Perfect Cowboy movie experience!

I was in a movie!  It was such an exciting experience! My husband Joe and I played Kip (Joe Lev) and Dallas (Tj Lev) band members in the Poole Boys band. My daughter Lindsey was in a dance scene or two as well!  So fun. It’s hard work making a movie!  The film Perfect Cowboy, the musical film perfectcowboy.com 

My honey

 One more from 2013. My hubby Joe played with a country band back then. The Stardust Cowboys!  This was from a gig on  June 30, 2013. Yee ha! 

Happy Hannukah!!

I'm back!

Where have I been? Not blogging for sure. This last summer I spend working in my "job" at CalPERS. We had a new system going in and I was doing my best to try and help make that transition as smooth as possible. This project has been in the making for the last 6 or 7 years, I was brought on in June 2010. It was a huge project, one web based system to replace 47 legacy systems. Although it had known issues going live, we went forward! Go live was September 19th. Whew... I worked a lot of overtime over the summer leaving little to no time for artistic endevors.

The good news is I am retiring!! My official retirement date is December 31st but, I had some vacation collected so my last day working was the Friday before Thanksgiving!! I am returning to my job part time after the new year, we'll see how long that lasts! For now I am enjoying the retired life. I did actually leave town for 10 days, rented a wonderful little house in Jenner CA. I did a lot of much needed resting, enjoying family, playing some music, sitting in the glorious sun AND did get some painting in! Here are just a couple of photos from that trip.

I plan to update my blog more often, so check back!!

Wingnut Adams CD's!

Get your Wingnut Adams CD now! "Will Work For Groove" Dedicated to the pursuit of the Groove. Funky Monkey Productions. Cover art by me! For more info contact Wingnut through his website WingnutAdams.com

I got in!!

Yay! I was selected to participate in the 20 20 show!! Picked up my 8x8 panels... must get to painting! More to come.... I am so excited and honored!!!!

2011 here I come!

This is going to be a BIG year! My daughter is going to graduate college in June (I am so proud of you Linz!) and I am going to retire... toward the end of the year. My retirement date has been planned for September 14 in 2011 for years... but, I am on this project at work, a big project and it's important. The planned implementation date is of course... September 19, 2011. I feel like I need to stick around, and more, I feel like I don't want to submit my retirement application around then. The project I am on is for the new system that will calculate and pay my retirement. Pretty important! This system is replacing several legacy systems that we use today. Anyway, my retirement may be postponed, slightly.

I have some artistic goals set for the next few months. I have been working on a very large painting for a very good friend, I hope to complete that soon... I hope! I also have a smaller commission to work on and I am doing one piece for a February show. "To Write Love" is the theme. Show at Vox Sacramento. The show opens February 12th. More to follow! I also excited about a childrens picture book I'm working on, I called it Gertrude's Giant Hat!

I came across this painting I did a couple of years ago and wanted to share. Painted while on vacation in La Selva Beach! My "Beach Fairy" is 8x8, on canvas board, has actual shells for her wings and yes, she is floating above real sand...

I am so looking forward to 2011, and hope everyone is well... Tj.

Trying something different!

My daughter and I were going to attend a stage version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween. And we thought, ok... it's Halloween and it is Rocky Horror, so we wanted to crazy it up! What are the wildest clothes we own? And what else do we need? Well Lindsey said, one of her favorite characters wears a top hat. And we saw these cute small witch hats, on a head band and it gave me an idea! Small top hats on headbands. I did some research, found some different ideas and off I ran! So here they are, made of recycled cereal boxes cut into shapes, covered in felt, a little glue, ribbon, tule, flowers, and glitz! They came out pretty cute and we had a blast wearing them! Oh and Rocky Horror live... was crrraaazzzyyy!!! Until next time... Tj.

Front, back and close up of Lindsey's red top hat and my black top hat:

Giants take it all!

World Series Champions!!!!! Congratulations!!!

Ok now that the series is over maybe I can get back to some art! Whew... that was fun!

Be well... Tj.

Happy Halloween!

My office is having a pumpkin carving contest today, my unit decided to do a SF Giants theme! I carved this pumpkin for us, I think it came out pretty good!!! I am going to celebrate Halloween by going to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show live at a local theater with my daughter. I've never seen it live before, should be a hoot!!! Happy Haunting! Tj.

Giants Win!!!!!

On to the World Series Baby!!!!

I've been so busy!

I have been busily working on the October show I'm participatin in, Altares De Mundo. It is going to be a really great show, some day of the dead altars and other altars of the world. I am looking forward to it! We lost our wonderful dog Chester this past spring so my altar is going to feature him. I tried something new! I created a sculpture from wire, newspaper and masking tape. I'll have to share it when I take a photo!

Anyway, this weekend is the KVIE Art Auction! KVIE is Sacramento's local Public Broadcasting station. I have one piece in the auction this year. The auction begins tomorrow night and runs all weekend! There is some amazing art being auctioned. My piece is number 5A and will be on the air between 10 and 10:30 pm tomorrow night!!! Not to be missed! Here is a link:

KVIE Art Auction 2010

Be well... Tj.

Today...

I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my 29th birthday. (ok you do the math!) Even though I had to work, it was a really wonderful day because of my family and friends! I have been showered with love... So nice! I love you all and am blessed to have you all in my life! I'd like to share a cup of coffee with you all... here you go a cup of love! Yum! Be well... Tj.

October Art Event and Day of the Dead Art!

I am going to be participating in Altares Del Mundo art exhibition which is loosely based on the "Day of the Dead" celebration. Artists come together to create art installations reflecting traditional and non-traditional interpretations of this celebration of remembrance. Altars reflect a variety of artistic and personal expression and in the past have included such subjects as family, friends, celebrities, social trends, environmental issues, political statements, tragedy, misfortune and war. It was a great show last year and I am glad to be a part of it this year! For more information visit the Altares Del Mundo website.

On the subject, I have completed 3 of the small altars/niches for the Day of the Dead. I am pleased with how these are coming out! I will be posting to my Etsy shop but will also probably offer them for sale at the Altares Del Mundo show, if they don't all sell! Here is a photo of the first 3. The larger 2, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and the Sugar Skull are 4 inches by 3 inches. The smaller Lilly is approximately 1 inch by 2 inches. Wooden boxes, polymer clay flowers and figures, rhinestones, and acrylic paint!

On a more personal note, I had a nice weekend with my daughter Lindsey! We went to see the new Jennifer Aniston movie The Switch. Very cute, absolutely a chick flick! And yesterday we went to a Wizard of Oz sing along! What a hoot that was! The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie from my childhood and to see it on a big screen in a room full of people singing along? Well… we had a great time!! That's it for today, be well. Tj.

For inquiring minds! (Sherry)

Our all too short vacation was nice, it was cold there but we had fun! I don't think it got to 60 degrees the whole weekend! Burrr... but we are having an unusually cool summer here, even in Sacramento we are much cooler than expected for July. The spot in Dillon Beach was beautiful, we could see right down to the beach and watch all the crazy people playing in the surf. The little house was cute, and very user friendly. I'll post some vacation pics soon, they are still on my camera!

I got quite a bit of art done over the weekend, which was my plan. I actually finished (or almost) 3 little altars and started another 10 or so, I'll be putting all on Etsy once I get my shop up and running. It is a lot of work! Who knew. I've created a starting inventory of small paintings. Took pictures of them, got the banner created for my store. What's left is to write up shop description, shop policies, item descriptions... write write write. Anyway it's taking me longer than I anticipated. Hopefully soon! Once I have it set up and opened I'll post it here for the world to see! Here is a sneak peek... I did a couple of different little, miniture painting series. Cottages series, and a series I'm calling the Golden Ring series, kind of tribal art. So here is the Daisey cottage, and the Green Power Woman. Both will be up for sale on Etsy... once I get it open!!! Be well... Tj

Almost vacation!

I'm taking a little weekend vacation with my daughter. I am so happy! We are going to Dillon Beach CA, on the coast so it will be nice and cool and the little house I rented overlooks the beach! Here is a photo from the website... Nice!

I can't wait to sit and watch the waves, ahhh.... LOVE Dillon Beach! This rental company has lots of houses in various sizes if anyone is interested... Dillon Beach Rentals. But we have big plans for the weekend too! We are going to be crafting and making art all weekend. Lindsey has some hair clips and earrings she wants to create out of buttons. She has picked out some vintage buttons from my mom's collection that we are going to make molds from out of with polymer clay. Then we are going to create new buttons from the molds and she is going to use to create! I am also goinng to be making some little roses, hearts, sugar skulls, and other things out of clay. I purchased a dozen small unfinished wooden boxes and I am going to create some day of the dead altar/niche's that I plan to put up for sale. We'll see how it goes, they look beautiful in my mind! I really enjoyed doing my altar last year, so I thought I'd give this a try, this weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity for testing my theories. I'll post some pics next week.

We are taking our 2 little dogs with us, so we'll probably also be going for some walks on the beach and of course doing some relaxing! We also invited my brother Tim and nephew Thaddeus along. We have been taking family vacations for years together. Tim and his kids and our family, but the kids are all growing up and timing was off this year for taking a whole week vacation together. Tim and Thaddeus are really busy with scouts. But, after Lindsey and I booked this house, Tims said maybe they could do a weekend somewhere... well I said, as it happens Lindsey and I are going to Dillon Beach, and you are welcome to come too! The house has a whole downstairs with room to sleep 4 or 5 and we aren't going to use it. So, they are going to join us. We explained we are going to be doing art all weekend, but they are welcome to come and hang out, and they were free this weekend! I'm glad. No family vacation would just be wrong. Even thought it won't be all of us (usually 7), and it won't be a whole week, it will just have to do! Thaddeus is very creative, I'm sure he'll join in the fun.

If you have never been to Dillon Beach, and get the opportunity, GO! It is a beautiful, quiet little beach town, about an hour north of SF. The village has lots of cute little beach houses, the beach is wonderful and you can walk for miles. Just through the town and down near the bay there is a huge campground, Lawsons Landing, and you can go digging for giant clams. See a bubble in the sand... dig dig dig dig dig... grab it by the neck and pull! Ok, I've never actually done it but I've witnessed it a couple of times. Dirty messy work! Well, until next time... be well and be creative! Tj.

Where have I been??

Whew... I have been busy! So much to tell you about I don't know where to start... Well at work I was reassigned to a project, it's a huge project and very important. I am on the Business Services team, and we were just last week all moved to the 5th floor of our building. I have a window seat for the first time in years... natural light what a concept! This project is fairly high stress... lots of meetings and discussions of how the new system should function. Lots of documents to review. We are creating one new web based system, and converting data from 48 legacy systems. Quite an undertaking!! Conversion alone has been a challenge. I am so tired by the time I get off work I rarely feel like blogging!

It's festival season! Fun times... Even though it's really hot here in the summer, we always get to do some really fun events! My hubby has been playing a lot and I've attended several Friday night concerts. The first was on June 11th, with the Wingnut Adams band at the first Amador County Arts Council Friday night concert series. It was a magical evening, under the majestic oaks, great music.

















Then on June 18th he played the second ACAC Friday night concert with the Bayou Boys Band.

















The next Friday was in Placerville for the Placerville Brewfest, again with the Bayou Boys. This time Ron Bombardier's grandson came out and played his accordion! He is so darn cute and so serious about playing!!! Quite the 3 year old!

















And on Friday July 3rd he played in Auburn with the great Frankie Lee! Another great outdoor concert, Frankie sure can sing!

I'm still painting, in fact I'm working on one large commission piece. It is coming along, but I get tired or at least my arm does. So I have to work on it a little at a time. In between I've been working on small pieces, I'm going to open an etsy shop soon so I'm creating some inventory! I also did a painting for a girl at work, Karli, that was working as a business architect on the project with me but she is moving back home to Phoenix so we are losing her. :( I did a painting of her dog Ari, when he was a puppy. She loved it! I am really happy she did. She is a very smart, beautiful girl. It was a pleasure to get to know her. I'm happy I could give her something to remember me. I'll miss your bright smile Karli!

Well that is it for now. I promise not to let so much time fly by before blogging again!
Be well... Tj.

Checking in!

I have been reassigned at work to a special project that has been ongoing for the last 3 or so years. It is a huge project, attempting to create one web based system from about 40 legacy systems. It is now on a really aggressive time line. Was originally supposed to implement now, or actually I think it was April, but they didn't meet that date. Implementation is now schedule for September 19, 2011 which is still very quick for what needs to be done. Surprising, I have not been involved with this project. Surprising because I am a business analyst and work with IT, and have been involved with most of the IT projects that have happened for the last 10 years in our division. I some how escaped... until now. I am playing catch up. The amount of documentation is astronomical. And some of the design makes me scrunch up my face and scratch my head. What? How does that support business needs? So now, what we are looking at is making design changes that we can get in, there are 50,000 hours allocated for this, and make our process work with what we have. Ug. Designing the system to support business needs from the beginning would have made more sense don't you think? Anyway, what I'm getting at is... work is exhausting these days!!!

Last Friday night I attended an art show at my nephew Thaddeus school. He attends a junior high and high school combo. It is a new school and is just beautiful! I was blown away by the talent there. Beautiful wonderful art! I thought I'd share a few photos... the first 2 are Thaddeus with his piece that was in the show, and a close up of his art. There are self portraits and flowers and mandalas, sculptures and pottery. And clay rainsticks of many types. What a lucky kid to be able to attend such a creative school! I'm proud of you Thaddeus!!! Be well everyone! Tj.

My hubby's blog

My husband Joe started a new blog called More than a Touch of Gray adventures of a reborn hippie! A Touch of Gray of course is a reference to the so named Grateful Dead song. More than a Touch of Gray, well... I think this photo of him playing makes it pretty self explanatory! :) Anyway, I just thought I'd share.

I love you honey! Happy Friday everyone! Tj.

Pay it forward day!!!

Tomorrow, Thursday April 29th is the 4th annual Pay It Forward Day. The idea is to do one to three good deeds for others without asking for anything in return. What a better place the world would be if we all practiced this daily. They have free downloadable pay it forward cards that explain the pay it forward concept, and to give out when you do pay it forward! So come on... lets change the world one random kind act at a time!!! For more information go to their website http://www.payitforwardday.com/