beachcombers

Mabel and Lucy smiled the entire afternoon...

Lucy hunting for hidden shell treasures in the rocks...

The view below my rock perch...

I could have sat there for hours watching them splash, seek, play...

Daddy taking it all in... and - yes - that is a Clone Wars shirt. ;-)

"I love this place"

handpie testing

I volunteered to make fruit handpies for the AIGA back sale in a few weeks. Since my baking skills are minimal (even a bit scary), I thought I'd better practice. I'm using a gallette crust recipe (really simple) and pre-made filling (apple and cherry). Next time I'll roll the dough more thinly, use an egg wash on the tops (forgot to do it... see? told you my baking was scary), and create the filling from scratch.

Mabel was ready to eat them before they went in the oven ;-)

All-in-all, they came out pretty good! Heya Art Instituties, get ready for a fistful of Amy's fruity handpie.

first day bento

The girls are excited about starting the new school year tomorrow. They picked out non-traditional lunchbox options this year: bento boxes!

Tomorrow's boxes are packed (Lucy's tiers on the left, Mabel's on right): Japanese Korokke (potato croquettes with curry), fun-shaped hard boiled eggs, onigiri (sticky rice balls), and muffins. Lucy opted for extra rice wrapped in Nori (dried seaweed) while Mabel went with a pb&j shaped like a ducky. There are little animal soy sauce bottle tucked in among the steamed brocolli. They'll have juice boxes and cookies, too.

And look - there's a bento for mommy!

(Will post first day pics tomorrow.)

I LOVE YOU camp

Lucy spent this past week at Camp Thrills and Skills at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind. The kids got to ride horses, swim, and experience lots of adventures while learning new ASL skills. The teachers and counselors are fab and Lucy looks forward to seeing them next year.

This year, the students worked together on a painting centered around the sign for I LOVE YOU.

Big thanks to everyone at the school and to all of the counselors!

are you happy?

Art Love :: Robin McCoy opens tonight!

Looking forward to tonight's opening. I've long been a fan of Robin's talent with pigment. Hope you can come along! Opening is from 6-9 at Rick Rhodes Studio. [map]

Hangs through February...

Robin McCoy:
A native of South Carolina, I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design. I have been painting since 1992 and have had some kind of drawing tool in my hand since I can remember. I come from an illustration background but have found that painting is the real draw for me. I've tried regularly to expand my understanding of painting in addition to my commercial work. [robinmccoy.com]

STUDENT TIP :: Adobe TV :: Tracing with Illustrator CS4

One of the many shows at Adobe TV, Creative Sweet TV dishes out tips and tricks for getting the most out of the Creative Suite. A popular episode, "Tips for Tracing with Illustrator CS4," reviews several ways to convert bitmap images to vector.

There is never an "easy button" as the program can't read your mind and determine your style and intentions. You are still the designer/illustrator and will need to go thru the necessary steps (no matter how tedious) to get the best possible results.

stylish storage on the go

big love for Lacie's new USB keys. Available in 4GB to 32 GB capacity, they'll hang from your keychain or jingle in your pocket. on my wish list!

farewell, old friend

Cassatt: 1989-2009
(photo by Josh Skidmore)

Locks of Love

Today, Lucy and Mabel donated their hair to the Locks of Love program.
For years (yah - that long) I've been struggling with cutting the girls' hair. It's so so long.
When we met Mabel, she was nearly 3 and her hair was practically to her scalp... buzzed short short. It took a long time for her her hair to grow to even hold a barrette let alone a small pigtail.
I'm so proud of my munchkins.

More about the program at www.locksoflove.org