winter's way

the winter wags on. i find this time of year, for myself, to be very introspective and i yearn to create. maybe it is the time spent indoors or the lack of color outdoors. maybe it is the new year or the passing of another birthday for me. i see the annual trend. i feel the cocoon wrapped around me. my layered cocoon. i'm thinking, i'm dreaming, i'm searching... i have ideas. i have big ideas but my wings are only waiting to spread. and the spring will come. as fast as it can, it will come and each unique bloom will take it's turn. one after the other. while the butterfly breaks open it's cozy cocoon, makes it's way into the warm breeze and ultimately takes flight. i hope to be the butterfly.

i am working through the artist's way once again. i have a few times in the past but have never gotten through the first few chapters due to lack of discipline i believe. this time though, i am blessed to be part of a group of four women who are dedicated to this journey. we meet once a week to discuss our progress and we do a little project the second half of the meeting. i am truly enjoying it and highly recommend forming a small group if you are thinking about doing the artist's way for yourself. i got past the first 4 chapters and this week i feel as though i have turned a corner for sure! if you are not familiar with the artist's way, by julia cameron, check out this link. basically, it's a step-by-step path of discovering or rediscovering your creative self and getting "un-stuck." this process has worked wonders for many, many people. 

EVERYONE is an artist...

in the artist's way there is what you call an "artist date." once a week you are to go on an outing of sorts that inspires you. it's only for you. i have been having fun with this. my first big artist date coincided with my annual trip to the city for my birthday. during the month of january, i choose a day where i go into the city early to walk around, take it some art and design, snap some inspiring photos as my souvenirs and then i meet my mom and we go to some museum or gallery and get a yummy dinner. the fact that it is annual i now know is sad. only once a year i spend a few ours by myself to get inspired??? wow. at first i thought a once a week alone-date was pushing it but now i can see it is so necessary. anyway! once off the train, i headed to my favorite window and display inspiration - anthropologie. not only do i want to own every piece in there but i dream about being their display artist. it's like candy for me. i can't get enough of it. uber creative and always green, these displays or shall i say sculptures take on a shape and space of their own. there has been a curious amount of synchronicity going on lately in my life in many ways which i won't get into today but one small coincidence was that there was a feature in wholeliving this month highlighting two chicago based display artists who came together to call themselves indo. i came across it after i came home that day. their work is absolutely beautiful.

farmer's market cartons fused together in a vertical display with lush plants growing from the center. beautiful.

this year we headed to the american museum of natural history. dioramas galore! oh joy! speaking of diaramas, that reminds me that i have to make one tonight with eden... always fun for me, and i don't hear eden complaining about her grade!

the color and texture in the geology section was interesting as well.

a great birthday month was had. lots of celebrating with friends and family. i feel blessed to be 35! 

woo-hoo!

one gift that i received (and asked for!) was the tribest mason jar mini blender. it makes great smoothies like the magic bullet (which finally lost it's mojo, so i retired it to only grinding coarse coffee beans) but unlike the magic bullet it uses standard glass mason jars as the blending cup. mind blowing, i know. but that means bpa-free blending and storing! the things i get excited about...

 i also got a shiny happy new juicer!!! a breville - oo-la-la. i haven't been using it as much as the mini blender just yet because i am still chilly during the day and juicing tends to cool me down. for whatever reason, smoothies don't have the same effect on me. the other reason why i tend to blend in the winter is because there is a lack of fresh organic produce for juicing but for blending i use frozen organic fruit which is available all year round. anyway, i'm sure i will be juicing away in a few weeks when it starts to get warmer (hooray!) and because kris carr just came out with a brand spanking new juicing ebook, crazy sexy juices & succulent smoothies! i can't wait to give these a try.


my integrative nutrition studies have been truly amazing. i am loving the classes and material. i feel so sorry for the person who brings up nutrition or natural food around me. i never shut up! i guess that's a good sign. i have been mulling around ideas in my cocoon for my holistic health counseling business name and logo. to come...


well, as you all know, the giants won the superbowl which was such an event in my house. i have a happy husband. i still feel the effects. i kept the superbowl fare on the healthy side of course. grass fed, natural burgers with sauteed mushrooms and onions on ezekial buns anyone? bbq kale chips (using smoked paprika)? sweet potato fries? yum. 

february brings hearts and chocolate... 

Valentine Sensory Box


and the birthday of the sweet girl who is always in my heart. my edie bella turned 10! yes, i have a ten year old!?! and she is amazing and smart and talented and funny and beautiful and....well i just love her beyond measure.

here, there & everywhere

sorry that it has been so long friends! i've been flitting here and there for a few months. doing a little of this and a little of that, not really consuming myself in one thing at one time. internally i feel the same. i feel as though i am scattered and somewhat uncertain of where i want to send my energy. i think it is the approach of spring. of new beginnings and that shift of our world and of our activities. march is a funny month (now april already). it kind of doesn't know what it wants to be either. "am i winter or am i spring," march said. well, both. i can relate.


this winter i tried to dive back into creating art again. not just crafting. i must say i'm having a great time giving myself this luxury of simply painting just to paint. it has been relaxing yet at the same time frustrating. it has been so long since i have sat down and painted that i have a hard time getting all of those ideas and thoughts i have been carrying around for years, out onto a canvas or paper. it's like all the images and ideas are trying to squeeze through the door rather than wait on line - this is creating a bit of chaos in my work. a sense of disorder or indecision. the more i think about it though, if i were to group my work into a single theme it would probably be "order from chaos." this is what i am hoping will come across in my work and i hope will help me to see the chaos as beautiful and divine.

this painting has layers upon layers of paint upon collaged elements. i couldn't settle though. i just kept going until i just had to stop. that's what funny about abstract painting - the paintings really take a life all their own. i am not sure if it is done... there are a few more in the works that i will post when finished (any criticism is welcome).

my girls have been enjoying watercolors lately. i find watercolors to be very kid friendly (and mama friendly) because the colors are readily there, they are washable, they blend beautifully into eachother, and they can be layered. when the weather gets nice, we usually head outside to the backyard for some real messy art making! can't wait!

toddler art is so much fun. it's all about experiments and discoveries. it's about getting their hands dirty and experiencing different mediums. we experimented with the watercolors and some tissues to see what would happen. then we hung it so that the light could flow through it.

i found this photo my husband took of an ordinary afternoon. i love to see my girls sitting together at the table (and not bickering!) it warms my heart.

at an art show at ROCA, i discovered this intriguing artist. her name is amy gross. she is a mixed media artist who creates these lush and gorgeous natural 'other worlds.' i want to like live in her work. after seeing her show, i caught myself 'looking closer' at patterns in nature, at natural colors and at what materials i've been ignoring as an artist.

on april 5th, i along with a bunch of artists participated in the toms shoes: one day without shoes event. this event raises awareness about children around the world who do not have the luxury of shoes. with every purchase of a pair toms shoes, one pair will go to a person in need. if you are not familiar with this company, take a look. the shoes are comfy, cute and who can beat the cause! we each customized a pair of toms for a silent auction that is still going on. here are mine.

being it's technically spring now, i have begun my spring cleanout. i must say, my clearing out is extensive... i have a walk up attic that is crammed to the rafters. it's so amazing to me how over only about 6 or 7 years we could have accumulated this much STUFF! amazing and sad knowing that i have things hourding in my attic that someone in need will make use of. and the more i think about it, the more suffocating it becomes. so that is my current goal - to get rid of.

i have been reading simplicity parenting - using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids by kim john payne. i am finding this book very informative. he discusses the importance of less in terms of environment, the rhythm of the day and packed schedules. this book is really hitting home for me. i'm sure like all you mamas, i want the best for my kids. i want them to have access to every educational toy, explore every experience, bring out every talent but to what end? as i am finding with my 9 year old, it is too much. there comes a point where it is time to weed out, so that there is some homeostasis, room for creativity, room for breathing, room for boredom! i remember clearly being bored as a child but that boredom always, without fail, turned into something great. it's like we need that space to get bored in order to get new ideas and grow in those ideas. so i have slowly been decreasing the amount of toys (they didn't even notice) and i have been changing small things here and there and i have noticed small changes in my girls as well. 

"too much stuff, too many choices, too much information, and too fast..."

if you are like me, who totally loves to stroll slowly through target and fill that cart every month with things you don't need - another cute outfit, another disney princess, another pair of adorable shoes, another leap toy and don't even get me started on the seasonal dollar isles! - than reading this book may be beneficial if not eye opening. and the feeling of liberation i get with every toy that leaves my house almost feels as good as buying it. ;)

p.s.- i've been so lame! i promise to blog more often even if it's just a quick thought or recipe or just an image i am inspired by.

my big girl

my oldest and i go on mommy and me 'only' dates when we can. i think it's so important and can feel when it's time to have some quality time alone. to be honest, it's always a blast and i truly look forward to our dates. we go to the movies a lot (it's so nice to go to a movie with a happy ending for a change). sometimes we go shopping for some new clothes or go to the cafe for some chai and hot cocoa. in february she pics a show in the city. last year was riverdance. i'm looking forward to some bike rides this fall as well. a few weeks ago we planned a whole day together in manhattan.

first, we subwayed it (she loves the subway!) downtown to tribeca where we navigated to our latest discovery - moomah, a craftster slash hipster slash artsy little nook where you can choose to create unique and natural art projects, like insect dioramas and collages made with pebbles, feathers, lavender seeds, take classes and/or grab a healthy bite and coffee. the possibilities seemed endless while we were choosing our do-it-together craft surrounded by intriguing dioramas lit with soft lights and large whimsical drawings to spark your imagination. eden chose to do a collage where the supplies are a surprise. she was given a board, a bird cutout, confetti shreds, lavender seeds, tiny acorns, tissue paper, felt and some random black and white images...oh, and modge podge of course - my fav!

we ended our visit to moomah with a wholesome lunch. it was so great to tell eden she could get whatever she wanted because everything on the menu was a good choice. i loooooved moomah. i can go on and on. their website and overall branding is awesome! (i discovered moomah on designsponge) it was very inspiring and gave me tons of ideas for projects with my girls. we can't wait to go back.

after our creative endeavor, we headed back uptown to the king tut exhibit in times square. this was totally eden's idea. i thought she would get bored but she was quite the inquisitive historian! we read every description and talked about everything we saw. it was a very organized exhibit where they took you chronologically through parts of ancient egypt while explaining the artifacts found from these periods. the exhibit was not too long and not too short and just plain gorgeous. the craftsmanship and technology from this time blew me away. the egyptians are definitely set apart from all other cultures. we both learned a ton. i recommend this exhibit. it was a little pricey but it turned out to be worth it.

before heading back on metro north, we took a detour and landed at the american girl store for some 'looking.' eden and i like the american girls books. they have books that deal with all aspects of being a girl. growing, emotions, friends, school and fun creative books. we bought a keri smith book for girls, called "tear up this book" (i mention books by keri smith in my previous post).

we had a beautiful day, my big girl and i. she is growing so fast. i just hope that, as a mother, i do all the right things and navigate this new road ahead with patience, clarity, and an open heart.

a mid summer days stream

the four of us ventured to pennsylvania late july. i have always wanted to visit amish country, so after the thrills of hershey park we headed to lancaster, where the farms were sprawling. there's a lot to be said about these strong people. in most ways, it's a trip back in time. the amish are frozen in time so to speak. their beliefs are simple yet complex and their lifestyle the same. with the rejection of modern convenience, the life they lead consists of constant hard work. they are self sufficient and take pride in their independence from our modern society. i couldn't help but feel calm and serene among the sparse bedrooms or grassroots kitchens and meditative on our buggy ride through the farmland. i have so much respect for their simple ways and focus. even their dress is intriguing. at first, as an artist, i felt there must be very little room for expression, and there is, but it does exist, if you look closely. the quilts are complex and beautiful and their craftsmanship is like no other today. one thing that really hit home was that they limit all education to eighth grade and anyone who pursues further will be shunned from the family. education and knowledge are luxuries to most people of this world and to reject it in a place where it is so openly available and offered is very bold and to me, must feel so utterly and internally frustrating. i cannot imagine knowing that there is so much out there to know and learn but that i cannot tap into this for fear that i will lose my family and community. wow. i found the people to be very pleasant but i couldn't help the feeling i got that they were content and somewhere in the center of happy and sad. that may sound ignorant but i do not mean that in a negative way. i cannot entirely explain it, but what if that is the key to this life - somewhere in the middle...

in contrast to the above (i don't know how else to segway...) some summer indulgences of mine :)

 

my new little pleasures are keri smith's books that pull you in and nudge you to create and collect and observe and mess around and just do something different. i am really enjoying these fun activities such as, document any natural occuring faces you find on your travels. "life is a scavenger hunt" is the theme to how to be an explorer of the world. doing stuff like this reminds me of my childhood. i still find it hard not to collect things on walks (or on shopping trips) but keri smith gives me an excuse to do so. these pages are fun and liberating for those of you that yearn to create or just escape from the monotony of daily life. some of her other books are wreck this journal and living out loud. check them out!

eden and i made tressa some homemade gifts for her second birthday. i made her a rainbow elephant named "bo." eden tried her hand at embroidery and stitched a little rainbow hanging. i think it's divine.

among my other summer indulgences, such as fresh berries, iced lattes, pie, staying up way too late, wearing my pj's way too long, getting to take a shower every day, wine, movies and time with my 3 fav peeps, i do love these these wild flowers from blue hill farm in blauvelt that i get at the nyack farmer's market on thursdays. they make my day :)

note to self...

this has been my mantra that i have been repeating in my head for the past week or so. with a teething infant, 20 design jobs to finish, 40 school play costumes to coordinate and make, a family vacation to pack and plan for and everything in between it's hard to not lose it all together! i'm actually thinking of purchasing this print to hang in my kitchen. check out all of the other 'hit-home' prints at keepcalmgallery. i have this image on my desktop and when i actually stop moving for a second and look at it, it reminds me not to sweat the small stuff which sometimes is just difficult to do when you are swimming in small stuff... i like the crown at the top - it reminds me that i am a queen. the queen of this house and of this little family. keep your composure (so hard sometimes!), keep your head high, remember your grace, take a deep breath and simply carry on... 

peeking at spring...

i was coming out of the post office one morning and noticed this tree with natural ornaments. click on the photo to see the detail.

i heart. . .

i heart birds in art - i love prints and paintings of our feathered friends. birds are amazing creatures. so colorful and yet somehow wise in nature. my eye is catching all things spring these days and birds are the first sign that the gray will soon burst into rainbow. 

these paintings are so darling. they are by an artist named geninne in mexico city.

 i'll be posting more signs of the northeast spring as i stumble upon them...