There is nothing like going a little bananas over the weekend is there??   Check this out you guys.  The ABOVE image is of my banana tree taken today  and below is around September LAST year.  Wow did this tree grow  a ton this season!

Considering the banana trees are cut to the ground every November  this is an incredible feat of botanical magic.  I do help it along with some awesome Bat Guano and bone meal…the same as what I feed the cannas which will bloom in a few weeks or so

You may have noticed some underlined text in the blog this time….well they are not just your average link!! These little morsels of trivia and interesting factoids I insert with a new program I installed to make my fact finding easier and more fun for you all!  Don’t miss the great garden video about growing cold hardy bananas which I inserted at the bottom of the banana trees link (above).

BELOW IS A SCREEN SHOT EXAMPLE OF THE LITTLE WINDOW  THAT POPS UP WHEN YOU CLICK ON UNDERLINED  LINKS

Note you can resize this window, drag it around the screen and if you click the question mark in the lower left you can set your preferences on how the windows behave. You can even make the windows pop up when you hover over the links but I have the defaut set to CLICK to enable the links.  Customize the way you want and the system will remember it next time you visit.

Clicking on any  of the links will keep you at the blog and pop up a little window like the one on this screenshot,  with all sorts of my hand chosen links and reference videos to expand your universe!!!

The main link in the window most times will have  other goodies which I inserted in a row at the bottom.  All open up in the popup so you never need to navigate away from the blog.

WAY FUN HUH????  This will be perfect for when I want to put up travel facts etc.

TO VIEW THE LITTLE WINDOWS LARGER THEY CAN BE RESIZED BY DRAGGING THE LOWER LEFT CORNER

SEE THESE PHOTOS BELOW IN THEIR HUGEST AND GREENEST GLORY BY CLICKING HERE

Above are some photos I took today on our 60 degree morning walk in a local park full of mosses and lichens.  It’s kind of a boggy area and in the summer the mosses are quite dry…….but in winter they are an emerald vision!

And I’m sure you noticed by now the new banner at the blog homepage and the shopping cart icon!! I just installed a new website directly in GRAFFITI GOSSIP and on my FACEBOOK page as well.   Click on SHOP JEWELRY at the top of the page in the tabs to bring you to my store front!  It’s still being worked on but there are couple of gorgeous new sea inspired pieces in there already and my blog readers the first to see them!!

CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO GO DIRECTLY TO ‘RIPPLE IN TIME”

Let me know how the new site is working for you and I will have much more on the way.  I’m just getting all the categories into place now will announce more in my MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Have a wonderful week my friends and I hope you have a wonderful week!!

IN MY MOM’S MINNESOTA GARDEN, JUNE 2010

Wow, where does the time go??  I have been so busy making jewelry and gardening, not to mention playing with Gracie and the girls, that the blog posts got a bit neglected.  One thing that is nice about the Facebook widget in the right hand column though…..you can see my quickie updates which I post almost daily in there.

Right now I am running a FREE PENDANT DRAWING at my SANDRA MILLER STUDIO Facebook page

If you would like to come on over and join the fun  CLICK HERE or the logo above, and go to the post on the wall that starts with WIN A PENDANT

SEE MORE OF MY MOM’S GARDEN FROM MY JUNE VISIT  IN THE SLIDESHOW BELOW

Hopefully you all got the newly designed newsletter I sent a little over a week ago, but if you didn’t, I would like to invite you to take a read HERE and sign up so  you don’t miss a single bit of news.  This edition contains a wonderful preorder pendant deal and a coupon

THE MOST CURRENT NEWSLETTER CAN  BE ACCESSED IN THE UPPER RIGHT BLOG COLUMN UNDER THE SIGNUP BUTTON

And a very special pendant in 3 different color choices has just been listed on the website last night.

SEE THE VIDEO BELOW WITH AUDIO……CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE AND PURCHASE

AND WHAT IS A BLOG POST WITHOUT A  GRACIE CAMEO???  HASN’T SHE GOTTEN SO BIG AND STILL GROWING LIKE A WEED!

I hope you all are having an incredible summer and keeping cool!!  We have had a wonderful break the past few days with highs in the upper 70′s and sunny.  PERFECT gardening weather!!!   In my next blog post I will have some travel updates…YES we are starting to plan our next adventure!!!

I LEAVE YOU WITH A BIT OF MY OWN GARDEN FILMED AND EDITED WITH MUSIC… ENTIRELY ON MY NEW IPHONE4!!!

ABOVE IS A NEW PORTRAIT I DID OF MY MOM AND HER PAPILLON “REDDY

I certainly got behind in posting photos of Gracie here at the blog since I started using my FACEBOOK PROFILE WALL to post pix daily.  To catch you all up on the cuteness that is GRACIE during the first 8 weeks since I got her, I made a really cool video featuring the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows What I’d be Without You.  It even makes ME cry from joy,  because I just adore her so much!!

And below, I had to share with you the adorable photo Valerie Gilb sent me of the day her CUSTOM PORTRAIT arrived of her beautiful girl Maiya.  I was blown away at how closely I matched her house/chair colors from just a phone conversation before I started working on the painting!!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE UPDATES TO THE NEW WEBSITE…STILL UNDER SOME CONSTRUCTION

ABOVE: This is another recent video I created to showcase my custom portraits featuring the song

“It Can Happen to You” by YES

LOOK FOR ANOTHER BLOG POST IN A DAY OR TWO HIGHLIGHTING ANOTHER FUN CUSTOM WORK I DID RECENTLY!

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND MY FRIENDS!!!

I thought you would get a kick out of my new purchase for Gracie.  Now before you fall off your seat hysterically laughing, there is actually a method to my madness and I’ll explain in a moment…now stop laughing!!!

CLICK ON THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE MORE OF THE  PUPPY STROLLER

This model I chose is the AT3 ALL TERRAIN PET STROLLER made by Pet Gear

The reason I decided to get it (Diana gave me the idea initially….blame the friend..hee hee hee) is because I wanted to go for long walks with puppy but no way will, or should, a chow baby go on 2 mile walks on the riverfront in Portland.  It’s just too dangerous with all the bikes, skateboards, roller derby wannabes and various other funky other wheeled contraptions on the pedestrian trails….not to mention my bad vision.  I’m doing a full video review of this product for Amazon.com so more to come of Gracie in her new wheels!!!

This is Pirrie , the daughter of Scott and Martha Wright of SCOTT PAUL WINES. She loved Gracie and visa versa. This was another highlight of the weekend for Mz Gracie. She got to go Wine Tasting at Scott Paul .  They were debuting the new “Audrey” Pinot Noir so we couldn’t miss that for the world.

This was Gracies first real field trip and she was SO GOOD…walked right up to Pirrie as though they were best friends!

BTW , Pirrie is one of the members of our Bai Xue adoption and our only Junior member as well!!  We are so excited to have you on board Pirrie!! All the certificates are on their way now from Pandas International so look for yours in the mail!

AND SPEAKING OF PANDAS…………………..

BELOW IS THE NEW PANDAS INTERNATIONAL LOGO I WAS COMMISSIONED TO DESIGN!!

I donated this artwork based on Team Husar Photography’s beautiful panda images .  It was such a joy to work with Suzanne and Lisa on this incredible project.  The whole thing went so smoothly and I had it done just in time for me to leave for China in February.  I’ve kept it a secret all this time which is REALLY hard to do!!

Logo wear will be available directly from PANDAS INTERNATIONAL website soon

AND THE REST OF THE IMAGES ARE FROM SATURDAY ON OUR WINE TASTING DRIVE

The Willlamette Valley in Oregon is one of the most charming places I know outside of France and Italy countryside.  This outstanding wine region is growing by leaps and bounds in popularity as a tourist destination but still holding onto it’s small town charm for the most part.

Of course this is always a main stop on our wine tastings

I love this time of year where the trees are just coming into bud.  We had a beautiful 65 degree weekend and sunny

What could be more breathtaking than Mt. Hood under a new 2 foot blanket of snow in the spring! I never tire of seeing this majestic beauty no matter how many times I see it.

And last but not least….the Bindi Birds are migrating back to the studio with a bit of a makeover!  I’ll be posting more about them this week before I add them to the site!!!!  Great little gifts for Moms Day. They always elicit a chuckle wherever you wear them!!

Have a fantastic week my friends!!

I’ve been bouncing back and forth between my artwork and playing with Gracie….then a little housework (very little) and gardening.  I’d like to say I’m accomplishing a lot but it seems the busier I am the less I’m getting done.  Spring is always the busiest time around here and I wouldn’t change that for the world

These one of a kind pendants you see here are all sold (except for the Moonbear one below which is a limited edition.  I have been doing a few FACEBOOK specials on my SANDRA MILLER STUDIO fan page so this is where you can find occasional goodies being announced first!!  Join my FACEBOOK FAN PAGE by clicking HERE or find my FACEBOOK feed in the right hand column of the blog.

Many more pendants are on the way so stay tuned to FACEBOOK or check in often at the website HERE

Click HERE to find this vibrant moonbear pendant and join our Befriend a Bear group with your purchase!!

And today little Gracie got her first bath in Oregon (Diana and I bathed her in Iowa before she left)  These rainy days really make the coat look raggedy and its so nice to have her freshly fluffed and buffed!! Diana , Gracie was REALLY good in the tub today.  You would be proud

Nothing cuter than a clean chow butt

Soggy Gracie waiting for the dryer

I love the butt shots

Big purple smooches from Gracie!!!