at work...

{you would think this was staged, but it was not...well not really -- just a couple of tweaks to create the perfect photo op.}

while attempting to organize my room this weekend, i looked over at my "studio" (which is a tiny corner of my bedroom) and saw this...my works in progress, side by side -- a collision of creative projects. although a bit cluttered, it made me happy -- happy to realize that life right now is busy and crazy and spilling over with creativity. happy to see that it IS possible to pursue both art and music at the same time (something i have struggled with over the years). AND, i'm doing both while living in a beautiful little New York City apartment -- my tiny artistic nook set high above the city lights....something i had always dreamed of...*sigh*... i'm not gonna lie, it feels pretty good. it feels...happy :)

PS: speaking of work, projects & creativity -- i am playing a show at 169 Bar tuesday night at 7pm. if you are here, please stop by :)

sickness and bowls, etc.

it was an absolutely gorgeous, sunshiny day here in New York....and i missed it. i have a stupid cold/flu-like thing going on, and about all i could manage was a quick trip up to the rooftop where i had a little photo shoot with my bowls. that about wiped me out, so the rest of the day was spent indoors, box of kleenex by my side, football on in the background (Redskins lost - boo), quietly working on my art while slurping down hot tea and orange juice. i did accomplish quite a bit with the bowls though, so that is good, especially considering all that is coming up: there are several exhibitions that i'd like to try and get them into, but the submission deadlines are rapidly approaching. i am also currently attempting to set up shop at etsy.com, which is a GREAT site that you should definitely check out. my shop is still under construction but i will be sure to let you know when it is up and running.
okay, all this typing is wearing me out, so off i go. but first, some shots from our 'session' earlier today:

Friends.

I am going through some serious friend-withdrawal right now. A very good friend from my YWAM days, Caleb, was visiting over the weekend along with her German beau, Tobi (they are currently working with YWAM in Germany) and now that they are gone I feel a bit deflated. Aside from the exhaustion that always comes from entertaining guests in NYC, having her here was soul & heart-refreshing. Someone who knows me and gets me. Someone who offers to pray for me/with me right there on the spot as I am sharing about my latest drama (oh yeah, prayer)...sigh...I.LOVE.HER. (how could you not? she's so dang cute):






*tobi and caleb*

***

A few other random & unrelated things:
1) I am NOT happy about the Monday Night Football switch from ABC to ESPN. What about us non-cable people? No fair. (Yes I like football, and yes I realize this happened last year, but...well...I was VERY busy last fall! hence the not noticing until this week). It is quite unfortunate that instead of watching the Redskins kick some Philly butt last night (which I would have loooooved to see), I was stuck with options like Wife Swap and Supernanny. Ugh.
2) I am very happy to see that wide-leg trousers have made a come back this fall. Go wide-leg trousers, go.
3) I love fall. The weather here has been dreamy. Sunny, clear, low to upper 60's -- a bit cooler than usual for this time of year, but I am not complaining. Me and my chunky sweaters and fall blazers are quite pleased :)

*The Celebs*

If you enjoy partaking in the occasional celebrity stalking (and who doesn't really?) I highly recommend checking out this site: daily updates on WHO has been seen WHERE in NYC. It is amazing to me that there are SO MANY of them just walking around out there -- right outside my office building, in my neighborhood, etc...I mean, according to this site, the streets of New York are absolutely teeming with celebrities! And not just the little ones -- I am talking about the big guys: like the Jolie-Pitts and their clan of children (who apparently have been hanging out in my neighborhood lately) and Bono, who, as my friend informed me yesterday, lives in New York (which, because I am oblivious, I did not know). And then she casually added, "Yea, I saw him last week." WHAAA--??!! Seriously, where have I been?! 'Come ON, Katie. OPEN those eyes. LOOK ALIVE LOOK ALIVE.' (That's what I have to tell myself when I am walking down the streets of New York in my own little la-la land).

My latest celebrity excitement: I have now seen that lady from K-PAX -- Celia Weston -- TWICE within the last year, in two completely different parts of the city. I think that is kind of c-r-a-z-y. First sighting: August of '06, in the crosswalk of Third Avenue and 85th Street. She was going into a video store. I exclaimed to my friends (probably too loudly), "Hey!! That's that K-PAX lady!!" They were not impressed. They kept walking. Second sighting: August of '07, at Filene's Basement, in Union Square. She walked right past me, pretty slowly, so I got a good look at her face and I'm 99.7% sure it was her. What are the odds, right? It's like we are friends now.

News

I have just learned that Derek Webb, a musician I have known of and admired for more than a decade, is scheduled to play the Bitter End tonight at 9:30 pm. The Bitter End!! As in the venue I JUST played last night!! Knowing that Derek and I will share the same stage within a 24-hour period makes me feel just a teensey bit special :)

In sadder news, I have also just learned of the passing of one of my favorite writers (and fellow New Yorker), Madeleine L'Engle. Her list of published work over the years is extensive and impressive. Here are some of my favorites: A Wrinkle In Time, A Circle Of Quiet, and Walking On Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.

Long Weekend = Long Bloggie (sorry)

It was a lovely holiday weekend, chock full of laughs, sun, and Central Park...the highlights:

* there was a lil' adventure on Friday night in the East Village with the girls. See pic posted at the end of this blog to find out what I was up to (teehee!! I am keeping you in suspense!)

* Saturday we were hard core New Yorkers: up at 6:30 am to reserve our spot in a long line of Shakespeare fans -- that's how they do it in NYC for Shakespeare In The Park tickets (which don't cost nothin' but time). We passed the hours -6 to be exact- on blankets spread out under a canopy of trees in the park, chatting, snacking and dog watching. I gotta say, there are some FUNNY DOGS in this city! And some loony dog owners. There was definitely some questionable pet/human behavior going on in the park on Saturday. I have funny stories: let me know if you want to hear one or two and we'll chat...I need to use my voices for these - it's just not the same in writing! After spending the remainder of the afternoon in Verizon hell when I should have been napping (I had to get a new phone and it was NOT a fun experience people), we headed back to the park that night for the magical experience that is Shakespeare In The Park. A Midsummer Night's Dream was the show, and between the hilarity of that particular play and the surreal & sparkly setting, I was in New York heaven (minus the scary singing children who were a bit oompa-loompa-like in their depiction of the fairies).

* Sunday's best moment came in the evening at my new favorite place in New York City: my church! That's right -- I have a church! And I love it. Imagine that. Every week I am inspired and motivated and challenged, and it just feels so...warm. And happy. How often do you find that at church? Not very. Sunday's service was powerful and emotional for me. Catherine Rohr, once a city-girl herself, and probably not much older than me, came and spoke on the non-profit organization she started for inmates at a prison facility in Texas. It is too much to go into it all right now, but you should definitely read about her and this organization. What this woman has accomplished, and the thousands of lives that have been changed as a result, is just mind-blowing. And so inspiring...just to see that dreams, callings and passions really can come alive. And that they have the power to bring about such restoration and healing to this very broken world. I LOVE THAT! And I was reminded (as I so often need to be) that there is so much more to life than just lil' ole me and my lil' (old) dramas. *sigh*

* Monday was a day of relaxing and reading, walking and taking pictures (I once again found myself in Central Park), dining with friends in Chinatown, and then some music collaboration with an old friend from my Starbucks' days, which worked out quite well (band No. 2? hmmm.). In a nutshell, good times were had by all...

And that's all from the World's Wordiest Blogger. But...before I go...a pic of me and my new l-i-t-t-l-e friend :)