Progressive Pioneer

Valentine Cards

Last year we sent out valentines instead of Christmas cards and I loved it so much that we're doing it again this year!  We just might have a tradition in the making.  Not worrying about holiday cards is great; it's one less thing to do and gets me that much closer to the simple, relaxed Christmas I'm always aiming for.  And besides that, after Christmas winter just sort of yawns huge and long ahead of me, and I love having something pretty and fun to break up the onslaught of short, dark, chilly days.  I have a feeling other people might enjoy a spot of bright and pretty in their midwinter as well, so I love sending out stacks and stacks of cheerful Valentines.

This year, Clay illustrated a portrait of our little family and then digitally added a greeting, which he painted separately, so that we can frame the portrait, but still use the image with the greeting to print cards from. 

Check out some in-progress shots and read about our printing experience after jump.

Honey Sweet Holidays

This illustration in the current issue of Edible Wasatch might be my favorite one of Clay's yet!  And the recipe for molasses spice cookies that I shared is definitely a favorite at our house!  Locals can pick up a copy at most locally owned food stores, restaurants, the library, Whole Foods etc.  You can also read the whole issue online here.  I wrote about making holiday sweets with less refined sweeteners.  Do you have any favorite recipes using honey or molasses?  I'm always looking for good ones!

Sam's Modern Art

Remember the big painting Sam did?  We made a video for Piccolini.TV and you can see how he made it from the initial laying on of texture and base coat, to color selection, painting and the final result over the mantle.  It makes me happy every time I see this huge splash of color in our living room:)

Le Petit Artiste

Sam and I have been working on a very LARGE painting. It's in part for a video project I'm working on, and partly just because I've been wanting some really big, bright art for the house. First we covered it with a thick layer of gesso for texture, let it dry, then squeegeed on that rich yellow color as a base. After that I just loaded paint onto a plate and let him go to town. I LOVE watching him create.

Green Art Supplies

Hey guys!  Sorry I've been MIA.  Christmas is appraoching with alarming rapidity, and with impeccable timing I've earned myself a major stiff neck (as in, say a little prayer when changing lanes because I can't even turn my head!!), which has meant trips to the chiropractor (plus an unrelated trip to the dentist- whose idea was it to schedule that so close to Christmas...?).  So, needless to say, I've been much like the proverbial chicken without a head.  But, I've got a little something up over at Simple Organic about green art supplies today to tide you over.  Hope you're all having a wonderful week and are looking forward to a lovely Christmas!

Family Portrait/Baby Announcement/(Christmas Card?)

I love watching Clay work, whether in wood or paint.  He recently finished a commissioned portrait of a family in California.  It makes me smile every time I see it. 

The fun thing is that he's sending a digital image along with the original and they're going to print a bunch for baby announcements!  How great is that? 

I love that our wedding announcement is now a framed portrait on our wall; it's such a beautiful way to preserve that moment in time. 

If I could wrangle a little time out of Clay I'd try to convince him to do an updated family portrait (since there are now four of us!) that we could print small cards of to send out as Christmas cards (um, and also baby announcements since we haven't quite gotten around to that either...). 

I love how happy this painting is!  The new baby's name, weight and birthdate will be painted on a separate piece of paper and then digitally added to the pink ribbon for the one they print for baby announcements.  Then he'll either leave the ribbon plain or paint their family name on it for the actual painting that will be framed. 

If you're looking for a special Christmas present this year, perhaps a family portrait is just the thing!

Mama Son Date

Sam and I went on our first Mama son date, and our first outing just the two of us since Vivian was born.  We have a children's theatre here in Salt Lake that does performances geared towards younger kids.  Right now they're performing an adaptation of the book Ferdinand the Bull, which happens to be one of my childhood favorites. 

So Sam and I got dressed up and combed our hair and headed out for an afternoon on the town.  It was such a treat to do something just with Sam.  And I loved being able to take him to a show that appealed to him as well as to me.  He, of course, was riveted.  It was his first live show and I could tell it just knocked his socks off.  The theater is only a few rows deep and the floor in the middle is the stage, so everyone is right there with the action.  We sat on the front row and at times we could've reached out and touched the actors.

I really enjoyed the stylish, minimalist way they did the scenery.  It very much called to mind the illustrations in the book.  The floor was painted green with a pattern of stylized flowers stamped across it.  I was also really impressed with how well the actors portrayed animals.  The woman who played Ferdinand's mom was especially good; I found myself marveling at how well she channeled a mama cow vibe.  The whole show was very professional, very artfully done.  I found myself being so appreciate that people put such effort into art that's geared toward children.  Of course children should be exposed to the real thing, not just silly, saccharine children's entertainment, but this is not always so easy to find.  We're so lucky to have it right here, practically in our backyard.  And it's only a hair more expensive than going to the movies; totally do-able.

Something wonderful about the Children's Theatre is that the audience is so much more involved.  No one thinks twice when a little voice calls out "Oh no!  A bumble bee!" as Ferdinand is about to plant his rear end square on one.  And rather than a frown, Sam got a friendly wink from an actress waiting near us for her cue, when he loudly whispered "Mom, look at that girl!"  During intermission children took to the stage and ran around wildly chasing their shadows and dancing in the lights.  There was such a wonderful feeling of exhuberant creativity.

The Children's Theatre has a really exciting lineup through winter and fall; Sherlock Holmes, The Emperor's New Clothes, Cats...  I can't wait for our next date!

Family Journal Night

Erin writes about the intersection of frugality and green living at The Green Phone Booth and The Sustainable Triangle.  She lives in Raleigh, NC with her four favorite fellows (her husband and three sons). I love this post for multiple reasons; I have stacks and stacks of journals chronically every stage of my life and have found them such a valuable resource both in sorting through issues as I encounter them and in reflecting later on, I love family traditions and this sounds like such a fun and valuable one, I also love all the inherent benefits like increased literacy, family time and sharing thoughts and feelings together, learning to stick with something etc. etc.  This reminds me that I need to bust out my journal and start recording some of the important things that have been happening around here lately!

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"Journal time!" I call to my husband and three kids.

My husband gathers up paper and pens while I gather the the boys around the table.

"What day is it?" one kid asks. "What did I do this week?" says another.

And then the quiet of concentration settles upon us as we each record the events of the week - some in drawings, some in words, some with more words than others. When everyone is done, I'll gather up the papers and store them away in a three ring binder, our family journal that the boys can flip through at will to relive the events of the past year.

This is our Sunday night ritual, a tradition my own parents started when I was little and that I revived with my family nearly a year ago. My parents did it a little differently, providing each of us with our own hardcover journal to write or draw in each week, and to this day, I love to look back at the silly drawings and simple stories from my childhood. And although my parents abandoned the journal ritual after just a few years, I had developed a personal journaling habit that I kept up into adulthood.

Why Start a Family Journal Night?

To keep a record

The year I met my husband, I wrote my journal on the computer and saved the files on a floppy disk (remember those?). Right after my husband proposed, the disk malfunctioned, and I lost the entire record of our courtship. So many times since then, I've wondered: What did I think of my husband when we first met? What did I think after our first kiss? How did I know I was in love? Even simple details like where we went on our second date have disappeared from my memory after nearly ten years.

This is not to say that you shouldn't save your journal digitally (but make sure you keep a backup copy!) Instead my point is that we forget so much so quickly when we don't write it down. And these years while my children are young - I wish I could capture every moment! I want to remember all of the cute things they said and the fun things we did, but I also want to remember what they found important and how they felt.

"What did you do this week that you want to remember?" my husband and I ask our boys every week. And how fun to see their answers!

To practice writing

In just a year, I've seen my oldest's writing develop from four or five word sentences to four or five sentence paragraphs. "What else could you write?" my husband and I ask him after each sentence. "Is there anything more you could say? What details can you add?"

My five-year-old has gone from dictating to me or his father, to asking us to spell out each and every word, to writing simple sentences on his own.

Even for me as an adult, I find value in attempting to record my thoughts in a cohesive way and to capture my voice on paper. Writing is such an important skill to acquire, and one we can continue to develop throughout our lives.

To value art and creativity

In my own childhood journal, the drawings, not the journal-writing, are definitely the real gems. I remember as teenagers my siblings and I would occasionally pull out our journals and compare scribbles and stick figures (with ridiculous labels like "Grandma doing a somersault"). My own boys labor meticulously over their drawings, and I love to see their creativity in action. And then at the end of each evening, the journal pages go into our three-ring binder, to be oohed and aahed over for years to come.

To be together

"What's that?" my oldest asks his two-year-old brother, pointing to a scribble on the page.

"Daddy's backpack," the two-year-old replies.

"What's that?" my oldest points to another scribble.

"Daddy's backpack."

"What's that?"

"Race car."

The five- and six-year-old dissolve into laughter, and I can't keep the smile off my face. These are moments that are priceless to me, moments that I want to preserve as long as I possibly can.

Book Framing

Whenever I go to the thrift store I always scan the bookshelves for good, hardcover children's books.  I often find a beautiful Caldecott winner for a dollar or two.  Sam and I love digging into our latest treasure as soon as we get home.  This latest find was a bit of a disappointment though, as four of the pages were missing!  Now, I know the story of Puss in Boots well enough to fill in the gaps, but somehow I thought the pages could be put to better use...

I've been working on getting some art up on our walls.  Clay has stacks of beautiful work from art school, we have various pieces we've collected throughout the years and gifts from family and friends.  Yet somehow, our walls have remained depressingly bare.  But, I've been remedying that very fact these past few weeks!  I first gathered up all the art we want to display, then measured the pieces and wrote down the dimensions.  Now, whenever I'm in a thrift store I also sort through the frames, keeping my eyes out for the sizes we need (I keep a measuring tape in my purse too).  While measuring pieces of art, I decided Puss in Boots would be better served, framed and hanging over Sam's new reading nook. (I recently did an overhaul of Sam's new room and I promise I'll show more details soon!  It's been a really fun project.)

 

With three matching frames from the thrift store and an exacto knife, we had some wonderful new art for Sam's room in no time at all.  This was such a satisfying project and Sam seemed to appreciate the touch as it was the first thing he showed his dad when he got home. 

Down below, just for fun, is a picture of a wedding present from my parents.  It's one of my favorite pieces because of the mysterious story that goes with it.  My dad, who writes for the Maine Antique Digest and does a little bit of antique buying and selling, came across a guy with an impressive art collection, which the guy asked my dad to broker.  Long story short, the guy actually owned a bunch of fake art with a few real pieces sprinkled in.  This piece, allegedly a Chagall (lithograph, I think?), was a gift to my dad from the guy before his shadiness came to light.  We never had it checked out by anyone official, and I think I'd rather not know if it's real or a fake.  We love it either way, and I love a little mystery:)

Family Pictures

Awhile ago we had our good friend Steve take some family pictures.  We wanted something a little funky, so we dressed up, got out some musical instruments and even incorporated Clay's old motorbike into a few.  It's fun having a friend do the photos because you don't feel (too) silly doing offbeat stuff.  Steve and his wife (who acted as his assistant) were so fun and easy to work with.  They played music and made us feel nice and relaxed.  I, in particular, tense up in front of a camera and do this goofy smile.  But, he just kept clicking away until I finally relaxed and he was able to get a few good ones.  He took the photo I use for my profile picture on the about page and various other places. 

Unfortunately Sam was feeling a bit under the weather and declined to smile during the whole shoot.  He just wanted to be held and make his cute, sad face.  I still love the pictures of him though.  In fact, we have so many pictures of Sam beaming (they're easy to get) that I kind of like having a few serious ones.  I have plans to blow a few up really huge and frame them for the walls. Steve also does really amazing outdoor adventure-type photography, as well as family portraits and some commercial stuff (he also helped us with an ad for Ivory Bill).  So, if you're local, or local-ish (it'd be worth the drive), look him up!

Who Else is Stoked About this Movie?!

Is anyone else really excited about the Babies movie opening this weekend?  I may be geeking out a bit because I was an anthropology major in college and happen to be six months pregnant at the moment.  But I can't think of a movie I'd want to see more than this one!

This is what I loved about anthropology; life on the micro-level, learning how people live their day-to-day to lives, how they cook, their relationships etc.  How we raise babies is such an integral part of who we are as individuals and who we are as a larger society.  My sister-in-laws and I are having a little girls' afternoon out tomorrow to catch the movie.  I think I'll make kettle corn...

PS I had a professor in college that lived with the Himba (the African people in the movie) and wrote a wonderful book about it.  It's enjoyable even if you're not a anthro geek like me:)  

PPS Sam LOVES watching the trailer on my computer.  He asks to watch "the baby movie" all the time. I might have to get the DVD when it comes out...

New Illustrations in the Shop

Clayton recently sat down and did some wonderful illustrations that we've put up in the shop.  We promise to try and keep it stocked a bit more regularly from now on:)

We're running a promotion where you can get $5 off if you post about your purchase on your blog with a link back to the shop.  All the illustrations are original watercolors.  The plan is to continue using this color palette for awhile so if you wanted to purchase several they would look great grouped together on the wall.  Keep your eyes out for more!

Toddler Thank You Cards

I saw this idea somewhere, though now I can't remember where, but someone deserves credit for the idea of turning your toddler's artwork into thank you cards.  I trimmed off the bottoms of his paintings (that's really the only part with paint anyway, as he can't reach much higher on the easel!) and we wrote thank you letters for his birthday presents. 
It was a lot of fun to involve him in the process.  He decorated the backs of the envelopes and I asked him questions and wrote his answers in the letters.  Most of the letters followed the same format.  I wrote a thank you and told what Sam liked about the present, as if it were coming straight from him.  Then I added "I also want to tell you..." and put the direct quotes there.  Sometimes they were about the present or the person we were writing to, sometimes they were more along the lines of "I found a bug!" or "I like cupcakes!"  But I like that he's learning about writing letters and I'm sure people will enjoy hearing what he wanted to share with them, no matter what it is. Today we'll take a field trip to the post office and pick up some stamps, which I'll probably let Sam put on and drop in the mail slot.  It will likely be a highlight of his day:)

Time for Painting

Unfortunately, finding time to paint is a near supernatural feat for Clay.  He works so hard with the furniture business and odd jobs (web design, logo design etc.) here and there.  And then when he's home he's mowing the lawn, painting the garage, or spending time with Sam.  But in the last month we've squeezed in some time so that he could create some paintings (and frames!) to enter in a local art competition.  I wish he had the time to paint whenever the urge struck, hopefully someday we'll get to that point.  Wouldn't it be lovely to simply pursue all the creative things you love to do and leave the bread-winning and house cleaning to someone else?
The one at the top he painted while we were in Maine.  And this one he painted just recently, although he's had the idea for over a year!  The frames are even Clayton-made.  I love this wood (it might be called lace wood, but I'm really not sure).  It's so warm and rich.  He's made a similar frame for a Minerva Teichert print we have in the living room, but I'm already jonesing for some more.  It's crazy that we have stacks and stacks of his wonderful art, but it's just packed away not doing anyone any good!  One of my goals in the upcoming weeks is to stockpile secondhand frames, paint them all a uniform color and get some of Clay's art up on the walls! 

Legume Art for Littles

Some days I'm looking for anything, anything at all, to keep Sam busy.  Luckily he's really quite good at focusing on one thing and actually has a pretty great attention span for an almost-two year old.  So, with a little creativity, I can usually find something that will entertain him for maybe a solid twenty minutes.  That's like a whole hour in mom time!

He really like tiny things, and things with lots of pieces, so he was thrilled when I dumped a bunch of beans and lentils in various lids and let him glue them onto paper.  Turns out he wasn't so good at squeezing the glue out, it takes some serious hand strength.  So, I squiggled glue all over the paper and let him go at it with the beans.  He was so meticulous and concentrated.  I love seeing him experience new things, and the dedication and focus that he gives projects.

Even though the point was to give me a few minutes peace while he worked on a project, the piles of beans and adorable little guy were too appealing to walk away from.  So, I stayed and watched him create his art, bean by bean, even adding a few of my own.  I love that he's getting old enough for projects I enjoy as well.  Not that I'd make bean art myself, given a block of free time, but it's still fun to get down on my knees next to him and share in the creative process.

Artsy Thrift Store Treasure

 

Sometimes the thrifting gods are just on your side.  I was complaining to Clay that I wanted to get Sam an easel, but I couldn't find any solid wooden ones for less than $60.  "I think I saw one at D.I." he said.  So, we hurried over there, and lo and behold, it was still there!  That, in and of itself, was a miracle of a semi-religious nature.  The thrifting golden rule is "Buy it When You See it!"  But it was still there a couple days later and we happily snatched it up.

With a little soap and water I was able to removed the old paint and marker stains and get it looking brand new.  Of course, Sam quickly decorated it with his own marker and paint splotches.  But, I like the looks of his much better than the other ones.  It's a really sturdy one, the kind you'd find in a school, that can stand up to lots of wear and tear.  I was so thrilled to find it!

Sam has been equally enthusiastic about using it several times a day.  It thrills me to see him exploring color and texture, layering paint, trying new brush techniques, rejoicing at the cacophony of color he creates and telling me elaborate stories about what he's painting. The painting above is of a hippo splashing in the water; do you see it?

Naturally, we think Sam is quite gifted; we ooh and aah over each brush stroke and each completed masterpiece.  But I'm already wondering, where will I put all these precious masterpieces... ?

Love in the Mail

I have always loved getting things in the mail; hand written letters from friends, belated birthday presents (isn't it kind of exciting when they're late?  It prolongs the celebration!), even things I order for myself are fun.  I forget they're coming and then it's like getting a present when they arrive!  So, I was beyond delighted to get this wonderful package from Abi (remember her great interview a couple weeks ago?) in the mail.  Not only were the contents wonderful, the whole package was just so lovely.  Brown paper packages truly are the most fun to open, I think.  And this one was made of thick paper, sewn together at the edges!  How clever is that? 

Inside were the most thoughtful gifts; I always admire people who can think of just the right gift.  That really is a talent.  I'm always wracking my brain trying to come up with something just right.  For my burgeoning career as a serious knitter(!) she made me a beautiful cloth roll to store my needles in!  It's linen on the outside with a cheerful pattern inside and bright turquoise ties.  And accompanying the needle holder was the softest, loveliest yarn in varying shades of bluish green; the shifting colors remind me of the ocean.  It's a nice baby weight and you know I can put that to good use!  The yarn was hand dyed by a good friend of hers. 

The whole thing just made my day; so thoughtful, so full of handmade goodness and warm sentiments. 

Knitting Lessons

I've finally done it; I'm learning to knit!  And I'm so excited!  It's so very fun, no wonder so many people are head over heels in love with the craft.  I had some lovely sheep and alpaca blend wool from an old crochet project that I brought to my first lesson to use.  Isn't it pretty on the wooden needles?

I'm taking the lessons at the Pioneer Craft House, this wonderful place where they teach all sorts of skills and keep them from being lost; weaving, wool dying, book binding, silver smithing, storytelling, pinhole photography, hand spinning etc.  It's been around for ages; Clayton's grandma used to take art lessons there was she was a girl.

I have a wonderful teacher named Heidi who taught me the mystery of the stockinette stitch (that's what it's called, right?) and sent me home to practice (those are my very first knit stitches you're seeing there!).  And practice, I will!  Next week I start to purl and then it's on to making my very own scarf!  There are two more knitting classes offered, one where you learn all sorts of different patterns, making swatches which can later be put together into a baby blanket and another where you learn to make socks.  Maybe I can finally make Clay those hand knit socks he's been asking for every sine we've been married:)

Handpainted Paper Dolls

Remember last week I mentioned we had a surprise?  Without further ado, let me introduce Masha and Alexander, the most charming paper dolls you've ever met, hand painted by the one and only Clayton Thompson!

He also made a little story book about Masha and Alexander, the two red-headed twins from the Ukraine. 

Each one has three different outfits; play clothes, fancy clothes and a traditional Ukrainian outfit.

We had our neighbor's daughter come over and test them out.  We all sat around cutting them out and trying on the different outfits. I think the adults had just as much fun as she did!

They're so completely charming and full of character; I'm in love.  I'm thinking of framing the two sheets, the boy and the girl, to hang in Sam's room.  They'd make such unique decorations for a kid's room.

We're selling them in the shop until December 15th if you'd like some in time to tuck into a Christmas stocking or two.  You're welcome to order after then as well, but it won't make it in time for Christmas.  Maybe we'll do a giveaway next week of a few sets just for fun; it is the season of giving after all!

Picture This

We bought our house in November and have since put up a grand total of one picture.  The sorry state of our walls was starting to get to me so I printed a bunch of photos and dug my picture frames out of storage and we got to work.  I love decorating with family photos; it's simple, inexpensive and reminds me on a daily basis what great people I get to live with!  Sam has loved having the pictures up.  His high chair sits right below them in the dining room and and he loves to look up and point to the pictures, naming the people in them. 

With our family living 2,000 miles apart, this has been a nice way to remind Sam of my parents, who he sees only a few times a year, and to be able to talk about them on a daily basis.  We finally put up some pictures from our wedding, which is such a sweet reminder of falling in love and choosing to spend our lives together. 

Now that we've got a little momentum, my next goal is to get a bunch of Clay's art framed; it is currently decorating the floor of his studio...

Ancient Makers

Sometimes Sam and I just need to get out of the house.  He gets stir crazy, which makes me... just plain crazy.  So we go to the zoo or the park, or this week, the art museum.  We're still working on teaching Sam about inside voices, but he loves looking at all the bright colors (and hearing his voice echo off the high ceilings!)

This exhibit had a lot of things for Sam to touch and engage with as well, which was great.  It meant our trip was almost a full hour!  That's one of the great things about just springing for the year pass; I don't feel like I have to "get my money's worth" if we go and Sam just wants to look at three things and then split.  It's easy to just pop in and out and have it not be a big ordeal. 

I'm so inspired by the art created by these crafters and artisans from cultures past.  I absolutely love learning about the visual culture of ancient people.  So often we think of ancient cultures as having a less rich aesthetic life than we do, but that is most definitely not the case!  And so many of these patterns and styles would look right at home next to a similar contemporary item.  Don't you think they're fantastic? 

There were these intricately woven bags.  I can't remember what they were called, but they were like a man purse, sort of like a smallish messenger bag.  The placard next to the display said that the bags were worth more than a horse!  I guess high fashion and accessories as status symbols isn't a new idea:)

I love looking at objects that would have been made by women so long ago; practical, daily items embellished and beautified just for the sake of having something pretty.  I think of them as the equivalent of the frilly apron I wear to make doing the dishes more fun, or the onesies I made for Sam with pictures painted and sewn on.  They go beyond the mere, utilitarian purpose, elevating it and therefore lifting the seemingly mundane tasks that fill our lives, reminding us of the beautiful purposes behind feeding, clothing and caring for a family.

Craft Lake City

I almost forgot to mention the craft fair we went to weekend before last.  The vibe wasn’t entirely my speed, but we still found a few vendors that we loved.  IH Squared, by Isaac Hastings, was far and away our favorite.  I love wood, the warm colors, the texture, the smell, the solidity, the way it ages, everything about it.  So, of course I was drawn to this booth.

I’m crazy about the way he sees and brings out the wonderful pictures in the knots of these woods.  Wouldn’t one of these look brilliant in a kid’s room?  Or in my living room, for that matter.  I could totally see one in our den.  He also had wooden belt buckles that were so rad!  The designs were modern, but realized in the timeless material of wood.  I loved it.  But I’m not really supposed to blog about those because Clay wants to be the only kid on the block with a wooden belt buckle!  So, forget I mentioned that part…  But do check out his website!

Oceanside Watercolors

On a whim I picked up this little travel set of Windsor & Newton water colors and a pad of water color paper sized just right to mail as post cards.  I used to paint and draw all the time, up until about the middle of college when I just got out of the habit.  Then I married a brilliant artist, and well, I just sort of let art be his thing.  But, it's a part of me too and I started remembering that while at home.

Sam and I spent a foggy afternoon by the ocean.  He hunted snails and I dabbled in paint and water, enjoying the swirling together of colors and the wet, salty air.  I don't think I've ever seen a day where the ocean didn't look beautiful, no matter what the weather.  In fact, I love a mysterious, gentle mist to cloak the landscape.  It was still warm and the fog softened things, made the view more romantic, quieter, gentler.

I did manage to take a break from painting long enough to gather a few treasures for the Natural History Museum.  We've collected quite a few goodies for the museum this trip, including an antique shell collection my dad spotted at an auction!

Wool and Art

There are so many things I love about Maine: the lush, green forests and fields; the fact that when I picked up my dad's car from the shop the guy said "just have him swing by and pay me on Monday" and that they never ask for your ID at the local bank; how people still do things the old ways here, by hand, simply, with basic tools; the food, oh, how I love the food; and how things are more real here, real wood, real leather, real wool.

When I go to the thrift stores in Utah I'm hard pressed to find 100% wool sweaters.  People tend to wear more synthetics, but of course, it's not nearly so cold there so you can get away with it.  While in Maine, one of the things on my to-do list was to stop in at some second hand stores and stock up on wool sweaters for felting.  I love making things out of felted wool and my next project is going to be some felted wool diaper covers.  I found quite a few nice sweaters to add to my stash.

That same evening Sam and I walked over to the next door neighbor's who have an art gallery in their house.  Little cottage industries like that are common around here.  It's part of how people make it in an economy that comes to a screeching halt in the winter.  Almost everyone does something extra in the summer whether it's a vegetable stand, pottery studio or art gallery.  They were holding a reception for an artist named Frances Wells.  I didn't get to spend as much time with the art as I would have liked; Sam kept me busy trying to keep him civilized.  He's not much of an art appreciator yet, maybe in a few more years.  But, what I did see of the art I really liked.  It's simple, peaceful art, all paintings of the Hudson River.  It reminded me of the St. George river that's on the other side of our peninsula here (ocean on one side, river on the other), still and graceful, kind of hazy in the early morning. 
We ended the evening with home fries, corn on the cob and a bath in the ancient claw foot tub.  Not all at the same time, of course.  It was Sam's first time eating corn straight off the cob and it was a big hit.  There are so many simple pleasures that make life so extremely rich here.

Beehive Bazaar Report: Busy Bees

I loved the section where they had things made by kids.  When I was young, maybe 12 or 13, I used to sell earrings at a little shop in town.  I loved the act of making something and displaying it, and the fact that people occasionally bought them just thrilled me to pieces.  There's something about creating whether it's an apron, a dog house or homemade bread, that seems to invite the collaboration of generations and the passing on of information.  There are plenty of things for kids to occupy their time with; how lovely to see some of them creating beautiful things.