a new chapter

lots has happened since my last blog post/ teddy bear offering (mr. baggins).

one major highlight was me and Rob's  --10 yr belated-- honeymoon to Kauai! it was a dream come true, being my first time there. these pics were taken from our February trip.

in other big news... we have up and moved from Chicago to Connecticut earlier this month after what seemed like an eternity in the making. being close to our families (CT and PA) is wonderful. we have downsized from a 2000 sf home to a 650 sf rental house in the quaint beach town of Niantic, where Rob grew up. life here is good :)

with this new chapter of our lives.. i am closing this blog which archives my Chicago years. bookmark it, as i will keep it up as an archive.

i will begin a fresh blog to document my new surroundings and projects. watch for the link to be posted here when its up.

thanks for stickin by me! hope you're having an awesome summer!

xoxo

Hugglets Show Report

Greetings from stand #53 at Hugglets UK bear festival! thanks to all who stopped by and adopted Peng Peng bears! you made it another fantastic year at Hugglets. i'm holding the largest pointy-nosed hedgie bear i have ever made (adopted).

a day in heaven for arctophiles. people came from all over the world to celebrate bear collecting. it was a pleasure to meet collectors old and new, and to catch up with fellow bear artists and share a laugh. i was able to sneak away from my stand for a few minutes to peruse 3 floors of temptations. as expected, there was a mind-boggling assortment of artist bears, antiques, bear supplies and all things teddy related.

 some funny characters...

and some more funny characters... me with Art Rogers of Chatham Village Bears
many wares for teddies to wear

and signs that rhyme  
my favorites are the quirky elder bruins. the one on the right was my fave

antique bears from the Old Bear Company UK. a very sweet balding Merrythought Cheeky pictured center.

bruised and bandaged bears with heaps of personality

this fellow had this teddy bear since he was 5 years old, if i remember correctly. he did all the repairs himself. the face patches are soft poly fleece. i always find it interesting to see the personal bears that folks bring to the show for a teddy bear outing. Hugglets was a magical event and we hope to return in the future.     Post-show: after Hugglets we traveled by train to Paris, France to stay with a friend for 4 nights, then took another train to Munich, Germany for 3 nights.. including an excursion to the Barvarian Alps village of Mittenwald. a whirlwind euro-trip for this otherwise self-employed shut-in :P i will post a few pics from our trip in the coming days. my feet are still recovering and i cannot even look at my pair of Doctor Martens without wincing ;} get ready for a pre-halloween/ post-Hugglets bear update by end of this month.

back in the u.s.s.a

hello! we are back from Hugglets/ London-Rome trip! we explored from Marble Arch, London to marble arches of Rome, Italy. here are few pics from the eternal city... yes, everywhere looks like that; fountains with fresh potable water piped down from the hills via ancient aqueducts, huge old marble sculptures, frescoes/ mosaics, cafes and shops along narrow cobblestone streets. it was our first time there and it was just how i imagined it. yesterday we had a 9+ hour flight from Roma with a 4 hour layover in New Jersey, then a 2 hour flight to Chicago, and finally a cab ride home. we've been on every mode of transportation except a pogo stick! so today we are taking it easy and getting unpacked.

i know you must be eagerly awaiting some Hugglets photos/ show report! i'll tell you all about it tomorrow once i sort through my photos. meantime, enjoy the 2011 festival pics on the Hugglets web site- click on any photo for slide show and see my spirit bear necklace display on photo #27 and me posing with a sock monkey #77.

now for a pot of tea and start reducing the mountain of laundry. more to come! :)

london calling

i'd be safe and warm...

...if i was you-know-where.
hey there! we're back from our week long california trip and readjusting to chicago weather (boo-hoo). as one often feels after a trip, i am simultaneously rejuvenated and exhausted. we had a wonderful time staying with friends in pasadena, visiting art museums, gardens, malibu, topanga, and had what may possibly be the best pad thai ever.

march is around the bend! i'm planning for my march bear update and have some shop orders to complete. and *new* ePatterns will be in my etsy shop before end of this month. lots to look forward to!

pretty girls make graves

i came across this tender children's grave in harkness park, connecticut. the diminutive tombstones were protected by the wise and twisted limbs of a pair of hundred year old japanese trees.

little annie especially touched my heart...

if you listen tonight, you may hear the children giggling and playing upon the stone bench.
happy haunting on this hallowe'en!

homeward bound...

...under the neon sky.
we made it in late last night from our week long trip out east visiting family.
lots of unpacking and catching up to do.
it's good to be back in chicago (and out of a moving vehicle) though i miss the dark starry skies of connecticut and pennsylvania.
while we were gone, the mammoth sunflower finally bloomed, the green tomatoes were ripening indoors, the BBQ grill blew off the deck from a storm and an aster just uprooted and tumbled away. must've been pretty windy cos i found a leaf in the bathtub!
going to a costume party tonight. have no idea what i'll wear- i always throw stuff together at the last minute. what are your trick or treating plans?
talk soon.. xoxo

these made me smile

painted rock at uncas lake, CT

wild slippers caught on camera! person also had a cigarette dangling from mouth and carrying mail, just so you get the full effect :)

two girls; Tuesday and me. although blurry, i think it's sweet. a lot of unplanned similar dressing happened during our trip. my mom and step mom both wore identical colors (complex colors, not just a solid) at my dad's memorial service.

Rob at uncas lake, the place he learned to swim as a child | a balcony view of a beach house in connecticut.

it was an emotional trip out east, to my dad's memorial service in PA and to rob's aging parents in CT. thought our visit was under sad circumstances, there was brightness and laughter too:

• i caught up with relatives i haven't seen since the 80's
• had lunch with an hilarious 73 y.o. uncle at a jewish deli
• helped my mom clear out her closet (for stuff to go into my closet ;)
• rode bikes along a nature trail and came across an historic silent film studio
• swam in uncas lake (with my behatted head above water)
  
• gazed at stars by the beach
• kayaked one peaceful sunny morning
• enjoyed an ice cream cone under the shade of a tree
  
• played with an adorable pair of 8 week old kittens
  

simple moments that bring joy. may our days be filled with them.

p.s. thanks for all your heartfelt comments/ emails/ phone calls/ sympathies about my dad. i am touched and honored to have friends like you.

Into the Wild (and I'm talking about mohair too)

just for comparison sake:

Here's the final installment of our Sanibel, Florida adventure! The Bailey Tract refuge, the 'wildest' area we visited, for sure. Self-guided walking tour only; no fences, barriers, cars or bikes. You're on your own (and we loved it!). At the onset of our walk, the sky darkened rapidly, a swirling wind was blowing with hawks circling overhead. Oh no, tropical downpour? We couldn't decide whether to run back to the car or continue walking. Luckily just a few drops fell and the clouds passed. A highlight during our walk was encountering a resting alligator...alas my mission is complete! (FYI, I used the zoom on my camera for the alligator, and all the animal shots during our trip). Sanibel, a special place I'd love to visit again :)

Hope you enjoyed the posts about our trip! The only other time I've been to Florida was in the 80's, the height of my goth phase, squeezed in a car with the family + much younger cousins. The highlight of that trip was a sun-blister on my face and skull jewelry I got in Disney World. If you catch my drift.
I owe a huge thanks to my man Rob, trip planner extraordinaire and being my assistant at the bear shows. It wouldn't be possible without him :)

So from dangerous big alligator to harmless mini Spirit Bears! I just posted 4 NEW one-of-a-kinds in the shop this morning. These odd-shaped cuties are waiting to bring you good luck!

Also, I'll be posting 2 NEW crazy-color-dyed mohair bears on my web site today!! Will be sending out an e-mail announcement to my special mailing list when they're up. Aaaand, TOMORROW, which is the 10th.. you know what that means: a new PFATT Marketplace update! There will be a very unique elephant, a *new* smaller design in glorious multicolored mohair! It's been a long time since I made an ellie, so I hope this one~and the new bears today~ tickles your heart :)

Sanibel: Sunrise, Sunset

Foggy morning to brilliant sunset, one magical day on the beach at Sanibel Island. Zero street lights, traffic lights or billboards. Nature lovers paradise :) We stayed in a tiny efficiency cabin right on the beach. I've never seen so many shells, and some were alive! Even though it was too cold to swim, we had a lovely time just enjoying the serenity. Shelling is a popular thing to do on this beach, live shelling is prohibited. Here's my little collection:

Going through all the photographs takes a lot longer than I thought. So stay tuned for the final installment of our trip... which will include a crocodile!

Swamps and Giant Birds

Something to warm up this first day of March! Here's some post-Tampa bear show adventures. Right after the show ended, we headed south to Naples then to Sanibel Island.

This is the Florida we wanted to see:

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Naples, Florida.
The raised boardwalk trail winds through several distinct ancient habitats. A truly magical, majestic place. Not a single bug bite!

This gave me a chuckle. Fortunate I guess, that we did not come across any bear poo.

J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel, Florida.
We walked the trail day one, then explored further on bikes day two. Costs $1 to enter. Birds galore! Do click this picture to enjoy it large:

Tomorrow I will show you more of "natural" Florida! Sea shells, sand and sunsets... (sigh)