At Last!

I finally made it to Kate's place in Tucson a bit after 3:30 this morning (local time - more like 6AM hometime!).  After running for 24 hours hitting the hay has never seemed so appealing!  Kate McKinnon is definitely the hostess with the mostest, as she has me off in a whole WING of my own - lavatory, bed to-die-for comfortable, tons of space...*sigh*.  So extra welcome as when we finally landed about 2:40 AM, there weren't any taxis!  Several folks who had cellphones called taxi companies, who didn't seem to think they were serious that there were a dozen people just into Tucson International who needed cabs...the people with phones were eventually picked up by friends and a couple of taxi stalwarts eventually came for the rest of us.  Being a bit of a crocus, rather than Kate's desert rose, I was worried that despite exhaustion I wouldn't sleep because of heat - wrong!  I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Got up this morning to find Kate enjoying the morning in her personal paradise, tucked up on a swinging seat under an arbour... she has a whole FLOCK of doves and others tweeting and chirping and whistling and beating their wings en masse - a truly "flocking" sight!  Her home is a lovely piece of Katefulness - little whimsies and happinesses at every turn.  It's hard to decide if the fabulousness of gilt walls or vintage furnishings and fabrics are more eye-catching.  Her utilitarian pieces (cups, bowls, etc.) are almost entirely handcrafted or strikingly vintage (think circa-1950's, the space age).  Delicious, all of it!



I've had a peak at a lot of gorgeous beadwork by people inspired by our work on Contemporary Geometric Beadwork, and a chance to show Kate some beautiful samples beaded by a friend of mine, Tiena Habing, Beadweaver Extraordinaire and Teacher Par Excellence.






I've seen the gorgeous little kits being prepared for mailing to those fortunate few who managed to get one ordered before her shop ran out (those cigar boxes, by the way, are BEAUTIFUL - not the ticky-tacky balsa wood ones, but the real deal!).  Kate was right - the Japanese puzzle erasers and too-cool-for-school pushpins she's putting into certain items are super cute and really fun!

I have so far been overwhelmed by all the eye candy and have only managed to decide that THIS is the lampshade I'll wear, should I have occasion to do so....heheheheheeeeeee.

All this and while I've been packing and flying and sleeping and playing, Jean Power has put some of my beadwork on her facebook page - what an honour!  Thanks, Jean.  I'm happy to be there!

Happy Beadsday!