Autumn. Hands down my favorite season. Growing up back east, I have learned since moving to always surround myself with trees. Any kind of tree. And lucky for us, our neighbor has fruit trees. Lots of them. With a garden to match. And today, we harvested the first of the apples. It's that time of year. There is a magic in the air...you can even taste it.
Enjoy your weekend!
**A little bird told me there is some grand giveaway fun planned for Monday...come on over...it'll be a party!
Inspiration comes (for me) from a lot of places. A book, a goodnight hug, my childhood memories, a fabric color combination, my children's interactions. I can't really say that there is any one specific source of inspiration since it is all tied up into who I am and what I experience. But I will say, vintage children's books are at the top of my list. I was notified about this site from children's illustrator Carin Berger, and I couldn't be more delighted! White Ravens, a collection of children's books from around the globe, is a library of children's books online from around the globe spanning back to Caldecott himself. Do you remember when I posted about this other site? The Rosetta Project is another site that is dedicated to saving the old and treasured children's books. A very noble venture indeed!
What I love about studying these books, is to find the relationship between the books that we read now and these very first children's books. They are like the parents of what we read to our children. I just get goosebumps when I think of storytelling to children in its very earliest beginnings. In fact, I am so fascinated by it, I own the oldest children's book I know of. It is so old, it's not even a children's picture book (they weren't even invented yet, I guess you could say). I wish I could take a picture, but it is currently safe in a box from our last move. It is a church song book for children written in 1741. It is in very poor condition, but the handwriting of little Margaret, the owner I am sure, is plain to see on the front page. Sometimes I feel sad for little Margaret who only had a songbook of rules to memorize (all about behaving well) and didn't have the luxury of reading THE VERY HUNGRY CATAPILLAR or AMEILIA BEDILIA. Did she ever get bored of what was, and wish she had books about what could be? I wonder how her era of literature would have been altered if she could have gotten a hold of HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON. But it was of course, only the beginning. And I like to imagine what it must have been like for those first children readers to witness children's picture books in the making. A lot had to happen in publishing and creativity since my little Margaret 1741 friend, and I am glad to be on the other side of it. But we all know, to create the future, we must learn from the past! So, hats off to the inspiring past! And to you, my Margaret friend, thank you for participating in the earliest of children's literature. It had to start somewhere!
There are days that just get you all fueled up, and Friday was just that. I went to the Startup Princess Touchpoint event (a conference for entrepreneurs) and was so delighted to meet Heather Bailey in person. She spoke twice during the conference and I also got to chat with her a bit one-on-one. What a treat! She is just as warm and genuine as she comes across in her blog. I was so impressed by here incredible work ethic, dedication to her family, God and to her talents. She is one smart cookie, I'll tell you that. She was able to show us her new line of fabric coming any day now (she says she is just waiting for it to come in the mail!) and it's just darling. I'll let you check out her site for her to do the telling, but I was once again so impressed by her ability to create what she loves and what other people can't wait to get their hands on. She shared a lot of her journey from before she even started a business until now. It was needless to say, very inspiring!
I was also able to meet up with so many great blogging friends. In the picture on the left, you see Marie from Make and Takes, Allison from Petit Elephant, and Kami from No Biggie. It was so wonderful to meet people I only t get to read from on a screen...meeting in person is the icing on the cake! Thanks Startup Princess for such a great event!
photo by Liz Draper
"AND ABOVE ALL WATCH, WITH GLITTERING EYES THE WHOLE WORLD AROUND YOU BECAUSE THE GREATEST SECRETS ARE ALWAYS HIDDEN IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES. THOSE WHO DON’T BELIEVE IN MAGIC WILL NEVER FIND IT.” ~ ROALD DAHL ~
One of my favorite all time quotes. Enjoy your day!
It was Maurice Sendak's 81st Birthday last month, and I stumbled across this site while reading more about him. Have I mentioned how Maurice Sendak is my hero? Ok. I know he is basically every illustrator's hero. But they're are all just saying that. Really, Maurice Sendak is my hero and inspiration. I have often wondered what it would be a like to peek into his artist brain for a day and sense how he works. He is pure genius. One of the Greats.
"They're not so terrible" by Peter DeSeve
So, about this site: Terrible Yellow Eyes. This blog is a collection of illustrated works by various artists inspired by the classic picture book, Where the Wild Things Are. Inspired by Maurice Sendak, and as a tribute to him, these artists have illustrated phrases or ideas from the book in their own style. What an incredible tribute, as well as a great experience to reillustrate something so brilliantly written. I think I have the original illustrations memorized detail by detail: so to see other interpretations is so refreshing.
Have a look:
Delightful, isn't it? What a tribute for Maurice's 81st birthday. And with the movie coming out soon, hope this gets you in the mood.
Above my studio room, in the eaves of the roof, a nest was built. And day in and day out, I have heard the flapping wings of the Mama bird come in and out, working hard on building that nest. And then this morning, in the new light of Mother's Day, there was this incessant chirping above the ceiling from what seemed like a nest full of baby birds. Addie and I went out to check, and sure enough, that hard working black bird became a mother today. We sat on a quilted blanket under the tree and watched that mama bird fly off and catch a worm, and then fly back to her nest with chirpy, hungry babies waiting inside. She would fly off again, and 4 minutes later be back with another worm. We watched for over an hour and a half while this new Mama diligently fed her new babies...in and out of the nest, never resting. Me, with my huge belly and baby kicking; addie with her 4-year old motherly tendancies; and this new black bird mother....all enjoying a springtime mother's day. It was so magical and slendid! Besides the incredible dinner, and three hour nap I got, it was the best mother's day present to see new birth and a new mother in the nest above my studio window. Motherhood is magical! Happy mother's day to all!
I discovered Rie Elise Larsen a few weeks ago via Just Beautiful Things. I am in crazy love with her colors and design...and no wonder: she lives in Denmark and it seems like ALL My favorite children's decor and designers are from Northern Europe. Her work tickles my senses. For more AMAZING photos go, visit here for a while. Happy Friday!
***PS: my internet hasn't been working most of the week. If you are waiting back to hear from me via EMAIL, I hope to get to you by the weekend! I am not ignoring you!***
So for Happy Site Friday, I thought it was about time I put up a collection of some of my ETSY favorites. I am goo-goo-crazy about ETSY...there are so many amazing shops and so much talent that inspires me. Here is my Friday inspiration:
I am completely smitten by Taeeun Yoo's illustrations. Completely inspiring. I could fill an entire blog post with her illustrations and book titles.
Bonne Nouvelle: My cousin just opened a brand new ETSY shop with the goods to equip you with staging the perfect party.
And her shop name?the train stop nearest their flat in Paris. Just darling.
Shop here.
Twig and Thistle has been impressing me with their fantastic DIY designs and stationery. And the packaging is just as cute!
Shop here and AMAZING blog here.
I have had these owls from Fruit Fly on my wish list forever it seems. This owl just makes me happy.
Shop here.
Under the stairs Studio makes adorable paper cards that you can cut out and put together into these amazing carousels and mini theaters. I heart paper creations...and these are amazing!
Shop here.
Vlas Store: I heart this notebook. She has dozens more in her shop with THE greatest designs. Very Shinzi Katoh. Love Love Love.
Shop here.
Happy Friday everyone!