An Island Treasure

 

I took a day trip by myself to one of my happy places last Wednesday - Bainbridge Island. I fed my soul and it felt soooo good!

 

Originally my main reason for the excursion was to have lunch with my friend and color mentor, Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman, who lives on the Island. I've also been wanting to visit the year-old Bainbridge Island Museum of Art since it opened so that was my first stop before lunch, and it was such a treat!

 

This stunning new building greets visitors right when they get off the ferry. It has quickly become a cornerstone of the community. The architecture and landscaping are stunning and inviting. I couldn't wait to get inside!

 

I was greeted by volunteers who informed me that the museum is free thanks to generous benefactors. Wow, what a treat! Then they informed me that they were in between major art exhibits, which at first bummed me out, but I made the most of it. There was still ample art to see and it was also fun to observe the museum director, artists and volunteers installing the art for the exhibit that was opening two days later. 

 

I really enjoyed the varied collection of regional art. From colorful serigraphs by Romson Regarde Bustillo (top photo above and also below) to flora and fauna acrylic panels by Fred Lisaius (below) to sculpture and oil paintings, the museum is beautifully curated.

 

Art has long been the backbone of the Bainbridge community, and many artists have moved there to practice their art. Now they have a lovely place for "a real local focus on artists and their stories that haven't been told yet," according to a video I watched in the museum's auditorium. They said (and I agree) that "Art is as fundamental to us as trees, water, nature. Part of being human is the ability to create." How wonderful that just a ferry ride away from Seattle is this island treasure.  

 

 

 

There is a room tucked away on the second floor dedicated to the art of book bindery.

 

Even the bathroom is art-filled!

I have a thing for bees, so this is one of my favorites by Fred Lisaius.

 

After filling up on art, I had a wonderful lunch with Lee catching up on all things color, art, travel, health, nutrition, family and life. Then I headed north to Suquamish, where Geoff's grandfather lived for many years and his family is selling his final property. I soaked up the view, read a magazine (Coastal Living, in fact, so appropo!) and enjoyed the sound of the waves and the nice sea breeze.

Before boarding the ferry back to Seattle, I stopped for an iced tea at one of my favorite Island hangouts - Pegasus Coffee. This lovely patio made me feel like I had been transported to Europe.

 

I wrote in my new "Wonder" journal and reflected on a lovely day.

 

 

 

How do you feed your soul?

 

Too Pretty Not to Share No. 5

Geoff and I went on a biking date last night. Our destination was Delancey, a wood-fired pizza restaurant in Ballard. I've been wanting to go there for years but had been put off by the rumor of very long wait times. But I had also heard about their little bar next door called Essex, which I knew would be a charming place to wait for a table at Delancey. So we peddled over there and sure enough, the hostess told us our wait would be about an hour. I ordered a glass of sparkling Rose and to my surprise they brought it in this charming vintage coupe glass. The glass was sparkling as the wine literally bubbled with joy! It was so delightful and too pretty not to share!

Speaking of sharing, my friend over at I DREAM OF wrote a charming post today about Rose that I just had to share!

Enjoy and happy Sunday friends!

xoxo.

Summer Reading

Hi friends,

School is out and summer is almost here! How are you feeling about summer "break"? I'm really excited! 

Finding time for ourselves during the summer months can be tricky, so I wanted to recommend one of my favorite books for you to read throughout the summer to make sure you are finding time to nurture your body, mind and soul. 

It's called The Joy Factor: 10 Sacred Practices for Radiant Health. It is jam-packed with really practical ways to bring more joy, balance and vitality to your life. 

Here's an overview of the 10 sacred practices. If you focus on one each week of the summer, I guarantee you will feel great! And you'll still have time for some fun, brainless beach books!

Practice #1: Set the bar high

Practice #2: Act with kindness

Practice #3: Celebrate the child in you

Practice #4: Resonate to the music

Practice #5: Exercise - fast and slow, alone and together

Practice #6: Deepen your relationship with yourself

Practice #7: Nourish yourself with living foods

Practice #8: Experience ecstasy

Practice #9: Seek opportunities for service and stillness

Practice #10: Savor balance in all things

Summer is awesome but we need to remember to take time for ourselves and to fill our cups so we're not counting the days until school starts again in September!

Happy summer everyone! Joy to you.

xoxo,
Amy

joy

noun

1. 1.

   a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

   
   

P.S. to Jamie Joseph

Hello friends,

This is a postscript to my love note to Jamie Joseph...

I wanted to share the beautiful ring that my friend Heidi chose with our winnings from the Silverado Jamie Joseph contest (see aforementioned blog post!).

Heidi's ring literally glows - just like the picture - and it is so beautiful just like her! I was thrilled that she chose this sparkling turquoise stone with a tiny diamond embedded in it. For those of you who know Heidi, she's a fancy gal! She loves her ring as much as Heather (Heidi's twin) and I love ours.

Heidi sent me the following text when she first got hers: "I love my ring sooooo much! I have a cramp in my wrist from holding my hand up to gaze upon its beauty."

I can totally relate. There is something magical about the beauty and energy that emanate from Jamie Joseph's rings.

We gathered on the Oregon Coast a couple of weekends ago to spread Scott's ashes at Pacific City, one of his favorite surf spots. It was a very special and sacred time (more on that at some point). Here are a few pictures of our rings together for the first time, and so happy!

We were there on Scott's 43rd birthday and Sofia and Chance wrote him this message in the sand!

Xoxo,

Amy

I RIDE FOR SCOTT!

 

 

Being with Scott, my oldest friend of 40 years, before and after he died earlier this year is one of the most intensely human experiences I've ever had, besides giving birth to my daughter. I saw firsthand how cancer ravaged a young man's body in just one year, and how much pain it caused him and his family and friends. Several times I thought "This isn't fair. Cancer sucks and so does chemo."

 

That's why I've decided to ride in Obliteride in August to honor Scott's memory, his wife Heather, and their boys, Chance (7) and Zane (3). I'm also riding in honor of our friend Jackson Fitzgerald, who at 5 years old, recently finished 3 1/2 years of chemo and is cancer free.   

 

I've had the honor of meeting some of the brightest researchers in the world at Fred Hutch who are working on cures and better treatments. I know they are on the cutting-edge of some very important breakthroughs that will benefit us and future generations. That's why I want to raise as much money as possible to help accelerate these discoveries and help save lives faster - so we don't continue losing friends and loved ones.   

 

Here's where I need your help....

 

I'm ready to kick cancer's butt and I hope you'll join me by joining my team as a rider or volunteer, or donating to my ride. I'm riding the 25-mile route on Aug. 10. There's also 50-, 100- and 150-mile routes. Check out my Color Riders team page to learn more!

 

With 100% of every dollar donated going directly to cancer research at Fred Hutch, we can make a direct impact on research to save lives faster. Let's not let cancer take any more lives. I hope you'll donate as much as you can because you believe in me, what I'm doing and that together, we can OBLITERATE CANCER.

 

Thank you friends!