National Portrait Gallery

One of the perks of having friends in a large city is avoiding touristy places and being introduced to new and interesting things you may not discover on your own; still, every now and then it's fun to just be a tourist and visit the popular attractions!  On a recent trip to DC for our good friends' wedding, we all decided to visit the National Portrait Gallery to see the Mingering Mike exhibit (very amusing), and we ended up staying for several hours.  I took about a billion pictures, but it's impossible not to when you're surrounded by such beautiful art.

If you find yourself in Washington, D.C. with several hours to kill, I strongly recommend a visit!  DC is only about 3 hours from me, which is perfect for a weekend trip, but a little bit of a drive just to visit a gallery for an evening, so when I just now discovered that an Elaine de Kooning exhibit was opening this Friday, I just about cried thinking I would miss it.  Although, in my defense, the near-cry could just be a by-product of these pregnancy hormones.

be still, my beating heart.

i found this shop a little while back whilst searching for something else (what, i don't know, probably because it wasn't as amazing), and i knew i had to share! sometimes, when you find something so incredible beyond words, do you start dreaming about how you could incorporate it into you home/outfit/life? i know i do, and all i can think about is how the mantle in my living room will look bare without one of these amazing birds. oh, and i included one that wasn't a bird just to mix things up a little. *wink*

seriously, i need to think of some way i can make some extra money so i can buy one of these for myself for christmas! WHOA! i've seen a lot of bird sculptures made from wire, fabric, papier mache, etc., but i think it's fair to say abigail brown wins. hands down.

and this is something that's been on my mind for a while now. in addition to making and selling my jewelry, i also do some freelance web design, graphic design, occasional wedding photography, and i have a part time job. although no one in my family seems to understand no matter how many times i tell them (can you tell i get a little annoyed?!), my days are busy. i have so many new ideas for jewelry, new ideas for tote bags, websites i'd like to be able to get started on for people, etc., etc., etc., but that part time job really gets in the way of my productivity. i know i shouldn't complain since it's only part time, but i hate it. i loathe it with every fiber of my being and i can't wait until the day i can walk away and never look back. i feel like i lose SO much time working on my own ventures on the days that i work there, and i'm just frustrated. to those of you that have a job outside of the home and also run your own business or businesses, how do you find the time to make it all work without losing sleep, taking time away from your spouse, or giving up the free time you use to exercise, see friends, etc.? is there a balance or am i fighting a losing battle? i'd love to hear your input and advice.

that's all for now; kona is growling, barking, twitching, and just about to get up and run in his sleep, so to keep him from ending up like this dog, i'd better wake him up!

deck my walls, bitte.

well, here's my problem... i spent about a half an hour on tuesday morning looking at interior design blogs, and of course i was left wanting to redo my entire house. it's a slippery slope; i look for inspirations, which is good, but then i get hooked and next thing i know an hour has passed and i have too many ideas that require way too much money! something i think can totally transform a room is a piece of art, and the best place to go, in my opinion, if you're looking for unique and amazing art is etsy. so i've been cyber stalking. big time. here are a few things i'd love to have, and of course i'm imagining a total room makeover based solely on the print or sculpture...

find these beauties here, from the top: sundaypunch, wyattellison, rosegolden, leahduncan, dkruegerbotanicart.

where do you go for art? is there something you can't get enough of, or plan an entire room around?