Out On A Whim Wednesday: A Trip To The Milwaukee Museum Of Art

Today's Lesson From The Craft Room:  Get Your Brakes Fixed

On Sunday we were planning to go for a bike ride.  As often happens, we decide that we will head out early, before the heat of the day and then somehow it is noon and we haven't left yet.  So off we went a bit later than expected...and a bit hotter than expected.  So I was in a bit of an "off" mood when we started.  My back brake seemed a bit loose and my mood was a a bit looser.  Next came a couple of riders behind me that didn't seem to follow bike etiquette.  No verbal indication of their intentions - riding up along my side on the left, than the right...and wearing headphones - so that after they passed me and I went to pass them, they didn't hear my "on your left" warning...or at least didn't do anything to acknowledge they had heard (one of them swerved toward me, ignoring my warning).  So then I was really grumpy and hot and pissed and angry and and and.  So when we reached the top of a hill after about 35 minutes of riding, I was ready to go home (or get off my bike and throw a tantrum right there on the bike path...but I figured riding home was the more mature thing to do).  So we started to head home and I realized that the bike store that I purchased my bike from was on the way home.  So we decided to head there so I could get my brake tightened.  It was an easy fix and after the brief stop we headed for home.  My attitude had shifted.  The ride became enjoyable.  I had to smile at the irony of getting my brakes fixed.  Sometimes you just need brakes that work better - whether that is on your bike or the brakes that help you stop your bad mood when it starts to run away without signs of stopping.  When was the last time you got your brakes fixed?
For today's Out On A Whim Wednesday, I decided to share a recent trip with you.  I had a trip last week to Milwaukee for work.  I had two flight choices - one early in the morning and one that would get me in quite late at night.  I decided to choose the earlier flight and then I started to consider how I might take advantage of arriving in Milwaukee early.  The art museum was the first idea to come to mind and, it turns out, it is only about 15 minutes from the airport!  I arrived around 2 pm and the museum was open until 5.  (The museum sits on Lake Michigan and the building is gorgeous!  You can see its conical shape in the photo above).  I took full advantage of those three hours - immersing myself in the art that was there.  There was one piece I would have walked by en route to another area I was wanting to see.  But one of the guards in the museum stopped me to see if I needed any help finding my way and she pointed out this piece...

 It is by an artist named Tara Donovan (you NEED to Google her and see her amazing creations!!!!).  The guard asked me if I could tell what it was made of.  Of course, at first glance, I thought it was an amazing mineral formation of rose quartz.  But then I ventured closer and I was AMAZED by what I saw.  Let me show you...

And a little closer still...

BUTTONS!  All the exact same color and size!!!!!  Can you believe it!?!?!  Of course the thought then crossed my mind how much it would cost to try to create something like this with a Stampin' Up! button :)  Yup, I'm definitely a Stampin' Up! demonstrator :)  Ms. Donovan's work focuses on taking one item and seeing where it takes her.  Really, if you like this, you need to Google her and check out her work - just amazing!  Through October, there is an exhibition of some of her other work.  If you happen to live in the Milwaukee area - or if you are itching to go and visit Milwaukke - definitely go!!!!  I definitely filled my creative well with my 3-hour visit.  I even had to stop and sit on a bench and journal just to process what I was seeing.  When was the last time you took yourself on an artist's date to an art museum?  I highly recommend it!