a fiesta for your taste buds

Tis the time for Easter candy and nothing makes me happier than Brach’s Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs… no other ‘Whopper’ or ‘Robin Egg’ compares to the delectable taste of these Brach’s beauties. (they really are quite pretty aren’t they… all the more reason to love them!)

Unfortunately you can’t find these gems everywhere but luckily Target is carrying them this season.

Also if you want to add some sweet spring to your computer screen, Brach’s is offering colorful jelly bean and robin egg wallpaper.

caution: these wallpapers may encourage additional snacking

silly sally jean

I had to laugh at our cat Tuesday as she tried to make her way closer to my cereal bowl by jumping on the window sill, hopping to the printer and weaving her furry self behind the computer monitor just waiting for the right opportunity. 

The funny thing is that she was perched right next to my beloved ‘naughty cat’ charm by Sally Jean. 

… how appropriate

I love Sally’s work and we carry a few of her pieces online including silly girls, he loves me… he loves me not and thunder thighs (one of my favorites). But she has loads of other wonderful pieces that’ll make you grin, laugh and giggle.

more cute shoes from target

Whenever I have to stop at Target I can never resist the urge to peruse the shoe section because every once in a while I find a sweet style and these skimmers fit the bill.  They’ll look great with jeans, skirts and capris.

I saw another girl trying on these fun peep hole wedges and couldn’t help to follow suit.  They are quite something, but I don’t know if I could pull them off without twisting my ankle… but for only $20 it’s tempting to give it a shot.

just 10 rows from john

People usually laugh when I tell them that I’m in the Local-83 Fan Club but I wasn’t laughing a bit (however I did have a large smile) when I landed 10th row-center tickets for the Grand Rapids, MI concert.

You may ask, "Why this slight obsession with Mr. Mayer?" We’ll, I’ve related to John’s lyrics ever since his first commercial album Room for Squares.  A few of my favorite lines in No Such Thing read, "They love to tell you stay inside the lines, but something’s better on the other side"

Ironically Steve, my husband and I were a perfect coloring book picture…both of us getting our degrees in Education and set to be teachers the rest of our lives…however my love of art managed to shine through and we have no regrets choosing this crazy colorfull path.  Here’s a young John Mayer…

John was in fine form Thursday evening and clearly on top of the world… just receiving 2 grammys and currently on the cover of Rolling Stone with the caption The New Guitar Gods… who wouldn’t be?

Here are few video clips that I recorded at the concert.  The first is Clarity (still one of my favorites by him) and a rockin’ Good Love is on the Way.

on a side note: (Isn’t YouTube amazing?  I still can’t believe that little ole me can do all this fancy computer stuff!)

my sony cyber-shot

When I first started blogging I wanted to buy a compact camera to carry in my purse; so after doing some research, I ended up this this snazzy little sony and I’ve been thoroughly pleased. It’s super speedy and I recently used the video setting at a John Mayer Concert and couldn’t believe the quality and lasting battery power. 

Part of a review reads, "Beginning through intermediate users will be right at home with the W50, and advanced users will enjoy its excellent portability and handful of creative exposure tools. Although the W50 is a point-and-shoot digital camera, it has a lot of creative options and enough image adjustments to handle a wide variety of shooting situations. So, while it’s designed to relieve you from complicated exposure decisions, advanced amateurs and business users will appreciate it for its quality, portability, and varied shooting options. Accessory lenses and filters (rarely found for compact cameras like the W50) make it more versatile for wide or telephoto use. Overall, an excellent "all around" camera, with impressive speed and resolution." by Stephanie Boozer
and Dave Etchells

mr. mat kearney

Steve and I had the pleasure of hearing a set of Mat’s music when we attended the John Mayer concert recently and we really enjoyed it.

Here is his latest single…

A music review reads, "In an industry dogged too much by cookie-cutter artists, Mat Kearney is a real breath of fresh air. Let’s be honest: What music exec would ever suggest that a blending of John Mayer-like subtle pop, Toby Mac-like rap, and Chris Martin-esque vocals could be rolled together for a winning combination? Stylistically, that’s what we get with Kearney’s outstanding major-label debut Nothing Left to Lose. Nearly half of this album is culled from Kearney’s Bullet release (2004), an independent label breakthrough success for the singer-songwriter. One of the most attractive elements throughout is a sound unlike any other in Christian music. While Kearney does little to mask his own faith in the interest of gaining crossover appeal, it’s his multi-flavored art that should draw listeners from all angles. Heart-gripping at moments, thought-provoking at others, Nothing Left to Lose is intelligent throughout and one of the top releases of the year thus far." –Michael Lyttle

valentine surprise

This is my dear friend Michelle Allen.  She lives in Washington but it feels like she’s my next door neighbor between all the emails and blog postings we share. 

She was one of the lovely ladies who I sent some valentine goodies to recently and I had to laugh out loud when I saw this silly post on her blog.  What a sweetie.

isaiah zagar – master of mosaics

I first bumped into Isaiah’s wild art work while venturing out to dinner on South Street in Philadelphia a few years ago.  And every time I revisit the city, I always must tour his magnificent mosaics.  There are over 30 buildings he worked his wonder on and they’re all mapped out in this great book Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. 

Here are some of the photos I took on my latest excursion…

This is his studio, grotto and garden.

… some close up shots

A portion of Magic Gardens reads, "He says he doesn’t know WHY he makes murals, only that he feels he MUST.  The idea of making a walking tour of art occurred to him after a visit to Florence, Italy.  The fact that strangers enjoy his work satisfies him that what he is expressing is not simply personal, but something appreciated by many.  He refers to the process as sharing of dreams."

This is Isaiah’s home on South Street.

An additional excerpt from the book reads, "His fondness for including bits of mirror in his murals is related to his dyslexia.  He says that the quality of reversal has always interested him and is what attracted him to printmaking, where everything is reversed.  He describes dyslexics, as people who are ‘not tightly metered or very rational, but are all over the place in their concentration’. Making mosaics has allowed him ‘to concentrate on macro cosmos and micro cosmos at the same time.  I never get tired of working.  The mirror is endless energy, reflecting everything.’ "

Another beautiful building is The Painted Bride Art Center which Isaiah helped found.

I love this saying "the Bride has many Suitors"

"One more reason why Isaiah uses so much mirror in his work is to remind each passing observer: ‘Yes, it’s YOU. YOU’RE here.  YOUR dreams matter too."

mark orr of scavenger art

I was happy to find that my friend Mark Orr’s booth was set up right across from mine at the Buyer’s of American Craft trade show that I  participated in recently.

I’ve been a fan of his work ever since I saw him at the Ann Arbor Art Fair a few years ago.  A portion of his artist statement reads, "Although I have been an artist all my life, the body of work that has become “Scavenger Art” is really quite a recent creation. Salvaged architectural elements, especially vintage shutters and stair balusters, as well as other found objects are used to create a wide range of sculpture and art furniture.

Sculptural carved wooden ravens represent the “scavenger” or “gatherer” in my work, with each piece containing unique and interesting found objects from the past. In our spiritual history the raven has also long been viewed as a messenger between realities and the courier of change. The vintage keys are used to represent the opening of doors and the welcoming of positive change. By combining these elements and themes, each “new” creation is imbued with a rich and personal history."

This is one of my favorites… doesn’t it make you grin?

We have a handful of Mark’s older art pieces at the Berkley location and they are currently 25% off… including frames, billard ravens, altars, clocks and a magnificnet circus cabinet.

my favorite philly pit stop

I only visit Philly once a year for the Buyers Market of American Craft trade show (this is where gallery owners come from all over to order artwork from more than 1200 talented artists – me being one of them)  and one of my favorite stops is the Reading Terminal Market (located right across from the convention center).  Steve and I faithfully eat breakfast and lunch there everyday during our stay.

There are loads of wonderful choices when it comes to eateries; as well as fresh meats, produce and baked goods.

We always indulge in Amish baked goods and I have my share of homemade soft pretzels (a personal weakness of mine)

Cheerful piano tunes played by a local fill the air of one of the dining areas.  Something about hearing live music in unexpected places always makes me smile.

I also discovered my new favorite breakfast entree this year… a strawberry, banana, honey & cinnamon crepe from Profi’s Creperie  (just saying it makes me salivate)

See what I mean… pure perfection