Jorg Krruhne

Jorg Krruhne
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Done for Julia Kay's Portrait Party with Sharpie and Watercolor in a Moleskine sketchbook.

GraceUhm-gracelives for jkpp

GraceUhm-gracelives for jkpp
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Finally drawing again. This is the lovely Grace Uhm, source photo provided by Grace Uhm through Julia Kay's Portrait Party on flickr..

Valerie Beeby a.k.a. Purple Owl for JKPP

Valerie Beeby a.k.a. Purple Owl
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Valerie Beeby alias Purple Owl for Julia Kay's Portrait Party. Source photo can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/0wl/4467056780/

Julia Kay's Portrait Party can be found here:http://www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/

D231 - Hank V / Tammy Valley

D231 - Hank V / Tammy Valley
Originally uploaded by neil.davidson

Another one of me for Julia Kay's Portrait Party, this one by davidson.

Hank V

Hank V
Originally uploaded by inmaserranito

This is portrait of me by inmaserranito done for Julia Kay's Portrait Party on flickr.

Hank V for JKPP 10000 Portraits

Hank V for JKPP 10000 Portraits
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Self portrait for the 10,000 Portrait Celebration on Juila Kay's Portrait Party!

Nottingham91 for Julia Kay's Portrait Party

Nottingham91
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Just completed this one for Juila Kay's Portrait Pary on Flickr. Background is random watercolor and the drawing is sharpie pens. I tend to make several watercolor backgrounds at a time with no plan of action and then I look for portraits to do that match the backgrounds. This one was quite a challenge just couldn't seem to get the eyes and mouth correct.

Sue Hodnett

Sue Hodnett
Originally uploaded by Hank V

For Julia Kay's Portrait Party. (Link below.) Loved the hair in this photo and the lady was so cute. Can't tell that from this. I will definitely revisit this photo on a larger scale at some point. I would like to do her justice!

Teshionx-Shalini

Teshionx-Shalini
Originally uploaded by Hank V

For Julia Kay's Portrait Party. A couple more ATC's and then I will be returning to my sketchbook and making these larger. I may even attempt a canvas or two!

Scribble-1

Scribble-1
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Trying out my new leak proof sharpie!

JKPP-Paulien Maria

JKPP-Paulien Maria
Originally uploaded by Hank V

2nd ATC for Julia Kay's Portrait Party. The Portrait Party can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/

Polusladkaia

Polusladkaia
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Finally, back to Julia Kay's Portrait Party on Flickr. I have missed doing these portraits. I have set a goal for myself of 1 ATC a day, 1 portrait a week and one painted canvas a month. I wouldn't consider this a New Year's Resolution as I always fail at those. This is just a personal goal that I would like to achieve, permanently. So far I have one ATC a day, but have fallen behind for portraits. So for the next few days I will be doing 1 ATC Portrait a day. As far as canvases, I got as far as painting my 24 x 36 canvas black. So that will have to do for last month. Hopefully, by the end of this month it will contain a representation of one of my favorite collages "Dinner at Frida's." I have been wanting to turn it into a painting for a long time. If you want to take a peek at my collage, it can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mochatribe/389133292/in/set-72157594546773243/

D231 - Hank V / Tammy Valley

D231 - Hank V / Tammy Valley
Originally uploaded by neil.davidson

Photo interpretation by Neil Davidson. Charcoal. I love seeing what other artists do with the pictures I have posted. This is one of my favorites!

Block Printing at Bookbinding Class

We are learning to do block prints at bookbinding class. This is the result of two weeks work. The black only is what was left at the end of the process and is actually my favorite print. We did 4 colors and with each print, more of the block was carved away to attempt to get the desired result. It really made my brain cramp up. I believe it is a good exercise to keep alzheimer's at bay!

Miss Embe

Miss Embe
Originally uploaded by Hank V

For Julia Kay's Portrait Party, portrait number 7.

Source image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/miss-embe/3036501174/

The party is here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/

Pablo David/Pitucardi

Pablo David/Pitucardi
Originally uploaded by Hank V

My 5th portrait for the portrait party, Love this guys original picture! It has so much personality. I only hope that I have captured a small portion of it!

Source image: www.flickr.com/photos/pitucardi/4427452168/

Portrait Party: www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/

Margaperez

Margaperez
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Portrait for Julia Kay's Portrait Party on Flickr.

The portrait party can be found here: www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/

Source photo is here: www.flickr.com/photos/margaperez/3699235326/

Picture of Me Drawn by Portrait Party Member

hank V for jk
Originally uploaded by mariahoneill

This picture of me was drawn by mariahonelli on flickr for Julia Kay's Portrait Party.

Mia Bia

Mia Bia
Originally uploaded by Hank V

My fourth portrait for Julia Kay's Portrait Party. There are so many wonderful photos to choose. Initially, I had planned to start at one end of the posts and work my way through to the end. I didn't realize that they kept reordering themselves according to the most recent posts in each thread. So I have started letting my youngest pick who I will draw each day. Today she choose the lovely Ms. Mia Bia.

Arsaytoma

Arsaytoma
Originally uploaded by Hank V

My third portrait for the portrait party.

Portaits of Me by Other Artists

Here is the link to my post on Julia Kay's Portrait Party. It is great fun to see what all the other artists in the group do with your photos. Everyone in the group uploads photos of themselves and then you draw everyone but yourself and post the drawings in their original post. If you scroll down past the photos I posted you will be able to see what other artists have created. There is an amazing amount of talent in this group! I am grateful to be a part of it. Click on the title of this post to go directly to the photos and artwork.

Benedicte Delachanal for Julia Kay's Portrait Party

This is my second portrait for the portrait party group. I am trying to submit one per day. So far I have met that goal but it has only been 2 days!

Julia Kay's Portrait Party

Just joined Julia Kay's Portrait Party on Flickr last week and I'm loving it. Click on the title of this post to go and check out the group.

This is the first portrait I did for the group. This is Mr. Flibble. He has an amazingly expressive face and looks like a fantastic sense of humour to go with it. Check him out at: www.flickr.com/photos/flibble/

ATC Self Portrait Trade

I am trying to become an active member of the online art community again. So I'm reviving my blog. I was shocked to see that my last entry was in 2009. I thought it was only a few months ago. Time really flies when you are raising children! Recently I joined an ATC self-portrait trade. I have always been interested in portraits and self-portraits. I was surprised to find the work so challenging. Another indication that I have been "too long" away from what I consider to be a fundamental part of myself.

27 of 365, November 13, 2007

27 of 365, November 13, 2007
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Halloween Trading Card from 2007.

Every Day Matters #205

For some reason, I had it in my mind that drawing the soda can was EDM 1. After drawing the can, I went to double check and saw that it was number 205. I think that 205 was probably the current challenge when I decided to give this a shot. I guess it has been a while since I bought a can to draw. Oh well, at least I am on my way!

Cassoni

The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota has a wonderful exhibit going on right now called "The Triumph of Marriage: Painted Cassoni of the Renaissance." Cassoni were large "treasure chests" that were commissioned by the father of the intended bride. They would be filled with all the belongings she would need to journey into her new life. The objects in her cassoni would also be the only items she returned home with if her husband died. The chests had beautiful painted scenes on each panel and in the fifteenth century most were dismantled. Because they had been painted by popular artists, each panel was sold as a valuable work of art. There are very few intact cassoni left in the world. I attended an educator's workshop on Saturday where we learned about cassoni and made our own using shoe boxes, cut-outs from magazines and scrapbook papers. It was great fun and I have a lot to teach my kids now thanks to the Ringling Museum of Art!

TAD-3

TAD-3
Originally uploaded by Hank V

This is my third installment in Thing-A-Day. I'm hoping to figure out how to actually blog it where it goes at some point. For now, I'm using this blog. I suppose I should be using it anyway.

TAD-2

TAD-2
Originally uploaded by Hank V

My second entry for the Thing-A-Day Blog.

TAD-1

TAD-1
Originally uploaded by Hank V

Made this for Thing-a-Day, hopefully it will post at a better size this time.

TAD-1

I'll be trying this one again.

Vacation, Day 4/5

Today it was off to Tennessee to visit the family. My Aunt Katie is the dearest woman I know. She practically raised me when my parents were ill during my early childhood. At 80 years old, she mowed the lawn the day before we arrived, about 1 acre of lawn. She still keeps her 18 month old great-grandson everyday. She is amazing. It was great to see her. Aunt Ruby also came by for a visit.

We stayed in the Courtyard Marriot by the Knoxville airport in Alcoa. What a beautiful facility. If you ask, breakfast for everyone in your room can be included in the room price for an extra $10. It includes eggs (cooked to order), bacon, sausage, gravy, biscuits, fruit, pastries, waffles, etc. Great deal and good food.

On Thursday we drove around Cades Cove (http://www.cadescove.net/), a must when you are in Tennessee. If you can't get up in the Smokies do the cove. We say wild turkey and dear. Some of my relatives say a mother bear nursing her cubs last week. We weren't so lucky.

If you visit the gift shop at Cades Cove they have an old timey band (2 people on mountain instruments) playing music and singing and great honey with the honey comb still in. Honey combs are great to chew, by the way.

Vacation, Day 3

Today we had a leisure breakfast at TC's. I played my fiddle, I should say practiced on the stoop in the warm sunshine all morning. Then it was off to Pocket Loop at Pigeon Mountain. Most people are probably not familiar with the Pocket Loop as you have to take a dirt road past a few residential/farm type houses. There is a partially built boardwalk and the rest is mountain trail up to the falls. We had our "Flowers of the Smokey Mountains" book with us and identified a lot of plants. We spent the afternoon throwing rocks in the creek, catching salamanders (and letting them go) and playing with a huge millipede. All in all, a great day.

On the way home, we made another attempt at the incline railway on Lookout Mountain (http://www.lookoutmountain.com/) and this time we did it. Channel 46 from Atlanta was there and filmed us. Hopefully, someday it will be available on line.

Vacation, Day 2

We woke up early today and had breakfast at T.C.'s house. The girls were outside in the fresh, cold spring air immediately after breakfast. We spent the morning at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga (www.huntermuseum.org), had lunch at Tony's Pasta Shop in the Bluffview Art District(yummm!) and rode the carousel at Coolidge park (http://history.amusement-parks.com/tenncool.htm). We attempted to ride the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain but several busloads of kids were getting in line just as we drove up. Dinner was at TC's.

Vacation

Well, we tricked the girls last night and started our vacation after Grammy's birthday dinner. We were about an hour and a half past our exit before anyone noticed that we passed our house. It worked out well we were able to drive for about 3 hours and stopped about 11 p.m.

Today has been very interesting. The Courtyard Marriott we stayed in was typical, no problems. We stopped for gas and Starbucks in Tifton. At the Starbucks Claire kept pulling on my skirt/shirt as young children often do. (Especially Claire). I kept turning around and asking her to stop pulling on me, leave my shirt alone, your stretching my clothes out, etc. Finally, she stopped and scooted up beside me to whisper "Mom, your skirt is tucked into your pants."

Later in the day we stopped for lunch at the scarriest Subway in Georgia (Warner Robbins in case you want to know where not to stop). It was under construction and apparently doubled as a daycare. No, I'm not kidding. The kids (all under 4) were behind the counter and climbing under the cabinets in the refrigerators, etc.

Later in the day we made one more stop for gas and potty, in Rome, Georgia. Interesting little place. There were instructions on the wall to guide you in reaching inside the back of the toilet and flushing manually.

Finally, we reached our destination. Whew! Catfish and B-B-Que for all at Buck's BBQ and Catfish with our dear friends.

My Left Foot

I just watched the most amazing movie last. I was already a big Daniel Day-Lewis fan. He really outdoes himself in this movie. My Left Foot is the true story of Christy Brown, an irishman born with cerebral palsy. He was thought to be mentally deficit until one day when he grabbed a piece of chalk from his sister with his left foot and wrote the word mother on the floor. He lived to be almost 50 years old. This is the story of his joys, disappointments and accomplishments. He lived to be a great painter, writer and husband before his death. He was one of 13 surviving children in his family.

Voodoo

This card was snapped up quickly on Flickr. However, I just had to post it. I love this dragonfly/bird mutation thingy.

Ode to Iggy

Iggy Pop trading cards. Anyone interested? He is certainly a "wild one".

Raw...Here we go again!

O.K. this post is getting a bit too familiar. At least I am having a bit of success again. Last week I committed to a 5 day banana fast. Yes, that is correct. 5 days of bananas and water. It went well. After the first day my mind was clear my body felt light and I was feeling great. By day 5, I had a salad for lunch, but that was ok. I chose wisely. Salsa instead of salad dressing, no cheese, no meat. Since the fast has concluded I have been about 85% raw and I plan to keep it that way. I am striving for 95-100% raw. I lost 8 pounds during my fast and have kept 4 off. I must conclude that a good deal was water. I plan to do the banana thingy again next week. It just felt good to feel so clean, inside as well as out.

Water-The 4 Elements 1 of 4

Yeah, it is finally done! This one took on a life of its own and fought me every step of the way. I think we (the collage and I) finally came to terms with each other and turned out an o.k. piece of art.

Working on Something Big

Well, once again I have attempted to start my seasonal collages. In my mind, I have planned out 4 collages....spring, summer, fall and winter. I have been pulling pictures and setting them aside in separate containers for about 1 year now. I finally got up the courage to begin and well, the consensus is that winter looks like water. Now I'm wondering if what I really have are 4 collages based on the elements. Do I rule the art or does the art rule me? I think I will be forced to give in under pressure. I've already removed 1 of the 4 pictures that were meant to hold the collages together theme-wise. It just didn't work. Hopefully, this one won't be as painful as the last. I'm hoping it will let me finish it tomorrow.

Journal Doodle

In an attempt to do something artistic everyday, I took my journal with me to the car dealer today. The service that was schedule to take 3 hours lasted 6 and we have to go back on Friday because they forgot something. Well, my kids completed the days school work and I completed a super-doodle. I say super because I doodled for a couple of hours. Here is the fruit of my labor.

The Closer You Look

You know you have a problem when you have to get up out of bed to change a piece of work that you just completed. I made this set of the ATC's and just didn't like the phrase I put on them. After laying in bed for about 1/2 an hour I finally got up, retrieved them from my desk, went back to the drafting table and got going on them again. Here they are, finished. Had I thought of it, I would have done a before and after scan. Oh well, maybe next time. Btw, they are available for trade. Enjoy!

Newest Collage

This one finally came together. It has been junking up my drafting table keeping me from other work for several weeks now. This 12 x 16 mixed media collage consists of cut-out pictures, acrylic paint, jewels and a ornate butterfly I found on the ground in my front yard. I re-did the background twice on two different canvases before I finally settled on this one. This actually kept me up some nights arranging and re-arranging the parts in my head. A few of the items I collected for it went unused, I suppose they'll be bothering me now that the rest have finally settled happily on their new home.

Carnival

Didn't want my other card to feel left out. I just couldn't quite get the formatting thing down on that last post. So here is the other card I made today. Could have made more but we were too busy chatting.

Trading Cards in the Haze

Yikes, the kids woke me up today because they thought the house was on fire. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it we were just getting wind and ash from the many fires that are active in Florida right now. Girlscout park day was canceled. Driving over the bridge to St. Pete was like driving through fog. Normally we can see the Clearwater Causeway, St. Pete, etc. Not today. Breathing was another story and it was accompanied by a lot of discomfort. We stayed indoor with a friend and made trading cards.

Good times.

Raw...Here we go again!

Ok, I am trying again. The gradual approach just isn't working for me so as of this a.m. I am eating only raw. I think I just need to give up the food cravings. I always tell myself I'll eat something this one last time and start tomorrow. Well folks tomorrow never comes unless you get up and say this is my tomorrow. So far today I have had two bananas and I made a salad with spinach, cabbage, fresh cherries, shaved almonds and an avocado-no dressing. I have to consult my raw food books tonight and see what kind of salad dressing I can whip up. I am also tracking food calories and exercise on
Fitday.com. Its a free online service. Check it out.

"KAL HO NA Ho" (tomorrow may never come)

This has got to be one of my all time favorite movies. It never ceases to break my heart. If you are partial to love stories, this is one to see. Aman (Shah Ruhk Kahn) is dieing, he falls in love with Naina (Priety Zinta). He doesn't want' her to know he is dieing or that he is in love with her so he helps her fall in love with her best friend Rohit (Saif Ali Kahn). At their engagement party, they find out that Aman is really in love with Naina and has helped them fall in love so that he doesn't die and leave her all alone. The story is wonderful, the acting is great and the music keeps you humming for days after. Every time I hear a song from this movie I have to watch it again. If you have never seen a Hindi love story movie this is a great start. It is filmed in New York and has so many stories going on in the background. It deals with all kinds of realationships of families. I can't say enough about it. Also, some of the finest performances I have seen from the leading characters in this movie.

Raw Food: Simple is Best!

Well I am officially starting my Raw Food Journey for about the 15th time. I have to say that I have finally decided the simple is best. I have several books on raw foods the are quite extensive but I find them to be overwhelming and ultimately they lead to me giving up. I have found a very small book called The Raw Food Primer that is awesome and a great starting point. Also, Carol Alt's book Eating in the Raw is quite helpful and you can't help but love that catchy title. So bon appetite, here we go again.

Bombay

Well, I haven't kept to my new year resolution. I have watched about 50 bollywood movies and haven't written about a single one of them. Tonight we watched Bombay. It was about the conflict between Muslims and Hindus. Pretty good. It takes place in the early 90's. A Hindu man and Muslim woman fall in love and elope because their parents won't bless the marraige. Rioting brings the families together. The parents of the couple are killed and eventually the religions unite to save the city. Overall, the movie is pretty good. The dance numbers are fair. I really love the music and dancing so this one let me down a bit. However, the message was good and the movie enjoyable.

"Paheli" Bollywood for the New Year

Our new year Bollywood movie was "Paheli". We had planned to watch "Main Hoon Na" but once again the dvd was scratched beyond usefulness. I'm actually glad. "Paheli" turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. I hate to say it but it was charming. It is based on the story "Duvidha," a Rajasthani folktale. A young indian woman is married and her husband immediately leaves her to go on a 5 year journey to make money. It is not entirely his idea, his father tells him it is the best time to go and he obeys his father. In the meantime, a ghost takes his place and becomes the hero of the village. When the original husband returns there is a bit of confusion. This would probably be a good movie for the whole family. The only down side would be that children might tire of reading the subtitles. My kids are big fans of the song and dance numbers. You can take a look at the "Paheli" trailer at:
Paheli Movie Trailers at India Glitz

Woohoo! My Blog is still here!

A new friend just asked if I blogged and I had to reply I used to. Much to my delight, after checking, my blog is still here. So I'll be at it again and try to be good.

The original point of this blog was to highlight arts and education (mainly homeschooling info) through web links and to keep friends and family up to date with whats going on around our house.

Right now we are a week away from Christmas and running behind as usual. I'm hooked on Bollywood movies. More on that at a later date.

For now, I have to thank my friend for motivating me.

So.....
Thanks.

back in the saddle

Well, my poor laptop was in the shop out of the shop and now back in the shop again. I've got a loaner from my hubby. If your mac starts smelling like a forest fire get it checked, its not a good thing. I got my motherboard replaced after it the mac died and it still smells bad. Now its back in the shop again.

On the brighter side of life, I have been going to life drawing again and will post some pictures (when the mac is back). Artist's Unlimited in Tampa has life drawing every Wednesday night from 6:30-9:30, $8 for non-members (I think $6 for members). I also have aDeviant Art account for any of you who can't wait for me to post. Of course, the Deviant account is MochaTribe .

New Family Member

We went to Tallahassee to visit some relatives and brought one home with us. Monkey Jones is our newest family member. He is all wiggle and 83 pounds of love.

Free Starbucks in Tampa, finally....

For those of you who have read past blogs you know that we received coffee at no charge two times while we were in N.C. in December. Well, Tampa stepped up last week. The Starbucks at Westshore Mall made my coffee wrong, fortunately I figured it out, and they gave me a coupon for my next coffee free and remade the wrong one. Finally, a step in the right direction for Starbucks customer service. On the other side of that coin, the Starbucks on 56th St. and Fowler Avenue has yet to make my coffee correctly and doesn't give a damn. Therefore, we only visit that Starbucks when its an emergency. They used to be great. All the pros have left, it started when Ms. Wendy departed, then Angelique, its all been downhill from there. So beware! If you are in the USF area and need a cup of Jo go to the Fletcher Avenue Starbucks by I-75. It might be 5 minutes farther to drive but your pallete will thank you.

Pixagogo - Painted Hands

This photo album was sent by a fellow homeschooler. Great animal paintings - on hands.

Pixagogo - Painted Hands - Share your online photo albums - unlimited storage - upload photos - digital photography

Starbucks best kept secret-the short cup

Not long ago on NPR, my husband and I heard a segment on Starbucks and their "short" cup. It seems that it is almost always available yet not on the menu. When ask why the spokesperson replied "there isn't enough room." The short cup weighs in at 8 oz. It is shown here next to a venti (in my cup cozy).

Great Homeschooling Site

A great site for homeschooling parents. Articles on homeschooling, as well as, links to internet sites that will help educate your child. As the author of the site says, "grab your favorite cuppa' and enjoy!" I couldn't have said it better myself.

Best Homeschooling - Homeschoolers' Best Advice, with Links to Educational
Sites and Free Learning Materials

Bert Christensen's Cyberspace Home

One can only hope Mr. Christensen's physical home is half as amusing/interesting as his cyberspace home. I found this site by accident while looking for information on a spanish impressionist called Giner Bueno. Mr Bueno's work is included on this site but so are many more interesting, humurous and disgusting things. So instead of offering you Giner Bueno for visual stimulation today I am offering Bert Christensen who will do so much more. Enjoy!

Bert Christensen's Cyberspace Home

Yeah, well there's something down there...

Isabel (aka Claire) when asked about her gas replied, "It's not me, there's a goblin in my pants." When questioned further she replied "Yeah, well there's something down there."

The Spiralizer-WOW!

I have just bought the best gadget. I have been exercising and dieting with all hope of wearing a two piece bathing suit without shame this year. What an accomplishment that would be at 43 with 2 children. Anyway on this journey of mine, I have given up pasta and cheese. I am still having some whole wheat/grain products occasionally and an asiago cheese bagel every Sunday with my cup of Panera swill (sometimes referred to as coffee). In my recent readings, I came across a product called the Spiralizer. Its very popular among raw/living food people. Its a dream. Tonight I prepared spaghetti for my family. In the time it takes to say abracadabra I had spiralized myself a zucchini and a squash. I put the spaghetti sause over it and voila! I couldn't tell the difference, except maybe that it tasted a little better and I won't pay for it when I get on the scales tomorrow. My husband and daughters both tried it and thought it was good. I just have to figure out a way to warm up the spiralized veggies for my hubby, he likes his spaghetti hot not room temperature. At any rate, you can read about it or buy it here:

Saladacco, The Spiralizer, makes pasta out of vegetables

Am I the only slob here?

I've never been one to get all fancied up, especially just hanging around the house. My girls, on the other hand, love to "get dressed." Here's Kate practicing violin with her sequined hairbow. If you could see me you'd notice my hair had not even been brushed let alone adorned with anything. If we don't go out I can generally still be found in my jammies at the end of the day.

OK, so this week it is Tuesday

I had to have my mocha today. 7 days without loosing a pound and we won't be going to the bookstore Thursday after violin. I don't want a mocha if I can't sit and enjoy it. Its different when you get one everyday. You just gulp them down. Now I want to savor every sip. This is so sad. Anyway, I did it. I had my mocha and now I have to wait 9 days for another. Dieting is so wrong! That's ok now I have 9 days to loose more weight (and dream about Starbucks).

A new look for Isabel

Claire (aka Clara, Isabel, etc.) has a new look for her Isabel persona, no more frumpy glasses for this beauty queen!

Thursday is Mocha day!

To celebrate my return to the fold of the mochatribe (since it is my tribe I can't stay gone too long), I recorded the moment for all to see. I must also state for the record that this is the last mocha that will cross my lips that is not from Starbucks, unless I make it at home.

Hey mam, you got anything else to say to me?

Bathroom stalls have oblong handles that lock the doors. The handles have those little round nobs to pull the lock open and shut. Well my little one, Claire (a.k.a. Clara or Isabel as the mood strikes her) likes to look at them while I am going to the bathroom. Its kind of like looking in a spoon it makes your face look funny. Well, the other day at Borders, Claire is looking in one of the bathroom door knobs and this lady in the stall next to us starts talking (on her cell phone). Claire spins around and says mom when I look in the mirror there is someone talking to me. But it gets better. She starts replying to everything the lady says. Answering questions, saying uh-huh and oh really. The lady is still on the phone not talking to Claire. Then she stops (I guess she's listening to whomever she is talking to) and Claire yells "Hey mam, you got anything else to say to me?" "Hey lady, are you through talkin' to me?" I was laughing so hard I was crying. At any rate that day she was Isabel and I thought it only fitting to include a picture of her dressed as Isabel because Isabel looks nothing like Claire or Clara. Isabel is the only one of the three personalities with glasses. Here she is, Isabel:

A week without coffee?

Yes, its hard to believe I know. Those mochas really put on the pounds and I finally decided if I am ever to get off those mocha-pounds I have to take a mocha-break. If I'm good all week (not just abstaining from coffee, but also bread, pasta, sugar, etc.) and exercise Sunday is bagel and mocha day. Last week I had an asiago bagel and Panera coffee. It was easy to only have one cup it tasted like I was licking water from the gutter. This week I am looking forward to a "Venti half-calf three pump extra hot soy mocha" and the bagel. Yumm, yumm, I can taste it now. Its almost as good as being there.

Still not in N.C.

Today, I did the unthinkable, I walked out of Starbucks. After having 3 people in front of me order 4 or more drinks, and seeing only 2 people working behind the counter I knew I was in for the wait of my life. Realizing I was not in N.C. and there would be no free drinks at the end of the rainbow, I walked. I can't stand in line for 1/2 to get a coffee, even if it is Starbucks.

Art in your Pocket: ATCs

Where have I been. I just received one of my publications that had a feature on ATCs. In doing more research, I find that I am missing out on a whole art movement. some of these cards are great. The idea is for artists to exchange original art with each other. Some groups have shows at galleries, get togethers, etc.

This is one of the most informative sites I have found. Check it out:

Art in your Pocket: ATCs

We aren't in N.C. anymore

The Starbucks at International Mall today was out of soy milk. There were no offers extended. Unlike N.C. where Starbucks employees feel the need to make sure you leave their establishment with a good feeling, Tampa has no such problems. They know you will be back and they don't care.

Mr. Picassohead-by Kate

My 8 year old daughter also tried her "mouse" at being a Picasso with fabulous results:

Mr. Picassohead

Mr. Picassohead

Great fun for all ages. The Mr. PicassoHead Website. Create your own cut, paste and color Picasso. View mine at:

Mr. Picassohead

Free Starbucks?

We were just in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Southeast Regional Oriechtas (an irish dancing regional competition). While we were there we visited 2 different Starbucks. The unthinkable happened, we were given free products! We always get little samples here and there when our Starbucks back home is selling new pastries but this was a little different. I forgot to order my water at the first Starbucks and the Barista said "don't worry abut it just take one." At the second Starbucks the line was really long and everyone received their beverage on the house! I call that good business. The Starbucks in Tampa and St. Petersburg should take a page from the N.C. Starbucks book.

Tampa Museum of Art

The Tampa Museum of Art is celebrating their 25th anniversary. We picked up our new members passes and took a look today at the current show featuring their permanent collection. Not bad. I would recommend it, it even held our 3 year old daughters attention. One of the pieces was scorched canvas. Isabel thought it looked like coffee stains. I have promised to show her the coffee art website and brew an exceptionally strong pot of coffee so she can try her brush at coffee watercolor painting. I'll post the results as I photograph them.

Messy desk, great photo opportunity

Took this picture of my desk with my picture phone. I just might have to recreate this one as a still life in pastel.

Back to coffee, Panera

Sunday, is breakfast at Panera day. Last Sunday the light was coming through the window illuminating my empty coffee cup and tray. The picture is great (I took it with my picture phone), the coffee is awful (Panera's always is).