winter will not go away

spring temps to be followed by snow & slush

so i am going to flashback to 

summer fun 

at the nj shore

in august 2008

where we amused ourselves with an experiment

in public behavior

we got the idea from a California blogger,

who got the idea from an Atlanta blogger,

the guy who tied a disposable camera to a bench 

and then swissmiss talked about

about joanna who left two cameras on nyc benches this week

i guess she got the idea from atlanta via san fran

how many other people ...

our experiment: august 2008, nj shore

left a note in a plastic bag with a disposable camera

 invited passers-by to take pictures and

leave a note

put the bag in a public place

first bag was stolen

made us sad

kept checking during the next 24 hours

on one surveillance misson we saw kids having a lot of fun taking pictures

visit tomorrow to see the pictures that we got back

try it with your kids on your next school break

it's a pursuit of happiness day - 

click here to visit the wonderfully

entertaining blog 

 by maira kalman

enjoy

did you go to the blog yet?

you must

holy mackeral maira kalman is good!

doesn't this just whet the appetite?

speaking of lincoln

i have been attending a series of lectures this winter on lincoln

sponsored by our local library and historical society

standing room only

top notch speakers and authors

historian, douglas wilson, who maira kalman talks about, is coming

i love learning

toodle-loo

IMAGES as seen on the NEW YORK TIMES blog by MAIRA KALMAN

Back to Business

a layout for a custom order

I discovered the other day, around February 15th, that my hibernation period is real and very important to my creative energy.  Each year I emerge from my cave without realizing I have actually been there.  Sounds silly, but it is something just happens.  My Natural rhythm I guess.  After my last deadline, which was January 5th, everything stopped. 

 Except the real job that is, which is busier and busier all the time. 

I could not do much of anything, except knitting in the evening.

Now we have more sun

a change in temperature  

not sure what spurs me into action

but I am off and running now.

Just got a new wholesale account yesterday.

New fabrics are on order.

Teaser for Spring 2009 line.

the creative fairy gods

i enjoyed this talk; you might too.

(click on talk to listen)

Elizabeth Gilbert on TED IDEAS WORTH SPREADING

via on Julia, What Made Me Look, on February 15, 2009.  

Photos by Tim Walker, fashion photographer

as seen on famillesummerbelle.

A series of photographs from his new book.

According to Walker his photos are meant to tell a story.

Look at the top right:

I could not help thinking about the nursery rhyme:

Rock-a-bye baby on the treetop,

when the wind blows the cradle will rock,

when the bough breaks the cradle will fall 

and down will come baby, cradle and all.

Funny how that nursery rhyme is used to comfort babies:

a lullaby - sweet dreams - ever wondered about that?

happy valentine's day - kiss via French Essence

spring is in the air... google thinks so too

my camera is on the fritz

any recommendations for a new one?

so many to choose from -

smallish size - quality but not too fancy 

suggestions please

The latest in the wonderful, colorful, clever, and extraordinary writing and art of 

Maira Kalman.

Look forward to each installment on the last Friday of every month

on line at the New York Times.

She has been turning up on the radar of lots of bloggers lately.

Don't miss it.

Here is earlier work:

 an illustrated blog for the New York Times in 2005 and 2006  

the series was eventually was published in book form.  Here is a review.  

I remember my eager anticipation for each new installment - just like the old days - a monthly series - always thinking after finishing a piece -what will she come up with next - never dissappointed - always entertained -  mind engaged - you will love her latest series.  Maira Kalman's blog was the first blog I ever read - I was hooked.  Who knew blogs would become such a big part of my life a couple of years later.

here's more from the talented, whimsical, philosophical, and ever so clever Maira Kalman - illustrated blog at the New York Times: January 2007 - April 2007.  

This series was wonderful too, but oh so short.   

I am so glad that she is back again.

i love this image

we had a triangular sink just like this in our west village 5th floor walk-up

that measured 350 sq feet in area 

 so the corner was a good space-saver.

Karen Olivia of Alkemie

gave me a terrific pop today.

Jump here to see.

Thanks a million Karen.

I did this board for Earth Day in 2008

It is made out of a recycled coffee bean bag

with natural twine:

inspiration every day to recycle

and a great way to keep your life and ideas organized.

inch by inch

magical thinking jar 

as seen on Inchmark.

This was the perfect post for me this morning from purlsoho

check it out here

Initially I imagined the magical thinking jar was for ideas.

My mind raced; an ah-ha moment.

A visual representation of ideas.

A big bold jar to capture my thoughts and energy 

just like fireflies in the summer.

Fireflies collection from Heather Ross

  not exactly fireflies but you get the idea.

Just like the little scraps of paper that Lincoln used...

(see last post)

The Jar will become my desktop reminder to capture all my ideas. 

The pieces of paper will inspire me create 

and finish projects.

Brooke Reynolds's magical jar is all about capturing the wonderful words of her children.

My day book has always been my magical jar for my Miss Is's magical words.

As Miss Is grew up and observed life, she would say the darnedest things.

When I could I would jot them down. 

Like the journals that I posted about last summer,

my day book transports me back to the very day...

it keeps the memories clear and bright...

so much can be lost as we go through the daily grind of life.

Boy that sounds a little pessimistic.

Now that my Miss Is is well into her teens 

she can still say the darnedest things 

but our conversations are so interesting,

about ideas, life, politics, history and literature,

movies, and kidstuff,

people and predicaments.

I am on a hunt for my big, glass jar.

image: Maira Kalman, Elements of Style

Despite the snow, I was able to attend a fascinating lecture on Tuesday night.

Subject: Lincoln

Presented by Lincoln biographer: Ronald C. White, Jr.

A few interesting tidbits:

Lincoln had a great ear for poetry 

and a great ear for words.

For him, words equaled actions.

An important part of his writing and revision process 

was to read his speeches aloud, very slowly.

He also wrote regularly on small scraps of paper

 and tucked the scraps here, there and everywhere,

 in places like his hat, or a book or the pigeon hole in his desk. 

Children read aloud regularly in school until the 1920's.

So why don't they read aloud in school now?

Every parent is encouraged to read aloud to their children.

Just the other day, I read a letter from a writer to an aspiring writer:

here are the recommendations:

"write as much as possible, in as many ways as possible.

When your write, read it aloud before you submit it."

Just like Lincoln

and many other great writers before him.

I read to my daughter every night for years starting when she was a baby.

 We began with the Mother Goose rhymes.

a few pages a night at bedtime,

going through the whole book, then starting again.

Gradually, we moved on to Good Night Moon

and other picture books - 3 per night until the stories were too long - 

then we opted for just one per night or maybe two.

Our final read aloud book was the first Harry Potter.

When I got laryngitis and had to stop reading aloud for a day or two

miss is decided to finish on her own and hasn't stopped reading since.