Looks like a little brothy soup is warming up my friends up in Stevens Point, Wisconsin as they were getting snow this morning! Thanks for sharing your yummy lunch with us in one of my bowls Kristy!!!

So my friend Pam has a “slightly unhealthy obsession” with Chapstick… and you already know of my “ever-so-slight-addiction”… so imagine my laughter & surprise when our mutual friend Judy gave this to me last night!!! Like an unhealthy love-child of Pam & mine!!! HA!!!

Well, my “Birthday Week” started with a Marathon… and ended with this yummy monstrosity!!! Yummy ice cream & hot fudge at Carl’s Ice Cream with friends!!! It’s been a great week!!!

My friends Keith & Julie recently moved for central Illinois to Ohio… and it looks like they finally got around to unboxing some of their pottery collection! What better way to “feel at home” than with a freshly-baked pineapple upside-down cake, fresh-cut roses from the garden & the warmth of a candle… and some of my stamped pottery to pull it all together!

Looks like Rhonda’s little puppy is going to be enjoying his food & water more than normal these days… with a set of custom dog food bowls. He’s got four of them… some even if two are in the dishwasher, he can still eat & drink in style!

We had such a great time at ART IN THE GARDEN a couple weeks ago… and it looks like some of my biggest “fans” did too!!! HA!!! Allison has quite a collection of my work… so fun to have such loyal friends & customers! She’s always so supportive of her artist friends.

And this weekend is a perfect chance for me to meet more “friends” at ART IN THE BARN!!! C’mon by!

The real THANKS needs to go to metalsmith Amy Taylor & husband Tom who hosted ART IN THE GARDEN this past weekend. All the while knowing that we might mess up their yard… and the Sunday storms really didn’t help any.They were gracious enough to let us leave our wet tents & shelves in their yard to dry out before packing up. So nice… and when I got there last night to pack my tent, I noticed that Tom had already re-seeded my worn spot in their beautiful yard!!! Again, so nice of them to let us use their garden every year… and special “thanks” to all of my customers who helped wear down this bare spot! Ha!!!

Just a little teaser from my friend & master metalsmith Sarah Chapman. So while I’m scrambling over this weekend’s soda kiln & my next two September art fairs… she’s already planning another fun event with a few of her talented art friends!

More to come… as one of them is ME!!!

After the the CHICAGO TRIATHLON (en route back to the Transition Area to reclaim our gear) Tracy and I took a moment for our annual Buckingham Fountain photo-shoot! Always fun to play around with a friend… and even though I live in Chicago, somehow I turn into a total “tourist” when it comes to Chicago Landmarks! Bring out the camera…

Hard to believe that August is almost over, and September is right around the corner! Which also means that ART IN THE GARDEN is just over two weeks away! It’s a wonderful grassroots art fair in a charming setting right along a branch of the Chicago River.

Saturday, September 10th – 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday, September 11th – 10:00am-5:00pm

One of the best parts of this show is that several of the artists are working on collaboration projects… working together to combine their mediums & styles. Offering one-of-a-kind pieces you won’t see at any other art fair! I know I’m working on collaborations with at least three different artists!!! Mark your calendar… we’d love to see you!!!