an attitude of gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving everybody. This year has been a very humbling start to our holiday season... Jason and I headed down to his Dad's house in Washington, Illinois, who's town was devastated by a tornado just a few weeks ago. It's one thing to see it on the news, but to see it in person, to see places that you have been completely obliterated, its just so surreal. Peoples homes, their stories, their memories scattered, they were just lying in piles or up in trees every where you looked. Thankfully everyone in our family was fine, but it really just makes you realize what's important.  All this stuff we have, you can't take it with you and it can be gone in a second.  It's the people and the connections you make in this life that truly matter. Thanksgiving or not, there is so much to be grateful for, I feel very blessed every single day.

We ended up hosting a very small, second Thanksgiving at our house the following weekend for my dad and aunt & uncle. I decided to change up the menu since most of us had just eaten the traditional Thanksgiving fare so I decided to make: root vegetable soup, maple glazed sweet potatoes with bacon, cranberry spinach salad with candied pecans, and a peach mustard glazed ham. Yum, yum. I also made a batch of flourless almond butter cookies that have chunks of dark chocolate and sea salt that I have been obsessed with making lately. It was good food, good wine, good company. It was a really nice evening I must say.

This morning I pulled my Christmas decorations out and it just put a smile on my face. I am embracing the Christmas spirit this year I have decided, full force, head on!

Charleston

I am back from Charleston! Oh, Charleston...I feel like it should be said with an accent. Think Scarlet O'Hara style. I immediately fell in love with all the old houses with their private piazzas, the Spanish moss dripping from tree to tree, and the ocean close by. There is something about being near the ocean, it heals me in an instant. I totally needed this trip. Just walking the streets, eating amazing food, soaking in all the rich history, I wish we had had more time there. We had such a blast at my cousin, Jennifer's wedding on Seabrook Island too. She is one classy bride, I know that her and Andy are going to be so happy together. It's so weird when you get back from a long trip elsewhere. Sometimes you forget that there's anything else besides the little world you live in... I think it's healthy to step outside that as much as you can. I'd travel more in a heartbeat. But it does feel good to be home, even though Winter is starting to creep in. Jason and I did some much needed yard work, felt like ten tons of leaves needed to be raked, and readying even ourselves for the months to come. Hard to believe I was just in eighty degree weather, breathing in the warm ocean air. Even as I'm typing this, it is starting to snow outside. Sigh. 

beets + beats

A big thank you to everyone who came out to the Beets + Beats pop up gallery show this past weekend, and to Brett & Kate Whitacre for organizing the show. It was sort of surreal being part of something like this happening in my hometown. When I was twelve, we moved from the suburbs out to this rural town, and I remember thinking that I was so far away from everything.  Mind you this was way back when, and there wasn't even a bookstore. But now, its nice to see things like this happening, exposing people in the community to something maybe they would normally never see. I even ran into some people I haven't seen in years and years. Its funny how we all travel down different paths. I just saw an article posted online by an artist friend of mine, a quote from it stated "Maybe success should be measured by how well one fearlessly follows their heart." I like that.

I am super jazzed, I leave for South Carolina in two days! I cannot wait to explore Charleston, breathe in the sea, and celebrate with my family.

Howl at the Moon

 I spoke too soon with my last post.  The chilly gray days of Fall have finally arrived, there's that smell in the air, you know it.  It has a hint of Winter in it, like some wind from upper Canada somehow just made its way down to these parts. Frost is here. There has been a lot going on... It's nice being busy, but sometimes you need to stop and take a breath. Our good friends band, Werewolf, just had a reunion show this past weekend. It was great to see a lot of old faces. I'm still trying to figure out how to use my camera in different types of light, pretty sad to say a lot of my shots ended up on the blurry side. This week, ohhhhh this week...lots going on: its crunch time on the art front, I have ten new paintings to finish, find an outfit for a costume party we're invited to, my sweet nieces might be paying us a visit, get prepped for my trip to Charleston, and...carve a jack-o-lantern of course.  Fingers crossed I manage it all.

If you're in the area this weekend, come see my work with seven other artists for Sycamore's first pop up gallery! The pumpkin festival will also be going on, there's a lot of fun things to see downtown.

Fall behind

Sorry for the photo fest. I have to comment that the weather this Fall has been perrrrfect. I love it. Just gorgeous, warm, crisp, and sunny so far. I have had so much going on the past two weeks, there is much to share, I realized I am falling behind. I got to go into the city two days in a row and not work-related, which to this country gal, is awesome... First I got to hang with some dear friends, which one of them is moving away very soon AND it was her birthday. We shopped around, paid a visit to the  chicago conservatory, and the peggy notebaert museum to see the amazing butterfly room. We ended our evening with some delicious tacos from big star. The whole day was a dream.

The following day we met up with a friend that I haven't seen in ages and ages in oak park, where she lives.  We caught up over some charcuterie and wine at marion street cheese market, and then headed over to see a lecture at the unity temple. This was my first time exploring oak park and i must say, its pretty adorable.

We also celebrated my cousin's marriage this past week.  I was super jazzed to get to take photographs of the event and happy couple.  Congrats David and Tessa!

There's so much more too... I get nerdy excited in the fall about pumpkins and halloween for that matter. Fall is so gorgeous at the farm this time of the year, I must share those photos soon. AND I am leaving for charleston, south carolina in a few weeks for my cousin Jennifer's wedding! I've been longing for an out of state adventure...and Charleston is up there with one of the cities I either desperately wanted to visit or secretly live in.  Lots to look forward too.

A Day in the Life...

I forgot to announce. This past week I was featured on A Beautiful Party's blog: A Day in the Life...

Click here to check it out :) 

It was super sweet of Ann to feature me on her site, thank you Ann! It was a unique experience documenting my day. My days aren't super structured, so it was neat to be aware of how I do squeeze creativity into different moments in my day. But I think its great that Ann is sharing different ways that artists fit the creative process into their daily lives. I think we all struggle with juggling our jobs, time with friends & family, running errands, and finding time to make things. Its comforting to confirm that we all face this challenge.

If its important, you find the time.

An Emblem of Luck

Fall is starting to creep in around these parts. As I have said before, I feel a bit mournful when the seasons change. On one hand, I am super excited for the coming Fall: butternut squash soup, carving pumpkins, apple pie, the bright colors against the gray drizzle of a day. But not completely ready to say goodbye to Summer.

I got some new shoes, they're a buttery soft suede in a beautiful coral. I took a walk to the nearby arboretum and found an acorn tree.  I love acorns, so cute, but also considered to be an emblem of luck, prosperity, youthfulness, and power. It also represents spiritual growth.

I've been needing some growth lately. I'm in that spot where I wish I could do my artwork full time, but don't know how to get there. I know that I need to work harder...I fully believe if you keep at something long enough, it will happen for you. But sometimes I lose focus. I get inspired to do one thing, and then the next moment to do another. And sometimes it makes me create things that I actually don't like all that much, and I get frustrated. I need to remember that it is okay to play, that everything doesn't need to be an amazing finished piece. One must just keep at it and not fear it will fail.  I have to trust in that.

Go Renegade

Hooray! Last Sunday I got to go to the Renegade Craft Fair, with my good friends, Bry and Janey. I try to make a point to go to this every single year, and I did not get to go last year.  If you haven't ever gone, I highly recommend it! It is booth after booth of handmade awesomeness, all set downtown in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood. Crafters, artists, creatives of all types come from near and far. Sometimes when I go, I get so overwhelmed by the visual stimulation (and the huge crowds) but it is super inspirational.  I was pleased to see so many fine artists this year! Every year there seems to be more of a certain type of vendor, and that was definitely jewelry this time around. This fair takes place in several cities, both nationally and internationally now.

Love Nail Tree (i loved this necklace...sadly, it was gone later when I came back to purchase it) 

Tee pees! You're never too old for one of these... 

Nature inspired jewelry and art by Jasmine McCaffrey of Ricochet Waves

My Little Belleville (one of my favs from the whole day, put a face on it & I'm in love!)

The amazing Laura Berger (I am obsessed with her artwork) 

Manny Made by Amanda Barker

Lillstreet Art Center (demo: how to do upholstery;someday I swear I will take a class from them) 

Truly unique lamps from Krystal O'Mara of Remain Designs (from bicycle parts!) 

Lunch at Milk & Honey Cafe 

Next stop, a visit to dreamy Asrai Garden, which is just around the corner from the fair...

My finds for the day: 1. Candle by Elizabeth Suzann 2. Mojo mineral lipstick 3. Face Spoon from My Little Belleville 4. Geranium Patchouli body scrub by Etta+Billie 

I also got amazing Caramel Sea Salt Truffles from Katherine-Anne Confections (that I gobbled down) and an art print from Laura Berger. Here is a list of more of the days favorites I recommend you check out:

Adrienne Vita: Illustrations & Intuitive Readings 

Brooke Weeber: Little Canoe

Sally Harless: Art & Illustration

Son of a Sailor Supply: Jewelry & fabulous man gifts 

The Alchemilla 

It is a secret dream of mine to have a booth at one of the Renegades someday. A girls gotta dream.