googled

some recent searches that brought google-ers here

::beautiful blue bathroom::
::tracy + cork::
::jumilla houses for rent::

and my favorite

::little bugs that live on squirrels::

and speaking of little bugs. her fever is still high, as is her energy level. yesterday it was home with daddy and today she is at work with me.

the last day of february? really?

happy wednesday.

the grin she wore

all day at legoland. i had my doubts. but was proven wrong.

we are down with a flubug. fever, pain and runny noses.

back soon

what i see as i walk out the door from the studio today...

the storm has passed. spring is in the air. look up!

have a lovely weekend. (we are off to legoland! see you monday.)

the more things change

the more they stay the same. (Rousseau?)

anyway. you know what i mean.

melissa's post reminded me.


me 1979 barbados

i seem to go in cycles. long hair prevails in photos from 1979, 1989, 1999... a pattern i never noticed until i tried to find a photo of my "look" my first yr in college to share with melissa. (that would be, ahem, 1989, if you are wondering. i failed to come up with an '89 shot i was willing to share so you are stuck with me at age 9. perhaps, c, you have one of my 19 yr old self that isn't too embarrassing? oh and for age 29 you'll have to check out a wedding pic.)

a boyfriend once told me that he always knew when something was up with his ex-wife because she would cut off her hair. it was indicative of her entering a stressful turn, and perhaps, he thought, a way of her to gain control, while instigating change. ever since then, haircuts have taken on new meaning. when the urge to "cut it off" dawns, i sit back and begin to question "why?".

not sure what i am getting at. i guess lately, as the people who are closest to me grow and spread their own wings i feel less and less control. over their lives. as well as my own. it is quite liberating on the one hand. quite frightening to me on the other. (alright. yes. it is only kindergarten, but this year has been a big step for me!)

oh yeah. and i have been thinking about getting a haircut.

this just in...

turtle found
elation felt
the little bug was pretty much spot-on

thanks for all your good wishes. they helped, alot!

and see what sam created in celebration of finding our miss turtle. you are so sweet my friend...

rain and orange squirrels make me happy

holiday monday and the kids are busy painting each others faces. (it is a little too quiet but i am trying not to let it worry me!)

thank you so much for all your kind words and thoughts.

it is cooler and rainy and i am feeling a bit better. the rain does that to me! but to add to my blues our dear turtle giselle has gone missing. we are not sure how she managed to get out of her enclosure on saturday. we have posted signs around the neighborhood and the little bug keeps telling me that she is in the yard under the grass searching for her lunch. but my heart isn't feeling very optimistic.



on a happier note a dear little friend and neighbor is turning 4. we fashioned together a drawstring backpack and crayon roll out of this squirrel-ly old ikea crib set, the big bug made her a paperbag sketchbook and we threw in some beads and string for a rainy-day kit. now the big bug insists we need to include an orange squirrel. "like stephanie makes". a pretty tough call i told her. but we will see what we can come up with...

the littlest birds (sing the prettiest songs)

while it is unseasonably hot and sunny down here it feels a little grey. the arrival of these from the north made it a little brighter...

thanks jan. they are perfect. as is your timing.

in memoriam

she has your eyes. she has your wisdom. she has your gentle touch. she has your kindness. she has your long legs. she has your love for life.

i am so grateful that i have them. and in turn. you remain.

i miss you dad.


september 27, 1941 - febuary 17, 2002

Corners of Our Home 23 {new light love}

i have a thing for white lighting fixtures...

this one was recently acquired when dear neighbors moved. made by a family member for them. it is on loan i believe. when they arrive where they are going i will miss it... a beauty to me.

happy ♥ day

thanks for all of your garden suggestions. i am very excited by the possibilities. {amy s, i would love to hear more about your time at the school. email me if you wish...}

i have bittersweet feelings about this day. d proposed to me - with a "conversation heart" - on valentine's day {what was it, 8 yrs ago?}. 5 yrs ago my dad entered the hospital on valentine's day. the last time i spoke with him was february 13, 2002. he loved this day. loved surprising us with flowers and chocolates. and i try and carry that on. the girls woke to these "tokens of my affection" {inspired by carol's}waiting by their breakfast this morning. and some conversation hearts too, of course.



{great sequence on the production of the candy hearts here}

hope you have a wonderful day.
hug those you love tightly. keep them close in your heart.

it really was that good

whew. good weekend. it is rare that i wake monday morning in such high spirits. but today i feel good.

thanks in no small part to a lovely weekend.

yesterday. we hosted a baby shower for dear friends. a co-worker of d's and his wife, who are also the little bug's godparents. i am not a social person. but do enjoy the hostess thing. i guess being busy in the kitchen gets me out of small talk (which i am terrible at!). it was a lot of fun and we are so very excited for the growing family. i had hoped to make something but that will have to wait. instead i ordered one of uniform studio's lovely hat and bootie sets. (gorgeous). and some oh so soft organic cotton, soy fiber and bamboo baby clothes from green and greener, a local e-commerce site. (they hope to open a brick and mortar shop soon. yay!)

saturday. dinner with sam and her family at a favorite spot. then, a trip down the boulevard to reform school, and lisa's show. i have to say she is just as lovely as i expected. and the work too. total inspiration. we are lucky to have a lot of artist friends and have established a nice little collection of work. but we hadn't bought anything together. this is our valentine to each other. thank you so much lisa. can't wait to have this gem on our wall.

friday. i had an inspirational walk around the big bug's school with a new friend. there is a house a few short blocks for us that is a regular stop on our walks. the yard is magical. filled with birds, squirrels and butterflies. and it proudly displays a nwf backyard wildlife habitat plaque. i have often been tempted to knock on the door (the sign invites you to learn more) but have not. until very recently. when the sad state of our neighborhood school's grounds, and a looming grant application deadline drove me there for some guidance. i am so glad i did. our neighbor specializes in california native plant gardens and is very excited to help us. (pro bono i might add!) he will be working with me drawing up some plans that we hope will get the funding we need to get them realized. i have started a flickr set with the hope that it will document the transformation. we have identified five areas around the campus that would be perfect for garden environments. a reading garden. a vegetable garden. and perhaps (oh i hope) even a garden with a pond. (i would love to see pics and hear stories of any school gardens in your communities...inspire me please!)

now back to that grant application.

happy monday

{a little} stuck

blame it on this cold that keeps on giving. and very little sleep.

and a terrible case of homesickness to boot. (why would i be missing manitoba in february?) so i have booked tickets to take the girls home in june. it is my little hometown's 125th birthday for goodness sake - how could we miss that party?

hope the weekend proves to be more productive. it will certainly be inspiring as we plan on taking in lisa's opening on saturday.

hope you enjoy your weekend

bloom +

our attempt to force paperwhites and amaryllis was inspired by kristina back in december. i thought it would bring in a little bit of spring. my teacher mom naturally led me to all sorts of other things the big bug and i could do as we watched nature at work. i captured the plants with the camera (here) while e "journal-ed", measured and drew on a fairly regular basis in a (made by melissa very special) little notebook she carries with her wherever she goes. i'll try and get it away from her to capture some of her images. it has been a fun project. but i fear it is coming to an end as this morning the blooms were beginning to droop... (a little like me today.)

i feel a math theme at work. (mommmm!) happy wednesday.

simple arithmetic

plus



equals



i am finally feeling better after battling a terrible head cold for the last three days. i started making these oh-so-easy crayon hearts with the big bug one day after school last week. she got really into it with her dad and sister over the weekend (while i lay on the couch), and i think now we have enough for both her and the little bug's classes for valentine's day. (you can find the instructions here. i believe that the 150 degrees stated is celsius, as we found we had to go to 300 degrees fahrenheit for about 10 minutes to get the desired results.)

for those of you interested in giving this a go, we used a wilton silicone tray from target... after the crayons had melted, we slid it into the fridge to cool. an hour or so later the big bug was able to pop the new heart-shaped crayons out. have fun!

thanks for all the bathroom love. i have to repeat that d did this all on his own. it hasn't been easy. but it is definitely worth the pain. when the house is done. it will truly be ours!

have a wonderful weekend

Corners of Our Home 22

where you get to see the result of a year's worth of work. yes, this do-it-yourself project is taking that long. and hear that we are almost, yes almost!, finished. (see Corners of Our Home 7. looks alot like the inspiration pic, don't it?)

enter from our bedroom through the custom made pocket door. custom made by d.

and step onto my favorite flooring. cork. and look over for a view of our "baby blue bathroom" (as the bugs refer to it).



left on the list: shelving; drawer faces; counter top; mirror; sinks and fixtures; lighting over vanity... oh and baseboards. (someday.)

d. i am in awe of your craftsmanship. and perseverance. it is all worth it my dear.

for linens. i am thinking an unbleached hemp for the shower curtain and towels. what do you think?