My first blog award! :)

Hello gorgeous people!
The lovely Kaili has given me my first blogging award!

The Kreativ Blogger Award!
Apparently, the rule is that I have to share 7 random facts about myself! Gee... this might take a while. :) So here goes:

01. My first car was a used sky blue Volkswagon Beetle. I remember I thought it was so weird that the engine was in the back, instead of the front.
02. I judge people by their shoes, so be careful! :) I hope I don't scare anyone, but it's something I've always done... even unconsciously! I'm especially prone to do it with men... ask my husband.
03. I'm not the biggest morning person. I have to have some quiet time in the mornings, so it's obvious I'm definitely a night person.
04. My purse necessities: hand sanitizer, lotion, gloss, tissues, and pen/paper. What can I say... I'm a little girly, which bring me to my next fact...
05. I have been voted as Best Dressed Gardener in my neighborhood... several times. It's not unusual to see me in heels and a skirt, watering my flowers and trees. :)
06. I can't be in the car and not be the driver. Maybe it's my mental GPS, but I prefer to be the driver, otherwise I get bored in the car.
07. I have to have either coffee or tea (or both!) every day. It's usual for me to have 1 cup of coffee in the morning, and 2 - 3 cups of tea in the afternoon/evening.

I tag whoever wants to do this, so you have my approval! :)
~Hugs

Makes me hungry!

Hello gorgeous people!
I recently came across this poem and loved it so much that I couldn't resist sharing it. The concept of serving and giving reminded me of a piece I created a few months ago called, "Tiny Little Reminders to Give."

"Eating the World"

I was born with my mouth open…
entering this juicy world
of peaches and lemons and ripe sun
and the pink and secret flesh of women,
this world where dinner is in the breath
of the subtle desert,
in the spices of the distant sea
which late at night drift over sleep.

I was born somewhere between
the brain and the pomegranate,
with a tongue tasting the delicious textures
of hair and hands and eyes;
I was born out of the heart stew,
out of the infinite bed, to walk upon
this infinite earth.

I want to feed you the flowers of ice
on this winter window,
the aromas of many soups,
the scent of sacred candles
that follows me around this cedar house,
I want to feed you the lavender
that lifts up out of certain poems,
and the cinnamon of apples baking,
and the simple joy we see
in the sky when we fall in love.

I want to feed you the pungent soil
where I harvested garlic,
I want to feed you the memories
rising out of the aspen logs
when I split them, and the pinyon smoke
that gathers around the house on a still night,
and the mums left by the kitchen door.

I want to feed you the colors of rain
on deserted parking lots,
and the folds of delirious patchouli
in the Indian skirt of the woman
on Market Street in San Francisco,
and the human incense of so much devotion
in tiny villages in Colorado and Peru.

I want to serve you breakfast at dawn,
I want to serve you the bread
that rises in the desert dust, serve you
the wind that wanders through the canyons,
serve you the stars that fall over the bed,
serve you the Hopi corn one thousand years old,
serve you the saffron in the western sunset,
serve you the delicate pollen that blows its lullaby
through each lonely wing of flesh;
I want to serve you the low hum of bees
clustered together all winter
eating their honey.-— James Tipton
~Hugs

Treasury

I hope I don't sound corny or anything by mentioning this, still the whole idea is new to me, so I should get excited to be included in an Etsy Treasury! This is third or fourth time that one of my art pieces has been chosen...yaaay! So I must leave you with a wonderful treasury that I'm so delighted to be a part of. It was made by the creative Muppetloon.


Pinwheels... Round and Round
P.S: The last row on the picture is missing because I couldn't get it all to fit! I did a print screen and saved it onto a clipboard, but I couldn't get the whole 4 rows in. :(

Of Being Woven

"The way is full of genuine sacrifice.
The thickets blocking your path are anything
that keeps you from that, any fear that you may be broken
into bits like a glass bottle.

This road demands courage and stamina, yet it's full of
footprints!
Who are these companions?
They are rungs in your ladder. Use them!
With company you quicken your ascent.
You may be happy enough going along, but with others
you'll get farther, and faster.

Someone who goes cheerfully by himself to the customs
house to pay his traveler's tax will go even more
lightheartedly when friends are with him.

Every prophet sought out companions.
A wall standing alone is useless, but put three or four walls
together, and they'll support a roof and keep grain dry
and safe.

When ink joins with a pen, then the blank paper can say
something.
Rushes and reeds must be woven to be useful as a mat. If
they weren't interlaced; the wind would blow them away.

Like that, God paired up creatures, and gave them
friendship."--Rumi - Translated by Coleman Barks

Today I'm feeling a little touched, a little excited; one reason being getting to talk to a sister in heart and a friend in title. Isn't that true that most things are more valuable with age: good wine, a Persian rug, aged cheese, pearls, diamonds, and last but not definitely least a friend. In general, I'm not the talking type of person over the phone... the only exception being with my best friend. When we talk, it seems that time flies and we can talk almost about everything and anything. And I am blessed to have her back into my life; I want everything good for her. I've always wanted, and continue to still want, to see her happy. Simply, I can't wait for us to get together and do things together, even if that means to go to a random playground with a swing over a hill in San Francisco in middle of the night and swing up high in sky and laugh so loud that it fills the air, until our stomachs hurt... remembering so much of our time back in the university's housing, swinging as we talked. I am happy, blessed, and truly believe life and joy are embedded in simple things. :) ♥
~Hugs

Yummy!

Every day, I have to have a cup of tea, without sugar, and preferably with something sweet, either something baked or of dark chocolate. Usually, I do the baking and I've been told I'm not bad either! Of course, I have to be in the mood. Since I've remembered, I have been baking for fun; to me, messing with flour and dough is calming. It can also give me the room to be creative when it requires some decorating.

Even though I always have something for tea time, I eat a small portion, not because I'm conscious (though I know I have to be right?), but that's just me... I guess a small portion eater type. :) So last night, I made a dozen dark chocolate cupcakes, which I didn't spend too much time on decorating, just enough to look good to eat(four of each design - sprinkles, drages, and fondant). For the blue dots, I used some of my previously-made dots from fondent, an inspiration from Sprinkles. One important part of baking is that I have to share it with others, in any form and way I can. I adore seeing the happy faces of people enjoying them. ~ Hugs

Poem

I love this poem from Hafez Shirazi.

Morning breeze, its fragrance will exhale
The old world will once again youthfully sail.
Tulip will bring a red cup to the meadows
Narcissus' eyes from poppy will grow pale.
When would nightingale put up with such abuse
In the chamber of the rose cry and wail.
I traded the temple for the tavern, fault me not
Prayer is long and stale, time is frail.
Leave not joy of the now till the morrow
Who can vouch that the morrow, the now shall trail?
Month of Sha'aban put not down the jug of wine
Till the end of Ramadan you'll miss this Holy Grail.
Hold dear all the flowers and commune
Came to be and will whither with a breeze or a gale.
This feast is for friends, O minstrel, play and sing
Sing again, it came thus and went thus, to what avail?
Hafez, for your sake, entered this tale
Walk with him, say farewell, he'll tear the veil.

Recently I've made this painting in celebration of spring's coming and being content.
~Hugs

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just wanted to wish everybody (single or not!) a happy Valentine's Day! I have already started eating my chocolate truffles... and it's only the day before. :)

Autumn in Winter

It is winter, and I am not a big fan of winter season because of the cold. On the other hand, autumn is the season that I tenderly heart! :) Fall's palette carries all my favorite colors, namely yellow, orange, and purple. I love the mellow, crisp weather and the desire for a walk over fallen leaves, or even to bake something... from a batch of simple chocolate chip cookies to a loaf of warm bread sounds amazing. Autumn also brings out a seemingly insatiable craving to go to a coffee shop or my favorite book store (maybe even buy some books!). And of course, not to be forgotten are my absolute favorite holidays, like Halloween and Thanksgiving. They are such festive times, a great excuse to dress up, be with family, and decorate!

I have a painting that I just posted on my Etsy that I'd like to share on my blog too. :)

It's called "Harmony."
My personal favorite part about it is the heart that is in the shape of a leaf; it's symbollic of a love for autumn, and also nature's love for us. :)

Tag!

I have been tagged by Thelma to do upload the 4th photo in the 4th folder on my computer! The piece is called, "Enjoy the Little Things."

"Enjoy the Little Things"
To me, being happy is situational but joy is about taking delight in the little things in life and being content with taking glory in them... things like colorful pinwheels, ice cream, blowing bubbles, or a cup tea with good friends. Thanks, Thelma!

I tag the following 4 people:
1. Sophie Appleby
2.Lisa Lectura
3.Black Rose
4.Linda Cardina

And please visit these beautiful blogs, and thank you for stopping by!

Finally!

"Peace in the heart is divinely sweet"
A mixed media on canvas paper:
9" x 12"
When you do things from your soul you feel a river moving in you, a joy. --Rumi
I am not a great writer, though I wish I was! For me, painting is a very tender process that produces an unbelievable feeling. It's like escaping to a wonderful place in your imagination that you hardly can find in the real world. For me it's a process, always it starts with a vague image in my head, and then through stages, it develops itself. Sometimes it's hard to explain; painting from the images of what I see in my head helps me to connect with what I am doing. Every color and every brush stroke help me to bring the mental image to life. I would never know for sure how long or how much work it may involve, but all I know is that it'll let me know when to stop. It feels like she(the painting) is communicating too, in her own way. After all, "we" spend some time together and, of course, I cherish every second of the process. I hope you love the result as much as I do! :) ♥

Remembering San Francisco...

Driving to the airport with a cup of hot tea, that I was hoping to sip on my way to airport (I always have a cup of afternoon tea). I can't even begin to explain how excited I was just thinking about seeing my best friend, after few years, in the Denver airport. Why in Denver airport? *smiling* Well, she was on her way back home to San Francisco, after a business trip, and her connecting flight was in Denver... and so was mine. :) I actually requested the same, exact flight from Denver to San Francisco, just so I could surprise her. Just thinking about the moment we would meet made me smile...

When I was about to board the plane to Denver, I was so mentally captured by trying to visualize her; had she changed at all? It had been, after all, a few years since I had seen her. Trying to picture her was like a game, and there were so many thoughts going through my head... though mostly good ones, as I didn't want to think of any sad thoughts. Before I knew it, I was sitting by a window and looking outside... perhaps many miles above the ground, still deeply involved with my thoughts, until a voice interrupted, repeating, "Excuse me, do you have a piece of gum?"

I looked at the person who was asking, and saw a man in his thirties, sitting next to me... it's funny that I hardly noticed him before. I gave him a piece of gum, and I guess that was a form of permission for him to start a conversation, eventually questioning the purpose of my trip. At first I felt like it was an invasion to my thoughts, but soon, I was drawn into the conversation and before I knew it, I was in Denver, at the gate of my friend and I's flight... hiding behind a column, waiting for her. :)

I think everyone could tell, just by the look on my face, that something wonderful was about to happen. I was all eyes, eagerly and anxiously looking, waiting, until I could finally see her. And when I saw her, a very pure and innocent happiness suddenly captured me all over, like I couldn't fit in my own skin. She was a few steps away from the gate, but I couldn't wait any longer... and as I approached her, she saw me, and both of us were in tears.

At the end of it all, we had a wonderful time in our next flight together, and in San Francisco with her and her family. Love you Fatima!

2009

It's 2009! I can hardly believe we are approaching 2010 so soon! This year I decided not to have any resolutions, but just to be the best of myself. Hopefully that will guide me to make good choices throughout the year. :) I am not such a computer freak, but I spend some time looking, reading, searching and shopping online. I have made a decision a few months ago to use blogging to post my artwork. I am doing this for me, because as an "artist," I need to be friends with the world... but with no expectation of who might see or read my blog.

Since I can remember, I've been creating things and making paintings, which explains why I chose art as my career and major in school. But I can't say if I made it, in the sense that I can live and support myself on that, because I haven't... and I think I know why (or at least I think I do!). Just to name one or two reasons: I've been very involved in lot of other things that never left enough time and energy for the perseverance to pursue my dream job... and that's to create paintings. I think it's time to actually make the time. I can't explain how excited I get after any inspiring moment; how I like to sketch or write about my idea for next painting. I have this small sketch-pad that I carry with me to almost everywhere. Hopefully as I continue to update my new blog, I will post and write about some of my artwork. :)