Falling Leaves...

So, here's where it happens...this is my cubicle (or cube as we call it at work). I have become the party girl or at least the party decorator at work.

Jesus, one of my co-workers, had a birthday last week - he's a die-hard Raiders fan, so I copied the Raider's logo and hung them from the ceiling of his cube with ribbon.

Well, that made my cube area look mighty bare, so I glued some silk fall leaves to orange ribbon and stuck them into the ceiling tiles. See the fan in the background? We've had unseasonably warm weather, so I've been turning on the fan and then have dancing leaves - quite awesome!

It's fun to find little ways to bring the seasons into your workplace and home.

Enjoy!
Joan

Halloween Party

Seems like this is the time of year for PARTIES!!!

Saturday night I attended a Halloween party at a friend's home. It was fun to listen (and sing along with) to her family singing Karoake...even little Morti was out dancing on the floor - he's a little ham.

Recycling...remember my $15 Second Chance Prom dress? When it came to recycling it into my Halloween outfit, I had a tough decision to make - my dress could easily have been made into an angel costume with the addition of wings, but I decided to be transformed into a Greek Goddess with just a couple inexpensive props. The hair garland was made from gold leaves from the craft store and wrapped with a little wire around the stem for stability. Every Goddess has to have her gold snake armband - a quick snake could be made with gold chenille stems, some wiggle eyes and a felt tongue.

I'm always thinking how I could take what I have and transform it into the next project...call me imaginative or just cheap...

Happy crafting!

Joan

A party...a speed bump...bummer!
Well, last weekend I was on my way to a party in a neighborhood I'd never been in before. I was running late and took a speed bump a little too fast...I'd been carting around a couple ceramic spheres I was going to do mosaics on for Christmas presents. Yep, they broke! Bummer!

Aleene's Patio & Garden Outdoor Adhesive came to the rescue! I was able to glue the spheres back together and then apply the mosaic and grout to them. I also used the Patio & Garden Outdoor Adhesive to apply the mosaic pieces and then, remember, the old Aleene's recipe for grout that Darsee and Pattie used? I'll post the recipe soon. You can find very fine sand at your local home improvement store. You can even tint the grout with Tulip Soft Fabric Paint to get the perfect color to coordinate with your mosaic pieces.

I have two more spheres to complete by Christmas so I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Oh...the party was excellent - my friend and his wife roasted a turkey and other friends brought yummy side dishes!

Joan

Vacation memories...
OK, I'm finally caught up for the moment with laundry, work and all that good stuff to do after a vacation and I want to tell you about my FANTASTIC vacation.

I left home on Sunday morning, driving up Highway 1 - one of the most magnificent drives on earth! The highway (not really a highway, it's one lane each way) is on the cliffs with huge dropoffs to the ocean. Needless to say, you want to leave plenty of time to arrive at your destination on this road. I followed some old restored Woody cars for miles, not caring that they were only going 20 miles an hour on the curvy road.

I arrived at my destination, Esalen, about 25 miles from Monterey. There are not enough words to describe this 160+ acres of paradise on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The grounds are sprinkled with flowers in every color of the rainbow and the grass is a green that can't be described. The peace that immediately enveloped me was incredible. We were treated to the freshest fruits and vegetables at every meal, mostly grown on the premises. I love monarch butterflies (something that shows up in a lot of my past projects) and I happened to be there when monarch butterflies were EVERYWHERE drifting with the wind.

I arrived about 45 minutes before my scheduled 1 hour and 15 minute massage. I had plenty of time to soak in the mineral soaking tubs taking me deeper into my peacefulness - cue the beautiful ocean, the sound of waves, the smell of the ocean and a warm day. The massage room was like no other I'd seen - the front wall (facing the ocean) was floor to ceiling and wall to wall glass doors. My masseuse opened the doors and let in the incredibly powerful sounds of the ocean and the balmy October breeze. Near the end of my massage, she placed a cloth over my eyes and I was left to relax and get up when I felt like it...I do believe I fell asleep.

The workshop I attended was called Awakening the Creative (from the Esalen catalog) is a journey into the wild territory of painting directly from intuition, an unpredictable venture into color, form and image where no rules apply. The potential is to tap into an extraordinary resource: the vibrant, driving force of your own creative spirit - Awakening the Creative is an opportunity to embark on the greatest of all human journeys: embracing your own path and confidently following it.

The workshop was so incredible. Stewart and Sarah guided me through my darkness to clear my way for my new future - what that is I'm still working on. Their guidance took what I had painted and with their gentle nudge or suggestion lead me to discover even more about the things deep within me. Who knew a little paint could lead to a life changing experience.

I was sad to leave Esalen and the people who nurtured me during that week. I know in my heart that I will take one (or more) of Stewart's workshops and I will certainly head back to Esalen very soon.

If you look real close you can see red paint on my shoes as I relax overlooking the ocean at Esalen.

Until next time! Enjoy!
Joan

My Vacation...














I have so much to tell you about my amazing week in Big Sur, but I am at a loss of words for the moment.

I will gather my thoughts and post them this week.



Can you guess what this is? It has to do with crafting, but not where you usually find all these beautiful gems and ribbons. Details and more pictures later!

Have a grand week!

Joan

A Second Chance Prom...
Many people have asked me what the heck this is. Well, it's a second chance to go to the prom. I went with two other ladies and one of their husbands. Out of the four of yes, two of us had not gone to our high school proms.

We met at a friend's house, drank a sip of champagne, put on our corsages and off we went to the Fort Washington Country Club for a night of excellent food, dancing and lots of laughs.

Oh, you know I have to bring crafting into every situation...I mentioned before that I bought my dress for $15. Well, the weather had turned cool and after only spending $15 on my dress, I wasn't about to pay mucho bucks for a wrap - good old crafting ingenuity came into play - I bought a yard and a half of fabric, folded the right sides together and glued around the edges with Aleene's Platinum Bond Super Fabric Textile Adhesive. So, for a few bucks, I had a beautiful wrap that matched the jewelry Frances had given me for being her bridesmaid.

BTW, I can't for the life of me remember what we were laughing so hard about! I LOVE IT!

Joan

I'm back...
Where to start??? The wedding...
Last Thursday I ventured up to just outside the Sequoia National Park for my friend Frances' wedding. I had gone up a day early to start my vacation and just chill before the big event. My parents joined me for the evening and it was nice to catch up and have a nice relaxed dinner.

Friday afternoon was a whirlwind of assembling cake plates (there was a fun cake on every table), hanging bells and bows and then it was time to get all spruced up.

The ceremony took place in front of a huge granite waterfall set next to the river surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. I hear that our burgundy dresses and the guys black and burgundy tuxes looked really great with the granite rock backdrop.

Can you believe Rudy made the little car from a spray can? With Frances' imagination and Rudy's many talents (OK, Frances has many too!) this couple will go far. I can't wait to see where these two go together.

My best to you both and your amazing families.

Joan

A Wedding, a Second Chance Prom and Now VACATION!!!

But first, I must apologize! I'm so sorry I haven't answered your comments - I've been out of town for the BIG WEDDING (more details in a bit) and tonight I attended a Second Chance Prom so I haven't been able to answer you. I'm so excited that you've written and asked questions and it's great to catch up with you.

So, the big excitement! My friend Frances got married Friday at a most magical place at Three River, California - the setting couldn't have been more divine with the sound of the nearby river, a waterfall as the backdrop for the ceremony and a beautiful canopy of trees. From wonky cakes (her description) to the cake topper that her now husband Rudy made from a SPRAY CAN to the beautiful bride - it was a night to remember.

Tonight I attended a Second Chance Prom put on by a local stores events coordinator - it was awesome!!! I met up with my friend Jenny and a former co-worker and her husband for the big event! Our friend's husband even got us corsages. We danced the night away and look forward to next year.

I am heading off in the morning for my BIG VACATION (can you tell I'm excited?!) and won't be back for a few days, so please keep your comments and ideas coming and I will post and answer them when I get back - promise! I have so much to share - more photos - me in my beautiful bridesmaid's dress, in my prom dress and when I get back I'll have pictures and ideas from my workshop.

Have a great week!

Joan