BLOGGING 101: Blog to the Rescue!

Friends, I know I haven't blogged here since March (yes, March!) and I have to say - I miss my blogging time. 

But when I received an e-mail this week from an old family friend, and my beautiful CAbi consultant, Rebecca Oostra, it hit me:   a BLOG (and a blog post) can come to the rescue when you least expect it!

First, let me share this with you all:

Recently I've done a lot of soul-searching and question-asking, as in ...

"why did I begin my (2) blogs in the first place?" 
"what did I hope to accomplish - personally or globally - with these blogs?"  
"did I enjoy putting blog posts together?" ...  

And I had the following answers:

"why did I begin my (2) blogs in the first place?" 
BECAUSE I wanted to stay in touch with friends & family, and in the case of the first blog (this one, DH2travelers), share snippets & images of trips we have taken or hope to take some day, etc.  And in the case of my second blog, http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com my intent was to share my love of mixed media art - the artists, the techniques, the results - with others of like mind.    IN BOTH CASES, the blog became a vehicle for me to speak my mind - to share what I liked and believed and found meaningful & beautiful ... that was the driving force behind my venture into the world of blogging.


"what did I hope to accomplish - personally or globally - with these blogs?"
TO speak up - and out - about things that matter to me, or that I found helpful or amusing or soulful or meaningful or heartbreaking or amazing.  And in some cases, all of the above.   I also wanted to share beauty and good information with others - my passion for plein air art has been featured on DH2travelers many times, as has fashion and film, recipes and bits about our family. 

I had also hoped that I would meet and befriend people all over not just the US, but the world, "meeting" people who stumbled across my blog/s just as I had stumbled upon theirs in searches, link-trekking (I think I just coined a phrase there!), referrals from friends who blog and follow blogs, etc.

"did I enjoy putting blog posts together?" ...
Easy, this one:  a resounding and emphatic YES YES YES.   I loved the time I took to follow my own train of thought(s), to gather images or links to embellish the topic, and the putting it all together.   I would hear something on NPR (national public radio) and it would stir up an idea, and there I'd be, at the computer, linking not only to the NPR coverage of whatever it was, but adding a link to - where the book or music could be found, what I thought about it, etc.  {of course, things I found intriguing on NPR often cost me a bit of money, because I'd find myself pulling into Barnes & Noble to 'just pick that one up'.  ha!}

In the case of  Princess Magpie's blog, the answer was equally crystal clear:  YES!  I find mixed media art to be - intriguing, mysterious, simple and clean, busy and complicated, freeing, child-like and yet mature, and for me, mixed media art is an answer to my creative prayers.  God listened when I told Him that I missed - the creative process.   As a (then) retired interior designer, it was December 2008 when I began searching for "mixed media art classes in San Diego", and happened across an old acquaintance, Jane LaFazio.  Come January 2009, I was enrolled in my first (of eventually, four!) multi-week series with Jane and the rest is history!   (but all that's been covered in another blog post, over at http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com/2010/08/everythings-coming-up-mixed-media.html)

AND NOW, to the impetus for today's post.  This is the note I received from Rebecca via e-mail this week:

"Hi Davi,


I sent Olivia off to the post office today with about 5 priority mailing envelopes with CAbi samples in them. She asked me if the postage was taken care of (which it is about 99% of the time, since I am sending something back to CAbi with a postage paid label). I said, "Yes" and off she went. I was a little distracted.


A couple of hours later I get a phone call: "Hi Rebecca. This is Sandy from the post office......." Well, Olivia dropped off the packages but never looked at them (okay, that is something I would do). Sandy must have been busy, otherwise she would have informed Olivia.


So, before the packages were picked up by the driver, Sandy noticed that none of my packages had postage. She didn't have my phone number.


She googled my name and found a 2 year old blog (by you); the one where you talked about cleaning out your closet). You added a link to my CAbi web site and Sandy went there and found my phone number.


THAT'S service!! To say the least.


Sandy and I laughed about it. I told her to keep me on speed dial.


Well, what do I say? Isn't that wonderful? Thank you for mentioning me. You are an angel.


REBECCA OOSTRA • CAbi Fashion Consultant "

{you can link directly to Rebecca's CAbi webpage by clicking  right here:   www.rebeccaoostra.cabionline.com }

Even CAbi has a blog, and I love getting their link in my e-mail:
 http://cabicanary.com/?m=2011&w=25

{and you can read the blog post from 2009 that led Sandy to Rebecca right here:  http://dh2travelers.blogspot.com/2009/03/simple-abundance-for-your-closet.html }

And that, my lovely friends, is another good reason to blog.  And when you blog, be sure to LABEL anyone and everyone that you've mentioned in that post, so that in querying someone's name or business, they have a chance to be discovered, like Rebecca was.  

In closing, I have to thank my dear friend, ANN DEAKERS 

 { http://www.adeakers.blogspot.com/ }, for encouraging & inspiring me to blog in the first place.  She told me it would be easy-peasy and she was right (but then, Ann's always right!).   Thank you, Ann.   I'm sure Rebecca thanks you, too :-) !!!
 
~  Davielle
 
And for anyone interested in blogging in a big, beautiful way, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of ARTFUL BLOGGING, published by Stampington ... http://www.stampington.com/artfulblogging/

FLYING LESSONS underway

Friends, I am not about to let my dream for MAGPIE'S ART NEST be put on the back burner, as they say, and so I have (a week late) signed up for Kelly Rae Robert's online class, FLYING LESSONS: Tips + Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar ...

{above, Kelly Rae teaching us at An Artful Journey - February 2010}

In case you don't know what Magpie's Art Nest is all about, you can visit my other blog at http://iamprincessmagpie.blogspot.com for further details.

I think e-courses are truly the way to go when you want content that you can really ponder.  It's online, you can re-visit the information, and if the instructor has made it accessible for printing, you'll have that hard copy that so many of us appreciate months down the road when we need a refresher.

Kelly Rae and her friend Mati Rose (McDonough) were co-instructors for the workshop I took earlier this year with my friend, Ann Deakers ... we made our own FUNKY CHUNKY COFFEE TABLE BOOK and what a keepsake it is!   Cynthia organized the most amazing Art Retreat (An Artful Journey) I can imagine, and Los Gatos was a beautiful setting.  Just far enough away from home that we could really feel we got away, and driveable, too.

But back to FLYING LESSONS.   I've never had a desire to fly an airplane, but these are the kind of flying lessons I can really aspire to.

If you are so inclined, I invite you to join me on this journey.

Visit Kelly Rae's website by clicking on the title of this blog post - it will take you there in a flash!  (or just click on the FLYING LESSONS button on my sidebar ...)

-- Davielle

Avoiding the Speed Bumps and Good Key Karma

My friend and blogging mentor {and a frequent "you won't believe how amazing she is!" topic on this blog and my other blog}, Ann Deakers, gave me some advice this morning that I found quite good:  "You can avoid the speed bumps ..."

Let me tell you the context:  we were leaving our morning workout at the YMCA and as we got into our cars, Ann said "you know, if you go out the north exit of the parking lot, you can avoid the speed bumps."

It was that simple.

But as I got in the car, I was struck with the wisdom of her simple advice. 

"you can avoid the speed bumps."

Wouldn't we all like to avoid the speed bumps?  Literally and figuratively?  Life is beautiful, yes, but it can be a challenge, we can endure plenty of pain and suffering, there will always be hiccups along the way.  SPEED BUMPS, if you will.

I know that I am not the first person {and I'd venture to say, I won't be the last} to compare actual speed bumps with figurative / life-occurences-related speed bumps.  But I just had to share that with you all today.

Listen to your friends.  ALWAYS listen to your friends.  For the most part, our friendships survive and thrive precisely because ... they help us work through or avoid ... life's speed bumps.

There.  I've got that out of my system for today! 

Oh, and speaking of cars and bumps ... I want to say that I had the most excellent key karma lately ... not just once, but twice.  In one month.  Here's how that went for me: 

The first incident was that I parked outside a Michael's (arts and crafts supplies) a few weeks ago, on a drizzly morning, and as I got out of the car, I noticed I had parked next to a storm drain.  You know the kind with the stencilled dolphin that says "I live downstream" ???  As I shut the car door, my keys fell to the ground.  One single inch away from that drain.  On a slanted surface.  I bent down very carefully, very slowly ... and got the keys.  What a relief!

The second incident was even more unbelievable.  Last week, my daughter came over to run an errand with me.  We parked both our cars (at home, in the driveway) at the same time and ran into the house to do a couple of things (like, say, going to the bathroom!).   When we went back outside, I couldn't find my car keys, and I was driving.  I quick grabbed the spare keys and off we went.  40 miles and 40 minutes later, we pulled back into my driveway.  She got out, went inside ... as I got out of the car, something caught my eye.  Yes, I had driven all that way, for all that time, up hill and down dale ... with those keys ON THE TOP OF MY VOLVO.  Thank God, there is a slender channel that runs the length of the top of the car.  One key had wedged itself into that; otherwise, they would have been oh-so-long-gone.   If you don't believe me, I think I took a picture of it.   

so looking at it again, I see that it wasn't really a key that held them all in place ...

                         

rather, it was the little bone-shaped Harrod's "charm" on the keychain, a memento from our 2008 trip to London ... that saved my bacon !!!

And that's all I have to say today about SPEED BUMPS and GREAT KEY KARMA ...

--- Davi

Going on Retreat ... AN ARTFUL JOURNEY, here we come !!!

{If you click on the link / title above, you will be taken right to the page that introduces the Retreat I am going to with Ann Deakers, February 18 - 22, 2010.  Although OUR Retreat has been sold out for months & months & months :-), there is also AN ARTFUL JOURNEY Retreat scheduled for July 18 - 22, 2010 -- and registration for that Retreat is now OPEN.}

SO ... what does this mean, exactly?  We've all heard the word "retreat", and in several contexts.  Right?

I found it interesting, and a bit shocking, that the definition that I usually attach to the word RETREAT is ... barely defined by Webster's {my mother's old Webster's is the one I use, dated 1956 and bound in leather} ... I define RETREAT as a ... getaway to a place where one is focused intently on ... relaxing, or learning something new, or spending time doing something we love to do -- as in "a spiritual retreat", or "an art retreat" ...  I even think of "a board retreat", as in ... when an organization's Board of Directors meets annually "on retreat" so they can be intently focused on ... their Mission.  

Isn't that what most of us think these days, when we hear the word RETREAT ???

I would venture to say, though, that my father, Frank - a World War II veteran -- would automatically think of ... the "real" definition of the word Retreat:

"to withdraw; 1.  act of retiring, or withdrawing, as from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable.  2. a place of seclusion, privacy, safety, or resort; a refuge; asylum; hiding place; den.  3.  an asylum for insane persons, inebriates, etc.   4. (had to do with aeronautics)    5.  The withdrawal, esp. when forced,  of troops from the presence of an enemy."

THOSE are the definitions that I think ANY military veteran would ascribe to the word "retreat".

I, however, did find one last, almost hidden, definition in Webster's that I can work with:

"To make a retreat; to withdraw."

AND THAT, my friends, is what an ART RETREAT means to me {as would a spiritual retreat}.  For one to "make a retreat" {ie, to leave behind their everyday life for a period of time, to just get away}.  To "withdraw", certainly, from our everyday responsibilities, and worries, and life. 

Ann and I are about to "withdraw" from our lives in San Diego to spend 3 full and artful days with artists KELLY RAE ROBERTS { http://kellyraeroberts.com/  } 

{ Kelly Rae ... and Kelly's hands .. from her blog }

and MATI ROSE McDONOUGH { http://www.matirose.blogspot.com/ }, who are co-teaching our workshop at AN ARTFUL JOURNEY, where we will create a "Funky, Chunky Coffee Table Book".  You can imagine my excitement to actually, finally, be taking a workshop from the mixed media artist that started me on this mixed media "adventure" I have been on:  Kelly Rae.  I have art in my home from both Kelly Rae and Mati Rose, and it inspires me daily.

{ my "whole-hearted" elephant from Mati Rose McDonough ... 2009}

For me, an ART RETREAT means ... focused and relaxed time with like-minded friends where we just ... get & stay CREATIVE, where it's expected that we will get MESSY, where we are sure to have fun, and for me, it's a place where I find a lot of grounding, and even spiritual growth ... because my passion for art and creativity is something that comes from my SOUL.  I have found that the friendships created in art classes or workshops are some of the most amazing in my life.  ART is the common denominator that brings us together, and no matter how disparate the rest of our lives might be from each other's, it just Does. Not. Matter.

The beauty of AN ARTFUL JOURNEY, for me, is that it is being held on a "campus" known as THE PRESENTATION CENTER ...

in Los Gatos, California.   Click here to see what I'm talking about: http://www.anartfuljourney.com/retreats/presentationcenter.html

And I would be remiss if I did not mention CINDY O'LEARY, the fearless organizer of AN ARTFUL JOURNEY.  All her hard work is about to come to fruition, and I know that I speak for all the Retreat-ants when I say "thank you, Cindy".

What I am especially looking forward to, besides the art and the new friendships to be forged over the time we all spend together, is that it seems that The Presentation Center ... is mainly used for SPIRITUAL retreats -- a place of serenity, beauty, stillness, and plenty of Mother Nature.  The history of THE PRESENTATION CENTER can be found via this link:
http://www.presentationcenter.org/About%20Us/history.html

Right there on their website, is this comment: 
"Escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Take time to communicate more clearly and deeply with your colleagues."

 And that, my friends, is exactly what the word RETREAT means to me.

I dedicate this post to my beautiful friend Ann, to whom I am ever grateful for the gift of  her friendship, for the role she has  played in my ... blogging; in my discovery of mixed media; and for encouraging me all along the way of my Creative Discovery Journey.  I love you, Ann, and I think you are the most amazing woman! 

We'll be back on Monday evening .. you can expect a mighty long post after I return, with plenty plenty plenty of "visuals".

--  Davielle

LIFE ON THE FLATHEAD: My Longest Blog Post EVER

I woke up yesterday, Wednesday, all ready to go into town and find me some internet access, so I could blog about the beginnings of our stay here at Flathead Lake with Mark’s family. I was in the perfect blog-post mood – and then I had a brief “difficult moment” with my mother in law, which made me sad and a bit sick at the stomach – I don’t deal well with confrontation. So the mood to blog passed and I just sat here sorting photographs, cropping, rubbing out red eyes, etc.
When my amazing mother in law came to me within an hour to apologize, all turned right again with my world. Life as I know and enjoy and appreciate it … was restored. No matter how often I try to convince you all that I am not as overly-sensitive as I used to be … don’t believe me! I am, I am.

So here’s how it’s been so far:

We left San Diego at 7:20 am on Sunday morning on a cute LITTLE plane that operates for Delta. Oh my! When we looked out the terminal window to see our “ride”, we simultaneously gasped (quietly). I had to take a picture, ‘cause nobody would believe how small our little plane was … the man standing next to the nose will give you a clue.

After one of the smoothest plane rides we’ve ever experienced, we landed (softly) in Salt Lake City. We claimed our carry-on bags, which, as it turned out, were TOO LARGE for such a small craft! We moved on to the gate quite a walk away, where we took off for Missoula, Montana within the hour.

We arrived in Missoula to Marion & Gene (mark’s folks) and Jerry, Marion’s brother / Mark’s uncle. What a nice welcoming committee! As all of us were rather hungry, we drove until I spied an IHOP and we lunched there; most of us on breakfast fare.

After the longer-than-usual drive to the Flathead (due to a whole lot of road construction), we arrived at the Cabin. I have not been here since the summer of 2004. Five years is a long time to be away from a place that had already become quite dear to my heart. I’m glad I took the leap of faith to return this summer. It’s been near-perfect.

Sister in law Stacey and her children, Lauren & Sean & Jonathan had spent the day at Glacier, with Jerry’s daughter Joy, her son Nick, and Jerry’s granddaughter CJ (named for Jerry’s beautiful and belove late wife, Clarice Joy). What a beautiful family! We met them for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Bigfork, and it was great to see again those who I’d just met last year (Joy and Nick) and to meet little CJ.

Night One: Mark and I slept on the pullout couch with an added foam pad. Boy, were we sore on Monday morning!

Day Two (Monday): Marion treated us to Banana-Walnut-Huckleberry pancakes made with Krusteaz whole wheat flour. DELISH. We opted to hang loose most of the day, spending as much time as we could with Jerry, Joy, and the kids. They pulled out around 3 in the afternoon, headed for Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore on their way back to Minnesota. Then we made our mid afternoon run into Bigfork to visit the Library, so we could have internet access. We were somewhat thwarted by the fact that the Library is not open on Mondays … however, we could get access by sitting on the little benches out front. Mark caught up with some office work, while I shopped across the street and Lauren-Sean-Jonathan used their own laptop to go online. They were not to be denied! We then walked the main street of downtown Bigfork all together, stopping in for ice cream cones to get us by until dinner. Isn’t that what aunties and uncles are for? Spoiling a kids’ meal?! And Monday night, Mark and I returned to our old at-the-cabin sleeping habit of setting up in sleeping bags out under the stars, on the grass, near the firepit and the entrance to the cherry orchard. A beautiful, crisp, clear night – plenty of stars, just about no moon, nice and dark and quiet.

Day Three (Tuesday): There just isn’t anything like waking up next to an orchard … the birds, the squirrels that resemble chipmunks, the clean air. Dew on the grass. Oh my! We had agreed to pick cherries first thing this morning, so we could pit them and dehydrate them to get us through the winter. Mark says those dried cherries are going to get him all the way to Nationals next summer, but all I can picture are cherry scones, cherry muffins, cherry cookies, cherry pancakes, and cherries in the granola. We picked … we pitted … and with the help of my father in law, Gene and our nephew Jonathan, we got them onto the trays and into the dehydrator. A bountiful crop to bring home next Tuesday.

Plenty of time Tuesday for doing LIAV-37 days “homework”, and a frustrating time of it, trying to reach my peer call buddy, Rosalie – which indicated to me that without reliable cell service here, I could not make today’s WILD & PRECIOUS LIFE conference call. I was quite disappointed, but it did open up time for me to journal quite a bit and to make new discoveries. I can’t wait to share it all with Mark!

Another gorgeous night under the stars and life goes on quite swimmingly.

Day Four (Wednesday): Another beautiful morning, albeit a smidgen marred by a little “discussion” with Marion about life and friends and being careful to not make judgment until one has the facts …. Which we resolved quite beautifully, as I noted earlier in this post. Mark and I soon welcomed our friend Robin, and her children, Skylar, Hans and Ava … it was so good to see them all again. Mark sees them each summer; since I had not come for 5 years, I was long overdue. Just hugging my very dear friend Robin, who has been a rock in my life since we met in 1987 or so, did me a world of good. We got the kids into the orchard, picking cherries with Mark, and Robin and I set out for The Raven, a bar / restaurant right on the water, close to Bigfork, to have a nice catch-up visit. A beer and a diet coke later and we realized that 2 hours had passed and we had to get back to the kids, since Skylar had soccer practice in the afternoon.

We spent the rest of the day reading, watching birds, napping … relaxing … and I spent more time on my next attempt at drawing a “goddess” girl face, a la Suzi Blu. It’s becoming less frightening for me to pick up the pencil – so long as there’s an eraser at hand, I am less fearful. I actually made a lot of progress, and even began adding color with colored pencils … she’ll have to wait for me to get home for some paint and glimmer and embellishments! ANN, I am really beginning to adore this journey … I hope you are, too.

Wednesday evening we had a nice impromptu visit from cousins Mark and Rachel St. Sauver, who live just up the road. As always, Marion and Rachel and I got into a discussion of books we have read and are about to read … books are such a wonderful conduit for friendships when one doesn’t get to see the other for long stretches of time (remember, I haven’t seen Rachel in 5 years – and how is it that she just doesn’t age?! Must be this Montana living!) So … the other random topic that came up? Rheumatological disorders; believe it or not, Rachel was diagnosed with RA a week ago, and I was tentatively diagnosed with Palindromic Rheumatism three weeks or so ago … and we are within a year in age of each other. I have always felt a kinship with Rachel … now it’s been cemented, I think.

BIRDS WE’RE SEEING UP HERE: a pileated woodpecker; evening grosbeaks; robins; nuthatches; chickadees; house finches; some kind of sparrow; oh, and although it’s not a bird – plenty of bats in the twilight. It’s way cool.

BOOKS I HAVE READ UP HERE: I started OLIVE KITTERIDGE on the airplane, and finished “her” on Tuesday. I started A THOUSAND DAYS IN VENICE on Tuesday evening, and finished “her” up this morning as I lay in my sleeping bag out on the grass. What’s next? I have a book called INTERIOR OF THE CASTLE: St Teresa of Avila – that I think I will pick up next. I have to say - I wasn't crazy about OK, but I sure fell hard for VENICE.

On the calendar for today (Thursday): a run into town so I can cut & paste this VERY LONG POST into my blog site … and then, Mark and I are heading out to explore, to poke around some thrift and antique shops, and to visit Gatiss Gardens near Kalispell.

And oh my, Stacey just read aloud to us DESIDERATA, in its entirety. First composed by Max Ehrmann in 1927, and “renewed” in 1954 by Bertha K. Ehrmann … this was a magnificent accompaniment to my morning coffee. If you haven’t (ever/lately) read DESIDERATA, here is a link: http://www.fleurdelis.com/desiderata.htm
Do visit, do take your time, do savor each separate “concept”.

That’s enough for today … we have plans to go to the RODEO on Friday evening, and you can be darn tootin’ sure I’ll be taking the camera along for that.

FORGIVE ME for this suuuuuuper long blog post, friends. The thing is, this is my “travelers” blog, and so every once in awhile … I feel I “get” to wax poetic and on & on & on, ad infinitum. Going forward, I promise to try and give you the Reader’s Digest version. {and sadly, speaking of Reader’s Digest – I heard last night that RD has filed for bankruptcy. What a loss to an icon of Americana …}

AFTER WAITING 15 MINUTES FOR FIVE PHOTOS TO "UPLOAD", I got a message saying - whatever. It just didn't work. Drat, but now I'm heading out.

Your –
Davielle

Le Mont St Michel

My friend Ann posted this to her blog recently, and seeing it, just took me right back to last May, when Mark and Kristina and Cara and I visited (and stayed overnight on) Le Mont St Michel.

This is an amazing photograph, posted to Flickr by one Ludovic Belchior.

I believe, if you'll pardon the oh-so-obvious-and-expected pun here, that this ROCKS.

To see the photograph, I believe you have to click on the "title" of this post to activate the link. Give that a try ...

:-)
Davielle

seeing art everywhere: TAKE THAT CHANCE YOU'VE BEEN CONSIDERING

"Take that chance you've been considering."
titled: LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF WHIMS / artist: Leilani Pierson

At the LONG BEACH QUILT SHOW on Friday, which I thoroughly enjoyed in the company of Ann (a talented artist of many mediums), Cindy (a glassblower; YES, I know a glassblower!), Paula (who quilts and sews, I believe), Chris (who quilts like a Maestro of Quilting),

an overall view in the morning ... oh, where to begin?!

we saw SO MUCH INSPIRATION ...

just look at this beautiful stocking ...

So much CREATIVITY ...

this was the wall of Artist Trading Cards, and show-goers were happily TRADING, just like it was set up to do - leave one of your own, take one in trade. WHAT FUN !! Bernie, you would have loved this :-) ...

So much COLOR ... a stand of the most yummy wool pieces ...

title: GRANDMOTHER'S QUILT/A Cathedral Window

quilter: Manon B. Gagliardi / from: Branford, Connecticut, USA

and BEAUTY ...

glass artists Asho (L) and Mingo (Center), with my friend Cindy

{herself, a glassblower / glass artist extraordinaire}

THIS (at Mingo & Asho's GLASSCAPES) is where I discovered my beautiful HEART, the one that, if you look at it from the "top", as in, you're wearing it and you look down upon it, you see a BIRD ... a little, perfect, GOLDEN bird. And the artist could not have made that happen for all the tea in China - it just DID. Happen.

and TALENT. Oh my !!!

Melanie Testa, at the sewing machine ... up close & personal with show-goers, talking about her fabric art and her little zip-clutch purses, and her methods ... so generous of her time and talent with all ...

While at the Show, I ran into artist friends Linda Blinn and Jane LaFazio, who were both demo'ing their talents & processes at the MAKE IT UNIVERSITY area ...

here's Linda ... demo'ing a fun way to make your own CUSTOM cloth napkins (or whatever) using those beautifully colored / patterned PAPER NAPKINS that we all know, love, and collect ... just hoping for an opportunity to put them out for guests. Right? Well, now you can MAKE SOMETHING WITH THEM, using a product only Linda could have discovered: Aleene's PAPER NAPKIN APPLIQUE GLUE ... yes, folks, you read that right. That's what it is; that's what it does; that's all it's for. Be still my heart !!!

If you'd like to find out more about Linda Blinn and the art workshops she teaches, you can visit a couple of my favorite spots: SAN CLEMENTE ART SUPPLY ( http://www.scartsupply.com/ ); or a brand-new, open-house-today art space known as BRAVO SCHOOL OF ART ( www.bravoschoolofart.com ) down at Liberty Station.

and here's Jane, laughing with friends before her turn at the Demo Zone ... isn't Jane ALWAYS laughing?! I so love her energy and her enthusiasm for life, for art, for everyone.

If you've never taken an art class from Jane LaFazio, treat yourself and DO IT. Visit her website at: www.PlainJaneStudio.com ... but believe me, there's nothing "plain" about it !!!

A favorite publication of mine, CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS, was in attendance ... I loved their colorful booth, and the girls there were so very friendly and helpful. The even had the ORIGINAL ART of the pieces featured in the CPS 2010 calendar on hand for viewing - and drooling over - OH MY, the "eye candy" on hand was remarkable. You could just TASTE the deliciousness of some of these pieces.

And no, they weren't edible creations ... they just LOOKED so amazing, you'd want to absorb them into yourself, making their beauty and their message such a part of you, it was permanent. {does that sound crazy?! then go make a crazy quilt out of it !!}

this is "them" and this is their booth ...

and I even got a happy peek at KELLY RAE ROBERT's book, TAKING FLIGHT, here !!!

An overview of the 2010 CALENDAR ART on display ...

and a close-up detail of some of the art ...

this was the piece that I loved the very mostest MOST at the Show !!!

titled: LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF WHIMS / artist: Leilani Pierson

Maryanne and Ann - who grew up together & Maryanne met us at the Show, and joined us for lunch ...

We saw so much of the above, heck, we even began seeing "art" in the strangest places ...

After lunch, we found a HEART in the sidewalk outside the LB Convention Center.

we took it as a good "sign" that our afternoon would be just as heart-full (and ART-full) as our morning was !!!

The QUILT EXHIBIT, oh my goodness me, what a wealth of imagery ... quilts really are an art form, in case you didn't know it. If you're not convinced of that, then here, take a gander {or a goose, if you prefer} at these, for example:

titled: HERD MENTALITY / quilter: Ferret / from: UK

"YOU SEE A COW A DAY" ...

they say it, I believe it ... and this just proved it !!!

I call him "Norman" ...

title: SILENCE / quilter: Stacy Hurt / from: Orange, CA

One of the Etiquette Rules of Quilt Shows SHOULD be just this ... 'cause regardless of the size of the impassioned crowd, it truly WAS a calm, quiet atmosphere ... lovely!

titled: SPRING IN JAPAN / quilter: Akiko Kawata

from: Osaka, Japan

After our afternoon inside the show, we found no less than a "bird", a "duck", a "dog", and a "city skyline" ... in, of all places, my STARBUCKS ICED MOCHA !!! Yes, we did. Take a look for yourself:

Ann (left) holding my Mocha so I can click the pics !!! Teamwork !!

just about level with Ann's red bracelet, you see the tips of the dog's ears; don't you? He's looking left - he's a Schnauzer-ish kind of a dog. And he's headed into the Big City. See the skyline?!

ah, there's that SKYLINE for you. By this shot, though, it more closely resembles a crumbling French village ... turrets-a-falling-down and all.

So, I ask you: What's in YOUR mocha today?! :-)

Happy Sunday to you,

Davielle

500 Miles

My blogging mentor and artistic friend, Ann Deakers { http://www.adeakers.blogspot.com/ }

hit a milestone today - her 500th blog post! To celebrate, she posted a YouTube video that brought a big, happy smile to my face ... I hope it will to you, too ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeuNxMY_5Uo&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eadeakers%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

Just so you know ... it's THE PROCLAIMERS, doing a live acoustic version of I'M GONNA BE 500 MILES. You might know the song from the movie with Johnny Depp, BENNY & JOON. Or you just might remember hearing it all day long, for about a full year, on the airwaves - it was quite popular in its day.

Enjoy!

-- Davielle

All the Good

our back yard, several days ago - I just love the morning light ...

"Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as ever you can."
-- John Wesley

Thanks to my friend Ann, who had this quote on her blog, I was inspired to use it as the lead-in for my Mother's Day post this morning. And really, that's about all I have to say on this overcast Sunday morning.

Wishing everyone out there a BEAUTIFUL day to celebrate being a mom - or a child - or a sibling of a mom - or married to a mom - or the neighbor of a mom - just remember to wish ALL the mom's in your world a "happy mother's day" today and you will surely brighten their day.

Blessings,

Davielle

Just Watch ...

don't ask "why", or "what's it about" ... just click on this YouTube clip and WATCH.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

Friend Ann Deakers had this on her blog -- and she found it through Patti Digh's blog, I think -- you see how this all works?

Whenever and Wherever it originated, JUST TAKE THE TIME to ENJOY this one.

I'm still smiling. My family, once they view this, will know why!

-- Davielle

Just a Dog

There's no such thing as "just a dog". Those of you who, like me, adore dogs {for me, it's mostly all animals} ... know what I'm talking about.


I can't do the concept justice, but I think this little piece says it perfectly:

You'll have to click on the image in order to read the text, but it's well worth that "click". NOTE: THE "CLICK" ISN'T WORKING ON THIS IMAGE ... IF you want this via e-mail, JUST LET ME KNOW. It's priceless.

Just do it!

-- Davielle

posted the day after friend Ann had her CCI pup, Wyanne, matriculate into Advanced Training at Canine Companion for Independence's SW Center Graduation ... in her honor, and in honor of ALL the pups that turned in on February 7, 2009. {for more information, visit http://www.cci.org/ }