in the summertime

Oops.  Has it really been that long since I last posted?

We've been a little busy over here.

I try not to play favorites with the seasons (remember?).  I really do like them equally.

We've traveled far and wide, soaking up every bit of sunshine before winter comes and the sun goes into hibernation again.  I'm hoping that I'll be more prepared for the foggy winter this year, because last winter was kind of a doozy.
 (p.s. I am taking suggestions (or plane tickets to Hawaii) on how to survive on no sun for weeks on end!)

So I think that summer is our busy season.  Busy in the best way.

There are lots of things to celebrate.

Lots of places that need visiting.

And most of the day is spent outside.

*tangent
you can sort of see Gesso's new bark collar in this photo.  Say what you will about them being inhumane, but I will argue that they're way more humane then wanting to throw Gesso out the window every time he wakes the baby up from his nap.  It's been good for everyone.
end tangent*

Also, this baby?  Sweet as sugar.

We've been eating our weight in berries (and sugar).  burp.



And some of us have had the luxury of long afternoon naps :)

We've had so much fun taking Harvey into the mountains,

and dipping our toes in skyscraper lakes.

We've played with tiny cousins.

And spent most weekends escaping the heat.

 

So what I'm trying to say is that I didn't mean to neglect this space.....I've just been a little busy enjoying summer :)

Hope yours has been fun as well!

around here -- june edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hello my name is Holly and I like taking pictures of food, my husband, and my baby.
the end.

Lavender hunting

Evan's parents came to town last week (hooray!), and so we did ourselves a little bit of toursiting.  I had really been wanting to visit a lavender farm, and so we did (I'm a selfless hostess, no?)

I can't even begin to describe how amazing it smelled there!  It was so relaxing and I really just felt like curling up and taking a nap between the mounds of lavender in the warm sunshine.   But I guess it doesn't take much for me to want to take a nap these days.....

anyway.

There was a wreath-making class going on, but I knew I could just make one later at home (also, I'm pretty cheap when it comes to overpriced wreath making classes).  

And so yesterday during nap time I very methodically stuck stem after stem of lavender into a little grapevine wreath.  And it goes without saying (but you know I'm going to say it anyway), that it smelled amazing.

Gesso!  What a weirdo.

They were serving lavender lemonade at the farm and oh man, I need to re-create that recipe.  It was something to write home about, if you know what I mean.

p.s. not to brag or anything, but my grandma has a lavender bathroom complete with a lavender toilet.  It is totally awesome.

so I've been thinking....

Painter Henriette Wyeth, a member of one of America's preeminent families of artists, relaxes in her studio in 1990.  Still working at age 83, she confided, "In my family, painting and drawing were like bread and butter on the table--commonplace and wonderful."

I swiped this photo and caption out of a national geographic maybe 10 years ago.  It has moved around with me since then and usually ends up hanging on the wall above my creative space.  I love it so much.  And not just because Henriette is adorably classy.   It's because I thought that seemed like a beautiful situation, growing up in a house positively full of creative energy.

 

I had stopped painting once I found out I was pregnant.  There are some crazy fumes that go along with painting and I didn't want to take any risks that Harvey would come out with five eyeballs or something like that.  But now that he's here I have been painting again.  And oh, it feels good to be back.

I am a thinker.  And it sometimes drives me crazy, because wouldn't it just be nice to sit and stare at the wall on occasion?  I think that sounds nice.  Oh well.
Anyway, I have been doing a lot of thinking since January 9th.  Thinking, among other things, about what kind of mother I'd like to be.

And once I get the most important basics covered, I'd like to be the kind of mother who is always making something.  And hopefully my offspring will want to make things too.  Also, in the future I'm the kind of mother who is really good at sharing her nice art supplies (gulp).

 Because wouldn't that be the best?

Anyway.  So I've been painting for a few months now, and honestly, I wasn't sure how it was going to work at first.  Babies are kind of needy, you know?  So I am trying to be flexible and fit it in whenever I can, and you know what?  It's actually been working out really well so far.  As it turns out I CAN manage my time.

I have lots to share. Hopefully soon!

the family stump

We had our anniversary last month and so I whipped up this little watercolor to commemorate the occasion.  I cannot take credit for the clever spin on the family tree idea.  I saw something similar for sale and made it my own.  Basically I'm an art thief.
Hopefully it will be easy to add little leaves as our family grows!

around here -- may edition

  

 

 

  

Just a few of my favorite moments from the wonderful month of May.  I have graciously left out the photos of the spit-up in my hair and the dishes in my sink.  You're welcome :)

rug rehab

So the thing about dogs is that they eat really gross things and then throw-up all over your house.  It's the dumbest.  And Gesso didn't waste any time throwing up on our dining room rug.  I tried my darndest to clean it up, but jute isn't very conducive to scrubbing and it left a weird stain anyway.  Womp womp.



Now I know that rugs under eating tables are kind of impracticle, but believe me when I say that without one it turns into a giant hairy mess under there.  So we need a rug.   And I couldn't really stand the stain (of course he ralphed right by my chair), and I didn't want to buy another rug.  So I decided to paint it instead.

It was as easy as picking up a couple of tubes of brown paint and some circle sponges and going to town.  It took forever, so it was nice that my mom was in town to babysit my baby.

I went through a few different stages of love/hating it, but in the end I like it!  I think it's a little spunky and not too much like a kindergarten art project (right?!).  

If I use my imagination it looks like we're eating dinner on a bed of river rocks.  Fun!

I had a big heart-to-heart with my blog this morning.  You see, I miss it.  And it misses me.



Before Harvey was born I knew I wanted to create a seperate, more private space to share the millions of baby photos, milestones, and family moments.  And since doing that, I have sort of been ignoring this other space.

And sometimes at 3 am I will read back through my archives and it's so fun for me to remember the little things.  I was sort of surprised!  I put much more time and thought into posts with tutorials, art projects, and other crafty business.  But it's the snapshots and little words that were funnest for me to read.  Probably because I don't keep a journal, so this is the closest thing I have to it.

I had previously decided to reserve this space for art related things, and to leave the randomness out.  I mean, who really cares about the beautiful shadows my succulents made at breakfast this morning?  I do! 

And maybe I do want to share little snapshots of my baby growing up way too fast.

 

 So anyway, about the heart-to-heart.  We decided (HollyHox and I), that it would be okay to post whatever the heck I wanted.

 

 No weird rules.  Because then I get confused and stop posting.

And someday when I finally get a book made of this silly blog, it will be so fun to look back.  Not just on art projects (which are happening, by the way.  I've just been too lazy to blog about them is all), but on the little things that were going on in my world.

Because the little things are sometimes the best things.

So I guess I just wanted to say that I've missed this space.

And I haven't stopped making things.

In fact, I think I've made more things since having this cute baby.  Which is kind of confusing, but I think I'm learning more about this thing called time management.

So I hope to see you again soon, dear blog.