Can you believe this????  We have lived in Portland for 12 years now as transplants from Minnesota and I am still having a hard time getting used to flowers blooming in late January!!! The first of the Hellebores have started to produce blooms with dozens more varieties in my garden on the way soon.

Here is one absolutely covered with buds

A grainy goldfinch photo through my studio window

The snowdrops will be blooming in a week or two

The varigated English Ivy absolutely plasters my fence now

And Lillian and her mommy Megawatt are apparently  feeling the shift in seasons with this 50 degree day

Look at that silver chin on my old lady.  I love Meg so much!!!

A pretty Mother/Daughter shot

Lillian was in rare form today acting like a puppy

Chubby old Meg runs like a water buffalo and her daughter flys circles around her  like the wind

And last but not least…above is a new piece of artwork I created inspired by some photos I took at a recent dog show in Portland!!  This will be available on Zazzle and my Imagekind gallery this week.

Have a fantabulous Sunday my friends.  I will update about some new additions to the trip itinerary on Monday .  I’m getting so excited to go I can hardly contain myself!!!

Leah…I have been intending to blog about you and your glass work for the longest time but never had the camera at the right moment or you were not at the Portland Saturday Market  when we were passing through on our weekend walks.  FINALLY I had the chance today to visit Leah Pellegrini of LEAH GLASS and we had such a wonderful time catching up!

Leah and I met a number of years ago when I took a short glass working class at a studio she was working at in downtown Portland.  We hit it off right away and discovered we both have a crazy passion for color and movement.  Leah’s mobiles are inspired in part by Alexender Calder’s work who we discovered we have a shared passion for as well.  My house has always been full of mobiles that move with the slighest breeze from a passing dog ….and of course my head bonking into them all the time in the garden!

I also took a class from Leah on creating components with the torch for adding to my fused glass pendants.  I adore Leahs lampworking and wish my eyes would let me experiment more……… but this blind woman, with a loaded torch,   NOT the best idea….lol.  Too many close calls gave me a healthy respect for you bead artists out there!!

Bryan and I met up with his friend Jenna at the market and they shopped while Leah and I caught up on this first day of the market remodel.  OMG it’s so beautiful , perched right on the waterfront now instead of under the bridge.  A stunning fountain serves as a “living room” of sorts RIGHT IN FRONT of Leah’s booth.

ABOVE: BRYANS FRIEND JENNA

Her location is absolute perfection and her booth is an instant draw with it’s brilliant colors, tastefully suspended under a stark white tent.  The shadows play on the white and colors reflect all over the display

Leah and I were discussing that this piece above would convert well into a “rain chain”   I want to be the first to buy one Leah!!!  I have just the place for it in front of my studio window with water piped to the top, dripping down in my raised pond.  It will be backlit too!!

This is Leahs earring display.  Just as I was photographing the little cuties, another litte cutie stepped into the reflection of the mirror..HI LEAH!!! Love this shot!!!

Here the earrings are in focus.  Very cute and lightweight too.  The black ear wires really add to them!

You can see why mobiles look as good outside as they do indoors.  I love the play of light

I have never met anyone with a smile like Leah has!! It is electric and so open and kind!!! This photo will always be a fave of mine!!

This was a HUGE mobile in red and black.  I need  one of these too… to hang under my pergola!!! This photo shows off the shadows so nicely

I need, I want, I need I want!!!

ABOVE: BRYAN ,LEAH AND AND JENNA CHATTING…BRY’S FIANCE KATE WAS THERE TOO IN A WAY..ON THE PHONE

Leah…thank you for taking the time to chat and catch up.  I know your days at the market are busy ones and you have no idea how nice it was to see you again.  I need to come down to the market more often!!!  Your work, as always is a CLASS ACT!!!!  Thank you for the continued inspiration Leah…… through your art , artistry and friendship!!  Check out Leahs website at http://leahglass.com

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And below click the arrow on the video to see the  Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden (PDX TOP 10 Destinations) as Bryan and I saw it on Thursday.  It was a picture perfect day and we had such a relaxing time.  I noticed in the video all the kids playing with the ducks were little boys with their mothers……it seemed so appropriate since this is the last visit my son will have with his mom before he is married. sniff

See the photo of his wedding band below.  Bry had a custom band made with a rare mahogony type of wood and an inlaid core of a fine metal (can’t remember what it was offhand)

Day at the Rhodie Garden, Portland Oregon 8/20/09 from Sandra Miller on Vimeo.

BRYAN TOOK THESE TWO IMAGES WITH MY CAMERA

The figs are figging and just in time for my son Bryan to come visit!! Woo Hoo I hope you like figs Bry because they are ripe and don’t keep well!!! LOL!

ABOVE: MY SONS FIANCE KATE ON LEFT, MY DAUGHTER LIZ AND SON BRYAN

I stole this off of my kids Facebook page but it’ was too awesome to not share!! Wish Liz’s hunny , Andy was in the shot too!!

Bryan and his beautiful fiance Kate will be getting married in Minneapolis in just a little over a month and I’m getting so excited !!  He decided to take a short break from all the engagement hoopla while he had a bit of time to spare to come visit his mom!!!!  In a few weeks after he leaves we will be following right behind him and heading to Minnesota for the wedding….then off to Egypt from there!!!

For sure we will be shopping for a few last minute wedding attire details while he is here, and of course the coast is a MUST DO!!!

So back to the figs!!!   After 3 days of a solid downpour which we needed desperately which followed record breaking 106 temps, these little Mediterranean blobs of candy sweeT goodness in a slightly obscene looking wrapper, are all ripening at once!!!

OMG…they are falling off the tree they are so heavy!!!  The sign of a perfectly ripe fig is they drip sugar from the bottom and this batch was literally covered in little sappy jewels on their undersides!

ABOVE: ONE OF THE SMALLER FIG LEAVES OFF MY TREE

So below is a simple recipe I’m going to try this weekend with all these very ripe figs.  I’ll take pix and let you know how this turns out!!  Now I need to go to the store and get some Brie and a baguette to spread the preserves on. Fig Newtons move over!!! These fresh babies don’t even resemble those dried out cookies

QUICK AND EASY FIG PRESERVES

Mrs. A. C. Kast Fredericksburg Cookbook

• 3 cups figs, cut up
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 box strawberry or blackberry gelatin

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour into jelly glasses.

If you get a chance drop by the GRAFFITI JEWELRY WEBSITE!  I posted some new chow pendants there that are just gorgeous!!!!

ABOVE: ME AND MY TORSO AND MY LILLIAN!!!

FIG UPDATE

Habanero-Raspberry-Fig glaze for Lamb Kebobs!!  Will let you know how they turn out!

ABOVE IS ME IN MY INSANELY TALL GARDEN LAST NIGHT..CLICK TO SEE LARGER

I was so tickled..Steve called me about 2:30PM yesterday and said…we are going for a walk downtown. Woo Hoo!! Playing hookie in this city in the summertime is one of lifes little pleasures!!

I had a sore foot from the weekend incident of dropping a heavy object on my footie…so Steve dropped me of at the fountain with my camera at the waterfront while he went for his walk down both sides of the river and over 2 bridges.

As I was snapping pix of people wandering by, this huge Am Staff sort of dog came up to the fountain with his owners and started “lunging” at the water jets.

These weren’t wimpy water jets either..they knock toddlers over easily.

I had a super time just sitting and shooting and enjoying the day. The dogs and kids in the fountain are always the highlight

CLICK THE ARROW ON THE VIDEO BELOW TO START…TURN ON YOUR AUDIO!!

PDX Chillin from Sandra Miller on Vimeo.

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If you have trouble viewing the video please let me know in the comments below.  I am trying to decide whether this Vimeo account is best or You Tube.  A few have reported sound issues with Vimeo

The daylilies are really starting to take shape.  I’ll have a video tomorrow of the garden too

AND A GREAT BREW AND SLIDERS AT A FAVE PUB IN PDX.  WE ATE OUTDOORS YESTERDAY AFTER OUR WALK

Oh my goodness it’s been a busy one around here these days!! The garden has me hopping 24/7 and believe it or not, I even got some glass work into the mix.  Some adorable floral “vase” pendants will be showing up this week on the blog!!!

Above you see a screenshot of the homepage to my new photography portfolio site for GRAFFITIMAGERY.  This website has been my pet project for the past month and I am just now getting the finishing touches put on it.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GRAFFITIMAGERY PHOTO PORTFOLIO WEBSITE

• If you click on any of the links next to HOME at the top of the page you will see some of my favorite photography subjects organized by THEME. These themes all have slideshows which use a little grey bar (not visible on the screenshot below) just above the orange arrow , to slide back and forth to view the images as

• If you click the SUN in the homepage sunset image once you get there you will see a more extensive list of photo categories which is a page I am still working on.  All the categories in the right column on that page in CAPS/ORANGE are pretty much ready to enjoy.

• The site is Flash based and if your computer is extremely slow, you can find the link to all the albums at the bottom of THIS PAGE which load in a a more conventional manner….but be sure to give the site a try first.  I tried to make sure things will load as fast as possible for most compter commections

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I just now came in the house from an extremely successful video shoot of the new arrivals to my garden!!!! It’s called INCREDIBLE PATIENCE and a glass of wine to wait for baby birds and their parents to wander into the picture.  I scored bigtime with mom and dad chickadee feeding their brood, as well as mama robin shoving worms down her noisy fledgling’s beak!!!

CLICK THE ARROW ON THE VIDEO BELOW TO VIEW THE GARDEN TODAY…THERE IS AUDIO AS WELL

You will notice a pause after the robins but the video continues to show you my yummy rose and clematis

Baby Robin and his mom and Chickadee pair feeding babies from Sandra Miller on Vimeo.

Above is a Peony that reminds me of a water lily

Above, my “Impressiont” climbing rose in full bloom!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND A FANTASTIC JUNE MY FRIENDS!!

With any luck my next video will be the chickadee chicks leaving the nest!