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I split this up into TWO posts again (one right after another) because it's been 21 days since I last posted...YIKES...time is flying too fast! I'm still breathing, still beading, and trying to enjoy all summer has to offer. I'm finishing up two dotee dolls for friends and still working on one doll that needs to find her owner SOON!!! I am going to set a deadline for myself because I really need a little time to play with fabric and prepare for the BJP that starts in September and feel prepared!
I got this lovely shot last week, one early morning when I couldn't sleep and the sun was just coming up! I have never really thought to go grab my camera this early in the morning before...usually because I haven't had my coffee yet...but it was just beautiful! Due to the fact that I really am a night owl, I usually am asleep! However, with the wonderful... menopausal thing and age...I'm finding myself waking up more often in the middle of the night and sleeping less. Maybe because of that, I'll be getting more sunrise pictures! ;-)
At the end of June, we had one evening of some WILD thunder and lightening! I have never tried to take pictures of lightening before and it isn't easy to catch the strike! Spencer and a friend were over for dinner that night and wanted to try too, so altogether we must have snapped 100 + pictures and kept maybe 10! But it was fun trying to catch the lightening from our deck. The lightening was across the valley at the time but switched and started coming our way and that was it...time to go in! But thought I'd share a couple with you.
My oldest son came home for 11 days from June 26th-July 6th! He took vacation time and was in a good friend's wedding on the 4th of July! His friend Bryan, has been a dear friend of his since grade school and is like another son in our home...among a few...and he is a sweetheart! We have never been to a 4th of July wedding before, but it was lovely! It was at a new golf course in Happy Valley up on a hill, near where we live, that overlooks the valley toward downtown Portland. Actually from our deck, across the valley in the last three pictures, Happy Valley is the hill you see! You could see the fireworks in the evening and there were tons of sparklers going off when the limo swept them away! It was a fun evening, even though it seemed a little odd getting dressed up and not doing the normal BBQ thing. Bittersweet, too, because the 4th of July was my mom's birthday. But we had a nice time and still made it home and watched the rest of the fireworks from our deck and enjoyed the rest of the evening.
This handsome man is my oldest son, Blake! He is the son who lives and works near San Francisco. He has been away for two years now and when he comes home, mom is one happy camper! He is a lot of fun, a big teddy bear, and we all have a great time together. Both our boys are such great men! When we are together, we all have the best time with lots of laughs, memories, and fun! Blake and Spence are our pride and joy!!!
May I introduce to you... Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Sager! They are a beautiful couple and they were both just beaming with JOY! They are both teachers (Bryan just received his Master's last year) and they are off to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico for their honeymoon! 
I'm sharing a picture I've had for a LONG time and came across it in my desk recently. He is "Bacchus"...The Roman God of Wine..Dec. 1884. The photograph says..."a deep secret do I hide but I shall guard and keep it." Do you SEE the deep secret that he hides?? Let me know if you see it! ;-)
Continued below. . .
My friend Cathie, of Clevelandgirlie, held a contest on her blog not long ago for a beautiful padfolio and needle case that she made. The names of the players that chose the CORRECT amount of items and what they were, were put in a bowl and drawn to win the padfolio and all those that played...their names would be put in a bowl for a drawing for the needle case. My name was drawn by her beautiful daughter, Sabrina, that shares her mom's artistic talents, as the second place winner of the needle case! I was floored, to say the least, as 'luck' and 'win' are not something that normally happen to me. Her gift arrived last week and it is just BEAUTIFUL!!! Cathie hand painted the fabric with deep purple and copper metallic Lumiere textile paint, appliqued a gold painted and stamped sun on the front, the lining is an iridescent Dupioni silk, the needle pages are a beautiful gold wool, and just stunning thread work to match! It just shines, radiates warmth, and I love it! My needles will be traveling in STYLE...even when I'm at home! If you haven't seen Cathie's blog or her work, go check it out! I always enjoy visiting her and seeing what she is sharing and creating! She always ventures out there and tries something different and I love that! And, Cathie...Thank You Again!!! I will cherish this needle case and I am honored to have a piece of your beautiful heart art!!! ;-) My needles will be traveling in style!!! And, I don't want to embarrass myself on how terrible I did on the contest, however, I was one who picked the glasses...NOT a 'sewing' TOOL...but a 'tool' I need to sew with!!! LOL at myself! And, I don't know why I didn't recognize the shiny thimble!...H E L L O Lisa! ;-)
It is really not my style to share, per se, what I purchase...but I have decided to share a few things with you! I ordered these wonderful little gals from my friend Monica, at Girl Gone Thread Wild, quite awhile ago! She knew I was in no hurry for them, as my plate is full. I just adore the sitting dolls with their legs crossed and was looking for something special because I wanted to make a beaded face from a pattern I bought awhile ago, from Anne Hesse. Aren't these dollies just DARLING!!! They enjoyed coming outside on a sunny day for a little sunshine and their photo shoot! They are stitched so nicely and stuffed so well! If you ever desire any dolls, or other wonderful art, you need to visit Monica's Etsy shop! I'm so grateful that I did!!!
And, YEP...I stumbled upon this pillow that I had fallen in love with from Monica's blog on her Etsy shop!!! GULP!!! Right in front of me was my favorite pillow! I told myself to hit PAY... right now... as it will be gone in another minute! I know...it was a little impulsive, but it is BEAUTIFUL!!! I believe there is a reason that I happened to click on her shop and find this pillow that she had just posted! It is so Monica, but it just had my name written all over it and I adore it! ;-)
Then my friend, Bobbi, at Beading at the Beach, had this BEAUTIFUL beaded dread girl pin in her Etsy shop that I had been wanting to purchase for awhile! But my guilt of just indulging in MYSELF took over. Mark kept telling me to just do it and I kept watching her! Then one day, I was determined to adopt her and I went to her blog and her Etsy shop wasn't there! GULP!!! I wrote her and politely, ~wink~, asked her where her shop went and if she still happened to have the dread girl pin...because I wanted to purchase her! She arrived this past week and she is AWESOME!!! I love the color of the beads, her beautiful face, and her wild dreads! She just shimmers with light and I absolutely adore it! If you are interested in some beautiful bead jewelry or pins...go visit Bobbi's shop!!! You will be grateful that you did!!! ;-)
I don't normally shop so impulsively, however, I told myself...you know what...life is short...and I couldn't have spent money on anything else that could make me happier and that I absolutely will cherish! Each item on this post is from a friend that I treasure!!! Your art work is stunning and I am grateful to have a piece of each of you around me!
I've indulged in myself, am in need of nothing, and I'm very blessed! But now...I need to rein it in and get back to work!!! I hope you all...good friends...are well and enjoying the sunshine!
Keep pursuing art...life and dreams! ~Lisa ;-)
Well, I finally sat down and fluffed up this blog! I've been meaning to work on it and finally took the time today! It feels much better having a little color and a picture in my header! Something must have changed in Blogger, because when I tried to put a picture in my header when I started this blog (February 29th), we kept messing around with the size and it still was too big. Gave up! Tried again today and there is a new button that will shrink your picture to size! I stumbled around and got the buttons I needed for the Pink Artist Drawing up and the Comfort Doll Project that I just contributed to. A little satisfaction! ;-)
I have been working these past few weeks...not sitting around eating chocolates!!! ;-) I did finish a Dotee doll for a friend and got a package sent that was overdue! In my excitement of putting it together, I forgot to take a picture of the Dotee that I included for her! I told her that I forgot and she kindly sent me a picture with her hanging on this beautiful hand mannequin! I beaded the batik fish in silver lined 15's (blue, green, and silver), used 2 mm Swarovski Crystal AB for the eye's, topped her hair with abalone shell flower beads with the 2 mm AB crystals, and strung the top and bottom with 4 mm AB crystal and light blue crystal with a sterling silver seahorse hanging on the bottom. It was so fun to put together another box of goodies and have another thing on my wish list accomplished!
I still am working diligently on other beading projects which I wish I could share...but I will when they are on their way to their owners. I also am going to start working on a few gifts for the Pink Artist Drawing next week! I will share these as soon as they are done.
I feel like I've been neglecting my blog and I have...somewhat! The sun is beginning to shine here, finally, and my yard, my garden, the blue sky, the warmth of the sun, the birds and critters...are all calling me!!! I can tell that summer will be my slowest time to post because I eat up the warmth we get in the summer in Oregon!!! ;-) It rains a lot in the Pacific Northwest, so when the weather turns here...it is a big thing!!! We all get out and enjoy everything Oregon is about! So I want you to know...I'm not ignoring you!!! I'm just probably soaking up some warmth...tending to my garden and weeds...listening to the birds...watering my yard, visiting the river...having great BBQ dinners on the deck with husband, family, and friends...listening to music...and beading outside, as often as I can, where I can enjoy the fresh air...blue sky...and all the sights and sounds! ;-)
Come take a walk with me and I'll share some of my yard with you and you can see what is blooming now...
A good friend stopped by for a cool drink in the 'three graces' fountain!
Rock rose and a bee!
Black and blue salvia...the Hummingbirds love these!
Tiger lilies in bloom...
And my old sign that I painted years ago that I still love...even though I can think of all different ways I'd do it now...;-)
I had a special mail week too! I will share that with you soon! Right now I need to get myself prepared because I have Jury Duty tomorrow!!! Hopefully, I will get LUCKY and they won't be interested in me! I'll talk to you soon...if I survive!
Hope you are enjoying some sunshine and the nature that is around you!!! We are in for high 90's this weekend!
~Keep Pursuing Art...Life and Dreams!
~Lisa
Well, I was tagged by Bobbi for this meme...and I apologize Bobbi for not doing it immediately! However, I do thank you for thinking of me! I put it off for awhile because I wanted to get the last post up first. I didn't want you girls thinking I've just been sitting around eating chocolates all day! ;-)
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago, I was forty years old, a wife, and mom to my two boys who were 16+ and 10+ years old. I worked full-time as a bookkeeper for a union concrete construction company doing payroll, payables, general ledger, and union reports. This was the first job I've had that I was not working in the medical field (other than when I was very young). My youngest was playing baseball and basketball and my oldest played football and had his brand new license to drive. We bought another puppy to join our family and be friends with our dog that was a year old. My husband and I took a vacation alone that year on our anniversary (21 yrs) to Mazatlan, Mexico. We had not been on a vacation alone (on a plane) for ten years and that was to Hawaii! As a matter of fact, we have not been on a plane together since then! We lived in the home we do now. That year, I would garden and needlepoint whenever I could.
The most difficult thing about this year...was that it was the beginning of the most heartbreaking and downhill journey of my mom's last few years with Multiple Sclerosis. She went from walking, to a cane, to using a walker, to being in a wheelchair this year...that fast. She was paralyzed from the waist down at this point. She had a full-time day nurse at home that took care of her. She had six hospital stays, and three surgeries (one being a colostomy that she asked to have done because of her pride). To say the least, this was a difficult time. My days were long. I was a mother, a wife, a daughter, an employee, and helped take care of my mom and just be there with her after work or on the weekend when I could. I spent a lot of time at the hospital too. This was just the beginning of three years of heartache and pain until my mom passed away January 18, 2001. During this time, wearing all these hats, I did my best to wear a smile on my face and be strong for everyone...even though my heart was breaking.
2. Five things on today's to-do list?
Get this post accomplished! ;-)
Catch up on e-mail and see what you are up to
Fluff up around here...pay a few bills
Go outside and breathe some fresh air, it is sunny today!
Bead (maybe outside) ;-)
...Keep thinking about how to fluff up this blog of mine and about the 2008 BJP!
3. Snacks I enjoy?
Crackers and Cheese (Cheddar - medium and sharp, Swiss, Pepper Jack, Asiago
Fruit
Blueberries, cherry & grape tomatoes, snap peas...right out of the garden when strolling
Chips and Salsa
Nuts - Lightly Salted (all kinds with peanuts being my least favorite)
Dill pickles
Frozen Fruit Bars - especially late in the evening
and I still scoop a spoon right out of the Peanut Butter jar when the craving hits
4. Things I'd do if I were a billionaire?
Buy a huge piece of property and build the perfect one-level home for us. A big garage for Mark and a big, light filled, art studio for me with lots of storage! Build two more homes for our kids and build one more home for friends. Of course, all green, wind turbines, water tower, etc. It would be self sufficient. We would even farm there. We would give many charitable contributions to worthy causes and help family and friends. Do something special with and for my sister. Basically we could do anything we wanted to do with no money worries. Beads...lots of shopping for beads, fabric, and books! ;-) We would take our boys and go on a great family trip! We would travel some and have a second home...location to be determined. Wow, what else could you do with a BILLION dollars? It is fun to dream!!!
5. Places I have lived?
Portland, Oregon - born and raised
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Wilsonville, Oregon
Tualatin, Oregon
West Linn, Oregon
Milwaukie, Oregon
I am a native Oregonian!
6. People I want to know more about?
Well, I told Bobbi this is going around like wildfire and I don't know who else to pick that hasn't already been tagged. But in checking around...I came up with a couple girls that I don't think have been tagged. If you don't want to do this...don't feel pressured to do it! It is only for fun and for all of us to get to know one another better! If you are willing to participate, that means you answer the same questions as I have and then tag 4 to 6 more people! I know you three girls will certainly be able to do better than I could and keep the fire burning! ;-)
Pat Winter of Gatherings
Cathie of Clevelandgirlie
Tammy of Crooked Heart Art
I hope everyone has a nice weekend!!!
I finally finished and mailed a bakers dozen to Pat for the Comfort Doll Project this past Thursday! As you know, Pat collects and sends these dolls to women's shelters across the U.S. I felt it was a great cause and something I certainly could help with and contribute to! I hope this small gift brings a smile and warms the heart of those that receive them. I hope it will remind them that they are special people, someone is thinking of them, and that there is hope and love out in this world! The Comfort Doll Project is not quite a year old and Pat has sent 22 dozen and soon to be 23 dozen dolls out into the world! I told Pat that I thought she was an 'angel' to organize such a worthy and thoughtful project! I have to admit that I learned two lessons! What I thought would be...just whipping them up and the time it takes me to 'whip up' are two different things! And, never tell someone that you think they'll be on their way in a couple weeks!!! I apparently have "overzealous" written across my forehead!
I was disappointed in my pictures...too dark and I didn't really capture any bead work on the bodies. Our weather has been cloudy and raining for a couple weeks and I took these outside because usually that's where I get the best lighting. Not this time! I do think that we need to make a light box and play around with the camera! Capturing beads and their colors, I'm finding, is not always very easy. And, these little gals kept turning and moving in the breeze. I kept telling myself to hurry up before it starts raining, which it began to sprinkle as I was putting them back in their box! Not the best photo session!
This is the sky that was looming over us at the time! Our weather has not been pleasant these past few weeks! Cooler than normal and wet! We managed to till and get our garden in a week ago, but barely...the soil has been so wet. The plants are spreading their roots but they are all just sitting idle waiting for the sunshine! Usually we plant our garden Mother's day weekend but not this year. It has been unseasonably cool. It even snowed six inches this past week on Mt. Hood! Our rivers are brimming and the cottonwood is flying. It is 56 degrees, cloudy and raining right now. Oh man, will it be nice when the sunshine sticks around!!!
Some flowers in my yard that are blooming here now! At least my flowers bring cheeriness and brightness when it is so gray! ;-)
This handsome man is my youngest son, Spencer, who just bought a new motorcycle on Saturday! He drove home to come show it off! Oh, the nervousness and worry in your heart watching your son on a bike! GULP!!! I reminded him, I'm sure too many times for his liking, with a big hug and kiss to be safe...this isn't like falling down and skinning his knee and that mom and dad want him around!!! Along with all the other reminders...I'm sure he was ready to get out of here! But he knows how much we LOVE him!!! The one good thing will be gas savings!
Well, I've rambled on long enough and am off to complete a few more projects! I've been tagged by Bobbi at Beading at the Beach and will post that in a little bit! Have a good week!
I've been home a week and I'm finally sitting down to share! Is it the change in the season or just me, but I feel so behind in everything lately! Mark got home yesterday from Georgia and we sat and went through our pictures and deleted a ton and ended up with 640. It was so hard for me to limit these to share, so I got a little creative here and split my post into two!
Our trip down the southern Oregon coast (Hwy 101) and into California was wonderful! The weather held with sunshine and the only tough part was it was soooooo windy near the beach the entire trip. I literally almost got blown off my feet a few times trying to take pictures. The southern Oregon coast is unbelievably beautiful! I have lived in Oregon all my life and am a beach and water kind of girl, but we have never really seen and enjoyed the southern coast before. The entire drive was delightful...but once we hit Cape Sebastian to Brookings, Oregon it was gorgeous! We pulled over so many times to take pictures, ...but one place called Natural Bridge Cove was breathtaking! The whole trip was a photographer's paradise...everywhere you look is an amazing photo!
The best day journey of our trip was to see the Lost Coast. If I hadn't stumbled upon it on the internet, we would never have seen it. And, I cannot, repeat...cannot, tell you how beautiful this place is. It was THE highlight of our trip. You'd probably think that California's Pacific Coast Hwy. 101 follows the coast from end to end. It's true that US 101 and CA Rte. 1 do a good job of hugging the Pacific, but there is one area of the coast that is so rugged, so remote, that road builders simply didn't try. This area is known as the Lost Coast. Pure wilderness and beauty!
You have country, narrow winding and steep roads, solitude, the mountain range (up to 4,000 ft) with the ocean below, Douglas-Fir tree forest, Oak trees, deep valleys, cattle ranges, hundreds of cows and sheep, wildflowers, beautiful crystal clear creeks and rivers, and then all of a sudden you crest a hill and this breathtaking view of Cape Mendocino comes into sight and you drop down to the Lost Coast with a black sand beach! We got out on the beach for about twenty minutes (again, sooooo windy) and found some shell treasures. We were the only ones on the beach...nobody is around except for the occasional car you pass and everyone waves to everyone! Then you keep going from the coast back up and down winding roads until you come out in the Redwood Forest. These trees are gargantuan!!! This loop was ??? 70-100 miles?...but as the crow flies...it took a good day...6-8 hours. It really is because you can't help but stop constantly to take another picture and just be in awe of what you are seeing. We saw five deer, elk, hawks (lots), birds everywhere and singing away, "California Happy Cows" everywhere, sheep, and the only thing we didn't see was a bear...thank goodness...this is bear country. These are some of the lucky creatures who get to live there. It was so STUNNING...an awesome drive...an awesome day! This place shook me to my core and branded me for life. It was fun to see and be places we've never seen together!
The pictures in the following post are as follows:
1) Southern Oregon Coast - Hwy. 101
2) Cape Sebastian, Hunter's Cove - Oregon
3) Natural Bridges Cove - Oregon
4) Mattole Road - California - road to the Lost Coast...California "Happy" Cows and Ocean
5) Mattole Road - Descending down valley - ocean coming into view
6) Cape Mendocino - the Lost Coast
7) Road by the the Lost Coast...See anyone?
8) Steamboat Rock
9) Lost Coast View
10) Mattole River
11) Valley View
12) Redwood Forest
13) Sunset with Seagull - Brookings (Harbor), Oregon
14) Mark feeding a seagull a Wheat Thin cracker
15) Billboard in Gold Beach, Oregon...I couldn't help myself...made Mark turn around so we could get a picture of it! Does this remind you of one of our friends...Miss Monica...making a funny comment on Grace's
blog!!! ;-))
The kicker of this beautiful place, the Lost Coast, is that Cape Mendocino is one of the most seismically active areas on the west coast. Three tectonic plates come together, just offshore. In 1992, an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale was centered near here!
I hope everyone has a great Memorial Day Weekend!!!
All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware. ~ Martin Buber
SEE POST BELOW FOR PHOTO's...You can click on them to enlarge!
I split this up into TWO posts again (one right after another) because it's been 21 days since I last posted...YIKES...time is flying too fast! I'm still breathing, still beading, and trying to enjoy all summer has to offer. I'm finishing up two dotee dolls for friends and still working on one doll that needs to find her owner SOON!!! I am going to set a deadline for myself because I really need a little time to play with fabric and prepare for the BJP that starts in September and feel prepared!
My oldest son came home for 11 days from June 26th-July 6th! He took vacation time and was in a good friend's wedding on the 4th of July! His friend Bryan, has been a dear friend of his since grade school and is like another son in our home...among a few...and he is a sweetheart! We have never been to a 4th of July wedding before, but it was lovely! It was at a new golf course in Happy Valley up on a hill, near where we live, that overlooks the valley toward downtown Portland. Actually from our deck, across the valley in the last three pictures, Happy Valley is the hill you see! You could see the fireworks in the evening and there were tons of sparklers going off when the limo swept them away! It was a fun evening, even though it seemed a little odd getting dressed up and not doing the normal BBQ thing. Bittersweet, too, because the 4th of July was my mom's birthday. But we had a nice time and still made it home and watched the rest of the fireworks from our deck and enjoyed the rest of the evening.
This handsome man is my oldest son, Blake! He is the son who lives and works near San Francisco. He has been away for two years now and when he comes home, mom is one happy camper! He is a lot of fun, a big teddy bear, and we all have a great time together. Both our boys are such great men! When we are together, we all have the best time with lots of laughs, memories, and fun! Blake and Spence are our pride and joy!!!
May I introduce to you... Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Sager! They are a beautiful couple and they were both just beaming with JOY! They are both teachers (Bryan just received his Master's last year) and they are off to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico for their honeymoon! 
