SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW WHEN TO STOP

At what point do you stop and feel that a piece of artwork is finished? That has been the query of many; the eventual topic of discussion in just about every art group I've ever belonged to; and now I present the very situation underscored by the statement "THIS TIME I DID NOT STOP WHEN I SHOULD HAVE." I present to you the 'redo' of my Alphabet Fatbook page. Why?, Well, I just HAD to add something more and in doing so ruined the whole piece!! Yuppers, ruined. Sometimes I've mucked up a piece and then was able to maneuver a bit here and there and the end piece works despite my botching it. Not this time. Not only did I have to do another piece, but the image I used in the first piece was the only one I had in that pose and size.

So here is my new piece.....Front and back. Scroll down and look at the original piece.
(front)

This is

FABALICIOUS NEW TEA

How GORGEOUS is this tea?!! I discovered this tea just before Easter and knew I had to have it for the cafe if at all possible. Clever...talk about "sizzle" The tea is lovely and the whole concept is just over the top. See how the little tea bag is wrapped in a special paper triangle case that allows the stem and leaf to peek out? And the tiny tray to present in on..and let's talk about this cup. Keeps it steeping and gives you the little hint of it's fabulousness. I just love it.
Pricey.....yes.......but when you want something out of the ordinary, well, you usually dig a little deeper in the pockets.

FINALLY...BACK TO MY ART TABLE

Finally........a little bit of fun at my art table. This is for a collaborative piece which will be an Alphabet Fat Book. 4X4 in dimension. I chose "N" and thought at first I would do "Nest", of course! However, I changed my mind almost immediately and wanted to do "Naughty"...it seemed more fun. I am still working on the back of the page where we need to put our info down. I'm pretty excited to see the whole project completed and back to me. Now I need to go and make 28 copies. One for everyone in the project, one for possible mistake when it's bound, and one for a special gift book. It will be spiral bound on the left side.

It sure feels great to be back to my table again!!!

I AM STILL IN RECOVERY MODE

Four days and counting. Recovering physically and spiritually is slower than expected, but it's all good. Sleep and absolute quiet, save for the singing of some very happy finches.

I am so happy to be back in my nest, surrounded by everything that comforts me. Thank you all for your notes and happy thoughts. Be back to you soon.

CITY OF HOPE

Well dear bloggies, I am back. Back from a very draining week, but one that was filled with some of the most wonderfully helpful souls with generous and kind spirits. As I assimilate all that transpired during the week in L.A. I will share this photo with you taken from my room on the 30th floor of the Bonaventure Hotel. The night shot of a place that captured my gaze both day and night and caused me to pause. Allowed me to breath deeply and experience gratitude on a level that truly enabled me. Follow along the top to 3/4 over and then down to just above half way. On the lower right side of the outlined rectangle you see a little blur of white. My camera is not great so what you are not able to see is that the "blur" says CITY OF HOPE. In the midst of high stress THIS one sign gave me instant peace, instant courage.....instant HOPE.

And it's good to now be home.

MY MOO CARDS ARE HERE ~ TAKE A LOOK

These arrived today...yippeee.. 100 little moo cards that I ordered from my Flickr photos. I just love them. They seem to be a fun item to trade, use on gifts, use in altered art pieces.....so many fun things to do with them. I would love to trade little moos with anyone out there...just leave me a comment and we can go from there. They come in a fabulous little box.....oohhhh, I can't wait to see what else I can do with these little gems!

CHOCOLATE MOCHA WITH CHOCOLATE COVERED ESPRESSO BEAN

At the O.C. tomorrow: Rich chocolate cupcakes with mocha icing topped with chocolate covered espresso bean. The fragrance is D I V I N E!!!!! I kept one aside for mr. jim to sample when he gets back from a crazy day at the cafe.

Crazy at the Cafe - reason 88: We were unaware that today was the day or chosen Sunday of celebration for the Persian community after 13 days of very special rituals. Today was Sizdah Bedar - The Day 13 Outing (note to selves-mark this down for next year, please so there are more than two people on the floor that day)
Seezdah Bedar is the last holiday of the long Norooz break and is a day filled with relaxation and fun outdoors. Seezdah means 13 and Bedar means away or out. Iranians consider 13 to be an unlucky number and so for this reason, they spend the 13th day of the New Year outside the home. Seezdah-Bedar is in essence a national picnic that is celebrated with everyone going to parks, hills and mountainsides to spend the day with nature, wishing the evil spirits away. This way one hopes to avoid any bad incidents that may occur. The chosen spot for several years has been Fountain Park. And it was a stunning day for it.

Family members rise early in the morning and prepare for the day long picnic. Iranians take their picnics very seriously and pack all the necessary items, leaving maybe the refrigerators behind. Supplies may include sandwiches, traditional polos, drinks, sweets, snacks such as ajil, carpets or rugs, the samavar, a ghalyan (water-pipe), backgammon, chess, cards, balls and other games for the children. Usually areas filled with nature, greenery and streams are chosen to commemorate this cultural holiday. More importantly, the sabzeh (sprouted wheat or lentils) is brought from the sofreh Haft-Sin to be thrown in a flowing stream or creek. It is believed that the sabzeh, which has by this time turned a little yellow, symbolizes sickness and problems. Therefore, it is thrown and carried away by the stream. The day is spent playing games, going for long walks in the fields, eating, drinking and enjoying each other’s company. In addition, Seezdah Bedar is a big day of hope, and people who wish for things follow the tradition of tying grass together. For example if a young girl wishes to find a husband in the coming year she will tie grass and chant “Seezdah Bedar Sale degar, khune-ye shuhar”. This rhyme literally means, “Next seezdah bedar, I will be at my husband’s home”. There are various chants for people who wish to get a job or be healthy or wealthy and so on. At the end of this day, the haft sin may be cleared away and families return to work.

So, there at the Fountain Park, Persians from all around the area gather and celebrate. Then, they need to use the restrooms..........but as many are business people, they feel badly if they use the bathroom without patronizing in some way (most anyhow) which made for much activity at the front of the cafe where the soft serve (vanilla, chocolate, and swirl) ice cream machine is located.

By jove, that many thousand dollar machine may actually pay for itself!!!