Happy Birthday Walker

Today is my sweet boy's 10th birthday! Happy Birthday, Walker. He is such a great boy - smart, clever, funny, polite, and always up to something. He definitely keeps us on our toes! He loves to skateboard and swim and I think he should be a detective because he is usually the one to win the game whenever we play CLUE. Today we will celebrate his birthday with his friends at Boomer's and then we will dine on burgers and chocolate cake! Yummy! Oh, to be 10 again!

A Day in Yosemite

Views from Glacier Point, Yosemite.

Here you can see Vernal Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan

Two Tuesday's ago I played hookie (with permission) from work so that I could take a road trip with my nieces and nephews and my family up hwy 41 to Yosemite. All these wonderful kids drove from Colorado Springs to see their grandparents and us before the oldest niece moves to Boston with her new husband in a few weeks. I was so excited to go because I haven't been to Yosemite National Park in fourteen years. And worse yet, I have never taken my two boys to see this beautiful treasure in our own backyard (sort of ). So up we went for day to see Half Dome, a half round rock that my brother actually climbed to the top of a few years ago. We saw El Capitan and Bridal Veil Falls. We saw the most exquisite view of the Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point. On the way up to Glacier Point we stopped behind two other stopped vehicles who were watching a mother bear and her cub meander up the hill into the dense forest. We ate our picnic lunch, enjoying the company of family, just breathing in the clean air with a hint of pine fragrance (hmmm, one of my favorite smells) and listening to the sound of the wind. It was a delicious day, a much-needed break in my work week.

Renegade Fair

Lauren and I hit the road early last Saturday morning to attend the Renegade Fair in San Francisco. We had a great early lunch at The Grove before we headed over to the Fort Mason Center where the event was held. The day was a beautiful 70-ish degrees. Here are some pictures of what we saw:

Renegade Fair in San Francisco

I am heading to San Francisco tomorrow to attend the 2nd annual Renegade Fair at Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion. It's suppose to be like 106 degrees here in Fresno tomorrow and only about 64 degrees in San Francisco. Whew! Can't wait to escape the heat of the valley. My friend, Lauren, and I are taking off early to get there when the doors open at 11am. It's going to be so much fun to check out all the artists' offerings.

Inspired At Home: Celebs and Tie Dye

Ok...I completed my third trend installment for Inspired At Home. It's 2 minutes of trend info on the topic of "Celebrities and Tie Dye".
Check it out here: http://inspiredathome.com/radio/7-12-09.htm My next trend topic is the theme of "Water in Fashion". It will be featured on July 19th.

Barbie's Makeover

A while back I blogged about Barbie's 50th birthday and I included some pictures of what one jewelry artist is creating with discarded Barbie parts. A friend of mine read the entry and told me I should make some Barbie-inspired things myself. He was so set on helping me do this that he brought me a bag of Barbies he had found at a little thrift store at the coast. Well, I have had this bag of Barbies - sans clothing - in my art studio for a few months now. Then yesterday a designer I work with asked me if I could spare a few of the dolls so she could use them in a craft project she is making for our CHA booth. Of course, yes!. Let me bring them in.............So, here they are, waiting to made into something fabulous. I will keep you posted!

Michael Jackson, Fashion Icon

I grew up with Michael Jackson. Not literally, but figuratively. I was there the first time around when the sequin glove was cool and everyone wanted a band jacket that looked like his. Fast forward to 2009 and Michael is dead, literally but not figuratively. The tributes have dominated the news since he passed away. But Michael lives on, because he is a music icon and a fashion icon. The anticipation of his upcoming tour dovetailed into the fashion inspirations we've been seeing on the runways as designers look to the 1980's for inspiration. The ripped jeans and the military jackets are a favorite in fashion magazines and on celebrities. Look for the '80's influence and Michael's style to take up even more space in fashion and pop culture as people continue to pay tribute to the King of Pop.

A Trend Fan

I get to work this morning and open my emails to find a really funny one, complimenting me on my trend advice from last Sunday night's interview on Inspired At Home. My subject was the popularity of the polka dot. Here's what this person wrote - picturing herself arriving for work - after listening to my trend report:

"....In walked 'Trendsetting Gooness' (what's a 'gooness'?) this morning sporting an adorable black and white polka dot shift dress. She moves with ease in comfort and style. 'Gooness' has added candy apple red accessories- most notably the red sunglasses and square short handled vintage purse dated 1948. The red peep toe heels set the outfit off with a happy go lucky summer day at the office! When we spoke with 'Gooness', she stated that she listens faithfully to the number one Trend Setter, Jennifer Blevins. Her last radio interview bringing up the facts that true trendsetters stick with the happy polka dots year round. Special thanks to Jen for keeping us on the cutting edge!"

What can I say?