Friday's Quote

As of late, the creative energy is a steady stream of free flowing goodness that comes to me throughout each and every day. Along with it has come 'bold' new steps towards things I've only let myself dream of. 

It's been far too long since I've spent a solid stretch of time painting and I can tell you exactly why -- Sometimes I'm good at it, but I'm not always good at it [let's keep that between us though]. There are days when paint, paper and cloth hit the canvas and they all get along quite nicely and other times, well, not so much. 

It's the latter that gets me down, feeling frustrated and leaves me uninspired to get back at it, but those feelings are now reminding me that as Martha Beck would say, 'it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at something.' Believe it or not, it helped me realize I'm already an expert at some things, which means if I keep at this, what hits the canvas will consistently be better and better. And let's face it, not everything one makes is great. It's not supposed to be. I mean really, how fun would that be?! Well, maybe fun for a day or so. 

It's a Date

Rather...it was a date! All areas of my life needed some attention this past week. The never ending pile of laundry, grocery shopping, dusting, etc. was all put aside for a date with my favorite guy. My husband.  

Between our trip to Toronto with Jax-the-Dog [where I sat in the back the entire trip with Jax], my trip to Squam and then heading back to work, it feels like ages since we've spent some real quality time together. Friday we hit the road and had an afternoon by the lake. 

It felt so indulgent to be without my furry friend by my side. I love him to pieces, but as of late, I am in need of a break. We had lunch outside, sat by the water....

....hit up an antique shop...

 ...admired some pumpkins....

...and just enjoy each other's company. 

Squam Love

Oh, how I'm still basking in the afterglow of Squam, the classes and all the lovely ladies I met and reconnected with along the way. Maya's story scarves sewing class was as gentle, nurturing and productive as they come. 

From the moment I arrived at class, I knew I was more than welcome....

...and sweet, loving touches filled the room.  

My scarf is a mix of found vintage fabric, handed-down lace from women in the family, fabric remnants from Maya's stash and a lavender filled sash. 

The next day's class was 'Seeing the Everyday' with Amy. It's a bit ironic [or perhaps not], that I come home from Squam able to feel more in tune with the every day. 

Things that may ordinarily go unnoticed, capture my attention. This photography class was the perfect reminder on using my camera to now see the every day. 

And of course, there is plenty to see and snap pictures of at Squam. 

My last afternoon was spent with a friend, creating mixed-media collages, something I had been craving to do since I had arrived, but had not had the opportunity to work on. 

There were limited supplies on hand and everyone threw in what they could find in their bag or  cottage and some extras supplied from other classes. It was the perfect challenge to create from a mix of things you're not used to working with. 

I'm feeling blessed and fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend and to have had so many warm, powerful and magical encounters. 

Squam

This fall session of Squam proved to be magical once again. Different from last year, but  magical nonetheless. Arriving was like entering into a land a bit like Brigadoon, a secret place in time that opens up to those passing by. 

A place that is truly timeless and where ultimately love is found before leaving. Love for oneself. Love for old and new friends.

Mother Nature blessed us with a couple of gorgeous sun kissed days that ended with friends on the dock catching up on the days activities while taking a dip in the cool lake and being mesmerized by the light dancing upon the water.

Squam is a place where one day gracefully flows into the next and time slows down and takes on a new rhythm where you don't quite know what day it is, but you know exactly where you're supposed to be.

Stay tuned for more on my Squam classes later in the week. This story doesn't end here....

Getting Ready

The last couple of weeks have been incredibly tough between being under the weather and wrapping my head around my sweet furry boy going blind. He had a vet appointment this week and we can potentially save his eyesight in one eye, but the catch is the surgery needs to be done ASAP. 

Wouldn't you know it, the surgery is to be done in Toronto (yes, Toronto as in Canada) and it has to happen during the same week I'm Squamward bound. Talk about stress. The surgery is Tuesday and we should be able to bring him home on Wednesday. That means we roll back into town Wednesday early evening, unload the car, and literally re-pack it with my Squam bags and I hit the road for New Hampshire. This is sure to be a memorable adventure from start to finish. 

You should see the to-do lists I have going and the seemingly endless bags of stuff for each trip. It's a good thing I'm a bit of a bag lady [wink]. In between packing and laundry, I'm spending some happy time in my studio today puttering around, cleaning up and looking at some of my Squam-made stuff from last year. 

I'll be back in a week or so, with all sorts of updates and pictures from this adventure. In the meantime, please send some good energy my way. 

Out and About

After being cooped up for over a week and a half, resting at home from a mega-bug, I was in serious need of an outing. We headed out to a local sculpture park and on the way home, stopped at a farm stand that also has a distillery. 

Still not quite up to par, I passed on a tasting, but couldn't help snapping pictures of the barrels and all the charm this little distillery has to offer. 

We stop by about once a year to see what's new, not only in product, but also to see how the shop is changing and growing.

Charm as you can see is in abundance...

I just love how each barrel is lovingly adorned with illustrations...

....each one unique...

...and beautiful in it's own way.