around here…

i’m not in a celebrating-the-holidays mood.  losing my sister in october and losing my father-in-law in february did not leave me in a party mood. our thanksgiving here was a quiet meal with my parents, my brother, and my nephew. (my husband lawrence was with his mother.)  it was quiet, peaceful, and simple.  we also had a small cake for my mom; that day was also her 79th birthday.

lawrence and i did visit Huntington Library again a couple of weeks ago. (read my other post about the gorgeous library and botanical gardens here.) this visit was more about just clearing our heads and getting some exercise, so i was not concerned about taking too many photographs…

zen garden, huntington library, nov. 2013(i love how lawrence’s shadow looks in this photo!)

huntingtonlibrary_nov2013_2we watched some ducks for a while…

huntingtonlibrary_nov2013_4bridge in the japanese garden…

so – not many pictures to share this time, but we enjoyed the day.  we even finally had lunch in the tea room: garlic shrimp spring rolls with jasmine tea.  it was delicious!

i haven’t been painting as much as i should be, but i did start up again.  funny thing – even though i don’t feeling much in the holiday spirit, i have been painting ornaments for my Etsy art shop – and enjoying it!

starpaintedwoodsparkleshinesetWMbirdwoodglitteryhotpinkHOLIDAYWM2birdwoodglitteryblueHOLIDAYWM2

i added a pretty metal heart charm on sheer ribbon around the birds’ necks…

birdwoodglitteryblueHOLIDAYWM3

birdwoodglitterygreenHOLIDAYWMif you’d like to see what i’ve been adding to my Etsy shop, please check it out – hopefully you’ll find some holiday gifts you can check off your list! ♥

black friday sale in my Etsy shop – all weekend!

why deal with crazy crowds and crazy people – shop online!

get 25% off my Etsy art shop THIS WEEKEND!!! use coupon code BLKFRIDAY25 at checkout to save. my way of saying “thank you!!!” to all of you for being here.
and please – feel free to share – i’d appreciate it! ♥
https://www.etsy.com/shop/susiecarranzastudio

BLKFRIDAYsale25%off2013

my wish for you…

trio of candles on window sill

tomorrow (thanksgiving day) will be a quiet day here.  it will be the first thanksgiving day without my father-in-law, and without my sister patty

I’ll be cooking a simple birthday dinner for my mom (her 79th birthday) & hanging out with my parents. I do want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday, surrounded by those who matter most to you.

remember what’s important.  life changes in an instant…

i leave you with these words:

          live with intention. walk to the edge. listen hard. practice wellness. play with abandon. laugh. choose with no regret. appreciate your friends. continue to learn. do what you love. live as if this is all there is. – Mary Anne Radmacher

until next time…♥

 

 

 

 

 

my sister patty…

it’s Dia de los Muertos time – a time i LOVE. the tradition, the colors, the altars…all the beautiful ways of celebrating the lives of loved ones no longer here on earth.

i  had planned to blog about Dia de los Muertos: share photos from events we planned to attend, share new Dia de los Muertos artwork, create a new altar and share with you…

then, on October 20th, 2013, we unexpectedly lost my sister Patty.

everything stopped.

i closed my Etsy shops indefinitely.  stayed off of Facebook.  retreated.  looked after my parents.

one day i’ll share with you the story of my sister Patty.  she was one of my biggest supporters.  she would go to my Etsy shop without telling me and buy LOTS of items – never asking for a discount, AND paying for shipping. (we live in the same house.)

as my brother Tommy best describes it – “your story is one of redemption, inspiration and love.

me & my sister patty at our old house

me & patty

i miss my sister.  whenever we have our own home and set up our altar once again, and when i’m ready, i’ll have a very special place for her.

rest in peace, patty.

marigolds

’tis the season – for Dia de los Muertos…

i love this time of year, when there are lots of events and shows celebrating Dia de los Muertos.  i was going to write about it, but realized i already did last year, which you can read at Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead: Honoring Loved Ones No Longer Here.  i also love creating pieces Dia de los Muertos style, like these hand painted & embellished mini wood coffins.  they’re perfect for keeping on your home altars for your loved ones who are no longer here, with space inside for small mementos or treasures.

hand painted and embellished mini coffins, Dia de los Muertos style

hand painted and embellished mini coffins, Dia de los Muertos style

i’m happy to say that the first three sold quickly after i posted photos on my facebook page – so i created more today:

mini wood coffins, hand painted and embellished Dia de los Muertos style

hand painted and embellished mini coffins, Dia de los Muertos style

here’s just a sampling of some of my DOD (Day of the Dead) work on our website:

DODartcollageArtesiteWM

and some from my Etsy shop:

DODartcollageEtsyWM

i learned so much about Dia de los Muertos from Annette Armas (i’ve mentioned her before, Annette of CJ’s Angels and our Arte de Nuestro Corazon business partner).  she creates Dia de los Muertos art like it should be:  beautiful, colorful, culturally-inspired, in a way that honors the tradition of celebrating loved ones no longer here.

check out some of Annette’s work for yourself, and let me know what you think:

work by Annette Armas

work by Annette Armas

Annette and her daughter Theresa also have a gorgeous 2014 calendar out right now, with 14 all new images, all Dia de los Muertos (the calendar is available for purchase right now at Arte de Nuestro Corazon, while supplies last!):

CJsAngelscalendars1WM

So – do any of you celebrate Dia de los Muertos?  what do you do?  if you have a related blog post, please share in the comments.  i’d love to see what you’re up to for Dia de los Muertos…