It was a banner night of OREOs in class tonight!!! We had two different varieties… neither of them cookies!!! The Muddy Buddies were pretty much like “puppy chow” mix that everyone makes… meh… just okay. Homemade “puppy chow” is so much better! But the new combo Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup & OREO pieces were quite yummy!!!

Chilly & windy for my morning ride… still a fun way to start the day. The warm summer days seem to be over… as Fall is definitely in the air. Crisp & cool as the waves were crashing around this morning along the lakefront.

From this morning’s sunrise bike ride!!! I’m usually so focused on the horizon to the east for the sunrise… but this magical surprise was hanging low & off to the west.

With overnight rain, we went from a hot “summer” day yesterday… to a wet & chilled “autumn” day today! The autumn colors are just now starting with almost a 20-degree drop in temperature & some much needed rain!

With an abundance of clouds & rain rolling into Chicago right now… luckily, because we really NEED the rain!!!… the day started with just a few. A couple clouds slid in low on the horizon… and the sun found that one perfect chance to peek through sending up sunbeams through the early morning sky. But for now… later this evening… gray & rainy.

Over the weekend, Cindy got her first glimpse of my pottery in-person. As a recent social media follower… she’s only seen it virtually. Until Saturday… and now, her first mug will always be her favorite!

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!!!