The four year project ~ cindyhoo.com

Monday, August 31, 2009

A four year project has finally wound down with excitement. With little knowledge of web design, I've managed to learn a little bit about it and enjoyed the process of building this one. I'm planning on making several changes as I progress and will look forward to every minute of learning about it.


www.cindyhoo.com

I've attempted to make this user friendly and feedback will be welcomed with open arms.

Mendocino~ the many reasons why I love you!

Monday, August 10, 2009

~mendo love~

★ the village, victorian homes & cottages, rustic buildings, arbors and trellis's, picket fences
★ romance.... you can feel the love all around you, newly weds, weddings, anniversaries
★ sea rock inn, barbara, the inn keepers
★ rustic, quaint little cottages, botanical gardens, old wood, Adirondack chairs
★ gourmet food, cafe beaujolais, the ledford house, albion river inn
★ phenomenal wine, husch, caymus, cigarzin
★ the people, shop owners, chefs, wait people, tourists
★ scenery, whales, birds, seals, flowers
★ the sea, pacific ocean, sunsets
★ serenity, privacy, long quiet walks in the headlands, bicycle rides.

A rather quick weekend get away to the coast was exactly what I needed. Mendocino, a place that will forever make my heart "still". A place to rest, inspire, dream and smell the fresh sea air. "My love for the high country is balanced by the Pacific ocean, the best of both worlds" The romantic little town of Mendocino is so rustic, so so me.... so quaint, so quiet.

The simple beach life of the northern folks way of living is serenity at it's best. The vibrant flower gardens, gourmet foods, (Rainsong shops) and an abundance of art inspired by the great sea. This is a place where I will always have an affair with my camera, so many things to see and the beauty that no camera lens can capture. The Sea Rock Inn (Bed & Breakfast) has been a favored place for several years. Their hospitality is of the very best not to mention the rustic warm cozy rooms, each with a fireplace and rustic log decor. A place right on the crust of our Northern California coast.

Please enjoy my "drive by" photos ;-)

this fine day

Sunday, August 2, 2009

A labor of love.....

Simes swimming out to my son

Mike... the big bad watch dog

My little friend

Raising water levels!

My brothers rock

Fishing on Silver lake

First I thought she had a hook caught in her beak
but then realized she was feeding her babies in the Willow above my head

And this would be "Mister Simes"

He's always smiling

Tanning on both sides... not really, it was for taking pictures... I was just having fun

The tire blew up when we pulled in our drive way after our long trip... the temp was 111.

My Echinacea

90 degrees before 9:00am... the hottest was yet to come

Everything's blooming beautifully ;-)

The shop.... still working on it

It seems as if I were just pulling out the summer clothes and wiping down the yard furniture with a big smile and welcoming the new season.
Where has summer gone? Jewelry shows, planting the garden, setting up new stores, Etsy, building a studio, enduring the summer heat and vacation in which my work accompanied me. I suppose keeping up with orders, building the new shop and landscaping around the studio has taken a majority of my time but it's all good and I'm grateful for the steady work and the beautiful shrubs and flowers in which I've happily cultivated HOWEVER I was a little annoyed with the two bucks who really think they need to eat my NEW Cherry tree!!! "Big bad buck & a Cherry tree".... Hey KT Tunstall... sounds like a new song title to me!

The Cherry tree ordeal reminded me of the Cherry twig that I cast in silver and had tucked away for an inspirational day that would hopefully bite me in the butt. Well it finally did and the completion was today. Between work orders and breathing I worked on "The last blossom" and reflected on my life, where I've been, what I'm doing and where I'm headed.

Vacation to the Sierra's was spectacular, day one started in Truckee when we dropped off "the Simes" at my son's home. It was around 7:00pm and my son, his sweet's, John and I were trying to decide where were going out to dinner... I just came in the house after running up the steep driveway after getting my purse out of the truck when John decided that he also needed to grab a sweatshirt out of the truck. A few minutes later my sons front door opened up and John stuck his face in the door and growled "Cindy.... GET OUT HERE NOW"!!!!!

I just knew it was a bear.... and BOY IT WAS! When John walked down the driveway to the truck he came face to face with a 500lb bruin. The bear wasn't going to stop for nobody and continued walking towards John who was steadily walking backwards up the steep driveway to get in the house. That bear only wanted one thing and that was food! He went straight to the bear box looking for trash just to find there wasn't anything in it. He moved onto the neighbors barbecue then back up to the forest. To think that I was just out there and if I would have volunteered to grab the sweatshirt the story would have probably ended differently. I would have screamed and ran which may have triggered something in that beast and he could have eaten me alive! But that didn't happen so I can't entertain that thought ;-)

The next morning we were on our way to the Eastern Sierra's with great anticipation of a wonderful fishing, hiking, mountain biking and kayaking trip with my parents, sisters &, their families as well as family friends. It was all that I had imagined,getting dirty, catching fun, and lungs full of wonderful Sierra air..... a multitude of inspiration!