Today is a gift that's why they call it the Present

Gosh, we've had an action packed week!!! We have just had my husband go through a major business transition, I'm standing on the precipice of a dream job I'm making myself (in true DIY STYLE! LOL) and The Littlest Herrmann is just about to wrap making an amazing film, by a stand out team of writer/director and producers from Santa Clara's film program. WHEW! 

In order to wrap things up in style, yesterday, we headed to San Francisco's MOMA with a few girl friends... the museum let us in an hour before the place opened and it was DIVINE to have this private tour by a lovely docent who let our girls make art right there among the Mondrian and the Albers these are my favorite memories from the day...

Rothko Love <3

Robert Rauschenberg <3 x 3

Girls Making Art at SF MOMA

Merry Go-Round Yerba Buena

Tomorrow Alexia Shea will be heading to a photoshoot with Haley Hudson where they played Nora in the story of this woman's life. What a dream to be making movie magic right along side of tomorrow's stars. 

On the set of Nora - Alexia is in the purple sweater 

Today is the day to tell you about what's on my Work Table Wednesday... on my work table is a gift... one to myself and one to my MOMself :) see what I did there? Yes, they are both for me... I bought them as a present to myself for living through the last week! So, this is what I'm doing at my worktable today... reading, folding laundry, catching up with emails and Facebook Love AND planning another get together with my WTW friend Heather and her awesomely artful kid! Can't wait... that'll be up next week! YEAH!!!

Today is a Gift <3

Tonight will be catching up with that Book of Days of mine AND planning my Dream Catcher with my SouLodge sisters. 

Have a peek at my WTW friends Barbe St. John from Saints and Sinners who is on the same tiny bottle soldering wave length with me! ,  Sherry at Portobella Lane who is losing her head AND remodelling her bathroom and Heather Bluhm who is wishing us a Happy Easter!

Now, go get your CRAFT ON!!!

xoxo

jul

Spring Manifestations

Its Spring here, that's for sure! We have had beautiful nature walks through the Danville and Berkeley hills and are thoroughly loving being in the growth mode that this season seems to bring with it.

This Spring I've joined up with Pixie Campbell and the lovelies at SouLodge to really bring things into being that have been in planning stages for 8 months. I have been patiently culling my talents in every area of my 42 years to bring into manifestation this new project.

With the tools of clarity, vision, and motivation I have moved baby steps from the first inkling that this was my new direction. With the support of friends, family and every open ear available to me I have been bolstered. With the loyalty of the people I have around me I know we're going to go happily skipping and singing, painting and dreaming into our future!

Basking in the support of the tribe at SouLodge, Book of Days and my nearest and dearest I'll be crafting, arting and journalling my experience so that I can look back at this accomplishment and help my friends manifest their biggest dreams.

I'll have a little video up later this week giving you a little hint of what's going on with me... just know that every single person is a creative being... yes, even YOU. I read this article recently on the Wall Street Journal by Jonah Lehrer called How to be Creative (find the link here). He talks about how Creativity is not an inborn thing (just like I'm always saying) its a thing which is developed and can be sparked. Creativity is sometimes just a glass of wine away...

With that in mind, I'll leave you until later this week...

Now go get YOUR CRAFT ON!!!
xoxo
jul

Its CRAFT-A-PALOOOZA over here today!

Worktable Wednesday finds me in the middle of a 10 hour craft marathon, with my friend, Steph Jordan. There are die cuts, inks, Japanese Water colors, Inktense blocks, and Lattes COVERING the dining room table...

I ended up making these two spreads in my Book of Days Journal:

What's on your worktable?

Check out Barbe St. John and Heather Blum's worktables, too!

What's on your Worktable Wednesday

A few weeks ago my friend Barbe St. John started a feature on her blog called Worktable Wedensday calling artists out to share what they've got going on in that snapshot of time... 

Last week I was hanging out with our friend Heather Blum from Blum Studios and I was what was on her Worktable! 

LOL We had a blast soldering up a storm and now she and her little girl have some gorgeous offerings in their etsy shop.

Ok... so... here we are on Wednesday and I know that you're just DYINGto know...

What's on my Worktable?

Well, this week its all about getting ready for the littlest Herrmann's NEXT film role... So while she's busy writing her paper for school I'm taking her measurements to send in to the costume designers... and sipping a latte while I'm at it!

What are you up to today?

Gettin' your craft on?... leave a comment telling us all about it or leave a link to your blog so we can SEE!
xoxo
jul

Of Mermaids and Muses

I love a challenge, don't you? I mean, not the "do the dishes before the neighbor arrives" kind of challenge, but the "Hey, Julee, will you make my little girl into a fairy?" kind of challenge!

Uh... I don't even have to try, Miss Lady, your kid is already a FAIRY... LOOK!

For this piece, I sketched out my little friend on a piece of 140 lb. hot press water color paper, colored her with a few different mediums one of which was my Inktense Blocks from Derwent, added my favorite Art Institute Extra Fine Glitter in Screamin' Pink (my name not theirs ;) and white, a few star shaped beads, heart shaped confetti and little tiny paper flowers. A few finishing touches left and a finishing spray sealant, but this challenge is pretty much a wrap! Three days of work that was PURE BLISS and only a tiny bit challenge!

Now GO get YOUR craft ON!!!
xoxo
jul

Dance Your Own Dance

Drawing from the well to fill ourselves up, we venture around and sometimes stumble upon someone else's dream come true.

This piece is perfectly named Bliss Dance and was created by Marco Cochrane.  She originally made her  debut at the annual spiritual trek to the desert Burning Man.

She reminds me of how freely we can move when we cast off all of negative chatter of "what will they think?" and connect deeply to that inner dancer.

"I am who I am... who am I requesting some enlightenment..."

Dave Matthews Band

Fields of Mustard

St. Helena was the destination for our family's recent mini vacation. We have been enjoying little midweek day trips now and then. Having so much natural beauty at our doorstep is one of the best reasons for living here in the Bay Area. We packed up the Herrmann's and headed out of town and into wine country. It was a gorgeous day to be Californians!

Mustard is in bloom in the fields right now and its AHhhhh-mazing! It was as though a little drop of sunshine shattered into a bazillion pieces and each blossom is filled with it... filled up. Bursting with the joy of knowing its potential and LIVING it!

Have a peek:

Lexee told me these were her favorite bugs...
especially the grey one!

My very own pollinator! 

Mmmmmmmm talk about potential!

Handsome, Mister Herrmann

sweethearts!

Kid's got an eye!

So much mustard!

Everywhere you looked... Mustard Fields Forever!