Vamonos a la Shopping !

So I have been settling my heart back into home.

David and I had a cozy reconnecting weekend, which feels just lovely.

I have to say that one of the many things I love about my husband his how he always encourages me to use the wings of my heart to fly and then provides the perfect space to land back home again...

This is the little giftie I got him in Playa Del Carmen to thank him for that.

And this is my own tin & mirror one to remind myself to use those wings too.

So hearts and wings were kind of the theme of my shopping trip to Playa Del Carmen with Nathalie and Suzanne during our trip.

We awoke to a cloudy day which was perfect for shopping. We took the 230 peso(20.00US)/30 minute taxi trip to the town from the hotel.

Playa Del Carmen is definitely geared to the tourist trade and the shopping on the 5th Avenue definitely is as well.

I ended up falling in love with this purse in our first shop!

I was happy to bring it home with me as my new spring bag - keeping the bright colors of Mexico with me as we go through the grey and blah of this spring rainy time...

While a lot of the prices and the tourist trap shops had us doing a lot more window shopping and looking than real spending, I loved the sights in this Mexican town.

This art was above the store where I bought my purse.

I got some good shots of the mannequin angel that I want to play with and add to my collage images.

There were some shops with some amazing art in them but most were way out of my price range. So fun too look at though...

How about $1000.00 US for Converse sneakers - hand painted by an amazing Mexican artist ?

Too beautiful to play hoops in, I think!!!

So while I only spent money on a few little trinkets for myself and for David, I did so enjoy photographing all around me in the Playa Del Carmen streets.

As my momma always tells me, it sure does pay to look up...

(A little Buddha Zen thrown in for good measure I guess?)

A shot for those who know how much I love frogs - NOT!

True window shopping - see me in the reflection ?

Aren't these chairs in a restaurant that was closed down amazing ?

I actually topped off my shopping at the Cancun airport before we left, and that is where I got my cool Frida and Day of the Dead skeleton cards and my sweet funny clay mermaid. The little tin hand which you can actually slip a picture in behind the glass heart was another 5th Avenue find.

It was a fun day checking things out in the town. I would have like to have found a little more arty nooks but we were kind of limited with time, energy and knowledge that day.

It is all good because the things I did get make the perfect souvenirs for me !

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So my lovelies...

I am itching to get back to some art making. I was so inspired by the colors and feelings in Mexico. I am hoping to get a lot of that out on paper in the next week or so. I did not do much art journaling during the trip. There were no tables on the beach where I could set up and that was definitely where I wanted to be !

So if you are wondering why I am a little quiet around here, know that I am happily playing around in the studio,

remembering sun and sand and turquoise water...

Have a great Monday, Lovely Ones...

The Three Amigas Trip - Top Ten List

I am back !

Feels like I should still have sand between my toes...

Was thrilled to see my Man and to sleep in my own bed last night

but definitely feeling the glow from

a marvelous Three Amigas Vacation to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico !

(Touch down - Me, Suzanne and Nathalie taken by our Mexcian bus driver in Cancun)

Rather than go on and on about our wonderful time,

I am going to give you a Top Ten Best Things about My Mexico Vacation.

(Our Left Feet)

Okay, here we go...

El numer diez

10. The warmth...they were having a bit of a cold snap this winter, but the days were in the low 80's and the nights were cooler in the 50's. Still - there is nothing like that sunshine warmth on your skin for a Northern girl like me...

(One happy Chica !)

(Two happy Chicas !)

(Tres amigas muy feliz !)

El numero nueve :

9. The gorgeous white sand beneath your feet...

El numero ocho :

8. The turquoise, clear water...

El numero siete :

7. The friends playing like Sirenas in the ocean...

(beach views...)

El numero seis :

6. Laughter and girlie silliness !

(Feliz cumpleanos, Suzanne !!!)

We did and awesome job celebrating life and love !

(and yes, we made her wear the get-up ALLLL around the resort !)

El numero cinco :

5. Guacamole and pico de gallo with tortilla chips...and strawberry daquiris...

El numero cuatro :

4. The colors of Mexico... so beautiful everywhere you look...

El numero tres :

3. Shopping Day in Playa Del Carmen - more about that in a nother post...

El numero dos :

2. The Mexican pace of life and the easy smiles of the people there...

Y el numero uno :

And the Number 1 Best Thing About my 2010 Mexcian Vacation to Playa Del Carmen :

10. A whole bunch of sweet friendship memories that will last a lifetime for three beautiful Amigas...

Love to you, Nat and Suzie, and thanks for the wonderful ride...

Vamos a la playa !!!

Ola, Chicas !

The Queen is off to the playa for a beach vacation for the Girls !

I am actually driving up to Montreal tomorrow morning to meet Suzanne and Nathalie. Our direct flight for Mexico leaves early Tuesday AM.

I will be on a blog break until the 11th of March when I get back.

I promise to take lots of silly pictures to share.

Art Journal supplies are packed too.

I will raise my margarita glass high for my sweet pals in Blogland !

Hasta luego !

Bailemos !

Transitions and 7 Things Re : Me

So my wonderful large juicy art journal that I purchased for $20.00 at Barnes and Noble (a multi-media blank sketch book with 9X12 inch pages) is all but finished. Just three pages left, I think. It is a true mistresspiece to me...

I need to go and buy another journal (hopefully I can find the same one - the paper was delicious) but in the mean time, I am going to Mexico next week and there is no way I can bring the big baby. I bought this stack of little blank moleskins around Christmas and I figured now would be a good time to start breaking one in...

I am not crazy about blank pages so I am trying to fill some of them in before I go as jumping off points in my journaling.

I also took my stamp play page with Jack The Crow and stuck in in there...

and gave him a little story.

New journals are a little hard - they feel too empty to me.

Luckily, I know just what to do to fix that !

Fill 'er up, Kimbo !

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So it is Monday morning and I am kind of stressing and I am doing my best to keep busy.

I read my lovely Sherry's blog and saw that she had shared 7 things about herself this morning after being awarded a Blog Award. I decided to consider myself awarded too, and follow suit...

1. I have a terrible fear of all things medical. It is based on lots of gross experiences throughout my life. I have faced a lot of the fears, found a "team" to work with me, who have finally learned that you need to treat me like a person, your friend or your family member and I will stop freaking out, or possibly crying and my blood pressure will come down a bit when you do so. While this is all good, I still get very, very uptight when I have a doctor's appointment, which I do today at 2:00pm...

2. I like to do things in Kim time. Some people don't follow that timetable or understand it, but I do. Things always work out well for me when I do them in Kim time.

3. My friend Suzanne turned 50 in December and she is taking me and her other best friend to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for one week of Crazy Chick Fun to celebrate! We leave on March 1st ! Yes, I know I am extremely lucky and fortunate to have such a friend ! Love you, Suzy !

4. I absolutely love Mexico - this is my 6th trip there, and my second visit to Playa Del Carmen.

5. I hate to fly, control freak that I am, and will be asking my Doc for some help in that area this afternoon ! Meditate and medicate !!! ;)

6. I sleep naked. I have since I was about 12. I hate when the nightgowns or pajama pants get tangled around your legs, etc...but I can sleep well in a t-shirt and undies which I will do in Mexico. And no, I will not be getting into a hot tub naked anywhere, anytime in front of strangers !!! (see Sherry's post to understand this one ! )

7. I tend to talk and giggle a lot when I am nervous... ;)...blah blah blah teehee tee hee tee hee...

Man, I can't wait until 2:30...

Hope your Monday is filled with fun details !

Big Love, beautiful Ones...