I have been on vacation for almost 2 weeks now. I have been catching up on my life, which includes watching movies, spending time with my family and friends, and making some new art. Also, I am falling in love with fashion and sewing again! As a kid who grew up in the 70's, I am re-discovering some classic fashion styles and icons such as Ali MacGraw, Faye Dunaway, Jane Fonda, and Diane Keaton. Although I was a pre-teen when "Love Story" came out, I SO fell in love with the movie, book, and especially, Ali MacGraw's style. This trailer is great even if for nothing else, just to look at her timeless style.

Although I have seen some really wonderful movies this past year (and of course, none of them are current movies you can see at a movie theater), my favorite that I saw in 2010 is called "La Mission", with Benjamin Bratt. "La Mission" is about a Latino father coming to grips with his teenage son being gay. When we lived in San Francisco, we spent a lot of time in the Mission neighborhood. It felt like being back home in L.A. every time we ventured to "Pancho Villa's" or to Mission Dolores for Sunday mass. The colors and smells of the neighborhood conjured images of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. Anyway, besides being a terrific movie about the struggle to find acceptance and a sense of belonging, the movie is a wonderful and loving valentine to the Mission District.

If you check out my blog, I have a very interesting link called "Style Rookie" by Tavi Gevinson. I have been following this blog for the last year-and-a-half. What makes this blog SO interesting is that it brings together art and fashion as seen through the eyes of its blogger, a 14-year-old girl named "Tavi". I have been obsessed with fashion since I can remember! Maybe it's because I went to a private school for 8 years and had to wear a uniform. Maybe it's because both of my parents were clothes-horses. Or maybe it is the artist in me! As a young girl, in my pre-teen years, I fell in love with Ali MacGraw's classic, yet simple elegance. By the time I saw "Love Story" as an 11 year-old, I was hooked!

If you take a look at these 2 shots of Ali MacGraw, you could swear her look is current and today! This is what great style does. It NEVER makes you look trendy! Growing up, I wanted to be Ali MacGraw, but I didn't have the straight hair, or the body, or the crooked front tooth smile, or really anything else of hers to be able to pull it off. Her approach to wearing sportswear has really influenced my look over the years. I learned at a very young age to invest in timeless pieces that I could use over and over. My approach to fashion has always been to buy something that has a lot of life to it. And maybe, who knows, 20 years from now, someone will look at a photo of me and say, "That outfit looks SO right now!"

During Thanksgiving break, I started working in a new journal. I was given this Frida leather journal almost 2 years ago, as a birthday gift. I altered the front cover and have actually gotten the first few pages completed on the inside.

The first 4 months of work have been SO fast-paced and chaotic that there hasn't been any time to create much art. I have completed the first 6 pages in my Frida book. Now that I have a little free time (not as much as I would like), I am hoping to get a little further along in this book.

It has been an incredibly busy 4 months! I am ever so grateful for some time off and an opportunity to re-charge. However, before I get to blogging about some recent art I have created, I want to say a few words about my dear friend, Carol Parks who passed away recently. These photos are snapshots of her backyard. Every time I visited Carol's home, whether it was to take a class or for her annual Valentine's Day tea, Carol always managed to pull out all of the stops for anyone who was fortunate to be included. Carol made everyone feel at home. Carol made every thing look SO easy! Every last detail was taken care of and she made it all look like it was effortless when in fact, it was very time-consuming. She was an incredibly generous, creative, and fascinating woman! And oh, what a friend...

Not only was Carol a special friend to me, she was a patron saint to several artists she hosted at her home. I can't speak for anyone except myself, but if it hadn't been for Carol, I most likely would never have gotten an opportunity to take such wonderful classes with the likes of Traci Bunkers, Juliana Coles, and Lynne Perrella. My job makes it almost impossible to take time off for classes and because I could never get to Artfest or other venues across the country because of my work schedule, Carol hosting workshops @ her home gave me a chance to take classes with some of the best artists out there. When I look at these shots I took of Carol's patio and backyard, they seem to personify Carol. These chairs among the beautiful, vibrant colors, beckon you to take a seat, take a load off, to slow down, and enjoy the moment. Just like Carol did... Carol, you will be sorely missed.