Vacation: Day Four; Inland forecast? 90 degrees

On learning how to relax again on vacation

Loads of laundry done 3*
Beds made 0
Dishwasher loads 0
Times used Windex 0
Sunscreen bought 1
Aloe vera bought 1
Bananas consumed 3
Ankles twisted 1
Photos taken 200
Photos uploaded 40
Books read 0
Art projects done 0
Trips to the grocery 3
Seafood eaten 0**
Sunny days 3/3
Wine purchased 1***
Wine consumed 0
Number of colors in living room 27
Number of naps 0
Number of burkas or muumuus required for beach 1
Number of burkas or muumuus brought 0
Number of horrific, white, beached whales spotted 1
Number of great white sharks caught in North Myrtle Beach and reeled in 2****
Number of books or magazines able to read on beach with new sunglasses 0
Number of cleaning efforts (any kind) made so far 0
Number of favorite spots torn down: several
Number of backsides now burned 1
Times coming in for bottled water - several
People on beach - 1 gazillion + assorted dogs
Dogs seen:
Boxer and dalmation mix 1
Dachshund 1
Golden lab - 1
Yorkies- 12 (or maybe it's the same one)
Shitzus- 2
Whippet 1
Puggle 1
Corgi 1
Misc 10
Cats 0
Minutes spent gazing at ebay 0
Bad hair days 3/3

* stacking apartment size appliances (cute, though)
** yet
*** juice box size and shape, in fact, it is wine in a juice box
**** that I know of

How not to go on vacation?

Ahhhh! North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Arrived April 2. This is approximately my 40th visit in 25 years. This vacation was so needed; doctor's orders even. I haven't blogged here lately or posted (or made) much art. Haven't been feeling too creative or inspired or energetic.

So, I thought I would bring plenty of inspirational supplies, reading material and the like on vacation. The pics above don't even include the four Blythe dolls I brought to photograph and all of their belongings and props. But what you do see are enough supplies to knit, crochet, embroider, paint with acrylics, paint with watercolors, draw with charcoal or graphite, and of course equipment to photograph, blog, listen to music or do real work.

I wonder if I need "help" in learning how to take a vacation? I didn't used to. Already I have a sunburn. That might be viewed as a positive in this situation. We shall see. More to come...

Thinking About Home

I am not at all sure what kind of wacky person "works" during vacation, but then again, I don't consider my art "work" - even though I have deadlines. So, it was with great pleasure bordering on wild abandon (okay maybe that's a tidge overstated) that I spread out all my art supplies that I had packed and set about making my dozen houses for Jeri's House Row Swap. Once I got going, it was a lot of fun, and I couldn't stop, didn't stop, until about 3 a.m. yesterday, today, whatever that is. I even packed them up and mailed them off from here, so I wouldn't have to drag them home. Some of my houses are titled "Green House," "Blue Beach House," "Secret Memories" and "Indian Fun House." I am satisfied with them and can't wait to see the swap returns. Ms. Laurie Blau-Marshall posted an exquisite one on her blog Living Out Loud http://loudlife-laurieblaumarshall.blogspot.com. I'm telephathically requesting it in my swap package. Laurie also paid me a very nice compliment, as did Heidi http://mermaidsdowry.blogspot.com which I need to post and pass on soon.

Yay! Off to My Beach.....Again

Return visitors may be excused for yawning about now. You may recall my excessive posting of last October: that was my first time in 23 years at North Myrtle Beach after starting this blog, acquiring my first digital camera and also discovering free wireless in our condo. So post I did. Waves? Check. Sun? Check. Seagulls? Check. Thunderstorm? Check? Pretty much anything that moved? Check.

So, I promise to be a little more discriminating this year, and I believe I have learned more about my camera, also a plus. I'm just so crazy excited to get out of the Midwest and to see some blues and greens and pinks and purples. This has been an extremely long winter in varying shades of gray, and I need a color infusion, STAT.

I'm looking forward to the little respite. I've packed all the things I've been wanting to do, like making charms for Art & Soul and Castle in the Meadow (see blog badges at right), a couple hard-backs: John Grisham and Tim Dorsey, the latest magazines, one Blythe with props and a tote of art supplies. Last year I overpacked so much that one large laundry basket filled to the brim with art supplies was just the tip of the iceberg. Not smart. But I learned. This year, only a relative dab, so I can really spend some time relaxing.

I am looking forward to getting re-charged! Jimmy Buffett may call his beach "my beach" because likely he owns the frontage, but I'm calling North Myrtle "my beach"- squatters' rights.

WIPS and What Was I Thinking?

I Need 5 Days with No Sleep!

Today at the beach is full cloudshine, so I thought I'd work on a 'few' things. Although now that I have everything out, I am a bit overwhelmed. Really. Did I really pack all this stuff? Am I really going to read all these books? I even brought my sewing machine. I think I may have lost my mind. Hopefully, it is still back in Indiana. My WIPs are a couple of beachy shadowboxes. One I am going to take outside to paint and distress any minute. I also bought Pearl Ex pigments, which I have never used before, to give it an oceanic glow. Some of the mess I actually did buy here, as I scored a seahorse and some driftwood as well as some felted wool flowers at A. C. Moore and more curly feathered birds at Michael's. Something tells me packing is not going to be fun.