And the Winner is....

The winner of the Ciara Obscura blog May Giveaway of the Royal Smooch hair pretties is Melissa Oliver! Congratulations... Hooray!
Runners up for this month will receive 20% off their total purchase from the Ciara Obscura website.
Kerstin of kmonberg is also a runner up (there was no link for a contact email- so I will need you to contact me if you decide to take the 20% off deal!).

Thanks everyone, this was a great beginning to my monthly giveaway spree! Yay!

Upcoming posts... Fabulous featured artists, ramblings and Featured Gal #6: Kasey♥

Gal Feature #5: Lovely Pamela

I am a very lucky person for many reasons. I get to make a living from creating art everyday while working out of my home studio. That's pretty cool. My husband is my best friend and he makes me laugh daily, often multiple times a day. So that's even better. My home is by the ocean, and- additionally- on our walk on any given day and in any given season, I can see flowers blooming. This, too, is really neat. So when I tell you that I'm extra lucky because I actually have a mother-in-law who I like AND enjoy spending time with, well... that's just not something a person hears everyday. But it's true. She's pretty darn great.

This is what I love about Pam... She's a big fan of the wonderful vibrancy of color and her home attests to that. Pops of rich and dynamic hues play off throw pillows, area rugs, artwork, bedding, plates and mugs and clothing. She's traveled all over the world and can find something to appreciate everywhere she visits. Pam writes poetry abundant with imagery; in fact, she wrote and read a poem for mine and Sebastian's wedding. It was perfect.
But mainly I love Pam because she's a friend... present, generous, patient and kind.
I am a very lucky girl. Find out more about her in the interview below...

♥ Did you play dress up as a kid? If so, what was your most memorable ensemble? I was a little cowgirl with plaid flannel shirt and cowboy hat.

♥ What's your profession/day job/night job/way of making a living/something that occupies your day? For 35+ years I played with teenagers as I shared books and writing as an English teacher. As a retired teacher I still play with reading and writing.

♥ What's your most treasured possession? Memories . Material possessions clutter.

♥ Hobbies and artistic endeavors? Currently, reading, walking, Scrabble.

♥ The one musical band that you can listen to in any mood, any time of day, any place? Not a band, but Bruni and Melua, female singers.

♥ Where do you get your inspiration? Nature, friends, and sadness.

♥ Imagine a single room all to yourself, all for you. What's inside? I have one with a round window that reflects the moving moon late at night.

♥ Your ideal day, from morning to night, as it occurs to you in this very moment? Being with my best friend for a few hours, reading, wandering in my yard, fixing a salmon dinner and chocolate dessert, and a game of Scrabble.

♥ The best part of living is. .. Waking up happy and painless to a free day.

♥ South of France or Tokyo? Definitely South France for its food and sunflowers

♥ What's the one thing that sustains you? Loving, returned love

♥ What piece of jewelry or hair adornment do you own by Ciara Obscura? 2 necklaces, 3 earrings, 5 hair adornments, all favorites!

♥ (fill in the blank) I am most proud of...my patience

♥ Favorite meal Salmon, mashed potatoes, green salad, and a luscious chocolate dessert

♥ The outfit that makes you feel most alive and radiant Any outfit I am wearing that receives a compliment so that I stand up straighter and smile

Monthly Giveaway... May

These here are my Royal Smooch hair flowers. The customer peeps really seem to dig them... from brides to burlesque dancers in places like Portland, Oregon and Poitou-Charentes, France, they're gussying up the ladies. I enjoy them myself mostly because I'm a fan of red and also because they are super radiant in the hair. So now I'm making them my very first giveaway item in this blog.

Want 'em? Ass kissing is permitted but, when all is said and done, the winner will be the one person who best plays by the rules of the contest. And here they are:
In the "Comments" section below this post: (Deadline is Thursday, May 28th)
1. Tell me why you want the Royal Smooch hair flowers.
2. After visiting my website (here), let me know which piece of jewelry or hair adornment most appeals to you.
3. Make a comment under two of the four "Featured Gal" posts in this blog (no need to tell me which one, I'll be notified when a new comment is left for each post).
4. Cross your fingers. I will contact the winner via the email left with your comment post by Saturday, May 30th.

♥Good Luck♥

The Calavera Box

See that image above? This was a Christmas/Holiday present from last year from Becca (read her highly entertaining interview below). There are a few reasons why I am in love with this piece of wonderful artwork:
1. It was a totally unexpected gift. This, in and of itself, makes me fully enjoy whatever is given to me. I appreciate the unexpected when it comes in the form of a pretty package.
2. It was obviously an undertaking- what with trying to nail down the oddness of both me and Sebastian in one perfect shaped box. We think she made us look far more agreeable than we are in real life, especially by giving me larger breasts. For that, I am thankful.
3. It's beautiful... the craftsmanship, the colors, the itty bitty details. Beautiful. I stare at it more than I should.

There have been enough people asking about this calavera box to warrant the requests for Becca to make them on commission. I think she's taking orders now. Read her Q&A's that follow to check out her new blog and contact her with any inquiries about custom work. I can tell you they're a special treat.

Gal Feature #4: Sassy Pants Becca

It must be shared that I was somewhat obsessively looking forward to getting back Becca's answers to the interview below. She's that good. Her choice of words, her wit, her freaking fabulous sense of humor, they all make for a fantastic read. Any time she posts a story, say, on Facebook or whathaveyou I make sure I've got a full cup of tea or coffee. That way, the reading of such deliciousness as "25 Random Dudes I've Dated" and "Drawing on the Overhead-- Sixth Period" will make for the most necessary experience. You'll not want it to end... ever. Becca has yet to publish a book of these greats (but, mark my words right here and now, you wait... she will.). In the meantime I'll settle for spurts of posts on FB and her blog, The Helgaphile. For now, you can get a sense of her wonderfulness below. Grab your tea, coffee, or- I suppose- popcorn. This is fun stuff...

♥ Did you play dress up as a kid? If so, what was your most memorable ensemble?
My parents were theater actors, and I was an only child for the first nine years of my life. These two factors offered ripe opportunities to lose myself in the infinite possibility of make-believe dress-up land. Mama had a golden afro wig that she let me wear when I played house in the garage. Apparently, she wore the wig for a fancy Hollywood Halloween party back in 1973. Dad was Shaft and Mama was “Shaft’s Big Score”. Both wore brown makeup (I’m cringing while I write this) and afro wigs and big sunglasses. Mama had a mini-skirt that had the words “Big Score” hand-embroidered on the ass (homemade, of course). Why my parents thought it a good idea to go to a big Hollywood party in black-face is beyond me, but the costume did not make much of stir – mostly because no one realized that they were in costume in the first place. I guess they just looked like another hip African American couple hobnobbing with the stars. They made a quiet exit out the backdoor of the kitchen after about a half-hour of feeling like total unassuming racist idiots. Nevertheless, I love my parents. And that golden afro wig made me feel like a beautiful, African queen. In addition to the wig, there was an old hoopskirt in the garage that I used to put on over my Garanimals pants and roll up the waist until it was a giant donut around my belly. I remember thinking, “Some day, so help me God, I will be big enough and old enough to fit into this beautiful hoop skirt for real.” And I fancied that on that day, I’d finally feel like a real woman – wearing a hoop skirt. It was my right and my duty. The biggest influence on my sense of style was my Grandma Anne, who understood how important it is for a little girl to have her own drawer of play-clothes at the bottom of a frosted white dresser in the guest room. Grandma Anne wasn’t a famous movie star, but she lived like one, and she subsequently looked like one. Her lips were permanently stained red from her Max Factor lipstick. Very classy. And she always wore high heels. Even her sneakers had wedges. Grandma Anne didn’t mess around. The play-clothes consisted of all of Grandma’s old fancy nightgowns and negligees, complete with high-heels that had clip-on bows on the toes. These nighties were always washed and neatly folded in the bottom drawer, prepared for my arrival. As soon as I got out of the car, I’d give Gram a quick kiss and then head to the bedroom to put on all of the nighties – ALL of them, at the same time, like a bag lady – and wouldn’t take them off until it was time to go home. Every day, for like weeks, I wore those nighties, including the red polyester pantaloons with the black lace. In fact, I think everything was polyester and cheap lace, which can give even a little kid a bad case of BO. Trust. I blame these people for my eclectic sense of style. Or perhaps lack thereof.

♥ What's your profession/day job/night job/way of making a living?
I’m a seventh grade English teacher, but I’m also a self-appointed marriage-family counselor, drill sergeant, party-clown and surrogate mom. Like most other teachers, I wear many hats. On the side, I make “art”… mostly just crafts.

♥ What's your most treasured possession?
While packing a bag for a possible evacuation during a fire we had in the hills of Santa Barbara, I took my passport, my mortgage papers and my computer. But I also grabbed this little framed photo that I have sitting with my plants above the kitchen sink. It’s a photo of me at age three, wearing my favorite blue bathing suit and a pair of Kmart sneakers. I’m standing on the back patio of my parents’ house, pushing a bright yellow shopping cart. I don’t know why someone would make a plastic shopping cart for kids but I obviously had one, and for some reason, this picture is mildly important to me. I think it’s because I look like me – even when I was three. Same arms, same belly, same solid legs, and the look on my face. It’s a Becca-look – like I’m prepared for something big to happen. I don’t really have treasured possessions. My people are my treasured possessions… and the cat. As long as my people and the cat are safe, I’m good.

♥ Hobbies and artistic endeavors?
I write, take ridiculous photos of Barbie in public places, draw little cartoons on the insides of matchbooks, paint and repaint the walls of my house, read graphic novels, obsess over films, play Rock Band like I’m some sort of professional singer (embarrassing myself), perform improv theater in front of kids 5-days-a-week-180-days-a-year, and make calavera boxes for my friends and family. The boxes are my latest endeavor, mostly for couples that I admire. Each box is unique and custom-made to fit its recipients. It is my little gift of positive prayers for the incredible people I have in my life.

♥ The one band that you can listen to in any mood, any time of day, any place?
I can’t just give one answer here; when it comes to music, I’m all over the place. When I was a kid, I could do a song and dance routine to the entire album of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. Don’t make me do it – I might still remember some of the moves. I also have to agree with my friend Amy that if Cat Stevens is playing on the radio somewhere within earshot I have to stop what I’m doing and sing along until it’s over. My car stereo is permanently dialed to the 80’s New Wave station, and I know every song but none of the words, so it’s horrible comedy Karaoke when I drive to work in the morning. When I work on art projects at home, I listen to Radiohead “In/Rainbows” over and over for hours, like a mantra to get me through to the end. And as for new music, I’m stuck on the New Pornographers and Andrew Bird, respectively. Can’t get enough of their latest albums. For this question, no matter how I answer, I just sound like a pompous ass. Really. I’m uncomfortable, now.
♥ Imagine a single room all to yourself, all for you. What's inside?
I already have this: it’s my whole house. And I’ve filled it with my artwork and the artwork of my friends and family, lots of color, a really good bed, fresh healthy food in the fridge, a neurotic cat and music. Lots and lots of music. I feel selfish with this space… I’d like to share it with someone else, but it has to be just the right person, and I’m in no hurry to make that happen.

♥ Cotton candy or candy apple?
Candy apple. I don’t understand cotton candy. Why, really, with the cotton candy? WHY? It just seems wrong.

♥ Your ideal day, from morning to night, as it occurs to you in this very moment?
I like to go for a good run early in the morning, then have coffee and breakfast with great friends, accomplish at least one task that makes me feel like I deserve to relax, then relax in the evening over dinner and a bottle of wine. I love to make meals for my friends. I love to have good people in my home – that’s my family-time. Being outside is important to me, too. If we can sit outside and drink the wine and look at a view, with the good people and all that other stuff I mentioned, well… that’s my heaven.

♥ The best part of living is...
Saying yes to the opportunities that come my way. Then taking a step off the ledge and allowing myself to fall into a new experience. Growth: that’s the best and worst part of living, but so necessary. Imperative, really. Yes.
♥ Roller skates or ice skates?
Roller skates… with pom-poms. And a boardwalk. And the high sun.

♥ Share a quote.
“Let’s do it for Johnny, man. We’ll do it for Johnny!” – Dally from The Outsiders
♥ South of France or Tokyo?
Tokyo. I’ve never been there. I imagine I would dig it for a short time until the lights make me anxious and my money runs out, but that sounds interesting enough. I’ve been to the South of France and it’s a lot like Santa Barbara. I want to go somewhere other than the paradise where I live.

♥ What's the one thing that sustains you in your job?
Autonomy and the ability to be creative – I’m my own boss when I close that classroom door. In addition, the kids I work with are intriguing human beings – it’s my honor to know them and help guide them to the next level. I have a great deal of faith in the future because I work with the kids who will be the next generation of adults. They get a bad rap from the current adults of our society, much like we did when we were kids. I laugh and feel proud of my students every day. That’s cool.

♥ If not the profession that you are currently in, then what?
I would write, but I’m not sure I have the stamina to be a professional writer. I have trouble being creative on purpose. It comes in waves. I have an old fantasy of opening a writing-workshop tutorial center much like 826 Valencia in San Francisco. That would merge two passions: kids and writing, but in a way where I’d still have to get up in the morning and go to work. I need that.

♥ What piece of jewelry or hair adornment do you own by Ciara Obscura?
I have a beautiful white gardenia for my hair and a custom-made Lucky Birds necklace in sterling. Gorgeous.

Coming Soon... Give-a-ways!

After having a ton of "suggestions" thrown my way, I've finally decided to offer monthly giveaways. And I'm thinking that I'll start with these Royal Smooch hair pretties since they're my biggest seller. But... BUT this is just a heads up, a tease of a "Coming soon!" because I first need to post a really super wonderful feature on Becca tomorrow. THEN you'll get your chance at winning these by week's end. Prepare yourselves, though, 'cause this will be somewhat of an interactive contest for the prize. Fun times... I promise.

My new favorite thing...

I'm a fan of reading. I enjoy reading books just as much as I do the backs of cereal boxes at breakfast or shampoo bottles while I wait it out on the toilet. I like words. I like well put together words that, particularly, share great and simple insight that should be obvious to most but could otherwise be missed if it were not for these well chosen words placed before us, say, on the aforementioned shampoo bottle or book.

That said, I will now direct you toward the very material object that has become my new favorite thing. The Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. If you do read it, I can assure you, you will never feel alone with your wondering thoughts ever again. Go. Be proud of your odd mind, your off kilter life. Embrace the brilliance of the ordinary.

Gal Feature #3: Amy M.

Meet Amy M... I've only really recently gotten to know her, but this is what I can so far share: She's authentic. This was obvious to me right off the bat. Amy's one of those people who is cute, pretty and witty, but does not intimidate. That's a rare quality and I can totally appreciate and admire anyone who can maintain that balance without trying to be the center of attention. Her sweetness and grace is most warmly expressed in her silliness and, in that, her pure loveliness. Also, I adored her responses to the interview questions... I found myself saying, "Yes! Oh my god, ME TOO!" This simultaneously thrills and frightens me. Go ahead. Read on and see for yourself how darn cute she is...

♥ Did you play dress up as a kid? If so, what was your most memorable ensemble?

Yes, I played dress up when I was a kid (and I still do). My nana (my dad's mom) kept a wicker trunk full of clothes for the grandkids to use for dress up. It was really cool because some of the clothes were old - from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Of course, they weren't in great shape after generations of kids played with them, but that didn't matter. Every time we visited my nana's and papa's, my cousins and I dressed up in outrageous outfits and we composed original plays that we then performed for our older relatives after dinner. We thought we were genius and they humored us.

I remember my favorite outfit: It involved a long burgundy skirt that was sort of crumply and swooshy at the same time. It dragged on the ground and got caught in these awesome 50s-style pumps I found. The hoes were shiny black and had an extreme point at the toe, which reminded me of the witch in Wizard of Oz. I don't remember the shirt part of the outfit, but I do remember that I wore a blond wig that had been crushed in the trunk for years. It had the look of an old-lady permanent that had been slept on. I turned the wig backwards so that the part that was supposed to be in the back was in the front. It made me look like I had straight-across blonde bangs. And sometimes I wore a powder blue straw hat with blue netting on top of the wig!

Also, it is worth mentioning that once I put on this bridesmaid's dress - polyester, floor length with a halter top - that my nana had made for one of my aunts. It has a mid-70's disco look and a big, splashy Hawaiian print. I actually loved that dress so much that Nana decided to give it to me and I actually still find occasion to wear it. It fits me perfectly now. Last time I pulled it down from the shelf, it looked like the stitching might be coming apart, and like the hem has been dragged around in the dust too much, but I'm going to find a way to keep it together.

♥ What's your profession/day job/night job/way of making a living?

I teach English language arts and beginning Spanish to junior high students.

♥ What's your most treasured possession?

I try not to get to excited about anything I own just in case I jinx myself and I ruin, destroy, or lose it.

That said, if my house was burning down, I'd grab my laptop, the art pieces my friends have made for me and the little gold ring I inherited from my mother.

♥ Hobbies and artistic endeavors?

I like to read. I'll read anything really, but I usually try to be reading at least one serious book and one silly book at the same time. Right now I'm reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, which is my serious choice, and I'm also reading a really great young adult science fiction novel called Pretties by Scott Westerfield. I'm in the middle of reading Neil Gaimen's Sandman graphic novels. They changed my life.

Lately my husband and I have been obsessed with playing Rock Band for the Wii. I started feeling like I could actually play the drums until I went to a concert and watched a real drummer. Then I realized that I was just being tricked by the power of Rock Band.

I do a little bit of novice sewing. My mom sewed all of my brother's and my clothes when we were little and I used to sew with her, but I think she may have done all of the hard parts for me. I still try to sew, though. Mostly I use her old sewing machine to alter clothes I buy at thrift stores and flea markets. For me, that's way better than buying material and trying to make something from scratch. It's way cheaper too.

One more thing - I like to embroider. I just embroidered a little tiki guy onto an aqua-colored wraparound skirt I got at a thrift store. I also embroidered some pillow cases with sayings from some favorite songs: One says, "Happy when it rains," and has a little rain cloud and the other says, "Lips like sugar," and has little candies sewn into the corner.

♥ The one band that you can listen to in any mood, any time of day, any place?

Cat Stevens, specifically the songs from the movie Harold and Maude

♥ Imagine a single room all to yourself, all for you. What's inside?

A window seat with comfy cushions, a well-stocked book shelf (that includes all of my favorites - from Jane Austin to J.R.R. Tolkein to Walter Mosley), an afghan, and a secret stash of sour candy.

♥ Your ideal day, from morning to night, as it occurs to you in this very moment?

1) Wake up early-ish. Seven o'clock is good.

2) Drink coffee and read the paper. Have some toast and a grapefruit.

3) Go for a run at the beach.

4) Find a fabulous outfit to wear.

5) Eat lunch with my husband, preferably at somewhere with an outdoor patio.

6) Go to a cozy coffee shop to read while he types his novel.

7) Find some fun clothes at a second hand store. Right now I'd love to find some high-wasted, slim black slacks like the ones Audrey Hepburn wears in Funny Face.

8) Call up friends to meet for dinner and cocktails. Drink a martini.

9) Eat yummy food with friends and laugh.

10) Go home to watch TV with my husband. Right now the show would be Pushing Daisies.

♥ Roller skates or ice skates?

roller

♥ Share a quote.

"Fly, you fools." - Gandalf

♥ What's the one thing that sustains you in your job?

Kids are funny. They make me smile, even when I'm grumpy.

♥ What piece of jewelry or hair adornment do you own by Ciara Obscura?

I love the little black cloth necklace with the striped buttons [Mon Ami Necklace]. I just wore it to the store and was literally stopped by strangers who wanted to give me compliments.

♥ Your Blog:
http://accordingtomissmyra.blogspot.com/

♥ Cute as a Button Collection ♥

Used to be that the concept of simple escaped me. To say that I enjoy ornamentation is a holy understatement. And given that my entire heritage is Italian, you'd expect that I'm into the gaudy gold leafing, with layer upon layer of fabric strewn here and there, and furniture that would make the Scandinavians cringe. This is pretty much true. I can't really deny my love for all of this or, if nothing else, my appreciation for their craftsmanship and artistic innovations.

My mother's side of the family made furniture generations back in Italy and then in New York through until my Uncle Freddie passed away last year. Their Natale and Son showroom was in Midtown Manhattan and the actual warehouse studio was in Brooklyn. Imagine the crazy beautiful woodwork and ornate painting on these pieces that reached their fame and commercial appeal during the Golden Age from the 1930's- 50's. Each of my family members has ended up with two or three pieces (I'm currently having two matching sofas with intricate wood carving and ivory silk damask upholstery delivered to our home, along with a rose and gold tone marble coffee table that had- to my memory- always been nestled between those sofas in our old living room (I loved staring at them especially under the glow of the lights on our Christmas tree each year); and a stunning bureau painted with wisps of soft blues, rose, green and gold). Our home is already adorned with a hodgepodge of artwork made by me and my husband or given to us by friends and family- so this added interior embellishment will, oddly enough, stylistically fit right in.
I enjoy this sort of carnival of eye candy when I sit down to drink my tea or welcome friends into our home to eat yum yums or whathaveyou. So when I made the very first design for the Cute as a Button collection, I wondered if I would be able to contain my incessant need to embellish. What I discovered was a sort of liberation from excess mind clutter as I made more and more of these simplified and perfectly lovely single button necklaces, bracelets and rings. Naturally, I've added a few pieces that have slightly more action going on, but that's how I find my balance.
Simplicity is a stunning freedom. Embellishment is a creative explosion. I'm happy to delve into both worlds. That's just the way I roll.

Gal Feature #2: Miss Jennifer

I met Jennifer a couple of years after I moved to California. She was, then, a young woman who knew what she wanted to be ( a hair stylist) and worked her butt off getting there. I admired her focus as a 19 year old, working a solid, stable full time day job so that she could go through full time night school to achieve her goal. And she did it, too, with such dedication and perseverance. Nothing is half ass for her. Jennifer's motivation to become herself has now resulted in the woman you see above... content, sweet and one hell of a stylist. In fact, she's an amazing hair stylist working at Santa Barbara's most well reputed salon, Walter Claudio. Congratulations to Jennifer and her fiance, Ian, on their upcoming wedding and lifelong marriage! Yay! Below is an excerpt from a recent Q&A session ...

♥ What's your most treasured possession?
Besides my soon to be husband and my little bird Kiwi, I would have to say a locket that belonged to my grandmother

♥ Backyard: Garden or the ocean?
Ocean

♥ The one band that you can listen to in any mood, any time of day, any place?
Hard to choose one... Gwen Stefani or Guns and Roses

♥ Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere

♥ Cotton candy or candy apple?
Cotton Candy!

♥ If you had the ability to give one million dollars to one charitable organization or cause, what would it be?
The Dream Foundation.... it's such an amazing charity and I love volunteering services and time for them.

♥ The best part of living is...
finding true love

♥ Roller skates or ice skates?
roller skates

♥ If not the profession that you are currently in, then what?
working with animals

♥ What piece of jewelry or hair adornment do you own by Ciara Obscura?
I own quite a few.... I love my royal smooch hairpins and my bliss hair clip! It's hard to list them all ;)

♥ Who, in history, dead or alive, would you most like to spend a day with? Why?
Marilyn Monroe.... She's so fascinating and inspiring but also had a dark side


Next up... my new "Cute as a Button" collection and Gal Feature #3!

Holy Crap.

Welcome to Santa Barbara, California... home to sunshine, beaches, fancy pants celebrities, mountains, flowers growing year round and wildfires. This shot (unknown photographer) is one particular angle of those fires currently raging about five miles from my home. It's a pretty good indicator of exactly what we are dealing with. And , depending on the mood of the wind, the fires can switch direction at the drop of a hat and head down the mountain to our downtown area, up over the canyons away from populated areas, or (as it is right now) spread toward both neighboring areas of Goleta and Montecito. It's already claimed up to 50 homes (this, in addition to the fires just 6 months ago that took 250 more.) .

 I wonder why it never occurred to me that I would be in the midst of something like this when I decided to up and move 3000 miles across country from a wildfire free, earthquake free, fake boob free area in New England.

So far, my husband and I are lucky. Though we have had a mandatory evacuation, we still have our home- which holds safe our dog, every sentimental object I've collected over my life, art work, our studio where I make my living, and a comfy bed- and my husband's tattoo shop with his livelihood ,and that of two other guys, secured inside its walls. Our friends' homes are, so far, out of harm's way, but so many people and animals are left without homes and many wondering if they will be able to return to theirs still standing.

This is just so screwy. And it better damn well be that it began of a natural cause and not of human error. 'Cause I'd really freaking hate to be that human.

I promised a feature on Jennifer for this posting, but I double promise I will have her here for you to meet this very next time. Meantime, cross those fingers, send good thoughts, or say your prayers for this town. It would be a real awful shame to see anything but the flowers in bloom on the hillsides, sparkling ocean at dawn, and homes continuing to fill with treasures and memories.

Meet Mars♥

Mars, Marsy Poo, Peanut Brittle, Freak Boy... this good boy has many names. The list is endless, in fact, and I could go on, but I'll stop that here.

There's a very simple reason why I am sharing this post about our dog. He makes us very very happy and, simultaneously, very very nuts. Just past the initial puppy stage, he's aged just enough to be referred to as a tween. His behavior is really quite similar to that of an 11-14 year old, except that he does not have a cell phone; so he does not text. At least we can control that.

Coming by week's end... Gal Feature #2: Jennifer.
See ya then♥

Gal Feature #1: Adorable Amy

Amy is a sweetheart... always has been and, no doubt, always will be. Pals from high school, we reconnected years later- as so many people these days have- via Facebook. Besides the obvious fact that she is just adorable (see photo above), she's a lovely writer with an amusing, and often very touching, stream of consciousness. Her blog, No.You Can't Buy Me A Drink: The Life of Josie M., is an entertaining read; one that I have bookmarked to check in with often. Formerly the Director of Marketing and Client Services at an investment firm, Amy is now freelancing in the field of Design and Marketing Innovation. I'm impressed.
Here's an excerpt from her interview questions...

♥ Did you play dress up as a kid? If so, what was your most memorable ensemble?

Did I ever!! I was best known for changing my outfit several times a day and wearing old hand-me-down costume jewelry from my mother and grandmother. The one wardrobe item I longed for was the Toys R Us plastic high-heel shoes for kids; my mother REFUSED to buy them for me (this could explain my present day shoe obsession).

♥ What's your most treasured possession?

Tie between my grandmother’s wedding ring and a door knocker my grandparents received for a wedding gift close to 70 years ago.

♥ Hobbies and artistic endeavors?

All sorts! Graphic arts by trade, painting, crafts, sewing – many hobby du jours!

♥ The one band that you can listen to in any mood, any time of day, any place?

Jamiroquai

♥ If you had the ability to give one million dollars to one charitable organization or cause, what would it be?

ASPCA: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

♥ The best part of living is...

Traveling the world—seeing people, places and things beyond one’s own feet.

♥ Roller skates or ice skates?

Roller skates.

♥ If not the profession that you are currently in, then what?

Writing a chick-lit novel.

♥ What piece of jewelry or hair adornement do you own by Ciara Obscura?

Magnolia flower hair prettie, Chaos silver necklace and Lucky necklace.
I have bought earrings as gifts, too!

♥ Fort or Tree House?

Fort

♥ Who, in history, dead or alive, would you most like to spend a day with?

Top Three: my dad (he passed away 15 years ago), Donnie Deutsch—because he makes me ask, “Why not me?!”; and lastly, again, the man I am in love with, but he just doesn’t know it–yet.

See? Adorable.