My Mom came down to see us for Christmas, and it was relaxing and wonderful. We went to the beach to look for agates and floats…
This is my Jeep, decked out for holidays with antlers and a red nose The orange flag just goes up when we drive over the dunes and onto the beach.
Whale watching season started, so we tried to spot some, but had no luck that day. We watched movies, strolled old town, ate sushi, and of course I was really excited for her to meet my sweet pup, Chewie. The cats, who don’t give me the time of day, were all over her – like she was the cat whisperer or something. Crazy.
It was just really nice to hang out, spend time with family and have a break from work.
My youngest, Tyler and his sweet girlfriend Lorelei…
The only bummer was the rest of my family in Canada… Here’s my darling g-baby Ava, who thinks the cat’s water dish is pretty interesting:
My niece Sarah and Ava:
My oldest, Trevor with Ava. He’s such a great dad.
Christmas is such a magical time for me… because when I was a kid, it was truly magic. The air smelled different than any other time of the year… rich with Christmas tree sap, chimney smoke, and snow (yes, you can smell the snow just like the rain).
Back in the day there were no DVDs or VCRs, so when the Christmas specials like Rudolph or the Grinch came on, it was a big event. I remember my Mom dressing me in a new nighty and making some kind of special snacks and egg nog for the occasion. You couldn’t miss them, or it was a whole year till they were on again.
Every house and shop was decked out with lights… not those little lights we have now, but those big huge colored bulbs. And the snow – well my sister and I would go tobogganing till we went through all over mittens, and we had to move onto my dad’s thick socks. We didn’t come in until we were soaking wet with no more snow suits to change into.
Christmas Eve we would go to my Mamma & Pappa’s house after midnight mass and listen to the local radio station that was reporting Santa sightings across Canada… as soon as he was in our neck of the woods my parents would wisk us home and tuck us in and it was nothing short of magic.
I only remember a few Christmas presents… I know I always got everything my heart desired every year, but it wasn’t that part that is engraved in my heart… it’s magic of the season. The advent calendar… waiting for each day to open up a door. It was the stores that were decked out with the most amazing decorations. It was all the baking and trillions of Christmas cards that arrived in the mail. It was getting a new dress for the Christmas concert and how school days leading up the Christmas break wasn’t about math and reading… it was about rehearsing songs and lines of the play, making gifts for our parents, or learning how to build a snowman treat from marshmallows, a toothpick and some food coloring for drawing the details. Teachers felt like friends and family and everyone just got along.
Those were my favorite holiday memories as a kid.
And my favorite one being a parent? That’s easy. My oldest son was about 7 or 8 and had heard from the older kids that Santa was not real. He quickly informed his little brother and before I knew it, I had these little doubting boys. Well I couldn’t have that! It was a tough year… their dad had split and I was working hard just to pay the bills. We went without a lot of extras leading up to Christmas so that I could save and my oldest knew money was tight. Well I had saved enough to get them everything on their Christmas lists, just as my parents did for me. When they went downstairs and saw everything under the tree, Trevor cheerfully exclaimed “there IS a Santa… Mom could NEVER pay for all this”… and just like that their holiday spirit was restored, and Santa was the magic man again.
I love Christmas. My Mom is coming down this year, instead of us traveling up the Canada. I will miss not having snow, but I have convinced my Mom that we can forgoe the gifts this year, and use the money to toodle around and have fun, and eat glorious meals at Feast and the Waterfront Depot, and to hang out and enjoy scrumptious snacks at home while watching movies and playing games. Of course I’m shopping for my kids, but other than that – we all have what we want or need already… or at least what others can buy for us, lol. I want this Christmas to be about family, not material stuff… because those were my best memories.
Happy holidays to you all. I hope you give handmade this year – give your heart, your talent and your love. Sew something up, bake something divine, whatever your specialty is, and give of yourself… and I guarantee your 2010 will bestow good karma on you
Today I made Amanda wake up and go make a wreath with me. (Thank you Pearl) The Florence Herb Enthusiasts group always has fun stuff to do, and today it was wreath making. For just 5 bucks they had wreath forms, fresh greens and wire. I added some dried hydrangeas and a little bird (yes, everything I make has bird, lol) It’s too windy outside for the hydrangeas to survive, so I hung it in my living room and hopefully it doesn’t dry out too quickly. It smells so good… just like a Christmas.
I started making these fabric wall hangings this summer as something that could showcase my photos of the beaches, as mementos for the touring customers in the gallery and I was hoping to sell the 3 or 4 more that I made. I had no idea that they would take off as well as they did, and now I’m having trouble keeping up Somehow between finishing my bowl for the Empty Bowls bennifet and making thanksgiving dinner, I need to sew some more for the gallery. This is a peek at a few… I paint the background fabric, print my photo on cotton and sew it on, then layer on goodies that I find on location.
Hellooooo everyone! I’m so happy to back on my blog. I took the summer off to bond with my puppy and get all comfy and cozy with Backstreet Gallery. I’m co-owner with 23 other amazing artists and I can honestly say they are my new family. I am so blessed to be among such a group of talented and nurturing artists. I’m serving as the interim Vice President also, which is pretty cool. If you are ever in Florence, please drop by and check us out
So fall is in full swing now… the rain is here and little Chewie is ready to go:
He’s all grown up now. He’s about a foot long and a foot tall and a whole lot of cute!
OK, so as I settle in, I’ll be playing catch up with photos from the summer till now and will be having all kinds of fun give-aways and projects. Stay tuned and thanks for hanging in with me!
Every moment of every day is a chance to make a choice… choices that affect you and lives of people around you. Some choices are easy, some take no concious thought… Some are so difficult and make you wonder if you made the right one… The winding road of life takes some on easier paths than others… My oldest son’s road seems to be a long, slow, uphill path and I would do anything, anything, anything in the world to make his journey easier.
I love you Trevor, with every fiber of my being, with every breath I take, and no matter what – I hope you carry that with you.
I took this picture the other day, when we were looking fore sweet creak falls, and got side-tracked (ok fine…. lost).
I couldn’t sleep last night, so I pulled out my pottery clay and made a few bugs They will need to be fired and glazed, but here they are in their still wet, raw glory. Below are thumbnails, so just click on each one to see it better.
The holes are for wire attennas to be inserted when they are done, and the long skinny one will hang, so it has an extra hole.
UPDATE: there are no minimum bids… you send me your best bid and I’ll let the winners know on the evening of the 14th. A great opportunity to get some art or a sterling charm at a great price, with free shipping! Please bid now
Meet Alexis… she’s been fighting cancer since she was a baby and she needs our help. Click here to read her story and click here to read about the silent auction that Tammy is organizing.
I am putting my “Love Soars” and a sterling silver and pearl nest charm up for auction. The auction will end on June 14th @ 6pm. All bids should be emailed to me directly the top bidders will be announced here on my blog on the 12th, at which time I will contact you for shipping and payment information. You will need to send your auction payment to me, but it must be made out to Seattle Children’s Hospital. I will then mail your check to Jill, Alexis’s mom and will mail your art – in the spirit of giving, I will pay for the art shipping
Love Soars
LOVE painting with a mod look… drippy aqua acrylic paint and a very fun 3D heart with wings. A little vintage sheet music distressed with paint and some lovely scrolls.
Negative space gives this a modern flair! And if you love the aqua and red color combo – you’ll love this painting.
smell the flowers, smell the ocean air… smell the rain
Every morning when I get up, I open up my front door to spy the sky for the day’s weather and lately the air is filled with flowers and green. It’s so heavenly, I wish I could bottle it for winter.
Work has been crazy, not only is it busy, but I’m redoing the site, starting with the shopping cart. I’ve been creating, testing, reworking graphics for days…. yesterday I took a couple of hours to go look at the waves, and breathe in the fresh, salty air… after looking at the computer screen for so many hours… I was going buggy.
As I write this, there is a fantastic thunder storm going on. I’m sitting outside with my laptop, watching the light show and listening to the echoing thunder. I just love a good storm. The lightning is getting closer and closer… you can smell the ozone. I can feel the floor rumbling beneath me.
I was asked to submit an application to join a local co-op gallery. I think I should because it would be really good for me… if you know me, you know I tend to tuck into my shell like a little turtle, lol. It will keep me on top of my creative time – get me mingling with my artsy friends that I should be staying in touch with, etc etc.
I guess I’ll find out tomorrow night if I’m ‘in’.
The orange flag just goes up when we drive over the dunes and onto the beach.
Every moment of every day is a chance to make a choice… choices that affect you and lives of people around you. Some choices are easy, some take no concious thought… Some are so difficult and make you wonder if you made the right one… The winding road of life takes some on easier paths than others… My oldest son’s road seems to be a long, slow, uphill path and I would do anything, anything, anything in the world to make his journey easier.
Nest Charm
