A Birthday Blog Post to my Sister

24 years ago today, 1988, I was ecstatic that my very own sister was born. A little sister that would play with me all day long! Barbies! Legos! House! Here's a snap to show you how proud I was. Check out that bighearted smile.

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be without my sister.

I wouldn't have a shoulder to cry on, I wouldn't have someone to listen to me, I wouldn't have someone to wipe my tears.

Vise-versa.

I wouldn't have to block my room's doorway with my Sesame Street footstool so she couldn't crawl in & mess with my stuffed animal set-up.

I wouldn't have someone that I could hook up to the sled & see how far our dog, Chelsea could transport... not realizing how dangerous 27th Street was.

Nor would there be someone I could play an April Fool's joke on by drawing huge spiders on paper & cutting them out & using clear tape to attach them to her bedroom ceiling in the corner.

I am thankful for having that younger shadow following me whenever I needed her. Best friends have changed with time. But my sister has been the best friend that has stayed my best friend forever.

I love you Sis. Wishing you a very sweet birthday!

Warm Coastal Winds

A few weekends ago I got the opportunity to spend the night on the coast. It was wonderful. Especially getting to share it with family. The weather was warm which is rare for the Oregon coast. The visit included places such as Seaside, Rockaway, and Cannon Beach. I'd thought I share some photos that bring a smile to my face. Hopefully they will do the same for you.

Finland Folk Dancers

Lately I've been intrigued of my ancestry. During my visit home to Nebraska, my grandma sent me home with some books about Finland. I've been having fun skimming the glossy pages of pictures and drawing in my sketchbook. My old high school art teacher, Ms. D would be proud of my continuous lines.

Poppy Seed drawing print has a slight new look. It will be released very very soon. To pre-order a 5"x7" or 8"x10" print be sure to drop me a line.

I heart buttons. I have so many buttons, it's ridiculous. I have a vintage Pyrex bowl filled with them. Speaking of items soon to be released, I will be listing little surprises in the shop like button rings. Each ring has a antique brass band and is topped off with eye catching buttons.

I did a print & framing custom order last week. Aren't they exquisite? I love these 16" x 20" frames with their milky white mats. From left to right: Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Poppy Seed.

Home Sweet Home

Ah Portland. It's so incredibly good to see you again.

Flying high above layers of cotton candy clouds and thinking fondly about my Nebraska trip.

My trip to Nebraska was pretty... pretty... pretty good. *throwin' in a Larry David reference.* I wish there was enough time to see everyone though. I was always on the go- riding in a car to Lincoln, Columbus, Nebraska City, and Omaha. My trip included visiting with my family, in-laws, & a few friends. I am very thankful to have the opportunity to see them. And for that matter, so thankful to be able to be a part of my best friend's special day, her wedding. Just you wait, I'll be posting pictures very soon!

Enjoying the sunset, drawing in my sketchbook, and anxiously waiting for my connecting flight to PDX.

I will also be posting some snaps of my most recent doodles and sketches very soon. I've been working on two sketchbooks at the same time. Silly, I know.

Well I would love to share more about my Nebraska trip, but I've got to get going here. So much stuff to catch up on! See ya on Friday.

Mother's Day pendants

Since I've heard that both my mom and my mother-in-law, have received their Mother's Day surprise packages, I can now share them with you!

Nurture thy Mind No.8 Pendant Necklace - Mother's Day - Jade

For my mother-in-law's pendant, I incorporated my favorite coastal plant to draw... jade. I also included my signature globes, orbs, honeycomb and those cute lil' spiderweb-like stitchings. The week before Mother's Day, her and I were chit-chatting on the phone. She was telling me how she is so appreciative of all the artwork I have done for her in the years past. I am so grateful to have such a supportive mother-in-law. The topic of my art was brought up because she was rearranging her sitting room. She had gathered all my artworks and decorated the room with them.  So when this petite artwork showed up in her mailbox, you can imagine her reaction. And discovering that it was just not art... but also jewelry!

And get a glimpse of the back!

I incorporated a vintage map of my "born n' raised" state, Nebraska and scattered some doodles. Off to the left you can see a snippet of the term family and it's definition from an antique pocket-sized dictionary.

Nurture thy Mind No.9 Pendant Necklace - Mother's Day - Pine

For my mom's pendant, I incorporated some sort of pine that I discovered on a trail on Germantown Road. I have yet to research it! I also included orbs, honeycomb and those cute lil' spiderweb-like stitchings too. Discovering this tree connected thoughts in my head of memories playing around the pine trees that my parents have in their backyard. When they planted them I was seven years old they were probably 4 feet or so... and now having quadrupled in size, they've long outgrown my height.

And No.9's backside...

This is ultimately my favorite back that I have ever. ever. done. To go into detail about this, would be like writing a book. This portion of Omaha has a lot of history, a lot of memories for my mom as well as for me. After using a definition in my mother-in-law's pendant, I fell in love with incorporating terms. So on my mom's pendant I incorporated a snippet of the word "together" and it's definition. I finished the back by stamping my birthdate at the very top, which happens to be tomorrow or in an hour, however you look at it. I'm very content with these two pieces. It's so tranquil that, through art, you can elaborate on these memories.