For another Mugshot Monday… not every mug needs coffee. Just sayin’…
And thanks Rosene for sharing!

The framed tiles look pretty great there too!!!

I NEEDED to get outside to play hooky today!!! So…

Today was a beautiful “summer” day with blue skies, fluffy white clouds & a gentle breeze. Perfect for exploring Illinois Beach State Park… one of the most under-rated & unknown state parks in Illinois. They’ve recently done a LOT of renovations throughout the park… including new breakwaters & thousands of tons of brand new sand!!! And yet, you can hike & explore all day long and only see a couple people along the way. It’s a well-kept secret… shhh, don’t tell anyone!

Another “art fair trade”… this time with one of my booth neighbors! Sandy has been next to me for a couple years, and he makes wood turned kitchen utensils like pizza cutters, wine stoppers & ice cream scoops. But it was these sweet little wooden bowls that caught my eye… and came home with me when our “trade” went down at ART IN THE BARN.

One of the best things about having talented friends… is the ever-popular art fair trades! They don’t always work out… but this time it sure did!! As I traded some pottery with my friend Cheryl Holz for this sweet little multi-media collage piece. That’s gonna look great on my celery-green dining room wall! Thanks Cheryl!!!

Lots of beautiful flowers! Looks like Taylor’s Mom is loving her new square soda-fired vase. Complete with flowers & leaves from her own garden!!! Thanks for sharing the photo Taylor… and say “Hi” to Mom!

We started the day with just a couple clouds flying low on the horizon. I didn’t expect much of a sunrise this morning… but then… TIMING IS EVERYTHING!!! At just the right moment, the sun came up over the horizon and the clouds were right there for a spectacular little skyshow! Clouds & sunbeams all layered with the sun on a beautiful orange sky!

Have I mentioned lately that I have the BEST friends & followers???

I mean… look what Tracy brought me at ART IN THE BARN… an amazing OREO keeper!!! Complete with a sleeve of OREO cookies inside! And oh but wait there’s more… brought it back all the way from Munich, Germany for me!!! The best I say… THE BEST!!!

Fall is here… and ORANGE is my favorite color! So I’m excited that my back porch has taken on a new autumn appearance! Thanks to the folks at ART IN THE BARN who decorate the art fair grounds with mums, pumpkins & gourds…and then sell them off at the end as a fundraiser for the hospital auxiliary board. I was there for it… I mean… ORANGE !!!

And sometimes bigger skyshows just call for bigger panoramic photos… like today!!!

Lots of clouds… lots of drama! It was a breezy morning with waves crashing along the lakefront. I love when the clouds continue to change colors throughout the morning… starting with dark & saturated colors… evolving into bright & colorful as the sun finally makes its appearance on the horizon.