A road trip through the plains and mountains

Our Wyoming trip to see family over St Pat's was just as nice as can be.  Sugarwings reunited with her cousin, Sydnee.  They "ship" their names, Leandra and Sydnee, to Syd-Lee, and are best buds.  I was thrilled to find these green (ish) matching shirts at Target for them to wear-

Together we are better than Unicorns, Sprinkles, and Rainbows.

Perfect!

They cheerleaded on trampoline during a family football game (no, I did NOT play), crafted, treated us to green mani-pedis, and each used their copious make believe skills nonstop.

We also spent some time with Grandma Joan, in the assisted living center. And even better, she felt good enough to come over to the house for a dinner and a brunch!

I was torn over seeing this hanging prominently in her room.  I painted it in '87, it is a scene from Arkansas.  It was sweet that she'd saved it, but sad that it wasn't a better painting…. I should paint something new for her to replace it, I think my style now has improved. Visiting family can become a stroll down a lane of forgotten artwork, that can be a cringy tour of past ineptitudes.  

If you own a painting of mine from ages ago- please, please, please don't feel like  you have to display it or you'll hurt my feelings!!! I'm fine (thrilled) with you taking it down, throwing it away, burning it, or disposing it in the best way to prevent me from that gut wrenching feeling of

"OH NO, what was I thinking?"

Green isn't always my color, so I made a bracelet to wear for the holiday and avoiding a pinch.  Then brought another for my sister-in-law as a thanks for hosting us.  I brought more beads and some child sized memory wire for the Syd-Lees to make their own jewelry too.

The drive across Colorado and Wyoming was breathtaking, and we were extremely lucky that this was old snow, the storm had passed, roads were clear, but the view of remnants was lovely to see.  I enjoyed the drive, as we listened to Bridge to Terabithia, and Stardust. A good book can make a trip fly by, and if you have a view like this, sometimes the trip can seem to go too quickly.  

Sugarwings is an ideal travelling companion, she was in the car for hours on end and never once asked if we were there yet, or had a single complaint.

Of course, breaking up the drive with an overnight at Great Wolf didn't hurt.

And I had some fun at Great Wolf too.  Swimming for a few hours makes up for sitting in the car that long.

Thank you to the Wyoming Nathans for a warm, welcoming, fun filled, visit!  It's just too dang bad that our family is so far apart, it would be nice to see them more often.

Oh, and thank you to all who cleared out my wallpaper scrap packs and journals!  All were mailed when I got back from our travels, and I hope to have more cut and listed to sell too. But for today, I'm happily knee deep in Easter Eggs with vintage millinery. I came out to the studio with a mindset to work on wallpaper packs, but you know how that goes.  All of a sudden, I'm glittering eggs and gluing on ribbons and flowers. instead of cutting papers.  

Photos soon!