Onesies tutorial - over at Designing Moms

check out my tutorial at Designing Moms for how to make these easy baby onesies.

Happy Birthday, Z.

We've been sick around here. Last night, I spent most of the night up in Z's high bed, trying to help him calm down from all the coughing - and it occured to me at 3am - that 3 years ago at that minute, Z was entering the world - fast and reckless already - so fast, that we were up in the middle of the night, concerned with his lungs not making the transition from fluid to air. The baby nurse was a man and as he did his best to get Z to breathe, he kept saying, "c'mon, BIG Z" and the first of many nicknames was born.
3 years later. Not easy years. Not comfortable years. 3 very loud and challenging years later, we have a boy of many names... a brilliant, charming MR. MAN who speaks, spells, writes and reads more words than we comprehend a 3 year old knowing.ZE ARTISTE, as I sometimes call him... singing in perfect tune, and dancing amazing renditions of things he's seen only 4x on tv - especially if it's High School Musical numbers with involving "Troy" and a form of sport.We have a MONKEY who cannot be tamed, climbs everything and hangs on momma and daddy in spite of his 40lb structure.
We have a LOVEY. Who snuggles best from 6am-7am - or as demonstrated last night while sick - even while sick, by kissing and hugging mommy and daddy each time he notices we're still there.
We have the DINOSAUR. Continually demonstrating the very foreign art of being a toddler boy - mixing aggression, hitting, growling and very sincere apologies within the span of a minute.
there are so many more... and yet they all fail to encapsulate the fullness of heart that we have when we look at our little boy.

Thank you, God, for the blessing, the challenge, the one who keeps us on our knees... our sweet Z.

(as you read this, picture me having had to get up with him multiple times to deal with coughing bouts - i.e. the reason for our cancelled birthday party last weekend... and say a prayer for some healthy days returning around here... we could use the rest)

Ze Artiste is a superhero

Isn't this the very reason that you have a little boy?
Ours is very sick right now - sick enough with this cough and fever (that he and momma have been fighting now for 11 weeks -argh) - that we had to cancel his birthday party this past Saturday. How sad is that? He took the news well, but we've been doing our best to rest up and make this weekend fun while we try to get better to try it again next weekend.

In the meantime - he's still my little superhero - complete with Ruby's crown - and momma's cape. (and draft snake as a sceptor, ay yay yay!)

As we've told him, "never give up!"

The Design Director's artwork

Remember my collages?
Well, I was looking through the Design Director's sketchbook today and found this...
I'm in love with this little artist.

More inspiration: Ruby's necklaces

Yeah, not ruby necklaces, but Ruby's necklaces. (Rubyellen is a blog friend who's recently become a true life friend... gotta love it when that happens. Click here, to see what arrived from her today for Ze Artiste... the top one, of course... more photos to come of that...)

so here is her latest creation, see below!
She's making the cutest necklaces from scraps and can you not help but to love them?
(She's also generously offered the tutorial on how to make them)

Today's Inspiration: My Man

I know I say it all the time, but it's hard to overstate what an inspiration J is to me.
If it weren't for this loving, gentle, supportive and creative husband - I am quite sure I wouldn't be even half as inspired as I am.
Here is the man who happily rejoices with me over every small accomplishment, every happy project or new idea... the one who encourages me to try new things, the one who is honest when I have a bad idea, but doesn't discourage me in the process of turning it around. The one who actually cares how this shoe looks with this outfit, ("or do you like this one?") and who doesn't freak out when I decide I need to try ANOTHER new form of artwork. The one person who I can count on to read everything I write... The man who knows when his wife needs a good coffee or a trip to a museum or a winter sunset - even more than when I recognize the need myself.
This is the man who won my heart when we were dating by finding a restaurant that was serving carrot soup on a particularly bad day when I bitterly said, "I think only carrot soup would make me feel better today".
This is the man who keeps me warm at night, holds my hand in church, walks in the door every evening with love to give and never lets me give up. I've seen him walk tall as he's faced trials, I've seen him humbled and I've seen him receiving awards. I now have known him a little over 1/3 of my life and I can't imagine life without him.
Talk about inspiration.

Inspiration: Firenze

Today's inspiration comes from the fact that J is taking me to Italy in May. I've almost not thought about it until now, because I am so in disbelief that it might actually happen. This will be our first (non-kid) vacation alone - other than a few weekends away - since our honeymoon in 2000! I am SO ready.
In 1997, I spent the summer in Florence, learning art at SACI (Studio Art Center International) on an exchange program through my school (Pepperdine University). To be able to visit these streets, this amazing place that I loved and really came into my own as an artist is beyond my wildest dreams... and then to get to share it with the love of my life? I cannot wait.Here are some of my precious precious photos from that summer. (Please forgive the fashion faux pas - I was talking to someone the other day who said my exact thoughts here, "It's a shame that the summer we were in Europe. overalls were in style - they've ruined all of my photos!")
This photo - other than the overalls - is so special to me - this was my favorite street to walk down in Florence - I'd go to a certain art supply store nearby, turn the corner and find my beloved Duomo staring down at me.

More Sunset Walk Pics

Here are some more pics from my date with J last night.

I've decided this week to focus the blog on inspiration, only - and not on the projects that I do....

so here is Day 1.

Thanks for the sunset

J took me on a date tonight... Including a sunset walk on the beach in Santa Monica/Venice Beach. Sometimes it's easy to forget this is all happening each night while I'm struggling getting the kids fed and in bed. He took this shot of me, freezing - filling my soul. (I LOVE the beach in winter, more than any other time)

Feeling Generous (Card Giveaway)

I had a few moments this morning to play on Facebook and got to post and respond to a fun thread that's going around there,  called "Craft It Forward" - where people post and then the first 5 to respond get a handmade item from the poster.

Which got me to thinking. I want to blog it forward.

I recently had these fun notecards (inspired by the idea of practical advice from the Bible) made up from some writing that I did on catalogs that came through the house. I can't sell them, since they are technically my writing on someone else's photography, but I can give them away. And that's FUN! I've been using them and loving to use them as gifts for my friends.

So I decided that the first 3 people to respond here will get a card surprise in the mail from me!

Once you comment, send an email to me with your mailing address.

My Intro on Designing Moms

Check out Designing Moms today to see my intro over there.

I'm really excited about being able to be a part of this amazing group of women/moms/designers.... some of whom are my friends, some of whom are new aquaintances.

All in all, it's a really creative group and a really creative site!

(add it to your blogroll, there are lots of fun things coming from there!)

Cozies and Journals up on etsy

Just finished listing the tea cozies and the new recycled SCRAPbook journals on etsy tonight.
here you go.

Z's superhero cape

Here is Z, wearing his superhero cape as he helped daddy fix the grass and plant a tree for Momma's birthday. We've told him the motto of his superhero is, "never give up!"

Tea Cozies

So many of you asked... so I made these up for you to buy...

I'll list them later in etsy - hopefully tonight.

If you want first dibs, though - email me... and we can make it a reserved sale...

There are 4 all total - 2 of each design.

Did I tell you about my birthday?

Of course, I didn't! (sorry) The day we celebrated my birthday (since I'm a leap year baby and didn't get a birthday this year) - I started having a tooth problem that has taken me OUT for 2 weeks now.
I am like the turtle just peeking out now and feeling SO happy that last night was my first night of sleeping without medication helping me... which made this morning MUCH better... no dragon mommy in sight.

So I just have to tell you about how fun my birthday was... For Christmas, I gave J some tix to a re-enactment period play at the Doheny Mansion - Greystone Manor, in Beverly Hills. We've loved Greystone Manor for a long time - the grounds are unbelievable, and we've wanted to see the inside of the mansion as long as we've been able to visit the place... but you can't just go in. So this play is set in the mansion and you follow the actors from room to room. (so fun)
My mom and dad also got tickets and that made for a fun activity to look forward to...but I am getting a little ahead of myself. Since the kids weren't a part of the day's big events, we needed a way for them to celebrate. So we had a breakfast birthday party with 3 friends over, balloons, decorations by the Design Director (of course), and quiche and muffins.
Then J and I headed off to the manor, for a great afternoon - and then we met up with the rest of the SoCal family (suffice it to say, my sister married a best friend of J's and the family tree is quite tidy - all the inlaws and "outlaws" are lifelong friends and the kids are easy cousins.) It's family tradition for all 12 of us adults to get together to celebrate birthdays - and that is a major highlight of living in LA for me.We went to Cha Cha Cha, in Silverlake - a new favorite for me. Which meant that we were in the neighborhood of Intellegentsia. Oh yeah. The brothers and sisters joined us for after dinner coffee and I have to say, it was a great birthday!
(other than the tooth pain)

More Lenten Collages...

just sharing...
spent today home from church - sick (still), with a sick and grouchy boy.
I seem to have misplaced my journal for now- which caused much angst for me today, so I decided to work out some of my thoughts by collage....

images, (obviously) copyrighted 2009 liberty worth

Belated Valentine's Gift

J and I decided to forego random little gifts this year for Valentine's Day and instead to buy something we'd both enjoy for the living room. We decided to look for a chair, but haven't yet found the perfect one - so en route to the perfect chair, I found these! here (bought only 1 - these are pictured in the store, not my living room)
They were marked down, over 75% off - which put them into our price range... and way below what it would cost to make something so lovely.
Doesn't this just scream "libby would love this!"????
A friend walked into the living room and said, "did you have that made for this room?"
I feel the same.
happy, happy, joy, joy!

Tea Cozy Happiness

I'd been waiting to post this because I wasn't wanting to give away the secrets... but I had so much fun making these (and a few others) Tea Cozies recently for some special birthday gifts for special friends. They've all been shipped off now and I know that most of them have been opened already, so I am happy to show you what I was working on for a little while.

And yes, there have been a few references to papal headgear... which I find funny. Which makes me think my tea drinking dad might need one, since his grandpa name is PopE. (now you see why it's a capital "E")

Cafe de Leche

I'm a sucker for a cute latte!
Yum.
The barista was sweet and told me she made the heart just for me.

Scrap-book-mania

I am loving making these. And I've come up with a name, too..."the rough around the edges SCRAPbook"

These are the best. They are refillable, super duper "green" and apparently (as I get feedback from friends) quite enviable. They make the perfect sketchbook or work notebook....
Oh, I'm just so happy about them I can hardly stand it.... Etsy shop, soon...

Designing Moms

The internet is a scary, addicting and wonderful place.
I can so easily find myself sucked into the world of blog-reading - it's amazing, often to learn that there are people out there with really similar interests and passions... There's a new blog on my list that I am checking out daily - as well as being a contributor to very soon, called Designing Moms. It's a great place to be inspired in so many ways.
Check it out and meet some other really inspiring women...