My Hood

I live in a neighborhood called Clifton Heights. A very small neighborhood, well known for the beautiful pond up the street and the gorgeous Victorian houses perched on the hill surrounding the pond. When we tell people we live in Clifton Heights, we get one of two reactions. Huh?, or oohhhh! Our reaction to the latter is, "Oh no, we live down the street from the nice houses." See, there are three different parts to Clifton Heights. The nice part, the middle part and the crappy. For such a tiny little municipality it is quite diverse. I love it! Our house is falling apart, and needs a lot of TLC, including new ceilings, which have been water damaged. But, I have become quite attached to our neighbors and the area. I get to walk to the fancy area with the pond and that's good enough for me. The only thing that our neighborhood is lacking is the coffee shop, market, deli, etc., that make a neighborhood cozy. Part of this has been taken care of as of January 2nd. A place called Off The Vine opened. It is a winery bistro. Steve and I went there for dinner last night. While we were enjoying our wine and small plates, I relished the fact that I was most likely surrounded by people who live in my hood. I love that sense of community. Steve and I then woke up this morning and took another trip to Off the Vine. We walked the dogs for a treacherous trip home with coffee and pastries and dogs tugging and trying to dump the breakfast out of our hands. But we made it, oh sweet delicious blueberry muffin, we made it.
Last weekend I went to Indiana with my sis' in law Sarah and my niece Elena. We visited our friend Nicole who has two little ones. Here is a picture of my niece and Nicole's son playing in the sink. I love their little pajama diaper butts.
And last but not least, I was featured on this blog. The community of bloggers is such an amazing thing. It is an honor to be recognized. It really does mean a lot. I would like to thank Liana from Mixed Plate for featuring my work. Her blog is really great. You should definitely check it out.

I leave you with my latest commissioned piece, which is similar to something I have made in the past. It is a photo that I hang in my booth at shows, and every once in a while I get someone who needs it. I really like how this one turned out. Thanks Anne Marie for the commission!

I must now go clean the blueberries off of my hands.