Saw this in dazeychic's fab shop on etsy this morning. Perfection.
I mean, come on...You can't say it any better than that!
***postscript: I asked Jared when he came home tonight if he saw my post today. He had, so I asked him if he had been "as happy as a bird with a french fry"? His answer? That he felt more like the french fry than the bird...tough day. Awww. I certainly hope yours was/is more on the bird side of the equation!!
When Olivia (age 10) was a toddler and little girl, she would have nothing to do with dolls. You can imagine that this was like a stake through my heart. I mean, I don't really care for the frilly dolls with the long hair and lacy dresses, but a good baby doll? There's nothing better! And all the accessories cannot be beat: the little bed, the high-chair, the play food for mealtimes, little diapers (minus the real-life ick), the tiny doll quilts. Love.
Fortunately, we had another daughter. And true to her "blaze-your-own-trail" form, she loves dolls. Of course, I was sure to get Sofie her first baby doll when she was scarcely bigger than a doll herself, for indoctrination purposes. But it probably wasn't necessary. Sofie is all about the doll.
The doll, and pink...a match made in heaven. I made her this little doll quilt out of her old toddler sundresses, and, I must say, I did a better job than anyone had a right to expect:
I even put a binding on, for heaven's sake. That's not at all like me. Here is the back:
It so much reminds me of Sofie toddling around in her little sundresses and bare feet that I can hardly stand it. But, I digress...
As I was saying, we have all the appropriate accessories--the cradle, the food, little bitty strollers, and even a little drying line (which is even cuter on the back porch):
And we've moved on to the bigger dolls--Hopscotch Hill dolls, which are American Girl dolls for kindergarteners (the four on the right):
Too much cuteness, and I haven't even talked about our dollhouse.
So, what would be the moral of this story?...Um...maybe that, if you can't live vicariously through one child, try another?
All I know is...girls rock.
Good morning, all! I don't have a bunch of time, but I just had to share this little etsy shop with you today...
It is a darling little operation called Handiworks Gifts, and not only is their work incredible, but their photos are charming. I would put this little photo (above) on my wall in a minute. This is a set of 4 little dolls they are selling (and they are having a sale!) and it would be on its way to me, but I simply cannot find any more room for the girls' my toys...So I am hoping one of you might fall in love with it and snap it up!
Here is my other favorite:
Look at her! Don't you just love her?!
This little shop is run by four sisters, and that makes me love it even more. Please visit them soon--their creations are sure to bring a smile to your face...
Sweetest of days to you...
I'm not, though...Angry, that is. I'm just thinking about angry little girls. My friend Michelle sent me this little box thingy that I am totally diggin' just now:
I can't stand how much I love this image. "A is for angry"? Of all things! Why? And why is she yelling at the apple? And why do I love it so much???
I have, shall we say, a...history...with angry little girls. I like to paint pictures of them. Here are a few of my favorites:
"miss olivia reaches The end of her rope..."
This one is definately Sofie...
Me, in spirit anyway, talking to my kids...(you know the feeling, right?)...
A girl just generally angry at the world...
Then, of course, there is Sibyl. No little girl with the name of Sibyl could be entirely well-adjusted, right?
I don't know. I just love to draw kids (and I have done a few boys) who look feisty. Like they are up to something. Like they are real.
Funnily enough, I am sending my friend, in return for the angry girl box thing, a very happy little painting:
It is very similar to another one she said that she liked alot (right after it sold). I hope this serves to convince everyone that I myself am well-adjusted...and I hope she loves it.
And last, but not least, solid evidence that I am painting today. The only reason I am on the computer is that my canvases are drying on my very dusty front porch. Exhibit A:
A little bit of California sunshine goes into every painting I do. I am very impatient, so I put my canvases in the sun to dry quickly. I never paint on grey days for this reason...and also I just need a cheery day...even for the angry girls.
I hope your day is everything sunny and bright.
Cheers!
Hello, sweet friends! I am going to be super busy this week, so you won't be able to enjoy my pearls of wisdom quite so often (ha!). I have 3 days of teaching and 2 super-important commissions to finish, so I really need to spend less time working playing on the computer...
My sweet friend Penny bought these little doll shoes for me at the thrift store. As you might expect, they make me happy. Don't know what I will do with them just yet, but for now just lookin' is working out fine...
Sorry for the dull post--I'm just on my way out the door. But I do so hope your day is lovely, and that you notice the sweet little things that make you smile.
Cheers!
It's a very fine distinction, but a very, very important one, I think: the difference between "child-like" and "child-ish." I certainly strive for the former, but I, like most, have had some truly stellar moments in the realm of the latter.
"Child-like"...what does that mean? To me, it evokes a sense of enthusiasm, energy, spontanaity and wonder. A childlike person sees the beauty in a goldfish or a bubble floating through the air. Because they are childlike, they see possibility, whether it is in digging a hole in the backyard to China, the dinosaur habitat inherent in a lump of play-doh, or new ways to solve our nation's current domestic and international problems. A childlike person holds no grudges and demands no reparations, realizing that if we aren't all happy, then nobody is happy.
I probably don't need to define "childish" for you--but I think that the overwhelming charactoristic of a childish person is a self-centeredness--the belief that everything is about you and in relation to you. Of course, as children, we do think this, and it is very normal. But, hopefully, as we grow, we learn otherwise and begin to focus on others as a path to fulfillment, recognizing, as P.G. Wodehouse said, that "the only real and abiding pleasure in life is to give pleasure to other people." A childish person wouldn't see this, instead focusing on herself as the one most "deserving" of ease and enjoyment.
So, what? Why do I make this distinction? After yesterday's post, I began to think about the way I live, as I often do, and as I think is quite necessary for an honest and concious person of any age beyond childhood. I strive for a child-like quality in my life. Why? Because I am certain that children "get the small stuff," and exemplify the simple day-to-day struggles and successes that illuminate our lives. Childhood is not perfect; it is not some idealized, dream-like state where everyone meets our needs every second and there are no problems. It is hard, and there are always struggles and disappointments (remember watching your children learn to walk?). But kids continue, always enjoying the next good or sweet thing to come along. And, as has been said many times before, they almost always "live in the moment..."
And I want to live like that. The things that I love--dolls, sweets, art that is simple and purely from the heart, toys and good music...these things remind me of that. And that is why I love them. And if I occasionally stray away from the realm of the childlike into the fearful world of childishness, I am only human. But I will try--as a toddler gets up time and time again to bravely and imperfectly make their way into an open pair of arms--to do better, to improve, to triumph.
Child-like. That's what I want to be.
I'm feeling happy today. The reasons for this are many, but for the purposes of this post, they are four-fold. First, the material goods. Take a gander, if you will, at this little beauty:
From the very sweet Anna and her shop. I just about swooned when I saw her. You know I love text, and dolls, and little girls with surly faces. She came to live with me all the way from France and I'm in love.
Look at that face! Anna is crazy-talented and just to look at her blog and shop will make you happy...
Next, a silly little project that was just about all the creatin' I was up to yesterday: big, fun rings:
My fave is the "yes" one. It reminds me of the end of Ulysses by James Joyce: "Yes I said yes I will yes..." I love that...one of the most beautiful statements ever written in the English language.
They aren't fine jewelry by any means, but I sure do get a kick out of them...
And my last 2 reasons for smilin' are some examples of love from the blog world. My friend Kari, who lives all the way in Norway, gave me a sweet shout-out on her blog (well, she said she reads me every day!). She is a wonderful artist and to have her checking my little blog out daily is very flattering, indeed. Thank you Kari!!!
And the lovely author of the blog labriynthine listed me as an "inspiring artist"! I met her on Flickr, and though I don't know her real-life name, I just noticed that we both live in San Diego...(It really is a small world.) But me? An inspiring artist?! Wow, what an honor. Thank you ever so much, my friend!
So there you go--my four reasons to be happy...
Of course, I hope it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that my Real Reasons For Happiness truly fall more along the lines of my sweet family, their health, my health, my many and dear friends, and sincere gratitude for my life which is so fortunate in so many ways. I know I talk about my "stuff" alot, but I would walk away from it ALL in a second if it was a matter of either/or. You know that, right?
So: "Yes." Enough said. I hope your day is happy, too!
Okay, the last few days I have sort-of shirked my cute duties--sorry. (I did think the kindergarteners were pretty sweet...) Anyway, I will totally make up for it today with a little bit of sweetness from my friend Alex and her shop. Check it out:
I mean, really. Can you help but smile?!
They are called Emotikinder dolls (!) because they each express a feeling. From left to right they are: Regret, Joy, Sad (lost her ice-cream!), Happy, and Angry. LOVE it.
Right up my alley, folks. Yesterday, after they came, I had to set them up in the fading sunlight on a stack of Golden Books and have a little photo session. (Immediately behind me were approximately 10 loads of laundry waiting to be done. Priorities.)
Each little photo tells a story, if you will...
Don't they look just like little kids on the playground? Ah, memories...
My fave is the angry girl, of course. Sofie immediately asked to have Joy, but I said no. I told her she could play with them any time she liked, but as a group. It's not nice to exclude. And these girls are tight.
Okay. It's out of my system. Thanks for playing along!...Off to Paper Tales and the thrift store to prepare lots of fun for my class on Saturday. Yay!
Have a beautiful day, sweet friends.
Almost six years ago, I met one of my favorite people in the whole world. We met, as we moms tend to do, through a class of kindergarteners...both of our oldest children, as luck would have it (and I do mean luck) were in the same class. The first time that I saw Aimee, I thought to myself, "I want to be her friend." (Have you ever done that with someone?) And because our kids were both girls, I was able to make their friendship my pretense for getting to know her better. Smart move...aside from my husband, I have never felt such a kinship with anyone outside my immediate family. She was awesome--funny, beautiful, smart, a super mother and friend...we loved the same books, the same movies, the same jokes. We were even, at that time, the only two anti-George Bush-ites in our whole neighborhood. She is creative, too--the best knitter ever...we had so much in common. I had waited my whole life to make a friend like Aimee, and finally, I had!
After 2 years, though, our kids were in different schools, and we had made circles of friends outside of our own friendship. It seemed like we had less in common than before...I was busy, afraid, and well...dumb, and I let the friendship fade. Her Navy family was transferred to the east coast. Not a week went by for the next four years that I didn't think about Aimee and how much I missed her.
Guess what?!! Last night I found her on Facebook (don't ask--I am so NOT Facebook!) and, although I was scared, I sent her a message. I was afraid to check my email this morning because I thought she might not respond. But she did! And she missed me too!!!
And she is back in town!!!! She was afraid to call before, but we spoke this morning for the first time in 4 years, I think, and it was like it was yesterday. Man, oh, man, am I lucky...
So here's the deal: maybe you have a friend you'd like to call? It's so scary, but don't be a dingbat and let them slip away without a fight. They might not respond in kind, but it's worth the chance. Because friends like Aimee don't come along every day...believe me, I know.
Can't wait to see you, Aimee...And thanks.
I'm a lucky wife and mom of two lovely little girls in San Diego, California, trying my best to grow up.
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