A Day of Favorite Places

There is nothing more enriching than spending a free day surrounded by objects and places of inspiration. My morning started off at Ula Cafe...the passion, creativity and energy that went into making this venture happen, never fails to inspire my desire to do, to make, to create.

Fortified with a strong pot of tea and a cherry almond scone, I headed to my sewing machine. I had started the Amy Butler Frenchy Bag last week and didn't get very far. Behold...

This is the Hand Bag version, just big enough for my wallet, mobile, lipstick, and keys. Perfect.

The stripes are an Amy Butler fabric, the green top a Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy. There are two things I might do differently the next go around...1) make the handles longer so the bag can go over the shoulder. There is another version, the Shoulder Bag, but I love the smallness of the Handbag, I just want the versatility of holding my bag or putting it over the shoulder and not worrying about. Basically...I want it all...2). It has two inside pockets and I would only use one. Personal preference...

Now that I had a new, kickin' cute bag, I had to show it off...I thought I had made plans to see an art exhibit with a friend...and we did make plans, but I thought it was this weekend and she thought it was next weekend...so, I went by myself...because, dang it, I had a new bag and it needed to see some art!

Are there places in the world that fill you with excitement when you see them? Does your step lighten, does your heart swell, do you get giddy when you think about this place?

The PEM does it for me...On a whole, I'm not a huge museum goer, but the Peabody Essex is small, intimate and filled with light. I'm so happy when I see it; it's like visiting a really good friend...

Currently, they have a Joseph Cornell exhibit that is breath taking. I don't know much about this artist and was intrigued enough to search for a biography at the public library. He is famous for creating art from found objects, making incredible shadow boxes and collages.The boxes were phenomenal, so many intricacies, so many parts to explore; you wanted to get your hand inside and touch.

This was the collage that spoke to me the most, layers and layers of paper and cuttings to create this story.

It's so hard to see the detail in the photograph, but in real life you can see the layers; you can see the crispness of the coral that makes her bodice and the perspective of depth the goldfish imply. There is a luminescent quality to this piece; it shines.

I always try to buy a postcard of the piece that speaks the loudest to me; my memento of the day. Yesterday I brought home the most unlikely memento...a jigsaw puzzle...I don't think I've ever put a jigsaw puzzle together, but what enchanted me was the shapes of the pieces: mermaids, seahorses, little people, stars, crabs and fishes...and they're wooden...and they were wrapped in tissue..

Absolutely enchanting...

Comments

[Colleen]

Gorgeous new bag. So happy you went to the exhibit by yourself (that would be very out of character for me)... looks like you got a little extra inspiration from the experience. The collage is amazing.

[africankelli]

A. That bag looks fabulous. Nice work!
B. Good for you for still going to the museum and enjoying your time!
C. What an incredible place!

[Ali]

Strange so-incidence - I made the same bag this weekend and I think I agree with you on the one pocket only thing.

That jigsaw is amazing - I find doing them really relaxing.

[Jennifer]

I didn't realize you were also in Massachusetts! Thank you for mentioning the Cornell exhibit; I saw the major show of his work that toured the US about 25 years ago and am going to do everything I can to get to Salem before the show closes.