MONDAY MANTRA: free to be me

*i try to remember that it is okay to:

BE myself,

to stay TRUE to myself

and to let my art CREATE itself.

it is easy to forget that i have my own unique story to tell.

i always want to be free to be ME! :)

happy monday!

*for you dear kenna! x

phew, what a week!

SO i just got my beloved macky jr. (my nickname for my mac!) back the other day. the logic board had died on me & he was in the shop for a week! i am so behind with everything that i am freaking out trying to get everything done.

my hubby just got back last night. he was gone for 8 days on a guys only trip to Oktoberfest in germany (lucky booger!), so i was sad he was gone. and sad i had to make my OWN coffee in the morning! ;p

my folks are coming from the east coast tomorrow and the house is a complete wreck! actually, when is it not? but you know i just love to spend a friday night vacuuming & scrubbing!

AND i have my first ever art festival on october 10th & do you think i am prepared? absolutely not!!! it looks like an art store exploded in my studio! gah!

but anyways, i wanted to stop a moment and say hello, and to tell you guys about an awesome giveaway i am in on Novelista Barista's fabulous blog. up for grabs is one of my prints. and it's a favorite shot of mine because it is of my dear hubby & our dear friend.

even if you don't enter the giveaway, definitely check out her super cool blog!

so i am off to find my method wipes & vacuum attachments! :D

happy weekend you guys!

can't wait for things to slow down & i can catch up on everyone's blog! i miss my daily reads! :)

RETAIL THERAPY: autumns approach

with today being the official start of my favorite season i wanted to get in the mood with some wicked autumn inspired creations.

sadly i played a cruel trick on myself by wanting to live in los angeles. without realizing it i had stripped myself of strolling through crispy orange & maroon leaves with a hot pumpkin spice latte in hand. no more chunky crimson sweaters with matching ruby lipstick and jeans. more like a sundress during the day so i won't melt in my car & maybe a cute wrap for the evening. this time of year, i really miss our fireplace in our old colonial-styled house with the deep lush crimson hues mixed with spicy fragrances of fall. *sigh*

the days i try to recreate fall the best i can, with harvest candles and baking, i never fool myself. as i sweat in our kitchen & crank the A/C up, i glance over to the cats as they are splayed out on the hardwood floors, desert-style, and reality smacks me in the head. with the look of defeat on my face i usually trek out in the heat to my starbucks to grab an ICED pumpkin spice latte and pout in the corner.

i realize as long as we live here our halloweens will never be the same. they are fun & interesting, especially with the West Hollywood costume parade, an experience i am grateful to have, but to me it is still not a proper holiday without smoky fireplaces and freezing my a** off while passing out candy.

i think these lovely things will help ease my cool weather envy and maybe dear hubby will let me self-medicate by using my credit card. :)

how are you guys welcoming the brisk air?

Falling by irene suchocki

*whose talent i bow down to on a daily basis ;p *

bat ring by martymagic

*genius design! i dig bats in a bad way*

autumn kiss necklace by tina tarnoff

*perfect title & completely sigh worthy*

high neck rider jacket by prizy sebastian

*MUST sell lots of art to save up for this!!*

garnets galore by 3 rexes jewelry

*whose jewelry i drool over! my man actually surprised me with one of her rings after a hint on my blog a while back. i wear it daily! and someday i plan to own her entire collection!*

november kokeshi print by stephanie fizer

*this is simply darling! i wish i had a little girl to buy this for!!!*

lola by primoriginals

*the same imaginary little girl i mentioned above would absolutely have this adorable figure in her cute chubby little hands!*

sweet pumpkin by alchemic muse

*my hubby calls me "punkin" so how could i not wear a delicious spicy scent?*

MONDAY MANTRA

i like to start my week off by being a bit silly... :)

BRAND SPANKIN' NEW-where secrets are kept...

i am SO not a poet, but i thought i would try. :)

yea, like Ovid said...

"When there is plenty of wine, sorrow and worry take wing."

- Ovid, "The Art of Love" (c. A.D. 8)

a few weeks ago i wrote about being asked to do a review on a product of my choice from justwineracks.com. how could i say no? i mean, i get to pick an item, have it sent to me at no cost, test it out and have a fun photo shoot? really? well, don't mind if i do!

i am excited to say it has arrived & it is just beautiful!!

made by lenox, the tuscany classics crystal decanter is stunningly clear & the shape, well, the shape is sleek, modern & a bit sexy!

this lead me to wonder, why decant? i am the first to admit, i am not a sophisticated wine drinker by any means. my knowledge of wine is pretty elementary. and yes, i go for the wine with the cute labels or clever name! or if maynard made it, i am sure to buy it!! :)

just pour me a glass, hand me a cigarette (ok, back in the day, i'm a good girl now!) and shoot some pool with me & i am fine with ANY kind of red wine.

this decanter is so beautiful, i have to use it for holiday entertaining! and like the description says, the shape makes it easy to handle, so the wine comes out silky smooth.

so if you are thinking of adding some grace and style to your table this holiday season, this shop has some gorgeous choices. speedy shipping, careful packaging, great customer service...i'm glad they found me! :)

Salute!