Welcome to the Good Life

A quick video of our recent vacation put together by my son:

And we do have a very good life...

Marking Milestones

Have you heard about Maya?  She set off on a grand adventure on May 5, 2012, the day she turned 40.  

She is riding her bike from Amherst, MA to Milwaukee, WI toting this fabulous aqua typewriter behind her and stopping all along the way in towns and communities and inviting others to contribute to her ever-evolving poem.  I have exactly 122 days left in my 40th year, and although I had all sorts of grand and romantic ideas about how I would mark the milestone, I've pretty much done none of them.  That's not to say that I haven't had a great year, just that I haven't done that one great milestone-marking thing.  Do you think my family would mind if I just took off to join Maya for a few weeks?  Because seriously, is this not the coolest idea ever?  You can follow her adventure here.

Makes You Want to Take the Back Road

You must have food in case you get lost.  First, stop for cider doughnuts and apple butter and strawberry-rhubarb jam.

Taking the back roads is ALWAYS a good idea.  You know the saying "getting there is half the fun..."

Well, in this case, what's waiting for you when you get there is the best part.

Epic Roadtrip

We left home on Thursday with an empty truck and trailer and a full tank of gas.  We had maps and sunscreen, bungies, straps and tarps. We headed south through Kansas and Oklahoma towards the mother lode of flea-market shopping in Canton, Texas.

It was a trip we had talked about taking for years.  Giddy with excitement, we made lists of all the things we were on the lookout for...cabinets and tin ceiling tiles, old ledger paper, vintage textiles and jewelry.  The list went on and on.  Our first stop found us in Pittsburg, KS, a mere hour from home.  Old toolbox anyone?  Load it up of course!

We shopped our way through Oklahoma, stopping at any place that caught our fancy.

Unfortunately, this place wasn't open for the day yet but that didn't stop us from exploring the outside!

You know this is on the list of places to return to!

I'm embarrassed happy to report we had to make a stop in Tulsa to drop our first load at Jana's daughter's house for fear we may not have enough room for the treasures we just knew we were going to find...

it's a good thing we did, because boy did we ever find treasures!

And I found kettle corn!

There were lots of things we didn't buy...

But just a few that we did!

We returned home late on Sunday with a full truck and trailer and an empty tank of gas.  We had treasures, and ideas and projects to start, stories to tell and memories of new friends made along the way.

Let me tell you, if ever you need just a little jolt to your creativity and sense of adventure, head to Canton, TX for First Monday Trade Days.  I assure you it won't disappoint!

A Trip to Remember

We shouldn't have waited 20 years to take this trip.  Is it crazy that we've been home less than a week and are already plotting our next getaway?





Bahamas Trip from Jennifer Dover on Vimeo.

Start Spreading the News...

I'm leaving today.  I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.

These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray.  Right through the very heart of it,  New York, New York

I want to wake up in a city that doesn't sleep, and find I'm king of the hill- top of the heap

My little town blues, they're melting away. I'm gonna make a brand new start of it, In old New York.

If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere. 

It's up to you New York, New York! 

Don't you worry New York, I'll be back!

More From Journalfest

This is the journal I prepared to take to Journalfest.  It has a picture of my grandma on the front because she is one of my greatest inspirations.  The following pages were done on the second day in Tracy Bunkers class.  What fun to play with layers of gesso, paint, paper, fabric, stamps, etc!

The first day's class was Traci Bautista's "Graffiti Insriptions" where we learned many techniques with paint to create layers and layers of interesting texture.  We also learned to make our own free-form stamps with craft foam and monoprints with overhead projector transparencies.

And after creating our fantastic canvases, we ripped them up to create a fun and funky journal.  Mine holds all my trades, evidence, and memories from Journalfest.

My last day at Journalfest was spent in a writing workshop with Stephanie Lee.  What a breath of fresh air that was!

I'm Back!

It's been too long.  I have stayed away from my blog for so long now, it seems a lifetime ago.  I just returned from a beautiful few days in Port Townsend, WA and now I am truly reinspired!  It just takes a short time surrounded by wonderfully creative people and the juices begin to flow again.  I must stay focused though. So many new techniques to try, so many new things to learn! I understand now why so many people go to the Northwest to find their creative muse.  What a supremely beautiful place!

The views from Fort Worden State Park are incredible! This place will forever call to me.  A big thank you to Teesha and Tracy Moore for the first ever Journalfest!  You can check them out at
http://www.teeshamoore.com/ and http://www.zettiology.com/
I've learned so much.  Now, I must honor it all by continuing my creative journey.