Week 18 (so 2 weeks ago)

I'm a slacker...I didn't take a week 19 picture and now I'm 20 weeks. However, I thought that I'd show you all my progress. As you can see I am carrying a giant...I mean...I was not tiny to start with, but I'm big! I'm afraid of what I will look like 10 weeks from now...and 10 after that...oh dear!

In the meantime I do what I can to stay active, work on projects outside of museum work and dress as cute as I can in the smoldering heat of Miami! ...and I mean smoldering, it's only June and the highs have been in the mid 90's...I do NOT want to know what the temps will be in August...and I REALLY don't want to deal with a hurricane (and therefore no power...no a/c...no hot water...etc etc etc).

Hope you had a nice Monday!

Oh...just in case you didn't catch that, this picture is from 2 weeks ago. I was at the Biltmore Hotel with sorority friends playing Petanque.

Amazing Vintage

Did you see Julia Roberts at the Golden Globes this year? She looked stunning didn't she? Well, her dress was a beautiful vintage piece, from my friend Sheffield's online store, www.back-in-style.com ! I even have a piece from Sheffield's store...anything that is good enough for Julia is good enough for me.

Now, if you are like me and need to try vintage pieces on in person...and you're going to be in Miami this Saturday morning, then you are in luck! Starting early at 8am, join Sheffield at the Coral Gables Farmer's Market in front of City Hall, where she will have a booth full of her treasures. I know I'll be there to get the best OJ in the world, and maybe something from Sheff sometime around 10am.

If you're not in Miami, then do check out her website. It's full of gorgeous pieces like this one on Julia.

Happy Shopping!

A Gables Home Tour Kind of Weekend

This was quite a weekend in the Gables if you wanted to see homes. It started on Saturday morning with the Coral Gables Community Foundation Kitchen Tour. For $25 a ticket we had from 10:00 am-3:00pm to visit 6 homes and sample food from area restaurants. The funny thing was the third home on the stop was that of our ex-neighbors on Catille Ave.

However my favorite part of the tour wasn't even a kitchen...it was the mega-mahusive closet in the town house at the Old Spanish Village. You'll be able to recognize it in the pictures...because it looks a lot like heaven!

Today I spent the afternoon at a museum event on one of the most iconic homes in Coral Gables, if not the entire county-- Java Head, 200 Edgewater Drive. Gorgeous home which can be yours for $13.9 million dollars. I had a good time roaming the grounds and home with museum friends and on my own. I did my best to take a number of pictures, but they do not do the home justice at all. By the way--the first picture here is of my father-in-law and I in the winning look for Miami Chic!

Coral Gables Farmer's Market Begins Tomorrow!

This has to be the happiest month for me.

1. Birthday month (YAY!)

2. New Year, new beginnings

3. Coral Gables Farmer's Market kicks-off

You know where I'll be with Maggie (the best golden retriever in the world), every Saturday morning from about 10-11am.

Three oh Three is the Magic Number

Today is our 3 year anniversary. Although we've been together for 8 years, there is something special about your wedding anniversary. I thought today I would share with you some of my favorite images from that special night in 2006.

These were some of our favors. The theme was a tropical beach with shades of blue. The maracas and hats were all made by hand in Nicaragua.

This is how our place cards were displayed. Among coral in bamboo mats from Nicaragua.

The tables were all set in shades of blue with tropical flowers on top. The tables were named for special places that D and I had been to. At each setting there was a photograph of the place and each lady had a special hand addressed gift at their setting. A hand made domed candle holder in the shape of a church and village from Nicaragua.

Going up and down the steps to the County Club Ballroom were large vessels filled with sand and candles. It was a beautiful touch.

Family members all looked up pictures of themselves in our guestbook and signed next to their image. It was a labor of love to put the picture guestbook together, but since I love taking pictures it was only natural.

This is one of my favorite pictures of us. We did the untraditional and took pictures before the ceremony--which was one of the best things I've ever done.

Here I am with all my bridesmaids and flower girl. I love my gals and though you can't tell, their dresses were the opposite of mine-- blue with white band and mine was like Maya's with a blue band.

Here I am with my colorful House Party who made me smile all day long in their coral colored dresses. I really wanted to take pictures at untraditional places at the Biltmore Hotel.

Here's my handsome beau with his groomsmen and ushers on the Biltmore Golf Course.

250 family and friends filled St. Philip's Episcopal Church for our nuptuals.

This is a picture I really wanted...being an avid reader of Hola magazine. I wanted a picture of the entire family. We took this after the ceremony, only one small branch of the family was missing.

Our first kiss as man and wife!

Our first dance was again...untraditional. D and I can really dance, so we cut a rug to Carlos Vives, Fruta Fresca. A fast upbeat song...that we both love but had never danced to before.

I can still taste the Rum Cake by Edda


My blue hydrangea bouquet and our wedding bands. D's is titanium...mine is a simple platinum band.

Following tradition--- we took shots of Bushmills Black Label with all of our friends. Slainte!

Lots of dancing all night long in the Country Club Ballroom-- everything from salsa to 80's, 90's and today...some disco...honestly something for everyone.

And if you got tired of the music--you could step outside to the other bar and enjoy the night air on the Biltmore Golf Course with friends and family.

The party went til 1:30am...and it kept going after we left the Country Club Ballroom. Our friend Jeff hosted a fantastic after party. D and I were fortunate enough to stay in the famed Everglades Suite, a.k.a. the Al Capone Suite. Click on the link for a picture of it. We actually bumped President Clinton from the suite for the night.

All in all it was the most magical weekend of my life, as we really made a full weekend of it. I will always look back on our wedding weekend with great joy.

Back to the Banyon

Have you ever noticed how huge Banyon trees can get?

The ones in Sherwood Forrest (the back 4 at Granada) alone are mahusive (look it up in the Dubonics Dictionaryhttp://www.dubonics.blogspot.com/ ).

Last summer for my show I painted a Banyon tree based on this sketch--- then this summer I painted a Double Banyon, based on another sketch---inspired by the Banyon canopy down parts of University Drive.

Anyhow--- I love these trees---even though I was never the kid who would climb then, I just don't travel vertically unless riding in something motorized like an elevator or plane.

I'm sure there will be other Banyon trees in my painting future.

Final Sneak Peak...

So everything is done and ready for tonight.

Here are a couple of shots D took this morning after we installed the paintings.

It sounds like a lot of great friends and family members will be coming out and supporting me tonight--so in advanced I wanted to thank you!!

Thank you!


I can't wait to see you all.