this week has been chock full with friend dates, visitors, phone calls and time with john. i’ve squeezed in work, too, but i’m loving all the variety in my life this week. here’s a snippet of what i’ve been up to:

yesterday, i spent the afternoon with jennifer mercede (whose art i gushed about in this post). we talked shop for hours and hours and i just adored her – totally delightful. check out her etsy shop here. and her full portfolio over on her flickr site here. be warned, though. there will be drooling.

andrea and matt were here with their dear dear sweet ben. andrea has some great photos over on her blog today with more photos of our adventures, including the fort we built in the living room (serious f.u.n.).

(andrea’s hands)

i’ve really missed andrea since moving to seattle. i miss our weekly dates at our shared studio in berkeley, the ease of having a dear friend just down the street. it was a special treat to have her and the family for a few days here in seattle…and boy did we make glorious messes in the studio (ben got in on the mess making, too….check it out). andrea made a gorgeous painting and began another, but even without finished paintings, the time spent creating side by side was treasured and special. it seems i’ve had several opportunities lately to have people over for creative time in the studio, and i’m loving every single minute of it. so yes, totally loved having andrea here. adore that girl.

and speaking of andrea…….

(me, andrea, liz)

i’m so thrilled to announce that i’ll be joining andrea and liz for the Be Present Retreat, held Oct 14-17th on the oregon coast. more details coming very soon, but i wanted to mention it as i know folks are making plans for this fall. the theme of the retreat in unearth. i’ll be teaching a full day painting class called unearthing our messy, creative, painterly selves. we’ll get messy, have fun, paint full paintings with gorgeous backgrounds and sweet faces. andrea and liz are also teaching at the retreat , something i’m really looking forward to. i have a feeling this is going to be a wonderful few days with all of us (teachers + students) learning from one another, sharing meals, our stories, staying up late, and embracing our creative unfoldings….mark your calendars. registration begins mid-april. this is a small retreat (approx 22 slots), so spaces will fill up quickly. and we’d love to have you! stay tuned for more info soon!

in other news, i’m getting ready for my parents to arrive tomorrow for the week (from florida). i’m sooo excited 🙂