2011

Hands down the best year of my entire life.

We enjoyed a dreamy babymoon in the Bahamas at the beginning of January.
 

Rebranded/nesting in February.
 

Saw some of my favorite bands

Read a few fine books


Had a very creative year

Took a couple trips to NYC and had a beautiful week in Michigan.

 Saw some incredible sunsets. (and sunrises)

 
And the most wonderful event of all, giving birth to my Shine. 


 

Becoming a mother has changed me profoundly.  Every cliche about becoming a parent is true.  Those first life altering six months were so hard, and so wonderful at the same time.  The love that grows each day is mind boggling and keeps me so full.  What I did not realize was how much strength and confidence I would gain from giving birth and enduring such a long labor, and functioning after so many sleepless nights caring for an infant.  I carry it with me every day in the most positive way, down to really small things, like the cold of winter and lack of light which used to pummel me every year.  I barely notice it now.  I have Shine.  I need Shine.

I am a mother.  I am strong.  I am happy.  I struggled with depression for many years, and never thought I could be light.  I have light.  I am at peace.  I know darkness will creep its way back into my life.  It's inevitable.  I'm prepared.  I'm different now. 
We did it David.  I love you so much.

T'is

Christmas this year was incredible.  Shine brought the magic of Christmas back to my whole family.

Christmas Eve in Chicago

Sold out

They all sold!  I can hardly believe it.  So exciting!!

Life

Yes, she has reindeer footie pj's.  This girl melts my heart every single day.

Winner!

Congrats to Lovely Domestic Diva, the winner of last week's Color Code Necklace giveaway!

*image from here

The tree

 We finally got our Christmas tree over the weekend and also drove past a pack of cycling santas on the way home. 

RIP François Lesage

"...embroidery was the love of writing your dreams with a needle, with a pearl with anything that could enchant and bring tenderly to life a decor, an ambience, a souvenir."

François Lesage was a lenendary embroiderer who recently passed away.  I love how he describes embroidery.  I feel it.
My mom taught me how to embroider.  It's one of my loves now.  I am about to embark on the biggest art project of my life in 2012 which will involve thousands and thousands of stitches.  This is so exciting to me.  Thank you mom for teaching me how to write my dreams with a needle.

*image and quote from the NY Times

It's beginning...

 ...to look a lot like Christmas in these parts.  Yesterday was my shipping deadline for all orders, which meant today I was able to breathe.  I had a rare moment this evening when Shine took an unusually late nap.  Normally I run through the list of things I need to get done sans baby, and even though the list is still full, I treated myself to a date with my camera, because I have been grossly neglecting her.  We've had plans, the two of us, with the tripod, and these gorgeous Christmas lights, and my new camera knowledge thanks to my friend Peter, I can actually work this baby on the manual setting and it's changed things between us.  A whole new relationship was born between me and my camera. A whole new world is out there to look at.

Friday Music Muse-Tom Waits Take it With Me

You know those songs you listen to, and the words just undo you, in a good way, and then you somehow forget about the song, and it sneaks its way back into your life one day and it's like audible gold?  That's this song to me.  When it came back into my life a couple of weeks ago, it was when I was cooking dinner, and David was having a little dance/listening party with Shine.  Our baby girl was in his arms, and he was playing songs that move him, us, and this song came on, and I was stirring a pot of Shakshuka, and we looked at each other and smiled and I knew that he was thinking the same exact thing I was thinking, and no words were spoken. 

If anything, just read the last verse.  Read it slow.  It's lovely.

Tom Waits
Take it With Me

Phone's off the hook
No one knows where we are
It's a long time since I
Drank champagne
The ocean is blue
As blue as your eyes
I'm gonna take it with me
When I go

Old long since gone
Now way back when
We lived in Coney Island
Ain't no good thing
Ever dies
I'm gonna take it with me
When I go

Far far away a train
Whistle blows
Wherever you're goin
Wherever you've been
Waving good bye at the end
Of the day
You're up and you're over
And you're far away

Always for you, and
Forever yours
It felt just like the old days
We fell asleep on Beaula's porch
I'm gonna take it with me
When I go

All broken down by
The side of the road
I was never more alive or
Alone
I've worn the faces off
All the cards
I'm gonna take it with me
When I go

Children are playing
At the end of the day
Strangers are singing
On our lawn
It's got to be more
Than flesh and bone
All that you're loved
Is all you own

In a land there's a town
And in that town there's a house
And in that house
There's a woman
And in that woman
There's a heart I love
I'm gonna take it
With me when I go
I'm gonna take it
With me when I go

*photo of Petaluma cows by msfatale

Renegade Handmade

Check out my geode ornaments on the Rengade Handmade Boutique's Christmas tree!

Giveaway!

On Monday I will be giving away the above necklace from my Color Code series!  Comment below to enter.

The Sky is his Sketchbook

When I saw these lovely lines outside my window, I pretended Mathew Barney was strapped to the Trump Tower and broke off the white antenna and started  drawing on the sky in preparation for a new version of Drawing Restraint.

 *bottom image of Barney from here

Stacks

Whoa.  The past few weeks have been amazing.  Days have never been so busy, in a good way, and full and stacked high.  I have pretty much been working non-stop, making away in between raising my Shine, eating and sleeping.  Pack a ton of orders, feed the babe, prepare for holiday fairs, feed the babe, etc.  I've had so much help from the people I love,  from the Boompas and Cha-Chas to the Amae's (spelling?) and all the uncles.  And then there is Davies.  I am the luckiest of the luckies.  Life is so good, it's just so good.

* I took this photo of my dad's woodpile over the summer.  The wood is quite lovely don't you think?

Hey Chicagoans!  Please, please come to this event my friend Lauren and I have put together in conjunction with the Chicago Artist's Coalition.  It's a pop-up shopping event called Winter Local and it's taking place THIS SATURDAY at the Chicago Artist's Coalition's gorgeous gallery space from 12-6pm!  Details below.

West

Seems like ages ago, but it was only last week we were on the West Coast, soaking up the sun and loads of love from our family.  Shine met all of her cousins, and the few uncles and aunts she had not yet met, and witnessing those introductions for the first time was a beautiful thing indeed.

Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale!!

Come visit my booth this weekend at the Renegade Craft Fair!!!  I'll have my handmade ornaments and the charm bar will be ready to go!

Design for Mankind!!!

My ornaments were featured on Design for Mankind!!!  Eeeeek!  Thank you Erin.

Rare Device

If you live in the San Francisco area check out my ornaments at Rare Device!