Hello! And Happy Friday!
Wow…thanks for all your lovely responses to my internship post. I’m learning more and more how wonderful it is to be part of such a wonderful creative community. Not all communities are gracious and wonderful, and I’m just so happy to be associated with such genuine people! Thank you! I had a much bigger response than I can use, but I’m once again reminded that though I work from home by myself….we really are all so willing to help each other. Thank you!

I’ve just come back from a quick spin to NYC (which was a fantastic adventure that I’ll share next week) so I’ve been absent from here for a bit.

But before I do that…I’m asking you for some advice. Parenting advice.

So I think I have the Easter picture curse. Do you? Or is it just me? You probably don’t remember these pictures, but this is how every Easter measures up.

Don’t get me wrong: I adore these pics….so much! But sometimes I just wish I could capture that single picture where everyone is looking at the camera…everything is in focus, and the children look happy and relaxed. Just one!

Seriously. I think I took like 157 pictures. The lighting was beyond perfect. It was minutes before church (and we were actually dressed and ready early!) but I honestly couldn’t get all 3 to look at me let alone give me a natural smile. We were all laughing the whole way…because they really are meant for the stage and come up with the wittiest things to say and do with each other. But every year, we end up with the silly pics (which depicts real life for sure!)

I laugh, because the only shot where I got them all to look at the camera was when I told them to act like Kings and Queens  (which I realize was a silly request because I guess Kings and Queens don’t smile much. Oops!)

So, suggestions welcome for how to get a group of overly loving and dramatic children to hold still and look pleasant for the camera? I really think the answer is wearing your camera during waking hours all day everyday, so that when the moment comes, you are ready. Not very good at that one.

So, do share: are your good pics on accident? Or do you have tricks. I have a whole year to practice:)

Although, I do have to say…when they are on their own, they are magic. Heart-breaker, he is.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

xo

sarah

You know when you have one of “those” weeks? It still seems ironic that I’m speaking on the balance of home life and work life this next week at ALT.

Maybe this week came as a reminder at how precious that balance can be!

This week:

Ella had the croup (including major breathing scare), stomach flu and head cold

Ian: head cold and stomach flu

Addie: Head cold

Me: Stomach flu and head cold

Kenneth: miraculously steered clear, but was designated laundry doer

All while…

I finished a fabric line due this week (oooh! It’s cute!!) and managed to pull 2 all nighters and several other rather intensive nights of work

I finished a chapter book illustrations due this week

I spoke in Relief Society (my church’s women’s organization) on entrepreneurship

My trusty $$$ printer of 5 years died  on me right in the middle of a very long and important job

Prepped for speaking at ALT this week (boy…do I have a lot to say on family balance!)

And managed to really start my sugar free living. It’s awesome by the way.

* * * * *

Let’s just say I’m pretty pooped. And in very good spirits because we have a 3 day weekend.

But in thinking about this MYTH of work life balance, I really do have a lot to say.

I’ve had some really awesome discussions with my fellow speakers, Brooke from INCHMARK, Kathryn from SNIPPET AND INK, CHRYSULA from Chrysula Winegar …… and they all have such wonderful insights. But I think we’ve all come to agree that “balance” doesn’t mean do all things well all the time, on time and in time. Rather, it means that you shift from section to section in your life, in good communication with those who support you (your spouse, etc.) and that you are realistic about what you need to do and when.

This week was one of those exception weeks when it all comes to a head and all energy is focused forward.

There are other weeks when the home is the main project. And then maybe work deadlines fall into the next week’s focus. There really isn’t such thing as doing it “all.” And that I guess is a big part of what I’m speaking of on Thursday.

When I am working really intensely on designing, my laundry piles up. High. And then when I’m getting house projects done, I get a little behind on work. But it’s an ebb and flow, and that’s called balance.

I think for a very long time I was plagued by this false notion that to be a good mom and to keep a good house, I’d have to be all things for all people. Ha! That idea didn’t last long.

Now, my family is just as much a part of my work as my work is a part of my family. It’s a dance that is hard to really outline, but it’s worked out so far due to a fantastic husband who comes home from work and cooks dinner, and my kids who are so incredibly supportive of their artist mom.

Just yesterday Addie proudly came out of her room wearing all her Sarah Jane attire. She hugged me and said “I love wearing all your art, Mommy.”

I’m still in game of learning how to swing less dramatically from project to project, and I’m pressed on capturing those “still” moments and holding onto them as long as possible. Being still, taking time to enjoy each moment for what it is, is so vital to balanced living. My home will never be Martha Steward ready but my home can be happy and filled with laughter (even when one of the family members…I won’t say who….dropped all the fresh eggs from the day on the floor yesterday) which to me is a perfectly balanced home.

I won’t say it’s easy. There is a rhythm that is so personal to our home and to Kenneth and I. He’s out in the garage designing a trade show booth with the kids, while I have Addie on my studio floor drawing while I work on a deadline.  But that’s the way we roll. Most days my work is done when the kids come home from school, and I won’t touch it again until they are in bed. But work still creeps into family living, and it’s been a learning curve these past couple years. But it’s all beautiful!

I’ll be sharing more of what we discuss at ALT during our panel. If you are attending, be sure to come! It’s going to be powerhouse. Lot’s of ideas for sure!

And, because I can’t post without a sketch of the day:

Slow and steady wins the race.

Cheers!

Addie’s birthday was this last week.  I’ll never be able to celebrate her birthday without thinking of my own entrance into the wonderful world of Life with Children. Are you the same way?

This years cake? A Flower Bouquet Candelabra, which is what Addie wanted.

I think. I can’t exactly remember how the idea came about.

It’s pretty to look at, fun to put together…. and never leaves leftovers (which I prefer:)

And because I know you’ll ask:

THE DIRT:

The cup is filled with chocolate truffle, or fudge would work too (it needs to be a heavy substance to hold the weight of the skewers) which is made ahead of time, poured into the cup and chilled.

THE FLOWERS:

are nothing more than donut holes, dipped in the same chocolate, dipped in sprinkles and poked with skewers. Eclairs would be lighter weight and pretty too!

This week I’m celebrating 7 years of being a mom in my robe, slippers, and washing bedding and towels. We’ve been hit with the flu, and some how it all feels very similar to my entrance into motherhood seven years ago! Now there just more children who are even more fun to snuggle and be flat out exhausted with!

Have a great week to you all!

We have bandit chickens at our house. 19 of them.

I’m drowning in deadlines at the moment ( the catchup after the holiday was a bit stark! Yes?) and the only thing that is keeping me from insanity (I get a little mad-scientist-ish when I’m working tight deadlines) is hearing that BAHK-BAHK-B-B-B-BAHK-ing from the chickens. They are the funniest creatures on the planet.

This afternoon, Ella and I had an afternoon nap on the front yard (the place the chickens aren’t supposed to get to when we let them roam…ahem) and I hear that familiar crinkling sound of the dried leaves (oh ya…did I mention that we live in Utah and it still hasn’t snowed? I don’t get it.)

Anyways.

Chickens: “Rustle, Rustle, click, clack. B-BAHK!”  Right in my face.

Translation: “Hi. I just jumped the fence and escaped and broke all the chicken laws. And now I’m going to tell you about it.”

Yes, escape. We have bandit chickens.

Have you ever seen a chicken jump? Aside from an awkward teenager doing the Mackarana, I can’t really give you a better idea of how histerically funny looking they are. We let the chickens have free reign in the yard, and while our fences are enclosed, there is one particular chicken, Snowflake (the only chicken that looks different than the rest) makes it a point to go as far as she can every time.  It’s become a game now. And besides the fact that she dug up our tulip bulbs in the front yard, it’s really pretty funny.

But we have pretty awesome chicken catchers. Yep. We start ‘em young.

It’s as close to sports as we get in our house.

If you need a good laugh this weekend, I recommend chasing a chicken. Or at least imagining yourself chase a chicken.

See? Gotcha.

Have an awesome friday.

I have a fox in my kitchen. A really awesome-fun-to-be-around-fox. He’s a chef. And he cooks things. And while you never know what you are going to get, it’s always really really good.

Massaman Curry? Yum. Chocolate Torte with Raspberry? Yes please. Rustic European loaf with imported cheese? Love.

Today was cranberry apple bread and homemade turkey soup. Tomorrow will be something completely different.

But here’s the problem. He’s an artist in the kitchen. And like me, he’s hard to pin down. He is sneaky and mysterious and you never know what he will invent. Although, you never worry, because it’s always a.maz.ing.

The problem? I can’t get him to write a single thing down. Mostly because he is a busy father. But also, because he never makes the same thing twice. And really, that’s what it takes to write down your recipes. First time is the playing, and the second time is the recollecting.

So this is where I am putting on a little pressure. We all need a little, right?  I’ve been wanting to illustrate more food lately, and I’ve convinced him that I’d illustrate his recipes if he wrote a few down. How does that sound? Pretty wonderful. His mother will love us for it. He’s going to love me for it. And every one else who has been privileged to be at his table.

So, 2012…the year of some illustrated recipes? Maybe even prints? Hmmmm…..smells good;)

I’m back! Oh my goodness. Talk about a week of recharging and getting back to my roots. I don’t even know where to start!

Kenneth and I spent our honeymoon Kauai, my first time taking him to my favorite place on earth. He “got it” right away, and fell in love with the locals, the islands and the island culture after having spent time with my mother and her pigeon-english, her obsession with water and the color green. We’ve planned on coming back (without kids) all these years, and finally made it! My parents were planning a trip as well, and so we combined our stay.

So, everyone has their “home” place, right?  Home is wherever I am with my husband and children, but there are certain places that take me back to my real authentic self….free of all the hats that I tend to wear. The place where I can just “BE.”

Hawaii is that place for me.

But maybe not for the same reasons that people like to travel to Hawaii. The islands are that place for me, because that is where my mother, and her mother and her mother call home. Since the early 30′s my mother’s side of the family has history on that island. My Father as well, with 3 generations of his father’s serving their LDS missions there. There’s a story of my Great Grand Father helping princess Lelekulani from tipping in a canoe. There are lots of stories.

And lots of memories. My very first memories are of the color of the ocean looking down from my Great grandmother’s apartment. I stood up for the first time on the beach on Oahu and my first car-sick experience was at the age of 1 on the road to Hana. To this day, I still get carsick.

My first experiences and memories of color are from when I was 2 1/2 visiting my family. It’s a really special place.

Hana is a remote town 2 hours from anything or any major location on Maui. It’s one of the few places that locals have been able to keep “real Hawaii.” Probably because it’s only accessable by car, on a windy one lane road (well, 2 lane, but it’s really the size of one lane!) that only lets you go about 15 miles an hour because (and my mother and grandfather counted once) 397 switchbacks one way.

My Great Grandfather purchased a small plot of land there in the 30′s. And I’m so glad he did. Land filled with roaming cattle, horses, and chickens. Rain forest jungle and jetting black cliffs covered in green mossy grasses. Waterfalls by the hundreds. 57 bridges. Hikes you won’t find on any map. There is only one real beach, and it happens to be the most amazing beach I’ve ever been to on any of the islands. There are 2 tiny stores crammed with random imported goods, horrible cell reception and we didn’t even seem to notice that the internet would cut out several times a day. And finally, my favorite local people who always remind me how to truly live in the present. It was heaven.

I can’t even share all that we did and didn’t do on our trip…there is too much! But I do want to say how much I love this place.

We hiked every morning, and swam every afternoon. It felt so amazing to move my body this much. Working as I do, and with 3 kids, I don’t get out much any more. I’m usually sitting in the car, on the computer, at my art table or standing in the kitchen or laundry room. And I’ve been terrible about exercise these past 2 years. Ooooooooh it felt so good. Every morning I’d have a fresh papaya from the tree in the back yard, hike on mostly unmarked trails and explored the back jungles, have fresh fruit and veggies from the road side stands for lunch, and then go swim in the ocean for hours on end. It was such a wake up call to the busy crazy life we’ve been pulling.

So, I won’t bore you with all the details of the trip, but rather shower you with pictures and maybe you can have a moment of paradise just looking.

God really smiled when he made Hana. I think he must have been just giddy. I mean, just look!

And see how cute my parents are? I love that we got to explore and be little kids together….it was so perfect to be with them with out the kids, and actually have uninterrupted time together. Precious.

And the pictures don’t even do it justice. I almost cried when I looked at my camera on the last day. It just doesn’t touch the smells, the sounds and the feeling of this place. It’s honestly sacred ground!

And in Hana, it’s a colorful feast. Flowers growing everywhere. I think I’ll save an entire post on just color. So much color! I feel like I’ve been starved and this was just the feast I needed.

But really. I just unplugged. I’m kinda not ready to get back. And I don’t think I will all the way. Spending a week using all of my senses all day every day, without the buzz of what can be unecessary business and time wasters, I’m definitely my full self again and don’t plan on going back to any old habits that kept me from living in the now.

Which, of course is easier said than done. But this was a for sure jump in the right direction. Mahalo, Hana!

Aloha!

Ok. So, I can’t tell a lie.

But this week, I’ve been here.

This has been a dream of mine for 11 years now. Kenneth and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary a year late, but better late than never!

I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this. The past 2 years have been so incredibly full for our family, and it’s so important to recharge! And being in paradise helps with that a lot!

My mother’s side of the family goes back to Old Hawaii, with 75 years of history there. My first steps were taken on the islands. My first memories are of the color of the ocean.

I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

So, no, I wasn’t blogging from here….are you kidding me?

But I can’t wait to send you pictures. It’s been absolutely perfect to get away and hear nothing but the earth for a while.

Have a lovely weekend!

xo

sarah

Last week, my dear friend from college called me up to say she was going to be in town for just the day and that she had one more slot left for a family photo shoot. It was totally last minute, and I tried to make every excuse under the sun not to go…It had been a full weekend, I had had a really hard day, and I knew it would be a scramble to get everyone ready, I would most likely have wild hair, messy kids and who knows if they’d be fed!

But we haven’t had family portraits in years…and I always seem to be putting it off! No more.

Tara is amazing. I met Tara the same day I met my husband. We were in the same freshman year at BYU studying musical theater, and became fast friends. When it came time to create our senior projects, I wouldn’t have wanted to pair up with anyone but her. I went on to perform for a bit, and teach voice, and she went on to tour and then to New York to get her master’s at NYU. She is one of the most driven people I know! But after years of all that, she settled down and started a (booming) photography business a little after I settled down and started my illustration work. Funny how two girls who had eyes set for broadway so long ago, both ended up starting businesses that could support our families at home.  She looks through lenses and captures moments. I draw mine on paper.

So, these are the first pictures we’ve taken as a family since before Ella was born. And it’s about time.

She does such a wonderful job just capturing the moments that count. No fluff. We just played in the meadow in the mountains, and she took pictures. My kind of evening.

Moments. Real moments. No posing. No fake-y stuff. Ask my kids to pose, and you get Charlie Chaplin.Well, that’s cute too.

Thank you Tara! There are even more pics on her blog if you want to go see….they are bigger and and so precious!

And PS: (cause I know you will ask me!) Yes, she travels. It’s so worth it.  So glad we scrambled in the car and made it happen. We drove home singing the whole way and had a pizza night afterwards. Perfect day.

Every year that we’ve had a garden, we’ve grown a giant pumpkin. If you’ve ever grown a giant pumpkin, you know the risks involved. I mean, this is really risky stuff.

How get a pumpkin to be as big as possible has been the subject of many books and websites. And then, of course, there are secrets. Deep dark secrets.

None of which we know actually.

But…basically, you have to cut off all the pumpkins that grow on the vine, except for one. And you water and nurture and care for ONLY that one.

This is serious stuff.

(The joke is, that the summer Kenneth and I backpacked through Europe B.C. (before children), Kenneth grew his first ever giant pumpkin. We were gone for 6 weeks, and we asked my college aged brother to care for the garden, and pick any squash for himself. Well, he thought that the pumpkin was squash for picking. Kenneth had taken 4 months to care for that one pumpkin. But miraculously, a late bloomer appeared that was growing between 2 loose fence beams, and we actually had to alter the fence to let it grow. It of course never had time to get much bigger than any normal pumpkin, but that didn’t matter. The pumpkin even had a name. Halloween came, and we took a road trip, in which this pumpkin was buckled in a seat belt and traveled with us. This is how we feel about our giant pumpkins, folks. In our house, it’s as serious as growing children. Um….ok, maybe not that serious…but you get the point!)

Last year, Ian’s giant pumpkin was rather small. Too shady. This year, it was Addie’s turn for bad luck (although she grew a watermelon nearly that weighed nearly as much as she does!)

Ian has been caring for this big guy since April. Seven months has watered, tended to and checked on his pumpkin. If you have been a house guest in the past 7 months, you haven’t been able to walk in the door without him grabbing your hand and dragging you to the garden to show off his pumpkin.  It’s almost become a pet!

I have no idea how we are even going to get it inside. He’s determined to carve it, but right now, we’re not even sure if it will fit in the wheel barrel without denting a side.

But I don’t think he really cares about that. Can you tell?

Ok. You have to indulge me today. But this week is Ella’s birthday, and I just can’t get over how much I am in love with this girl.

She is my sunshine. And even though her favorite words right now are “NO!” and “I NOT!” she is one of those toddlers that is adorable even when having a fit.

She’s been a beauty ever since she first came. And I don’t just mean her darling face and smiling eyes. But her soul is pure sunshine. I just can’t get enough of her!

This week I’m rather sentimental. She’s my baby, but is she really 2 years old? I was in a really interesting place two years ago. We were between moves, I was between big illustration projects. I spent several months with post-partum depression…trying to work through a lot of emotions and life plans. But Ella, even when I was pregnant with her, has been my light. Just seeing that smile makes it all melt away. And now that I am in a much better place than I was 2 years ago, I realize even more how much that big person inside that little body is capable of. She’s my joy!