happy anniversary mom and dad...

yes, another year has passed for my parents...just kids when they met, and the rest is, well you know, history.... happy anniversary mom and dad, i couldn't imagine better role models for all of us!

happy 4th of july...

i wanted to share a few things with you for the 4th of july celebration...

i received this video from one of my sweetest customers in texas....and wanted to share it with you. if any of you are musicians or have one in the family, you know how that life is, and we do all we can do to get them out there and heard...
"This piece was produced by our nephew, Mack Hayes. Mack is a musician in the Houston, Galveston area. I hope you will take the time to watch. It will make you proud to be an American! Be sure and watch the credits." Dorothy....if you remember back a few months ago i introduced the new 'dorothy' checker board with the stars - this is THE dorothy...



and here is what matt says: "I have been very inspired by the courage of everyone in the current movement to stand up for America. Firm, bold, aggressive, and peaceful dissent has always been the hallmark of this country. For this 4th of July I would like to offer my video on YouTube as a salute to them and to all of our Military Veterans for whom we owe a debt that can never be fully paid. If you enjoy the video, please watch the credits at the end for a tribute to two special people and pass it on to as many people as possible."

i also wanted to share these photos with you that my mom sent to me and a video that my dad sent me that i think go hand in hand...for our soldiers in the middle east are seeing things that are so foreign to us....it would be hard to adapt under normal circumstances...

"In the north east of Iran at the foot of Mount Sahand in Kandovan,
the villagers live in cave homes carved out from the volcanic rock. The age of some houses is more than 700 years. One of the most extraordinary sights in Iran must be a visit to the troglodyte village of Kandovan, where people live in cave dwellings as their predecessors did over 1600 years ago. Historians have recently quoted specific geographical references in the book of Genesis as evidence that link the area surrounding Kandovan with the Garden of Eden. It naturally follows that the village of Noqdi, to the east of this Eden, must be the biblical land of Nod."

so many of my clients are part of a military family - whether they are the child of a soldier or the wife...i can't imagine the struggle that you must go through on a day to day basis even though we have talked about it, i think you have to live it to fully understand....so i pray your heart is at peace, your dreams full of hopes and your wait is short...

i'm reminded to rethink things

i'm again reminded to rethink my thoughts, my opinions, my beliefs that are touched by the loss of my own innocence. fears that have come with knowledge brought to me by newspapers, television and magazines, but not by the experience, the experience that would lead me out of ignorance and would include compassion and empathy....i was sent this video....it is powerful in being able to move the mind over, just a bit, to leave an opening of humanness that had been replaced maybe by falseness....




humanness always leaves hope for change in me... i'm reminded of a christmas a few years ago when i called my mom and asked what she was doing...she told me she was making cut out cookies - i asked her for who - she told me the prisoners...i was shocked, and asked her why she would want to do something for 'them'....she told me because nobody ever thinks of them, and they should have a christmas cookie...how often i'm left to ponder my lack of empathy and compassion for the broken spirit...

romantic homes magazine...

ohhhh myyyy....as i was going through my new romantic homes, august issue, there it was in full color....the bullseye game board...! i especially loved the title of the article - 'artist on board', fits my silly personality to a T making me smile. the photos of some of my favorite game boards spread over 2 1/2 pages with a thoughtful interpretation of how i arrived where i am today was written by joanna clay.

i have found throughout the years working with magazines for articles you get a really good 'feel' as to the sort of company they are....jickie torres, senior editor of romantic homes is so kind, open and warm; joanna clay, editorial intern, makes you feel welcomed and at ease during our lengthy interview... they are a company where the players of the 'magazine game' carry the name of their company with grace and ease....

be sure to look for the august edition of romantic homes while you are out and about....in the meantime, here is a peek....

to see more gameboard designs, here is a link to my site: dallisongameboards.com

baret boisson presented...

my sweet friend in LA, baret boisson, got quite the surprise....she forwarded this background video on the jonas brothers to me...and i'm sure everyone on this planet has heard of this boy band by now! if you follow closely you will see her wonderful will rogers painting in the video, (above) with the undeniable baret style that i love....what a thrill for me to see her work out for all to appreciate!

so check out baret's piece in the film: 2:28 is the spot!

by the way, i received my so very cool obama print from her a few weeks ago and was going to blog about that...my son grabbed it for his room and it hangs proudly amongst his collection of letters from our presidents...thanks baret, it's a wonderful treasure for us...

if you would like to browse her site, her she is: baret boisson

crafting for the 4th of july...

i came across these ideas on the country living magazine's website...i thought they were not only fun and wonderful....but they included instructions for making them yourselves...kids will love it, what festivities do they not love?, and us grownups will love to make them too...i'm including a link directly to country livings site so that you can get instructions on any of the pieces i've shown, and for other ideas....

country living magazine

my love of music...

music is a time defining moment in my head...i'm reminds me of my youth, my many moves across the country, the births of my children...for my mind seems to categorize music like this...

michael jackson's thriller album = my move to houston and my working in the middle of the night at KKBQ radio station...it was a top 40 station and song's from the thriller album were always heard....my long haul to the city at 12:00 a.m. for my 2 hour shift, taping music for the upcoming day for the d.j.'s. my baby slept peacefully in his carry bed on the floor beside me maybe listening to what the newest hits would be...maybe this is why when grown he became a musician himself...

i loved that time in my life...i loved the album thriller....and on occasion i will still pop it in my c.d. player in my studio (long gone the album and player), for there wasn't anything like it...the energy the talent the dance...i will miss the dance...

i was looking on youtube so that i could play 'thriller' for you but i stumbled upon these 'thriller' videos and thought i'd rather share the influence he had on generation after generation...

so whether it's prisoners, the groomsmen at a wedding or a way to keep college kids out of trouble....he added dance and joy to many through his music...










it was 25 years ago that we were shown the 'moonwalk'...i will miss his dance....

it's official...

i just received my early american life magazine....directory of traditional american crafts 2009 - hang tags...i was thrilled when i began to tear open the large envelope knowing goodies were inside...

beautiful magazines, hang tags, and a letter of acknowledgement into this elite group of american artists...

if you hadn't read my earlier blog about the directory, i'm happy to add some information about this license that i can proudly claim for a year...

the directory of traditional american crafts is where you need to go shopping if you are looking for top notch crafts - for these artists have been accepted through a tremendous judging process by...oh, just let them explain it:

"The Directory of Traditional American Crafts is an honor bestowed on a handful of artisans who work in traditional media, styles, and crafts, an award that singles out their work as the best now produced in America today. Each year a jury of museum curators, collectors, and other authorities selects the work of the top traditional crafters working in America to be honors and listed in the Directory, which appears in Early American Life magazine."

"An artist who has been selected for the Directory has had his or her work thoroughly evaluated by a panel of experts. They have graded the artist's work as showing a mastery of the chosen craft, a mastery that represents the top of its individual field and may even be suitable for museum display."

"This jurying assures you not only of the top-notch skill involved in making the work but also its historic integrity. The work included in the Directory is either an accurate reproduction of historic work or an original interpretation of a historic style that is entirely consistent with its historic roots. But to assure this high-quality work is not mistaken for an actual antique, the Directory requires all work to be hallmarked."

boy, that was much easier, and they certainly said it better! but this is a great site for you to go to and find some artists work that you might want to collect...this is the art that will passed down through your family for many generations...so whether you are looking for fine furniture, baskets, floor coverings and decor, this is the place you can go and be assured that you are receiving the finest quality available from american artists...

here is their link: early american life directory - (and the next time you receive a game board from me you will notice it proudly wearing it's new tag!)

to see more of my work, click this link: www.dallisongameboards.com

summer and antiquing just go together...

it's a nice summer weekend....and you feel like cleaning out your trunk and hitting the road...between antique malls, small out of the way shops and salvage junk yards your options are endless...next time you hit the road, look through new eyes...what can you do with this?....ahhhh, the ideas are endless...i found these ideas on the Better Homes & Gardens website...it is always full of fun and inexpensive ideas, from food, family to decorating...i must get to shopping myself!!

There's no hanging required -- simply prop the mantel against the wall and let the bed frame hold it in place.

fashion a fabulous four-poster bed frame from old porch posts


vintage shutters

salvaged decorative molding into a shelf

Turn an old chicken coop into magazine storage. This piece was cleaned and stripped to reveal the original mellow wood finish.

Add patina to a tub by framing the base with salvaged paneling. Here a weathered piece of tin does the job. The vanity is an antique cabinet retrofitted with a new sink and faucet.

a tin pie pan is as American as apple pie

a collection of vintage clock faces by stringing them from lengths of chain

Make a simple one-of-a-kind pencil or paintbrush holder that also displays family photos. Black-and-white snapshots slip between two clear glass flea market apothecary jars for an instant photo gallery. If you can't find apothecary jars, substitute any two graduated sizes of glass containers, such as florist's vases or kitchen glassware.

Create a functional and attractive table display with a vintage cake stand. Place a stack of plates on the stand and top it with a vintage birdcage.

an old porch railing becomes an instant organizer



for more ideas check out the BHG website: BHG.com

as i'm always saying...

time does indeed fly right on by....i'm always stunned to notice that i've lost a week or two, and here summer has just began...i think summer may be the one season where most of us have a clear view in our mind of the pleasures that will come ....watermelon, blueberry picking, late summer nights sitting outside, kids playing late into the night catching firefly's....it's just so perfect...

as i got up this morning i was running a few minutes late, and instead of flying like a madwoman, i thought... - "i think i'll slowly climb into the day"...so with a cup of coffee in hand i went to sit out on the deck...the music from cardinals, wrens, caws of crows and the badgering of blue jays, was touched with the buzz of humming birds...how can things be better than this?

i took it all in and then started into my morning rituals, feed the dog, feed the family, pack up lunches and pack up backpacks for the days adventure at camp...clean up the kitchen, family room, bedrooms and what the heck happened to that bathroom??!!!, throw in a load of laundry and sweep the floors....get ready for work and into the studio i go...all in an hour...

it was peaceful, the list of duties were accomplished in a peaceful state for i had taken some time to sit and listen to the earth, to count my blessings...and left with a knowing strength that i can accomplish anything and everything needed of me today...

Flight Song



with so much musical talent throughout the world we all have the ability to search for music that makes our spirit dance...and our soul awakened...