Joyful Purpose

Marie Antoinette's Tea

The Movie Marie Antoinette is pure eye candy- not much of a real story which was a bit disappointing - but it really is a visual feast of color and detail.  One detail that caught my eye was the "flowering tea" which I just ordered from Numi Tea - my favorite - and got in the mail.  Here are the pics of my first cup - it is beautiful white tea with a jasmine scent. Life is in the details.

The Seattle Experience

The Seattle Experience!  I have been to Seattle many times but this past weekend was the best!   Great  food,  Great Shopping and yes Great Weather!   My  husband was in meetings all day on friday  so I had the day to myself and what a day it was .... I started out Uwajimaya the asian superstore and  got lots of goodies from the Kinokuniya Bookstore - especially a treasure were the Japanese  craft mags - more to come on those - my fav uniball white and black pens, paper, notebooks, etc.  a cute cherry blossom apron  and much more - the boys got yummy japanese cookies and treats - very fun.  Then I went and did a little in town shopping and had lunch at one of my favorite chef's many restaurants - Tom Douglas's Lola - greek influenced food - on so yummo!  Then over to the Dahlia Bakery which he also owns for the best cookies and cakes.  I actually sat down to lunch by myself with a new book (Pastries by Bharti Kirchner- a book about a bakery in Seattle no less) and a glass of wine - rare very rare.  Then  more shopping  at Daico the Japanese  1.50 store in the bottom of the Westlake center.  Dinner at the Dahlia Lounge and had the "DONUT EXPERIENCE"  nothing can compare -  they bring a white paper bag to your table which they shake at the table and cut open  to reveal 6 steaming cinnamon sugar covered hot little beinget like donuts which you dip in a vanilla bean marscapone  cheese - it is heaven  on a plate I tell you. 

Flying like a birdy

I am off to Seattle tomorrow morning until Sunday.  My husband has business so I get to come along sans children so I get to play.  This is a yearly trip and I spend Friday by myself while he is in meetings and over the past few years I have come to rely on some favorites - the main one being Uwajimaya - which is a asian superstore with a killer bookstore Kinokuniya that carries pens (drool) the ultimate japanese white uniball and papers, etc.  and needless to say I spend hours in there and usually most of my cash.  Fun stuff.

I have been working on my "Bird" journal that I started in Tammie Moore's class last weekend and thought I would give you a peek of the progress.  Really love the techniques and all the stuff she gave us (Tammie if you are reading this I need more of your stuff!!!)  Bye, Bye Birdies until next week!

Robin's Egg Blue Day

Yesterday my friend Judi and I had a great day together for Pres. Day which I have renamed Robin's Egg Blue Day in honor of my serendipitous finds.  We went to Joann's (Big Sale) and HomeGoods (you gotta love that store) and found so many treasures.  bird cages, eggs, lanterns, signs, metal baskets - oh joy - and to make it more joyous they were all on sale and - cheap (inexpensive) !!!  And to top it all off we had lunch at my fave chinese restaurant.  Judi is the queen of organization so I asked her to take a look at my studio (feeling very closed in in my small space) and give me some suggestions.  So here it is the BEFORE and I am open to suggestions of all kinds!! My goal is to have a functional, fluid, and PRETTY space.  More to be forthcoming ....

The Bday - I promise this will be the last

I promise this will be the last bday post!  My sister says it has to be the last bday too as I am 39 and will get no older!  Last night I had a great bday dinner with great friends and family and I can actually clean up! Had the best wine at dinner a cab that was picked out for me and beyond wonderful - Atlas Peak - Awesome! And today Happy Bday to Me I took two classes at Sweetpeas and Snapshots from the FABULOUS  Tammie Moore - she is generous, kind, heartfelt, soulful, and wonderfully talented - the only thing I don't like about her is that ... she lives to far away for me to come over and hang out with her all the time! I got to SweetPeas and was greeted with cuppitycakes and a bday note - you gotta love that! My friend Judi honored me with the most special gifts and so did Tammie - I told you she is a love!!!   Made this awesome book in class - not finished as of yet but here is the cover...  Met some great chicas who I hope will become friends  ... sat next to the sweet and creative Alicia and she gave me a great class idea - shh!  More to come on that and she does get credit!!  Which brings me to the fact that I will be teaching at SweetPeas ... March 10 I will be there for their Magazine Party (they are on the cover of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Mag) doing a fun tag make and take and will be teaching an Awesome class on April 21 (more details and pics to come)  Here are some pics of the store - beyond LOVERLY!! and Mary the owner is BEYOND creative not to mention uh BEAUTIFUL, sweet and last but not least from my hometown of Baltimore!!!

I Love This Life!!!!

Love this Life ....

Love this Life.  Today I am 39 years old close to the min I was born as I write this ( and I didn't plan that and I don't think it is a coincidence) and this what I know...

I am a woman, a mother, a great friend, a daughter, a sister an intelligent, thoughtful, soulful human being.

I am strong, creative, don't take my to seriously, loving, and generous.

I am impatient, and learning to accept things in a timely way without pushing.

I go to fast and need to slow down - I am getting better.

I am beginning to know who I really am.

I am learning what "I" like, love and cherish.

I Love this Life and am truly grateful for it.

I got this tshirt for my bday and I love what it says and stands for in fact I think it will be my motto for this coming year.  This is what is on the back:

Love this Life ...
is about celebrating the moment
and that we're not guaranteed
or owed another day
and how coo it is that what we hide
can actually be the fuel towards our glory
Love this Life ...
is about welcoming the blind turn
and the possibility that
there's no such thing as coincidence
and that empathy is incredibly sexy
and that it is never too late to
pick up a guitar or a paintbrush
or make an amend
or to make a new friend
Love this Life...
could be about rekindling a past flame
or igniting a new one
or shapeshifting from a dreamer into a doer
or savouring the caress of a love long gone
Love this Life ...
means whatever it is you want it to mean
Because
Love this Life...
is a celebration of you and your path
Love this Life...
'cuz it could go at any second

you rock.

Mark brought home cuppitycakes for my bday last night and the boys sang to me!

I love this Life!

bird of happiness on etsy

I have decided to list some of my orig. art for sale on ETSY - in honor of Valentine's Day the first one is THE BIRD OF HAPPINESS a 6x6 mixed media piece.  You can check it out here on my Etsy Shop

Cuppity Cake Ponderings

Black and White SPC (self portrait challenge) more challenges lay ahead especially when you are laying on the floor trying to take pics while in the midst of doggie kisses.  Day two of the bday week and  still reflective.  Went to Ventura for a bit of shopping and some great Indian Food with my friend Marisa as sort of a joint bday (hers is thurs) and picked up some great finds - pics to come no doubt. And my nights and days have been filled with Valentine TREATS - in this case 2 dozen cuppity cakes, 20 heart shaped sandwiches and white choc. covered pretzel sticks for Payt's class - tmr I am room mom for gray's class where we will make bookmarks and Choc. pretzel sticks there.  Sweetness abounds!

Joy of Self

I love my MOO cards so I came up with this idea to hold them in my bag.  I used one of those cardboard slide holders (they fit 8 cards perfectly) and it turned out quite charming I think.  Here is the new JOY Journal for the new Round Robin I am hosting.  If you are interested in participating email me and I will contact you with the details - basically it will be similar to the last one (check out my ArtJournalz yahoo group) in that you will create the pages and send them to me and I will insert them in the book (this insures that the book will not be lost and after losing SEVERAL this is the way to go)  Color copies for a small fee or pdf files of the book will be available after completion.  The format is 8.5 inches by 12 inches with an 1in gutter on the left side.  Back and Front.   On other news this is my Birthday Week and it is always a really special one for me in that it coincides with Valentines and all those festivities.  School Parties, Dinners, and I am teaching a class at the Paper Post on this thursday and then the grand ole day is the 16th, Sat. is the bday present to myself - I am taking 2 classes at SweetPeas from the lovely Tammie Moore.  All that fun stuff being said this week is also a time of deep reflection for me about who I am and what I know - truly.

Life and Love are in the DETAILS

Carol Park's Annual Valentine Tea!  I must say that I can count the experience as one of my all time high points in life.  Life is in the details and here there were many all filled with LOVE and thoughtfulness. The tea was held at the Hotel Graciela in Burbank and all the details were fab (thanks to the queen of details ms. carol) The place was filled with roses and more roses.  Petals and bouquets and a wreath filled with antique silks from carol's grandma and friends.  We came in and created valentine boxes from the craft table.  We then had a delicious tea filled with sandwiches, scones, and sweets and our own tea pots of course.  Then our lovely host had gathered a beyond wonderful collection of prizes to be raffled off.  The money from the raffle was donated to her beloved Longonet school in Kenya.  Beyond my belief and remember I said this (I never win anything!)  I won three prizes!!!  Carol's hand painted grocery sacks, an orig. painting by Diane Cullhane, and a handfelted bag.  Everyone was Loverly - my friend Judy in her lovely indian sawar  and carol in her bright and vibrant colors that match her personality and the cutest chica ever in the adorable dress (unreal and I am lusting after it) which she got from a store called Handmade (must go there but really shouldn't).  Then all of us had made valentines and stood in line to pass out our goodies.  We all went home with boxes full of treasures.  And when I finally got home and sat down with a meal and a nice glass of syrah and unwrapped and examined each one I was brought to tears by the love in each and every one - bath bubbles in red heart shaped bottles, hand painted papers, canvases, heart shaped homemade fudge, tins of mints, cookies, bookmarks, necklaces,  - I was overwhelmed by the love and joy in each one.  I know, i know you wish you had a friend like Carol too.  Well, I have to say I am blessed that she calls me her friend - I am certainly blessed to call her mine.  She has opened up my world to much joy, color, vibrancy and a bigger, better life filled with a lot of love. I almost forgot the topper - THE HAT  - I call it my suffragette hat.  I bought it off of ebay about 5 yrs ago - it is supposedly from around 1918 - who knows - but it is in great condition and have never had the chance to wear it - until now - carol says I will have to wear it every year!