I want to do a segment of Lottery Changed My Life on the TLC channel.
Of course, that means I have to win the lottery…
Do What You Love!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wishful Thinking Sunday
I want to do a segment of Lottery Changed My Life on the TLC channel.
Of course, that means I have to win the lottery…
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Saturday Book Review
A Beautiful Blue Death, the debut novel of Charles Finch, at first read like a cut-rate Sherlock Holmes. But as I read more, I began to really like the characters. Charles Lenox, the second son of a rich landowner, enjoys a comfortable life of books and amateur sleuthing in 1865 London. When a former maid of his dear childhood friend and neighbor, Lady Jane Grey, dies suspiciously, Lady Jane asks for his help in solving the case.
I enjoyed all of the relationships Lenox has with his inner circle, which includes his longtime butler, Graham, his brother, Edmund, a member of the House of Lords and Thomas McConnell, trusted friend and doctor. Lady Jane is obviously the object of his desire but being a widow and also being set in the Victorian era, at least in this first book their friendship is platonic.
While chasing down clues, Lenox crisscrosses London, from Piccadilly Circus to the Rookery to the halls of Parliament. Anyone interested in Victorian England will enjoy this London tour and all the historical and political details embroidered throughout the story. The mystery itself is well done and not easily solved.
Well written, with likable characters. You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this tale of intrigue, betrayal and greed. I usually prefer cozies with female leads but was swayed by a good review of A Beautiful Blue Death. And that title certainly promised something special. I’m hoping to pick up the next in this series when the library opens on Monday!
Do What You Love!
Friday, February 26, 2010
New Things on Etsy and a Treasury
Just thought I'd show off a few new things on Etsy:
Starry Starry Fish Earrings
Celtic Shamrocks Upcycled Earrings
Sunny Day in the Neighborhood Earrings
Wearing of the Green Upcycled Earrings
I was in a treasury this week. Treasuries are curated by Etsy artists, usually with a theme of some sort. This one is March coming in like a lion and leaving like a lamb.
Those are my lions, second from the top on the left!
Do What You Love!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Thursday, February 25, 2010
8 Things Thursday
My eight favorite artists
1 Jack Vettriano
This print hangs in my bedroom
2 Van Gogh
3 Jody Bergsma
4 Maxfield Parrish
5 Georgia O’Keefe
6 Michael Parkes
7 Kliban
8 Edward Hopper
Do What You Love!
PS--For those of you wondering what the heck that was in yesterday’s Wordless Wednesday, it was my first piece of watercolor art, done in class last night!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Favorite Etsy Shop Tuesday
Everybody’s heard of origami, the art of folding paper into designs but kirigami, the art of folding and cutting, is not as well known. A couple of Christmas’s ago, I was looking for something special for my BFF and definitely found it at Emerlye Arts Kirigami.
Cynthia Emerlye lives and works in Vermont, one of my favorite places on earth. Her work is so detailed and beautiful, it was the perfect thing for a special gift and I even bought another gift as well. If you look at her work quickly, you’d think they were all different snowflakes.
In her Etsy shop, you can find hangings, greeting cards and prints. Themes run anywhere from love and friendship to Chinese art, birds and angels, among other things.
Her packaging was done with protection in mind and came with printed cards that explained her technique. The greeting card I bought even came with a separate signature card so I didn’t have to sign the piece of art itself. 
If you’re looking for something with delicate beauty for a special occasion or a piece of art to brighten your home, check out Emerlyeartskirigami on Etsy.
Do What You Love!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Monday, February 22, 2010
Encouraging Words Monday
We are all pilgrims on the same journey but some pilgrims have better road maps.
Nelson Demille
Do What You Love!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday Wishful Thinking
To The Moon, Mare!
If you’ve ever seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind or Cocoon, you know they end with ordinary people going off-planet with aliens to seek outer space adventures. I would do that in a heartbeat.
As long as The Husband and The Kitties could go, too!
Do What You Love!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday Book Review-My Life in France
I loved Julie and Julia, both the book and the movie. But when I saw in the end credits that the movie was based not only on Julie Powell’s book but also Julia’s My Life in France, I had to reserve it at the library. Published posthumously, Julia’s nephew, accomplished writer Alex Prud’Homme, had helped her sift through letters from her husband, Paul, to his twin brother Charlie and other ephemera from their time in Europe.
Julia and Paul met while working in the Foreign Service and were thrilled to be stationed in Paris. Even non-foodies, like myself, will enjoy her descriptions of their quirky apartment and the friends they make in the City of Light. Naturally, a lot of the book is about food: her studying at the Cordon Bleu, eating at restaurants all over France and preparing recipes for Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As I said, I’m not much of a foodie but I was interested in the story of her collaboration with two French women and the long road to being published.
I also found her husband, Paul, fascinating-he not only worked at his diplomatic job, he was a talented photographer and artist. In fact, the book is full of his photographs--check out the full 2 page spread of their Valentines Day cards throughout the years. And he wholeheartedly supported anything Julia wanted to do--reminds me of my own husband!
The latter part of the book has the Childs traveling back and forth from their Cambridge home to a house they built in Provence. When Paul retired, they made the Cambridge house their main residence and fell into the WGBH show that would make Julia Child a household name in the US--The French Chef.
Even though she collaborated with her nephew, the book is written completely from her perspective. You can hear her voice in every sentence. This book made me yearn to meet her… I guess I’ll just have to settle for watching a few of her French Chef episodes. Or maybe I’ll just buy a DVD of Julie and Julia!
Do What You Love!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Friday, February 19, 2010
Modern Day Gladiators of Creativity
I never thought I’d watch reality tv. After all, it’s not REALLY reality ‘cause as soon as the camera’s on, it’s not truly natural anymore…
But I admit The Husband and I have been watching American Idol for the last few years. This is the first year we’ve actually watched it from the initial auditions, so it’s been kinda fun but kind of annoying, too. They manufacture so much unnecessary drama… But the talent is so amazing, we keep watching. I also watched Design Star on HGTV last season and over the Labor Day holiday weekend, I somehow got hooked on Project Runway. What do these shows have in common? They all test the creativity of the contestants.
Crystal Bowersox-Idol
I can’t imagine being on one of these shows. These contestants are the gladiators of our times. They fight for the top prize and try not to get skewered by the judges barbs or eaten by their lion-like competitors.
Anthony Williams-Project Runway
Imagine having only 15 minutes to design an outfit, 30 minutes at most to buy the materials and less than 24 hours to construct it. Or a half hour to decide on a room design, with maybe two days, if you’re lucky, to execute it. American Idols have a fast week to pick a tune (and toward the end, multiple tunes), rehearse, figure out wardrobe, hair and makeup and do mega amounts of promotion. These people are under enough pressure to create a diamond!
David Bromstad-Design Star
I understand that the challenges, on all these shows, test the knowledge of their craft and their creativity but, jeez louise, even the finest in their fields might have a tough time with these assignments. I’ve seen the best and worst rooms decorated strictly with grocery store purchases, the most beautiful and ugliest dresses made with burlap bags and heard the worst and most cleverly arranged songs. And after every challenge, I’m glad I’m the one watching, not driving myself crazy doing them!
So, I thought I’d write a tip ‘o the hat blog post for these mighty Warriors of Creativity. May they continue to entertain, amaze and amuse us for seasons to come!
Do What You Love!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Eight Things Thursday
...I want to do when I retire
1 Teach adults to read
2 Finally learn Tai Chi
3 Read three hours a day, minimum
Dogs for the Deaf parade
4 Have a dog or two (shhhh, don't tell the cats)
5 Piano lessons
6 Learn bead weaving
7 Wear whatever I feel like
8 Stay up late and sleep late
Do What You Love!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Fave Etsy Shop Tuesday
Today’s fave shop is Bearcengic.etsy.com, where I’ve ordered my shop banner and an advertising button that’s finally going to get some use on Craftcult next week.
Vanessa runs the shop with her husband and they seem to be a great team. She answered my convo’s (communications on Etsy) quickly and her patience and talent are much appreciated.
As I said, I’ve gotten banner and button graphics from them and even if you don’t have an Etsy shop, you may have a blog, website or other online presence that needs graphics. They also create websites. And you can get packages of graphics, including business cards, avatars and anything else you need to brand your business. And I just realized, they also have print services for labels, craft show banners and postcards.
So if you’re in the mood to spiff up your business or online presence, working with Vanessa will be a pleasure and you’ll get exactly what you want. Here’s where you can find her and her great products: http://www.etsy.com/shop/bearcengic
Do What You Love!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Encouraging Words Monday
Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can!
Danny Kaye
Do What You Love!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Wishful Thinking Sunday
I wish I had a time machine.
If I had a time machine, I'd go back to high school graduation and decide to go into the medical field-nurse, ultrasound tech, something like that.
Every time I go to the doctor, which has been a lot lately, the parking lot at the medical center is always packed. Even in a bad economy, people still get sick and someone needs to take care of them…
Do What You Love!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Saturday Book Review-Nancy Fairbanks
Carolyn Blue turned to food writing when she became an empty-nester and started traveling with her professor husband, Jason. I like this series despite the fact that sometimes Carolyn comes off like a Stepford wife meets June Cleaver. She seems to have had a very sheltered, privileged life and at the beginning of every book, I cringe at some of her observations and behavior but as the stories unfold, she loosens up.
Since Mardi Gras is just around the corner, it got me thinking about the first book in this series, Crime Brulee, which takes place in New Orleans, and the other three books I’ve read in the series. Carolyn gets herself into some interesting adventures, like being accosted by a voodoo priestess, babysitting her agents’ son in New York and trekking around Mont St. Michel in France. Her husband is sometimes attentive but usually falls into the stereotypical scientist/academic world of his own, although he’s basically a sweetheart who worries about her when he has time. At least one book is written from both of their points of view.
Each book takes place in a different place, which may be the attraction for me. I love to read about different places. These books are Mysteries with Recipes but since I’m not much of a cook, I browse the instructions at the end quickly but they probably would appeal to someone more domestic than me.
These are books to take on a trip or a day at the beach. They’re not terribly deep but sometimes, that’s enjoyable and takes us away from ourselves when we need a break. Carolyn, for all her faults, has a big heart and tries her hardest for the underdog, even when it’s her snotty mother-in-law.
Do What You Love!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
8 Things Thursday
8 Fave Books
Do What You Love!
1 To Kill a Mockingbird
2 I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
3 The Cracker Factory
4 Possession
5 The Stand
6 Snow Falling on Cedars
7 The Little Prince
8 The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Do What You Love!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Favorite Etsy Shops Tuesday
Searching Etsy this winter for Christmas gifts, I stumbled upon Island Girl Pottery. I found a really cool little vase for The Mom, who loved it when she got it.
Jacqueline Allard, the owner and pottery artist, was a breeze to work with. I was very impressed with the speedy delivery and packing job she did and when I opened it, I was even more impressed with her work. Living in Florida, she’s very inspired by nature and the sea.
Here are some examples:
Her profile explains that she’s done graphic design and visual effects for folks like Disney Animation. Stop by her shop to see more of her awesome work.
Do What You Love!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Encouraging Words Monday
In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.
Coco Chanel
Do What You Love!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
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