Found Under the Christmas Trees

Everyone is on board for the family photo, it's one of our favorite traditional shots we take. We love asking that random lot worker to help us out, the goofiness that ALWAYS occurs. . .we don't dress to impress, and my biggest hope is that we are all smiling--we nailed it this year. Of course, we love that Kawai is captured in his element! We'll give him a couple years to get with our program. Merry Christmas Loves!

Gifts Not Found Under a Tree

Of course, this craft space still in progress but ready for me, crafted by one creative man! Lucky for me he is mine! He may not do baseball, but he does do this! I can't have EVERYTHING ladies!
My brother-in-law brought this up from the ocean blue. . .I inherited the pink coral yesterday! Let's place it in my Happy Room! {Gary, love you! Thank you for thinking of me!}
First place in a Just-Wanna-Play-Ball tournament this past weekend for Yates Baseball Academy. Noah played four games and pitched in two. . .it was 85 degree December weather! Playing ball in the sunshine!
Luke last week at freshman baseball tryouts. He did not make the team, it's an unspeakable disappointment, to not have this dream realized for a 14 year old. Time will heal & we will replace one dream with another. . .you make me so proud Luke.
This year, oddly, I don't have snowmen or santa/reindeer cheer. . .the true meaning is about Christ. Picked this up at Albertson's, LOL, but it suits me just fine. As of the 13th. . .it's the only thing out. Behind or ahead of the game?

The Reveal! Bliss!

How easy it is for me to fill shelves. . .if only I could keep the creative space looking this classy!
Late last night, Lorin & I were able to review the quality time he spent on this project to make my bliss come true.


Thank you BHITW.

"Daylights Burning!"

A Beautiful Day to Vote! And as Dr. Bill Bennett refers to the "American Capacity for Self Renewel" or Hannity's national radio ditty, "Independence Day, a day of Reckoning". Not much more to say! Been a long dreary political road to this day. . .(got this pin as a gift from a girlfriend who knows me well!). . .

Thrilling Hibiscus

I spy these everyday! I remember growing up on Maui and being unappreciative of the Hibiscus, never my favorite. But now! I love them!

I'm Just Saying. . .

Someone stole a Hibiscus plant off my front patio. I love my small Hibiscus plants. It makes me sad everytime I walk up to my doorway--since the plant has been on my step since she was a baby. It's not this pink beauty. It was another pink Hibiscus, and I miss her.

Two Kinds of Heaven!

The first being my husband being on task with crafting my creative space. First photo of one length of my work desk top, a beautiful formica found by Lorin. And how he makes his work area look in the garage organized & ready for serious craft work.
The other piece of heaven is the three day getaway to the amazing Bellagio, Las Vegas Nevada.

A delightful break for me to be pampered with fine wine, award winning eats, The Beatles (Cirque Suleil), and meeting Lorin's co-workers--wonderful time out for me!

BTW

I have a good friend who has a artsy blog & she has been defining her blog purposes. I like that. Thanks Les!

My blog I fancy as a web journal of inspiration. Craft/arsty related. Anything deeper might be on my journal pages (Everyday Journal), but "deep" is a matter of personal consideration! Post 50, I don't digress or struggle quite in the same manner as I have as a younger woman. I have a storage of self absorbed journals ready to be tossed out. Maybe it's that 50's thing I have going for me, a good sense of maturity--possibly, but even that I don't care about as much anymore. I may take some time to deliberate if it strikes my mood. . .maybe this is why I do so many faces, I like to reflect the momentary mood. But even that passes too!

Adding also that I prefer this blog over Facebook.

Inspired by Sabrina Ward Harrison's self portraits, it made my camping trip this year a satisfying vacation! I do love to be absorbed into something artsy as reading SWH's set of visual journals & responding to it. Sketching is a big part of my life now, and is part of my journaling. I tell myself, anything small is good enough! Ah the good arsty crafty life! Never enough time for it & ideas just tumble about in the head waiting to surface some way, somehow!

Summer Waning

My darling is working meticulously on my creative space again! It's been a year since my room was dismantled & now we are back on track. I am drooling. . .patiently. . .painsakingly, yet thankful. . .okay heck, I can barely contain myself!
Welcome to your new beautiful home dear coral, like feather to me, like snowflakes to Frank: I only regret you are not in the ocean. I want to name you. . .Snowflake. . .
And you too Beautiful Blue. Thank you for adorning my family room! I have trouble letting go of summer!

Currently

Listening: Rosie Thomas's "These Friends of Mine"

Eating: Honey Nut Crunch w/ craisins

Drinking: Arizona Diet Tea

Wearing: A simple puka shell bracelet & fab puka ring from Costa Rica!

Feeling: I need to get to bed by midnight.

Weather: Grueling mid 90 degree weather!

Wanting: To do a online class titled "Crafting My Best Life" (does this not just pull you right in??); but have already spent my September allowance! (And it's only Sept.5!)

Thinking: Here comes BSF! Bible Study Fellowship! Bring it on!

Needing: A baby break from Kawai!

Enjoying: 1) Fab new diffuser by Maison, "Honeysuckle" (honeysuckle & lavender), 2) being crafty/creative, 3) new coral----I know, I am not playing by the rules!

Wondering: When will my darling hubby will put together my Craft Room. . .it's been one year with no creative space!

(An Effer Dares prompt.)

And Later On. . .

She was given a pink pearl. Many faceted uses on this stamp! (Hmm. Endless Summer Series. Mermaid Series of Three, how to name this set?)

1:22 A.M.

Oh oh, this is not good. . .to lose sleep to mermaids! Started Mermaid #2 last evening (have plans to do a set of 3) & she was calling to me all day while I had a surprise BFF hanging with me today. After lil' Mister bedded down, playtime for me! Bring out the prisma colors! A stamp I can write little notes on, I'm so smarty smart. One more mermaid sketch to transfer & carve. Good night! Sleep tight!

Inspired by Summer Crafting

The Journals I pieced together recently featured a few of my personal mermaid & coral stamps I had carved in the past. It was a nice little touch I thought & I wished I had a few more. . .which began that desire to carve again. Part of me doesn't want to let summer go, it's like this with me every year. Summer consists of crazy burst of summer skies, oceans & shells--it's hard to let go. I sketched a total of three mermaids, can't seem to get my fill of them! The idea of a pregnant mermaid seems perfect since Sarah lives with me, she had Kawai & so many of her friends have had babies along with her, or like April, is having one.
Carve slowly. . .in between all the buzyness I live in.
It begins to look messy, but you remain patient.
And here she is. Makes for sweetness through & through! Perfect stamp for Mommies! And the memory of being hapai (with child).

Shabby Chic Travel Journals 2010

I took a online tutorial class with Ann Moss from www.dispatchfromla.com recently. Knowing that my upcoming Costa Rica trip was scheduled this August, I had a creative desire to create travel journals for all of the travelers--four ladies!
I was able to find some of my personal stamps (everything is packed away presently) for summer flair.
My first pages. . .
Many mistakes were made as I began creating them at the last possible moment! Amidst caring for Kawai + the boys, preparing for the first vacation camping in the Sierra's--it seemed chaotic & crazy; and yet, the excitement in grabbing paper for FOUR travelers was a challenge I could not resist!
Constrained by time, I was not as shabby chic as the tutorial called for. Working with a sewing machine on paper was new to me & I enjoyed it. So much was going through my mind as I worked on these journals, I wanted to personalize the pages with supplies that I own but I didn't have much time so that did not materialize as much. I was able to staple small photos sporadically throughout the journals.
My kitchen looked like this most of the day, for about a week, until hubby came home!
Machine sewn. . .with EIGHT signatures (meaning page inserts to give each journal forty pages, 2 "signatures" per journal). A gift for Sarah, Nikki, Lacette & I. Woot! Woot!

Costa Rica Loveliness

The country Costa Rica brought this beauty out.
Lacette is on vacation in Costa Rica!
Hotel Barcelona. . .where eating three times a day became a favorite part of the day!
Our rhapsody in white. Kawai.
What Sarah does with flowers in her hair and barefoot on the sand.
Oh youth! So lovely! Sarah, Lidia, and Nikki.
Costa Rican rainstorms, refreshing!
Colorful heliconia.
Dancing to a little Bob Marley under the cabana in a rainstorm. . .
And this little gem of a store at our destination, Tamarindo: www.EKARTJEWELRY.com
Be still beating heart!
Everyday shoreline. . .treasure trove. I'll do a better job of Costa Rica photos, vacation seems to be all about the people who travel!