His Giant Pet

Every year that we've had a garden, we've grown a giant pumpkin. If you've ever grown a giant pumpkin, you know the risks involved. I mean, this is really risky stuff.

How get a pumpkin to be as big as possible has been the subject of many books and websites. And then, of course, there are secrets. Deep dark secrets.

None of which we know actually.

But...basically, you have to cut off all the pumpkins that grow on the vine, except for one. And you water and nurture and care for ONLY that one.

This is serious stuff.

(The joke is, that the summer Kenneth and I backpacked through Europe B.C. (before children), Kenneth grew his first ever giant pumpkin. We were gone for 6 weeks, and we asked my college aged brother to care for the garden, and pick any squash for himself. Well, he thought that the pumpkin was squash for picking. Kenneth had taken 4 months to care for that one pumpkin. But miraculously, a late bloomer appeared that was growing between 2 loose fence beams, and we actually had to alter the fence to let it grow. It of course never had time to get much bigger than any normal pumpkin, but that didn't matter. The pumpkin even had a name. Halloween came, and we took a road trip, in which this pumpkin was buckled in a seat belt and traveled with us. This is how we feel about our giant pumpkins, folks.In our house, it's as serious as growing children. Um....ok, maybe not that serious...but you get the point!)

Last year, Ian's giant pumpkin was rather small. Too shady. This year, it was Addie's turn for bad luck (although she grew a watermelon nearly that weighed nearly as much as she does!)

Ian has been caring for this big guy since April. Seven months has watered, tended to and checked on his pumpkin. If you have been a house guest in the past 7 months, you haven't been able to walk in the door without him grabbing your hand and dragging you to the garden to show off his pumpkin.  It's almost become a pet!

I have no idea how we are even going to get it inside. He's determined to carve it, but right now, we're not even sure if it will fit in the wheel barrel without denting a side.

But I don't think he really cares about that. Can you tell?

Keeping it real.

Hi you guys. I just came back from an awesome vacation. Well, STAY-cation. No work. No deadlines to worry about. No phone calls. Just home on a cold, cozy weekend with just the 5 of us. It was perfect.

We played, read, cooked, ate, roasted marshmallows, danced, sang, snuggled in blankets, and just enjoyed "being." We didn't even get in the car once. It was awesome.

Then I got on Pinterest, looking for ideas on how to "someday" finish the kitchen, and I got to thinking about all these "perfect" spaces that we are so used to seeing on blogs and all over the web.

Golly, sometimes I wish we could just see some jam on the floor in those designer room interiors! I mean, that would for sure give me a better inclination to see if that floor color would really "work" in my house.

And while I was getting ready to tidy up this weekend (singing along to the Weepies, and not really caring if I got to the bedrooms...this was a stay-cation after all!) I realized that this is home. I hate having a messy house. I really do. But I also know that I am REALLY going to miss it in 15+ years. Really miss it.

Toys on every floor in the house  means there are little people in my life who make me so ridiculously happy.

Crumbs on the floor means Kenneth made 2 loaves of fresh 5 grain bread, in which 1 was entirely devoured in 10 minutes. And what ever didn't make into little mouths, ended up on the floor. With jam, of course.

My shoes all over the house means I have girls who really like really to play Mommy. Lint on the floor means I have a really lousy IKEA rug that sheds. There really isn't anything too happy about that one, except that, well, we have rug.

Clothes that end up everywhere means I have really creative children who would rather  1) be naked or 2) be an impersonation of something besides themselves. Every. Single. Day.

Chalkboards  in most rooms mean I have chalk dust on my floors constantly. But I also get pretty pictures (and menus) all the time. Oh, and notice the french invitation to Addie's Cafe. Completely illegible and spelled wrong, but she reads it in a very french accent and it makes me giggle.

Corn that never got picked (I don't know if we just forgot, or never knew when the right time to pick it) means we have awesome fall decorations for our kitchen table now.

An overgrown side yard means there are magical pathways for exploring.

An un-weeded garden means that we spend most of our time picking and watering and preparing fresh veggies, rather than weeding.

And messy hair means I get great pictures out of my baby.

See? It's not so bad. I'm starting a revolution.

**And speaking of messy, I'm in the process of redoing my blog and building a website...so expect some changes, which I'll address very soon!**

things I wish I made.

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Ok. So have you been browsing over at the Children at Play Flickr Group?

Heavens to Betsy.

I just have to show you some of the complete wow-yummy-ness going on.

And this is just a taste...like a little sip of what's over there.Actually, it's just a taste of the girl stuff. There is just as much boy that I'm not showing you!

Need ideas for handmade girly Christmas presents? Click on over and get inspired.

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he's outside the box.

Last night (late!) while I was working, I caught wind that Steve Jobs died. While we all knew that he resigned from Apple, had been struggling with cancer for years, I felt the universe quiet down for a moment. I didn't even know him. Never seen him in person...I don't even think I've seen him in video. But I've read of his life, read his words, and seen his work (and listened to it!) And while it was late, I had to sketch out in my journal this quote that I've come to love so much.

The world is a different place because people like Steve worked hard, fought, tried NOT to fit in and make ideas happen. He came to earth with a mission. I love this that he said:

'We're here to put a dent in the universe' ~ Steve Jobs

After my car accident this year (did I mention I had two? The other was a snow related accident where  my car slid down a steep hill out of control and stopped feet before a big drop off.) Ya. It's been quite the year. I've wondered so much about those two close to death experiences, and while there are SO many ways I realize I have changed because of it, I really resonated with these words from Steve Jobs. Ever since those incidences, time is even more valuable. Fear is stupid. Or, if it's there, it reminds me that I am mortal and that I am in constant search for divine help. I am reminded that I came here with incredible potential to do good. And every minute that is sucked into mindless surfing on the internet (which happens!) or even time spent worrying or wondering about the future rather than just doing something about it, I get angry that there are so many distractions all around us to keep us from "making that dent in the universe."

And believe me, you don't make a dent from wishing for, hoping for, or following someone else's dent. It's yours to make. And when you remember that your life is a ticking clock with a buzzer that someday really will go off, it can easily, at least for me, keep me moving and making and shaking.

Steve Jobs. Mover and Shaker. Curious and Determined. Visionary and Realist.

You brought us the ipod. But more than that, you set a course and revealed a path we often lose sight of.

You will be missed.

Want to hang out in my studio?

Hello Friends!

Utah's channel 5 did a sweet little interview with me in my home studio last night (on their We Are Utah segment), and I wanted to invite you into my studio to have a look! Steve Olpin came to my house last month, and was so fun to work with. Working with a freelance videographer versus a news show host made all the difference, and I felt so relaxed to just spend time in the studio and reflect on my perspective on being an artist. And while I HATE talking about myself and what I do, it was really nice to put a little cap on why I do what I do, and how I got to where I am!

So, enjoy...and take this as a little open house invitation into my small studio space! Without, unfortunately, the hot cocoa and cookies that I'd have out if you really did come over to hang out.

My first trip to Paris

Bonjour mes amis!

All things French have been on my mind lately.

I'm typing this blog post while my husband is grading papers, and we are both listening to Julia Child's TV re-runs (Jacque & Julia to be exact) of how to make Vichyssoise from Potato Leek Soup. (Oh! How I love that woman. I could listen to her voice all day.)

I've been a lover of the French language and the cultures of all French speaking countries since I can remember. As I child, I loved hearing my dad speak the language to me, or to others he met who could actually speak back to him! I started taking French lessons at school in 5th grade, and now that my daughter is in a French Immersion Elementary school, I'm starting to resurface my love of all things French!

And then just last week, I finished illustrating a book (Harper Collins, April 2012) on a Canadian family's move to France and the lessons they learned while adopting the French culture of food and eating. More on that later...but I've been absorbing myself in French food, French books, French music...

And since our pocket books and life with little ones prevents any sort of travel these days, absorbing myself in the culture has been my travel bug medicine. At least for now!

When I started making paper dolls, it was a huge hit. But I kinda fell off the bandwagon (easy to do!) but these are seriously so fun and such a great play time activity, and I am reintroducing paper toys again. With the holidays brewing, I hope to have more!

But these are making me happy. Since I have resigned fashion design to a hobby in my next life (that and like a whole strew of other things I want to get my hands in), designing paper clothes will just have to do. It's really so much fun!

This collections is called "My First Trip to Paris." Addie asks about going to Paris or Switzerland someday, and while I know it won't be any time soon, I do dream of big hair bows and blue and white stripes. These children are picking up food and flowers from the market, playing with the street monkey and his accordion and getting read for their first painting class.

Each clothing collection now comes with a set of dolls, boy and girl...or you can just get the whole set of dolls and clothes I've made over the years.

Enjoy! Allons-y!

**These paper dolls are PDF downloads only, so no shipping, just print them out on your own and voila! In the shop here. **

A little shop update

shipping rates

This news is so important to me, I thought it merited a blog post!

I've been shifting around my pricing and shipping rates for my shop a lot this past summer, all with the intention to help us both out! I need to make money, and you need to save money! We're all in this together.

I think I've settled on a good deal. And I hope this is something to your liking! Cards and small items will always be less than $5.95 in shipping, but you'll never have to pay more than that.

(Please note...this is only for orders within the USA. We're currently working on making all international orders as economical as possible, so bear with us!)

Happy Weekend, and happy October! I'm off to making more art...there's always a brewing project around here, and this weather makes me wildly creative! You?

Signing off...

xo

sarah

On the doorstep.

I know I know....

It's not even Christmas, but I need to take your time this morning and say.....

MY  DEBUT PICTURE BOOK IS RELEASED TODAY!

There I said it. I'm done now.

Well, maybe not. I really do want to say a little bit more, but honestly, I get a little shy. Isn't that silly? It's like stage fright. My fabric line was such a whirlwind release, and the art I create in the shop is usually the same. There was no time to be nervous.

But books are slow. Created fast and with crazy deadlines, but then you wait. And wait. And wait.

And the waiting has made me a little timid. Like, I want to say, "Are you still there? Do you still care? I made this book for you over a year ago....do you still want to read it?"

(Insert pigeon toes and flushed cheeks here)

Regardless, today it's happening. All pre-ordered books are being delivered by white and brown trucks all over the country today. They will be (oh so gently laid) onto little doorsteps where a man in uniform will place brown cardboard boxes filled with art that I made in my basement studio, while listening to Christmas Choir music in July. A book with magic in the text that had gave me goosebumps the moment my editor read it to me over the phone for the first time. A book about Jesus and the light He brings to all the world. A book that still has my children begging to read it, even though it's not even Halloween. A book that I've placed little secrets into that no one but myself and my children really know.

A book that was illustrated while moving twice, pregnant, going on partial bed rest, having a baby, buying a house, wading through financial difficulties and struggling through post partum, all while trusting in God to pull us through. It was quite literally a miracle in and of itself to be patiently wading through the "stuff" life brings, and then to illustrate the Christmas Story at night. I don't think there could have been a better release for those emotions...I needed God, and I got to draw my emotions on paper.  This was my place to put in my feelings of my Savior, the miracle of His birth, and all the relationships that were formed around that miracle.

And now you get to be a part of that.

I actually didn't pre-order any. Looking back maybe I should have! But I will have the honor of hand delivering copies to some very special people. And that will make for quite the perfect day.

I won't post about this any more until the air is a little crisper and colder...but I just had to share a special moment. A life goal. A day that won't ever come again.

I think I'll go kiss a little lamb:)