Some photos some food and some friends

First stop was old sacramento - we unpacked the car and hit the Pyramid brewpub for some drinks and dinner - sacramento has many cool buildings and a lot of parks - the city of trees

see the heart?

Then we hit the road to Ashland, OR  - it was cold and snowy through Shasta but we also saw lots of flowering trees and a lot of this:

We stayed in the center of town at the Ashland Springs Hotel which we highly recommend!   there is a lovely picture of Ashley and i, but it is on Tom's camera so it will have to wait for now

we went on the road again and stopped in Salem for another pub lunch with my friend Tracy and got a tour of their newly remodeled home - very cool.  We are in Portland now and off for another adventure - Seattle tonight.

On the Road....

We had gorgeous blue skies, orange poppies on the hills, yellow mustard in the fields and tunes blaring on the radio......

my handsome driver - virgil

now we are coffeed up and ready to hit the road - north

Rumi

Lord, the air smells good...

by Rumi

Lord, the air smells good today,

straight from the mysteries
within the inner courts of God

A grace like new clothes thrown
across the garden,

free medecine for everybody.

The trees in their prayer, the birds in praise,
the first blue violets kneeling.


Whatever came from Being is caught up in being,

drunkenly
forgetting the way back.

1000 journals

I signed up for the journal project but i haven't received the journal yet - the one i signed up for is in the middle of South america right now. i'm hoping to see this movie soon.  if you haven't been to rag and bone yet you must check it out.  the paper artists they have blogged about are creating the most amazing things!! 

supercoolhappylovething

Dancing around, gathering supplies, hemming clothes (nothing like 2 years later to finally hem 3 pair of pants), and making reservations for our upcoming road trip. i'm so happy to be going on a new adventure - can't wait to see friends, Portland, Seattle, Oregon coast. Freakin' out just a bit about all the supplies, ephemera, etc i need to gather for my art classes - but it will get done and packed up and we will be on our waaaayyy.

Road trip music!

Grams

Today is Grams birthday - she really disliked that it was on St Paddy's day - she used to get a lot of green birthday cards and I remember her saying - "I never did like green" just one of her many lovable quirks. i miss her - sometimes i'll just be going along my day and think - i haven't talked to grams in a while i need to call her - then i remember.

so funny

Trades

so here are some of my trades for artfest - bundles of paper, fibers, embellishments, etc and these funky knome charms attached to some moo cards:

Night Jasmine

The night jasmine is so potent these past weeks - it grows along both windows of our bedroom so when we get in bed at night and when we wake up it smells like tropical paradise

I've been busy making artfest trades and hanging out with tom.  the day just flew by and now it is time for dinner and a movie and an icy cold cocktail!  

(blogger is having issues - i'll upload a photo of my trades tomorrow!)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Girls night out to celebrate my mom's birthday! I think it will be a good year for her - starting with a March full of parties!

Lovely Thoughts from Steering by Starlight

Live while you are alive ... 

Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit 

Learn to free yourself from all things that have molded you 

And which limit your secret and undiscovered road ... 

Never forget that love 

Requires that you be 

The greatest person you are capable of being, 

Self-generating and strong and gentle- 

Your own hero and star ... 

Be grateful for life as you live it, 

And may a wonderful light 

Always guide you along the unfolding road

**********

Check out this creative lady's latest adventure in San Miguel de Allende (on my dream list) 

the colors, the mexican folk art, the iron work, the food

Monday PM

It is my dear little's birthday today - 20 years old.  The first one we haven't celebrated together and i'm feeling a bit nostalgic tonight.  i did call and sing to him - Happy Birthday, Pickle!   You are so loved!!

Monday AM

Working on creating a self portrait stencil for an upcoming class with LK Ludwig - these are what i've come up with so far - i haven't done any cutting yet and i think that there is a need to simplify simplify simplify.  it's been fun messing around in photoshop!

i will try the above first but i think the below is rockin' - can't you just picture it in my journal?

i love the authenticity of the nose and the happenstance "happy face" ear detail

An outing

Mom and i went to Bowers to see the quilt exhibit and have some lunch. we have seen just about every quilt out there after all these years of going to shows, QBL, and exhibits. this exhibit displayed mostly antique quilts (over 200 years old) and focused on California-made. i enjoyed the show mostly because there were many examples of the Log Cabin and its various settings and i've been thinking about making a bed quilt to go in our new bedroom - i really want to make it out of luxurious fabrics - i have a great stash of silks, linens, and satins.

not very practical but does it have to be?

We started at this exhibit: Masters of  Adornment: The Miao People of China

Wow is all i can say - these women do the most insane hand embroidery, hand pleating, and they dye gorgeous batik fabric and silks.  The jewelry and crowns were super cool and looked heavy - they really get fancied up for their celebrations.  See the detail on these girls' dresses - all hand embroidered and hand dyed.  The girls are taught from a very young age how to do the dyeing and the handwork.  the better they are at handwork the better catch they are.

i don't know - it might just be me - but a simple life of creating gorgeous jewelry, batiks and silk embroidery sounds realllly great!

Going public....

s...l..o..w..l..y though - can't expose myself to everyone at once - that would be way too scary.  A few friends, a few family members, on a few blog comments.  i will be passing out moo cards at artfest that have my blog info so i thought if strangers read my words then i want my close ones to come by and see what they think first.  Thank you for the support my dears!

i'm so inspired by Misty Mawn and she has been working on a video project that i'm posting here because it just rocks - it starts out on a meditation of shadows and then really gets rolling around minute 3 with an awesome drum dance groove that will make you happy!

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