Maxfield Parrish

Last weekend is was Father's Day and we decided to head to Elk Grove (Sacramento area) on Saturday - just for the day - to see my husband's family. We left home early and arrived about 10am to my brother-in-law's home. We went out to lunch at B.J.'s and had a delicious meal and a wonderful visit with everyone - my brother-in-law, his wife and my husband's dad. Back at my brother-in-law's home, the guys talked cars and the kids swam, so my sister-in-law, also named Jenny, and I decided to head to the Crocker Museum to take in the current Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) exhibit. He was an American painter and illustrator who was famous for the dazzlingly luminous colors that marked much of his artwork; the shade “Parrish blue” was coined in acknowledgement. I was so excited! I love his work and always love going to art museums. Jenny and I even ended up buying the same book that included an extensive offering of plates of his work. It was funny when we each went to pay for our book with different credit cards with the same name on it. The cashier was a little confused at first but we all laughed about it. Anyway, if you get a chance to be in the Sacramento area you should stop by and enjoy this exhibit. After we finished at the Crocker, Jenny took me to a cool bead store, The Bead Fetish to buy some beads. I loved the whole vibe of the store....very bohemian, colorful, funky. You can tell just from looking at the storefront. Now, my philosophy is 'you can never have enough beads' so I had to buy just a few to add to my arsenal of jewelry making supplies at home. I can't wait to make something fabulous with them.

After the bead store we decided the men had been left alone long enough so we headed back to my sister-in-law's home. We wrapped up the day by sharing our adventures with everyone over a snack tray of cheese, crackers and fruit. My family and I headed for home around 6pm, ending a perfect day with family. I drove - while my husband and our boys slept soundly - as I sipped a Starbuck's and listened to Rock tunes while blazing down highway 99. We were home by 8:30pm and Gabby was quite glad to see us. Another great weekend!

Woodstock Turns 40

Celebrating the Summer of Love, 1969. Woodstock turns 40 this August. Check out the tie dye set of Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer. Expect to see a wide range of iconic images of the Summer of Love with peace signs, tie dye and all things commemorating the musicfest that took place 40 years ago at Bethel Woods.

Who they came to see in 1969: Joan Baez, The Band, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Young, Grateful Dead, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, Incredible String Band, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Keef Hartley Band, Melanie, Mountain, Quill, Santana, John Sebastian, Sha-Na-Na, Ravi, Shankar, Sly and the Family Stone, Bert Sommer, Sweetwater, Ten Years After, The Who, and Johnny Winter.

Gabby

While I sit at my computer to blog or read my email, or read my books on my comfy sofa, my sweet little Gabby rests contently in her bed......keeping me company with her soft snoring. If you didn't know it, Boston Terriers snore. They also lick like crazy. Gabby is the favorite 'person' in our house because she is such a lover to each one of us.

It's been a long week at work and I am glad to be home, out in my art studio, listening to music and making some jewelry. Here are two pieces I created after dinner. I love mixing metals - sterling silver with brass - with beautiful gemstones. These pictures do not do justice to the stones. The necklace is a Peruvian opal with a sterling silver tiara on the end of the long chain. The earrings are faceted labradorites with two different sterling silver charms on the end of the brass chains - a heart and a flower. Who says things have to match? They are so yummy!

Celebs do it!

Celebs do it. Why don't you? Is tie dye, dip dye and anything dyed just about the hottest spring and summer trend for 2009? But don't pay celebrity prices.........make it yourself! You can so do this! And be sure and check out these trends, too. InStyle and O magazine featured these tie dye favorites:

Beluga Whale and Baby

This picture is my favorite from this week's, The Week in Pictures, on MSNBC. Isn't it just breathtaking?Aurora, a 20-year-old Beluga whale, swims with her newborn calf at the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 7.

Talking Trends

A few weeks back I was telling you about the new call-in talk radio program - Inspired At Home - hosted by creativity expert Tiffany Windsor airing live on Sundays from 7 - 8:30 pm ET (6 pm Central - 5 pm Mountain - 4 pm Pacific). Well, I am so excited to announce that I have been invited to participate on a regular basis as a trend resource! You can hear my first segment on Sunday, June 14th. It really is great for crafters to have a place to listen and call in to talk with guests who are experts in crafting. My segment is only about 2 minutes long but it is chock-full of great trend advice that may give listeners a little extra inside knowledge about what is hip and in style. I hope you'll listen.

The Bead Show

Call me crazy, but I am heading to San Mateo AGAIN this Saturday (just was there last Saturday to attend Maker Faire) to attend the International Gem & Jewelry Show. I am so excited because my very favorite creative thing to do is to make jewelry. I say that because I can sculpt, paint, refashion, etc. and I usually go through a phase of intense focus on something and then master it (at least as much as I want to), and then my attention turns to the next creative thing. But jewelry making has held my attention for over 4 years and I am still an addict. I only sell my creations in order to pay for my habit. My latest muse is mixing metals and vintage pieces with sterling silver and gemstones. I find myself wandering into antique shops or even looking through my old jewelry to find pieces that I can dismantle and remake into new vintage creations. I sell my jewelry a couple times a year when I am invited to participate in art shows or I set up a holiday boutique with friends. I also sell it to friends and co-workers throughout the year. And I always give it away as gifts. One of my goals for this year (and I am running ut of time!) is to set up my own, non-corporate blog where I can just ramble on about my artistic endeavors and show off my jewelry and painting skills. Another goal is to open my own Etsy store. It just takes a little time, and that is just about all I have, too. It is often a juggling act with children, a fabulous job and a home that needs some attention. But I want to do this. I want to do more than feed my habit. I want to prosper in this creative venture. I will keep you posted.....