Last year I participated in the Beehive Bazaar. Possibly the coolest place in Utah for picking up retro, handmade, classic, funky, amazing stuff for you and everyone you feel like spoiling this christmas. really. you are in for the biggest decision making moments of your life. Like, “Do I want this amazing necklace or do I get the retro apron instead?” Or “If I get both, do I have enough cash to get this killer print for my boys room?” Be ready for serious dilemmas. And be early. There will be a line no doubt before opening. I didn’t participate this year for which my husband kissed me a million times over for (these kinds of bazaars require many sleepless nights to get ready for) but I warn you…if you go, you won’t be disappointed!

Some of my favorite artists will be there. One of which is the maker of this cat. Will someone please buy her up? Do you remember these? My kids have one each…and they are attached at the hip with these blastoid cats. Susan has ONE MORE in her shop…and if no one grabs her, I am so tempted to adopt another. But I really shouldn’t. 2 is even. 3 in the house would only cause a fight. Been there. no good.

See you at the bazaar. I am going to be there bright and early!

No, I haven’t fallen off the planet…just on vacation with my family for the holiday week. Our first cross-country road trip was a success (well, we didn’t cross the ENTIRE country.  Just 14 hours of it).  So I am on a blogging hiatus until I get home next weekend.  Happy turkey day tomorrow for all U.S. readers! Enjoy the holidays, and wish us an uneventful trip home! Wishing you all the best holiday memories too! We’re off to make some pies! 

xoxo

sarah jane

In all the hustle and bustle of cleaning out closets and getting our place ready to sell, I forgot to mention this incredible Handmade Holiday Gift Guide over at Bloesom Kids (my FAVORITE blog by the way). She has included my Calendar…Thank you Irene! But all the other items she has included are so darling! So unique and great for you and the kids. Click here to get connected to list of items and their online locations! Oh, and check out her most recent post today…an OPEN house with the makers of LMNOP magazine. I love peeking into people’s homes! So much life and creativity here! But thank you Irene for the mention!

Holy Cow. I really can’t believe it. But I have to tell you.

I actually WON the marie-antoinette inspired dress from Grosgrain. I am still a bit in shock! With 1,003 entries, the odds were as slim as they come! I never win ANYTHING, so actually, about 6 months ago, I just stopped entering my name in giveaways since it just seemed like such a waste of time. Well, this dress obviously caught my attention, and since I have a daughter who literally says things like “Oh mother, you truly look lovely today”, would sleep in necklaces and lace if I let her and can be found singing to her “true love” when ever she enters a grove of trees, I had to enter. Oh I am glad I did! I can’t wait to show you pictures after it comes in the mail. This woman is AMAZING and I think that she is pretty much a genius when it come to children’s design. Check out her other designs here. Oh…and the best part. She is opening a shop in two weeks! Oh the world is a sweet place.

This weekend was spent with my husband’s sister and her charming new husband. I love weddings, especially autumn weddings. The air was cold…but no matter. Our sister bride was beautiful and we just love our new brother in law! Addie was particularly entranced by the lovely dresses, flowers and lights. She pranced around the gardens looking for her “prince” which when she called, Ian soon came to her side. My children are quite the romantics which ensured us all a wonderfully fulfilling weekend!

Wow! Thank you for all your WONDERFUL responses! ! So many of your suggestions I already have plans for, and many of them, I had never even thought of…so thank you!!! I am so excited to get cracking on new products and designs….I am just itching!!!

Random.org selected four random winners for me.

And the 4 calendars are going to: (drumroll please)

Rebecca, Elizabeth, Sarah and Kathleen. You have all been sent emails and your calendars will be on their way next week!

Thanks again for all your wonderful support! Be watching soon for a buy 2 get one free. I can’t say when…it will be a surprise, but I am giving you heads up to be on the look out:)

Dear Ian,

I think that God made you absolutely beautiful for a reason. Like yesterday when you sneaked an entire bag of baking flour into your crib and ate it until you fell asleep leaving “dough” clumps all over you and your bedding…or this morning when you managed to find the same sack of flour again and dump it all out onto the floor and freshly cleaned laundry…or later today when you decided to play “cat” and dumped the entire box of Grape Nuts all over mommy’s bed and pretended it was cat food and I found you licking it up and spreading it all over the room with your ‘paws’ … all I could do was notice how incredibly scrumptious you are. Why do little boys get away with so much? Because they are so much more darling than they are mischievous! Next time, please just give me a little warning when you are feeling extra clever…it would have been nice to have an empty vacuum!

Love,

Mama

Dear Mr. Incredible,

Today is your birthday. The big THREE-ZERO. I remember the first birthday I got to spend with you. I actually didn’t know it was your birthday…we were just well aquainted class mates at the time, and you were to modest to tell all that you were turning 19. I felt terrible I didn’t know. Well, after 11 birthdays spent with you, you still are too modest to tell anyone. So, I will do it for you. Happy Birthday my love. How did I get so lucky to marry Mr. Incredible? I still can’t figure it out…so let’s just eat cake. I love you!

xoxo

yours truly

Today is the day: I am auctioning off my FULL set of calendar prints in support of the Neilson Family that needs our help. For those of you who don’t know, Stephanie and Christian Neilson (parents of 4 children under the age of 5 and author of the ever popular blog: Nie Nie Dialogues) were in a tragic plane crash 2 weeks ago which killed the pilot, Doug Kennard, but left the couple with severe third degree burns covering most of their body (Stephanie 80% and Christian 30%). They leave behind these 4 children who will be living with extended family while Stephanie and Christian remain in critical condition,enduring months and months of treatments. They are currently in a chemically induced coma, and are expected to be for several months. Their medical bills are expected to be in the millions, and people all around the world are committing to help.

So in my efforts to help, I am auctioning off my FULL set of Calendar prints which will be for sale in my shop this weekend retailing at $200. If you are new to my blog and shop, I have been creating a new print every month since last October, and I have finally completed the set! The set included 12 prints, each portraying my dear little girl (who will remain un-named….you choose!) caught in a moment typical of the month she finds herself in. Each print is hand drawn and digitally colored by me, printed on archival fine art paper with archival inks, and lovingly signed by me. Many customers have designated a wall in their home for all 12, or have a single frame that they rotate a new one in every month. Each print features the month on the bottom left hand corner, but you are also welcome to purchase the prints with out the month.

So…

Here is how it works:

I will start the bid at a certain amount: $50.

Write your next bid in the comments section, and keep checking to see who is the highest bidder.

Only bid in increments of $1. No loose change folks.

If someone out bids you, keep adding your bid in the comments section until the Auction is closed and I will announce the highest bidder.

The auction will close Friday Night at midnight.

And remember, the retail price is $200 for all 12 prints…so let’s try and match that:)

Once you have won the bid, you will send the money to the Stephanie and Christian Neilson Fund.

Happy bidding! Good Luck!!!

Oh, and when you are done here, check out www.designmom.com for a $150 gift certificate to my shop as well as hundreds of other wonderful things for auction!!

Just kidding. This print has been on my mind for a while…and it was worth staying up to finish. I am liking the educational value here. Actually, the colors are my favorite. Be watching for a shop update soon…There is more where this came from.

One of my favorite stores just declared that they are shutting down their retail store, and focussing on their online selection. Well, to give you some background, this company supports international artisans providing handmade clothing for a fraction of the cost. At the same time, they are supporting individuals and families (in Africa and elsewhere) by bringing their goods to the states. So with clearance of 50-70% off right now, you can’t beat this! I just got Addie and Ian’s church outfits for the fall, each being $16!! Have fun!!

www.oneitystore.com

I don’t usually post on world events, or stuff you can read about any where else…but considering that my jaw didn’t close for nearly 4 hours straight…I have to mention this. This left me in tears by the end, and I have to say that it was the most incredible performance I have ever seen, EVER! (And I have seen some incredible shows). Click here for incredible photos. I really don’t know how they did it. Ancient Chinese secrets I guess.

I really am speechless, and that is saying a lot! Wow. Wow. Wow. Talk about making a statement to the world. Let the games begin!

I remember the first time I saw the end of the rainbow. It was similar to the feeling I had when I found my first 4-leaf clover. Magical. Hawaii, of course, is the rainbow capitol (thus the license plates) so for any one living on the islands, this is like seeing rain in Seattle. But it never ceases to amaze me. This was the fourth rainbow over the ocean that particular morning, but this one made me happy. No pot of gold and no leprechauns…although if I was brave enough I guess I could have gone diving at the bottom of the ocean for some treasure. Treasure enough to have caught magic in a camera lens.

Wow. Let’s just say wow. It is 10am, and my kids are still asleep because they still are on Hawaii time. I think I still have sand in my hair. I couldn’t fall asleep last night because I couldn’t hear the ocean. I didn’t know what to have for breakfast because we don’t have fresh papaya on the counter. I wanted to walk to the grocery store this morning…barefoot. My typing is really bad because i haven’t touched a keyboard in two weeks. I am looking for rainbows out of my office window. We had to buy Ian new crocks before getting on the plane because they were too small…but we didn’t realize it until then because he hadn’t worn shoes all week. I can’t smell plumerias outside my front door. There is no ocean breeze to keep the hair out of my face. My husband is leaving for work right now, and I had to remind him to put a shirt on. There was no rooster to wake me up this morning. And I may not make complete sense yet…Red-eye flights with toddlers and a four hour time difference takes a while to adjust. But then, so does coming home from a tropical paradise.

I could write novels about our trip, but here is the abridged version:

We stayed on the North Shore of Oahu for two weeks for a family reunion on my husband’s side (benefits of my husband’s parents) and RELAXED. We also did a lot of this

and every day, my eyes were filled with images of this

If the North Shore is a familiar place to you, then the words Ted’s bakery, Giovani’s shrimp, Sunset Beach, Wiamaia Bay, Ke Nui road, Chocolate Haupia pie, Huuala Korean BBQ, PCC, Rosalani ice cream, Turtle Bay, Sharks Cove, giant sea turtles, beached seals, rainbows, liquid sunshine, Motsumotos, Kua Aina, slow driving, malasadas, lychee, kuhuku land farms, red raiders, and sunset surfing are words you don’t ever want erase from your daily vocabulary.

There is nothing like watching your children fall in love with the sand and the ocean. Especially when I have 50 years of history on this Island, it makes me so happy that my kids are creating memories of sand and sea. Addie cried all the way to the airport ” I don’t want to leave Hawaii alone!!!!” Oh, we cried with her. The land and ocean here speak to me, and teaches me how to just “BE”. The people here are beautiful because they are so open and genuine and take care of eachother. Remembering these things is always the challenge when I come back from this place, but I am determined to carry the ALOHA spirit…even in a world full of deadlines and filled-to-the-brim living.

But, now we are BACK!!! and as sad as I was to leave my favorite place on earth, I am really excited to show you all the exciting projects I have ahead. Two weeks of a vacation is long when you are soul owner of a business…but can I tell you: I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! I am refreshed, renewed and rejuvinated. I can’t wait to dive into all the ideas I have flooding.

So…thanks for checking in, and sorry for the pause. But come back, pull up a chair and have a chat. Lots of new exciting things in the works. Hope to see you around!

Still here. Heading out soon, and wishing I was there already.

Found this last year, and forgot about it until today. We all have these thoughts. Well, at least I do, and I am in constant change and motion as an artist and person that I sometimes fall into these traps. You? Call it the perfectionist in me fighting with the free spirit in me. They go to battle every once in a while (ok…a lot). Who wins? Who ever I allow.

OK, so can you tell I have had a hard battle this week? The hardest part is recognizing these mean evil ideas that creep in and having the confidence to push them away. Or in some cases, when they really don’t want to leave and it seems like they are setting up camp in your brain, burning their villages down. These thoughts are ALWAYS a trap, and I have to admit that I fall in more than I would like to. This week’s battle, I think Mr. Free spirit won. I hope.

Enjoy your weekend!

PS: found on Keri Smith’s illustration/author blog. She posted this last year. You will find lots more deep/humorous thoughts on her blog. Enjoy!

Ok. In my next life I am going to be a seamstress. I especially wish I had this talent because my little Addie, is well, little. Her waist and bum is the size of an 18 month old, but she is tall, so she is a size 3 in length. Problem? Shorts just fall off her. Solution? Handmade skirts and summer dresses. I have made a few, and it is all she wears.

Here is my proposition: I need one more summer dress before our family takes a 2 week long trip to Hawaii in June. I KNOW that many of you are great seamstresses…I read your blogs!I am looking for a pillowcase dress in exchange for some prints. The only catch is I would need it in 2 weeks. I have had this beautiful Amy Butler fabric and am happy to mail it to you. So, if you are interested in a really fun trade, email me (my email is on my profile page). I feel kinda silly, but the truth is, Addie mostly sports around in her underwear unless she is wearing a skirt or slip on dress! Any takers??

Don’t you love Amy Butler’s new line? Me too.

Here is an example of what I didn’t get around to making:

(photo from molly coddle)

Thanks yo guys! You are the best!

I am constantly amazed at the talent I find on ETSY. Mom’s just like me and dreamers just like me trying their talent out in a thriving market. I want to start highlighting the yummy people and products that are out there.

To start, I bring to you Peek-a-boo-Prints by Jenny. She just happens to be my best friend in the whole world , but ever since those college roommate days, I have been so impressed with her artistic abilities (which span far and wide folks!) She ‘gets’ childhood and motherhood, and she has started to draw and sell her artwork! Horray!!! ETSY is the place for artists right now, and I am so glad that she is tapping in on all that ETSY has to offer. Jenny’s work is sweet and honest, and comes straight from her own experience as a mom. Just lovely!

Here are some of my favorites:

Don’t you love this ’sign’ series?

I love this black and white sketch as well…so simple and fresh.
And how darling for a boy’s room!

Jenny also has a true-to-life-hilarious blog. She has 3 wild and darling boys and with it lots of stories that will make you roll over. Check out her shop and her blog. You are in for a treat!

Just a few random favorites of mine that are inspiring a monday morning. Monday’s need inspiration. Here are a few of mine.

New favorite toy company
moulin roty courtesy of A little Sussy.

New favorite online kids store
Coming Kids

New Favorite Children’s book
Went to a children’s writer/illustrator conference and was introduced to this:

New favorite fabric
Ginger blossom

Today my very thoughts and interests were answered by a blog post. Crazy, isn’t it? I was thinking deep thoughts about my role as an artist, and voila…I read this just yesterday morning. What is a prolific artist? What about my daily life and life views define who I want to be?

This article doesn’t spell out HOW to be an amazing artist. But what it does do, is reveal 7 Common Characteristics of Prolific People.

PS: Thanks for all your comments and sympathy on Wed’s post about our strep-house. Unfortunately, strep has mutated into the croup, and I think today’s article should have been: How to get a full night’s sleep in an hour. Any one want to write that one?