365 gratitude project: Day 214

Day 214 (Tuesday, July 31):

we finally did it!

the girls got down to their skivvies

and made a jackson pollock-inspired splatter painting.

they loved it as they danced to music as they painted,

covering themselves almost as much as the canvas.

one of them asked if they could do it all day.

that made me smile.

it was so fun to watch them prance around

and get all messy,  very proud of their masterpiece.

so grateful for jackson pollock and his art lessons.

also grateful for new experiences, of which we had two today:

1 - our splatter art session

and

2 - fishing.

so much fun .

oh, and yes, i caught a tiny little fish that we released back into the water.

365 gratitude project: Day 213

Day 213 (Monday, July 30):

we were expecting rain 

but the sun was shining and there was lots of fun to be had.

p and b played in the waves for hours

while l and i hung back on the beach, digging and playing in the sand.

grateful for the unexpected sunshine and a day at the beach.

Tuesday's Tales 7.31.12

I am slightly embarrassed about the books I am going to post about today because they aren't exactly my favorites.  I love books with beautiful illustrations and great stories or characters, and these books have none of that.  Why am I going to post about them, you may be wondering?  Well, my girls love them.

Meet the Rainbow Fairies.  These easy chapter books are about two friends, Rachel and Kirsty, who, while on vacation with their families, meet and help fairies.  Evil Jack Frost tries to cause problems everywhere he goes, and his mean goblins help him carry out his naughty tricks.  Without Rachel and Kirsty's help, the fairies cannot protect Fairyland from Jack Frost and the goblins.

One chapter book would have been fine, but it is a series of seven (!), and my girls do not tire of it at all!  Every night they beg me for "one more chapter, pleeeeaaasseee."  They love the little fairies and their adventures.  And guess what?  After The Rainbow Fairies, my girls want us to read The Night Fairies and The Party Fairies.  In all, that's 21 fairy books.

The girls were so excited about this series that at the present moment, we have about 18 of these fairy books checked out from our local library in NYC (sorry to anyone who is waiting on them).  Oh, and we happened to walk by the book aisle on a trip to Target last week, and what did we find?  Olympia The Games Fairy which of course I agreed to buy because I thought it would go well with our excitement over the Olympics.  Needless to say, I doubt I will be reading my children anything other than fairy books for the next few weeks.

Now, here is the interesting thing, not only do the girls like me to read these books to them, but they play with them throughout the day.  They use the books as if they are actual dolls, and they create voices, houses, even families for them.  It's pretty cute to see them walking around with the books, morning and afternoon, calling to one another in their high fairy voices.  For all of my resistance to these books, the girls have spent more time playing with, looking at, and reading them than any other books in our house.  I have heard people say that it doesn't matter what kids read, you just want to get them reading.  Hopefully that's true, and if it is, these fairy books are making my girls into voracious readers already!

Monday's Musings 7.30.12

Hi friends.  Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

My sweet family helped me celebrate my birthday with lots of fun and even more birthday desserts which we are still enjoying.  The girls are funny, too, because they keep asking if it is still my birthday and reminding B that it's "still mommy's belated birthday."  Sure, I'll roll with that.  You gals can go ahead and celebrate my birthday for as long as you want to.

Anyway, back to regular programming...

Yesterday was cloudy and iffy, threatening rain all day, so we headed to Michael's so we could stock up on art supplies.  I am basically like a kid in a candy store when I get to Michael's (an expensive candy store considering how much I want to spend when we go!), so let's just say I had a great time.  We have all sorts of projects planned for the rest of the summer, and I can't wait to start them with the girls and B.  Tomorrow afternoon we may finally make our Jackson Pollock drip painting.  L said she wants to wear nothing but undies, put on some music, and make the painting.  Love it.

melted crayon artwork - L's is on the left and P's is on the right

L's three-dimensional flower painting

All of this art excitement around here has made me think about art and its effect on me, and I've realized that I am happiest when I am making art.  Whether it is painting (watercolor is my medium of choice simply for lack of experience with other paints), pottery, or photography, when I am able to create something, anything on a regular basis, I am content.  If I'm not working on some piece of art or thinking of my next piece or session I feel lethargic and somewhat empty.  I know it sounds sort of melodramatic, but I get so much energy from being creative and artistic.

examples of my pottery:

I glazed almost everything in white and chun blue.

I was so proud of this mug and handle!

example of my iphoneography:

I love to have time to myself to take photographs, paint, or throw a pot on the wheel, but I also really do love doing all of these things with my girls.  P absolutely adores the responsibility of having a camera in her hands, so I want to get her a little point and shoot that isn't a piece of junk like the toy cameras we have had in the past.  And L could paint for what seems like hours.  Just this morning the girls begged me to open the glitter glue, so I granted their request and let them go wild, having fun with such a simple little activity - glitter glue and paper.  Afterwards, P turned to me and said "You know what, Mom?  I do like art!"  My heart was happy.  Thank you, glitter glue.

So, the day after tomorrow, registration opens for a fall pottery class with a great teacher (my teacher in Richmond told me about him) not far from our apartment.  I have been dragging my feet about committing to the class because it means I will have to make sure someone else can pick L up from school.  I know that may not sound like a big deal at all, but I love picking my girls up from school - their faces when they see me, hearing about their day, sitting for a snack together while we chat...it's really a nice time of day.  The pottery class is not offered at any other time, though.  So, yes, I'm torn.  I will be there to pick her up from school the other four days of the week, but I guess it's just hard for me to depend on and trust someone else to be there on time (not late!) so my sweet girl is not left waiting in the classroom when everyone else has been picked up.  I have some issues, I know.  But back to art...

I have to work to incorporate art into my everyday life, and I know that I need to make that a priority for myself and my sanity.  I will try to come back to this topic again, over time, on this blog to show you what I've been up to.  At the very least I know that I will be taking one photo every day as part of my 365 gratitude project.  Baby steps.

another photo taken with my iPhone.

this is one of my favorite bowls.

this pitcher is one of my best pieces, but it is pretty small.
it is still sitting at home, waiting to be glazed.

Happy art time, peeps!

P.S.  Misty May and Kerri Walsh won!  Hooray!  I love those bad-ass ladies of beach volleyball!

365 gratitude project: Days 209 - 212

Day 209 (Thursday, July 26):

before bed, we were all lounging, just watching a show about bears.

l got up, walked over to papi, climbed up, and cuddled herself in the crook of his arm.

he was quite pleased and she was quite comfy.

grateful for how happy they made one another.

 Day 210 (Friday, July 27):

after a nine or ten hour car ride, b and p made it back safely.

we were so happy to finally see them after their days camping in upstate new york.

grateful to catch this moment between daddy and his little girl.

so grateful to all be together again.

Day 211 (Saturday, July 28):

what a great day - my birthday.

i slept late, showered...it was off to a great start.

we relaxed because the rain kept us from exploring the farmer's market and the beach

as i had hoped we would.

but it was nice and mellow.

then we went to my brother and sister-in-law's house for a little party,

and the rain stopped so the kids could swim.

we stepped outside, and the above immediately caught my eye.

so grateful for a lovely, simple, relaxed birthday with my family.

 Day 212 (Sunday, July 29):

the rain held off so we could finally get to the beach for a walk.

we collected shells, crab parts, and driftwood,

and we all actually worked up a sweat lugging our booty back to the car.

i love the beach.  

i am not a big ocean swimmer,

but i love being near the ocean and i'm weirdly addicted to collecting shells.

it was perfect.

so grateful to spend some time at the beach and collect lots of goodies.

Friday Fun 7.27.12

Ahh...

B and P are back, at last, and I feel so complete and happy to have them home.

So, my fun for today is about being with my gang, my crew, my family.  Oh, and watching the opening ceremony of the Olympics.  Mr. Bean has us laughing right now.

Oh, and tomorrow's my birthday, so I am as happy as can be.  I don't want anything, just this:

Have a great weekend!

Thursday's Threads 7.26.12

You know what I love?  Receiving a text from a great friend in the morning that simply says, "Thursday Threads, boo!"  Sorry I didn't get to earlier, but here it is!  Hugs and kisses.


For summer, I love the look of white, but with young children white is not always the most practical of colors.  Oh well.  Here we go:

I can just see myself heading to the fashion shows in this.

ha ha

With a few more inches on the length,

this one looks totally comfortable and cute for everyday.

I love this simple, easy breezy look.

Imagine a day of gallery hopping and drinking at lunch with girlfriends.

Again, ha ha.

Since white is really just asking to get dirty, these looks below are more realistic for my daily summer life:

I have two shirts with cut-out shoulders and I love them.

They are still roomy and easy to wear,

but there's just a little sass, a little sexiness in them.

Paired with a long skirt, a great scarf, and a crossbody bag,

this outfit looks comfy to the max.

(Did I really just write that?

Oh, and how do you like her pose?)

Again with the long dress/skirt,

but they are just so easy and comfortable.

I guess it's kind of boho,

but whatever it is, it's comfortable and looks great.

Sometimes (very rarely) I actually spruce myself up a bit, and these are some looks I'd like to rock:

Love this.

I'd pair this look with my black, patent leather wedge heels

that are the most ridiculously comfortable shoes I own.

And the dress is nice and loose, simple and elegant.

I love lace.  I just do.

And I really love this dress.

I would need it a few inches longer,

and I definitely couldn't wear it with a 5 inch stiletto...

...but maybe with something like this.

It adds a little fun and playfulness to such a ladylike dress.

Again, need to make the skirt longer,

but I have one tight short skirt that is remarkably comfortable 

(probably because it stretches with my...uh...curves).

Pair the tight skirt with a nice loose top,

and I'm good to go.

Kelly is great, isn't she?

She really does make me laugh whenever I see her show.

Look how good she looks with jeans, a tee, and a nice jacket/blazer.

Good look.

Similar to Kelly's outfit,

I love this one too.

Jeans, tee, and a blazer - 

I think I could manage this.

Here are some outfits that would be great for the fall:

In reality I probably wouldn't wear the pants,

but I love the shirt, the scarves, and the shoes.

Fun and easy.

Ok, I think this looks oh-so comfortable and easy,

and I like it.

I will need to trim a few inches from my thighs before I can wear this,

but I love the easy legging outfit.

Just ready to hop into a yoga class at any moment.

(I know, I'm funny.)

The boots and the bag aren't my favorite,

but the simple, casual, and easy look of this outfit is great.

And then, there is the ultimate in comfy chic:

Seriously.

I would wear this everyday if I could.

Maybe I should start working out, though,

to justify my many pairs of workout pants like the ones in the photo above.

Oh, and just because this is so incredibly beautiful, I had to share it with you:

Amazing.

Perfection.

Love this.

365 gratitude project: Days 202 - 208

Day 202 (Thursday, July 19):

we had the best day.

it was chilly and overcast,

but we headed to the beach anyway.

we stayed for hours, the kite in the sky the entire time.

l was the happiest kite flyer.

p was pretty happy too!

grateful for such a fun day at the beach.

Day 203 (Friday, July 20):

the girls are like little fishes these days,

in the pool for hours.

they especially love playing 'sea world' with daddy,

and they have gotten pretty good.

ta-da!

grateful for my little swimmers.

Day 204 (Saturday, July 21):

i absolutely love collecting shells on the beach.

i mean, seriously love it.

here is a little composition of some of the darker shells we found.

aren't they beautiful?

so grateful for shells and collecting them with my girls.

Day 205 (Sunday, July 22):

the girls love this little garden;

they call it the "secret garden."

they happily run through it over and over again,

somewhat oblivious to the beauty and colors around them.

grateful for our secret garden and the squeals of delight it brings.

Day 206 (Monday, July 23):

b and p left to go camping with b's family for a few days,

so it was just l, my mom, and me.

it's funny, but i've never had days on end alone with l,

and while we definitely miss her big sister and daddy,

we're having fun.

grateful for one on one time with my little one.

Day 207 (Tuesday, July 24):

beginning the day with a cinnamon bun the size of her head.

not exactly healthy, but fun and a special treat.

grateful for a fun morning off to a very sweet start.

and to end the day, we had ice cream with papi.

not sure what she is inspecting here,

but boy does this lady like her sweets.

not unlike her momma.

grateful for more sweet memories in the making.

Day 208 (Wednesday, July 25):

we've both been feeling a little emptiness with b and p still away,

but the sweet smile on this affectionate little gal can warm my heart at any moment.

here's she is offering me her special lemon meringue strawberry smoothie.

yum yum.

grateful for the love from this adorable munchkin.

Wednesday's Words 7.25.12

I saw this on Pinterest and knew it was meant for me to post today.  How perfect.

source

This image came from a website called "Girl Hearts Camera."  Meant to be, huh?

Hope you're having a good day.

Tuesday's Tales 7.24.12

Good evening, friends.  Have you been reading anything good?  I told you about Gone Girl last week, and now I am reading Unorthodox, a true story of a woman raised in a Hasidic community in Brooklyn who leaves her family and religion behind.  I have yet to get to the part of her story where she leaves, but so far it is really interesting and hard to imagine a woman today living as she did.

Today I would like to share with you a really beautiful version of Cinderella by Barbara McClintock.

My girls love princesses and all of the princess stories, but sometimes I get fed up with the versions with the nice dog, mean cat, and mouse friends.  McClintock's version has incredibly beautiful illustrations, and while the stepmother and stepsisters are nasty throughout much of the story, everyone comes together in the end.  It's a nice change of pace from the usual Cinderella story.  Don't get me wrong, though, my girls still love the old Disney princess stories, but I definitely prefer this one.

Monday's Musings 7.23.12

I hope that you all had a lovely weekend.  I am somewhat shocked that it is almost the end of July - this summer seems to be flying by entirely too quickly.  Of course I had all sorts of grand plans when the summer began, and now it seems like I may not get to any of them.  Oh well.  I'm still having fun and enjoying some time in the sun with the gals and B.

In case you hadn't figured it out by now, my Monday's Musings and Friday Fun posts are really just a way for me to share anything with you all.  Sometimes I will write about one topic, and other times I will link to lots of random things I have come across and want to share.  Today is one of those hodge podge kind of days, so I hope you find at least one or two things that pique your curiosity.

• Two design blogs that I have never heard of and will now be reading daily:  Habitually Chic and Belgian Pearls.  I love blogs and read way too many.

• I love this sink and can't wait to have it in a bathroom someday:

find it here

• Need a cute hostess gift?  How about something from Apartment 48?

hobnail pitcher

striped cutting board

starburst napkins

• I would love to visit San Francisco (I've never been to California - can you believe that craziness?), and when I'm there, I will be sure to see this:

Breathing Flower by Choi Jeong Hua

• I love this photograph by Ian Baguskas:

Waiting
find it here

• I love Kelly Klein's kitchen in her Palm Beach home (as seen in Architectural Digest):

find it here

• I have always heard about the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala because of what a big night it is in fashion.  What I just read about was the flowers at this year's gala:

flowers by Raul Avila
find it here

Ok, that's my random collection of bits for your enjoyment today.  I hope something strikes your fancy!