S’well tumblers, water bottles and travelers (similar to tumblers with lids) – I’m telling you these are AMAZING! I first saw this at LL Bean in Freeport, Maine. I like the smaller (10oz.) size. There is another that I bought for my husband, taller and 18oz. It would take me forever to drink 18oz!
What I love about these is that they DON’T SWEAT 💦. I’m conscious of BPA, etc. So have gotten away from plastic, but when I use a glass it sweats from the heat/humidity. Ick. I hate sweat! There also isn’t an odd aftertaste, like I’ve had with other steel water bottles – my water tastes like it just came from a (purified) mountain stream!
This S’well tumbler keeps hot drink hot ♨️ up to 12 hours and cold drinks cold ❄️ for up to 24 hours. That means you can set your glass on a wooden table with no risk of condensation. I do it all the time, I feel like a rebel, hee.
The water bottles are beautiful (can a water bottle be beautiful? YES!) The opening fits most ice cubes which is nice and they come in 9oz or 17oz. There is even a 25oz. bottle that will hold a bottle of wine!
These bottles are made of vacuum insulated high-grade 18/8 stainless steel and have ThermaS’well ™ technology – including a copper layer which creates that wonderful condensation free exterior – NO SWEATING! Woohoo! They come in a variety of sizes, shapes and finishes. Mine pictured above is TEAKWOOD and it’s gorgeous! They are sold at a variety of places (via the Swellbottle website, Nordstrom, Dick’s, etc) – see more info on SwellBottle.com!
Today is our friend’s birthday, she turns 90! Her name is Penny and she’s an amazing individual. She has a vivid memory and can recount stories from years ago with the sharpest detail! Penny shares her life stories – you know, those very special stories that you can learn by… You’ll see what I mean when you check out her blog. YES! Her blog…
Penny writes an incredible blog about the “Recollections & Ruminations of a Quirky Old Dame”. She has a gift with her sharp wit and love of storytelling. Her posts will put a smile on your face. Penny is cool and “with it” – she keeps up to date on what’s happening, and she makes me laugh. This is a woman who loves life. She dives in, unafraid to try new and challenging things, such as starting a blog at age 89. I started out posting it to WordPress for her (posting, not writing), and now she does it all. Penny is an inspiration, a sweet friend and the one special person who told me about Effie’s Oat Cakes!
Penny and I originally met via email – CC’d from another friend. Fred and I have had the opportunity to meet Penny in person – What a treat! Since the time of emailing we have met on Monhegan Island a few times – and what a good time we have!
Penny – What is your secret?I’m guessing it’s a wonderful attitude, a love of reading and writing – a close family and many, many friends (and quite possibly two Effie’s Oat Cakes each morning – I’m hoping that’s the true secret!)
Your gift of sharp wit and love of storytelling makes your blog, Nearly Ninety the absolute treasure that it is!
The coolest thing happened to us the other day. We were having lunch at Five Loaves Cafe in Charleston, SC – and as the woman walked up to our table (we thought to give us our bill), she explained that the restaurant chooses a few tables each day to surprise and take care of their meal. So there was no bill, it was on the house – they just ask that you pay it forward through random acts of kindness – give back however you can.
I have to tell you, I’ve read about this happening to other people and I always thought it was such a cool thing to have happen! There is no better feeling than giving. It leaves you smiling the entire day. It’s been fun to think up ways to pay it forward. We always try to be mindful of that, but this is extra special given the time of year…
So… pay it forward however you can, whether you treat someone to lunch, buy them a coffee, or just random acts of kindness – bringing an elderly neighbor dinner or treats – a nice visit. The possibilities are endless!
As I mentioned, Five Loaves Cafe had fabulous food! I love how you can order a half of sandwich, half of a salad or a cup vs. bowl of soup. They also have a soup “flight” that allows you to sample three different soups. We’re looking forward to going back for dinner! We also want to try their other restaurants, Sesame Burgers and Beer and Ember Kitchen (Charleston, SC).
I can tell you this post took me far too long to write – Reason? I got stuck looking at their menu and couldn’t get out! Oh! Everything sounds so good! Can’t wait to get back…
Bravo to the GlowFisch company – you rock! Your restaurants are fabulous, good food, good people and good beliefs! We will most certainly be back!
Happy Holidays indeed! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Charlie watching intently out of the back window while perched in a chair. Not a muscle moves. Not even one of the many hairs on his body. He’s watching for any movement, squirrels and birds mostly.
Dogs love to be at the same level we are. He will hop up in a chair and sit back like you or I would. It’s crazy to see and makes me laugh every single time. I think it started when he was a puppy. The only way he would stay calm is to get in my desk chair (with me in it), he would sit up, back against the chair- paws in front and digging into my back. Once he got situated he would fall asleep, which also meant if I wanted a moment of piece I wouldn’t move a muscle. It’s how this blog was born. On 1/1/11 I decided I may as well do something productive, so why not figure out how to create a blog, the writing part was easy, the figuring out took a bit.
It’s been a great adventure. I can’t believe next month begins year EIGHT of a daily blog, which, I have to be honest, at times I have considered stopping just because of the enormous amount of time I spend on it. Even though my posts are rather fluffy and most don’t have a lot of research to be done (house plans and artists are different, those do take time), they still take a lot of time.
I hope you are enjoying this blog. I have received so many wonderful emails throughout the years – it’s what keeps me going. As a friend mentioned… it’s time to monetize – But how? Sounds like I have some research to do! Better get busy!
We have many old, large, live oak trees where we live – each one is so breathtaking. Their canopy is very large and this time of year when the light hits it’s just stunning!
Some trees have more Spanish moss than others. That’s a pretty sight, especially with the sun filtering through, very dramatic. These trees are like sculptures – stately. This time of year the light seems warmer and lights up the trees differently. Remember, it’s the little things in life!
Paige Oden. Beautiful paintings – bright, happy paintings without being too bright. I love the pop of orange and the colors of the sky and water. Nice figures.
Paige’s comments on The Shell Collectors: This painting is also from my time spent on Balboa Island. I often paint on the island because it is where I grew up and I feel a connection to the simple beach lifestyle and beauty. Also, because of its tight space and natural waterways, it cannot change too much. I mean yes, the tiny beach bungalows have given way to over-sized tiny castles… But if you look at the bay views and canal waterways and alleys, you can see the genuine love of a simple beach day where time stands still.
As the daughter of nationally renowned illustrator Dick Oden, I earned my BFA in Painting and an MFA in Figurative Sculpture, studying under artists such as Ed Moses, Ken Auster, John Lincoln, Stephen Werlick and bay area sculptor Stephen De Staebler. Upon returning from school in Italy in1988 (Fine Arts scholarship) I completed a figurative sculpture scholarship at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C and then finished my MFA bronze works at CSULB metals foundry in 1991.
It was during my CSULB MFA program in 1991 that I also taught painting classes at the nearby Orange County High School of the Arts (aka OCSA). Now, nearly 25 years later I continue my association with OCSA as the Director of the Visual Arts Conservatory where I get to design and oversee the arts curriculum, guide the 14 member faculty and oversee the admissions process for the OCSA Visual Arts Conservatory and its 200 extremely talented fine art high school students.
Overseeing and redesigning the OCSA Visual Arts Conservatory was an opportunity I could not pass up. While it has deferred my painting career, it is an opportunity to guide and mentor the most talented fine artists of our local future. The OCSA fine arts curriculum is comparable to any arts college with outstanding faculty. I cherish the opportunity to bring in the most talented and often economically challenged student artists and then offer them a curriculum and education that will create a fine arts college portfolio that will get them to the most prestigious art colleges in the world, Yale, RISD, College of St. Martins, SAIC, and on and on. Most of our students could not get to these schools without the leadership of the OCSA. The OCSA experience will change their future forever so how could I not jump at the chance to be the guiding factor in that event!
Throughout my 14 years of leadership at OCSA I have continually painted in my home studio though not at the pace of her pre-OCSA career. I have been awarded many awards for her OCSA teaching career including the OTIS Teacher of the Year Merit Award. I have been lucky enough to receive multiple grants and have studied with Camille Przwodek, Ken Auster, Randy Sexton and Colin Page.
I participate in various regular California gallery exhibitions and sell my work to longtime collectors while acting as the Director of Visual Arts at OCSA and raising my family.
CFL Bulbs (I just happened to snap a photo of GE, it’s not to single them out)
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL). Ick. (Well, that was grown up, wasn’t it?) I have to admit I have never been an admirer. But I tried to get in the swing – they save energy, etc. So I bought some to use in closets (I’m trying)… I did manage to purchase the kind that do turn on rather quickly and were the least bright of some that are out there. (Many are obnoxiously bright).
One day I was reading an article about the dangers if you drop a CFL bulb. Seriously? I wrote a post a while back on the steps to take to clean it up (you do not just pick it up) – open windows 5-10 minutes, turn off heat/AC, click HERE for the full directions… There are also health risks associated with them. The bulbs I bought should last 8 years. We had them in a CLOSET where the light was turned on rarely. They lasted 3 years.
CFL Bulbs are NOT recycled with normal recycle material and you do NOT dispose of them in the trash – for good reason. You can take them to Lowes or Home Depot – or see the link below in orange for recycle center for CFL bulbs near you). I happened to be at Lowes and I brought these little dangerous bulbs with me, each in a styrofoam cup and then securely in a bag. When I got to Lowes there were directions to put each bulb in its own bag and tie it off and then place in the receptacle.
I’m not buying any more CFL bulbs. That may not be green but it’s less risky for sure!
A good source: LampRecycle.org You can find recycle centers for CFL bulbs near your home!
As I mentioned, the photo I took was the GE brand, this post isn’t brand specific and I am not referring to only GE bulbs – it’s ANY CFL bulbs.
Hopping off my soapbox now, just want you to all be aware in case your CFL bulbs break or burn out- Catch you back here tomorrow!
Fighting for Air with Full Lungs by Emmy Wommack 16×20 Acrylic, House Paint, Oil Pastel
Emmy Wommack. I first saw Emmy’s work when she held a fundraiser for on Instagram – a great (and large!) abstract. She seems like a super cool person. Her work is happy – I love that!
me and paint. we go way back. from accent walls to faux painted furniture to folksy ducks painted on switchplate covers. early in my adult life i made the decision to change my college major from fine art to psychology. a decision based on a lot of self-imposed limitations. i then proceeded to engage in any business venture, hobby, or volunteer activity i could get myself roped into that would allow me to create…withoutcalling myself an artist, mind you. those adventures have served me well. these days i embrace the title “artist”, even though there will probably always be a part of me that feels like a fraud. my antidote is to be as transparent and authentic as possible and to place the credit for any success where it rightfully belongs. it’s a tricky one, but the goal is to be an instrument that allows genuine, divine expression to flow from the creator through me. the hard part is getting out of the way.
I featured Kyle back in 2015 and after running across more stunning paintings I felt the need to feature him again! The light in Kyle’s paintings is incredible AND memorable – I remember those paintings that I had featured back in 2015 (click on above link to see), and I feature a lot of artists and oh so many paintings, so it really has to stand out.
I love, love, love all the light in Kyle’s paintings – how the gorgeous toned canvas seeps through in places adding so much interest. His paintings have a life of their own as shown above! Be sure to check them out!
Oil painter Kyle Paliotto gathers imagery from the beautiful rustic landscape of his local surroundings in North Idaho. He searches out rural settings which display a time gone by when harmony between land and man existed. His style is one that takes from impressionism without disregarding the discipline of representational art up to the early 1900’s. Painting plein air on location is essential to his process but the real meat and potatoes is in the studio.
At the age of 42, Kyle has had some great achievements, but his greatest joys are his wife Rebecca and children Vincent and Sophia . Teaching a weekly art class along with workshops has added to his love of art and ability to share his passion. His successes include: Signature Status with the American Impressionist Society, Juried into multiple Oil Painters of America National and regional shows, Winning Honorable Mention in the 13th Annual American Impressionist Society National Show (2012) and also in the Portrait Society of America’s Members Only competition (2010), Best of Show at the CM Russell Auction in Great Falls, Montana (2010) and winning Third Place in American Impressionist Society’s 11th Annual National Show (2010). Kyle has been written about in Southwest Art Magazine’s “Artists to Watch” (2008) (2013)(2017) and a feature article in Western Art Collector Magazine (2009) (2010) and (2013).
Life is just getting exciting and Kyle looks forward to a long rewarding career.
Normally I write my posts ahead of time and schedule them to publish. It’s the only way that I can keep up with a daily blog (next month starts year 8!!!!) – so each morning I’m as surprised as you are as to what my post is about. Well, this morning it really was a surprise since there wasn’t one! Oops!
We had lunch a few times this weekend at a wonderful place that we haven’t been to in years. I’m so glad we did. The food was SO good (which is why we went back the next day). I love that they have half portions. Good people, close by, and really good food! If you’re in the Charleston, SC area, be sure to check them out:
The skies in November are stunning – seems like I say that most months, but October/November and really all winter long I am drawn to those dramatic skies!
A photo headed over the Ashley River bridge – and eerily hardly a car in sight – this photo was taken right before Thanksgiving which explains very few cars on the road. No other time would it look like this!
📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…
Where is this? Do you know? It’s a familiar landmark to many, an indication that you have arrived, but where? 😉
According to Wikipedia.org this was created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair and was used as a Ferris wheel! I’ll add the link after I get a correct answer, hee hee…
Happy First Day of December, can you believe it?
📸 IMAGES ARE MY OWN UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF INTERESTED…
This is the Kemper Residence house plan by Lake and Land Studio. They have such amazing plans – and if you need something tweaked, they are there to work with you! This plan has so much appeal – great porch (front and back!) and just great looking! Click HERE for more info! There is also a stunning boathouse (pictured above on the right) – a future feature!
The main floor is pretty fabulous. It has an open great room/kitchen area with a fireplace, and the master bedroom is down. There is another bedroom that could be used as an office or as a guest room, maybe for someone who prefers not to use the stairs… A vaulted ceiling in the great room makes it even greater, doesn’t it?
This plan is 2,240 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (as well as that wonderful loft space!)
Upstairs is another bedroom, bathroom and a loft area that’s almost 17′ x 21′ – if you wanted to use this as a bunk room it seems like you could fit a gaggle of kids up there, don’t you think? The rest of this space is open to the great room/kitchen. There is some dedicated attic space, which is nice for storage!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
All images via LakeAndLandStudio.com, used with permission…
Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the design firm.
Le Lever De La Lune by Lauren Sansaricq 16×20″ Oil
Lauren Sansaricq. Wow. Brilliant paintings. Don’t miss the links given below, especially the art videos! What a treat it is to watch a painting be created – I could watch these videos all day long! Lauren definitely knows what she’s doing!
Lauren’s paintings have a timeless quality to them. Similar to paintings from long ago – she captures that feeling so well. It’s quite remarkable really.
In addition to fabulous paintings and wicked good skill she has an amazing website. Whew! Lots to keep up with and she does it beautifully!
Lauren Sansaricq (b. 1990) grew up in Columbia County, New York, where from an early age she was exposed to both the beauties of the Hudson Valley and, under the teaching of Thomas Locker, a traditional approach to landscape painting. Taking Mr. Locker’s advice Miss Sansaricq received academic training in drawing and painting at the Grand Central Academy of Art in NYC. In 2011, at just 21 years old, she was taken under the representation of Hawthorne Fine Art, a prestigious New York gallery specializing in 19th century Hudson River School Painting. Miss Sansaricq was also honored with a solo show in New York at Hawthorne Fine Art that same year. Sansaricq’s work has been exhibited in Manhattan at historic venues like the Salmagundi Club, the National Arts Club and the Union League Club. In 2012 she had a solo show at Saint Anselm College, and had her work featured at the Boston International Fine Arts Show. One of Sansaricq’s paintings was also featured in the New York Times, surrounding the show she was apart of, “The Great Hudson River Exhibition”. Today Sansaricq’s artwork is in collections throughout the country, and is hung beside some of the best American painters of the past. She also teaches every summer on the Hudson River Fellowship and occasionally at Grand Central Atelier in NYC. Sansaricq now resides in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Click HERE to continue reading about Lauren… Catch you back here tomorrow!
Just in the nick of time! After Thanksgiving and maybe being a little overly thankful for all the delicious food – it’s time to take a food holiday – a break… and this recipe puts you back in sync – no meat, tastes great – leaves you feeling like you haven’t stuffed yourself and you still aren’t looking for anything to eat at night – it’s that satisfying.
This is another fabulous recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, what would I do without them? Their recipes are always out of this world good without tasting too healthy! This recipe replaces meat with cannellini beans, it’s tasty and it keeps you full!
Click HERE to print the original recipe from Cooking Light magazine!
What I did differently (for 2 dinner size servings):
I didn’t use red bell pepper. When I mixed up the vinaigrette instead of using garlic powder I took a fresh piece of garlic and made a cut and rubbed it in the small bowl – this gave enough garlic flavor. The only other thing I didn’t do is grill the pita – I don’t have a grill pan, and the first time I made this I heated with a little olive oil in a regular skillet and it really didn’t need all that. Just a quick heat (microwave or in a dry pan for just a minute) worked fine – we used Whole Wheat Pita’s from Trader Joe’s, they have excellent taste.
If you like salad, give this recipe a try, it’s a keeper! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Original recipe via Cooking Light Magazine – Recipe by Adam Dolge
ARTFOODHOME.COM 