A Fanciful Twist

The life of a Gnome...

Sometimes I want to make myself teeny tiny.  Throw on a lovely gnome hat and run away with my deer friends... 

          

To a place where vintage cardboard pink houses line the checkered streets... And, sparkles fall from the sky... Really, is that too much to ask?  I can see a deer friend trotting in now...

      

It could be quite dreamy right?  Maybe just a few days a year?  I know, you think I have fallen off Mr.  Lovee's hippie chair right?  I want to live in a place where there is no real world stuff.  But, I guess that just does not exist does it?  Even in Animal Farm...  Either way, my dear friend and I escaped into another world yesterday... 

We made another world come alive...

      

A world where real toy shops, with wooden jointed puppets & hand sewn garments really do exist (deep in the depths of antique stores that is...).  And after shopping, girls giggled over hummus, falafel and gyros...  A world where noone cares what we smelled like when we left Sinbad's Palace...  A place where we bought whatever we wanted.  Girly and lovely things, abound... 

Wonderful December magazine issues and fabric shopping!!! Victoria Magazine is back!  Look at Tasha Tudor's gown collection, swoon, swoon swoon!  And Mary Engelbreit is wonderful too!!!  Look at that mantel vignette!!

      

      

What we were hiding from, in our invented world, is the fact that life has kicked my friend's tushie rather hard lately.  She was extra stylish (her words) in her weird glasses the eye doctor put on her dialated eyes (an outing before the shopping and laughing).  Not to mention the saddest part.  My dear friend just lost her youngest son to a trecherous battle with cancer...  She has lupus, and she is having eye surgery that will keep her upside down for 22 hours a day for 10 days (starting December 13th).  She is single and lives alone, that doesn't make things easier...  (did I mention she walked with a cane through our shopping excursions because she broke her toe two nights ago... (and she laughs about it!)

But, in light of all of this, she was laughing, giggling mad, and trying to keep tea from pouring through her nostrils.  She is a strong, sensitive, wonderful woman.  A potter, a painter, an archeologist, a business woman, a friend, a mother.  Somehow through rasing three sons alone and losing one, she has managed to hold it together.  She talks about her life with a mad innocence you want to bottle.  She is full of love for life, for nature!  She grasps new things with an open mind, eager to learn... She amazes me. 

She makes me realize that everything is always going to be okay.  You have to hold on to memories, to the future, to today, and to faith.  Don't get me wrong, her pain for the loss of her son is palpable.  But we talk about him and we cry and laugh, and then cry and laugh some more...

Mr. Lovee had a horrible car accident a couple years ago.  I remember the fear I felt, and the awful times we faced during his recovery.  I remember wishing that we could have our lives back.  I would pray hard, for just one day in the life of how things used to be... And, of course, over time, Mr. Lovee was 99% back to normal.  Boy, do we embrace life...

We don't know what tomorrow will bring... So we have to laugh and love all we can.  I know there are so many things I should do.  I don't see my family as much as I should.  I don't see my darling grandparents as much as I should. 

But I think of them all of the time.  I talk to my mom a bizillion times a day...  Although, seeing things through my friend Carolyn's eyes... Through the eyes of such profound loss, really puts things into perspective...  Like, why do I worry and freak out about the things that I do?  Does it really matter?  What matters is the love for the people we have in our lives & the support we give and receive.  But how do we remember that when silly life things derail us?

All that comes to mind right now is, Dance in the forest of your imagination... Live and love all you can... 

Below is another song composed (as well as all instruments performed) by my amazing brother, Adam, to accompany one of my art pieces. Memory of the dance in the forest...  I thought it was appropriate to share at this time...(to listen to all collaborations to date, visit my website VanessaValencia.Com, under Musique)

Hugs a bunch.  See you soon!

So much to share, so much to share...

Bonjour! Did you eat yourself silly over Thanksgiving?  I sure hope you did!  Did you have an extra piece of dessert for me?  An extra cup of tea?  3 helpings of your favorite side dish too?  Oh, thank you, I knew I could count on you!  I bet you are totally sick of all that Thanksgiving food love, right?  Well, I have something exciting to share with you!  Homeade pizza, cooking in your oven!!

      

I was going through magazines while suffering through my own stomach ache after Thanksgiving, sipping the ever so tasty alka-seltzer...  Feeling much better actually, when, in an old issue of Metropolitan home, I found a few interesting recipes.  One recipe really got my attention.  I have been in search of a good easy to make pizza dough FOREVER.  I am not a huge pizza eater.  I don't like the tangyness in the cheese and sauce of most pizzas.  It is not a fulfilling munching food for me.  I am just not into it.  If I had my dream pizza, it would have lots of fresh herbs, carmelized onions, mushrooms.  A mild cheese...  A fresh mozzarella...  The recipe I found was for a Duck Confit pizza.  Not really my taste, but the dough recipe, that really got me.

So I made the dough, and invented my own topping... (recipe at the end)

      

It was a really easy dough to make.  I learned alot.  I bake bread and knew some rules.  However, in this case, you must let your dough rise in a very warm place.  You must make sure it stays inside the oiled plastic wrap.  The higher you let it rise, the thicker your crust.  And, most wonderfully, in the second rising, when you grab your little ball of dough (you will have 6) it is so easy to simply stretch quickly into a pizza shape.  You will be surprised at how easy. 

I made my own sauce with a can of stewed tomatoes with onion and bell pepper in it (Del Monte).  I threw it all in a blender, added 5 shakes of garlic salt with parsley, and Voila!  Delicious mild sweet pizza sauce...  I used a few chopped mushrooms with a small amount of Jarlsberg on some of the pizzas, some had carmelized onions (which I carmelized), and others had fresh Mozzarella and fresh Basil from my garden.  But, the very best part?  The pizza cooks in 10 MINUTES (not including dough rising time)!!!  Yes, I know, amazing!

Mr. Lovee loved it!  A huge success!!  So we nibbled in the garden...

      

It is so much fun, to have someone enjoy your cooking so much (Mr. Lovee's hand)...

      

They were so lovely and light...  I felt like I was in Italy, under the trees eating gourmet pizza...

      

The sky was dreamy, the trees just lovely.. And, listen to this, it is finally cool here.  Actually, my fingers and toes are frozen right now, so I am happy.

      

Don't forget to enjoy your pizza in your favorite nightgown (I use my flannel nightgowns as robes)!

      

Now, I know, this post is going to be way too long, but, I must share another super EASY EASY EASY recipe for Apple Pie!!!  I felt like I didn't get to bake my own pie over the holiday, so, I went online, I Googled Easy Apple Pie, and found a wonderful recipe on Cooks.com!

      

This apple pie is so rustic and wonderful.  We decided it is kind of like mideval fairytale pie.  Have you seen the movie Legend, where Lily goes into a cottage where a woman is baking and there are all of these cakes and amazing looking foods... Welllllll, this pie fits right in!  I LOVED it!  I took some bad photos for you Legend fans!  Another movie that plays on repeat in this house.

      

      

Back to the pie...  It is crustless, but the cookie like topping melds its way down into the apples.  My important tips for the pie are, use sweet apples and peel them. I used crunchy Gala Apples and peeled...  There are nuts in the topping and they are wonderful.  Don't worry if they get burnt looking, they aren't.  Oh, and you can't really "pour" the dough over the top, so I just glopped it on with my fingers...

      

The finished product! YUMMMM!

      

Once you have baked your pie, make sure to take it with you through the hidden Rabbitwood forest...

      

When you see the magical smiling face tree, turn right...

      

And you will see Mr. Rabbit and Mr.Conehat bird having a ball.  Feasting on toasted seeds and crunchy leaves...  Mr. Rabbit found himself a little fireplace, and he even built a bed up above the ground and encircled it with peach leaves...  See you there!!! (more photos in Flickr. Sparkly birds in my shop)

      

See you soon!!!

Recipes:

Pizza Dough, (Metropolitan Home Magazine), click on recipe to enlarge, and/or print:

Easy Apple Pie From Cooks.Com:

      

Through the Secret Keyhole on a Thankful Day...

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, I think there is always reason to get together with those you love & enjoy (enjoy being the operative word).  A time to have treats and tea, cake and coffee, chats & giggles...

       

We are having all kinds of treats today.  I better start helping in the kitchen before I am uninvited!! Stay for a visit.  Mr. Bird is reading fairytales from his favorite book while Ainsley day dreams...  We are waiting for you to play the piano and share pinwheel candied desserts...

      

Enjoy!  See you in a few short days my lovely friends!!

As time goes by...

Where or where on earth have I been??? Well, let me tell you.  It has been snowing here.  Arizona snow that is...  I woke up one morning and what did I see, but all kinds of sparkles dancing around me...

      

I hopped out of bed, in a dreamy delight, and ran to the window, awaiting a sight.  Did it snow, oh please snow, did it flutter down my way?

      

It did, oh it did!  It was cold it was grey...  The flurries dancing about, oh what a sight!  But wait, oh wait, the sky is not grey...  It is a miracle, it is snowing, with no clouds around...

      

I wildly run about, where is my coat and my scarf?  My snow boots, freshly washed, my mittens standing by, where is my hat, I can't wait... Must go out and play...

What, there is a problem, I step right outside.  I feel my skin is toasting, I have stepped into an oven.  I rip off my scarf, my mittens too... And what is wrong with this snow, it is rather fluffy, oh fooooo!

      

Is this a cruel joke?  I must remove all my garb, while hundreds of white fluffy things stick to my eyelashes. They invade my hair, and tickle my ears.  "I am not happy to see you"  I holler, no cheer...

I look to the sky, and what do I see?

      

Why, its mother nature laughing at me.  She thinks this is funny, she thinks I should smile...  She has no idea I've been praying for snow for a long while.  She scolds while she giggles, "You don't live in Maine, now stop praying for snow, you've become such a pain."  I go off with a huff, I am disgusted you see.  The Desert Broom is shedding, and playing snowy tricks on me...

      

      

      

      

I am speechless with mother nature...  People say, feel lucky, you have bikini weather all year.  What?  Say I...  Sounds like a nightmare, I feel like I could cry...  I guess the only good thing about it being 88 degrees today, on November 19th, is that, we still have flowers...

      

And lovely oranges are growing on the orange tree...

      

And, I can brag about my amazing coats without sounding obnoxious, because I can't even wear them...

So the Du buh Du sisters (who trickled in this weekend) and I, have created our own piano bar, where we wash our woes away with ginger tea and follow that up with apple crisp... (better photos to follow of these four precious girls, when their sister Maura arrives)

      

Okay, in all honesty, there are fun and good things happening... For instance, if you get a chance you must go over to Hey Pretty Cupcake, where you can now find some of my work on mirrors.  And at the Hey Prety Cupcake Etsy shop,  you will find some of my work and Marmee's work, and  a bunch of other fun work on magents and stickers, and ornaments, OH MY!

And tomorrow (Tuesday Nov 20th), early afternoon, you will find some birds for sale. 

      

Birds in nests, birds with little eggs, birds in party attire, but all super sparkly and jeweled and in cone hats!!!  Where will you find them you ask?  They will be in my little shop...

See you soon!!

It's a Merry Madness, while I'm dreaming of a white...

I know.  I am sorry.  I had to do it.  I plunged.  I am in Christmas mode.  I am singing jingle bells, much to Mr. Lovee's umm, well, to put it gently, surprise... 

      

I am Mr. Lovee's worst elf nightmare right now.  I am easing him slowly though.  It's not like I am walking around in Christmas tree earrings and reindeer sweaters along with antlers on my head (yet).  Although, he is showing great concern for the fact that Little Women has been on repeat on my television for one month. (it inspires the winter mood)

If you recall, there was a mantel in my gallery.  I did a major heist on the gallery this week.  Somehow lifting and carrying the 150lb. mantel to my bedroom in the country myself, and attaching it as a headboard (removing the mattresses etc. etc). As opposed to the bedroom at my in town home.

      

I delivered glittery dunce birds to owners here and there, and then pocketed the rest.  I feel a little guilty, I mean, I did make them to sell.  But, I had to have some for myself.  I took everything off of the Christmas branch (which did and will stay up forever, with minor changes depending on seasons) and painted it in two shades of white.  It looked so dreamy all white and crisp, so I only replaced a few of its treasures, including the birds.  (note: there will be birds in the shop ;)

      

I removed all of my Wendy Addison glitter banners and strands of silver stars, as they have turned black.  Has that happened to any of you?  I know it is that they are tarnished. But,can they be dipped in tarnish remover or will the glue dissolve? You tell me...  Luckily, I had the snowflakes put away, so those still look silver and sparkly.

           

I love how the mantel looks as a headboard... I almost bought one of these beds.  But I am quite content with the mantel for now...

        

      

I also was quite naughty at Anthropologie this week. Oh, it was devlish fun!!! 

      

I did just bring the India Ink Bedding home (on my bed now) from Anthro and I love it.  I brought home two different bedding options.  However, when I put the 2nd colorful Chika quilt set on, I had to wonder, what I was thinking (it is an amazing quilt, a must see, just didn't work for me). So now I have to drag it back.  I don't like returning at all...

I got a tiny bit of Christmas shopping done at Anthropologie, but mostly gifts for me.  You see, my mother always instilled the idea of exquisite bedding and towels in me.  I just love that about her... I also got the most beautiful Christmas stocking I have ever seen, I am so in love with it.  They had it hanging on this little bird holder, so I brought him home too, isn't it just charming???

      

      

When I got home yesterday I had a wonderful treasure I purchased waiting for me...  And it was wrapped oh so wonderfully.  From the delightful Noodle and Lou:

      

      

      

I have also been quite the Etsy shopper, oh how I love Etsy!!  I initially was looking for Christmas gifts, but I found a few for me too...

Etsy Treasures for me (& a few gifts):

For me. Beven by Du Buh Du Designs.  We started by adopting Beven. 

      

But fell so in love, we had to promptly order some of her sisters, in their exquisite clothing and details... We await the arrival of Eugenie, Imogen & Ainsley.  They are wonderful in person, such detail and little moveable parts.  Really a great purchase!!!  They have inspired me to retrieve my giant dollhouse form storage so they can have a home to play!  And, look at how charming she looks with Noodle and Lou's houses.

        

For the Studio, lovely, lovely Farm Music CD by Cold Antler Farm.  I have been enjoying this so much for the last month.  Just perfect for my dreamy winter mood:

 

For me again, A mini deer plaque, from Nice.  You can order it white or with designs.  I just noticed mine doesn't have those lovely little flowers surrounding it.  There is one in the nice shop like that, run and grab it. I want it!

      

A marvelous gift.  A Wonderful creature by Lori Brown:

      

For Gifts, Desdemona's Daydream {mini notecards}, by Stiletto Heights:

      

For me, from Mary Contrary, a cameo ring and a Sagittarius necklace:

      

Wellll, I have many more treats to share, but that should leave you with a few lovely places to visit for now... In the mean time, I must rest my soul after this long week, I will share more about it later...  Time for a little R&R.

      

See you very soon!!! ;)

Once upon a time...

Once upon a time in an enchanted fungi forest lived a funny little family...

      

There were two parents and two broomhilda daughters.  5 1/2 years apart, were born these two daughters...  And boy, were they good at bickering.  The older of the two pleaded with her parents as they drove by the hospital where the younger was born "Please can't we drop her off there, where you got her..."  As the younger daughter learned to talk and understand, the older daughter filled her head with disconcerting thoughts... The older would tell the younger, "Don't get too cozy in this family, you were dropped off by Gypsies and we can send you back any time we want."  The younger just listened wide-eyed and fearful. ( I know I was a meanie)

        

As the older of the daughters grew, she begged and pleaded with the younger sister to play dress up.  The older loved to dress up and take photos.  But the younger wanted no part of it.  At times she would agree, with sufficient bribery payment.  Other times the younger girl would simply hide way up high in a hidden nook in a linen closet.  A space unreachable by anyone but herself. 

The older thought she was in her own private fairytale life.  The younger, quiet but mischievous, even though the adults did not notice...

One day when the girls were turning into young ladies, the oldest around 11 and the youngest around 6 or 7, the parents came home one evening and gathered them together for a "talk."  The oldest, butterflies fluttering in her tummy, the youngest with her famous wide eyes, stared with questioning looks on their faces.

Their father, a wonderful father, stood beside them, while their mother, a wonderful, warm & chic lady, maker of heart shaped sandwiches, sat and slowly opened the palm of her hand.  Showing the girls this funny little notice from the doctor's office, that basically stated "baby on the way."  WHAT?  A baby.  Holey Moley! Is what the 11 year old thought.  Mom was having a baby, how weird...  The older daughter really thought she was thirty. She was mature for her age, she loved make-up and music...  Falling in love was her favorite thing, and dreaming of being on a stage with throngs of screaming fans surrounding her while she played her piano(never happened but she still dreams).  Funny enough, she does not know what the younger sister thought about a baby on the way.  Maybe she should ring her up now and ask her?  Anyhow, all I can say is that mom and dad were pretty much in shock, as this was an unplanned little bambini.

Needless to say, that summer was a wonderful summer for the older girl.  It was 7th grade going into 8th grade summer. Tennis lessons, riding bikes with girlfriends into town, giddy for life.  And, her mother was as big as a house. With her own set of issues.. So, the older daughter felt free.  Noone really nagging her... Like I said, her mother had her own issues.  You see, this big baby was sitting in the legs crossed fashion with his bottom to mommies belly button and his face towards mommies spine.  His head sad right smack in the most uncomfortable place.  It felt to this mom, that this baby's head was right smack in the middle of her chest all of the time.  Oh, she howled about it.  So uncomfortable.  She wore the funniest dress that whole summer, her belly so outrageoulsy huge. It was a long white cotton dress with black polka dots.

This poor mom was given knews that she might need a c-section (not so huge back then) because the baby was breached.  So she swam and swam every night, anything to change her fate.  Until one day, close to the birth,  while at the grocery store, she felt a pain so horrible, so inexplicable, she still cringes when telling the story.  This big baby flipped into the perfect position, all on his own, in one fell swoop.  The mother thought she might collapse, her body holding on to the shopping cart for dear life...

A couple weeks later, a boy child was born into the family.  Little Adam.  Joining his older sisters Vanessa and Kristen.  Oh how they loved him. Vanessa, the older daughter,  would kiss him until he would scream.  She couldn't get enough of the heavenily new born baby scent.  Oh how the girls loved him.  One tragedy almost stole the boy child away. A fall in the swimming pool when he was about 1.5 years old.  Social workers picked up the older girl, Vanessa, at school.  Her parents were in awful shape at the hospital.  He was air lifted to a bigger city.  Almost losing the boy.  A memory better forgotten.  But he lived.  And might I say, we believe he may have gone to heaven for a short while, as he came back even brighter and better than ever.  And, the unusual things he said...

Oh the stories are never ending, so much laughing, and of course teenage angst, three kids, all with a bag full of stories... Which, of course we will save for later...

However, the point of my story today, is that this boy just turned 20 years old.  And he is such a terribly interesting fellow.  Intelligent and talented...  I feel like I am getting to know him more and more all of the time.. Little doors unlocking here and there.  I was in college during his formative years, and now I am learning how alike we are... Alike in the sense, that there is this little place that we both have inside of us, like most of you have... A little place that only we know, a little place we can go to where imagination and creativity flies around, swirling like fireflies...

This place I speak of, is a little place where I think we both have tapped into...  He phoned me the other night, and in his deep voice and very straightforward chat, he said, "Hey, I have another song for you..."  When I played it, I was beside myself.  For a second I thought, "Oh MY GOODness!! He has been there, he visited that secret space in my imagination, deep in my mind..."  And then I realized, perhaps the reason our places seem so alike, is that we are brother and sister... Perhaps also the reason I feel he totally gets me, in the artistic sense...

Quite possibly, this moment in time might very well be a girl, living happily ever after.  After all, it is simply a matter of perception...

A Peculiar Day, by Vanessa Valencia...

        

Music, Composed for A Peculiar Day, by Adam Valencia...

   

I love it! Tugs on my heart strings!! Adam also composed a song for "Strange Beautiful Lady" in July.  You can, visit that tune here... Thank you Adam!!

PS:  YouTube is giving us some issues with the photo quality.  That is why I have placed a photo of the painting above the YouTube link...

PSS:  As for what happened to the bickering sisters... Well, I adore my sister Kristen & we get along just lovely !  She is interesting and funny and smart!!!  Only I wish her memories of me torturing her would disappear into the wind ;)

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Yes that's right, Christmas!  Although, we can not forget the lovely turkeys and cornucopias and pumpkin pies that come with Thanksgiving.  However, Christmas will come flying at us so fast that we must be prepared...

Which is why I have decided to share this little girl with you today, she can be found in postcard form and canvas print.  She has coaxed her pet into antlers, and begun the holiday baking. Really, I can not blame her...  It is just such a Jolly Good time of the year!

          

Backside of postcard

      

I have also decided to update my Etsy Shop this evening.  I would have done it much earlier today, but Internet Explorer shut down on me and I lost this entire blog post today.  I am having to rewrite it all...

I have scheduled some people to come by the gallery Saturday and Sunday, so I really debated about updating the online shop tonight.  However, it really is begging for an update, so I thought, let's go for it.  Sooo, as soon as this blog post is over, I will be in Etsy adding some originals and some treasures, such as...

A Memory of the Dance in the Forest...

      

      

Postcards of the Enchanted Hiding Tree! So fun!! ( A Fanciful Twist does not appear on the front of the actual cards)

      

Backside of Postcard...(The type is actually lower placed on the bottom of the cards, it is just set high for printing & trimming purposes)

      

The Bird Girl...

      

      

Super Bake Girl, Emilia... She is on the most amazing canvas. I love the extra deep set canvas.

      

      

      

              

There are also Strange Beautiful Lady Postcards and More Christmas Cards...(A Fanciful Twist will not appear on the front of these two postcards either)

      

Backside of Postcard...

      

Holiday Treats Postcard...

      

Backside of Postcard...

      

This little lady below, just found a lovely home, so she will be making her way across the country tomorrow...

Juliette, A Perfectly Sweet Day. 

      

We will also have multi-pack cards...

      

Annnnd, some oil painted cakes, for good behaviour of course, Bwwwahahahaaaaa... (Painted on canvas decoupaged with vintage dictionary pages)

      

      

Oh, and I almost forgot...  These little lantern girls will be in the shop also.  If you snatch them up before this weekend's gallery visitors, I will ship them off to you... Otherwise, I will have to remove them from my Etsy shop for the weekend...

      

I loved working with the dark colors... 

        

      

Off I scaddaddle to the, A Fanciful Twist, Etsy Shop... E-mail me if you have any questions... [email protected].  See you Soon!!!

      

The day after the two day show...

What a weekend.  The show was so lovely.  So many wonderful happy people.  I heard so many people giggling and chatting.  Whispering "look at that," with a giggle following.  I was sure it was about the jelly bean heads.  Then I heard lots of little gasps and swoons over the paper dress girls, which touched me to the core.  So many questions to answer and tales to tell. 

      

I was so glad I took pictures before the show started.  Once I got busy, the walls changed quickly.  I find that if you do not take pictures before anyone arrives, as a priority, then you will get caught up in the gift-wrapping and chaos, and never get to take pictures.

The night before...

      

      

      

As things sold I had to fill wall space and shuffle things around, so you might notice changes here and there...

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

This was sooo funny, the door to the back patio was in the way, so Mr. Lovee simply removed it.  It was so funny seeing him walk away with it!

      

      

      

      

      

A last minute sign to lead people in the front door as opposed to the back door...  I have people coming by today to pick up some treasures, originals that I was so glad to be able to keep on the walls during the show...

The good news is, I made so many goodies for the show, that there will be a fun shop update in a few days.  The show was different than most, in that I saw many new faces.  I had a few people waiting for the opening to take an original home...  People purchased different things from other shows, and that was really great.  It was like a whole new group of people with different likes...  Quite interesting and lovely indeed. 

I also had so many visitors who are dear to me.  So touching for wonderful friends to come out and support me.  That warmed my soul!! Thank you my dear friends!!  (I know you are reading this Miss Yodee, you are a love!!!)

One of the funniest things about the show was hearing the following more than a few times... "Your work reminds me of Alice in Wonderland with a bit of that movie, about, you know the nightmare..." Then I would say, "The Nightmare before Christmas?" and they would say "YEs yes, that... do you like that?"  I heard it so many times, from such a wide array of people, so funny!

There were also people who came back the second day and took home framed 11"x14" canvas prints.  That was so nice, considering the framing part cost a fortune, but more than that, was so frustrating.  The frames were totally unprepared for framing.  And those teeny tiny screws they give you, worthless.  I had to drill and use sturdier hangers.  Now, let's talk about nightmare... HA!!

I am more than tired today.  I took all those photos just for you... I hope I covered it all?  You let me know.... See you soon.... Must rest & clean the studio &...

ps: Silly me.  Okay, in case you didn't know, please don't get annoyed if you have heard it all before... My little gallery is on a magical property in the Arizona Hills.  Mr. Lovee has lived here many many years, and I became a part of it, 8 years ago.  It is very quaint and country and wonderful.  Mr. Lovee has graced me with my own little living quarters and my own studio. Along with this little space on the property, which I turned into a gallery 5 years ago.  My real home (which I have had for 13 years) is in the city of Tucson, Arizona.  But, lately I spend most of my time here, in the country...  The show happens twice a year.  It is a fine arts tour/show of the Catalina Artists.  We are a non-profit organization and sponsor an art program at a Catalina school.  People visit each artists studio or gallery during this two day show.  So, there you have it...

pss:  Our lovely Maryam in Marrakesh is 1 of 10 finalists in the 2007 Annual Weblog Awards, in the category Best Middle East and Africa blog.  Click on link to vote for My Marrakesh.  Thank you!!

      

See you soon.....

The show starts in 9 hours and I am working away like a mad woman...  I leave you with a few cakes, and hope that you and Claudine (The Sweets Thief) can mind yourselves...

      

Madness has taken over.  Sheer madness.

Oh, and if you are curious as to why my blog is loading faster... It is because Instead of showing 10 posts at a time that you can scroll through, I trimmed it down to three (You can always go to recent posts or archives if you wish to browse any older posts, in the right sidebar....) I think the loading of ten posts full of photos was too much.. Anyhow, that is the deal....

See you in a few days with lots of photos and new and exciting treats!!!! V