I've been busy

So you want to know what I've been up to? Silly question because if you're reading this blog it's to know what I've been working on recently. First up:  Not long ago I joined an Altered Switch Plate Swap at http://www.atcsforall.com/ and made these for the swap:

What do you think?  I like all of them but the flowers are my favorite.  I'm curious to see what I get back in return.

My Guy and I also decided to throw a dinner party for 8 of our closest friends and that happened last night.  The party, wine and food were a great success. How could it not be, they are all wonderful people.  Oh and I want to thank Linda and Mike for bringing us 6 bottles of their home made wine.  We've yet to taste it because we had so many other bottles already open. But I can't wait to try it.

So you are wondering how does this party relate to my art? Well, for about a year now I have been planning to create a mosaic table using a very complex design (for a mosaic newbie, that is) and I'd been procrastinating because, as usual, I was unsure of my abilities to handle the design. However, wanting it to be finished by party time necessitated that I simplify the design greatly to something that I could finish by Friday evening. It wasn't the design that I originally worked on, but both My guy and I love it.

My Guy thinks I work great under pressure; I guess I do.  He didn't think I get it done on time considering when I actually started cutting the tiles (with a ring saw).  But finish I did.. mostly... it was finished enough to serve dinner on. I'll tell you, I felt a sense of accomplishment.  Here is a picture of it:

What else have I been up to? This isn't art related but it is fun to eat the results. Yes, I've been tending my vegetable garden.  Green peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and lemons. (Nothing on the lime tree yet.) Anybody have a to-die-for eggplant recipe?  if so, please, please post it in the comments section.

OK the last picture isn't from the vegetable garden but I'm proud of it just the same. They are my unripe lemons from a lemon tree I've had for several years.  Why am I proud? I've finally remembered to water it on a regular enough basis that it is actually growing lemons this year. :)

Thanks for reading. What has your week been like?

Recap of the weekend

Friday night was our usual dinner night out. Where did we eat? Oh yes it was Bella Bru in Natomas shopping center. We had the same thing as is per usual these days (the low carb diet), which was crab cakes and salad and drinks. Did you know drinks don't count in the low carb diet? OK they do. We just tell ourselves that because there are just somethings we won't give up.

After dinner we went to Fry's in my quest to find some way to hook up my laptop to the laser printer. I have to print from the laptop more often now that Vista crapped all over my older programs on the desktop. Vista messed up so many of my "useful programs" (read business programs) that I wanted to scream. It's cost me more to upgrade my computer to be Vista ready that I could have gotten a brand new computer for same price. ARGH...

Saturday night we drove to Fairfield to meet the Snows and see their home. They had Erik and Karen there for hors d'oeuvres and wine. Nice home, with a very industrial utilitarian front. Corragated metal that looks much better than it sounds. After a few glasses of wine we drove over to the Vintage cafe for dinner. It's just a few blocks from the Snows. I had the sea bass which was wonderful but My Guy didn't like his fish dish, said it was too dry.

Today I went to Office Depot and found a Waterman Phileas Red Fountain Pen. It writes so smoothly. Very different from the scrubby point on the quill pen I used yesterday. That one was almost painful to use because it was so scratchy. I've also ordered some speedball nibs to practice some calligraphy. I want to use these pens for my journal entries.

I started a new journal page today by gluing down some bits of various types of paper to a page. tomorrow after it dries I will cover it with a tan transparent wash to unify the page. We'll see what happens after that.

Wine Tasting & Social Connections

We had a great night last night. We were invited to a wine tasting and tour at the Vezer Family Vineyard. Mike S and wife Audrey invited us to be a part of this by invitation only event. We met at the wine tasting room in Mankas Corners. There were quite a number of people there and I believe most were invited by Mike and Audrey. They know and party with so many people.

Mike introduced us to a few couples and everyone seemed very nice. We looked around the grounds and the wine barrel room. The wine barrel room had a very distinct aging wine smell. The area was very nicely designed and landscaped. It had a Tuscan courtyard feel. Audrey was the landscape designer and had her name on the plaque just before you enter the public wine tasting room. She freigned embarassment but I know she was reveling in the attention it brought her. And she should, it was a nice job.

Not long after we got there we got back in the car and drove to the farm. The trip was a nice but short caravan of vehicles in which we saw some beautiful homes and landscape. The farm was a private tour given by, Frank, the owner and his sister Giselle. He showed us the vineyards, which at this time of the year are gorgeous deep shades of gold and maroon. Quite beautiful. Next up was the processing area where they de-stem and pit the grapes. Then Frank discussed the process in which they ferment the juice, and when and why they remove the grape skins. Did you know that white wines are from grapes with the skins removed and red wine has had the skins left in? Yeah, I thought you did. :)

After a sample of the not quite finished and unaged wine currently in process, we went back to the main tasting room and courtyard at the farm. This is a different one than where we all first met. Here they were serving hors d'oeuvres and wine. First up was some White Zin, very good flavor. Later dinner was served buffet style. We found a table and had nice dinner conversation with a couple from Gorden Valley who are planning a very small vineyard for their own private label. I akin it to My Guy making his own beer. Nothing fancy, just some people who like to brew thier own. There was a another couple from the area as well. That guy and My Guy had a Harley Davidson in common, so they talked about driving the Harleys. His wife and I had our names in common. She didn't talk much so I don't know much else.

My guy surprised me by suggesting that we join the wine club and have wines delivered to the house. This wine club was described as not only a wine delivery service but a social connection with private dinners and concerts. One a regular concert and the other a black tie event featuring opera (eww). I figured that the bit about the black tie opera event would be enough to put a kibosh on the Wine Club membership. haha, but my guy wanted to do it anyway. I think he was having a good time there.

After dinner, dessert and much wine and conversation, we headed home. My guy purposely didn't drink as much wine as I did so he was ok to drive. Good thing because it was a 40 minute drive home. Over all it was a very good night.