Little things adding up = happy !

Ahhh, today is already starting out to be a good day!! I am feeling full of well being! Lots of little things are contributing to that feeling. Well, residual effects from Tamsie's visit last week, for sure. I had great students in my class on Sunday (glass slide soldering). Barnes and Noble has their new designer bags out for spring and I bought one yesterday along with Life is a Verb by Patti Digh (a book I have been wanting to read for some time now), Succulent Wild Woman by SARK and Throw Out Fifty Things, Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life by Gail Blanke. I started Life is a Verb last night, and it is as interesting as I wanted it to be. I love the title of this book. It intrigues me to think of connecting the word life with an action rather than as a thing. A very enticing change of perspective. After Tamsie's visit last week, I had a great day with Denise and Linda as we went to the salvage yard in Rainbow and bought the treasures in the photo above. I can't wait to use them on the houses. I came home from my walk this morning and a package was waiting on the front step. It was a gift from my friend Michelle who works at a fabric company. Inside were the most yummy fabrics for me to play with! What a treat! I can't wait to do something cool with them! Thank you again, Michelle!! And tomorrow is my birthday and I love my birthday. One thing I do for myself on that day is to take time to write about what I have learned about life (the verb as well as the noun!) and reflect on where I would like to go in the next year. I like where I am and where I am going. I like being a woman of age, 54. Trying to live my life as a woman of integrity. Thinking of the things I can do to make the world a better place. Being a good friend (and the richness of the good friends I have). Being a good daughter to a mom who teaches me and stretches me to live from my heart. Sharing in the sisterhood of being a big sister to my two sisters and honoring who they are as women. Hoping that in expressing the gift of my life, I am in some way offering encouragement and hope to the people I met on the path. Celebrating the simple and feeling very blessed to have been given another birthday upon which to reflect . . .

What a fun time!

As I mentioned in my last entry, my BFF has been in town visiting from Minnesota. Monday was the day she came to stay with me for a few days and we hit the ground running. Quick trip to Starbucks for coffee and then on to the art house workshop hosted by the lovely Denise! This was the perfect way to introduce said BFF to the wonderful group of women artists I am privileged to create with. What a fantastic time we had! I love the dynamics of working with this talented group of women. The picture posted is of the houses we created. Tamsie's is the green one (isn't it pretty?!) and mine is the ochre colored one. I now have a set of three of these houses hanging on my wall and I love them! Thanks to all the ladies for making this such a fun time! I feel truly blessed by the richness of my friendships!

The next fun project was to create the little journal books. Tams fell in love with the process and finished product and I see more of these in her future for sure! No trip would be complete without an journey to the art supply stores here in the San Diego area so we did that on the second day. Lots of beautiful handmade papers purchased by both of us at Dick Blicks, fun finds at the Architectural Salvage store in Little Italy (can't wait to work with the treasures I found there!), and lunch at the Beach House in Solana Beach sitting in the sun and soaking up the ocean view right on the beach! The Paper Source was our next destination (yup, we bought more paper)! Then home to play with the colorful polymer clay mosaics I learned to make in Laurie Mika's class. The pieces we created actual have spiraled wire coming out the top of them for inserting a couple of photos or ATC cards. We were able to take in a good walk in the morning of her last day, and a trip to the pier for more ocean viewing. One of the last things we did was to sit down with a couple of my art books and select projects we are going to both work on throughout the year to improve our artistic techniques. It was the perfect time. I will admit, my hostessing skills were not as honed as they could have been as I didn't prepare one meal for us! It was all dining out or lemon squares, another small contribution to stimulate the success of the local economy!

I missed her this morning when I got up for coffee and there was no art project spread out on the table waiting for us to sit down in our PJ's to work on. I can't wait until the next time already!

Stepping back up to the plate . . .

What an awesome day! My gift today was my BFF flew in to town yesterday to visit with her mom and this morning we were able to meet for coffee and hugs! There is nothing in the world better than hugs and coffee chat with your best friend! We will get to have several days next week when she will come stay with me. We are going to get to play in the art room every day! Can't wait to post our creations.
Keeping it short and sweet today!!

The House of Blues . . .

Well, I am back! I truly thought after my last post I was going to be visiting here and posting on a much more regular basis - I don't know how to explain that I didn't. But, I am here now and I want to snuggle in and share with you guys again. I have been playing a little in the art room and here is one of the most fun things I have done lately. Inspired by Lisa Kaus, some friends got together and created our own version of her art houses. I love them!! I can't get enough of making them. Not having worked with wood before, I am loving that, too! I actually used a power saw for the first time and wonder why I waited so darn long to do that! The house measures 18"x10"x1". It is a true mixed media piece, painted in acrylics and oil pastels, enhanced with collage and found metal objects, and coated in beeswax. I have several fun things looming on the horizon for the near future. I am looking forward to sharing more of my art soon!