"Awake My Soul"

The past couple weeks I have been walking around in a bit of a fog. There has just been so much going on, I just can not seem to get anything right. I have managed to ignore my calendar and the pile on my desk and the fact that I have no food in the house for too long now. I am feeling restless and it is time for me to channel that feeling.

I went to bed last night thinking "tomorrow I will get my shit together". Naturally I got a phone call at 9:30 this morning to ask where I was. Yes. I had a 9:00am meeting with some fellow artists that I completely spaced on. This is very unlike me. So not exactly a great start to my "get my shit together" week, but I am on high alert now.

I am here at my computer, catching up on e-mails, ordering, bookkeeping etc. My go to band,  Mumford and Sons, are softly serenading me "Awake My Soul". Yes please! So I am carrying that with me today, along with all the amazing things I have experienced in the last few weeks, family, friendships, honesty along with a few self discoveries.

She is a gorgeous mess of chaos, and you can see it in her eyes.

I Got Mail

I am usually the one doing the shipping but today I got a present in the mail from my dear friend and one time college roommate, Amber. It is an infinity scarf with bits from Pride and Prejudice printed on it. I LOVE it! I put it on immediately and am not really sure when I will take it off.

It is from a talented etsy seller Storiarts by Tori Iannarino. She has a few different books to choose from. Check her store out! www.etsy.com/shop/storiarts I am a happy girl! Thanks Amber!

Today's Motivation

Today my coffee does not taste quite right, my hair is frizzy because it is raining outside. I look to my right and there are piles of laundry I need to do and to my left hairballs, evidence from my dog that summer is pretty much here. These are how crummy days usually start.

In my lazy state I hop on Facebook to see whats a doin' and I find this photo posted by my lovely friend in Northern Ireland. The caption read "Last day of chemo tomorrow". What better fitting image for the moment then her beautiful head scarves dancing in the breeze.

Suddenly, I no longer need the coffee to wake up, I could care less what I look like. As for the weather, the morning rain has brought the birds out to play. The laundry and dog hair will get taken care of eventually, but right now I feel like being in the studio, because what I do makes me happy. It makes others happy too. I just wanted to share this moment that was so beautifully captured with any of you who are not having a great day. There is always something to celebrate, if not for yourself then for others.

Hey There Sailor

On Wednesday, tall ships from all over the world began arriving to Baltimore's Inner Harbor for this weekends Star-Spangled Sailabration. The Blue Angels have been flying around downtown for days now in preparation for their shows this weekend along with tents being constructed all over that are bound to be filled with delicious and unhealthy foods. Fireworks are planned, because after all this is America. And to top it all off there are nearly 40 tall ships and navy vessels filling the Inner Harbor.

I got the best view of it all last night as I was lucky enough to take Ryleigh's Oyster Cruise aboard "Sigsbee", an Historic Skipjack built in 1906 and run by Living Classrooms (http://www.livingclassrooms.org/). The weather was perfect, time of day was beautiful and that night I seriously fell in love with Baltimore all over again. Not because of its quirks, which is usually what gets me enamored with this crazy place, but because of its beauty. Plain and Simple. This city was stunning.

When our harbor cruise ended and we docked, a girlfriend and I drove around to the other side of the city and were simply in awe of how lively it all was. The tall ships were lit up and people were out and about. Have I gone this far and not mentioned the sailors? Throngs of sailors everywhere! I personally am not a girl that goes slack jawed for sailors but I have to say it is quite a fun sight. It so reminds me of the old black and white homecoming photos of the 1950's. I do however know many a girl who cant seem to get a grip when men in those white uniforms are about. It was these ladies I had in mind when I made this necklace which is now available in my shop!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102217188/hey-there-sailor-hand-stamped-sterling

I am sure no cities are celebrating the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner the way we are here if at all, but if you are around Baltimore this weekend, it really is something to see.


If you need more information on the Star-Spangled Sailabration go to http://www.starspangled200.com/index.php

To catch word of Ryleigh's next Oyster Cruise like them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RyleighsOyster

To learn more about Living Classrooms or to donate to this fantastic organization visit http://www.livingclassrooms.org/
 As always my website is www.heavenstobessie.com but you can also see what I am up to on Facebook (Heavens to Bessie Jewelry) and on both Twitter and Instagram (@heavenstobessie)

It's So Much Fun To Be A Hon

Hon: 1) a term of endearment derived from the word honey.

2) your friendly Baltimore woman from the late 1950's to early 1960's who is devoted to Elvis, loves leopard print, and has a pink flamingo or two in her front yard. She lives with one simple motto : "The Higher the Hair the Closer to God"

She is our Grandmother, our Mother, our neighbor, the friend you run into at Giant. She is our heritage. She is Bawlmer Hon!  

Every Year in June, for one weekend, one little street in downtown Baltimore erupts into a plume of pink feather boas, leopard print spandex and cat eye glasses. Hon Fest. The 2 day celebration that pays homage to the HON and everything Baltimore. A few years ago my cousins and I started getting dressed up to go to Hon Fest just for something fun. It has now become a holiday for us and every year more and more ladies join our hon pack.

The hours leading up to the group of us caravan down to Hampden is just a haze of hairspray, jewelry, and red lipstick (no wonder the husband has never accompanied me). Nothing is "too much" no hair can be "too big" and one can of aquanet will just not do.

Once we arrive, we manage to make a stir, that thing about strength in numbers proves true. We smack our gum and blow kisses and shout some "Hey Hons" for videographers and pose for photographers, both professional and not. People have even handed us their kids wanting to take pictures of us all adoring their clearly terrified children. And of course we do it. I mean why wouldn't we?

One of my cousins and myself ready to Hon.

My annual photo with Elvis

Between the craziness, we get the opportunity to really take in the festival. Sampling the food, grabbing a beer, and visiting the awesome stores along the Avenue. For me, the best part is perusing the super fun vendors that come out for Hon Fest year after year. I always find Baltimore crafters that I recognise and adore and each year I manage to discover new ones!

Some of the beautiful hair clips by one of my favorite
Baltimore Crafters, Kolleen Kilduff of
Design By Night
Check out her shop at www.designbynight.etsy.com

After admiring their work online for so long, I finally got
to meet the lovely ladies of Charms City Company
I am obsessed with these initial necklaces. Check
them out at
www.CharmCityCompany.com  

The bright, colorful baltimore inspired works of
Ramon Matheu. See his super fun work at
www.ramonmatheu.com

Be sure you check out Hon Fest's website at http://www.honfest.net/index.html and be sure you watch the adorable movie they have posted on their pagehttp://www.honfest.net/whatis.html . If you need your reminder for Hon Fest for next year, give the facebook page a like 

               http://www.facebook.com/pages/HONFEST/127828540567469                                        

To say that going down to Hon Fest is fun is an understatement to be sure. It is truly a celebration of Baltimore. All that it was and all that it is. Get it on your calendar for next year and come down and get your Hon on!

Road Trip Shenanigans

Last week hubby and I hit the road before the sun, and begun our trek out to Indiana. I spent 7 years living between Evansville Indiana and Newburgh Indiana, all the while planning to return to my beloved Baltimore. It wasn't until year 7 that Indiana really became my home and honestly it was hard to leave. To say we have friends out there is not quite fitting. We have people out there that we love like family, as well as actual family, and it is always so great when we get to see them all. It does however make for one busy week!

This was not just an ordinary visit either. We went out there for our dear friend's wedding, as well as to finally meet our other dear friends baby that was born in February. We made our rounds and visited as many people as we could squeeze into 6 days, ate a lot of Sonic, and just had an over all awesome time. It was, as always too short, but coming home felt great too. It is hard to feel so at home in two different places because you always miss one or the other.

11 Hours as a passenger makes me crazy.



Baby love.

Our old stomping grounds. The building shown was where
my storefront, Moon River Art Gallery was. It is now
a FABULOUS boutique called Flutter
 (www.flutternewburgh.com)

At our friends' carnival themed wedding where I made
great use of the photo prop table.

Making our way back East.