When I grow up....

We all watched Home Alone with Macaulay Culkin... at least I hope you did or I'm going to assume you missed the entire decade of the 90s. One of the funniest lines from that movie is, "When I grow up and get married, I'm living alone!" I do have a point. The coolest thing about being a grown up is actually doing some of the things you always wanted to when you were a kid. Now I never had any plan to " get married & live alone," but there are other things. Sometimes I think Jon and I are just reliving our childhood, but without as many rules.
Can you think of any parent in their right mind that would sit down and cut open 6 Popsicles for their 5 year old to eat before brushing their teeth, and going to bed??? No way, but that is exactly what I did tonight! LOL! :) My teeth started hurting from my braces, and the cold really makes them feel better, so I had two of these babies.
Those two tasted, and felt so good that I proceeded to eat 4 more! As a kid I must have consumed hundreds of these things. I hadn't had one in 14 to 16 years until earlier this summer when I was visiting with my little cousins. When Addison came out bringing me one, I was a bit hesitant because who knew if the company might have been bought out, or changed the formula, or even worse... Added Splenda (gag!). I was so happy because, believe it or not, they still taste the exact same as they did back in 1986! In a world full of change, this is one thing that has remained the same, and I'm pretty glad about it.
Tonight while I was eating my 4th Popsicle I got this warm fuzzy feeling, that if the 7 year old version of myself could see me now, I think she'd give me a snaggle tooth grin, and a thumbs up! That's a pretty cool feeling.

100th Post! The Art of New Mexico

I can't believe I'm already at my 100th blog post. I started this blog because to me it is a lot cleaner way to "scrapbook" things. Although I am an artist, I absolutely can't stand all the mess that scrapbooking with little stickers and paper ziblets can create. I can say I did honestly give it a try, but it didn't take long for me to decide... Not for me! Don't get me wrong, I have seen some people who make amazing scrapbooks that are absolutely beautiful, and I would love for someone else to take all of my pictures and fix them up for me, but if I'm going to make a mess... Let it be a paint mess!

I want to thank everyone who follows my blog, and let you know that I read every one of the comments you leave me! Lots of times I will write a response under the post you leave me, so check back, or leave me a message on facebook.

I'm really glad that my 100th post fell right after my trip to Santa Fe & Taos so I could share some pictures with you of one of the things I love most... ART! Santa Fe is the number 2 best place to buy and sell art in the country. #1 is New York, #2 Santa Fe, & #3 Los Angeles. On Canyon Rd. alone, there are over 100 galleries, and over 400 all together in Santa Fe. Jon and I really loved it there, who knows maybe I'll find a way into one of those galleries one of these days :) I have tried to include the artists' names on the paintings that I know, but some of the artists were street sellers that I am not familiar with. I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites.

If you go to Santa Fe, of course you've gotta see some Georgia!

This was her Abstraction Exhibit! My second time to visit her Gallery!

No photography allowed, so here we are outside. Oh well I've got books

full of her work to look at whenever I want.

Miguel Martinez

Harry Greene

Kim D. Wiggins (I loved his work, and since I wasn't

allowed to take a picture in the gallery I uploaded one!)

Romero Britto (You may know him from Betthany Getting Married)

R.C. Gorman (hard to get a good shot with the glass)

A famous Navajo artist

I got to meet & visit with Inger Jirby

She's quite famous - doing this years Art Pilgrimage of New Mexico Poster

I wish I'd taken my Art Journey of New Mexico with me, so she could have

signed her entry.

Me & a really cool horse painted by Inger Jirby

Diego Lukezic (I love this bad little dog!)

If I had the big buck, this Bronze Indian Statue would be in my Formal Living Room!

What is this beauty doing outside???? Look at that Quilt! Breathtaking!

I can just imagine gazing up at this in my bedroom!

Navajo Painted gourds Jon got me one :)

The Architecture & Scenery- Santa Fe, Glorietta, & Taos

I just got back today from our wonderful trip to New Mexico. The weather was perfect! Believe it or not, there are places in this world where summers don't get up to 118* heat index. If we had taken our little furry family along with us, there is a strong chance that we wouldn't have come back. The highest temperature was 78* while we were there, and when we went up to the ski slope area it was 51*!! I've been there two other times on ski trips with our youth group, but we didn't do a lot of sight seeing, and everything was covered in snow. This made it feel like I was really seeing it for the first time. It was Jon's first time to go out West of Fort Worth, TX. If you ever go, I recommend staying at The Old Santa Fe Inn. Every morning they had the best complimentary breakfast burrito bar. This is my 99th post, so I decided to give you a taste of New Mexico, and save the BEST for my next post.... Coming tomorrow... My 100th post will be.... The ART of NEW MEXICO. I'm excited! Even now, I'm trying to decide what pictures are going to make the final cut. There were so many beautiful things to see, and fun things to do. It is really romantic, and I couldn't help but think several times that there is a lot of things about the countryside around Taos and Santa Fe that remind me of Tuscany. If I were getting married during the hot summer months I would definitely put Santa Fe among my top choices of places to go on a honeymoon.

Black Mesa Winery - Home of Black Beauty Wine (it has a delicious slight chocolate undertone!)