My "Michigan" Look

BEST Halloween Costume I've Ever Seen!

WYNDHAM HOTEL GALLERY EXHIBIT

PLEASE JOIN ME AT THE WYNDHAM HOTEL GALLERY artist reception and holiday show on THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 19th from 4:30 TO 7:30, where I will be showing through January 7, 2010.

In addition to the gallery pieces, there will be a holiday sale of ceramics, jewelry, scroll saw, prints, glass art, sculpture and cards. Complimentary wine, hors d'oeuvres and parking. I hope to see you there!

Location: WYNDHAM HOTEL, 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa, CA (714) 442-8592

Woodbridge Holiday Arts & Crafts Show

Well, my favorite time of year is here! The holidays are quickly approaching, and there is an absolute flurry of arts and crafts shows. Here is a informational postcard for my next show. Hope I see some of you there!

Michigan - Day Four

I am truly blessed to have such great friends.

Today D & V drove me hundreds of miles so I could experience a dream come true.

The movie "Somewhere in Time" is H and my favorite love story of all time. A long while back I researched the hotel where the movie was filmed and found out it was The Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island, Michigan. "Well, that's the end of that," was my conclusion, thinking I would never travel to Michigan, and by extension, would never see The Grand Hotel.

Today changed all that.






It is more beautiful than I imagined, and I couldn't believe I was there!

Even better, it just happens that this weekend is the "Somewhere in Time" weekend, and there were a lot of people dressed in period clothing.

It was a great, great day, and I am so grateful to my friends who made it possible.

B

-- Post From My iPhone

Michigan - Day Three

And ANOTHER fantastic day here in Michigan. I had no idea that there was so much to do and see here. Skiing, rafting, canoeing, hiking, fishing (HUGE) salmon everywhere - the lust is endless. And everywhere you look, gorgeous landscape.

Some pics from today



Beavers at work






Fish fry Friday. All You can eat fish dinners.

Michigan - Day Two

Today was a great day. No, it was another great day.

I'm getting used to the time difference and was up, cleaned up and ready to visit with my friends...all before dawn.

After we ate breakfast it was off on today's explorations. First up was two-tracking.

For those of you who don't know what two-tracking is, it's sort of like off roading. There are lots and lots of unpaved back roads here that are narrow and are designated by the two grooves, or tracks, made by vehicles. Driving on the dirt back roads is called two-tracking.

Ever watchful to avoid snakes, bears, porcupines, and wolves, we stopped a few times and hiked into the forest to see what we could find. It was so quiet and still, except for the trees that whispered to us. We found beautiful trees, lichen, mushrooms and cornfields.

After two-tracking we went to a preserve area and went deep into the forest. There was a pathway we followed in, which eventually turned into a narrow raised boardwalk through the trees. We heard, but didn't see, a pheasant taking flight, and saw small creek bridges, and more beautiful heavily wooded forests.

And it was C-O-L-D. Brrr!

Nothing cures a chill like hot soup, so we went to a nearby cafe and had a bowl of hot soup and split a sandwich.

Our last outing for the day was a trip to nearby resort & spa for some swimming, followed by a jacuzzi.

We wrapped up the day with a good dinner and desert in front of the fire.

Yes, another good day.

B





A forest friend





Salmon fishing





Deer in the woods

Tomorrow will be another full day, so for now g'nite.

B

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Michigan - Day One

After my little Chicago misstep with missing my flight, I kept a close eye on the gate situation for my new flight. A very close eye.

They were unable to ditch me a second time, in spite of all their efforts and the THREE gate changes before my flight actually left.

"Fool me once" and all that...

I arrived safe and sound, and my friends were waiting for me.

My suitcase was not.

After going to the very funny and personable agent for help, (there was only one in the entire airport) she located my bag in a back area. Yay!!

Because of my delay in Chicago we drove home in the dark, so I wasn't able to see much og the area, but come morning - well, here's the view from my bedroom window.









After breakfast V and I hit the road.










































































Critter Watch today included wild turkeys, black squirrels, a racoon, deer and a black bear (99% sure on that). Oh, and a porcupine (DOA) but still saw it.

Not sure what's on V's agenda for tomorrow, but I know it'll be gorgeous.

For now, a hot cup of tea in front of a beautiful fire ends a great day.






B

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Fall Colors of Michigan

It's fall and all the pictures of beautiful blazing fall colors of golds, reds and magenta are popping up everywhere. Every year I lust after these pictures and lament about the muted tones in my own area. Oh,don't feel too sorry for me. I live in a gorgeous tourist destination with beaches to die for, but it's just not the same in the fall when you see bucolic scenes of leave piles, hay rides, pumpkin patches and those glowing trees.

So, I am now on my quest to capture some of those enviable scenes for myself. As I write this, I am sitting in Chicago's O'Hare Airport, en route to my friend's house in Michigan. A small connection flight to go and I'll find myself in an autumn wonderland.

For now, though, I've already stumbled upon a wonder here in Chicago.
























Yep. An automatic toilet seat cover apparatus. Why don't we have these at home?! It's awesome, and I can't wait to share it with the world.

I also found this:













You gotta love it

More to follow...

UPDATE. UPDATE. UPDATE

When and IF you ever have to fly in or out of Chicago O'Hare Airport, keep your eye on the departure gate! Apparently last minute gate changes are a constant here.

As you read earlier, I arrived in plenty of time for my connection, found my gate, spoke to the agent and confirmed the flight was leaving on time FROM THAT GATE, then sat down to wait

And wait ...

And wait a bit more.

Getting a bit concerned, I went back to the gate to find out wassup? Only to be nonchalantly told, "Oh, that flight left."

Say WHAT??!!?!?!

Yep, they changed the gate and section of the airport, and I am now waiting for the next flight, leaving three hours later.

Sucks for me, but sucks even more for my poor friend who is waiting for me at the airport in Michigan.

I'm hoping my next update will be from Michigan.

Ever hopeful...

B


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Halloween's Coming!

Just a reminder that for a great family fun event, Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch is always a hit!

Here is some info from their site:

Irvine Park Railroad’s 4th Annual Pumpkin Patch



Irvine Park Railroad’s 4th annual pumpkin patch is fun for the entire family! Children and adults are invited to the pumpkin patch which is open daily at 10:00 am beginning September 19th through November 1st. Irvine Park Railroad is located inside of Irvine Regional Park in the foothills of Orange, California.


The pumpkin patch is located in Locomotive Loop just behind the train station. Thousands of pumpkins, in all shapes and sizes, fill Locomotive Loop. All visitors are sure to find the perfect pumpkin!


This year’s pumpkin patch activities include: Train rides, hay rides, a haunted house, a hay maze, pony rides, a moon bounce, carnival games, John Deere tractor racers, face painting (weekends only), picture stands, great food and The Orange County Zoo.


Admission into the pumpkin patch is free. Prices for all other activities vary; please visit www.irvineparkrailroad.com for additional information and costs.


Children ages 12 and under can wear their Halloween costume to Irvine Park Railroad on Saturday, October 31st. Every child that wears a costume on that day will receive a free goodie bag filled with Irvine Park Railroad giveaways.


Irvine Park Railroad welcomes schools and groups. Please visit www.irvineparkrailroad.com or call (714) 997-3968 for school and group information.


The Irvine Park Railroad pumpkin patch is open daily from

September 19th through November 1st

Weekdays 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Weekends 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

The parking fee for Irvine Regional Park is $3.00 per vehicle on weekdays and $5.00 per vehicle on weekends.

Irvine Park Railroad’s annual events include the Anniversary Celebration, Easter Eggstravaganza, Pumpkin Patch, and Christmas Train.


Become a fan of Irvine Park Railroad on Facebook, follow our tweets on twitter, and view pictures on Flickr. Please visit the photo gallery www.irvineparkrailroad.com to view pictures of last year’s pumpkin patch.


For pricing, park directions, and complete details, please visit www.irvineparkrailroad.com.

Alice in Chains at The Jimmy Kimmel Show

Last night H and I got to see Alice in Chains live at the Jimmy Kimmel Show in Hollywood. They sounded GREAT and even though we were pretty close to the front, I'm sure everyone could see really well.

See if you can find me in the crowd in the "Would" video :-) Black hat, black tank top, black hoodie, about 5 deep from Jerry Cantrell (blond lead guitarist)



I might be in this one, too, but I haven't been able to spot myself yet.


Thanks, H! Great night!!!

B

Michael's Foreverland - The Daily Beast

Creepy, creepy and CREEPY.


Read about Michael's bizarre burial place HERE

Adopting Phoebe

Today had a mind of its own.

Last night I stayed up late finishing some items I made, so this morning was a late one for me. I got up around 9:00-ish. By then H was hungry and suggested we hop over to Mac's for a breakfast.

While we were sitting there, H says, "I don't know if you'll go for this, but what do you think about adopting a cat?"

Huh?

We initially got our little Min Pin, Mina, so she could keep H company during those long late nights doing paperwork. That didn't exactly go as planned. Mina likes to go to bed at 8:00 p.m., and will come get me to take her to bed. She likes to sleep on a pillow, and have lots of comfy blankets surrounding her. So...no company there.

So, I thought, sure. Why not? He's up late at night grading papers, I'm happily cuddling with Mina, so let's go for it.

First we went to PetSmart where they have adoptable cats, only we were there at 10:30 and the cat keepers don't come in until 12:00.

No big.

Next we got the address to the animal shelter in Laguna Canyon. Drove there. Found it. It's closed.

Then I tell H to call information for the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter. He gets the number. Calls. Somehow the call gets re-routed to the main Orange County Animal Shelter in Orange...

...who just happened to be having a cat-a-thon adoption drive.

By the time I missed my turn in the canyon (not an unusual event) we were in Irvine, and it was only a few more miles to the animal shelter in Orange.

When we got there I was more than a little apprehensive. If you know me at all you know that I am crazy for animals, and not only can I NOT watch Animal Planet or Discovery, or ANY show on animals because of the food chain or animal cruelty segments they are insistent on including, rodeos, circuses and animal shelters are just too much for me emotionally and are off my radar.

So as we start walking in I'm feeling my stomach tighten and my throat closing in anxiety. Then as we're making our way to the adoptable cats section, we passed the dogs.

O...M...G...!

The tears starts streaming down my face, my attitude gets (really) bad, and I start pecking at H because he won't let me take the cutest little dog home. Well, he said we could, but not a cat AND a dog. So he would let me have the dog, but no cat.

Hmm...

That's not fair. The whole point was to get H a companion since Mina was still daddy's girl by day, but all mine at night.

Okay, bad attitude still intact, but having a modicum of rationale present, we continue on to the cats.

I must say they had some gorgeous older cats and some sweet younger cats. H checked them all out, and then went back to one of them. She was so mellow and loving that she was his choice. I was secretly happy, because I really thought she was beautiful. I didn't voice an early opinion, though, as it was up to him to choose whichever cat he felt was the right fit to be his companion.

We were then directed to the front counter to get a "visitor" pass so we could interact with her to see how we all got along. While we were there, and just about one minute after we told the cashier which cat we wanted to visit, a man came in and asked for the exact same cat.

Too late. We beat you.

The visit was good. She was just as sweet as she was in her cage, mellow as ever, beautiful, AND she comes when you call her! (This is not Mina's strong suit).

Okay, done. We went back to the office, paid our fees, which were $25.00 less than expected, because she was over five years old (by a few months). We waited for her to be checked out by the vet, get her microchip, and then she was all ours.

She was a little scrappy/dusty/choppy haired, so we made one stop on the way home at the groomers and she got a nice bath and cleaning up. She had been badly matted when she arrived at the shelter, and the staff had to cut the snarls out of her fur, so she has kind of punky look right now, but the hair will grow back, and the bath did her wonders.

Here are a few pictures to document her homecoming.

"Yes, we'll take her"

"The ride home"

We were a little worried about how our Min Pin would react, not being the most overly friendly kid on the block (or anywhere else). We were very happily surprised to see no bloodshed on either side, and some pretty healthy and mellow curiosity. I think it's going to be a good fit for our new Phoebe.

"First meetings"
(Is it weird to have a cat that's bigger than our dog?) (And sorry for the toilet shot, but that's where they met)


"Friends"

Phoebe spent her first hours cruising around checking out her new digs, and now she's enjoying being behind my file cabinets, having a little quiet time.

H and Mina trying to coax their new buddy out from behind the file cabinets.

The shelter has changed quite a bit. They have lots of volunteers who walk the dogs and play with them, and although they are a "kill" shelter, they keep the dogs for as long as they have space and money to feed them, so please consider making a donation...or better yet, adopt a pet! It's a good feeling.

B

For the Cat Lovers

New Picture - "440"

Tower Window - Limited Edition - #2 of 10

This canvas print of my original image "Tower Window" is a professionally printed gallery wrapped canvas and is #2 in a very limited series of only 10. This piece will be signed and numbered by the artist (yours truly).

#1 of 10 is now living happily in a beautiful home in Newport Beach - now I'm looking for another great home for #2. :-)

Free delivery in Orange County, and vacinity, or free shipping in the U.S.

You can purchase HERE

Bye-bye, OC Fair

The fair ended Sunday, and has moved on to L.A. I hope you all got to spend a little time in this crazy magical land of rides, games, music, chocolate covered bacon. By the way, WHO eats that??



As always, my champion won a couple prizes for me (he does EVERY time).



And here are a few more pictures taken when we were there.

A Day at the Fair ( <--Click to purchase)


When They Toss the Ring, Duck! ( <--Click to purchase)


Swing! ( <--Click to purchase)


A Night at the Fair ( <--Click to purchase)

Saturday Night at the Symphony

Last night I was invited to join some very nice people to watch a performance of Carmina Burana by the Pacific Symphony at Irvine Amphitheater. The fun thing about seeing a performance here is that people come early and set up tables, chairs, mats and blankets, and enjoy picnics while guest musicians play in the background. Last night it was the Orange County Wind Ensemble. The weather was cool, with a slight breeze, and everyone was having a great time.



The first portion of the concert included a performance by Yeol Eum Son, Van Cliburn Competition silver medalist, piano.



She made me very happy when she played one of my favorite pieces of all time, Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (from the movie, "Somewhere in Time") She was fantastic and the audience showed their appreciation with a very long standing ovation.



The second portion was the symphony performance of Carmina Burana, conducted by Carl St. Clair (I just love saying that name).


Everyone seemed to have a great time, and the night was ended by a fireworks display.




(Sorry the pictures aren't better. I wanted to travel light, so I used my iPhone.)

Good seats, good company, great performers, and the best part of all...I didn't have to drive.

B

Alice in Wonderland

I love Tim Burton's insanity/artistry and had a decently long Nightmare Before Christmas fascination period.

That said, I had NO idea that he was working on a screen version of Alice in Wonderland, but I just happened upon this clip a sec ago.



The pairing of Tim Burton with Alice in Wonderland is a no-brainer, and if that's not enough to get you to want to see it, let me just say this...Johnny Depp.

Check and mate.

I'm SO in - can't wait to see it.

B

Fringe Benefits

Here's a quick little video showing how to cut your own bangs (I've been doing it wrong) and also how to make a quick updo.

Fringe Benefits

Enjoy :-)

B

A Lovely Day Spent in San Diego

I think lighthouses have a great mystery and adventure to them.

Saturday we set out to see one our closest local lighthouses, about an hour away, in San Diego County. We hit a tiny bit of traffic on the way - which is always the case since everyone wanting to enjoy the pleasures to the south (beaches, La Jolla, Sea World, Legoland, San Diego, Mexico) are all hanging out together on the I-5 South. Not a big deal. Traffic was slow, but moving. Good enough.

We finally reached our (my) primary objective of Old Point Loma Lighthouse.

One minor (or could be major to some) glitch: Signs are posted everywhere stating that "Animals must remain in cars." It's summer, folks, and that's not really an option. H, the best daddy in the world, volunteered to stay back at the car with "She Who Cannot Be Trusted," and my mo-in-law and I trekked up the hill to the lighthouse.

First of all, the panoramic view of the ocean was amazingly beautiful. It seemed like you could see not only the San Diego Coast, but the entire county. The Coronado Bridge was clear as a bell, and you could really appreciate the San Diego Skyline from that vantage point.



So, onward and upward we climbed to the lighthouse. Even though there were quite a few people there, I was still able to get some unobstructed views for pictures. I was also happy to be able to use my new (to me) Polaroid SX-70. The Polaroid prints are dreamy and vintage looking, and that's right up my alley.



After leaving the lighthouse, H was hungry and wanted to spend the rest of the day at Seaport Village - a great idea! He suggested that we stay for a few hours in order to miss any northbound traffic home.

Seaport Village is a great place to hang out. There are always vendors, fortune tellers, balloon artists, Henna artists and musicians, as well as shops and restaurants for everyone.

Oh, just so's ya know - San Diego Burger Company has awesome burgers. It's a definite "don't miss."

After having our lunch/dinner/coffee/cookie/ice cream and walking around the shops and harbor, we called it a day and came home tired and happy.










Another great weekend wrapped up in the memory box.

B