Lissa Nancy

Found Inspiration

2010-04-04T19:56:00.003-04:00

source

weheartit

My current state...

2010-03-30T18:28:00.003-04:00

The current state of my life looks a little like this...

But luckily part of that is due to this...

And part of the reason things look like this

Is because I have been spending time laying in the park, going for runs, and enjoying the 70 degree weather I have been craving!

Forsyth is just so beautiful, and maybe one day my desk will look almost as beautiful.

credit to my dear friend Liz Maycox for the pretty pictures

Spring Break

2010-03-22T14:44:00.008-04:00

Spring break was so busy that I havent updated in forever! oops. I flew home on the 12th, my parents met me in Newark with a car and I headed up to NYC to see my boyfriend I hadnt seen in 10 weeks. We visited with friends at Kaffee 1668 where our school friend Andrew Cherry had a gallery of his work that he designed for the coffee shop. Very cool, check them out!

Saturday-Sunday were rainy days that we spent in Cape Cod, MA. It was awful weather, and we lost power in our hotel, but we went on a fun road trip, got a driving tour of Cape Cod and enjoyed it anyways. Heres a little of what we saw...

we drove through Providence RI on the way there and Newport RI on the way back

our hotel was on this bay, which Im sure with better weather conditions looks much more appealing

we drove out to the tip of the cape to Provincetown, a very charming little town, the sand was blowing and covering the flooded roads, it was beautiful!

we had fun despite the conditions and being stuck in the car

the hurricane-like conditions made the HUGEST waves, ive never experienced such winds

saw lots of lighthouses past the fog and rain

Monday and Tuesday were spent hanging out in the city, visiting stores, and doing research. Wednesday I went home to hang out with mom, we found an Irish tea house in Bethlehem to have lunch at, very festive since it was St. Pattys day and we are Gallagher's. We even had our traditional ham, boiled cabbage and potato dinner that night.

Thursday I went into Philly for an exciting interview and to hang with friends, drink coffee, eat chocolate moose pie, and enjoy the AMAZING weather we didnt get in Cape Cod but in Rittenhouse Square.

Before I left on Saturday we enjoyed some time at Lake Galena, what a beautiful day.

Then we drove back to Newark, said our goodbyes, and I waited in a hot airport until we boarded the plane, deboarded the plane, and boarded again when they found our captain? Oh the confusion. But now I am back in Savannah, another quarter is beginning, and a big one at that! I will be doing an internship with SCAD called Working Class Studio, finalizing my Portfolio, and learning about the architectural history of Savannah! Then this summer I have three more electives to go and I'm free! Let the craziness begin.

finished blanket!

2010-03-17T20:56:00.003-04:00

its been a little crazy since finals week, packing up to come home, and spending time in nyc/cape cod and now at home! i wanted to share my finished blanket... I didnt have time to take great pictures, but here is what I have for now...

cant wait to cuddle up with it! ps. when i get another free minute ill update what ive been up to this spring break. happy st patricks day by the way!

35 hours later...

2010-03-07T14:05:00.002-05:00

Between making the warps, prepping the loom, and weaving two 30x75 inch panels, I spent a minimum of 35 hours on this blanket. I am really happy with how it looks, and feels!

Since I was weaving until 5 am I made sure to rest on it for a few minutes once it was all off the loom.

She is drying on my back porch right now. When thats done I will piece her together and give her some fringe (I guess shes a girl) One day soon I will have my very own customized throw blanket.

half way

2010-03-06T15:11:00.002-05:00

half way there! 75 inches down, 75 to go! i can make fabric, how cool is that!?

5 hours down...

2010-03-06T01:19:00.002-05:00

and at least 15 hours to go. I have a quarter of my blanket done-- its fun to just sit there listening to music and weave. methodical almost. here are my first 35 inches!

In the Midst of Finals

2010-03-04T00:47:00.002-05:00

Finals are here! But I feel on top of things. My loom is almost set to weave-- thats what ill be doing all weekend. I was at the building all day, literally, but I got my screen printing final done! Here are three colorways of the linocut block I shared the other day.

In-Process

2010-02-28T19:43:00.003-05:00

I'll probably be taking you through a lot of in-process work these last two weeks of the quarter since I will be making a lot. I have all 432- 8 yard warps made and on the loom and I am slowly winding them onto the back beam so I can thread each one individually through the 432 hooks, hopefully tomorrow! Heres what some of the process is like...

Using this warping board I wind the thread around the pegs, which are a yard apart. My warp is 8 yards long, which is what is shown below. Only about 108 warps can fit on the board, so I had to make four separate bundles of warps.

Here are the colors I will be using. The slate grey is the warp, the vertical threads, the natural white will be the weft or horizontal threads, and the peach is a tabby thread, which will mostly be underneath the white to make the base cloth, but will show through across the whole blanket, hopefully! I've already gone through almost 3 pounds of the grey yarn making the warps. 3 pounds of yarn more and I will have a blanket!

Heres what 432-8 yard warps look like before they get onto the loom. Somehow they are all threaded through in the correct order!
My warp is as wide as the loom, a step up from the samplers we have been doing prior. This project is really our first project, but how cool that we have so much knowledge now in only 8 weeks and I'm able to weave my very own 60x75 inch throw blanket!

Cant wait to see it done.... just a few more hours to go, right?

Linocut

2010-02-27T13:50:00.005-05:00

Here is the beginning stage of what will become my last length of screen printed fabric for this quarter. We started by carving a linocut block, printing it, and now I have to edit it to make it repeat and get it onto the screen. Hopefully some time this week I'll have the lengths ready to show, plus my loom threaded with its 432 8 yard warps and my throw started! Busy week ahead...

P.S. what do you think about the circles? I printed them first all black but that seems too heavy, so i tried out four other options? Do you like one specific one the best? Think it would look cool using more than one, all four, two of them? Let me know what you think!

Presents

2010-02-24T22:44:00.002-05:00

The UPS man delivered blanket making yarns to my doorstep today. My yarns are actually buried under my classmates, but none the less these yarns will turn into blankets! (if only it was that easy) Either way, I have two weeks to make a 60x75 inch throw blanket, in addition to other projects, but it will get done!

Colorway

2010-02-22T10:55:00.002-05:00

Here is a colorway of the screen print I had made last week...

Mute Math!

2010-02-20T23:55:00.006-05:00

Last night was pretty amazing, Mute Math is pretty amazing. Emma and I were in the second row, and they put on a great show. Jaymes Reunion opened for them,

then the magic began...

3 weeks left!

2010-02-19T17:40:00.002-05:00

Somehow there are only three weeks left in the quarter. That means busy from here on out. Today was spent screen printing a random all-over print using doilies I bought in Paris at the antique market and weaving some more samples, this time houndstooth. 23 more weeks of college left! Crazy.

By the way, I'm seeing MuteMath tonight! Theyre coming to SCAD, and I snatched some second row tickets when they first went on sale, so expect some pictures!

Math talk

2010-02-17T18:49:00.012-05:00

WARP

Step 1--> 150+40+15+15+24=244/36=6.78-->7 yards

Step 2--> 30+2+3=35x12=420+4=424 warp ends

Step 3--> 7x424=2968 yards for warp

WEFT

33x12=396x180=71280/36= 1980 yards for weft

Thats what a 60x75 inch throw blanket looks like in math terms. I am going to be making a handwoven cotton flake blanket exactly how I want it. I ordered my materials this afternoon from Yarn Barn, and as soon as they get here I can start! Its going to be an enjoyable process (I hope) after I thread 424- 7 yard threads through the loom!

Also, check out these amazing handwoven throws from Swans Island, if only I could afford them, theyre beautiful!

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T22:56:00.003-05:00

My Valentine is in NYC, but I received these on my porch this morning...

And then I spent most of the day screen printing two yards of this...

And it ended with breakfast for dinner with good girl friends.

Its snowing...

2010-02-12T21:42:00.004-05:00

in Savannah GA! crazy crazy crazy.

doesnt quite look like this... a little less swiss.

And so it begins...

2010-02-11T20:10:00.003-05:00

Some work is done, but still lots to do! Fibers is having an open studio tomorrow night, I will be screen printing during it and some of the cards I have been making are hanging up. I realized that the job hunt/that part of life is starting... today! Excited and nervous at the same time...

Nuno

2010-02-11T00:03:00.003-05:00

I made this nuno felt piece sophomore year and am submitting it to a call for entry. I took pictures of it today, so I thought I would share.

The Beginning

2010-02-09T17:14:00.002-05:00

Also, check out this music video, Hell by Tegan and Sara. Weird/funny video, great song.

Destiny

2010-02-08T21:14:00.004-05:00

I spent the afternoon threading my loom for our second project. We will be experimenting with six different weave structures. Each person threaded their loom for a specific structure and we will move around to each loom to weave a sample of each. My loom is threaded for New Canaan Check which I cant find anywhere online, but one variation is a waffle weave, might look something like this...

source

Doris says that a threaded loom is a metaphor for destiny. The loom is waiting to be woven and it will take hard work, dedication, patience, and time to complete. Weaving is a lot like life... each warp you weave is an event, a lesson learned, a mistake-- but you meet your goal and cut it off the loom to begin what is next. Just a thought. Heres a look at destiny...

Here we go...

2010-02-06T18:25:00.003-05:00

No lie, I am working 45 hours in 3 days this weekend. Starting at 6 am Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and working event after event until 10 pm or 1 am. Lets just say the credit card will be paid off, and I will be exhausted (if I make it). Plus, half-way done the quarter and still LOTS to do and make!! Heres to the next five weeks, wish me luck!

we heart it

cafe s'il vous plait

2010-02-03T23:29:00.006-05:00

I was just thinking of what I miss from Europe. Then I thought it would be fun to find the pictures I have of all the great coffee I drank. Then I realized I drank a lot of coffee in Europe. And then I missed it even more. Plus, this weekend is going to be so busy, and full of coffee that just doesnt compare to these...

And I kinda miss this too...

But just kinda. (or every day)

Sneak Peek

2010-02-02T17:25:00.001-05:00

A little bit of what I'm making lately...

Slide Sideways

2010-02-01T18:34:00.004-05:00

Slide Sideways is the creative studio of Scott Scoggin and Jacqui Savinsky. Both worked as graphic designers after school but missed making with their hands. They came together to collaborate in making prints, commissioned work, identity, typography, illustration, packaging, and more. You can see what they are making and selling on their Etsy, what they are blogging about, and visit their website. Enjoy!

"Cards that Pack a Punch!"

2010-01-31T20:16:00.005-05:00

Handmade greeting card and design company, Cracked Designs, is a team of two humorous designers Tara and Adam Scheuerman. Based out of Milwaukee, WI they specialize in greeting cards, stationery, custom invitations, and hand bound journals. Their goal is to be different than what is out there and come up with witty, unique, and clever cards that are handmade and eco-friendly. Check out their website, blog, and Etsy to purchase cards and such like these...

The Fabric Workshop

2010-01-29T12:06:00.005-05:00

Another great resource in Philadelphia is The Fabric Workshop and Museum. I visited it in high school with my art class and I remember it being a really great and inspiring place. There was lots of screen printing happening and lots of yardage to check out. It is a place for the public to witness the creative process and view completed work.

The Fabric Workshop and Museum is the only museum in the US creating and exhibiting new work in new materials and new media in collaboration with emerging and established international artists. They have many internship and volunteer opportunities, as well as a prestigious artist in residence program. You can also visit daily and bring groups.

Their current exhibition is by artist Cai Guo-Qiang who draws in gunpowder, and then lights it on fire. This is what he did on the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps...

Oh I love Philadelphia.

Printfresh Studio

2010-01-28T00:18:00.005-05:00

This winter I mentioned I had the opportunity to intern at Printfresh Studi o, a textile design company in Philadelphia. Formed in 2006 by Amy and Leo Voloshin, Printfresh has become a leader in fashion textile design. Their sales team sells original and vintage designs to their growing list of clients. They also exhibit at several international trade shows including Direction by Indigo, Printsource, and Premiere Vision in Paris.

The Printfresh team of designers is dedicated to creating trend-right designs for the apparel industry. Amy also travels through Europe and the US to collect beautiful vintage documents for clients' inspiration.

During my time at Printfresh I helped the designers make their digital prints come to life. I screen printed designs, sewed prints into shirt fronts to be shown to clients, and added to the growing vintage archives. Although only 3 years old, this company is producing and selling lots of great prints. Don't be surprised if you are wearing one of their designs now or in the near future.

Voila

2010-01-26T22:06:00.003-05:00

Many long nights and hours at the fibers building, but my screen prints have turned into tote bags adorned with French knots, and my 3 yard weaving sample is finished and cut off the loom!

Flowers by Bornay

2010-01-25T23:35:00.005-05:00

Bornay makes some of the most beautiful flower arrangements I have ever seen. They are a company from one of my favorite cities, Barcelona. You can visit their blog and website to see some amazing photos. This is how their website describes "events and details for people." I think this could be directed to so many aspects of life and creativity...

"The core that defines a specialized company in floral decoration is not just flowers. For us the core is creativity and capability to understand what needs to be projected in each situation, in each context and for each client. The flowers and the elements that surround them are the tools we use to express ourselves in order to succeed in the effect they must produce.

Understanding the needs on every situation succeeding in transmitting the idea, and representing it impeccably so it becomes a reality, it is the objective that motivates us to believe that very soon, we will be able to work together."

Flowers by Bornay
Events and details for people.

What Ive Been up to...

2010-01-23T16:38:00.004-05:00

Its been a busy few weeks since the quarter has begun, but its been going pretty well. I spend countless hours in the fibers building since I cant really weave or screen print at home. And with that, heres a little of what I have been working on.

This child-like floral is complete, now I have to turn them into tote bags. I've also be doing lots of experimenting with different techniques.

Our first weaving project is a 3 yard sampler. We are using all sorts of materials and learning different weaving patterns. Its fun to see the different designs appear, and makes you appreciate the fabrics we use and wear every day and the work that goes into them. Pretty amazing. Plus, its pretty fun and relaxing to listen to your favorite music and weave for a few hours.

We're even learning lace techniques, so many possibilities!

In between all the work and me trying to figure out what to do for my portfolio/after I graduate, there is some good friend time, including kidnapping the two birthday girls and taking them to the beach....

Happy Birthday Liz and Bess! Wait a minute...

Suzanne Tick

2010-01-17T16:08:00.005-05:00

One of my three classes this quarter is weaving. It has been an enjoyable class so far. I have learned to make a 3 yard, 120 count warp. I have prepped a four harness loom by threading each warp by hand. And I have experimented with weaving 5/2 cotton, but also unusual pliable materials like drinking straws, wire, and paper towels.

While doing some research I came across Suzanne Tick, a weaver and textile designer whose work often makes use of very unexpected materials. She is responsible for most of the textiles produced by KnollTextiles every year. She has an interesting video clip on artbabble where she is weaving a piece made of dry cleaning waste. Check it out!

Allison Cole

2010-01-11T21:08:00.006-05:00

I'm really enjoying the work of illustrator and printmaker Allison Cole right now. She graduated from RISD in 2003 and lives and works in Providence, RI. She illustrates editorials, surface designs, and her own hand lettering. I like how she includes lots of little textures and great fonts in her pieces, and her style and color choices are great! You can check out her website, blog, and shop. Do you recognize this from a Target gift card this winter?

And how cute are these? The first is used on a market bag, the second is one of her surface designs, and the other shows her style and I guess sense of humor?!

Brrrr

2010-01-06T18:06:00.002-05:00

Forsyth Fountain was frozen this morning when I passed it walking to the Lisa Simmons lecture. Lisa is a writer who writes for the blog Socialite Life. It was interesting to hear her story and tips to get a job in the new media world.

I spent the afternoon until class doing some research and being inspired by screen printing. I think I could enjoy screen printing for a long time. In fact, I could see myself screen printing as a career. Screen printing my own designs on anything... posters, stationary, clothing, bags, I'll do it! In class today we used contact paper to make a motif. I made two birds sitting on a branch and had a lot of fun printing! Heres what it looked like.

So much fun! I'm definitely looking forward to this quarter and what comes out of it.

A New Year

2010-01-05T09:25:00.005-05:00

Its been awhile since my last post, but a lot has happened since then. I finished my internship at Printfresh, I really enjoyed it. Its a new decade! I'm back in Savannah! and a bunch of things in between...

Because my brother goes to West Point we got tickets to the Army Navy game at the Linc. It was cold and army lost, but it was an experience.

I'll probably look like a horrible person, but my boyfriend and I get a kick out of peopleofwalmart.com, so we decided to go and see if we could find any interesting people... we did.

Christmas was nice, spent time with the family and opened some presents, including my very own laptop! A year and a half after spilling water on my old Mac, I am the very proud owner of the new 13" Macbook Pro, and I promise I will never bring liquids near it. Speaking of Macs, my roommate Eny, who I had not seen since the summer, made an appearance in Philly and brought her dead Mac along. We went to two different Mac stores, in two different states, but we successfully revived her computer.

While in New York we visited Central Park, ate Korean Food, freezed our butts off, and Eny saw some of the major NYC attractions for the first time.

We headed back to Brooklyn to warm up and grab a cup of coffee at Heights Coffee Lounge. I was excited to get a HUGE small latte that tasted a lot like the coffee in Europe. Oh how I miss it.

Back at home there was a lot of snow, 20 some inches, and lazy dogs.

New Years Eve Chester and I had an empty house, and he redeemed his coupon for a Melissa cooked meal. I took on the challenge to make him some Honduran food, which was good, and bad. Since I have never had Honduran food, I was not sure how it was supposed to taste, and the women that make it are pros, and I was certainly a beginner. But some of it was very tasty! some we had to laugh at. But a good way to ring in the new year/decade!

January 2nd I left early in the morning for Savannah. After 7 months away I was returning to my apartment and my wonderful friends that I missed. I was greeted (tackled) by about 8 or 9 or them at the airport, which was fun! I spent most of the weekend (and Im still going) moving back into the apartment. Lara arrived later that night and our household was complete again. .

There has been lots of hanging out and classes started yesterday. I have a feeling this quarter will be very busy, but very good. I am excited to be screen printing, weaving, and working on my portfolio. Crazy that in only 7 months I will be a college graduate and hopefully ready to work!! This is the year.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-20T22:00:00.004-05:00

Cookie swaps, hot chocolate on a stick, snowed in, frozen ponds, and dogs that think when they cant see their yard they dont have to stay in it-- Happy Holidays.

Charlie Le Mindu: Haute Coiffuer

2009-12-17T08:23:00.004-05:00

I stumbled upon this French hair artist and wig maker yesterday as I was doing some trend research at my internship... he has an impressive list of clients and and awesome website. Charlie just presented his second collection of crazy-out-there wigs at Blow Presents during London Fashion Week.

crazy images found here

New Look

2009-12-13T21:56:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a new look... Let me know what you think!

Lacoste Footage

2009-12-11T18:45:00.005-05:00

And while youre at it, check out this video put together by a friend from Lacoste, Chris Hannant. He is an amazing photographer and he put together footage of our time in Lacoste-- you can see what a beautiful place I got to live in for two months of my life. Oh I miss it. Also, you can vote for one of his photos that is currently in a contest here. Merci!

Choose Shoes

2009-12-11T18:26:00.001-05:00

I have had Toms Shoes for a few years now, and love what they are about. When you buy one pair, you are paying for one pair to be sent to a child who desperately needs shoes. I'm sure you have heard of them or seen one of their commercials, but there are people who might not have, so check out this video, and share it with others, or give them as a gift!

NYC and Snow!

2009-12-08T23:34:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was spent partially in NYC. My boyfriend lives in Brooklyn and works at The Molecule. Friday while he was working I spent the day exploring after I met him for his lunch break. I walked around the fashion district where I visited the wonderful Tinsel Trading Company, which reminded me a lot of shops in France! I got some velvet ribbon and cute little bows.
New York was decked out for Christmas, it felt so festive! I passed many beautiful window displays, and enjoyed ice skaters at "The Pond at Bryant Park".
After walking through Times Square I made my way down to SoHo where I found the coolest antique toy store, stopped in at PurlSoHo, and a bunch of other shops until Chester was done work.That night we went to Rockefeller to see the newly lit tree, and the millions of people there. Too many people, so we left looking for food, which somehow was harder than we thought! But we ended up eating a great Thai dinner, another birthday celebration!Arent we cute? Saturday we were planning on coming back to Perkasie. On our way, the rain started turning into snow, and by the time we crossed back into PA the roads were getting covered! Little did I know our "new" car doesnt do so well in the snow, so I was sliding all over the road and I was scared. I made it to a gas station 20 minutes from my house, and like a little girl called my dad to come pick us up in his big truck. It was funny, but atleast I didnt wreck my car that day! We made it safe and sound, and woke up to a few inches of snow, and a white backyard!

Adventures of Lexi & Angel

2009-12-08T23:24:00.004-05:00

Zurich & Lucerne, Switzerland

2009-12-08T23:21:00.004-05:00

We sort of breezed through Switzerland, but everything we saw was beautiful! We had a fairly long train ride, leaving bright and early from Salzburg to Zurich. Zurich was just a connecting point for us to get to Lucerne, but we decided to put our bags in lockers at the train station and check it out while we were there. Its not every day that youre in Zurich, right? We walked around, ate macaroons, took a Lacoste roommate Christmas picture, and ate lunch before making our way back to the train station.
Next on the list was Lucerne which was only a 40 minute train ride from Zurich. The sun was setting when we got there (since the sun set at like 4 pm) and soon it was time for dinner. We had to get fondue while we were in Switzerland, so of course thats what we did (again... another birthday dinner!) It was so yummy, and we all had never been so full. We made it back to our hotel, and passed out. In the morning we woke up to these beautiful sights!It was an early morning for us and we were about to part! I had a full day of traveling back to Barcelona, and Lara and her mom were going on a scenic train to Montreux! We said our goodbyes and I started my 12 hour day of train rides. I made it to Barcelona at 8, and met up with Allan at 9 for some tapas. It was good to see him, 10 weeks later in Barcelona! The next morning I left the hostel, got breakfast with Jordan, and made it to the airport just in time. Unfortunately I had another long day of travel as the weather in Heathrow, London where I was connecting was awful and the whole day of flights was delayed. I arrived to Heathrow an hour and a half late, and had 45 minutes to get from terminal 3 to terminal 5. No idea how I made it since I had to take buses, go through customs and security, and run up and down escalators and through long corridors, but I was the last one to make it on the flight, with two minutes to spare. Little did I know we would be delayed another hour and a half... but I made it, and enjoyed a few movies, a few meals, and a few glasses of wine! When I arrived in Philadelphia it was 10 pm, 4 am in France and I was beat, but happy to see my mom. Little did I know, Chester was hanging out down the hall and surprised me! It was so good to see him after 73 days apart! Off to Perkasie we went.

Salzburg, Austria: The Sound of Music

2009-12-08T23:13:00.006-05:00

Salzburg, home of The Sound of Music, and a breathtaking city. We arrived in the morning, found our hotel, then went to book our Sound of Music tour of course! Now Austrians dont see what the big deal is, but Americans flock to Salzburg to see where the movie was filmed. So we figured we would do it too! While we waited until it was our time for the four hour tour, we went to another Christmas market and tried some Austrian food (and beer, and probably liver).
We walked through the old city, which was filled with shops and Christmas decorations. As we were exploring, we came across a Jaume Plensa sculpture in one of the courtyards. He was the artist I chose to research from FIAC and gave a presentation on for my art history class in Lacoste, it was so random that we found him in Salzburg!
After some exploring it was time for our Sound of Music tour. Oh man were we in for a treat, including singing! Here is a video of what we experienced... brace yourself.

It wasnt that bad though. We had fun. And we got to see a lot of Salzburg that we wouldnt have seen otherwise. We saw the house and the lake from the movie, the love gazebo, some of the lake towns outside of Salzburg, one being where Maria and Mr. Von Trapp were married, and we enjoyed some tasty apple strudel! After our four hour tour of the Sound of Music, it was time to go get Laras mom from the train station! She made it, we went back to the hotel, then went to see Salzburg at night, get dinner, and enjoy the Christmas markets.

Vienna, Austria

2009-12-08T23:09:00.005-05:00

After an interesting overnight train experience, we arrived in Vienna, Austria! Austria was very different than France. It didnt feel as European, no stone buildings, didnt feel as old. The buildings were more modern, with different shaped roofs, but everything was green and beautiful! The landscapes that we passed were amazing, rivers, lakes, and snow covered mountains. When we got there we found our hotel, then decided to just walk around and check things out...Because Lara loves horses and grew up doing dressage, a form of horseback riding where the horse almost dances, we went to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. These horses were of Royal descent and it was pretty awesome to watch them as they practiced their moves. After some exploring, we went to Rick Steve's suggested cafe, which happened to be cute cafe filled with locals, and no hints of english. We ordered our kaffes and an omlette, since we knew that wouldnt have liver in it, or we hoped.After our meal it was time to go back to our hotel to meet Laras mom. Unfortunately, she never made her flight, so instead we got a phone call from Singapore and decided we would meet her mom in Salzburg the next day. We then went out to explore again, and enjoyed the Christmas decorations and markets all around Vienna, which by the way is the home of Mozart and other composers.Vienna was fun, except for when the ATM sucked up my debit card (because Bank of America decided that I was out of the country too long and thought they would cancel all of my cards, thanks for not paying attention to the dates I said I would be in Europe... I'm bitter) And I also felt way out of my element not knowing German. Its not like the other countries where you could at least guess what signs meant or figure out some words, I mean, just look at what this building said...

Venice, Italy

2009-12-07T23:16:00.005-05:00

I loved Venice. I love that there are no cars because it is a maze of canals and bridges. I love that everything is transported by water. I love that there are islands where they blow glass and make lace. I even love that trash trucks cant get around the islands so they hang their trash on hooks, who knows what they do from there! But I just thought it was lovely, and filled with lovely colors, lovely sounds, and lovely food. We didnt go on a romantic gondola ride, but there were lots of Italian men ready to take you!There were markets on different streets as we wandered. I loved the colors.I couldnt get enough of the buildings with their little gardens and shutters, plus it looked like they were growing right out of the water.
The colors were amazing!! There isnt one picture from Europe that I have edited, they are straight off my camera, because they are so beautiful the way they are!!We heard about these two islands, Murano and Burano, two islands where they blow glass and make lace, respectively. We spent too much time on Murano, the glass blowing island and never made it to Burano, but I'm sure it was amazing. I'll have to go back.We had our last Italian meal together as Lara and I would be continuing on to Austria and Switzerland and my mom and Jamie to Paris then the US, later that night. I wanted tiramisu and of course my mom said "It's her birthday!" so we got a huge piece to split for free. We devoured it in a minute.
Around the corner were these bricks, even the bricks were beautiful!
Once back to Venice we made our way to St Marks Plaza, then took a vaporetto down the Grand Canal back to our hotel.Venice was lovely, Italy was lovely, but after only three days (I cant believe we did all we did in three days), it was time for us to part. Lara and I had an overnight train to Vienna, and my mom and Jamie to Paris. Success.

Rome, Italy

2009-12-07T22:54:00.005-05:00

We somehow did Rome in a day. It was an exhausting and amazing day. We started off by going to Vatican City. We just happened to be in Rome on a Wednesday, and the Pope just happens to speak to the public on Wednesdays. We first saw St Peters Basilica. Wow. It is amazing, there is no way you cannot be in awe of it when you enter.At 10:30 we started trying to figure out where the Pope was going to be. My mom scoped it out and somehow got us four tickets to go in the huge auditorium where the Pope was addressing the public. Although I am not all about the Pope, it was pretty cool that we got to see him, even if he was a tiny white dot among the thousands of people in there. Can you see him?Next was the Vatican museum and the maze of artwork leading up to the Cistine Chapel. Although it was not exactly what I was expecting (I was expecting a dome, and it was a rectangular room) it was still great. I snuck a picture, there is proof my mom was there...Next up was the Roman ruins. Even though I kept telling my mom not to pay attention to people selling things and begging, I somehow was fooled into having my mom get a picture with this guy in front of the Colosseum and for some reason didnt think he would ask for money. He did. He got me.
The Colosseum was amazing. I couldnt get over how big it was, much bigger than the arena in Nimes, and you could see the chambers that were once below the ground where the animals were kept before they were to be killed!We walked through Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. It was crazy to see single columns standing, or even fallen over, and ruins that are thousands of years old among the city!We walked the Roman streets seeing sights along the way, and wound up at the Pantheon. Again, not what I was expecting, but impressive none the less.Our last sights for the day were the Spanish steps and the Trevi Fountain. It was crazy to turn the corner and see this larger than life fountain lit up as the sun was setting. There were tons of people around, but Lara and I threw our coin in the fountain to make our wish.Well, we did it, we did Rome in a day. It was off to Venice late that night!

Florence, Italy

2009-12-07T22:17:00.005-05:00

We had a long day of traveling to get to Florence. We left Avignon at 4:45 am and arrived in Florence at 5:30 pm. We were welcomed into Italy with two 50 euro fines for not filling in our Eurail passes correctly (I had to tell my mom to stop and pay or she would get arrested), but we made it! We enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal, so yummy, and the food didnt stop coming. Afterwards we enjoyed gelato, and had my first birthday celebration at an Italian bar.
In the morning we started our day at the Pharmacia, a suggestion from my professor Pam, where we smelled beautiful perfumes and I found this lovely print.We were amazed to turn the corner and see amazing buildings and churches, especially the ginormous Duomo and the golden doors of the Baptistry.
We spent some of our afternoon at an outdoor market filled with leather goods on every stand.For lunch I had Italian pizza, different but very good!We opted out to see the fake David, where it used to be located before moving into a building that you need to pay 10 euro to get inside. It was still impressive.We ended the night by climbing up a path to see the sun set over Florence. After a long and wonderful day, we were back on the train and on to Rome!

Vernissage: Before & After

2009-12-07T21:59:00.006-05:00

I have been slacking. Home has preoccupied me and also worn me out. But I promise to be better! I have tons of things to update on... starting with Vernissage and my travels after Lacoste, and then what is happening at home. Here we go...

Vernissage was our student exhibition of all of the work that was made while in Lacoste. We put it together ourselves and although the wind kept many people from coming, it was still a great event and lots of fun. It was amazing to see how we changed our work studios into galleries, and here are some before and after pictures of some of the amazing fibers work.

Kara and Janelle: Before

Kara and Janelle: After

Megan: Before

Megan: After

Lexi and Caitlin: Before

Lexi and Caitlin: After

What I miss most about Europe is this view... so so much.
The same day of Vernissage my mom and Jamie came to join us. Saturday morning we went for a walk to Bonnieux. It was a beautiful and windy day.
Sunday morning Lara and I said goodbye to hidden valley ranch, and we headed to Avignon for the night where we would catch a 4:45 am train to Florence Monday morning.

21 years ago...

2009-12-01T22:49:00.003-05:00

Today was my 21st birthday. I have celebrated it 3 times prior to this day, so it was only fair that today was a chill day. I started my internship at Printfresh yesterday, so today was day #2. I am really enjoying it and learning a lot in a short amount of time. I get to screenprint and archive vintage fabric and do whatever needs to be done. Since I just met everyone yesterday, I didnt want to come in and be like "hey! its my birthday!", but they figured it out, probably because I wrote it on a form, and they had cupcakes for me! It was really sweet of them.

Then after work I went to dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousin Anthony. I ordered my first legal drink and avoided the obnoxious singing at Texas Roadhouse, I wasnt about to get on a horse and have them scream my name to the whole restaurant. All in all it was a good day, thanks for all the birthday wishes! (Travel updates will happen soon!)

Home Sweet Home

2009-11-29T19:55:00.003-05:00

It has been awhile since I have had a true update. The end of the quarter in Lacoste was busy between preparing for Vernissage, packing two months into a suitcase, and making and reworking travel plans. But it all seemed to work out, with only a few bumps along the way. I will update posts for each city we visited with pictures and details of what we did.

After many train rides, airport delays, and running between terminals, I made it back to the USA. My mom was waiting for me, and little did I know my boyfriend Chester was there to surprise me. 10 weeks and 3 days apart, it was good to see him, and then good to see family and friends the next few days. We had a relaxing week and ate good food at Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I start my internship at Printfresh, I am excited to learn and to be involved with a great company gearing up for a big trade show.

Once I post the rest of my travels, I hope to focus more on my work and inspirations, and continue to revamp my blog and who I am as an artist. The best is yet to come!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T13:19:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am back in the states, happy to see family, some friends, and have been bumming around with this boy I like. Hope to update with all the pictures and stories of my travels in the next few days. Until then enjoy the turkey and good food!

from lucerne

2009-11-22T15:26:00.003-05:00

I might be too full to type. Lara, her mom, and I just had a wonderful Swiss Fondue dinner, and we are stuffed. Lara and I conquered Austria, and now we have seen a little of Switzerland. We spent the afternoon in Zurich, and the night in Lucerne. Tomorrow Lara and her mom continue on a scenic train of Switzerland, and I travel all day to Barcelona where I will stay overnight and leave the next afternoon for the states! I'm looking forward to the holidays, seeing my boy and family, and starting my internship. Its been good Europe! I will have lots of pictures and updates when I get home and rest up a bit!!

from venice

2009-11-19T05:12:00.001-05:00

here we are in venice! we conquered florence and rome in a day each. tonight we part from my mom and jamie, they head to paris, lara and i to vienna. its been great, seen lots of amazing things. i will have lots to share when i am back in the US!

and we're off!

2009-11-15T07:54:00.003-05:00

All packed up, checked out, and ready to go! Cant believe its here. First stop, Avignon to catch a 4:45 am train tomorrow morning to Florence, then Rome, Venice, Vienna, Salzburg, Zurich, Luzerne, Geneva, Barcelona, USA! Oh my goodness, what a list. Should be awesome. Lots of updates to come!!!

Vernissage Complete

2009-11-14T18:24:00.004-05:00

Vernissage is over, here is a preview of what my space was like!The last few days here have gone fast. My mom and Jamie are here, we walked to Bonnieux today. I'm sick so that stinks but no time to be sick, I'm too busy! In the morning we pack up, clean up, check out, and on to Avignon for the night before our early morning train to Florence! Probably wont be much time to update until I return to the US, but if I get a chance maybe I'll get to share what we are up to! Until then-- A bientot!

A Good Day

2009-11-13T15:00:00.004-05:00

Vernissage has begun! I literally worked until it began, but its set up and I am happy. Today was good for a few reasons:
1. I sold four of my items
2. My mom and Jamie arrived!
3. I got offered the winter internship position I interviewed for last week with Printfresh!!!
4. I am done with work for this quarter! Meaning I am going to go sleep!!

So close...

2009-11-12T17:18:00.002-05:00

We're so close to Vernissage. Our cozy little cave is looking so cute, I have a clothing line strung across the stone with four of my favorite pillowcases hanging from it and all of my other little goodies strewn across the table. I made at least 10 more little coin purses today out of my Brun Textiles, which by the way, Mr Brun will be in attendance Saturday night. Hope he likes what I made from his fabrics!

Everything is made, I just need to finish hang tags and do a presentation for art history. ahhh. its 11:20... lets see how much sleep I get tonight. Tomorrow night I will be free from work and able to enjoy the show and time with my mom!! Wish me luck.

Vernissage Preparations

2009-11-11T12:38:00.002-05:00

The preparations for Vernissage have commenced! Today was spent painting walls, relocating spiders, and sweeping up the piles and piles of threads the studio has gathered all quarter. Elise, Allison, and I will be showing our things in the Blue Gallery. Its a great little space on the main stretch and it will be a lot of fun to set it all up tomorrow!
The gallery space was a little dirty... It held an installation in it all quarter, with the window open, so it was full of dirt and mold (gross!). When I say a little dirty I'm kidding, we filled a bucket half way with what we swept up... and we will sweep again tomorrow!
This is how we left the space... Cant wait to see it all finished and filled with great fibers and photography from two of the photo students.The rest of my day has been spent in the library adding some finishing touches to my pillowcases, working on a few more coin purses, and making labels! I had my cards of buttons and supplies all over the room!

My not so little brother...

2009-11-11T12:21:00.003-05:00

My not so little brother, Brian, is in the army. He's not just in the army, hes being trained and getting an education at West Point, THE army academy. I forget how awesome that is sometimes, and because no one else in my huge family, besides my grandfathers, has served its hard for me to grasp my mind around that. He has decided to dedicate his life to his country, and I am reminded of that today, being that it is Veterans day in America. (apparently you can turn to ESPN to see West Point marching around campus) Just wanted to say thanks to him and the many others. He has been transformed, literally as you will see, into a soldier, and I am proud to call him my little brother.

Making Progress

2009-11-10T15:21:00.002-05:00

This has been my home for the last eight weeks. Olivier Haute. Our cozy little stone home with an amazing view. Only a few days left to cuddle in our loft and crochet in bed. Oh the French life.
I still have some work to do, mostly finishing touches, but I got my labels made, just have to do the labeling! I free motioned a border on great printmaking paper I brought with me. I was afraid I wouldnt use it for anything, but I found a way.
Also, went to the train station in Apt again today... I have a train to Barcelona! woo hoo. I will spend the 23rd traveling from Luzern, Switzerland to Geneva to Montpellier, France, and finally to Barcelona! I will spend the night there, hope to see some friends, and then its off to America for me. Things are working out little by little...

Almost!

2009-11-09T15:29:00.004-05:00

I get to see familiar faces on Friday! My mom and Jamie will be here for our Vernissage and I'm excited! Crazy to think that I still have three more countries to visit! And crazy to think that this was eight weeks ago!

Im gonna miss...

2009-11-08T11:38:00.003-05:00

I'm gonna miss this. I look out into the valley many times a day, and it doesnt matter how many times I have seen it before, I am always amazed at where I am. I love looking out at Southern France and enjoying its beauty. I'm going to miss that when I leave one week from now for Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Barcelona, and then the States. What an adventure. So thankful for this adventure.As much as I am going to miss Europe, I am excited to see these fools in January, and this boy on Thanksgiving.La vie est belle.

It'll be ok

2009-11-07T15:07:00.003-05:00

I finished my pillowcases. I think there are 18. Did I go overboard? Its ok, I really like them. Theyre so French, and I like how my collection of fabrics, ribbons, and buttons from my trips didnt seem like they would go together, but I think I made it work! Now I will just be spending my last few days making little bags and coin purses and finishing some journals. No big deal, I can do it.

Also, Lara and I made the decision to buy train tickets from Venice to Vienna since the Eurail spots were filled, and it is only costing us a little more than what our sleeper reservation fees would have been, so its ok, and we're going to Vienna and we will meet Laras mom there! Now I just have to figure out my way back to Barcelona... one thing at a time.

Ah Stress!

2009-11-06T15:47:00.003-05:00

Today was one of those days. It started off alright.. went to the Musee de la Lavande and learned everything you would ever want to know about Lavender. Did you know there are two types? And pure lavender is only grown in Provence? Well now you know.
We saw machines like these. They used to distill lavender essence, and alcohol. Yum.
And Lara thought it would be fun to be a child again. Seems shes too old for that. Sad.
Then this afternoon we worked out all our trains we need for our European adventure starting next Sunday. I went to the train station in Apt all ready with my list, only to find out that we cant get half of the trains we want! Ahhhhhh! So here I am, not sure what to do. I got my mom and Jamie a ticket from Paris to Avignon, but I have to try to mail it to them before they leave the US on Thursday so they can use it! Then our overnight next Sunday to Florence is full, so we have to spend a night in Avignon to leave at 445 in the morning and lose some of our time there. Then, they werent able to book any trains that are just in Italy and just in Austria or Switzerland since they arent their train companies. So we can hope we can get on those when we get there! Ahhhhh. Then I got my mom back to Paris from Venice, if we get there, and Lara and her mom from Geneva to Paris, if Lara and I can get an overnight from Venice to Vienna to meet her mom! AHHHH! oh, and I dont know how I'll get back to Barcelona. But you know. It will work out. It just will.

Then I realized how little time we have left here and how much work I need to do, and its been a little overwhelming. So pray I can do it all and things work out for our travels. Either way, we'll be in Europe, so we cant complain. And this time next week all of our work will be done, hung up, and we will be drinking some wine and selling some artwork. La vie est belle, right!?

Pretty Pillows

2009-11-05T17:04:00.003-05:00

I have decided to make pretty pillowcases with the fabrics, buttons, and trims I have collected while here in France. I am making 16 total, both travel size and standard pillow size, and have 11 done so far! Ive been sewing, sewing, sewing but they look really nice, I'm excited! It will be nice to see how people react to them when they are shown at our Vernissage next Friday and Saturday. Cant believe we only have one more week to go! All of a sudden time went so fast. It has been so great though. I have really grown as an artist and a person. Wouldnt trade it for the world. And I have so much yet to see!!

Lyon

2009-11-04T16:41:00.009-05:00

I was almost that person that gets left from the trip because they oversleep. Im not sure if my alarm went off at 5:17 am or not, but I heard Caitlin knock on my door at 6:07 and somehow made it, dressed to impress, down to the cafe at 6:11. Not sure how it happened, but we were off to Avignon to catch the TGV to Lyon. We were lucky enough to be able to visit Prelle's silk weaving studio after we had visited their beautiful showroom in Paris. It was an incredible experience, and I have beautiful pictures of their amazing woven silks if you are interested in seeing them, but we cant have them floating around the internet so people dont copy what this company has been doing since 1752.

We were first taken into their hand weaving studio, where they have many large Jacquard looms dating back to 1807 and tons and tons of bobbins. We were shown by a master weaver how they weave these patterns that take 2 years to complete following a binary code pattern that you can see hanging above the loom. It is AMAZING how beautiful these fabrics are, and how fast Sebastian can weave!

These weights are hung on all the threads to keep the tension! crazy.After the hand weaving studio we were taken into the computer room where they showed us the programs they use to do all the math that goes into the weavings. They take weavings from their archives, scan them in, figure out the color, repeat, and all of the elements needed to recreate them. Then they are able to calculate how many kilos of each color silk they need, how long it will take to thread the warps, and how long it will take to hand weave them. Pretty impressive. We were also shown where they keep their archives, and then we were shown some of their most impressive works and some very old recreations that are from the 1800s. All were so beautiful, and if you are interested in seeing pictures of the fabrics themselves let me know!Next was downstairs to the factory part where they have crazy computerized looms that can weave an inch an hour and have 18,000 warps threaded through them! It can take 3-6 months just to prepare the loom to begin weaving! There were also some crazy machines that wind the bobbins, which you need hundreds of to weave each color.

After Prelle we had the whole afternoon to explore and enjoy Lyon. We got lunch and sat down for awhile, then I just walked around, shopped a little, and got some sweet pictures. We saw what looked like the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame, all the way from Lyon! Went to a great trim store and got some ribbon, the lady gave me two extra meters, think she liked me. They had a crazy wall of embroidery floss!There were some interesting sites in Lyon as well... like this window display in a store that sold fur coats. Its a scary bear, with a scary bear in its hand, holding some fur coats?
And outside the train station was this sign... apparently you cant take your Christmas tree skateboarding... sad.Anyways, it wound up being a great day after my not waking up on time incident. I'm glad I made it!

We are made of love

2009-11-03T14:20:00.003-05:00

Times really ticking away, and fall continues to move in each day. Today was all about working and making. Im making some pillowcases with the fabrics I have collected while in France, and some have free motioned sayings on them... Tomorrow we leave at 6 am for Lyon and our visit to Prelle's silk weaving factory. Should be a fun and packed day. Then its working non stop till next Wednesday when we pack up the sewing machines and can no longer work, just set up for our Vernissage!

Crunch time

2009-11-02T09:28:00.004-05:00

Less than two weeks left in Lacoste and I've got lots to do! Its one of those days where you just want to sit inside and drink something warm but its the last thing I should be doing! Gotta work work work these next couple days. Wednesday we are taking a day trip to Lyon to see Prelle's silk weaving factory, other than that I will be sewing and crocheting my days and nights away! One thing I have accomplished this quarter is my decision to focus on studio production. I was having a hard time deciding whether to focus my portfolio on that or fine art fibers, but I think Ive realized studio production is for me. So thats good! I'm just working on functional things until I figure out more what my niche will be. Well, back to work!

the art of crochet

2009-11-01T15:56:00.003-05:00

Ive been crocheting for hours and this is what I've made so far... a few coin purse type bags. Lets see what this week brings!

Halloween night in Lacoste

2009-10-31T13:32:00.006-04:00

So its Halloween in America, so we thought we would bring Halloween to Lacoste. Every year the students put on a trick or treating event up Rue du Four and make a haunted house. The haunted house was awesome with amazing Thriller dancers (Janelle), a "chainsaw" scene, and a strobe light haunted forest. I was scared. I dressed up as a cute little Indian, and Lara fit more into what the French children like, an angel of death. Caitlin and I handed out bon-bons to the greedy children until they stole it all from us. All in all it was a fun and successful event.Lacoste was just bustling with people. Enjoy these videos of some costumes, some Thriller dancing, and our scary haunted house! Happy Halloween.

Monks

2009-10-30T16:19:00.003-04:00

This morning we went on a fieldtrip to Abbaye de Senanque, an abbey that is still used by monks and freres. They live there spending big parts of their days praying and also working. The monks grow lavender and tend honey bees for their livelihood and they sell lavender products and honey in their store.All of the fall colors were out once again and we passed this awesome town on the side of a mountain called Gordes.We spent the afternoon fabric shopping at Tissus Gregoire and because today was Lexi's birthday, we had cake and a dance party tonight!

A fibers surprise...

2009-10-29T17:19:00.007-04:00

Pam had a surprise for us. One that was going to make us die when we saw it. Our surprise was that the handsome french man from Brun textiles that we saw a few weeks ago gave us some "remnants" of their wonderful and expensive fabrics, but those remnants were more than remnants. We probably had thousands of dollars of fabrics on our table. We each got to draw five different pieces of amazing fabrics and take them to use how we wished. There were pieces of pure cashmere, 100% alpaca, and other wonderful fabrics. We were and still are in heaven. This is my pile!And to top it off, look whats right outside our studio! Loving fall in southern France.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-28T17:08:00.000-04:00

Today we turned our cafe into a pumpkin carving factory for little french children. This is the most Halloween they get since they dont really "celebrate" Halloween in France. They LOVED it. They were so happy and so smiley and it made me so happy and so smiley. They are so cute! I know that French is their first language, but I am always amazed by little children speaking languages that I want to speak. On Halloween there will be trick or treating, a haunted house, and thriller dancers along Rue de Four.

Look at this pumpkin! Its a french jack o lantern! So great. Bonne nuit!

Fall!

2009-10-27T15:24:00.003-04:00

Today was just a beautiful day. The winds have stopped, the sun is out, and the colors are changing! Now when you look out to the valley each vineyard and field is a different color than the one next to it! Its gorgeous. I only have three more weeks to enjoy this view. We are preparing for Vernissage and it is going to go quick. Before I know it my mom is going to be here and I am going to be traveling again. And then its back to the US for the holidays. How lucky I am.
A random side note... today while eating the pretzels I have had for a few weeks, I noticed that they are actually called "Bretzels." Who would have thought. Night!

Paris: Day 5

2009-10-26T09:50:00.022-04:00

Our last day in Paris was a busy one. I had a list of the things I still wanted to do and I was determined to get them done. I started by going to an antique market, which I loved. I got lots of little treasures and I cant wait to give them to people! I loved walking around, getting pictures, making transactions in French, and seeing the entertainment!

From there I came back to the hotel to drop of my purchases, then went up to the Pantheon to go in this time. Outside was this statue with a bag of trash and a cone on its head! It was quite the site. It was right outside the college so it must have had something to do with that.

Next up was the Cluny museum where I snuck a picture of the Unicorn Tapestries. It was a smaller museum but filled with lots of great textiles.After the Cluny I walked over to Musee d'Orsay. I really enjoyed this museum. They have a lot of Impressionist work and had a fun Art Nouveau exhibit.Walking across the Seine to the Louvre I was just amazed at what a beautiful day it was and how lucky I am to be where I am. How amazing.The Louvre was crazy as usual. I just quickly went through the Egyptian area and wound up by Venus de Milo and Mona. Typical.My last stop of the day was to Sacre Coeur. What an amazing and beautiful place. I loved the church inside and out, but didnt enjoy the millions of people that were there, including the annoying men trying to touch you and sell you things. They just ruin the places. But I enjoyed it anyways, and went in to see a little bit of the mass that was going on. It was just amazing, and the whole trip was amazing. Europe is amazing.Once I made it back to the hotel I grabbed my bag, grabbed a crepe, and took the bus to Gare de Lyon to wait for our train back to Lacoste! Success.

Paris: Day 4

2009-10-26T09:50:00.020-04:00

Day 4 in Paris was primarily spent with my wonderful professor Pam. Most of the fibers girls were headed to Versailles, an amazing place that I had been once before, so I wanted to go see new things. We headed over to the Decorative Arts museum which is within the Louvre. We saw an amazing exhibit of fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet, a jewelry exhibit, Toulouse-Lautrec, and then to the great Musique en Jouets! -- a toy exhibit. It was so fun, and there were kids that walked in and were just so excited. Pam had been anticipating the dancing rabbits and we sat down and enjoyed them.

We then took the metro over to the Bastille and St John area and walked into numerous cute shops. We eventually stopped for a great cup of coffee at the same cute cafe I had been to the day before. We even found Frozen Yogurt!
I wanted to go out to Montmartre to visit a wonderful trinkety store. They have a wonderful site that looks just like the store. The store is called Tombees du Camion and we loved it. When we walked out of the metro we immediately saw Moulin Rouge!
It was a very successful and enjoyable day. Once I got back to the hotel the girls met to get Thai food down the road, and then to get another glass of cider. We were definitely beat from our adventures in Paris thus far.

Paris: Day 3

2009-10-26T09:50:00.016-04:00

Day 3 was Kara's 22nd bday! It was also our day for group shopping. Really. The fibers girls were split up into groups of 3 or 4 and each chose a store to go to from these books. We then had to navigate around and visit them, and buy things! My favorite store was this cute one called Au Petit Bonheur la Chance. It had amazing antique trinkets and lots of great finds.After shopping Kara and I found the cutest cafe. Kara got a croissant that melted her fork! It was ok because the cafe was so cute. I finished the meal off with a yummy chocolate tart!
The afternoon was all about FIAC, the contemporary exhibition we attended at the Louvre and the Grand Palais. It was interesting, there were some nice pieces and some that were just weird. Each artist had their own gallery space with their work in it, it was at times a little overwhelming, but overall it was a good experience.
After FIAC Janelle, Kara, and I walked down le Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triumph. After seeing all of that we made our way back to the Latin quarter and went out for amazing sushi for Karas bday! It was so yummy and so much fun. We ended the night at an English pub for a glass of cider, all in all it was another good day in Paris.

Paris: Day 2

2009-10-26T09:42:00.009-04:00

Day 2 was packed with lots of great opportunities for the fibers girls. We started off by taking the metro over towards Li Edelkoort's studio. We found this stencil on the ground. I like you.We got to experience something amazing. We paid big bucks to be able to go inside the Trend Union, where Li Edelkoort, a fashion trend expert puts together trend forecasts for fashion, fabrics, and many other areas up to two years in advance. She travels the world and has a team of researchers that put together everything she thinks will be "in" into a presentation. We got to hear about what the company does and then got to watch the presentation for Spring/Summer 2011 and it was so inspiring! What an opportunity, one that we would have never been able to experience on our own.On the way to the metro we had to walk through an automobile industry strike. France is known for their strikes. They have them all the time. They are also very organized about them and plan them in advance and get permits for them. This one was interesting and at one point looked like a war zone. Down the road there was a burnt car, not connected with the protest, but it looked like it!

Once we got through the protest we made it to Prelle. The company weaves silk in their factory in Lyon, which we are going to see next week. We were taken through their showroom in Paris and shown their amazing collection, which we are not allowed to share the pictures of, so China doesnt copy their designs. Really. Anyways, their company made the original silks that hung in Marie Antoinette's bedroom chamber, they worked on the Marie Antoinette movie, and now they work to recreate those designs and others. We were given yet another amazing fibers opportunity.Afterwards we went to La Droguerie, a great fibers store, and walked to another store with great trinkets. Megan, Caitlin, and I walked back to the Latin quarter and had a yummy Italian dinner.

After dinner we went to the Eiffel tower. We didnt go up, but we stayed to watch the light show... which was interesting. Its pretty corny how they make it turn rainbow to the beat of the songs they play. It was kind of lame, but it was the Eiffel tower. I had a creepy man touch me and ask me to call his brother and he would give me money. I told him, "Please dont touch me", and Janelle told him "youre rude, go away" so we left. Janelle and Kara danced underneath, then we went back to the hotel and got a crepe to end the day.

Paris: Day 1

2009-10-26T08:21:00.004-04:00

Waking up early Wednesday morning for Paris was almost like a dream. I hadnt got much sleep because of the anticipation and the wind was blowing crazily outside. It was 5:25 am and we had to get ready to leave! We bared the strong Mistral winds and made it down to the cafe for breakfast. Then hopped on the bus for our hour ride to Avignon. We got to the TGV station to wait for our high speed train. Once it came we had three minutes to board 50 people. We got our seats and enjoyed the French countryside on our three hour journey to the city of lights.We arrived at Gare de Lyon and walked to our hotel, trying to take it all in. We arrived at Hotel Home Latin, in the Latin quarter between the Pantheon and Notre Dame!
Lara, Michael, and I took a walk over to Notre Dame stood on the medallion outside, then went to look at the interior. I then walked up to the Pantheon and got a feel for our neighborhood.
We met back at the hotel and a group of us walked 45 minutes to Pere Lachaise, the cemetery where a lot of famous people including Chopin, Jim Morrison, and Oscar Wilde are buried. The fall leaves were everywhere and it was a great walk, even though our first two days there were a bit rainy.
We stopped for cafe au lait, a crepe, and then later Megan, Lexi and I walked around to find a good dinner place and ended up eating at a Tunisian restaurant. It was really good! Our first day in Paris was a success.

Paris Paris Paris!

2009-10-20T16:09:00.002-04:00

So we leave for Paris at 6:30 am! I'm all packed and ready for an amazing 5 day trip filled to the brim with wonderful things to do. I wont be able to update until I am back, but I will make sure to come back with lots to share. Lacoste has gotten colder and even a little wet today, Paris wont be much better, but that wont stop us from enjoying everything we can! Until I return!!

A weekend in Madrid!!

2009-10-19T15:57:00.007-04:00

We did it! We made it to Madrid and back, and for the most part it was really great! It started out not so great... we were supposed to go to a fieldtrip to Glanum, then leave from there to get to Avignon. We had 10 minutes to eat breakfast and get down to the bus, everyone was a few minutes late and by the time we got to clear off our plates and make it down the hill, the bus passed 8 of us and we were left in Lacoste! It wasnt too nice because they could have easily stopped for one second to open the door, but instead we were left wondering how we would make it to Madrid... Lara and I wound up having to take a 65 euro taxi to Avignon, but atleast our taxi driver was entertaining. She talked non stop about loving Obama, hating Bush and Paris Hilton and talking about Thanksgiving. On the way there we passed a line of farming tractors on their way to protest in Avignon. We had enough time to explore Avignon's main street of shops and see the Pope's Palace. We then activated our Eurail passes for our future trips, and hopped on the train to Montpellier, then Barcelona, then finally Madrid! The sun set and we arrived in Madrid and to our interesting hostel around 1 am.
After a rough night of sleep we woke up early and headed to the Royal Palace. It is similar to Versailles and very beautiful. I got a few illegal pictures of the interior, it was really stunning.
We then walked through the city to Plaza Mayor. Its a huge plaza with restaurants, artists, and that day, Spanish Dancers. It was so festive. We found ourselves some squid sandwiches, literally, and sat down with the locals for Bocadillos de Calamares.Afterwards we found an amazing pastry shop, La Mallorguina, which we went to all three days for the best cafe con leche and a treat.
We adventured around the Sol area where there are lots of shops and beautiful and expensive clothing.
After all that we went to Retiro park for a siesta and to kill some time until we could get in free to the Museo del Prado. Afterwards we headed out for tapas, paella, and a few fun drinks.
Day 2 started by going to a crowded flea market. On the way we stopped for churros con chocolat, a local favorite. They were yummy of course, anything dipped in chocolate is. After the market we of course stopped by our place for a cafe then took the metro to the Templo de Debod, an Egyptian monument with beautiful gardens and architecture along the way.We then headed over to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which houses many Picasso and Dali pieces, including Picasso's impressive Guernica. Again we siesta-d in Retiro park and explored the rose gardens.Our last night in Madrid we spent around the Plaza Mayor and Sol area, a very happening area. We went to three different places for tapas and drinks, and ended up at a bar/restaurant we liked the night before for yummy strawberry daiquiris.Our last night in the hostel was.. interesting. We woke up the next morning, checked out, and headed to the airport. We got a taxi back to Lacoste from Marseille and our taxi total for the weekend wound up being 190 euros split between the two of us, ouch. It wasnt ideal, but it was definitely worth it because we had a great weekend and really enjoyed Madrid. Now the excitement keeps going as we prepare for Paris in two days! Things are speeding up and are not going to slow down until I am back in Perkasie in 5 weeks.

I just got busy!

2009-10-15T15:44:00.003-04:00

All of a sudden its 10 pm and I leave at 8 am for a fieldtrip to Glanum then to Avignon to start our travels to Madrid! I have been crocheting for so many hours that I have run out of time! This morning Lara and I went to see about making reservations for our train to Madrid, and its a good thing we did cause Helene spoke to a French man who had to "pull some strings" to get us our seats on the trains we needed. We should arrive in Madrid tomorrow around midnight, make our way to our hostel, and then explore the heck out of Madrid. Cant wait! We have become so into researching our travels, and after spending many hours today creating a complete itinerary for my mom when she comes here and we travel to Italy, I think I should become a part time travel agent. And a realtor, cause Im good at finding subletters.

But anways, I will be taking lots of pictures this weekend and should have lots to update about when I get back, if I'm not able to update while I am there. But until then... have wonderful weekends!

An Eventful Day

2009-10-14T15:58:00.004-04:00

Today started out with a package from home! Some post offices in France have been on strike, but it made it, almost in one piece... just a little torn up. My mom sent some things I had forgotten, and some Halloween goodies.
This afternoon the fibers girls once again piled into the vans and were off to another fieldtrip. We went back to Isle sur la Sorgue to visit a factory, and on the way something exciting happened... A 20 Euro bill flew into the river, and everyone wanted it. Calie couldnt reach it off the side, so after it made its way over the water fall, she decided she wanted it so badly that she would risk getting her cute outfit wet. She climbed down the bridge and onto the rocks as we guided her to where the bill was. Dodging ducks and cans, she waded in the water, but last minute took the plunge and came out 20 euros richer.It was quite the event, even some locals watched the crazy American as she soaked herself in the freezing Sorgue River. Worried that Pam would be upset, she hurried out, climbed back up to the road, and had to think how to make herself presentable, as we had yet to make it to our visit with the prestigious textile manufacturer Brun de Vian Tiran.A few of the girls had some clothing they could part with, so they ducked behind this sign and gave her a new outfit. We were then off to our visit!
We were able to spend time with one of the sons of Brun Textiles. Brun de Vian-Tiran is the leading French manufacturer of natural blankets and has been preserving its know-how over two centuries in an uninterrupted family tradition. Mr. Brun explained their process of turning natural fibers right off the animal into throws or scarves that can cost thousands of dollars. Its great because they do every step of the process in one factory, and they have been doing this for 201 years.We then made our way to Tissus Gregoire, an amazing and overwhelming fabric and notion store. They had more fabric than I had ever seen in one building, and enough buttons and trims to spend a day looking at. It was really great, I can only imagine what we will see in Paris.
This is what I came home with. I found boxes filled with button cards for a euro a card! I couldnt pass it up so of course I got 13. No big deal. Also got some other little goodies I could use, so I'm excited! Now I just have to use them!
Oh the potential of a beautiful stack of buttons... another good day in southern France.

Travel Plans

2009-10-13T15:24:00.007-04:00

Today was a day of classes and a day of crocheting. I am really enjoying sitting and focusing my brain on patterns and numbers and repetition. It is working my mind in a different way that I think is going to benefit my creativity and my work. I will share what I have been working on when I have a little more done and pictures taken!

At the same time I cant help but to be excited about the travels I have coming up. This weekend Lara and I will be adventuring to Madrid, Spain. We are still working out the details, but are using our Eurail passes to get there by train, have our hostel booked, and a RyanAir flight back to Marseille. I am excited to explore that city and unlike Barcelona, will have someone that knows some Spanish with me at all times!

Then next Wednesday we leave for Paris! Pam has so many great things planned for us fibers girls. I think we are going to have opportunities to meet people in the field, visit amazing shops, and buy amazing supplies! I cannot wait. Also, we are there at the same time as FIAC (an exposition of contemporary art) which takes place the 22-25th and we get to be there for the excitement. As if Paris wasn't exciting enough. So lots to look forward to in the coming weeks!

a piece by Michael Scott which will be seen at FIAC

P.S. Check out this TED video. this boy I like just sent it to me and its really an inspiring story...

Lazy Day

2009-10-12T13:55:00.003-04:00

Today was just a lazy day. and cold, and windy. Because of the mistral winds coming down from Siberia and over the Alps, they bring the cold but they clear the valley and you can see forever! It was a beautiful day nonetheless. I spent most of it crocheting and watching movies, in the library, on the terrace, (until my hands got too cold to continue) and then in my bed with a cappuccino by my side. I have a feeling after tomorrow the quarter is going to speed up and get super busy. So im gonna go back to my bed to crochet, and watch the third movie of the day. Night!

Midterms!?

2009-10-11T17:40:00.004-04:00

The weekends over and we are about to start our fourth week in Lacoste, technically our midterm week! How crazy. Yesterday was spent doing work in the library because its starting to get chilly in Lacoste! There are Mistral winds that come down from Siberia and bring some chilly and windy weather to southern France. Hopefully the leaves will start to change soon, so I wont totally miss fall again this year! After dinner last night a bunch of us had a movie night and watched Twilight.. sorry, but not a fan. Before all that excitement my friend Janelle, dressed as a little girl with her little bow, fell down the stairs and this is what we found. Anytime she laughs she cries, but what a cute little girl she must have been!

This morning I went again to Isle sur la Sorgue for the antique market. Got some more pictures of books, pretty glass, and a weird goofy rocking horse! Of course sat down for a noisette and enjoyed some people watching before heading back to Lacoste.

I spent a little time crocheting with all my great new yarns from Apt, and chilled a little in the hammock we have hanging on our terrace.
After a chat with the boy, a great nap, and dinner, Lara and I made arrangements for Madrid! We will be in Madrid next Friday night until Monday afternoon, and then Wednesday we leave for Paris for 5 days with the whole group!! How exciting. I also got to chat with my mom and her friend Jamie who will be meeting us in Lacoste for our Vernissage and traveling with us in Italy! and then Laras mom will travel with us in Austria and Switzerland!! I am so excited for everything we have experienced so far, and what we still have left to see!

Samedi

2009-10-10T14:52:00.003-04:00

Woke up this morning for the market in Apt. As always, enjoyed cafe au lait at our favorite cafe with some lovely ladies, then went to the yarn store and bought so much wonderful yarn! I'm excited to crochet lots of fun things. So far I have made this just as a tester for more necklaces and neckpieces to come...Tomorrow should be a productive day with lots of fiber creations. So until then!

Third times the charm

2009-10-09T14:54:00.003-04:00

Clouds were rolling over the mountains this morning when I got up. Apparently there was a big storm overnight, but I slept so well I didnt hear a thing. I cant get enough of the valley I get to look at every day. I probably take at least a picture a day.
We left early this morning for a fieldtrip to Nimes and le Pont du Gard, two places I visited when I was in France when I was 16, but I was excited to go back! Nimes is a city with a lot of Ancient Roman architecture, including this arena and le Maison Caree.
After visiting these two and the Caree d'Art museum, Lara and I went for a walk to le Jardin de la Fontaine and up to the top of the town to le Tour Magna. It wound up being a beautiful day, and we had a very nice walk around Nimes.Once we made it back down the hill we found an area with a lot of cafes to choose from and had a seat. We ordered some Sangria to share, I got lasagna and Lara got Kangaroo! So adventurous, it tasted a lot like steak, pretty good! Our meal was yummy and it ended with chocolate moose, strawberry ice cream, and espresso! After buying some yarn and zippers at a few stores we headed back to the bus and on to the Pont du Gard, my third time there!We waded in the water, like I had done four years prior. A bunch of our group had brought their bathing suits to go swimming in the chilly water, but because we thought it was going to be a rainy day we didnt bring ours.
I decided to sit by the water and crochet, but then got the urge to jump into the river. Lara and I decided to do it, show a little skin, and hop in! It was so fun and it only took three visits to the Pont du Gard for me to finally swim underneath it!

A New Language

2009-10-08T12:24:00.004-04:00

I learned a new language today! Unfortunately it was not French or Spanish because I want to learn those, but it was the language of crochet! Its a good language to know being that I really do enjoy crocheting, but when I go to read a pattern, I never know where to start. Today we were finally able to be in our studio working for a whole class period instead of critiquing or going on a fieldtrip. It was nice to do that. Pam taught some of us how to make a cute bag, and then she helped me read a pattern for a simple doily.

I made two today, simple to make, but now I will be able to read patterns for more difficult things. I'm excited to keep crocheting! I also want to start making repeat patterns using photographs I have taken so far on my trip, and explore different areas of studio production. I found great images of neckpieces I want to try to recreate or use as inspiration like this one from a blogger CreativeYarn.

So thats my excitement for the day! I spent the afternoon on the terrace as usual, emailing some wonderful friends, and attempting to watch Casablanca, although I didnt pay attention at all, but thats ok! Its the weekend here in Lacoste, with a fieldtrip tomorrow, and markets on Saturday and Sunday. All I know is that Lara had all of these chocolates on her bed, so its bound to be a good weekend! La vie est belle!

Ocher, Okrah, Ochre

2009-10-07T15:30:00.007-04:00

Today began by sitting on my favorite terrace reading, writing, and looking at my favorite view.
After a stop to the bureau de poste attempting to get what I needed, we had the opportunity to sit with a woman who runs a childrenswear line called Heskia. Her company hand smocks the clothing and pays a lot of attention to detail and quality. She encouraged us to do the same in our work, and was excited that such young women had an interest in something that has become so obsolete in the world we live in today. She told us to love what we do, that enjoyment is more important than money, to go out and do something different, and if we work hard luck will find us. It is just a matter of time for things to cycle around and for quality and handmade to once again be desired, rather than cheap and mass produced. I look forward to that.

Always busy, we got the opportunity to visit Factory Mathieu, a factory that makes ochre. They took us through the process and then we got to take part in a natural dyeing workshop. The area around the factory and the town of Roussillon has land made of ochre. Everything turns orange, including the cats and dogs.
We were told that before starting the work in the factory, dirt must be collected and put through machines and processed for a year. The land is made of 80% sand and 20% ocher, meaning a lot of dirt has to be collected in order to get a good amount of ocher. It is washed many times until the two separate, and then it is dried into ocher bricks, then made into powders which they sell to artists.
The whole factory was filled with great colors, most colored by ocher. Even the workers jackets are the colors of the dirt.Beautiful jars were set up by the window in the room we did our natural dyes in. Rainbows shown through, it was really beautiful. We made dye pots of indigo, various barks, and flowers and were able to dye silk samples.
After our visit we went into the town of Roussillon to get some ice cream, of course, and take a look at the lovely colors of the ocher mountains and quaint streets.
The rest of the day has been spent back in Lacoste. As always, loving what I see.

Searching for Inspiration

2009-10-06T15:54:00.004-04:00

Its not that I am not inspired, because look at what I look at every day. Being in France, traveling, seeing new things, seeing beauty everywhere is inspiring me to do more. It is just a matter of what. Last night I finally learned to free motion embroider. Janelle, the pro, showed me the ropes, and I really enjoyed it! I made a honeybee because Melissa means honeybee, and a bear, cause my boyfriend Chester is a teddy bear and I miss him! I had fun drawing with the sewing machine and am looking forward to experimenting more with this fun technique.
I spent the last two days making and researching, searching through blogs, websites, music, videos, talks to get ideas and inspiration. Tomorrow we are going on a fieldtrip to Rousillon to visit a company, Okhra, that will give us a natural dyeing workshop. Looking forward to that, I miss natural dyeing. If you have anything inspiring, words, websites, pictures, please send them my way!

Deja Vu

2009-10-04T09:03:00.007-04:00

This weekend was fun because there was a lot going on. I have seen so much in only three weeks in Europe, and I cant wait for what I will see during the next seven! Lara's dad was here visiting and he took Lara and I on a french roadtrip in his stick-shift Peugeot. I had the whole, small, backseat to myself and we hit the road! Our first stop was the Pont du Gard, a site I visited when I was 16 on a trip with my high school french class, but it was one of my favorites! Its a beautiful Roman aqueduct that stretches across the Gard river and it used to bring water to the town of Nimes. Our group is actually visiting the aqueduct and Nimes next weekend, so I will be able to see it for a third time! It is so grand and beautiful, it impresses me every time!

Our main destination was the medieval village of Carcassonne. It is surrounded by huge walls and has a chateau and cathedral inside, among other things. As we walked up to the entrance there was a familiar looking carousel and I realized I had been there when I was 16 as well! It was total deja vu and you would think I would have remembered, but the trip I took in high school consisted of many medieval villages, cathedrals, and chateaus and I hadn't recognized the name!
We spent the rest of the day outside the walls driving around the tiny streets and finding a place to eat. We had the most amazing baked lasagne and yummy desserts before we headed back to Lacoste under the full moon. In the morning I woke up early to go to the antique market in l'Isle sur la Sorgue. I got a beautiful piece of vintage lace, a vintage cloth, and embroidery floss. I also got some great pictures of what some vendors were selling.
After walking around Janelle and I found a cute cafe by the river to have an espresso at. The group stopped at the supermarche for some goodies and we made it back to Lacoste so I could sit out on the terrace, do some work, talk to the boy, and then go for a run before dinner! Heres to another week in southern France!

Treasure!

2009-10-02T16:48:00.006-04:00

So the great thing about taking a fibers class and a class about the history of Provence while in France, is that we are in the middle of Provence and we are surrounded by beautiful fabrics. Therefore, we go on a million fieldtrips and we go see just what we are learning about! Its pretty wonderful. Today we went on two fieldtrips, the first was for Treasures of Provence to go see a village filled with these stone structures we have learned about called Bories. Near the town of Gordes is la Village des Bories. It is an interesting little village solely constructed of stone. The structures are strong and have beautiful shapes which means beautiful pictures.
After a few bories you have kind of seen them all, so I started looking at the ground as I walked through. Good thing I was cause I found a treasure!! I found a treasure of Provence! Just sitting there was a tiny little coin that I picked up and I took home with me! Its very thin and smaller than a dime. There might be some writing or pictures on it but it might very well have nothing. It needs to be cleaned off but I found a treasure! I got a picture of it near a pretty little flower stuck between the rocks.When we got back from Gordes it was time for a nap and a little more work before the next fieldtrip. The fibers ladies went to L'Isle sur la Sorgue, a very quaint town that is actually an island between rivers, for a fiber artist's opening at a cute home decor store in town. They served wine and sushi and we got to hang out with the locals and check out the work. It was fun. Then we all went to a Vietnamese restaurant and I got some yummy chicken curry, a good change from school food.Tomorrow morning Lara and I are leaving early with her dad to visit the Castle of Carcassonne, should be interesting. And tomorrow night is a full moon and Pam is going to take us on a full moon hike! Lots to do this weekend! Until then!

Two weeks down

2009-10-01T15:04:00.004-04:00

We just finished our second week of classes here in Lacoste and I wanted to share a little of what I have been working on. For Advanced Travel Portfolio we were given something we like to do, and something we dont like to do, and were to make seven "yes's and no's". We are still making them, but so far my yes's have consisted of a found weaving, and two crochet pieces. I am still working on one, but I was to "listen to my hands" because a lot of the times when I get in the right mindset... its as if my hands just do the making for me. My no is drawing so I have been drawing sights around Lacoste and even went to a figure drawing session. These small exercises are hopefully going to open my mind to bigger things to come this quarter.What is really great about being here is that I am taken away from a lot of the every day distractions I have back at home. It has allowed me to focus on my work and given me time to admire God's creations. I really hope that I continue to produce work and ideas while the distractions are gone, because once I get back to Savannah I'm sure it wont be as easy. For my Treasures of Provence art history class I have to keep a journal, which I have decided not to put off until the last week like I have done in the past. And my favorite thing to do is to work out on the terrace, with all my materials spread out on the table, and this view right in front of me.
Well that is what I have been up to! Today was a tcb (take care of business) kind of day. Laras dad is here for the weekend and I might be able to travel with them Saturday either to the coast or inland to an awesome castle. Tomorrow I have two field trips, one to Gordes to see the bories , and another to L'Isle sur la Sorgue for a fiber artist's opening. Should be fun!

Living above the Clouds

2009-09-30T12:09:00.008-04:00

Today was such a lovely day. I woke up on the earlier side, walked out my door, and saw this...Its like we're living above the clouds! It was a great start to the day, and then it just continued to get better! The fibers ladies were lucky enough to visit Les Olivades, the last manufacturer of fabrics left in Provence. We got to witness their process of screenprinting provencal fabrics from start to finish. And then we got to buy some as well!
We were taken through the whole factory where we could see rolls and rolls of beautiful fabrics. We made it to the room where they take the prepared fabric and screenprint it on a table that is probably 200 meters long! Its huge. There is a machine that holds the screen and moves along the fabric printing the whole length. Here is the huge table with the fabric they were working on today. They had done four of the eleven colors so far, and had the pigments and screens ready for the next seven!Before we went into the showroom to look at the finished fabrics for purchase I found this awesome rust on one of the machines.In the showroom they had lots of beautiful fabrics hanging, most of them out of our price range. But we found the hidden back room where there were scraps of fabrics you could purchase by the kilo at a reasonable price. I got four great fabrics, a pot holder, and a bag of lavender for gifts! I'm excited to start making some new things!Since we were so excited about the factory we missed lunch back in Lacoste, so we stopped in St. Remy, a really nice town, and got some lunch, and of course some ice cream and chocolate!When we arrived back to Lacoste, the clouds I saw in the morning were gone and it was a beautiful clear day. La vie est belle.

La Vie Est Belle

2009-09-29T11:33:00.005-04:00

Its another beautiful day in southern France. Its also a day to remember for me. Four years ago a new high school friend died in a car crash with two other boys. It was a sad day, and I cant believe its been four years. I'm sure everyone who experienced this day is thinking of their angels today. Rest in Peace Tony, Nico, and Chris.

Today our Fibers class went to Jean-Pierre's studio again. Although what we heard was information we had heard last week, it was again inspiring to be in a working studio with great things to find and photograph. From the plants outside to antiques hanging from the ceiling and designs of the tiles laid out, I felt inspired by what I saw.
We once again were taken inside Jean-Pierre's home to hear about his amazing collection of ancient finds and a great collection of artwork. His house is charming and he has this great coffee maker, that apparently is famous and has been in a movie or two. When he saw me photographing his kitchen sink he said "what? its just a sink?" but it looked cute and I wanted a photo!
I realized today how lucky I am to be where I am and to be seeing such beauty every single day. God has truly slowed down my life and brought me to a place where I can relax and gaze at his beautiful creations. So many distractions have been taken out of my life and I am able to feel inspired again and I am loving it. Once I have a few more items made I will be sure to share them on here! But for now... another beautiful picture of my new surroundings.

A weekend in Lacoste

2009-09-28T04:28:00.006-04:00

So our first week in Lacoste is over! The weekend was beautiful weather so a lot of it was spent outdoors. Saturday morning we woke up to go to the market at Apt again. Since we had been there once we had an idea of what was there but it was nice to go and enjoy it in the sunshine this time. Lara, Janelle, and I went around sampling lots of foods. We accidentally sampled pâte so we hurried over to sample jams and Lara and I wound up buying 4 jars of it (there was a deal, and theyre great gifts!) Janelle and I bought 5 avocados for 2 euros to fix our guacamole cravings. Then we went into the cutest cafe with the cutest little dog and we had some yummy cafe au lait.

When we returned Lara and I finally did our laundry. We were running out since we had packed so lightly and I had traveled a week before this week in Lacoste! Because of the dry air we get to dry our clothes on our cute little terrace!
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing our journals out on the terrace and enjoying the lovely view. That night after dinner a bunch of the fibers girls, and Lara the adopted fibers girl, had a movie night and watched Father of the Bride.

Sunday we woke up very motivated after a good nights sleep. After brunch Lara and I decided to walk to Menerbes, a town 8 km away. (10 miles round-trip!) All we really wanted was some exercise and some ice cream. The town is kind of on the other side of the mountain, not as steep as the roads in Lacoste, but a slight incline that was going to make walking back a challenge. We found this praying mantis in the middle of the road, probably praying for our trip back!The walk was very long and it was pretty hot, but there were a few nice views and sights along the way (plus we were greeted by a bunch of french guard dogs).
We were excited when we finally saw Menerbes in the distance! Once we got to the bottom of the hill we had to go up another but we finally made it. We were greeted by this building that says "Life is beautiful!"The town was small, with just a few roads and a few cafes. I politely asked a woman at one of the cafes if we could order only ice cream, in french, and in french she says, "only ice cream?... No." So we were mad at Menerbes and decided to head back to Lacoste, but we did see a few pretty things while there. Great views of the mountains, and beautiful ivy on one of the old buildings.The hike back was long and tiresome. You would think that after running a marathon I would be fine, but man do I have to get back in shape. We stopped for a few minutes to get a picture of us in "agony" and to catch our breath. It was quite the adventure, and we were excited to get back to Lacoste 3 1/2 hours later!
When we got back Janelle and I tried to make guacamole. We had been hoping the cafeteria would have tomatoes and onions, but they hadnt for two days and we needed our guac! So in Janelle's coffee mug we smashed two avocados, lemons from dinner the night before, and salt and pepper packets, and ate it with potato chips. Desperate huh? Happy to say there were tomatoes and onions at dinner, so we snatched them, and will probably make more today! After dinner our Advanced Fibers class had a makeup class where we shared our powerpoints about ourselves. Although there are only 8 of us, it took 4 1/2 hours and we were there until 12:30 at night! But it was very enjoyable and inspiring and it made me feel that this is going to be a really great class.

Well its now Monday morning. I have the whole day to catch up, do work, and enjoy another beautiful day in southern France! "La vie est belle!"

Aix-en-Provence

2009-09-25T14:23:00.006-04:00

After a nice cup of wine at Cafe de France with the fibers girls last night, (cause we can) I got some sleep before our early morning to leave for our excursion to Aix-en-Provence, the home of Cezanne. We arrived after an hour on the bus and headed to the Tapestry museum. Mistake. Besides getting this lovely photo of Lara and I, we were "entertained" by these two sterotypical looking french characters. They made us sit on the cold, hard ground and proceeded to take us on a "tour" of the tapestries, all in french-- sound effects and all. We felt like we were being recorded on some hidden camera show, but apparently they were just really excited to be around American women...After that experience we walked the streets of Aix finding some great fabric stores, art supplies stores, bookstores, and antiques. We were able to catch the last weekend of the Cezanne and Picasso exhibition at le Musee Granet. Although it was very packed with people, it was a nice exhibit.

Afterwards Lara and I made a pit stop for more ice cream, and sat down at a cafe to share a banana-nutella crepe and I got a cafe au lait. It was all very yummy, and I ordered in French again!
We finished the day by just walking and doing some people watching. When we returned to Lacoste we were all ready for dinner, and I realized that I should invest in some Dramamine!

So far in Lacoste

2009-09-24T10:25:00.012-04:00

It has almost been a week since we arrived in Lacoste and already there has been so much to see. Living in a tiny medieval village on the side of a mountain with less than 200 people in it you would think there wouldnt be too much to do. But it seems that each day there is another (steep) path to discover.

After taking an overnight bus from Barcelona to Marseilles, I met the group at the airport and we headed to Lacoste in the pouring rain. We were greeted by hail! which was ironic because it had not rained all summer. It was ok because once the rain stopped we were delighted by this!

Once we checked in we began to set up our new rooms and explore the village! Lara and I are sharing a loft in the charming Olivier Upper. We have a great terrace, courtyard, and cute blue doors.

Lacoste was built as a fortress to keep it secure from the enemies that they used to fight. So, it is very steep and very compact. We get a workout every time we leave our doorstep. Beautiful buildings line the steep roads, and SCAD has turned old buildings into what we call our campus. The old boulangerie (bakery) is now our cozy library, for example!

Day 2 took us to the market in Apt! Lara and I walked around and wound up buying anything made of chocolate. We made a pit stop at the Pont Julien, an ancient bridge that was used for travel between Italy and Spain.Sunday Lara and I walked to the nearest village, Bonnieux, which is 6 km away. We explored the town and found la glace! I got some tasty lavender ice cream and lara tried apricot. I even ordered in French! Monday classes were starting, but both of mine are on Tuesday/Thursday, so I had a free day to run, catch up on emails, and prepare for classes the next day! I am taking Treasures of Provence which takes us on many fieldtrips to go see what we are learning about! I am also in Advanced Travel Portfolio which will count as my first Senior Fiber Studio! When I return from Lacoste I will officially be a senior, and if everything goes as planned, I will stay the summer in Savannah and finish school a year early! Our professor Pam is great and the group of girls in the class will be really helpful and inspiring. Yesterday was spent doing artwork on the terrace looking over the valley, and it was Janelles birthday! I attended a french class and enjoyed the day off!

Today (Thursday) we went on our first art history fieldtrip to the small town of Caseneuve to see mosaic artist Jean Pierre Soalhat's studio. He makes amazing mosaics out of ancient materials and sells them all over the world. He also has a great collection of artifacts that date back to 42,000 BC! Crazy.
We returned to Lacoste to find out that our fibers class was canceled, so I have been enjoying the beautiful day. Tomorrow we leave early for Aix en Provence! a bien tot!