Dessert

I am more of a dessert lover than I should be. It was very hard for me to narrow down which type I was going to draw for the Illustration Friday theme this week. Turns out it was simple....the "Rainbow Cake" always ends up standing out - it's aloofness - it's elegance! I WILL make this cake, one (most perfect) day. But for now..... 

(click image to view larger)

Also, here is a cute little repeating fork pattern that you can play with (for personal use)...just click it to enlarge.

Happy drawing everybody. I can't wait to ooogle some dessert illustrations this week!

pleasant surprise

This morning I got a pleasant surprise in my reading list! Big thanks to Flyer Design Goodness for the lovely words and sharing my posters under 'reader of the week'. They cover some pretty amazing artists...I have found much inspiration there. ♥

p.s. See you tomorrow at Lilac Fair (previous post), and have a lovely weekend!

Star Gazing

This is going to be such a positive event with an amazing line up of some of the most talented lady performers in Spokane...

[click on the image to enlarge]

I got the Illustration Friday topic on the day I started working on  my Lilac Fair poster. For the artwork, we had already established that there was to be a girl on it, very feminine. One thing I love about doing posters is that people pretty much let me do what I want - especially Chrisy from the Empyrean. The theme "star gazing" seemed most appropriate...and I do LOVE combining projects. Hence my new most favorite poster was born!

I have a crazy to do list at this point, but it isn't stopping me from having an art/craft table at Lilac Fest. So make sure to stop by! $5 at the door benefiting the Venessa Behan Crisis Nursery.

Make sure and check out the line up.....Pasties and Paddles and Kim Wescott....eeeee! ♥

Can't wait to see you!

p.s. go peer at all the other beautiful illustrations this week over at Illustration Friday. It's so fun to see how different people interpret the same theme.

Undying love.

I've decided it's time to profess my undying love and affection to Patty and Tim, owners of Neato Burrito and The Baby Bar. Not only do they run a Mom and Pop Shop smack dab in the middle of downtown, but they support local artists and musicians all while raising a house full of the coolest kids out there! AND Patty surprised me a personalized "gift card board", AND they let me paint a giant mural on their wall! ♥ ♥ ♥

So for no other reason that to support some hard working Spokanites...bike over to Neato Burrito - then try the brisket with peanut sauce, corn salsa and cabbage ....I know this sounds weird but it is seriously amazing! (p.s. they also have tofu) ♥Have a most lovely Friday!

Train Love

I have such a crush on the Train. ♥ ♥ ♥Recently I took the train three hours to my hometown; my first Amtrak ride as an adult. We started out several hours late and then on the way out of town had to reverse all the way back to the station. Someone had forgotten to get off....I was simply ecstatic! My 2am trip through the darkness became a glorious ride through the countryside at sunrise.

The last couple weeks have gone by sooo fast! - train rides, babysitting turkeys, camping, parties...not to mention I have a very exciting illustration project I am working on. Although, I am not sure if I am supposed to mention it yet or not. Eeeee! So - looks like you will have to sit tight and imagine wonders to come! And I wish you many wonders. ♥

following

New shades. New Camera. Error on my SD card (always gives me a pretty surprise).

I thought I would do a follow up post since Jacinda and I took my advice and biked ourselves up to the perry street fair. It was a beautiful day which make for an amazing adventure!We couldn't agree on the route so we left it up to Google Maps bike application. This took us a completely new way leading us straight up the South Hill on a trail we didn't even know existed! Although the directions were slightly confusing....(maybe because I was reading while bicycling), we ended up 3 blocks from Perry!The park was packed so we walked around and ran into a few friends with booths. We found P2P, adjusted my bike seat and dropped off a present (house numbers I painted) for some bike friends. We met Jacinda's Mom who ended up chauffeuring us around to yard sales...of which we filled her entire trunk and back seat. We even had to drive back up in our pickup later that evening to claim a big brass headboard I scored for our yard (the Jasmine has simply outgrown its bamboo stakes)!

It's nice when the weekend feels more like a vacation!

Lastly on the weekend agenda:
We released some lovely ladies into our yard (2nd time this year). I remembered my camera this time! Aren't they cute (and crawly little buggers)....And the next morning!!!
♥

Bicycle ♥

I sent my spoke card design off to Pedals2People for SpokeFest! I still have the blog post bookmarked from last years contest...I always seem to be running a day late. This year I remembered a day early! The bike gods must be pleased with me.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

If you are fortunate enough to live in Spokane make sure to check out the Perry Street Fair tomorrow....maybe ride your bicycle?

Here's some bike love I've been ogling by Etsy artists!

♥...♥....♥....

♥...♥...Have a pleasant weekend!

Iron Mike

Such pretty things have been blooming....and I have been taking photos! It's been a nice week:Ok, now for show and tell:
If you have never heard of The Bright Side Project you should check them out. I do, constantly. Each day they feature a brand or product they think will add a little sunshine in your life, and then they do a giveaway. The only thing they ask from you is to share a little something about yourself...and I love answering the questions!

Today's question was:What is your favorite memory of (one or both of) your grandparents?

For me it wasn't really this question that was memorable, but that it brought up my own question I didn't know I had.

My Grandpa was a railroad guy, and before that he was in the Coast Guard (even lived in a light house). At a certain point in my childhood he started calling me Iron Mike. The first time was on vacation to Canada after running back and fourth on a suspension bridge and begging my Mother to let me do a cartwheel on it. She didn't. (I was definitely in trouble when I found out that if I jumped up and down in the middle it would send ripples in either direction) As a child I found this new name, Iron Mike, strange and random....never realizing where he got it. And today it came up in my answer over at The Bright Side Project...so I searched it!

Iron Mike is the de facto name of various monuments commemorating servicemen of the United States military. The term "Iron Mike" is uniquely American slang used to refer to men who are especially tough, brave, and inspiring.

This makes me happy. I love that I just accepted the name no questions asked. Oh, and here is my answer to the question (if you were wondering).

My favorite memory of my Grandparents:
I was staying with them for a bit one summer when I was a kid at their home in OR. My Grandpa took me fishing. We kept catching “Water-dogs” for hours…not a single fish. It was then we realized we were catching the same one over and over and over …he just kept eating worm after worm.

This is about the time my Grandpa started calling me “Iron Mike” because I was always surprising him with my awesomeness…like how professionally I removed a lizard from the hook and tossed it back in the water without flinching an eye.

Yep...that's him!
(I took this photo is March, but that's another story)

♥ ♥ ♥

Have a lovely Holiday Weekend! Maybe I will bump into a few of you local Spokanites on the Art Walk this evening!!!