Regina Regina

So there was just no way that I could refrain from posting about Regina Spektor's new album, 'Far'. We have been listening to Regina for some time up in here, but I gotta say, I didn't expect this album to sweep me right off my feet like it has. It is an album filled with tenderness, delight, tragedy and heartbreak. So many of the tunes of this album are delivered in a playfully upbeat songs that weave a magical web right around you. However, there is this extraordinarily great thing about Regina... she wins you immediately with her powerfully rich, coffee like voice and cheerful sound... and then slowly you realize the shadowy, weighted lyrics underneath. And these lyrics seem to say some things you have felt or thought or sensed before, but could never quite put into the right words. It is a lovely little package that steals your heart away.

Perhaps, this captivating hypnosis that Regina can cast over her listeners is some kind of vampy dark magic that comes from the heart of Moscow (her home till the age of 9) or maybe it is just the result of hearing a true artist amongst so much of the clamour of an music industry inundated with "talent" that more the result of crafty studio execs and pr managers.... I don't know, but I do know that she charmed me completely as I listened to her lovely interview on NPR the other day, and I think that is what sent me over the moon for her. She seems to have this playfully friendly magic that springs out of her that is irresistible. That kind of super fan doesn't come out of me too terribly often. So I find myself thinking of the early Bjork era (before the days of Matthew Barry or the attacking of Japanese journalists and such) where everyone simply thought of her as this lovely little Icelandic fairy fluttering to and fro and producing magical off the wall sounds that could only sweep you away to some place with lots of colors.  

And yes, Rolling Stone calls often for my album reviews.

Apple core discoveries

so the past few weeks I have found myself "doing" less and just be ing more... if that makes any sense. I think something in me somewhere was a bit lost... wondering what I am doing... if I purposeful in my days... if I am living my calling or whatever you would like to name that purpose for your life. so, when I find myself in this familiar place I tend to stop... open pages of written word... think more... produce less... and try to listen to the words of my heart and seek the guidance that does not come from places I see and touch and know everyday. I can't express all that this search is yielding just yet, but I will say that I have discovered two things yet again. First, that I am just where I am meant to be... here, at this place I now know for certain is home. And Second, that we will always be homesick for a place we have never known.

And perhaps discoveries like these hold something in common with the drawings and photographs of the remains of various produce I keep finding filling the pages of volumes and volumes of sketchbooks.

Or perhaps I just feel I have something in common with an apple core.

Summer days

With the onset of the hot weather, we have found ourselves outside with the hose more often than not. Last summer I scored an awesome sprinkler ball (yes, they do make a GIANT beach ball that hooks up to your hose and sprays water everywhere! Awesome!) and have just now started to break it in again... gotta say that there is nothing that draws a neighborhood full of homebound kids in the summer like a simple sprinkler. I'm so glad that it doesn't take much....
Here are a few views of our recent days... I have a wierd knack for photographing my kiddos at unlikely angles.... they will probably hate this as they get older.... but for now I get to savor all those great shots of their tiny hands, rolly polly legs and sweet little toes!

Lavender uncut volume 2,403

So Lavender's new favorite thing is to lay and I do mean lay all over Chloe (our relatively new dog). Yes, Chloe seems to double as a giant pillow. And Lavender seems to have decided that Chloe is by far the best transportable reading spot. Yep, most days I find them cuddled up together while Lavender is "reading." So funny...

Yesterday we were in the car and this is what Lavender busted out on me...

L: Mom, do you need to be safe?
Me: What?
L: In the car... are you to be safe?
Me: I hope so.
L: Yeah... cause this is a BIG road.
Me: Yes, it is.... and I am being very careful
L: Because of the fast cars, huh
Me: yep
L: yeah, you gotta look out for cheese
Me: Huh?
L: and Poles
Me: sure
L: and houses and cars
Me: a huh
L: and flags too


What tha.....

New Birdies

these little tweeties flew off to comfort a good friend whose own nest is just about to make room for one more. Grace, I am so excited for you guys and can't wait to meet 'Green'... eh eh eh!!!

On we go

So here is a collection of randomness... lovely little snippets of our days that somehow never actually made it onto a post. There just don't seem to be the right words to describe the cuteness of leg warmers on a almost 2 year old, the beauty of a wreath of Euonymus framing Lavender's pretty face, the way sun tea seems to taste better than tea from the kettle, how a puppy looks at you with those big sweet eyes or the way paint dries on tiny hands....
so when words fall short, the camera comes out.
And on snipping pics I will go.

At long last

At very long last these pieces are complete. Now that I have journeyed with these works to a place somewhat resembling completion, I take a step back. I realize that they don't look like too much... in a great way, I think.
What I mean is that throughout history, silhouettes have been used to preserve moments and capture memories. And they always seem to have an unencumbered simplicity about them that communicates nothing but an effortless, humble, everyday kind of beauty. Perhaps this is their nature... they are frank in their intentions, source and purpose... and their very presence is so often a testimony of a familial love. Maybe all these things are why I love them... they are unpretentious and made for a home, the antithesis of a vacant gallery space... and yet they are just as lovely in composition and form as a great work of 'fine art.'

And ya know what the most amusing thing is... hidden behind these simple silhouettes lies hours and hours of studio time, fine paper swatches, beeswax test strips and multiple silhouette sketches. No one will ever know how many 'test runs' were put put to critique and failed before the ones you see made it onto the canvas.
I guess nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Thomas the Train gone wild

This past weekend we took little Laughfer Daffer to the Thomas the Train event at the Chattanooga Railroad (thanks townleys!!!). And as you can see, I got a little camera happy. Maybe I was just a bit too giddy about all the free kiddie activities. The place was totally sensory overload ville.... giant bubble wands, train sets, Thomas tattoos (seemingly temporary), a petting zoo, an inflattable jumper and other stuff... I'm sure the is something that I'm leaving out.... like some poor teenage kid trapped in a giant Sir Toppem Hat costume getting toppelled by an onslaught of pre-schoolers! eh eh eh
And as you can imagine, they loved it.... the funny thing was that I think they liked all the free activities more than they got into the actual train ride, which ya gotta have a ticket for! I guess it's the same as those first christmases... when they like the box more than the actual present... don't ya just love that about little people???
So, for all you Chatt town parents out there... this little outing is definitely worth your while... you just can't beat all that activity filled fun for free yo!

And one last thing... you gotta make sure to think of all your old school photos when you check out that last one of Lavender and Matthew in front of Thomas... totally reminds me of my old prom pics!!!! so funny!!!

This makes me want to make BIG art

'Just her size'

Since this crew spent our little ol' easta sunday making sick couches and tending to snotty noses, my moms and I decided we still had to put those pretty Easter dresses to good use. So, we girls went out for tea. Yep, yep... you guessed it... The English Rose was the spot for such a grand affair... this is Chatt town, where else would we go??  

Anyways... I gotta tell ya, I was a little antsy about this. I had images of tea cups and saucers flying through the air and meany pants looks from stuffy old ladies bouncing around in my head. But, I was delighted to see that all the fears I had built up in my head were fruitless. The ladies in the Rose were happy to have us and my girls just made me proud!
It was so charming to watch Lavender enjoying such finery and being such a little lady. And miss Autumn Marie was so into the little spoonfuls of hot tea we shared. And as I watched my little women soaking up all the lovely little details I re-realized that all those cute dainty things really do communicate such important messages. They say "You are such a very special treasure" and "The everyday does not always have to be so ordinary".  I think for me, in the chaos of flying toys and shouts of 'No' and 'Mine' it is just too easy to coast... to be a bit on autopilot.... to just make sure that everyone gets food and is clean (relatively). 

And when I hear Lavender tell her Daddy about the "tiny teacup that was just her size" I beam.

My 32 years

so today is my actual birthday and and I am not one to shy away from spilling the beans on my age... i am exactly 32 years old today and grateful for every moment of it. In fact I don't know why peeps are so into hiding their age... don't they know that every one of those years was not only a glorious gift, but also holds the keys to who you are and why you are... they have the power to reveal the stuff of your life... the achievements, the treasures, the heartbreaks and all the lessons learned in between.


I guess what I love the most about this day of the year coming around are the reflections that this celebration carries with it. There is always a time every birthday where you face yourself... your life... and the stuff of your days over the last year. And somehow I am always surprised surprised by the depth of my joys, how much my kids have grown and all the bittersweetness of that year.

So I guess I'm just here saying... Thank you, god... for my 32 years and for the incredible family I have to share them with.

Boo Ya !!! Got em done!

so I have been basking in the tiniest rays of accomplishment for the past few days...
You know how there are just some things that are always poking at the back of your brain begging and begging you to complete them???
Well, I finally put my little hands to work on some of those guys and got em done!!! Yes!

I wanted to make something for our mantle that was whimsical, but familial... something about or relating to the people who fill this lovely little home... and I finally got it done! I gotta say that the orange is just right... perfect shade and the the vineyness really works the way I wanted too, but I will say it is a little varsityish for me... Perhaps a little bird or something will have to perch itself on that letter.

And I did promise Lavender I would show off all her lovely works of art that we put up in her new "gallery" - got some talent, eh...

and finally I just wanted to show off this lovely paper (I promise it's the last time!). I thought the big glorious blooms and insects were just too pretty not to look at them everyday.

Why is paper so very addictive??

Full, but not too full

this weekend some how hit that nice space between being full and too full... somehow we were able to get a lot done and still do so many of the things we had hoped to squeeze in without feeling to pressed. I don't know why that it such a remarkable thing to achieve, but it is.

here are some highlights:

My Josh ran 13 whopping miles!!
We (i.e. Josh) built a lovely raised garden bed
Got inspired by wonderful art
Heard a kickin' country gospel band
Listened to the thunder
Saw an old acquaintance
Got temporary tattoos
Dug up two random plants in our yard
Finally purchased that lovely lovely paper!
watched Autumn discover her shadow for the first time

I know these 'highlights' gotta seem silly to some, but for us they really were joyous little treasures. And for you cats who weren't able to make it out to 4 Bridges this year, you gotta check out these cats:
Chattanooga's own Peter Delong Vaughn... his simple compositions seem to speak volumes with their ample spaciousness and uncluttered easiness on the eyes. (and his work made the 4 Bridges coveted promotion spot too!)
Amanda Blake (http://www.amandablakeart.com/) and her warm familial images that seem to throw winks to Van Gogh and Gauguin and maybe a little Basquiat too.

And the Jurors choice in awarding Aaron Hequembourg (I threw in a pic for ya) the best 2D mixed media award really did hit the mark. His portraits carry the echoes of many many lives well lived and impress upon the viewer this sense of a profoundly purposeful time so very unlike the one in which we find ourselves. I could say so much more about his work and about the whole collective of artists that we visited with and work that we took in, but
there are many things to be done and minutes upon minutes slipping away.

I hope your weekend was fruitful... always feels so affirmative to get one of those, eh...