Pneumonia gets creative - 34 hairclips

Sitting around, sick, tired, with not enough energy even to sew, I decided to make some new hairclips. About 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with the Design Director, I envisioned her coming out like my sister's little one had, looking like our side of the family - with a head of dark, straight hair... as I dreamt of that - I made sweet little hair-clips from ribbon and glue. I imagined sticking them in her downy brown hair and people never having to ask if it was a boy or girl because of the sweet bows and ribbons.
ahem. well, the Design Director came out, bald and as fair as I'd ever seen - with nothing but a tiny tiny bit of fuzz for about 2.5 years. (I'm NOT joking). And the barrettes were given to friends and tucked away until recently... I figured out the other day that a little bit of velcro (the prickly half) on the inside of these makes them stick really well in hair, and now that my hair is shorter, I'm always looking for fun clips...
so ... here's something I can do while feeling awfully weak... using up scraps of ribbon, yoyos, old buttons galore... The funniest part to me was thinking back to when I made the first batch. I remember them taking forever to make - days. And I only made about 10. But this batch was made last night and this morning, while home sick from church... and I whipped them out.
I guess years of crafting can make you faster even at the little things.

New doorstops

Here are a few new doorstops I've made recently...

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.