Gigantic book artichokes

http://www.ritzybee.typepad.com/ says these are pinecones, but they look like fantastically wordy, literary artichokes to me! I always knew artichokes were a smart choice ;)

Sunshine

I have decided to post my paintings periodically.

For those who may not know, I enjoy painting expressively with a variety of different mediums: watercolor, oil, acrylic, gouache. This is one of the first paintings I did (circa 2004) with an out-of-the-box focus on texture. This oil painting is covered entirely in sand, which blurs the detail and creates a velvety-rough texture. This suited the mood of the painting, which was a tribute to the bright, fiery, passionate side of me. I called it Sunshine.

Cultivating a marriage?

"And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard." Genesis 9:20

Interesting thought. As a man becomes a husband, a primary task is to plant a vineyard. Whether this is for livelihood, family bonding, or the sanity of either husband or wife, I think this is a beautiful old tradition that should be revisited! (Yes!)

Photo of Austrian vineyard

"I love everything that's old - old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine." Oliver Goldsmith

Island paradise

From www.swsmag.com:

Sandals La Toc at Jade Mountain at Soufriere, St. Lucia, West Indies.

This is literally the view from the bloggers' stay.

It looks like a montage of beautiful things....so dreamy....

Thinking about another day

Lilac and lavender

I do love the smell and look of lavender. This room is so peaceful. The clean white is refreshing, the lilac walls are serene, and the deep masculine wood of the dresser offsets the femininity of the lavender. Blissful.

"There's a few things I've learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can." - Lavender & Shakespeare, Winter's Tale iv.4

Mosaic Magic

I love this gorgeous compilation of colorful tiles from decor8blog.com. Tiled backsplashes in bathrooms or kitchens are just my ideal. I can't wait to nest!

Next stop: An Abacoa Saturday with my lovely Diana to create mosaics.