Feet up

I don't like to slow down, and I usually won't unless I HAVE to. Last week my right foot told me that I have to...by having a torn ligament between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal. It has been so painful, but even so I hobbled around on it for a week before seeing my doctor. After x-rays determined that I don't have a stress fracture, the prescription...try to rest my foot as much as possible and wear supportive shoes. Ugh.
So, I've been seeing a lot of that cozy place above.


...and this cozy place, watching my little ones play, and my big handsome one rearrange the living room (another project that I'll share here soon)
The upside of spending time with my feet up?
It leaves ample time for clowning around on the couch!

Fast forward

Mystery

I feel like we lived the past week in fast forward. What with a torn ligament in a foot (me) and tubes getting put into ears (Jasper), then a trip overnight away (Frank)...things are not quite at their normal pace here. I am deeply thankful that everything went well with Jasper's ears on Friday, the tubes are in and he was totally chill about the whole thing, thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts about that from my last post!

With all of the craziness I did not have my normal studio time (aka decompression time) this week. My affirmation from last week, Strength and Beauty Surround You, really kept close to me this week as everything whirled around! There is such peace in those words.

Being the sort of person that finds busy work soothing to fried nerves, I was able to find time to do a shop update! This is the start of the major shop update that I have been planning for this autumn. I am an artist who works in very prolific spurts, and I produce A LOT OF WORK. It is no joke. Frank and I have shared a studio space in an old warehouse building in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn for years, Frank still paints there but now I have my painting studio in our home. I do still use that space to store all of my paintings and oh boy, I will have to post pictures for you here sometime, there are racks full of paintings over there! It is just luscious! When someone is interested in buying a painting of mine I LOVE inviting them to come there and, over glasses of wine, pulling paintings off of the racks for them to look at. Some very fun evenings have been spent that way.

Here are two of the paintings that I just added to the shop. Happy weekend to you!

Beacon

My first Giveaway!

Longing

Today I am excited to announce my very first shop giveaway! I love to celebrate the start of each season and this feels like a wonderful way to welcome in the first day of autumn and the beginning of one of my favorite times of year here in NYC.
I am offering this print of my painting Longing. The printed image measures 7 x 9 inches and is printed on beautiful heavy weight 11 x 13 inch watercolor paper. You can see the print here in my Etsy shop.
To enter the give away leave a comment on this post. You can just leave a hello if you like or you can let me know what you are longing for in the season ahead.
I will close the comments and randomly choose a winner on Friday, at 8 PM EST.
Good Luck!
.....................................................................................................................

Thanks to all who entered! I turned the selection over to random.org which has selected Number 1 as the give away winner. Congratulations Lori!! Send me your mailing address so that I can get the print out to you. I hope that you love it and that it brings blessings to your home.

Never a Dull Moment

never a dull moment, originally uploaded by cathy cullis.

This weekend was full of life for us, house guests with a new baby visiting from across the country, our block's second (and final) block party of the year, friend's birthday parties, and then yesterday Jasper's long awaited follow-up visit with his ear doctor.
I don't like visiting doctors myself, I prefer "self healing" through diet, acupuncture, etc.. and until now I have not minded taking my kids to their fabulous pediatrician. Then last spring, after Jasper's 4th ear infection and a set of burst ear drums, our pediatrician suggested that we visit a pediatric ear specialist. This led us to yesterday, our follow-up visit, at which the specialist told us that Jasper needs tubes put in his ears to relieve the pressure that is building up, he suggested that we schedule the procedure as soon as possible for Friday. Three days from now.

No matter how many people, the doctor included, tell me that this is a minor and very common procedure, all I can keep thinking is, "My child is having surgery on Friday."
I'm keeping a very strong front for Jasper, he is showing no signs of concern or worry and I am being very careful not to show my own worry about this in front of him.

The strange thing is, I know why this is hitting me so hard....
I had tubes put in my ears when I was 5, and I remember it as a traumatic, scary experience, and probably the start of why I don't like going to doctors.

When I had children I did not realize all of the things that I would learn about myself through them, especially through this cyclical nature of life. For me, watching my children grow and change has often been like looking in a mirror. With this particular situation I see the redemptive opportunity in which I can help Jasper to have a better experience than I did, and hopefully to not have this be something that he will still be struggling with 30 years from now! That doesn't mean that I'll have an easy three days until the procedure but I am thankful that at least I did not have to dread this all summer long, and really after Friday, once the tubes are in, then his ears will be able to start healing.

And isn't healing what this is all about?

Strength and Beauty Surround You

Strength and Beauty Surround You

All summer long I have been incredibly excited about an idea for a new series of paintings that has been swimming around in my head and spilling out into my notebooks. I have been thinking of them as my Affirmation Series, each piece will be based on and illustrate an affirmation that I have created and that I think people could use more of in their lives...myself especially.

Today I began painting this new series and decided to start with the idea that Strength and Beauty Surround You, partly because I was so excited about using this strong deer silhouette and wanted to see where I would go with it. The image above is of the work in progress after my studio time today.

I am very excited about sending these affirmations out into the world and sharing them with you here. I am thinking that I will be able to do about 1 a week, so that will become one of my weekly features here! Yeah! This direction feels very good to me.

My critics seem to like where it is going too.

Message

Message 6, originally uploaded by Mnlth.

Frank and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary yesterday. I wanted to commemorate it here, especially as this morning he totally stepped in and did most of the morning routine with the kids. I can't imagine my life without this man.

I will write peace on your wings ...

I will write peace on your wings ..., originally uploaded by Rebecca Tabor Armstrong.


This photo took my breath away.

We are awaiting our own butterfly miracle right here on our deck. At the park last week we found a HUGE, fat, bright green caterpillar. We put him in a cardboard cracker box to take home, and overnight he made a cocoon inside the box! Jasper is beside himself with excitement about "our butterfly", although who knows what it will actually turn into. There will be serious disappointment if we by chance miss the hatching. Fingers are crossed for all to go well.

I'll keep you updated!

Collecting and changes

I think that I was born with a "collecting gene", when I am outside I can't keep myself from collecting little bits of the beauty around me. The inspiration definitely drifts into my paintings.

This collecting has resulted in places like the shelves below. This is in the corner of our kitchen, and almost overflowing with rocks, shells, sticks, pine cones, lichen, along with family mementos... so many things from so many different adventures. Having these objects where I can see them and enjoy them comforts and inspires me. Bits of the past help me to embrace the future.
In fact, even the name of my shop and blog came out of my long time collecting of...yes, leaves and feathers.

My children have caught onto the collecting bug and quite often now the collections become a source of imaginative play. My daughter is playing with a bowl of shells while I write this.

In autumn the collecting kicks into high gear, and it has already begun. So far we found the berries in the first photo next to our favorite climbing tree in the park. We don't know what kinds of berries they are (Mulberries maybe?).
These acorn tops have been all over the sidewalk in front of our house for the past two weeks, we have collected bowls of them.

They are destined to become tiny hats for felted gnomes that I plan to start making in my crafting circle after the weather turns colder. I discovered the joy and relaxation of needle felting with wool last winter in our Waldorf play group.

We had a wonderful weekend full of friends and some sunshine, resting up for the week ahead which will be our first week ever with both kids in their playgroups for three days a week.
This change of seasons is bringing a big transition for me. I know that I will find my rhythm with it but right now I find myself wondering how I will be able to get them both to their different places each morning without feeling like I am running around like a maniac. And how will I ever be able to calm down and transition into studio time after drop off!?

Wishing that summer would hang on a little longer, but I am getting ready to embrace the exciting change of seasons ahead.

Sunday Reflection

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again. ~Elizabeth Lawrence

Solstice

Solstice

Just in time for the end of summer I finally have a gorgeous print of my painting Solstice back in stock in my Etsy shop. The colors, especially in the one colored butterfly, just POP. There is only one in stock right now so hurry!
I am in the midst of figuring out what type of scanner/printer combo I am going to buy so that I can make prints of my paintings right here at home. I am working hard researching different options, so if you have had a great experience with a printer or scanner I'd love to hear about it. I'll be making my purchase within the next two weeks...and then...I'll be doing a HUGE shop update!
Can't wait!

Right now....

I am loving...

The colors and textures of my overgrown, late summer deck garden.

These boots, they just arrived last night and I can't wait to wear them with jeans when the weather turns cooler.

This new patterned rug for our living room floor by one of my favorite fabric designers, Kaffe Fasset. I couldn't believe my luck finding it at a recent going out of business sale at one of our neighborhood boutiques. These colors will be inspiring my paintings through the winter!

This necklace by artist Malisa Batasso, I'm seriously obsessed with her jewelry and I love how she draws inspiration from so many elements of nature.

This chocolate cake that I made last week for Frank's birthday, we could not believe how yummy it was, sort of a cross between a souffle and a gooey brownie. It is chocolate heaven, easily the best chocolate cake we have EVER eaten, and super simple...here is the recipe taken directly from the book A Homemade Life that I am reading (and loving) right now. One of the goals that I have set for myself this fall is to try more of the recipes from this book.

Winning Hearts and Minds Cake
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and butter an 8 inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and butter the paper too.
Put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring often, until smooth. When the mixture is smooth, add the sugar, stirring well to incorporate. Set the batter aside to cool for 5 minutes. Then add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition. Add the flour and stir well. The batter should be dark and silky.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly cracked, the edges are puffed, and the center of the cake looks set.

The Beginning

Today she started her first day of playgroup. It is only three days a week for a few hours a day but STILL...I know that it is the beginning of her moving towards becoming who she is apart from me. As my second child she has accompanied me to drop her older brother off at playgroup for the past two years, so she was so excited to start herself, talking about it all summer. Now she feels like a "big girl", I can tell that she is so proud...and she didn't even look back when I dropped her off today, just ran in to play. I am so proud of her, so proud that she loves other children and feels so confident in her little self already...but still there is that sadness, kissing her cheek, saying goodbye. I think that the sadness is in part because I know that it is just the beginning of another part of her life. And then there is that part of me that is so happy to have a few hours to do my own work!
I loved this post today over at Maya*Made. The ever crafty Maya sent her daughter off to school with one of these lovely little lavender filled felt hearts. I was so inspired that I grabbed these lavender filled felt hearts that I made as Valentines gifts last winter and stuffed one in Carys's pocket. I love the idea of sending her off with a soft sweet smelling reminder that she will always have my heart.

My felt hearts are pictured on a hand embroidered dish cloth that my mom brought back from Mexico last year.

Maya offers a great tutorial on how to make these hearts. All you need is felt, lavender and embroidery floss. Instead of decorating mine with a button as she did, I just use circles of felt stacked on top of each other to play with color, sewn on in a star pattern. I usually put these in drawers since the lavender smells so good, but my children have also been known to serve them as "cookies" for a tea party and I love how Maya had the idea to make it into a necklace, adding an extra dimension of fun for little ones, especially for jewelry-loving little girls.

28 hours

My client had her baby yesterday, at 2am after laboring for 28 hours, 26 of which I spent at her side. She labored like a champion, showing amazing strength, unmedicated the entire time. While it was her first baby, you would have thought that she had had nine. She stayed focused through being sent home twice for not being dilated enough to be admitted to the birthing center. The second time we were turned away, she couldn't face a cab ride home so we walked the streets of Manhattan, stopping to get her through each contraction, to the nearest hotel. As you can imagine, walking the streets with a laboring woman draws stares even here in NYC. People were so great, they cheered her on and said things like, "You're almost there!" and "You go girl!", it was so fabulous!
I spent today recovering after a good night's sleep...and today is Amazing Husband's birthday! His birthday wish was to go to the beach, so we spent the day at "our beach" as my kids call it after going there once a week all summer. I spent an hour or so there gathering these smooth rocks, collecting in nature is such a meditative restful activity for me. Once we got home the kids and I played with the rocks out on our deck, creating these installations of color. The gray scale one in the first photo is my favorite.

Wishing a happy and restful Labor Day Weekend to you all here in the US!

Far north

My dear, sweet brother moved to England a year ago this month, to be closer to his wife's family. They live outside of London but during their recent holiday weekend they took a trip up to the far north of England to hike and visit Roman ruins like Hadrian's wall. I thought I'd share some of their pictures with you here because I was swooning when I saw them. There is something about the light, the sky and fields there that is just well... so "British", and so obviously far north. He told me that the days are already much shorter there now, and on their trip they were all wearing jackets and sweaters.
While I'm still holding onto summer, I can't help but get a little tingle of excitement seeing these photos and thinking of cooler, crisper days ahead.