East Bay Depot for ReUse...

Another reuse center located here in the Bay Area... The East Bay Depot is AWESOME!!! The director Linda Levetsky is so nice, and so supportive of the community. We (Shannon and I) went in there and talked to her today. She donated a bunch of fabric to us to be used to make reuseable shopping bags. The girls at the girls center will help me make them, along with some sewing experts. We plan on selling them at the store, and at Art in the Park in August. The proceeds will go to help fund the art program. We are also starting a recycle drive. Collecting cans and bottles from friends and family and companies. The money from the recycle program will also help fund the art program.

So check out the East Bay Depot, and see what treasures await you. I always find such cool stuff there... But if you see it, buy it, because it will all be new stuff the next time you go...

Smoke and San Francisco

Southbound on 101 heading to S. San Francisco. You can see me in the reflection on the back of the truck in my white Yukon

Shot on sports mode by holding up the camera and pressing the button. This was the only shot of Coit Tower that turned out.

The name on this truck just cracked me up... no significance beyond it made me laugh.

This was also shot on sports mode and was the only one to come out with the Transamerica building centered between the cables, and with a decent shot of the skyline. Hey, I DID have to watch the road... I just pressed the shutter button and took like 30 photos... I think these photos are not bad, considering I didn't once look in the viewfinder.

These were all snapped while driving (don't tell anyone) across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco... Looks like a normal day in San Francicso, right/ WRONG... it is not fog, but SMOKE you see there... (with a little fog mixed in) from all the fires we have burning up and down the state... I drove with the top down on the convertable and my lungs hurt from breathing in all the smoke... It didn't seem that bad just looking at it, but I did get a lot of soot in my eyes as well... So no going topless for a while... The air feels like when I go to LA... We are not used to air we can see up here like they are in LA... The fact that the valley we live in is like a bowl surrounded by foothills and a mountain doesn't help, all the smoke stays trapped in the valley... We have had cooler temperatures and winds, which are helping... Now if we can just get the fires to stop... We might actually have clean air again by maybe Labor Day Weekend...

Fashion Shows and Bonfires....

Saturday was a busy day. In the morning we got up early to prepare for the Girls Center Fashion Show. Both my daughters were in the show. We started hair and makeup at 8am, arrived at the center at 9:30 and it was a frenzy of curling, pressing, hairspray, quick changes and giggling. I have been working with the girls for a few weeks altering dresses, and helping with the other Auxiliary ladies and the Soroptimists in fitting and finding clothes for all the girls. We had 12 girls from the center, and 7 extras, the librarians at the Juvenile hall, my girls, an auxiliary volunteer, and a couple of girls of the other volunteers in the program. Megan was slow to get on board with the idea, but she was really glad she participated. The head of Volunteers in Probation was impressed with Megan and wants her to be a Jr. Volunteer, until she turns 21 in a little over a year. She will be a peer counselor with the girls. Kayleigh was thrilled to be able to participate. She chose all her outfits with such thought and care. I only have these photos because cameras were not allowed for security reasons. The girls are all protected under the juvenile offender privacy act. I wish I could show you the pictures of these young ladies, and what a boost it is for them and their self esteem. It is also good for my girls to see the difference that having active, involved parents in your life can make. They appreciate me more. The girls at the center see my girls as an example of what they could do with their own lives if they made different choices.

Dress rehearsal Wednesday was so cute.. All of them with their hair in various stages of being done... Some with weaves hanging half done in the hair, some with little ponytails all over their heads, and some with do rags and shower caps on... all in formal evening gowns with their high heels... They were so excited, all the primping and preparation was so worth it. These are girls who come from difficult situations. They are wards of the court for various reasons, and sentenced to serve 6, 9 or 12 months. They all have mentors, who coach them on positive life skills, encourage them, and help them with the transitions from life on the street to completing high school, getting jobs, and graduating from the program to be productive members of society. It is amazing to see these young women blossom and grow under this program. I feel so honored to be a part of it.. Here are my girls after the fashion show. It was over 100 degrees and they were roasting in the sun, but humored me enough to snap these two pictures at least. I am so proud of them.

Then in the evening, it was off to a San Juan party at our friend Juan and Neves' house in Sunnyvale. We met them through the Catalan Society here in the Bay Area. Many people from the Catalonia region of Spain and also other parts of Spain all belong to the group. Many Spanish festivals were originally pagan celebrations, that were changed to religious festivals when Spain was christianized. This festival is a summer solstice party. It is in celebration of St. John the Baptist. In Spain, people gather (usually at a beach) and cook a big Paella, and dance and drink and sing all night. They light the bonfire after the food is done, and you write the things you want to be rid of for the year, throw it in the fire, then you make a big wish, and jump the bonfire to make your wish come true. In Spain, the parties usually start at 10 and go until morning, when everyone runs and jumps into the ocean to cleanse themselves (the St. John Part)

Last year, a neighbor wished for two children, and within a few months, they found out they were expecting.... twins!!! We saw the babies, 8 weeks old, at the party, living proof of the power of these rituals. The kids have the most fun, lining up over and over to jump the fire... at first it is all about the wish and throwing the paper in the fire, then two dads will help each child jump the fire... After one little girls 15th trip, one guy asked "Aren't you out of wishes yet?" she just smiled and said, "Yeah, but I like the jumping part best.." After, the guys get out their guitars and play music. We had all kinds of songs played, from I been working on the railroad to You are my Sunshine to Flamenco songs and Boleros and Spanish campfire songs and even Baby Beluga... After each song, you must shout "Ole" really loud... Much Cava and Sangria and Mojito's later... we didn't get home until 3 in the morning... which by Spanish standards is WAY too early... It was fun. I love exposing the kids to other cultures and sharing other customs with them.

Camping and Wine Tasting

The pond and picnic areas at Kunde

Pascual and the picnic bags at Kendall-Jackson

The front of Kandall-Jackson. The gardens are beautiful. Juanito and Laurita

Chateau St. Jean

Pascual's famous Paella was even better cooked over a campfire

Caught unexpectedly washing the dishes

The proud chef posing with his creation. Top Chef, here he comes!

The Spanish, Mexican, American delegation on the third bottle of wine after setting up camp.

I have spent all my life camping for vacations. Those who know my dad know what an outdoorsman he is. Most of my family vacations as a kid were camping trips. We usually had a few friends with us... We would run through the hills howling like coyotes, shooting BB guns, following streams up and downriver to discover cool ponds and swimming holes. I think that is where I get my love of nature and the mountains... I automatically relax as soon as I see trees and hills.

Pascual and I went camping this weekend in Sonoma with our friends Juan and Laura. This is the first camping trip we have taken without kids. It was great because we went wine tasting in Santa Rosa and Sonoma... man... I think I will never go to Napa Valley again. Sonoma is much more laid back. The wineries all have great picnic spots, and they don't require you to purchase the stuff in their deli. The prices on the wines are cheaper, and the country is beautiful like the Silverado Trail side of Napa Valley. It was 1/2 hour past Infineon Raceway.... We went to Franciscan, Hook & Ladder, Chateau St. Jean, Blackstone, Kendall-Jackson, Kunde, Martenelli, V-Sattui, Robert Mondavi and Niebaum Coppola. We didn't taste at the last 3 (all in Napa Valley) but we bought some picnic stuff and had a nice picnic at V. Sattui, one of the only places to picnic at in Napa... (as long as you buy food in their deli) Kendall Jackson has lovely gazebos in the garden for picnics, and Kunde has a lovely picnic area by a pond under big oak trees. Chateau St. Jean is BEAUTIFUL and I could have spent the whole afternoon there. They have a deli and nice picnic grounds as well...

On Sunday, we took Trinity Road over to Napa. went up highway 29, had a picnic at V. Sattui and then drove up 29 to Petrefied Forest Road and took it back over to highway 12 in Santa Rosa. We wound up back at camp, drank a bottle of wine and then packed up and headed home... Aside from some harassment from the Park Ranger (we are convinced she didn't like Mexicans) the place we camped was really awesome. There are no showers though, and a longer trip would have been difficult without showers... As it was, washing in the faucet outside made me feel like a pioneer... Pascual said we smelled like Gypsies... when I asked what he meant, he said, "They smell like woodsmoke from outdoor fires...." I keep forgetting that his European references are so different from ours... I have never been that close to a rural Gypsy to really know... I did go to a Flamenco show in Madrid that was full of gypsy men, but they were all sharply dressed and incredibly beautiful men... I didn't notice any woodsmoke smell, but then I was too enamoured over how beautiful they all were, and was mesmerized with their incredible dancing...

Anyway... Sonoma county is AWESOME... If you have never been, be sure to go there FIRST before going to Napa. I love Napa, don't get me wrong, but I think I am loving Sonoma more now...!

Graduations, Weddings and family

My baby girl Kayleigh graduated from Elementary school and is off to Jr. High next year... Zack graduated Jr. High and is off to High School, next year. Austin will be a Junior and Megan is moving out and transferring to school and Starbucks in Berkeley. All my little chicks are growing up... I have no photo of Zack at his graduation... He was so excited to go hang out with his friend Max and Max's dad, he bailed on his whole family that was there to see him graduate... so we have only this photo of him getting his diploma... I am still steamed about it... The scrapbooker mom, with no photo to show of such an event... Oh well... Here is all of us minus Zack at Kayleigh's graduation... He was at his 8th grade graduation dance...

My cousin Erica got married to a wonderful guy named Sam. Here is a photo of them I took at their reception. I have never seen her more beautiful, and happy. Isn't it amazing, how love and being in love makes you more attractive? Not that she was ever ugly, but now she is radiant... I am so happy for her!

Here are some pictures of some family members at the wedding. These are some of my first cousins with their spouses. They are all the kids of my mothers siblings, and some of their kids... It is so fun when we all get together. we have a great time catching up, and have talked about having a big blowout camping / boating trip this summer like we used to in the old days when we were all little. Kayleigh and Zack were in baby heaven playing with all their little cousins. These babies look so much like their parents, all of whom I used to babysit... I love seeing the generations growing and having kids... Getting together, we all get to have so much fun watching our kids play together... Man, family is great!

Acrylic Albums and COOL Recycled Art

OK... I am trying to think outside the box more... I was inspired yesterday when I went to Starbucks and saw some sculpture art created with a glue gun and the different cups, straws, and plastic and paper waste. The photos are trapped in my phone. I need the cable thingie to transfer them. Let me just say... AMAZING!!! The art was really incredible... A motorcycle and airplane and some flowers made with cups, straws and cup sleeves. I will figure out how to get them off my phone and post them here soon...

I am getting a large donation of 3 ring binders from a corporation... I am thinking of how to deconstruct them and recreate and repurpose them to be some kind of altered art album kit thing... hmmmm... let me get out my xacto's and craft knives and see what I can come up with... I know they are made of chipboard, and covered in vinyl... If I rip the covers off and remove the chipboard and hole punch it.... My kids call me the Dr. Frankenstein of book buyers. I always rip them apart and combine pages and parts from other books... I guess that would be a good analogy... But I think my experiments are much cooler (and prettier) than Dr. F's monster... My Monster Books and Monster Board are way cool... hey... there is a name for my Frankensteined books!!! OK... I gotta photograph them and post them tonight or over the weekend...

I am pondering the whole acrylic album thing. I want to do one, but I want to use recycled materials for it.... I will put my thinking cap on and post the results here soon! Anyone have any other recycled art ideas they would like to share?

Freecycle, Craigslist and the kindness of strangers

I posted an add on Craigslist for Magazines, and got this HUGE collection of 25 years worth of National Geographics from a generous young man in El Cerrito. I also received 400 architectural magazines from an architect in San Francisco, thanks to my art sista Michele for picking them up and storing them for me until June so I don't have to make a trip to the city! I also asked for fabric and sewing supplies. I have recieved 3 bags of fabric, 2 sewing machines and 4 boxes of patterns from generous donors. I have been clearing out the yard at the Hall Closet by listing things on Freecycle. If you don't know about freecycle, you should. Go to Yahoo groups and join the freecycle in your area. I belong to five of them in my immediate area. They are listed by city. You can ask for something you need and offer something you want to get rid of. It is AWESOME!!! I even found out that Vicki, another Alterd Diva lives really close to me... she saw my add on freecycle. It is a great way to get rid of things without taking them to the dump or leaving them on your sidewalk with a free sign. I have only been unloading so far... but I intend to check it out and see if I can get some things I have been needing.

So in the interest of promoting the green/recycle/repurpose message, check out freecycle. See what you can get rid of, and what you can find that you have been needing. I love the concept! Please post your stories here. i love to hear about other peoples finds!

Been busy....

Working on "The Project" and decluttering our life... We are downsizing again... (big sigh) and I am moving all my art crap into a storage container at the closet to make room in my life. We are having a big garage sale Saturday to unload a bunch of stuff. Everything left over after the sale goes to the closet. I am doing flowers for a cousin's wedding on Sunday, and then we are off to finish clearing out the storage units before the end of the week. I hope to have one completely empty, and the other two pared down to a smaller sized one by the end of the month. This has been a large, ongoing, endless process.... So this is why I haven't posted much this past week. The funny thing is, for every box of "stuff" I get rid of, I feel myself getting lighter... I love the clearing out... I love piling everything in a box and taking it to the closet, where they can put it up for sale and the money goes to a good cause. I love that my junk has a purpose and is passed on to someone else who is looking for cool things. I love that I am learning to let go and be OK with it... Why am I holding on? Let it go and let it flow is my new motto... and boy does it feel good!

On another great note... the kids at the county day school are BEGGING for me to come back! That makes me feel so good! I am scouring the internet for cool projects we can do with them that will be fun and thought provoking. I think we will start an art journal... and I will teach them different techniques... I have a luncheon coming up again with the probation dept. End of school is in 2 weeks, then the Fashion Show with the girls at Chris Adams Girls Center... and still the big job of finishing up the biz plan so I can file legal docs and start applying for grant funding. Things are great, I am super busy, and have very little time to create anything... but I guess, creating this art program is a pretty big creation in itself. Thanks to my new best friend Danita Lyn, my cohort in this whole thing. My CIO and main sounding board. She makes things so much easier for me... just by being my friend!

Anniversary

Some of you know about my fairy tale weddings. I met the man of my dreams on line when he lived in Barcelona, and we had an internet friendship for 6 months before we met in person. We were engaged 3 weeks after we met, and married 3 months later. It was fast, but it was perfect. We had 3 weddings... All of them unique and really special to us. The legal one was in Hawaii in November, and the 2nd one was in May at my parents house, and the third was in Spain, with all his family. Many people thought we were crazy to get married so many times. I kinda thought so too, but it was fun... The second was for the kids, they wanted to be a part of it.. the third was for him. He had never been married before, and he wanted a big wedding in Spain with all his family and friends. What's a gal to say? I look at it this way, I got 3 weddings, 3 honeymoons, 4 dresses, 3 wedding rings, and it only took ONE husband! I am truly blessed.

Now, mind you, our life has not all been a bed of roses.. It was a fairy tale, but more along the lines of Shrek and Fiona than Cinderella and Prince Charming. There were obsticles to overcome, years of conditioning to change, feelings that needed to be shared and resolved. There were tears and heartbreak and loss, but within all of that, there was great love, and magic and miracles. His is my biggest miracle. A partner who is so much like me sometimes, it scares me. A man who will take more than anyone ever has from me, and still stand there in the middle of the wreckage I create and tell me "I am here. I'm not leaving. I love you and we will get through this." Whether it is working together, traveling, cooking, garage saleing, shopping, or just lying in bed reading books... we fit perfectly. He is my soul mate, and all the things I wanted in a partner, and so much more I didn't even KNOW I wanted.

Just when I thought I would never find love. In my darkest hour, when I had no hope, and thought I would be alone forever... he came bebopping into my life. Anyone who has ever watched him walk knows, he bebops... A cute little bouncy step like a child. Sometimes, my love of him consumes me... it fills me so completely that I can't see anything else. It is scary, and thrilling and comforting all at the same time. and here we are, still just as much in love as we were on the first day... Here are some photos of us at our various weddings. Today is the 2nd of our third anniversaries.

Mother's Day Riches

I received an email from several people about motherhood today. A beautiful poem about before I was a mom, I never did... all the things we moms do for love of our children. I was feeling very open and raw and vulnerable today. Emotions were right up in my throat. I cried several times, or bubbled out as my little Kayleigh says... with excess emotions. Missing my grandma, who was such a big influence on my life, and like a second mother to me. Worried for my own mom, who has been going through some tough times, and due to her incredibly empathic nature, seems to get ill when she is overwhelmed. Thankful for my beautiful kids. I felt so proud when my neighbor Bob told me last night, "I gotta say Karan, you have done a wonderful job raising them, they are all really great kids. Each so unique, and yet all of them great, respectful and funny." That made me feel really good. I take my job as a mother seriously. I know there have been those in my life who thought at times (in my single years) that I wasn't paying enough attention to them, or giving them what I should emotionally. Each and every one of them has thanked me, in their own ways, for being their mom, for being the best mom a kid could have, for being there for them, and for loving them. They are my gifts. They are my legacy. When I trip on how I have not accomplished enough in my life, I think of all of them, how wonderful they all are, and how they contribute. How they all are ecology and green conscious, they all want to be activists, and make a difference in the world. I just think of them... and I always feel better about my contribution to the world. How many lives will they touch in their own lifetimes with their beauty and love? How many people will feel better just for knowing them? If I had a chance to do something over in my life, I wouldn't change a thing. If I knew going in about all the pain I would go through in the relationships with their fathers, I would do it all over again if the end result would be those four incredible human beings. I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude for what I have in my life. I have everything I wanted. Today I feel full, of love, of hope, of gratitude, of joy, of pride... When I define who I am as a person, the first thing I say is, I am a Mom... for me, that little three letter word means the world.

Community Day School part 2

Day two was hectic. I didn't have any helpers and they are a very hands on group. There were many more kids there today, and the ones who didn't get to do the project the first day, wanted to do it the 2nd. I told them I didn't bring the things for that part of the project. There were a handfull of kids that were into it. They listened, and created some really beautiful things. The rest were loud and disruptive. It was a great lesson for me on teaching this age group... most of these kids are 7th - 10th grade. We will make the program available to 10 kids at a time. It will be taught in another classroom, as a priveledge based on attendance and behavior. I only want the kids who will participate and get something out of it. Maybe offering it as an incentive, knowing that some kids get to go do art while the others have to stay in class and do math and english, might motivate some of them.

I also learned I have a lot to learn about working with at risk kids. They are street smart and very mature for their age. They are into things that I would never even dream of doing. There is gang affiliation, peer pressure, drugs, sex, they test and push you to see where your boundaries are. For many of them, who have parents in prison, Juvenile Hall is a badge of honor, and a stepping stone to prepare them for prison. What kind of life is this for a kid to live? I don't pretend to have a Pollyanna attitude of Art is the answer to the root of all evil... I am just saying that if you can tap into a kids creative side, you can engage them, and get them to have a broader vision of what their life could be. By inspiring creativity, you spark entreprunerial thoughts, that make kids think outside the box to a bigger picture.

I do have a lot to learn. There are a lot of kids out there who need programs like this. I have many people telling me that it is a great idea, and they are behind it. I am ready to receive all I need to fund this program Universe... I am ready for the corporate donations to come in. I am ready for the grants to be approved, and for the large contributions to come in to help fund all we need. I am here with an open heart, creating a system, developing a plan, making connections, and receiving all the good things the universe is sending me to support this program. Thanks to all of you for your comments and support... It helps me stay focused.

Community Day School

I did the very first art projects with the kids at the Community Day School... It was harder than I thought on one hand, and on the other, it went really well. The kids are all going there as a last effort to get school credits before dropping out. As students go, they were pretty well behaved, considering these are the "difficult" kids. There were levels of participation, some were really into it, others felt intimidated and just gave up. This was good to see where they are at. Most of these kids are the tactile learners. I had to show them over and over what to do. This was a lightbulb moment for me. As they take away more and more of the hands on classes like art and music and shop, these kids really fall through the cracks of the education system. More than ever, I see the need for the program I am developing. Partnering with the community, and the Probation Department makes sense. Giving these kids a chance to explore their creative self expression is an incredible thing to watch. Their creativity amazed me. Most of them asked if they could make more than one of the projects. I had 3 helpers there going around the room with various supplies and offering assistance. Here are some of the things they made. I was really impressed with their creativity. Some of them were able to achieve the look of carved jade and flourite with the colors they used...
I am researching other art programs in communities around the country. If you know of an art program in your area that benefits kids, please post a link here!