The Art Opening

Hello friends
Here are a couple photos from the opening at The Good Life in Wayzata held last Friday. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you to my friends who came! Your presence was very much appreciated. It was a great party and the combination of artist's work was fabulous. The show remains up through January 15. Special thanks to Anne Davidson, owner of the Good Life, who gives artists a beautiful venue to exhibit and sell our work and has a shop filled with unique and beautiful treasures to give as a gift or buy for yourself. Check it out! You'll be happy you did.

A side-note: The cast was not part of the intended attire for the evening. Unfortunately I fell down the stairs and broke my hand. I was grateful that art for the show had been delivered. Cheers!

A Good Day in the Studio

It was a good day in the studio. I'm doing somethings I haven't shown before. What do you think? The opening reception for the show is a week from tomorrow. I have lots more I want to do. Stay tuned.

Buy from Artists and Shop Independents

Hello friends. This is a reminder that independent businesses and artists can really use our support when shopping this Christmas season. Here are a few of my favorites and a great place for you to start your shopping! I am in a show at The Good Life in Wayzata. The show starts with an opening reception on Friday, November 21. You are all invited. Anne always throws a great party! The Good Life is a gallery gift shop. You'll find jewelry, wall art, stationery, pottery and many, many unique gift items.

You're sure to find a gift that will please and probably lots of art that you want for your own home at Krista Artista in Anoka. If you haven't been there you owe it to yourself to check it out. You'll find art by one of my favorite artists, Glenn Quist. Krista has a wonderful selection of jewelry and pottery as well.

Many of you know I work at a shop in Maple Grove called Stonecrop. Whether you're looking for a gift, home decor or exceptional holiday decorations, you'll appreciate the finds at Stonecrop.

For more great gift items and art by local artists:
CorAzon, two locations in Minneapolis.
Or in Hudson, Wisconsin, check out the new location of Seasons on St. Croix.

Or how about a metal bird, a grove of trees or beautiful jewelry from Sue Seeger? A purse or purse pattern from Scrap-Bags and Jamie Kalvestran. How about a clay pendant from St. Paul artist, Miriam Shuros, available on ETSY.com? Like I said, I have lots and lots of suggestions!

I am here to help you find the perfect gift if you need me! I'd be happy to be your personal shopping assistant. Shop in support of small businesses who support local artists! Peace.

The Paperweight Factory

I am busy making paperweights for a new client. As I stitch and glue, sitting in my lovely studio, I'm reminded what a lucky girl I am. Once this order ships, I'll be on to making art for my upcoming show at The Good Life in Wayzata which opens November 21. Stay tuned!

Happy Halloween

The kiddies are out, but the numbers seem to be down this year. Could it be that both of the high schools in our district are in the state high school football tournament finals? Maybe so. No costumes here, but I did do some fall decorating. Have a great day everybody!

Celebrating 20 Years of Marriage

For weeks, Mark has had an entry on the calendar, “Linda, keep day clear.” making me very curious to what he had in store. All he told me was to wear something that I would be comfortable in, going in and out and to be ready to go by 10 am. His surprise did not disappoint. We headed toward Rockford, furthering my curiosity. It was a beautiful drive, in spite of the light rain. The colors this fall have been spectacular and even tho a bit past peak, they were still stunning. We continued south around the lakes, one of our favorite drives but usually in the convertible. (No convertible today...a wee bit chilly) He turned on Water Street in Excelsior and he said, “Here we are. We’re here to shop, look around, have lunch and it’s on my nickel. So, if you see something you want, I’ll buy it for you”. What a sweet man. Talk like that could have been dangerous but I guess he knows I have a practical side! He set aside a day to do something he knew I would enjoy. We have talked often about going down to Excelsior to check out those shops but never got around to it. It was a delightful surprise and we also found a small burner for our deck. It’s a Mongolian Hot Pot. We thought it would be the perfect size for throwing on a few twigs while we sit out on our deck together. We don’t need a big blazing fire just a few flames for ambiance. It’s an unusual piece and certainly will provide interesting light, the crackling fire sound and a good place to roast a marshmallow or two. It will also be a fun reminder of our special day out together and the thoughtfulness of the man I love.

I was touched that Mark came up with this plan. I thoroughly enjoyed the day which included lunch at Maynards overlooking Lake Minnetonka. The entire day was wonderful and a very creative “present” if you ask me! Mark didn’t think it was quite as creative as his diamond ring surprise on our tenth anniversary. (If you don’t know about that surprise, I’d love to tell you the story. It was really one for the record books and I can tell you, he continues to be held up by my friends as an example to their own spouses) I don’t know too many men that would investigate the quality of the shopping, check to see if there was a nice place for an overnight and lunch and then make it a surprise. I’m a lucky girl.

Fall Cruise and Favorite Wheels

When I say, "We're going on a cruise", most people assume we're taking a ship to some exotic island. Not so. My favorite way to "get around" is our 1968 Dodge Dart convertible. We've taken the convertible on long cruises but our favorite thing to do is just take a short ride together. Some of the best fall color is in our own backyard and this year has been spectacular. One of our very favorite cruises is through St. Paul via Summit Ave, crossing the river and traveling on the Minnehaha Parkway and going around all the Minneapolis lakes. Truly beautiful. It's amazing how much green space the Cities have. Our cruises started out long ago, when all six kids were at home. Sunday evenings we'd each grab a cup of coffee, jump in the car (at the time we had a Camaro) and just drive. It was our quiet time with each other to regroup for the coming week. Well, it must have worked. On Wednesday, Mark and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Happy trails!