On the corner of TRENDSETTER and ILLUMINATION

It's Wednesday and as I look back over my weekend I realize I barely did any of those things I hoped to do. I didn't stroll around Farmer's Market because my husband went to Costco and bought fruit and veggies--not quite how I wanted to acquire them, but at least he did it. I never made it out to my art studio, but I did make it to Barnes & Noble. I didn't see a movie but we did rent movies and had family night - always nice and cozy. I cooked several meals and enjoyed each and every one of them. So in the end, it all worked out. 

On Sunday we drove by a new development of homes we noticed going up just north of us. The homes were tiny and nothing  that would suite our needs, however...... check out these completely impressive street signs! I was ready to sell my house just so I could live on the corner of TRENDSETTER and ILLUMINATION. I definitely think I belong there.

'WANTS' List

I changed my screen saver on my desktop. I always try to choose something that is calming. The beach always does it for me...

It's Friday morning, and I am so looking forward to enjoying this 3-day weekend. As much as I love what I do here at iLoveToCreate, I also love to spent time at home doing all the stuff I put off doing during the week. I have a list a mile long of the things I WANT to do that seem to get put on the back burner because life gets in the way. By 'life' I mean running errands, cleaning the house, making meals, doing the never-ending piles of laundry, taxiing kids, etc. You know, you live this life, too.

So I do what most of us do... I carve out little parts of my day to take care of some of the 'wants' that feed my soul and creatively inspire me. Here are some of the things on my WANTS list for the weekend:

• Spend the evening walking around at our local Farmer's Market shopping for yummy fresh fruits and veggies that are so abundant here.
• Straighten up my art studio so I can sit down and make some jewelry that all my friends keep asking for.
• Ride my fabulously comfortable bike (a Townie) either in the early morning or early evening when the weather is perfect!
• Go to the movies. My current pick would be The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Look at books at Barnes & Noble. I LOVE bookstores!
• Check out the new stuff at Nordstrom Rack
• Sit in my rocking chair on the back patio all by myself and listen to the birds sing
• Cook dinner from a favorite recipe
• Make a special dessert
• Do nothing, and not feel guilty

I'll let you know how the weekend REALLY plays out.

Rock Art

 It's right smack in the middle of the week, Wednesday, so I thought I'd share some images from my Pinterest boards. Here's some snaps from my rock collection.

Diet Coke, Paris Style

Jean Paul Gaultier is this year's creative director for Diet Coke. He has 'dressed' two bottle designs, named 'Day' and 'Night'. The feminine corset is the muse for the 'Night' design, while 'Day' features Gaultier's signature Breton stripes. The stylish beverages are sold from Harvey Nichols stores. A third bottle, entitled 'Tattoo' and inspired by Gaultier's love of body art, will be released later in the year.

Brooch Bouquets

I have several friends getting married this summer so I am more than aware of the many wedding trends that are happening right now. One trend that is particularly creative is the trend in making your own bouquet for the bride or bridesmaids. Crafted from things like vintage brooches, enameled flowers, and found objects, these are truly fabulous and so unique. If a DIY project like this seems intimidating, you can shop on Etsy. 

1) Amanda Heer of Etsy; 2) Naughty Secretary Club; 3) Green Wedding Shoes; 4) A Stunning Affair's Blog; 5) A Chair Affair.

Inspiration Thursday!

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If you love color and pattern, this video will inspire you. I found this on a favorite blog -- one of my muses -- Pattern Observer.

 Last Friday I took a quick trip to Dunlap with two girlfriends to tour Project Survival's Cat Haven. This innovative park is dedicated to the preservation of wild cats. These cats are not rescue cats, They are part of a conservation effort, and live as close to their natural habitat conditions as possible. My friend has a daughter who interns there and thought we would enjoy meeting all the various cats. The tour lasted about an hour, with our docent, Holly, telling us everything about these magnificent cats - their names (and how they got them, like Maytag), which cats roar (jaguars, leopards, lions and tigers) and which ones purr (bobcats and mountain lions), their hunting habits, etc. We walked along the trail  from one enclosure to the next, very spaciously set apart so that the cats have plenty of space to be comfortable. If you go, you'll learn that there is no such thing as a panther, how to tell the difference between a jaguar and a leopard by their spot pattern, and which big cat is famous for being in a Super Bowl commercial.