Love is in the details...

 

If love is in the details then this mexican mocha says "I adore you". It is amazing what coffee baristas can do with a little chocolate. coffee and frothed milk.  This beautiful coffee art creation came from Top Dog Coffee Bar in Morro Bay, CA. It was almost too beautiful to drink. I enjoyed it long enough to snap a few photos and then I had to see if it tasted as good as it looked. It did! 
I enjoyed each hot, creamy, rich, spicy sip.

This mocha was delicious!

Wild Letters and Journaling with freedom

Another fun page in my journal. There's no real meaning to this page...I just was playing with card board cut out letters and spray inks. I let myself just play and try things and this is the result. I love this page. I tossed in some magazine letters for a little more fun.  This was a great moment  in my journal. 

Sometimes its nice to just create in a journal and let things flow. My journal is the one place I call all the shots. No negotiations, compromises, discussions, input from the "peanut gallery." I'm free to do what ever I want, when I want, and how I want to do it.  It is complete bliss.  Just having that experience for a few moments or a few hours...opens up so many new ideas.

Fun Times in North Carolina

Visited Sugarland Bakery in Chapel Hill, NC. This is home to the most beautiful and yummy cupcakes and gelato ice cream selections...ever!  I enjoyed a few mini cupcakes and tried the mexican chocolate gelato ice cream. The ice cream was cool and refreshing with a little spicy heat.  Nice combination.  The place was such a girly gathering place. Lovely...just lovely.

Living in My Journal : Bird and Story

I just wanted to share with you some fun I'm having in my journal these days. The page is layers and layers of paints, inks, napkin, and magazine cut outs . 

This page was created with poster paint and gesso. I also used dark brown spray ink to give it this  weathered look.  I cut out pages with color and pattern from magazines to place along both pages.  I found a children's book at the dollar store and cut out groups of words to make a statement. The bird is from a set of paper napkins I got a TJMaxx. The black section is done withe black gesso.

I love the layering process for creating pages. This page makes me really happy.

Living in YOUR Journal

I usually "live" in a journal for a few months before all the pages are full enough to move on to a new journal. In the process pages get wet and heavy. They loosen up in my journal. Sometimes the pages shift in the book from the weight of heavy paints and gesso. 

To keep the pages in place I wrap several pieces of string every 10 or so pages and tie them as tight as I can against the spine. This holds the pages in place.. To make it all look pretty, I tie additional scraps of ribbon to each string. Over time, each string will be tied with 10-20 little bits of ribbon and string. I like to use ribbon that I find along the way...birthday gift ribbon, string from packaging, scraps of fabric, etc. .  

What emerges is this wild, rich journal, filled with stories, images and bits of fabric from the journey in your journal. 

A Day in the Life...Tahoe

I've been recovering from the flu for a few weeks and last weekend was the first weekend I felt like I was back to myself again. I decided to take a trip to Lake Tahoe with friends and relax. The weekend was beautiful, the sun was shining, the skies where clear blue, the air was cold and crisp at night. It was lovely to camp out at night, sit by the fire and roasted marshmallow peeps.  (Yes... I said Peeps.)  I bought some halloween ghost peeps at the drug store and decided to try roasting them over the fire. It was my camping experiment and they were DELICIOUS. The sugar on the outside carmelizes like candy and gets really crunchy.

In the daytime we took long bike rides through the forest and by the lake. We had lunch in a garden gazebo. It was lovely. I even got a chance to take photos of the views.  I managed to take photos of everything I found inspiring and beautiful.I saw beautiful textures and vibrant colors.. It was fun to just snap away with out any cares in the world.  I know I will be using some of these images in my journals. Its good to have a variety of images to provide inspiration in my art work and its good to get out in nature to experience inspiration.

Simple Pleasures