My birth color is Lion – Pantone 17-1330.

Unusual. Complex. Innovative.

What’s yours?

Click here to find out: www.colorstrology.com

Amazing!  I wrote that title just now thinking about how fast time seems to be going.  And only then remembered that I had used the same title for a painting I did last summer.  So Quickly Now is a flower form and to me felt full of movement and growth, but was also symbolic of how short-lived everything is.

January of 2012 is proving me right about that.  It is almost half over already and I am feeling my own internal pressure to have accomplished more.  My quiet (productive) winter time is vanishing before my eyes.  By now I should have painted much more, created a new mandala (or two), made many beaded bracelets, worked on some unfinished baskets, finished knitting a scarf I started last year, read five books, lost ten pounds, organized my office (for real), and cleaned my house.  I am “so quickly now” going to try to set aside my unrealistic goals, have some fun, make some art of some kind or another, and figure out that it’s all OK.  Really!

pendant by Marci Molina Designs

“Learn from yesterday,
live for today,
hope for tomorrow.”

- Albert Einstein

wine glass charms by marci molina

Cheers!

Sláinte! (Irish)
Nastrovya! (Russian/Polish)
À Votre Santé! (French)
Salute! (Italian)
Skål! (Swedish)
Salud! (Spanish)
Prost! (German)
Saúde! (Portuguese)
Okole Maluna! (Hawaiian)
Kippis! (Finnish)
Proost! (Dutch)
Oogy Wawa! (African Zulu)
Kampai! (Japanese)
Chock-tee! (Thai)
Konbei! (Korean)
Gan Bei! (Chinese)
Stin Eyiassou! (Greek)

And the list goes on …

I will not tap my feet.
Though the rhythms and melodies you play
Conger up kicking off shoes and
Dancing barefoot in the grass,
I will not tap my feet.

Though my heart beats faster at the
Melodic buildup — as horn and keys
Latch together in the repetition of a theme,
Calling my heart and toes to a
Dance of thrill and amazement –
But no, I will not tap my feet.

I will not tap my feet, nor
Nod my head; though everything
In me is crying out for some kind of movement
To occur!
No, I will not tap my feet.

I will not tap my feet
When the guitar and sax drop out
To let bass and drums chase percussively
After each other in a playful, astoundingly
Structureless cadenza, filled with
Impulsive demands.
Even then, I will not tap my feet.

I will not tap my feet.
Though the pianist has spontaneously
Created a bit of magical funk
That was never previously inserted
In this “standard” of jazz stalwarts.
No, I will not tap my feet.

What’s this!
Did my head just nod a bit?
Unbidden, I can barely restrain myself
From rising straight to the dance floor,
For now, the whole ensemble is returning
To the original theme by some inaudible
Twist of jive and thrive.

Oh yes, I cannot just tap my feet:
I must move my head and spine and arms entwine,
Must move my torso, and more so
My feet.

I was sick this week but managed to create four e-newsletters for Natural Awakenings Magazine, start building my new and improved website, and make some new earrings. Looking back on the week, I’m happy I managed to make the most of my sick days.

It’s been a while since I’ve played with Shrinky Dinks. As a kid, I remember having a kit to make Smurfs. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are still Shrinky Dink Smurfs cavorting in a box in my parent’s attic.

I recently started playing with shrink film again, and it’s been a blast. I’ve printed some of my photos on the sheets and have also drawn and written on them. It truly is amazing to watch the images shrink in the oven, and since I am still experimenting, it’s quite a surprise to see the final result. I have so many ideas … jewelry, wine glass charms, mobiles, ornaments, perhaps even Smurfs … the possibilities are endless.

If all goes well with my shrink film creations, I may be adding some items ‘hot out of the oven’ to the Mandala Design Works’ shop in the coming weeks.

playing in the sand with my sis

I am not a big fan of wearing socks or shoes during the summer.

Unless my feet are in running shoes, cycling shoes, hiking boots, or flip flops – they are usually naked.

As we roll into September, I will be keeping the sand, dirt, grass, and water between my toes for as long as possible.

Bye-bye to hazy, hot, and humid. Can’t wait to feel you from head to toe again!

Outside my morning window, two birds are having a bit of a chat.
It seems that they want to demonstrate that they each can sing
A song of their own choosing.

Amazing how such so-called “unintelligent” creatures understand
So deeply for what they were created: to sing their own simple
Song and not worry about critiques.

We ultra-smart humans on the other hand can create bountiful
Arguments and conundrums in our own favor; eradicating whole
Days dedicated to the pursuit.

I think it’s time for me to simply sing — ignoring anything from smiles
To stern glances — and carry on for my own bemusement and joy:
Even to the end of the morning.