The highlight finale of the Fourth of July Celebration yesterday was the AMAZING fireworks display that the town of Chenoa puts on every year. Bigger & better every year & totally synchronized to the music soundtrack. Crazy amazing fireworks… especially when seen from beneath the goalpost while the fireworks are shooting off from the other end of the football field!!! SPECTACULAR!!!

Celebrated the Fourth of July again this year with some of my “adopted family” of friends from college. They live in a small little town in central Illinois called Chenoa. They have the best “Norman Rockwell-esque” holiday celebrations in town. Including the annual “House Decorating Contest”. My friends won 2nd Place!!! But in my completely “non-biased” opinion… they shoulda won FIRST!!! They lost out to the house that won last year too… with just a couple patriotic inflatables… probably “Made in China!” Nothing as cool as all of the handmade, hand-painted & cool decorated efforts that my friends put in for their first entry ever! They even had Rosie hand-painting the stairs!!!

Textured slabs attached… another batch of hybrid mugs well under way. Next up… trimming & handles. Thanks again to my assortment of handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools for the fun textures & patterns!

Life amongst the lakefront rocks.

Pulling out some of my favorite textured handrollers from MKM Pottery Tools!
Making slabs… making sides for another batch of hybrid mugs!!!

My favorite barn along I-55 South… weathered, sun-scorched & falling apart. But I love it!!! I’ve been watching it “evolve” over the years all the way back to my college days at Illinois State. Last time I saw this barn the cupola had finally slide off the roof. Good to see someone cleaned that up… but left the rest of the barn for us all to enjoy!

More than ten pieces thrown before 10:00am!
Starting out with some simple “bottoms”… hope to be adding the sides later today!!!

Another clear day… not a cloud in the sky! Just starting the day with some heat & humidity… already feels like it’s going to be another hot one today. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!!

A little early-morning stamping… working on my class demo placesetting challenge project. Dinner plate… salad plate… side bowl… serving bowl… tumbler… and the single handmade stamp that did all of the work!!! Coordinating in design… but not too matchy-matchy!

Sunrise serenity along the lake this morning.
Very little wind & very few clouds on the horizon.
A quiet start to another beautiful summer day.