heading to san fran.

(little pink houses - sneak peek at mati + lisa's joint show. photo courtesy of lisa.)

i'm sitting in the seattle airport, elated at some very good news that i just received on the phone from DEMDACO. i've got my starbucks hot tea (tazo awake) and my banana nut muffin and a wide grin across my face. between the good news and the knowing that i'm going to be in san francisco soon, i'm happy as could be. i'm heading down to see a couple of girlfriends - a long weekend getaway with no other purpose except to share a few meals and experiences with my friends. i can't wait - really needing it.

for those of you who are in the san fran area, please consider coming out tomorrow evening for mati's joint show with lisa congdon. i'll be there with lots of other peeps supporting them both, celebrating their art (LOVE). the photo above is a sneak peek at the show. it's it gorgeous? all the details can be found here on lisa's blog.

in other news, i just want to say how much i love airports. the possibility, the adventure, the people watching, the opportunity to read gossip magazines. the best.

artful journey registration coming up soon!

been painting on the studio floor. feels good. really really good.

i wanted to let you guys know that registration for the artful journey creative retreat opens up on july 15th at 12 noon PST (so soon!). mati and i are teaming up to teach a 3 day class at this retreat called the funky chunky coffee table book. i love that we'll have the same students for all three days - lots of time for instruction and play and meaningful exchanges. also loving the location of this retreat - the beautiful santa cruz mountains in california. i really can't wait. i think it's going to be super fun and light and charged with creative bliss. if you are interested in registering, be sure to mark your calendars and sign up the day of registration as we're expecting it to sell out quickly - there is room for just over 20 students for our 3 day class. no painting experience is necessary - just a willingness to let all the gremlins go, meet some other creative souls, and get super messy with paints, paper, and glue!

you can read all about the class we're teaching right here.

and you can read all the other details regarding cost, lodging, registration and more right here.

i hope to see you there!

lately

lately i've been:

loving the new macbook pro. this new version puts my 2006 mac powerbook to shame. the photo booth is such fun (see above sillyness), the iphoto and imovie are way better, and the speed and graphics and memory are eons ahead of what i had. so thankful for technology. i'm getting geekier and geekier by the minute.

reading the twilight series. i charged through the first two books. i'm getting ready to start the last one tomorrow. i can't believe how obsessed i've been over these books. i mean really.

quite homesick for girlfriends. i know i need to find my community here in seattle but i'm feeling a bit pessimistic on this front at the moment. i'm feeling like my window of opportunity to meet peeps is right now given the awesome weather (everyone in the NW seems to go into hiding the minute nov 1st rolls around....that's just 4 months from now. can you sense my anxiety?). i'm fighting the compulsion to go up to strangers who look like they might be my kind of peeps and giving them my phone number. i know, i know.

working on the finishing touches on my new website. i am so eager to get it up, it's driving me slightly mad. the design is done and gorgeous and now the programming is in it's final stage. soon, soon!

thinking about creating a writing schedule. the life and art of writing is calling me more and more these days. like a compulsion.

exploring a bit more of seattle. found an awesome italian restaurant where the cappuccinos taste almost as good as they did in italy.

super inspired by true love and art and words and friends who are following their bliss, leaping fearlessly toward their rawness, their wild pieces, their destiny. it's pretty cool to witness these times of transformations in those i hold close.

in art news, i've been holding back. i don't know what's happening, but i sense a bit of tension and friction when it comes to my painting - like another birthing or growth spurt that is taking it's time. nothing too serious but it has me feeling a bit uneasy with the slow pace. it's all a part of it, i know. art will always be a part of my life, sometimes fast and furious. sometime slow and deliberate. i suppose i'm learning to navigate the slow and deliberate.

loving summer tv...mostly so you think you can dance and the bachelorette.

thinking about my life as a mom. what that would look like. how i would be. how i would love. this decision has been such a back and forth for me, that i sometimes wish the answer was clearer, that i just knew.

just happy. just slow and low and happy and fulfilled and not stressed out and not busy. life is good. and full. the ebbs and flows astound me.

a few quick announcements

oh that giveaway was such fun. the lucky winner of the orla tote is jeanneoli of a bushel and a peck - (totally delighted when she was randomly picked and i found her blog. it's delightful). jeanneoli, please get in touch with me so we can get your tote out to you!

also, i was planning to introduce the newest sponsors, but then realized i've never introduced all of the sponsors. so please let me introduce you to everyone rather than just the latest. 

we've got:

beth quinn designs 

bella wish

brush dance

gypsy girl's guide

unravelling

superhero designs

one inspired life

lady bird land

rachel austin

funky camera straps

julie abbott

maya chappell

katherine quinn

mati rose

thanks so much to our sponsors. i really love being a part of promoting creative business' whether it's jewelry, photography, painting, writing, fabric arts, and on an on. as always, please contact me if you are interested in becoming a sponsor.

one more thing....remember the necklaces i shared with you a couple of weeks ago? the first batch sold out but i've put another batch of them in the shop. woohooo! i love these necklaces. i've also added many more wall canvases to the shop including the previously sold out larger canvases (16x16) and several other sizes, including these two favorites:

ps - i'm retiring all of the small 5x5 affirmation prints super soon so scoop em' up now before they're gone :)

more soon. hope you guys are enjoying your holiday weekend!

xxo

xo

giveaway: orla kiely bag. (OMG!)

(me with my new fave bag)

so awhile back, i bought the above orla kiely bag from all the adorable online boutique, all about cute. i had been wanting one of the orla classics for a long time, so when all about cute had a sale, i jumped at the opportunity. i've had it a few weeks now, and i just adore it. love that it slings across my shoulder, that it's large enough to hold my SLR camera, my cardigans, my scarves (a must here in the NW - even in the summer), and everything else i could ever need for an outing.

so when juli over at all about cute offered to give an orla bag away to my readers, well, i jumped at that opportunity too! so here's what we've got:

an adorable orla kiely bag! it's slightly smaller than mine (mine is a maxi sling bag, this is a mini sling bag), which i love. i'm also loving the classic orla design and that red shoulder strap is killing me in all the best ways. one lucky reader is so winning this bag!!! everyone else still wins something else - see below for details. 

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giveaway recap:
*one reader will win the bag. a huge thanks to juli over at all about cute for the very generous giveaway. 

*also, ALL readers of this blog have been offered a 40% discount when you buy anything over at all about cute. in order to receive the discount, please type in coupon code 'summer' during checkout. that is a serious sale, peeps. we are soooo lucky.

giveaway rules:
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post - but there's a twist. please just leave a one word comment. using just one word, tell us how this bag would make you feel when you put it on (mine makes me feel sassy). 
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner in just a couple of days.
* go!