Surprised at the Swallow Opening

I wanted to do a post with a whole bunch of pictures of my opening at Swallow last week, but then I went through all of the pictures that Frank took, and none of them did the event justice! Not blaming Frank though as I know that taking pictures at openings is hard, especially when you are having fun yourself. So friends, these will have to do.

Even though seeing the work up on the walls was great, the highlight for me was chatting with the people, and also seeing some of the work sell on the night of the opening. The show will be up through February, so I'm looking forward to going back often, seeing what has sold, and finding out what people are really responding to.

The highlight of the evening came at the end, when Frank and I were getting our coats on to go out for drinks and tapas with friends....suddenly he slyly pulled out this ring, that I have been swooning over, and presented it to me. I couldn't believe it.

The ring was made by the woman who runs Swallow, who is an amazing jeweler. Being a serious jewelry appreciator myself, something about this ring captivated me the moment I saw it, and I couldn't stop talking about it. One of my favorite features of the ring is that Eternal is inscribed on the back. I also love that now this ring will remind me of this moment in our lives, of finishing this body of work, of celebrating, and loving with my whole heart.

Old friends

Do you have things around your house that are just possessions but somehow they make you feel more yourself, or remind you of who you are at your best?
These rings totally embody that for me, each of them has a story about how it came into my possession, and each serves as a reminder of a part of myself that I cherish.
Since I use my hands so much rings really work for me, I love the way I catch sight of them in little moments, like when I am in the middle of making a painting, zipping up my child's coat, or moving my hands during a conversation. Since often the stories are the best part I thought I'd share just minimal detail about each ring, and while I love how they look all piled on, I don't usually wear them all together.

Thumb~a branch from Brooklyn Prospect Park, which we live a block from and go to every day, cast in gold by a friend.
Index finger~turquoise ring that I bought from a Native American jeweler in Taos N.M. the stones had been in his family for generations, the same jeweler made the bracelet on my wrist which my mom has a match to, I never take the bracelet off, I even wore it in my wedding.
Middle finger~cocktail ring, bought on a whim in NYC, I wear it for fabulous nights out or dinner parties.
Ring finger~a silver ring that I bought in high school at a hippie store that I loved; a large disk of two types of turquoise that I bought at a craft fair right after ending a really big relationship in my 20's; a gold and labradorite beauty that my husband gave to me on our 5th Wedding anniversary which was also my little brother's wedding day (I also never take this one off).
Pinkie~both of these rings I got on a year long road trip around the US and Mexico after college which involved living in my V.W. van (oh yes), I bought the turquoise one at a market in Mexico, the pink stone is from Africa set in a silver setting by an artist in Seattle who I bought it from at a market there.

I took the picture of my bejeweled hand on a leaf from my Banana Palm tree, another old friend, who I have raised from a tiny plant. This is the time of year that I bring all of my tropical plants inside after they spent 6 months on our deck drinking the sun, now they come inside to brighten up our winter months.
I find comfort living surrounded by these old friends.

Right now....

I am loving...

The colors and textures of my overgrown, late summer deck garden.

These boots, they just arrived last night and I can't wait to wear them with jeans when the weather turns cooler.

This new patterned rug for our living room floor by one of my favorite fabric designers, Kaffe Fasset. I couldn't believe my luck finding it at a recent going out of business sale at one of our neighborhood boutiques. These colors will be inspiring my paintings through the winter!

This necklace by artist Malisa Batasso, I'm seriously obsessed with her jewelry and I love how she draws inspiration from so many elements of nature.

This chocolate cake that I made last week for Frank's birthday, we could not believe how yummy it was, sort of a cross between a souffle and a gooey brownie. It is chocolate heaven, easily the best chocolate cake we have EVER eaten, and super simple...here is the recipe taken directly from the book A Homemade Life that I am reading (and loving) right now. One of the goals that I have set for myself this fall is to try more of the recipes from this book.

Winning Hearts and Minds Cake
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and butter an 8 inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and butter the paper too.
Put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring often, until smooth. When the mixture is smooth, add the sugar, stirring well to incorporate. Set the batter aside to cool for 5 minutes. Then add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition. Add the flour and stir well. The batter should be dark and silky.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly cracked, the edges are puffed, and the center of the cake looks set.

My "New" Necklace

As a visual person I am constantly being inspired by things that I see. The other day at the playground I saw a stylish looking mom wearing a lovely tangle of necklaces with lots of little charms scattered along the chains. I couldn't get it out of my mind, and definitely wanted one for myself.
Later, during the quiet of the evening (after the kids were asleep) I was feeling energized by the idea of making my own charm necklace. I keep this old tackle box full of jewelry making supplies, as this has been a creative outlet that I love to experiment with....and I have even sold a line of earrings in the past.

First I grabbed three gold chains from another necklace that I didn't wear too much, and then I collected my charms, which wasn't too hard for me as I save anything with sentimental value. I choose:
-a gold feather charm that was on a necklace that Frank gave me one year for my birthday.
-a small faceted chunk of Labradorite, one of my favorite semi-precious stones. I love the way that it changes color in the light.
-a rectangular gold "tag" that I wore on a cord around my neck through my pregnancies as a talisman.
I strung one of these charms on each gold chain, then fastened them all together on a clasp. Once I put the necklace on, the chains tangled and twisted up perfectly together on their own.

Now I've got my own chain and charm necklace. Playground here I come!