WeeKenD*

I had a really busy weekend. Duce helped me paint the office all day on Saturday. She was a life saver, I couldn't have gotten it done without her help. It was nice to spend time with her even if it was while we were working away.

Saturday night we went out to dinner and dessert with Jess and Matt. We are trying to talk them into coming up to Idaho with us for a week at the end of the month.
Chocolate Raspberry deliciousness. mMm..
And, more goodies from the garden. We planted late so I'm not sure how much longer things will hang in there before it gets too cold, but we have carrots! yip!
I spent last night painting while Vito bottled 80 bottles of wine. This is what you all will be receiving for Christmas so get your glasses ready because our basement is full.
And.. two new(ish) paintings.Hope your weekend was relaxing.. hapPY MoNDay.

*DuCeY*

Had a little dinner with Duce last night at *DeLuXe*. We are spending ALL day Saturday together getting Vito's office ready for an open house next FrIdaY. They have invited over 400 peeps so it should be quite the shin dig. Also, started printing. Carved a few blocks last night and have made a couple sets of cards. It's so stinking messy but so fun.

Hope your weekend is relaxing. :)

HappY FriDAy**

A FeW thinGs**

Mmm.. SuShI last night with Anne Marie. Good food, good drinks and good conversation.. I received a big ole box of printing supplies! Time to start working on ChRiStmAs presents!

yippee. And.. the highlight of my week so far..

I received a lovely hand knit hat from a fourth grader. I wish I could have knit like this when I was in fourth grade... ahh.. it fits wonderfully.HappY WEdNesdaY*

ReCOveRinG**

I'm slowly recovering from a ridiculously intense co-ed flag football tournament we played in on Saturday. 9 teams competing with 6 girls on the field at all times. We played from 11am-7pm and we WoN the whole stinking tournament.
I had two touchdowns, one 2-pt conversion and one interception.
I couldn't walk Sunday. I hurt more than the day after my marathon, I now know what it must feel like to be 95 years old. I couldn't move without whimpering. But it was so worth it, even won money! $500 bucks! You can see my bum knee is this pic. One dude dislocated his shoulder (eek!) and Shaun (who's laying down) sprained his ankle pretty bad about 15 minutes after I took this pic.
My pinkie finger is all nasty purple and was about the size of a sausage for a couple of days. But oh it was so fun. It made me have a new appreciation for "real" football players when we watched the games on Sunday, I hurt for them.

GirLs NiGht* fun fun*

Have you ever seen such beautiful hair? Jen is a fellow art teacher and last year taught at the school that I started at. We met after work last night for a little girl time and she told me all about this refugee family she started helping a few months ago.
Art teacher by day, helping refugee families by night.
Teaching them English, cooking, cleaning, how and where to shop.. love her.
and her hair.
Then.. drove downtown to meet Han for some more girl time. Haven't seen her since she got back from a few week trip to Asia, a celebratory vacation for finishing law school. We met while both working at a yarn shop quite a few years back. Then she moved off to San Francisco and I cried, but she's back! She is amazing and oh so lovely.

Her new place is awesome too.I'm so happy it's Friday, I'm ready for the weekend. HapPy FrIday*

TaP*tAp*

The girls at work and I decided to start taking a *taP* dance class a few weeks ago.
Last night was our third class.
Having 8 girls that you work with all clicking away on the dance floor is by far the funniest way to end my Wednesday work day. It is such a blast.
I'm learning a lot and laughing a lot.
The best part, end of the year talent show. That's right folks we're going to shake a leg in front of an audience.
and... Pictures! If you've ever been in a dance class before you know what pictures I'm talking about, I can already see it in my mind. I have a box full of them at home..
jazz hands, sequence, and bad makeup. can't wait!
HappY ThursdAY*

WedNesdAY** already!

This week seems to be flying by.. *i love that*
..except I have lots of things I should be working on and have barely started.
I guess life always feels like that though.
We checked out a new Japanese restaurant last night with Steph and Matty.
Here's our "waiting on the porch for him to get here" pic.
All I want to do now with my new camera is take pictures of everything! It's pretty bad when I'm walking the dog with the camera around my neck. I love it so much!
I realize everyone who has a dog thinks their dog is the cutest.. but seriously.. how can you not love THIS dog! He is the cutest dog I've ever laid eyes on. I think he's starring at a squirrel in this pic.. when he sees a squirrel he gets this strange look in his eye, as you can see. frozen solid. oh, and, because the most accessible thing for me to take pictures of is myself... I've got lots of these. I need to figure out how to get my arms out of the picture so that it "appears" to be someone else taking it. ..then it wouldn't look (and feel) as vain. mwah haa haa.HaPPy WedneSdAY.

Go NoW!>>>

To Lori's Etsy shop!
She has made some of my prints into lovely pendants!
only $12!
*************
They are so stinking cute and she's running a sale now.. buy 2 get one free. yippee!


They are all listed under the *Art/Photography pendants*
section in her ShOp.
Go check them out!
beadsnbaubles4u.etsy.com

BirTHdAy WeekEnD*

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes!
I had such a great birthday weekend.
Went out for drinks and appetizers on Friday with Matt's sister Amy (it was her birthday too!)

On Saturday we went up to the mountains for a hike up to St. Mary's glacier, the weather was beautiful! A little chilly but so nice to breath that cool mountain air.
And yesterday, lots of football watching and needle felting (my latest obsession). If you haven't tried it you must! It's so fun! My friend Marsha from work introduced me to it and now I can't stop. Also, I've been collaborating with another EtSy artist the last couple of weeks and have something fun to share, soon!
Happy Monday!

YiPPee!

You know it's going to be a good day when you have a stack of BirThdAY cards on your desk by 9 am.
... and an apple!
Seriously, can it get much better than an apple on my birthday?? I think not.

This wild man is taking me out to dinner...
in this! Our new car, yee haw!
HappY fRidAY!

TwO*PaiNtInGs.

I worked on these two little wood panel paintings this last weekend and will be putting them in the ShOp towards the end of the week once I finish them. This little birdie was already on the panel when I bought it but thought it needed some pretties to gaze at. I'm tempted to keep it for myself, it seems to scratch the bird itch I seem to be having lately. And this little treat, also on a wood panel, I painted and then sanded to appear a bit worn.
"just feel each day.." a motto my husband is always mumbling on about..
He always says it's not necessarily important to "enjoy" your day, but to FEEL every single part of it, to live it and experience it. Our days aren't always enjoyable but if we at least work at feeling them we might find enjoyment in just that. HaPPY TuesDAY!

GarDeN*LooT**

Here's some serious veggies from the garden....
not my garden.
V's parents came over for dinner on Monday and brought us tons of veggies from their trip to Miller's Farm. Apparently you pay 15 bucks to get into the "garden" where you can pick as much as you can carry, they give you a wagon to fill up and you can go at it. Mmmm... yummy.
The peppers, onions and tomatoes look like they're on steroids. Massively large and oh so delicious. I made a yummy dinner last night using a few of them and it was delicious.

Also, bought a box of fresh peaches from the Western slope and baked a few peach pies.

It was my first attempt at a lattice pie crust. The first two were okay but the third turned out really well. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Yummy!

CaRA!

Here are a few photos I took of Cara from our little photo shoot this weekend.
There are quite a few
lovelies.
She's a great model.

HappY LaBor Day.

Here's a pic of the tomatoes I picked from the garden yesterday. Vito made a yummy pasta dinner using a few of them. Our corn and carrots should be ready really soon, can't wait for that.

Yesterday we went up to Golden with Herb and Cara and did some tubing down the river. We filled our Nalgene's full of adult beverages in hopes of being able to sip our drinks and gently float down the river and enjoy the scenery .
Didn't happen.
Before the first run, we stashed the Nalgene's in the bushes because the water was way too intense for a one handed hang on. No relaxing float.. more like a 'grip the tube for your life and hope to make it to the bottom with swimsuit attached and limbs still intact.'
It was way intense.
so so fun.
We are planning another trip next Sunday, anyone want to come?

Also, I had a little fun photo shoot with Cara on Saturday. Vito is buying me a camera for my birthday so I wanted to play with Herb and Cara's and see how I liked it. It was awesome.
I'm going to post some pics tomorrow once I finish editing them. She was such a great model.

HaPPy LaBor DaY.