What's Playing in My Earhole . . .

I was over at my friend Kelly Kerrigan's house the other day and was inundated with new music. And, I was inspired to list the top songs I have on rotation in the car, on the iPod, on the computer screen, etc . . . And, while I've sort of placed them in order here, there really is no order since they are all spectacular songs.

10. Little Lion Man: Mumford and Sons (unbelievable playing)

9. Opposite of Adults: Chiddy Bang

8. Gravity: Pixie Lott (this song helped me to finish graduate school!!)

7. Lights On: Katy B. featuring Ms. Dynamite

6. Ride (Official Remix): Ciara featuring Andre 3000, Ludacris, and Bei Maejor

5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses: U2

4. Escape Artist: Zoe Keating (amazing live looping)

3. Teach Me How To Dougie (Remix): Cali Swag District featuring Red Cafe, B.O.B., Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri (love Bow Wow at the end!!)

2. Rabbit Heart: Florence & The Machine featuring Switch

1. Tightrope (Wondamix): Janelle Monae, B.O.B., Lupe Fiasco, with Andre 3000 on guitar

When Charlotte comes to town . . .

Charlotte is finally coming home!! We have not been living in the same house for just under a year and a half. And, it has been dreadful, just plain awful. I have missed her so much! I am going to pick her up in Dallas, Texas on February 11th! And, I CAN'T WAIT!!! We'll be walking all over the Belmont/12 South area in Nashville every day for the forseeable future, so join us--won't you--or just find us and say hi!!

Poem: Flourish.

Five years ago a turbulent wind took me to Wisconsin

to sort and re-evaluate.

That same wind has brought me home again.

I am in Nashville.

The place I left my native state for

all those years ago . . . One music city for another.

My father lives here.

"There is always a place for you at the table," he says.

Disgruntled with my life's work.

Rediscovering old friends and sentiments lost.

Feeling a day late and a dollar short,

but cherishing every new step.

There is an indescribable sense of comfort and joy

in reconnection, coupled with

a mangled heart and head.

Reflection.

Do you remember this, do you remember that?

First love. First mentor. First inspiration.

How do you repair what is lost,

open up when there is so much pain?

The tears come quick these days.

Content in growing a friendship and learning more,

I laugh . . . I stay busy.

Progression occurs slowly.

I am back here again.

Different than before, stronger.

Familiar, yet new. Excited.

Nashville is my respite,

opening it's arms wide,

allowing for starts and stops.

Time to flourish.

East Nasty Usher.

I was in the right place at the right time, and was asked if I wanted to go see Usher. Very happy that I did, because it was probably one of the best concerts I have been to in a long while. I went with Bettina, Kelly, Kate, and Erin. And, we had a blast . . . We met at The Palm for drinks first, got into our seats at Bridgestone in the middle of Trey Songz, and ended the evening at a honky tonk, Robert's. Usher put on a great show, complete with a Michael Jackson tribute . . .

I have also joined a little running club over in East Nashville. I am training for both a 5K and 1/2 marathon all at once. It's so fun to run with others and meet new people!! East Nasty for life!!

Have a Revival.

It's where I work, y'all!

Come visit the showroom:
Revival Home Inspirations
992 Davidson Road, Suite 100 - A.
Nashville, TN. 37205

Christmas Day.

On Christmas day I spent time with friends, old and new. It started with a Chinese buffet Christmas lunch at Golden Coast. Then we went to Mona's house and played Apples to Apples, while coloring in baby Jesus coloring books. I finished up the evening at Rebecca's parent's home for Christmas dinner in Franklin. It started icing up pretty badly and I couldn't get the Explorer home, so Gary and Rebecca ended up driving me and spending the night. Fun!!

Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve, I spent the day pretty much alone. I went shopping for presents at Talula Gallery in East Nashville. And, then I came home and made some killer Vanilla Peppermint Fudge out of the most bizarre recipe ever . . . It actually wasn't so bad to be alone until I started watching It's A Wonderful Life. Then I got sad and went out to look at Christmas lights . . .

Presents . . .

Presents for Josh Lynch: a Maggie stocking and a sewn portrait blanket . . .

Preparing for the holidays . . .

It all began with a snow-inspired manicure in downtown Franklin . . .

Snow, snow, snow: the perfect way to start the holiday season!

Tradition: my Grandmother Bailey's Christmas cookies lovingly baked by my dad . . .

The annual Christmas letter: this year the school that I graduated from for my masters program was included in this letter as the Metropolitan Institute of Community Art, when it should have read the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). (So much for spending $54,000 for 13 months and it being a top 5 school . . . )

Hooray for Cranberry Sherbert--another Grandmother Bailey recipe!!

Celebrating Paul.

To The Moon And Beyond . . .

My web designer and wonderful friend, Paul Kerrigan, passed away today. What an absolute honor it was to know him . . .

I love and miss you, Paul. XOXO.

Stockings For The Nephews!

I am totally obsessed with 2 things in life: my nephews (because they are super-cute) and drawings made by children.

Drawing is very important for kids to do at any age because it can be a release for their sponge-like brains and a teaching tool about connecting to the world around them. Since my nephews (Oliver, 4 and Liam, 3) came along, my sister has been doing crafts and art projects with them--almost daily--since they were old enough to hold something on their own. She keeps a calendar marked with projects they will work on. It's really remarkable to watch. And, what they are learning from these projects shows in how they experience the world and interact with people.

So, for one of the boys' gifts, I decided to take a drawing of theirs and turn it into a stocking.

Here is Oliver's stocking, filled with goodies, from a drawing entitled "Liam and Oliver with Daddy in the Middle". (I think it's actually Daddy that made it on the stocking!!)

Both stockings had the boys' names on the back, with a little heart for "auntie love".

This is Liam's drawing entitled, "This Is a People".

The boys' drawings were recreated with the sewing maching. I traced the drawings with chalk onto a piece of felt, and re-drew the pieces with the sewing maching. This is actually quite a long process, but I think this gives the work the integrity and the unique line quality that the original drawings hold. I know my nephews will enjoy seeing their work emblazoned on their stockings, year after year. I just hope they keep up the drawing!! To continued success in the arts, boys!!

Homey Ornaments.

My sister, Kerry, and I decided that this year, instead of buying gifts, we would make each other ornaments. This is--actually--more appropriate, since my sister has a habit of opening all of her gifts before Christmas and rewrapping them to look as if they were never touched . . . If there is no surprise, then no surprise can be ruined, eh?

So my dad was shipping out the gift box to Kerry and the boys today, and of course I hadn't made any ornaments yet. I had spent most of my week focusing on the boys stockings and my gift for Josh. But, this morning in my daily email from Craftzine, came a tutorial for these little home ornaments. I loved them! I changed them up a bit, and only used felt. But, I think they turned out quite lovely!

Off they went to be enjoyed at a new home in Dallas!

Coconut Cranberry Bars.

Coconut Cranberry Bars: Makes 3 dozen.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine cracker crumbs and butter; press into a greased 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan.

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (6 ounce package)

1 1/2 cups vanilla or white chocolate chips

one 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, as we used here)

Combine above ingre dients in a bowl and mix well; gently spread over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 28 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool on a rack. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Cut into bars and serve!

YUM!!

Oakland Tree Lighting and Gallery Crawl . . .

On Friday night, amongst the Oscar Grant verdict and on the tail end of being listed as one of the top 5 most dangerous US cities, we went to Oakland for dinner, the tree lighting, and a gallery crawl.

We met the Hansens at Cocina Poblana and I had the most amazing pork tamales. And, then we went outside to catch the hub bub surrounding the tree: of course Santa was there and people dressed in all sorts of crazy outfits that were all lit up. And, they piped snow out of the palm trees . . .

Then, Josh and I went over to the 25 galleries hosting first Friday openings. We caught up with work at Rock Paper Scissors, Hatch, Chandra Cerrito, and Johansson Projects. I gotta say, Oakland is quickly becoming one of my most favorite cities: I absolutely love it!!