More Hints

Today I am battling Brenna's cold. I can't seem to fully get the cold, but just seem to feel generally crummy. The dogs sure aren't happy with me. WHY am I just sitting here?? WHY are we not doing something fun???

 Alas, I had no coffee in the house, so I threw on my oldest, comfiest sweats, added black slippers to my white socks, put on my dark glasses and went through the Starbucks drive-thru. I was truly a vision of loveliness.  Who knew in the drive-thru how beautiful I was??? Didn't even take the DOGS for a ride. Then I saw this:

I drove back home, grabbed my camera and took my lovely self back out to snap some pictures. (Minus dogs AGAIN. They are really peeved with me now.)  I would not recommend tromping around in slippers to get pictures, but hey, sometimes you just can't help yourself. Or your brain just isn't working right.

This is the front of an old farm property by my house. We can never figure out who lives there or what they do, but right now, the property is for sale. I haven't seen it bloom or grow anything green on it for a while. Pretty, isn't it? O.K., I realize it's just weeds, but it is a gorgeous bloom all over! And no, I am not running a fever.

The bees were very busy. Do you think they know we are supposed to get an inch of rain tomorrow?

Well, it was worth it, black slippers and all. I'm sure Lauren would give me some kind of an award for best dressed mom. I'm pretty sure. 

Think I'll go get some more Tylenol.

A Hint of Spring

Ahhhh, my favorite season at Trader Joe's!!!

For those of you that don't know Trader Joe's, it is a favorite small market here in California. It is full of healthy foods, organic foods, and FLOWERS!!! Every year at this time, the daffodils arrive for $1.29 a bunch. I love it!!

Those cute bundles of unopened daffodils bring a big smile to my face each year and I buy them through March. They are my most favorite of flowers, as it is the flower for March and yes, my birthday is in March. I won't tell you when, 'cause I am thinking of joining the "give-away" gang and giving something away for my birthday. If I can pull it together. NO PROMISES!!!!!!!!!

Until then, I will just keep my sweet daffodils in the house!

The other Hint of Spring is the sight of my Calla lilies  coming up!!!

I wish I had these all over, but there are just a couple of shady spots where the plants don't get torched by the sun out here.

I only get a few blooms, but they are my all time favorite to photograph while opening...it's sad that they are so short lived!!

I'm hoping you are seeing hints of spring wherever you may be!!

The Latest As Promised

I have done laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, done some more laundry. Made a phone call. Got Brenna her lunch. (She is home today with a crummy cold.) Cleaned up lunch. Yelled at the dogs for barking at the fence. Made myself a latte.

Guess I can't do much more. Guess I have to show you my latest collage. I like it. But it is so very nerve wracking to put it out on the world-wide web for all to see. Sigh. Well, here goes. Tell me what you think. Really.

I thought I would hang it up on the wall to see how it looked. Not the right wall color.

So I put it on the mantel, in the family room.

Better? A little faded, maybe. The lighting isn't quite right in here.

Let's do close ups.

The excerpt was from a great book that my friend, Wendy gave me. I couldn't believe what I found-a little paragraph on a mother's meanderings of her beloved child; her "summer child." So cool.

The quote is my all time favorite. I would sit by the sea forever, if I could.

I added a tag from a pair of pants I bought. Then some watch pieces I found on 

Skybluepink. Have you ever been over there? Great place for all kinds of stuff!

Some raffle tickets, and then I stamped some clocks to add to the sense of time.

I found the round grommet in L.A. in the garment district, the playing card behind it??? I can't remember!!! But I had fun coloring in parts of it.

Metal letters. I found them at Marshall's of all places.

I could actually see a smaller version of this collage, now that I'm looking at these pictures.

No frame on it, though. I haven't done that part yet. To frame or not to frame? Always the question!

On to the next project...a smaller version of this, and another using a picture from one of Brenna's horse lessons.

Have a great day!

Creative Juices

Well, well well. Who knew the 'ol creative juices were still alive and flowing? I have been wanting to create a collage for the longest time. When I do, lots and lots of things happen. Thinking, pondering, meditating, yearning, and just pure happiness comes. Frustration as well, but mostly happiness. And contentment.

I was visiting my friend, Pam's blog. She is participating in a 

"vision journaling workshop." It has really brought forth some amazing insights for her and while reading what Pam has been learning, it has inspired me to try collaging again.

It is daunting when I begin. Unless I have a photo or a verse or an image that really resounds in my heart and soul. This one was just plain fun and I learned a new technique using gesso and stamps and acrylic paint. I'll show it to you next time I use it. I didn't photograph that part!

I got out all my trusty friends and began. About three days ago!! I have this ridiculous thought that it will be a great masterpiece in an instant, presto! kind of a moment. Or it should be. Don't you think it would do the world some good if we banned the word should from the English language?

This time around, I was determined to be o.k. with whatever time frame I had. Which was about 40 minutes one day, an hour the next and then, lo and behold on Saturday, the floodgates of time were opened up to me and I dug in. (After putzing around, of course. What is THAT about?)

I am happy to report that I was able to let this one just morph into the right direction. I started out with one quote and ended up using different one. I had a page from a book all ready to go on it and that got put in the scrap pile. I love, love, love it when I start taking things out, laying them down and then watching it change. Or taking things out, laying it down and thinking of just the right thing to add.

In doing so, I came up with an idea for my next project. How fun is that? I think I am finished with this one, but I will take another look at it in the morning and see if it needs anything more. Then I'll post it and start on the next one!

I'm hoping there is room in your day for creativity!

Invite An Author To Dinner

Okay, so I'm making dinner tonight and I think to myself, "among the authors that you have read, which ones would you invite over for dinner?" I have to confess, I have thought of this more than once.

I know. Totally random post. Nothing artsy, (well, don't you think the dinner conversation would be artsy and fabulous??) nothing about Brenna or a give away. Just a thought.

So. Who would you invite? Here's my list, in no apparent order:

Anne Lamott (Plan B-Thoughts on Faith)

Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper)

Alice Hoffman (Blue Diary)

C.S. Lewis (Screwtape Letters)

Augustine Burroughs (Running With Scissors)

Rebecca Wells (The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood)

Lorna Landvik (Angry Houseswives Eating Bon Bons)

Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel)

Oh, man. I'm getting excited just THINKING about it.  What would I make? Mmmmm....maybe a great pasta dish? Nah, gets cold too fast. (For sure something that doesn't need a slotted spoon.) Mexican? Nope, I'm thinking pasta. Maybe a great veggie lasagna with a big salad and bread. Hmmm. No, too boring. Something warm, comforting, lots of color....I'll have to look at cookbooks. The menu is almost as important as the guest list. And definitely coffee and dessert. That's where the fun would get started.

Would they all get along? Would it be like putting together a regular dinner party, where you make sure someone knows at least one other person, or would they all connect because they share a fabulous art? Kinda like when we get together and do a swap. We all connect and have fun because of our shared love of whatever we are making.

Whew. That was fun. You just HAVE to comment on this one!!! Tell me who you would invite and what would you serve???

Horse Lesson #4

It was back to the stables today. We have had so much rain that Brenna has had to skip her horse lessons. It showed a bit today. I'm happy the horse knows to not keep walking into the fence. Or that it has a HUGE amount of patience through "HO! Click, click, trot, walk, trot, walk, this way, not that way..."  You get the picture...

Both Brenna and Splash persevered and had a great lesson!

So, I have to tell you. Splash hit a little bit of a soft mound of dirt in the corner of the ring and stumbled. My heart just about leaped out of my chest. Literally, I thought I would leap over the fence in a single bound. But just as fast as the horse stumbled, she recovered and kept going. The trainer gave Brenna a high five for keeping her cool. I think it happened so fast that Brenna didn't really have time to react except for "Woah! That was crazy!"

I realized today just how much concentration she has to put into each lesson. Head up. Reins held just right. Lead the horse. Look where you are going. Uhhh, she lost me on head up.

It was a beautiful day today. Dare I tell you it was 78 degrees? Spring has sprung a little early out here. There are two new members of the stable:

This hungry man is about one month old. He had just woken up from a nap-sound asleep flat out on the hay!

I believe this beauty is 2 WEEKS!!!!

I'm hoping Benna can get back next week. It's supposed to rain again Monday, so we will have to see.

Hoping you all did something you enjoyed today!

Happy Valentine's Day

Ahh, love is in the air....

What better way to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day than to share the pictures from Brenna's Valentine Dance with her support group?

All gussied up, we left in great anticipation of what was to come...

Dare I say there was a little loooove in the air???

Maybe. But mostly it was a bunch of kids that were SO not worried about the usual stuff at a dance and who were there to just have a great time!

This is the one that just says it all for me:

Love whoever you are with today, just a little bit more.