The Art of Nothing

Pretty Pink Houses & Painting with Bonnie

A couple of weekends ago...I made my monthly track up to Portland to visit and play with my girlies, Sally & Bonnie.  I got to be "Brad" for a day while helping Sally with her "Soldering for Virgins" class in her studio.  Everyone did an excellent job as virgins and made beautiful charms.

After class, Sally and I went to a new place to eat & unwind in the Pearl District called "50 Plates."  We sat at the bar and enjoyed talking to the bartenders about the best burger places in Portland.  Sally and I are into burgers...definitely "meat girls."  We have a added a couple of places to try in Portland...so stay tune.

 

50 Plates has a great menu that includes mix and match sliders.  We love finger foods...so sliders are right up there on our list.  We tried a Lil' Kahuna Burger...on a sweet potato roll with slaw, BBQ sauce and Roscoe's...crispy fried chicken on a waffle with coffee maple drizzle.  Both were delicious but I have to say the Roscoe's was to die for!  Having just eaten at the original Roscoe's in Los Angeles...if you need a chicken and waffle fix...50 Plates is the place to go!

Would you like dessert???  Of course, we had to look at the menu...Faux Ho's!?!  Who wouldn't want to try that...childhood memories came flooding back into our conversation...Ding Dongs, Twinkles, Hostess Cupcakes, Fruit Turnovers and Ho-Ho's!  The Faux Ho's were yummy but a little too rich for me.  Sally and I wished they had just served one to split cause that's all we had room for.

The next day was spent making these beautiful lighted Pink Houses.  It is so much fun to sit, collage and think about how light will shine through the images of our little houses.  It was a joy sitting and creating with all the artistic women in Sally's studio.

We lined all the houses up and turned off the studio lights and let our little houses shine in the dark...aren't they just gorgeous!

On Monday, Sally & I drove over to our friend, Bonnie's house.  Bonnie is a very talented painter...check out her website, IPaintPictures.  Sally and I love Bonnie's paintings...since Italy we have been bugging her to teach us how to paint.  We finally had a play day to do it.  Our friend, Stacey join us too.  Bonnie is going to be teaching "How to Paint" classes in her studio soon...we were her practice class.  Our first picture was to draw and paint jars.

 

 

I loved how my jars came out...Bonnie has a special talent for teaching...she made the whole process so easy to understand...that I feel I can paint anything now...no longer afraid of the blank canvas.  I just have to make the time to practice more at home. Our painting session went till 9 pm that night...we were having so much fun and enjoying the flow of the paint and conversation...we were forced to quit because the light was getting so bad with the setting of the sun.  Good thing we don't live in Alaska...we'd be up all night long!

 

Here are some of the paintings we all did...I did the girl on the top...love her...not bad especially since the last time I drew anything was in high school.  Thanks, Bonnie!  What a wonderful teacher and hostess you are!  I love you!  I must say the best part of the day was "Hot Time Summer in the City!" LOL!
   

Sally Jean is no longer a Virgin!

 

Well...at least not an "In-N-Out" virgin!  I took Sally for her first "In-N-Out" Burger on our way down toAsilomar where she was teaching classes at Art & Soul.  She said that they were very good but is reserving judgment until she takes me to Burgerville in Portland.  It'll be a California vs Oregon burger-off!

Before going to the Salinas In-N-Out...we had to drop our dear Bonnie at the San Francisco Airport...she had to head back to Portland.  We missed her for the rest of trip...it is non stop laughing and fun when Bonnie is with us!  Sally and I drove down to the Pleasanton Flea Market which runs down the entire Main Street of the town.  We found some goodies...a book of miniature portraits, a large paper goose, vintage lace, ribbons, rhinestone necklaces and granny earrings... but forgot to take pictures!

Sally taught three classes at Art & Soul..."Soldering for Virgins"...I got to be Sally's Brad for the day and help out.  

 

Everyone made beautiful bracelets!

 

2nd day was Sally's "Whirly Twirly Magic Wands"...the centerpieces were made to spin along with the ball at the top.  The ladies in the class came up with some beautiful wands...we all felt so magical!

 

3rd day was the "Bottle Cross Shrines"...I loved making these...I even made a teeny tiny one with a frozen charlotte.

 

 

Sally always has the nicest ladies who come and take her classes.

 

The workshops were lots of fun and we celebrated the last night at the "Chop House" in Carmel.  We had the best filet mignon and yummy bread pudding!

 

Thursday morning, we woke up and packed up the car...we had to drive up to San Francisco for our flights back home.  Before leaving Carmel, we went to eat at Katy's Place...a delicious breakfast place that has 16 different kinds of Eggs Benedict's!  We stopped at "Findings" and found some beautiful tulle and vintage ribbons.  Our last stop was "Tancredi & Morgen" located out in Carmel Valley.  Marsha Alldis owes this fabulous shop which specializes in French Antiques, beautiful lavender filled pillows and gorgeous paper art that Marsha makes herself.  I love this store...it is a must if you are in the area.  Lots of eye candy!!!

 

 

Thanks, Marsha for letting us take pictures of your beautiful shop!

Our next adventure with be Art & Soul Las Vegas...February 21-24, 2010.  Check out Sally's classes...here!   She has a sample of the "Love Necklace" on her blog...here.  Sign up...come and have a Viva Las Vegas Adventure with Sally!

 

 

 

 

 

Antique Shopping in Petaluma

Saturday morning...we decided to take a drive north to the cute little town of Petaluma.  They have a couple of great antique shops where I have found many great pieces for my studio.  It took a while to get to Petaluma...traffic was a bit heavy.  The sun was shining and it was turning into a lovely day.

We arrived and we were hungry for a early lunch.  Stopped by my favorite lunch place...Della Fattoria.  They have delicious baked goods but their lunches are amazing...today's special was a beef & pork BBQ meatloaf sandwiches...it was melt in your mouth delicious!

   

Two of my favorite antique shops are located across the street from each other...Sienna & Chelsea Antiques.  We tried to talk Bonnie into getting this ginormous mouse but the best she would do is feed him some cheese.

 

Love this mannequin and vintage mirror.  Summer Cottage Antiques on Kentucky is a good shop and so is the Knitterly it's a yummy yarn shop.

We headed back to San Francisco...we had time for one more stop in North Beach.  Timeless Treasures...a place that carries all kinds of vintage letters and signage.

 

Found a great old "Classroom Printer" set and a cool white Tonka pick-up truck.  Jenny, the lady running the shop, was so sweet.

 

We had fun talking with her...she wanted to know if we were all related.  Bonnie told her this cute story that we were sisters but Sally had a different father.  Poor Jenny believed her...we told her the truth and had a good laugh.

 

Jenny was sweet enough let us take pictures of her shop.  She took this picture of the 3 of us.  Love it!  Jenny gave us big hugs and a recommendation for dinner.

 

While plugging the address for dinner into the Garmin, I turned and look to my left.  There was this dog with his head hanging out the window of his house...surveying the world go by...his expression was so funny with his jowls hanging over the window sill.

 

Sally ran out to take his picture and he never moved a muscle...must be use to the attention.

Jenny told us about her very favorite family own and run Italian Restaurant in North Beach.  Trattoria Contadina was absolutely the best Italian I have had in a long time.  We all loved our dinners and the service was amazing.  The Bruschetta and Caprese salad were too yummy for words.  Polpettine...homemade flavorful meatballs with tomato sauce.  My main entree was a Seafood Skewer that included shrimp, scallop, halibut, sea bass and salmon...simply out of this world.  Bonnie and Sally had beef steak with mash potatoes and a delicious sauce.  We were too full for dessert but they looked amazing.

 

We rolled ourselves back to the St. Francis and settled down in our comfy beds for a good night's sleep.

 

Berkeley

 

After our adventure to Wendy Addison's Studio, we drove down to Berkeley to meet our friend, Kristine.  The four of us had not been all together since our 2006 Italy trip to Sally's "Reliquary in Sterling" workshop in Cortona.  It was so good to be reunited.  We had lunch at Eccolo.  It was non stop talking and catching up.  The food at Eccolo was superb...the Tuscan Fries and the soft shell crab po' boy were to die for. 

Our next stop was Castle in the Air.  A wonderful shop with lots of art goodies.  They offer classes with great instructors.  Kristine takes many classes here and loves them.

 

Tale of the Yak was next on the agenda.  This shop is a must if you are in Berkeley.  Eye candy galore...very whimsical...lots of beautiful French & Italian treasures...full figure Santos...old ledgers...vintage French decorator books...beautiful paper garlands.  It's a visual feast.

It was time for a mid afternoon pick me up...Ici...across the street would be the ticket.

 

 So many treats to choose from...we settled on ice cream...I had the Meyer Lemon with mint sorbet...yummy!

 

Look at all those dishes of ice cream!

 

Time was running short...unfortunately the shops closed at 5pm in Berkeley.  We stopped at a cute antique shop called "Mixed Pickles" that was suggest by our friend, Alicia.  We all found little treasures to take home.  Our last shop was Dick Blick...Sally needed some supplies for her classes at Art & Soul in Asilomar...Bonnie had the calligraphy bug and wanted supplies to practice...Kristine and I just walked around and savored all the art supplies.  I could spend hours in a art store!  Kristine had to leave us to make her journey north back home. 

 

Traffic back to San Francisco would be bad so we decided on dinner at my favorite Mexican place in Berkeley...Tacubaya.  Kristine had introduced me to this eatery a couple of years ago.  It is authentic Mexican food.  One of the few places the serve Taco de Lengua...beef tongue.  I know, I know some people are a bit squeamish but it is so tender and delicious...it is to die for.  The Chilaquiles are the best I have ever had here too.

 

On the way back to San Francisco, we saw a Paper Source and right next door a Anthropologie (the only two places open past 5pm on 4th) ...the car just automatically parked itself...we had to go in! Love the bird cages!

 

We headed back to San Francisco...it was a full day of friendship and being with girlies who love and care about the same things I do...artistic souls who always inspire me.  Looking forward to Roundtop with you all...thanks for being my friends!  I love you guys!

Wendy Addison's "Theatre of Dreams"

 

Saturday morning, Sally, Bonnie & I had a very special appointment with Wendy Addison at her wonderful "Theatre of Dreams" studio.  What a magical place!

  

Wendy magic is everywhere...

 German glass glitter shines in many forms...large glittery letters...

 

and wire wrapped spheres...

 

Vintage papers and ribbons create special vignettes...

 

Apothecary jars filled with eye candy...old vintage mirrors...colorful old mercury glass beads...

 

Beautiful theatres created by loving hands, that hold many surprises of delightful wonder...

 

The best part of our visit was Wendy reading her amazing book..."Theatre of Dreams" to us...every page is handmade by Wendy.  The story is very magical...we squealed with delight as each page was revealed...we definitely had to order a copy.  Wendy took us into her workshop.  She showed us how she printed on her antique letter press.  All the pages of her book were lined up in piles just waiting to be hand assembled.  You could see what a labor of love it is.  I can't wait for my copy!

Thank you, Wendy for being such a gracious hostess.  We loved every minute in your studio & workshop.  It was so nice to finally meet the woman who has given me so much visual pleasure and inspiration over the years.

Next stop...Berkeley!

San Francisco with my girlies

 

I went to San Francisco for a "girlie weekend" with gal pals, Bonnie and Sally.  Arrived at SFO about noon and drove to our hotel...we were staying at the Westin St. Francis, right on Union Square.  We checked into a large vintage room with tall ceilings, chandeliers, & comfy beds with lots of pillows.  Our first stop was Scala's Bistro was for lunch...we dined on yummy fillet mignon sliders, sauteed spinach & pomme frites.  We spent the rest of the afternoon at Kati Koo's on Sutter.  Kati has beautiful Krista Larson clothes, that we loved trying on and modeling.  I did come away with a couple of pieces.  We ate dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  Spent the rest of the evening catching up, laughing, giggling and enjoying each others company.  Stay tune for more of our adventures in Northern California.

Sean's Graduation

Another milestone in the Simpson family has been made...Sean went through graduation ceremonies at USC.  Officially, he'll be done in December.   Sean walked with his buddies, while his mom and dad hearts swelled with love and pride!

 

It was an early beautiful day on the USC campus.  We left Brea's condo at 7am and fought through the LA traffic to arrive with plenty of parking on campus.  We got to see Sean before he headed off to the main ceremony in front of Doheny at 9am.  It was a sea of cardinal and gold with family and friends everywhere.  I always forget all the tradition and pride in the USC family during my everyday life...it all returns everything time I'm back on campus.  A rush of memories of my days at USC always come back...the fun...friends...hard work...alot of sacrifice on my parents' part... most of all the spirit of the school and a feeling of belonging.

Our Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the speaker.  He was excellent and very funny.  He was the perfect person to speak to these graduates about working your hardest and never giving up to be the best.  My sister...Stacey, her husband...Michael and cousins...Thomas & Tori joined us for Sean's special day.

The graduates then departed to different areas of campus to receive their diplomas from all the different schools.  Sean is in the School of Business and we were off to the Galen Center.  I got teary eyed watching Sean walk up and receiving his diploma...so much hard work...sacrifice...perseverance.   After graduation, we celebrated at Phillipe's...the best french dip sandwich on the west coast!

 

I remember this little boy who could never sit still...always on the go...always active...always asking questions...always coming up with the funniest things to say.  The little boy who would sit in my lap late in the afternoons and watched "Star Trek" with his mommy...my little cuddle bug...where does the time go?  Sean, you have grown into a fine young man that I am so very proud of. 

Congratulations Sean! 

I know how hard you worked.  It was all worth it.  I look forward to what the Lord has in store for you!  Can't wait to celebrate more when we all are in Paris & London this summer!

Happy Mother's Day

 

God gave us friends...and that means so much;

But far above all others,

The greatest of His gifts to the Earth

Was when He thought of mothers!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

I miss you!

xoxo

Gerard Butler's New Movie

GAMER

Opens September 4, 2009

The poster is interactive...run your cursor over the image.

 

From the makers of Crank...which was a great movie very different but not for everyone.  Crank 2 was not very good.  So I'm hoping Gamer will follow in the original Crank tradition.

My New Etsy Shop

I have started to make my jewelry again after a 3 year sabbatical.  It has been so much fun to be in touch with the wire again.  The ideas have been flowing.  Here are my latest creations...my 'birdcage' girls.

Along with sweet little mermaids all dressed up to the nines!

I have taken the next big step of putting them in my Etsy Online Shop to buy.  Check out the ten necklaces I have listed at Cheryl Simpson's Inspired Relics Shop.

Here are some of the necklaces I have for sale...