Tidbit: Busy, busy, busy!!

Gah! I am here, and doing stuff, but we are so busy, I haven't had a chance to post. I have taken over a hundred photos, and we have been doing all kinds of stuff, so I am hoping for a quiet day tomorrow so I can catch up on my posting.
Hope all is well with you.
TTFN,
LB

Abe's 2nd birthday and quilt

Remember my toddler friend Abe? He also turned two this month. We went to his party, ate pizza, visited with friends, and had a great time. Here he is with his new birthday balloons, Piano Girl, and his cat, Seamus (or Shaymus?). Seamus enjoyed the balloons as much as Abe did.Here he is with his Mama, opening his gifts. His mama is TBPTOTP- the best piano teacher on the planet, and we love her. We really do.
Here is Abe with his Mama and Papa, not wanting to blow his candle out!
Here is his quilt. I think this one came out so much better than the "H" quilt in the last post. Lots of cute frogs to play I spy with. ("Can you find the frog wearing glasses? Or the frog in an orange innertube?" etc.)
Here is the back, again with the sweet frog fabric, which I am now out of. I would love to find more- I had 5 yards of this stuff and used it from many quilts, big and small, and I still love it.
That's it for now, I need to do some English with the Girl, eat something, and then clean up the studio and get ready to start working on screens next week!
TTFN,
LB

PSI Seasons Finished and Toddler quilt #1

Okay. Remember I had two amazing toddlers in my life who turned two years old this month? Here is the first quilt I made. This one is for a little girl. It is porbably 12 X17-ish. I didn't measure. I like to do them small, so they can be carried around, and used for doll quilts, etc. It turned out okay, and she loved it, so that is good, but all I see is an unintended "H" shape when I look at it.

Here is a close-up of one of the frog blocks. I had a ton of already cut up frog blocks and strips, so I just used them to make it easier on myself.
Here is the back of the quilt. I was using up the last of this frog fabric, and ran out, so that is why it is pieced with the orange batik.
Now these I am super proud of. These are the Plus Size Inchies I made for my trade at Fiber Art Traders. Remember the sheets of fabric I had made- now look at them! I still have a bunch left-over, too. I made a simple wallhanging for our piano teacher, too. I will take a picture of it once it is hanging on the wall in her music studio.

In order from top to bottom, we have spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In a couple of days, I will be notified to whom I will be sending these- I will trade with a group of six folks, and will end up with a bunch of these. DOn't ask me what I will do with them, I am not certain yet.

That's it for this post- check out the next one for the second toddler quilt I made this month.
LB

In The Mail

Okay, now this is really fun! This is the beginning of a new category- In The Mail. One day last week, I was visiting Lemondrop, and oogling the ATC's I saw in a post there, and her creator, Tami, sent me one! Isn't Lemondrop just the sweetest?! If you haven't visited Lemondrop yet, you should- and your kids will love her, too. In the photo, I used the hand-stamped card Tami sent as an easel. Hopefully, this is the first of many posts where I can show you someone else's art!
That is all I have for now- I need to stop writing about studio work, and do some!
TTFN,
LB

WIP-PSI's Four Seasons

Ok, so here are the sheets of embellished fabric that I will turn into Plus Size Inchies (PSI's). They were a bit challenging to photograph, as I have two burned out bulbs in the studio (why always in pairs?!), and my camera isn't super. The fabric is meant to represent the four seasons. As usual, feel free to click on the photo to view it larger.

Here is the first one- Spring. There are several batiked fabrics, silk ribbons, skeleton leaves, and many different fibers- everything from embroidery floss to silk wool. I found a green tulle to put on top. Please tell me it reminds you of spring- so many shades of green and yellow, after a long dreary winter.


This one represents summer. I started with a pink and blue batik as the base, and added artificial flowers, pressed flowers, skeleton leaves, acrylic yarn, and threads. I found a pink tulle for the top of this one.










Here is Autumn. I used a leaf-print fabric, and added just a little bit of fiber confetti, some dyed cheesecloth, and skeleton leaves.
This was the simplest of the four pieces.

Okay, here is winter. This one was very fun to do- I was talking to Big D. on the phone, and just creating away. By the time we were done talking, I had a beautiful piece of fabric that really did remind me of winter. For this one, I used a white-on-white fabric, then added silk rods, silk and sheep wool, some fibers, and some Angelina fibers, that really made it sparkle. Now I get to chop the fabrics up, put Timtex between two layers, and create some miniature pieces of art to trade! I have been telling myself for a year now I wanted to take part in a trade or swap, and have been putting it off. No longer. "Real" artists put themselves out there, and share their art! Sorry for the photos being in wierd places, I originally had Winter in the next post.
LB

Finally! Art Content!

I have been working hard in my studio for the last four days. I don't have pictures yet, because I am not quite finished, but I will take a bunch today and hope to post them soon.

I have been using several of the free tutorials over at Fibre and Stitch, and am working on a PSI (here is a good photo of some) challenge from the FAT group. Per Sue B's recommendation, I ordered some MistyFuse, and am now in love with it. I think I have found the perfect fusible. It is light, doesn't gum up like some of them do, and is available by the yard at my fave quilt shop. I have been "making" fabric, by starting with a base, and then adding layers of stuff (anything from pressed and silk flowers, to silk rods, cheesecloth, and bright-colored thread and angelina fibers, each with a layer of Mistyfuse in between. I will use this fabric to make PSI's and fabric postcards. Details and photos will be forth-coming.

Right now, I am headed down to the studio, where my Girl will be meeting me for an English lesson- two birds with one stone and all.

TTFN,
LB

Make Nice-Twice!

Have you had a kindness shown?
Pass it on;
'Twas not given for thee alone,
Pass it on;
Let it travel down the years,
Let it wipe another's tears,
'Til in Heaven the deed appears -
Pass it on.
~Henry Burton, Pass It On


Well what do you know? I have received my first-ever blog award-from two different bloggers! Andie was kind enough to think of me as a nice blogger, and so was Kitten. They both said some very nice things about me, and that felt good! It's not a leg lamp, but I will take it. So now I get to pass on the nicey-niceness and pick 7 nice bloggers of my own. This will be tough, as Andie and Kitten picked many of the same bloggers I would! Let's see......

First off, I nominate Nan @ Life is Like a Lunchbox. Not only is Nan nice, but she is generous in spirit as well. She came up with the idea to fancy up my blog, and did it while her in-laws were visiting even. Way nice!

2nd, how about Miz Booshay over at Quiet Life. She is always nice, in a very encouraging way. Whenever I am struggling to be a mom, a wife, a teacher, or any other part of my life, I head over to Quiet Life, for a dose of encouragement. I love you, Miz B. You bring out the best in me.

3rd, Amy @ The Foil Hat. I love Amy, too. She is thoughtful and kind, but mostly, she makes me laugh- the kind of spew your Vitaminwater on your keyboard laugh. That's nice, and I need that.

4th is Poppins. I find her blog to be very inspirational on many subjects. And not only is she generous in sharing links, she is the generous brain behind The Denim Jumper, a great place for secular homeschoolers to hang out.

5th is Sue Bleiweiss. 6th is Terri S. Both of these amazing and talented ladies are so very nice. They share their enthusiasm for art as well as detailed tutorials and how-to's. They are two of my biggest encouragements when it comes to this art journey I am beginning. Thanks, gals.

7th is Dy. I do not care if she has already been given this award, she gets it again. Dy is such an amazing person. She is one of my best parenting examples. She has such patience and grace with her children. In addition to being the amazing mother of five and a dedicated wife, she is a true friend. She calls me regularly to make sure I am ok, and we commiserate, and laugh together. I love her with my heart and soul, and still wish she and Zorak were in love with the northwest as much as they are the southwest.

8th: Ok, there isn't supposed to be an 8th, but I am adding it since a couple of my recipients were already nominated for this award. 8th is Bridget. I just love Bridget's cheerful outlook on life and on her blog- Bridget has a great family she loves with all her heart, and I love the way she showcases them on her blog. Another nice thing about Bridget is that she is one of my regular commenters. Now THAT is nice! I was about ready to give up on blogging a few months ago, and then Bridget started leaving me comments. This was very encouraging, and is one of the reasons I do my best to blog regularly. Thanks, Bridget!

Now for the Official Stuff: "This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award."

Ok ladies, whom will you pick? And thanks again for being part of my blogosphere.
LB

From the Studio Depths

I woke up at 8:45, to goodbye kisses, and the smell of bacon. Papa and the keedunks left to go bike riding with Mr. B. and his girls. I have just spent a luxurious 30 minutes blog-cruising while eating a donut and O.J. (they ate all the bacon), and though I am still in my jammies, am now settled down in the studio depths. All morning with no interruptions, just Bonnie Rait, John Hyatt, and Joe Jackson cranked up high; and 3 mischievous cats to keep me company. And if it gets hot, or I have a hot flash, I can strip down to my bra and don't have to worry about being sighted by a teenage Boy.
I'm in heaven, I tell ya'. Total heaven. Glorious sigh.
Ta Ta For Now,
LB

Figs, positive thought, and studio plans

Sorry for the lack of art content lately, it has been a very busy week, and I haven't been in the studio at all. I have been canning figs, figs, and more figs. Frozen figs, fig jam, and fig preserves. I'm not done yet, either. I still have half a five gallon bucket to go. Sigh. Then I will need to get to the blackberries, and pickling the cukes. Sigh. I really need to plan these two canning weeks into my schedule. Every year I say that, then every year I get stuck trying to juggle schooling the kids, cleaning the house, doing art, and canning; it is a challenge, that's for sure!

My studio could use some re-organizing and cleaning, too. I just got a couple of new tables from Mr. B. My Dude is working on gluing them, and getting them ready to come down to the studio. I also picked up some plastic drawers, and one of those plastic and wire basket dohickies. Now I need to decide what gets stored in them, and then they will go under the biggest of the new tables. The smaller table is square, and fits over the woodstove. So during the summer it will be a useful space.

I am hoping that I can get going on the canning, and then spend some time in the studio today. I think the kids and the Dude are going bike riding tomorrow- if so, I should have lots of time to be down there.

I have been struggling with finding a way to make some money and contribute financially to the family. I figured out that if I get cracking in the studio, devoting myself to 4 to 6 hours there daily and make a few things that could be sold, I could potentially make more money than if I were to take a part time job that pays only $8 to 10 an hour. I have had a design for a 3-paneled art-quilted screen in my head for over a year now. This week while waiting for jam to boil, I have been sketching designs, and planning how to get 6 hours a day in the studio. I will begin by cleaning and re-organizing the studio this weekend, and then I will be able to start working next week.

I am tired of saying I wish I had time in the studio, and I want to be an artist. From now on, I stop wishing and wanna-be-ing. I choose art! On a daily basis. I am the possibility of creativity, inspiration, and diligence in my work of choice. I choose to be an artist. It matters not how good I am, or how I compare with others who are farther along their journey than I. What matters is the doing and being of the choice I make.

Ok, now I really need to get going on the figs!
TTFN,
LB

TTAP Bike-a-Thon details

The kids were successful with their bike-a-thon, raising $600. to buy 5 goats. For more details and pictures, go here.
Stay tuned for pictures of Indian food! Yum.
TTFN,
LB

Indian Food

On Friday, my dear friend, Big D. came over and we made Indian food. I had a lousy week last week, and this just made it so much better! Good friends who love you even when you are down, and spicy indian food always help!

We made saffron rice, Beef curry kafta (spicy meatballs in a red sauce) dry cauliflower, and chapatis. We also made lassis to drink, and 3 raitas: mango chili, spiced yogurt, and cucumber mock-yogurt. Yum.


Here is my plate, filled to the brim with yummy goodness! Wish you could have been here to taste it with us!

While we ate dinner, we watched an old Jimmy Stewart movie, Flight of the Phoenix. It was very sad, but very well-done. Then we all trouped into the kitchen, did the dishes, and sent David home with leftovers. It was a great evening!
LB

Bike a thon today

The Kids are participating in a unique community service project today. Usually our communtiy service is very local, but this one is a world-wide neighborhood project!

They are riding in a bike-a-thon to raise money to purchase goats through Heifer PRoject. A family in an impoverished village in (most likely) Africa is chosen to be the goat owners. They learn how to care for the goat, and when the goat has a baby, it goes to another family in the village who has been trained for the job. Buying a goat for one family helps an entire village. I am probably not explaining this well as I am in a hury, but you can read more about it at the link provided above.

The kids' goal is to ride a total of 20 miles each. If anyone wishes to pledge, shoot me an email. Otherwise, wish them good luck- it is a hot one today!

Gotta go- I need to get some zucchini muffins baked for them to have as a snack on the ride.
TTFN,
LB

Ta Dah!!!!

Now it is ready for you to ooohhh and aaahhhh over! Nan and I will have to redo the sidebar links, but other than that, we are off and running!
What do you think?
LB (and Nan!)

Surprise! Sorta.

It's not done yet, and needs a bit of work, but you get the idea. My invisible friend Nan is helping do all the tough stuff, like figure out what the heck I did with the HTML codes that pushes my side bar to the bottom of the blog, or disappeared all my links. She took the glass picture from one of my posts, and made the beautiful header, too. She is going to try to have the yellow glass be just on the sides, so it is easier to see the photos and print. And then we will work on rebuilding the side bar.

So, it isn't done yet, but here ya' go!
LB

Tidbit: Makin' Ya' Wait

Ok, the big surprise isn't here yet. It is coming, and on it's way, but it isn't ready yet. But now you'll be coming back everyday to check, right? I promise it will be cool, useful, ane decorative all at the same time. Worth the wait for sure.

Off to wake the kiddos.
LB

Stay Tuned for a BIG Surprise!!

Hello faithful readers! Welcome to a beautiful weekend! It is sunny and cool here in my neck ofthe woods. People I know have been complaining about the weather this summer not being very summery, but it has been perfect for me. Not much to complain about weather-wise.

This wasn't the best week for me, so I am very glad to see the weekend. Plans this weekend include reconnecting with my Dude, fig picking, church, hopefully seeing the godparents there, the visiting of Gramma, baking of zucchini bread, and 2 yr old birthday celebrations. My two fave toddlers both turned two this week. I will take some pictures of the little quilts I made them- I still have to finish the binding on the one that is for today's party.

And now for the news: Be sure to check in tomorow to see a surprise here on my blog. I am not even going to hint, but it is something I have been wanting for awhile, and one of my invisible friends is helping me with it. Tee Hee. I can't wait to show it off!

That's all for now. Girl is feeding chickens, Boy doing cat chores, and Dude making potato salad, so I have a little time to slip into the tub, soak my neck (better mobility but still constant pain), and then do a little blog visiting.

I hope it isn't too hot where you are, and that you are surrounded by people who love you. Make it a great day.
TTFN,
LB

Pictures of the Day: Catkin's tongue

Okay. It hasn't been a super-de-duper week around here, so last night, we wanted to unwind with some mindless comedy. We are on season 3, disk 2 of Third Rock From the Sun. So, we are watching and laughing hysterically when I happen to look over at the Dude. Catkin has crawled into his lap, and is snoozing so hard he is snoring. Normal enough. But look at his head.........Specifically his tongue. I swear, I laugh so hard I have to stop myself from peeing my pants (not that hard to do, unfortunately, that peeing in the pants when you laugh thing.) Look at his tongue! He does this when relaxed and happy. It was really hanging out there last night.

Hope that tickles your fancy as much as it did mine. He is the sweetest cat you could ever imagine, and he is good for a laugh, too.
LB

Recipes

Breakfast Cookies (Great Good Food, Julee Rosso)
1/2 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 egg whites
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup seven grain cereal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 TBSP minced crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 TBSP fresh orange juice
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup canned or homemade mincemeat
3 cups "quick" oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray or wipe a large cookie sheet with oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients in the order listed and mix well.
3. Place 1/4 cup measures of the cookie dough on the sheet, 2 inches apart. press the dough into large circles and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from the sheet immediately and cool completely. THese are fragile and soft when still warm and firm up as they cool.

LB's notes:
This recipe is easily doubled. They freeze well.



Atlas cheesecake (Papa Dude's birthday cake)
1 lb. cream cheese
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
Rind of one lemon
6 large eggs, separated
2 cups sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
6 TBSP melted butter

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Press into pan (removable bottom springform pan) to form crust.

1. Cream the cheese and sugar.
2. Add lemon juice, rind and vanilla. Stir in egg yolk gently until absorbed.
3. Add sour cream and stir gently until blended.
4. beat egg whites until frothy and stir in VERY GENTLY. Do not add air bubbles.
5. Pour batter into crumb-lined springform pan.
6. Bake 2 hours at 260. Leave for 2 hours in oven with door closed and oven off. Then one hour with oven open.



Raisin bars ( a fave for 15 years) from Laurel's Kitchen
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cup finely chopped raisins (food processor works well for this)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 to 1/2 cup frozen thawed apple juice concentrate (or water)

1. Preheat the over to 325.
2. Blend the flour, oats, salt and oil with fingers until evenly mixed.
3. Add raisins, nuts, and juice or water, and mix them in, pressing together with the fingers. (Use larger amount of liquid only if absolutely necessary to make it all hold together.)
4. Press down very well into a greased 8" x 8" pan and cut into 2" squares with a spatula before baking.
5. Bake 1/2 hour.

Notes: This can easily be doubled, takes to being wheat free very easily, and is good with dried figs instead of raisins.

I'm back!

Yes, I am here today. Thanks for all your well wishes! My neck is sore, but the swelling is down. I have learned after over 20 years with this injury, that at the first sign of pain, it is better to take a day off, drink tons of water and take tons of ibuprofin, and be in bed with the heating pad for several hours. Better than the severe pain and agony if I just try to be the mom martyr and tough it out. So I will make sure to keep my neck covered and warm, and try to stay as stress free as possible when you are parenting teenagers.

Today is music lesson day. We have piano and then voice lessons from 1 to 4 pm today. If we have to bus, we will leave the house before 11 and not be home till 6, at which time the Boy's tutor picks us up. While the Boy's tutor and he are so engaged, Mr. Tutor's wife and I walk, and talk education (she is beginning her first public school teaching job this fall).

If Papa Dude is available to be our transportation, it will shave an hour each way off our travel time. I am hoping he is available!

Ok, I promised to get some recipes up today, so I am going to get on that now, before the neck gets sore.

Updated at noon to let you know the Dude is our bus today. Yay! That gave me an extra hour to soak sore muscles in the tub. What a nice Dude I have!
LB

Tidbit: no blogging today

Neck injury acting up. Staying off computer today-better than traction.
Recipes posted later.
TTFN,
LB

The Plan

Today's plan:
1. Finally get to sleep at 3:00 (Dude is traveling), then sleep in till 8:45, when a wrong number wakes you up. Get kids up, dressed. Check.
2. Eat frosted mini-wheats with the kids, and discuss the day's plans. Check.
3. Take a bath and emerge smelling like Amy's soap. Yummmm. Check
4. Madly rush to finish the toddler quilt that was supposed to be finished yesterday. check
5. Have the kids make playdough (for toddler birthdays) after doing a modified day of school. check
6. Pack the car with all the books for tonight's Classical Ed. Meeting, as well as the ones to take to Homeschool Potpourri to sell. partial check- forgot a LOT of books
7. Leave the house by 1 pm, drive to east side (of the lake, not the state), meet friends at park. check
8. Drag kids away from park, head to homeschool store. Spend two hours drooling over books. check
9. Stop in, make sure Gramma is taking her pills, love her up some. Leave kids there to play with their cousins. check
10. Grab something horrible to eat, head to meeting, enjoy being surrounded by other schooling moms, get nourished by the discussion of great books. check
11. Race back to Gramma's, pick kids up, hurry home to see the Dude, who took the shuttle from the airport just so I could go to the meeting. Thank him and sleep. check

Forgot: Need to add in there somewhere: dropping off the toddler quilt, and picking up scripts at the drugstore. sigh. Can I do it all? no checks here yet

Sorry for no links today, I am now behind schedule! Lots to do, lots to do!
TTFN,
LB

Tidbit: fixed posts, deluttering, and supper prep.

Ok, the Tourist in Tacoma posts are all out of order now, but if you can count 1, 1.5, 2, 3, you will be able to figure them out! I am such a computer dolt, I cannot figure out how to post more than 5 photos in one entry. I know you can do it, because I have seen it on others' blogs, but I will be damned if I can figure it out. That's ok, a steep learning curve is good!

I am working on decluttering and cleaning in the basement today. I also got an order from Joggles, that I will blog about later.

Right now, I am off to the kitchen to fix an early supper. The Dude is taking off late tonight, so we want to have an early family dinner. Salad, spiced okra (want the recipe?), saffron rice, and jerked grilled beef.
Ta Ta For Now,
LB

Tourists in Tacoma part 1.5: The Bridge and the Ho, cont.t Spot

Ok, I am guessing that my sidebar vanished this time because I had too many photos in one post. So we will test that theory by creating a part 1.5. If they post out of ourder, forgive me, and just roll with it, ok?

SO here we are again, on the Bridge of Glass.

And me, in my sun hat in front of a giant flower. I could have stood here and taken pictures or drawn every single one of these amazing pieces. This kind of art stirs and feeds my soul.

Ok, in another section of the walking bridge, this is what you see if you look up! Oh my goodness gracious! Talk about sensory overload! Is this not just beautifully amazing!

This amazing building called "The Hot Spot" and is part of the Tacoma Museum of Glass. The Hot Spot is where the artists work the glass. Dale Chihuly started this place, and it is amazing! You can click to make any of these pictures bigger- that is my family at the bottom of this picture.

This is the inside of the Hot Spot, looking up to the ceiling. This is an ingenious design, allowing it to stay relatively cool inside.
This is the only half-way decent photo I got of the artist working. My old camera just couldn't get a good shot at all in here, but you can see the furnaces and get an idea of the space. There are seats around the perimeter so the visitors can watch the glass-blowers work. There is a balcony above and all around so you can watch from above, and there is a large video screen as well so if you are farther away, you can watch on it. We spent hours here, watching a visiting artist from New York supervising the glass team as they were making paper wasps nests our of glass. It was an itricate process- 2 hours from start to finish. The whole family was mesmerized- other visitors came and went, but we watched from start to finish- amazing!

In this photo, the man on the far left in the striped shirt is Marc Swanson, the visiting artist I mentioned above. Here is a link to a blog where you can read about his art and his week here at the MOG.
In the museum there is also a studio, where kids and grownups can play and get their creative juices flowing. Papa and I worked together to make a kalidascope, while the kids designed funky pictures. If their picture is chosen, the glass team with make it and display it in the museum.

The galleries were wonderful, but didn't allow photography, so no pictures for you. But it was wonderful. There is also a movie theatre, where we watched three features, including a cartoon movie about the history of glass. Dumbed down, but cute.

Stay tuned for part 2!
LB

Tourists in Tacoma part 3: HotRod-A-Rama

Here is what everyone was so excited about: The 6th annual HotRod-A-Rama celebration. Now you have to know, I am not all that much of a car lover, and I would never have planned on going to something like this, but there were some pretty cars, and it was a fun thing to stumble upon.

Here we have the Dude, explaining how the engine works, or something like that. I lost interest fast and just started taking photos of the pretty cars.Like this sky blue beauty.
Now this one is special because the Dude had a truck this same year ('54, if I remember correctly) that he restored.

Now this is a pretty car! A 1040 Ford. If I was a car, this is what I would be. It is small and round, but very sexy!
And last but not least, I love the orange and purple lines on this one. Not sure what I think of the naked engine, but love the color combo here.
So there you have it! A three part installment of our wonderful birthday celebration in downtown Tacoma! Hope you had as much fun as we did!
TTFN,
LB

Tourists in Tacoma part 2

Ok, I can't resist another photo of the covered walkway on the Bridge of Glass. Yummy!Here is a great photo of the 21st Street Bridge. Isn't it simple and elegant? Love the contrast between the simple lines of the bridge and the puffy clouds behind it.
This is the Washington State History Museum. We spent so many hours in the Museum of Glass that we didn't make it here, but it was so pretty, I had to take a photo. Many of the buildings in this part of Tacoma have this rounded arcitecture.
Being in the hot museum for several hours made us all hungry!! Here we are, just after dinner, at Harmon's. We were sitting all together after our meal, snuggling while waiting for our check, and our sweet waitress thought we were picture-perfect!
After supper, we were walking around the town when we heard live music. We followed the rock and roll like the rats of Hamlin. As we came up some stairs and around the corner, this is what met our eyes. A whole row of motorcycles, just like in the PeeWee Herman movie, or in the movie Wild Hogs (did you see that one? I thought it was hysterical!). It was enough to make this former leather-wearing, motorcycle babe swoon. Sigh. I love the green one in front.
Although the bikes were pretty, they were not what all the excitement was about. Stay tuned for Tacoma part 3!!

Tourists in Tacoma part 1: The Bridge and the Hot Spot

Ok, so all y'all remember that Wed. was Papa Dude's 53rd birthday, right? Well, he had to travel that day and didn't get home till 9 pm, so we didn't get to do our usual "no work or school on a birthday" celebration. Instead, we did it today. After sleeping in till almost 10:00 am (I was up till after 3, so this was heaven), we headed out today for downtown Tacoma to play tourist. We have never been there before, and they have really been trying to fancify downtown Tacoma up by putting in 3 museums, and lots of art, etc.

We started our tour on this great walking bridge of glass. There are these tall glass sculptures at the beginning. Big chunks of beautiful blue glass. I found that even though it wasn't my birthday, I got a great gift today- the gift of inspiration- so many colors, shapes, textures to see! I could kick myself for not bringing a sketchbook, but it was fun to play with my little camera.

And a close-up. What a yummy shade of blue.
As you walk along the bridge, you come to this covered area, where there are all these boxes along one side. I took lots of pictures here, of individual sculptures, but will just show a few with us in them. Here is the Fine Young Man.
And the Girl. That is a giant pear behind her. Look at those shapes and colors!
Here is the Dude, and a better shot of the pear.

And me, in my sun hat in front of a giant flower. I could have stood here and taken pictures or drawn every single one of these amazing pieces. This kind of art stirs and feeds my soul.

Ok, in another section of the walking bridge, this is what you see if you look up! Oh my goodness gracious! Talk about sensory overload! Is this not just beautifully amazing!

This amazing building called "The Hot Spot" and is part of the Tacoma Museum of Glass. The Hot Spot is where the artists work the glass. Dale Chihuly started this place, and it is amazing! You can click to make any of these pictures bigger- that is my family at the bottom of this picture.

This is the inside of the Hot Spot, looking up to the ceiling. This is an ingenious design, allowing it to stay relatively cool inside.
This is the only half-way decent photo I got of the artist working. My old camera just couldn't get a good shot at all in here, but you can see the furnaces and get an idea of the space. There are seats around the perimeter so the visitors can watch the glass-blowers work. There is a balcony above and all around so you can watch from above, and there is a large video screen as well so if you are farther away, you can watch on it. We spent hours here, watching a visiting artist from New York supervising the glass team as they were making paper wasps nests our of glass. It was an itricate process- 2 hours from start to finish. The whole family was mesmerized- other visitors came and went, but we watched from start to finish- amazing!

In this photo, the man on the far left in the striped shirt is Marc Swanson, the visiting artist I mentioned above. Here is a link to a blog where you can read about his art and his week here at the MOG.
In the museum there is also a studio, where kids and grownups can play and get their creative juices flowing. Papa and I worked together to make a kalidascope, while the kids designed funky pictures. If their picture is chosen, the glass team with make it and display it in the museum.

The galleries were wonderful, but didn't allow photography, so no pictures for you. But it was wonderful. There is also a movie theatre, where we watched three features, including a cartoon movie about the history of glass. Dumbed down, but cute.

Stay tuned for part 2!
LB

A Thank you for Crissy

Well, if you promise not to comment on my wrinkly table cloth, I will show you my Raisin Bran muffins. Don't they look yummy? They were. They are the first thing I have baked in a long time, and the first thing I baked in my new-to-me oven. And a special shout out and thank you to Crissy. The oven is great! So much easier to clean than the yucky, terrible, mean and nasty oven we had, and a much more even baking temp. I am very grateful. Thanks, friend.
LB

A review for Poppins: Why I love my Nature Journal

A little while ago, Poppins asked me why I liked the Nature Journal by Claire Leslie Walker. I tried to write it up as a comment on her blog, and then as an email, but it just wasn't inspiring me. Let's try a review blog post approach, shall we? First off, do visit the Amazon link above, Poppins, and peek inside. It will look like blank pages at first, but if you squint, you can see the faint line details on the edges of the pages.

Ok. Here is my journal. I decorated the covers and the inside page with vellum see through stickers. On the inside cover I have my name in stickers, and a sticker that says "Whispers of nature carried through the wind." I liked being able to personalize my journal, as one of my nature study mom-buddies has the same journal.

I have many sketchbooks, and I use them all. What makes this one great for nature journaling specifically, is in the front and the back, it has several drawing lessons and tips for nature journaling, right out of Walker's book (companion to this nature journal), Keeping a Nature Journal. Here is one spread:
Here is another. For an inexperienced artist such as myself, this is nurturing, inspiring, and useful.
Once into the actual journal, the two page spreads are very inviting. I like to write about what I am seeing- describe it in words, and then draw one or two views of my subject (in this case, a branch of an elderberry bush). There is plenty of room for this. On the upper left corner are faint lines for your writing. On the outside corners of each page are faint lines to add the date, time, location of your drawing session.
It also has this handy-dandy page holder-backer-strap-thingy that works very well. I can find the next blank page in a hurry, so that I can spend time drawing that flitty bird rather than flipping through pages. Notice the words at the bottom of the right hand page (and pardon my fingers holding the book open). There are words of encouragement at the bottom of some of the pages. They are inobtrusive, and don't take away from the 'blankness" of the book.

Here are a few examples:
"Drawing even the little things helps to focus the mind, calm the spirit. There's always something to be drawn."

"What I haven't drawn I don't know."

"Add clippings from newspapers, magazines, note cards, or letters from friends to your journal when they relate to natural events."

The only negative I would say about this book is that you cannot fold it backwards. A spiral binding would detract from the "bookness" of this book, if that makes any sense, but I prefer them for functionality.

Be sure to go to Walker's site. She has written a lot of great books, and also has some of her illustrations on her site. I love to look at others' work for inspiration.
Hope that helps, Poppins.
LB