My morning today started before 7:00 a.m. at Eagle Island State Park with Raisin and Jay. As hard as I try to sleep in on weekends it is just impossible. I was awake this morning from 5:30 a.m. and finally could not lay there any longer. My internal clock on the weekend just refuses to cooperate no matter how late I stay up the previous night. There was lot of mist covering the park and the sun burst up over the mountains to the east as we were circling back to the car. Although my phone does not do any of these pictures justice I still snapped a quick picture of the beautiful morning. If you look very carefully you can see the silhouettes of Raisin and Jay near the bottom right of the sun. Whenever we first start walking they are always way behind me but when we make the turn to head back in the direction of the car or home they move ahead of me. Raisin is always very interesting to watch on the trail. As alpha dog (I kid myself thinking I am alpha) she is always stopping and watching exactly where Jay and I are. Guess she likes to keep close tabs of her pack.
Back at home we received our first letter in the mail from Nick today. Nick is in Navy Basic Training outside of Chicago. Interestingly enough he has actually been on the phone several times with his Dad since leaving but this was the first actual hand written letter we have received. Anthony has been on a serious letter writing campaign since his departure writing about three letters a week. I have sent one long letter every other week. I know that other family members have been writing to Nick too so I doubt he has had an empty mail call since his departure. Receiving mail is important so the recruits know how much they are supported and loved with being away from home starting their new future with the military.
In the afternoon Anthony and I visited Art in the Park. We met down town and walked through the 260 booths at Julia Davis Park. This year they featured 68 new artists and 73 Idaho artists. Anthony pictured above is pointing to the children's puzzles because the two names together on the display are Nicholas and Emma. Emma is the name of Nick's girlfriend. We got a smile out of seeing their names together.
Smiles from us while taking a quick refreshment break at Art in the Park. The weather in Boise has cooled a bit but it was still warm in the sun. I keep thinking that I will one day plant a special Letterbox for Art in the Park but I just never seem to have my timing right. Maybe next year. It would be fun to have one of the artists hold a box during the event. I will need to chew on this more. I would need to know in advance who would be there so I could theme the box to their booth. Do you hear the gears in my head turning?
One of the jewelry artists really captured my attention. I appreciate handmade jewelry so much and marvel at the creativity the artists forge in with their hands and imagination. Jewelry making is not a gift of mine artistically. There were a lot of jewelry vendors and we visited them all. I just had to wander back to re-visit Busarin's Silky Hut booth. She is a new vendor for 2013. They were here from Phoenix Arizona. Anthony let me pick out my favorite piece of jewelry from the booth and I could not resist this amazing fish and lotus flower necklace pictured above. I was really drawn to her work because it is truly unique and beautiful. The necklace is very light in weight and sits perfectly around my neck. Some of her bumble bee work was adorable and she also had a lovely silver necklace with a tiny tree and birdhouse that I thought was so charming. Still this necklace was the first one that captured my attention and I could not resist it when we returned. In addition to her designs being so whimsical and wonderful she and her husband both were very charming and sweet. I think humble is the word I would use to describe them. They made the purchase a true pleasure. We also picked up a bracelet for a Christmas gift but I do not want to post the picture just in case the recipient happens to be aware of my blog. I doubt it but you just never know. I would love to get some earrings from her to go with my necklace so I hope she returns to Boise in 2014.
She does not seem to update her blog much but you can get a feel for her amazing work here:
Crossing Wonderland by Justin Hillgrove
Peace Offering by Justin Hillgrove
And last but not least my second favorite purchase of the day was from Imps and Monsters by Justin Hillgrove. We actually stopped in his booth for another holiday purchase but I could not resist picking out a print for myself and selected the Peace Offering of Little Red Riding Hood above with her basket of delectable cupcakes. Since we were already purchasing another print there was a discount for a third print. His booth was jam packed with people so Anthony let me make a second selection for myself vs. trying to figure out a second gift for someone else (you have to have the right sense of humor and edge to appreciate his work) and having lived in Wonderland Letterbox style last year I could not resist Alice Crossing Wonderland above. I now have my eye on a few more of his prints. I just love his parody and tribute paintings. They really make me smile. Online he has a great Gremlins print (Bad Company), Wizard of Oz print (Through the Haunted Forest) and a totally funny Star Wars print (We're on a Mission from Leia). I think a lot of his work would make great Letterbox images to carve. The artist does a sketch a day (how does he have the time) and I think he will be a fun artist to follow. I love the creepy cute feel of his work. I am not sure if I am going to put these prints in my craft room or maybe sneak them into my office. It does feel like time for a little remodel in my office since it has looked the same for the last 5 years.
Imps and Monsters: http://www.justinhillgrove.com
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