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Okay....I know it's been about 10 days since my last post

but I've been really really busy

busy making and gathering up stuff

for what you ask?

for a Christmas show I'm in 

my first show in a long...long...long...time

all the frantic preparations and last minute details

are bringing back all those memories of when I used to do shows

I hope I survive!

but now I want to go back

back to beach art camp

back to where I could escape all the franticness I'm feeling now

oh wait....I am going back

not to the beach but to oregon

for this great workshop taught by this great lady pictured with me

her name is Terri Brush

and if you have never been to one of her classes, workshops or art camps

you must go now HERE and sign up for one in the future

YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED

she goes all out with her preparations and details

I will be attending the art camp at the beach again next fall

where my friend Christina will be one of the teachers there

so excited for Christina

her talents amaze me and they also amazed others

so many in fact that Terri has asked her to teach next fall

and also Christina is going to be featured in an upcoming

edition of Where Women Create!

Jo Packham was a special guest at the beach art camp

and asked Christina if she could come out to Ontario and feature

her store and studio for the magazine

lucky gal!

can't wait to see the published edition...

here are Christina, myself and Tiffany in our crowns/hats we made

in Tiffany's workshop part of the weekend

Tiffany liked Christina's so much that Christina gifted her with it!

Tiffany is such a sweetheart and I enjoyed visiting with her again for these few days

exciting things are happening for her too

and I don't know a more deserving person than herself to receive these blessings

check out where her travels have taken her recently HERE

me in my "witchery" finery

such a perfect crown for Halloween time

this cabinet card woman came from an antique album full of photos

another project in the workshop weekend on the coast was a soldered crown

taught by Terri

this is her sample one

so I figured if I am going to go through the steps of making a crown

that I was going to make one big enough to fit!

so I laid out my pieces

and started the task of taping them with copper tape

and made it regal enough fit for a queen...me!

just ask my family - they'll tell you who the queen of this castle is!

here is the final outcome of my crown

it is SO me...

and here is Christina's finished crown

if you knew her you would know that this is SO her

the "queen of good enough"

a crown for the pumpkin!

and getting back to the food of the weekend...

this is Terresita

she is the cupcake girl

her sweet concoctions of the weekend were fabulous

she even made me a special one with red sprinkles on it

(someone told her I love the color red)

while I was in oregon I was also able to spend a few days visiting family

it was my younger sisters' first wedding anniversary

we celebrated with extended family with a dinner to honor the couple

here they are posing with the pumpkin my dad grew for them

and the girls...

jenny - melissa - mom - rochelle

it was a great couple of weeks

days that went by much too quickly

but days that will stay memorable to me

I have one more post on beach art camp to come

need to share the last class project we did

then, art and soul portland projects....

Beach Art Camp

one word...

AMAZING

this word sums up the art camp I attended

Terri Brush and her team know how to spoil a girl

I will definitely be going back next fall

back for more time to create art...

back for more time of laughing my head off...

back for more time of eating, drinking and chillin'...

back for more time of meeting new and old friends...

My friend Christina and I made the drive down I-5 headed to our destination...

Lincoln City, Oregon

On our way we stopped at a local farmer's market and got some munchies...

When we arrived I started snapping pictures of the amazing house

this is the massive theatre room

and what's a theatre room without popcorn?

and the billiards room which doubled as a bedroom

and now we get to the part where all of us girls were spoiled

just look at these tables

this was my place at the table I sat at

and each girl got one of these at their station

it was the art kit packaged up so sweet

all of the dresses on the fronts of these kits were different

a lot of thought went into these gems

this one was mine

and just look at these wine glass charms

again each one of us received one of these on our glass

yes, girls just wanna have FUN!

nothing was overlooked

just look at the detail on the backs of our chairs

looking from the dining room into the living room area

these were the two main "creating" areas

a look at some of the other unique dresses that were fashioned on our art kits

and this was Christina's place setting

I tell ya, nothing was spared these few days we spent together

a house filled with 38 like-minded women

soaking up the time that we were allowed to CREATE

it doesn't get much better than this!

the view from the living room into the dining room

this is looking out from the front deck of our house into the community surrounding us

again the community to the right of the house

right beyond those trees on the horizon is the beach

the back deck area with the hot tub in the distance

the sauna

the wine and nibbles reception

me and Christina enjoying our wine

a deck shot

just look at some of the amazing food we had

and this was just lunch!

a picture of Terri and me in our matching aprons

smile!

so, this is just a sneak peek of what's to come...

visit tomorrow and I will show you some of the amazing things we made

you won't want to miss it!

you also won't want to miss the list of guests that were there

each one sharing each of their special gifts of creativity

Fall is Here

it's time

we can't deny it

the time when the crispness of the air outside lets us know it is fall

a time to nest

time to enjoy our families

time to enjoy the simple home life

enjoying our nights cozied up by the fireplace

snuggled up under a nice warm quilt enjoying the book we never got to read this summer

 and having an excuse to try all those fall lattes that Starbucks has to offer this time of year

it is the start of the "cold" seasons

we are told to expect a much colder and longer winter this year

oh boy

I guess I shouldn't expect anything less living in a northern country

but sometimes I just ache for that California warmth

on my iphone I have my old town of Gilroy listed on my weather page

today I happened to look at it and they are having weather in the high 80's - 90's

I must love my husband very much

to leave my homeland of the ever abundant sunshine

to a country that mostly gives liquid sunshine

but one thing that liquid sunshine provides

is time to spend inside in my little room of happiness

creating fun things to share

yes, fall is here

and with it I bring to you some fall themed aprons

they will be listed on my etsy store very soon

if you are interested in donning one of these pretties

visit me here

This Is What Happens.....

when you go visit your parents for over a week

and all the surrounding cities are having antique in the street sales

you go a little crazy on your shopping sprees...

I call it "I live in Canada where there are no deals on vintage or antique items 

so I am allowed to go crazy when I do visit the USA"

and you know what

I will probably do it again!