other.

Friday, August 07, 2009

the glitch.

happily, i am vacationing in vermont. sadly, my computer is also on vacation. she was working the day we left and decided to STOP working the day we arrived. her name is big edie (named after big edie from the fabulous movie, grey gardens) and the funny thing is that i watched that movie the night before we left. but there ARE no coincidences, right?

we spent the first 3 days of our holiday trying to get her to work, i was on the phone with apple tech support for 2 hours, we drove an hour to take her to town to have her looked at, my husband was on the phone yesterday with apple tech support for literally 4 hours straight, but still, no one can figure her out. it is quite annoying, especially since she is a brand new fancy pants macbook. and i really do feel kind of naked without her ! it appears that i have been sad mac’d, just like carrie bradshaw.

but i think the universe is trying to tell me something. i should be running around out in nature rather than being hunched over my computer. so, after being completely frustrated for a few days, i have given in and am letting go of my need to feel “connected” to the world. what could i possibly be missing out on? i am in a beautiful remote part of the country, completely surrounded by trees and wild animals, i have fresh bags of clay and a brand new shiny kiln, a sketchbook, a lake to jump in . . . and there is a possibility of her being fixed next week.

Monday, August 03, 2009

inspiration.

i found this lovely collection of sea glass at the beach yesterday. it isn’t often that you find RED sea glass . . . so beautiful. and today we leave for a month long holiday in new england. i’m looking forward to a LOT of relaxation and a LOT of new inspiration. i have a new sketchbook and nothing but time for a while . . .

Saturday, July 25, 2009

KEEP CALM & CARRY ON.

Back in the spring of 1939, it was an anonymous civil servant who was entrusted with finding the slogan for a propaganda poster intended to comfort and inspire the populace should, heaven forbid, the massed armies of Nazi Germany ever cross the Channel.

70 years later, this slogan has resurfaced and is now a common phrase seen and used everywhere . . . . due largely in part to people like victoria smith of sfgirlbybay (she is also mentioned here).

to me, it is such a wonderfully poignant sentiment. this is my tribute and interpretation of that ever so touching statement.

bowls, keep calm and carry on, sheep

Saturday, July 18, 2009

wilma’s birthday.

today wilma turned 4.

see her birthday party HERE.

(cake platter by whitney smith)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

vive la revolution !

happy bastille day!

tonight i am having dinner at cafe bastille to celebrate this day with some of my french friends. and what a perfectly beautiful warm night it shall be.

i’ve loaded up my store with some french wares for the occasion.

bastille day, french dishes

Monday, July 13, 2009

trailer trash.

is there a horse in the trailer . . . or is it a donkey or a mule? no, it’s NONE of those things. this is the trailer we borrowed from a friend to haul my work down to palo alto. thankfully, it was mostly filled with trash and empty boxes on the way BACK from the show. despite “this economy,” i was lucky and had my second best show in the 10 years i’ve been doing it.

it was a fun weekend to hang out with all of my clay-mates in sunny palo alto. even though it poured down rain for 10 minutes in the middle of the show . . . so funny. we ate and drank and swam and hot tubbed and sold lots of pots.

and though i was looking forward to NOT touching clay for a while, i came back to a chunk of custom orders that i need to fill before i go away for the ENTIRE MONTH OF AUGUST.

when it rains, it pours.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

the sweat shop.

josie, christa, and i have all been in the studio working long hard hours for our show which is THIS WEEKEND. it’s been fun though, the late night happy hours, loud music, cookies, and such . . . . . . misery does love company, no? i have fired my big kiln about 6 times in the past month. but today we had ALL THREE kilns firing at once, to over 2,000 degrees each. does that make over 6,000 degrees of heat in the studio ?! sure felt like it. i was so ridiculously hot and sweaty in there that i had to call it a day at 5pm. it was a true sweat shop.

come by this weekend and see our new work.

palo alto art center

1313 newell road @ embarcadero

sat + sun, 10-5

Thursday, July 02, 2009

knock on wood.

there is a free give-away of my knock on wood plate right here.

hurry, you have until july 6th.

free plate, give away today, knock on wood

Monday, June 29, 2009

HOLD, please.

i am generally not one to gripe, but come ON . . . hair elastics these days are NOT what they used to be. they s t r e t c h out SO much after just one use. i remember being able to wear the same one for weeks . . . months even. but the ones today completely SUCK. they stretch out and loose their elasticity within minutes. my theory is that in this disposable world, things are made to break down quickly, forcing you into frequent replacments. but i live in pony tails, so this really affects me. am i simply buying the wrong brands ? if anyone has any tips on hair elastics that really do hold the hair, please share.

p.s. . . don’t get me started on bobby pins, that is a WHOLE other topic.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

tea for two.

today i had the most delightful afternoon tea with my new friend pouké. she has a charming house in berkeley with a secret garden backyard and birds that visit and revisit her (she feeds them such delicacies !). what a tranquil hideaway and the perfect setting for an afternoon tea.

pouké is an exquisite french renaissance woman who can do just about anything. she is an accomplished food stylist (yes, she made the scones and the apricot tarts . . . delicious. oh, and she also made the tea from scratch and grew the herbs for the tea ! . . . see what i mean ?) . . .

but she is also an amazing painter and photographer. i utterly adore her paintings. they are beautifully simple and they draw you in until you can’t stop looking at them. we met through our husbands and we were instantly drawn to each other. i think we share a lot of the same sensibilities and aesthetics, which makes for a very easy and lovely friendship.

visit her incredible food blog, life blog, and website.

afternoon tea, garden, pouke, tea

Monday, June 15, 2009

BESHERET.

besheret is a very beautiful hebrew word meaning “meant to be, destiny, soulmate, . . . ” it is such a sweet and magical word. someone ordered this ring dish from me with her wedding date and “besheret” imprinted into the clay. what a perfect little bed side dish to hold her rings in.

i first heard the word “besheret” on sex and the city in one of the funniest episodes when charlotte was trying to get harry to marry her. HILARIOUS.

if you’d like a BESHERET dish, you can get one right here.

besheret, clay., hebrew, rae dunn, ring bearer dish, ring dish