empress of creativity

beachcombers

2010-08-28T23:00:00.008-04:00

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

2010-08-27T22:27:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-15T22:51:00.008-04:00

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

2010-06-26T21:03:00.008-04:00

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?

2010-06-04T00:55:00.004-04:00

Art Love :: Robin McCoy opens tonight!

2010-02-05T11:17:00.004-05:00

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

2010-01-31T15:16:00.010-05:00

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

2010-01-30T14:35:00.004-05:00

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

2009-03-16T15:58:00.002-04:00

Cassatt: 1989-2009
(photo by Josh Skidmore)

Locks of Love

2009-03-15T19:50:00.003-04:00

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

VD Love

2009-02-02T22:48:00.003-05:00

This beauty was proudly pinned to my bulletin board last week - a gift from Edward. I LOVE her! She has that classic look that I adore. Every VDay morning, my Eddietine slips a heart-shaped box of chocolates onto the front seat of my car or my studio chair. So, yeah... that pin-up is me! :-) (right) But seriously - ain't she cute?!?!

Miss March is hanging behind her, but I'll wait and show her to you later in the month.

Also donning the bulletin board:
* Random photos from our trip to Lake Huron in Michigan
* an old Vogue Picture Record given to me by an old friend
* My Land-O-Lakes peek-a-booby girl (yes - I like to cut & paste)
* a God's Eye made while crafting at Lake Huron.
* fraction-t0-decimal conversion chart
* various other tidbits

The bulletin board is an old standard one that I've had for years. Last month I spent 5 minutes wrapping it in some fabric to spruce it up. You can do anything with a stapler....

winter of hope

2009-01-21T14:13:00.010-05:00

Like many, I was too young to experience the "summer of love." But I'm so glad to be a part of the "winter of hope."

The images above were sent out from the white house today (seen at cnn.com and huffingtonpost.com). When I first saw them, a good feeling came over me. I know that the word "good" seems vague - but it sums it up, really.

As part of President Obama's pledge to make his the most transparent and accountable administration in American history, his team relaunched the whitehouse.gov site yesterday at noon.

Some more Obama fun can be had at www.obamiconme.com. create your own propoganda inspired by the styling of Shepard Fairey.

hello

2009-01-21T13:52:00.006-05:00

so yeah. it's been toooo long. thanks for the emails prompting me back to it.

The short of it: A pooch was added, holidays celebrated, a munchkin turned 9, and mama got blog-lazy. will catch up over the next month.... really.

possible new family addition!

2008-11-03T17:35:00.004-05:00

If all goes as planned, this little guy will be hanging at the Reed house by Saturday afternoon!

BOO! 2008

2008-10-31T22:03:00.006-04:00

Another spooky and fun halloween. It took us most of the afternoon to convince Mabel to go out. She was too frightened of Lucy's costume to do it. Once we put her in her ghost costume and she got her black lipstick on, she was good-to-go, though.
Once again - we had to work up separate costumes for school. Students were to dress up to show a career they wanted to pursue. Lucy picked a veterinarian. Lucky for me, her scrubs from last year's dentist costume still fit her... change out giant tooth with stuffed dog and...
Mabel still wants to be a princess when she grows up.

Hope your halloween was a good one!

Limited edition by Cody Hudson

2008-10-25T13:37:00.003-04:00

I love this poster by Cody Hudson. Available HERE.

Graphic design and fine artist Cody Hudson is the latest artist to partner with Upper Playground (UP) to produce a Barack Obama print. The Chicago-based Hudson recently published a book with UP's FIFTY24SF Gallery books entitled "Save My Life", as well as exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago this past year. There are 50 prints made that are signed and numbered by the artist, and retail for $200. The limited-edition 18" x 24" print is available exclusively online. Please note: prints will not ship until November 3, 2008. All proceeds from the sales of the poster will go directly to creating more campaign t-shirts, posters, and stickers by other artists in support of Obama's bid for President. Stay tuned for more Upper Playground projects in support of Barack Obama to be announced up until the election on November 4, 2008.

Obama poster by Christopher David Ryan

2008-10-25T02:19:00.005-04:00

Artist Christopher David Ryan has created the fab Obama poster above and has it available via free PDF download here. Be sure to check out other lovelies in his shoppe. I've got some on my wishlist...

more naturally inspired...

2008-10-18T11:36:00.005-04:00

Margaret of Resurrection Fern is an explorer, observer and inspired creator ... had to share her latest projects. Plenty more on her blog. enjoy!

My Ugly Daughter (did i really just say that?)

2008-10-14T08:09:00.006-04:00

Mabel and her Ugly Doll costume were in today's paper. She was so so excited to see herself in there!
Some cute costumes in there... love the gnome and the jellyfish!

Lucy was a little jealous until reminded of her paper fame a few years ago...

wrap up

2008-10-05T21:54:00.000-04:00

© amy reed
The publisher I've been working with will head to Frankfurt next week for the international book fair. In their folio - a plethora of book proposals - mine among them. Here's a draft photo of one of the projects. Should know in the next few months if I get the deal. Hoping it means a winter full of writing and creating. Fingers are crossed.
photo by Josh Skidmore

Edward's work: Syrena

2008-09-28T14:41:00.006-04:00

Syrena by Edward Reed, 2008

I rarely post workstuff to the blog and have NEVER posted edward's... but he finished his latest mermaid today and I have to share. I LOVE it. I really love everything he makes - this one just really got me. Edward's works have been more painterly than his past pin-up vintage style (like Elvgren, Vargas). The latest have been more like Zoe Mozert and Rolf Armstrong.

Her name is Syrena. Syrena is a mermaid who protects the river Wisła and the Polish capital city, Warsaw. A photo from wikipedia at right.

Soon she'll join other mermaids in Edward's new book (should be out in April 2009). He currently has a few others that you can purchase here.

recycle: paper sample books

2008-09-27T21:25:00.005-04:00

As a print designer, I accumulate a lot of paper sample books from various paper vendors and paper mills. These are referred to when selecting paper for a press project. Each spiral-bound book contains samples of papers at different thickness, color, texture, composition, etc.
Every so often - books are retired or replaced with new versions so I'm left with the old ones. Some go back to their vendor or mill for recycling. Many I save for the kids to use as sketchbooks. Here's Mabel's that she played with tonight. I tore out the printed pages with paper specifications on them and made a cloth cover.
I've got plenty more of these books if you want one - just let me know and I'll get one or two out to you... cheers,a.

sewing: sewing machine cover

2008-09-26T22:50:00.004-04:00

Here's a great simple project: a sewing machine cover. I'm not so good about putting my sewing machine back in it's case after I use it everytime. I leave it sitting on the little table I've designated as "the sewing table." Because of this - I'm embarrassed to say - it becomes dusty dusty dusty.
So last night, I took some measurements, made a quick pattern and made a sewing machine cover - in about 30 minutes. To make the bottom edge look finished, I used some narrow double-fold bias tape I had on hand. This evening while on the phone chatting with a friend, i made a few yoyos and attached them for added decoration... will add more to it as the days/month/years go by i'm sure of it.
I adore you, sewing machine - hope you like your new jacket.

teaching again - it's been a while

2008-09-26T19:49:00.005-04:00

Today I accepted an offer to join the adjunct faculty at The Art Institute of Charleston. I'm looking forward to spending time with students again - has been over 10 years since I last taught.

Am going to stick with one class for this semester and see how it goes. The class is Graphic Symbolism. Here's the course description:
This course examines the importance of graphic symbols in design. Logos and other symbolic images are examined in historic and contemporary contexts. Graphic elements, including letter forms, simplified imagery, and abstract shapes, are then used to create individual logo designs and other symbolic images.

Better get cranking on the course syllabus! cheers.

just for fun: lucy

2008-09-23T20:07:00.004-04:00

Fun photo to share of Lucy. This was taken during our vacation on Lake Huron... my sister put wire in Lucy's braids to make them stand up... then Lucy went from cabin to cabin giving everyone a chuckle. As Mabel would say "Lucy, you crack me."

Ottobre is here!

2008-09-22T17:42:00.006-04:00

It's here and I don't know which piece to make first! Ottobre is a great sew-it-yourself fashion mag that has really cool stuff for big girls like me - and munchkins, too. Each issue is full of designs and includes pull-out patterns.

I really need to find a better source for fabric. Hancock doesn't cut it. Will probably need to get most of the fabric online. The problem with that is I'm a real touch-it-before-you-buy-it girl. Especially with textiles and the like. oh dilemma. Not any chance that Mood will be moving to Charleston any time soon.
For more of what's inside this issue - click HERE

boo! lucy's costume all sewn up

2008-09-22T15:41:00.002-04:00

finished up Lucy's Grim Reaper costume last night. Probably could have purchased a similar hooded gown, but not a fan of the shiny material they use for them - not so authentic looking (whatever - like i know what an authentic grim reaper looks like). anyway - this one should last several years. Wait until you see the whole thing put together - mask, wig, skeleton gloves... really scares the hoot out of Mabel.

grand sunday: the park

2008-09-21T21:48:00.007-04:00

Really enjoyed the weekend.

Yesterday we got all of the piled up recycling to the local facility. We had a TON of it. Glad to have it out of here.

Today, we took the girls to Gahagan Park. Gahagan has an enormous play structure that seems to go on forever... slides, towers, climbing walls, monkey bars, rope ladders... you name it. There are even musical pipes and little theaters incorporated into the design. We LOVE this park. And the weather was finally cool enough to enjoy it.

We brought Lucy's bike along so she could practice some more. She really wants to get rid of her training wheels, but it's been tough to learn to ride here. Our neighborhood lacks sidewalks but is full of speedy drivers and the driveway doesn't give her the room to really take off.

After the park, we definitely needed ice cream. :-) Then it was on to the fabric store to grab the last bit of black i needed for Lucy's GRIM REAPER costume and to the book store to browse. Finally we had dinner at our local Chinese place and headed home.

LOVE days like this. No schedule - just hanging together and going with the flow...

(Finished Lucy's costume -- will get a pic tomorrow.)

puss caterpillar: poisonous hairball

2008-09-20T20:06:00.004-04:00

Edward went out to uncover the grill tonight and found this caterpillar. We'd never seen anything like it before. Looks like a moving hairball. Glad we didn't try to pick it up or pet it before we hit google.
It is a Puss Caterpillar (or asp caterpillar) and it is DANGEROUS:
The 'fur' of the larva contains venomous spines that cause extremely painful reactions in human skin upon contact. The reactions are sometimes localized to the affected area but are often very severe, radiating up a limb and causing burning, swelling, nausea, headache, abdominal distress, rashes, blisters, and sometimes chest pain, numbness, or difficulty breathing. Additionally, it is not unusual to find sweating from the welts or hives at the site of the sting. (from wikepedia)

So - we got a lesson today. Good that Lucy and Mabel know not to go near these little guys.

wordcloud fun

2008-09-18T22:09:00.003-04:00

Stumbled upon this great site that lets you create word art "clouds" from provided text or URLs.
the above is one of the renderings of this blog.

check out WORDLE here!

sewing: napkins for the table

2008-09-14T21:41:00.005-04:00

I'm still working on ridding the house of paper towels, etc. Not sure we'll ever totally do without... BUT we are going to try to use washable cotton napkins as much as we can. Made 8 of them this afternoon to get us started... thinking i'll need a couple dozen or so to make the switch work. I used 100% cotton that I prewashed before cutting or sewing. Here's how:

whatcha need (for 4 napkins):
8 various fabric squares 17" x 17"
thread
scissors
pinking sheers (optional)
sewing machine
iron

how to do it:
1. mix/match your 8 squares into 4 pairs.
2. pin the pairs together with the right sides facing each other (you'll end up with 4 pinned sets with the wrong sides showing)
3. stitch around the edges with 1/2" seam allowance - stopping a few inches short of where you started (this leaves an opening for you to turn the napkin right-side-out)
4. trim the edges with pinking sheers (optional) and clip the corners close to the stitching.
5. turn the napkin right-side-out and push out the corners and edge seams of the napkins using a chopstick or the like
6. with a steamy iron - press each napkin's edges and corners - taking care to tuck in and press the opening.
7. top stitch around the whole napkin 1/8" from the edges.

getting ready for Lucy's 9th: birthday crown

2008-09-14T00:50:00.007-04:00

Have been trying to get a head start on birthday celebrations. Lucy celebrates her 9th on December 4. Going to throw her a party at the new Charleston Animal Society. She LOVES dogs and wants to be a pet helper or vet when she grows up - so seems appropriate. More on that as it gets closer.
Wanted to start a birthday crown tradition. I regret not doing it earlier - but better late than never, i suppose. Went ahead and made Mabel's while i was at it.
I intend to add embellishments each year.

Chinese Moon Festival 2009

2008-09-13T23:40:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Chinese Moon Festival tonight - starting with a Chinese dinner out. When we got home, we waited for dark and went outside to ponder the moon and eat the traditional Mooncakes. More about the tradition and meaning of the celebration on a post from last year HERE and pics from our 2007 Moon Festival celebration HERE.

sewing: wee jacket

2008-09-08T22:56:00.005-04:00

a quick little jacket for a sweet little niece... finally packaged up and ready to post. Next stop - Madison, Wisconsin...

pattern from Amy Karol's book Bend-the-Rules Sewing

a new blanket started and neglected

2008-09-06T18:17:00.003-04:00

I started this to keep me busy on our road trip to michigan in early August. I made a ton of different color yo-yos that will all be connected into a blanket using the creamy ecru color. Will probably take a good 600 yo-yos or more... just going along as I find time (haha - funny).

Chinese Propaganda Poster: Look Who is the Cleanest

2008-09-02T23:33:00.003-04:00

Look Who is the Cleanest
1982
Kan shei zui qinjie.

I haven't shared any posters lately - so here's one of my faves. It was a part of Pierre-Loïc Lavigne's collection (over at maopost.com) and I was so delighted when he agreed to part with it! The simplicity of it is fab and the colors simple, vivid.

sewing: re-purposed t-shirt

2008-09-01T20:09:00.004-04:00

Have had this tie-dyed t-shirt in the recycle pile for a while now and decided to make it into a skirt for Lucy. I was a little nervous - had never done a conversion like this, but it was actually pretty easy. I opened up one of th sleeves and created a double pocket that can either be worn in front, or on the side. Lucy and I love it!

here's a quick tutorial sketch showing how it was done...

sewing: twirly skirts!

2008-09-01T16:34:00.011-04:00

The girls like their new skirts. Mabel spins and spins saying, "its so bootiful!" I used the Twirly Skirt Tutorial over at House On Hill Road (thanx, Erin!). The matching shirts are store-bought Tees with appliqued shapes from the skirt fabric ("M" for Mabel and a heart on Lucy's). Will definitely be making more of these skirts in the future...

for fun: yearbook yourself

2008-08-31T19:36:00.012-04:00

Amy: 1978, 1974; Lucy 1962; Edward

Edward, Lucy and I just spent the last 40 minutes or so playing at yearbook yourself. Hilarious!

sewing: lounge pants for mama

2008-08-31T18:15:00.002-04:00

I've been wanting to make a pair of lounge pants from Amy's Butler's In Stitches book for so long now.... finally did. Had some cotton flannel and some great floral for the trim. Very very comfy!
I might add a pocket so that i can tote my cellphone around the house....

Will definitely be making more of these - maybe some dressier ones for wearing out and about. I love straight-leg pants.

happy sewing!

oh machine, how i missed you!

2008-08-30T00:41:00.004-04:00

With the book proposal off to the UK and the BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival site launched (phase 1, anyway) - I finally got to sit at the machine for a while tonight and sew! Nothing extravagant, but a couple of cutesy twirly skirts for the girls.
Couldn't find my elastic, so the finishing will have to be done tomorrow. Lucy and Mabel are pretty excited. Will share pics when done. night! a

wrap: books for a young girl

2008-08-30T00:02:00.005-04:00

© amy reed

I've been working with a publisher in London on a possible book project. I thought it would be fun to share a sampling of what will be inside...

This is one of my favorite ways to wrap gifts - a sewn pouch. This particular one contains a book for a reader young or old.

I has some victorianish digital clip art from Dover and some old paper sample books that had some cool textured flysheets in it. I ripped out the sheets and trimmed to 8.5" x 11" and printed the girl... the cat was printed on some backing from another sample book. (re-purpose, re-use!)

First, I sewed (yup - sewed) the girl print to another sheet of similar paper on three sides. Then i carefully stuffed it with the tissue-wrapped book. Taking care not to sew over tissue or book, i stitched the remaining side shut.

Kitty tag was attached with a couple of eyelets and a punch.

First Day

2008-08-21T09:20:00.008-04:00

I don't think I was prepared for how quiet it would be here today. For weeks I've honestly been looking forward to the girls getting back to school - aching to get through a workday here without interruptions and drama.

Now I'm alone at my desk and I don't hear anything... and I really miss them.

Cranking up some music and plowing through my to-do list...

14 years with smoochie-boy

2008-08-20T00:56:00.004-04:00

H A P P Y A N N I V E R S A R Y !

naturally inspired

2008-08-19T00:04:00.001-04:00

Want to share these photos and this website (resurrection fern) with you. I've been lurking on it for several months. Margaret's appreciation and respect for nature and its creatures are beautifully displayed in her craft.

Thanks for the inspiration, ma'am!

in the groove

2008-08-18T12:35:00.005-04:00

I really LOVE working at home. I just finished up a couple projects for the Food + Wine Festival and am sitting at my desk eating Chinese dumplings in my pajamas. There is a load of laundry in the washing machine and the girls are in their rooms reading and playing dress-up.

Don't get me wrong - days like this are not the norm. There have been many times when I wish I was away from the home-craziness and in a studio away from home... free from the home telephone, immune from the frequent interruptions from the kids, and hanging in a space with other grown-ups. But for the most part - it doesn't get much better than this.

animal adventure

2008-08-17T01:40:00.015-04:00

Edward and I tried to get the girls to the Animal Planet expo at the fairgrounds today. After fighting traffic for nearly an hour (normally it takes us 5 minutes), we were barely to the fairgrounds.

(Insert change of plan here)

New destination: The Charleston Animal Society. If you haven't been over to this new SPCA facility you're missing out!

I know, I know - we've got a zoo here already, cats, birds, rabbit (kids). But we know we will be ready to add a dog to the family soon. To start, we've all been considering the care, time, money and love that goes into it. A visit to the shelter to pet and experience the variety of dogs and cats was a great step. Lucy and I gathered some educational materials to help prep us as well.

We didn't have the camera with us, so pics here are from the shelter's site.

After a rare lunch out, we headed to the library for books and movies.

Was a great day! a

surprise project

2008-08-15T00:44:00.008-04:00

When we got home from the lake, I sat down to read thru the TONS of email in my inbox. Lots of junk and Helium items - all expected. Then something random - from a publisher in London.

The short of it: I'll be working with them on a book proposal that they'll present at the bookfair in Frankfurt in October. If all goes well, it's manuscript time! Pretty fun and so so random.

What about? I'll leave you with a few images and spill the official beans after we find out if the book gets picked up or not.

cheers! a

Lake Huron and Tikis!

2008-08-15T00:22:00.016-04:00

3 generations of Stewarts!

We've been stopping at this Pinconning Cheese Shop since I was a tot...

... the perfect place to load up on penny candy (and Michigan wine)!

Beach beauties!

Happy paddling with my man.

Nightly campfire...

Lucy in the firelight.

My nephew dressed up and ready for a show!
Paper Mache masks and bowls in progress.

What a needed getaway! A full week at the Mai Tiki Resort (not really resortish!) on Michigan's Lake Huron. The Mai Tiki was so cute... a bunch of little multi-colored cabins, a giant Tiki sculpture on the beach next to a Tiki hut and bonfire, playground and a great stretch of beach on the lake.

Each of my siblings and my parents got a cabin and we hung together for a week. Swimming, kayaking (we brought our sea kayaks with us), cooking and eating, crafting, making s'mores... we even did karaoke by the bonfire!

Hubby was so amazing. He knew how much I love to kayak and was looking forward to paddling the lake. I was so discouraged by my slow knee recovery I didn't think I'd be able to get in the boats. He made sure that i got into the kayaks (with help cuz my bum knee) several times and we paddled up and down the shore. Thanks, babes.

oh - did I mention that Lake Huron is COLD! :-)

Auntie Erin took Lucy out rock hunting nearly every day and she came home with lots of souvenir stones.

The best part - all of my siblings and my parents were in the same place for the first time in several years. It was GREAT to see my brother. He and his family met Mabel for the first time.

My mom's brother and sisters even surprised us with a visit.

definitely good times... the best.

I'm back. What a July...

2008-08-14T16:12:00.004-04:00

July started with knee surgery on the 3rd. I had torn some cartilage in June had needed to have it removed. The actual surgery was very interesting. I had them do a nerve/knee block so I could stay awake and watch the orthoscopic video feed. There were some cysts in there from earlier injuries, too - and they needed to take about an 1/8" from the back surface of my knee cap.
Recovery was very slow and after 2 weeks, I was barely getting around and unable to completely straighten and hardly able to bend the knee.
Not great since we were heading to Michigan for 2 weeks.

The day before we left for our trip, I overdid it for sure. So much to pack and prep for a 2-day drive and 2-week trip with munchkins. My foot swelled up to at least twice its size. I couldn't even get a shoe on.

Finally got the swelling down, enjoyed the trip (will post more on it shortly) and am not using a cane anymore.

The knee still won't completely straighten and the bending is pretty limited. My last doc appt showed that the muscles needed some more work, so I'll be starting physical therapy next week.

I expect to get it nearly back to normal...
more soon!

happy birthday dahlin'

2008-08-13T12:42:00.002-04:00

love you!

love you!

Helium Rises

2008-07-01T00:10:00.001-04:00

Finally. It's embarrassing that it took me this long to get my own site launched. You can check it out here. Will be adding to it over the next weeks (print folio is being photographed).
Big thanx to josh for all of his code goodness.

A More Perfect Union

2008-07-01T00:04:00.002-04:00

(HD) A More Perfect Union from Andrew Sloat on Vimeo.

Enjoy.
thanx, Janine!

Craigslisted it: Fern

2008-06-23T09:46:00.003-04:00

Lucy and I named her "Fern."
She's a beauty... formerly a wig model...

I've got the perfect spot for her in the new studio!

Craigslisted it: Lucy's Toybox!

2008-06-19T00:30:00.004-04:00

Love Love this toybox! Can't believe someone would sell it. Most of all - Lucy loves it. She's already loaded it up. It sits about 4 feet wide. You can't see it in the photo, but there's a chimney, too. The roof is hinged and opens to access the bin. Totally adorable - reminds me of Mary Poppins ;-)

Craigslist Makeover: Mabel's bed

2008-06-19T00:18:00.005-04:00

Purchased this great boys bed on Craigslist a few weeks ago for Mabel. Love the storage! A few coats of primer and paint and it's all girly!. Will look even better when the room is finished! (Fall project)

happy pie

2008-06-11T11:28:00.002-04:00

One of the fam's favorites for dinner tonight - "nearly" homemade chicken pie (i used a rolled crust). So much tastier with fresh herbs from the garden inside. The girls loved the happy face! and they loved eating it up...
Lucy and I had some more garden grape tomatoes at breakfast this morning and this evening we picked an early girl tomato from its stem... for breakfast tomorrow. :-)

i LOVE Summer

2008-06-09T18:54:00.003-04:00

What a great week and start to summer...

We spent the entire weekend outdoors - hanging birdseed feeders, tending to the gardens and swimming, of course! These are the best days. I rarely turn on the kitchen oven - we cook everything we can outside (including several Japanese Eggplants from the garden recently!). Friday, i lunched on a handful of sweetpea pods freshly picked. I must confess to eating them off the vine every time i go out there...
Tonight, we ate the first of the Grape Tomatoes. There are a few Early Girls turning red. Hopefull they'll be part of lunch by Thursday!

One of my favorite things accomplished last week: I installed an outdoors clothes line. Have dried every load since... 4 or 5 of them. Am really hoping that this will help save on the power bill.

more soon... won't wait so long till next time! xo

Lucy's President's Award

2008-05-29T21:43:00.002-04:00

Lucy got a special award tonight at school: President's Outstanding Academic Achievement. The award is given to the most improved student in the class. She worked hard to earn it and mama's proud. ;-)

dirt girl: peek-a-boo

2008-05-24T14:38:00.004-04:00

wow - the house really does have 2 front windows! Pulled out a bunch of maverick trees and bushes from the bed in front of the house. Including 2 Yucca trees... OUCH! those babies HURT. Still much more to do in that bed. Boxwoods need to come out and the dirt needs to be pulled away from the house. Will try get that done and the Astilbe and Aster in the ground tomorrow.

Tonight is DATE NIGHT :-). Lucy and Mabel are staying with Grandma and Grandpa Reed and Edward and I are heading out to get some Thai food and see the new Indiana Jones movie. Wheeeeeeeeee!

food not lawns

2008-05-21T12:40:00.004-04:00

well - i've decided i'm going to go for it. I'm going to prep the front yard so that next season i can work in as many vegetable plants as i can. We've already stopped wasting water for a lawn's sake. If i'm going to water - it's going to be for food.
Will be able to start some lettuces and cool-weather plants late summer.
The side yard gets enough sun to handle a good-sized patch of sweetcorn. I checked our neighborhood association covenants, and I think i can get away with it. And if I keep it ornamental in look, I'll avoid any issue for sure.

Unfortunately though - there is a covenant clause keeping me from having the chickens I really want. someday...

dirt girl: the front yard (or more properly titled: the neglected front yard)

2008-05-16T09:27:00.013-04:00

Most folks in our neighborhood worry most about the way their front yards look than their back ones. Not me. I spend more time in the back, so I've been focusing there.
Time to move up front, though. My order of shade perennials arrived today. Am I ready for them? Of course not. I'm not even sure where they'll be going. Tons to dig up and prep in order to accommodate them. We've already got a full weekend (dear friend's wedding and a birthday party) so will do what i can.

Here's what i ordered:
Aster - Wonder of Staffa, a collection of Astilbe (Heart and Soul, Snow Drift, Purple Lance) and Clematis Naobi

They were out of the Purple Lance (very sad about that) so they sent extra Heart and Soul.

The Clematis will go along the roadside and eventually "(and hopefully) climb up the mailbox post. Still figuring on where to put the rest. I sure hope they end up looking like the photos from the supplier's website!!

dirt girl: what a difference a month makes

2008-05-16T09:16:00.007-04:00

Truly hard to believe it's been just a month since i got the garden cleaned up and populated. it's gotten huge! I counted 10 round green tomatoes on the Early Girls this morning. and over a dozen of the same - but smaller - on the Grape Tomato plants.
The zucchini have been flowering for days and there are 2" eggplants emerging from their mamas. The cosmos are a few feet high and the cucumbers are progressing. Still awaiting flowers and pods from the sweet peas, but am happy to wait!

thrifting: organizer

2008-05-15T22:40:00.003-04:00

found this on my way back from a client meeting today. There's this consignment/thrift shop that puts some stuff by the roadside and lawn to entice curious drivers. worked on me! I may give it a wee facelift and maybe even take the hinges off so i can get it off the floor and hang them on the wall - not sure, yet. Will come in handy for yarn, fabric - you name it.

waiting for the bus

2008-05-15T11:21:00.006-04:00

only one more week of this. i'll miss it. sitting on the bench under the tree. sometimes mabel sits with me. sometimes she dances in the yard. she steps from stepstone-to-stepstone counting in chinese each hop. she picks up sticks and they become magic wands. "Poof! Mommy's a bird!."
we hear the squeaky sound of the bus coming up the street. it stops here. she waves and hops on. i blow a kiss and off she goes. and i go back to work.

dirt girl: sweet potato grave?

2008-05-15T00:03:00.010-04:00

The sweet potato plants I ordered several weeks ago finally arrived Friday. These are called Sweet Potato Vardaman (Ipomoea batatus Vardaman) and grow into more of a bush than a spreading vine. They arrived in "slips" - 25 of them. So... off to the yard i went to plot a spot to build their bed. The hardest part for sure was...

removing the current residents. Luckily these weren't too tough. Even with a knee brace and 1.5 legs I managed.

well - with a little help from miss mabelicious! ;-)

tada! a grave (really does look like one). After piling up a good long hill, i poked 5 deep holes with a wooden chopstick and set the slips. Mabel filled each hole with water and I packed them in. Hopefully we'll be pulling yummy homegrown sweet potatoes from the mound throughout September and October!

Here's a shot of a little friend who came to visit after the fence was up. and a close up of one of the plants.

I only planted 5 of the slips. We've got a few in water-filled bottles for fun. If you're interested - i'm happy to share!

dirt girl: vegetable love

2008-05-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

zucchini flower; japanese eggplant; early girl tomatoes

dirt girl and water munchkins

2008-05-11T22:57:00.009-04:00

I'm not sure what it is about this season - feels better than any other. The herbs and vegetables are doing great and getting lots of use day-to-day. The eggplant and tomatoes have blooms and the start of "fruits" on them.... here are some pics of a few:

bloom on a japanese eggplant - these are great on the grill or in curry

sage and thyme

thai basil - a MUST in coconut curried chicken. yum!

tarragon in a pot that i made nearly 10 years ago from concrete, pearlite, moss and shells.

italian curled parsley

and the yummiest of all: lucy and mabel having fun poolside ;-)

The week (and Mother's Day!)

2008-05-11T14:24:00.007-04:00

Well - days don't start off much better than this one! :-) Hubby woke me with a plate of eggs, potatoes and even an english muffin - in bed. nice. The girls made some sweet cards for me, too. The jug there is an Asian cracker snack mix that i got hooked on when we were in Hong Kong. Edward found some at the local Chinese market. Lucy LOVES the seaweed ones.

Lucy headed for the pool and we all hung outside for a while. Cassat (one of our 19-yr-old cats) LOVES the kids and cuddled up to Lucy as soon as she layed out her towel...

Mabel's artwork is really amazing. Yesterday, she presented me with this - it's our "flower family."

The week started off with a twist - literally. My knee "went out" on me on Monday morning, so this has been my view most of the week. It's doing much better today - MRI on Tuesday. Hopefully the prescription will be exercises to strengthen the muscles/tendons - and NO surgery. fingers crossed.

Heading to the garden center now for some more dirt. The Sweet Potato bushes arrived yesterday. Need to get them in place today. Will post garden progress photos later today!

Happy Mother's day!!

dirt girl: bed 2 update

2008-05-04T14:05:00.006-04:00

Not bad for 2 weeks time (Roll over the photo to see what the bed looked like then). Unfortunately, only ONE of my cucumbers sprouted in the germinator... you can see it there on the left. Put a few more seeds in. We'll see how they do. The zucchini is taking off (right) and the japanese eggplant has blooms on it already!

corny

2008-05-02T09:42:00.002-04:00

Not sure what it is about the first corn of the season - just makes me happy. We roasted our first ears of the year the other night. yum. Am seriously considering a corn patch on one side of the house. Will probably have to hide it partially with a fence of some sort so the neighborhood association doesn't have issue.

Girl's night: tonight begins with dinner at Vickery's on Shem Creek and then Full Monty at The Footlight Players. Looking forward to it -- has been a long time coming!

our house in the middle of the street

2008-04-29T16:16:00.007-04:00

8 years ago on this day, edward and i moved into this house. I never imagined we'd leave the quaintness of downtown and head to the burbs. We were just months away from the most amazing day in our lives and as we busily worked to prepare, the house we were renting was sold and we needed to find a place to live. A place to bring home our first child.
With our savings set aside for our trip to china and baby necessities, a house downtown wasn't in our budget. We set out for Summerville.
There are days when I wish we'd have stayed downtown and bought a tiny fixer-upper - but mostly, I'm glad we're here. We're part of a GREAT school district that does so much for our girls - placing Lucy (who has hearing loss) into mainstream classrooms, equipped with the technology she needs to excel.
The house is in need of some repairs and could use some new windows. We'll get to them soon enough. I have a feeling we'll be here for the long haul. So I'll take joy in gardening around her and making her look good on the outside and efficient on the inside. I'll watch the munchkins grow up in her. She is home - and there's no place like that.

water monkeys

2008-04-27T21:06:00.003-04:00

The pool temp is barely 73 degrees F, but that didn't stop Lucy and Mabel from jumping in! Looking forward to this summer - i think this may be Mabel's year to learn to swim floaty-free.... and Lucy - well she's already a mermaid! a

dirt girl: compost bins

2008-04-27T17:25:00.006-04:00

I spent several hours yesterday breaking down the wood from the dead tree, sorting into kindling, small logs, large logs and piling all the big fire logs onto the pallet just outside the gate. will dig up a bin of some sort to put the smaller branches and kindling.
Today, I cleared the way for the recycled composters and started building. The plans came from the book, "Basic Composting." So so so simple. Edward got the pallets from work. Took me less than an hour to get it constructed.

Once built i started layering with twigs, brown garden debris and green debris/kitchen veggie scraps. Will keep adding to it a bit at a time. Hoping to have some potent compost to fertilize and mulch with in a few months!

Time for more advil and a shower...

but first - a pic of how bed #1 is coming along. Pretty good progress in 2 weeks!

i say potato

2008-04-27T11:07:00.001-04:00

did you know that commercially distributed potatoes are sprayed to retard sprouting? ew. one of the many little facts i've found while researching potato gardening. I'm too late in the season to plant now, but will definitely start some in late summer for winter eating. i DO have some sweet potato bushes (yah - bushes) on their way.

pig for earth

2008-04-22T21:46:00.003-04:00

the girls and i picked up some groceries today at the Piggly Wiggly. one of the elementary schools colored and decorated their paper bags in celebration of earth day. neat. our stacks of newspapers will look stylish in these.

it's here.

2008-04-22T21:21:00.006-04:00

arrived late this morning. i must be the only person in the world who would actually STILL have it in the box. waiting until i finish a few projects this week and the new software arrives. it keeps calling to me...

simply put...

2008-04-22T12:40:00.004-04:00

Woodblock print by Anthony Burrill - for sale via the UK's Concrete Hermit.

dirt girl returns

2008-04-20T21:02:00.007-04:00

Lucy and i got bed #2 planted today. more tomatoes, some zucchini and some eggplant... left room for the cucumbers that are germinating.

I woke up to find one of the cats had discovered the newly filled dirt box, so i had to run out and get some fencing stuff asap. Was pretty quick and simple once i found the right materials. several 3' posts and some 24" high plastic mesh. veggies will be safe.

Also planted some more pots (sweet basil, rosemary, tarragon)/

was really pleased to see that the sweet peas finally sprouted this morning and really took off! tried to take a pic of them up close - not the best zoomycam.

original plan for the day (before i was sidetracked by the fencing) was to get the compost bins built. They got a start, but i didn't have time to move the wood pile. Will have to try to finish that up next weekend.

Will post a shot of the whole garden area in the morning - should have better light then. for now it's some advil and a shower.

forever mabelicious

2008-04-19T00:20:00.000-04:00

it's hard to believe it has been 3 years since i first saw your beautiful little face. i know you've been forever in my heart. your name means "happy phoenix" but you are my little lamb. i love you...
xoxo, mommy

the first photo we received of "xifeng" 19 april 2005

milestone: mabel's first bubbles

2008-04-18T16:54:00.006-04:00

big day here for little xifeng. she has figured out how to blow bubbles with chewing gum (the orbit sugarless variety). love the way she chews that stuff. little mouse. ;-) congrats, mabel x!

more adventures of dirt girl: bed 2

2008-04-13T17:18:00.002-04:00

dug the rosemary monster out this morning and spent a good part of the day pulling stubborn roots and grasses out of bed #2. Will need to get a bunch of soil over the next week to get it prepped for another weekend of dirt girl fun.
haven't decided what to plant in this bed, yet. cukes? hmmm...

dirt girl

2008-04-12T14:26:00.003-04:00

the first bed is done and i'm beat! what a great morning. turned some old tomato cages into some pea plant supports - will add some string later for the plant to climb. fingers are crossed that we'll get flowers from all those seeds.

more tomorrow! :-) a

one bed prepped. one to go

2008-04-11T18:29:00.008-04:00

i really let the garden beds go. haven't really given them any love in a few years. this year, i'm determined to GROW something!

spent spare time pulling grass and cat ick out of one of the beds. tested the soil and luckily it's in pretty good shape. to be safe, though - all the veggies are going in pots. i'll use the bed for flowers.

the next bed is really a mess, too. big lesson learned: keep rosemary in a pot! that bush has got to come out and the bed needs to be prepped and filled. flowers for this one - and some herbs for sure.

really looking forward to gardening this year!

in the plan (already have some of the plants):
VEGGIES

early girl tomatoes (at least 2 plants)
cherry tomatoes (2 plants)
sweet bell peppers (2 plants)
ichiban japanese eggplant (2 plants)
sweet peas (starting from seed in a trellis pot)

HERBS

thai basil
sweet basil
oregeno
thyme
rosemary (in a POT)
sage
tarragon

FLOWERS

black-eyed susans
shasta daisies
cosmos
alyssum (to cover the beds around pots)
zinnia
lupine (might be too late?)

bringin' her "A" game

2008-04-10T21:59:00.002-04:00

Lucy's never-ending efforts earned her an all "A" report card this semester. She's such a hard worker -- determined to overcome the hurdles presented. Always proud of you my dearest FanFan. xoxo, mommy

HE did what?!

2008-04-10T15:13:00.004-04:00

yah - he laid eggs.

Foster came to the aviary 13 months ago with his mate, Stewart. Stewart laid several clutches and we wondered why Foster wasn't doing his part. None of the eggs ever hatched. Unfortunately, we lost Stewart several months ago - but Foster is carrying on - wow. Debating on whether to bring in a male (a definite male) to join him - er, i mean - her. Would hate for Foster to keep laying and risk getting egg-bound (Stewart's fate). Will have to see.
Thanks for the surprise, Foster!

lucy's pink desk - "craig"ed it

2008-04-02T19:56:00.002-04:00

found this great little desk for lucy on craigslist.com yesterday. now she'll have a place to organize her papers and do her homework. love the matching pink chair!

almost done!

2008-03-31T10:31:00.007-04:00

too exhausted to write much ;-) still things to do (window shade, artwork, bedding...) but we got the girls move up to their new room yesterday. their playroom will be across the hall.
a photo of some of the process below.

bunnies and eggs

2008-03-23T13:16:00.004-04:00

had a fun sugar and egg morning here at the house! the girls found their treat-filled baskets earlier in the morning - then we went out to the yard for an egg hunt. the eggs were hidden last night - 21 of them. during the seek-out, we discovered that a raccoon or squirrel had gotten into one of them - it was open and empty (some wee mammal got a motherload of sweets!).
The purplish jar at left is a traditional mix of pickled eggs and beets. yum!

lucy's science project

2008-03-23T02:29:00.005-04:00

all of the 2nd graders at lucy's school have been studying animals and their classifications (mammals, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish). For their final project, they picked an animal and had the option of creating a diorama, powerpoint or poster. Each had to depict the animal in its habitat and address its life cycle and place on the food chain (mainly - what it eats and what eats it).

Lucy selected the panda and had a great time studying about them. we built a diorama using one of her stuffed pandas. a little foam, plastic bamboo and paper mache and we had a great panda habitat! now lucy's toy pandas will have a place to play!

lucy's room progress

2008-03-23T02:11:00.004-04:00

as i've been able to find time, i've been working on one of the upstairs rooms. our house's previous owners converted the attic into 2 bedrooms and a small bath. unfortunately, their taste in color and old stinky carpet didn't cut it. Removed the carpeting and padding (with lucy's help!) and patched up/sanded the plywood subfloor.

yesterday i scraped all the cottage cheese texture junk that was on the strip of ceiling and smoothed it out a bit. today - everything got a coat of primer.

still debating on color... actually liking the white. Lucy has an old cast iron white twin bed that will go up there... could be nice with lots of white and bits of pink accents here and there.

it's been a long haul, but we're almost done. should have lucy up there in a week or so. wheeeeee! :-)

willow blanket update

2008-03-20T13:38:00.003-04:00

Finally spent some time with the willow squares and have gotten the strips sewn together. There will be a lot of ends to tie-off and tuck. yikes. Time to put strip-to-strip and finish it off. will post the final result! a

where am i?

2008-02-14T19:24:00.005-05:00

Have been taking care of business. Catch up with you when the rush is over. What's it all about?
cheers!
photo by josh skidmore

Chinese Propaganda Poster: Follow Hygiene and Love Cleaning

2008-01-13T15:56:00.000-05:00

Follow Hygiene and Love Cleaning
1981

This beauty arrived on Friday. It is not as old as the others, but I LOVE IT. The seller tells me it was painted by famous Chinese Painter, Li Mubai:

Li Mubai (1913-1991) was born in Haining, Zhejiang Province. In 1928, he settled in Shanghai and joined the Zhiying Studio, where his cooperation with Jin Xuechen started. The two soon became partners, a partnership that lasted for several years. The two created many commercial calendar posters together, although they would sign separately: Li would sketch the human figures, while Jin would paint the clothes and accompanying scenery. Together with Jin Meisheng, they were known as the "Three Pillars of Calendar Posters". Li's specialty was watercolors, but he was also skilled in oils. He was especially good at depicting the youthful skin of young women and children.

After 1949, Li became council member of both the Chinese Artists Association and its Shanghai Branch. In 1954, he was employed on a special basis by the Shanghai Poster Publishing House, which later merged with the Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House (上海人民美术出版社，Shanghai renmin meishu chubanshe), one of the main producers of propaganda posters. From 1956, Li headed the Mubai Painting Studio to train young painters. (info on Li Mubai and many other artists HERE [A-M]and HERE [N-Z])

Wonder if any of the others in my collection were painted by Li Mubai... I'll have to check into it for sure.

Chinese Propaganda Poster: Love the Motherland.

2008-01-08T23:39:00.000-05:00

Love the Motherland. 1964
ai zu guo

I haven't shared a poster from the collection in a while...

Here's the first poster I acquired.

China is a very important part of my children's lives and I want them to always know that their heritage and birthplace are special to us.

cutest vase

2008-01-04T23:43:00.000-05:00

Is this vase adorable or what?!
It has such a vintage look to it. Thanx and thanx to my friend Heather at The Sitting Room. LOVE it.
You can visit Heather's blog HERE or Shop The Sitting Room HERE.

oh - and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

a few of my favorite things

2007-12-29T21:19:00.001-05:00

Mabel and Lucy:
* On Christmas Eve
* Making Christmas cookies
* Riding their new bikes from Santa
* Opening presents and their Ruby Dolls

Dress and Tote

2007-12-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

The girls went along with me to the fabric store Thursday and picked out a pattern and fabric for a dress... the first is done! Really simple to make and I can already imagine some variations on it. Cute little wrap dress. I really LOVE the fabric!
I had a difficult time parting with the "All Day Tote" that I made for my niece, so I ordered some upholstery-weight fabric and made one for myself. I wasn't sure the big print (Alexander Henry's "zinnia") would work well - but i wanted to give it a try. Magnificent! already have it stuffed and ready for tomorrow. Made a semi-matching checkbook cover and card wallet to go along.

various little things

2007-12-29T20:40:00.000-05:00

Kept busy at the sewing machine practicing and making various items with fabric onhand. The oven mitts are from Lotta Jandstotter's book. I'd like to make some more of these... coasters, too.

Lucy and Mabel dolls

2007-12-29T19:30:00.000-05:00

I wasn't able to post these earlier (along with other stuff) because they were Christmas gifts for blog-reading family members.
Here are the Lucy and Mabel dolls that I made for my folks in Michigan. Sewed it into a tissue package with a poem that Edward wrote to go along with them:

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Since you live far away in Michigan Land,
We thought you'd want to see us more,
So we developed a plan.
You travel so much so here's something to do,
While on long distance trips,
You can take us with you!
It's really quite simple - we're so soft and so small,
We don't need much room,
We're just two little dolls!
Take pictures of us on your fun-filled vacations,
Then show them to us,
We won’t need our imaginations!
While driving on distant roads and kicking up dust,
You won’t miss Lucy and Mabel
‘Cause these little dolls look just like us!