Too beautiful outside today to NOT go for another bike ride, right?! Clear blue skies with a strong wind coming in from the west… made it pretty, but challenging in both directions of my 40-mile ride! A quick stop off at a “still-closed-for-pandemic” Navy Pier… and now off to the studio to finish some pieces off & to teach tonight!!!

Another fun t-shirt “before & after” the ice pile! A plain white t-shirt folded up, sprinkled with powdered dye and then covered with ice cubes. As the ice melts, the color dissolves and seeps into the shirt. It’s always a surprise to see the final result… usually not what you’re expecting… but frequently better!

So I spent a little time in the kitchen over the weekend… not cooking… but setting up another batch of tie-dyed t-shirts! Summer Camp is coming and I need more shirts!!! Plus, I’m just a tiny bit addicted.

With a nice stamped & soda-fired mug…
and some spring blossoms still looking great in a “matching” ikebana vase!

Another orchid re-blooming in my kitchen window… although this time it came along with a little visitor?! He seemed to be quite happy sitting in the bloom… but I had to force him outside to find other flowers!!! Not sure what he was or where he came from… I’ve never seen one of these before?

Looks like my pal Allison had a much better breakfast this morning
than I did!!! She had me with blueberries & whipped cream!!!

Last night I watched the new Tina Turner documentary on HBO Max. It chronicles her life through her amazing talent, her abuse, her strength & celebrates her well-deserved success against the odds. From picking cotton & physical abuse… to Top 10 hits & world wide acclaim. She’s “simply the best, better than all the rest!”

I had the chance to see her live in concert with some of my friends at the Rosemont Horizon shortly after college during her Mad Max period. We were so excited to see her in all of her chain-maille glory from the eighth row center!!! At the time I had no idea of her personal story, I was just a fan of her music & videos! So glad I got to see the living legend… one of the BEST concerts ever!!!

Be sure to catch this documentary while it’s streaming. It tells a very touching story with home movies & vintage footage. Frequently sad showing her struggles behind the scene, not only with Ike, but also with recording studios & executives. Yet also uplifting as you see her climb her way out of the “Nutbush City Limits” with the “River Deep, Mountain High” to become your “Private Dancer” because “We Don’t Need Another Hero”… we’ve already got TINA.

Morning magnolia moments.
So graceful, structural & fragrant.
Too bad they’re so fragile & short-lived.

Some simple stamping on some simple spoon rests on a simply rainy Saturday!

Sunny little daffodils blooming to greet the day!