I went to my friend Sue's for the first time the other day to help cook a French meal for another friend's class. I arrived just before sunset and as we planned the order of our evening I happened to look out the window to see a gorgeous purple and pink sunset! The entire day had been doubly doused in gray skies and clouds threatening some sort of precipitation so imagine our surprise. It distracted us just long enough from our onion soup preparations to enjoy the last few minutes of sunlight. Now that the days are so short I find myself appreciating more and more those last few minutes.

Even though they say it's the pollution that makes the sky these colors I can't help but let myself gasp each time I see one that stunning. My friend has some great property behind her house with a great clearing to see natural shows like this and I caught a few photos before she gave me a tour outside.

She's got these gorgeous weathered window frames in each window that add to the rustic feel of her house and make for fun photographic composition. I hadn't been paying attention to the time of day and it had been cloudy all morning and afternoon so as I walked past the window I stopped in some sort of shock. It was just so surprising to see after such a gloomy day. Sometime I feel odd just whipping out my camera but I can't help myself when I see something like this.

My camera was acting up a bit so I could only snap a couple, but I'm pleased with houw they turned out. It was pretty chilly out (it has been sooo cold here) so we quickly went back inside to stir the soup and turn over the chicken cordon bleu. There is nothing like a crock of piping hot soup in the middle of December (and, of course, a steaming cup of tea).

It's so lovely spending time with other women, in a toasty kitchen gabbing and gossiping and constantly poring over recipe cards. I really hated to leave but we're hoping to make this a recurring event this winter, something to look forward to for sure!

rose colored glass

There's a local art center that offers classes the next town over from me. They aren't free; you have to pay tuition depending on the type of class and the type of materials needed to operate. During the fall season I took a fused glass jewelry course with a friend and my only goal was to learn a new skill and cultivate the creative side that I so easily neglect. It's so easy to make excuses for not completing the things I really want to accomplish: work, family, friends, work, exhaustion. My current job certainly wears me out but this class really allowed me to manage my time better which then forced me to make time for art. I even rearranged my bedroom to make it more of a functional studio, setting up stations for each step in the art I make.

So I made Wednesdays ART WEDNESDAYS. After I got home from work each week (after opening the coffee shop I have the afternoon and evening free) and just noodled around in my fake studio doing what really makes me happiest. Then I met up with my friend BA who also lives in my apartment building and off we would go to art class. It was a lesson in therapy each week, something we both really needed, to let out steam over work and life, all the while collaging pieces of glass together to see how they'd return to us after being fired in the kiln. It strengthened our bond as friends and honestly, it gave me something to look forward to each week. I really do miss being in school and studying all the time--I've sort of just been wandering around after graduating.

Last night was our last class which we spent in the gallery wiring our pieces to make complete pendants out of them and I'm really happy with everything I created. I love color and I love experimenting with colors in all facets of life--from home decor to makeup to art to clothing. I'll miss our little Wednesday gatherings but it's at the very least given me some amazing snippets of life to keep around.

Meggy

Oh My, Do I, Honey

I spent part of this morning typing away on my Smith-Corona and drinking jasmine green tea. After I finish this cup my plans are limited to the usual possibilities: doodle, clean, create. Lately I keep reaching a point in the day where I come to a stop in my work and lament over not knowing where it is going to lead. I want to make progress in the world and have an avenue to share great things with, but what that looks like in terms of future I can't tell. Some say it's the journey, not the destination, that matters, but worrying about unknown destinations can be troublesome (and really difficult to stray from). I'm focused on learning what I want to do with my life instead of fully enjoying what I'm already doing and trusting the universe.

As I finish this cup and let Blossom Dearie sing out in the background of thought I wonder when I'm going to be comfortable with the unknown and stop allowing it to keep me back. There is so much I ache to do that I've got to just get out there and do it, letting the burn of failure come to pass and the high of success ripple through.

The sun is shining today, the last day of November. I'd rather mark the days by the presence of the sun than the presence of fake snow and holiday money saving deals on the television. The passing of Autumn is so sweet and sad. Winter around here is, yes, cold, and just a strange time for me all around. It leaves me feeling lots of memories that I'm not ready to let go of or even revisit (yet I let myself do this) and I have a hard time letting myself forget. I am excited to watch the snow fall and drink some tea, very simply watching time pass. The first snow always reminds me of my first apartment on the third and top floor of a house on a hill, with lots of windows to watch the wind take the snow across the city. We haven't had any snow yet this year and only recently have I been able to kick my July mentality and accept the fact that December's moving in, and bringing with it lots of ice and snow. It just may be time for a trip to the beach while it's waiting out the last days without snow before it halts and simmers into ice.

I've been working on learning new techniques with which I can create. Ideally, I practice daily. More realistically, however, well, it's much more intermittent than daily. I really love to doodle on whatever paper I can find (if I went back to all my school notebooks, the margins are always covered in little drawings) and I've started to bring my own art into the things I create. A few months ago I had the brilliant idea of making little pendants out of Scrabble tiles only to find that this is a hugely popular trade! I went ahead with my idea anyway, scanning images of my own making into my computer so I could print them on a high gloss photo paper. I cut into the drawings using a tile-sized template and then glued them onto the tiles, using a glossy glue to finish the look. When the glue dries it looks like glass on top of the image, like a super clear, unbreakable bubble of glass. I had some earring posts lying around that were intended for an undetermined future project and decided to make my little tiles into earrings. I really enjoyed the process of making each tile and I'm glad I made them into earrings (though none of them match since this wasn't the original intention) because of all the silly things I covet in life earrings are high on the list of them.

baby, i have good intentions

Summer really is the sweetest. Even though I work full time during the summer months I try to make everyday feel not like a workday but a vacation day where I do something sort of special for myself. Sometimes that means just relaxing and doodling while other days it means I get to have a mini adventure.

I decided since I got my work tips this afternoon I would treat myself to the alone time I've been craving. I had a lovely post work snack at a tea room/consignment shop in my town. The ladies are so sweet and I had a ginger peach iced tea while I waited for my southwestern quiche to come out.

The sun was a classic "July in New England" bright today and the view from the window where I sat depicted this perfectly. I love to see wildflowers and tall grass in the hot afternoon sun--something about the sight is just so romantic. Daisies, in particular, are soft and lovely and whenever I see them I want to grab a handful so I can just play with the petals.

After ordering my iced tea I chatted with the owner for a bit while she made her grocery list. It's a great feeling to know a place like this exists in my town. I suppose it's one of those cute but secret spots that are just divine and popular in their own right but sort of exist off the mainstream grid.

Because it's a tea room AND a consignment shop (how great, right?) everything in the building is for sale, including the porcelain you drink out of and the velvet chairs you rest in. I love that! The place settings and decor and are delightfully mismatched--it's kind of like being in my own kitchen which is a collection of what remains of glassware and ceramic-ware of my past. The ladies create their own menu using their own, unique, original recipes and the food is fantastic.

My quiche was so cute! She even put watermelon and honeydew slices with it (adorable garnishes are things I'm totally loving these days). I sound as if I'm writing a review for the tea room but I just ate there for the first time a few days ago and the experience is fresh. I'd shopped there quite a bit but never actually ate there. I don't believe I've ever had such a charming experience in my own town.

Of course I ate the last bite. Who wouldn't eat the last bite of the most perfect Southwestern

Rancheros Quiche?

When I came home my roommate, Star, and some friends were having a crochet party

of sorts. He was teaching someone how to crochet (he recently taught himself and is incredibly skilled!)

It was nice to chat for a bit but I was grateful to relax in the afternoon sunlight that truly

bathes my entire bedroom. I feel lucky, living where I do, and for the first time since I've been

old enough to "really" appreciate it.

I'm currently sitting at my great-grandmother's vanity (which I converted into a desk, sort of)

in my leggings and a scarf because really I just needed that physical comfort certain items from

my closet can give me. You probably know what I mean-- I think we've all got that sweatshirt or tee

from years past that just makes the grand scheme of the universe seem totally okay as soon as

the fabric touches our skin.

It's fairly quiet for this time of day in this part of the city and even Baggins, Star's dog, is

resting on my bed and being pretty quiet. A rare, totally peaceful moment as the afternoon slides

into dusk.

your jeans were once so clean

I've been doodling quite a bit lately. I can't seem to get anything else done. I have these blank cards that were intended for a project that never happened and a spanking new pack of fine point Bic Mark-Its, and I just started covering them with flowers, birds, and all sorts of polka dots. It's relaxing but intense...when something seems forced I get sort of upset, even if it's a particular shade of pink that's just not jiving with a shade of green. So, I suppose it's a lesson of sorts, a training lesson in acceptance and letting the spirit flow through me rather than (beware a pun) force my own hand.

What an incredible Easter day! The weather has (finally) been so lovely the past few days and it was so liberating to wear a dress sans leggings. I did have to work the afternoon into the evening and was bumming over this when I left my parents' house just as more family came venturing through their doors. But the universe has really granted me some great friends and I was lucky to have one working with me tonight. We went all illegal and blasted D's iPod because the sight of a customer was very fleeting. I really feel blessed in that little (big?) coffee shop when I let myself ponder who I have become as a result of getting involved there in the beginning. The sap will end here, I promise, I just needed to acknowledge what a lovely universe I exist in.

Early day tomorrow, which is great because it's going to be a busy week and I'll have the afternoon to sort it all out. And maybe work on my bird doodles a bit more. Ha, doodle.

Ahoy!

The first post on a new blog is like writing on the first page in a new notebook. A crushing fear sets in that one has the potential to destroy something sacred and powerful. That's okay, though, this is the internet. I can edit whatever I write later...

I sold my first item(s) on Etsy! How exciting. My first legitimate sale. Though it is late into the early morning at the moment, I have a lot to do tomorrow. Shipping supplies, boxes, and more beads to be acquired before heading into work in the afternoon. All for the sake of art!

Right now I am working on bringing more color into the world...I've had to take a break due to time and eyesight (I thoroughly abuse my eyes when I am working, what with the dim lighting and very tiny materials with which I work) but I am ready to keep creating.

Keep checking back as I share my projects with the internets!