Road Trip Continues...

Our destination was Scottsdale Arizona for the Barrett Jackson Auto Auctions. This is the mecca of collector cars. About 200 acres filled with giant white tents and hundreds of amazing cars and other collectible items. Mr. C had this as one of his top ten bucket list items so we had to see it in person. We have watched it on TV however you can multiply that by 100 and still not get the true dynamics until you experience it in person. Overload would be quite an understatement!

Just on Saturday over 160,000 people attended. This gorgeous 1956 De Soto convertible auctioned off at $340,000 plus commission fees of 10% paid by the buyer. Who would have thought an orphaned De Soto would bring such money?!! It was so beautiful in person and every detail was perfect.

Silly me thought I wanted a Smart Car when I was traveling in Europe and saw them everywhere. Now that I have sat in one I cannot imagine driving 70 mph on the freeway in traffic with merely my a$$ being the bumper. Yes it has heated seats because the engine is directly behind your seat so you could also bake dinner on your way home from the market. :o) Too cute but not for me.

I did take a side trip to do some shopping. No photos of this so as not to incriminate myself. I visited a bead store in Scottsdale. This is a beautiful store with fabulous finds. However for me it was super intimidating. I have never gone in a bead store where you must put your purse in a locker and then you have an attendant hovering over you every minute. Who can relax and shop in that environment. Needless to say I bought very little especially after I saw the prices! One short strand of copper curved caps was $175. Ouch!

Let's continue our drive up to Sedona Arizona. This is the sacred place of red rocks and lots of lore. It is truly beautiful. Mr. C and I used to stay in Sedona several times a year until we moved north. We had not been back in about 14 years and lots had changed. Growth, commercialism and generally a sad depleted economy has taken its toll. Oh the beauty is still here however the ambiance has changed.

We managed to visit our old haunts, galleries, restraurants and the scenic rocks. The photo below is the famous Eagle rock which presides over the chapel built in the hills.

This entire area is said to be very sacred.

Enough road trip for now.

How many of you have ever been to either Barrett Jackson or to Sedona? Each is unique and well worth the trip if you like the venues.

Now I am off to the studio to finish some Valentines which must get into the mail today. I am only sending to family this time since I was gone so much.

Happy Hearts to all...

Road Trip Experiences...Part 1

Recently Mr. C and I departed on a road trip. We had some places we wanted to visit and some things we wanted to experience and some people we wanted to spend some time with. So we arranged for in home kitty care. Sasha BooBoo is an aging cat who is not the least bit spoiled however she does know what she likes and what she will not tolerate. Home is her best option as it is comfortable and complete. My dear friend Margaret became the daily caregiver. Thank you so much Margaret. Actually Sasha's 17th birthday will be celebrated this Super Bowl Sunday! Next Mr. C and I packed up the car and headed out. We traveled in tandem with another couple in their vehicle which was interesting. One very long drive the first day we stopped for an overnight sleep and met another couple for dinner and a business meeting Mr. C required. The next day we drove another distance and then our friends called another couple to meet us at our first excursion. Have you ever been to Quartzsite Arizona? Now I can say I have! This photo above really does not do justice to the experience. Beginning 5 miles outside of Quartzsite are encampments of hundreds of all types of vans, buses, trailers and motor homes just pulled off the side of the highway and into the desert beyond. We happened to visit just at the high time of Snow Bird season.

This is a typical vendor booth at one of the many many "swap meets". Quartzsite has been a favorite spot for rockhounds since the 1960's. Now it is kind of a cult spot for all types of people wanting to escape their snowy homes and spend a few months basking in the sun. Hmmm... While we were there for one day it was windy and freezing cold! Not my idea of warm and sunny. And of course I was not prepared for this with hiking boots and grunge clothing. I had my little black leather flat sandals with the light beige straw soles...to walk the cactus, rocks and dirt grounds. Please remember this was an unscheduled stop. Mr. C is making up his "bucket list" as he goes along.

This is a typical layout of what the rockhounds display and offer for sale. Luckily we knew our traveling friends friends and spent about 4 hours exploring. Our car is so not a desert and gravel kind of car so that was not happy time but we managed to traverse enough to get the ambiance of Quartzsite.

While going through the open air stalls I did find something I wanted and bought. A very nice lady was selling all types of things including cheesy glass bead pendants I think were from China however she also was selling some of her personal treasures. I bought these wooden spools from her. She seemed very pleased that they would be going to a good home and that I was really smitten with them as I sew and would be displaying them in my sewing room. I do have ideas for them that I will be doing later. Mr. C found the marble egg in another large indoor building and showed it to me and of course then I had to have it also.

I was shocked at the amount of sales tax you must pay in Quartzsite...10.1% Ouch as that really adds up quickly when you are spending your money. Our sales tax here at home in California is 8.875% and that is considered high. Makes shopping in Oregon all the more inviting. They charge 0% sales tax. Oh dear I have gotten off topic. But that is exactly how this trip seemed to go...rather off course for a while.
Later I will share more highlights of this road trip that became about 2500 miles in 13 days. Luckily I packed most of my closet (I tend to always take way too much especially when I am not flying and paying for luggage I must be able to lift and carry) and of course took some food and water along just in case we got hungry. :o) Sadly I gained 3 pounds along the trip and now must work really hard to get it off...again! I have spent the past solid year shedding 10 pounds via Weight Watchers so to gain 1/3 back in such a short time is very disheartening. The good news is that I know exactly how I gained and now will make much smarter choices and get some much needed activity/exercise back into my daily routine.

So for now I shall continue unpacking and doing laundry and errands like grocery shopping.

I shall allow myself great breaks to catch up on all the blogs I so enjoy and missed while gone.

My beloved BooBoo is very needy and will not let me out of her sight or touch so I am enjoying re-bonding with her. I cherish my little fur-child and know my time with her is limited.

I also have lots of plans to be creative and will need to work that into my days.

For now I shall be grateful for each of you who stayed patient and faithful to my blog.

I do understand why Mr. C kept telling me I was addicted to blogging...I really am addicted! It is a great addiction to have and I shall continue to follow and read all the blogs I can as you each inspire me and fill my daily world with joy. Thank You!

Smiles and Happy February Heart Hugs...

Beauty in the mountains...

A new young seedling taking root and growing strong.

Ahhh...August as I have said is my favorite month. This year has been a very eventful August and I have been nonstop the entire time. I have been visiting friends and family. I have checked an item off my bucket list. I am so blessed to be able to experience all that I do. So for a few more days I shall have access to no computers, no blogs, no emails and that is fine by me.

The only things I miss are being creative and making things however September and October will be available to catch up on these activities.

So for now thank you for reading my thoughts I share, for following my blog and for being my virtual friends.

Happy creating...

Omiyage...

This is a book titled Omiyage and I have owned it for several years. The author is Kumiko Sudo. She is also the extremely talented artist who makes the lovely fabric gifts. I have always been fascinated with small things that are handmade and on the intricate yet simple note.

This butterfly is one that I made several years ago. Beautiful fabrics cut into shapes and then sewn by hand. Each butterfly has hundreds of tiny little stitches holding it together. I tried to do my best tiny stitching even though none of it shows in the finished butterfly. However I know my stitches are beautiful. The green ties are to hold a small pocket closed. I have a glass heart in this pocket for good luck. Since butterflies are the bearers of 10,000 happinesses I made these and gave them to my sisters one year. I doubt they realize how much time and love went into making each and every one of them.

This is a fabric origami bird that is made with simple shapes and handstitched. Once again I made each tiny stitch as perfect as I possibly could just because. These small birds are so simple and elegant when complete. I placed each bird I made in a lovely little nest (purchased) and then gave them to my dear friends and sisters.

I have many more little fabric items I wish to make from this amazing book. The days of traveling and working on small hand projects while captive on a plane are long gone. I have had numerous little scissors, needles and pins confiscated merely because I never even thought of my lovely hand sewing projects being anything related to terrorism or causing harm to anyone. How sad. So now all those hours are spent mindlessly watching some idiot tv or listening to some music or reading until my eyes are too blurry to see through. I miss my tiny little stitches and the amazing finished fabric gifts. When I am home there never seems to be the time to sit and stitch as so many chores always need to be tended to. Yes, I hear the dryer calling me now to have me fold a load of clothes. Oh joy!

How do you like to spend your travel time when you are captive on a plane?

Florence sights...

Welcome to Florence Italy. This is where my adventures began last month when my husband and I went on Holiday vacation. As any of you who travel know the flights are extremely long and crowded. Lots of delays and virtually no sleep so that when you arrive at your destination you are so tired you just cannot even think straight. Fortunately for me my husband is a wonderful organizer and planner and therefore he gets us where we need to be with me just blindly following along. I am usually in such a daze and all wonder-eyed at the sights and sounds that I have absolutely no clue what I am doing or where I am going. I have such a child-like wonder at seeing everything. Traveling for me is incredibly mind expanding.

The Duomo in photo at the top is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and is the centerpiece of Florence. Neptune's fountain is in the Piazza della Signoria and while we were there was being repaired from damage done by someone. Florence is easily managed on foot and we did a lot of walking. Of course we visited Michelangelo's "David" who resides in the Accademia museum. Absolutely no photos are permitted of this most amazing statue. We also enjoyed the Uffizi and the Cappelle Medicee museums.

I just love the tiny little Smart cars. Of course we now have them here in the States but in Italy they make such better sense as the cobblestoned streets and alleys are all so very narrow and crowded.

Oh the famous Ponte Vecchio which means "Old Bridge". It crosses the Arno river and is lined with jewelry shops. This view we took from inside the Uffizi so you can see some glass glare. Our weather was perfect and we had an amazing time in Florence.

I shall share some food favorites and a special spot in a future post. For now we shall say Ciao to Florence.

I would love to hear of your travels to Italy and what your favorite thing might have been.


Ciao...

It's good to be home...

Oh it is so good to be home. Dear Hubby and I are safely home after spending 20 days away. I am still recovering from exhaustion but today finally feel like I will survive. This is the only photo of me that I do not look as weary as I felt every day. This was early in the day before the grind of museums or hill towns got me drop dead worn out.
Our destination was Italy...Florence, Cinque Terra, Pisa, Tuscany, Umbria and Rome. In the next few weeks I shall tell more in detail. As for now we had beautiful weather with only one morning that rain drenched us and shortened our plans. We had excellent travel with planes, trains and automobiles. DH plans everything so well that we really were well prepared for this trip.
As you can see from this photo we ate our way through Italy. This was homemade granola (muesli is what they call it...I prefer granola as it sounds so much better to me) with some strawberry yogurt. I have lots of photos of food that we enjoyed which I shall share along the way.
My goal was to find bead shops in Italy for my new jewelry line "Adorn Me!". Well that proved to be very difficult however I did manage to find a couple and will share these adventures as well.
As for now, I am catching up on tons of laundry, reacquainting myself with our beloved aging fur-child kitty and enjoying friends who are all too willing to listen to our travel tales. This entire trip was a no techno gadget time for us so you can imagine how much I missed reading all of your blogs and now I am catching up on those too.
"There is no place like home" and it is so good to be back in my beautiful cozy familiar home. I am extremely grateful for the trip of a life time and the experiences and memories it allowed me.
Now it is time to get into the studio and get to making jewelry.