April 2010
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Cravings
See this picture?
This is a picture my friend took recently. She’s working as a missionary nurse at a home for street boys in Africa. This man is cooking the minnows they eat every Monday. Yes. Minnows. She can’t just say, “ummm… actually, I’ll have pizza, thanks.” No, Minnow Monday it is. You have what you need, and that’s all.
Here in the western...
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Canadian Design Personality Round-up... coming...
So next week I decided to feature some of my favourite Canadian design personalities. I’m only featuring 6 for now, so obviously there are a whole lot more than that, but these are the ones I like the best and who are kind of at the forefront right now. I’m not an expert on any of them (though I probably know too much about Sarah Richardson. Like, if I met her it would be awkward:
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Book Review: "Leonardo the Terrible Monster"
Whaaat??! Seriously?! I haven’t reviewed “Leonardo the Terrible Monster” by Mo Willems yet?
OK, people. ”War & Peace” can now be your door stop. Use “Pride & Prejudice” to prop up that gimpy table leg. Because you only need one book on your shelf:
“Leonardo the Terrible Monster”
(Actually that’s not true. I hope you...
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Home Office Finished! (ish.)
My dear husband finally got the shelves up to complete our home office! (This is a major victory, since he is still mired in the morass of tax season.)
He had to notch out a corner of them to fit around a bulk in the corner, and I think they look lovely! At first I was worried the shelves were too high, but in the end, the kind of draw your eye up and make the room seem bigger. Hooray!
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a little more office dreaming
As my little boy begins to approach one year at a crazy fast pace (he’s nearly 8 months now!), so do the questions about what I plan to do at the end of my maternity leave. Well, I’m not going to answer that right now. BUT! I am going to show what my office might look like if I go back. ha ha!
My new office (should I choose to go back, that is) is in the new part of the building....
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bench (im)press
I’ve been busy with lots of projects lately. One such project was making over this bench:
It’s not even granny-chic. Just granny. It is a combination of real wood and tacky wood-like sticker veneer in that golden oak finish popular in the early 90’s. It’s part of a vanity set that my sweet husband bought for me a few years ago. The thing is, it’s a great...
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The Paradox of Motherhood
It has been amazing me what a unique entity motherhood is. It truly is unlike any other stage or experience in life. I have, at times, prayed for God to take me further, root me deeper, grow me and shape me. He has answered that prayer in motherhood.
Nothing is quite as humbling and glorious all at the same time.
So ugly (i.e. I spend my days wiping snot, poop, and drool) and so beautiful.
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“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not...”
– Oswald Chambers
(I could fill a whole wall with Chambers’ quotes that I love.)
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Bits & Pieces for the studio
I was doodling a floorplan for an art studio (based on a 12’x16’ pine cabin layout) and I started to think about the particular pieces I’d want/need for such a space. As much as possible I’d reclaim second hand and old pieces, rather than buying new, but here’s an idea of what I’d want…
1. DOOR(S) WITH CHARACTER
An antique door? Dutch door? French...
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Sewing & Craft Room Inspiration
Rounding out my art studio uses, here are some pictures from some inspiring sewing/craft spaces!
I really like how Joelle Hoverson used this space - great way to organize your quilt patches so they aren’t spread all over the floor or table!
Oh, Martha. You would. Here are some of her spaces:
And how about Lotta Jansdotter’s studio? I wish I could be as cool as her. :)...
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Pottery Studio Inspiration
I’m always embattled about how I would use an art studio space. I want it to do it all. However the hardest element to work around is a space to do pottery. Pottery is messy, and dusty, and a space hog. Ah well… cross that bridge when I come to it, right?
Here are some pictures of some inspiring pottery spaces. First and foremost is the studio of potter/sewist Mettes from...
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Illustration Inspiration II
Now you’ve seen some art spaces for famous illustrators, but here are some more pictures from my inspiration files of spaces to draw and paint:
Windows!!!
There’s something about a bright white space…
I’m not one to use an easel, but I like this paint-splattered place.
You know that episode of The Office when Dwight plays the virtual game “Second...
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Illustration Inspiration
Continuing on my theme regarding a home art studio, I thought I’d share some great spaces from a few great illustrators. Being a children’s book illustrator would probably be my ideal artistic career, so it’s neat to see how others work in this field.
This is the studio of Theodor Geisel (AKA Dr. Seuss). I like the big open boxes of pencils, pastels, crayons, etc at the end...
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Lookin' good, Baby!
I loved this post from the Purl Soho ladies a few years ago, and when I read it I dreamed of sewing my little boy an Easter tie someday. Well, I have that little boy now, and that someday was this last week! I like it when a dream comes together!
The pattern is meant for an older boy, so I reduced it by 75% on the photo copier. This was my first attempt:
I was pretty excited about it, but...
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Gotta have a plan...
In my adventure of learning how to get meals on the table on a semi-regular basis I actually find the biggest roadblock to be knowing what to make. There are bzillions of recipes out there, but when I ask “what should I make tonight” very few ideas (if any!) come to mind. So I’ve been working on a meal-planning template that works for me. This is the second incarnation of such...
