The gift of perspective.

It was painting time with the kids yesterday, and there were papers all over the floor to dry. "Let's hang these up all over the house, Mother!"

I love that she calls me Mother

"Sure. I'll cut the tape for you. Put them where ever you want."

She was giddy with excitement (as usual) to find the perfect spot for each of her masterpieces.

Minutes later, I went to my bedroom to feed the baby, and I looked across at my door, just a step away, and I saw this: taped up on my door at Addie's eye level, a masterpeice.

It was one simple brush stroke, maybe two, but some how (can you see it?) it is the face of a woman....with an almost DaVinci expression.

Ok. Let me help: I am being told it's not as easy to see as I thought. Thus my post on perspective:

Did she know? Could she see it? Did this face just appear from her genius, or was I, in the artistic mood of the day, looking for her face?

She is perfect, this face, and it was all with a swift brush stroke of a child. Age 4 almost 5. And it stole my breath away.

Spontaneous and miraculous beauty.

It is for me, the perfect gift of this Thanksgiving Holiday: Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

Do you see the beautiful face, or is it just a splash of muddy green on paper?

It's all in how you look at it. And this weekend, I am grateful for the choice.

Enjoy your day of Thanks!

Being a Jane.

OK. So I take Addie out to grab a couple shots in the gorgeous yellow leaves around our house, and all I say is: can you stand there and just lean on that pole?

This is what she gave me.

She's a natural model, for sure. I am doomed! But oh...she is my sunshine.

And her darling outfit? Compliments of Matilda Jane. Don't you just love their stuff?  We're all about the Jane's around here.

It's a good name, if I do say.

Magic.

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ianapples1

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!

7 a.m. snippets.

ian

7 am

Ian: Good morning mom. I'm a cat.

Me:OK. Good morning my cat.

I roll out of bed with the baby.

Addie + Ian: Meow Meow-mow meeeee-ow. (Translation: Can we listen to Mr. Mistoffelees? {from CATS})

We are listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber and dancing like 8o's rock star cats all before breakfast. I love my life.

Breakfast.

Me: Ian what do you want for breakfast? Toast or fruitshake?

Ian: Cheese and spicy stuff. And beans.

Me: We don't eat salsa for breakfast.

Ian: I want salsa for breakfast.

Me: (remembering that Ian usualy eats nothing for breakfast) OK. I'll make you salsa for breakfast. (Hey...at least it's fresh from the garden salsa, OK?)

Ian: (after getting his plate of food) I want a popsical.

Me: No popsicals for breakfast. Eat your salsa. (Did I really just say that?)

Play time.

Me: Ian, come here. I just finished cutting out your paper doll.

Ian: No mom. I'm fishing. (His fishing pole made out of a fabric tape measure clamped to a small pencil sharpener for the hook).

Me: Where are you fishing?

Ian: The Nordic Sea.

Me: What are you fishing for?

Ian: Alaskan bears.

Me: Did you catch one?

Addie interupts: No mom. Our family is allergic to bears.

Well, then. That's that.

What did you do this morning?

My daughter's tree.

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
~Alfred Joyce Kilmer

Dear Big People,

My mom thinks I'm snoozing in the cradle, but I had to sneak on and see what this big screen was all about. I can't seem to figure out why people spend so much time on this big hunk of aluminum. I mean come on! I'm a heck of a lot cuter. But I think I am looking at an imac right now. Ok, Ok. They are pretty cool.

I had to log in and tell you I figured out the secret to making mom smile at me more and even take pictures of me again. I stopped screaming all the time. And even more effective, I started cooing. People seem a lot happier around here.

A lot.

Mom is still oober-picky when it comes to eating her food, but it makes me happy so who cares! All I eat is milk, why should she complain that she can't have nuts, bread or ice cream any more? Yuck. It's all about me around here anyways. Haven't they figured that out by now?

There have been a few bumps to this whole "baby" thing, but I get lots of attention (and I mean lots!) so things are fine. And now that I'm talking, we've been having some pretty interesting conversations. But don't worry, I won't tell her I snuck out of my room to get on the internet. My vocabulary is limited to "glglglglurglglgleurooo" and "ahhhhiiiii" right now. She'd never catch on.

I'm sure I'll be back.

Toodles,

E.

Live it up.

Hi folks. It's been a while. And for a good reason. We lost our dear friend and cousin Justin (age 27) very unexpectedly over a week ago. We had a very full week of emotions and funeral planning. Times like this, family all rallies together and it is beautiful to see what comes of such tragedies. Life can smack you in the face pretty hard sometimes. But there was a lot of peace and a lot of love and even understanding. I was so lucky to have all my family come into town which resulted in some updated family pictures of us all from my dear photographer friend Katherine. Family is the center of it all. My life, my treasure. Every day is a gift that we don't get back. Love, laughter, smiles, thank you's, and hugs make life worth living. Add a bit of good food, art, books, music, travel, color and days full of making things, and I'm a happy girl. Live it up folks. It's all we've got.

(I'll be back soon with more art and designs to share! See you around.)