Harmony in Cambria

This summer Mom, Emily and I took a couple days to visit Cambria.

If you have never been and have a chance, you should.

It is the most darling town along the central California Coast.

Just south of San Simeon, home to the World Famous Hearst Castle.

Just south of Cambria is the TINY town of Harmony.

We had a lovely couple of days, staying at the Cambria Pines Lodge, which is one

of my favorite places to stay there.

They have lovely walking gardens, great accommodations and

a pretty nice breakfast that is included in your stay.

All of these photos were taken with my Iphone and edited via

Instagram and Pic Monkey.

Freaking amazing what pics we can now take with a PHONE.

I have a bunch more to edit on my Big camera.

But for now, I hope you enjoyed these!

xo,

Lisa

I'm Baaack

Hello Friends.

It's been awhile since I blogged, so today is just a little update of what has

been happening since I last checked in.

Past few months has had it's HIGHS, and LOWS.

I will stick with the HIGHS!

Emily started Junior high in August.  7th Grade

and LOVES it.  So relieved.

She is in all GATE classes and doing well!

She was selected to be a Safe School Ambassador which

is kind of like an anti bullying campaign.

They chose kids who were recommended by previous teachers to show leadership

amongst their peers and social justice skills.

Em has always stood up for peers who were left out because of social labels and was typically the volunteer to show the new kid around.

I am so proud of her!

We recently had her 12th B-day party which was a sleepover and so much fun with the girls!

First we Sack Raced!

Then we played this funny build the hair out of shaving cream game.

then each partner stood several feet away and tossed candy dots of the shaving cream hair of the seated

partner.  The pair with the greatest amount of candy stuck to the shaving cream won.

It was hilarious!

Next it was a watermelon eating contest.

So glad that at 12, these girls were happy to play more silly games than

true "Teen" stuff.

We also played the game where you had a word on your back and had to ask yes or no questions

of your peers to figure out what you were.

They though this was so fun they played it over and over again .

The mustache thing is all the rage right now with Tweens.

So I scored these really cool glassed on Ebay for each girl.  

They loved them!

These girls seem to all drank the "One Direction" cool aide and much of the night was

spent watching their videos and squealing to their favorite band members.

It was a super fun night...Tweens...need I say more?

I also sold at The Vintage Marketplace 

in Early September.

You really must go if you can.  It is one of the best and most unique Marketplaces around.

Next event is November 30th and December 1st...just in time for Christmas!!!

my booth...

Most recently I sold at Glitterfest.

Another great show...

I won a most BOOtiful booth award this show and am honored.

Well I am back from my hiatus for good, 

Look for more posts from me and some really cool changes as well.

Happy Fall!!!

xoxo,

Lisa

Taking a Break

Hello friends,

I am in the process of creating a business plan, changing my blog, building my website and

basically a total overhaul of my business and it's structure, collaborating with my Son Brandon and my daughter Emily on some amazing new art and designs.

So, I have disabled my FaceBook account temporarily

and will not be around for a few weeks,

not that I have been blogging much anyway lately anyhow.

Wishing I were here...

But in actuality I will be hard at work in my studio and at the Yoga Studio.

So, hope to see you at The Vintage Marketplace 

September 7/8th where I will be selling my wares.

If, not...see you soon in cyber land.

xo,

Lisa

Studio/Life Update

I hope all of you are having a WONDERFUL Summer.

Ours has been busy.  We started it off with selling at The Vintage Marketplace,

which was great!  If you have never been, I highly recommend it.

Such an AMAZING event with the coolest stuff to buy!

Next one is September  7th & 8th.

One of the things I have committed to this summer is FOCUS and have
place myself in a "TIME OUT"...well, really more like
"BUSINESS BOOTCAMP".

<insert scene from the Original Karate Kid where Mr Miagi says, "focus Grasshoppa">

Not one of my Strongest traits.

I just finished two AMAZING books 

"The Dressmaker of Khair Khana"

by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

The autor follows the story of Kamila Sadiqi,

an Afghan Woman who starts a business that supports not only her family 

but a large part of the community under the strictest Taliban Rule in Aghanistan.

It made me feel my business excuses I make pale in comparison to what these brave women

did to succeed and build am amazing business under the nose of a regime so vehemently opposed to women and women's rights.

Truly inspiring.

Second book I read:

"The Creative Habit"

by Twyla Tharpe

Ms. Tharpe is a world renowned and award winning choreographer.

The level of discipline she has for her work is admirable and obtainable by us all.

She illustrates how we as artists work and how we can establish
better habits

for greater success.

Now I am onto three other business related books.

"16 weeks to your Dream Business"

by Nada Jones and

"But are you making any Money"

by Marley Majcher

"How Great Women Lead"

by Bonnie St. John & Darcy Dean

After feeling like a sometimes BrOkEn record to myself and my friends (thank you for listening to me)

After feeling like a hamster in a habitrail going really nowhere with my art,

I have sat down and am working on a concrete business plan.

No more excuses...I had to ask myself where do I see myself and my business one year from now?

5 years from now?  10?

Do I REALLY want to be on that hamster wheel?

Nope.  

One of the things I have learned is that I have to give up some things.

I can't do every idea that pops in my head if I really want to get anywhere.

You of course need to know where you want to go first anyway

and what is going to help get you there.

My current work and production, at least a large portion of it is not, so

if you want a chance to buy a lot or a little of some really cool vintage supplies

and whatnots for Mixed Media...head on over to ebay who actually is offering some

free listings if you follow their rule.

One Girlz Junque

Go on, go buy some cool stuff....

Link to my ebay Page

or come and visit me at The Jamestown Flea Market on July 22nd.

I will be selling there with my BEST Amica, Rita Reade of Mammabellarte.

Have an amazing Day!!!

xoxo

Emily's Fresh Peach Ice Cream Colored room!

It will be 10 years this September that we bought this house.

Emily's room was the first to be painted. She was 2.

I painted it sky blue with clouds and there have been two murals in that room.

The first was a darling picket fence and garden on one wall.

She decided to do her own artwork on that mural in Clinique face makeup,

baby powder and desitin.

Needless to say, I painted over it.

Years later, I had one of those "lightbulb" ideas.

How about paint two trees and using Modge Podge and scrapbook paper, 

decoupage cute forest animals and leaves on the trees.

Super cute. Right?

Well, this ended up being a,

"sounded like a good idea at the moment"

Moment.

FREAKIN try to get that off the wall!!!

Wallpaper is easier, yep it is.

After days of peeling and scrubbing using all sorts of products, this is as much as we could do.

The peach Splotch is her new room color.

A thick layer of Kilz to the ceiling and walls...next was the cream ceiling and peachy walls...

At first, I have to admit, I was a little color shocked.
This color vibrates into the hall and makes it look like the hall light is on.
It is a Martha Stewart color and what Emily wanted.

Originally, she was going with a "hippie" theme,
but after we applied the color, we re-thought the room design.

Entering into Junio High, she wants something less cluttered and busy,
so we went for what we are calling a
"Vintage Girl" look.

Emily wanted two of my newest "Junque" signs in her room.

We greatly downsized her book collection.

She wanted my Marie Antoinette painting in here also.

We popped in Home Goods to get her some new hangers and
scored this cute elephant lamp on clearance for $12...YAY!

 The quilt is a 1940's piece I paid too much money for, but HAD to have it.
She loves it, but has basically been threatened to not abuse it.
No dogs on the bed, food, drink or ART supplies.

We are really happy with it.
I still need to make formal lace curtains, but
for now, two vintage lace tablecloths thrown over the pole
will do.

My bedroom is the next to be painted after I re couperate
from the week it took to re-do hers.

Following Signs...

I believe LiFe is full of Signs.

Signs from God, The Universe, whatever your belief system.

Signs tell us we are on the right path, the wrong one, street signs,

health signs...warnings. Etc.  You get my drift.

Our Life has been a real uphill battle this past year.

I keep hoping things will get better, they do, then don't.

Still having problems with my oldest son.

My ex husband is scheduled for major surgery.

and the saddest is my Daughter in Law's Father is fighting for his life.

He is 53.

All of the above had signs.

Did we or they see them?

Heed them?

Too often we ignore life's signs I think.

I know my husband did when he felt ill for so long.

At any rate, it is ironic and I just drew the parallel that my latest work has been Sign Making.

At the most recent Glitterfest I debuted this sign.

It was a hit and photographed the entire day.

So, I decided to make more.

YES, the "N" is backwards.

This is the one I am keeping.

This is what happens when you are gluing and drinking Ale.

:-)

These are all going with me tomorrow to be for sale at

The Vintage Marketplace in Rainbow.

I made two of each word and you know what?

I am only taking one of each for sale, because

they are going on my wall in my studio and in Emily's room.

Remember to pay attention to Life's signs.

Simple signs as well as the complex one!

XO

(oh and just a note, PLEASE if you PIN or copy my work...GIVE ME CREDIT)

Thank you.

Mother's Day Wedding

I was married on Mother's Day.

Sunday, May 12th, 2000.

Before DIY weddings were vogue,

heck don't think the phrase had been coined yet.

On a hillside of wildflowers in San Dimas

we were married.

Me, in a pale yellow dress bought from a Jessica Mc Clintock outlet for 26 dollars.

Even wore matching pale yellow Keds with laces of tuille.

John was dressed in his Western Best, apropos as the ranch he kept his horse at was but 

a short jaunt down the road.

Afterward, we had a very cool Backyard BBQ reception.

It was a Potluck, two friends manned the BBQ's and grilled dogs and burgers.

The tables were covered with red/white checkered tablecloths with vintage coke bottles

at the centers. Tied off with raffia and filled with wildflowers.

Bales of hay conscientiously arranged had galvanized basins filled

with iced beer, water and soda.

It was simple, affordable and perfect.

I remember us talking about being married on Mother's Day, how romantic I remember it feeling.

It would have been 12 years tomorrow that we would have been married,

but we only got to halfway to our 4th year when John passed.

Not a day goes by I don't think of him, how could I not

when Emily is an absolute 50/50 blend of he and I. 

I can see as much of him in her as I can see myself.

Each year as Mother's Day approaches, I relive that day

and honor his memory.  It was a very happy day.

Our marriage was like most who marry a second time and have children

from a first marriage.  That usually is the biggest issue.

He and I definitely went rounds about my 3 sons, but it

always worked out and I am sure, would have even today had he lived.

We had so much respect for each other and were very good friends.

Though Life goes on and I have found Love again,

we never forget the ones who leave indelible marks on our souls

and change us and the trajectory of our lives forever.

I am thankful for what time we had and thankful for Mother, Nana,  my children and grandson,

thankful that life has given me such wonderful family and friends to share it with.

May each of you have a wonderful Mother's Day!!!