Soul Humming

Seven

My sweet friends Jennifer and Francie each tagged me with a blog award recently. Thank you, friends.

Francie's award is The Premio Meme which, as she tells it, "... is designed to recognize unique voices and visions on the Web as well as to promote fraternization amongst bloggers of all sorts." I do like unique voices and visions and I can handle a wee bit of fraternizing. Jen's award is the Kreativ Blogger award. Both awards come with the same sort of game play in which I am to list seven interesting or unusual facts about myself and pass it on to seven people. I always find this very difficult. But, here goes...

1.  Anklets and toe rings sort of weird me out. But I've had my nose and belly button pierced. Go figure.

2.  I was once a singer in a band.

3.  I almost never watch the news or read a newspaper...on purpose.

4.  I believe in everlasting life.

5.  I believe in magic.

6.  If I could go sky diving right this minute I would gear up and do it.

7.  I much prefer confrontation to passive aggresiveness. I think that if you have a problem it is far better to work it out than to go around worrying or whining about it. It isn't always easy but I think you learn much more and have deeper relationships this way.

I will now break the rules and not pick anyone else for this award. Sorry but I would rather not (just another weird thing about me, right?) ;0) But, if you want to list seven interesting things about yourself, consider yourself tagged. And please leave a comment here so I can come read them!

summer, summer, summer

"We have a hunger of the mind
which asks for knowledge of all around us,
and the more we gain,
the more is our desire;
the more we see,
the more we are capable of seeing."
- maria mitchell

this week is the one free week for us. the kids begin summer school on monday. my oldest is taking an art class that sounds awesome. i may have to squeeze my hiney into one of those teeny plastic chairs so i can play along. but for now, this week has been about exploring, seeing, and playing. we've been to the book store for new reading material, to the Discovery Science Center to build robots and make short films, and yesterday we headed south with friends to run rampant through the San Diego Wild Animal Park.

my sons amuse me like no one else can.

and, as every mother can attest, they grow up so quickly.

so it is important to let them have days where they act like monkeys and try to make fire by rubbing two sticks together. i think these three were the most wild creatures of all we saw at the wild animal park.

they are so sweet.

they are so curious.

they are so joyous.

they are unique.

they are beautiful.



and they are magical.



"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

Grow, my sweet boys, grow.

New Bits

I barely have had time to work on anything let alone take photos or list at Etsy. So here's a couple quick pics of recent new bits. Summer is here! Enjoy your sweet selves!!

 

Celebrating

We're celebrating twelve beautiful years
of wedded bliss here today.

And, happy Father's Day to all the
Dad's out there, including my own!

Mail Art Collaboration

Over at the Guild we're prepping for a new collaborative project about which I am very excited. It's a painted faces envelope round robin. Basically, we each start with an envelope measuring at least 9" x 12", paint on a background and a face (or two or three or four), put our name and addy in the return label and mail it to one of the participants. Then, when you get an envelope in the mail you add to it with more painting, collage, sewing, and so on until it has made the way through the whole circle.

So I started on my envelope today. I couldn't find one the right size at first. Then I came across one that had my son's Little League team photos in it. Perfecto!

It is covered front and back with graphics so I hit it with a couple layers of gesso and some masking tape to hold the flaps down.

Then I put down some color and a couple of old foreign postage stamps.

I added some red tape and drew in the face.

I began to refine the image and build up the features.

Finally, I got to a place where I was ready to stop (plus the kid gets out of kindergarten in six minutes and I'm covered in paint).

She was exactly what she wanted.

The hardest part is not finishing. I need to leave something for the other girls to work with. I don't want to send them something they are afraid to cover or add to. That's the fun of it. The thrill and risk of sending it off and seeing what someone else does to it. More to come...

Chocolate

If you are fortunate enough to live by a Trader Joe's, I highly recommend these:

You buy them frozen. Just put them on a paper lined baking sheet to proof before you go to bed, give them a light egg wash in the morning, then bake. Voila!

Fresh, flaky, tender hot chocolate croissants! These are so dangerous.

The are full of very dark rich chocolate which is not too sweet but not bitter. They are perfect with a big mug of French Roast on a gloomy June day like the one we've got going on here.

I was hoping to paint today. But, we have house painters here. They are currently scraping the paint off the shutters on my studio window. It's a bit loud and distracting. I can't decide if I should just get out of here or turn up the music and fling my own paint.

Last week, before I lost my Big Dog, I was working on a lot of new jewelry.

Now I'm not even sure where I put it all. I'm a bit more scattered than usual, behind on what I should have already done and sort of frazzled. Once I get settled and find things, I'll be sure and post them. I need a major stocking of shelves in my Etsy store. Soon the kids will be out of school and hopefully I will have a bit more time to actually work on things. Something tells me I may find that there is less time to work on things but I'm hopeful.

Lastly, thank you so very much to everyone who wrote to me about my Big Dog. It has been an incredibly difficult experience. I have been having a really hard time of it. So your kind words, friendship, and support have truly helped to lift me up. Thank you all so very much.

So Sad

Rest easy, best old friend

Dutch
aka Big Dog

March 1, 1994 - June 6, 2009




I bet God throws a fast Frisbee








before i was married,
these were my roommates.
they're all gone now.

A Trillion or Two

Here are some lovely new earrings I made today while the boys were with their grandma. They are hand forged sterling silver bowls that I gave a nice antique patina with the torch.

And inside each little bowl there dangles two carats of highly faceted sky blue topaz in a trillion cut.

I love this beautiful and unique cut and wish I had more of these! I may just have to track some down.

They are available in my etsy store.

SPW - String

the day is over in an hour and i've only just realized that today is wednesday. so here are some silly self-portraits by a very tired girl to celebrate self-portrait wednesday.

i hope you all can have a laugh with a little piece of string or something frivolous to lighten your load today. 'sending blessings to all you wonderful people!

more

today i am wishing for more, more, more...


more time



more love



more solitude



more silence


more color



what are you yearning to have more of today?