2015 - A Blissful Blur

I've been thinking about the past year and how the various aspects of my life intersect. How one thing leads into another. How they sometimes seem disparate but really are one.

We started the year with the purchase of a condo in Los Angeles. Carl is on a seven year project to build a section of the city's light rail system and the commute from Redlands was difficult. We looked at quite a few possibilities before deciding on a one bedroom high rise in DTLA. 

Our search focused on a view of downtown.  This building provided exactly what we were looking for.

Night time view

We had fun furnishing the space. Its clean, minimal look is very different than our home in Redlands.

Plenty of space to stretch out.

Which brings me to yoga. I've maintained a pretty strong practice for the past five years. In September 2015,  I attended my first yoga retreat.

Asilomar- a beautiful setting in Central California.

Located right on the beach where we took early morning meditation walks

Led by my favorite yoga instructor, Daniel Head, this extraordinary group of yogis are also my friends.

Friendship and travel merged several more times during the past year.

We traveled to Paso Robles with Christi and Mark where we tasted wine and enjoyed some fabulous meals.

Later in the year we met up with friends Greg and Tina in Napa.

I took a solitary road trip to Tucson, AZ to visit Dave and Sabino.

In Tucson, I had a chance to reconnect with my cousin. She and her husband have opened a tavern named after my favorite uncle, Charles Bjorkman. Those of you who know me understand what a huge inspiration he was to me.

And speaking of inspiration, my friend Linda has been incredibly supportive of my creative life- going all the way back to my handmade greeting card line. She continues to inspire me to keep moving forward.

My creative life had many ups and downs over the past year. Family obligations took up a larger portion of my time as I assist my parents with doctor visits, etc.  I had a long dry spell that kind of frightened me.  I knew I'd get back into the studio and I eventually did.

Inspired by a book by Sibella Court, I typed a list of things I like.

I illustrated them and added quotes.

And then bound the illustrations in this book.

A line of denim jackets was a brand new idea for 2015.

I enjoyed a return to an earlier style of design- utilizing vintage textiles and graphics.

A line of mala jewelry inspired by my yoga practice.

Clearly, none of this would have been possible without the love and support of my family.

My son reminds me that goodness of heart and generosity are still possible in this world.

My daughter, Jessica, took on a new career in the real estate world while being an awesome mom and wife.  My grandson, Ethan, entered his sophomore year at the Orange County School of the Arts where he studies film and television.

My time with my youngest grandson, Max, reminds me of the importance of long slow walks.

Mom, 85 and Dad, 93 emanate love and companionship.

This guy makes it all possible- the creativity, the yoga, the travel. All of it.