Day 21-Art Every Day (almost) - My friend is a grubby wench

Lather on some Grubby Wench mandarin spice soap -- or perhaps my favorite -- lemongrass & ginger -- while singing English pub songs, and you too could be a Grubby Wench...

But seriously, the purpose of today's blog is to promote my friend Alison's new handmade soap company - Grubby Wench Soap. Though she's lived in this country for more than 20 years, Ali hails from Margate, Kent, England, and she makes the most wonderful handmade soaps which I've ever slathered all over my stinky bod. (She's also a fabulous cook and an amazing gardener, talents which influence her soap-making.)

I recently helped her to develop Grubby Wench's identity system - logo, letterhead, business cards, etc., and in return, she gave me a basket soaps so fragrant and delicious I'm tempted to take a bite. A self-taught "soap star," Ali uses essential oils and all natural ingredients in her soaps, and given her talent as a cook, she is brilliant at combining fragrance and spice, as well as health-promoting qualities. She also blends scrumptious bath salts that can be used in the tub or as a soothing foot soak.

So indulge yourself, treat a friend or consider using these marvelous soaps as favors for your next shower or wedding.
For information or to order some, contact Ali at grubbywench@hotmail.com for more information.

(Her prices are extremely reasonable too!)

Footnote: She will be setting up her blog next week and I will post a link so that you can visit and learn more!!

Day 20 - The cyberdog ate my homework!!!

My apologies about my daily art post!! I e-mailed home a posting from work, and it never got here. I can't post from work, so I frequently send home my images. I will try to post two items on Thursday!!

Instead I am posting an Easter photo, circa 1972. That's my Aunt Eileen on the right. I am in the back row left,, with my sisters Cheryl and Jennifer in age order in front of me. On the right is my cousin Susan, with my cousins Bonnie and Frankie in front of her. We are standing on the front steps of my house, where we posed every Easter for a photo before a whole day of food, family, and fun. These are the cousins with whom we had a reunion gathering in December. Other than my cousin Susan, who lives in Texas, we are all still in the northeast, but our lives are busy with work and family, so we don't get together as often as we'd like. Back then, we lived in houses next door to one another (our fathers are twin brothers), and we wore a path in the lawns between our homes.

Day 19 - Art Every Day - Max

I haven't featured my dog Max in awhile, so here's a fun photo I altered for my daily art piece.

Day 18 - Art every day - a charming art swap!

I was invited by one of my talented artist friends (Laura) to make 15 charms for a swap, and here they are. (My art for the day!) Since I have been wanting to learn how to solder jewelry for some time now, I decided to challenge myself with this project... and what a challenge it was!! Only one burned finger and 15 charms later, I am actually feeling confident about my skill level now. I will confess that I did not feel like I was getting the hang of it until charm number 9, so I apologize to the first 8 recipients. They have a rather primitive look to them, but I am confident that it will get better as I continue to practice. I will be teaching a class at Art Connection in the spring - called Home Sweet Soldered Home, in which we will make soldered house shaped pendants, so I will be getting a lot more practice.

These charms are two-sided, so I am posting pictures of both the fronts and backs. Because I knew that the bulk of my time would be spent taping and learning to solder, I did not have time to devote to new original art for the charms, so these all contain color photocopies of fragments of my art journals. Each charm has a jump ring soldered to the top, in which I tied a piece of ribbon. I really hate making two of the same thing, so I used different journal fragments for each charm. Once the swap is over at the end of March, all participants will receive 15 charms in return - one of their own, plus one of each group submitted. I cannot wait for that packet to arrive in the mail!!!

Like every new artistic venture, this one came with it's own list of necessary materials: soldering iron, lead free solder, liquid flux, copper tape, glass slides, and a soldering jig are among the most crucial. Flux remover, soldering polish, burn cream and soldering patina are some other materials I may have to invest in as I continue to experiment with this technique.

Day 17 - Art every day!

I love combining strong silhouettes, bright colors, bold shapes, and text in my digital collages. The colors I work with in my digital art are very different from those I use in my mixed media work - much brighter and bolder. I love the purity of bright color on screen.

Day 16 - Art every day!

I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration. -- Frida Kahlo

Day 15 - Art every day

Today, I spent some quality art time with my pal Debbie, until the impending Noreaster arrived and I had to cut my day a little short. We had a great time playing in Photoshop, eating our favorite soft tacos, thanks to her husband Len, watching Claudine's new beeswax collage DVD (excellent!!!!) and making art!!! So this piece I made yesterday, knowing that I would not finish anything else to post today. Tomorrow I may do a tribute to snow. (NOT!!)

Day 14 - Art every day - Warhol?

Oh, the days of pillbox hats. I don't dress up much these days. Even my office has adopted a casual dress code except for special meeting days, but I love the look of dressing up, and the promise of a special event to which it eludes. (I don't miss the hosiery and heels however.)

Day 13- Art every day - sunflowers

This digital illustration was inspired by the weather today... a balmy 50 degrees at 5:30 am when I walked Max. Of course, every season has its trade-offs. The melting snow has created some enormous and unavoidable mud puddles along the paths where we walk, but it's so nice to shed my hat and gloves that I don't mind wading through a puddle or ten. Even the brown grass is a sight for sore eyes, compared to miles of dirty snowbanks. I can't wait to be able to open the windows in my house, let in the fresh air, and dig in my garden. Max is happy just to sniff all of the marvelous smells unearthed from beneath several feet of snow.

Day 12- Art Every Day... The bandanna project

I was in a printmaking, pattern- making mood today, so I designed these patterns, and they reminded me of bandannas, hence...the bandanna project...
I don't recall making three with yellow backgrounds, but it appears that I did... or else they just don't translate well via blogger.

Day 11- Art every day

This is my least favorite piece so far. I had an idea but it did not turn out as I had hoped.

Day 10 - Art every day...

One piece of art - scanned & then duplicated in photoshop to create both the background and the foreground. All my millions of errands are done, now I am going to make ART!!! yay!

Day 9 - Art every day...

Happy Saturday.
I have a million errands to run (okay probably just 7 or 8) but I have no time to wax poetic. Or wax anything else either.

Day 8- Illustration Friday - Wired!!

Here's my art piece for Illustration Friday's theme: WIRED!!!
Other associations I make with this theme:
caffeine
technology
that's about it!!

Day 7 - Art every day...

"Hope" is the thing with feathers

"Hope" is the thing with feathers-
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

And sweetest—in the Gale—is heard—
And sore must be the storm—
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm—

I've heard it in the chillest land—
And on the strangest Sea—
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb—of Me.

-- Emily Dickinson

Day 6 - art every day...

I chanced to look across the way,
And lo! within a neighbor attic,
A hand drew back the window shade,
And there, a picture glad and glowing,
I saw a sweet and slender maid,
And she was sewing, sewing, sewing.
--excerpt from the sewing girl

Day 5 - Art every day... And Illustration Friday

It occurred to me that as long as I'm posting a piece of art a day for the month, I might try the Illustration Friday themes. Last Friday's theme was "HIDE."
Click on the "IF" link at the right to visit Illustration Friday and see more interpretations of this theme.

Day 4 - Art every day for a month...

I took this digital picture of myself on Friday, and turned it into a digital collage. This was also during my blue mood, if that's not entirely obvious. If I wasn't in a bad mood already that day, this picture would have done it. I was so tired last week, and I think it shows in my face. I am having a lot of fun exploring the magic of Photoshop. I've worked in the program for many years, but my graphic arts job is more corporate in nature, so I don't get to do a lot of artistic treatments. This project is a great way to expand my knowledge of the program. I am in the midst of a lot of multi tasking this morning. As I write this, I am baking chicken & eggplant parm for dinner, as well as running the dishwasher. I walked Max at 5:30. Now it's time to get ready for work!!!

Day 3 - art every day for a month...

This is another digital collage that I created in Photoshop, using transparent layers and some artistic filter effects. I will confess that even though I am posting a new art piece every day, I may not necessarily be making one each day. In this instance, I made three digital collages on Friday, so that I could post them over the weekend. My mood when I made this collage (and the next one that I have not posted yet) was very melancholy, but it has lifted, as my mood swings are rather manic these days. (peri-menopause is so much fun!!!)
I am actually working on a number of handmade greeting cards today, but I am not posting them because I was invited by Stampington and Company to send them in for an upcoming issue of Take Ten or Stamper's Sampler, and since they will be published, I do not want to pre-empt their publication by posting them here.

Day 2 (art every day for a month) - Happy Birthday Mom!!

It's my mother's birthday today, so my second piece of art in my "make art every day for a month" challenge features my mom, in a digital collage. Although this image of her, taken many years ago, looks somewhat sweet and demure, those are not adjectives that I would use to describe her today. She's in her 60s but has more energy than three 20-year-olds, and I have always counted myself among the luckiest women in the world to have had such a great mother. Happy birthday mommy!!!

Art every day for a month...

I am going to try to post a new piece of art every day for the rest of March. Some will be handmade pieces, and some, like this one, will be digital collage, created in Photoshop.

This will be an enormous challenge for me, because I rarely finish a whole piece of art every day, but that's why I'm doing this. To stretch my boundaries and see what emerges.

Well, now February has come to an end, and I am posting my monthly "Ta Da" list. As I mentioned when I posted my first list at the end of January, this list, which I plan to post at the end of every month, chronicles all of the ways I am living a creative life and working toward my goals. It may be of interest to no one else, but my blog is my online journal, and my one consistent source of self-expression, so it's the best place for this list to reside.

so, this month, I...

planned & taught a card making class at the senior center;
planned & taught my House of Collage accordian book class at Stampassion;
hosted a surprise party for my husband's 50th birthday (it was a bowling party, and everyone had a great time!!);
created Asian atc cards for a monthly swap;
designed an identity system for my amazingly talented friend Ali's new handmade soap company - Grubby Wench Soap (more on that in a later post!!)
assisted a friend who is an event planner with graphic design for the Northeast Make a Wish Foundation gala;
created a 4 x 4 mixed media signature piece for Art Connection's Little Fat Book club quilt;
am teaching myself how to solder jewelry. I've made 6 charms so far (for a charm swap), and only burned one finger;
was solicited by Stampington & Co. to design greeting cards for upcoming issue of Stampers' Sampler, and I'm almost finished (yippee);
read three good books: The secret life of bees - by Sue Monk Kidd; In the company of the cortesan by Sarah Dunant, and The uses of enchantment by Heidi Julavits;
edited and submitted my (rejected) article to a new magazine for possible publication;
and submitted 5 pieces of artwork to Somerset Studio for possible publication in a future issue.

Studio Friday - favorite quotations...

"Quotes are so inspiring. They give us comfort in rough times or the push we need to overcome our obstacles or fears. They enlighten us and give clarity and "A-ha's". Some we keep around for a life time and let them guide us, others we forget about. We work with them maybe or pass them on to others."
~ Robyn
There are dozens of quotes that I find inspiring, but I chose just two of my favorites...
I first heard this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt sometime in high school. It struck a chord with me because, like many high school students, I had an all-consuming fear of public speaking, and virtually all forms of getting up in public and attracting attention to myself. Most of my attempts up to that point had ended in disaster. For me, this quote is about conquering your fears by facing them head on, and I have never found this piece of logic to fail, both in my art and the rest of my life. I do not display the quote in my studio, because it has become a part of me after all these years. It is a familiar mantra that I repeat whenever I feel anxiety mounting over something that I "think I cannot do."

Another favorite of mine is by Thoreau, whose writings on art and nature are among the truest words I have ever read. (In spite of his unkempt hair and rather homely looks, I would have loved to know the man.) This quote really speaks for itself. I think there are dozens of books and articles written that essentially say, in many more words, what this one statement does. Work hard at what you love and success will follow.

A signature piece...

If you were asked to do a signature piece, what would it be?
At the last meeting of Art Connection's Little Fat Book Club, were were charged with making a 4 x 4 piece of mixed media art that reflected our signature style, to submit to the store for a display "quilt" of sorts. To be honest, when I made my page, I had forgotten that it was supposed to be indicative of my artistic style -- a style which I often struggle with, as I am still exploring so many mediums. After I had already made it, the club's organizer (and my dear and amazingly creative friend)- Marilyn, sent an email reminding us that the piece should be a "signature" piece... and for a second I thought uh oh - I forgot ...but then I looked at it - regardless of what medium I am working in, I tend toward certain colors, a blending of paints, a use of typography as both texture elements and a way of telling a story, and the incorporation of nontraditional materials (in this case, mesh gutter covering from the hardware store)...and to my surprise, I felt that the piece was absolutely a signature piece for me, in spite of the fact that I had not intended it as such.
It reinforced a lesson that I am constantly learning as an artist - you may model yourself after other artists and you may learn techniques that hundreds of other artists have also learned, but what comes from your hands and your heart and your vision will possess a unique quality that is yours alone.

Between the sheets

One of the best things about teaching classes that require demos is that you end up with more artwork to use. I taught a background class at Art Connection over the weekend, and the finished background that I demo'd during class was perfect to use for this month's ATC swap theme - in honor of Chinese new year - Asian-themed ATCs. Three are for the swap and one is for the swap hostess. The background is an adaptation of a technique I learned from Misty Mawn's article in ClothPaperScissors last year. The background techniques create such depth and texture, I never tire of experimenting with them.
The title of this blog comes from a friend who once told me that you can add the words "between the sheets" to the end of any Chinese fortune cookie, and it always makes them funny. So far, it always works for me (and I eat a LOT of Chinese food)...
like this:
You will meet a tall dark stranger... between the sheets
You will get a big promotion... between the sheets

Okay, so it doesn't take much to amuse me ...between the sheets
ha ha

My "Ta Da" list...

Do you ever feel like you're perpetually busy, completely rushed, and yet, at the end of a week or a month, you haven't gotten anything done? I don't just mean my job, and the daily chores that are unavoidable, but the other stuff, the stuff that life is made of, the stuff that gives us joy and fills the well. For me that other stuff is art - making art, teaching art, writing, experimenting with new techniques, exploring new ideas, and spending time with like-minded friends.

During my last coaching sessions, I expressed this sentiment to my coach, and she pointed out that my perception was inaccurate, and that I actually did get a lot done, but unlike my endless "to do" lists, which sometimes weigh me down with their enormity, I never keep any kind of list of things once they're done - and this is the list I really need - to help me see where I'm going and how I actually spend my time. It's not just a way of patting myself on the back, although there's nothing wrong with that, especially since I do my share of beating myself up. It's also a way of seeing how I spend my time, so I can better prioritize. When I look back at the month, I can see how much time I devoted to what is important - and what is NOT important...and if I'm spending more time on things that are not important to me, I can do it differently next time.

Of course, the hard part is doing less of something you enjoy to make room for something you enjoy more. The word "no" is almost universal, and yet it is the most difficult word for many of us to say. (My dog would argue that point if he could talk.)

So instead of a "to do" list, this is my "ta da" list for the month of January -- as in "Ta da, this is what I managed to get done this month!!" I encourage everyone to make a list, or take note in some way, of all the good stuff. What are some of the things on your list this month?

Ta Da!!!!!, This month I...
gave blood
planned & taught Tranz-it demo at Art Connection
planned & taught new class at Art Connection
planned & taught new class (twice) at Stampassion
planned & taught new class at the senior center
spent a day making art with my friend Debbie
made a list of new domain names for our website (see this blog to vote on which one you like best!)
spent some time "filling the well" at Borders books, the library and Ace Hardware (yes, I love the hardware store for artistic inspiration - more on that later)
participated in two ATC swaps
completed 3 freelance design projects
designed a logo for friend's soap business
posted 11 blog entries
quit my two-a-day diet pepsi habit
started exercising again!
...and of course the usual full-time job, daily dog walks, laundry, groceries, house cleaning, etc., etc.


links:
http://kerriposson-artist.blogspot.com/2007/01/help-us-pick-new-name.html

Studio Friday - on Tuesday... Look who I found

I love to discover new artists and often find them through other people's mention of them. So, introduce us, in words and/or pictures, to an artist, craftsperson, or writer you admire and that we might not have heard of before (i.e. not a famous one). What do you like about their work? How does it inspire your own work?" - Janet
I could publish a rather long list in this category, but I'm going to mention just one whose work I just purchased and was so pleased that I want to give her star billing. Her name is Luann Udell, and her company is called Durable Goods. She's a jewelry and fiber artist who also writes an incredibly informative blog that focuses on the business of being a working artist. I actually wrote about Luann in a previous blog, right after she mailed my order, so I am repeating myself here, but her work and her business ethics are so good that I wanted to mention her again.

She works in polymer clay, but makes it to look like fossilized bone and stone. It is truly amazing. When I see her work, either in pictures or in person (in the gift I bought for my friend), it inspires me to work with warm rich colors and textures, and to combine things like paper, fabric and beads.

If you have the opportunity to do business with Luann, you will not be disappointed.

And while you're here, I need your help. Please click here to vote on what my friend and I should name our new website Just leave a comment with your choice. Thank you!!!!

Help us pick a new name!

As some of you know, in 2005, my friend Debbie and I had a gallery show featuring our art journals. At that time, we developed a website. It was our plan after the show was over to maintain the website in the pursuit of our artistic ventures, but our busy lives pulled us in other directions - until now. This year, we are rolling up our sleeves and getting our site done... and that's where you come in!

Our original website name (artbookchix.com) reflected our art journaling and journal making, but we have a wider range of artistic interests now, and we want our new name to reflect our broader identity. Although many of our artistic pursuits are separate, Debbie and I find that our talents compliment one another, so we will continue to share the website (and of course to maintain our blogs as part of the site). We've come up with a list of potential domain names, and we'd like to know which one you like best. They're all similar, but we're curious to find out of one really grabs your attention.

Thank you!!

(www.)
twocreateart.com
twoartfulvisions.com
twocreativespirits.com
twoartfulspirits.com
twoartfulsouls.com

My 100th blog post - woo woo!

My first post was on May 5, 2006, and at the time, I naively planned to post something EVERY single day. But as often happens in life, well, life happens and our best laid plans go awry. Still, for me it's an accomplishment to have shown up 100 times in eight months. (btw - blogger numbers them, I'm not so pathetic as to have counted them!!)Blogging has helped me to rediscover a love of writing that I had almost forgotten. ...

On the topic of writing, I mentioned a few blogs ago that I had submitted an article to one of my favorite mixed media art magazines. Well, I was rejected -- okay, my article was rejected, but it's an extension of me, so in a way, I was rejected. But on the positive side, it was a promising rejection that praised my writing skills, so I will definitely try again soon, and I think I'll try to submit this article to a different magazine - one that may not have covered my topic yet, as this one apparently had.

When I wrote the article, I was working with my creative coach, and I was doing a familiar dance - "the Procrastination," (kind of like the Locomotion, but much slower) until she asked me the question that propelled me forward. "What is the worst thing that can happen?"... And for me the answer to that question was to be facing the new year and not have taken the chance at all. So the good news about rejection is that it means that you've taken the chance. And that's life, really. Putting yourself out there, every day, in ways familiar and unfamiliar, and taking chances.

These images are just me having some fun in Photoshop. a couple of before and afters.

House of Collage

In yesterday's blog, I mentioned my symbolic alphabet. House shapes are among the symbols that have been finding their way into my art for quite a few years. Having a home of my own is very important to me. My husband and I did not purchase our first home until 2003, so home ownership is still new to me, and having rented for 17 years, I appreciate every moment of having our own space. I am sure that this is why I am drawn to the house shape as an icon - it represents freedom (to paint, to plant, to make noise); it represents security, warmth and family - all things that are important to me.

So this house is a class that I am teaching at Stampassion in February. If you live in upstate New York, I'd love to have you in my House of Collage class. We'll be cutting the house covers from foam core, and assembling, painting and collaging an accordian book that can hold your own "house" story. Even if houses are not among the icons in your own symbolic alphabet, the techniques can be applied to the icon of your choice.

My symbolic alphabet...

While visiting one of my recent favorite blogs , she used a term I hadn't heard before but with which I immediately identified -a symbolic alphabet - those items, symbols, colors, images, etc. that keep finding their way into our artwork. Some may stay with us for years - or forever - and some will come and go with changes in our selves and our lives as they are reflected in our art.

My symbolic alphabet includes:

dark & mossy shades of green & dark red
shades of orange and pink together
women
women with wings
butterflies and dragonflies
birds and nests and eggs
buttons (particularly mother of pearl)
heart shapes
house shapes
old sheet music
tin shapes
spirals
bits of muslin
doors and hiding places
printed words
natural elements (sticks, rocks, pine cones etc)
paint
texture
digital photography

These are all symbols that I use to tell stories with images rather than just words. These ATCs that I made for a friend include winged "faeries" which are a recent favorite of mine.

Tell me some of the symbols with which you find yourself drawn. What do they mean to you?

Games people play...

That was the theme for the most recent of my Artist Trading Card (ATC) swaps. I had many ideas that incorporated games, but the ones that surfaced had to do with things like head games and deceit, so these cards have an unmistakable dark mood to them. Ilayered transparencies, ink, dictionary pages, and game pieces to mat board to create them.

...and speaking of swaps, I've just been invited by my friend (and talented artist) Laura, to participate in a charm swap that sounds wonderful. No theme, no real rules, just 15 (or so depending on the size of the group) of the same/similar charm, with a jump ring, and we'll all get the same number in return. I think it will make a fabulous necklace when it's done.

...and speaking of jewelry, I ordered a pair of earrings for my friend Debbie, who celebrated a certain milestone birthday, from Luann Udell, of Durable Goods. I cannot expound enough on what a wonderful experience it was to do business with Luann. I sent and email and heard back within the hour. I wanted to mail payment rather than use my already overtaxed credit cards, and she began making the earrings even before my payment arrived. The order arrived even more quickly than I hoped, and she even sent me a postcard and handmade greeting card to thank me for the order... WOW! For any of you who are in the business of handmade artwork or are thinking of it, Luann does it really well. She also has an amazingly informative blog that focuses all about the the business of art, as well as the making of art.

Icing...

Though it was absolutely treacherous walking my dog the past two mornings, and I'm sure the weight of all that ice is not good for the trees and shrubs, it was a magical sight to behold. I wish I was a better photographer because these images do not capture the amazing beauty that transformed my ordinary shrubs into these fabulous ice sculptures.

I had an amazingly productive weekend, finalizing plans for all my winter classes, and preparing for the demo I'll be teaching tonight at Art Connection - fabric transfers using Judikins Tranz-it transfer medium at the Little Fat Book club meeting. Fun!!

Intentions for 2007

1. Finish reading this book, recommended by my coach.

2. Learn Dreamweaver and build the website I share with my friend Debbie.

3. Read the manual that came with my digital camera (last year!).

4. Write/submit articles and artwork for publication in art magazines.

5. Develop a by-invitation workshop/class to have at my home over the summer, with a group of my favorite art-friends.

6. Swap my small art room with my larger spare bedroom & renovate into a better studio.

7. Spend more quality time with friends and family.

8. Do all of these things with enjoyment, not stress!!!

9. Live, live, live!!!

For many years, I did not write down or formally acknowledge any of my annual intentions (resolutions, goals - whatever you want to call them) because I didn't want to be depressed at the end of the year if I did not achieve them. Unfortunately, I found that I was still depressed at the end of the year because the less I brought my intentions into plain view, the less likely I was to achieve ANYTHING. Just because I refused to write them down didn't mean the didn't exist. My coach (see #1) helped me to admit this out loud and to dig deep to make a list of the most important things I hope to accomplish this year. -- She actually recommended a somewhat shorter list, so that if I only accomplish 3 things, I don't feel like a failure for missing the other 6, but some of these are easier than others, and all are things I want to give attention to this year.

What are your thoughts on this -- do make resolutions or intentions? If not, why not? If you do, what's on your list??

Studio Friday - What would I change my name to?

"I've been reading Twyla Tharp's book The Creative Habit and here's an idea from her book - " the ancient masters of Japanese art were allowed to change their name once in their lifetime. They had to be very selective about the moment in their career when they did so. They would stick with their given name until they felt they had become the artist they aspired to; at that point, they were allowed to change their name. For the rest of their life, they would work under the new name at the height of their powers." So let's presume we are at the height of our careers - what name would you choose and why? - Susan
What a wonderful question!
I will confess that the first name I chose for myself was Mariposa - butterfly in Spanish (because it sounds prettier than English), but then I googled some quick info on the life of the butterfly and learned that the only goal of the mature butterfly was to mate and reproduce, neither of which I will ever reach great heights doing (ha ha).

So then I started trying out other words in Spanish (again, just because I love the sound of Spanish names), and I settled on Ella Vuela, "She Flies." I love the concepts of freedom, escape, and limitlessness that flying represents to me, and I hope that at the height of my creative life, it feels just like I imagine it would feel to fly. Of course, I still love the butterfly as a symbol of the beauty of flight.

525,600 minutes...

How do YOU measure a year?

630 walks with Max
72 classes and workshops taught
125 trips to the grocery store
65 bottles of wine
2555 hours asleep (about 365 hours too little)
60 Chinese take out meals
52 "martini nights" with my husband
200 hours commuting in my car
35 hours in my garden
2,500 hours on the computer
40 hours blogging
200 hours visiting friends and family

525,600 moments so dear

Footnote:
As I tried to honestly estimate how many hours I spend doing things, it was quite an awakening of how I spend my time... I hope to make some adjustments to the quality vs. quantity this year. Happy New Year everyone!!