Happy Halloween

Elijah from school, and Sylvan

It's so strange. This is the first time that I haven't had the kids on Halloween. Even when I was married, I usually took the kids out by myself, because their dad was either working or doing something else. This year, it fell on the day that they come home in the evening, so we're doing a weird divorced family thing. He's taking them out until 7 and then I'm taking them out. I don't think I like it.

The upside is that I get to pass out candy for the first time in years and years. So I'm sitting on the couch, jack-o-lanterns lit on the porch, big bowl of candy by the door, bird mask at the ready. So far only one little kid though, in a store bought "Stitch" costume.

how much is your blog worth?

Here is a neato little applet that tells you how much cash money your blog is worth.

Mine, sadly is not worth much yet, but some of you crafty bloggers are sitting on big piles of money!

delayed by cuteness

Sorry it took me so long to finish the post, I had massive Halloween scrambling to do, and lots of driving all over the county. Here is what I got:



It's a beautiful Louet S10 spinning wheel, just like brand new!!! And I got if for so cheap. Now I can spin yarn with all the tons of merino wool that I have!

I found a lot of wonderful stuff this week. I think I might start doing a weekly report of all of my favorites each week.

Now for the cuteness...a Halloween parade at the kids' school. It was supposed to be outside in the downtown area of the cute little town where their school is, but it is pouring rain today, so they had it in the gym and all the kids paraded around and around and it was absolutely adorable! Sadly, it was kind of dark in the gym so most of my pictures are blurry. And I saw a friend there! Anna was there with her two cute little ones, and Anna was beautifully dressed up like Frida Kahlo. I think that she should wear flowers braided into her hair all the time.



My son, the werewolf



Both of my critters



One of my least blurry photos...aren't those little kids cute?!

squeeeeee!!!!

Guess who scored at the thrift store today???

Me!!!

details to come!

times are changing

This weekend at Open Studios was amazing! It was a whirlwind. So exciting, so many nice people. I am so grateful to everyone at Compound 21 for letting me participate. It was a big success for me, and it kind of changes everything. I'm still processing it, and letting go of all of the negativity that haunted the past few months. New plans are brewing, new ideas, hopefully some new paintings. I have a feeling of calm contentment that I haven't had in a long long time.

It was wonderful, people reacted to my work in ways that I never expected, and it made me so happy.

All of the work at Compound 21 was great, and it felt good to stand there surrounded by it for two days. I even bought and traded for a few things, and now I have a nice little collection going. I'd still like to buy one of Laurel's pieces, and an original from Mati (I just got a print).

Look for big positive changes at the blog in the coming weeks. I want to make it better and more fun to read. Also Scott and I are thinking of a new project together, that might debut in a few weeks. Next up though, Halloween costumes!

this week in pictures

Very strange singing and talking rubber mounted deer head.
Taken at the KMart.





Tremendously large teepee, built on the school grounds behind my kids' classroom. It is maybe 30 ft tall. The trees behind it are giant redwoods if that helps with scale.



morning fog on my morning drive. Main St. Sebastopol.

3 days

Look at the lovely poster made by the talented Hugh D'Andrade for our Open Studios.

Sadly, I am feeling like I don't want to do it. I'm trying to get stuff together but everything is going wrong and it is not my best stuff. I'm embarrased by it, honestly, and I just don't think I want to show it in the city.

I'm freaking out a bit.

And my water heater broke yesterday and leaked water all over the kitchen, and totally threw off my day.

4 More Days

I will be so relieved when Open Studios is finished! I'll spare you another dose of the angst, but sheesh!

I will tell you a few things that I love right now...
Power tools are so cool

and Northern Exposure on DVD, and great big giant paper cutters are good. Also, sleeping is good.

again with the sickness

I am sick again! This time it's a deep cough and a fever, and extreme tiredness. AARRRGGGH! So frustrating. Open Studios is this coming Saturday and Sunday and I have maybe 2 or 3 decent paintings for it. This is sad indeed, because I really want to show nice things there. I feel too sick to do anything much, and I have no inspiration.



I found this neat blog though...OddJapan. Look at this Totoro statue, carved by the blogger's neighbor, who makes tombstones and buddhas and things.

gratitude

Mati's been writing a weekly list of things she's grateful for and it seems like a great idea. So here are just a few...

My son, doing a "jazz hands" dance while wearing giant hairy werewolf gloves, and making me laugh really hard.

All of the people who came to the show last weekend, or sent notes of support, and Martina for hosting it. The people who bought paintings too, of course!

Violet Crabtree (the girl with the best name ever) for giving my kids their new pet stickbugs.

The opportunity to do San Francisco Open Studios next weekend.

Two happy years with my amazingly wonderful boyfriend.

The last tomatoes of summer.

Wellness.

Rain.

Skeleton Keys

Day of the Dead show, this Saturday night at Boomerang in Petaluma. I'll have one, maybe two paintings there. This show is always a good thing. Lots of wonderful art, food, conversation, and a community altar.

I think that this one is my favorite



Finally, I'm not sick anymore! Hooray!

Also, the opening went well. It was better than I expected it to be. I had 42 pieces of art! Lots of paintings sold, Martina surprised me with a cake, and there was music and flowers and lots of my friends came, people whom I hadn't seen in ages because I've been sort of a hermit. I didn't feel well enough to go out and celebrate afterwards, but it was really nice anyway.

Next up, a piece for the Day of the Dead show at Boomerang, and then Open Studios (for which I only have one painting finished, but I'm trying not to panic).

Zelia Looking Fabulous

done

Spring helped me to hang most of the show today,(thanks Spring). The girls played dress up and also traumatized and irritated the other Meredith, who works at Moxie. (sorry Meredith) I went back this evening without kids, and Martina helped me to hang the rest. I guess it's done and ready, so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I am feeling a bit better, and hopefully I'll be feeling good enough tomorrow to enjoy myself and be social and all that.

If anybody is in the area, please come down and say hi, and have some wine and snacks.

The show is Saturday October 8, from 5:30 until 8 pm. There's going to be music by my friend Lila Cugini, and also Daryl Scairiot.

Martina has her website up now, it's not all the way finished, but there are photos of the limited edition t-shirts of my designs that she had made, and a few photos of the art. Soon she'll have more of her great vintage clothing and things for sale on the website, and I'm excited about that. Martina is a sweetheart and she's very supportive of crafters and artists (crafters take note-she's always looking for cool crafty items to consign).

sick

I've been really sick and feeling quite terrible this week. I finally got some antibiotics last night, and they are helping some already so hopefully I'll be better in time for my show on Saturday. I'm supposed to hang it today, or tomorrow at the latest, and I had really wanted to make more small pieces, but I've felt too sick to even do a bit of painting this week.

I hope that people enjoy the show, even though it's not quite what I wanted it to be.

another day older

It's my birthday today. So far, not my best ever. Actually it's been kind of one of those lock yourself in a closet and cry for no reason kind of birthdays. But it will soon get better, I think. I just ordered an ungodly amount of pizza and the kids and I are going to pick it up and watch a movie and play a board game together and Scott is on his way up to see me.

My best birthday ever was two years ago. I had a blind date which turned out better than I ever could have hoped. It was with Scott! After that I went out with my wonderful bunch of mama friends and we had drinks and then went to rock n'roll sunday school for dancing and they had baked me cookies and brought balloons and flowers and we did all kinds of crazy interpretive dancing until the wee hours of the night.

Also, my sister said that the prints look washed out and faded on my blog, and also on etsy. Do they look like that to everyone else?

prints for sale!

These are my new prints! I have some for sale on my etsy shop. They are mostly two color gocco prints, with hand drawn accents.

calming down

I'm feeling much better now. I had a lovely weekend, and actually did some things besides work. The kids went on a camping trip with their class, and I stayed home and got a lot done, but I also went to the movies on Friday night (I haven't seen a movie since Return of the King), and to a party on Saturday night, and spent lots of time with Scott, and I slept for almost 12 hours last night, which is pretty amazing.

Scott got almost all of the paintings framed. Seeing them here together all framed and ready to go gives me a nice sense of calm.

I did a series of small prints this weekend, and I'm pretty happy with them. I'll scan them later today and maybe put some on my etsy shop. I'm also going to hang part of the show today.

Oh, and good news everyone....Laurel called on Friday night and told me that my painting sold at the preview exhibit! Yay!