a little sketch


We are heading away from the drama at the desk
yes, glorious time away.

My paints and pencils and paper
are being gathered to pack

a few bits of clothing, nothing fancy required (thank goodness)

music,

candles,

journal.....

all the things that make a home-away-from-home

lovely

because it's that time again.

Art Unraveled

A week to be in the thick of it all that is creative

I promise to take some fun photos

and share a few thoughts

since I will bring my little mac with me

If I don't see you there......

well, I will see you back here.

xox rEllA

EXTREME HEAT, CLOUD WATCHING,
FORTUNE, FOUND PRODUCT


I know, this is a bit of a fractured intro to a post

but when your last post was a week ago...........

well, there are a few things to discuss.
(click to make larger to see the main character of this photo)


Number one: The heat last week was outrageous and it began over last weekend
my fried looking thermometer on the outside of my kitchen window shouted 110 in the shade

ttsssssssssttttttttttttt the sound of water hitting anything outside and instantly evaporating
With little rain finding it's way to this little portion of the desert, even the cactus wrens are struggling.

This little guy is a daily, inquisitive visitor outside my window at work.

hopping around...looking in the window
(my floor is actually several feet underground, so this window is chest high) looking under rocks...looking for trouble. Usually.

This Monday he was truly suffering heat exhaustion.

Cleverly, he pushed the rocks around
and nestled down into the sand.

Beak open and feathers slightly spread out, he stayed as cool as possible.

Barely moving.

We went out and poured some water onto the rocks in several places and left a bowl of water in the corner.

Back he came and actually fought off other birds to lay in the wet sand.



Number three: Cloud watching begins late afternoon
and on the way home there is always something HUGE to capture.

This beautiful cluster grew larger and later that night
let us have a bit of rain

(I think Phoenix central had hours of rain.)

and stunning lightening show

and a ton of thunder.


.........which always leads to the cat hiding all night in fear.


Number four: My fortune from dinner this week. Hmmmmm.
(I've been encouraged to write for many years now and my response is
usually, who in the world would want to read MY ramblings)

I save them all and have amassed quite a collection over the years.

The saving of these bits of 'wisdom' began back in the mid 90's
when I opened a cookie that said I was heading to a land of sunshine.


It made me giggle at the time as I was living in Connecticut
without any thought of leaving

OR

living in Arizona.

I guess you just never know.


Number five: I am excited to share a new product I discovered (although it may be quite old) while shopping at Michaels for art products.

I was thinking of a latte stain I had on my beloved, Eileen West, white cotton lawn nightgown. My morning, try to wake up- ritual of latte in bed got crazy one morning and, well, thus the stain.

So when I came upon this product hanging on one of those aisle endcaps,

I thought "why not?"

Today I am happy to report that it truly works!!!!

I think $4.99 is a small price to pay for this amazing product.

Now, before you ask about the faerie that is presenting this miracle solution,

No, I did not make her. She is a new Patience Brewster piece called Green Fairy of Hope
(approx. 6")
that we offer at the cafe.

In fact, we have several of the new 'ornaments' and many of her adorable cards at the cafe now. I just love her sense of whimsy.

If you are interested in acquiring one of these faeries, give me a shout.

I think there are a few left. The workmanship is amazing and they are a limited edition
created to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of her beloved son she lost to the awful disease.

Watch her video here in the process of making an ornament. Yikes.

Oh, they are $38 plus shipping which I usually arrange through USPS at $4.95 I believe.

Be well and stay happy my dear, bloggie friends.

Until next time

xox rEllA

I I F A

(is it friday already?)

wow



Here we are

beyond the halfway mark of this trip

around the Sun.

I'm thinking I packed way too much for the journey...

weighed down a bit by baggage

carried over from the one before...

and the one before that.

all of it distracting and cumbersome

preventing light steps.

Time to let some of it go

and travel lighter

photo by renee (aka little bird)
february 2009
Fountain Hills Balloon Festival

A VERY SPECIAL DAY

Our only daughter.

independent,

fiercely loyal,

beautiful,

determined,

smart,

fearless,

loved.

You are everything I hoped for
...and then some.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE BIRD
XOX

"PSSSSSSSSSSST"







"well, hellllooooo there"

"just dropping in to see what you're doing.

..............me?"

"Oh, the same ol, same ol..................

saving lives............rescuing damsels in distress.......

usual hero stuff"



"well, got to go

I've been called in

to round up some

chicks................



"SWEET!!"

WHAT IS ON MY DESK

It's 3:14 p.m. and the work day is almost over.

:)

There has been very little drama these past few days
and I am extremely grateful

(several of the drama creators are traveling)

Looking over at this pretty morsel that I brought in
to bring me a smile or two


I see it does the trick.

The sweet coffee cup was a little Christmas surprise from a co-worker

the inserted faerie nosegay is from a faerie swap I did several years ago.

Sadly, the label telling me who created her fell off long ago
so I cannot give proper kudos here

I just love it, but she was lost in a nest full of faeries back home.

So, following an impulse a few days ago
I brought her in and placed her in this sweet cup.

She is perfectly suited, don't you think?

you will notice, also, that sharing the same cup
is a round magnifying glass.

Yes........this is something I need every day that I am here
and I will show you why.

Because the creator of 90% of the drama
faxes notes like these...

with circles and arrows

and writing up the side of the paper

that does not convey well over the fax......not to mention

the overall 'style' (?) of writing.

(this is actually a pretty GOOD example
and did not take much time at all)

So I use a magnifying glass.......

and sometimes will pdf the notes to myself

so that I can SUPER-SIZE them

to like 200%

and then that sometimes helps.........

or we (because I am not the only one who gets these)

ask each other "can YOU read this?"

Would it surprise you to know

that what would typically take me a few minutes
can often take an hour?

Would it surprise you to also know that I am getting very good at translating?

and

Finally,

would it come as a surprise to anyone

that I often want to poke a pencil in my eye??!!

Chapter One

A few bizarre days and an equal amount of interesting nights went by

after

the mysterious package arrived to Ms. zUzU.

The little sprites and faes that were usually underfoot
or snatching bits and baubles out from under me.....
were hardly seen!

It was all so perplexing!!

If I crept about to look for them,

one or the other would pop her little head out
with a strangely indignant look as if to say

"WHAT??!!"

You know...the way guilty little children do
when you give them

'THE LOOK'
(with squinty eyes and slightly cocked head...you know the one I mean)

that tells them YOU know they are up to something...

and they give you this little not innocent look
accompanied by the "what?" query that I was getting from the rascally faes.???


AND THEN THE MYSTERY WAS REVEALED...............

i will do my best to explain but I fear I am still trying to wrap my head around the comedy of errors.

The story....as whispered to me in bits and pieces....
by the red headed little pistol, Rayna

(tiny hands covering story- telling lips)


is this:

Arriving in THAT box on THAT day

were three blue eggs.

Eggs which were told be special raven eggs
from the same clan as zUzu

New ones that would be tutored by Ms. Z

taken under her wing, if you will,

to learn all there is to know about keeping and caring of sprites and faeries.

Then, once tutored and ready to be on their own,

One would be chosen to stay on at Faerieluna to help

the other two would each have a special assignment of their own.

however.......

things are not always as they seem.........

Within two days the faint sound of an unfamiliar language

came from within the pretty blue eggs..

then the cracking began.......

and one by one.......

out popped the most unexpected of all!!

Instead of the baby down of blue-black raven fledglings

the palest of yellow fluff!!!!


THREE LITTLE CHICKS

NOT RAVENS!!!

Each shaking themselves off and looking quite startled

to see not only Ms. zUzU hovering

but many little faces of a different sort of winged creature.

And Ms. Z is in such shock that she cannot even speak
(and that rarely happens around here)

But as lolli hopped up on her back
and gustov and polli tried to cuddle in close

I could see that zUzU was a bit frightened
that these rascally little chicks were
going to be more trouble than she counted on..............

I'm thinking that would be trouble
with a capital T............

so for now I will have to sign off as one of the balls of fluff has disappeared

and I hear a bit of high-pitched shrieking

that only comes from the wee winged ones

I expect there is another chapter about to evolve


xox rEllA