SNOW DAY IN CALIFORNIA

I know this may not seem all that exciting to those of you living back east or...well anywhere outside of California actually.   However, this is breathtaking to me.  This is the main drive through the mountains of Santa Cruz to go over the hill towards San Jose.  This stretch of hwy is magnificent all by itself....with the giant redwoods...it's always been one of my most favorite scenic drives.

BUT THIS!.... 

This was SPECTACULAR!!...enjoy..xx june

AND THE WINNERS ARE!!

LIV FROM AUSTRALIA
livluvsscraps

                                                

SHERRY FROM THE UK
sherrysimpleblog

SANDRA FROM VIRGINIA
thistlecovefarm

Well I have to say this has been some kind of fun...sorry I'm so late today publishing the names of the winners of my giveaway...HOWEVER, have I got another story for you!

Yesterday I received an email from SHERRY in the UK, informing me that I had won a gift from her...AND it turned out that it was something that I had truly wished to have...so doubleYAY! for me.  

In the meantime I had waited until later in the day to end my comments and put
the random generator to good use.
I pulled the number for LIV from Australia.

And as it turned out she was very enthusiastic about her hopes in winning my Janis poster,
so  I was very happy that someone who truly wished for something from me had won.
Then as I was looking for the next winner, and I hit on someone in England who wished for Mick Jagger...now I had not intended to give out two rock posters but since this person was also EXTREMELY enthusiastic about the chances of winning Mick,
I decided...you know what, I think Mick belongs in the UK!
Then I thought, hey wait a minute...something about this sounds familiar...
Yes you are correct.. this just happens to be the SAME Sherry that I had won a gift from!!
 So now I'm preparing to write to Liv to inform her of her winning when I received yet another email informing me that I was again a winner....this time from Australia.
You guessed it!!!  It was from LIV!!
THIS IS MIND BOGGLING to say the least!  What the heck are those odds?!

So I then went back to the generator in hopes that someone who wished for one of my children's illustrations would hit...and it did.
This time my Mathilda poster will be heading off to the
 Appalachian  Mountains of Virginia to reside with Sandra.
All of their wonderful blogs can be reached by hitting on their names under the photos above.
Oh and lucky me, I received another message today that I had won a doll from Lorraine at the dollblog.  So needless to say, it has been a very happy, successful OWOH for me this year.

Now for my next surprise.
I decided that since hundreds of people came by my blog...and I mean hundreds, yet only a couple hun left a comment...obviously my art only appeals to some.  And since those some left me such very lovely, encouraging, and personal comments, I have decided to send them a print of the poster of their choice. These are only the top five....representing the five wonderful years of OWOH.
Their names are:
Tammy of Bonsai Habits
Sheri of Shersheart2heart
Thespa of Vintiquities Workshop
Cecilia of Greenestmermaid
Heidi of Digital Misfits

Thank you all for a wonderful journey and for giving Ray and I such lovely well wishes...
until next year
Love, june

I almost forgot...one special little girl will receive a tee shirt of Mathilda, thx to her grandmother Donna 

from visiting beyond borders

POTATO NATION

So we passed the organic russets in the market and at a glance they looked rather substantial, so I asked Ray to go over and pick a couple big ones to use as a main course for dinner.  This is what I pulled out of the bag when we got home!...
His reply when I looked at him with my mouth wide open...

"Well you said grab some big ones!"

I guess that was a redundant request from me, apparently they are all big.  

They look like shoes for the love of god!

So the moral of the story...be careful what you ask for...you just may get i!

NEXT TO MY SIZE 9 FRY WORK BOOTS...MINE ARE ON THE LEFT..HA HA

IN A TEN INCH SKILLET 

NOT A PROMOTION FOR THE WINE

AND I HAVE LARGE HANDS FOR A WOMAN...DAINTY OF COURSE BUT LONG FINGERS..HA.

THE DOOR HAS TWO SIDES

Here is the other side  of the master bath door that I finished last week and never shared...just a reminder the blue is the inside and the plum/blue is the outside,(and the antique gold is not finished on the door frame outstide.  NOT good on the photo color which makes me crazy!  

The first shot is with a flash the second without...

the color is more true to the darker one..but you can't really see the work...

This is the best you're going to get from me right now...either way...we're thrilled with the outcome!, enjoy, juner

WITH FLASH...A LITTLE MORE RED THAN IN PERSON

WITHOUT FLASH ... TOO DULL BUT CLOSER TO THE PLUM COLOR

IT LOOKS VERY OLD AND WORN OUT IN PERSON...I PROMISE

REMINDER...THIS IS THE INSIDE DOOR

WITHOUT FLASH

A DAY AT THE BEACH

We went down to the beach Friday morning to get a quick stroll in and spend a few minutes together before the day got away from us.  It was a sunny gorgeous day.  This is one of the closest beaches to our home... We're so lucky to have this kind of access to the shore, while still living in the trees. We can make it here in ten minutes...this is some city to live in I must say.  This is the lighthouse to the harbor...

enjoy, june

THE DARK BROWN WOODEN STRUCTURE IS THE CROW'S NEST, A LOCAL PLACE TO HEAR GREAT BANDS AND DANCE AND EAT SEAFOOD...

THE HARBOR ENTRANCE AND EXIT TO THE MONTEREY BAY

THE BREAKER WAS LINED WITH THESE STRANGE GIANT CEMENT JAX...REALLY UNUSUAL

THE CITY OF SANTA CRUZ ON THE OPPOSITE SHORE

GREAT WAVES SPLASHING. THAT WOULD COVER THE ENTIRE WALK..IT WAS KINDA SCARRY BUT EXHILARATING  AT THE SAME TIME (KINDA CHALLENGING TO CAPTURE WITH A DIGITAL)

Then as we drove down the street to head home and these are some of the houses we saw along the way...all on one street...oh course my favorite was the house with the tree sweater...now THIS IS DIFFERENT...thinking out side the box, huh?

HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS?   I MEAN TO TELL YOU...!!

PAINTING IN THE CLOSED UP WINDOW OF THIS SUSTAINABLE LIVING CENTER

YES, THESE ARE ALL ON ONE STREET!

THIS REMINDS ME OF LA

LOOKS LIKE A NICE PLACE TO SEND YOUR KIDS

THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY AT THE CORNER ON THE BEACH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD...LOOKS RIGHT OUT TO THE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE...NOT TOO SHABBY HUH?

THIS IS THE ROAD ON THE WAY TO OUR HOME...SO NOW WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS THE FOREST...YAY FOR US!!

SO QUITE THE VERSATILE LITTLE AREA I LIVE IN...OCEAN AND MOUNTAINS...I LOVE IT!