Happy Site Friday.

Hello. Happy Friday. Today I bring you color and light from the Netherlands. Yvonne from Yvestown has created a beautiful blog/shop/site that is happy candy for the eyes. Many of you are familiar with her site. I crave these clean bright rooms of hers, her taste for color and non-color, and her love of spring and fresh.

Be ready to be inspired by her fresh take on crafts, home decor and gift making.

She had an ETSY shop where she sells these darling Alphabet pillows. She has just moved the shop to her own website for better custom making. Aren't they to die for?

Thanks Yvonne for inspiring us all!

Just stay little.

We are shoe shopping again and Ian's pants are too small, and I find myself groaning not for the lack of funds to clothe my children (well that too), but for my babies that aren't going to be babies forever.

I have a funny feeling that in 10 years, Ian won't want to hold my hand. Or kiss my lips. Or lay his heavy head into my neck. Or brush my hair.

Addie isn't going to ask my permission to use nail polish. She won't be kissing my owies. Her bum won't fit into my hand. And she won't be wrapping her body around my torseau and clinging to me when she is scared of loud noises.

I hope she still says "Mom, we're the girls" and "You're my best friend" like she does now. And that Ian will still tell everyone he meets that I am his mom...with that proud inflection in his voice.

Oh--Ache my heart for little feet, little hands, little voices, little noses, little kisses, little laughs and little shoes.

Just stay little.

Happy Easter Everyone!

He has the carrot, she has the bunny. They make a good pair. Well, sometimes. Oh, I just have to repost last year's Easter picture for laughs:

Seriously, this was the best shot we got last year. Right before church in their Sunday Best. Come one now...isn't this what most Easter pictures are really like? Trying to get them to sit down next to each other while they are still fresh and clean in their new clothes. Ya right.

This year, we just bagged the whole "Come on! Sit together!" picture, and snapped some of them by themselves. Well, I must admit, we tried to get them to sit together, but this is what we got instead.

Hopping Easter bunnies. At least they were in character:) Happy Easter Everyone!

Happy Site Friday.

Click on the image above to enlarge for wonderful eye candy.

Today I bring you spring colors, fresh inspiration and clean space all from a magazine that I can't order cause I live in America. I have TRIED to order Ariadne at Home, but lo, I cannot. But if I lived in the Netherlands....

Thankfully they have a website, where you can find little snippets of the latest issue. And oh am I glad. Fresh. Simple. deliberate. Colorful. Just what I need for a splash of inspiration on a very brown day.

Pink. Sea spray blue. White. White. More white. Yellow. Grey. and even purple. (I am not yet a purple fan...but if I lived in snow laden Holland, I just might be).

I have never lived in the Netherlands, but I have visited Amsterdam (close enough?) and I have also been in the Swiss alps in the summer where I learned that Winter people REALLY know how to bust out color in the spring and summer. And Ariadne at Home takes that Scandinavian Country flair for fresh and colorful and created a lovely place.

Oh, and did I mention it gets better? They have a kids magazine as well??? (I drooling right now!)

So, if you live in the Netherlands, or have access to this magazine, do you want to be my friend now, and mail the monthly issues? That would just make my day.

Happy Site Friday.

This is exciting for me. I get so excited to hear about other moms who love being moms and love being creative...with their children and without. I wish that I could post more pictures (because her pictures are AMAZING!), but I never did receive permission from the SOULE MAMA, so I will just post the book that she has published that is coming out April 1st. Oh, and you know who will be at Barnes and Noble April first. I can't wait!

Many of you have read her blog, seen her site, and have fallen in love with the way she has rooted her family is good values, exploratory learning and bright color and creativity. But I just found her last week. Pretty sad. I needed her inspiration months ago. Years ago.

Creativity lies in the souls of all of us, and especially children. She feeds on their creativity and writes about it. Maybe I love her blog because she lives in beautiful Portland, Maine. Maybe I love her blog because she has really old hard wood floors in her house. maybe I love her blog because her studio is painted ocean spray blue. Maybe I love her blog because I really want a house in the forested hills of New England (my forever childhood home). Maybe. Maybe.

But the reason this site makes for a Happy Friday, is because she inspires me to be as creative with my kids as I am in my mind after they go to sleep (which is when I grab my sketch book and get all my ideas out that have been pent up all day). Living an a small condo in a very uninspiring part of town, I sometimes think I am limited and can't be as creative with my kids. We haven't a large space for finger-painting on banner paper. Or any trees near by for climbing. Or room for the kinds of things I would like to do. But after getting to know Amanda and the way she chooses to unveil the world to her children, I am inspired to give my kids the kind of world that will always make them curious, and never lose their curiosity. Have fun. I know you will. And buy the book.

EDIT: I just found out that Bloesom Kids posted an Interview with her just today! It is so inspiring!

Framed.

Searching for the right frame is like searching for just the right prom dress. I hated formals for that very reason! After one day of shopping with nothing to show for it, I would usually just give up and try and think of a creative solution (like the time I borrowed my best friends formal just so I didn't have to face the mall mob one more time).

Well, there is no borrowing here folks. These frames have been in the works for months now, and well, I think that they turned out just great. I am debating whether I will sell them on my ETSY site. For now, they are for the companies I will sell wholesale to. I have 8x8, 8x10, and 11x14. Just right for the prints in the shop. Thank goodness I have an uncle with an empty unfinished basement!

And speaking of "framed" Kenneth and I have FINALLY managed to get Addie and Ian in the same room! With a daughter whose method for getting to sleep is singing, talking, moaning and rocking her crib very loudly, we have had reason to hesitate. But sharing a studio with a sleeping baby boy has proven to be even harder, so we decided to go for it.

How have they fared?

Well, let's just say they haven't been sleeping much. The first night went like this: crying for mommy, followed by random animals sounds, laughter, more animal sounds, more laughter, then addie saying, "Ian, we're best friends. Let 's talk". An hour later, they were still laughing and talking. I have never been happier about them staying up late. It is the sweetest thing when you see your children enjoying eachother's company. Especially when Addie has decided to sing Ian lullabies at night. She sings "Twinkle Twinkle little star" and he just curls up in a ball in his crib. I think that they have only been loving each other more now that they share a room. Happy babies, happy mommy! And now that I have a studio to myself, I can get crackin' on selling more framed artwork! Horray all around!

Happy site friday.

Room Seven. I have yet to own anything from them, but I am secretly hoping to redo Addie's room in these colors and with this bedding. And OH! The colors! So much of my inspiration in my art comes from these colors. (Not all...I am still trying to incorporate these colors more, although it poses a challenge when putting these brighter colors on paper).

Room Seven is founded by Brechtje Olsthoorn, a dutch woman whose parents were the minds behind the dutch clothing brand OILILY. Her colors are crisp yet soft, and remind me of my own childhood.

I just love the ocean blue mixed with the pink and the red. My FAVORITE! Here is a taste of what inspires me, and what hopefully will inspire your friday!

Happy Site Friday

Well, Friday is half way over, but I only get on the computer when my kids are asleep (or happily playing by themselves...but that really only lasts 4 minutes at a time).

Today, I wanted to share with you Sheye Rosemeyer Photography. I refer this with mixed feelings, since so much of her blog tears my heart. Sheye is a mother of 4 in Australia who lost her little 3 year old girl a year ago this month due to a terrible accident. I just can't even begin to imagine the loss...and I don't want to. But with great love comes great worry and trial, and she writes about it. But the reason I read Sheye's blog, is for the joy that I feel when I visit. Sheye is an INCREDIBLE photographer, and she captures in my mind the complete innocence and joy of childhood and childrearing. She is so gifted and has captured images of her own (stunningly beautiful) children in a way that almost captures my own children to a T. When I look at the photos of her children, I think of mine...now that is talent.

Sheye loves being a mother with all its joys and aches mixed together. She has shared her grief with so many, but also her desire to hug and kiss and love a little more because of it. And I think in the process, more mothers are loving motherhood just a little bit more.