Just be you

I don't know where I found this quote by E. E. Cummings, but this is SO true! I am trying to instill this value in my kids every single day. It is tough, especially in a community where I question if they TRULY celebrate and embrace individuality, uniqueness and creativity. My jury is still out on this one. Only time will tell!

It's coming! It's right around the corner and I can't believe it! My little girl turns 6 on July 1 and it feels like only yesterday I was wondering if I was in labor. Where has all the time gone by? I was looking through pictures the other day, and I remember everything about every single shot. I miss those days, yet I am loving who she is and who she is becoming now. Every day, I am still in awe of watching (really being there) with my kids as they are growing up.

Gia and I made her invitations. This has been a tradition since the beginning! Now that she is getting older, she wants to make them. I still like to have some control over how they look, but I know it won't be long until she is designing and creating them all on her own. She'll probably even make them for other kids and start her own business!

My space

Right now my space is everywhere in the house! Sometimes, my daughter and I create in the kitchen. Here she is playing in her art journal! I often bring my art journal and pens into bed. I don't really like carrying things throughout the house.
When we moved into this house 3 years ago, my husband decided part of the unfinished basement would be my art area. I was SO excited to have my own area!! I wouldn't need to lug out box after box of supplies every time I wanted to create. He bought me this awesome table at IKEA. It is huge and completely adjustable. The metal cabinet is an antique doctor's cabinet that I bought from Anthropologie when I bought my first condo. I felt so grown up!

I have enough room to play in any medium (painting, drawing, art journaling, jewelry, soldering, mixed media, knitting, coptic stitch binding,etc.). I love learning and everything I create is self taught. I have always created and I can't think of a time when art wasn't part of my life.

I love having my own space where I can play and leave stuff out. I am able to just flow in and out! However, it is cold and I wish I had natural light. I also wish the walls were finished so I could make my space pretty. Maybe one day!
This is my baby Max. He is a Havanese that was rescued from a puppy mill. No matter what time it is, he is always with me in my space!
I LOVE creating with my almost 6 year old. I have learned to let her use my supplies - even the good stuff! I find her work inspiring and she reminds me how to let go. It is not about perfection!

I really love my paper stash. The Paper Source is one of my favorite stores, and recently I found some beautiful handmade paper at World Market. I love using this paper in my collage work in my art journals, but more recently I use it when I bind books.
I keep some of the books and magazines I find inspirational easily accessible. I find it helpful to reread them and always seem to find something new.
Our workout equipment is across from my area so I can fit in my workouts. I can't tell you how many times I've been on the stairclimber, been hit with an idea, jump off and paint/draw in my art journal. Sometimes I mix my physical workouts with my creative workouts!

iPad

Yippeee!!! Look what finally came yesterday? My husband bought me an iPad for my birthday! I was completely surprised and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I waited for the FedEx guy every day, and it took almost two weeks to get here. When he finally showed up, I was gone! I threw the kids in the car and drove to the address on the slip to pick it up. When I got home, I immediately connected it to our Mac only to discover it wouldn't run because our operating system wasn't current enough. UGH! I ended up driving the computer down to the Apple Store and leaving it overnight to get the system updated to Leopard. There were lots of difficulties with phone calls and incorrect information, so they did the upgrade for free!!

Hurray for me. Picked up the Mac today and am just now getting ready to play with the pad. I already downloaded iBooks (free right now!) and got Winnie the Pooh. So cool! I'm so excited. Off to play with my new toy.

journal play

I've been wanting to create, but feeling a little stuck. I think it's because I don't have time to

play on a regular basis. Now that the kids are on summer vacation, my time is limited. I'm back to creating at night and by 10PM, I'm just so tired! The kids are staying up much later playing, swimming, reading, etc.

So here are a few background pages I was able to throw together. Not sure what I'm going to do with them. I'm happy with the two faces on top. I did these fast this morning while everyone else was eating breakfast, watching TV and watching Transformers on YouTube. My husband thinks the dark haired girl looks like Katy Perry. Time to play with faces more!

Mixed Media playtime

I haven't posted lately because I've been so busy with the kids! Day camp does not exist out here, which is so foreign to me. Where I'm from, no one ever asked, "What are you doing this summer?" We asked, "What camp are you going to?" I know my friends have heard me repeat this before, but I'm still amazed that when I talk about day camp out here, people look at me like I'm an alien! Needless to say, I've spent the last few days scheduling activities, registering and schleping my kids everywhere with me. Pool time has been great and they really have fun playing together. I'm just not sure how long this will last over the next 11 weeks. I LOVED camp as a kid, and I know they would have a blast. I also know that it is all relative. They can't miss something they've never experienced either.

Additionally, my birthday was on Friday. I can't believe I'm 39. Crazy!! I had a wonderful weekend celebrating with my friends and family. My mom brought me a cake from Deerfield's Bakery and today I couldn't stop eating it. My good friends all know my philosophy with cake and I couldn't stop myself today. So much for watching what I eat!

Yesterday was Gia's dance recital. It was 3 hours long! She was amazing. She knew every step in both routines (jazz & hip hop). I was SO proud of her, but more importantly she was proud of herself. She told me she wants to take ballet again. Now I have to figure out what to do with the costumes!

The above picture is the beginnings of the mixed media piece I'm trying out with the funky background. I think it looks too busy, but I will play with it and see what happens. I'm feeling a little blocked because working in the basement while it's beautiful outside isn't so motivating. I could carry everything upstairs, but I just don't want to. I'm hoping my mojo will return soon!

I can't believe my kids have already been on summer vacation for a week! Last Friday, we flew to San Francisco for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. How amazing is that! We had a good time seeing family, playing at the beach, eating, visiting, etc. They had a party at the Cliff House which was beautiful. The view from the private room was great! Big windows looking out over the cliff into the ocean was cool and the kids liked watching the surfers.

Dragged the family to Japan Town so I could go to Kinokuniya, but my husband only had enough quarters for 20 minutes. I had to move fast! This was my first time there and I SO wish I had tons of time to browse. I did pick up some Japanese washi tape, decorative packing tape and some pens. The bookstore looked amazing even though everything was in Japanese.

The flight home was delayed and long. My entry above is related to something I read in one of the in-flight magazines on United. It has stuck with me and is so true. You see, we now live in a suburb that is OBSESSED with sports and we just don't get it. Everyone here thinks their child is the best and is the one to go pro. Whatever happened to playing sports for the sake of learning how to play, how to be part of a team and to have fun? The parents here get mean and so competitive. Don't they realize these kids are 6, 7 or 8? My kids want to play to have fun, not because they care about being the best. I find most of it to be pathetic and a turn off. Maybe one day we will move to an area where creating is highly valued too!