Friday Poems: Sea Fever

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Yesterday I took the Noodle and my 9 y.o. cousin out for a few adventures, including playing at Mission Bay. When I lived here in San Diego, I rarely went to Mission Bay but now I see it is a truly great place to go with kids. Calm waters, lots of sand = happy kids. 

You can't help but have sea fever here between all the Navy sightings and sailboats, not to mention the clear blue skies and windy afternoons.

Froggie says, "I must go down to the seas again!"

Sea Fever
by John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and
  the sky.
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white 
  sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn
  breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the
  running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-
  gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy
  life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's 
  like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-
  rover,
And quite sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's 
  over.


You all know what I'll be doing this weekend -- driving back north through the lovely state of California. My husband is flying in tonight to help me out, isn't he the best!?! I'm a lucky gal. Sunday, I may or may not be priming the wood paneling in the new house. The big move is next Thursday.

I wish you a wonderful summer weekend!

Artist Profile: Dutch Door Press

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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

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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)

Poppytalk & Squarespace Giveaways

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There are some amazing giveaways going on that I feel obligated to tell my sweet readers about just in case they aren't already in the know. 

There is a *massive* letterpress giveaway over at Poppytalk and you can enter until the end of the day on Thursday. Click here to see all the pretty choices! 

Here are the prints I hope I win: Twirl by Elise Joy and Poppy by Delphine Press.




Squarespace is an awesome website platform that I have recently signed up with as I am planning lots of new features for Sweet Eventide and feel too limited here on Blogger. Lo & behold but they are hosting an awesome iPhone giveaway for the entire month of June! 

Twitter is very fun and manageable so don't be scared. Sign up and send a little tweet to enter! Just add "#squarespace" into your tweet to have a chance. I sure did!

Best of luck to all of us!

I'm late for the chiropractor now -- oops!

Gouache Me

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Buon giorno!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend like I did. Mine included some rest & relaxation, watching my boy climb a rope ladder he made with his Daddy and Nana, visiting with an old friend, riding bikes to the ice cream store, reading magazines and even a little painting.



gouache: etymology -- French, from Italian guazzo, literally a puddle

I used these delicious gouache paints by Pelikan. I plan to get my own set someday -- I think they are magical. I am not an artist or a painter but these colors sure make my brush swirl around the paper in a fashionable way.

You may notice two of my "paintings" resemble the colors around here at Sweet Eventide. It's a very long story but I am working on creating new graphics for the blog and shop so that I will have full ownership of them.

This weekend we also showed our new rental house to our loved ones. We weren't planning to house hunt just yet but one little visit to Craigslist last weekend turned up an opportunity we couldn't resist. It's in our price range, takes large dogs and is close to the Noodle's school. Here is our new front door.



It looks a lot like our last front door. We have a thing for houses from the 1940s, this will be our third home from that era. We will move in about a month. The house is, shall we say, quirky? Yes quirky is nicer than other words. It suits our needs and we're looking forward to making it comfortable.

It's a big week ahead with the last week of school and also, my darling husband is taking a week away from his new job. What do you call those, stay-cations or something? We're hoping to work on our storage units in preparation for the big move and maybe even do a little camping to celebrate the end of kindergarten.

Did you do anything special this weekend?

Friday Poems: Next Time

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I read the following poem the other day after seeing it in a photo on SouleMama's post Snapshots. It is a long, wonderful post imho. I recently ordered Amanda's book The Creative Family with the balance on an Amazon gift card. I am so excited for it to arrive.

In the meantime, enjoy this lovely poem.


My MIL got the most darling market umbrella ever!

Next Time
by Mary Oliver

Next time what I'd do is look at
the earth before saying anything. I'd stop
just before going into a house
and be an emperor for a minute
and listen better to the wind
  or to the air being still.

When anyone talked to me, whether
blame or praise or just passing time,
I'd watch the face, how the mouth 
has to work, and see any strain, any
sign of what lifted the voice.

And for all, I'd know more -- the earth
bracing itself and soaring, the air
finding every leaf and feather over
forest and water, and for every person
the body glowing inside the clothes
  like a light.

I hope you all glow inside like this pretty umbrella in my backyard, begging for summer evenings, laughter and lemonade. And lifted voices! 

Enjoy your weekend!

Ciao,
Jess

Roaring Camp

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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

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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!"

Friday Poems: Littlefoot, 19

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Mrs. French has done it again, gone into Flickr with a dreamy vision  that goes straight from her heart into mine. This time it's pink peonies. As I commented there, I passed up a bunch of pink peonies just the other day, but now I am determined to get some to enjoy this weekend.*


© 2006, Pear Biter


Thus inspired, I went looking for a poem. Since I cannot control line spacing here in my blog, I have done a screen shot from Poets.org because it seems clear to me that the spacing is a key visual element to Charles Wright.

Littlefoot, 19 [This is the bird hour]
by Charles Wright



















* I have a hunch that Ribelli and I will be spending some time together this weekend. (Are you wondering, "Who is the mysterious Ribelli?" Well, I just this instant decided to name my camera -- she is a rebel and everything sounds better to me in Italiano.)

The Green Phone Booth

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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

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...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

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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. :)

Friday Poems: Where I'm From

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Today's post comes to us via this awesome blog Writers in the Schools. They aim to engage children in the "pleasure and power of reading and writing."The blog features work by K-12 kids in their program. Incredible!


Where I'm From
by Maria, 3rd grade

I am from the beach in Acapulco
that smells so fresh,
from the ice cream that melts
in the hot, hot sun,
the waves that come and go,
from the sand that people use
to build sandcastles at sunset.

I am from the food cooking
in the warm kitchen,
the barking that my dog does
when he is hungry,
from the cup of water that I drink.

I am from the bread I like to smell,
from the voices of people trying
to talk to each other,
and the bread coming out of the oven.
I'm from my Mom who I touch
so that I will not get lost.

Oh my goodness! I'm squealing with delight over this poem! It was posted just this very morning too. Let's all go leave Maria a comment on her poem! Plus then you can see the photo they posted with her poem...


Flickr Vacation: Italian Beach Umbrellas

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I miss being at the beach, especially an Italian beach with its ironic rows of orderly chairs and beach umbrellas. Luckily we don't need our passports to go on vacation today. Buon viaggio!


Toscano Grosseto


Torre Lapillo


Enfola Beach



Cinque Terre


Saline Beach


Monterosso al Mare

Photography credits, top to bottom: 

Pigtail Party

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I am not exactly having a love affair with my hair lately. I know this is a "luxury worry" because my cancer is gone and my husband has found a new job in a terrible economy. However, I cut it short in December to rave reviews from everyone but me. After giving the short do two tries, I am trying to grow it a bit. 

For now, I am only able to make little baby piggies using lotsa bobby pins. But while I wait for my hair to grow, I can have a Pigtail Party with Flickr.


mosaic from Big Huge Labs

Center photo: 

Top Row: 

Second Row: 

Third Row: 
8. Chiara 1, 9. Pigtails, 

Bottom Row: 
12. Pigtails, 13. pigtails

Good Morning! and Giveaway Winner!

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Good morning friends! 

I am home from a relaxing two days at the beach with my husband and two of our dear friends, Jamie & Jay. Yes, 2+2 still equals 4 and there were four Js. We walked, talked, kited, snacked, took photos (lots), dined & wined & beered, 1/2 of us skated and 1/4 of us watched a movie while 3/4 of us snoozed. All in all, it was fabulous. 
 


When I got home from the beach weekend, we spent some time with our little boy (I missed him so much) and then, then I couldn't wait any longer to do my giveaway! I wrote everyone's name on a colorful slip of paper and put them all in an empty vase. 

I snapped a photo of all the entries for you.



Then I asked my MIL to draw the winner. I was so excited to see who would win! What is that you're saying? You want to know too? Well here you go!



Congratulations Sean aka BLG aka Bright Light Guy! The guy who makes my oldest friend on the planet smile every single day! I am thrilled and truthfully more than a bit humbled as he is a fine photographer himself. Sean, I think there was a hidden clause in this giveaway and you are required to open a Flickr account before you get your prize. Just kidding, but please do email me at sweet.eventide at yahoo dot com for details on your prize.

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for being loyal readers and for coming to my birthday party. It has been so much fun and believe me, there will be more fun to come if I have anything to say about it. 

I know I said the Noodle would choose the winner from a bike helmet but the Noodle partied way too hard with all his grandparents this weekend and had to go to bed before the drawing of the winner.

I would like to wish everyone a great Monday and I'll be back tomorrow with a set of pictures from the beach. We are off to Sacramento today* for a rally on the steps of the Capitol to raise awareness about the dire lack of funding for public schools here in California. It will be a meaningful day!


* I am scheduling this post from the night before because we have to leave so early for our big day. I thought 6:33 sounded pretty good, LOL.