moving day.

Hello all! 

Vintage Refashioned now has it's own space. Hooray! Please join me here for any and all updates about my work. 

I'll still pop in here to post my thoughts on life, politics, humility and sensitivity. Which honestly was the reason I began this blog in the first place. It's time for this space to return to it's roots. 

Here is the Walt Whitman poem that inspired the title for this blog. I hope it inspires you.

This is what you shall do: love the earth and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and the crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning god, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body.....

space.

my mini banner

paintings in Jim's space

my shared space. gorgeous wall painted by Jen

Pistachio Press

my little friend, the studio cat

It's been far too long since I posted here. I've been busy moving in to an actual studio space! I'm splitting a small area within a larger shared space. My studio mates are Rachael & Jake of Pistachio Press,  Jim DeLucia, and Jen of Beeswax and Horsehair. I couldn't ask for better folks to share a space with. Each and every one of them is incredibly talented, supportive, and encouraging.

I'm looking forward to spending as much time as I can here, working toward making a serious business out of my crafts, and having a shit ton of fun.

More to come soon, as I have tons of new ideas to share.

new-ish

A collaboration with my good friend Rachael at Pistachio Press! I absolutely love these. You can find the entire set of eight: art, bicycle, books, dog, rap, unicorn, vampire, and zombie in my shop.

Back on my feet

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.

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

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

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...

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.....

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

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...

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

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

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