Home from the City!

Came home yesterday after a great trip to Boston and the convention. Saw 2 great sessions on Protein Folding and Creationism vs. Evolution (yes, I love to stimulate my geeky side of my brain). Walked around the vendors and picked up some Freebies and saw some cool animals from Sea World (Flamigo, pengins, sloth, etc.) at their exhibit. The convention was at the new convention center and our hotel (the lovely 1 star Howard Johnson's-it was clean at least) was over at Fenway, so we rode shuttle buses and walked. Had 2 rooms at the hotel with 3 of us per room, and so it was a good time. Sat around in our pjs and played Scattergories, drank a bit, played pool Friday night, LAUGHED A LOT, got wet in the rain Friday but at least we missed the big snow at home...5-7 inches. Katie had a snow day but at least Portsmouth wasn't canceled. Coming home Saturday morning we went from bare ground to snow not too far north of Boston. At home the trees were still white and it was pretty against the blue sky but it is almost April and it has been snowing since early December, so right now I'm not sure winter will ever end this this.
Today was NICE though- sat out on the deck in my sweatshirt and we had melt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See he snow gage- its like at 2 feet 8 inches right now and was over 3 on Friday with the snow.

So yesterday after a nice 3 hour nap I started taking the tiles I made last weekend and doing some polymer clay tile pieces. Got 3 put together by tonight, which I'm showing you here.

Added some gold charms to this one above, but its mostly done here. Its 5x7 inches.

This is the big one -8x10-. Theme for all of these was home.

All in all was a great weekend since Thursday...now, another week and only 1 more day of March left! YAHOO!

Can it be spring?

In the high 40's here today!!!!!!!!!! Lots of melt-down 4 inches on the snow gauge. The driveway and road are mud-puddles. Oh but who cares?
This old photo is from a bunch I bought on eBay a few years back. Thought it was a bit springy- with the flowers and the girls in short sleeves...leaves on the trees...I'm celebrating our really nice day!
Hasn't been much of an art week at all. But I've been tired all week and rather hivey. Did so much clay tile making last weekend I'm ok with it too.
So tomorrow I am off to Boston for 2 nights. Its National Science Teacher Convention, and a bunch of us from school are going down and spending 2 nights so we can have some fun in the city besides conventioning. Need to pack tonight as I'm heading out right after school. I may hang out Saturday and walk over to the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum- haven't been there in ages- since I'm only at the convention on Friday. Looking forward to it most definately. Be back over the weekend then- hoping for lots more melt by then too-since April is just a few days away. This will be a fun way to end this month!!!!

And today we go to...

Pompeii!

Top photo is the modern town. The rest are sites around the ancient city which we toured. These body casts are pretty amazing as seen below.

We had a bit of clouds as the sky cleared out during our afternoon in Pompeii. In Naples before hand, it had poured, our one off weather day of a week's vacation in Italy.

Another change of pace

As a way to pass the still winter-like late March- as the snow slowly melts (we're down to 3 feet on the snow gage)- I'm hitting the vaults of my photo archives. Today we are traveling to

ROME!

That was one great trip with sun, warmth, lots of blue skies, the spring crowds...

Oh I loved Italy.

Movie weekend

Hope everyone had a nice Easter. Not much of a big holiday for us, not the big church-goers in this house, but it was a wonderful blue sky day and RELAXING!

Thursday before booklcub I went to get Katie a few little items for her Easter basket - and went to get her a movie, ended up buying 3 (so much for the last of my cash) which I watched this weekend. In Katie's easter basket she got Across the Universe-we watched it today and it was a good movie. I also bought Atonement- which since I haven't read the book really surprised me at the end-was an excellent movie and then The Darjeeling Limited was was good until it wrapped up and the ending pulled that movie together so well I have to say I really liked it. Actually, they were all good movies-and it was a nice relaxing weekend when I get to watch 3 movies. I love it!

Did make a bunch of clay tiles yesterday and today got the boards ready so I can now make some more tile mosaics. Did register my car now need to squeeze in an inspection before the end of the month. Did go out to dinner with Dave last night. Did get lots of sleep. Did read. Did get something ready to send into Stampers Sampler. Did do laundry and some cleaning but did NOT vacuum the basement like I wanted to and did NOT go out and wipe down the dirt in my car. All in all though, a great weekend. Today never even got out of my sweatpants. Don't need to bore you with the moment to moment details, but hope your weekend was a good as mine.

A Change of Pace

IRELAND!

I needed some green and spring! The country, not the city. April, not February. A bit of a walk down memory lane.

These are all in County Wicklow, the park and right around the park.

Tasty

In London, I was trying different candy out. I rarely buy candy bars at home-except peanut M&M's or maybe a Lindt Ball, but it was fun to try some of the different bars when we were away. Flake bars in an ice cream cone taste great- I had one of those after hiking in Wicklow National Park in Ireland last spring, and Double Decker Bars, with chocolate, crunchies and mashmellow-that was my top choice. But it was fun to try a new bar each day- especially after walking and walking and walking and not having to worry about the calories.

So its finally Friday night-I am sooooooooooooooo looking foward to sleeping until whenever tomorrow- even getting up at 7 won't be horrible because I don't have to get up. Its been tough with the cold and dark lately. I am also making another clay mosaic tomorrow-bought some clay and some ceramic tiles...think I'll do a home theme, --- want to do a garden theme and a Celtic theme, but it takes time to do one so those will be on my to do list. Also have a piece I need to finish up to send off to Stampers Sampler, and a Holiday piece to send off to Somerset Holidays. Doesn't mean they'll be selected, but like sending things out. You never know, do you?

And I can say 1 more week of March. Need to do my car-ugh-ugh- because in New Hampshire we need to register it during our birthday month. So much for birthday cash for me...but that's just how it is. I'm not a fan of March- but hopefully spring will arrive here SHORTLY. I did find my bracelet today-yahoo- which got tucked into my inside coat pocket at the airport flying home and which I couldn't find when I got home and searched my suitcase and carryon-totally forgeting where I put the bracelet. That was very exciting. At school we had work day today-what can I say...nice to go in late, sometimes administrators don't realize you could use some worktime in your room!

Will post my clay work as I do it-

The Vernal Equinox

Yes, its spring! Today was cloudy, cold, windy, rainy, but still it looks like this outside. Maybe the snow is a bit dirtier. Yesterday I had to clear snow off the driveway to get up!! Granted it was maybe an inch, but my tires are pretty worn. They're saying sunny but cold for the next few days. Ah, March. What a fickle lady you are.

Monday, Monday

London from above- well not above but from high points. This flag above was taken at the Tower Bridge Exhibit- we got to walk along the top 2 pedestrian walks. Luckily it was glassed in since I'm not a big one for heights, and since we had a 2 day London Pass, we got to visit.

South Bank, looking east from Tower Bridge.

Looking west into Westminster from Tower Bridge. Shows what a big city London is, but it doesn't feel so big when you're out there walking around.

On the hill at Greenwich- up at the Royal Observatory. Looking out towards the old Naval College (now a cool marine museum), the Thames River and the financial towers of the city.
Below, a famous view- the Houses of Parliment. This is from the London Eye. Love how you can see the red double decker bus driving over London Bridge.

And finally, also from the London Eye, looking at the North Bank and the big train station- not sure which one this is because I want to say Charing Cross and its not that one.

Today is Monday and I am home because Miss Katie is sick. She went to school for 2 blocks and then wanted me to get her so she could come home and sleep, which she is doing right now on the love seat. We were watching old reruns of Tool Time ( still a funny show). I need to grab some lunch and then think I'll paint tiles from last summer- not quite up to making tiles. Or maybe a nap, seeeing I'm in lazy mood with a sick baby sleeping. And seeing I was so busy over the weekend- but wow- what a class. Still looking at my tile creation and going wow. Feel a bit guilty being home from work but being a mom is a higher priority. Want my girl to feel better!

So enjoy London from above photos, since I have no new art to put up. Speaking of art, love some of the new Dawn Houser stamps from Inkadinkado...they're fun. She's got a great peacock and deer antlers. Plus more. Also at my class this past weekend I got to shop at my favorite store and got some of the new Tim Holtz unmounted sets. Got 2- the one with the truck and calendar and one with the negative film edge and the photographer studio stamp. I don't think Stamper's Anonymous had them up on their web site yet, but I splurged and bought my 2 favorites, though there's more I like too. I know Tim Holtz had them up on his blog awhile back, that's where I saw them.

Anyhow, enough babble.

Fantastic art class!!!

Spent this entire weekend at my favorite art/craft store- Absolutely Everything in Topsfield, Mass (http://www.absolutelyeverything.com/) taking a polymer clay tile class with Laurie Mika- http://www.mikaarts.com/. Wow- it was excellent. See my creation, its based on our visit to Westminster Cathedral in London. We made tiles out of polymer clay-I used a dark sage green and brown-and then we used mica powder, paint, gold leaf, beads and charms to create the final picture. It was not only fun, relaxing, educational but Laurie is an excellent teacher and really helpful.

Laurie's book which is the inspiration for this class and my art. I bought this book last summer whne it came out and I've made a lot of tiles over the past summer, but wasn't sure what to do with these tiles, till now. Next weekend-I hope to be able to make tiles and tiles and more tiles. Take a class with Laurie if you ever get the chance!

Am I getting boring?

Don't want to be dull, so lets try some of my photos that are a bit unpredictable...or maybe just not typical tourist shots...or maybe they are both predictable and tourists shots, I don't know. The nice thing about these photos is that they are filling the gap of this rather blah-blah month and the dirty snow outside which is melting but still in big piles.
Anyhow, love the mind. Not the brain, the mind as in the photo, Mind your step. Or the best one is the recorded voice that goes "Mind the gap" when you get on and off the tube.

Canal boats- over by the zoo and Regent Park. Need to check out what canal this is. Wait- I just looked and this is Regent's Canal.

Oh the sacred Dung Beetle also known as the Scarab. Thought this was cool since I show a movie sometimes about scavengers and these beetles, how the male rolls a ball of dung as a gift to his mate...as seen here in the statue at the zoo.

Unworked (needs a bit of cropping to show the kitty), but this is the doorway to a gift store across from the British Museum. See the very cute little black kitty who just sat in the doorway and moved out of the way when you stepped in.

City traffic at the arch- is it Marble Arch? Yes! Built to be like the Arc du Triumph in Paris- since of course London needed one too. Actually it was the entrance to Buckingham Palace and then moved later on. You can see some taxi's here.

Statues

I know nothing about this statue except that I snapped it shortly after we got on the hop-on-hop-off tour bus. Sitting on the open top I was snapping away with my camera. Surprised how well some photos came out.

Yes, I was posing this bad on purpose. Ancient Greek statue at the British Museum.

Living statue on the south bank, Sunday afternoon. After riding the eye, we took a strol along the river and all enjoyed all the living statues, bands, and other performers.

This photo and the one above are of statues set into building alcoves. The one above needs to be put to photoshop, but you can see what I mean about being in the side of a building.
Feeling tired tonight. Since we've come home it has been SO busy. Today I had Leadership Teacher and we went to Timberland Shoes in Stratham. Man, what a talented bunch of people and I learned a lot. Who knew that it took so much to make shoes. This designer spoke with us, and he was a genius. How he came up with shoes, wow. They had gone to Spain to inspiration for their summer shoes for 2009.

I am way behind on my grading for work too. Labs are sitting on the floor next to the couch, looking at me. Last night I graded a bunch, but they're not done and I came home tired tonight. Too tired to read labs. There seems to be so much to do at school that you do the top priority first- getting ready to teach and then there is something else you are being told you must do, like sit through a meeting or a semi-useless or useless workshop, so the next things don't get done. I can't stand it. What they give us at school is all crazy busy work- just we aren't suppose to give the kids- not like today where it was really interesting and where I learned so much.

Plus they had this store at Timberland- got 2 pairs of cool shoes for under $30 a piece- what with them being markdowned and then getting a visitors one day discount.

Dave is at a meeting tonight and is actually doing his 4 hour drive home from this meeting. I spent my whole drive home from Stratham-like an hour- on the cell phone with him, and he's called a few times. I know he's bored driving, and I want to talk, but the telephone is something I no longer really like using. How can you not though...

On the lighter side-Tomorrow is Friday. Pay day. Laurie Mika class this weekend. means I have no down time at home- a bummer- but should be a good class. I wouldn't have signed up if I didn't want to do it. Hope the weather holds out and we don't get a big snow dump to interfere... that would really be a shame.

Yes, MORE London

Today's photos are totally unedited. They may need a bit of cropping or whatever, but still, this month is dedicated to my London photos. Above, the tunnel under the Thames between Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs. (Named the cruise said because this where the king kept all his dogs)

Sign on Bury Lane, across from Blade Rubber Stamps

Crossing the Thames on the Millenium footbridge after we left the Globe Theatre. St. Paul's dome is straight ahead- exactly where we are heading.

Cold (poor babies) and pinkish pelicans at the London Zoo (Z.S.L.) on a raw and sprinkling Friday afternoon.

Sign on the South Bank that let us know we were heading the right way to the Globe Theatre when we got off the Tube at London Bridge.