Sunday, September 27, 2009

The Country Girl Goes to NYC

On Tuesday morning I take off with a friend for a short business trip to NYC, my first adventure east of the Rockies since I flew to Tampa to see my cousins in 1968. If all goes we'll get to go back for two weeks in October. I'll no doubt come back with some stories to share, so stay tuned.

Monday, September 21, 2009

The Art of Giving - Part Deux - The New Romantic

What do we all crave in our busy lives? A little down time. There is no specific definition, the concept means something different for everyone. It could be a little peace and quiet to let your mind wander, soaking in a scented bath, or cranking up the stereo and dancing around the living room. For some it's sitting on a riverbank with a line in the water, for others it might be climbing a mountain. Here in summer there is nothing better than laying in the hammock under our oak and reading.
But fall starts this week and with that comes shorter days, longer evenings, and more time spent indoors. Life is short and its far too easy to zone out in front of the TV or spend hours playing games on the computer. What is the solution? Turn off the remote, back away from the keyboard and put a little romance back in your life.

The Art of Giving - Foodie Basket

As we move into the holiday season thoughts will soon turn to finding gifts for family and friends. Shopping for presents has never been a favorite pastime for me. I wanted to create something unusual and unexpected that would surprise and delight, and be great fun to put together. Enter the gift basket (or bowl, or gourd, or box) perfect for just about any occasion: birthday, wedding, holiday, off to college, house warming or just because. The possibilities are endless. Walk away from the big box stores, support working artists, and put together a truly unique gift.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Harvest Time

About 3:30am I was awakened by bright lights, tractors and laughter. I toddled out to my studio and opened the door. It looked like a space ship had landed in the vineyard next door. Then it dawned on me, it's harvest time! I found out from a friend, who has a small vineyard on her property, that grapes are often harvested in the wee hours to delay the onset of fermentation.
I decided to explore Etsy and 1000Markets with the key word "harvest" and here are a few of my favorites for this week. Support independent artists!
"Goddess of the Forest" by creativityjewellery

"The Harvest" from Jewels in the Garden
"Home Grown" from Burning River Studio

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Skylights

If you think life is simply a sequence of passing events
You haven't been listening to the music

One autumn evening we noticed a glow coming through the windows from the sunrise side of the house. The light was so improbably rich and bright we were immediately drawn outside. There we found our neighbors out on the driveway as mesmerized as we were. This was one of those magical moments when a few of the simple elements of our everydays: a late afternoon breeze, clouds and a setting sun collided to create an incredible light show.
LESSON HERE?
Go outside more often: take a walk, listen to the birds, say hi to your neighbors, or go get your hands dirty in the garden. Life is too short to be constantly plugged into that matrix that we call a communication device! Moderation is the key, so back away from the keyboard, find the nearest exit, open the door and step into the new world. That's where I'm headed right now!