Paris Letters

I find it intriguing the way some people creatively make a living. Imagine having an unfulfilling job only to leave it (after careful planning) and going to Paris? That is exactly what Janice MacLeod did and as a result, she wrote her first book and memoir, Paris Letters.

This is a book you continue to ponder long after the last page is read. Without giving too much of the story away, the author decides to change the course of her life. In doing so, many unexpected gifts occur along the way.

Her journey leads the author to establishing her own business~~creating and writing “Paris Letters”~~yes, the snail mail kind. You can sign up to receive your very own Paris letter from the author~~either just one letter or a 6 to 12 month subscription.

In the day and age of social media and the internet, it is such a gift to receive a letter in the mail. Excitedly, I signed up to receive a year of Janice MacLeod’s monthly Paris letters. This can be done through Paris Letters Press on Etsy here.

If I didn’t read this book, I would have never known that a monthly subscription like this even existed!

I must admit I was waiting for the mail to come every day since I signed up…..and my painted letter arrived yesterday!

The envelope felt very Parisian, with lovely stamps.

Of course, how can one read a letter from Paris without having some French wine? It’s been so hot in Phoenix that only a very chilled bottle of rosé will do. Not the sweet one, but the dry version from Provence.

Isn’t this just beautiful?

Janice does the illustration in watercolor that accompanies the letter.

Wouldn’t this be a lovely gift for a relative or friend? If you know of someone who would appreciate getting a beautifully illustrated letter in the mail, this is perfect!

Since I enjoyed her first book so much, I just completed her second book, A Paris Year.

Unfortunately I read it on my Kindle while on vacation, therefore didn’t get to appreciate all the color pictures and illustrations in the book. If I were ever to go to Paris, I would bring this book as my guide. Janice goes through each day of the year detailing the sights, activities, and the nuances of Paris.

I received 3 things from this experience. 1) Found great books to read and lessons to contemplate; 2) Discovered Paris Letters and subscribed; 3) In my own way, I am helping a small, creative, business owner.

Happy Tuesday!

Gouache Paints

My dear friend, Susan, gave me a gift of gouache paints for my birthday. I had no idea what gouache paints are and am a bit reluctant to use them. However, I did bring the paints with me on vacation, thinking it is a wonderful time to try something new.

Supplies you will need

This gouache kit contains 24 artist colors and can be found here. In addition, Susan also provides me with an airtight paint palette (here) and aqua-flo brushes (here). For a minimal investment, you can start painting with gouache too!

And I can always use a watercolor paper journal! This one is 8″ x 8″ and can be found here.

What are Gouache paints?

Gouache paints are more opaque than watercolor. The opacity of gouache comes from the white pigment or chalk that is added along with the colored pigment and binder in order to make it less transparent. So like watercolor, you add water to determine the strength of the color. I have little to no experience in watercolor, so this was a bit of a stretch for me.

Since we have been enjoying time by the Pacific Ocean, I am inspired by this artwork from professional artist, Gail McCormack.

Creating a sketch

I first sketched the image on these watercolor 100% cotton sheets (in the art journal). The image above is rectangle, yet my sketch pad/watercolor sheets are 8″ x 8″. I tried to adjust the image to fit into the square space.

Mixing the Colors

This is the first time using this airtight palette. Apparently it keeps colors fresh for weeks, has a removable tray for easy cleaning, and can be used for oil paints as well. The individual wells make mixing colors and adding water easy and neat.

With a variety of colors to choose from the Reeves gouache kit, some are very familiar, and others I have not used before.

I mix a small amount of Blue Lake, Ultramarine, Medium Yellow, and white to get the sky color.

I quickly realize that watercolor goes on very differently than acrylics or oils. For me, it seemed a little harder to correct any mistakes. Next I paint in the ocean using a darker, richer shade of blue.

I struggle with making the sand color so light, as there is only one small tube of white paint, which I use sparingly.

Creating a proper flesh tone color is always interesting~~here I use yellow, white, and burnt sienna.

The fun part is painting the bathing suits and hats. I think the variety is cute and whimsical.

Finishing

Though I am not completely satisfied with it, here is the watercolor to date. Still trying to figure out if I can fix some of the glaring mistakes, but that may require some research.

But I’m happy taking the leap to try something new. If you are to compare the original by Gail McCormack, she has done a much better job with the values and colors. But heck, she’s a professional artist and I am just starting out. What I love about her painting is that she also captures the serenity of the sand and ocean with her softened edges.

I hope you are trying something new and creative this summer! That’s what summer is all about~exploring new adventures.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Happy Weekend!

I am writing this from the deck of our vacation destination in gorgeous Newport Beach, California. As I stare at the Pacific Ocean, I am feeling such gratitude for being here-out of the triple digit heat and high monsoon humidity of Phoenix.

The best part of being here is having this cherished time with my children. It’s funny how when they all get together they fall into childish ways~~teasing each other, and of course, teasing me more.

I know it is vacation time because I actually have fingernails. It’s the only time of the year that occurs. Even though I am washing dishes, doing laundry and all the normal household chores but in a different location, I must be less hard on my hands.

We’ve been coming to the same place every year, during the last two weeks in July. This may be our last year all together since our son will soon be moving to Washington, D.C. to start his new after college job. Though I’ve already made reservations for next year, I’m not sure who will be joining us. Bittersweet.

The mornings here are overcast and cool~~referred to as June Gloom. But by late morning or mid-day, the sun is out and the skies are blue.

I love the landscaping here as it has a very Italian, Tuscan feel. The buildings have terra cotta roofs and our room is called a villa. .

There are many fountains and koi ponds. I am quite amazed at how well-maintained this property is~~~it must take a cast of thousands to keep it so beautiful.

We are located directly on the Pacific Coast Highway with one of our favorite beaches across the street, Crystal Cove State Beach. This stretch of coastline was filmed in the movies, Beaches. Whether is is cloudy or sunny, it’s the perfect place to be.

I have been doing a great deal of reading. My daughter bought me a Kindle Fire for Christmas and I cannot believe how visible the page is in the sun.

And, of course, we have been eating lots of tasty food. One of our favorite restaurants is actually located right on the beach, the Beachcomber Cafe. It makes the most delicious beignets. While on vacation, one must indulge!

There is something about being near the ocean. It’s the smell of the sea, the sound of the waves, the sand between my toes~~~I can feel the stress just melt away. Unfortunately, living near the water in California is cost prohibitive to most of us ~~unless you have several million dollars to spend on a very small home. So I am joyous to have our 2 weeks a year here.

I hope your summer is filled with relaxation time. We all need it. I’m not very good at taking time to chill out and when I finally do it, I wonder what has taken me so long. Ah, the lazy days of summer…

Life away from Bella Terra

It has been a busy few weeks away from home with limited internet coverage (how nice!). Since I don’t have a staff to write blog posts for me, I am finally back home and now able to share my adventures.

The only glitch in the trip was the plane had to do an emergency medical landing in Memphis. Unfortunately one of the passengers died after valiant efforts by the crew and volunteers to resuscitate her. We missed our connection but the airline was very accommodating in getting us a later flight. After witnessing a crisis like that, you just count your blessings.

First stop: Connecticut. My sister has a lovely home in Old Saybrook right on the water…..such a treat for me as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the water.

Here is where I had my morning coffee. Lucky me. There is something about looking at the ocean-I can actually feel my stress melt away.

Each morning included brisk beach walks. I enjoyed the abundance of flowers and lush landscaping.

Here’s my future beach house. Here is my future beach house. Here is my future beach house. If I keep saying it over and over again, won’t it come true?

In Connecticut, I cannot resist the fresh, local seafood. Lobster, lobster and more lobster. Here we are having lunch at the marina at Saybrook Point Inn.

After a glorious trip to the beautiful shores of Connecticut and reconnecting with my siblings, we then flew into Philadelphia for my goddaughter’s wedding weekend.

We arrived in Collegeville (about an hour north of Philly). This town has an incredible public park called the Perkiomen Trail, which has 20 miles of walking, biking and hiking paths. The trail goes along the Schuylkill River and we completed a 4 mile walk on the morning of the wedding.

In spite of the high temperatures and high humidity, we all survived the late afternoon outdoor ceremony. The wedding reception was held indoors (thank goodness for air conditioning) in an old barn.

Back to Phoenix and less than 24 hours later, we were headed up to our mountain cabin for the 4th of July.

This PARADISE metal step, from an amusement park slide, greets us at the front door of the cabin. The weather was perfect with cool mornings and 75 degree temperatures during the day~~a significant change from the sweltering Phoenix heat.

When we were here in May, I discovered a bird’s nest in my geranium basket that hangs by the entrance. It was filled with these gorgeous blue eggs.

Now, the nest is empty with tiny pieces of blue egg shell in the bottom, so the baby birds have hatched and left the nest.

We had a full house for the July 4th holiday. What a joy to have all my children and their friends with us! Our neighborhood has a fun, homespun parade…the Bullfrog Loop parade, which celebrates our patriotism and freedom.

We are now back in Phoenix. Monsoon season is upon us so we are praying for much needed rain in Arizona. My daughter LOVES the rain!

I hope you are having a relaxing and fun summer! In a few weeks, all my children will be going their separate ways so I am cherishing each and every moment. I may not be blogging as much during this time but I will pick up the pace at the end of August.

Sending big summer hugs to all of you!

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Hiking in Sedona, Arizona

On late Saturday afternoon, my daughter, Elisabeth, suggested we go hiking the next day……in Sedona, Arizona (a mere 2.5 hour drive). Of course, I jumped at the chance to spend time with her and her best friend, Ella.

We left the house at 6:00 a.m. with an anticipated arrival time of 8:30 a.m.~ 30 minutes before the limited parking area opened. Well, after stopping for gas and snacks, we arrived at the lot at 9:06 a.m. to find it completely FULL. The attendant said that parking opened at 8:00 a.m. and the website was incorrect. Sigh. The closest parking was 1/2 mile away.

West Fork Trail is touted to be one of the best trails in Arizona and one of the top 10 trails in the United States. The trail is approximately 6.5 miles round trip and is rated easy. Although, there are a few areas where short uphill stepping stones are used.

It was a little disconcerting to see the sign about the possible rabid fox.

Even though it was rather early in the morning, the sun was up and shining!

If you aren’t familiar with Sedona, it is a beautiful destination filled with red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests. The town of Sedona is a popular tourist destination with several art galleries, shops, restaurants and hotels.

At the beginning of the trail, you pass through the ruins of the original Mayhew Lodge, which was operational from 1925 t0 1968. Some of its famous guests include President Herbert Hoover, Clarke Gable, Jimmy Stewart, and Walt Disney. The family who owned it sold it to The Forest Service in 1968. Unfortunately, it burned down in 1980 and the Forest Service was unable to rehabilitate it for $200,000. You can explore some of the remains….seems a bit sad since this is such an incredible location.

The trail wasn’t challenging from an elevation perspective, but the path was soft and sand-like. There are also numerous stream crossings (at least 13) which are done with stepping stones and logs.

The nice part of having two teenage girls on this hike is that they LOVED posing for pictures! Both wore bathing suits and were able to cool off in the chilly waters of Oak Creek. The stream flows gently, and the hike is very pleasant and relaxing – only occasional sunlight reaches the canyon floor so the trip is ideal for the hot summer months.

There were abundant gifts from nature along the way.

The West Fork trail is 3.3 miles one way. However, it is possible to continue through to the upper end of the creek, and meet with dirt roads in the Coconino National Forest. This is a 14 mile trip, and may involve some swimming of deep pools. We got turned around a bit because we weren’t paying attention to the trail markers, which are about every 1/2 mile. My guess is that our 6.6 mile trip turned into 9 miles as we may have gone beyond the end of the trail. Fortunately, we weren’t the only ones hiking and got directions from a couple who obviously knew where they were going.

By the time we hiked back to the car, we had completed a good 4 hours of hiking (including stops for swimming and picture-taking). With hot feet and hungry stomachs, we stopped at The Indian Gardens Market and Cafe in Oak Creek. The sandwiches were delicious and sitting for the 2.5 hour drive home was welcomed. I LOVED spending the day with my daughter and her friend, who feels like a daughter. I am a lucky person.

Key Points:

Arrive as early as possible. Even though the park’s parking lot states online they open at 9:00 a.m., they really open at 8:00 a.m. Finding any parking in the area is challenging.
Bring lots of water. In spite of the plentiful shade, stay hydrated.
Prepare to cross water, so wear water shoes, or ones you don’t mind getting wet.
Sunscreen always
Fire Danger is high~Stage 3 when we were there. Surprisingly we saw someone smoking on the trail (really?). Please be aware of fire restrictions.
The trail is squishy and sandy and my hip felt it the next day.
Wearing a bathing suit was a plus for the girls-they loved cooling off in the creek
Pay attention to the trail markers, especially if you continue beyond the marked trail.
We didn’t have any issues with insects
It’s $10.00 to park at the trailhead. If you walk in, it’s $2.00 per person.

For more information on the West Fork Trail, click here.

Happy Hiking!

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It’s Been A Year!

A year ago today, I sent my first blog post of Life at Bella Terra. It was an intimidating moment, because I thought “who would ever want to read this?” I don’t consider myself a very good writer and I’m really trying to improve upon that. But your words of encouragement have brought me back to the computer to post again and again. If it wasn’t for your kindness and support, it would have been easy to just quit. Thank you for your loyalty and feedback and comments. Truly. From the bottom of my heart.

Each time I send out an email letting you know I’ve created a new post, I am praying you find it interesting, enlightening or even motivating. I try to share a small piece of loveliness in hopes that I can brighten your day. As I look out into the world, I believe we each need to find sources of joy and create our own beauty. Whether it be feeling the warmth from a freshly picked tomato, or the scent of a homegrown flower, these moments of perfection can only help feed the soul.

Blogging for me, is a chance to stop and capture a sliver of time, an exquisite photo or a recipe that bursts with flavor. Plus it is forcing me to attack those cluttered corners of the house or undone projects while showing you my progress. But I can honestly say, I am still a long way from feeling confident about creatively illustrating that to you. But I will keep trying.

So here is a look back at the year and some of my favorite photos and posts.

My very first blog post was about the New York Times Bestselling author, Rhys Bowen and the fundraising English tea we had here at Bella Terra.

And other events we happily hosted here…..

Recipes shared…..

My Renovations and Restorations….

Travel and leisure…..

Decorating and Design…

The holidays….

Cleaning, Organizing, and Updating…

Sharing our home and yard….

My attempt at art….

Flower arranging..

Our pets…

And a few DIYs….

My online store….

There is still so much to learn, especially better photography, writing and getting my watermarks the same size on every photo. So thank you again for following me and sharing my blog with others.

PLEASE send in your comments~~What area of interest would you like for me to expand? What are your favorite topics? How often should I post (trying to do a maximum of twice per week)? What can I do to be better for you? My goals for the next year are to do a contest or giveaway and conduct a real survey into your likes and interests.

Here’s to one year and onto the next!! I couldn’t have done it without you.

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