Follow Up

/
Today I would like to tell you about a couple of follow-up items from recent blog posts.

First, the winner of my giveaway received his Plywerked photo on Friday, just a day after his birthday! I was tickled over the timing. I was also tickled because Sean narrowed the field to two choices and let me choose his image. That was really fun for me. I tried to take some photos before I sent it to him in Austin but in the end, they were missing that magical touch. So I asked Sean to take a photo and here is the delightful result:


Sean holding his surprise Plywerk. 
Check out his bokeh action!

Second, I have added a bonus interview with Mara to my post about Dutch Door Press. Check it out, I really loved the answers to #1 and #4 especially.

Artist Profile: Dutch Door Press

/
At the recent Maker Faire, I visited the booth of letterpress artists Mara Murphy and Anna Branning of Dutch Door Press. I loved their work so much that I wanted to share them with all of you. 



One of my goals this year is to learn more about letterpress because really, letterpress fills me with glee and awe and those are good feelings to have. (Hence #6 on the new year's list). I think I have a button near my mouth called "automatic gush mode" which happens when I get near letterpressed cards or art, not to mention "turbo gush mode" if the actual artists are nearby.

Anna and Mara were so kind and generously told me that if I ever wanted to try letterpress myself that I should really head up to San Francisco's Center for the Book. 

They were the second folks at the Maker Faire to recommend going there, plus a friend of mine from my son's school told me about it originally a few months ago. That makes for three recommendations so I guess I'll be spending some time perusing their workshop schedule and dreaming. 

Of course, it helps if you are an actual artist, which I am not, (but they are) and like I said I am a good dreamer.



Dutch Door Press is so-named after the actual dutch door in the studio and their letterpress line is based on their "mutual love of pattern, nature and vivid colors." You can find their beautiful work in their Etsy store or check this list of brick & mortars.

all images © Dutch Door Press

Bonus Q&A with Mara of Dutch Door Press!

Q: How did you learn to be a letterpress printer?

A: Anna and I both took classes at the San Francisco Center for the Book. http://www.sfcb.org/ We highly recommend using this resource. The teachers are amazing and the facilities are great for learning something like letterpress printing. After you take the classes, you are able to rent the presses to work on your own projects and there is always someone around to answer questions or help out if you need it.

Q: Do you have any advice about running a successful Etsy shop (for folks like me just starting out)?

A: Blogs are such a fantastic way to get the word about your product out. We have also paid for showcases around holidays which has been great for selling holiday specific product, like Father's Day for example. People have been so kind to us by "hearting" us and highlighting us in their treasuries as well.

Q: What is the first thing you ever bought on Etsy?

A: I bought a beautiful bird necklace for my sister-in-law. Recently I have been eyeing the cutest baby clothes for my daughter.

Q: Any thoughts to share on the letterpress action in the Will Smith movie Seven Pounds?

A: I was very disappointed at the inaccuracy that was displayed when the female character, a letterpress printer, demonstrated how to print on her platen press. She had a stack of paper and pulled only one print and when she showed it to Will Smith's character, it was a 4-color image!! It was truly baffling to me that the producers of the movie were unwilling or unable to show what an actual letterpress print looks like hot off the press!

Q: Did you take any time to wander around the Maker Faire; if so, what did you see?

A: Unfortunately, Anna and I worked alone on different days so we really didn't get much of a chance to wander around. When I had a break, I headed straight for the concessions which were delicious! Nothing better than carnival food. On the way to the food stands, I will say that I was rather impressed by the life-sized mouse trap game! Wow!!!

My heartfelt thanks to Mara of Dutch Door Press for this sweet little interview!


Library Loot

/
I have this weekly schedule in my brain which rarely gets followed in real life. Yet, in my alternate reality I go along with it dutifully:

Mondays: I go to the library (and check out a realistic number of items)
Tuesdays: I go to the beach (Half Moon Bay or Hawaii)
Wednesdays & Thursdays: I keep free (for my spontaneous, playful alter-ego) 
Fridays: I always cook fresh fish (so my family gets their omega 3s)
Saturdays: the mornings are for cleaning my house (the 4/2 Craftsman in PDX)
Sundays: I frolick gaily in a meadow with buttercups (this is probably in Yosemite)

Are you laughing yet?

Well at least last week I made it to the beach, and this week I managed to get to the library.  Check out my loot!



Books from bottom to top:

Poetry by Heart (inspiration for Friday Poems)
Apartment Therapy (because I will have space to decorate again soon)
The Dangerous Book for Boys (the rope swing planted a seed)
The Printing Press (wow, $46)
Mudworks (for the Noodle and Nana to play)
Moving (I miss Mr. Rogers)
The Triple Bind (maybe it will save me too)
Come to the Table (Jeff is off work for a week)

Roaring Camp

/
Today I got to watch the sun dance with the big trees in Roaring Camp.









And I saw a boy at peace in his natural element.



Being out in nature, among the big trees, slowed me down in the very best way. Being surrounded by nearly 60 school children and a loud steam engine did not stop me from closing my eyes and breathing deeply. I felt the sun on my eyelids contrast with the coolness of the forest.

How was your day?

Maker Faire

/
We attended the famed Maker Faire this weekend. 


photo credit: my darling husband

It was very busy, very crowded, very exciting. 
The Noodle made a pal and took stuff apart with fierce tools.



Betty and I created stuff and added it to the community project. 
She made a lady and I made a curtain. 

Here's Lady perched above my (unseen) curtain.



Carnival food and local microbrew were consumed, an artistic tee was purchased. 

Here is some of the good stuff I saw at the Bazaar Bizarre:


There is even more that I will profile in weeks to come for all of you!

The Noodle had a grand time and was exposed to lots of creative thinking. I would like a day there alone next time. I missed an entire building filled with my kind of good stuff. Drat. I did make it to a few sweet spots, including the Etsy booth!


"I simply can't believe I'm standing next to real live Etsy Admins!"

The Green Phone Booth

/

Good Morning!


I have some cheery news to share -- I am guest blogging for the first time today! My friend Michelle, aka Green Bean, (that I met through the Noodle's school) extended a warm invitation and I happily accepted it.

Please visit me over at the Green Phone Booth where "ordinary women become eco-heroes." I don't have a cape just yet, but I am learning more about my art supplies.

After I have my morning coffee out on the backyard swing (have I shared my new routine with you? I am trying to enjoy my joe instead of slurping it over the computer), I'll be back with a poem!

Ci vediamo presto!
(see you soon)

Proof

/
...that I relaxed over the weekend! Here is a rare Jess photo, as in OF me vs. BY me. This is even more rare because I am lost in my own world and unaware of the camera (my camera no less).


photo credit: my sneaky father-in-law

Here I am coming out of a deep news cave and learning all about Bernie Madoff for the first time! Are you shocked? Good I like to keep you on your toes.

Who doesn't love Vanity Fair articles? What a treat for me to read the entire story. Even though it was a total brain twist, I still can't stop thinking about it. Ponzi schemes, indeed. 

Have you read any good magazine articles lately? Share the link with me!



Fresh Starts

/
Good morning! 

How was your weekend? Mine was very restful, if a bit chilly. We visited my in-laws and had lots of good food & good wine. I took the time to read several magazines. We ended our weekend with a wonderful BBQ with many good friends. 


a garden hydrangea

Today is full of fresh starts:

Right now I am blogging on my new superfast 15" Macbook Pro from a new chair that doesn't cause lower back pain in 15 seconds! This is dreamy. I have Mail, iPhoto and Safari open all at once and my computer is not frozen like an Arctic tundra.

I am also changing the way I manage my email starting today, inspired by Mistretta (I name all my computers after Italian towns). I normally keep every single email sent or received. But I am going to try to stop that because it's based on a fear that I will have to prove something to someone someday. Every once in awhile I do get that satisfaction of proving a point. But at what cost? I know it's "virtual clutter" but I want to make way for more interesting things. So some of the email has got to go!

Finally, my darling IT Dept. is starting his new job today. His morning hasn't been as smooth as mine unfortunately, but I am hopeful his day will improve. Although he has worked for this company before, it's a fresh start for him -- there are some new people, definitely some new tasks and even a new building. 

I wish everyone a day full of fresh starts or at least, a fresh cup of coffee. :)

Happy Weekend

/
Thank you everyone for participating in my giveaway! It has brought me so much happiness to read all of your comments, read your first posts or see what your favorite posts have been here at Sweet Eventide. 

A special surprise was my Aunt JoAnne (do not call her aunt though, just call her Jo) launching her own blog accidentally while trying to leave a comment in the giveaway! Not only did that give us both a chuckle, but who knows -- maybe she'll actually continue posting. 



I have a very relaxing and fun weekend planned and I will share more about it next week. I'll be back bright and early Monday morning with the winner of the giveaway, okay? Whatever you do this weekend, spend your favorite time of day in a delightful way. ;)

Three Years Old

/

Do you ever have a tingling hunch that turns out to be right? This just happened to me about three minutes ago. I suddenly wondered when exactly in May did I start my blog?

It turns out that I began blogging on May 13, 2006 -- exactly three years ago.

May 13th is is also a special friend's birthday so let me take this opportunity to say "Happy Birthday Jenni" -- because she has the most cheerful smile and spirit! (Jenni loves the color blue).

I think a spontaneous celebration is in order, don't you?

Leave me a comment on this post by Friday, May 15th at 5 p.m. PST with a link to your very first blog post. If you don't have a blog, no worries. Enter a link to one of your favorite posts of mine -- the archives are right over there to your left. The winner will be chosen randomly by the Noodle out of a bike helmet. The gift? A 4x6 photo (of course) from my shop mounted by Plywerk.

Let my birthday party begin!

Happy Blog Birthday to me!

True Love

/

I've been working on my expectations never always lately and especially yesterday on Mother's Day. Usually all that really matters to me is a card -- I love me some greeting cards. Most years, my boys have let me sleep in and then they surprised me with a bouquet of hand-picked wildflowers.

This year, all I really wanted was for my Noodle to treat me kindly as lately I'm the object of his anger for whatever reason. I didn't want a gift or to be waited on all day long. I had a mix this year -- I was very surprised with the gift of a massage and chauffeur service to and from the appointment. But my Noodle and I had several low moments from breakfast all the way through to dinner.

I am not here to post about that ick though. I'm here to share the beautiful card my husband made for me and how meaningful it was to me.

My Kinderkram Waldorf fairy from Treehouse in the Glen


You see, I am not the most naturally playful mama you'll ever meet. I was not a very playful child either. I bought myself this red fairy a few months ago to remind me that there is a playful part of me buried inside. But then I forgot to play with my playful reminder fairy.

What makes this card so special is not even that I have never received a drawing from my husband in our almost-eight-year history (and this drawing amazes me so!) No, the card is special because of the thought behind it. He knew that this year I needed more than words. I needed to see that my playful spirit exists. Even on a hard day when it is buried in the Hudson River like a Mafia victim; along with my loving kindness.

That, dear friends, is true love.

And Then...

/
Six years ago, at 3:04 a.m., my Noodle was born.

It's hard not to be emotional on your child's birthday, at least for this mama. We've been through a lot over these years, and he's taught me more about myself than I ever really wanted to know. He's taught me how to love in a way that I never thought was possible. He's taught me about being an artist.

He's teaching me about forgiveness. He's teaching me to pay attention to the little things. He's teaching me that time doesn't slow down for anyone, so I need to try harder to grab every moment that I can.

He's challenged me, frustrated me, made me cry tears of joy, love, anger, sadness and worry. Six is a whole new thing -- a whole new section for clothing, a whole new vocabulary from school, a whole new level of independence.

So when he asks for extra snuggles at night or for an extra round of the sunshine song?

I'll be right there sweet boy.

Because just yesterday, he was born. I lost a lot of sleep and freedom and suddenly he was one. I spent the next two years chasing him around, keeping him safe from himself and dealing with tantrums the likes of which I had never heard of before. I woke up one day and he was four, rational, eloquent, the big kid at preschool. But before my heart could even recover, he was five and off to kindergarten. Of course that happened about five minutes ago in mama-time.

And then?



...I wrapped his gifts.


...I hoped glitter stickers would show him.


...I watched him smile,
a rare treat this hard year.


...I poured my heart and soul out through my arms,
into his neck and hopefully deep into his heart and soul.

Happy Birthday baby.


Blog Crush: Color Me Katie

/
I am hereby, on the spot, creating a new feature here in my Sweet Eventide. It is called Blog Crush where I will crush on a new-to-me blog.  

Drumroll please...

my first edition of Blog Crush is on Color Me Katie. 

Because: 

1. She does guerilla art like The Shadow Project. If you read the comments on that post alone, you will realize that this is not unusual for Katie's brain.



2. She gets wet paint on her favorite coat and is she grumpy? No. Does she trash or recycle it? No. She flippin' upcycles it with vintage buttons that her grandpa gave her from her grandma's collection. 

3. She really understands and shares how to live the good life.

I thought I was ready to click "publish post," but I kept browsing her blog first. This is how I am able to tell you that I found a picture she took that reminds me an awful lot of one in my Flickr favorites. Even though it's not Katie's photo, it's too coincidental. It's more like very mysterious, isn't it?

I'm off to put her in my feed reader under "Inspiring." 

Happy Weekend!

The Behavior of Birds

/
I have a sad category of blogs that I follow about children with cancer. It is not easy to spend time on these blogs but I am a cancer survivor and that will always be a part of me. I'm also a mother, so my heart will always be affected by these stories. Visiting these blogs can be hard but stunningly important, as they often contain beautiful reminders about living.

I would like to share excerpts of such a reminder today, from Xinxin's blog.

"Have you ever observed the behaviour of birds in the face of adversity? For days and days they make their nests, sometimes gathering materials brought from far away. And when they have completed the nest and are ready to lay eggs, the weather, or the work of humans, or some animal destroys it, and it falls to the ground, all that they have done with so much effort. 

Do they stop? Bewildered, and leave the work? No way....It hurts to go back to begin again...Even so, the birds do not ever stop, they continue to sing and build, and keep singing and building...


© Jaroslaw Pocztarski

Do you sometimes get the feeling that your life, your work, your family is not what you had dreamed? Do you sometimes want to say "enough"... it is all too much for me! 

Do not worry if you get injured in the battle, that is to be expected. Gather yourself together and rebuild your life, so that it runs well again...Life is a constant challenge, but it is worthwhile to mostly accept it. And never stop singing."


Currently, my life is not what I've dreamed. We are a one-income family and my husband's employer is going out of business in May. We are knee-deep in a very stressful job search in two states. The worry list is miles long, the reserves of patience and strength are never enough. 

I made a decision awhile ago to avoid discussing serious kinds of things here in my happy place, but I want to be real too. I will try not worry about the injuries to my spirit right now, they are to be expected at a time like this. I will try to mostly accept it, and remember that this too shall pass.

Sweet Eventide continues to be my song, and I won't stop singing anytime soon.

On My Desk

/
I am a bit frustrated by my home environment lately, and the current target is my desk: "If only I had a bigger/better/everything desk, my whole life would be all better!" 

LOL. 

You know that kind of logical fallacy, don't you? Maybe your hair has been the target? "If I can control my hair, I can control my life!" Or so we hope...

In any case, my angst led me to this very interesting blog called On My Desk where "artists, illustrators, designers & creative folk share the stuff on their desks."

So in all its ugly glory, I thought I'd share the current state of my too small/not-good-enough desk!


The essentials: coffee cup, glasses, stapler, beloved lamp.


Calendar (unused since iPhone),
unused iTunes cards (why do I collect and never download?), 
a love note from the Noodle


Evidence of a month-long illness and a wicked, wicked bag of receipts


Let's look up to the left and away from the desk: 
a gifted, charming birdie, a drawing from the Noodle and a color wheel!


Okay this was a little fun even though there is a lot of work waiting for me on the desk. And if you have a better way of dealing with your receipts, I beg you to tell me about it.

Artist Profile: Kaypee Soh

/
Check out this series of prints about eventide by Hawaiian artist Kaypee Soh. 

© Kaypee Soh


"His art reflects his love for the abundance of color, texture and pattern found in nature. All art begins with a photograph taken by Kaypee, and is slowly built upon, layer by layer, with handwork, other images and coloring."

His artwork, photography and pillows can be customized and purchased in the So'mace Lifestyle Shop and you can also follow their modern pacific inspired design blog.

Playing Favorites

/

Buon giorno!



I have a busy week ahead of me so I thought I'd start it off by escaping  into my Flickr favorites. It might sound counter-intuitive, but I have a hunch it will be a good investment of time.

Do you already need an escape this Monday morning?

Today my favorite favorite is Purple Haze. 
Ahhh....dreamy.

There I feel better now. Time to attack that list!