I had the best birthday week and it ended with a bang!Last Friday, Kristen and Anthony took me out to dinner. We went to Tangra in Queens. It was a fusion of Indian and Asian. The ambiance was a little strange, but definitely unforgettable. I couldn't tell if I was in a museum, a palace, or a grandmother's house.Kristen also surprised me with a strawberry cake!It was beautiful and personalized!It even had three-layers!It was also amazingly tasty!The cake was a sweet ending to my birthday week, but the way the cake was presented to me was really the icing of the whole week!**Imagine being in conversation--slightly tired from a long work week--and all of a sudden hearing the background noise stop and switch to a loud-techno-Indian-beat. The waiter brought me my three-layered cake with an enormous candle and an entourage of people singing behind him. That was only the beginning! Once he lit the candle; the flame burst up like a firework, opened up into a flower, and started spinning and playing "happy birthday."**Kristen took some amazing photos and they really captured the moment (and my surprise!)It was really hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing--we also couldn't get the flower to stop singing--until the waiter disconnected the wire.Thank you both very much for an unforgettable birthday!

Hooray for Wednesday sunshine!Lately, I've been learning about self-love, and have been finding ways to brighten my own spirits for the days the sun isn't shining!Like putting hearts on my nails...Which definitely brighten my keyboard..Giving myself big hug in the middle of the day! (and thinking of giving Lavi a squish--she literally squeaks like a squeak toy when you squish her)And encouraging my friends to do the same!Have you hugged yourself lately?If not, give yourself a big hug, squish, and feel the love!xop.s. Squishing someone you love is equally as important! So for all my far away friends, I'm sending you a big squish today!

I found another wall to add some color to!My friend's, Kristen and Anthony, recently moved to a new apartment in Queens. They do a lot of energy work and healing arts, and have been working on the feng shui of their apartment.Anthony helped me add tape to the back of the pieces, and then added them as a color pallete to my arm.I learned a little about elements, color, energy, and baguas!Hopefully these bright colors will bring positive energy!And remind them to love and dream.Enjoy friends!

The other day I was walking to work when I saw this sign.I went back to look at it, and realized it was a nail salon.For some reason it made me laugh, so I thought I'd share :)Happy Friday!!!

Last night there was a sky of cotton candy.I was on the Highline as I watched it fade away...between the lines and over the river.The sky was wispy and dreamy, as the sun made room for the moon.At sunset I said goodbye to 25.At sunrise I said hello to 26.Today is flowery!Today is a day of radiance!Today is my birthday!I'm thankful for all the kindness and pretty things I have that make me smile. And I'm thankful for all of my friends that came to celebrate with me!A wise person (thank you, wise person) recently introduced me to SARK, who's an incredibly brave and free spirited artist that shares her life through her work! Her work was the inspiration for another one of my favorites, Sabrina Ward Harrison. Both of them have inspired me to release my emotions through my art.At my birthday dinner, I gave everyone their birthday from this 2004 daily calendar. We also picked out different messages for each other. It was fun passing them around and seeing what words of inspiration they had for their day, and what people wanted to say to each other (keep in mind, most of you were strangers!)April 7, 2004 was a "day of radiance!"I think this still applies. :)So here's to being 26 and everything it will bring :)

• Colorful lists!
• An organized desk
• Trains that come on time (and being okay with the ones that are late!)
• Park days with kites and bubbles
• Smiles
• Laughs
• Spontaneity
• Sunshine
• Color!
• Art!
• Kitty snuggles
• Hugs
• Kisses
• Singing
• Uncoordinated dancing
• Future snowball fights
• Falling into piles of leaves
• Longer hair :)
• Accepting changes; even those random gray hairs!
• And of course, lots of love and figuring out what that means to me.

As we all have our own birthdays, I wish you each colorful lists of all the things you love!xo!

For Easter, I bought a kite and some bubbles and went to the park!I saw lots of pretty flowers...They were very bright!The trees looked like they were made of popcorn!My kite flying attempts were not as successful as they were in Brooklyn!I spent most of the time being the kite runner!And a mess of tangled string!I did some writing and then took a nap in the sunshine.I found out that some friends were also in the park! I told her to follow the bubbles and she'd find me!We played with more bubbles..Painted our nails...And I watched my friends doing aerials!It was a nearly perfect day. :)

There was a smoke monster in the East Village!We saw it around the corner, and all wanted to take photos of it..It came out of the striped pipe.And swirled around into the sky.It snaked its way around the block to the popcorn trees.After the sunset, we considered the "garden-like view" at this Indian restaurant.H, T, & L it was fun hanging out! Let's do it again soon!

I love flying kites.I love how effortlessly they float in the air.In Iowa, I used to carry kites in the trunk of my car for impromptu kite flying in open fields.This weekend some friends and I flew some kites. It was wonderful.At one point, we had three kites in the sky!Watching the kites was a nice time for daydreaming...Wouldn't it be neat if kites could fly in purple skies?And if colors were always this bright?Sometimes the kites would crash, but we made some new friends that helped them take off.And they'd be back in the sky... (the butterfly kite was given to us by an adorable little girl!)And we'd be back to smiling.A couple of kites felt like making homes in trees.One clever guy thought he could use this stick to get it down.Just for helping, we decided to give them a kite. I think it made their day.We had one miracle kite that flew effortlessly the entire time. After awhile, the butterfly joined!All in all, successful day for kite flying~two kites in trees, one given away, and a new one given to us.Hooray for bright, magical days!I hope you had a magical weekend too!xo

Signs of spring are everywhere and they make me smile.1. Budding trees on a gray day...2. and a blue day...3. Leaving work at 7:00 and still seeing daylight (even if it's fading!)4. Lunch breaks with sunshine, windblown hair, and daydreaming...5. Daffodils reminding me of my childhood favorites, like Rose PetalHope you are having a lovely, spring day. :)**P.S. my co-worker sent this to me and it made me laugh.

I did a lot of art in Oklahoma.Antler painting, a collage for Mary's classroom, paper art, and I started a new painting. :)It's not finished yet, but I'm excited about it!I also did some journaling and drew a picture of our last night..I wrote Mary a message on the back and stuck it in a bottle...Reminding her that some things aren't complete unless they are together. :)Love you girl! No matter how far apart we are!

Mother nature can't make up her mind on the weather!Snow, sun, sleet, rain, and today gray and dreary!I've seen all of it in the past 48 hours! Luckily I made it out of Tulsa before the snow got worse. Yesterday, I left Tulsa at 6:00 am and only had 15 minutes to make my connection in Detroit. In that 15 minutes I sprinted from one terminal to another, wiped out on the escalator, went to the wrong gate, and barely made my flight. (I am seriously the worst traveler!)Now I'm back in the office. Lots of clicking of keys and catching up to do, but I have a little time to write about the trip.Most people ask, "why in the world would you go to Oklahoma?" I must admit that OK would not be my ideal travel destination, but since one of my best girls lives there, I've come to love it.Here are the reasons why I love Oklahoma! (there are lots of them!)***O~pen skies with floating balloons on gray days...*...and blue, cloudless skies......for pretty driving...*K~ids and their puppies...(1:1 ratio)*...and their willingness to share......for stories on NYC......curious puppies......and at times even a little sleepy......just like the Donaho's...*L~ovely mountain treasures found on hikes*...like berries......bark grooves......pink flowers......fluffy moss patches......tiny bones......big skulls.....golden straw in ditches......backyard waterfalls......shadows from Georgia's first mountain visit......and capturing moments of serenity...*A~ntlers*...for painting...*H~orses that are wild, beautiful... *...and friendly... *O~ld tilted houses**M~oonshine and the shining moon over a sunset* (just kidding, I didn't have any moonshine!)*A~rt days on a sunny patio with Georgia and Mary*...creating a collage for Mary's classroom......and catching sun with Georgia...There are many reasons to like Oklahoma and it's strange beauty. But my favorite moment of all...Sharing a laugh with Georgia.xoxo 

Sigh, I am stuck in Tulsa, Oklahoma.It is snowing.It is cold.I have a cold (or bad allergies)I am annoyed.But, I am laughing...And am with one of my best girls, Mary. :)We've had some good chats--in between frantic weather updates--The past couple of days have been a see-saw of global weirding!It was 70 degrees and sunny yesterday and today it is 30 with snow and sleet.I also have internet and I'm able to blog about the past week...So here goes...~~I left NYC last Saturday around 4:00 am. I was very tired. But I managed to tape a butterfly to the back of a cab, since I decided they were traveling along with me....they also followed me on the plane, where I made new friends! The guys sitting next to me were intrigued by me taking photos of butterflies. They were college football referees on their way to a conference, so we chatted about the little I know of football, the Hawks, and art. It was fun, and I gave them the butterflies I was shooting. Enjoy!Once I got to Tulsa, Mary helped me add some color to the airport.....And I added some color to the jeep, and the butterflies saw Oklahoma...We also added color to the side of her house...And a classic scene from Gone with the Wind..Georgia enjoyed playing with the butterflies...And we enjoyed playing in the sun...We also went for a drive in the mountains..The sky was so blue...And the sun was so bright!Making pretty butterfly shadows...And finding pretty flowers on the ground..And nice spots on sticks..We had one last day of playing in the sun...And now I'm watching the snowstorm...Good night and more on OK, Georgia, and Mary soon!Let's hope I get back to NYC!xo!

Tomorrow morning, I will be headed to Poteau, Oklahoma!I'm really excited to get a break from the city! Believe it or not, Oklahoma is beautiful. Blankets of stars and open skies!And cattle!I'm going to visit one of my best girlfriends from college, Mary!We've come a long way from days of carving pumpkins by recycling!Now Mary has her own little pumpkin! Or as I like to call her, our little peach!Last spring, I visited Mary and we went hiking...And I painted a mural for Georgia Faith.....with my favorite...butterflies!Tomorrow is special because I get to meet Georgia! And she gets to meet "Auntie Kim!"Since I've been back to loving butterflies, I decided that my butterflies will follow me on this journey.They've already seen some of the city!From 86 Street...(i didn't have time to snap a close-up, since I was going to miss the train!)To the subway...To subway maps..To walkway from Grand Central to the shuttle...I have a bunch of butterflies that will follow me all the way to Oklahoma!I'll be sure to share their adventures (and my own!).Have a great week!xo

Last night I had my volunteering at Visions and we started putting the pieces of our mural together. Our goal is to assemble the entire thing by March 23, so it's ready for the "class party." The team leaders and I will hand stitch the pieces together. We each took a "finished" row and will stitch all the sewn rows together before the last class.I am so excited about the way this project turned out and think it was a huge success! I'm constantly amazed at the creativity of the students and am so happy to work with them. I'd like to do this project again, but this time painting "mini murals" so the students can take them home (this was their request!). I know it's a big goal, but maybe I can finish them before the next semester begins.Here are the latest pictures!Enjoy!***It all started with this sketch...**And then turned to a watercolor...**Then to the painting...**Once the pieces were cut, we had lots of creativity!**Now we're putting it all together...**Good thing we numbered these!*I love how creative the students were!*birds, suns, stars, moons, hearts, and glitter for buildings**trees of buttons, surrounded by flowers**Rainbows, boats, and lots of moons!**But it's really coming together!**You can really see their personalities in each piece***Sorry for the blur, I was just so excited!**I can't wait to see what the finished piece turns out to be!

Calee asked me to help with some album art for Flow and the Mingos.Thanks for sharing my art girly! :)Theme: changing seasons and time.Here are some concept sketches:My favorite..

Last week was crazy.

It was like I had a rain cloud over me..

But something magical happened and a butterfly came to the rescue!

And brought friends...

They had a different idea for the rain drops...

Much better...

Hooray!

They reminded me to remember the love and serenity through the dark and annoying times!

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love butterflies.I've always loved them, ever since a child. And once I started painting, they were my favorite thing to paint. In Iowa, I used to face paint at town festivals, and I was always known as the "butterfly girl." When I got my guitar, the first song I wrote was about butterflies. Three chords. (G, C, D)G                                   CButterflies are my friend (x3)G                                 C                         DButterflies are my friend till the end!I even took one of my senior pictures with me laying down and butterflies were in my hair.Yes, I was a little obsessed!Well, this weekend I decided to bring back the butterflies. My friends moved into this awesome apartment with huge white walls and said I could do an installation on their wall. This will be an ongoing project and I plan on filling the wall with paper art (inspired by the local artist, Katie Sokoler)**Here's the magic of the butterflies...These butterflies started on the floor...Since there was a nice open space, I decided to join them...Arranging....They made their way to my hair...And my nose...And told me to make a wish...They even surrounded my friend Dani! (she was the only brave one to be part of my photo shoot!)The butterflies slowly made their way up the wall...They finally did.Now my friends will be greeted with these every day!Ta da!Enjoy friends! May love flutter by you every day! :)

something has taken over my desk!it's showing love everywhere!clip thingys!even my healthy snack!post- it tab thingyseven the scissors have found love!have a lovely day!

I'm feeling the love and making lots of art!Things I love lately:*paintings with ribbons and diamonds...**...looming birds, webs of color, and fishes eating the roots of a village**a swan with feathers of glitter and a sail boat weathering the storm**a golden village above a pink octopus and a beautiful peacock looking at an organ**finally finishing this piece! it was on my wall for nearly five months**When Lavi gives me her opinions...**And decides she wants to help! (no worries, there was no paint in this!)**Updating even older art from my walls! (It started off with just the blocked colors as a landscape, no details)**bright colors and fireworks of color**finally having a messy art room, even if it's a shoebox!**and messy hair is kind of fun too*

My art has taken a turn. This realization has been pretty exciting.Last year was pretty turbulent and was reflective in my paintings. It's really interesting to look at the progression from then to now. My good friend, Kristen, also helped me see this transition!Colors were a bit blurry and everything was a bit muddy.There was a lot of chaos and little detail.I just needed a way to get through the muck...It really was about release..But lately something has really changed.Maybe it's a reflection of my life..I'm happy and sharing love as much as I can.It's all about the details and looking a little closer..And remembering why I love art in the first place..I like creating landscapes of color and daydreams.Little worlds to escape into.Like this one I did for a friend last year..and this for my friend's baby, Georgia Faith.My art is best when I'm feeling the love!