Happy Valentine's Day (better late than never!)

heart.

It is a tradition for me to make chocolate covered strawberries for Corey every year. I decided to dress them up this time to match the wedding attire. :D

This is the home-made card I created for my Valentine. I dressed them in outfits we actually wear. A picture as proof!

I meant to do this post sooner, but the wedding preparations are in full swing. I hope that you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Even if you are not dating, married, or in love, it is an excellent day to do something special for someone you care about. So what if it is your mum? She will be the most grateful, loving Valentine you could ask for.

I happen to think it is completely unfair that it is often left up to the man to be romantic on Valentine's Day and to shower the woman with gifts. The men need some lovin' too! Corey and I switch off Valentine's Day planning every year. It was my turn this year and I had to get creative since I am trying to save up for the wedding. I won't go into all the lovey dovey, gag-worthy details, but a romantic walk around the lake and delicious sushi were involved... :)



For my next post, I will share my recent Craig's List finds as well as some good news!

First Friday Recap

You can see my paintings in the background. I'm sorry for the horrible quality of these photos. My camera does not do well at night.

DJ Jason Wiggs was great! As you can see, my girl is trying to pick up some of his skills.

I love the lighting of 101 Lounge + Cafe. It really adds to the atmosphere.

I apologize for not posting sooner. Things have been very busy and I somehow managed to get food poisoning. However, I am feeling much better now and I can finally fill you in on last Friday.

Unfortunately, the First Friday event was pretty much rained out. It poured all day and night, so the usual crowd was not present. I was initially bummed, but after checking out the beautiful work at Artspace across the street and talking to some talented artists, my spirits were lifted! JJ Jiang is an AMAZING and prolific watercolorist. I especially love his scenes from China. Please do yourself a favor and check out his work!

The manager and employees at 101 Lounge + Cafe could not have been nicer or more accommodating. Artist J.B. Davis is currently showing his work upstairs. He has some really interesting pieces and uses a muted, dark palette.

I love the 101 Lounge + Cafe building and I think Vernacular Studio did a wonderful job with the architectural design of it. The upstairs section is very sleek looking. It has large windows that look out on the busy street, which is great for people watching.

As I mentioned in the last post, my paintings will be up for the rest of February if you would like to take a peek at them. I hope you are all enjoying your week!

3rd Exhibition at 101 Lounge + Cafe

My "Women in Kimono" painting series will be exhibited at 101 Lounge + Cafe in downtown Raleigh during the month of February. It is the same group of pieces that I exhibited with last time. I will be there for the First Friday event tomorrow at 7pm with my prints and necklaces for sale.

For those of you who don't know, First Friday is a wonderful evening festival that occurs at the first Friday of every month (as the name entails). Art galleries, art studios, and museums in downtown Raleigh are open late for your enjoyment. You can meet many of the actual artists, taste free wine/cheese, listen to live music, and take in all of the beautiful eye candy. I have so enjoyed going to First Friday over the years and it is an honor to be able to take part in this event.

If you go to any of the galleries, you can pick up a brochure listing all of the galleries/sites that are participating along with a helpful map. I recommend that you start at Artspace, which is a fabulous building packed with artist studios. 101 Lounge + Cafe happens to be diagonally across the street from Artspace, so come by and say hi! :)

SNOW!!!

Pretty shadows

She looked chilly.

Yes, my hat has ears. ^_^

Nessie LOVES sledding!

SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!

Please excuse my intense enthusiasm, but the stuff is hard to come by in our part of North Carolina. Because the State is so unprepared for this kind of weather, everything shuts down and the locals flip out. Even if there is just a chance of snow, the public schools often cancel classes. I'm sure the Northerners find this all quite hilarious and slightly ridiculous.

My dad, fiancé, and I were sledding all day on Saturday. We live at the top of a hill, which is excellent for this purpose. After the snowball fights, attempted snow angels, and numerous sledding trips, we came in exhausted and smiling to be treated to a cup of hot chocolate. This part of me will always remain a kid. :)