SallyJean

Eye Candy - The Joy of Flicker

1. Untitled, 2. Very old book from 1752 . . . . . . . HAR! Nothing scandalous, offensive or indecent, but > 4,000 views anyway, 3. this was inside a knitted dress, 4. Venice, Italy, 5. birds, 6. rubyjulia 004, 7. without a word, 8. Very old book from 1752 (17), 9. madrid-escorial-library, 10. Fixer-upper in Coudersport, PA, 11. Untitled, 12. Kashmir, 13. Vintage Cardboard Mannequin, 14. old book 01, 15. Antique insect catalogue, 16. Sachs-Villatte 1884 (6), 17. Untitled, 18. ancien 02, 19. antiqueshopping 004, 20. anthropologie_newspaper, 21. Door lock and knob, Petit Trianon, Versailles, 22. speller, 23. Mercerie, 24. chandelier

I am completely taken aback by the incredible talent of amateur photographers...the composition and lighting and content, oh, my! Just traveling through Flicker albums gives me great joy. It is sometimes the smallest of pleasures that tickles my fancy...the torn spine of an old book, granny's bowl of pearls, the budding tip of an orange blossom tree on the edge of spring. All of this is eye candy for me.

Here I offer you a peek into what I call EYE CANDY...according to the world of Flicker. Take a peek...join...save to your FAVES...and then visit Big Huge Labs to create your own personal mosaic (among other treats). You'll be hooked. Now, if I can just find a way to convince my hubby to move into that fixer upper in #10!

While the cats away...

...the mouse will play!

Just back from Asilomar...a very beautiful location for an art retreat hosted by Art & Soul. The location is dreamy, my students were amazing - every one of them, and the week was way too short. Virgins were de-virginized, Big Red went caput but we lived to tell about it, and stunning Flower necklaces were worn (or will soon be worn). We had a roaring fire during class, and found the secret Diet Coke locations...AND the secret SINK LOCATION (hidden behind the sliding wall in the classroom). Glenny did it again and I have heard that it is indeed again...Art & Soul Asilomar - May 2009!

Yes, I did walk on the beach...about 3 minutes in Carmel. But if you had to choose a beach, that would be it. Carmel was also home to Katie's Place for breakfast...with at least a dozen variations of Eggs Benedict (the craving was satisfied!). The little spray bottles on the ledge of the deck outside are to keep the pesky birds at bay (or quench their thirst, perhaps).

I popped into a darling little fabric store called FINDINGS. Owner Nancy was a kindred spirit, giving home to this lost little bunny that was truly loved once upon a time (can't you tell?). I couldn't get out of there without some fabulous French ribbons and trims.

Then a quick jaunt around the block to Picadilly's where we bumped into students who were gathering more ribbons and other fabulous treats! I just so happened to come upon a package of theatre images which I had seen several students using during class...oh, they made me drool! (I'll post an image tomorrow).

We raced back to the San Jose airport, stopping at UPS to ship 6 boxes directly to Hampton, Virginia for next weeks Art & Soul Retreat! There was about 20-degrees difference in temperature between Monterey and San Jose...and another 20-degrees or more back to Portland. Imagine our shock when the pilot told us to expect snow this weekend in Portland (enough already, Joyce!!!)!

Now we are home, recovering from "same-time-zone-jet-lag" and catching up as well as preparing to leave next week. It did snow (just a smidge) and the 85-degree Portland day, just a week ago, is a distant memory. The studio is a mess...and now I know why! I could have blamed it on myself, the tornado that occurs just before leaving for a workshop. But really, Stinky and Lucy were naughty little studio guardians! Apparently, Stinky & Lucy didn't take care of teh studio...they went out for happy hour at the Paragon and it was just a little too happy! Those two...and their hyjinks!

Celebrate April

1. Be a tourist in your own town. Take the day and stop at the Visitors Center. Find the top attractions. Take a bus there (if you can). See your town from an outsiders eyes.

2. Obsess over organization. Make your own artful labels (or buy vintage Dennison labels with the red borders). Use shoe boxes, plastic bins, jars. Separate your goodies, label them, roll matching socks together (if the dryer hasn't eaten them first). And for at least this month, put things back where you found them.

3. Plan a "dream" vacation. Get on the internet and look up fabulous beachy resorts, glamourous European hotels, far-away lands. Money is no object (for this project...you've just won the lottery). Fly first class. Stay in the Presidential Suite. Bring all your friends and family (or maybe it's just YOU on this "dream" vacation. Close your eyes and imagine that you are THERE.

4. Go for a bike ride. Circles in your culdesac, with a basket to the grocery store, a 10-mile trek as a serious-bike-aficionado. If you don't have your own bike...borrow your 10-year-olds. Even a tricycle will do (and be a REALLY good time). Wear a helmet.

5. Window shop for jewelry. Stop at every jewelry store window. Ohh and ahh. Maybe, just maybe, go inside and try something on "for size".

6. Be a Sunday driver. Take a long drive to the next town over...to the country...to nowhere. Stop for lunch (or eat in the car). Make a wrong turn. Find your way back.

7. Spring clean...detail your own car. Wipe it down, vacuum it out, hunt for the lone french fry under the seat. Wash it on the outside and finish with wax. Put a stuffed animal in the back window!

8. Sit outside on your steps and watch the world go by. If it's chilly, throw a blanket around you. Say hi to the neighbors, wave at the people driving by, sip hot chocolate (or wine) and stay a while. You may even meet your mailman!

9. Doodle on the bottom of your sneakers...you know...like you did when you were in high school. Write your sweeties name. Jot down your best friends phone number. Doodle flowers and faces and lines and spots.

10. Have a family "pot luck" dinner party. Each person in the house is responsible for a different part of the dinner. Of course, the men want to barbeque! Little ones can tear lettuce to make a salad. Nine-year-olds are good for milkshake desserts. But who is going to do the vegetables?

11. If your hair is straight...curl it. If it's curly...straighten it. If all else fails...wear piggy tails!

12. Go on a field trip with your children. Take them to the museum. Bring their friends. Learn. Go out for ice cream afterwards.

13. Throw out your old make-up. It's old. And if you still have it and it's old...you don't use it...so throw it out. Now go on a make-up shopping spree at Sephora.

14. Find a vintage crinoline petticoat skirt. Put it on and twirl.

15. This time, do it with a CPA.

16. Search garage sales and flea markets for vintage hard-cover books under $1. Tear the inside pages out (you can use them in collage). Separate the front & back covers (leave the fraying canvas). Now, use the covers as your "canvas" for art. Attach seam-binding ribbon to the top and hang here and there.

17. Get with the times and get yourself a Facebook!

18. Don't forget about the American Red Cross...an organization who is there for all tragedies big and small. Whether you donate money, donate your time, or take a class in CPR, show your support for the American Red Cross and for your community.

19. Play silly car games...ie: "who stole the cookie from the cookie jar"? In case you forgot, it goes like this:
Person A: "___B____ stole the cookie from the cookie jar".
Person B: "Who, me?"
Person A: "Ya, you."
Person B: "Couldn't be"
Person A: "Then who?"
Person B: "___C___ stole the cookie from the cookie jar..."

20. Take your mom and dad out for lunch. Don't meet them...pick them up and be their chauffeur. Make sure all talk is "happy" talk. Treat them.

21. Make snow-angels in your freshly vacuumed carpet. Do it with your children. Or just do it alone.

22. Bring gourmet cupcakes to the office. Treat yourself to Saint Cupcake (if you are in Portland or soon-to-be-shipped-across-the-USA). Or fake it and make your own buy buying store-made cupcakes, scrape the icing off, and add your own icing (pre-made icing with food coloring). Don't forget to add the sprinkles!

23. Zap your cat. To take the chill off (which is still out there)...get yourself a microwavable Kitty Wrap (or Bunny, or Leopard, or...)! Within 3 minutes your cat will lay on your belly, relieve a sore back, and keep your feet warm. This kitty is even willing to pre-warm the seats in your car every morning. The best part? You don't need to feed it...it won't shed...and you can rub its belly without getting bitten! For your very own heatable kitty, visit Warm Whiskers.

24. Wear a candy necklace all day long. Re-string it if it's too tight. Eat it if you're hungry.

25. Get yourself a pair of Levi's 501's...the BOY jeans (they look really good on girl-butts). And the button fly is fun.

26. For those with a little snow left...make a snowman and watch him melt!

27. Wear 3 necklaces at the same time (layering). Pearls with rhinestones with vintage chain. Make a statement.

28. Outbid someone on eBay at the last minute. Remember...it's not about the iterm...it's about WINNING!

29. Dress up your reading glasses. Buy mini-rhinestones and super-glue them on (be careful not to glue your fingers!). Make a beaded cord to hang them on around your neck, too.

30. Indulge in Spring and go Tulip Hunting! There must be a farm-field of tulips to wander through...picking your own. Or a small pot at your local garden center just to add that "yes...I promise...spring is here (or coming soon)!"

What a Wonderful Workshop!

It has been a couple of weeks...but my, how I wish it were that special weekend in March again, when I welcomed into my studio the most amazing, silly, generous, artful, sharing, and friendly women for a weekend workshop. It wasn't the first group of girls to come play with me...and I am truly blessed that each and every weekend workshop that I've had has been filled with such amazing ladies. Some (bless their hearts) travel from as far as Florida, Virginia, Rhode Island, etc. Some bring loads of goodies to share with their fellow artists... some bring their fellow artists! A few (6) were named SALLY (great name)! A few were named SIS-TAH! A few pet Stinky (most just made fun of his big belly and little legs). Some made a mess at their hotel (you know who you are!). Some made a mess here AND their hotel! And one special girl brought vintage U2 memorabilia for me to make into art (my headphones are warming up!) We laugh. We cry. We wear dozens of bandaids when we go back home! Oh, if you all could just move in, stay, play, and make art! Thank you for bringing JOY to my little studio...I treasure the memories and look forward to the chance meetings again someday (maybe for THE pajama party!)

I am now just a few weeks away from the ART & SOUL - ASILOMAR WORKSHOP (in Montery, California)...one of the most lovely places. This time I will actually walk on the beach! My classroom has a fireplace in it, I believe...I hope those of you that are attending like the ambience of a fire! Ha!

Then, next month, off to ART & SOUL - HAMPTON, VIRGINIA (yet another beach nearby!). I love the atlantic coast in particular...the waves just move differently. I'm so looking forward to seeing my friend Rodney, who helped me immensely at the Hampton Inn last year. Rodney, if you're reading this, the boxes WILL be blue and white again! All 17 of them! I just can't wait to make new friends and re-connect with my art pals! "YIPPIE" to whoever invented workshops!

All this excitement...just as ARTFEST kicks off in Port Townsend, Washington! I won't be there this year...but hope those of you that are making the trek have a fabulous time!

That being said...for those of you that want to play with me here or there...I'm thrilled to let the birdie out of the bag about my 2008 Workshop Schedule!

July 19 - 23
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Returning to FOUND
Workshop & Trunk Show details coming soon

August 9 & 10
Portland, Oregon
STUDIO WORKSHOP
Totally Tiara - 2 days (there are just 2 spots left)

August 23rd
Pleasanton, California (near San Francisco)
THE BELLA GALLERIA EVENT (workshop details to be announced soon)

September 6-13
Cortona, Italy
CANDELABRA DI CORTONA - A chandelier of Scavenged Fragments
(just a few spots left)

October 1-6
Portland, Oregon
ART & SOUL
House of Style - 2 days (still open)

and for those VIRGINS that didn't make it into SOLDERING FOR VIRGINS...
THE LAST WORKSHOPS OF THE YEAR:

Tuesday, September 30
SALLY JEAN STUDIO SOLDERING FOR VIRGINS
and
Tuesday, October 7
SALLY JEAN STUDIO SOLDERING FOR VIRGINS

I'm not sure what 2009 will bring, but if you have any ideas and/or suggestions...be sure to let me know!

Happy Creating!

Look what I found!

Every once in a while you pop into a little non-descript antique shop...the kind filled with man toys such as floor to ceiling racks of vintage match-box-cars, hunting artifacts and model cars. There are always a few kid toys (such as vintage Weeble airplanes, which I confess that I was SOOO tempted to buy) and girl toys (rhinestone this and pearl that). On this day, in this tiny little shop on my way to the candy store (yum), I took a leap of faith and wandered in. After quickly passing the match-box-cars and pausing in front of the airplanes, under dusty puzzle boxes, low-and-behold...a vintage box of Anagram game pieces! At first, it was the faded color of the box that caught my eye (surely, there would be a use for it in my collages). Just knowing that YES! Anagrams could be found at Antique shops still (and not just on eBay) made my day. But looking inside...BONUS! Stubby little yellow pencils with giant eraser heads (sharpened just for me) and half a dozen green dice. Need I say...SCORE! The little Anagram game pieces with their raised my-kind-of-teal-blue letters were just what I needed. The best part...the worn-out price tag of $10 (search for these online and find that they go for at least triple that...without pencils and dice!). To find your own, just search on eBay by typing in ANAGRAMS. Happy Bidding!

With just a few minutes to spare on the parking meter, my hasty walk to the cash register was halted as something a similar shade of faded green caught the corner of my eye. An old book, tattered, torn, tearing, faded, and certainly unwanted...but the little birdie on the cover was calling my name "Tweet-Sally-Tweet". I couldn't resist the $4 price...but even if I could...I couldn't resist the sweet embossed golden birdie on the cover. For those of you that love the birdie, too...did you know that you could go to Amazon and type in the title to find other booksellers who have this book for sale? Search for A FIRST BOOK UPON THE BIRDS OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON. (Just email the sellers to make sure the cover is the same).

Just imagine what you could do with this book? Cut up the birdie words inside to use in collage your collages. Remove the inner pages and use the cover for an altered book cover. Frame the front cover making sure to show the rips and tears. Cut the back cover into tags. Stack it along with other same-colored old books on the table next to your bed. Tease your cat with the birdie picture.

I thought I had nearly made it out of the store when I came across another pretty little faded box with a 40% off sticker on it. Inside...not just one...but two pairs of baby shoes. Loving their soft feel and knowing that someday I will do something magical with them...they came along, too.

So, my 15 minute quickie into a tiny antique shop was a good thing. And yes...I did make it to the candy store...and came out with a 15" long French marshmallow!

Let It Snow!

There is something magical about snow. Sure, when you are shoveling 3 feet for 5 months straight it may not seem that way. But in the Pacific Northwest, snow is a rarity (except in the mountains). When half an inch falls, sanding trucks are making the rounds, school is closed, and snowmen-a--plenty are created! (Imagine a snowman on a front lawn made from 1/2" of snow...melting away atop a bed of thorny green-brown grass). Last year, just the "possibility" of snow (predicted by weathermen) was enough to close school the next day. Well, you-know-what hit the fan when the snow never showed! (The kids weren't complaining, of course). This year, the only day it snowed was Christmas Day...which made the falling puffy white flakes even more magical!

Needless to say, the other day after being tired of the constant gray-ness, I asked Joyce, a special customer, to send snow my way. She could spare some...she lives in Minnesota! Imagine my absolute delight when the very next day I awakened to snow! And the next day! And the day after that! It didn't stick for long, but it fell, off and on, for the last 3 days! Today we even had hale, impersonating snow, as it covered the streets and cars in white.

So a shout-out to Joyce...for making the magic happen. And if anyone else has some snow to spare...bring it on!

Take the Peep Challenge

What is the PEEP CHALLENGE you ask? Well...while we are enjoying our jelly beans and chocolate bunnies, take a few moments to indulge in TWO of these squishy, sugary, colorful marshmallow treats. Here is your challenge...

Begin with the PEEP of your choice...perhaps a blue bunny. Try eating this PEEP on the right side of your mouth only (the PEEP will want to travel to the other side of your mouth...you know how those PEEP's get around! But don't let it!).

Then, try eating a different PEEP...say...a pink chick (remove legs & feet first)...on the left side of your mouth. Now, stick out your tongue? Is the pink color on the left side? The blue color on the right side? Or did you make LAVENDER???? The object is to keep the colors separate. Can it be done? Can you do it? Can your hubby do it? Can your kids do it? What if your cat ate a blue PEEP and your dog ate a pink PEEP? Would they get colly-wobbles (that thing your mother told you that you would get if you ate too much candy?).

Take the PEEP CHALLENGE...and let me know the results!

Celebrate March

1. Watch an old classic (in black & white). Try Cary Grant - Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House (especially for those that enjoy remodeling!), Harvey (Jimmy Stewart and his 6-foot rabbit), or From Here To Eternity (an all-star cast and unforgettable love scene). Of course, for giggles, try a marathon of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis.

2. Remember our little friends in a big way. Make a donation to an animal shelter/rescue/adoption center. Big or small - every little bit helps. You can donate with money, or even just a bag of pet food or cat litter. Be inspired: Bernie Berlin has devoted her life and art to A PLACE TO BARK - an animal rescue. I love that she is drawn to "the unwanted, unloved and misunderstood." Visit her blog to find out how important she and others like her are. You will find links to donate online, and addresses of where to send needed items. http://www.aplacetobark.blogspot.com/

3. Play with play-doh. Hit the kid section of your supermarket or dollar store. Buy all the different colors. Open them up (remember the play-doh smell?). Make balls and beads and animals and houses. Roll it. Pound it. Mix the colors up (just like you did when you were a kid). When you're done, smoosh them all back into the can. (ok...save at least "one" of your creations!).

4. Start recycling in a big way. Buy products that are green, save scraps to use in artwork, sort your garbage and recycle as much as possible. Organize a recycling center in your garage or basement...get the whole family involved.

5. Deliver a special lunch to your child at school. Even if you sent lunch money, or the usual brown-bag sandwich, drop off a special treat. Perhaps "take-out" from their favorite restaurant, Subway (including the cookie), or a sushi-surprise (California Roll and Ebi). Just a little treat to make their day a little brighter.

6. Indulge in random acts of kindness. Send a handmade gift to someone (a teacher, a friend, even someone you don't know). Pay one month's electric bill for your parents. Give movie tickets and baby-sitting to a friend who could use a break for a date-night. Put your ideas in a bowl and every once in a while, pull one out and do it. Make up random acts of kindness for your children to do, also.

7. Spend the day exploring. Bring your camera and take black & white photos of everything. Submit the best to Somerset Studio LIFE IMAGES.

8. Make your own paper. Find a blender at the local Goodwill. Put water in it, then add scraps of paper. Blend until it makes a pulp. Pour onto an old window screen (found at a rebuilding center, hardware store, or your own basement). Press the water out (best done outside or over a plastic bin). Let dry and you will have paper. Press down more for a thinner paper, add bits of dried lavender or grass for texture. Use a ruler to tear it into squares for sending notes or making art on. Google "making paper" on the web and try some other recipes.

9. Write limericks just for fun. Begin each one with "There once was a girl named _______" or "There once was a town called ______". Go around the dinner table and have each person make up a limerick for themselves or the person next to them.

10. Pick up garbage when you see it on the ground. For example, if you are going for a walk and see a coffee cup in the gutter? Pick it up and throw it away. Every little bit helps to clean up our earth every day.

11. Get hooked on a reality show. Escape to THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NYC for a peek into the chic-chic big city life (premiering March 4th on Bravo TV). Or TOP CHEF for those that can cook a mean Top Ramen (premiering March 12th on Bravo TV). Or for a much "bigger picture" - OPRAH'S BIG GIVE where you will find a do-good/feel-good message along with mixed personalities and real people (premiering March 2nd on ABC).

12. Go to the zoo. Visit in the morning to see the animals in action. Sit and watch the big cats (or the penguins - you pick). Read about the animals. Enjoy them. If you don't have a big zoo near you, visit a small petting zoo.

13. Write daily love letters to yourself. Yes, you can do it. Write only good things: "You look great today", "Exercising was fun, wasn't it? Eating chocolate in bed was even more fun", "little ZoZo really enjoyed the story you read to him tonight". Put them in envelopes covered with stickers. Mail them every day.

14. Sleep in. Stay in bed as long as you can SLEEPING. Snore all you want!

15. Visit a museum. Every town, big or small, has some type of museum - an art museum, the historical society, a local pub with ancient fishing gear hanging from the ceiling. Read the caption/credits on the pictures/paintings. Take home a postcard (if they don't have one - make one yourself).

16. Scavenge for old picture frames (the chippier - the better). Find them in different sizes (so that one will fit inside the other). Hang them on the wall inside one another or as an arrangement - the frames, themselves, will be art.

17. Play on the playground. Go to the playground. Right now. By yourself. Swing on the swings. Go down the slide. Slide down again.

18. Live by candlelight. Find yummy-smelling candles. Have one lit and twinkling when you are making art, cooking, reading, getting ready for work in the morning. Truly, it puts you in a different mood. Don't forget to blow them out!

19. Take your best friend to your favorite store. Do lunch and then browse. Indulge. Buy yourself a little "something-something".

20. Sign up for an art class. Local art stores usually have 3-hour or one-day workshops. Try something new! Go alone and make new friends. For a big event, visit ArtandSoulRetreat. The Portland retreats' October 2008 workshops have just been launched. Registration begins March 11th!

21. Have a picnic in your living room. Spread out a checkered table-cloth. Pack all your treats into a basket. Sit on the floor, pass the potato salad, eat on paper plates. Hey, look mom, no ants!

22. Make your own mouse pad. Find a favorite photo (or take a scan of some artwork). Maybe even an artful list of your favorite eBay sellers! You'll need an image that is 9.25" x 7.75" at 300 dpi in .png format (although .jpg will work, too). For $10.99 you will have something fabulous to look at whenever you are on the computer - which is ALL the time, isn't it? Visit CafePress to make your own mousepad (and other goodies, too).

23. Find an old adirondack chair. Paint it white. Add it to your living room seating for an eclectic appeal ala Goldie Hawn in Housesitter!

24. Splurge (ha!) on cheap drug-store lip gloss. Get the flavored kind (ooh la la - strawberry!). Roll it onto your lips for a wet and shiny pucker. Lick it off and apply more. Repeat.

25. Doodle all over your phone book cover. It needs the love and attention.

26. Try driving a different route to work or the store. Take a different street. Turn a different direction. Try...the road less traveled.

27. Pick up your children after school and surprise them with a trip to the ice cream shop, the roller-skating rink, miniature golf. Just a little middle-of-the-week treat. Truly enjoy the time you spend with them.

28. Take vitamins every day. You may not think you need them now...but wait until you turn 40! If you are 40...you KNOW what I mean!

29. Make your own Flashcards. Cut index paper into 3" x 8" rectangles with slightly rounded corners. On one side, artfully make a capital "A". On the other, make a lower-case "a". Draw, paint or collage a picture to illustrate what the "A" stands for...but don't make it an apple! "A" is for "art". "B" is for "Bon-Bon's". "C" is for "Cocktails". These are YOUR special Flashcards...make them YOUR way. Antique up the edges with charcoal pencil or walnut ink.

30. Wear several watches (each set for a different time zone). Think of the fun Swatch watches. Pick up used watches at a thrift store. Decorate them up and wear them on one arm. When someone asks you what time it is, raise your sleeve a little and say "8pm here"...then pull your sleeve up a bit more "5pm in Los Angeles"...then pull it up more "3pm in Honolulu"...."7 am in Tokyo". Or make it more fun! "8pm here"..."5pm at Sally's house"...

31. Photograph March. Continue on your quest to show how the seasons change over the year (for your 2009 calendar). March is filled with melting snow, budding branches, crocuses popping out of the ground, Easter bunnies.

Celebrate February

1. Make homemade Valentines. Pretend you are in kindergarten again...use macaroni, glitter, pompoms, popsicle sticks (after eating the popsicles, of course), tempera paint and tissue paper. Experience the "inner-child". Be silly. Warning: this will lead to a great desire for play-doh, silly putty, and cracker-jax.

2. Next time you go shopping, purchase a package of heavy socks. Drop them off at a homeless shelter. Even a pair of socks makes a huge difference.

3. Make time for the big game! That means chicken wings, chips and Cheering! Make your friends and family wonder about you...cheer for BOTH teams! To prepare, when shopping for your goodies play Grocery Store Football (best done when store is least crowded). Pass the Charmin...Hike the chips...Score a touchdown with the chicken. All in good fun and NOBODY gets hurt. (PS...tackling attracts security).

4. Randomly and anonymously draw hearts (with your fingers - NOT markers) on dirty cars or cars covered in snow. Show everyone LOVE.

5. Write a Love List: reasons why you love your daughter...your mother...your 6" platform heels (NOT!). Listing the reasons has a trigger effect on your memories, the sweet, endearing side of things. "I love the way you squish up your nose when you are thinking hard"...."I love that you always put the toilet seat down"..."I love the way you take care of me when I'm having a hard day". Keep the list and peek at it every now and again.

6. Treat yourself to a new bra. Get properly fitted (boobies change over the course of time). Maybe indulge in some matching panties, too.

7. Add fancy trim to the bottom of a skirt or jeans. A ruffle of gauze, French embroidered trim, velvet ribbon. Find your favorite at a local fabric store, on ebay, or cut it off a no-longer-wanted skirt hidden in the back of your closet.

8. Go to a movie...but not just any movie. Go see U23D...an amazing film of my favorite band U2 during their Vertigo concert tour in Central & South America and Australia. Yes...you get to wear those cool glasses. Yes...the music is fabulous. Yes...you'll find yourself reaching out to touch Bono! The 3-D element is unbelievable and you'll be amazed at how "close" you get to these four brilliant musicians. A treat that you cannot wait to see on DVD...see it at the theatre. But go see it soon...then, see it again!

9. Prepare for Spring. Draw a garden plan with colored pencils, crayons, or watercolors. If you aren't adventurous enough to draw a plan for your entire yard, draw one for a 2' x 4' section. If that is too much...draw a plan for a single pot that you will put several plants/flowers in. You can be realistic...or just "dream" that you will have your own Butchart Gardens.

10. Have fun with your postman the old-fashioned way! Search for small-denomination stamps that are still good (such as 3-cent, 10-cent, etc.). Instead of putting a single 41-cent stamp on a letter, send mail with an assortment of 5 or 6(or more) smaller-denomination stamps. Mail all your letters and bill payments this way. Imagine the fun for the recipient! Sometimes, stamp collectors have a surplus of these that are available dollar-for-dollar. Otherwise, go to www.USPS.com for a wide variety of new, but small denomination stamps.

11. Paint your tennis shoes. If you don't have a pair of canvas tennies, head to your local Target where canvas sneaks can be had for under $10. Pull out your acrylic paint and embellish with stripes, dots, flowers, faces, animals, houses, squiggles, or whatever moves you at the moment. Use ribbon in lieu of shoe-laces. Wear them with colorful socks. Dance.

12. Leave random love notes for your children or husband (wife if a man is reading this) in unexpected places: the inside of their shoes, coat pockets, in between a closed cell phone, written in dry-erase marker on the bathroom mirror, with a Sharpie marker on the mini bag of chips tucked into their lunch box. No need to write a book...short & sweet can say it all.

13. Make your own postcards! Create a work of art that is "YOU". Scan it into your computer and convert it to a 300dpi .jpg file. Follow the image guidelines by the printer. Don't forget that your postcards can have a reverse side just like real postcards...or maybe the back is a black-and-white bit of art, or a story, or your own "list". An online printer such as www.psprint.com can create as few as 5o postcards for about $15. With this in mind, you can have your own postcards for any occasion: "just to say hello", "look at my newest art", "Happy Birthday/Anniversary/Wednesday" or "when is winter going to end?". FYI: Postage for postcards is 26-cents (for now).

14. It's all about LOVE. Make heart-shaped sandwiches and bring them to work for lunch (your co-workers will wonder what you're up to!). Use heart-shaped cookie-cutters to shape pre-made pie dough. Bake. Fill with chocolate pudding and top with whipped-cream...ala dessert for the family! Give away those little heart-shaped Sweet Tart candy boxes. Just like a youngster, write the "TO" and "FROM" names on the back of the box. Hand them out to those who LEAST expect it...they will find the LOVE.

15. Take a walk in the rain (or the snow). Just throw on a coat and go for a quickie around the block. Don't plan for it...just get up and do it. The fresh air will do you good!

16. Start collecting something you love. Be obsessive. Perhaps it's silverware with engraved monograms, heart-shaped stones (as beautiful artist Nina Bagley has such a talent for finding), or vintage pearl necklaces to hang on your chandelier. Set a challenge...no more than $3. I am obsessed with coil/pinch pots...but not just any coil/pinch pot. I love the ones made by elementary school children during art classes, their initials scratched into the bottom, that wind up at Thrift Stores or garage sales. I am determined to give a good home to these unwanted treasures - made by budding artists for their mommy's - but finding their way to the 25-cent bin somehow. Food for thought: If you happen upon one of these little keepsakes that need a new home, send it to me and in return I will send you a Knocker of your choice. BUT...only if they are an initial-scratched-elementary-school-bargain-priced-unwanted-by-anyone-else-find.

17. Fresh fruit can be fabulous! Sometimes, a big Sunkist orange can be a bit too much. Try a baby Mandarin or Satsuma (as well as many other names). Not really in season now...so a wee bit harder to find...these little guys will give you the Vitamin C (which is so highly recommended) and make you think that, if only for a moment, it is summertime!

18. Learn 5 new words. Open an old dictionary and blindly fingerpoint to 5 different words. Cut each one out and paste them in your notebook. Learn their spelling & meaning. Use them in sentences. Be a scholar!

19. Clean the car out. Get rid of the garbage (look under the seats...you are bound to find a French Fry)...wipe the dust from the dashboard...vacuum the pineneedles. The icing on the cake? A "new car scent" air freshener.

20. Take pictures of February - a continuation on your 2009 calendar. Since February is the month of LOVE, take pictures of things that are heart-shaped. A "heart" drawn in the snow, bare twigs laid out in the shape of a heart, the finger-print heart drawn on a dirty car (from another step in this months list).

21. Download a new song (or at least "surf" iTunes). Try a new band, acoustic music, an oldie. Buffalo Springfields' 'For What It's Worth' can bring back memories. Damien Rice's '9 Crimes' for a mellow duo. Pink's 'Get the Party Started' to light your fire. What I'm listening to when it's not U2? "Live" - "Lightening Crashes".

22. Go for the sultry-eyed look. MAC has an amazing eyeliner that is part liquid & part shadow (at least to me it is). "FLUIDLINE" is a smudge-proof cream in a pot that you apply with an angled brush. (MAC has brushes available...but an artsy girl always has a paint brush nearby that will work). Try a thick line of Blacktrack across your entire upper lid (for the Shanna Moakler of "Meet the Barkers" hotness). Or, for that adventurous "artful" spirit in you...Blue Peep. Only $15 and worth every penny! Visit www.MacCosmetics.com (and search for Fluidline).

23. Have a holiday dinner NOT during the holidays. Make an over-the-top feast of a meal! Invite a few friends over "just because". Out-do yourself. Appetizers...5-course dinner...a flaming dessert! Find recipes in a cookbook (that has pictures...so you can SEE how it will turn out), by watching the Food Network (don't you just love Ina Garten?), Saveur Magazine, or go directly to www.FoodNetwork.com. Set the table with candles, linen napkins, crystal. And just for fun...give each menu item your OWN name!

24. Shovel your neighbors walk, rake their leaves, or mow their lawn. Surprise them - just continue from your yard into theirs. A good deed.

25. Dress your pet up. A baby dress on your kitty, a vest and tie on your woof. Blue eye shadow on your white cat. Take your own "pet portraits". But don't embarass your pet by showing the pictures to the neighbors dog.

26. Volunteer at your children's school...our school's will always welcome the help. Whether it is to chaperone a dance, grade papers in the classroom, participate in fundraising or be the cupcake-maker at the bake sale, make the time. Children are our future.

27. Buy a vintage slip at a Thrift Store (or find one in your grandmothers closet). Wear it under a dress with a little bit of the lacy hem showing (ooh la la). Or just wear it as a night gown.

28. Make a collage using your recycling. Try Campbells soup labels, Triscuit boxes, bottle caps, and Egg Cartons (great texture). There is so much color in today's packaging. Recycling Only is the rule for this challenge. Embellish it with paint, sign it, and call it what it is...ART!

29. It's a FREE day! Today is an extra day...it only happens once every 4 years (I KNOW...it's my anniversary!!!). So today, do whatever you want to do.

A New Website is Born...

Oh, yes. I am late. I under-estimate the time it takes to do something (or over-estimate my ability to do it at the speed of light). When I was 8 months pregnant with my son, I thought I could refinish my hardwood floors in a day! "A DAY!" Well, I did refinish them! I started when I was 8 months pregnant with my son...finished when I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter. Ok, so I did it on my hands and knees with a belt sander...don't ask (I think when you are pregnant the DUH factor takes over).

So, when I decided to add something new to my Collection...well...one thing led to another and suddenly EVERYTHING is new! In fact, "there is quite the storm in my brain". This doesn't happen every day, but fueled by chocolate chip cookies and Diet Coke (to off-set the cookie calories), I have been in a whirlwind of thought. Yes, my fingers are covered in paint mixed with gel medium. But mostly, now, I have been propped up in bed (chocolate chip cookies and Diet Coke still close by), working on the programming of the website day and night. Someday, Steve Jobs will invent a computer I can just say "make me a website" and it will suddenly appear! But for now, Photoshop and Dreamweaver have been my best friends and I have been using and abusing them to no end.

That being said...I am tickled pink to announce that the new Collections have been launched! Yay! An ENORMOUS thank you to everyone who has so patiently waited for the release...I hope you enjoy it.

Of course, there are some big changes. Sadly, several Collections are no longer available..not because they aren't pretty, or fun...but because I've learned you have to know when to stop (on occasion).

On a thrilling note, there are many new goodies. For instance, Knockers! These have replaced Bubbles for which I've had a long, on-going Love/Hate relationship with. Knockers are perfect two-sided acrylic domes with artwork sandwiched between! They REALLY DO magnify what is inside! Knockers come in Small and Large...and what is really fun about this Collectin is that there are Mix-N-Match Knockers (imagine that)! This is something I've toyed with for a long, long time and finally have taken the plunge! You can choose an image for the front, a word or quote for the back, and it is yours!

One of my favorite treats are the addition of new Collagettes! I have taken some of my favorite photographs from the Charmettes Collection and elsewhere and collaged them into these pretty new pieces. LET THEM EAT CAKE was inspired by Amy Hannah who raved about the movie Marie Antoinette ~ which I subsequently purchased and watched 3 times in 6 hours (the Marie Antoinette Marathon, I call it). My absolute favorite is No. 580 ~ Lucky Rabbit! I showed it to my husband and he just looked at me (he doesn't get it)...I hope you do!

Most of the Stix are new, too! And better yet...there are mini-Stix (like the Doodle-words). Stix for a bracelet, Stix for a pendant, (Stix to climb on rocks...oh, that's a song). I love No. 708 ~ Tickled Pink because of the image on the back...and No. 739 ~ Just Be....and...

One thing to watch out for are the changes to the charm sizes. Most especially, the large charms are now SMALLER (so many people wanted them to be). But more "pretty" is packed inside.

It feels good to have "simplified". I'll call it that...even though it may not seem so. What I'm most excited about is that all this expended creativity has fueled my fire during this dark and cold winter...and I am eager to create more Originals...all of which I hope to showcase in Trunk Shows on my website. I even had a dream last night about making a 4-foot x 2-foot painting (I think I woke up in a cold sweat! Ha!).

Again, I am very thankful for the wonderful emails I've received and your enduring patience. I wish you joy and laughter as you peek through the new Sally Jean Collection!

Enjoy!