For all you bikers out there...

Ryan Leech in Kranked 6 Progression Part 2

This is especially for Becky whose family will especially appreciate it... but please don't try it!!!

update

This post might seem a bit self-absorbed, but I just wanted to tell you that I am feeling much better. Being able to talk things out with someone and realizing that I was expecting way too much out of myself... and being hyper critical of everything I did, was not healthy. I am actually loving drawing again and I'm so happy!  I know a big part of feeling better has been the medicine my doctor prescribed. It got me off of the cycle of anxiety. I think that after years of being anxious just caused me to forget how to relax and deal with things like a regular person. So the combination of the two has done wonders (despite my opposition to drugs.) So it's all good!

And I have a great idea that I am going to post about on June 1st!  It involves you too, so I want to get all my information together so I can entice you to join me :)  I hope you'll be just as excited as I am! My inner art educator is coming out! Or wanna-be gallery owner. Oh, you'll see!

I hope you have a great weekend! My inlaws are due here any minute and are staying with us until Saturday evening. Craig and I are actually going on a date! We're trying a newer Tapas restaurant.  Be back soon! ;)

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I'm trying to figure out my ballet drawing! I need a real model... maybe Caroline will pose for me!

Still alive!

It was a very busy but fun Memorial Day weekend-- visiting, grilling out, and going to the local ball park! This was the first holiday weekend that I can remember in a long time that was so sunny and nice! I didn't sit at my computer so now I have to catch up with everyone!  I thought I'd post what I've accomplished on my quilt so far. I still have a little less than half my fabrics to cut out. I'm getting excited to sew it together!

And then I received my new fabric for my curtains!! I want to start sewing them also! 
There has been no drawing around here, but I am still going to do the one I was talking about last week. Craig's parents are coming in Friday to stay with us and see Nathaniel play soccer on Saturday. We've had end of the school year activities going on too which is keeping me busy. I get to go on the big fifth grade field trip to Philadelphia next Tuesday! Only 6 1/2 more days of school left! Then my little daughter graduates into middle school. Am I ready? I'm not so sure!!!

it's a beautiful day!

I spent my day today with my son's fourth grade class on a field trip to the park to do a stream study! We waded into pretty cold water to find little invertebrate animals living in the stream which tell how healthy it is! Then we tested ph balance, nitrates, temperature, etc. We've had beautiful weather today, in the 70's, and that is supposed to continue all weekend!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

great book!

I know I posted about this before, but I am actually in the middle of reading it now and I love it!  I highly recommend it to anyone with younger children (about the ages of Amanda's children in the cover photo).  I realized that my own mom raised me this way, with an appreciation for nature, a love of creating and repurposing found objects and materials. I credit this for my love of art, but I also see the value in it in learning to live life fully and with contentment. That's a lot to get out of a little book, but if I were to write a book about how to raise children, this would be it!  Some of my friends are already living this way, especially my best friend Caroline.  She is an artist and one of the most creative people I know and she inspires me like this all the time. And so many of you that I know through your blogs! I find when I'm being creative, my children want to make things also. Here is a link to Amanda's site with more info on the book, and her blog, and here's where you can order through Amazon!

a dog's life...

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A page from my sketchbook... I have an idea for a drawing and I bet you can guess what the subject will be! I have a busy day today so I don't know if I'll get to draw any more. The sun is shining, the birds are singing... and we're looking ahead to a three day weekend!

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I also cut out more quilt rectangles yesterday!

Cranfordlove

Oh how we loved Cranford!!!  We taped each episode so we could watch it over two nights and we just watched the end tonight! So much drama and so much love! The ending was just perfect. Though I didn't like the deaths. But I LOVED the characters. I think I may have to read the book. It is also out on DVD. Okay, enough about it.... too bad it's not a series!!!

Bubbly

Colbie Caillat

Realize

Colbie Caillat

favorite papercutting

I can't remember if I posted about Rob Ryan and his papercuttings before, but after seeing the show yesterday, I wanted to show you his art again!!! I LOVE his work! There is something about it that is so innocent yet so mysterious to me. This print, made from one of his papercuttings, is my very favorite and I wish I could buy it. I need to save up for it but maybe some day it will be mine!  Rob has done such a variety of work with his images. Even my copy of Selvedge magazine has one of his illustrations on the cover! Some people get excited about movie stars. I get excited about artists and illustrators!

Art Museum Day

Today was wonderful as the kids spent the afternoon at an art museum class held in conjunction with the Maurice Sendak exhibit!  I have always loved his illustrations and I was inspired to sketch... so much so, that I took out my moleskin while the kids were drawing and drew them!

Here is one of Nathaniel's sketches:
Here is one of Caroline's sketches:
I took photos of some of the original art that was on display:

I was amazed at the complexity of detail in some of the work! I don't know how he did it! Amazing!

They also had a show on papercutting too!!! These were works done by members of the Papercutters Guild. They were amazing also:

It is a bit ironic that I checked out my favorite papercutter's blog yesterday, left a message, and he commented on my blog!!! I feel like I was just visited by a rock star or something! I am a little embarressed by the lack of drawing on my own blog right now. Rob, please come back!!!

A little interesting side note:  Bono, from U2 was in town here on Tuesday! No one knows but my husband has connections with a sound system company that does the audio systems for all the famous rock bands around the world! Too bad we didn't know he was here until Wed. I wonder if he stopped for some Wilbur's chocolate?!! ;)  shhhhh.... don't tell anyone... it's a secret!

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Is it really 100?!!! I know this post should be better than it is, but I'm not allowed to say "should" right now, so I won't!  I knitted a second bunny with #2 needles (on the left) and you can definitely see a difference. My bunnies aren't as cute as the original pattern, so I think I'm done doing them! I think they're too thin. I picked up some new pens today when I got the needles, so I want to get back to drawing this weekend. I hope you all have a really good one!!

99 look... knitting!!!

I don't know what got into me last night. Maybe it's that I keep seeing really cute knit things. I picked up my needles and proceeded to make this little fellow out of scrap yarn from this free pattern here! He's only about the size of a doll's toy. It called for size 2 needles, which I didn't have... but that never stopped me!! I also learned how to make an i-cord. Did you know that the "i" stands for idiot? I figured it was something I could manage to teach myself! I completed the whole thing while watching American Idol last night. Who didn't guess that it would be a David vs. David finale?!!

I've also been having a lot of fun today, learning and playing with iMovie on my Mac and then in Caroline's classroom today with the students! They filmed their puppet shows and are editing their videos now. Can you believe tomorrow is already Friday?!!

yo dog!

The little man and me, playing around in photobooth!

 

Want to laugh today?? Click here!  H I L A R I O U S !!!

And did you hear that MM is taking a break?!! It can't be! Go leave a comment that life as we know it won't continue to exist without her! Because without knit monkees, life really won't be the same.  I may have to start a whole movement soon to bring her back. Though we know that Ruby didn't do a very good job with that and I'm about as good as she is at directions.  

Handmade Nation

A documentary being made about what's going on with all of us! There's going to be a silent auction fundraiser so that they can raise money to finish it. See the site. I really feel lucky to be a part of this whole indie movement... if not by selling my art yet, by supporting those of you who do! And I'm excited that my kids are embracing indie art too. I'm reading Amanda Soule's book "The Creative Family" and loving it! I highly recommend it. This is a dream for an artist/art teacher like me!

preview

of what's going to be on my windows in my dining room!!! I was so excited when Anna Maria announced that her fabrics had hit the stores!

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Terri and I just spent a fun day in Lancaster, visiting shops, eating breakfast, and making jewelry!! I think we caught the jewelry bug because we're already talking about going back. I made a fun bracelet (Terri's was more fun) and this really cool turquoise pendant necklace! It's so much more fun to wear what you make yourself. We had really beautiful sunny 70 degree weather today. I wish every day in spring was this lovely! Thanks Terri for a great day!

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First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are a mommy!  I had a relaxing, enjoyable day yesterday. The kids and Craig got me this which I love! And Craig made me crab legs for dinner. He spoils me :)

Here is what is leftover (besides a lot of food!) from our big party on Saturday:

It was raining on and off all day until about a half hour before the party, then the sun broke through and we had wonderful weather! We grilled out and made a campfire to toast marshmellows over. Everyone brought food... lots and lots of it! We celebrated a successful year of Odyssey of the Mind and at the end of the night I handed out the little scrapbooks that I made for each person on our team. They really liked that. We made some really good friends from it and look forward to many more gatherings! Here's a beautiful plant the Roys got for me, for coaching the team:Well, today I did something totally different for me... I made my cards for Karla and Beth's Birds and Bonnets swap! I don't normally do paper collage, but it made me think about placement and pattern, so it was a good exercise to do. Somerset magazine may do an article on the swap and The Vintage Workshop provided the papers and images to print and use. I'm off in a minute to the post office so they will get there in time! (I always do things last minute.) 

shirt love

This "confetti bateau top" has me wanting to learn to sew my own clothing! Isn't this fun?!

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Here's those cute little aprons that I embroidered yesterday on the dolls! These are the Country Girls from Alicia Paulson's kit. I don't know what it is about painting and sewing these, but I just love it and they look so pretty when they're done! I think they remind me of Fisher Price's Little People which I played with for hours when I was little!

thanks

Terri sent me this handmade card and a little angel made from vintage fabric yesterday! I am getting spoiled by all these little presents!! Thank you so much Terri! I'm trying to talk her into making cards for etsy... maybe? :)

read this!

I found a new blog recently... well, she found me... Frazzy Dazzles written by Jen. I hope she doesn't mind but I borrowed her photo to show you what she posted about today! You have to go read her post... it's one of those ideas that gave me goosebumps!  She was writing about embroidering her children's drawings, to keep them permanently. And then she wrote about making them into a quilt for her bed, to sleep under all those lovely thoughts!! You must read her own words. I just love this idea! I wish my kids were still this little and I had thought about it. I know a lot of you out there still have little ones, so save this idea!! ;)

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I should be cleaning the house but I had to take a break this afternoon and do something fun! I started embroidering the chicken-scratch pattern on the gingham from Alicia's Country Girls kit to make their little aprons!  I sat on the front porch, soaking in the sun and humming Jason's "Over the Rainbow" to myself.  Happy day!

Cranford

Masterpiece Theater is airing it's 3-part series on pbs Sunday evenings and the first episode was great! You can watch it online right now if you missed it last Sunday. Caroline actually watched it with me and we were giggling about the cow and the gray flannel! It takes place during the Industrial Revolution, which we studied in history last year while homeschooling. It is an all-star cast and a nice change from our American Idol habit. Especially since I think Jason might be in trouble tonight! Randy and Simon don't like him but we still do! He needs to sing a little Jack Johnson or something. We voted for you Jason! My favorite downloads from the season will still be his "Hallelujah" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" too!!!

if you want to dance with me

Click here!

calling all teens of the eighties

A blast from the past: click here.

favorite shoes

I put on my favorite shoes today and was thinking about how happy they make me! It's kind of silly to think shoes could make someone happy.  I love that they're green and the little robin's egg blue velvet ribbons make them seem special, even with jeans. I think if something so simple makes me smile, then it's okay!

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Ellie - phant!

cupcakes

Just the word is enough to make your mouth water!  Kathy at Lizziejane sent Caroline the sweetest present today! Caroline has been wanting crocheted cupcakes since Christmas but I don't know how to crochet and they always seem to be sold out. So Kathy surprised her with these!!! Thank you so much!!! They are adorable! She also has new elephants that she finished this past weekend. I can't get enough of them! ;)

movie review

We watched Nancy Drew last evening with the kids. I know the movie has been out since last summer but this is typical of me... see it AFTER everyone else! I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun and I used to be a huge fan of the books when I was growing up!  I thought the whole retro look they gave her was great too! And what was that she was driving???!!! It's a Metropolitan!!! I just read about these before I saw the movie and they are my newest car obsession!
Here is the one I want! It's a 1960 Metropolitan Nash and of course, it's red and white with white wall tires!  I think Craig's car obsession is rubbing off on me... except that I'm totally into vintage these days. There's something about the 50's and 60's that I love!  Step magazine, a graphics mag, did an article on a designer who has two of them. They're hard to find as they were made in England and not that many were available in the U.S.

Back to the movie... Emma Roberts was really good as Nancy and the humor made it fun. Our family gave it four thumbs up!