Thursday, September 30, 2010

Magpie 34

























Photo provided by Willow at Magpie Tales

The sun shines through the lamp and bottles on the window sill, casting jewel tones onto the wood floor.  Dust swirls in shafts of ruby, amber and emerald and gently settles on the sparse furniture.  There is no noise... but I can see her there... dancing... whirling barefoot on Walnut planks worn smooth by years of use... and dancing.  From the time she could walk, she loved the feel of the cool floor on the soles of her feet... loved the patterns of color on it...

The lamp and bottles are still there, casting the same jewels onto the floor. The floor, as well, remains unchanged...worn smooth as silk. Am I so different now? Has the age that has crept into my body taken dance from me?  Though my body is stiff and frail, my spirit dances daily...  Slowly, I take off my shoes and let my feet remember the coolness of the planks... and dance...

For more Magpie click here

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tuesday Tea...

 So...it hasn't been such a great day.  I woke up with an ear that was (still is) completely blocked.  I've been having trouble with it for a while and have been to the doctor about it twice and it keeps reoccurring, even after using prescription drops.  At work, our Board is talking cutting back staff, then upon returning to my office I found Ginsberg (my office fish) dead.  He was fine just an hour before.    So... I'm having a glass of wine (or two) instead of tea tonight....

But I still want to share some love and show you my gift for a dear friend...

Many of you know that I recently attended a professional conference for work and stayed at a beautiful hotel in downtown Tampa. Well... I wasn't going to be able to stay because of  budget cuts and distance policies... so my friend Kathie offered for me to room with her.  I graciously accepted and though we didn't really get to spend a lot of time together, we had a good time when we were together.

I wanted to show my appreciation to her, so before I left I fixed her up a nice tea giftie...

























Inside this pretty stationery box were these....


a bag of Twinings loose leaf Earl Grey tea, one of my beaded tea balls and one of my beaded wine cork ornaments... on a reisling cork, of course, because we both drink reisling,. The cork is from a bottle of Cupcake Reisling from the Columbia Valley in Washington State (my favorite wine region)... which, incidently, is the kind that I have chilling right now.

Kathie is such an awesome person... She juggles a family and a career (with a long commute).  I remember when she got the news that the adoption of her son was approved.  It was during a previous conference of the same organization... She cried joyful tears and had me crying with her. She's also an officer of the local chapter of our professional organization and still makes time to workout and stay healthy.  I honestly don't know how she does it all..

Kathie, if you get to read this... Thank you so much!  I love you dearly and next time we get together, hopefully there will be some quality girlie time to spend...

For more Tuesday Tea, you can find us on Kimmie's sidebar.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Okay... I need some advice...

Remember my new (used) car?


She's pretty small... and by-the-way I ended up naming her Olive (Carmelina's suggestion) after all... Her personality is much more of an Olive than a Luna...  Anyway... you saw this in my last post...



My vendor set up... That's an 8 foot folding table (ordered online) and a 6" x 6" folding screen (already had it).  My problem is this... While the table fits in my car okay, it's very heavy and difficult for me to move around myself.  The screen, on the other hand, is almost impossible to fit into my car.  I have to prop it up on boxes and the front passenger seat and push it all the way to the windshield.  Visibility is lacking with this set up...

So, I figure I can sell the table or let my daughter store and use it if she wants to and get a couple smaller ones.  I've seen 6 footers that are exactly like this one, only smaller (obviously) and more manageable. But what do I get to display my paintings on?  I like the 6 foot height, but it's just too long for my car.  So, is there some way that I could put 4 three foot sections of lattice or something together and it be sturdy enough to stand?  Or perhaps a couple sets of small shutters put together to make a tower or 2 to stand on the tables?  Does anyone have any advice on what I can do?  How do you set up without a tent?  Thanks so much blogger buddies!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

First Festival of the Season...

Florida Estates Winery sits in a beautiful shaded Live Oak hammock amid a lovely plantation in Land O Lakes, FL.



They have Wine Fests on a monthly and bi-monthly basis, depending on the season.  This was my table under the oaks...



With my paintings....


jewelry, beaded wine cork ornaments, clocks, etc....




and more jewelry, CD clocks, etc....



Sea Turtle painting, mixed media collages, vintage tea wares and mixed media jewelry, etc...



terrarium ornaments...


mugs with book marks, napkin rings and more vintage tea wares...



other vendors included lovely hand painted glass ware and beautiful turned burl wood bowls and other wood products...





and my favorites, BoxerMark Creations.... 



these gorgeous natural rock oil lamps and cool glasses cut from vintage bottles....  They don't have a website, but if you are interested in these amazing oil lamps, let me know and I'll put you in touch!




It was a lovely (if not hot and humid) day.  I didn't sell much, as the threat of weather kept many vendors and possible guests away.... But I made some wonderful new friends (Boxer and Chrystie) that are not only wonderful artists but also RIDERS!  I set up right beside them and we had a great time talking jewelry (they make amazing jewelry too), rocks (I am a geologist by degree after all), motorcycles and drinking wine!  I'll definitely be there again... but probably with a different set up.  Stay tuned!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Haiku my Heart Friday...

(Photo from past SWFWMD staff photo calendar, sorry don't know who took it!)

Beauty neatly closed...
delicately folded shut...
Grace opens to fly...
DDD 2010

For more Friday Haiku
visit here.

I haven't been around much this week, because I've been getting ready for tomorrow's Wine Fest at the Florida Estates Winery  in Land O Lakes, FL.  My first show of the season! I'll have pictures after tomorrow!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

New use for a plate stand...

I have a plain old plate stand... flat gold paint with rings for 3 plates.  Some of you know that I'm setting Pieces of D up at a wine festival this coming weekend.  I'm trying to be creative, but frugal, with my displays, since I splurged on an 8 foot table and am trying to save for a tent.  Anyway... I've been going crazy making ornaments from wine corks and beads to have something wine themed to sell (besides my grape paintings).  No I didn't drink all the wine... I have friends that save corks for me... but I did drink some of it!  So... I saw my plain little plate stand sitting there and thought... Why not hang the ornaments from it?  I'll even make a price sign and clip it to the handle with a clothespin!   Ta Da!






Not a bad idea huh? 




And they are so pretty and sparklie!




And some are even elegant...



What do you think?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

I could become an urbanite... Maybe...

I attended a conference for work this week in downtown Tampa.  I stayed in the Embassy Suites on the water front. When I was growing up here... downtown was nothing like it is now!  Above is a view of the channel from the Tampa Convention Center.


A view from the skybridge that connects the Tampa Convention Center with the hotel.

Now I'm not an urbanite. I grew up in the suburbs of north Tampa, in a neighborhood called Forest Hills. I never thought that I'd ever really enjoy being downtown.  But I have to say I had a wonderful time.  It's a beautiful city... so many familiar things and places, but with a whole new face. 


The water front, looking toward Harbour Island and the Channelside District (on the left) and Davis Islands (straight ahead).  Harbour Island was built from spoil that was dredged from Tampa Bay.  There was nothing on it when I was growing up, except rats and rattlesnakes.  Now it's one of the most exclusive areas in the state and Channelside is a wonderful shopping and nightlife spot. The Florida Aquarium is there too! Davis Islands is a very small, high end "neighborhood" on a very small island.  The building complex across the channel and toward the right is Tampa General Hospital.  I was born there. The original hospital is totally surrounded by new portions of the hospital.


Today's trolley.  Historically, a trolley ran through town and connected Tampa to Ybor City. I remember the trolley tracks running through the brick streets, but the trolley system had been abandoned.  Ybor City is the historic district.  It was settled by Cuban exiles and is famous for hand rolled cigars.


The Gasparilla, our famous pirate ship. The ship of the pirate Jose Gaspar.  Every year on Gasparilla Day, it and a floatilla of thousands of boats invade the City and take over.  It's evolved into a week long festival. There are parades and parties and artfests. When I was in grade school, we actually got Gasparilla Day off school.  The parade marched down Bayshore Boulevard into the State Fair Grounds (which aren't down town anymore).


Another view from higher up (the elevators were glass).  Tampa Bay is the water you see just past Davis Islands.  Along the Bay is Bayshore Boulevard, which has the longest continuous sidewalk in the world. It reaches from where the Gasparilla is docked all the way to those buildings on the point in the distance.


The Tampa Skyline at night, from the 20th floor.



Lights on the waterfront.


My parting shot...I don't know what this building is, but I thought it was beautiful against the Tampa Sky. I hope you enjoyed your little tour of my hometown.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Tea Tuesday Necklace...

A lovely glass tile and Chyogami paper pendant... Red Jade, a glass leaf and a tiny dragonfly dangle from the bottom. Imagine sitting in an elegant Asian restaurant drinking Oolong or Jasmine tea wearing this...

I made this over a year ago, when glass tile pendants were all the rage.  I thought it would make a nice photo for today.  Now I'm going to take my morning Black tea (yeah I now... as usual) and finish getting ready for work.






















For more Tuesday Tea, visit Kimmie and look for us on her side bar.

I'm off to a conference for work. I'll take plenty of photos from the down town Tampa waterfront when I get back. Have a lovely Tea Tuesday and I'll see you Friday or Saturday...

Sunday, September 12, 2010

What beauty there is to each morning...

I pass by a small nursery on my way to and from work... Besides what they have blooming in pots behind the fence, there is always something blooming on the fence.  I always want to stop and take pictures of what's in bloom, but rarely have the time.  Last Thursday, I had the time and my camera... and was not disappointed...



What beauty there is to each morning...
whether it be the colors in the eastern sky,
or the dew, like diamonds, upon the grass...

a Mockingbird singing from a wire...
a single, silent Heron on the fly,
or chiming bells of morning mass...

or velvet flowers on a fence...
and even when you hurry by,
it will be there as you pass...

DDD 2010

Saturday, September 11, 2010

What to do...

with these....



Any creative ideas of what to do with these little bamboo spoons? 

I used to string beads on the handles to match my beaded tea ball infusers, and used them as tea ball caddies/rests,



but I can't get small enough tea balls now.  I look forward to hearing your ideas!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Haiku My Heart Friday...

























Late summer sunlight
shines bright and hot to kindle
a pink fire within.
DDD 2010

For more haiku visit:
Haiku my Heart

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Bittersweet Inspiration...

I was wondering why I was feeling a bit melancholy today... until I wrote the date on some notes... September 9.  17 years ago today my mom, my dearest friend passed away.  It always hits me like this... sort of sneaks up on me amid happy occasions... September 4, my anniversary... September 12, my grandson's birthday...




The other night I was trying to figure out how I was going to display some of my smaller items at the wine fest next weekend and came across this.



A plate my mom made many years ago.   Then I got an idea and got this out....




and made this...



So now, whenever I need to display small items... or to serve a cake...




I can share my mom's creativity as well as my own.