PAINTING.

So, I started to paint again.  I have a BA in art (painting was my concentration).  I honestly haven't just painted in years and man am I rusty.  I think that there is muscle memory with skill and technique, but I really need to practice and practice!  I've chosen many other creative outlets over the years, but I definitely am starting to crave painting again.  So, I'm starting really slowly, just playing with materials and color.  I picked these star jasmine on a walk the other day and brought them home to use as inspiration.  I was going for a more illustrative look (the black outlines) and used watercolor and gouache, which are both pretty new to me-- I used to paint exclusively in oil, and then acrylic.  We'll see where this goes-- fun!

LOVELIES.

I LOVE these arrow bracelets we have at the shop.  I may have gotten one today.

Star jasmine are blooming now and they smell AMAZING.  The sweet fern is from my friend Vickie who collected it when she was living in French Polynesia.  I love putting pretty little plants in these tiny bottles on my kitchen windowsill.

PRETTY LITTLE WORK SPACE.

SHOP GIRL.

Three quarters of the way through my first year of teaching, my principal told me it was likely, due to the budget crisis (this was in 2008), that my job wouldn't exist the following year.  I felt really sad and scared, but very determined to find another plan.  An Urban Outfitters was opening in our little college town, and I applied for a job as the store's visual display artist.  I was called for an interview and was ultimately offered the job.  I was definitely pretty excited, and was mentally compiling ideas on what salvaged materials I would love to source on my drives to and from my teaching job.  In the end, my job was safe for the next year, and I wasn't ready to move on from teaching.  I must say though, I've never quite given up on the idea of running the visual side of a store/ having my own shop someday...

This is part of the reason I really love working at a boutique.  I've been doing it for a bit over a year (2 different places, same location, long story)-- once I gave up on applying for teaching jobs here.  I get pretty excited about being a shop girl and getting creative with the window displays.  Sounds silly, but picking out mannequin outfits is fun!  And it's especially nice when customers come in and complement the window or buy something because they noticed it while walking by.  I created a Pinterest board for Valentine's Day ideas and Rachel (my super sweet boss) told me I could just go for it.  So on a quiet day last week I made watercolored-and-rubber-stamped-candy-conversation-heart-garland and paper carnations.  It turned out pretty cute.  I've been already collecting ideas for spring windows!

WINTER MORNING.

This guy on the phone for work purposes, but probably mostly looking for the neighborhood orange cat that hangs out on the fence outside our apartment.  

 Three winters here and I still can't get over how amazing the weather is.  Or how green and lush everything is.  It just doesn't get old.  Have you ever lived somewhere where your soul just sings?  Northern California does that for me.  It gives me the coziest feeling.  Anyway, I took these photos on a typical morning.  I get up and make coffee and/or tea right away, and usually start a really simple breakfast: sprouted wheat toast with peanut butter and banana or some oatmeal concoction.  I wake up starving most days.  I've never been one of those people who can't eat in the morning.  I can't wake up if I don't eat right away!  Raf typically gets started with work, then we eat breakfast together (and sometimes catch up on a Daily Show online), and then part ways to start our day.  I have been really digging steel cut oats lately.  We ate them a bunch in England (Scottish oats) and they definitely give me the fuel I need to last until lunch time, especially if I'm heading to the gym.  They are chewy and creamy and go well with just about anything you can imagine on top.  We almost always eat it with some type of nut and fresh fruit, a bit of Greek yogurt, maple syrup and flax or chia seeds on top.  This batch was particularly good:  oats, raw slivered almonds, banana, Greek yogurt and chia seeds.  Simple and delicious!

Really, really good texture.

BLAH.

Geez.  I have been so sick these past 5 days.  I haven't had a cold this bad since my first year of teaching (first year teachers, exposed to more germs than their bodies have ever known, notoriously get sick all the time).  I'd like to think that my super-teacher immune system along with a healthy vegetarian diet, exercise, and acupuncture are what usually save me.  But this time around I got a doozy.  I won't go on much longer about it, but I think the worst thing (besides the becoming an incessant mouth breather...ew) is the lack of energy I've had.  I have all these grand ideas of how my day will go and then, honestly, taking a bath ends up being a lot of work (see post-shower exhaustion/dilirium below :).

Anyway, I am certainly on the mend and feeling much more like myself tonight as I sit here and type this.  I was recently looking at pictures on my phone and camera that I have been meaning to share and I stumbled upon these beauties.  Raf and I tried dragon fruit a little while back.  They are beautiful and so weird.  I love how many exotic fruits are available around here, but I'm usually too scared to try it (ummm... durian anyone?? yuk!)  Dragon fruit ended up not having a very intense flavor, and the seeds were reminiscent of a kiwi's in texture.  But my oh my, aren't they pretty?  I had no idea what they would look like inside.  I googled how to eat them and you just scoop the flesh out with a spoon.  Not super delicious, but definitely nice.  Okay, off to bed and fingers crossed that tomorrow I will feel even more like myself!

WIND FARM.

A couple of weeks ago my parents took us on a Sunday drive to see the wind farms in Sheldon, NY.  It was a cold upstate New York day, and they looked so beautiful and powerful; huge and white against the bleak winter sky.  It was pretty impressive.

PONGO, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WONDERCAT.

This little (hot mess) guy just melts our hearts whenever we see him.  He is a scrappy little dude who lives in the hills above our house.  I'm pretty sure he has a crazy history (like he lived on a fishing boat on the sea until he was abandoned on the docks of a shipyard-- total pirate kitten...I'm totally serious, his current "owner" told me this story!).  He is as sweet and affectionate as can be-- although he can't see much and his hair is usually incredibly nappy and dirty and therefore unpleasant to pet (it usually has weird things caught in it too, such as a used matchstick) and he does this unflattering thing where when he comes over to you for some love, he backs his fluffy butt right up to you (as best he can with limited vision!), ready for some petting (beep, beep, beep...).  Despite all of these things, we love him to bits and a walk in the hills wouldn't be complete without a visit with Pongo.  :)

LAST LITTLE BIT OF ITALY. :)

Whew!  I haven't  posted in forever!  I have so much to say and show... We came back from Europe, had Thanksgiving with family on the east coast, finally made it back to California shortly after that, I started a new job, Raf attended a conference in Lake Tahoe, I started a new batch of jewelry designs and another project or two, then Raf left to work a little in NYC before heading to Massachusetts for Christmas with family, where I met him the day before Christmas eve, then to western New York with my family for New Year's and FINALLY back to the Bay to settle in for a while (I think...).  He started the job application process (graduating in May) and we'll likely be relocating to who knows where this summer...pretty exciting and crazy all at once... Anyway, I completely forgot about these photos.  It was such a breathtaking view of the Italian Alps as we flew out of Milan.  More soon!