Days off are the Best!!!

I do enjoy my days off! Presently I am working far too much & far too hard... but sometimes this is just a part of life, and I try to accept this. I am paying down some of my tuition from going to school up in Oregon, and putting a little aside for my next "plan." It is my hope that soon, I will figure out a way to create a little more balance in my life. My plan is that by the end of the year, I'll have figured out a way to work part time, go to school part time, still make ends meet, AND have more time & energy for getting out in nature, and more time to do the things that nurture my body & spirit. Dare to Dream!!! Presently, I don't have time to squeeze in all the things in I'd love to do, and sometimes I just need to REST! That's what I did last week on my first day off. Leisurely coffee drinking, house cleaning, cloud watching... you know, the important stuff!!

"Rest is not idleness... or watching clouds float across the sky is by no means a waste of time."
J. Lubbock

On my next day off I finally got to meet one of my bloggy friends... Annie, of "Blissful Bohemian."  Annie is an artist living in Taos, New Mexico... I found her blog when I was living in Oregon, and bought one of her ceramic cups on her Esty site. Here it is, pictured in my Oregon apartment~

Isn't it just the cutest?! I thought it the perfect reminder to keep following my dreams! Annie is just as sweet & wonderful in person as she is on her blog. It was fun to see her art in person, have lunch & talk about art & life. you can visit her at:

http://blissful-bohemian.blogspot.com/.

I was also treated to a spectacular sunset on my way home!

In other news, my clay class starts next week, and I can hardly wait! I was inspired to buy a couple of bags of clay and start playing around early, so that I'll have something to fire & do some test glazing on. I love making these little bears!

 They are a little rudimentary & I still have a little cleaning up to do with them, but if they make it through the bisque & glaze firing, I think they'll turn out quite cute!

As for my upcoming class, there were so many fun classes to choose from, it was hard to decide! Below is the class I chose... a Micaceous Clay class. I doubt mine will turn out as beautiful as Anita's (pictured below) but how fun it will be to try!

Anita Ginocchio

"Micaceous clay has been used for centuries by indigenous peoples of the Southwest to create functional cookware, which has the unique quality of withstanding the direct heat of stove top cooking. We will build our pots using the traditional coil method, then scrape and sand them so that the walls are of a relatively thin and even consistency. The pots are not glazed, but are finished with several coats of micaceous slip, which are stone polished to a high luster. We will then do an outdoor pit firing, which embellishes the lustrous surface with distinctive smoke clouds. Instruction will be highly individualized, fully geared to the experience level of the student. Though the process is labor intensive, the product is a unique blend of beauty and utility. The vessels are remarkably sturdy, and once you have cooked with micaceous cookware, you’ll be hooked!"

 Sounds great, doesn't it?! I hope you're all having a wonderful week & are finding the time to do the things you love, too!

:)