Opinions Please.

Hello visitors, welcome to Open Studio! It's been a fun night here drawing and painting. The work is finished, and it's time for comments and critiques. Sit back, relax and have a look.

Now that you are visitors today, I am opening up the art studio for comments. I want to know which one you like the best. Or which one you would hang in your daughter's room (or yours, or your sisters...) I am really interested, cause I just don't know myself! All opinions welcome.

1) Blue

2) Chalkboard

3) artist paper color

4) green grass

Ok. Maybe you don't like any of them, but this is open studio time, so if you don't like any, tell me, but be nice. I want to make a few more prints to match, so which ever background you like will help me to draw up more little lammies. And please...even if I have never seen you around before...pipe up! All opinions welcome.

Thanks!

Happy Site Friday.

This is exciting for me. I get so excited to hear about other moms who love being moms and love being creative...with their children and without. I wish that I could post more pictures (because her pictures are AMAZING!), but I never did receive permission from the SOULE MAMA, so I will just post the book that she has published that is coming out April 1st. Oh, and you know who will be at Barnes and Noble April first. I can't wait!

Many of you have read her blog, seen her site, and have fallen in love with the way she has rooted her family is good values, exploratory learning and bright color and creativity. But I just found her last week. Pretty sad. I needed her inspiration months ago. Years ago.

Creativity lies in the souls of all of us, and especially children. She feeds on their creativity and writes about it. Maybe I love her blog because she lives in beautiful Portland, Maine. Maybe I love her blog because she has really old hard wood floors in her house. maybe I love her blog because her studio is painted ocean spray blue. Maybe I love her blog because I really want a house in the forested hills of New England (my forever childhood home). Maybe. Maybe.

But the reason this site makes for a Happy Friday, is because she inspires me to be as creative with my kids as I am in my mind after they go to sleep (which is when I grab my sketch book and get all my ideas out that have been pent up all day). Living an a small condo in a very uninspiring part of town, I sometimes think I am limited and can't be as creative with my kids. We haven't a large space for finger-painting on banner paper. Or any trees near by for climbing. Or room for the kinds of things I would like to do. But after getting to know Amanda and the way she chooses to unveil the world to her children, I am inspired to give my kids the kind of world that will always make them curious, and never lose their curiosity. Have fun. I know you will. And buy the book.

EDIT: I just found out that Bloesom Kids posted an Interview with her just today! It is so inspiring!

Tangles, Toddlers and Two new stores

Isn't he just so darling? Yes, but oh so clever!

So Ian wakes up from his nap today with a great big YELP! and then quietly seems to rest back to sleep...or so I thought. I was in the middle of you know...all those things that Mommies do during nap time, and hoping for a little more time, accepted the fact that he was just having a dream. Well, optimism wore off when I walked in to see Ian IN HIS CRIB but with our room looking like this.

Yes, he had climbed out of his crib, rolled around in the bed, went searching for bears in the trees outside our window and became so excited that not only did the covers get scrambled but the blinds broke too. I wonder if he found any bears. (I did!!) So what he did isn't really that earth-shattering...I mean really, there isn't anything else to do in our room. What makes him the CLEVER boy, is that after making all this mess, he must have remembered that he wasn't allowed to climb out of his crib, so he crawled back inside which is where I found him after I heard him say...oh so politely..."AWAKE!"

And then Darling-dainty-ready-for-the-runway-Addie has the habit of ROCKING (no I mean really rocking...like she WHIPS her body back and forth as though I were still bouncing her up and down the hallway from her severe colicky days) and so her hair becomes this wild tangled seaweed every time she takes a long time to fall asleep (which has been every night now that Addie and Ian are sleeping in the same room now). Wow. Sorry grammer freaks. Run-on sentence. But really, you can't tell from this picture...but Little Miss has DREADLOCKS underneath those loose curls that (I have timed it) take 25 minutes to get out in the bath after only one night of tossing around.

But with my mischief making son, and my wild haired daughter we still manage to get things done here in the studio. Like starting wholesale! I have two online shops with my artwork ready to order...and not just any online shops. These are GREAT! I encourage you to look around (if you haven't seen these stores already). All incredibly great for kids and all very unique. Warm Biscuit has been a favorite of mine ever since my nursing days when I would nurse and read catalogs...theirs being a favorite. Simply a boy is new to me, but oh so great! With all the GIRL stuff out there, it's about time there was a place just for those boys! And there are more coming soon!

I love the children's industry! I love that I get to be a kid and a grown up all at the same time. Best of both worlds. Hey...I never even have to make my bed! (Ian does it for me:)

Framed.

Searching for the right frame is like searching for just the right prom dress. I hated formals for that very reason! After one day of shopping with nothing to show for it, I would usually just give up and try and think of a creative solution (like the time I borrowed my best friends formal just so I didn't have to face the mall mob one more time).

Well, there is no borrowing here folks. These frames have been in the works for months now, and well, I think that they turned out just great. I am debating whether I will sell them on my ETSY site. For now, they are for the companies I will sell wholesale to. I have 8x8, 8x10, and 11x14. Just right for the prints in the shop. Thank goodness I have an uncle with an empty unfinished basement!

And speaking of "framed" Kenneth and I have FINALLY managed to get Addie and Ian in the same room! With a daughter whose method for getting to sleep is singing, talking, moaning and rocking her crib very loudly, we have had reason to hesitate. But sharing a studio with a sleeping baby boy has proven to be even harder, so we decided to go for it.

How have they fared?

Well, let's just say they haven't been sleeping much. The first night went like this: crying for mommy, followed by random animals sounds, laughter, more animal sounds, more laughter, then addie saying, "Ian, we're best friends. Let 's talk". An hour later, they were still laughing and talking. I have never been happier about them staying up late. It is the sweetest thing when you see your children enjoying eachother's company. Especially when Addie has decided to sing Ian lullabies at night. She sings "Twinkle Twinkle little star" and he just curls up in a ball in his crib. I think that they have only been loving each other more now that they share a room. Happy babies, happy mommy! And now that I have a studio to myself, I can get crackin' on selling more framed artwork! Horray all around!

Happy Site Friday.

I may have mentioned this blog before. In fact I am sure I have. It is also on the left hand side under "My Daily Reads."

I don't read many blogs...i browse through my friends and my favorites every once in a while...but ZEN HABITS has me hooked.

I am a mom. I am a wife. I am a cook. I am a housekeeper. I am an artist. I am a business owner. I am an assistant dance teacher (ok...I keep Addie's 3 year old dance class under control). I am a voice teacher. Bus driver (to Addie and Ian). I am a bill payer. I am a woman who loves time to myself. (when?)

Do you relate? Sure. Every woman I know has to be a master juggler. And ZEN HABITS (though written by a man) is starting to help me get the picture. Each day of the week is designated to a different topic (finance, organization, family, simplicity, health) and he writes about it.

He has 7 children, is a writer (meaning...there is right brain in him like me) and he believes in living minimalistically. It is beyond me, but I DESIRE to believe I can do the same (not the 7 kids part!!)

But keeping two kids, a studio, a happy husband and laundry all from flying out the window in complete chaos is a real art! I go through phases. Right now, I am needing to get back into the phase.

I need to have a picture in each of my posts ( I am a visual person...no. Really?) And so I leave you with a picture of me and my kids 2 days after Ian came home from the hospital. Remember now, that Addie and Ian are 12 months apart...so Addie, bless her, was still just a baby!

If any of you have any inspirations you find to keeping the balance, please share. It is always good to get good simple ideas!

But for right now, this site is making for a Happy Friday.

P&P

I am so excited! Bowie over at Print and Pattern posted my stationary today on her site! If any of you haven't seen her blog/website yet, you really need too. She posts products and photos of products that she finds all over London...all with some element of vintage/modern pattern and color. GREAT site for the design minded. I just wish I had more design experience! My dream is to figure out how to make more pattern elements in my artwork...but maybe I just need to take classes...or just read enough of Bowie's Blog??

Well, I am just really flattered. Bowie is a dear person with a great eye. Thanks!

I can't send you to the post exactly...only her site, so scroll down a bit...it's there:)

A little of this and that.

Is it actually happening? Look close. Really close. Wait! I think I see it!!! I think it might actually be the start of spring!

This winter has been the snowiest ever (thank goodness...I can't handle brown winters) but it has meant a lot of COLD.

So, here is to new spring. New life. New mud (for the boys of course) andwind and rain blowing away any chill that has the guts to stick around any longer.

Addie has loved the March wind. On saturday while we were out running errands, she said "Oh Daddy! Hold me tight! If I blow away you will miss me!"
I about died of a love attack in my heart. I love these children.

And speaking of love.

My mother got to wake up to this the ONE day she was here visiting last week. 7 am never felt so good.

Speaking of good things...I am finished with my batch of new designs for the next couple weeks. Here is what is NEW in the shop.

I am pretty tickled at how incredibly cute these invitations are. I just love them! I don't always LOVE the stuff I post...I am my worst critic. But these just make me so happy.

And these new prints are slight variations from the ones featured in SMALL MAGAZINE. These look better in print than the ones that I posted in the online magazine. Amazing the difference between what is on your screen and what is in your hand.

But between you and me...I am ready to go play some more in the mud with my kids. Ian counted to 3 today, Addie wanted to go to a breakfast ball this morning (she wanted a Ball, I wanted her to eat breakfast, so we compromised by eating scrambled eggs with paper crowns) and they both are just so snuggly! Happy days.

A small...

Wow. This is just really cool for me to announce that I have my very first magazine publication! I have been itching to show you these new drawings for a while now! But I swore to secrecy until the Spring edition of SMALL MAGAZINE came out. And, well....it just came out!

I was asked to do some drawings based on clothing and teasets that editor Olivia gave me, and oh I just felt like a kid again! You know...setting up the clothes for your dolls, finding the "right" location for your picnic and getting the favorite tea set out.

Thanks Olivia for letting me take a stroll down memory lane. I hope you like them! And the best part of all, is I get to share these prints with you and keep them in my ETSY shop!
These prints will be available Monday morning.

Each one is great individually, but you will notice that some of them are good as a set, or match very well other prints that are in my shop right now. You might even recognize the bunny that keeps reappearing!

So, thank you Olivia for being so great to work with! I can't wait to go play tea now with my kids. Ian actually likes to play as well. (He got a play sushi kit for Christmas and likes to have pertend miso soup and herb tea:) Oh how I love children!