Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Wedding Weekend!

Well the wedding weekend has come and gone. I finally feel like I have caught up on sleep. Friday was spent running some errands and picking Graydon up from school at 3:00. We came home, showered, changed our clothes and headed up to Ithaca for the rehearsal and dinner. The dinner was at Lost Dog in Ithaca. Very eclectic and chic place. We had the luxury of having a special area all to our selves. The two rooms were so cool...the main dining area had beautiful paintings on the wall, tables set by candle light and an awesome over sized couch with huge pillows to lounge on. The other area was the bar area, very cool with colorful chandeliers and artwork as well. I am just sorry I didn't take any photos of the place...
The next day started off early by making the table flower arrangements and trying to get to Ithaca at a reasonable time. Unfortunately Graydons tux coat did not fit and we had to make a stop in Vestal at Mens Wearhouse where they accommodated up by having a coat that fit him. We headed up to Ithaca via Owego and got to the lovely reception place by 11:30AM. We set the arrangements up and then headed to the hotel to get dressed. Thanks to Lee and Jill for letting us crash their room.
The wedding was so lovely. Lindsey looked like an angel walking down the aisle. John just beamed at her sight. My aunt and uncle proud as they can be and all the guest just smiling away at the happy couple. Graydon looked so cute in his tux. My little man!
The reception place was just so beautiful with the outdoor patio, gazebo, pond and view. What a great spot they found for their reception. La Tourelle is someplace I would like to visit again.
What a blast we had at the reception. The band was great singing their 70's music and the atmosphere wonderful!! I'll post more of the photos when I get them downloaded. I took about 600!
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Congratulations Lindsey and John!!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Apple Green Stuff and More

Call me crazy...no wait don't! OK, you can...I picked up this great sari material for $4.00 a yard and will be making a top for myself for Friday night. I know, I know but I couldn't pass is up! It's so pretty and of course I am planning on making a bracelet and some earrings out of all these little gems I got from Mat's Beads in Vestal. If your local, stop in and take a look around. They have so many different types of stuff and if your in need of something quick...they are your best find. I bought some resin, jade, crystal and pearl beads all in apple green. The other beads are from Hong Kong and they are fossilized coral to match my bracelet and ring I purchased.
I need to whip up some earrings out of that.
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On another note...as usual I have tons and tons of stuff to do.
Dishes are calling my name,
I just may have to have a beer while doing them ;)

Monday, September 22, 2008

Workshop Weekend 2

What a whirlwind weekend I had. I had the Sandi P.'s workshop at the studio all weekend long. It was so much fun being with all my friends and learning so much. I felt like I had known Sandi all my life (that's her in the above photo), she's just that kind of person. I would LOVE to go and visit her studio in Philadelphia during her open house and sale at Christmas time. At least Phili isn't that far away from here...roughly 3-1/2 hours.
Here are some of my treasures I made this weekend. This just happens to be the stuff I made on Sunday. The front two odd shaped things are salt and pepper shakers, the tea pot which drove me crazy the whole time I was building it, turned out fairly well. I kept on saying that it looked like a grenade. The little figure in the middle is going to be my kiln god once I get my kiln up and running again. My friend Brenda made the "poncho" and I sculpted the head. He's hysterical looking and hopefully will bring me luck. The other objects I made were a cool box with a wavy bottom, a 3 footed pot and an adorable pitcher. I'll show these once I glaze and fire them in the next few weeks.
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All in all it was a great weekend, I missed my family but it was fun being with friends and eating TONS of great food. Now I have to get into wedding gear mode as my cousins wedding is this weekend, I have a full week of work and I have tons of things to do!
Well I'm off...Happy Monday!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Unsucessful Day


So today I decided to head up the the Syracuse Mall in search for something to wear to my cousins wedding next Saturday. I tried to have an open mind, I really did but and I mean a BIG BUT, nothing is made for my body type. I have a very long torso which mean every stinkin' dress I tried on, the waste was at my ears. I even tried on skirts and blouses and they didn't look right...a little too casual. I did find some cute shoes though! I love shoes, I wish I could just wear shoes and maybe a purse...huh wouldn't that be a look. These shoes are so comfy and chic! They are a brown/copper patent leather with a little peep toe and a side buckle. Now all I need is a matching purse!
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Anyways I guess I'll head back out on Monday to look. Maybe some dress wide legged pants and a pretty hip modern blouse would do. Any suggestions????

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Workshop Weekend

I am so excited for this weekend. A special guest artist Sandi Pierantozzi is making the trip from the Philadelphia area to our own Broome County for a weekend workshop at Clayworks. Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 10-4. Her work is amazing and she also has a famous potter husband, Neil Patterson. Check out their work at http://sandiandneil.com . Amazing stuff!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Sunny Day...

Well today turned out to be quite the beautiful day! It started off really cold (I almost turned on the heat) and foggy but the fog burned off around 10:30 and it is sunny and around 70ish. I puttered around the house this morning for a bit, did some painting which I can not show you for reasons being that someone who might be reading this will happen to by chance be at Lindsey and John's wedding next week and I don't want to spoil the "thing". Boy that was a mouth full! After that I took Callie for a run/walk. I run 1.2 miles and walk 1.2 miles uphill. I am so happy to be running again. Before when I tried to run I would get this terrible pain in my lower abdomen but now since my surgery in May, I feel great...no pain!
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Todd doesn't understand running. He thinks it is a waste of time to just go out their and run for no reason. I am doing it because in the past, I actually use to love it. I am starting to love it again. I just wish my heart would get use to it. I have some sort of problem where my heart pounds fast all the time. The doctors have called it Flight or Fight Syndrome or Fighters Pilots Syndrome. There is no cure...for me. That is because my body reacts to medications terribly and the beta blockers that I was taking were causing different problems. Basically the doctor said to go off of everything and just try and deal with it. I am, but I wish it would stop. Anyhow...I am feeling much better about myself, losing some weight and gaining muscle back in my legs. Yeah me!
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So on another note...anybody who knows me, knows that I wear my curly unruly hair in a pony tail most of my days. I am tempting fate and trying a new hairdresser. This one just happens to be a girl I went to high school with and was to say the least kind of mean to me. She was hanging around some other girls who were terribly mean to me and I know she just got wrapped up into the whole thing. Since then I really don't know what has happened in her life but I do know she is married, an aspiring singer and a fabulous hairdresser here in Binghamton. I called today and actually have an appointment tomorrow at 12:30. I used my married name so she has no idea who I am. I am almost tempted to take a basketball to her tomorrow as a joke because we played on the same high school team. I'll make sure to bring my camera to this and show you the results. Hopefully I can find some sort of happy medium to this bush woman look. Stay tuned!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Amazing Sunday

Check out what just flew over my house ...
A BALD EAGLE! I was sitting on the front porch with Todd and my in-laws when I caught it out of the corner of my eye. I nearly jumped out of my skin! I ran inside the house and grabbed my camera and then ran to the field and started snapping photos. What an amazing sight to see! Thank you for your appearance eagle!

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On another note...Window on the Arts was a FANTASTIC show. Thank you all who came out in your support for me. I had so much fun seeing everyone, especially people from high school I haven't seen in YEARS! Old friends, parents, teachers...it was great! A special thanks to Alexis and Doug for all your hard work. The show was a huge success and you should be proud of yourselves! So needless to say, I need to get working on more and more pottery.


Friday, September 12, 2008

Transformation

How lucky am I to have gotten this photo? I went out to wait for Graydon on the school bus and looked into my enclosure I have for these chrysalises and much to my surprise one had started to split. So the monarch butterfly lands on a host plant, most likely a milkweed, and lays her egg. From the egg emerges a tiny little yellow, black and white striped caterpillar. The caterpillar then eats milkweed leaves until it is strong enough, he then climbs to the top of a plant or in this case an enclosure I have, and hangs into a "J" shape. He splits his skin and out pops a chrysalis. It then hatches into a beautiful butterfly and starts the process all over again.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Stomach knots...

Well here it is two days before the show and as usual I am a ball of nerves. I have things to unload from a kiln, stuff to price, wrappings to get together, business cards to print, and a sign to paint for my booth. Why do I wait til the last minute for everything you might ask? Because I work well under pressure! I received a phone call yesterday afternoon from Doug the guy who is responsible for the whole show. He invited me to the mall to do a newscast special on the show with my pottery. Well when I got there, Alexis whom I know from my days as a street painter, was there to promote it and I guess really didn't need the artists faces just their work. Fine by me! So my pottery was displayed and I wish I had brought an easle for my big platter but
oh well...
Here is the link for the newscast segment
Chick on it an you'll see my comrade Alexis and Steve the newscaster talking about the festival and artists.
Well, I'm off to another pot of coffee and getting Graydon ready for school. I get to unload a kiln today and it's just like Christmas for me...I'm so excited!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sneaky Peeky

Here is a sneak peek of the fruits of my labor ...
I will have this as well as much more at the sale this weekend.

The chipmunks and squirrels are going crazy around here filling their cheeks and then scurrying away to store them for safe keeping. I wonder if this is a indication of what lies ahead for this winter. I heard that we might have one of the coldest winters in a long time.

Oh goody!

Here is a close up shot of one of my monarchs after it hatched. Check out all the spots and the white highlights around some of the orange.

Amazing!

So I took Callie out for a little walk around the yard when I heard all this "peeping" sound. I looked in our lilac tree and to my amazement, found this nest with baby birds in it. I still have not yet identified what kind of bird this is but stay tuned for my discovery.

I just had to post this photo of Stitch.

And finally, after a month of waiting I received this beautiful bracelet from Hong Kong (shh don't tell I only paid $15.00 for both). It is fossilized coral which I am so in love with. There is a matching ring behind the bracelet which is a little dark...
now I just need a pair of earrings to go along with this.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Cartoon Us!

I found this cool website called Face Your Manga through my friend Nancys flickr site. I finally got on and was able to do a little playing around. Above is suppose to be Graydon...notice the soccer goal behind him. It resembles him but he looks too old.
This is suppose to be me. Sort of a good resemblance...
And this is suppose to be Todd...what do you think?

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Window on the Arts Festival

Here is the information on the show that I am in on Saturday. If your in the area, stop by...the list of artists is great! I have several friends doing this show along with my high school art teacher Bill Grasgruber who is an amazing painter! I will be there in support of my home town where I went to high school!
Hope to see you all there!

Insanely busy!!

So, although I did not have to physically work at my job this week, I have been crazy busy with everything else. I am trying to get ready for a show that I have a week from today on top of the firs two days of school and in the beginning of the week Graydons friends coming over and helping paint my neighbor kitchen and then making her valances...whew!


Well anyways, here is a photo of Graydon and Callie on the first day of school. He was nervous and excited all together. He likes his teacher and some of his friends are in his class. He also made a new friend...Pavo.

Here's a photo of me and Graydon. I was a little swollen eyed from lack of sleep but, whatever.


Stitch was not happy about the whole commotion. He wanted out of the house too!


The short ride going to school and the long ride home.


I love this sunflower. I think the chipmunk planted it on the patio and I left it growing. Look at how all the seeds are symmetrically aligned. Nature in its glory.


Busy making baskets, throwing pots, making tiles for a tray...you name it.


I love the size of this platter. Perfect to display on the center of your table as a centerpiece or use it to serve a variety of cheeses, breads or anything else your heart desires!


So to add to my madness, I am tagging monarch as they hatch from my home. This little sticker has a 1-800 number on it and if a person outside this region (or in I guess) finds this butterfly, they call this number and they take their information down and they also let them know where it originated from. Cool huh?


What a beauty!