July 4th Musings

My dear husband just sent me the most delectable picture, and I thought that I'd share it with you.

Yes...we'll be having our usual burger feast before heading off to see fireworks tonight; but we'll also be enjoying this bounty from the garden. It's our first *real* harvest of the year.

July 3rd fireworks at Woodlake have become a family tradition for us. Before I moved to North Carolina, our tradition included fireworks and an amazing performance of the River City Brass at Westminster College. (Imagine gunfire during the 1812 Overture!)

When I was a kid in Pittsburgh, it was Caste Village Fireworks from our front yard, and a variety of city fireworks from my Grandma's porch in Mt. Washington. (How many Italian relatives can you fit on one glider?!?!?) It was ooohs and aaahs and Ice cold watermelon and Cracker Jack for everyone!

July 4th weekend has always been about family and fireworks for me, and I hope that you'll be enjoying a bit of the same this weekend too.

Happy 4th of July, and tremendous thanks to those who serve on our behalf!

Please Join Me at "Pinestock"!

Tomorrow afternoon, a group of talented local middle-school students will be staging the first ever Pinestock Festival right here in downtown Southern Pines. The event is being held from 5:00 - 7:00 in the grassy area behind the post office. You can read all about it in this article in our local newspaper, The Pilot.

Please join me for an entertaining afternoon on the lawn, and be sure to visit in theshade of my tent too!

Visiting With Friends

Boone Artists, Tom and Brenda Barber, visited Artist Alley yesterday, and it was such a treat to see them! Brenda is a mixed media artist who creates the most luminous collages and Tom is a fiber artist who learned to crochet while he was recovering from a gunshot wound at age 15.

They've faced so many challenges, especially during the past year. I admire their faith, courage, and the relationship that they share. They are genuinely two of the nicest people I've ever met, and our thoughts and prayers remain with them.

With Brenda's encouragement, I took this photo of Tom enjoying a few moments on the bench in front of The Alley. (He caught us, of course! ) Somehow Brenda escaped before I could snap one of her too. Next time, Brenda...

She Sells Sea Shells

This Saturday, I'll be participating in a show in Swansboro, North Carolina. Swansboro is on the water and near the beach, and I'm really looking forward to it! Artist Alley Potter, Suzanne Rehbock of Flying Pig Pottery, will be there too. If you're in the area, please stop for a visit.

These pieces were created by decorative painter, Kathleen Miller, and they're available at The Alley now. Even if "The Beach" isn't in your plans for the summer, these lovelies will provide you with a little touch of it in your home everyday.

Courage

The concept of "Courage" has been on my mind. While grand acts of courage are obvious and impressive, it's the everyday acts of courage that have touched my heart lately.... a true Southern Gentleman who dedicated his life to the fire service in Moore County, the woman recently diagnosed with cancer who's fighting the good fight, my dear niece who's constructively addressing a bullying situation at her school..examples are everywhere if we take the time to look.

Spring's Emerging Artists

Joy Hellman, mixed media artist extraordinaire who has a delightful series of whimsical works at Artist Alley, shared this photo with me. In it, three of her students enjoy a bit of inspiration on a lovely spring day in Southern Pines.

Books to Be Red and 100 Pots

On a whim last year, I decided to make a series of pottery dishes. I knew what I wanted in my head, and I called on my artist-friend Olivia to help me to execute the idea. I debuted the results at The Ocrafolk Festival on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina

Ocracoke happens to be one of my favorite places, and it also happens to be home to my favorite bookstore in the world, Books to be Red. Whether your searching for a lighthearted beach read, the perfect journal, gifts for the kids, or original art...there's something for everyone at Books to be Red. If you visit soon...and I'll be jealous if you do... you'll also find a selection of my jewelry, my "Ode to Ocracoke" cards and prints, and 100 of these freshly made delicious little dishes. (They're shown above as they're midway through the creative process, and I promise that they're even better in person!)

In My Corner of the World

In my corner of the world, I've been blissfully busy, and this blog has been woefully neglected as a result.

There'll be no long post for me today. Instead, I'll share an image of my latest creation. It features one of my all-time Swedish Proverbs.

Business Breakfast on June 6th

One of my favorite groups in the world, The Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild will be hosting an Indie Business Breakfast in Raleigh on Saturday June 6, 2009 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. at John P. "Top" Green Neighborhood Center, 401 Martin Luther King Blvd, Raleigh, NC, 27601.

They're promising "Breakfast & Brilliance" as they welcome Donna Maria Coles Johnson of the Indie Business Network(http://www.IndieBusinessBlog.com) and Lisa Stewart of EC Stewart Designs (http://www.ecstewart.com). The topic of their discussion will be "Using Social Media to Leverage Your Business and Attract More Paying Customers to Your Business". After their discussion, there'll be time for open networking with these creative geniuses.

This event promises a wealth of information for folks in all stages of developing their businesses. For additional information and registration information, please visit: http://indiebusinessbreakfastraleigh.eventbrite.com/.

On a final note, for the art lovers among us, Lisa Stewart is the creative force behind "Calligraphy Pets" and other work that you may have seen at Artist Alley. Her work, and the work of other artists from the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild will also be featured at the meeting, and you'll have an opportunity to "Meet the Artists". (You KNOW how we love that at Artist Alley!)

New Arrivals...

Created right here in North Carolina, I'm pleased to introducing our latest arrivals! Won't you provide a good home to one or more of these precious babies? They'll be ready for delivery in 8 - 12 weeks, and I'll even throw in some food and other trinkets too. More photos to follow.

Pretty please?!?!?!