Travel
-
Camping Shenandoah National Park
Have you ever been camping? Yes! I never went camping with my family as a child. My first time was when I was a few days shy of 18. My friends and days-old boyfriend, who would later become my first husband, road-tripped from home in Houston to San Marcos, Texas. We stayed in tents, floated… Continue reading
-
Valentine’s Day Weekly Creative Round Up
Last week was my first rendition of my Weekly Creative Work Round Up, where I combine everyday creative endeavors, ‘fit pics, and other aspects of art/writing/life balance to discuss ways in which I’ve worked to strengthen my creative muscles through the week. Continue reading
-
Perry’s Green in Southport, Connecticut: Paintings and Photography
Perry’s Green is one of my top places to visit in my town. It’s simply a small, open grassy area next to The Pequot Yacht Club. There are a few benches, a couple of trees, and a sign about the area’s significance in the Revolutionary War. It’s not much on its own, but the view… Continue reading
-
Disneybound!
Last weekend we were in Orlando for our family’s first trip to Disney World. Things have been hectic and emotional in my family for the last couple of months–lots of changes, lots of routines disrupted, the whole shebang. We had this trip booked far in advance, and on the eve of our flight I was… Continue reading
-
Harbor Road in Southport, Connecticut
At the end of Harbor Road, in our little village of Southport, there’s a small open lawn area. Some war between the colonists & natives was fought across the road in front of a private property, and there’s a placard there so you won’t forget. Next to the open lawn area, there’s a little sliver… Continue reading
-
Valencia City Tour: Pulangbato Falls, Tierra Alta Resort & more
As I mentioned in my recent sketchbook post, we recently returned from our annual trip to The Philippines. Our family lives in Quezon City–it’s pretty much a sister city to Manila, so it comes with a lot of what you would expect from a densely populated developing country: traffic, pollution, traffic, concrete, traffic, malls, traffic–you… Continue reading
-
Yayoi Kusma at New York Botanical Garden
Last week, my little guy and I took a day trip to the city to check out Yayoi Kusama’s exhibits at the New York Botanical Gardens. This weekend is the last weekend it’s on display, so I wanted to give a sneak peek of what to expect if you head over that way. Continue reading
-
Dr. Seuss Museum: A (COVID-19 Friendly!!) Day Trip from Fairfield, Connecticut
On Friday, my family headed north for our weekend getaway on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Because we still have a little guy, we planned on making a pitstop in Springfield, Massachusetts for The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum. Continue reading
-
Swimming with Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu
We just got back from our family trip to the Philippines! We’ve visited family in The Philippines and Australia every year since our honeymoon. It’s always a fantastic time: we visit, catch up with Mark’s (big!!) extended family, and have exciting adventures. This year my favorite day was the one we spent whale watching and… Continue reading
-
Babymoon in Paris Portraits
We’ve been busy around the Oreta household! No time to update all the way, but I’ll give you a little peak into a recent highlight. A little over two weeks ago, Tobias took his very first solo flight. He stayed with my sister and her husband for a few days in Estes Park, Colorado and… Continue reading
About Me
I’m an artist. Sometimes I paint impressionist townscapes in oils, other times I sketch out what I’d rather be painting in pencil. I design intentional environments in my home, and sometimes I get around to projects that the design consists of. I flip thrifted clothes, or I let ideas pile up like used fabrics overflowing from a box in my basement. This is a metaphor, but also a fact.
I’m a writer. Sometimes that means bad poetry. I often meander in my prose, as I find it hard not to mention every detail, what something reminds me of, and all of the background information you could never want.
I’m an explorer. Sometimes I explore the great outdoors, or other countries. Other times, my nose deep in a book, I’m exploring the universal human experience, nature science, ancient wisdom and impacts of colonialism. Often, I’m exploring my own inner experience through train-of-thought journaling.
I’m restless in my curiosity and consistently creative. To an outsider, it’s clear that leading a creative life involves output: paintings, outfits, decor, a garden. The creative knows that this output requires a frequent stream and synthesis of that input. This blog is the space I use to organize and sort my meandering thoughts and pile of ideas.