Hanje Richards Design

Guest Blog: Rod Richards on Sarah Palin

2008-09-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

This blog entry was written by my husband, Rod Richards. He wrote it after Sarah Palin gave her speech at the RNC.

Enough Already:Palin Comparison

Well, Sarah Palin just finished her speech at the Republican Convention in St. Paul and, in a cliche that will be used endlessly by the news commentators over the next few days, she "hit it out of the park."

She really did.

Much as it pains me to admit it, and much as I disagreed with all of her positions on the issues of the day, she gave an awesome, fierce and fiery presentation. Someone (I wonder who worked on this) crafted a brilliant speech and she performed it almost flawlessly.

Ironically, she followed in the already-well-worn path of the McCain campaign by poking fun at Obama's rhetorical abilities (form without substance), but she's gotta know that it is her own abilities in this area that have saved the McCain campaign to fight another day (and quite possibly even win the freakin' election, he said with a shudder.)

The other irony was that she lambasted Obama for his "bitter" comment (though she never actually quoted it). I give you the quote to which she was referring:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not."

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

I quote it here to point out the irony because, while Sarah Palin made fun of this quote and elicited a huge roar from the crowd when she did so, the whole of her speech proved Obama one hundred percent correct. She provided a voice for the bitter but, rather than pointing to the real problems, she gave them the solutions that Obama noted above, most especially "antipathy to people who aren't like them."

She talked about McCain working for "you," the people, but it was a little hard to tell who that "you" included, outside of her family and a guy who was in the prison camp with McCain.

I don't have a transcript of the speech yet, but it is safe to say that she was not including any of the big "elites" (Washington, Eastern, media, liberal); she was not including "special interests" (and we can only guess what she would include in that category); she was not including those wussy "community organizers" (who are not "responsible" for anything). The "you" she kept referring to was increasingly defined by who "you" are not.

A few speakers throughout the night made a big deal about never hearing the phrase "Islamic terrorism" at the Democratic Convention. Giuliani, of course, wanted to hear about 9/11, when he actually was hailed as a hero for a few days until everyone came back to their senses and realized he was just the slimeball who happened to be mayor at the time. Palin wondered why "victory" was never mentioned when Obama talked about the war in Iraq. Now I'm no Alaskan governor, and I've never even been on the PTA, but let me suggest to the Republicans that when they use the term "victory," they also may want to actually define what the hell that means.

You see, Palin spoke to the bitterness that Obama named, but she ironically offered only empty-yet-heady rhetoric. She gave them pride in being Americans and for....hmmm, what exactly? She gave them pride in hating those nasty Al Qaeda members, while the Democrats were only concerned with reading these terrorists their rights. She gave them pride in wanting to drill for more oil (and this will change their lives how?...I mean, seriously, not rhetorically). She gave them pride in their bitterness and invited them to turn their venom on those who might actually see it for what it is; those who might want to work on the real and difficult cures for that bitterness, rather than offering the immediately satisfying fix of blind patriotism and/or false religion.

There, I said it. False religion.

There are so many levels of hypocrisy on display that it's hard to know where to begin, but I guess the one that really sticks in my proverbial craw about the Republicans is their cynical and careless use of Christianity, and I find it sad that so many sincere Evangelicals seem to be drinking this hypocrisy down like communion wine. I find it chilling that they can purport to be followers of the Ten Commandments ("Thou shalt have no other Gods before me") and yet engage in frenzied cheers of "Country First!" I find it unforgivable that they can claim the Hebrew Prophets in their Scriptures, and yet not mention "poverty" one single time! I find it, frankly, sacreligious (by their own standards) that those who profess to believe along with Paul that "there is no distinction since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" have no problem finding evil ever and always and only out there or over there (never right here or inside ourselves). They then proclaim that they can, once and for all, defeat evil. Interesting theology, but it ain't Christianity.

Now, believe me, I'm not saying that Obama is some kind of saint, but I feel a distinct difference in the purpose of his rhetoric as opposed to what I heard from Palin. He seems to be inviting people to participate in this almost-destroyed democracy before it's too late, or maybe more accurately that's how I feel that the people who are excited about Obama are interpreting his rhetoric. Palin seems to be calling people to continue hating and fearing all the same old bogey-men so that they can at least feel a little better about the sad situations that they find themselves in within this "greatest nation in all of human history" (as Mitt Romney called it).

So yeah, she hit it out of the park, but after the Bush/Cheney doubleheader I'm just tired of the whole damned game. McCain has been reported as saying that he would rather lose an election than lose the war in Iraq. I believe that once we've gone to war we've already lost...but I call on the American people to help make the first part of McCain's wish come true. He'd rather lose an election...let him hold onto his integrity.

As for Sarah Palin, she said, with all of the bitterness that she could channel from the crowd, that "This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer." But community is not a dirty word to most of us, and, further, this world is a global community, for better or worse. If it is also a world of threats and dangers, it may be because we do not treat it as a human community even across national boundaries, religious differences, and competing interests.

"We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality," said Martin Luther King, "tied in a single garment of destiny."

I know, I know, just a bunch of words. But those are the kind of words that can heal, not harm; that can help, not hinder. These are the kind of words that call one to approach the world with the humility and compassion that real religion requires and inspires. God save us all if we don't heed them.

Oprah, Ted and Hanje Endorse......Obama

2008-02-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

I have not hidden my ABBH (AnyBody But Hilary) stance throughout this long campaign. I was probably most closely aligned politically to John Edwards...but it seemed that he was never able to gain any traction...and maybe he had the white male thing working against him.

I have been intrigued by Barak Obama since the begining and I am now firmly on his bandwagon...and plan to vote for him in the primary here in Arizona on Super Duper Tuesday.

If you are having trouble deciding....I ask you to spend 4 and a half mintues watching and listening to this video and then think if there is anything Hilary has said or done that would inspire something as beautiful and brilliant as this. If not, then I really encourage you to join Oprah, Ted Kennedy and myself in supporting Barak Obama!

Click Here To View The Video.

I just watched...

2007-12-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

I was sure I had seen this movie before, especially since James Woods and James Garner are two of my favorite actors. However, when I watched it ... I realized that I had either never seen it before, or I had forgotten all of it....

So...having recently started attending AA meetings again after many years of not attending, it was interesting and inspiring to review the story of the beginnings of AA.

I just watched...

2007-12-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

What can I say?
These people are seriously confused. (And by that I am refering to the REPUBLICAN part of the equation!)
Almost painful to watch, but certainly interesting.

I just watched...

2007-12-07T14:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I remember things differently...

I LOVED St.Elsewhere back in 1982...but didn't know how it would stand up to the test of time...

Of course 1982 was a long damn time ago...and there are some things that seem dated...but it is really fun...and although I have not yet watched all 22 episodes from the first season...More like...the pilot and 5 more...I enjoyed it...

This from the Amazon review: Beginning its six-year run in 1982, St. Elsewhere was neither television's first ensemble medical drama nor, heaven knows, its last. Yet this four-disc set of all 22 episodes from the first season is a reminder that this was, and still is, one of the very best. Even now, when "reality" programming blights the landscape like some biblical plague, doc, cop, and lawyer shows remain staples of the medium, and while the likes of C.S.I., E.R., and Grey's Anatomy have it all over St. Elsewhere in the sizzle department--the production values are much flashier, the content sexier, more graphic, and faster-moving, the technology both in front of and behind the camera light years more sophisticated--the older show, despite its somewhat cheesy '70s vibe, is the hands-down winner when it comes to the actual steak. That's because it does it the old-fashioned way: by relying on good writing, vividly-drawn, identifiable characters, and excellent performances by an eye-opening group of actors.

Also worth checking out: Howie Mandel, Ed Begley, Jr. and (I had totally forgotten) Denzel Washington...way back when...

Hair Cut Results

2007-11-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

No one voted for Suze Orman. I realized that I never announced a prize. So, there won't be a prize. But I thank everyone who participated in this "just for fun" vote on my new do. My current selections, in spite of the votes are Suze Orman, and the woman with really short hair who was known as #1 left, who appears just below this paragraph.

MR said: If you are feeling really adventurous go with #1 left because it is so radical and fun, but my more realistic choice is 3 left. You go girl. I hope you will send a picture after your tranformation.

ML said: I love short hair (on almost anyone) and generally speaking the shorter the better…”1 left” is fabulous! However…coloring is an issue with short hair. It is an issue I personally have chosen to take a no-participant stance on. So of course I would like to see more of my own kind…short, naturally graying, but hip, sexy, and self assured by damn!

PR said: I vote for 2 right!

BM said: I vote for 1 left or 2 right. But, I will miss the bob!

KM said: row one right

CMS said: My vote is for the top row, 2nd one over.

JS said: Since you asked, I think 1 left and 4 right would be a bit too severe on you, but I believe all the others could fly beautifully.

KB said: That last one looks like it IS you, just a little while back... Maybe the Suzie Orman cut would attract money... I often think that dread locks are reallythe perfect solution (to everything, world peace, for example).

KB wins a special award for figuring out that 4 right is actually a picture of me, taken 25 or so years ago.

My husband also left the comment: 4 right...who is that beautiful woman? I think she's right 4 me (but he had the distinct advantage of already knowing that it was a picture of me.)

PY said: I VOTE FOR NUMBER THREE RIGHT

KR said: 3 Right

MN said: 3 Right

I wonder if PY, MN and KR think I am a cartoon character or if they really think this is a good look for me.

Pilgrimage Proposal

2007-11-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

I am making a pilgrimage proposal to my husband and to others who will listen. (I looked up "pilgrimage" in the dictionary to make sure the trip I am proposing actually qualifies...I think it does, but you can decide for yourself.)

I would like to make a pilgrimage (1. a journey, esp. a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion: a pilgrimage to Lourdes. 2. any long journey, esp. one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage: a pilgrimage to the grave of Shakespeare. 3.
a journey to a sacred place or shrine. 4. a long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance) to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

This certainly qualifies on the long journey front, according to mapquest, it is exactly 1926.52 miles from my front door to the front door of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. And, according to mapquest, this will take me approximately 28 hours, 35 minutes. This time extimate allows for no bathroom breaks, food stops, sleep or stretching the legs...so I am guessing it would take a little bit longer...

Anyway...very cool museum...be sure to check out the washrooms and the exhibits and collections. Awesome!

Here is the mission and history from the web site:

Mission and History

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a not-for-profit organization established in 1967 for aesthetic and educational purposes. Its mission is to encourage and support innovative explorations in the arts and to foster an exchange between a national community of artists and a broad public that will help realize the power of the arts to inspire and transform our world. The Arts Center serves as laboratory for the creation of new works, nurturer of interdisciplinary initiatives, originator of exhibitions, presenter and producer of performing arts, educator, publisher of critical writings, community builder, and advocate for issues affecting the arts. In essence, JMKAC functions as a catalyst for and explorer of new art forms and new ideas that will impact the lives of both artists and public.

A major focus of the program shall be exhibitions devoted to a wide range of concepts and directions in contemporary art, with particular consideration of craft-related forms, installation works, photography, new genres, ongoing cultural traditions, and the work of self-taught artists. The exhibitions shall encourage the creation of new work and shall involve substantive critical explorations.

The performing arts shall emphasize new directions as well as continuing and evolving cultural traditions in dance, theatre, music, and interdisciplinary forms through programming that brings together artists from around the world with diverse regional audiences.
The Connecting Communities program shall collaborate with community partners to involve outstanding artists with area cultural communities and a wide range of constituencies with special needs in the creation of powerful original works of art and, in the process, to aid in uniting and strengthening the community and the region.

In cooperation with American business, Arts/Industry shall provide support for artists in the creation of new work and in the investigation of new ways of thinking and making art, through long-term residencies and other programming at manufacturing sites. At the same time, Arts/Industry shall involve the industrial community and other audiences with the artists and their work.

The collections shall be of significance to the Arts Center's program and constituencies, concentrating primarily on the work of self-taught artists, ongoing cultural traditions, and works created in Arts/Industry. They shall be used in on-site and touring exhibitions as well as in research and education.

Education shall be a fundamental tenet of all programming. Educational and interpretive services shall relate directly to the exhibitions, collections, performing arts programming, Connecting Communities, and Arts/Industry, as well as to the Arts Center‘s architecture and gardens. They shall employ the integration of the arts as a primary educational tool. Such services may take the form of artists‘ residencies; an arts-based preschool, classes, and camps; festivals and other special events; scholarly publications; guided tours, lectures, and demonstrations; resource center; retail shops; programming for constituencies with special needs such as schools, universities, daycare centers, English-language-learner programs, shelters, and children and adults with disabilities; and/or any other means that encourage a continuing dialogue between artists and public and heighten their understanding of and sensitivity to all the arts.

At the very heart of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center are its local, regional, and national constituencies and the unique, very real relationship between artists and public. The Arts Center shall nurture the involvement of children of all ages, through the schools, families, and community organizations. Likewise, it shall engage the broadest possible adult audiences. The Arts Center shall continue its leadership roles of nourishing diversity and building community through the arts. In all programming, the Arts Center shall cultivate connections: between artists and audiences, between artists and communities, between emerging and established artists, between local and visiting artists, between the Arts Center and other organizations, between art forms, and between past and present.

So I am thinking, perhaps I should make the pilgrimage next time I am in Minnesota...It would still be a pilgrimage, but it would be a lot closer...334.28 miles (5 hours and 31 minutes) according to mapquest. Maybe I can convince some of you to join me!

Thanks

2007-11-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who responded to the hair do query. There is still time to weigh in before I do the actual hair cut, so feel free to email me or leave a comment.

I will be posting the voting results on Monday. So, if you have already responded, and are curious...you can check that out Monday...and if you feel that a terrible error has been made..you can weigh in for a final time before I go under the shears.

Vote on a new hair cut for Hanje

2007-11-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

Okay...I have been wearing my hair in a short/mid length bob for several years...

My favorite (inexpensive) hair cutter, Frances, literally dissapeared from the location where I used to visit her in Tucson. I have made a couple emergency visits to inexpensive hair cutters in other locations...but my visits have been few and far between and now my hair is longish...as in I can wear it in a ponytail or a kind of lame braid. (I also had a silver dollar sized patch shaved from the very top of my head for a little surgery a few months ago...and that is starting to grow in...a little bit scruffily...)

So...I am thinking it is time for a shorter do...

so...I offer the following hair styles for you to vote on...

just leave a response identifying your choice for my new hair cut... but remember...I will be 54 (but a very young 54!) in a month...and I do wear glasses...which could affect the whole bangs thing...

if you wish to add entries...email them to hanjerichardsdesign@gmail.com

You can identify the pictures by row: 1,2, 3 or 4 and by position in the row: left or right

(for example if you wish to vote for the Suze Orman do...you would vote for 3 left )

Okay...my hair is driving me crazy...so get those votes in asap!!!

next week...we will discuss hair color...

and...don't forget to contact me if you would like to become a netflix friend...

hanjerichardsdesign@gmail.com

Netflix Friends (A Personals Ad of Sorts)

2007-11-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Looking for Netflix Friends. If interested, please contact me at my email address: hanjerichardsdesign@gmail.com. Without going too deeply into my addictive personality, suffice to say, I am very into Netflix...and I love having lots of Netflix Friends.

If you are not familiar with the online movie ordering service, Netflix...check them out.

This from the Netflix website: Netflix Delivers DVD Rentals To You
With Netflix you can rent as many DVDs as you want and watch movies instantly on your PC for one low price. There are no late fees and no due dates, and DVD shipping is free both ways. Plans start from only $4.99 plus applicable tax. With our most popular plan, you can rent as many DVDs as you want (3 DVDs at-a-time) and watch 17 hours of movies instantly on your PC all for just $16.99 a month plus applicable tax. There are no additional charges

Seeing my Netflix Friends queues, ratings and comments is great fun for me. Unfortunately, it is also causing me to increase the number of movies in my queue at an alarming rate...(lets just put it this way...if I watched 5.61 movies per week for the next year...I would be caught up!) (Okay..in addition to being somewhat addictive, I also have a survivalist mentality...but that is fodder for another post.)

I just watched...

2007-11-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

Which was a huge dissapointment. The acting was probably the worst I have seen since the invention of the talkie in the 1920s.

I read the book by Augusten Burroughs some time ago...I thought it was brilliant...and I would highly recommend...

Other titles by Augusten Burroughs which are also excellent:

Project Runway start TONIGHT!!!

2007-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

Okay...I am a little obsessed...I admit it. This is one of my favorite TV shows...or possibly my favorite TV show. This is Season 4. Seasons 1 - 3 have been awesome...and I have no reason to suspect Season 4 will be any less!

It starts tonight on BRAVO...and here is the Project Runway Home Page

I need to also tip my hat to my favorite Project Runway blog...Project Rungay...

I admit that I have not been reading it much since the end of Season 3, but I am all tuned up to start reading them again...now that Season 4 is starting. They are a little bit bitchy...and a little bit in awe...a great combination...and a great fun read.

I just watched...

2007-11-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

The Lake House

Starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves.

Sweet and touching in a Time-Travellers-Wife(Girlfriend)-Sandra-Bullocky sort of way.

Her hair in 2004 was bangs, long, unstyled, fairly unattractive. Her hair in 2006 was shorter, with longer bangs, styled and quite "cute" (if I can use that word).

At one point in the movie she refers to her hair in 2004. "I was having a bad hair year that year." (Gotta love someone who is self-aware!)

projecft runway

2007-11-12T15:12:00.001-08:00

Blatant Self-Promotion

2007-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

I have tried various selling venues over the years...I have sold on eBay and etsy and cafe press. I have even tried to sell off my own web pages under various names (ladyartichokeheart, among others).

Right now I am only selling stuff I create two places...ebay and cafe press.

At my eBay store, I sell art supplies, used books, a little of this and that...and this is where I am now selling my art dolls. I have mermaid dolls, goddess dolls, all kinds of art dolls. (I am in a doll making frenzy right now...and new things are being added daily...)

Through my cafe press store, I sell merchandise featuring my designs, photography and art dolls... This is where I sell Unitarian Universalist holiday cards (Kwanzaa, Christmas, Solstice, Hanukka...all featuring the Flaming Chalice.

You can also purchase note cards, t-shirts, throw pillows, ceramic tiles, sweatshirts and so much more...lots of great gift ideas there!

I have a website...which directs you to various places...and that is at www.hanjerichards.com...

Finally...I have this blog...which allows you to get to know me...and through which I promote myself...(aka Blatant Self-Promotion) ... my art...my affiliation with amazon.com...and what I am thinking about, reading, watching and so on...

So...back to regularly scheduled blogging...

Later this week, you will have an opportunity to become a netflix friend...and to vote on my next hair cut...so...keep checking back...leaving comments...and ...

well...that is my blatant self-promotion for the day...

I just read...

2007-11-09T04:47:00.000-08:00

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Chalk up another one for Jodi Picoult! I really was intrigued by this novel set in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. Again Picoult explores situational ethics through fiction.

As someone who has always seen things as very black and white...I am always challenged by the way that she show there are multiple sides to every issue...to every question...

A medical and legal story...wrapped in the unknown (to me) world of the Amish.

I highly recommend this along with the others I have read by Jodi Picoult!

Grey Gardens

2007-11-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

Okay...so the movie Gray Gardens has been a "cult classic" since 1975. How did I miss it before this? Luckily my friends Kathleen and Hope gave me a heads up...

I finally watched it last week, and I could write a couple of fashion editorials on it, probably a psychology paper or two...I could certainly critique the film....or I could just tell you that it is an amazingly weird and wonderful documentary...Don't get me started!!!

For those of you who didn't know...there is a second movie The Beales of Grey Gardens.

From Netflix: The ladies of the Beale manse -- Big Edie and Little Edie, kin of Jackie Onassis and stars of the cult classic documentary Grey Gardens -- return in previously unseen footage culled from the filmmakers' archives. Mother and daughter are as weirdly riveting as ever as they hold forth on everything from God to war, and Little Edie models a series of arresting ensembles amid the trash and critters that share the women's crumbling East Hampton home.

And for those who have not yet had enough of Big Edie and Little Edie...there is a broadway musical.... starring Christine Ebersol and Mary Louise Wilson and a future made for HBO movie (which may in fact be a theatrical release first) starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lang
... and... there is a song, inspired by the movie written and performed by Rufus Wainwright.

Using Dreams

2007-07-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Since I have been in recovery for alcohol and drug addiction (1981) I have had, over the years, what are called "using dreams." For me, and others I have discussed this phenomenon with, it goes something like this. In the dream, I drink, I know that I am an alcoholic and that to control that, I do not drink, however there is always some sort of reason, justification, something that makes it "ok"...it wasn't my fault...or I just plain old drink...and then feel guilty and awful. Generally when I wake up after having one of these dreams, I am often confused about whether it was a dream or real. I feel disoriented and guilty and sometimes a little scared.

So, not surprisingly, I have had a few cigarette "using dreams" since I quite smoking in March, 2007. I would guess that I have probably had about 1 of these dreams per month. They are a little scary, kind of a wake-up call and later in the day, actually are mildly humorous.

Well...last night I had what must have been a "food using dream." I have been on a very strick low-carb diabetic diet since March. Last night I dreamed that I was eating (or was about to eat) MASHED POTATOES. There I was in my dream, defending my choice to eat this big, huge plate of Mashed Potatoes. (My previous food using dream from a month ago had something to do with M & M s....which are also not part of my new healthier lifestyle!)

I just read...

2007-07-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

First book I have read in this futuristic suspense series. It was fun and light. I will probably read more.

I just read...

2007-07-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

Memoir by Jeannette Walls tells of growing up in a majorly disfunctional family. I personally prefered THE GLASS CASTLE to LIAR'S CLUB by Mary Karr.

I just read...

2007-07-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

An early novel by Jodi Picoult. The writing is not quite as smooth as it is in later books, but the story and character development had me from the start. I really wonder how I missed this wonderful author for such a long time!

Free Teleseminar...Highly Recommended!!!

2007-07-05T03:42:00.000-07:00

FREE Abundance Bound Teleseminar TODAY

"Understanding the Artists' Prosperity System(TM)"

Thursday, July 5, 2007
4:00 PM to 5:15 PM Pacific

If you're an artist who is tired of always struggling financially, join us for this one-hour FREE class where you will gain an understanding of the steps that will allow you to take control of your money. Learn about Abundance Bound and the ways we will support you on your journey towards financial stability.
This class is taught via tele-seminar so you can be anywhere in the country (and, in fact, the world). All you need is a phone!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

I just read...

2007-07-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Powerful, well written book. I had head about it, and checked it out of the library a couple of times before I actually got around to reading it, but I am glad I was persistant. Very good read.

I just watched...

2007-07-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

It made for kind of an Angelina Jolie weekend, as she was also the second lead in GIRL, INTERRUPTED. But, I thought she did a good job with the title role in GIA.

I just watched

2007-06-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Excellent movie. I have missed Winoa Ryder. Aside from the little shoplifting problem she is really an amazing actress.

Unitarian Universalist General Assembly Part 2

2007-06-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

In my last blog entry I talked about having a booth at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Portland, Oregon next week. Today I just wanted to give you a little more information. The Exhibit Hall is open to General Assembly registrants only, with the exception of the Sunday hours, when it is open to the public. Hope to see you there!!

Exhibit Hall Hours

Wednesday, June 20th
12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 21
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday, June 22
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, June 23
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sunday, June 24
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly

2007-06-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

If you are going to be at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Portland, Oregon June 20-24, please stop by and see me at my booth! The booth is listed as: Art with Soul 4UU and it is booth 536

I am sharing the booth with two very talented ladies: Joy Troyer, batik artist and Kit Wright, fabric artist. And, you can check me out too Hanje Richards.

ARTISTS: I highly recommend this Teleseminar!!

2007-06-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

FREE Abundance Bound Teleseminar

"Understanding the Artists' Prosperity System(TM)"

Thursday, June 14, 2007
4:00 PM to 5:15 PM Pacific

If you're an artist who is tired of always struggling financially, join us for this one-hour FREE class where you will gain an understanding of the steps that will allow you to take control of your money. Learn about Abundance Bound and the ways we will support you on your journey towards financial stability.
This class is taught via tele-seminar so you can be anywhere in the country (and, in fact, the world). All you need is a phone!

Click here to sign up.

Wild Bird Goddess Doll

2007-06-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have been making lots of cloth goddess dolls that past couple of weeks. One that I finished recently is called Wild Bird Goddess Doll.
To see the Wild Bird Goddess Doll and other recently completed dolls you can go to my etsy shop: Dolladay

I just watched...

2007-05-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

I saw this one in the theater when it first came out. However, I certainly enjoyed it the second time around.

I read the book when it first came out, but this is my first time seeing the movie.

Lots of good fun, even for a muggle like me!
I am looking forward to watching and reading more Harry Potter this summer.

I just read...

2007-05-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

I highly recommend these financial books by David Bach.

Guilty Pleasures

2007-05-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have been going through some stressful times recently, so when I found myself in Tucson yesterday with a little time to kill, I found myself at the bookstore. I bought myself some magazines as a little guilty pleasure.

Both Somerset Studio: The Art of Paper and Mixed-Media and Art Doll Quarterly are published by Stampington & Company , which publishes a host of beautiful magazines.

I just read...

2007-05-07T03:10:00.000-07:00

Spring Cleaning

2007-05-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

S - Sweep - Sweep up and throw away your excuses as to why you can't
or won't do something. Stop being the one who merely comments on what
is wrong and start being the one who offers solutions.

P - Polish - Polish your heart with all its unwavering and steadfast
passion and allow it to lead you to unlimited ways of creatively
expressing who you are and what you love.

R - Rinse - Rinse away all of the self-doubt that has long coated your
motivation and become willing to reacquaint yourself with a shiny,
untarnished and larger sense of self.

I - Increase - Increase your circle of influence with those who see
the glass half full - brimming with possibility and who champion you
to do the same.

N - Neaten - Neaten your environment and create a sanctuary that is
pleasing to the eye. You'll feel the difference both physically and
emotionally.

G - Groom - Groom your mind just as you would groom your physical
self. Everyday look into the mirror of your being and adjust your
thoughts, brush away the negativity and begin to consciously apply the
law of attraction for your good.

C - Clear - Clear out the clutter. Take out what you haven't used or
worn in the last year and donate it to a charity. By clearing out the
old, the new can finally come in.

L - Lighten - Lighten up and stop taking yourself and your situation
so seriously. If joy is our birthright, then allow that quality of
being to help lead you down the path of rediscovering sustaining
happiness.

E - Empty - Empty out your bag of regrets and know that this now
moment is the beginning of creating whatever life you desire. What you
choose to focus on today colors and creates your tomorrows.

A - Arrange - Arrange your time so that you have equal parts work and
play. Understand that one isn't more important than the other. Both
play vital and necessary roles in developing an optimum lifestyle.

N - Number - Number your goals and keep them in sight, referring to
them often. When one is accomplished, replace it with another, always
raising the stakes to see just how much good you can embody.

I - Inhabit - Inhabit your days with acts of unconditional love. Make
it your intention to cherish and champion the good of others without
expecting anything in return.

N - Nail - Nail up and complete any wobbly communication and
unfinished business and if it simply isn't possible to take immediate
care of it, then create a plan to do so.

G - Gather - Gather up your friends and family and let them know how
much you appreciate them. Praise their goals, their dreams, their lives.

© 2007 Rev David Ault

Free Teleseminar TOMORROW

2007-04-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 1st at 4:00 PM (Pacific Time) I will be hosting a one- hour FREE TELESEMINAR. Register here for this introduction to the Artists' Prosperity System and the powerful steps you can immediately put into action to finally MASTER money management!

I HIGHLY reccomend this teleseminar!!!

I did something fun last Thursday

2007-04-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

I have been considering signing up for Artists' Prosperity Boot Camp from Abundance Bound. (This is a 10-week intensive program (taught by teleseminar), where participants learn AND implement each step of the Artists' Prosperity System™. Students will get financially organized, improve their money mindset, create debt plans, start developing passive income, and much more!)

One of my goals for 2007 is to develop a better relationship with money, and it looked like this might be a really good step to take toward fulfilling that goal.

Thinking about signing up for the Artists' Prosperity Boot Camp was as far as I had gotten. But last Thursday I noticed that Abundance Bound was giving a free teleseminar, and I decided to check it out.

Well, the facilitator, owner and founder of the company, Miata Edoga is a delight. The information she shared during the one hour free teleseminar was clear and well presented. (It included a worksheet, which is a sure way to hook me!) I had fun during the teleconference and learned some things I didn't know and immediately after it was over I went ahead and registered for Artists' Prosperity Book Camp.

15 Day and Counting....

2007-04-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

I had my last cigarette on April 2nd, 2007 at about 8:00 p.m. I have saved $187.00 so far. And, I have learned a few things that happen to your body when you quit smoking.

At 20 minutes after quitting:

blood pressure decreases
pulse rate drops
body temperature of hands and feet increases

At 8 hours:

carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
oxygen level in blood increases to normal

At 24 hours:

chance of a heart attack decreases

At 48 hours:

nerve endings start regrowing
ability to smell and taste improve

Between 2 weeks and 3 months:

circulation improves
walking becomes easier
lung function increases

I can't really tell that these things are happening, with the exception of the reduced blood pressure and reduced pulse rate, because those have been tested and I can seen the improvement in the numbers, but I trust that they are.

Another Fabulous Book by Shakti Gawain

2007-04-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Wow...two powerful books in two days...

Today I read Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain. This book was originally published in 1978.

I am highly recommending this one as well. (yesterday I read and recommended Creating True Prosperity, also by Shakti Gawain)

According to the book jacket: Creative Visualization is the art of using mental imagery and affirmation to produce positive changes in your life. Creative Visualization contains meditations, exercises and techniques that can become part of your everyday routine to increase your personal mastery of life.

Click here to find out more about the book and/or to order a copy from Amazon dot com:

I just read...

2007-03-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

Creating True Prosperity by Shakti Gawain. I highly reccommend it!

I am hearing a lot of confusion about what prosperity is. The introduction of The Secret to the world via Oprah has done a lot of good, but I also see it doing some harm. This confusion about what Prosperity is and how to create it is among the most troublesome.

This little book packs a wallop. If you are interested in principles of the universe like the law of attraction, you would do well to read this quiet book first published in 1997.

This was the first book I had read by Shakti Gawain, but I am going to be reading a lot more!!

If you are interested in finding out more about the book, or in buying it...
click here:

New Style of Doll

2007-03-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about a new style of doll that I have been working on. They are larger than any that I have done previously. They are approximately 9" tall and are made on a base of paper mache. They are Saint Dolls. Each begins with: Our Lady of.... The first two are finished and in my Dolladay Etsy Shop.

The first one is Our Lady of the Milagros.

The second one is Our Lady of the Stars.

Notes From the Universe

2007-03-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

I get a Note from the Universe each morning.

"The notes are to help remind us all of life's everyday magic. Generally, the Notes are emailed out early each morning so that they'll catch you before you're overwhelmed into thinking like the herd, on the days of the week you choose! These inspirational, philosophical and often humorous notes are meant to remind you of the awesome power you possess for the creative manipulation of "all things time and space" - especially your happiness!"

If you are interested in getting a Note from the Universe in your email box, just go to The Adventurers Club, select Notes From the Universe and sign up.

If you are interested in THE SECRET and LAW OF ATTRACTION you might be particularly interested in these wonderful eye-openers.

There are also other fun things at the web site, like free inspirational e cards.

I just watched...

2007-03-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

In The Realms of the Unreal

By day, Henry Darger was a reclusive janitor who had few -- if any -- friends. But at night, he became a literary artist with a unique vision. Darger's 15,000-page novel is a wonderland of imagination as it details the exploits of seven angelic sisters who lead a rebellion against child-enslaving men. Featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Larry Pine and the work of talented animators, this film tells the story of Darger's hidden world.

If you are interested in OUTSIDER ART this is a fascinating documentary. Henry Darger was a writer and an artist. Really a fascinating movie about a fascinating life. I highly recommend this one.

Mermaid Mode

2007-03-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

I have been in kind of mermaid mode lately. I currently have three mermaid dolls for sale at my Dolladay Etsy Shop.

Check out amazonunbox

2007-03-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Bad Hair Day

2007-03-12T16:06:00.000-07:00

No, I mean this was a REALLY bad hair day. Not metaphorically.

I got a haircut on Friday and was getting ready to go out for dinner with a friend before I picked my husband up at the airport. I usually don't do much to my hair. But with the new cut, I thought I would work with it a little bit. I have this styling wand (or something) that heats up and you can use it to smooth hair, curl it under, add a little body...

I haven't used this styling wand for ages, but I plugged it in, and was trying to add a little bounce to my hair. It was going well...and then...all of a sudden...the teeth caught my hair...and I don't mean a couple of hairs...a large clump of my hair was caught and I felt individual hairs ripping out of my scalp as I tried to free myself.

I was home alone...and starting to get that panicky feeling like I had when I put my wedding ring on too soon after the birth of my baby 20 years ago. (The more I tried to get the ring off my finger, the more my finger swelled....well...you know the story...but that time I ended up at the fire department begging them to cut off my ring.)

I couldn't go to the fire department this time...and I really didn't have any good ideas what to do about my dilemma. I unplugged the hair styling tool and tried to gently free myself, but it seemed whatever I did...only a few hairs at a time were being released and more were being ripped out permanently.

So...before I started hyperventilating, I grabbed the nearest scissors...looked in the mirror and started cutting. Totally random...hampered slightly by the fact that I was not terribly coordinated cutting while looking in the mirror.

Amazingly...my hair did not stick straight up on my head...but...it was a bad hair day!!

The Secret

2007-03-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

You may have heard about it on Oprah....you may have heard the buzz following the two shows Oprah did about it over the past month. You may have already known it and call it something else.

It is hugely popular, it is controversial. It has been known for thousands of years by some, allegedly withheld from the masses until now...or until recently...as it has been expressed by many in various ways in recent years.

What is it? Well it is being called THE SECRET.

I watched the DVD today. Most of the ideas were not new to me, because I know quite a few people who have been in on the secret for a while now. I was slow to believe THE SECRET. In fact I am not sure that I believe it now. But I have been gradually taking more of the ideas into my personal believe system and the parts that I have more resistance to...well...I just try and live "as if" I believed them.

THE SECRET is also available in book form, and although I haven't read it, I suspect the information is very similar to that presented in the DVD.

Oprah says she has been living her life by the principles of THE SECRET and I have to say, it seems to be working pretty well for her!

Interested in finding out more about what people are talking about when they talk about THE SECRET and the LAW OF ATTRACTION? I have to say the ideas are presented clearly and well in this DVD.

Remember when you plan to purchase from Amazon dot com, if you enter through my links in my posting or the link from my home page, I receive a percentage of the sale and it does not affect your Amazon dot com experience.

Another Successful Honor Your Goddess Party!

2007-02-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday there was a wonderful Honor Your Goddess Party in Sierra Vista, Arizona. The hostess and I decided to do it as a fundraiser for our Unitarian Universalist church in Sierra Vists.

The party was very well attended. There was a wonderful spread of food provided by the hostess and many wonderful volunteers.

The party was scheduled from 2-4 but people came early and stayed late. We had volunteers greeting and cashiering, so the hostess could be the hostess and I could be the artist. That worked wonderfully.

Because a large number of the guests were members of our UU Congregation, I displayed some of my UU Jewelry which is available at my eBay Shop and some of my UU Principles merchandise which are available at my Cafe Press Shop as well as my Art Dolls and Goddess Dolls which are available at my Etsy Shop.

If you are interested in hosting an Honor Your Goddess Party, please contact me at hanjerichardsdesign@gmail.com.

Affirmation and Attraction

2007-02-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Two themes that keep coming up in the books I am currently reading (see above) are affirmation and attraction.

As you speak, write and record your affirmations, you begin to discover incredible clarity of vision, truly focused thought and unlimited purpose unfurling to such a degree that you find your words take on a new meaning, value, and depth to such a point of sharpness that your words suddenly become sacred words of power that inspire you to love and gratitude, united with action, immediately. (12 Secrets for Manifesting your Vision, Inspiration and Purpose)

It all begins with attraction. Creative inspirations seduce us with the power of a magnet. They lure you, charm you, tempt you, and captivate your attention. Inspirations invite you into the world of creative possibility. (12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women)

By honoring a personal impulse and following where it leads, creativity is born. (12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women)

Reserve for yourself at least fifteen minutes of quiet time every day to simply listen to your thoughts. Allow your inspirations to flow into your awareness. Leave your internal censors at the door and accept whatever shows up. (12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women)

I have affirmations that I developed last fall that I read every day. But I am inspired by these books to make them more concise and to write them daily as well as read them several times a day. I have been finding that focusing on these affirmations, reading them almost every day...and sometimes several times a day...that some of them are coming to fruition or are manifesting in ways I never would have imagined. I still find myself wanting to control the whole process, which intellectually I realize is not possible, but I find that if nothing else, these affirmations are a powerful tool to focus and center myself toward the actions that I need to take to make my vision possible.

The Secret Number is 12

2007-02-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

I am excited about two books I started reading today. I plan to read one chapter in each book for the next 12 days.

The first book is 12 Secrets for Manifesting Your Vision, Inspiration & Purpose: How to Make Your Dreams Come True by Dr. D. Richard Bellamy.

The second book is The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor by Gail McMeekin.

Secrets is a word that keeps coming up lately and I will share over the next 12 days some of the secrets that are revealed to me in these two books. (There are some other secrets in the works as well!)

Dealing with Death

2007-02-16T02:41:00.000-08:00

I have been away from my art and from my blog for the past week. I flew to Florida last Saturday to be with my Mother in her last days and with my sister and her family as we sort through the personal, the financial and the emotional aspects that come with a death in the family.

Margery Ann Popp Becker was born in St.Paul, Minnesota December 5, 1922. She breathed her last breath in Clearwater, Florida February 13, 2007. She spent over 50 years in her beloved home in Afton, Minnesota, and lived her final years in Safety Harbor, Florida. Predeceased by her husband, Eugene Debs Becker, longtime companion, William Olsen, granddaughter Emma Marie Richards and siblings William Popp, Jr. and Jeanne Moeglien. Survived by her daughters Hanje Richards and Lael Becker, sons-in-law Rod Richards and Mile Tubic, grandchildren Jack Richards and Shyenne Tubic and sister Dorothy Popp Waldref .

Margery (also known as Marge, Margie and Marnie) taught sixth grade for many years at Lake Elmo Elementary School in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. She was variously a member of Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul, White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church and Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: The Hospice Foundation of the Florida Suncoast, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd., Clearwater, Florida 33760

Betty the Bendi Doll

2007-02-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

I recently tried a new style of doll. The Bitty Bendi Doll. The first one I made is called Betty the Bendi Doll. I have another one in the works. She and all my other dolls are available at my etsy Dolladay Shop.

Betty the Bendi Doll is a cloth doll with wire armiture, so you can pose her arms and legs. She is 6" tall and has a polymer clay face (made with a mold, with permission.)

Betty has a silver face with red lips and cheeks and black eyebrows. She has lovely long dangly black earrings and a red fuzzy scarf. Her shirt is red with black and red arms and leggings to match. Her skirt is black and white cotton, with a musical theme and black net under and over. Her belt is black ribbon with embellishments to match her earrings.

This is not a toy. Not suitable for small children. This is a piece of handcrafted art and quite fragile.

There is a hanger at the back of this doll.

Goddess Books

2007-01-30T05:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a partial list of the books that I have been using as references for a couple of projects I am working on. I have been reading a lot of books about Goddesses and about Home Decorating with references to Spirituality in general and Goddesses in particular. Check back for more information about the projects I am working on and the books that I am using as references.

Embracing the Goddess Within: A Creative Guide for Women

Goddess at Home: Divine Interiors Inspired by Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hera, Hestia, and Persephone (Interior Design and Architecture)

Spirit of the Home: How to Make Your Home a Sanctuary

The Great Goddess: Reverence of the Divine Feminine from the Paleolithic to the Present

We Goddesses: Athena, Aphrodite, Hera

When God Was a Woman (Harvest/Hbj Book)

Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women

I just watched...

2007-01-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

Nixon. It was a trip down memory lane, remembering where I was when various things happened. I knew Nixon to be a despicable person, but the movie makes him even worse than I remembered. All star cast.

A Friend Sent Me This Article About Friends

2007-01-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

UCLA STUDY ON FRIENDSHIP AMONG WOMEN
By Gale Berkowitz

A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are. By the way, they may do even more.

Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually
counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis. A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. It's a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress research---most of it on men---upside down. "Until this study was published, scientists generally believed that when people experience stress, they trigger a hormonal cascade that revs the body to either stand and fight or flee as fast as possible," explains Laura Cousino Klein, Ph.D., now an Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University and one of the study's authors. "It's an ancient survival mechanism left over from the time we were chased across the planet by saber-toothed tigers.

Now the researchers suspect that women have a larger behavioral
repertoire than just "fight or flight." "In fact," says Dr. Klein,"it seems
that when the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the stress responses in a woman, it buffers the "fight or flight" response and encourages her to tend children and gather with other women instead. When she actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect. This calming response does not occur in men", says Dr. Klein, "because testosterone- --which men produce in high levels when they're under stress---seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin. Estrogen", she adds, "seems to enhance it."

The discovery that women respond to stress differently than men was made in a classic "aha!" moment shared by two women scientists who were talking one day in a lab at UCLA. "There was this joke that when the women who worked in the lab were stressed, they came in, cleaned the lab, had coffee, and bonded", says Dr. Klein. "When the men were stressed, they holed up somewhere on their own. I commented one day to fellow researcher Shelley Taylor that nearly 90% of the stress research is on males. I showed her the data from my lab, and the two of us knew instantly that we were onto something."

The women cleared their schedules and started meeting with one scientist after another from various research specialties. Very quickly, Drs. Klein and Taylor discovered that by not including women in stress research, scientists had made a huge mistake: The fact that women respond to stress differently than men has significant implications for our health.

It may take some time for new studies to reveal all the ways that
oxytocin encourages us to care for children and hang out with other women, but the "tend and befriend" notion developed by Drs. Klein and Taylor may explain why women consistently outlive men. Study after study has found that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. "There's no doubt," says Dr. Klein, "that friends are helping us live." In one study, for example, researchers found that people who had no friends increased their risk of death over a 6-month period. In another study, those who had the most friends over a 9-year period cut their risk of death by more than 60%.

Friends are also helping us live better. The famed Nurses' Health Study
from Harvard Medical School found that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop physical impairments as they aged, and the more likely they were to be leading a joyful life. In fact, the results were so significant, the researchers concluded, that not having close friends or confidantes was as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight! And that's not all! When the researchers looked at how well the women functioned after the death of their spouse, they found that even in the face of this biggest stressor of all, those women who had a close friend confidante were more likely to survive the experience without any new physical impairments or permanent loss of vitality. Those without friends were not always so fortunate.

Yet if friends counter the stress that seems to swallow up so much of our life these days, if they keep us healthy and even add years to our life, why is it so hard to find time to be with them? That's a question that also troubles researcher Ruthellen Josselson, Ph.D., co-author of "Best Friends:
The Pleasures and Perils of Girls' and Women's Friendships (Three Rivers Press, 1998). "Every time we get overly busy with work and family, the first thing we do is let go of friendships with other women," explains Dr. Josselson. "We push them right to the back burner. That's really a mistake because women are such a source of strength to each other. We nurture one another. And we need to have unpressured space in which we can do the special kind of talk that women do when they're with other women. It's a very healing experience."

Taylor, S. E., Klein, L.C., Lewis, B. P., Gruenewald, T. L., Gurung, R. A.
R., & Updegraff, J. A. Female Responses to Stress: Tend and Befriend, Not Fight or Flight"

Free Shipping at Cafe Press....

2007-01-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Free Shipping on orders of $50 or more.*
Use promo code VDAYSHIP at Checkout.
Offer Good through 2/14/07!

A good time to check out my Cafe Press store

*Excludes Custom Postage. Only applies to orders with a United States shipping destination, totaling $50 or more before shipping. Cannot be combined with any other coupons or bulk order discounts. Valid through February 14,2007, at 11:59 p.m. (PST)

Top 5 Reasons To Shop at Etsy

2007-01-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

1. Support artists! Your money goes to individual people who put love and care into everything they make—not big box stores with often-questionable business practices.

2. Personal connection! Get to know the people behind the goods. They will often tell the story behind their creations.

3. Unique and original items! Looking for accessories no one else has? That perfect gift? On Etsy many things are one-of-a-kind and most others are made in very limited quantities. This assures that your items will really stand out from the crowd.

4. Highly customized! See something that’s not quite right? You can directly communicate with the artist to request a custom order that’s exactly what you’ve envisioned.

5. Astonishing variety! From lotion and soap to installation sculpture. From coffee spoons to stuffed animals. Top 5 Reasons
to Shop at Etsy.comhas a wide range of products and prices making it the one stop place to shop.

I have two Etsy shops: DollADay and LadyArtichokeHeart. I invite you to take a look at my shops as well as the amazing variety available throughout Etsy!

I just watched...

2007-01-21T06:58:00.001-08:00

A really disturbing, but well done movie. Based on a true story.

With Apologies to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Al Gore

2007-01-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

Little House on the Prairie was a favorite series of books when I was young. We lived in a fake log cabin in the woods in Minnesota. I wanted to be Laura Ingalls. I wore lots of calico dresses, and when I was doing chores around the house, I assumed her persona. I thought all the hardship was extremely romantic and much more than wanting to live with Princess and Bud and Kitten or The Beav...I wanted to live with Ma and Pa and Mary in a little house in the woods or the prairie.

And, I know that global warming is a huge concern, and that Al Gore has done a terrific job of getting the word out in recent years. And, I honestly do know that global warming can not be measured by a single season or a single year...I often hear people say..."Oh yeah...global warming...we had a winter here with no snow." or "It was the hottest summer EVER...it must be global warming."

I totally get that it is nowhere near that simple. And, I also understand that right now the unusual weather conditions we are experiencing are caused, at least in part by a much more localized, much more short term little weather system in the Pacific known as El Nino.

But I want to say that this is the coldest winter I have been witness to in southern Arizona. And, heating our home with a woodstove (ala the Wilder family), is getting really old. I am not enjoying the non-global warming in southeastern Arizona. And I don't want to be Laura anymore!!

School Daze

2007-01-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

So, in addition to the drawing class I started yesterday (and, no, I don't have anything to show you yet!) and the Reading for Creativity group I am participating in, I have also joined an online Artist's Way Group. I have been carrying Julia Cameron around with me for ages and ages, but this time when I opened up the book it really resonated with me...

So...I am starting my days with "morning pages" and am trying to get over my resistance to "artist dates". If anyone who has done the Artist's Way has any suggestions for "artist dates", i would love to hear them!

Reading for Creativity

2007-01-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

I recently joined a Yahoo group called Reading For Creativity.
The first book we are reading and disucssing is Art and Fear. We are currently discussing chapter one (we are reading one chapter a week). Chapter 2 is due on Monday the 8th. I will comment on the book, once I have read a little further.

Mermaid Dolls

2007-01-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

With art...you just have to keep trying something new. So, I have added MERMAIDS to my doll offerings.

Many of my dolls, including the MERMAIDS are available at my etsy shop: Dolladay

Back to School

2007-01-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

I always get excited when it is time to go back to school. And, for me, it is time to take a drawing class at the local community college. I went over to the college to register today. The main campus of Cochise Community College is in Sierra Vista, about a 30 mile drive from where I live.

I filled out my applications and went in to get a signature from the advisor. She checked the class on the computer and told it me it was full. I was dissapointed, but she suggested that I might be able to get permission from the instructor. She called his office, but he was not at that campus.

I asked the advisor if she thought it would be worthwhile to show up for the first day of class and see if there were drops and/or if he would let me in the class. (Class starts next Monday.) While we were discussing this, she was still making phone calls, tracked down the professor and he gave his approval...

So...whooo hoooo....back to school next Monday for me!

Belle Goddess Dolls

2006-12-29T06:14:00.000-08:00

I have a new style of goddess dolls available. I call them Belle Goddesses because they are belle (beautiful) and because they have a jingle bell at their toes. You can see more of them at my Dolladay etsy site.

At Dolladay you can see a wide variety of my Art Dolls and Goddess Dolls. And I post a new one nearly every day!!!

Why I Live in Arizona

2006-12-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

I moved to Arizona 13 years ago because I wanted to escape the cold and the snow and the sleet of Minnesota. So far that has been a pretty good plan. Some mornings are cold, and we have the woodstove going for a few hours as our fingers and noses thaw out.

A year and a half ago we moved to Southern Arizona, mainly for my husband's job, but also because it was a little cooler in the summer. We are at 5,200 feet above sea level here. But this morning when I woke up....this is what it looked like outside. And, yes, that is snow on a prickly pear cactus in my front yard.

And, yes, that is the pomegranate tree with snow all over it. The low and high for Minneapolis today = 30/39. The low and high for Bisbee today = 30/41. Now this is something they didn't tell me before I moved to Arizona!

A Place for Everything and Everything in it's Place

2006-12-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

As a natrual-born slob, this is a goal that is not an easy one for me to achieve. But, I am hoping with the right intention and the right tools, to be able to come closer to it in 2007.

My mother-in-law sent me a bithday check a few weeks ago, and I decided to spend it on something I have been eyeing for a while. It is a spnner rack for my craft paints. The ad claims that it holds 192 bottles of craft paint, and although I have never taken an actual count, I figured that between my craft paint bottles and my dimensional paint bottles, I had to be in the ballpark.

Now my paints are sorted by color and type. They take up less space and I can actually see what I have without pulling each bottle out of the shoe box. And, I am 37.8% more likely to put them away when I am not using them. This spinner takes up a fair amount of space on my table, but it is a joy for my bottles of paint and for me. Onward to my goal have having a place for some things and some things put away!

I just watched...

2006-12-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

"Simon Birch"

I thought the movie was great. And I also thought the book it was based on "Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving was great!

I just watched...

2006-12-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Chocolat

What a pretty movie! (And not just because Johnny Depp is in it.) I really enjoyed this movie, which is for the most part a quiet, lovely story. Snuggle up with a few chocolates or a cup of chocolate and enjoy!

There is Still Time

2006-12-16T15:56:00.000-08:00

There is still time to order from my etsy shops. If you order before noon on Monday they will be shipped PRIORITY MAIL on Monday.

Dolladay features a wide selection of ART Dolls.

LadyArtichokeHeart has HOLIDOLLS and blank greeting cards, featuring my designs.

And, you can order a gift certificate from Amazon dot com, right up to the last minute!!!

Lesson Learned

2006-12-15T07:59:00.000-08:00

When I first started doing art full time I saved everything. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I started out with nothing, so saving everything seemed totally possible. I joined several yahoo art groups and I was always learning new techniques or reading about new techniques / products, gathering lots of ideas,m trying lots of things out, experimenting.

The lesson I learned this week is that I DON'T HAVE TO SAVE EVERY FAILED EXPERIMENT.

As I was going through old mail (opened and unopened), mixed in with art supplies, mixed in with ideas for projects....all piled high on part of my art table...I realized that I was finding more than a few failed experiments....

And it was very liberating to THROW THEM IN THE TRASH!

Now sometimes a failed experiment can be saved...can be altered...can be turned into something else. But most of the time, I find that if it failed, there was a reason. And I learned from the failure. NO NEED TO SAVE IT!!!

So...a little progress was made on de-cluttering my studio space and I learned something too!

It's Getting Late!

2006-12-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

There is still plenty of time to purchase an Amazon dot com Gift Certificate. Just enter Amazon dot com here.

Gift Certificates are also available for Hanje Richards Design. Contact me at hanjerichardsdesign@gmail.com .

Leaving St.John

2006-12-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

When we left St.John yesterday, we took the ferry to St.Thomas and then took a cab/van to the airport on St.Thomas.

I want to tip my hat to our cab driver, who had turned his cab/van into a thing of beauty. He was not hampered by design school, or fear of being "over the top" or anything else that holds me back in my art. He made something really beautiful, and his dashboard looks a lot more like what I wanted my Mermaid Chair to look like than what it ended up looking like.

So, the lesson learned...be true to your vision...even if it isn't "polite" or "correct."

Last Morning on St. John

2006-12-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

We will be leaving St. John in about an hour. We will begin our 24 hour journey back home to Southern Arizona.

Ferry from St.John to St.Thomas. Flight from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico. Flight from Puerto Rico to Houston. Flight from Houston to Phoenix. Drive from Phoenix to Bisbee.

From the humid warm air of the Caribbean to the much cooler and crisper air of Arizona.

The inner dialogues I have had have been interesting. It remains to be seen how they have affected me after I return from this place that has given me the luxury of time and quiet and rest.

50,000 Times A Day

2006-12-10T03:06:00.000-08:00

I read in The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer that the average person speaks to himself (herself) about 50,000 times a day and 80% of it is negative. That is 40,000 negative things vs. 10,000 positive things.

Okay....I have no idea how they measured this...but let's for the moment assume this is true.

What if I could increase the number of positive things that I say to myself each day. What if I could increase the number of positive things i say to myself each day from 20% to 50%. I am now up to 25,000 positive things every day.

And, postive thoughts presumably affect your body in a positive way. They make you more relaxed, centered and alert. They cause the secretion of endorphis in the brain and reduce pain and increase pleasure. GOOD STUFF!

How would that change my life?

And, imagine if I could increase the number of positive things that I say to myself each day from 20% to 80%. I am now up to 40,000 positive thoughts vs. 10,000 negative thoughts.

Those endorphins are in high gear and it is almost ALL GOOD.

In Between Beaches

2006-12-09T02:36:00.000-08:00

In between beaches, I have been watching a lot of movies.
(Actually both of these photographs were taken at Cinnamon Bay Beach.)

High on the bizarro scale. But a MUST SEE if you are into fashion or costume design...the costumes in this movie are quite incredible!

Okay, I can't believe that I never saw this before. But, I just never watched many movies before this summer. Will Smith...very good. Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing....quite good. Very enjoyable.

Pretty good.

Pure fluff and totally enjoyable. (Okay so I am a closet Bridget Jones fan.)

Virgin Islands Adventure: Cost of Living

2006-12-07T03:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it is expensive here. And, I am not talking about the cost of housing and education (which I have heard about but not actively researched). I am talking about performing simple tasks and going to the grocery store.

A pint of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream.....$8.00
One load in the washer and dryer at the laundromat.....$11.00
One pound of on the vine tomatoes.......$7.00 a pound

But ... the beaches are free .... and you can drive for days on one tank of gas ... and I would never ever ever have to pay for a perm!

Just Because I Like How It Looks

2006-12-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

Virgin Islands Adventure, December 5

2006-12-05T01:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we saw a bit more of St.John. We visited the ruins of the Annaberg Sugar Plantation. This is the windmill that was used to grind the sugar cane. When the wind died they used a mill that was powered by mules and horses.

Rod is in front of the largest building at the Annaberg Plantation. It is where they turn the ground cane into sugar and the sugar into run. ALCHEMY!

We finally made it to the BEACH! This is Cinnamon Bay. The sand is like sugar and the colors of the water are amazing. There is a color that I want to take home in a bottle. (oh...I guess that would be called paint!)

I swam at Cinnamon Bay and we had lunch there, me sticking to a safe hamburger and Rod being more adventursome and trying a Jerk Chicken Sandwich.

Mongoose Sightings

Rod...............1
Hanje............0

Wild Donkey Sightings

Rod..............0
Hanje...........0

Flora and Fauna Report

2006-12-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

We saw a deer on the way to church this morning, and while sitting in church about 8 cows passed by the open doors. Lots of little lizards are everywhere.

We understand that there are about 400 "wild" donkeys on the island of St. John. I certainly hope to see some of them before we leave!

Today I just wandered around the yard and took pictures of things that I knew I would never see in the desert.

Some of the results are on the left. Tomorrow we hit the beaches!

Why We Travel

2006-12-03T01:59:00.000-08:00

Most of my travel these days is limited by time and money. Most of my travel in recent years has been for business or to visit family and friends. The rest of my travel in recent years has been my regular trips to the beach in Mexico, which is a lovely vacation, but aside from the drive, is hardly travel. Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco) is as familiar (and as comfortable) as an old pair of jeans, well loved and familiar, and requiring very little.

As I find myself this week in a place I have never been, in a culture that is unlike any I have ever experienced, in a place that looks different and feels different from anywhere I have ever been before, I realize why we travel.

Certainly we all travel for the reasons above…to relax, to visit, to work. But travel to a new place allows us to see everything with a Beginner’s Mind.

Beginner's mind is a concept in Zen Buddhism. As the name suggests, it refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would. The term is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism, other Asian philosophies, and martial arts.

The phrase was also used as the title of Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki's book: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, which reflects a saying of his regarding the way to approach Zen practice: In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few. From Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beginner's_mind

My first exposure to Beginner’s Mind was a few years ago in a coaching exercise. I was to walk around in the woods, in a place I had never been, experiencing it as if it was all new to me. I listened and smelled and saw. I felt tree bark and heard leaves crunch and felt the wind in my hair. It was work to look at these familiar things with a Beginner’s Mind. I kept trying to imagine how I would react if I never had seen a big rock before. Would I lick it? Would I rub my face against it? Would I be afraid of it?

Travel allows you to see things with a Beginner’s Mind, without the work. Everything is new. Even the stars look new. And we become curious about everything. We want to know everything. We want to know why and how and when and who. We have a list of things we must research after an excursion away from the house.

We also have Beginner’s Body. We experience colors and sounds in a new way. We taste things anew. We compare things. Do mosquito bites feel the same here as they do at home? Are there this many birds singing this many songs at home? Does darkness come as quickly as it does when the sun falls behind the mountains in Bisbee?

Travel reminds me to let my senses and my mind be open to all the possibilities, whether at home or traveling.

Virgin Islands Adventure, December 2

2006-12-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

It took us 24 hours to get here and we have now been here for about 24 hours. The 24 hours since we got here passed a lot faster than the 24 hours of getting here!

We traveled by car, plane, bus, taxi van and ferry to get here. It was chilly when we left Bisbee. I was wearing jeans, tennis shoes, a long sleeved shirt and a lined leather jacket when we left at 4:00 in the afternoon. This morning at about 2:00 am I was sitting out on our porch in a tank top and boxers.

The differences are noticeable in other ways as well. My straight as a stick Arizona hair has turned into big, somewhat curly tropical island hair.

We are staying in a lovely little apartment away from town. We are driving a Jeep, which is almost necessary on the roads here, which are hilly and very curvy.

The rain stops and starts here, almost without notice or interest.

Probably the most disconcerting difference is the fact that cars drive on the left side of the road here, however, the cars are regular "American" style cars with the steering wheels on the left. I haven't driven yet, but as a passenger on these narrow winding roads, it is shocking every time I see a car coming toward us, with me and the passenger in the other car, being the most likely to be killed. I have vowed to attempt driving before we leave, but I am not looking forward to it!

Luckily, hurricane season officially ended a couple of days ago, so the only big stress I have is that of running into a mongoose or many mongooses (this is the correct plural of mongoose), which would totally freak me out!

Chairs of Bisbee Finale

2006-11-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

The Chairs of Bisbee ended on Sunday evening. The chairs were all on display, outside in a backyard and along a porch of one of the homes that was part of the Bisbee Home Tour, also going on at the same time.

Unfortunately I had blown my chance earlier in the week to photograph more of the chairs when they were on display downtown, but I still had a slim hope that I could do it at the auction. It was a bit too crowded and I was a bit too self-conscious, so no more pictures were taken by me. I promise to do better next year!

The final tally on chairs was 34, I believe, which included a few entries that were not EXACTLY chairs. I don't know the final accounting, but it seemed that every chair (or nearly so) had sold. I know there were a couple of chairs in the $300.00 range, but most sold from $5.00 - $100.00 or so.

Mine both sold for $25.00 each.

I learned a lot, had fun and thankfully didn't have to bring the chairs home, as I have not an inch of extra space for them in my little house!! There were some familiar names on the bid sheets, but the woman that bought both of mine was unfamiliar to me. But I would like to thank her!!

And, as a result of the Chairs of Bisbee, I will be joining the Bisbee Women's Club, so stayed tuned for more adventures!

Ain't Gonna Shop at the Mall No More

2006-11-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

Actually I haven't shopped at the mall in years. But, I like to remind myself on or around Thanksgiving that there are alternatives. To those of you who may be new to the concept of MALL AVOIDANCE, let me offer some suggestions.

Of course I will invite you to shop at any of my sales venues...my Cafe Press store and my two etsy shops: dolladay and ladyartichokeheart . There is also the option of shopping at Amazon dot com (enter Amazon through my homepage and I make a percentage of your purchase. See previous post for further details.)

If you are interested in shopping for handcrafted items etsy is a great possibility. And, you can also check out the etsy street team that I belong to: Visual Artists Street Team (VAST) a coalition of multi-media artists. You can also find some wonderful handcrafted items at eBay.

Shop in your pajamas. Shop any hour of the day or night. Don't fight the traffic, the parking lots, the other unhappy mall shoppers. Find wonderful handcrafted, artistic and one of a kind items for your wonderful one of a kind friends. Say yes to MALL AVOIDANCE. Say yes to a more relaxed holiday season. Shop online. Shop handcrafted. Be a patron of the arts!

...Ain't Gonna Shop at the Mall No More

Why I Am an Amazon dot Com Affiliate

2006-11-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

Some artists have tip jars or donation buttons on their blogs. (Art supplies are not cheap!) I have absolutely no problem with that, and if they get donations or tips...excellent...and if you make a donation or leave a tip you can feel the satisfaction of being a patron of the arts and that is great too.

I have chosen not to do that, but if you would like to support this artist, and you buy things from Amazon dot com anyway...you can be a patron of the arts and it won't cost you a dime.

If you go to my homepage and scroll down to the bottom you will see an Amazon search box. If you enter Amazon there, it should not affect your Amazon experience in any way, and I will get 4% of your purchase amount.

I also often report on what I have been watching or reading, and I always have an Amazon link associated with those posts. Again, you should be able to access Amazon there and you can check out that listing and then move on in Amazon dot com land...where, again, I will get 4% of your purchases.

Be a patron of the arts!!

Project Belly Dancer Part 2

2006-11-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

Just a couple more Belly Dancers. I am taking them on the road with me tomorrow morning. I like these even better than the first ones I did. I still have four more in progress, but I am not sure if I will finish them, in light of everything I need to do in the next 18 hours.

At any rate, Belly Dancers will soon be available at my DollADay etsy shop.

Project Belly Dancer

2006-11-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

My mission for the early part of this week is to create Belly Dancer Dolls. I know something about making dolls, but I confess to knowing absolutely nothing about Belly Dancers!

So I set forth with some of the basics. I know you have to see the belly buttons!! I also know that bra tops are pretty common. I know very little about the make-up, so I am faking that as I go along. (After all, my other dolls are not exactly realistic, and I am trying to suggest Belly Dancers, not be Belly Dancers.)

I know it is about the BLING, so I have used metalic colors like gold, silver and bronze. I have used beads that shimmer and change as they move. That has also been fun, as I usually have to subdue my urge to put glitter on everything!

I am having a blast doing them. Especially since when I get to the place where I would normally stop on one of my dolls...I just keep going and add more BLING.

I have three nearly finished (the ones shown here) and I have 6 more in the works.

I just watched...

2006-11-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Practical Magic

In my opinion it was not as good as the book, but it did have a great cast and was fun to watch. And, as my friends in the altered book world pointed out...they have a great altered book where they look up spells and such. Great fun.

I am a huge Alice Hoffman fan and recommend all of her books.

Chairs of Bisbee Part 7

2006-11-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Today's the day. Tonight's the night. The opening reception for the Chairs of Bisbee Project is tonight at 7:00 p.m. I have never done anything like this and I am as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof!

For some reason, I decided early on that I would make two chairs. The WILD ZEBRA was clear in my mind from the very beginning. The other chair, however has been more of a struggle for me. I knew I wanted it to represent the beach and I have thought of it as the BEACH CHAIR or the MERMAID CHAIR.
Unfortunately, if I made the MERMAID CHAIR as I envisioned it, no one would ever be able to sit in it. I wanted it to be encrusted with shells. I wanted it to be very over the top with shells. But practicality won out, and I had to keep the number of shells to a minimum. I started by painting the legs a sand color, the seat a water color and the back the color of the inside of a shell. That part was relatively easy.
Then I started attaching the shells. I had glue issues. I have a lot of glue issues in my work. I ended up using 4 different types of glue. I had issues with all of them.
When I woke up this morning, the chair was sand,sea and shell colored, with some shells stuck on the top and sides. I knew right away I needed some BLING. So...I got out the glitter...voila...what a difference it made! So, it is 10:30 a.m. and the glitter and dimensional paint are still drying. I still have a few ideas, but it needs to be polyurethaned and dry by 6:00 p.m. so we will see....

Chairs of Bisbee Part 6

2006-10-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

The deadline for Chairs of Bisbee is drawing ever closer. And, I am still changing my mind. The Zebra Chair is actually looking more like I originally concieved it than it has at any point in the process so far.

On the seat I changed the blue to aqua, the red to magenta and the green to kiwi. The rungs at the back of the chair have returned to black and white zebra print. And, three of the four legs have been painted, in kiwi, magenta and aqua.
Lots of touching up to do...and some second coats...

Tomorrow I attack the Mermaid Chair (Beach Chair?)

I just watched

2006-10-31T05:30:00.000-08:00

Monster. Another really powerful movie. A bit over the top in graphic violence.

Weekend in Paradise

2006-10-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, perhaps it was not paradise, but the next best thing!

I spent last weekend at the beach in Mexico with 12 friends and it was perfect! The weather was perfect, the place we stayed was perfect. Great friends, great food. A wonderful place to relax.

I was very intrigued by the light, especially at early morning, and by the architectural details that surrounded me. So...I don't have any pictures of my friends or of the fabulous shrimp we had for dinner. But I have lots of pictures of rooftops and stairways and ceilings and such.

The images shown here are availabe as cards, journals and magnets in my cafe press store. And, they can be put on other merchandise, by request.

Chairs of Bisbee Part 5

2006-10-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Live and learn! Well, I learned that I should have painted the rungs on the back of the chair with the colors BEFORE I painted the black zebra design. So I am going about it a bit back assward. But, you can see the colors now.

And...it is time to reveal the second chair!!!

This chair is going to be called BEACH CHAIR or MERMAID CHAIR.

Let me just tell you that it feels like there is lot of square footage on a chair, especially when you are painting it with brushes that are 1/4" wide, and even more so when everything has several coats.

Tick Tock Tick Tock...NOVEMBER 5 is approaching!!!

I just watched...

2006-10-25T05:23:00.001-07:00

Boys Don't Cry. Powerful and painful. I highly recommend it.

Chairs of Bisbee Part 4

2006-10-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Work has begun on one of my chairs. This one is WILD ZEBRA.

The inspiration for WILD ZEBRA is a bracelet made of zebra print material (some kind of plastic). The bracelet has been dismantled and the tiles that made up the bracelet are now across the top of the chair.

So far the seat and the rungs consists of the black stripes of a zebra's back.

You can see the second chair in the background. Other than a coat of primer nothing has been done to it yet! November 5th is fast approaching!! Stay tuned for the continuing saga of Chairs of Bisbee!!

The most important book I have read this year

2006-10-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be is the most important book I have read this year.

I mostly read fiction. Even more specifically I read mysteries. I do read non-fiction as well. Mostly science and archaeology and anthropology and sociology. Sometimes I read a political book. I almost never read a self help book. I have read some self help books over the years, but I have never read one before that spoke to me the way The Success Principles did.

I read this book several weeks ago, and took a lot of notes while I was reading it. Jack Canfield goes through 64 Principles. It is a lot to remember, so I am glad I took notes! Most of them spoke to me. A few did not. For many of the Principles there are excercises or questions to answer.

As an example the first 5 Principles are:

1) Take 100% responsibility for your life
2) Be clear why you're here
3) Decide what you want
4) Believe it's possible
5) Believe in yourself

None of the above are difficult. But they do require some thought, some focus, some visioning.

Perhaps this book resonated for me because I was ready to hear it's message, or maybe it is a self-help book for people who don't like self help books.

I am on a journey. And I know lots of people who are on their own personal journeys. This book might make a difference. It has for me.

Chairs of Bisbee Part 3

2006-10-15T03:34:00.000-07:00

It was starting to look like there was never going to be a Part 3 of Chairs of Bisbee. But, here it is!

My wonderful friend Kathleen brought me a chair (and ottoman) about a month ago. It was the first piece of furniture her husband Curtis ever owned. Quite frankly the chair was just too nice to use for an art project. I quite like the chair and only need to replace the cushions to make it a thing of beauty again. (No offense to the cat, but the cat hair just isn't doing it for me.)

So...finally I ventured to Sierra Vista to check out what the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul had to offer. (I checked the local thrift shop 3 or 4 times in the meantime, and they had nothing that was appropriate.)

Salvation Army was a total failure. (I am at this point willing to accept nearly anything that is not upholstered.) St. Vincent de Paul had ONE chair that was all wood. And now it is mine!!

Yesterday I took both chairs outside for a good soap and water scrub. They are drying overnight outside. Today they will get a coat of white spray primer. Monday, the art will begin to happen!

And, just as a reminder...here is the first chair...they are actually quite similar...the first one being somewhat larger than the second.

Project Runway

2006-10-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Favorite line from the most recent episode of Project Runway.

Tim Gunn at Laura's home.

"That is a good looking tortoise."

2006-10-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

Here at Hanje Richards Design, October is "increase the mailing list" month.

If you would like to receive my monthly newsletter, there is now a signup on the right-hand side of this blog.

It doesn't cost you anything....
It doesn't cost me anything....

Sign up now...it is a win / win situation!

HoliDolls

2006-10-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Peggy asked me (way back at the beginning of September) if I was going to make any Christmas dolls. I have been mulling the idea over since then. Part of me really did want to make something special for the Holidays. But another part of me was really concerned about how I would make Holiday Dolls that would have my style.

So, mostly I didn't do anything about it. I looked halfheartedly for some holiday supplies. All I could find was Halloween decorations.

I looked for some nice holiday fabric, but nothing was really speaking to me.

I finally found exactly what I was looking for in terms of embellishments last week, and this week...i applied my creativity to the materials at hand...and low and behold, HoliDolls were born.

So far I have created Christmas Holidolls and Kwanzaa Holidolls and Solstice Holidolls. Stay tuned. I am really excited about them. They are fun and can be used as tree decorations, package embellishments, fridge magnets, and they make wonderful stocking stuffers.

To see the Holidolls you can go to my Ladyartichokeheart Etsy Shop. And to see the rest of my dolls, you can go to my DollADay Etsy Shop.

I just watched...

2006-10-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Another golden oldie...well, okay...it isn't THAT OLD...but not exactly new either...

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

I loved the book when I heard it on tape a few years ago and I loved the movie when I watched it this weekend...

The characters are quirky, the setting is lovely, the story is engaging...good stuff.

I just watched...

2006-10-07T15:25:00.000-07:00

Iron Jawed Angels is a wonderful movie about the women's suffrage movement in the early days of the 1900s. We need a new Alice Paul in the early days of the 2000s!! What ever happened to that equal rights amendment??? I never hear anyone speak of it, and it saddens me so much that over 50% of our population continues to live without full and equal citizenship in this country.

A wonderful cast, and I loved loved loved the costumes. Especially the hats!!! If we can't get a movement going for equal rights for women going again, perhaps we can get a movement going to make hats popular again.