A Fun Day Painting "Gifts"

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Earlier this week I was lucky enough to be able to teach a workshop with nine wonderful artists. We painted "gift boxes" and it was so much fun! I love that each artist took my inspiration photo and created their own design! Here is mine:

My demo painting. 

On the second say of the workshop we spent all day creating websites! It is so incredible to me that each artist left at 4:00 with their own art website!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning in December I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

Catching Up

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So many things have happened in the last 30 days and I can't believe I have finally caught up!
The beach house remodel is done and I love it. I am thrilled. If you want to see photos you can visit my blog here.

I have been painting all month for my show at Debra Huse Gallery which opened last Friday Night. Thanks to everyone who came to the opening! Every painting in the show has a QR code on the tag whcih, when scanned with your smart phone, takes you to a demo of yours truly painintg the painting! My paintings will be on display all month so feel free to contact the gallery for more information.

I also taught three workshops this past month in South Pasadena, Newport Beach and Charlotte, NC. I met so many amazing artists and had so much fun. How could teaching workshops possibly be considered work??

I am also teaching a one day website class next Tuesday, November 19th. It's at my house. All you need is a laptop and about 10 pictures of your art on a thumb drive or on your computer. By the time you leave, you will have a new website. I promise! Click here for more information.

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this December I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

Thirty Days of Paintings

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Here is my "collage" of the 30 paintings I completed in September. I created it with an on-line program called picmonkey. Just go to PicMonkey and select "create a collage". You can use one of their designs or you can design your own. To make a collage with 30 photos you will need to design your own. Then you can drag your uploaded photos in to the collage until you are done. (When you drag them, you can see where to place the photos as you move them around.)

It's a fun tool to use. You can change the width and color of the grid lines between the photos and then save the completed collage as a jpeg on your computer. Post your collages here! And it doesn't matter how many paintings you completed. Create a collage to show off the paintings you created this month.

I won't be able to paint for rest of the week because we are moving in to the beach house. It's almost done ... it's getting there ... and I have my fingers crossed it will be "close enough to done" for my eight girlfriends to enjoy this weekend! I will post the photos of the completed house on Friday or Saturday so be sure to check back for the updates!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Thirty!!!

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"Fall Waters"

Oil, 8" x 8" on canvas panel.

$350.00 with display easel.

Day 30. Holy smokes. We did it. 

There were many times this month when I thought this day would never come. And now it's here and I am sad. I am going to miss the pressure of finishing my painting every day. 

I have thought long and hard about what was my favorite part of this month's challenge. Aside from painting every day, it has to be all of the awesome notes and emails I have received from all of you! It is funny how so many of you think I had something to do with the fact that you have painted so much this month! All I did was create the forum. That's it! You are the ones who painted everyday. I don't get the credit. YOU DO!!

Technically the challenge is over for now. But we all know, of course it's really just the beginning. 

This is the time for all of us to build upon what we have accomplished this month. Whether you painted five or thirty paintings, it doesn't matter. We have all learned something from painting more often, from blogging everyday and sharing our art on Facebook. The results have snowballed and have been amazing. Many of you told me that you have already blogged more times this month than the entire  year. Most of you have found a way to leave "the stuff" behind so when you enter your studio it's all about painting. A lot of you are painting faster and having little trouble finding inspiration to paint. It's been a great 30 days and I thank you all for joining and inspiring me to paint every day this month.

Tomorrow we will head back in to our studios and paint some more. We will continue to push ourselves out of our comfort zones and take some risks. We don't need to feel rushed and we don't need to ignore our families anymore (haha). Just paint what you want, but take a little more time to build on the momentum you have created these past few weeks. 

I promise we will do another 30 in 30 Challenge in January 2014. In the meantime I will be busy painting and teaching and enjoying the beach house (our "moving in" day is this Thursday!)

Tomorrow I will post a collage of all of my 30 paintings. I will also post instructions as to how you can create one too. So be sure to check back tomorrow.  So, you are not finished with me yet!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-nine

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"The Pavilion"

Oil, 12" x 12" on canvas panel.

Sold.

There is only one more day left in the Challenge and I have no idea what to paint for my last painting! I am pretty sure it will be a boat painting as I haven't painted a lot of boats this month and I miss them!

I hope you all have enjoyed the Challenge and I would like to thank you all for joining me, for keeping me motivated and for your wonderful emails, messages and comments throughout the month.
Even if you haven't been able to paint everyday, try to join in and paint (and post!) a painting for Day #30!

I spent most of today at my sewing machine. Most of my time was spent putting in 11 zippers. Can you guess what I am making??? Tomorrow morning I am driving a small truckload of furniture to the beach house. It's our "first delivery" of lots of stuff that will be heading up there this week. I will have another small truck load on Thursday with a full car load every day this week too! I cannot believe we are getting so close!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-eight

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"All Blown Up"

Oil, 6" x 6" 

$200.00 with display easel.

Click here to purchase. 

I got a text from one of my boys yesterday that said. "So what's up with the abstracts?". I think this could be translated as "Mom, are you crazy? Get back to painting regular stuff!".

So I am back to the "regular stuff". I do need to say that I really enjoyed my short "abstract painting stage" and I believe painting outside of your comfort zone and trying new things is a very important step in an artist's development. So I had fun and am thrilled I have some paintings for the beach house that I really like!

There are two more days left in the 30 in 30 Challenge. How happy are we? Yippee!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-seven

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"Fall at the Beach"

Acrylic, 24" x 24"

NFS.

We are getting so close to the end of the 30 in 30 Challenge! I am still having fun with abstract painting. This one is a work in progress, but I love the large size and palette knife strokes! I hope you are enjoying painting as much as I am!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-six

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"Yellow Reflections"

Oil, 8" x 16" on canvas panel.

Sold (commission).

It was fun to get back to painting boats after a few days of abstracts. One of my kids posted on my Facebook page yesterday stating "I think I could paint that". I laughed at the comment because I am guilty of thinking the same thing about some of the abstract paintings I have seen over time. Of course, now that I have made an attempt at painting abstracts I realize how ridiculous my son's comment (and mine) actually was.

I am still contemplating adding all of the words to yesterday's painting and I think it will be a go! As my sister in law so pointedly stated, "you can always paint over it". So if it doesn't work, then I will just paint over it.

I hope you all are enjoying the 30 Day Challenge as much as I am. It's been fun and we are almost done! I have the radio show today and then I am back to making pillows for the beach house. We move in a week from today (yeah!!!) and I still have a lot to do!


Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-five

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A Day at the Beach

36" x 48"

Acrylic on stretched canvas.

NFS.

We are really nearing the end of the 30 Day Challenge. I have mixed emotions as the month has been both amazing and challenging. (That's a good thing, right?) I fully intend to continue painting close to this pace next month. But there is something nice about not having the PRESSURE to paint every day. I also think I will be able to sleep more. And that's a good thing.

Today's painting is another one for the beach house. It's big, as in 48" x 36". I am contemplating taking this painting one step further. I would like to hand stamp words on the painting that have to do with our family (such as names of streets we have lived on, colleges, sports, etc.). I already have a list of all of the words, I am just not sure how it would look. It would be a fun surprise for my boys so I will probably do it. If I decide to try it, it will be a project for Friday.

Tonight I framed all of the Beach Boys album covers I bought on ebay and at antique stores. They look great and will be fun art for the walls in the beach house. I am not exactly sure where they will hang but I will find a place.

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-four

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"Along the Coast"

Acrylic, 24" x 26"

NFS.

It's sure wonderful to be home. I think I will be happier in two weeks when technically my "other house" remodel will be done. I say "technically" because of course it won't really be completely done. But we will be close! At least we will be moved in which means all of the stuff for the "other house" will no longer be in every room of our house!

Yesterday I made the decision to delay the stain and sanding of the floors until after my girl's weekend. They are behind and if we tried to get the floors completely done in the next 13 days then there is no way the rest of the house would be done. Tomorrow is a big day as counter tops, appliances, mantle, bathrooms and tons of other stuff will be finished. At least I really hope it's finished. Furniture and "a household worth of stuff" is confirmed for delivery a week from Thursday. I can't wait.

I started painting some abstract paintings for the Beach House. I thought it would be fun to mix it up a bit. So this one. titled "Along the Coast" is going to Ventura Beach!


Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-three

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"Docked and Waiting"

Oil, 12" x 12" on canvas panel

$550.00 with display easel.

On hold.

It's nice to be back on the west coast. I started my day in Ventura as I was dying to check out the progress with the beach house. It looks amazing and you can see the new pictures on my blog. I had a million errands to do to get ready for my meeting tomorrow with my contractor which just about put me in the nut house. Never, ever, ever spend a Sunday afternoon shopping at Best Buy, Home Depot, Costco, Home Goods and Ikea. It was brutal ...

The good news is I am ready for tomorrow and I will be well equipped with TV mounts, more kitchen cabinet moulding, a microwave, garbage disposal, wireless router and lots more!

Somehow I managed to find time to paint amongst all of shopping (and did I forget to mention that I HATE to shop?) so here is "Docked and Waiting". Tomorrow I start painting some abstracts!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-two

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"Little Island at the Pier"

Oi, 12" x 12" on canvas panel.

$550.00 with display easel.

Click here for more information. 

It's time to say goodbye to Sandbridge and head west to the "other coast". I had an incredible time here and the artists that chose to come "paint and stay" with me were wonderful! The week was fun, we learned a lot and the paintings that were created here are fantastic! I think everyone had fun with the palette knife and it appears I do have some "converts". I hope to come back next year!

I am posting this in advance on my blog so I can get an early start to Ventura tomorrow. Happy painting and we are certainly on the home stretch! Congrats to all of you for making a commitment to paint so often this month. Even if you missed a few, I can only imagine that you have still learned a lot. We only have one week left!


Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty-one

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"Canoes of Sandbridge"

Oil, 12" x 12" on canvas panel.

$550.00

Sold.

I am finally posting a painting from Sandbridge! Virginia Beach is a wonderful town and these canoes are so incredible and were just waiting to be painted! I passed them about five times on the main highway before I pulled over and confirmed that I would not leave Sandbridge until they were painted. Fortunately they will be staying at a lovely home here on the beach!

I am heading back to California today for a busy two weeks of wrapping up the remodel of our Ventura House. Apparently the new wide planked floors have been installed, marble tile is done, fireplace is in and the painters are "almost done". I have made at least ten lists of everything that I have to do in the next two weeks and it's insane. It's funny how easy it is to forget the most basic things a house needs. For example, today I ordered trash cans, TV hanging brackets and drapery rods. Pretty basic but very necessary. Unfortunately none of these items were even on my list!

I hope you are enjoying painting as much as I am this month. Even though I have a busy few weeks ahead, I will be in my studio finishing paintings for our house. Time to paint big. And you will see a few abstracts next week too!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Twenty

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"My Favorite Tools"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 with display easel

Click here to purchase.

Two thirds. 2/3. 63% done.

Day twenty means we are two thirds done. We only have 1/3 left. There is only 33% left of the September 30 in 30 Challenge! Ok, so I am a bit anxious to finish the Challenge. Things are pretty hectic right now with four workshops in six weeks and a house remodel. But don't get me wrong, I love this Challenge. I love painting and I am so happy to be painting everyday. It's just hard when life and other stuff gets in the way. The good news is I should have four paintings finished tomorrow Two from my Virginia Beach workshop that need some slight tweaking and two more I am going to paint in the next day and a half. That means I don't need to panic on Saturday when I am stuck on an airplane all day!

Now is a great time to think about what happens on October 1st. Of course you are going to take a few days off. But think about what you have learned this month and plan to take that with you to move forward with your art. Paint more. And continue to enjoy it. We are so lucky that we have this chance to paint every day.  I am going to continue with this challenge after September. Sure, I'll ease up a bit, but I will be in my studio. And painting a lot!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Nineteen

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"One A Day"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200.00 with display easel.

Click here for more information.

Today was an absolutely glorious day. After staying up late last night sharing art tips, ideas and mostly laughing hysterically, today we spent the day at Little Island Pier painting plein air. I was thrilled to find the location as it offered so many different views and everyone was thrilled with the options. The wind had died down and the sun was out so it truly was a glorious day.

Tomorrow we are heading over to a local farm stand as I think it will be another great plein air painting spot. Plus, we won't go hungry as the apples, fruit and veggies look fabulous!

Today's painting was painted yesterday, the first day of the workshop. I started off the workshop with a palette knife painting exercise and we painted apples.

Here are photos from today!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Eighteen

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"The Patch"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel

$200.00 with display easel.

Click here to purchase.

I had no idea how much fun a "paint and stay together" workshop would be. To be honest I was nervous. I worried if the artists would like the house, how well everyone would get along and if they would all be sick of me at the end of the day! But truthfully ... it's been amazing.

Sitting around the house (after a long day of painting) while enjoying a beautiful ocean view and talking about art is wonderful. Artists are unique individuals. They are caring, creative and awesome. I love this. It's fun, invigorating and something we should all do more often.

I painted a few paintings when I first arrived in Virginia Beach for the Challenge, so I could stop feeling pressured (ha!) and focus on the workshop and my students. This painting is based on a photo I took of a huge pumpkin patch located right down the street from our beach house in Ventura. I know where I will be buying my pumpkins next month!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Seventeen

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"Yummy"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200.00 with display easel.

Click here to purchase.

I am so excited for this week! There are nine artists (including me) all moved in to the beach house here in Virginia Beach and everyone is amazing! Most of the artists arrived by 6:00 pm and quickly we got to know each other (with wine and cheese) and shared lots of stories about families, art and other workshops. Three of the local artists who are also attending the workshop also came by to meet everyone. I cooked dinner and we laughed and ate. Tomorrow we will be a very happy group of 13 palette knife painting artists!

After dinner it was time for me to head downstairs to paint. I know we will be painting the next few days but I really needed to finish my painting for tomorrow morning - Day Seventeen. Hopefully my east coast jet lag will ease up as some of us are going to go for an early morning beach walk (with coffee!) before we start the workshop at 9:00. The weather should be great!

Today's painting is only my second cupcake painting. I have had this photo for years and have always wanted to paint it. I hope you like it as much as I do!


Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Sixteen

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"The Coast"

Oil, 8" x 10" on canvas panel.

Sold.

I am in Sandbridge, Va and it is absolutely beautiful! My workshop starts Wednesday morning but since most of the students are staying here, we will be together tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. We are staying at my sister's beach house in Sandbridge and I am so excited for my first "paint together and stay together" workshop. 

We had a wonderful time driving around Virginia Beach today looking for painting locations. I found so many incredible locations including the pier, beaches, tons of beach scenes with the awesome fences and seagrass, surfboards, umbrellas, lily ponds, farm stands and lots more. I need to stay here for an extra week!

Hope you are all enjoyig the challenge. We are on the downhill slump. Day 16!!!

Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Fifteen

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"At the Beach"

Oil, 12" x 12"

Sold.

Finally! We are half way through the 30 in 30 September Painting Challenge. Yippee.Yes! Awesome! Except I think that means I (we) still have 15 more paintings to complete. And I also have a beach house remodel I need to complete, which includes moving in an entire house of furniture and decorating and artwork (that needs to be painted). Yikes!

Maybe I should focus on today's painting. Ok, I know what you are thinking. Umbrellas again?

But you need to know that out of hundreds and hundreds of Italy photos, the artists in my workshop picked this one. Honestly, it wasn't me! Of course it was fun to paint.

And I am happy it sold and is going to a nice home.

I am getting ready for my workshop in Sandbridge, Va this week. The weather looks great and we should have lots of fun painting around town and at the beach!


Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!

30 in 30, Day Fourteen

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"Not Open Yet"

Oil, 12" x 12" with display easel.

$550.00

Click here for information.

I am heading to the airport shortly to catch a plane to Virginia Beach. How lucky am I? I spent the day at Ventura Beach yesterday and tonight I will be in Virginia Beach. Gotta love the life of an artist! Not to mention I will be meeting 14 new artists on Tuesday and we will get to paint together next week!

This painting is one of two I completed on the third day of this week's "Painting in Italy" workshop. I took this photo in one of the Cinque Terra cities, Vernazza. You might guess I was drawn to the umbrellas ... not to mention that this city was the one we reached after a two and a half hour climb ... uphill ...


Check out my new remodel blog for our new beach house in Ventura, Ca. Beginning this fall I will be teaching workshops at the beach. Come stay and paint with me! I have workshops scheduled in the next twelve months in South Pasadena, Ventura Beach, Newport Beach, Carmel, Indiana, Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, Ga. Click here for more information!