Five Flowers

Happy New Year!

First Born

{Our dog, Kona, sometimes can be quite photogenic}

stupa, 2008

{stupa, 2008}

Well, I have finally finished this piece, the first in a series I am working on.  I am really enjoying the new layering techniques I have been playing with.  Now I need to figure out a way to scan and photograph large canvas sizes better:: this one is 10" x 10"...  I have 3 more pieces in the works.  Does anyone have any advice for photographing paintings?  I think scanning isn't a realistic option for bigger pieces.

xo

Happy Holidays!

A few new favorite things:::

frances england::

twist collective::

craft mentality::

this joy + ride::

come closer (via Shutter Sisters)

I hope what ever holiday you and yours celebrate is filled with light & joy!

That Time of Year

Well, the holidays are upon us.  Everything is different for us this year, since we moved to a new home.  We are planning on only being at the ranch for a couple of years, and so we are thinking about all the ways to make this holiday season special and house specific.

{The simple living room}

The cool thing about this place is that it is smaller, so we have had to simplify.  De-clutter.  It has a wood stove, and so now we have fires, and go collect treasures outside to make tree decorations (the pine cones were a big hit at the preschool).

{An exterior shot of the new place}

This move has also really made us aware of how are kids are just plain getting bigger.  When we first moved here, we went and checked out the local family pizza place (a dying breed in this area), and our daughter quickly hooked up with a group of first and second grade girls.  She was suddenly off- on her own social adventure while we sat with our youngest and marveled at the fact that she is that big, that she can just hang with a bunch of kids she doesn't know and find common ground.  What happened to my baby?

Hope you all have a great holiday; I have some great things planned for the new year.  A site redesign, a web shop, a give away... oooh.  I am so excited already!

Happy Holidays!

Studio Space

One of the really cool parts about this house, which we have dubbed "the ranch", is the garage space.  Now I am not just talking about space for surf boards and bikes (the husband has 4), but I get a wall to myself.  Complete with windows and a rustic workbench, which a view of the back yard.  There is going to be a lot of creating going on here.  Come take a look.

It may not be much, but I am already getting so much done.  Having a space little hands cannot get to, and where I can keep all my stuff spread out, turns out to be just what I needed!  And did you see the sneak peak at my new series?   

Our "Sea Ranch"

Ah, so we made it to the new place.  We moved the day after Thanksgiving, despite my husband's bruised ribs from surfing.  I seem to always have the greatest timing when it come to things like this.  But now we are in our new place, at the beach, enjoying the December air and chill.  This house is certainly colder then our other house, but it is full of atmosphere.  It is quiet, except for the faint sound of the ocean and the owls hooting at night.  There are foxes here, and coyotes and birds.  And we have yet to really touch on the marine life in our daily explorations.

{our private ocean view bluff}

As I have mentioned before, I really enjoyed reading the book Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts.  Well, there is a yahoo group set up that is going to go through the book together starting in January.  Come join in here.  More about my little studio space here at the new house later in the week!