Just wanted to share one of my Mister's Father's Day gifts. {Yes, I'm aware that I'm a week late on this post... summer and all}. When I saw this, I just couldn't resist, seeing as how we have 3 little piggies of our own! So I bought this print here from Sanya of Horse Drawn Carriage...and settled for putting a good number of her other prints in my Etsy favorites...for now.
This weekend we took off to Cape May, NJ for our annual overnight trip. Well, this year, my Mum took the Monks + Fif down for the overnight while my Mister, baby Liam-b and myself drove down the next morning for the day {work schedules + all}. Oh, we got sandy, saw dolphins swimming, drank road sodas on the beach...the Monks + Fif got stung by jelly fish, shopped {check out my awesome new bag + candle sticks} and we ate more greasy french fries than I'd care to admit. There were about a thousand missed photo opportunities, but truthfully, I was having so much fun, I decided to stay sandy and skip playing photographer for the day.
On the drive home, while I admired the new bag my Mum bought for me in downtown CM {our little solo shopping excursions are another CM tradition}, I thought I would post it, along with the photos from the Date Night my Mister took me on last week {a belated anniversary gift}. Yes, while some couples celebrate anniversaries in more, ahem, traditonal ways, we set off to the tattoo shop...and then to my favorite resteraunt in Asbury Park for some spicey Creole food {+ a Cosmo for me!} We only make a tattoo appointment about once a year these days...so I had a laundry list of work for our dear friend Tom. I should have taken these photos right away, as a week later our tattoos are still healing...but here they are all the same. Some fill in work with these diamonds, stars + dots...
and I added this new one on the inside of my other arm {the f'ing black cover up arm...so pardon any faded creeping lines, arrrgh.} Yes, after 8 years of marriage, I finally got my Mister's name! {He's had my name on his wrist since we were engaged...}
And then my Mister got this from Bink. Typical guy weirdness...I LOVE IT! 
So I think that just about catches us up with the more exciting events of late! We are embarking on our first full week with all children at home for summer vacation, my ankles are feeling much better {running injury which has been plauging me of late} and I am chomping at the bit for my new sneakers to come in so I can start pounding out the miles on the treadmill again. With the 4th of July weekend comming up, there are many fireworks to be watched {especially living as close to the beach as we do}...and in other exciting news for this week, alas, there are iphones in our future. I am finally jumping into the 21st century. I have to be the world's most low tech blogger... So on that note, I bid you a happy monday + a week of sunny skies!
Vulture Yoga: an art practice..performing lower,dis-respected and sometimes illegal forms of art,
Just excellent...perhaps you know the artist as well? If your local, keep your eyes peeled for Vulture Yoga...and spread the word.
This is Cielo Bird. A curious little sculpture constructed and hand painted by the folks who together make up the Cart before the Horse. This 2 person compay of artisits is based in Portland, OR. A self declared "mom + pop business", Dylan + Jo are parents as well as extraordinary artists and I just love thier style...as well as the name of their business: Cart before the Horse. Ah, yes, I can relate to what it is like to feel like your always getting ahead of yourself! I came accross their art work on Etsy a while back and I purchased a couple of their smaller {less expensive} printed items. 
When Mama's Day came along, well, it seemed the perfect occassion to mention how much I coveted these bigger sculptures... I am SO pleased to have an original piece of artwork in my home + I just can't wait to place another order! The biggest dilemma will be deciding which sculpture I'll purchase next...I love them all! You can also find out more about Cart before the Horse here at Jo's blog. Happy Tuesday everyone!
xo.
I had grown quite attached to our Winter Tree. So much so that when the time came to take it down, I packed away the crystals + silver walnuts but left the vase + empty branches right where they were. There had to be something fun, yet classy that I could do with this "tree" that would take us through the Spring/ Easter season? Alas there was something! And I am ever so pleased with how this turned out!
I found a jar of these great little flowers {in assorted sizes} on sale in the craft store. They looked as if they had been made from old newspapers...very fun, yet also kind of neutral. I have a fetish for mixing things that seem more natural/organic with elements that are on the flashy side. Even when it comes to clothes, I love wearing jeans + a vintage CBGB's t-shirt...with a fablous cardigan complete with jeweled buttons. Know what I mean? It just works for me...and so that is what I decided I'd do here too... 
I could have used blown eggs for this project, but that can be messy...and I really liked the idea of having different sized eggs on the tree. {After all, nothing says Spring! or Easter! like eggs.} Instead I opted for a package of 6 standard sized papermache eggs and some smaller faux eggs I happened accross in Marshalls {I have no idea what they are made of, but they are light weight.} FYI: I attempted spray painting some of the eggs, but wouldn't avise it unless it was only meant as a basecoat before your glue + glitter. The paint might {DOES!} react strangely based on what your are spraying it on...trust me, I tried it! I stuck to using Modge Podge glue to paint the eggs with, then I sprinked...no, I COATED them in some silver Martha Stewart mini-super-fine-glitter. I left them to dry over night. 
I had bought a branch of faux green hydrangea in the floral section of the craft sore and proceeded to pick apart the flowers so they were only fabric pieces. I used hot glue to layer them at the bottom of the egg so they almost looked as if the little eggs were blooming from tiny cabbages. I used some leftover scrapbooking type flowers {I had from the Fif's Bday party craft last spring} which I used at the top of the egg to help conceal the bit of white thread I glued to hang my eggs from. 
Later, after flowers were hot glued to the branches + the glittery eggs were hung, I decided to add a few mini ceramic teacups + saucers that I happened to have. The yellow color really complimented the one pre-made little easter-banner-ornament I bought at the craft store. It had chicks on it, I couldn't resist! I really like that the tiny cups serve as more of a cause for a double-take than anything else as they might not be something you'd expect to see perched on the branches of a Springtime Tree. However, when I think of spring; all life hatching + growing, flowers budding + little tea party picnics out-of-doors...well, perhaps they are rather apropos after all! 
xo.
It's been a long time since I've rocked {ie, wore} a bunch of different little buttons...you know, cool little thing-a-ma-jigs that sport artwork and slogans from bands or shops. I remember wearing a cluster of them on a jacket...and later having a whole bunch on a bag. However, these days, with 3 kiddos {sometimes 4} in tow...all that "flair" seemed more like a pin prick waiting to happen than it did a fashion statement!
Without betraying any specifics, I will only say that I made a new friend this autumn through a slightly unusual set of circumstances! Don't worry, I am not withholding anything scandalous...I suppose the simplest explaination of what made our paths cross had to do with a of a combination of my belief in the healing powers of certain foods + my compassion for those who are struggling?
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Little by little, the universe revealed that this artist-mama friend + I have so very much in common! I admire not only her artistic talent + bravery, but also the way she applies those same characteristics to motherhood and life in general. And you can only imagine how bowled over I was when MJ said that she wanted to offer me one of her artistic creations; as a sort of Thank You. You could have knocked me over with a feather...nothing like this has ever happened to me before {especially not through the land of blog}. The wearable artwork {my Never Loose Your 'Muchness' Necklace} she created for me could not have been more right on, in terms of really being ME...and so I just had to share her blog + Etsy shop with you!
It was always my intention to take some of my paintings and transform them into fancy wearables; things like brooches + lockets. But as is often the case, life got away from me and my good intentions had to be put on the back burner until a more opportune time. Well wouldn't you know, that time came just this past weekend! It was one of my dearest friend's {and biggest supporters of my art work} birthday and I instantly thought that I should get to work on making something for her!
My friend loved her gift! And I was pleased enough with how these turned out that I'm feeling really excited about making some more of these fancy wearables after the holidays!
xo.
So after our apple picking adventure, I couldn't resist posting these fun apple bags that we had made with the kiddos last year. We had made these bags prior to our trip to the orchard last year + I was overjoyed that the kiddos thought to bring them with us this year!
I had gotten the idea to make these little bags from the Monks' pre-K teacher. While he was in preschool, we took the kids on a apple picking trip each September, and in preparation, each child would decorate a paper bag with a halved apple dipped in paint to create a stamp. These bags were then used to carry the apples that they picked at the orchard... 
When I went back to grab these pictures, I couldn't get over how much my littles have grown in just a year! The Monk's is so much more grown up now; especially in his behaviour, ability + mannerisms. The Fif's transformation is a more obvious one when I look at the photograph from last year posted above. She was 2 + a 1/2 here and I remember being thrilled that she finally had just that much hair, since she had been pretty much bald up until then! Sometimes, when I think it is silly that I did {or still try to} fit in time for making these kinds of homemade creations, I'll have to remember to look at these photos or remember how wonderful it felt to see my littles running to get there apple bags for apple picking this year.
{The Monks, 9.2009}
{The Fif, 9/2009}
{Baby Liam, 10/2009}
{...and me, 9.2009}
I swear, once you are a mama, the years seem to whizz by, because you are left only to observe your littles change dramatically from ages birth-8; helpless to do a thing to slow or stop it! However, whenever I think about these kinds projects we have created, the time we spent together in the process, the memories that were made + the traditions that were initiated; it makes me feel like I didn't only silently observe while my littles grew + changed. And although I have felt very distracted lately and have had alot on my plate {both emotionally + work wise}, today I am reminded to get back to basics + reprioritize. Because when we play and create as a family, I feel like time isn't whizzing by; infact I think, ever so subtly, time does slow down. Thanks for baring with me while I hop, skipped + jumped down memory lane with these photos from last year!
So while I cannot claim to be a Master Sommelier, by any stretch of the imagination, I have come to appreciate a nice bottle of wine. After our brewery excursion earlier this month, you already know that my mister is a bit of a beer snob...so I figured there wasn't any harm in me also indulging in something different from time to time when it came to wines. Being amongst the ranks of working mamas, I feel like I have a whole new appreciation for the phrase, work hard, play hard. We {about 6 mama friends of mine + me-self} decided to wrap up the week on friday by having a jigantic playgroup at my house. 7 mamas + 5 bottles of wine + 17 children {yes, 17} ='d a really fun afternoon...and this very apropos post!
I have found out a couple of things about wine as of late. One: I have to be weary of certain wines. A cheapy Woodbridge Pinot Grigio is a house staple that I can have any time, however other similarly priced wines give me a wicked headache + stuffy nose. I guess there is something about the sulfites? So even though I might prefer my in house white to don a more catchy label, you have to see what works for you. And that brings me to # Two: speaking of labels, there are some great labels + art designs out there! I thought this Pancake {a white} above was so cute...and I had picked up Razor's Edge {Cabernet} pictured below, after watching Sweeny Todd one night. The labels caught my eye + I was sold on it!
My Third thought is on pricing. We recently were re introduced to the 2 Buck Chuck: a label called Charles Shaw made specifically for Trader Joes. There are almost a dozen urban legends about this ridiculously good wine that is just $2.99 a bottle?! Crazy, I know. The theory I like the best it that the 2 buck chuck is really a second press of a better wine. We have had a few second press wines that are amazing. That being said price doesn't always dictate how good the wine will be. I've tried really expensive wines that I have really disliked + have had other cheapy wines that were delicious?
The first half of this weekend was more beautiful that I could have hoped for and I tried my best to plan accordingly; spending as much time out of doors as possible. However, when it rained like mad yesterday, I sat face to face with the piles of laundry + cleaning that I had neglected to do. As I worked, I thought of this project that I would rather have been doing instead... 
After that, we just followed the directions on the paint we purchased. We waited a day, then ironed, then waited 3 days, then washed, then ironed again...To me, this was both annoying and exciting {I'm not patient}, but well worth it, as all of my images stayed on perfectly! I had made these to sell at the craft show I did last summer + on my Etsy shop, but ended up using all of the left over T's for baby Liam. He wore them ALL summer + the images stayed perfectly! I wouldn't say that this is a kid project, although I'm sure the Monks would be capable of painting a bit, with some help. I remember that I was really happy to have John home when I was printing these to give me a hand with the peeling of the freezer paper after the paint had been applied. {i.e.: If you have a house full of kiddos like me, you might want to try this project when you have an extra set of adult hands around!} 
*** {my college ring} ***
"I covet". That is what I thought when I saw this locket. And then I was lucky enough for it to become mine when it was given to me as an anniversary gift. Although there are many lockets out there {including the ones I am making for the Monked + Fifed shop}, I really felt that this one was unique. When it arrived, it was on a shorter chain, probably a 16. I thought the locket would look great on a longer chain, so I contacted the maker to order one. 
I haven't mentioned my painting series, Children of Lir, in a while, but that doesn't mean that the wheels have not been turning! I kind of hit a road block when my computer was out of commission for those couple of weeks, not so very long ago. Just to catch up on the happenings in the Monked & Fifed shoppe, I have some fancy wearables that I am working on, featuring some of these designs, which I should be able to post sometime next week. However, in the mean time, here are some new notecards!
When I was deciding what to wear to my best friends wedding a couple of weeks back I vacillated between a couple of outfits, but in the end, settled on the tried + true little black dress. I'm not sure if it is from wearing uniforms in catholic school all of my life or that I feel that my tattoos clash with certain colors + prints, but given the option, I will usually choose a more tailored style of clothing that is, well, a more subdued color.
I had bought these great little clips + two black feathered patches on Etsy for less than $10. I picked up the branch of purple leaves in the floral section of the craft store. Initially, I was going to hot glue them all to a headband, but then I realized that wearing a headband and sunglasses would not be very comfy for my noggin. Instead I used clips and was able to place the one feathered patch exactly where I needed it. Then I glues together little trios of leaves to scatter here + there in the updo. What can I say...such a fun way to dress up a more traditional outfit!
FYI: Day III of rain with III littles in house. Dear God, let the sunshine come back soon!
Water color on bristol board, 8x10
I've been having kind of a stitching bug lately. I was going through my craft cabinet {which is half a mess} when came accross some things that I had embroidered, along with some things that the Monks had made. You see, embroidery is probably one of my favourite things to do, and also one of the first skills that I learned. I remember helping my grandmother make french knots on a piece of fabric that would later become a pillow, and being amazed that I had helped to create something so lovely. I feel very fortunate to have had people in my life who exposed me to this creative world. The Monks + I worked on a couple of projects a while back that I had come accross in my perusing the other day. The first was a picture he drew, that I then copied onto linen, embroidered and made into a pillow. The second {above} was a picture he drew + embroidered himself! It is such a sweet little thing, isn't it?
So I pulled out this book full of nifty embroidery ideas. I could probably close my eyes, flip to any page + be thrilled to begin whatever project I had turned to. Here is one type of stitch from the book that I had used to embellesh a bread bag that I had sewn. I used yellow linen to make the bag, maroon linen embroidery floss for the roses + a lovely little maroon velvet ribbon for the drawstring.
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I think part of what I like most about the embroidery in this book is the texture created by using various types of embroidery floss. I have not been fortunate enough to come accross some of these in the fabric store near me + I think I will have to place an online order. In the mean time, perhaps I will see if the little folk are up for some embroidery? From experience, I found that working with a smaller hoop makes it easier for littles to do an up stitch, although with the Fif, I fully expect to be helping the entire time. But it does sound like such a fun way to spend a bit of a day out of the heat, doesn't it? 
Have a most lovely Thursday everyone!
