confession

 I'm scared to death I am going to loose my creativity. I worry it will slip through my fingers like water and slides down the drain in a swirling motion, which, apparently turns the other way if you are south of the equator. 

 

I am also pretty sure that the tighter I try to hold on to it the faster it will disappear. I am going to breathe, let the art talk to me, and not the other way around. I will keep my eyes open, my heart and mind open.I will also keep my fingers crossed that the past 9 months of this emerging self doesn't head straight for the hills and out of my life again.

Mission Accomplished.

Thanks to my mom who took the littles for a sleep over, we slipped away to Lake Tahoe for a bit of music and a night without kids. 

In the morning we had breakfast, visited over coffee and took an random walk. These are the sort of things that have been pushed aside in the past year, those quiet moments together without a lot of distraction.

After, we got in our separate cars and headed out for our own adventures. He, to play golf and be with the kids. Me, to head into the Bay Area and have a solo 24 hours in the city. 

I got into the Bay Area a lot earlier than I had planned, I took a nap in the big king sized bed and didn't feel one bit of guilty about it. I then got ready, pulled on my big-girl-driving-in-the-city-pants, and headed out to the art class I was taking at Teahouse Studios in Berkely.

These two shots were taken by others in the class, one of me working and one of my work.

This is such an easy process and I am really looking forward to attempting it at home- I like that I don't need to go out and buy a lot of new supplies and that the it doesn't require much more than my kitchen table for space.

It was so wonderful to see how each person explored this new technique. 

I love a good creativity mess. 

Our three hours went by incredibly fast, I think I could have been in all that good energy for another three!

After class, I made my way back to the hotel- stopping first for In-n-Out, Animal Style Fries and a chocolate shake. Totally worth the calories. I burned some of them off the next morning during a run in the fog.

My plan for Saturday was to to not really have a plan. I knew I wanted to go into San Francisco and wander around with my camera(s), but other than that, I had only a vague idea of where and what I would do.. These weren't the images I thought I would come away with, but I really like where my camera took me all the same.

The Teahouse Girls gave me some good ideas on where to go, stores to wander and bakeries to try. They told me where good places to park were and to just have a great time. I loved that they 'got it' and encouraged me to just go enjoy.

I didn't have a map, I don't really have a good sense of direction when I am away from home, but I decided I was just going to go for it.

I realized as I was driving and getting totally lost, that if I just listened to myself, believed in myself, that I would eventually find where I needed to be.

I followed the signs, stayed calm. If I missed my exit or took a wrong turn,  I could always back track.

 

Sort of like life....

I wound up in the Mission District. What a colorful, busy place it is.

I didn't take as many photos as I thought I would, but I loved taking in a part of the city that I hadn't really spent time in before.

 

It was a warm and sunny day, everyone was out enjoying there Saturday.

The people watching was phenomenal, but what I was really drawn to were patterns, shapes and colors.

I drove home with pop songs blasting from the radio and the sun roof open. I decided that the best way to finish my trip was to stop at Donner Lake for a swim.

 

I hadn't gotten into the lake all summer long, how had I let that happen?
I always feel like I can wash away anything when I hit that water.

I waded in and then plunged in head first.Just like I had when I was a kid, with my eyes wide open under the water. When I came up I let the afternoon waves lap up on my face, the smell of the pine trees dance in my nose and the late afternoon sun shine on my skin.

 

I drove the rest of the way home with nothing but my bikini and a sweat shirt on, soaking the lake water into the upholstery of my car. I turned off the music and just let my thoughts drift, they were surprisingly quiet and calm. 

Just what I had hoped for.

A few sights around here

Just a couple of things that I have been seeing around the house these past few days...

It is important to be dressed properly when decorating the Christmas Tree, right?

Right.

Other goings on...

I am feeling pretty set to go for Christmas. A few stocking stuffers have been purchased and MrO's gifts are waiting to be wrapped up and set under the tree. All the cousin's gifts are ready and are just waiting for wrapping paper. I made wristlet key fobs for quick little gifts and just need to decide who gets what.

I have been busy with my sewing machine over the past few weeks, but haven't found time or good lighting (darn, it gets dark early these days!) to photograph any of my projects.

I have big plans for some cookies and peppermint bark, which I would like to gift to co-workers and to the teachers at day care. I would also like to get a couple of other gifts sewn up, but I am not quite sure when all of this is going to happen! We have a busy weekend ahead and my work night evenings are filled with dinner making, cuddling, bath giving and story reading. I can't really complain about any of that, but boy it would be nice to have an afternoon to just hang with the sewing machine!

How are all of your preparations coming along?

getting into the season

Doing a bit of Halloween crafting the past couple of days. This is an in progress shot of the garland I made to hang on the mantel. MrO has been coming home with witch's hats and tissue paper ghosts from school. It is fun this year to see him get a little more interested about the holiday.

I put up these old decorations that my mom gave me (I remember these in her class room back when) and O told me, "That guys is mad, mama?" I felt sort of bad that he was a little worried/scared of them. Thinking about pumpkin carving, though that always makes my arms itch, does this happen to anyone else? The pumpkin guts just irritate my skin like crazy.

I have also been doing some baking. Remember all of these I got the other week?



Well, the have been sitting because our oven decided to call it quits and all those mouth watering day dreams of apple pie, bread and crisps were put on hold.
That is, until last Saturday...



This is the scene Sunday morning as we tried out the new shiny oven. The rolls aren't homemade, but they were highly anticipated.



And I peeled and cored and made this yesterday morning.



Apple bread is a perfect match to a cold autumn morning cuppa-cuppa. I found the recipe here if you are interested.
I am going to get my apple on again and make this galette today. The dough is waiting patiently for me in the fridge. (and I so want to make those pot pies that are linked in the dough recipe! yum!)

I really do love this time of year!

repetition is the heart of education

That little saying was one I heard many times while in the Geography Dept. at UNR. And isn't it true? the more you do something the better you get at it, the more you hear something the more you remember it, the more you are around someone the more you understand them and learn about them.

I have been thinking about taking a photography refresher class for awhile now, did I want to go up to the University and take a class? or maybe the Community College? These two options didn't really sinc with my schedule being mid-day and semester long commitments. One of the local photography stores has classes, maybe that would work? and when this came out I was trying to figure out just how I could get over the hill to take a class from the lovely Hula...

Over a month ago I had gotten to my prenatal yoga class a little early. On one of the tables in the waiting area there was a University of Nevada Extended Studies brochure. I flipped thru it and came across a "Using your Digital Camera Basics" class. hmmm, I though. Maybe that would be good for me. I thought about it, put it on the back burner, had a baby and then a couple of weeks ago remembered that they class was going to start soon- maybe I SHOULD sign up for it. I emailed the instructor for a bit more information on the class and decided to go for it.

Yesterday, I got up early- for the first time in over a month with an actual place to go, not just a baby to feed or change. I got in the shower, dressed, packed up my gear and headed to the campus. The class was full of basic information about photography, but basics that I needed to hear again. Things like adjusting the shutter speed will cause the aperture to adjust and compensate as well. It's all about painting with light, remember those days of film? And you know that little book that came with your camera, I think it's called the manual, keep it with you, ALL.the.TIME. because there is information in there that can actually help you know how to use your camera. No, really it can help you! (now I just have to find mine....)

We also discussed lenses and what types we should use for what type of photography we are shooting. I finally found out that a prime and a fix lens are the same thing, and that SURPRISE! my 50mm is exactly that. I go back for a second session next Saturday. I am hoping we dive further into the menu of the camera and learn more little tricks on how to use its inner workings of it all.

All this re-learning of my camera is really good. The other thing that I loved hearing again, besides f-stops and shutter speeds was to hear "If you want to take good pictures, you actually have to have your camera with you", "setting aside time once a week or even once a day to take pictures will only enforce your skills". This got me thinking, about people who I admire as artists or as yogi(ni)s. What makes them somebody that I look up to as an artist or as a practitioner? They MAKE time for their skill, there again, it's all about repetition.repetition.repetition. Cultivating time, cultivating creativity, cultivating a practice of one kind or another- giving yourself permission to make that time in your day or week is okay and wonderful. Setting an intention and sticking with it.

My bag might be full, but it's all about what I make of it (with the bag above I see pies, sauce and a crisp!)

on the needles

I 've been working on a knitting project. A project for me! I am so excited about this knit, my very first adult sized sweater, Tea Leaves. A bit intimidating because of the amount of yarn involved and the possibility of wonky fit, but I am going for it. When I first saw Tea Leaves on a few other blogs I loved it. I kept thinking it would make a great cardigan for the fall/winter/spring months for a couple of reasons- It would be really easy for wearing while nursing the new baby and because I just love a nice cardigan for throwing on at work to keep me warm while at my desk.

I originally wanted to use grey but the yarn shop didn't have enough of the yarn/color I wanted. I spotted this brown just before I was about to give up and head home. I hesitated, thinking if I was going to knit my first sweater and hopefully do it again I should make it exactly as I had envisioned it, but am glad I went for it. I have perfect wooden buttons already in my stash and the more I knit the more I like the color choice, plus this yarn is SO soft!

So far I love the pattern- I am almost done with the yoke. I really like that the pattern is just interesting enough to hold my attention, but not so demanding that I can't set it down when a certain two year old needs help washing his hands after a yogurt or applesauce fest or another certain little person needs to be fed, burped or changed. The only thing I am finding is that I must hold the needles sort of funny because my right hand pinkie finger winds up carrying a lot of the weight and getting sore and tired. I had to put it down for a few days to let my hand feel better. Does anyone else find this happening?

If I have success with this cardi I might just go back and get the grey for the Shalom. I like this version or this version with the longer sleeves. Knitting for myself is fun, tee hee.

blue and yellow make...

I have been wanting to get the paints out for MrO. for a very long time now. Since Little girl was sleeping and the weather seemed perfect for just a diaper and some paint, I got out the big sheets of paper and let him loose on the back patio.

The first dip. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to get his hands dirty.

Making his mark on the paper (doesn't it look like he is explaining his work here?)

Moving the paints around the work area, this was almost as much fun as painting for him it seemed.

It was all about the swirls and circles on this piece of work, he also worked only along the edges of the paper. So interesting to watch his process while he painted.

Making a mess and really getting into your art is where it's at.

the pebble 'tunic'

Hey look! I finished a knitting project. Remember waaaay back when I started blogging and it was all about knitting. yeah. well. things change, but I do still love to knit and this project has been in the works pretty much all summer. Squeezing in a row here and there when I could.

I am glad to have it off the needles and on this little dude, even if it is a bit bigger than I had anticipated. (I don't quite get customizing size for knitting) It will fit him for a year or two, so that I'm cool with that. We are thinking that with a belt, a helmet and a pair of boots and sword this will make a swell Halloween costume, King Arthur anyone?

He didn't want to take this off after I slipped it on him last night to see how it fit- a good thing, right?! I haven't blocked it and need to find the rouge button that I thought I had for the shoulder, but couldn't locate once I sat down to sew them on to the piece.

ravelry details