Remembering Veterans' Day

As Veteran's Day approches, let us all remember, Freedom isn't free....Someone has always paid and will continue to pay the price!!!
I thought it only fitting to take a turn from my usual Monday through Wednesday Post to share another artist and his amazing work. We may have seen this in an email a time or two, but so worth viewing again.

My studio is a very busy place this month and I will be away for a few days trying to finish many treasures coming soon to my etsy shoppe, so I am posting for Veterans' Day, which is Wednesday the 11th, a few days early. See you soon, when I come up for air!!

As we salute the many men and women who serve in all areas of our military, let's give thanks for the FREEDOM we enjoy because of these brave Americans. Let us also remember in our prayers the recent tragedy at our military base at Fort Hood, Texas.

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. ( March 2, 2006)
Karla Comfort received a lot of looks and even some salutes from people when she drove from Benton, A rk., to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in her newly-painted, custom Hummer H3 March 2. The vehicle is adorned with the likeness of her son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, and nine other Marines with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7 th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division who were all killed by the same improvised explosive device blast in Fallujah, Iraq, in December.


For Karla Comfort, having the vehicle air brushed with the image of the 10 Marines was a way to pay homage to her hero and his fellow comrades who fell on Iraq's urban battlefield

"I wanted to let people know (Marines) are doing their jobs honorably, and some of them die," said the 39-year-old from Portland, OR. "I don't want people to forget the sacrifices that my son and the other Marines made."


Leading up to her son's death, Karla Comfort had received several letters from him prior to his return. He had been deployed for five months, and Comfort "worried everyday he was gone until she got the letters and found out the date he was coming home," she said.

Marines knocked on the front door of her home in Farmington , Mich. at 3am with the dreadful news.

"I let my guard down when I found out he was coming home," she said. "There are times that I still cannot believe it happened. It's very hard to deal with."


Karla Comfort came up with the idea for the rolling memorial when she and her two other sons attended John's funeral in Portland, Ore.

"I saw a Vietnam (War) memorial on a car, and I said to my son Josh, we should do something like that for John," she recalled. "He loved Hummers."

She purchased the vehicle in January and immediately took it to AirbrushGuy & Co. in Benton, Ark. where artist Robert Powell, went to work on changing the plain, black vehicle into a decorative, mobile, art piece.

"I only had the vehicle for two days before we took it in," she joked.


Two hundred and fifty man-hours later, Powell had completed the vehicle. The custom job would have cost $25,000 Out of respect for Karla Comfort's loss and the sacrifices the Marines made, AirbrushGuy & Co. did it for free. Comfort only had to purchase the paint, which cost $3,000.

"I love it," she said. "I'm really impressed with it, and I think John would be happy with the vehicle He would have a big smile on his face because he loved Hummers."



Karla Comfort gave Powell basic instructions on what to include in the paint job. But in addition to the image of her son in Dress Blues and the faces of the nine other Marines, there were several surprises. "He put a lot more on than I expected," she said."I think my favorite part is the heaven scene."

On the left side of the vehicle, a detail of Marines are depicted carrying their fallen comrades through the clouds to their final resting place. The American flag drapes across the hood, the words, "Semper Fi" crown the front windshield and the spare tire cover carries the same Eagle Globe and A nchor design that her son had tattooed on his back.
"All the support I have been getting is wonderful," she said.

Karla Comfort decided to move back to her hometown of Portland, and making the cross-country trip from A rkansas was a way for her to share her son's story. It's also her way of coping with the loss.

"A long the way I got nothing but positive feedback from people," she said. "What got to me was when people would salute the guys (Marines). "It's hard to look at his picture".


"I still cry and try to get used to the idea, but it's hard to grasp the idea that he's really gone."



What wonderful art work painted on this hummer by the artist, Robert Powell. Let's all remember the many heros past and present, who sacrifice each day on our behalf, so that we might enjoy the freedom we know each and everyday. God Bless each Veteran today and for the days ahead.

I also want to honor my own Father who served in World War II for 3 years. He landed on the beaches of Normandy with the 359th Engineers and lived through that battle with the grace of God. He was a proud American and gladly served this country.


Picture of my Dear Father, 1942/45 who passed away October 21, 1998.
Thank you so very much. I love and Miss you!

For Veterans' Day 2009, Blessings be yours always, Celestina Marie

The Trail of Glitter!

Welcome to another Thrifty Thursday, junkin and journeys. Let me take you on a little journey through glitter land. In my Studio that is. Full of goodies on their way to my shoppe. Every inch of table space is covered with creations.
See, I told you I'd show my messy studio at some point. You did not believe me, did you? Well, I own a vacuum and it gets a workout! LOL!!
Join me, in taking a peek into my busy world today.


Now let's sprinkle some fairy dust all over the Christmas ornaments. This little distressed treasure box is on it's way to my etsy shoppe Friday. It is made of wood, repurposed in pink with a little fairy painted on the lid and she is sprinkling fairy dust on the roses.

Oh and let's sprinkle Miss B with some fairy dust too as she takes a nap. Look at those long eye lashes! Her fur is sparkley. You can't see it in the pic, but glitter has found her too.


Did I ever show you the charms I have on her collar? She wears a little angel, dotted heart and a charm that says, peek a boo which is her favorite game to play.

And Miss Beazy drinks from a pink princess bowl. Yes, she is my girly girl!

Oh and look at the goodies that Miss Ann (my dear friend from Ann's Finds) gave to me Monday when we met for her Birthday lunch. It's was her special day and she brings me goodies. Well, I gave her lots of presents too. LOL She works in resale and finds the greatest stuff. And a few weeks ago, someone emailed me for a breadbox very shabby and chic. The spoon rack is very vintage and will be perfect for a little cottage scene that I am getting a vision for. The sewing drawer is always a welcome treasure. Can't wait to get these finished. Thank you Ann, I always love what you bring to me!

Okay, I have stalled long enough. Here is the rest of the goodies among the mountain of mess and glitter.












Okay, let's take a break now and have a cup of tea. And if you missed my post for the spice tea recipe, take a look below at that post for the holidays.

Thank you for joining me in the studio today for Thrifty Thursday. I hope you have a great day. With the season very busy, I will be listing new items Friday and this week skipping my normal Friday post, but I will see you here again on Monday for Marvels and Musings. Till then, have a happy and safe weekend.

Smiles, Celestina Marie

~From the Mouth of Babes~

Greetings from the Toile Studio dear friends. I hope you are having a good week. I am very busy in the studio, but did get some time off yesterday to meet my sweet friend Ann from "Ann's Finds" for her birthday lunch. It was a delight to spend time visiting with her and celebrating her special day. Happy Birthday Ann.

So, since I am head over heels in paint and glitter. Oh my the glitter is everywhere!! LOL!! I promise to share and show new hand painted items soon! Till then, I thought I would share with you a recent letter I received, What Does Love Mean? from the mouth of babes.
It is very sweet and worth taking a moment to read. I know we are all so busy and most are not a fan of long posts full of reading, but this may give you a Wednesday smile, so I wanted to pass it along.

What does Love mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:



"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8


"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4


"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6


"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8


"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7



"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6


"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5


"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day"
Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4



"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8


And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge...

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,


"Nothing, I just helped him cry"


When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Aren't these thoughts and words so sweet? I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I did. My brushes are calling so back to the studio I go. Lots of new treasures are on the way to my shoppe. And, many of you have asked for more pink, so more pink is on the way. Shabby roses and chic pink rules, right?

Blessings and Blue Skies be yours always, Celestina Marie