this is what you shall do

Back on my feet

2012-01-17T19:06:00.005-05:00

This afternoon I went out for a run for the first time since mid October. It's hard to say why I stopped. I guess life just took over in the autumn. We moved, friends opened a new stationery shop, the holidays came and went in a blur. And before I knew it, two and a half months had passed since I last got out there.

I was nervous that I'd be cold and unpracticed. That I'd forget all I'd learned in the fall. I still haven't even finished the Couch to 5k program yet. But the moment I set foot out the door I felt better than I have in months. It was amazing just to be moving again. And the stride, the breathing, the energy - it all came back to me like it had never left.

It took me until age 36 to realize that it is possible for me to even do this, let alone like it. But I think I can actually say that I love it.

36 years to understand that I am capable of this. That I can push myself. That I can do more than I thought I could.

I am built for this.
:)

oh dear.

2011-11-14T09:14:00.000-05:00

It certainly has been a while.
Hmmm.... I could offer excuses or explanations, but they will all sound weak and sad.

Life gets busy.

But I miss it here. So I'll be around so more. That I can promise.

to the river

2010-03-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

So much time has passed. Yet it hardly seems possible. Much of my time this winter has been spent trying to figure out how to like it more. I bought a short coat so that I may venture outside for a walk in the park - something I live for in the warm weather. But the cold just oppresses me and keeps me indoors. Earlier in the year, I vowed to myself make a list of things that I truly love about winter in an attempt to make it less overwhelming. As the sun shines now, it seems a little past due, but knowing the weather around here, I am sure we are in for another cold snap. So, here goes.

Things I love about winter:

1. The way the light looks different at night. Is it the reflective property of snow that makes the evenings look so much brighter? It's a quality of light that is so hard to define.

2. That feeling of complete and utter quiet that comes over the world when it snows.

3. The crows and bare tree branches silhouetted against the sky.

Every evening, without fail, the crows of this city migrate to the river. This happens year round, but it is especially compelling in the winter. I have yet to find out if they are all headed to one particular spot or if they line the banks of the Genesee for miles, filling the bare trees with crow-shaped leaves. It is haunting, somewhat mysterious and altogether beautiful. It's as if they know something that I don't. Trying to capture this on camera has left something out.... It can't compare to the real thing.

Blue Moss

2010-01-27T10:31:00.000-05:00

Just want to say a quick thanks to Michelle over at blue moss for featuring me on her super awesome blog today!

What a great way to start the day!

joAnn
p.s. - the Seattle map is newly listed in my shop, as well as Portland. (Ukraine was a custom order)

New work come and gone...

2010-01-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

Well, the idea was to post about my new work here, before they completely sold out from my shop. But one busy weekend later and they are all gone. I will be getting some new ones listed as soon as I get them made!

So, in any case (a little late) here is what I have been working on.

I am quite happy with them. I have so many more ideas along this line and I plan to spend the cold month of February on the couch, sewing, with the cat on my lap. Perfection.

Warmth

2010-01-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve. This year, it was perfect. It was an evening filled with family, long-time friends, and new friends. It was also my 35th birthday. I walked into my sister's downtown apartment to find streamers and decorations hung in my honor. We stood at her vast windows overlooking the river and watched the fireworks from the comfort and warmth of the couch. We ate good food, had great conversation and many, many laughs. After the craziness that was the month of December, having an evening to sit and simply get to know one another was fantastic beyond measure. A perfect ending to a year that was good to me.

I begin this year with some new feelings about my life will really be about, what makes home home, and what it means to carve out a space for yourself in this big, ridiculous world.

This past week, although frigid, has been warmed with familiar faces and renewed friendships. It seems a perfect way to start the new year.

Pretty good.

2009-12-09T10:36:00.001-05:00

Holy cow, it's been a long time since I was here. I feel like it wasn't that long ago I was saying the same thing.

The sad truth of it is that with all the time that goes into preparing for Second Storie, I have had no time to do anything other than think of what I want to say here. So many thoughts come and gone. The best I can do for now is try to recount my feelings on the show.

In a word: amazing. In my true fashion, I walked in the doors on Saturday to set up my table considerably later than everyone else. I was feeling rushed and under prepared. But when I walked into the the auditorium and saw all of the amazing displays everyone had set up, I was instantly rejuvenated. And once the doors opened, there was hardly a break in the traffic for the next few hours. It was jaw-dropping. All of our work that seemed to go unrecognized was immediately redeemed and we were beaming all day. The day was full of surprises, both big and small. I only wish I hadn't felt so distracted by everything that was going on; then maybe I could have absorbed the best parts a little more. I learn something different each year.

Like my table display - I took mental notes on the best displays I saw at our 2008 show and showed up with a much more polished table. It was a great fit with Karen's display so it was perfect that we shared a table this year. I received many compliments on how nice our display looked, something I haven't heard since our first show.

It felt so cozy. The decorations made all the difference.

my new, simplified display. Thanks for the help, Dad!

Karen's half of the table, including our photo album collaboration.

All I need now is a sign with my name on it and I'll be set.

All in all, I'm feeling pretty good. Next year? Bring it on...

6 years ago today.

2009-10-26T21:37:00.001-04:00

It's a little late in the day to be getting around to this, but seeing as I still haven't even printed any of my wedding photos, better late than never.

Happy anniversary, Mike.

Lillyella feature

2009-10-14T10:24:00.000-04:00

The amazingly sweet and talented Nicole of Lillyella recently did a feature on me and my shop. It was my first interview of this kind and it was so much fun! In preparation, I put a lot of time in to updating my shop and listing some new items. It was great to have a solid, inescapable reason to do this - it has needed a new look! Thank you so much Nicole!

you can check it out here.

Go read this book. now.

2009-08-19T11:24:00.000-04:00

My sister recently encouraged me to read Jonathan Safran Foer's book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Having just finished it I have to recommend it as well. It is really hard to explain just how amazing this book is. It deals with all sorts of wrenching issues like the World Trade Center attack, the bombing of Dresden, family, loss and abandonment. And while it breaks your heart a little on one page, it renews it again on the next. I was often left feeling as though I needed to cry, but at the same time, I was so engaged in the lives of the characters there just didn't seem to be time to cry. I don't know. It's hard to explain. It tugs at you the way Ordinary People does.

It is narrated most of the time by a nine year old boy who in reality is far too smart for his actual age. But because he is both naive and incredibly intelligent, we can experience all the complexities of loss: sadness and fear as well as confusion and a downright inability to accept it. There many pages in the novel devoted to images, photographs and creative typography. The thing that pervades, though is Foer's ability to write with just enough poetry in his words to make you forget that his characters are just slightly outside reality. His writing goes to the heart of them and they feel completely real and tangible. And you fall in love with them.

It is one of my favorite books and I don't think I'll be the same for having read it. I cannot put it any better than Foer does: "...it broke my heart into more pieces than my heart was made of..."

where I was last week this time.....

2009-07-28T10:11:00.001-04:00

and where I wish I was today....

Early last week a good friend brought me to one of her special places for a late-morning walk. How she knew it was exactly what I needed, that I had been drowning in all this concrete, and that putting my feet in that water would clear my mind and soul, I can't imagine.
Thanks, S.

Someday soon I will share with you my latest embroidery projects. Things that have me excited and motivated again. It is good, and I can't wait to show you.

a week in pictures

2009-07-22T15:26:00.001-04:00

A few photos from our trip to New Hampshire.
They only tell part of the story...

My nieces playing on the water slide; almost every afternoon
was spent like this. A raft, a kayak and a good friend.

At Nubble Light on the coast of Maine.

A quiet moment on a very still morning.

Our hike to the summit of Bald Knob in the Ossipee Mountains.

A fin whale, 23 miles off the coast of Maine. It was
such a calm and beautiful day at sea.

Afternoon sunlight in a beautiful little cottage. It was part of the
original property where we stayed and was built in 1920.

A particularly gorgeous evening that warranted more than one photo.

I loved virtually every minute of it and want to go back.

Home again, home again...

2009-07-20T10:23:00.000-04:00

I have spent the last 24-36 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that I am no longer on vacation. It has been a difficult return this time around. I spent a week living with 9 people in a big, luxurious house on a serene residential lake in New Hampshire. Surrounded by trees and only accessible by dirt road, I felt truly removed from my normal life. All that mattered was the temperature outside and the battery life in our camera. Kayaking, swimming, hiking, loons, whales, games and photo slide shows at the end of each day. All of this shared with most of my favorite people on earth.

Coming home to such a boring and quiet house has left me at a loss for how to start each day. I am questioning all that I thought was important and trying to figure out how to keep the idea of vacation in my regular routine. The idea meaning have fun. Doing what I want to do as much as what I have to do.

Photos are coming soon. You can get a preview here.

vacation

2009-07-09T09:23:00.000-04:00

You'd think i was already on vacation by how often I post here. Hopefully my week on the lake will provide enough time and thought for me to devote some of it to this space.

The Last Iceberg

2009-06-18T11:51:00.000-04:00

I found these photos by Camille Seaman today while reading miniature rhino's blog. It led me to Camille's site where I found myself transfixed. They are from a series entitled "The Last Iceberg". It has solidified my desire to go to the arctic and see these monoliths with my own eyes. How often are we able to step outside of our daily lives and feel as though we're on a different planet?

My heart actually aches, these are so beautiful. I simply cannot get over that blue...

photos by Camille Seaman

It's that time again!

2009-06-17T09:41:00.001-04:00

you can apply here.

oooooooh...

2009-05-21T09:14:00.000-04:00

i found these little crayon sculptures by diem chau on lola and fell in love a little.

then, at her site, i found these intriguing porcelain pieces. there's a story here that is begging to be told. and the miniature table and chairs, are carved out of toothpicks. toothpicks! and the photos are amazing...

a little inspiration

2009-05-20T09:36:00.000-04:00

strolling around my favorite blogs this morning, i came across this sweet little napkin by allison manch featured on aesthetic outburst.

it reminded me that i love the beach boys and are now listening to their undeniably perfect harmonies. it's really what i needed to lift my mood this morning. thanks abbey! you always showcase the most fantastic artists and provide constant inspiration. it has also reminded that i need to get back to my true love: embroidery. it's been a while since i spent any time on my art.

another favorite source of inspiration is my friend rachael's new blog: a photo and a link. keeping life simple, it is exactly what it says: a photo of an artist's work, their name and a link to their site. it's a back-log of beauty and it's perfect.

i have been consumed

2009-04-24T09:17:00.000-04:00

by the past. lately (mostly because of facebook) i have been lost in days of yore. old friends, old photos, old memories. it might be a little unhealthy but i am ok with it for now. i think i needed something to get me through the last days of winter when the cold just can't seem to let go. soon my garden will consume me and i look forward to it.

since switching my shop over to mostly new flower designs the traffic has really slowed down. i could be bummed about this (and i was for a little while) but ultimately it's nice to have my free time back. it has afforded me the time to complete a project that's been on my list for a very long time. i made this tote for my grandmother who admired one i made for myself. the button is one of a set she has cherished for years. she gave me the set and i thought i would share one of them with her. i love the way this bag turned out. maybe it is time to make a new one for myself...

work. sleep. work....

2009-03-09T10:46:00.000-04:00

i've been away for a while. most of my "free" time lately has been spent on new work. and photographing new work. and listing new work.

so. much. work.

my evenings have been spent scouring the internet for a vacation home to stay at this summer. while the end result of this will be more than worth the effort, it feels so much like homework. endless streams of houses, high prices and low availability have left me feeling like a zombie at the end of each night. the only thing that has made this even remotely bearable is my sister-in-law. my friend, really. she sits on the other end of the phone, many miles away looking at the same pictures and making me feel as though we are in the same room. laughing and laughing. making all this work seem a little more fun.

so i suppose there are worse ways to spend an evening.

here is a look at some of my newer pieces...

i am so happy with how they have turned out. truth be told, though, i've been fretting big-time about whether or not they will sell. i have loved my little silk blooms, but i can no longer make them. i will pop some in my shop here and there, but my true direction is these newer ones. made from found and re-purposed fabric and buttons from my huge collection of vintage buttons. in every way, they feel like the direction i need to be headed. the question remains, though: will anyone come along?

a little light came to me on friday when i found this incredibly sweet post about my shop at bronette. thanks so much for giving me a little boost when i needed it most! a lot of encouragement has been coming from here lately as well. thanks, k.

lazy monday morning

2009-02-15T23:49:00.001-05:00

at least one of us likes shipping days. oh, the glorious brown paper...

well, i'm off to the post office.

new flower

2009-02-12T23:24:00.000-05:00

just listed in my shop now. this is exciting because it is the first in a line of flowers that are really made from salvaged materials. as much as i love silk ones, they simply need to be made with all new materials and don't reflect the nature of my shop's name. these have been kicking around my mind in one way or another for a while and it is so great to see them take shape.

folks have really taken a shine to my silk flowers.

let's hope they like these babies, too.

happy weekend,

handmade awesomeness

2009-02-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

almost everything i received for christmas and my birthday came from the second storie indie market, and they have helped brighten up an otherwise cold and somewhat dreary winter. thought i would share my favorites...

earrings by foundling

glass etched vase by lizz switzer
tshirt by gina sherwood

velvet scarf by kyla keglar

print by jim delucia

earrings (purchased for myself!) by polestar

feelin' good

2009-01-19T19:55:00.000-05:00

i have been away too long....
again.

someday soon i plan to sit down and write about gratitude and what this new presidency will mean to me.

for now though, the exciting news is that i finally got my etsy shop up and running! it has been doing fairly well in that month and a half. i am both pleased and busy!

kirsten of tollipop was sweet enough to feature my tangerine flower pin on her blog today.
thanks kirsten!

2009 is off to a great start.

a good start

2009-01-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

i know that it's true
it gonna be a good year
out of the darkness
into the fire
i tell you i love you
and my heart's in the strangest place...

the walkmen
"in the new year"

oh boy....

2008-12-04T09:26:00.000-05:00

it certainly has been a long time. i feel sheepish. all i can say for myself is that all of my time over the last couple of months has been devoted solely to second storie and making sure it was as awesome as it could be.

and it was.

i have more to say on this, but it will have to wait until later. for now, it is enough that i am posting something new! thanks to all who left such sweet comments on my last post. i still get a little giddy when i think about our wedding.

pictures and more coming soon...

five years

2008-10-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

five years ago, on a sunday very much like this one, my husband and i were married. the day was a little rainy, a little foggy, but strangely perfect. and while it was chilly outside the room at bristol harbour was rustic and cozy.

these gorgeous photos were taken by gelfand-piper, a charming husband and wife team who found those little details that shaped our day. over 500 pictures and yet that hardly begins to tell our story. it was fifteen years ago at a tiny little college that we met and fell in love. and what has followed has been up and down, serious and silly and nothing short of amazing.

i couldn't be happier.

little treasures

2008-10-13T23:42:00.000-04:00

it is wonderful it is to have a sister who knits. but one who knits and shares her treasures, is truly priceless. these glorious little fingerless gloves are a not-totally-unexpected-but-just-as-appreciated gift from just such a one. made from a "small, precious" ball of sienna yarn that i purchased with a project for her in mind. what a sweet and full circle this gift has made.

they will be worn by me with grand enthusiasm and i am already sad for the day when i will have to turn them in for a warmer winter pair...

making time

2008-10-07T16:17:00.000-04:00

wow.
i've been gone a while.
with planning for the next second storie event in full swing, i've hardly had time for much else. i am determined, however, to make time for art. with the advent of autumn and it's cool air and rich textures, i am feeling a need to get back to my roots. paint, collage and dark lines. i'm not sure what will come of this, but i need to find out.
i'll let you know.

pining away

2008-09-18T21:59:00.000-04:00

as summer draws to its quiet close i find myself reminiscing about a week spent on the ocean last year.

sunrise on the atlantic ocean in the outer banks of north carolina. i only made this venture once during that whole week. my friend, though, was up each and every morning at dawn to walk the shore and snap photos. looking at these i can see just why.

i am feeling unusually reluctant to see summer go. usually by this time i am tired of the heat and positively aching for autumn. this summer was too mild for that.

i suppose this is my way of saying farewell to summer and embracing the glory that only autumn can bring. it truly is my favorite season. crisp breezes, gorgeous colors, and van morrison's "into the mystic" playing in my head.

yes, i can be ready for that.

newest work

2008-09-05T23:36:00.000-04:00

this summer has found me obsessing over it's quintessential colors. deep yellows, soft creams and sunwashed blues. all things faded and worn...

i've been working mostly in emboidery. i just can't seem to do anything else right now. i truly love the idea of making a plain piece of cloth beautiful with thread alone.

for reasons i can't quite explain, moths have a hold on me. i have been making these tiny cloth ones for a few months now. i feel i have finally perfected them and now summer is over. i guess i will have a piece of summer to carry with me until next year...

i intend to get these up in my shop soon. really!

come on out...

2008-09-03T21:56:00.000-04:00

i'll be selling my new work at the market on thursday. i don't have any pictures at the moment, but you can see some lovely ones here.

come and visit if you can! it's going to be a gorgeous day...

the good fight

2008-08-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

i didn't know meaghan latone very well. she was simply someone whose path crossed mine once upon a time. she meant a lot to a dear friend of mine, and because of that she is important to me. meaghan probably wouldn't even remember who i am. unless you told her that i was the one who tripped over a traffic cone (long, dumb story :) and bruised my face on the pavement during a friend's bachelorette party. she would have remembered that. with a howl of laughter no doubt! it pleases me very much to know that is how she would have known me.

to me, she will be the woman who bravely fought the good fight until cancer eventually won. boldly sporting a naked head, she had the audacity to look it in the face and say "c'mon, is that all you've got?"

i will remember her as the life of the party, pink feather boa and all.

she began a blog to document all she was going through. i, along with everyone else, followed her along on a journey that only she truly took. the rest of us simply tried to keep up. by reading it, i was able to get to know her from afar a little bit. this is what i learned: she was a tremendous mother, wife and friend. i feel deprived that i never got the opportunity to know her better. or to say goodbye, even. each post she ended with these words:

fight the good fight every minute, every moment, every day.

she did. and the world is a better place for it.

news!

2008-08-19T08:37:00.000-04:00

i've been hard at work on second storie's "in the loop" blog, and it is now all shiny and new! go check it out for the latest in who's at the market (someone awesome this week!), what our former vendors are up to and other second storie happenings.

see you there!

utterly distracted...

2008-08-14T23:10:00.000-04:00

i have been away from here lately and i have to admit it has almost everything to do with the olympics. i am hopelessly addicted! frankly, i am surprised when anyone tells me that they aren't.

i will be back soon, hopefully with something insightful to say! until then i will be sorely lacking in sleep...

summer love:: thunderstorms

2008-07-31T00:09:00.000-04:00

there is hardly anything better than a late afternoon summer thunderstorm. they both frighten and excite me. i relish the sense of impending doom that accompanies the rolling of thunder. the longer the build-up, the better.

as a child they frightened me very badly. enough so that my parents started a ritual for middle-of-the-night storms. we would all get out of bed and go outside to watch them from the porch. as a child, i must have believed that everyone did this. only as an adult do i fully understand the magnitude of their devotion to my sister and i. getting up in the middle of the night to sit outside just to show your daughters that nature is awesome and beautiful instead of scary? that's love.

thanks mom and dad.

as i sit here listening to a glorious thunderstorm slowly rumble in, i think of how fortunate i am to have a shelter over my head that allows me to rejoice in it.

a river ran through it

2008-07-29T10:08:00.000-04:00

i don't camp much. in fact, this trip is only my second time as an adult. my husband however, is a seasoned veteran and so i put myself in his capable hands. off we drove with friends to the adirondacks, to a beautiful riverside site that greeted us each morning and rocked us to sleep each night.

i am however left wondering if i am truly a camper at heart. setting up the tent minutes before a torrential downpour (featuring hail) is not my idea of relaxation. having to constantly dig in one container or another to find the most basic of items like food, toiletries or clothes gets old very quickly. having to put them away again right when i'm done gets even older. the feeling that i am never fully clean and that my clothes are always damp irritates me. i very badly want to be better at this, but i feel that it will be a work in progress.

while on a canoe day trip we found ourselves in the middle of yet another thunderstorm. at the same time carrying our 80lb canoes on a very rickety bridge over some serious rapids, and on through a long dark, muddy trail in the woods all while wearing improper footwear (sitting in a canoe for 3 hours, who would think to bring anything other than flip-flops?) all culminated in my reaching my limit. sensory overload won and i was brought very near to tears. it seems silly now, but i have concluded that i don't like not being in control of my surroundings. but that's what camping is: putting yourself at the mercy of the elements. it hurts my heart that i have to work so hard to enjoy it.

hiking however, was my salvation. give me sunny day and a destination to reach on foot and i am a happy camper. there is something so reassuring in the act of propelling yourself towards a goal. i love the feeling of putting my foot forward before i know completely where it is going to touch back down. my body moves without need for direction from my mind. i become able and agile and, in a way, graceful. hiking has become a sort of meditation for me. it reminds me that the human body is a very capable machine.

my body is a machine and it propels me up the mountain.
i derive great joy from this statement.

this very simple hike up to the top of bald mountain was the highlight of my trip.

all in all, the trip was good: nature, great friends and a few adventures all made for a memorable experience. and the town of old forge is truly charming in a cheesy, touristy kind of way. i was quite taken by it.

do i love camping? not yet. will i venture out again?
i believe i will.

i'm off...

2008-07-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

to set up camp in old forge, ny. hopefully not in the rain! the forecast is not looking so good.
ah well...
see you all next week!

beckoning...

2008-07-18T21:17:00.000-04:00

so much to do and so little time.
new projects for myself and second storie. getting ready for my next market day, projects i have promised to others. not to mention the staples of summer: camping and spending afternoons with family and friends. and yet last weekend i simply couldn't resist working in the garden.
it called.
i answered.

aaah, summer...

2008-07-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

i had the most perfect july fourth weekend in recent memory. friday was spent celebrating the birthday of a dear friend with mini golf, ice cream and fireworks. the very definition of a summer evening! saturday was spent with family at my grandparents' cottage on blind sodus bay. blue sky, clear water and nothing to do but enjoy them both.

as the dog days roll on by, i will be hoping for more gems like these. it reminds me that i am tremendously lucky to have all that i have and to live the life that i do.

i hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend as well. if not, know that a perfect summer weekend is bound to come your way. there is still two whole months left to enjoy...

this is what i shall do...

2008-07-02T23:21:00.001-04:00

i have been consciously absent, friends.
it's been a while since i sat here to write because i have been feeling that this blog could be so much more than what it currently is. when i set out on this venture, i think i had this idea in the back of my mind that it would be a great sounding board for all the things i believe in, the the things that get me mad or inspired. that's why i named it as i did, after a beautiful manifesto.
i have since failed to live up to that expectation, even if it is just my own. i love writing about the simple things that make me happy and that make my life worth living. but i feel that i need to be doing more with this space, perhaps only for the sake that it will mean i spend more time thinking about more important things like global warming, my carbon footprint, the injustices of the world and the future of mankind here on earth.
all that being said, it is summer. it is a time for taking things a little slower, making you own way at your own pace. i still like the idea of my ::summer love:: series and will continue to post about those simple, wonderful things that just embody summer (possibly as early as this week...). i will continue to post those silly little things that have grabbed my attention and held it hostage long enough to label it an obsession. i will strive to post more about my work, even if more of it seems to be in my head than present in this world. and i will try to, as always, do what my heart tells me. for better or for worse...
i thank you for reading.
joAnn

obsession...

2008-06-28T03:00:00.000-04:00

buttons.

i have thousands. it started innocently of course. i needed a few vintage buttons to complete some bags i was making last summer. somehow (i can't even remember), all of my family and friends learn that i am looking for buttons. before i know it, i am inundated with the little suckers. they came from grandmothers, friends of grandmothers, other people's grandmothers even! i purchased a fair amount myself, of course. they are in boxes, tins and jars. i finally got the chance to organize them by color which for some reason brings me great joy. (my sister and i used to separate Lite-Brite pegs by color and then "trade" them.) maybe i am reliving a little of my childhood when i spend an evening going through them and picking out my favorites. so silly, yet so gratifying...

good ol' nancy

2008-06-26T03:00:00.000-04:00

i woke up listening to npr the other day and they were doing a story about nancy drew (i think they were talking about her enduring appeal) and it brought me back to those long, wonderful summers spent solving mysteries with her.

i read her books into my high school years, where i did abandon her for a more serious addiction: stephen king. i have hardly given her much thought since then, aside from the movie that came out last year. but hearing her name the other morning has given me the the bug once again. so what if they are written for young adults. they are the perfect summer read.

i believe i am going to go curl up and take an adventure with her tonight...

a quote that i love::

2008-06-23T11:09:00.000-04:00

"wherever i am, let me never forget to distinguish want from need. let me be a good animal today. let me dance in my private tide, the habits of survival and love."

barbara kingsolver
high tide in tuscon

things my grandmother taught me

2008-06-22T23:42:00.000-04:00

at a memorial service recently, i got to thinking about the impact my family, and my grandmothers in particular, have had on my life. i was lucky enough to know both of my grandmothers well into my twenties. this list is dedicated to anita, the one we lost many years ago.

things my grandmother anita taught me:

a love of garage sales. she could never pass up the opportunity to buy more stuff she didn't need! i am proud to carry on this tradition.

to mute the t.v. during commercials. i used to think this was so weird. i mean, the commercials are the best part, aren't they? (this really goes to show us how much ads are geared toward children) in my adult years i have found them to be every bit as loud and obnoxious as i'm sure she thought they were.

a love for all things slightly tacky, i.e. tupperware, plastic figurines with that glued on fuzzy stuff, costume jewelry, etc.

the list is truly longer than this, but so many of those pieces of her live on in my mind as impressions too abstract for words.

she also taught me (and all around her) tolerance, acceptance and unconditional love.

i thank my grandma anita and miss her. i am surely better for having known her...

want::

2008-06-21T00:35:00.000-04:00

these brilliant "glow bowls" from Diana Fayt. (these are found in her etsy shop.) they seem to float in midair. you must see them aglow with candlelight. simply dreamy...

summer love:: moss

2008-06-20T02:17:00.000-04:00

i have green fever, and moss has always been one of my favorite things. so lush and verdant, i wish i could wrap myself in it. i keep it in as many vessels as i can on my patio.
if it were possible to create a wall of it inside my home i would in a heartbeat. a room even. can you see it?
it brings to mind a passage:

"as long as there is wilderness, i know there is a larger part of myself that i can always visit, vast tracts of territory lying dormant, craving exploration and providing sanctity."
from douglas coupland's life after god.

go out there, friends and find some.
you'll feel better, i promise.

new work...

2008-06-18T23:58:00.000-04:00

i am a lover of fabric. it began a few years ago when i decided to make a bag for my friend. it has been under my skin ever since. however, it is sometimes hard to feel as though i am making art, rather than simply craft. these small fabric collages take a step away from set patterns and expected results. i am simply working with juxtapositions of color and pattern. they are entirely freehand and that feels good.

i'm not sure where intend to go with these, as i am simply following my soul. it feels right and i am happy to roll with that for now...

obsession...

2008-06-16T22:53:00.000-04:00

foxgloves.
the entire summer of 2007 was spent yearning and holding my breath. yet it did not bring them to life. turns out they are bi-annuals so they bloom only every other year. somehow that makes them all the more sacred. well, this was my year. i had never seen them in person, so watching these statuesque beauties grow a little more each day was exciting to say the least!
well, I am smitten.
they have brought me true joy every day that they have opened up to me. and as they are beginning to fade, i bid them a fond farewell. i am secretly wishing they love me as much as i love them and defy nature in order to come back to me next year...

well, here i am...

2008-06-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

carving out my own little niche in this corner of the world. i'm not sure what i hope to gain from this, but i am looking forward to the process of it. i have a million thoughts in my head at any given time and i guess my aim is to sort out all that clutter. i will try to post daily, but more often than not i am sure it will be more like every few days that i get around to it.

for those of you interested in my work, it will be a place to keep up with my latest projects. you will find that i take my sweet old time with just about everything. so nope, no stuff on my etsy shop just yet. in time, my friends, in time...i promise! for friends both near and far, i hope this will bring and or keep us closer by.

'til we meet again...