Since you asked:

"Therefore, to be possess'd with double pomp, to guard a title that was rich before, to gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow, or with taper-light
to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excess."

~William Shakespeare,
ca. 1595

Yup, that's us.

September 20, 2010

Day one...

Here's a welcome sight! Dede and I hooked up at the Oakland Airport baggage claim, piled all our suitcases and carryons onto a cart and raced to catch a shuttle to the car rental place a few miles away...

Once underway, we started finding our way to our first destination, Tail of the Yak. It did not disappoint...

From the incredible santos, to paper creations lavished throughout the store, there was so much to take in and look at. Thank goodness for digital photography, so this can all be revisited at a later date. It was fantastic!

This little santos tucked in the corner captured my heart...just look at her sweet countenance...


A huge urn at the desk was lavished with handmade paper flowers created by the gals who work in the store....

An old piece holds handmade artists brushes from all over the world...
Here's Dede checking out with a few treasures...

A view down the length of the store, where chandeliers hang, festooned with garlands of paper, bay leaves, and paper constructions, each more fantastic than the last...


We were loathe to leave, but had a few more places to stop and see, and then we were off to unpack our goods at the Alamo Women's Club, do a hurried check in at the hotel, and meet up with everyone at Colleen's house for dinner...

It didn't take long for Dede to sneak off to see Colleen's new studio space, a beautiful free-standing structure on their property adjacent to the patio where we were all relaxing...

The space is incredible, chock full of all the things we love, and exquisitely decorated with chandeliers, cupboards and baskets full of goodness and beauty...

If you ever wondered where the beautiful dresses for Colleen's creations come from, each one is lovingly hand-stitched from fabrics and laces that come from this magical cupboard....

One more view of the studio, and then I won't torture you anymore, I promise!

It was a wonderful evening with a group of talented women. The food was divine and well appreciated after a day on the go, and we went "home" to our little room well satisfied and sleepy...

3 comments:

Debbi Thinks Deep said...

Ooh, swooon! So THAT is where Colleen's magic happens!
It was a wonderful event! I hope you found it worth returning next year! It's so much easier for me than Fullerton!

. said...

You my friend have a magical camera. You made my messy space look kinda purty. So glad you guys made it over. I didn't know you went to The Yak. I haven't been there in ages. I think I am due for a trip. Hope you both found some treasures. It is a pretty amazing place.

marilyn said...

i love tail of the yak! hope you didn't miss out on castle in the air as well! looks like such a fun time!!