Tea time and book club

For this month's book club meeting, we gathered at a local coffee shop. I had tea, someone else had hot chocolate, and another person had coffee. I really enjoy the atmosphere of coffee shops. Not sure what it is exactly.
Our book that we discussed was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. The reviews of the group were mixed. It was a sad book, but also quite symbolic and deep. There will be a movie coming out in 2012 starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. I wonder what the movie will focus on, as there were many layered stories in the book. If you are looking for something to cheer you up, this probably won't do it. One positive message of the book is to remember to say "I love you", as you never know when it might be too late to say those important words.
What are you reading?

Orange Spiral Arts Re-Design

Hello All,
I worked on my business blog, Orange Spiral Arts, today.  I'd love it if you'd take a peek and share some love over there.  Thank you so much!
-Briana

Our Two Thanksgivings

My husband and I went to two Thanksgiving meals on Thanksgiving Day.  We went to my grandma's house for a 1 o'clock meal, then to his parents' house for a 6 o'clock meal.  The meals were quite different, which we were very thankful for.  Here are a few photos from Thanksgiving at two households in the midwestern part of the USA.

 A fresh salad with pomegranate seeds and persimmon fruit.

 Carrots and rutabagas cooked to perfection.

 The table setting at my Grandma's house.

 The table setting at my in-laws' house.

 Here is my plate of food from my Grandma's house.

This food is traditional for me and my family.  We grew up eating this same thing nearly every Thanksgiving.

This is my sweety carving the turkey at his parents' house.  The dog is quite interested.  

If you are from the USA, what did you eat for Thanksgiving?  Do you and your family have any traditions or Thanksgiving rituals?  

Thankful for Nutritious and Delicious, et tu?

I tried a new restaurant in Minneapolis recently.  It is called Tosca.  It is here that I ate my first kumquat.  It was served on a bed of greens on top of goat cheese.  It was delicious.  

I hope you are getting all kinds of nutritious and delicious food in your tummy.  And if you are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, Happy Thanksgiving.  I am grateful for so many things.  What are you most thankful for?

Photos from My Saturday

Bringing in the firewood.   

Today we got our first snowfall.  This photo is from the beginning.   

 My Remains of the Day goodie swap package arrived today!

Here I am messing around with some iphone photo apps.  This was a bleached border.

What can you make with a paper bag, tape, and paint?

I have been looking for a journal with brown paper.  I know that they are out there, but not where I have been looking so far.  I decided to see what I could do on my own with a lovely brown paper bag.  I used Duck Tape and clear plastic yellow tape.  I've added a little paint here and there, just for fun.  I am not quite sure where this will go, but I sure had fun making it!  Love it when inspiration strikes!

Hi

This is my RadLab self.

The Sweater I Wore Today

When it was my birthday . . .

My Sweety gave me this super soft sweater.  It is from Target.  It's the "Chenille cardigan with shall collar", which happens to be on sale online right now.  I love it, and I wore it again today.  It was the perfect thing that I needed to keep me cozy at work when I was feeling kind of crummy.

Gina Rossi Armfield's Animal Spirits class

A couple of years ago, I saw an article in Somerset Studio about a woman's spirit animals artwork. I really loved the images, so much that they stuck in my head all of this time. I couldn't recall the artist's name, but with the help of Google, I now have the information that I was searching for. I was feeling really called to these memories of this woman's art, and I thought I remembered that there was an online class that went with the theme of spirit animals. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to find the class, but I did! I went with my inspiration here, trusted my gut, and went for it. I found Gina Rossi Armfield's blog, Joyful Purpose, at www.sweetsistergina.typepad.com
Sorry if this a bit choppy. I am not feeling well, and am trying to post from my phone.
I took some pictures of the work I have been doing for Gina's class. If I can't figure out how to attach them, I will create a new post soon with the photos. The class is great, and I am so glad that I trusted my inner wisdom to seek it out. How are you doing with your creativity? Any fun projects to share?

Stage 2 of Paintings for "Get Your Paint On-Beyond the Basics" online class

Not sure if anyone will see it, but I did some research on fertility symbols around the world.  With some of those images in my subconscious, I began to sketch out the above figures in my two paintings for Get Your Paint On-Beyond the Basics.  This is stage 2, just beyond the underpainting.  I am not sure what they will look like when they are completed.  Will I paint anything out?  Will I bring something in particular to the front of the painting?  Usually when I create, I completely trust the process and am in a "zone".  Sometimes things appear to me as I work.  Some people call this creative voice, creative vision, God, Spirit, etc.  What happens when you create?  Do you pre-plan your work, or create in the moment as you are guided?  I'd love to hear about your process, as creativity is fascinating to me.

Photos from Today (Sorry if you don't like cats)

Here are my two canvases, with background paint on them, for Get Your Paint On-Beyond the Basics.  You might think I am a huge University of Minnesota sports fan by the colors I chose, but really I chose what called to me in my bucket o' paints.  Perhaps it's the influence of fall.  Who knows.  Not sure how they will evolve, but I will be sure to share as they progress.

 I am in love with my new birthday boots.  They are by the company Simple.  They are narrow and fit my feet perfectly.  They are so comfy, they feel like slippers!  Thanks for the great gift, Sweetie!

My cat has something she'd like to say.  What do you think it is?

Hope you had a nice weekend.   Tomorrow, Creative + Practice begins, and I am super excited!  (Read previous post for links and info).

10 Things You May Not Know About Me

1.  My favorite color is orange.  I especially like orange and lime green, or orange and pink together.
2.  I used to hate the color pink when I was a teenager and young adult.
3.  I recently became familiar with Marcy Nelson-Garrison's P.I.N.K. Paradigm, and I think it is really cool.
4.  I will be at a CPR training for four hours today for my work requirements.
5.  I am an online class fanatic.
6.  And I am taking two online classes at one time.  One started two weeks ago, and it is Get Your Paint On-Beyond the Basics with Mati McDonough and Lisa Congdon.
7.  The second online class starts on Monday. It is with Lisa Sonora Beam, and it's called Creative+Practice.  Here's a little video teaser she just shared on November 3rd.
8.  I am a morning person, but sometimes I can stay up really late and make art.
9.  I am a book lover, and Amazon.com is my friend.
10.  I hope to be a mother someday soon.  I am going to start making artwork around being fertile, becoming pregnant, and becoming a mother.

The piece I am sharing today was not drawn by me; I printed and colored it with Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils.  I found it on the site fertilitymoon.  I am not crazy about the site because of all of the advertising among the articles.  Also, whole paragraphs appear twice for some reason.  However, there are a few bits of good information, and I did enjoy the Art Therapy printables.