In preparation for my opening I made table cards, this evening! I’m not sure how I am going to label things yet, as I haven’t quite decided on the food and drink stuffs that I’ll be having. I’m going for a fall esque kind of tastes. So pumpkin, apple, etc. To go along with my bohemian themed room, I made fall-bohemian table cards… these should look nice on the silver table cloths that I bought. 🙂 I might just end up having a major category on them and the list what is available underneath. We’ll see!
All posts by Kristi
Minuteman Press
My life was changed today! I just realized, I was getting changed (dressed) this morning when I accepted a job offer for a full time graphic design position at Minuteman Press in Enfield, Ct. I was looking at potential places to live and I think Springfield, is going to be the location. It is only 3 hours from Bethlehem, which may become important in the future again. 2 hours away from New York City and not that far away from Wellesley. But I think it will be at least 3 hours away from Eastham in Cape Cod. There is a 60 day trial period to see if its’ a right fit and then I’ll be there for real. I’m just a bit worried that it’ll effect my opening a bit in November, but apparently the 11th of November is Veteran’s Day so being a large company, my location should get Veteran’s Day off. Which would be perfect, so I can spend the weekend getting ready and preparing for the event, so all I have to do is get there and unload everything. AHH. We’ll see. I’m super super excited to be doing graphic design work again. Its’ definitely time and I do really need a break from psychic readings, so things are coming together!
California Seventeen: Spiritualism and Mysticism
As mentioned in my Numerology Introduction, I planned this trip with a spiritual vibe to it which was why I chose Santa Cruz. I planned everything within 6 months time on an intuitive basis. I used my tarot cards, the help of another psychic and my visions and just gone with the flow. As a result, I had a very spiritual, and humbling trip to California. I just let go and was present. I think what helped set the mood for the trip was that I had a very stressful ride home from Washington DC. So by the time I was home and packing for California, I was very ready to soak my bones in a hot tub at Teahouse Spa when I arrived on Saturday! During my time at Teahouse Spa, I performed a water meditation. I focused on the movement of the jets and my emotions and the pain I was still carrying around at the time. I used the motion of the jets and visualized my pain ‘jetting’ out of my soul into the water of the hot tub (which then gets recycled)… I really think it jump started the healing process for the rest of the week. 🙂
I chose Airbnb because of the more humble feel and experience than staying at a hotel. I did end up staying at a hotel the first night in San Jose, mainly to get free transportation to and from the hotel to enterprise that night and the following day, but then drove down to Santa Cruz Saturday afternoon. I met my host, Caroline which I discovered that she and I had very similar experiences and interests – little did I know! But her cottage in her garden spoke to me while searching for a place to stay – I didn’t expect her to have the same interests that I did, nor have any interest in what I do professionally. I ended up giving her a reading and then she returned the favor. She did a cool spread that included the number of letters in your name and did a life – path spread. We decided to stay in-touch and I look forward to coming back to Caroline’s cottage in the future. 🙂
I planned the spiritualism part of the trip around my beliefs of the elements – air, fire, water, earth. The previous paragraph mentioned a little bit of my water experiences and how I incorporated that element into the trip. I also included going to the beach as my water element as well. For Air, I spent the day on a mountain in Big Sur. I really didn’t get a chance to work with that element as much as its’ difficult to work with, but the Big Sur trip really spoke to the element of air (as well as earth). I saw the redwoods at Big Sur and that included the earth element, as well as my trip to the Land of Medicine Buddha. I did an earth meditation in that I visualized the energy of the redwoods surging through me and grounding me. Really took my mind off things. 🙂 For fire, it was a bit tricky to find things to do that is associated to the element of fire. I think I would include the beach as part of the fire element – sitting under the fiery sun. I also included a creative project as well for the element of fire that included the fire element! Making candles. Glow Candle Lounge, was my creative project for the trip and totally satisfied that element. While at Glow Candle Lounge, the songs that I listened to while heartbroken happened to be on, and so now I think ironically, the energy of that situation is now molded into those candles. A co-worker of mine once told me that in order to really break free from someone is to use the fire element to visualize burning that bridge. I’ve been a bit wry to burn those candles now, not only because they are pretty, but because I’m not quite ready to let go.
As a closure for my trip, I thought I would go to a public ritual. I chose the Sacred Grove Full Moon and Mabon Ritual that they do. Unfortunately it ran a bit longer and I had made one last Teahouse Spa appointment before I left, so I had to leave early – which I kind of regret doing. But they were the most friendliest witches and pagans, I had ever met! They also set me to work setting up the altar which was a cool experience. Totally felt a nice vibe with them, and it was a strange feeling being amongst a group who was so open and welcoming to what you believe in. I may be an elementalist, but I do celebrate the sabbaths and do do circles/rituals so it was all very familiar to me. If I ever happen to be back there around a sabbath, I’ll definitely join again. One of the members told me something interesting about Seabright Beach. Around the equinoxes and other holidays, all the spiritual groups come out and do their variation of their spring, autumn, winter or summer ritual and sometimes you can hear an echo. The energy of that beach must be amazing.
Sunday afternoon I went to the Rosicrucian Park to the research library and the Egyptian museum with my friend Gwen. I read an old physics book and the Secret Life of Plants book. Got some info to support some theories and hypotheses that I have. I wished I had more time there, but it wasn’t meant to be I guess.
Jump to California Seventeen: Materialism
Return to California Seventeen Series Overview
Event and Exhibition Schedule Updated
Hard to believe fall is half over, waiting on some things to come through but for now here’s an updated schedule of what’s happening!
Studio Updates
Yesterday, my dad and I went up to Beverly and painted the longest wall that was left to do. We still have touch ups and a short wall to do but painting is almost done. Then I can finally start decorating and seeing things come together!
Cabot Street Studios – Fantastical, Surreal, Macabre
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Exhibition: “Fantastical, Surreal, Macabre”
Venue: Cabot Street Studios Co-op Gallery, Beverly, MA
Year: 2013[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Fabrication
Those memories of you, act like
they just happened yesterday
but that isn’t the case
That stare you gave me
Full of desire, nervousness
Memories replay that I wish had happened
but are only alterations of imagination
Those memories of you, act like
they had no effect on you
As each day goes by, I loose myself
In those sea of memories
I find myself smiling at memories
that I wish had happened but
are only alterations of imagination
Those memories of you, act like
they meant nothing to you
that accuse one of psychosis
that makes one believe it wasn’t true
that I wish had happened but
are only alterations of imagination
Those memories of you, act like
the foundation to my present life
the life that excludes you
that are holding me together like glue
because they are all that I got to remind me of you
that I wish had happened but are only
alterations of imagination or so you say.
California Seventeen: Materialism
Food
Breakfast: On Sunday, I went to the Crepe Place and had three rolled crepes with chocolate sauce. It was very good. I’d definitely recommend them, and they are good if you like to eat breakfast late. However, I wanted to get up and get out during the week, so the Crepe Place didn’t work out in the manner I was thinking of. I mainly stuck with Linda’s Breakfast Place that my friend Gwen suggested – its a typical diner-style food and good options. I mainly had the egg, bacon and pancake combo – if I have a good breakfast, I usually don’t need lunch, or if I do have lunch I have a late lunch/early dinner.
Dinner: On Saturday, after dealing with tearoom business, I drove to downtown Santa Cruz next to the boardwalk and ate there. I didn’t really have time to check out the boardwalk and I wish I had, but it really wasn’t part of the intention of my trip there – I tried to stay away from touristy areas for a reason. A bit too materialistic in my opinion. I had a burger and guacamole at a near by restaurant, unfortunately I didn’t remember the name. Whenever I was in downtown Santa Cruz on Pacific Avenue, I ate at Pizza My Heart that had good pizza – its open late too so if you went out and did shopping or explored during the day then ate late this is a good option. I ate here when I went shopping on Pacific Avenue and the last evening after the public circle and tea house spa appointment. One evening I drove out to San Jose to try Falafel’s Drive In as it was San Jose’s oldest restaurants. I had Peta bread and humus and onion rings. Really good food and I’m glad I went there. Being an Aquarius that is heavily influence by Capricorn, I planned the trip around the 5 senses and 5 elements; good food, amazing sights, sensual aromas and earthy textures. 5 elements; earth (beach/forest), air (mountain), water (beach/spa), fire (sun, creativity), Spirit (meditation, healing, etc). Capricorns tend to 
experience the world through those sense. On Tuesday, after my trip to Big Sur, I went to Saturn Cafe and I was really disappointed in my experience there. Firstly, my entree came before my appetizer – my waitress apologize but still, I had two very large plates of food. I must’ve been tired because I ordered something and it was totally not exactly what I expected which is my fault. I ordered nachos and it was expecting just cheese, and maybe guacamole but no, it was huge with other things that I didn’t like. If the waitress asked me if I wanted to choose the things on there then I would’ve done that. Didn’t occur to me to do that – but then again I was tired. What I ate was delicious but I felt really bad for not finishing everything. Those nachos could’ve easily fed 5 people by itself. If I had seen pictures on the menu or something and known that it was huge – again maybe the waitress should’ve said something too. I tried to be polite about it and they gave me a box to put the food to take home. I didn’t order anything else and left her a good tip. To make up for it I went over to Penny’s Ice Creme afterwords and had some yummy ice cream. It was the best ice cream I had ever too – expensive sure, but so worth it!! After shopping on Pacific Avenue one evening I went to a cupcake shop on a side street called Starz Cupcakes. They are very good.
Shopping
I did some shopping before my first Tea House Spa experience and stopped by a cool new and used bookstore on Pacific Avenue which is called Locos Bookstore . Since Santa Cruz is spiritually minded, it was nice to see the New Age/Metaphysical section right up front and not stuffed in the back of the store. I had to ask if they had tarot cards though, they keep them under the counter for whatever reason. I bought a book on Celtic Prayers and Incantations by Alexander Carmichael. I never seen a book on celtic prayers and incantations before. Thought it might give me some more substance in my practices. I also bought a new used tarot deck that was based on the Esoteric Design of 
the Secret Order of the Golden Dawn by US Games. Very cool imagery. I also happened upon the an herb shop called, The Happy Herb Shop I didn’t buy anything but it was a cool shop to check out.
Sunday, I went to the Capitola Art and Wine Festival as I mentioned in the Activities section in this series. I mentioned that there wasn’t a whole lot of art out there in my price range, but I did by a poster that Liz Lyons did. Apparently she’s a well known artist in the area and I swear I’ve seen her work before. Anyway, I didn’t notice that the poster was from a previous festival and not the art and wine festival of 2013 since she did that poster too. But I was mainly focusing on the art on the poster and not the date. (photo to the right not mine)
One day during the week, I think it was Monday, I went and did some shopping on Pacific Avenue. I discovered a really cool retro shop that had retro style dresses and bright accessories. My mom and I had been looking for a ‘little black dress’ and I found one in my size in one of those styles! I had always love the retro style dress and I could never find a size that fit me. So I bought it along with a pair of earrings. I also went to a metaphysical store on the other end of Pacific A
venue called Serpent’s Kiss and bought a few things there. I had been looking for a Labordorite ring as it’s good for protection against Psychic vampires and attacks… and thought this trip was a good time to buy it. I found one for $36 at Serpent’s Kiss. I also bought these cool votive spell candles for $6 each; one for prosperity and cleansing. I found a really cool pyramid necklace and pyramids are a sacred symbol to me.
I bought a few things at Big Sur too. It was expensive so I didn’t buy much. I bought petrified wood and two post cards.
I went to the Land of Medicine Buddha on the last full morning and really enjoyed my experience there. I felt a deep connection to Ksitigarbha – the destroyer of Negative and Troublesome thoughts and bought my first statue of him there.
Jump to California Seventeen: Activities Part II
Return to Series Overview
In/Finite Earth Exhibition on Hold because Shutdown
Who would’ve thunked that one of your most important exhibitions of your career would be on hold because your government couldn’t cooperate with itself?
“Government is closed, because of the irrationality of what is going on on the other side of the Capitol,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said on the floor of the Senate Tuesday morning. “They’d rather see the government shut down than do anything to protect the American people from the consequences of Obamacare,” countered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
With the parts of the federal government officially closed for business today – and no path out of the political gridlock in sight – lawmakers are trying to assign blame for the first government shutdown in 17 years.
President Obama in particular laid the blame on thick in an afternoon news conference where he said a small group of lawmakers were responsible for an ideologically-driven “Republican shutdown.”
“One faction of one party in one house of Congress in one branch of government shut down major parts of the government all because they didn’t like one law,” Mr. Obama said. “This Republican shut down did not have to happen, but I want every American to understand why it did happen. Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to fund the government unless we defunded or dismantled the Affordable Care Act. They’ve shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans. In other words, they demanded ransom just for doing their job.”
The House and Senate spent the better part of Monday and the early hours of Tuesday morning passing back and forth a short-term spending bill with no agreement. Even after midnight, when funding to keep the government open had run out, the House still voted to send the bill back to the Senate. That legislation, in addition to funding the government, also included an amendment to delay the individual mandate in Obamacare for one year and eliminate subsidies for Congressional staffers buying healthcare in the new exchanges. It also appointed eight Republican members to participate in a budget conference with the Senate, something Democrats in the upper chamber had been requesting for months to no avail.
But Reid had already sent the Senate home for the night after vowing that he and his colleagues “will not go to conference with a gun to our head.” When he opened the chamber at 9:30 Tuesday morning, the Senate voted along party lines to strip out the amendments and send it back to the House.
- Government shutdown: What’s the cost?
- Government shutdown begins: Congress fails to agree on spending bill
During the night, lawmakers traded barbs on Twitter using hashtags like #GOPShutdown (the Democrats) and #HarryReidsShutdown (Republicans). This morning – as an expected 800,000 federal workers headed to their offices to officially put their work on hold – the back and forth continued on cable news. Words like “extremists” and “anarchists” have been thrown around (by Democrats).
“What we see happening with this Republican strategy is a willingness to threaten the very foundation of the world’s greatest economic power, the economy that basically stabilizes the entire world economic system, and that is a very risky proposition,” White House Spokesman Jay Carney said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Dems’ “extreme” positions shut down the gov’t, McConnell charges
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a constant thorn in the side of the administration, insisted on CNN’s New Day that the GOP had not shut down the government. “If the Senate at 9:30 this morning opens up and rejects the offer to have a conference, which is an offer to go to compromise, then they’re rejecting the constitutional process,” he said.
Unfortunately for Republicans, early polling on the government shutdown does not favor their strategy. A Quinnipiac University National Poll released Tuesday morning shows that by a margin of 72 percent to 22 percent, American voters oppose a government shutdown over attempts to block the Affordable Care Act. And though voters are divided on the law itself, with 45 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed, 58 percent of those surveyed said they opposed cutting off funding a way to stop it from being implemented.
A CBS News/New York Times poll released last week revealed that Republicans may take more blame for the shutdown: 44 percent of Americans would blame Republicans in Congress more for a shutdown, 35 percent would blame Mr. Obama and congressional Democrats more.
My mid-morning on Tuesday, the path out of the shutdown seemed no clearer than it had been Monday afternoon. Mr. Obama is expected to address the nation at 12:25 p.m., but he seems unlikely to agree to any spending bill that touches the healthcare law.
“I shouldn’t have to offer anything,” Mr. Obama told NPR’s Steve Inskeep in an interview that aired Wednesday morning, after Inskeep asked what he could offer. “They’re not doing me a favor by paying for things that they have already approved for the government to do. That’s part of their basic function of government; that’s not doing me a favor. That’s doing what the American people sent them here to do, carrying out their responsibilities.”
Studio Updates
My dad and I went up to Beverly today and did some painting. We managed to get a decent coat of paint on the gallery wall. But we’ll have to do a second coat of paint on the wood work. So. Much. Wall. I am going to have a textured wall on the opposite side of the gallery (the hallway wall) but unfortunately it looks like that part will have to be after the opening. That’s okay.
Letter!!
While going through today’s mail, I found a smaller than average creme envelope with “House of Representatives” it could only be one thing! A letter from Joe Kennedy! I prefer not to state what it says on the blog, but you may be able to make some of it out on the letter. I’m tempted to invite him to my opening. 😛
Santa Cruz, Ca
