trip up north recap

the above mural was outside the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce taken on our last drive through town....but let me back up this train....we pulled into our lack luster short of icky hotel around 9:30pm....apprehensive as we check in but then out of nowhere appears miss shari beaubini to welcome us into this sketchy hotel....i must give it some credit it was clean and no bugs but i just never felt at ease....but as julie put it..."the company was 5 star" .....within 5 minutes we were in our room chatting it up with shari, julie telling stories using her wallet and keycard in lieu of sugar packets and it felt like a reunion of long lost friends....even though it has only been two weeks and further to have known shari for such a small amount of time the connections is one to cherish.........below you see me in class with my wonderful, patient and talent instructor shari...we had a wonderful class and I came home with a cool totally tricked out tissue box..thanks shari for sharing your techniques and laughter throughout the day

Later in the afternoon, julie snuck in to snap a couple shots of me with the teacher
Next up -- Lani's Faerie Book class -- I met Lani at Artfest this year in Port Townsend...she is a real hoot, quiet at first but funny and witty once you get to know her
Below are Lani's two sisters who joined us in the class....one lives in Ann Arbor and the other one drove over from Iowa City to complete the reunion of sisterhood.

Lani had to teach another class after this one was over...julie finally convinced shari to take a trip down memory lane and head to campus for a quick tour. Shari showed us around campus, where she worked, where she danced, where she lived although MoJo was under renovations...and then we jumped out of the car while julie drove around...isn't she so so nice...and bought a few U of M souvenirs to take home. Back at the hotel we had to say our goodbyes to Shari and we had dinner reservations with Lani at 10pm....quite the social animals we were. i am so glad shari threw out the suggestion of julie and i driving up to ann arbor...little did she know we actually would....i hope she doesn't regret that suggestion.....thanks shari it was another memorable adventure...........

Now onto dinner....we ate at Zingerman's..i had the ultra healthy fried chicken...what else could a girl want to top of a saturday night....a great day of art, great company and some good ole comfort food....here we are the three of us...julie, me and lani after dinner and many laughs...although we had to say farewell to lani, it will not be for long....her travels bring her Columbus in September and we will not let her leave town without a visit to Good Manor....to top it all off --Ellen-- will also be joining us.....and Lani already has a art challenge in the works...it is funny how the stars have just fell in line this year....artfest, artiscape, classes at valley ridge..the friendships and bonds i have formed with so many wonderful souls just blows my mind....I cherish each and everyone of you!!!

OK - back to the trip --Sunday we interrupt our regularly schedule starbucks ritual to try out the joe from Zingerman's road show...look how cute it is how could you resist - julie got a cubano - a double shot of espresso poured through a layer of milk and sugar..not my bag but she enjoyed it..i had some concoction which was good but i must admit i was at starbucks within the hour. the donuts were so-so but again this set up is just irresistible........below in the roadshow let me introduce you to Nick and Mike who made us Ohioans feel welcome in Michigan....they were really cool as we were indecisive and obvious roadshow rookies.We are about to leave town but not before driving past Michigan Stadium just long enough to snap this parting shot:

Now safely back at home, for a moment, we regroup, repack and reengergize ourselves for our much anticipated trip to Chicago for Tootfest 2 courtesy of the Embassy Suites....thank you to all the noisy children that annoyed us just enough in Tootfest 1 to receive a comp weekend back in Chicago. ps...we would still go comp or not.....Laura, Jane, Trixie can't wait...julie and i are ready to roll.....beth, are you sure you can't make it??? Our summer travel tales will live on but happy trails for now.........

friendly necklace

i needed to art to today and decided to make a necklace ala the wonderful jewelry artist-NINA BAGLEY

my supplies
charm
cocoon beads..these are so fun to make
more
finished necklace....

i used 2 turquoise vintage buttons from my collection....

i think it looks nice....

random reflection......

today we attended the funeral service for my brother's father-in-law-doug, it was a nice service and the weather was beautiful....we went back to doug's house after the service to visit..what is funny is that they live in the house that our family lived in until i was in 6th grade...how funny is that ..anyway, it is kinda a somber day, so i just wanted to show pictures of things that make me happy.........

biggie b

chance marie & my nephew-emerson from san francisco , he and his sister are here visiting for the month

sleeping ruby

ruby sleeping on ashley-my daughter's friend who also is our hair stylist! ihave know here since she and heather were in elementary school..

i love sunflowers!!!!!!!!!
kaj larue
my niece-olivia..
her favorite pizza is donatos
and of course, my julie!! everyone LOVES julie!!

a quick weekend trip up north*

well it is true you cannot hold a good woman down and we are gassing up the SUV and heading to michigan for the weekend!!! ann arbor to be exact!!! it is a last minute trip for ART, of course!!! found out that this altercations art conference will be offering some great art classes and two of the teachers are my good friends...below we have lani on the left, she will be teaching the faerie arts altered board book..also pictured is ellen on the right, one of my best gal pals..love her..this is a picture from artfest 2007...

next is shari beaubeenie as julie calls her!! i will be

taking her tissue box class, looks like it will be great

fun and good knowledge on background techniques!! we spent time with shari 2weeks ago at valley ridge in nina's class and i love her!! she is wonderfully talented an so sweet!!

shari is pictured with the wonderfully talented and such a wonderful wonderful friend-nina bagley..

so now i am off to get my supplies for my classes.....

some sad family news**

you know life is a funny funny thing, you never know what you have until it is being taken away from you.....my brother's father-in-law passed away last night..doug was 60yrs old.....he was diagnosed with lung cancer stage 4 amonth ago..never knowing that when he went to the doctor for something else and discovering that it was cancer...doug is a standup guy that has a lust for life and his kids and his grandkids and is the kind of friend that would give you the shirt off your back and be there in a flash on his motorcycle at the drop of a hat..it is mysterious how god works and why he choses or how he choses those to enter heaven next......please keep my brother and his family in your thoughts the next few days....we may be losing a great man but heaven is gaining one hell of a man....
xoxox

few of my favorite things*

okay are these cupcakes to DIE for...these are so absolutely beautiful!!! we went to whole foods last night for a little shopping and found these delicacies amongst others yummy things..these cupcakes are works of art and what to choose was even harder...they were all so beautiful, such works of art, seriously!!! and this one below tasted so so yummy!! i just had to share and i just could not get over the works of art on each little cake!!! $3.49 per cupcake....

sweet little birdie nest....

tuxedo strawberries

how beautiful and i am sure they were tastey per julie and~olivia, my niece from san francisco who is visiting this month...

okay this is my favorite champagne in the world!! julie has been wanting to try the vintage rose, so they had it at whole foods and she bought it and it is just as delicious as the regular veuve!! it is a little pricey, but since olivia has been staying with us we celebrated and played 3games of scrabble..but the funny thing is the first game, i went out first and still ended up in 3rd place ..i didnt much like that!!!

anyway, goodnight, my people!!

xoxoxox

valley ridge jewelry

are these pieces of PMC jewelery totally beautiful, the charms from these classes were so utterly gorgeous and awesome and all from clay, it is so amazing, i still cannot believe it all......

take a look at these pieces of art...just amazing

this one is mine and i am quite proud of it!! but then i had a wonderful teacher......

xoxoxox...........

fourth of july...

we usually get together at my cousin-khris' house on the 4th....she is the one in the white long sleeves..anyway, her mom is my moms sister and she is married to my dads brother...confusing, yeah well wait..my grandma(my moms mom) and her sister married brothers...my grandpa and my great-uncle....okay anyway, it was a total blast with great food and the annual scrabble-off!! we are big scrabble people and always play when we are together...big jason sitting next to emerson in the pretty crown is always the winner, i swear he knows every word in the dictionary!!!

here is the scrabble board and to the left is my word where i used ALL the letters.....
yeap, this is only the second time it has happen...using all the letters and big jason was there to witness it!! the other time i used all the letters was to spell traveler!!! and my niece has it in her bedroom.....anyway that is how we spent the fourth..family, food, fireworks and scrabble...and my new obsession is dominos...

tomorrow more pictures from valley ridge...

xoxoxox

return to valley ridge

well , made another road trip back to valley ridge last thursday morning to take nina's PMC

class and it was so well worth the drive......the students in the class were so wonderful and nice and so sharing!!!

i was totally surprised that we were driving back and i got to spend another weekend taking class with nina!!!

this class was 3days long...

such wonderful flowers that we bought for nina at the farmer's market-saturday morning

the sunflowers were amazing!

knot nina!

more knot nina instruction and in the denim apron is miss tracie lyn huskamp up and personal!!

she is such the most wonderful sweet gal!! and her hubby earl is just as great!

nina and geri newfry who makes the most beautiful journals and books!!

i gave geri one of my pmc charms that i made in class to add to journal i asked her to make for me..

i know it will be beautiful!

class photo

more photos later......

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