Sweet Sweet Life

bob staake and his amazing pop-bead people

I ordered this wonderful set of pop-beads + book for Sofia for Christmas.  You know, trying to order early, spread the (admittedly small-scale) spending.  Thought I was sooo smart.

Then, I gave them to her as soon as they came in the mail.  Why, oh why?  Because they looked like so much fun!

 It's a book from the wonderful Klutz series, the one called Chicken Socks, that is for kids 4-7.  However, kids from 6 to 42 were playing with them all morning around here...

So, the book comes with lots of beads, heads, bodies, and even feet, so that you can pop them together to make wonderful little people like this:

We've been busy.  Here's what we came up with on this sleepy holiday morning!

 

Altogether, more fun than a barrel full of monkeys (which actually sounds like no fun at all.  But this was!).  And one of the most exciting things for me (a person who gets excited over some admittedly odd stuff) was the discovery that these extremely well-designed little playthings were, in fact, designed by Bob Staake, another one of my favorite artists.  (No wonder they are so dang cool!)

Bob Staake has written many, many fantastic children's books (check his "Bobliography"!) and has a wonderful, entertaining website that I'm guessing you'll love.  He's a favorite in this house, thanks to his awesome little book The Red Lemon, one of Sofia's top 20 titles (a very select group, as any parent knows).

Great story, great illustrations, and reads very much like a Dr. Seuss book (how much higher could it be praised, really?).  That Bob is a very clever guy.  I hope you fall in love with his work, as we did.

Anyway, the pop-bead people are totally earning their keep.  I recommend getting extra sets of beads, if you do happen to purchase this set.  (We have the original set and 2 extra sets.)  Absolutely worth it for the play value, and then, of course, Mom and Dad aren't hogging all the beads (I just hate it when they do that).

Have a great one, all!

xoxox.

super duper fun

This is a very cool stamp set.  I would imagine that a little boy would love it...Heck, I would love it!

And there's even one of a little girl!  You know I'm lovin' it...:

What a wonderful way to get kids (like my littlest one, who's a bit intimidated by all the "making" that goes on around her, mostly by her big sister) that need just a gentle nudge to loosen up and go with the moment, creatively speaking.  Have a little fun, try something new, and enjoy.

Completely hand made, available at Chupchik.  I love them.  I hope this artist (whose name is Eitay Riechert, by the way!) makes even more designs, because these simply rock.

xoxox.

lead with the heart

Hello, all! 

Today I am thinking about courage and boldness, and failure and innovation, and how hard it is to come up with even a smidge of any of those things on the average day. 

But how we must. 

Why, you ask?  Why are you thinking such lofty thoughts of an average, "ho-hum" Tuesday morning?!  Well, Woolly Fabulous, of course.

Woolly Fabulous' sweet Odile has made many beautiful items, as you will see, but it is her recycled wool felt and metal zipper creations that are currently lightin' my fire, in an inspirational sort of way.  See?!:

  

Super cool, right?!  And here's the rest of the story:

I wrote to Odile to ask her if I could use a few of her images on my blog, and she was kind enough to reply favorably.  She also told me a bit about herself and her creative life, for which I am so grateful.  It is a tale familiar to many of us, of early creative loves that dimmed, and trial and error, and families that need us in the meantime.

But, what stopped me in my tracks was this:  She said, "I love to experiment and I'm not afraid to make mistakes... some of my best discoveries have come about from "mistakes!"  I break the rules on a regular basis." 

How much do I love that?!  This is a truly wonderful philosophy for the creative life--and real life.  And that's what I'd like us to think about:  both of those worlds that we live in each day.   In each, let's not be afraid to fail, sweet friends.  If we do not try, we'll never, ever succeed.

Thank you, Odile, not only for brightening the world with your incredibly creative and original work, but for sharing a bit of yourself with us, too.  Please see Odile's flickr and her shop, for much, much more that is lovely and new.

And what does this mean to moi, this fine day?  Well, as I am not poised to make huge changes professionally or even artistically, here's what it always comes back to for me:  Love.  I'm re-committing myself to loving with my whole heart, giving when I'm needed and even when I think I'm not, facing my fears of hurt and scorn from others, and being the example that I know my girls need.  I want to love them, and the rest of my dear ones, like there's no tomorrow, because the obvious is also true:  there might not be. 

So I will love.  More.  And deeply...

All that, from some lovely little brooches.

But, are you with me?  Let's go--let's go forth and live the life we really want (thank you, Henry David Thoureau).  It really is all there waiting for us, all that is good, we just simply must...well, try.  And don't be fooled!:  change will certainly not happen immediately.  But I believe, with every breath I've got in my almost-middle-aged lungs, that courage and boldness are rewarded, especially when we lead with the heart.

(I'll now vacate my wee soapbox, and invite any and all to contribute...)

Cheers, sweet friends.

xoxox.

sol's sweet home

Hello, darling friends!

Sweet Sol and her family live in the Italian Alps, but that is not why their home has stolen my heart.  It's the clean and playful vibe, which makes for such a wonderful, happy family home.  It just seems obvious to me that a loving, happy family lives here...and what else could you wish for your home to say?  

Please join me, as with Sol's kind permission, we take a peek:

For starters, you'll no doubt agree that this is a super-cool bottle rack...Chalkboard paint on the front (which is always a "hit" in my book) and bottles behind...

 
"Chairs of many colors?"  Oh, yes please!  Brilliant and so, so fun.  (Why buy matching, I ask you?!....)

It seems Sol agrees with me when I say that no room is complete without books, and the dining-room is no exception to the rule...

What a great place to raise children--fun, open, colorful, playful, bright.  Perfect.

Play corner in the living room, with a tres chic little bentwood chair!

A great idea--magnetic knife holders used as key holders.  Wonderful!  And that buttery color of yellow is very happy, no?

And of course, it's never to early to expose the baby to good art, right?  And you can't do better than Picasso...

I do so hope you enjoyed this playful family home as much as I did.  Thank you, Sol, for allowing us to be inspired by your truly sweet life!  Please see Sol's lovely blog  and flickr stream for more about her and her darling family.

Later, 'gators!

xoxox.

simplest is best

Just another example to support the theory that kids do not require bells and whistles to be entertained.  Behold, the Play-doh basket:

 

I can't tell you how many times this basket has saved my life.  It's always right there, fully stocked with fresh "doh," ready for fun.  I let the girls play with it right on the floor (since it's not real wood, after all).  Clean-up is easy with quick sweep, which Sofie is still young enough to think is fun, and perhaps a quick wipe with a damp towel...

I have actually tried my hand at making play dough at home, and it comes out wonderfully, especially with the gel food-colors as shown here, but I find that it doesn't last nearly as long as the store-bought stuff.  I know, that may make me a pariah in blog-land, but you must have realized by now that I am a total rebel.

The girls often do make wildly creative landscapes and creatures and such, but it always comes back to baking, in the end...

(...or gnocci.)

And there are some really wonderful colors of Play-doh available these days.  Have you seen?

And all at a price I can afford (about $1.75 for four).  Here's what you do:  grab a big basket, some cookie cutters, a rolling pin, maybe some toy dinosaurs (for making "fossils"), and a whole bunch of colors of play-doh.  Set your kids loose on the kitchen floor.

Heaven will ensue.  Mom and Dad get a cup of coffee, kids will be happy for...well, a long time.  For kids.

Good luck!

xoxox.

clowns

You know, I never get tired of stuff that has to do with the circus.  Which is weird, really, because I have no desire to go to the circus in real life.  Not a bit.  I think it perhaps has something to do with that nostalgic scene of the old-fashioned circus?   You know, when "the circus came to town" and added something magical to the sameness of the everyday?  Maybe that's it...

Anyway, here are some really cool clown dolls that I've been noticing lately.  I'm deeply smitten with them all:

"Zora Wee Pirouette," by the marvelous Ninon...

"Clun" in green, by sweet, sweet CaraCaramina...(And, I must confess:  I'm more than smitten with him.  It's full-on love.)

And this next seller?  Not for the faint of heart.  But, if you, like me, have occasionally found the peg dolls out and about occasionally all too sweet for comfort...check these out.  Peg dolls with an edge.

"Piccalo and Little Pops" by the uber-original little wood people...don't miss this shop, I'm tellin' ya.

Cheers!

xoxox.

calendar quandary, resolved

There are so many wonderful artists out there putting out wonderful calendars this year.  Just when I think I have the one I would like the most all picked out, another one pops up.  A terrible quandary, no?  

This morning, though, I think I found my calendar.  It's from Amy Rice, and although I've only seen one image from it, I'm convinced that this is the one. 

Here is the image for October:

I've featured Amy Rice's work before, and I really, truly love it, more than I can say.  She creates her wonderful paintings using hand-cut stencils.  They are lovely and haunting, and I urge you to look at her flickr stream to see many more examples.

This year's calendar by Amy is $45 (as was last year's, which sold out), and this is actually a very good deal, when you consider that you are getting 13 framable prints of all new work (12 months, plus the cover).  Amy's prints would work for your home, in children's rooms, for gifts for a new baby, etc.  They are very "user-friendly," but still very, very beautiful.  When 2010 has come and gone, I absolutely intend to hang on to these lovely works of art. 

See her "available work" blog to consider purchasing your own, if you'd like!

Happy weekend, all.

xoxox.

and here we are...

Well, my goodness!  I had no idea that this little give-away would be as popular as it was.  And THANK YOU, every single one of you, for visiting and for sharing your lovely bits of thankfulness. 

(I am thankful for you.)

I trotted (virtually, mind you) over to the Random Number Generator to do the deed.  With no further ado, the resulting lucky, lucky girl is:

The lovely Miss Angie K!  Please email, Angie, to let me know where to post your parcel (don't you love to say "parcel"?  I surely do.)

Oh, but I do hate this part.  I so wish I could send every one of you something special in the mail, but I fear my finances would never support such folly.  However, do not be down-hearted!  I have at least 5 more Japanese-book give-aways to come, and they are equally luscious and inspiring, I promise.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.  They brightened my week tremendously, and I must re-iterate how very, very grateful I am for you.

xoxox.

be still my eric carle-lovin' heart

I mean, really!  How wonderful is this?  It's art-yarn, inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by the masterful Eric Carle.   Look!:

 
I die.  I simply cannot stand it.  It is too much goodness--once again from the brilliantly creative minds of Tini and Teetante over at Authentic Fiction, "my favorite and my best" hand-spun yarn shop. 

Speaking of Eric Carle, and I do love to do so, I just happen to have a couple of things you may be interested in, if you're a fan like us.  First off is this wonderful book:

The Art of Eric Carle

I bought this a couple of years ago, and I still love it to this day, every bit as much as I did when it arrived in the mail.  It has a wonderful autobiography by Mr. Carle himself, a full overview of his working process, tons and tons of wonderful full color prints, and an international bibliography of all his published works.

Did you know, for instance, that Eric Carle was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929, to German immigrants, who then moved back to Germany in 1935 to live under the regime of Adolf Hitler?  You certainly don't hear stories like that every day, and Mr. Carle tells of his frustration and confusion as a young six-year old uprooted and taken to a new, and rather confusing, culture.  He grew to young adulthood in Germany, then returned to the United States, even serving in U.S. Army before and around the time of his first marriage.  He has had a fascinating life...I wish I had time to tell you more!

It's really a wonderful book, and I actually look at it frequently, as it seems to have found a permanent home on my beside table...

And lastly (this is a little silly), but I found this very cute Eric Carle t-shirt for Sofie yesterday (which Olivia subsequently requested in her own size):

See?  It says "I love you"!

Only $7.00 at Walmart.  {shrug.}  I know.  I'm not a big Walmart fan, either, seeing that they are poised and ready to take over the Western world (and it's only a matter of time for those of you in the Eastern world).  But, really, if you can give me a super-cute tee for my girls for under $10, I'm going to go for it.  (Sorry!  I can no longer afford to have principles.)

Anyway.  There you go!  Eric Carle in three media.  My work here is done.

Catch you later, for the give-away results!

xoxox.

offerings

Hello, all!  May I introduce you to a new friend of mine?

Sweet Brooklyn-based artist Jackie Bos has a body of creative work which embraces mystery, nature, myths, and whimsy, all at the same time.  Her flickr stream is filled with images of her explorations of the arctic world in particular, and she is launching a new project that you will love.  It's called "I Heart the Arctic" and it's main focus at the moment is a handmade book, so sweetly perfect in it's originality that I almost want to cry:

 
Here is Jackie's own description of the book, which, you must agree, looks simply delightful:

""I Heart the Arctic" is a mini book inspired by stories of the arctic, Inuit myths, arctic cultures, icy landscapes and the infinite possibilities of the Aurora Borealis. I created this illustrated mini book after completing a year long illustration series on Inuit myths and extensive readings about arctic cultures. I Heart the Arctic is a lighthearted illustrated book full of whimsical drawings and plays on the term “arctic circle”.

 
Each lovely little book "is made of a variety of different papers, it has a light grey cover, vellum insets and a mix of icy white textured papers inside. It's 20 pages long, and each book has a hand-sewn spine."  Delightful!

I will be picking up a copy of this little treasure for my girls for Christmas, because I want them to see it and feel it and love it.  I want them to see what one person, who loves this world and it's stories and it's wonders, can make.  And how that matters, and how it is vital to us all, no matter where we are or who we are.

Really, though, all of Jackie's work makes me super happy.  Here are a few of her older pieces that I really, really love:

spirit family

imaginary cousin emma

Wonderful, no?

And also!  Jackie has a delightfully fun shop of her own (where the book is now available!), filled with super cool items that stem from the same arctic project.  I urge you not to overlook these totally awesome "swedish fish" pillows... 

...and many other very sweet items, such as these ornaments and "arctic circle" pillows made from fabric printed with images from the book:

This talented young artist, originally from Virginia, but now following her heart where ever it takes her, is a pure and total inspiration to me.  She does what she was made to do, drawing and dreaming at her cotton-candy pink desk with her fat little cat Zooey in her lap all the while. I love to think of Jackie there, rendering the arctic in pink and hearts, ink and feathers, sewing her offerings like pieces of a quilt for us to warm ourselves by.

Jackie has a wonderful assortment of beautiful art on her flickr stream, and a website and blog as well.  Do visit her, won't you?!

Cheers, my friends!

xoxox.