Opposites - Seasonal Footwear

Got this idea after shoveling out yesterday. Am ready for the beach.

Opposites - Light Dark

The Feb sketchbook theme is Opposites. I got the inspiration for this theme on a late afternoon walk the other day. The cracks in the road around the sewer cover. So pretty.

Fridge Poems

I love these magnetic poetry kits. So much fun. Here are some of the poems on the fridge at the moment.

Recent Reads

1. Drawing from Life
There is so much inspiration packed in this book. I dip in every year or so to let new ideas soak in.

2. Painted Paper
Just the color of the the pages is enough to feed my creative cat. So many good ideas.

3. Northanger Abbey
My first foray into Austen and I loved it. Such keen insight into human nature in this little gem. I polled various Janeites as to what order I should read the books and wanted to share this little gem with you: "I'd suggest to start with "Northanger Abbey" because the novel really shows Jane Austen's personality and sense of humor. Then I would move on to "Pride and Prejudice" because "Northanger Abbey" would have really warmed you up to catch all the humor in the book. Then read "Mansfield Park" to give you an idea of the diversity of Jane Austen's characters. After that go for "Sense and Sensibility" for a good contrast to "Mansfield Park's" calm and quiet heroine. After that I think you should read "Persuasion" to see the the effects of love lost and love come back. Then you should read "Emma" because her story is something of a culmination of all Jane Austen's books put together in a very entertaining way, and then, last but most definitely not least, you should read "Lady Susan" because the book is just icing on the cake of all Austen's works . Enjoy!:-)"

Watching

Okay, you know me, you know that I have no cable and am not a fan of most TV shows.

I have been watching several BBC/PBS productions lately and would highly recommend them. If you have not seen them yet, I would highly recommend Downton Abbey and Bleak House. Both are simply fab.

What are you watching? Anything good?

Snow day

Loving the gentle snow fall. Loving feeling like I'm in a snow globe. Loving a snow day. Loving fun and thought provoking discussions with my book club. Loving time well spent. Loving my first foray into Jane Austen. Loving getting letters and postcards in the mail. Loving being home. Loving the thrill of planning a trip. Loving the feel of a good pen in my hand. Loving that I am writing. Loving the company of friends.

Recent Reads

1. Sabbath
I found this a meditative and reflective read. You know the kind of book that reminds you of things you know but have forgotten? Loved it.

2. The Geography of Bliss
My book club will be talking about this one tomorrow. I started reading the book and found the writing annoying, so decided to listen to the audio book - much better as I think each chapter was written as a podcast. While I did not find the content all that enlightening, I love that the book brought up some good questions to think about. Looking forward to a fun discussion.

3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
First book I've read by the author and I loved being immersed in the world of comics and the years leading up to WW2. Wonderful read.

4. Real Life Journals
Fun book filled with so much inspiration. Loved it.

5. Rethinking Acrylics
So many ideas, so little time. A fun exploration of ways to play with paints.

6. Diario De Oaxaca
A feast for the eyes. Love books like this.

Muse calling

This is the first thing I did when I got out of bed this morning. And I mean the very first thing - before even brushing my teeth. When the muse calls I gotta follow.

Was flipping through this book yesterday before I went to bed. And somewhere in my dreams I realized that I had bottles of printer ink that I had not gotten rid off yet - and viola - jumped out of bed this morning to find my stash.

So after an hour or so of splashing inks about and making a nice mess, I've got painted paper that I plan to tear down and bind into a book.

Yes, I got things to do, but I remember what an elderly man said to me on a golf course many moons ago: the graveyard is full of good housekeepers.

Red

The photo theme of the month is Red - one of my fave colors. Here is some red packaging at my local HMart.

Travel Journal WIP

Am in the process of creating a new travel journal. After mulling over the pros and cons of different binding styles and sizes, have decided on a book that is 9x6 inches and uses binder rings for ease of use while traveling.

I pre-painted some paper with watercolors - such a relaxing and fun way to play with paints.

Journal Page

Here is a journal page from earlier this month inspired by Issek.

It has been a while since I played in my journal - been busy making a new travel journal for an upcoming trip. Will post pics when I get a chance.

Journal Time

Love playing with my journals and pens and paints and have gotten my nieces and nephews into it as well. During my visit to Vegas in Dec, we got to play in our new journals. You can see pics of the fun time here.

Loving

Loving warmer days. Loving how the sun feels on my skin. Loving being on snow shoes. Loving the crunch of snow underfoot. Loving that my body feels used. Loving time away from my computer. Loving playing with paints. Loving season four of The Tudors. Loving being lost in a book. Loving learning things I never knew. Loving remembering things I knew but forgot. Loving snugging under a warm electric blanket. Loving shorter hair. Loving long chats. Loving good food. Loving being immersed in a good book. Loving time with babes. Loving being in the here and now.

Recent Reads

1. Stitch Alchemy
Fun book with some really good ideas.

2. Burnt Shadows
First book I've read by the author and I loved it. The multi-generational story of two families that intertwine over the course of events that changed the course of history - the bomb at Nagasaki, the partition of India and Pakistan, the Afghan war and 911. Beautifully told personal stories in the face of national and global tragedies. I have added her other books to my list to read.

3. Creative Illustration Workshop
An interesting look into how an artist creates.

4. How to Meditate
My word for 2011 is explore and I am exploring meditation. I have practiced in an ad-hoc manner for years, but decided it was time to dive deeply. Started with this audio book and I love it. The CDs are recorded sessions from a retreat and the author covers philosophy, basic instructions, various techniques, etc. I can feel my mind rearranging itself. Love that.

Winter wonderland

Here are some pics from the dig-out yesterday. Don't recall ever having this much snow on the ground before.

Happy New Year

Depending on which Zodiac calendar you follow, this is either the year of the rabbit, or the year of the cat. Like life is not confusing enough....

Well after the 2 day winter storm that dumped almost 18 inches, the shoveling continues. The snow banks are now higher than my head, so have to fling the snow overheard as I shovel. My back is not happy about that. Maybe I'll get out there in heels today - every little bit of height would help!

This is a doodles page from my current journal.

Winter hump day

Happy winter hump day - we are halfway between the solstice and the equinox. Groundhog Phil saw no shadow, so an early spring on tap. If you believe a groundhog that is.

One of the things I am exploring this year is meditation. Have dabbled on and off for years, and decided to dive deeper this year. Have been listening to How to Meditate by Pema Chodron and can feel my brain re-arranging itself. This journal page contains my notes from Lesson 3.

Bracing

Here in the northeast we are bracing for another winter storm - could be as much as 2 feet and I'm not sure where we will put it all. The snow banks are already shoulder height. Find it amusing that the forecast is for snow today and ice pellets tomorrow.

One of my fave things to do is hang out at a bookstore, sipping tea, munching on a scone and flipping through magazines for inspiration. Found these adorable owls by Juliette Crane. The drawing and writing happened in the store and I added the watercolors at home. Love how it turned out.