Saturday, March 28, 2009

Inspiration Overload


So I'm out and about, and my mind starts going in cirlces - so many ideas, so many things I want to start working on - around my home, little art projects, things for my daughter... I have lots of inspiration from my walks/jogs, and even the drives around town. I get home - and here I am - at the computer fishing around for even more ideas. Researching the "mind circles" of ideas that were flooding in just a few hours ago.

Where SHOULD I be? In my studio, working. In my daughter's room, working. Outside, helping do some work.

Even my husband is up and about - going after that garden we're FINALLY going to put in! and here I am in piles of books and papers, just fishing around for more ideas and inspiration.... Why? who knows!?! I have what I need, it's all up there - now , as Nike says, just go and do it!

what a mess.

Of course having this cold (or allergies, I still can't tell the difference...) doesn't help...
Ok, off I go to finish a piece that's been sitting forever (and is also due in a matter of weeks!) nothing like waiting until last minute!

Monday, March 16, 2009



It's almost spring, just a few more days and it's "official" - I can't wait. It's one of my favorite seasons (ok, fall is my favorite but spring is my runner up!). I love the way the birds chirp in the morning, before you even get out of bed - there they are! they're up and ready for their day, bright and early... and I'm an early riser myself (5am-ish...), so they're REALLY early risers. The sun is on it's way to coming out and you can just tell that the air isn't that cold. (ok, so I like to pretend sometimes...)

No more heavy jackets, scarves and gloves...

No more warming up the car forever...

No more hot tea - hello, iced coffee (and tea)! love those!

Time to switch out the clothes, pack up the heavy ones and send them sleeping into the attic...it's good for them.

Open up the windows around the house, fresh air everywhere! (Italians are famous for this one, and it's an "any time of year thing too)

Ciao ciao treadmill (or at least for non rainy days!) I can get out there with my daughter and the dogs, and stroll away... time for a new pair o'sneakers.
Maybe a few new miles to travel too...

Yes, it's definitley a great time of the year. Life is good.


Friday, March 13, 2009

Almost there...



So my technical skills - the ones I'm trying to improve, seem to diappear within 24 hrs of not using them at all! Today I was admiring and looking at this little page I put together - about a year ago - I had so much fun with it! It was just a few photos of us with some fun papers, photoshop. Now, I have NO idea how I got the graphics or where they even came from. I love Photoshop, but I swear that it's ever-changing... I mean within hours, days, the program has some other feature or does something else!!!

I tell my students to practice all of the time - no matter what you're learning USE it and work with it - time to take my own advice! It's just that there are so many avenues to go down with this technological gem of a program, and only so much time....

I could always retreat and go back to the "old fashioned" way of making some of my photos look "pretty" and get the collage stuff out. I have a whole studio to work in too - my husband was kind enough to put all of that together for me... and did a great job! Of course, the week after he finishes that up for me, I decide to scan everything and take up Photoshop again! Poor guy.


On another note - today I went to a craft fair, a pretty sizable one, going on for 3 days... I've gone a lot over the past seven or so years...it's changed quite a bit. It was comforting though, to know that Etsy is still my safe-haven! I could find a lot more there than at this 3-day fair. I suppose it's like Etsy is an every day fair, with LOTS more great hand-made stuff !!! I could go through the "Treasury" lists for hours...it's a GREAT "get away"... and I don't even have to drive!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Paths


This weekend we had some amazing weather - so, like most families, we too FULL advantage! Getting out in the sun and airing ourselves out was the perfect was to spend time together...
first off, a full day at the beach... we played in the sand, walked the boardwalk, dined by the sea and took in all of the fresh seawater we could. I actually made my daugther draw in the sand - so did she really know I was getting her to exfoliate those adorable little hands??? not sure, but she loved it! and so did her skin! :)
Next, we hit the park, fed the geese, a few goats and got a glimpse of a horse. Usually, any of these furry little creatures are quite anxious to see a human soul - we = food. But not on this day. Even our four legged friends just wanted to soak up some sun (and well, by time we got there they were stuffed from every other human throwing food at them!).
Last stop of our day - the slide. Of course, my daugther has to get her slide time in - and boy did we ever! We were there for a good hour, just sliding away.

Vitamin D intake for the day = 100%!

Day two - time change! Up and out early with my daughter to find the tow path. I can always see it from the river, it's this pretty little path that has been there for ages... Mules and barges worked there for years - a LONG time ago - they found it, they made it! For crying out loud, it's 2009, I had to be able to get to this place- no mule needed!!! I was determined - and viola', we were there! After a bit of rough terrain (and thank goodness for my BOB, the best all-terrain jogging stroller a mom can have!!!), we were there... on a beautiful golden sandy path just a few feet wide, sandwiched between an old workers' canal and the river. The sun was perfectly positioned between the low hanging branches of the trees and shrubs. It was a perfect day. I stopped clocking the miles after a while. I even took off the Ipod and just listened to it all - the beauty. Of course, a few miles into it, splashing through some water, bouncing over the stones and rock, driving uphill and slipping through the sandy path, my perfect little cherub was out cold. No nature appreciation for her , well, not for now. A little movement gets her sleepy.

Finally, I decide it's time to turn around - I've hit what seems to be another town ! Oddly enough the desire to just jog part of it comes over me, and so , I jog. The geese are playing in the water, one without a partner - getting bullied. I stop, talk to her and give her my daugther's animal crackers - does she really need them anyway? I may not see the goose again; my daughter has a whole bucket of these things at home! I passed just a sprinkling of homes along the way - hidden little gems I would have never known even existed. One day, we too will live in a hidden place of beauty like this - for now, I live across the street from it all! :) And one day, my daughter will decide that bouncing around in her all-terrain carriage is worth staying up for and seeing some pretty darn beautiful stuff.
On our way back, off the path, we slowed down and traveled through the park. I got my daugther out of her carriage and let her walk a bit. She loves to watch the geese fly in their perfectly assembled patterns in the air. She points, smiles and goes on her way. She stops, and starts to sway. I begin to cry. She hears the church bells from across the way , she's dancing to them! She's noticed everything that's beautiful. It's a perfect day.




Thursday, March 5, 2009

Etsy finds!







I do love to browse the thousands of pages on etsy.com - it's just a perfect little world of handmade everything. I too have a shop there, but I truly am more interested in some of the fabulous jewelry and fabric findings I see on there almost every day... people are SO talented!
Like just be designs - she has some GREAT stuff - SO fun! The "Bella" bracelet I just received it outstanding - perfect for the Italian teacher in me! :) She "reworks" jewelry - I love it! I should rework a lot of things I have hanging around here, just wish they'd come out 1/2 as good looking at this bracelet!!!
And the Glass Onion - woah - a crystal expose' of beauty! I had to have these perfect copper earrings - so pretty. (and they go with my blog!!)
Yes, I do have some things up there too... paper and artwork, things I get to when I have a chance... A fun little place to keep some of my work...
My Etsy slogan: It's a great place to escape to , where you find talents and many unique rewards!


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Tech addict...



I never thought I'd say it, but I think I'm a tech addict! Ok, I've seen REAL addicts, and NO, I'm no way near them... I don't even know how to set up half of the things they do online and the such... But all of the sudden I find myself wanting a Mac again and wanting to get some really good graphics going - again. My Photoshop years are so long ago, the new version -well, I open it, look around, click here and there, make an attempt to do some THING, then, I'm done. I do get frustrated with all of the new stuff out there- yet, at the same time, I can't wait to get my fingers tapping on it all!

It's really having an effect on work too - I keep building and building on these few silly webpages we're allotted, blogs too - I love it! I get in there every day, add, edit, change photos, colors... Do I have that kind of time? NO - absolutely not, but I do it, because I'm addicted! My students are starting to think I'm nuts.(starting???)...
Even now, I'm playing around with an initial and try to make it look pretty! how pathetic!
Do I break down and stop this "self-taught" method? and I may finally "get it" when I'm 70!?It just may be time to hit the books on this one, so I can get it done the right way... Of course following the books just doesn't make it as much of a "challenge" as I'd like either... :)