wednesday....

just some earrings that i made being inspired a la nina bagley....

just an aside note...my class with nina last weekend was so wonderful, she has so much patience with students who ask the same questions over and over again without so much as a blink..she is so geniune..i just love her...she really is a true artist.....

if you have anytime to take a class at valley ridge art studio, please do you will not be disappointed...it is amazing!!!

just a picture i snapped of chance marie today, she was very needy today for some reason..

she is my baby even though she is the oldest of the pack...i love her furry face....xox

valley part deux

drilling instructions
sweet patience nina listening to questions from a student
beautiful kathy in the black & white 1/2 owner of valley ridge....i have no picture of bill yet-her better half but he is quite handsome and very charming!
class photo
finished pieces.....

mine is the one on the left which has a bumble bee inside the shadowbox and the middle piece is using a rock from our backyard ...
julie's beautiful piece features a piece of beach glass from port townsend, wa

relaxing after class....

valley ridge is heaven on earth!

xoxox

valley ridge part one

day one at the valley ridge art studio

bill & kathy's sweet dog-bear
classroom-we were busy as bees
julie and sweet nina setting the resin up
more resin talk
my work table

we were able to enjoy the open workshop after the first class, julie and i stayed until 930pm

and it was so worth it...this is julie drilling through beach glass

more later....

some road trip details....

okay, we left at 7am and headed towards our favorite town-chicago... we decided that we would be silly not to run through downtown chicago and get out our favorite craving-Portillo's......so we made our way through downtown chi-town and here are a few highlights....

soldier field where da bears play
boats on lake michigan off lake shore drive
navy pier
a little closer view of navy pier
julie pulling into one of our favorite places in chi-town

portillo's

waitress taking orders

heaven on a bun in my mind!!!

these next pictures are in and around dodgeville, wisconsin look at these windmills!!!!

this is where we had dinner, it was very interesting and we totally felt out of place, it was friday fish fry everywhere!!!

hey look at this, a&w root beer stand ..who knew these were still around..you know i had to have me a root beer float...yummy!!!!

the area we are in is really rural and there isnt anything to do, it is really dairy farm central but it is a beautiful lush green everywhere and i will enjoy it....

valley ridge or bust......

we are loading up the broom and making our way to valley ridge art studio to hangout and take a classes with nina bagley ..you know how much i adore her!!!

this is the piece i made at artfest in one of nina's classes, it is her legendary nina knot and pices of torn red velvet wrapped like a cocoon with silver wire....and you all know how much i love the word "believe" i just had to add the charm which i also picked up at this totally cool bead store in port townsend..cannot wait to go back there in october...anyway, so i will be gone for a few days and will report the details upon my return and will have some kind of give away to thank everyone for sticking by me and taking the time to have a look around and leave such nice comments...

ciao!

xoxox

mercury is rising......

the planets must be in some kind of alignment as i have been in some kind of funk...i do not know what is going on.. i hope to recharge this weekend with a little trip...more later on that..but anyway, i came upon this quote by someone and decided it was so perfect for me right now and wanted to do something with it, so here is my piece, not sure if i like it or the red dots around the figure, but it is what it is...take care...over & out...xoxox

my charm swap contribution

these are my charms for mary's swap- i always have a problem coming up with something and i always go back to what i know..i know i love bird nests and vintage buttons..so vintage buttons it was, i went through and picked mostly black because i think black buttons are always overlooked, i always buy the black ones when i see them, so they always have a home at my house..hope all the charmers love there button charm.....

this is how ruby j spends her days-seriously! i know you are saying she is really skinny and she is but she had a traumatic accident when she was 4months old, she was hit by a car and her previous owners never really sought medical attention..2weeks later our vet called us to ask us if we wanted to take her, of course we did, she had a broken back leg that had set itself and the OSU vet hospital-which is very well know across the country-said that it was a miracle and that they couldnt had set it any better...she has alot of anxiety whenever we have to put her in her kennel when we leave, but she is a lover and she loves to run around in the backyard with her brothers and sisters...she eats like a queen-almost 9cups a food per day.

our vet says she is perfect!
ps..excuse the dog hair

hot days!!!

the fountain is up and running again!!! it was down due to to a pipe disconnection and you would not believe how we have really really missed it! the sound of the water is so soothing even when we are in the house, i need to hear that water....yippee!
i have been wanting some new wind chimes and the big momba ones, well, was at joanns today and their chimes were 60% off, so this one was the one and only and my name on it!!!
big man on the patio looking at ruby..
this is ruby j and how she spends the majority of the day either sunning herself outside or laying on her couch sleeping the day away, i swear she really is a cat....
here is another heart~shaped rock that i found today laying around the rock garden..it is for julie as it is because of her that i am able to be living the good life....

xoxox

random thoughts~

biggie is helping me blog tonight........

i adore my baby boy...
so happy we adopted him..

new clogs!! i love clogs!!

chance marie gettin" jiggy on the patio!!!
nelly waiting to get out of the sun!!!
just getting some things ready for next weeks trek to valley ridge in wisconsin..

will be taking a weekend class with my favorite jewelry artist-nina bagley..

i do adore her....

birthday call, ya'll !!!!

today, june 12th is the 24th birthday of my beautiful daughter-heather, she is the biggest love of my life and has grown into such a beautiful woman, it takes my breath away sometimes...it is hard to imagine her being a tiny 7lb 14ounce baby..my mom drove me to the hospital when i was having contractions, ugh!! but it was all worth it when she was delivered later that night.....

love you, hetty b!!!

xoxoxit is also my kaj larue's birthday and he is 6yrs old..

he is our stoic, grumpy old man and we wouldnt have it any other way..

he loves to be loved and give the occassional kiss ...

kaj larue is 6yrs old today...

my sweet boy!

it is hard to believe kaj can fold himself done into this easy chair!!

heartfelt art~

almost a couple weeks ago, i received from kecia a box of goodies ...

the below are a few of the pretties!! thank~you, my arty friend, you know i heart them!!

xoxox

i heart dogs....

this has been a dog days weekend........

my daughter and her roommate had a friend of a friend's cousin contact them wanting to get rid of 8-4week old puppies....how can someone just get rid of babies? what about the momma?? what is going to happen to her and why wasnt she spayed....all in all -the momma and her 8-golden retreiver /yellow lab pups were taken and are living with my friend-sarah-who makes the best cakes in the world!!!! tomorrow-monday, we will be taking the father of the pups and the momma's brother.....they will be spending time at a nice kennel until we find homes for them....the momma is a tiny yellow lab and very protective of her babies...there are 3black-females, 1balck male and 3yellow males and 1yellow female..so very precious and sarah has 2dogs of her own-oliver-yellow lab anbd edgar-english bulldog...here is edgar's picture..he is a solid mack truck!!

edgar

lily and her pups

baby boy

chance marie before her hair cut

chance marie after her hair cut.....