"A Triple Header..."

...my 3rd Blogiversary...

Valentines Day...

and

Cactus Monday...

all rolled up into one great big hug

and

a simple full heart of thanks

for your many visits, pop-ins and comments..

straight from here in the desert

to you across the world! :)
♥

“A hug is the perfect gift;

one size fits all,

and nobody minds if you exchange it.”

~Author Unknown

"Keeping it Sweet..."

...today's "Fancy Full Heart"

was inspired

by a trip to Vienna I took, solo, a lifetime ago.

My heart is indelibly adorned

with dreams of "Apfelstrudel mit Schlag*"

and

flowering gardens with wild peacocks,

and

the images of the instantly intoxicating cafe life

of this elegant, magical city.

Vienna had it all for me...

a powerful, poignant history, extravagant palaces,

graceful parks, meandering streets,

captivating architecture,

scrumptious culinary delights,

wineries, forests, old railway stations,

surprises around every corner,

and

hearty, generous people.

She was my launching pad for a summer filled with

alpine adventure.

She is one of my most favorite places to be...

maybe, because she played such an

important part in my

personal "coming of age" process

all those years ago.

My only regret about Vienna...

and

that exuberant, carefree summer of travel...

was I met her during my pre sketchbook life...

which, honestly, in reality,

I cannot believe ever existed. :)

Psst...JGL...

at the time, this was that "big trip" that found ME...;)

♥

“All journeys have secret destinations

of which the traveler

is unaware.”
~Martin Buber

♥

*Warm apple strudel with hand beaten whipped cream...

definitely something from heaven above...:)

"A Fantasy Trip To Catalonia..."

...and beautiful Barcelona, Spain

was the inspiration

behind this "Fancy Full Heart" for today.

Barcelona is filled with rich historic footprints.

One legend

actually speaks of the founding of Barcelona

by the mythical Hercules

some 400 years

before the building of Rome itself!

Barcelona

is filled with deep Medieval influences as well.

Catalan modernisme architecture

(often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe),

developed here between 1885 and 1950

and

left an important legacy in Barcelona.

A great number

of her buildings are World Heritage Sites.

Barcelona

is the showcase city of the architect Gaudi

and

his famous church Sagrada Família.

When I was little, one of my best friend's dad

was an architect in Chicago.

Among other things, he designed churches.

As a special treat

my friend and I would go with him to his office

on weekends.

I was a paradise to me.

It was filled with industrial sized drafting tables

and pencils and pens and fancy rulers.

Simply,

it was a luscious, lavish banquet of art supplies.

I decided then...

that I would be an architect when I grew up.

But...that was never to be.

Maybe that is why

I am so fascinated by Barcelona. ♥ :)

Barcelona is also a city of energetic night life.

I think

she would probably also suit me well

as I can

usually be found late night...

into in the wee hours of the morning...

sketching, painting, and unknowingly greeting

the next day.

I also love the evocative allure of

Barcelona's passionate flamenco dancers...

rose in hand...shoes beating wildly.

I love

her gentile mantilla clad ladies.

I love

her motherly nurturing

of Picasso as a young and talented artist

so much so, that it is said

he regarded her in times of sadness or nostalgia

as his true home.

Ahhh! What a city of legendary art, and artists,

and architecture...

what a lovely lasting gift and legacy.

May we each be so fortunate

to be so well loved,

so well regarded, and so well

remembered in the pages of history.

Maybe, we should each

start to refresh and refine and polish

our personal, family, and life legacies now.

♥

"The legacy we leave

is not just in our possessions,

but

in the quality of our lives.

What preparations should we be making now?

The greatest waste in all of our earth,

which

cannot be recycled or reclaimed,

is our waste of the time that God has given us

each day.”
~Billy Graham

"I Left My Heart..."

...in San Francisco...

High on a hill, it calls to me...

to be where

little cable cars climb halfway to the stars!

The morning fog may chill the air...

I don't care!

My love waits there...in San Francisco

above the blue and windy sea.

When I come home to you,

San Francisco,

your golden sun will shine for me!
~George Cory and Douglass Cross

1954

♥

Ahhh...the jewel that inspired this song

was in turn

the inspiration for today's

Fancy Full Heart:

the beautiful, elegant, Victorian, storied,

cosmopolitan, laid back,

wild and crazy city of San Francisco.

This day...

may you find a special song in your heart

that sings of

treasured memories too!

And remember,

always...

“If you're going to San Francisco,

be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.”
~J. B. Phillips

♥

"Ancient Greece..."

...was my inspiration for this Fancy Full Heart.

I am a lover of ancient history...

from Prehistoric times up through

the Ancient Greeks.

I love all the art,

the architecture, the mythologies...

the unexplained mysteries...

the romantic legends, poems and stories.

I am fascinated by it all.

I enjoy imagining I am an archaeologist

out in the field uncovering wonders of the past...

no matter

whether it be a broken pottery shard,

or a bit of an arrowhead,

or a royal tomb...

to me they are found treasure...keys to the past-

they excite my heart!

Ancient history has bestowed upon us

a lavish bounty of gifts to enjoy

and

powerful lessons to learn.

We must remember to be thankful for it all.

This gilded heart

celebrates the best of the golden ages

of those special peoples who came before us...

their pinnacles of art and learning...

their triumphs, discoveries...

and

their positive influences on modern society.

♥
“Difference between savage and civilized man:

one is painted, the other gilded.”
~Mark Twain

"Haat Cha!...Cha, Cha, Chaaa...!"

Inspired...

by the very heartbeat of life itself...

the delta city of New Orleans, Louisiana

pulsates non stop

with expressive tones of jazz

and spicy flavors of syncopated rhythms.

These life forces run through the veins

of her resilient residents

and have mesmerized visitors from afar.

Day or night there is color and festivity and

exuberance...
very much
like another grand city even further south...
South America to be exact.
Rio!
Almost instantly,
images of swagger, and shimmy, and
hypnotic swaying, and outlandish costumes
captivate imaginations
and fill hearts with the zest of Carnival!
♥
My "Fancy Full Hearts" for today
celebrate man's ongoing romance with Music.
From her classical, subdued melodies
to her improvisational jazzy riffs...
we celebrate her!
From her soft, subconscious, toe tapping gentility
to her euphoric, primal, driving beats...
we celebrate her!
For her ability to addict our spirits
with exhilaration and intoxicating freedom
and
to magically dress our persona
with
swagger, sway, sauciness, and shimmy
we celebrate her...
with the fullest...of hearts...:)
♥
Haat Cha!~ Cha Cha Chaaa!

"Music
produces a kind of pleasure
which human nature cannot do without”
~Confucius

"Joie de Vivre..."

Inspired by the romantic city of Paris, France

my Muse

set out to fill this heart to the very brim

with

a certain "je ne sais quoi":

romance, artful lines, light, classical elegance,

and a lavish dose of

"joie de vivre."

May your heart also be filled to overflowing with

the joys of life you find everyday

all around you.

♥
"If you are lucky enough

to have lived in Paris as a young man,

then wherever you go for the rest of your life,

it stays with you,

for Paris is a moveable feast."

~Ernest Hemingway

"Introducing..."

..."Fancy Full Hearts"

my annual Valentine series for this year.

This heart evokes the spirit of the desert southwest...
during

its bright and colorful sun-filled days...

and

during its cool, velvety, magical nights.

You are invited to join me this entire week

as each day I will travel

with a fancy and full heart

and celebrate

the spirit and magic of beautiful locations

worldwide.

♥
“Experience, travel -

these are as education in themselves.”
~Euripides

"The Kick Off.."

to my 3rd annual week of Valentine hearts

begins today with this heart...

made in my Artful Musings Sketchbook

just for fun.

She was drawn lead free "ink straight in"...and

was originally designed to be a metaphor...

a heart-filled bridge

connecting winter to spring.

I never intended to color her...or even post her...

but as my Muse moped around pouting-

big ol' pitiful eyes and all...

I caved

and "Poof" out came the colored pencils,

"Mmmm" went the scanner,

and

"Click" went the mouse.

The size of this piece is about 8" square.

Here are the links to my previous

Valentine's day hearts

in case you might want to pop in for a look-see.

Click here for the "Black Hearts" series...

and here

for last year's Lemony Hearts series...:)

♥

"Follow your heart,

but be quiet for a while first.

Ask questions, then feel the answer.

Learn to trust your heart.”

Author Unknown

(Hmmm...Just a thought...

might one substitute the word "Muse " for "Heart" above?

Might they just be the same identity?

Today, I think so...:)

"From This...To That..."

From frozen fountains...to fluttering parrots...

all in the same day!

That's life

here in the "Valley of the Sun" for ya!

PHOTO CREDIT:

Susan Storer-Kash...(my baby sis)...

photographed in her front yard in Scottsdale, Arizona! :)

"A Heart...Warming"

Brrrrr...baby, it's c...c...c...old outside!

Here in the "Valley of the Sun"

we hit 75 year old overnight LOW temps

in the "low 20's" this week

and highs only in the lower 40's...

which were actually lower than those in

Anchorage Alaska!

Then...

add in fierce gusty winds, an official "hard" freeze,

and

a record low February dew point

of -18 degrees

and Phoenix was in the deep freeze.

It was soooo dry

the winds sliced like sharp sabers.

The Pro Am of the Phoenix Open was even cancelled

due to the fact that the greens

were tundra-like and could be easily damaged.

Plants and citrus trees everywhere

took on ghostly appearances

covered with sheets and car covers and

towels and rags.

Pool pumps, outdoor spigots, and irrigation systems

suffered heavy damage

from the freeze if not cared for properly.

Fountains and outdoor water features froze

into jeweled lacy ice sculptures.

Today temps are 25 degrees below the seasonal average.

BUT....

this weekend

they are to return to a somewhat normal range

hitting the 70's by Sunday. YAY!

So...

amidst all this chilly frigid blog speak...

I DO realize that

others have had a winter season far worse than I...

and that

I would rather shovel sunshine than snow...

no matter how cold it gets! :)

(Seriously!)

Today I send you sunshine and smiles

from the desert.

I hope that your artistic spirits and your gardens

will slowly begin to warm

to the thoughts and plantings of

a springtime filled with glorious blooms.

Now there's a

heart warming thought for sure!

♥
“All the statistics in the world

can't measure the warmth of a smile.”
~Chris Hart

"For My Midwest Teaching Friends..."

Nothing beats a "Snow Day"...

especially when it is "called" the day before!

Keep warm & snuggly! :)

♥

"Through woods and mountain passes...

The winds, like anthems,

roll."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"For My Illinois Friends..."

"When it snows, you have two choices:

shovel or make snow angels."

~Author Unknown

JGL...hang in there...Arizona is on the horizon...:)

"Making Moonshine..."

...in pint sized packages...

just perfect for

popping into a pretty purse or a pant pocket

or

a plastic protective ATC page...

ready for a Muse to imbibe for the sheer pleasure

of it.
Each vintage has been packaged under its own

private label...signed by the designer

and

has been sent directly from the manufacturer to

the "Light of the Moon" swap

at Illustrated ATCs. :)

"Full Moon White Tank Mountains"
"Saguaro Sentry"

"Midnight Arroyo Magic"

...and lastly,

"Through the Mesquite...Painted Desert".

♥

So...

why not sit back and relax,

sip in some of this prickly desert warmth,

and celebrate in style this last

Cactus Monday

of the month of January.

(BTW...

If you are in the mood...

a larger portion of desert heat can be requested

by simply clicking on each image.)

"Here's looking at you, kid!!"

~Rick ( Humphrey Bogart)

Casablanca...1942

"As Promised..."

...my cards (above) traded

in the 3 Part Rainbow Swap at Illustrated ATCs...

...and my returns, sent in three separate mailings,
the final of which was received
last week...:)
YAY!

Click on images to enlarge...:)

"El Arbol De La Vida..."

..."a tree of life"...

inspired by old world Mexican ceramic folk art

and drawn and colored with a

"Waterblossoms" twist

in my trusty old black spiral sketchbook.

Psst...

my Muse had such great fun with this one...

that she keeps begging me

to make some more...hint hint...wink wink! :)

Click here

to read about the interesting history

of this beautiful art form.

(You can also click on the image above to enlarge...)

"There is always Music amongst the trees

in the Garden,

but our hearts must be very quiet

to hear it."

~Minnie Aumonier

"For All Who Battle Demons..."

...whether they be a physical,

mental, spiritual, emotional, financial or any

other menacing type of force...

this

"Tree of Life: Hope"

is posted here today in honor of several

special individuals

in my life

who are enduring painful physical struggles.

Several are engaged in

hand to hand combat with cancer.

This is posted also

as a reminder to each of us

that

whenever things in our lives turn in a downward spiral

we are not alone.

There is a whole battalion of family,

and of loved ones,

and armies of friends, acquaintances,

and

ordinary everyday people...some of whom

we might not even know...

but

all of whom are people who

genuinely care and stand at the ready

like a mighty tree

offering shelter in a dark frightening forest.

These are the people who will pray for us

and

who will champion our cause

and

who will bolster our spirits

with wishes of

strength and hope...for body, mind, soul, and heart.

I am one of those.

Grab on to one of our branches

and feel fortified, comforted, and soothed.

We are here for one another.

We are each others

best support and softest place to fall.
We have deep roots in faith and hope and love

It is our gift to you.

(For LEG and family ♥)

"Lord save us all from...

a hope tree

that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms."

~Mark Twain

"Hope

is that thing with feathers

that perches in the soul

and sings the tune without the words

and never stops...

at all."

~Emily Dickinson

"Oooo...Look at What I Found..."

...blooming

in my local U.S. Postal office today!

They are the newly released

Chinese Lunar New Year "forever" postage stamps

which

are celebrating the year of the rabbit....:)

They are absolutely scrumdilly-icious!

Hmmm...

why make it a really special Blooming Tuesday

and

pick up a bunch for yourself?

♥
“Be like a postage stamp.

Stick to one thing until you get there.”
~ Josh Billings

American Humorist, 1818-1885

"A Cactus Inspired Heart..."

..."Au natural" :)

...and then digitally flipped.

This is one of the 16 artist trading cards I made

and traded last week

during

the Illustrated ATCs Art A-Thon weekend.

My returns

have now started to filter in...YAY!

I will post them all as a group in a blog entry,

hopefully,

by the end of this month.

For now...

Happy Cactus Monday all!

♥

"A New Series..."

...for the brand new tree swap over

at Illustrated ATCs.

Introducing first, "Tree of Life...Abundance"...
second, "Tree of Life...Challenge"...
following with "Tree of Life...Spirits Ablaze"...
and, lastly, ending with
"Tree(s) of Life...Bare Bone Reality".
Each has been drawn, painted,
signed, sealed,
posted today, and hopefully delivered to Canada
on time before their February 1st
swap deadline.
Whew!
Where in the world has January gone???