Camera Works!

Yeah! I finally figured out how to upload my photos to this computer. We went for a little nature hike today and there was a field of day lilies that a woman planted in her front yard. Day lilies, tiger lilies are they the same thing? I'm not sure.

This was only half of them!
"...Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don't work or spin yarn, but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them." - Matthew 6:28-29
Tomorrow is little E's birthday. She'll be 10. Watching your kids grow and become their own person has got to be one of the most amazing experiences you can have ever have. I'm so blessed to be their mom. We miss Jess terribly. Little things will remind us of him and we'll all do a collective sigh. He is mr. lonely, eating his crazy bachelor food, pouting when I call him. Poor, poor Jesse. Maybe he'll feel creative while we are away and spend some time making more amazing things in his corner of the studio. (hint, hint Jess, make more of those houses!!!!) Or maybe he'll really surprise me and have the leaky kitchen faucet fixed by the time I come. (hint, hint, again...no, I didn't just nag my husband via my blog, did I???)
Playing with my macro lens.

Come back tomorrow for some more photos, until then need a vacation of your own but can't get away? Follow Kerri Smith's guide for a free mini vacation.

Where did I go?

Well for a while I was in bed, not easy for this workaholic! But the flu/cold season hit the humble household hard! And then I rushed over to this place...

Yep, a week in the Big Apple. Do New Yorkers actually call it that? Probably not, they are way too slick for such hokey stuff. What was I doing there? Attending a Children's Book Conference for the organization that I volunteer for, the SCBWI. We work a little, but we get to attend the events and they are amazing. One of my dreams is to illustrate and write children's books. As much as I love beads, I do have a degree in art and would very much like to put that training to use making books! Slowly but surely I'm getting there. Of course there will always be beads, but when your muse calls, you must answer.
Okay back to the city, here is Times Square which was a few blocks from the hotel. Way too much excitement and hype for me.
Rockefeller Center is more my speed. We went to the top of the building to the observation deck. Breathtaking! I went sight-seeing at Central Park, the NY Public Library and Grand Central Station. My biggest regret is not making time to hit the bead shops, there is a whole block of them. Next year I will have to go there!

Oh and my little eyes got to feast on such things as this. Dare I dream? I never thought I'd see this painting in real life. It's at the Museum of Modern Art, where we did not spend enough time.

And then I got back home and I hit the ground running, getting ready for the Bead Cruise. My to-do list is still way longer than my days, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Or maybe that's the plane lights at the end of the runway? Either way this time next week I'll be in Florida getting ready to sail off into the sunset.

I don't know if I'll have time to post again before I leave. But I promise to share all sorts of exciting things with you when I get back. Until then, happy creating!