the perfect painter's palette

I simply had to have this vintage metal lunchroom tray the moment I saw it at Goodwill a few months back. I think I'm putting it to good use these days.

shorpy finds - seeing beauty in the mundane

Every so often I make time to scan the "pages" of the amazing historical photo blog Shorpy and I'm always glad I did. These snapshots of everyday, mundane tasks spoke loudest to me this morning. I hope you can see the beauty in them, too. Enjoy and happy weekend.

Lumber camp, Minnesota (circa 1937)

There's something calming about this picture...perhaps it's because when I'm washing dishes late at night it's my time, quiet time. If you look closely, you can see a special lady photo above the kitchen sink (maybe he's thinking of her?). Click on the photo to zoom.

U.S. Food Administration War Kitchen, Washington (circa 1917)

I'd give anything for those farmhouse tables...anything.

A Toilet Room in the Natural Food Conservatory, New York (circa 1906)

How amazing are those sinks? Those faucets? And those floor tiles? Sigh. If I could I would install these fixtures in my 100-year old Seattle home in a heartbeat.

Tenement yard, New York (circa 1900-10)

I may just have to paint this scene, yes, I think I must. What I wouldn't give to witness this firsthand -- the sights, the sounds, the smells -- oh how I wish I could go back in time.

(all images via Shorpy)

double dating with chakra pennywhistle

I just have to share this with you. I received the sweetest gift a mother could ever receive over the holidays: a Chakra Pennywhistle original "Circle the Date" pillow. It's made entirely from organic and upcycled materials, and has become the centerpiece of conversation amongst house guests.



This darling pillow showcases not one, but two vintage tea towel calendar patches. Each patch has been embellished with a circle of red thread to mark each daughter's birthday. Incredibly sweet, right? And I just love the striking red color against the creamy white of the pillow.

My oldest daughter's birthday.

My youngest daughter's birthday

We will treasure this gift for generations to come. Thank you Rikkianne!

addie's pillow - two hearts (two sizes)

My youngest daughter celebrates her birthday on February 14th. So sweet, right? Well, this inspired me to sew her a little pillow using some hemp/organic cotton fabric and kapok fibers I had on hand in the studio. She loved it so much that we decided to offer similar pillows in the shop. Here's what I came up with:




The addie's pillow - two hearts (no. 1) pictured above measures roughly 6" across at the widest part of the heart and showcases a tiny wine-stained heart cut-out attached with 100% organic cotton thread --my favorite part! I'm also happy with the monochromatic, ivory design of the bigger heart.

If you're looking for a larger pillow to snuggle with, choose the addie's pillow - two hearts (no. 2) pictured below that measures roughly 12" across at the widest part of the pillow. My older daughter immediately gravitated to this size. We believe either pillow would make the perfect accessory to any home. Cheers!

dragon blossoms

Fuzhou, China (March 2004)

As a mother of two Chinese-born daughters, it is important to me that we celebrate the history, art, and cultural traditions of their birth country alongside the myriad of customs native to this area, families of friends, and of my own Hispanic heritage. Finding a healthy balance is sometimes easier said than done.

My daughters are fully aware of their adoption journey, and as they grow older, they ask more questions surrounding their adoption process, China, and their birth parents. Unfortunately, we don't know any specifics about our daughters' birth parents, but we do know who cared for them from within hours of their births right up to the moments we met them for the very first time. Still, there is so much more to know.

Dragon Blossoms by Linda Bevis - Whole World Press

Someday we plan to return to China with Laria and Addie to visit their birth Provinces (Sichuan and Fuzhou respectively) in hopes of answering some of their questions and curiosities. And when we do go, I will have had the fortune of reading this book, Dragon Blossoms - An Adoptive Family's Year in China, written and recently published by our friend and neighbor Linda Bevis. I have only just begun reading the book since it arrived in last week's mail, but already I am gleaning valuable insights from Linda's honest account and personal decisions to make this journey with her family.

Thank you Linda, Ed, and of course, Leyla Fu-Chi.

studio time

Today I'm taking a short break from all social media to work (and play) in my tiny painting studio. It will be hard to resist checking in with friends and cohorts on Etsy, facebook and Twitter, but it's entirely necessary. Will you miss me? I'll miss you.

I'll leave you with an image that will provide some inspiration for today's work.

Curtain Call by Andrew Wyeth - circa 1979 - watercolor/paper via here

giving

My daughters earn a small allowance each week. They are asked to divide their monies into three jars: one for spending, one for savings, and one for charity. Over the holidays we visited two non-profits, the Seattle Animal Shelter and FamilyWorks food bank and family center to drop off some donations from the girls' charity jars as well as funds raised during an early holiday sale in my Etsy shop plus two brick-and-mortar boutiques.

We selected these two groups because no one should go hungry or be without basic necessities and we wanted to give back to the shelter where our beloved six-year-old cat named Paul was adopted last April. It's never easy to see the number of animals in the shelter. The girls were especially affected by the number of cats and dogs, but in the end were comforted to know their contributions were going to make the situation better. I'm a very proud mama.