My Chinese New Year

I'm not gonna lie. The past few New Year's Eves have pretty much come and gone while I was dreaming away (read: asleep). For some reason, (maybe because I have sleep issues) we don't really celebrate New Year's Eve. I'm basically a downer. :) ha! But anyway, THIS year is gonna be different. Actually, technically, it's going to be the same, but for Chinese New Year, we are going to PARTY LIKE IT'S 2010-- in Singapore.

I'm kind of, no, actually, I'm REALLY excited about Chinese New Year in Singapore. It's a 2-day Holiday! We'll actually be arriving on the night of the 14th of February, which is the first night of the Lunar New Year, so that should be really interesting.

You can look forward to reading about all of our Chinese New Year fun starting in just a few weeks. I'll be blogging about our entire trip to Singapore and India, just like I did a couple years ago.

I really love writing about my travels, and look very forward to going away especially because I get to write about it. This is going to be a fun trip!

What It's Like To Get An Endoscopy

So you want to know what it's like to get an Endoscopy? Well I just had one yesterday, and I had my first one about 2 and a half years ago, so I'll try to piece my anesthetized brain cells together and remember what it was like.

The first thing you have to do, which probably goes without saying, is that you have to schedule it, but I mention this because, for me, this was an annoying process which took a very long time. It involved referrals and hoopla and rigamarole and nonsuch. In short, it was annoying. But eventually, I did get scheduled, and a packet was sent to me which basically said that I shouldn't take any blood thinning medications (like aspirin and pepto) 7 days in advance of the procedure, and that I shouldn't take any antacids the day of the procedure. And most importantly, it wanted me to make sure I had a ride home from the hospital. (There was also some other information in the packet. You'll get your own packet before your Endoscopy.)

My Endoscopy was scheduled for 2:45 pm, and you're not supposed to eat or drink anything 8 hours before the EGD. But I take pills in the morning. No big deal, though...my packet said that it was okay to take my meds with a few sips of water, so I was good to go. (Check with your doctor on your specific medications if you're taking them before an Endoscopy.) It was a little bit rough to go all day without eating, so I don't recommend that you make your appointment in the afternoon. I didn't end up eating until 5:30pm, although, really, the procedure only lasted about 15 minutes.

I checked in an hour early, and they actually took me in the back fairly soon after I checked in. I had a pretty big purse with me and I was worried about where I was going to put it during the Endoscopy, but the nurse said it would go right into the room on the bed with me, so that was cool. I was taken into a little room and they told me to put on a gown. (Make sure you tie your gown closed in the back!! You'll be glad you did later!) Wear socks. They hooked up monitors that looked like they were for my heart and the one that sticks to your finger (I guess that's your pulse), and they attached IV fluids. Meanwhile the nurse was drilling me with questions about my health. My doctor came by and chatted with me for a few minutes and I signed a consent form. After they were gone, I got to watch TV for awhile, until another nurse came and wheeled me into the Endoscopy procedure room (or whatever you want to call it).

In this room was my doctor, a nurse, a technician (who hands the doctor whatever he wants), and the person who administers the medication. It's a pretty small room. The first time I had an Endoscopy done, I remember being wheeled into this room, seeing these people, getting sprayed in my throat, and that's about it. This time, I was awake for the whole thing. The first thing they do, after administering the anesthetic, is spray your throat with a numbing spray. It doesn't taste too bad. Then they have you lay on your side (this is when you'll be glad you tied your gown shut). They put some large piece of plastic in your mouth to hold it open (and this is where things get a little fuzzy for me-forgive me, I was on some powerful meds!), and they string long spaghetti-like tubes down your throat. You feel it a little bit, as it's going into your mouth, but it doesn't make you gag at all. I think I remember them putting something down my throat at least 3 times. Probably more. Now, I know these tubes have cameras on the ends of them, but I didn't see the camera and I didn't see the images they captured. I do have pictures from my first Endoscopy, in which I tested positive for Celiac Disease. My doctor talked to me after the procedure yesterday and told me he would call me in a couple days and send me some pictures in a couple weeks.

After the Endoscopy, I was wheeled back to another little room where they took out the IV and gave me a little juice. I put my regular clothes back on and they called my ride to come and pick me up. They wouldn't let me walk out of the unit. I had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair.

Later on in the evening, after the Demerol wore off, I had a little bit of a scratchy throat, and my stomach kind of ached a little bit. The stomachache could've just been "me". Today, the scratchy throat is still there, but barely noticeable, kind of like a tickle in my throat. I don't remember this happening the first time I had an Endoscopy.

So that's basically it. It's pretty simple, really. Nothing to get too nervous about. :)

If I can just say one last thing...if you think you have Celiac Disease and your doctor is looking at you like you're crazy, insist on getting tested. I went through the same thing and my life is so much better now that I know how to eat. It really makes a huge difference in your life.

Be well.

Travel Blog Announcement

Our tickets are booked (FINALLY!) and we'll be going to Singapore and India for 2 weeks in February. We had a bit of a hold up because my cousin, Abby has decided she'd like to come along with us, so we were waiting for her to get a travel visa. I'm telling you though, this trip has had a bit of bad luck from the start, so I don't hold out for a very smooth trip, to be honest. First, we had trouble booking Abby's tickets. Now, we're having trouble again- changing Abby's tickets. She seems to be the opposite of a four leaf clover. I'm used to having luck on my side...my husband is the luckiest guy I know. I don't know how many times now he's been pulled over and hasn't received a ticket yet!

But anyway, a trip to India and Singapore means that I'll have some great stuff to write about on this blog (for 2 weeks, anyway!). Seriously, though, I've had like 2 months of nothing but hospitals and sick people, and that's not fun stuff to write about or read about, so there haven't been any posts for a long time. Plus, I haven't had any time at all. I think my life has opened up just this week, though, and I should have more time to write about my projects...and to actually complete a few of them!

One cool thing about our trip is that we'll be in Singapore for Chinese New Year. That should be pretty wild. I don't know what to expect, but I'm sure it will be pretty festive there. Chinese New Year lasts 2 days. Another cool thing about our trip is that we will be going back to Bombay and Jaipur...two places we went on our last trip to India. We have family in Bombay, and I loved Jaipur so much last time we went, I wanted to go back again. I wish February was next week, but I'm sure the time will pass quickly.

On a totally different note, I finished another piece a few weeks ago and gave it to my husband for his birthday. It's pretty cute. I'm working on another one right now, which seems to be going well, but has a few missing pieces I have yet to figure out, so we'll see.

That's my update. Hopefully next time I'll have pics. TTFN.

The Hospital

I feel like I know the hospital a little too well lately. For the last month I've been back and forth to the one hospital or the other, like, daily. My very dear aunt has had some surgery and is now recovering, and we've been wanting to be with her quite a lot.

The good news is that she's doing quite well and will probably be able to walk with her walker in about a week. The bad news is that she will have the hospital in her life for at least a few more months as she is treated for her illness.

I think her outlook is great, but I feel bad that she will has such a long road left. She'll be fine.

As for me, I've not had time to work on much of anything creative lately. I did a mixed media piece about 3-4 weeks ago, which I'm in love with, and I made some prints of it which I will probably put up on Etsy eventually (when I get some TIME!). I also made some prints of another piece I did and will put those up as well.

I have some ideas for other pieces, too. It just takes time to get them going. I need at least half a day of uninterrupted time to work on a piece and get it started, and I haven't had that in I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG. :) I may take a day off someday soon and try to put my head down and work. The problem with a day off is that I would be tempted to rest and not work on creative endeavours! :)

I have a pic of my aunt that I almost posted here, but I thought about it, and I don't think she'd appreciate a picture of herself posted when she's not completely healed yet, so I won't post it- but I will say that I'm very proud of how far she's come, and I really wanted to post it to show everyone how great she looks!

Who knows when I'll post next, but hopefully it will be a post with a picture of some new artwork or bead work! After all, the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza is coming up in about a week and a half!

City Trip

A short trip to the City warrants a little post, doesn't it?

We went to San Francisco last weekend and spent the night in Union Square, where all the action is. We actually left on Friday and had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant called Tropisueño. I had read some good things about the place, and we found it to be excellent. You

order at the counter (one of the few places I've ever found that has quesadillas made with corn tortillas!), and then you seat yourself and your order is brought to you. I, of course had the aforementioned corn quesadillas and a chicken tamal, and the hub had 2 super tacos. We each had a Jamaica. Mmm.

From there, we proceeded to visit many shops...mostly at Westfield San Francisco, which is beautiful. By the time we were finished exploring Union Square, it was about time for us to get all dressed up for our dinner. We were celebrating our anniversary, and had not yet decided on a dinner destination by the time we had donned our duds, so there was a little bit of a discussion about that. I, personally, didn't think we would get in to any restaurant at dinner time on a Friday night without a reservation...plus, it was rush hour. So, we decided to eat at the steak house inside the hotel (Mission Steak). This was a good decision, by the way. Dinner was soooo-ooo good. We each had Chimichurri Skirt Steak with fingerling potatoes (even though my husband doesn't like to order the same thing as me), and polished it off with a hot fudge sundae. After dinner, we went back to the room and changed, and then went back out and watched a movie at the Metreon.

It was a great trip San Francisco...but our anniversary celebrations weren't over. We also spent Sunday at the Spa getting a Massage, a Facial, and a Pedicure (the last two were for me only). To be honest, I was a little disappointed with our spa experience and would leave that out next time. Not my fave. Maybe we just didn't go to the right spa...

Anyway, that was our fun weekend. Look for a post soon with pics of new Mixed Media pieces.

Gallery Day

I thought I might show off a few of my recent Mixed Media pieces...two of which are finished and one is still a work-in-progress. The first one I call Cherry Winks. It was inspired by one of my grandmother's cookie recipes and includes part of the recipe in her handwriting on part of the page. It also has a few of her vintage buttons attached. It was pretty much one of my very first Mixed Media pieces, so it's very basic, but I'm not ashamed of it or anything. I like what it represents. I'm still a beginner, and you'll be able to see that in all 3 of the works I'm posting.

Cherry Winks

Inspired by my Grandmother's Recipe

This next piece is one that is still a work-in-progress, and I have not yet named it. Who knows? It may never get a name. But I was just inspired one day to paint an Indian guy with green skin and a pink turban with big bug eyes. I could see the picture in my mind and I just had to get it on paper. After the guy was painted, I showed it to a few people and it didn't go over too well. They didn't understand it. The truth is, I made it for myself, and it really only mattered to me that I understood it, but I did get some constructive criticism, so I worked on it. One thing I added later on was the mustache. It's a paper mustache with multiple layers so that it's kinda bristly. I'm going to add some more dimension to it, as well, but I've got some more thinking to do. Anyway.

Buggy Eyed Guy

Finally, here is my most recent piece, which also doesn't yet have a name. It's the first time I've used an inspirational word as a catalyst for a piece. In this case, the word was "welcome". I think I may have gotten the word from illustrationfriday.com*. After I had the word, I typed "welcome quotations" into Google, and found this fitting traditional quote about cats which really painted a picture in my mind and formed the basis for the painting. In the painting, my cats, Boogie and Corny are depicted as angels (on the left) with a host of other cats, awaiting me in heaven. I think the yellow cut-out stars are a nice addition. This may be the first Mixed-Media piece that I've done that tells a story.

So that's what I've been working on lately. I've got another "quotation" work in the pipes, which is about 1/4 of the way finished. It's cute.

*Illustrationfriday.com is a really cool website that I've just discovered that provides inspiration via an inspirational word every Friday. They encourage you to create your own kind of art, whatever it may be, and submit it to their site to be viewed by everyone, without the pressure of being criticized or judged...or contacted by anyone, for that matter. They describe themselves as a weekly illustration challenge with a safe creative forum. Joining is free, so, hello! Join! :)

So What's the Dill, Yo?

So we went to the East Bay...San Ramon, to be exact. It's actually a really nice place, despite my initial misgivings. I thought it was going to be in the boonies, and it turns out it was much, much closer than I gave it credit for. It also has some really new amenities that make it an up and coming community, and a great place to live.

We checked out a few new construction homes. We're talking expensive here, folks. And, of course, we pretty much fell head over heels in love with the most expensive one. As we were walking through the model home we couldn't stop saying to each other, "I could live here". It kept repeating over and over. The house was like a Disneyland ride for us...it kept getting better and better and it seemed like the Happiest Place on Earth. And then reality hit. We can't have that house. It's too expensive. Or can we? My husband and I couldn't wait to go home and crunch the numbers.

We got home and he got out the mortgage calculators and all that crazy stuff I don't understand. (I know I should understand it folks! He keeps reminding me I should understand it!) It turns out that if we brought in just a little more each month, we could swing that house. But where are we going to get the money? That's what's killing us.

So we're going back again this weekend. We're going to look at lower priced homes, but we're also going to torture ourselves and look at our dream home again. We'll be crushed if we don't get that house. All signs point to us getting crushed.

On a lighter note, I've started making Tooth Fairy Pillows. I have one up so far in my Etsy Shop and more to be posted soon. I don't want to post them all at once because they'll all get buried. I love Etsy, but I do liken it to a neverending giant heap of cute stuff, that people keep shoveling more and more cute stuff upon, and my cute stuff never really gets a chance to breathe because it kind of suffocates from all the other people's cute stuff that has been shoveled on top of it. So that's my Etsy/Giant Cute Stuff Heap Analogy.

One of my Tooth Fairy Pillows

I'll have more on the too-expensive new-house sit-chew-ay-shon in my next post. Until then, do keep your fingers crossed that a money cloud opens up in the sky right above me and makes a commitment to follow me around for awhile.

Out with the Old

I will preface this post by saying I went a little crazy. My husband says when he hears me say those words, he gets nervous. This time, though, I think it was he who inspired me. Last Sunday night, while watching Big Brother, my husband got an itch to organize his closet. I wasn't going to fight him on that one! I sat there on the bed, half watching BB and half watching him get reacquainted with the plethora of blue oxford shirts in the back of his closet. "Old Bluey! I've missed you!" I don't know how he could distinguish Old Bluey from the all the other seemingly identical blue shirts, but whatever, he was reminiscing.

So when I say I "went a little crazy" in my own closet on Monday, I have to partially blame the hub. It started out that I just wanted to hang one of my shirts. I couldn't...quite...get it...into the closet. No more room. That can't be right. I have a full-on double closet. I mean, it's no walk-in, but it's a regular size closet. Something must be done. Still in control of the situation, I innocently spotted a shirt that was never ever going to be worn again, and who knows why it was ever worn in the first place. I took it out to make room for the one in my hand. It felt good to get rid of a "bad guy". Plus, it's hardly worth going to the Donation Station for one shirt...I was quickly losing my grip. I flipped through a few more shirts and found another bad guy. I ripped it out and threw it on the floor. Before I knew it, I was in full-on edit mode. And I was harsh. If it was too big, too small, didn't look good on me, or had no chance of ever being worn again, it was history. I also completely disassembled my whole 'organized by color' system, which was so-0-ooo not working for me and instead organized by type of clothing.

My give away heap

Believe it or not, after all that, my closet is still pretty full. Maybe I should've been a bit more harsh. My style has significantly changed and I wouldn't even think of wearing a lot of the clothes that I used to wear. I told my mom that I was editing my closet and the first thing she asked was if something was wrong with me...the second thing she said was to keep the clothes until I see her next, because she might like to go through them herself. :)

A lot of these clothes were my Fall/Winter wear, so hopefully I'll find a few pieces this Fall which will take their places. Obviously, I want to be pretty choosy this time around.

This weekend, we're going over to the East Bay- ooh, just saying "East Bay" kinda makes me cringe- but it has it's merits. And to be fair, I haven't really given it a chance. We're actually going to check out some new communities over there...my husband hasn't shaken off the relocation bug, and wants to see what the houses are like over there. It would be a pretty long commute, but who knows? It might be worth it. We might have a better picture by early next week.

In the meantime, I've got to figure out what to do with this monster pile of old clothes I've got in the corner of my bedroom. If I had a kid, I'd throw it in the middle of the bed and let them jump in it like a pile of leaves. In reality, it's either going to be boxed or bagged and it's going to be donated ASAP. Is it crazy of me to say I can't wait to go shopping to get some Fall clothes?

Just Like Old Times...Only Better

Shaver Lake is a pretty big part of my past. I spent a week camping there every Summer in Junior High and High School, and a few of my relatives have lived and worked there, so it has become a familiar place. If you've never heard of it, and you probably never have, it's a very small nook of a town located in the Sierras, on a lake called Shaver Lake. The water is icy cold there, even in the Summertime, but it's beautiful. And it's mostly a tourist town, with cabins in abundance, attracting waterskiers in the Summer months and Snowbunnies in the Winter months.

But when I was a teenager, the cabins weren't even a consideration. My cousin, who took us camping every year, was pretty insistent on making our experiences the most austere and rustic as they could be. (Read: cheap) I'm pretty sure back then we even had a version of the pit toilet, which, for one day can be awful, and for one week can be torture. Showers were few and far between, but at least we did get a shower. I will say the food was good. My aunt always came and cooked for us, and she always knows how to care for a hungry mob. I'm pretty sure though, that it was experiences like those I had in Shaver Lake that made me the Anti-Camper I am today.

So this last weekend I went to a wedding....ANOTHER wedding (I know), this time back in Shaver. Driving those winding roads up to the town, I found myself remembering old signs and gas stations...the places we used to have dinner on the way down the mountain. And when we got there this time, we were staying in a cabin. My aunt (the same one who's a great cook), got us a huge cabin which accomodated 9 family members for the night, which was an upgrade fully appreciated by someone who has seen and experienced the worst. The only catch was that we had to share a room with someone...which is a bad idea for me because I have insomnia. Even under the best conditions, sleep evades me. So we shared with my parents. I don't have to tell you that I was up all night.

The family cabin

I was really fine in the morning...not too tired, so we went off to the wedding, in a hidden gem of a wedding chapel. Stained glass windows, a covered bridge, set in pine trees...it's really nice. I should've snapped a picture of it. I know the Pastor of the church...he's a kind man.

My cousin exiting the church after saying her vows

We left Shaver not long after the wedding. The reception was short, but not uneventful. My cousin (K) is kinda kooky and she had her guests sing songs during the reception. Our table sang The Beatles. As we drove out of town and down the mountain, my husband commented that he'd like to buy a house in Shaver. I told him he'd be bored in less than a month.

We'd been invited to stay at my cousins' (J & G's) house in Fresno. We always love hanging out with them, they're super cool, and on top of that, they love beading. Our other cousins (J & A) were also going to come over and make dinner for all of us, so we were in for a great night.

J & A made carne asada tacos which were mmm-mmm-mmm deee-licious---and gluten free. Then we all played this game called Ticket to Ride Europe, which was super fun. If you haven't heard of it, I recommend it.

The following day, we went to a birthday party for my niece, O. She turned two on Saturday. I absolutely love any chance I can get to hang out with my nieces--they live so far away, I don't get to see them very often. Of course, I also love to see their parents.

On our long drive home, we decided we'd go to the grocery store before going home and get some taco fixin's. We loved those tacos so much, we wanted to have a re-run. When we got home, we saw that the cats hadn't killed each other, (which is always our most morbid fear) so we were pretty happy. We had dinner and I turned on Big Brother...what a weekend. I had re-traced my steps in a way, this time with a husband and a new life. When I was in Shaver before, life was such a question mark for me, and when I went back this time, knowing who I am, I felt like it was more of an exclamation point.

The Nile

This weekend the Hub and I drove North a bit to Historic Niles, which is basically in Fremont...but seems to be worlds away. Niles, as far as I know it, is comprised of one main street with about 8 Antique Shops all lined up in a row. There are a smattering of other shops and restaurants sprinkled in there, as well. I usually drag my husband to the bead shop, Kiowa Rose (actually, he goes quite willingly, and he even helps me choose my beads and pays afterward!). Kiowa Rose is one of the few places I can get Vintage Lucite beads aside from a Trunk Show or a Bead Show, plus, the inside of the store is stunning. I don't know how to describe it. It's like a magical place, like one of the shops at Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. You just have to visit for yourself. Apparently, Charlie Chaplin shot a movie there...not in Kiowa Rose, but in what it once was.

Aaaaanyway, this time I dragged (again he went willingly) my Hub to Niles for the Antique Shops. I was really on a hunt for something specific, but hey, if I found some other cool old thing, I was in the mood to buy that, too. We parked down at the far end of the street and started off at the first store. Actually, technically, the first store was closed, so we started with the second store.

I was really looking for some old colored glass vessels, the size of juice glasses. Juice glasses would've worked, too, but I would hate to break up a set and buy just one. What I want to do is use some of my soy wax and pour some soy candles into the vintage glass vessels. I just kinda got the idea one day...I thought it would be cool. I'm not sure if I'll scent them or not.

So anyway, I didn't really find anything in the first or second stores. Then I found something in the third store, but it was more than I was willing to pay. I didn't find anything in the next couple stores either. By then, my Hub was hungry. There had been a kid out on the street hawking menus for a restaurant just off the main street called, "The Nile". They pretty much serve Salads, Sandwiches, and a Soup of the Day. I was really iffy about going there, because I can't eat sandwiches, most soups, and most salad dressings (gluten!). But my husband was kinda gung-ho, so we sat down at one of the tables in the otherwise deserted restaurant. My husband had to shout a polite, "hello!" to get someone's attention from the back.

The waitress/cook took our order. I was specific that I didn't want any croutons on my salad. We repeated it twice. I thought that should be sufficient. You know what's coming. Our food came, minus my hub's soup, which had to be re-requested (again, we're the only ones in the restaurant), and there were copious croutons on my salad. I went to the counter and unfortunately had to shout to the back of the restaurant. They acted like they never heard me request a salad with no croutons, but took my salad back. I specifically told her I can't eat croutons.

I was brought a clean salad and we finished our lunch in silence, because by that time, I was testy about the choice of restaurant and what I was eating. I got to the last few bites of my salad and unearthed a crouton. My temper flared. I guess the cook simply rifled through my salad and removed the croutons from the original salad instead of bringing me a new one (something I could've done myself!). When you are GF, you really can't even eat something that has even touched gluten. I don't think I did an adequate job at communicating to the cook the reason I couldn't eat croutons. Maybe I need to go deeper next time. I think the misunderstanding was partly my fault, but I still stormed out of the restaurant.

Luckily, cute antiques can quell my temper. I wasn't hot for long. We hit some more shops, but I still didn't find just the right vessels for my project. Bless my hub for sticking with me through all those shops. By the second to last shop, he was hurtin'. But something cool had caught my eye. It was a huge tool chest from 1935, with 4 drawers. Almost all the drawers had dividers in them. It would be perfect for bead organization. The only catch would be: where do I put it when I get it home? I have no place in my studio for a piece that weighty and large. In the end, we decided we'd think about it, and it ended up staying in Niles. If I'm still thinking about it by next weekend, I might make my hub take me back and see if it's still there. It really was super cool.

Bead-wise, I've just finished a steel-blue Vintage Lucite necklace, and should be starting a new one in the next couple days. Collage-wise, I've just finished a collage with a Marriage/Engagement theme and am working on a collage with a Rain theme. I also have a Mermaid collage that seems to be done, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with it yet, or not. I was really excited when I was working on my Marriage/Engagement collage, because for the first time since I've been working with Mixed Media, things started to come naturally for me and I felt really at home. It only lasted for a few minutes, but I know it's just the beginning. I'm starting to feel like less of a beginner.

So things are going great. We've got a wedding and a birthday party to go to this weekend, and we've got a medium-sized overhaul of our yard going on, so things will be pretty busy through to next week. One thing I forgot to mention was that my husband kinda messed up the car last weekend, so it's in the shop for 2 weeks and we've got a rental. He was just driving through the parking lot at the mall and non-chalantly hit 2 yellow poles. And he calls me a crazy driver! If there's a bonus to any of this, I guess it's fun to drive a different car for a few weeks.

Our Baby Tulsi

We're so proud of our baby Tulsi, I just had to show it off. Here's what it looks like today:

The Tulsi plant is incredibly auspicious, and is grown in a special pot in front of many, many homes throughout India. The leaves of the Tulsi are very fragrant, which is probably one reason why it is also called Holy Basil. Tulsi has many ayurvedic and some medicinal benefits as well, including treatment for stomach disorders, malaria, and the common cold. In fact, Tulsi is the only cough syrup I use when I get sick. It's difficult to find, and sometimes I have to have my Mother-in-law get it for me in India, but it's worth it. I also have some Tulsi tea that's very herb-y and minty.

Our Tulsi is planted in a tall terracotta pot right outside our front door. We're so proud of it because it's grown about 8 inches this Summer and has so many leaves. With all the luck a Tulsi is supposed to bring, we figure if the Tulsi is happy, it can't be a bad thing. As it gets older, the Tulsi will have a wood-like stem and will bloom with small purple flowers.

I honestly don't know where you can get a Tulsi plant. We found ours at the Farmer's Market. I don't think you could find it at a regular nursery. You'd probably have to try mail order. If you're in the market for some luck, though, it might be worth the trouble. It makes me feel really good to uphold an Indian tradition by having a Tulsi plant in our front yard, and the extra luck doesn't hurt, either.

Cool Crafty Books and Sites

There are a few cool crafty books that have influenced me in the past year, and for my own edification (and the benefit of anyone else who cares), I thought I'd sort of backtrack and see where my year has gone.

I guess it was a little over a year ago that I got into the Bead Fantasies Series by Takako Samejima as well as Beadweaving Brilliance 1&2 by Kumiko Mizuno Ito. I was doing a lot of beadweaving then, especially rings and bracelets, and they were really my first influences. I was pretty much self-taught, so these books were a beacon to me, leading me into a huge new world. Another instrumental book at that time was Mastering Beadwork by Carol Huber Cypher. The projects in that book became the foundations of many of my first few "big" projects, and it is still filled with projects I just haven't gotten to yet.

I guess I kind of got into Polymer Clay without much instruction. I kinda just jumped in with both feet, and maybe forgot my swimsuit! I did get some reference books after some time, however, and one of the most inspirational books is Polymer Clay and Mixed Media (together at last), by Christi Friesen. I had the opportunity to view a demo with Christi at the 2008 Bay Area Bead Extravaganza and get a signed copy of her book, and what she does is truly amazing. I will NEVER get there!

Another book that speaks to me is Beaded Macramé Jewelry by Sherri Haab. I don't know how she does it, but Sherri Haab manages to be amazing at everything she does! She got me into macramé and I'm still hooked! If you haven't tried it, get this book. You'll love it, too.

I kinda went on a "book hiatus" for awhile this year, and let myself be inspired by some of the artists on Etsy. I wish I could point you to the artists who inspired me, but I have forgotten all of their pages by now. A lot of the inspiration I got was for Vintage Jewelry, which is one of my main focuses now, especially work with Vintage Lucite and Antiqued Brass Findings. One person who inspired me, and whose address I can still recall is Milliande on youtube. I don't know how often she updates, but she has enough content on her channel to keep you busy for quite awhile, and everything she does is just so creative.

After my time away from books, I broke down and bought a couple books that were along the same vein as the kind of stuff that Milliande does. She has inspired me. I got Mixed Media Self-Portraits by Cate Coulacos Prato and Taking Flight: Inspiration and Techniques by Kelly Rae Roberts. I haven't really gotten into the Self-Portraits book yet, but Taking Flight is a whole 'nother story! That book is a-maaaaazing! I absolutely adore it. If there's one book on this post that you've got to have, it's this one. The techniques in that book have been a springboard for me and have helped me to do so much in what's become one of my new favorite things to do: Mixed Media Collage.

Since I'm new at Mixed Media Collage now, I don't have many resources, but I do love Artchix Studio and myARTisticlife.typepad.com, as well as digitalcollagesheets.com and www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com.

I'm going to stick to Beading and Mixed Media (along with my other art projects) for awhile, but I did see another book by Sherri Haab that totally intrigued me the other day on Amazon. I got a look inside Felt, Fabric and Fiber Jewelry, and it sounds so cool. I also got a peek at a new release by Sherri that's coming out in March 2010 called, Sherri Haab Jewelry Inspirations: Techniques and Designs from the Artist's Studio. Looks like another sweet book by Sherri Haab.

So, that was my year, and it also looks like I know where I'm going, at least for the near future. And hey, it looks like between these, and all the other artsy books I bought, Amazon got a lot of my money this year. Well, I guess we both made out like bandits.

My First Collages...and The Wedding

So, like a month ago I decided to "try" to do a Mixed Media collage. I immediately loved it. I don't even feel like I'm really all that good at it, but I do really love it. There're so many different things to try with Mixed Media; it's a vastly new experience with every collage you do. I was really influenced by a book called Taking Flight, by Kelly Rae Roberts. Not only is it full of ideas and how-to's, but it also has a lot of inspirational and motivational direction. I'll post pictures of my first two collages (the ones my husband framed) here. The first one is called, "Serenity", and the second one is called, "Artful Celebrations".

So, I wrote in my last post that we were going to Napa to a wedding...and that I wasn't excited about it. Well, the wedding turned out to be less of a disappointment than anticipated, which only further supports my theory that one should always set one's expectations very low and you'll surely be less likely to be disappointed.

In fact, I met a lady there, who is the wife of one of my husband's good friends, who was very nice and chatty, which made the evening go by very fast. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye and head back to the hotel, so I really owe my evening to her. Plus! By some miracle the dinner they served didn't seem to have any gluten in it at all (aside from the bread basket), and as I am gluten-free, I was very pleased that I could eat what was being served. I had been afraid there might be some awkwardness at the table if there was some pasta or something on the plate, but it was some nice (for a wedding) chicken and risotto.

For now, I have restarted the giraffe I am painting and am much happier with the way it is coming along. I have also started a new necklace and a new bracelet and am about 3/4 of the way through a collage I'm doing with a yellow and green theme. I've also started a mermaid collage which I plan to give to my cousin, if I ever finish it (and it turns out nicely!). I'd like to finish the mermaid within the next 2-3 weeks. It could be tight.

An update on these projects, and possibly some photos...next time. If you enjoy this blog, I encourage you to become a friend by clicking on the FOLLOW button on the right, or sometimes it's at the top of the screen. It's really easy, and you'll get updated whenever there's a new post to the blog.

My Studio

A few months ago (I don't know HOW I did it), I got my husband to agree that I should have an art studio. Luckily we had a couple rooms in our house that were good candidates, but I chose a room that the previous owner had used as her quilting room. It has a huge skylight in it, and is really only good for one thing: doing artsy stuff. If a guest were to spend the night in this room, they would wake up bright and early with the sun in their eyes.

So the first thing on my mind was to get a beading desk. The desk you see in the first photo is my beading desk. You'll see my inspiration wall and then my tool storage underneath that, with my basket full of beads on the right side of the desk and my bead board and marble slab in the center. The desk is a little cluttered today, because I have two projects going on...one just finishing up and one about to start. On the floor on the right you can just barely see a painting that I have started of a red poppy. I put it down there for a "rest" because I got frustrated with it.

In this photo, you see my storage area, where I keep all of my books, beads, paint, and a huge list of other art supplies. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have this shelving area to store all of my stuff. It's indispensable. I also have a separate painting desk with an easel and a special surface for watercolors. I'm really lucky to have this studio!

My husband and I are going to Napa for the weekend. We went there about a month ago for the day, and now we're going overnight. We have a wedding to attend. In general, I don't "do" weddings. A big part of me thinks weddings should be private. I didn't want anyone to attend my own wedding, but ended up just having immediate family there. I guess you have to make some consolations where family is concerned. I've missed a lot of weddings in my life, too, most regretfully, but I'm sure all stemming from my wedding-phobia. I have NO idea where a wedding phobia like that could come from, but I've got it bad.

Next time I write I hope to include pictures of my mixed media collages. I've never done mixed media before, but my husband liked them so much he had them framed. Now that I've done it, I really like it, and I continue to experiment with different stuff- I guess that's the point. I'm also working on a giraffe painting, as well as some Vintage Lucite necklaces.

Enjoy your weekend! I know I won't! ;)