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There is hope. There is always hope. Hope does not disappoint us.
Designs by the Ardent Sparrow
Via Grey Likes Weddings, Photography by joielala, Shoot: Megan of Forget me Knot Weddings and
Tori and Myka of Sitting in a Tree Events
My cousin Lynn was just here. She just left in her frost-covered car. Bye Lynn! Thanks for a good visit, and tell me when you get home safe. I mean, ‘safely.’ Lynn is a grammar expert.
Good morning! I have been having fun perusing Becca Kallem’s artwork. Those little birdie tags down below are a gift from her. Artists do that, sometimes. She gave me permission to share some images from her website with you. You can check out her blog here and website here. Enjoy! I certainly have!
…maybe I should finish those beach paintings! Sometimes I blog just to tell my self to do stuff. Self! Finish your beach paintings!
A stationary stone gathers no momentum. That’s my version of “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” They’re basically opposite ways of saying the same thing. In my experience, ideas breed more ideas. And when you don’t have ideas…you just start puttering, and then you get ideas. I had these two blue blocky canvases. Then I painted them pink. Then I started collaging newspaper on them. And then…..I was rummaging through my scrapbook paper for an entirely unrelated reason. And I found these awesome marbelized transparent papers that fit the canvases exactly. I like the way the newspaper shows through. Next step: I’m thinking a nice shiny laquer coat over the top.
Because I heart hearts and I heart shells! This is hanging in my stairway and it makes me happy! Some of the bits of broken dishes are from our trip to Skye. So the dishes could be really old? I don’t know. Pretty, though. I wanted to tell you about one of my new favorite stores having a sale. It is bound to be one of my old favorite stores. I can’t get web images to load right now, so…should I tell you? Oh, FINE. Okay. Land’s End Canvas: check out their sale section! I’m going to be back with a Warm and Cool post of a couple things I’ve ordered. I’m trending preppier all the time. I think, in my heart, my style falls somewhere between Arwen of the Elves and Zena Warrior Princess, but the boat shoes I’ve got ARE comfy and cute and mold to my hobbit bunion feet. Thanks again for those bunions, Nana! 
Wasn’t I just whining that the peony season was over? Lo and behold I picked up some frilly pinks at Costco the other day! And the Essie nail polish…well, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I picked that up at Target. Pretty! My only complaint is that I didn’t go neutral enough. I have a hard time buying neutral because I think, “Oh, but this brighter color is so much more interesting and I’m just throwing my money away on Boredomsville!” I should learn to trust my gut. Live and learn.
P.S. Lonny for July/August is live. Whee!
I could go on about peonies all day, every day. They are so incredibly sexy. They’re unapologetically frilly, headily perfumed but not gaudy. And yet…they are ROBUST. They can stand neglect, sun, and freezing temperatures. They are unassuming, regular little plants for most of the summer except particularly in June when they flame out with incomparable glory. Then they go back to being little green plants as if nothing at all happened. They live in quiet, confident faith that next June will be just as glorious. Peonies, you are my hero.
A Little reprise of Thigpen’s Wedding lyrics here (and a little background for why I like the song).
It struck me afresh today how sometimes the most taken-for-granted things, like these broken sand dollars, hold such exquisite beauty when we ‘learn how to see’. I never did find a whole sand dollar. Before this trip I wasn’t sure it was legal to pick them up (our research leads us to believe it is, in the state of Oregon). So I bought some whole sand dollars at a junk shop for $5 to get that out my system before we even went. But these broken beautiful bits, so freshly washed up on the beach share currently captivate me more. They really are bones, yes? The exoskeletons of beetles and roaches leave us shivering but these starry, bony darlings are so accessible. Like the inside of an apple, only they wear their stars proudly on the outside. Imagine the skill it would take to etch this pattern by hand. And look at the little sections of calcification, almost like crocodile skin, showing light in the middle and dark around the edges. 
It tickles me that for this image, my camera tried to choose the ‘mountain scenery’ setting. Looking inside the sand dollar reminds me of being in another world…or perhaps Mammoth Cave?
Inside bottom of the sand dollar. Look at all those bony striations.
Bottom Dollar.
I liked how these pieces of rounded driftwood mimic rocks! How very stylish and modern of you, ocean!
Last night it stormed before bed. I wish I had caught the lightning flashing ACROSS the rainbow. Awesome. Also, here are those paintings I’ve been working on, in frames (that their mother doesn’t get to keep. Ru-ude, huh? I was just reading an article about Lonny online mag, its predecessor in many ways was Domino Magazine. They talked about carting in furniture, linens, etc. for a client’s photo shoot and then taking it all back, so I guess I’m not that bad! Also, here’s a flower I couldn’t stop myself from painting. Looks like I couldn’t finish, either, but oh, well! I’m trying to paint more consistently!
So, like I said, we were at church camp this weekend. Husby spent several summers during his childhood going to Camp Ghormley, and I actually spent a week there counseling as a church intern. I think the intern staff also retreated there once. And I distinctly remember spraining my ankle on the steps of my cabin…oh, about ten years ago now. It just tickles me pink that after traveling from Washingon, and residing in Nashville for 6 years, we have come full circle and are taking our kid to church camp at a place that is already full of good memories for us (except the ankle).
Out the cabin window. Nice silhouette, honey! I don’t think I took this one.
I’m kind of proud of those sunbursts. Here’s the dining hall entrance. In case Christianity isn’t your usual cup of tea, ‘Servants Entrance’ is in regards to everyone, based on the words of Jesus, ‘If anyone wants to be great among you he must be servant of all.” The sign does not indicate that we go bossing the camp staff around. Better not, because they’re clipping you into the zip-line. Haha. 
A little ‘shmallow and Kumbayah action. We joked that if we were at camp when the rapture happened, we might not know. Christians actually believe in the rapture, but also in the Scripture that says NO ONE knows when it’s coming. Just to clear that up.
Frog rock! Visit Rimrock! I think ‘our’ Frog Rock beats the one below in the Canterbury Plains.
On the way home, an amazing rainbow in the clouds.
Aaaaaand, extra bonus round; here are some photos I took between Yakima and Richland. All these are taken from the car, by the way! Not bad, little Lumix!
I love bubbles so much it isn’t even funny. I was so excited to see Joanna’s post about bubbles at Cup of Jo the other day. The bubble painting below was done years ago from a photo taken while blowing bubbles at night. They were lit by my grandparent’s porch light, and the result was truly trippy. And magical. At the park today, I got to do my own rendition of Odin Hole Standal’s soap bubbles over the fjord. Don’t judge too harshly, because last time I checked, Tri Cities does not have a fjord or mountains with snow, and also, I didn’t get up at sunrise. But still, aren’t they pretty?
artisallaroundus 
