the build, and life on the range as they say.  I will share with you my creative direction in the process-, and my husbands meticulous attention to detail-I swear he must have been an architect or engineer in a past life as he can figure out any system, and spatially he is fantastic.

Off Grid house to call home

When John and Marie met they shared similar goals of living off grid in the mountains amongst nature and all of her glory. It was in Terlingua, Texas that their dream was realized, and the family John Marie and their two girls moved to far west Texas. Amongst the Christmas mountains nestled against the red iron oxide rocks they found a small home that John painstakingly renovated, and added on to create a totally off grid Sante fe style home.  It is made with rastra block construction, and the studio and detached car port are made with papercrete. The insulation capabilities of these green materials is amazing.  The buildings are a sand color stucco and blend into the mountain scenery.  There is a 7KW PV producing 35KW a day solar system that powers every imaginable electric unit including AC. The solar system sits above the car port with the extensive battery power concealed in a small area building with in the car port. The batteries can support a much bigger system than it currently supports as John felt it would be great to be able to add-on wind or more solar power if we wanted.  John being a stickler for detail and a perfectionist at heart keeps the systems and designed the systems to perfection.

People move to the desert for the weather, but you soon realize you are in fact in the desert and one of the biggest worries in the desert is water.  John took care of that measure as well. Two wells are on the property that produce all of the water anyone in the desert could need, with a water filter, and tankless hot water heater.  There is also 18,000 gallons of water storage that can in itself be used for drinking and bathing as well as watering plants, your own food garden and any animals you choose to have on the property. Speaking of animals frequent visitors include; mule tail deer, road runners, quail, warblers, hummingbirds, cardinals, and many other birds far too many to mention them all, honey bees, javelinas on occasion. Another beauty of the property is the fact that it has an aerobic septic system, called a hoot system that turns black water to grey water. So nothing is wasted on this property.

This property is so well thought out. John designed and made sure every plug had a reason and every pipe was well covered. No worries of your pipes freezing or you water being lost. Every detail of this house was painstakingly designed and constructed with John’s hand into every system. His attention to detail shines through in this house and every system is spotlessly clean and organized.

The main house is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with a main community room, loads of bookshelves, and a kitchen dining area. This house gives you the feeling of family and comfort.  Each room is so well thought out.  There is plenty of closet space, the bathrooms are spacious, slate floors throughout the house for easy cleaning. Stucco walls, open windows, and french doors, high ceilings, and custom furniture that can be sold with the house, a full pantry, and a full length basement.  Every part of this house has a purpose and can be used in so many different ways

The wrap around porches on the artist studio/guest house, and main house is the ideal place to grab a cup of coffee and look out over the scenic vistas.

There is an unattached art studio/guest house which has heat, and water hook up, and the office is the building next to the main house.  There are saltillo tiles throughout the studio and office, double doors, and plenty of light.  The total square footage of the property is about 1600 sq ft.  not including the 2 car covered car port, which can be converted into another stand alone space.  The perfect spot for a writers retreat, artist retreat, hunting retreat, second home, vacation home,retirement home, or family compound. Perfect for horseback riding, off-road bike riding, hiking and rock climbing, hunting is close by in the Christmas mountains and just about every kind of outdoor activity imaginable.  Close by you can go river rafting, and hike the Big Bend National Park.  Collect fossils, and learn about the Pictographs, and Native Americans camp sites.  The state park is just down the road for more hiking and adventures. The sheer beauty of the area will astound you.

This house is appraised at 25% more than the asking price so it is a real bargain for that special person who cares about the environment, and where they live,  the natural beauty, and want to have a special place to call home. For more information email frenchvert@hotmail.com, pamc@westtexasrealty.com, ginger@mtnviewproperties.com

PS. Furniture and some accessories will be included with the house…. so it is move in ready. No fuss, No work…just desert living at it’s best.

Just added to inspiritu.etsy.com-French Lace panels on Sale

Come see for yourself french lace panels added to inspiritu.etsy.com for the huge studio sale…come see…here is a preview..

HUGE STUDIO SALE…SELLING AT DEEP DISCOUNTS

Huge Studio Sale-All of my jewelry deeply discounted to 50.00 and under-most retailed at above 250.00.  I am putting items on sale at mariefrench.etsy.com and inspiritu.etsy.com-all jewelry will be on sale for 50.00 and under all other items make me an offer, or buy at the discounted price-GOING FAST AT THESE SALE PRICES….Studio SALE…