Things I like Tuesday 10/19

Sketching and doodling have been on my mind lately.  Here are some of my favorite related sites:

Doodler's Anonymous

There's always something interesting posted over there.  Recently they started posting challenges.  The current one is balloon doodles, which I think is great.

Illustration Friday

This one is a bit more than just random doodles, but some of the work featured is amazing. I really enjoy the artist interviews.  I read Katherine Dunn's recently (her work above), and not only do I think her work is great, but I want to live on a farm in Oregon just like her!

I'm also thinking about participating in this:

Could be a lot of fun!

Birthdays

Have I mentioned I love birthdays?  I think I have.  A few times.  We've had some pretty big birthdays around here this year.  Emily turned 3 and we celebrated with a carnival party.  Heather turned 40 and we celebrated by going out of town for a long weekend.  Felicia turned 16 and we celebrated with an Alice in Wonderland tea party.  I had SO much fun with this theme!  Here were a few of the details:

Living Room garland

Alice has that wonderful dreamy, anything goes quality and I wanted the living room to feel smaller and cozier than it normally feels.  We have 8 foot ceilings and the room isn't that big to begin with.  I didn't want to load it up with balloons or other things that just felt cluttery, but I did want something to make you feel like you weren't in a living room.  This garland did the trick.  I used 18 fat quarters to make an insane amount of garland.  It was really easy to put together, and I found this wonderful idea and template over The Purl Bee.  I also made a few big paper flowers, and by "I," I mean my mom.  My mom is anti-Martha, so it was fun to give her this craft to make (because I love Martha).

Candy Garden Center Piece

A party for a bunch of teenage girls, with a whimsical outdoor theme - perfect for a candy garden.  I picked up candy for a month for this sucker.  I used styrofoam as a base inside the tin basket I already had on hand.  From there, I took lollipops, rock candy and gum drops on skewers and stuck them in the base.  From there I poured m&m's, fruit rings, sour candies and a few other goodies to fill up the base.  The girls loved it and most of it was gone by the end of the party and the rest went home with a few of them.

No Wonderland Tea Party would be complete without a few mysterious drinks:

I bought probably 10 different flavored sodas and filled them up in these jars and bottles.  I just scattered them around the table, and the girls made a game out of guessing what was in each bottle.  One of our guests was so smart, she even figured out that most of the drinks were Publix brand sodas.  

Here's a quick peek at the girls enjoying their feast:

We made lots of little food, which the girls totally got and made comment on.  I made these delicious pizza bites, and these cute little taco bowls and a few variations of sandwich pinwheels including turkey, ham and PB&J.I also had a lot of chips, dips, fruit skewers and by request - cheetos.  The table cloth was just 4 yards of fabric.  The polka-dots were just folded in half longway and laid on the table (no sewing!) and the pink runner down the middle was folded 3-ways down the length and laid on the table.  Over the table we hung a ton of white lights, small lanterns and bigger paper globes.  

Here's the happy and beautiful birthday girl:

And here is one final shot of the whole crew.  My bff was the photographer for the day and took a TON of great shots of the girls outdoors.  I loved these so much:

King Of Anything

Anytime I hear this song by Sara Bareilles, I start to smile. I love the melody, I think Sara is as cute as a button, but above all I love the lyrics. Especially this part:

All my life I've tried

To make everybody happy while I just hurt and hide

Waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn

To decide

LOVE! and exactly how I'm feeling about my life these days. Not Drowning. Happy. Empowered.

Things I like Tuesday

1.  Erin Cobb's blog

There are a few photographers that I follow, and Erin Cobb lives in my neighboring state of Alabama.  She runs two blogs - her professional blog, and a second, more personal one that has some work related content, but it's mostly a place where she talks about her life/kids/etc.  I follow the second.  Her pictures are phenomenal, but I found her post from last Friday to be wonderful.  If your house tends to stay a bit on the messier side, you'll probably enjoy this too:

2.  Tiny Red Design
This blog by illustrator Thereza Rowe.  It's my virtual happy place.  Here's some of her latest work:

3. Roadside Projects
Jayme McGowan is another artist I adore.  Her blog is roadsideprojects.  I mean, just look at this:

Her work is so great, it just makes my teeth hurt.  Whenever I stop by her blog, I really want to quit my job, invest in 20 pairs of great scissors and go home and cut, cut, cut things.

Speaking of cutting things - I will have bits of my own work to share soon - exciting!!

Green Bird of Happiness

image from tibchris' flickr stream

Yesterday I bought a domain name: greenbirdofhappiness.com. Actually, I bought two. The second is thegreenbirdofhappiness.com. Why? Well, it goes like this. I initially started this blog with the intention of reconnecting to the things that made me happy. Even though most of that progression hasn't hit these virtual pages, I feel pretty happy with my progress and I feel tapped in to that part of myself again.

I've also been trying to figure out if there's something more I could be doing professionally. I feel like there is, but I don't quite know what that means yet. It could be something on the side, it could be something that morphs and changes, but I've been struggling with how to start and felt for a long time like I had to have some sort of solid game plan with charts and goals and pie charts all mapped out. I think I was tripping myself up and getting stuck on all of those "things" rather than the "it" of what I wanted to do. I don't know that I've completely figured this out, but there are definitely some ideas that I want to explore further and see what comes of them. With all of this, I wanted a place to share the work (whatever that might be), and "reclaimingthehappy" wasn't sitting right with me. It spoke more to my initial goal rather than to my future intent.

So why green bird of happiness?  Well, I HAVE decided that I want happiness, joy and creation to be central to whatever I do. The past few years finding and keeping happiness has been a bit of a struggle, but I have found that I have to state what I want in order to get it and then I have to do things in order to make it happen.  Simple enough, right? It hasn't always been the case.  So, I want to be happy.  I want to do things that make me happy, be around and inspired by people, places and things that make me happy.  This is my intent and I really liked having that intent be part of the name.

Green Bird.  This one came around in a very weird sorta way.  So about 12-13 years (gee, that makes me feel old) ago I was really into painting little birds.  They were blue birds.  I made cards with them, I made little pictures for people - they just sorta showed up everywhere.  Earlier this year (probably in the spring), I posted something on Facebook about painting or drawing, and one of my friends who knew me back then mentioned the birds and asked if I was painting the birds.  Huh.  I had completely forgotten about those little birds.  Well, the comment has been sitting with me since that time and I've let it just roll around in my brain.  I wasn't sure why it wasn't going back into the recesses, but it wasn't bothering me, so I just let it be.  As I've been contemplating the change and the forward direction I wanted to make and thinking about names for the blog, it just all sorta clicked.  The happiness.  The birds and the fact that my favorite color is now green, when it used to be blue.  greenbirdofhappiness.  Yes!  So I kicked it around all the way into work yesterday, liked it and voila - the domain gods were smiling on me because the name was available.

Last night I pulled my sketch pad out and started jotting down some ideas for the site design.  As far as what comes beyond this - I really haven't a clue, but my arms are open wide to the possibilities of the universe and I'm going to do what feels right, when it feels right and see where it takes me.

Things I like Tuesday

It seems that there are a lot of themes in the blogosphere - Music Mondays, Ten on Tuesdays, Inspiration (day of the week). I'm going add my own weekly theme - Things I like Tuesday. It's a bit long I know, but it works for me.

I've been thinking about cards this morning. I've always loved cards. I've always made cards. Earlier this year, my mom gave me this huge box of stuff from my early years. Inside I found several construction paper cards that I had made for her or my dad. I've always tended to stay on the funny side of cards, and a few of these still cracked me up - I need to upload. Anyway, as an ode to my love of cards, here are a few things across the interwebs that have caught my eye recently:

Etsy Shop: Blue Eyed Dragonfly

I love her whimsical drawings, and even though there are a few winter images that caught my eye, I really love the witch and the pumpkin cards she has on sale. Here's the witch:

Etsy Shop: MishMish Market
I LOVE the colors of these cards, and there are so many to choose from, I really don't know that I can pick a favorite! I love this:



Mish Mish's Suburban Monster cards are fantastically cute as well:



And finally, this Etsy shop belongs to an ex-coworker of mine. Not only does she make super cute cards, she also has a great blog dedicated to design, fashion and all sorts of great finds and inspirations.

Etsy Shop: Natty Michelle
She has a great assortment pack of hand painted cards, but my favorite of the set is the darling peacock.



Now I want to go home and spend the day making cards!

Fairies

Fairies have been buzzing around my head lately. I keep running into them. Over the past 2 months, I've had conversations or interactions with my radiant and lovely friend Shannon where fairies have come up. First, we had a very random conversation about Fairy (Faery) faith. Second, we went to a book fair and found this wonderful booth filled with fairy books. I have them on my Christmas list for Em. Then, we attended a brunch this weekend where Shannon asked Emily if there was a fairy in her pocket. Emily mentioned that exchange afterwards and fairies even made it to the bathtub where we saw them as we looked up to the sky while I rinsed her hair. Then a wonderful karmic moment occurred when I received my daily Craft Gossip newsletter only to find instructions on how to make your very own fairies! Thanks to Pink and Green Mama for sharing this really cute idea!

So yesterday I took a quick trip over to Hobby Lobby for some wooden beads and silk flowers and last night Emily and I made three fairies!

Homa was our first fairy. She had a different name at first, but when I forgot what it was and I asked Emily again, she forgot too so she just chose another name. Homa has all of the things that Emily loves the best. Purple! Purple arms, purple legs, purple hair and purple eyes. I think this is what Emily would look like if she had the choice.

The next fairy that came to us was Corn. Emily and I struggled a bit putting Corn together. It was more of an internal struggle for me because ultimately I let Emily decide, but Corn with her mismatched parts turned out to be my favorite fairy. When Emily gave her the name Corn, I thought it was lovely and great and something that was so very Emily, so Corn it is. Last night while we were sleeping, Corn found her way to the top of the mirror in our living room, and Emily squealed with delight when she got up this morning to find Corn had flown.

Last but not least is Susie. Susie started out being Mommy's fairy, but by the end of creating her, she was clearly Emily's and that's ok. Susie got her name right away which was cool because Emily debated over the other names. Susie also caused a little mischief in the night and she was hiding on top of the door knob. I wouldn't be at all surprised if our three fairies took to flying today while we are gone. That's what fairies do. They fly when no one is looking and they help to make our days a little shinier and happier! Love our fairies!

You and the wizard

I recently started using 750words.com as a way to reconnect to my love of writing. I've really enjoyed using the site so far, and the story below is what came rushing out this morning. I love this entry so much because it shows my progression. I've been taking slow and deliberate steps towards reclaiming the things that make me happy. Creative pursuits, for the most part - art, scrap booking, drawing, writing. For me, this the culmination of a few things - writing and story telling; celebrating and capturing those small, wonderful and fleeting moments in our family; and scrap booking. I love it. It feels so good to be doing these things again. My intention when starting this blog was to chronicle my journey back to being more creative. The blog hasn't been witness to most of my movement towards this goal, but it has served as a reminder. It's been in the back of my head and having that has reminded me to stay on track. I love that I have this to not only include in Emily's scrapbook, in her story, but I have it to share as a part of my story.

You and the The Wizard

I wish our bathroom was big enough to accommodate a chair. Sitting on the toilet and feeling my butt go numb is my biggest complaint about giving you a bath. Otherwise, I love talking to you and seeing what little games you come up with. Sometimes you play tea party. Sometimes you swim or splash. But no matter what you do, you never grow tired of pouring water. You will scoop and pour and find every cup, measuring cup or toy and fill it with water again and again and again. We got you all of these cool toys, but the cups always win.

Our ritual is this: you get in the tub. You tell me the water is too hot, despite my best efforts at making it cool. You are just like me with that - I've never liked super hot baths. Ok, occasionally maybe, but as a general rule, warm is best. Once you get your tushy to sit down in the water (because you want to stand or kneel), you want your toys. You tell me which ones you want. Besides the cups, you want the tea cups, the tea pot, the walrus and boat. You want some letters and the white measuring cup. You want the stacking cups that never sit on the turtle's back. Sometimes you even want the turtle. You also want a wash cloth. Then you'll proceed to play, pour, try to stand up, laugh at me when I tell you to sit back down, and repeat it all again and again.

Finally, when your toes get pruny or you get tired of pouring, we wash your hair and wash your body and you hop out of the bath. Sometimes I wrap you in a frog towel. Sometimes it's a monster towel. Sometimes a bunny. But no matter what form you are wrapped in to after your bath, you need the wizard to turn you back into Emily.

I'm not sure how it started really. It was probably born from a bad night, a cranky kid and a mom (me) that was trying to distract you. I wrapped you up and found Heather, your mama, in the bedroom. I called her wizard and pleaded for her to help me find my girl. You, being the clever little girl that you are, totally jumped right into the game and assumed your role as the frog/monster/bunny.

At first, the wizard wasn't sure what to do. She didn't have much experience with little girls who took on other forms, but I helped the wizard along and soon enough the wizard was able to conjure her own spells to wave over you. Sometimes they even rhyme, which is rad.

The game always starts the same way - as I'm drying you off, you tell me that we have to find the wizard. I tell you ok, but first I have to dry your toes and your hair a little more. After I get you patted down as much as possible, which can be hard since you are busy morphing into the bunny/monster/frog, we go on our search to find the wizard.

"Wizard!" I shout, leaving the bathroom.

"Wizard!" You shout, giggling as you head into our room.

"Wizard, wizard - oh wizard! You have to help me! I lost Emily! She was getting out of the tub and she turned into a bunny/monster/frog! Help us, Wizard, help us!!" I cry setting the game off in dramatic form.

The wizard always takes a second to size you up as if she's trying to solve the world's greatest mystery. Then she looks at me with a suspicious eye and says, "How do you always lose Emily? How does this always happen?"

I respond and tell the wizard that I don't know what happens, but I need her help to find Emily again. By this point, you have climbed up on the bed with the biggest, silliest grin. You sometimes tell the wizard what form you have taken, but most of the time, you just wait to see what the wizard is going to do. The wizard has two steps to break the magic. First, she conjures a spell and waves her fingers over you. Then, she starts to tickle you. The tickling always works. An Emily foot will appear, and then I'll shout, "It's working wizard - your spell is working, there is an Emily foot!" The wizard keeps tickling. Then we hear Emily laughs and we celebrate those. Then a tummy might pop out, or a finger or a hand and soon enough you pop free of your towel completely and you are Emily again. You always tell us that the wizard saved you. You always tell us that you were a frog/bunny/monster and we always laugh and talk about that great wizard who always saves you while we are putting on your pj's.

1000 Awesome Things

I stumbled across this site today. It inspires me to make my own list. My thing for today would be finding a site that motivates you or makes you smile.

I also love finding random quotes and I happened to find one this morning that I loved so much that I printed out and hung in my office. It is:

I would rather

have a mind

opened by wonder

than one

closed

by belief.

LOVE!

Happy Thursday!

fleeting moments

today you were amazingly cute as you ran through the clothes racks at kohl's. it's not something you would ordinarily get to do, but because it was 8am and no one was there, we indulged the little running girl that you are. you laughed and giggled, and would come out and yell, "mommy!" because you weren't sure where we were.

i loved watching you play underneath the holly trees this afternoon. i also loved sharing frozen yogurt and watching your mouth turn blue with blue m&m's.

i loved how you wrapped 4 grown women around your little fingers and had us all launching into space in our pretent rocketship. you had your purple helmet on and honked at the birds that were in the way. i also loved your little fingers pressing the imaginary button to make the rocket go.

but most of all, i loved how as you settled down for sleep, you reached out for my hand and smiled the sweetest smile as you closed your eyes to fall asleep.

love you so very, very much.