Love Letters

I enjoyed a lovely heap of ribbon spaghetti here in the studio yesterday as I put together the last of the kits. Delicious! I was having so much fun playing with these fabrics, that I had to sew something else up. Just folding and assembling was like dangling a golden carrot.



Our love-chain is romantically dangling across our bedframe currently. I am a pillow addict. My husband just proposed that we put the pillows in "storage" in the attic or something, because our bed is never made and they end up all over, just causing more clutter. Can you imagine? And he was totally serious. I was like uhhh-right. He may not suggest that if he knew those pillows cost more than most of the furniture in our house. Eh-hem. But no need to start that conversation. Instead I thought I would make another one.



But this is no ordinary pillow. This, my darlings, is a love letter pillow. It is all funky pieced in the front with kit scraps and the back has an "envelope" for leaving sweet thoughts...or a grocery list. I'll be leaving a note for my sweetie..something about how much I love him blah blah and how sweet he is to put up with my blah blah bright colors blah endless making blah blah, but how waking up next to him (in a sea of pillows) is the greatest joy of my life, blabity-blah. Love, me.



You kit-customers out there will be getting your love-chain-to-be very soon. They are all ready for shipping (UK and Canada be patient, please, you're great!). But I hope all will be inspired to make a little love letter pillow for yourself or your sweeties, little and big.

(OH and don't ask what paint color I used in our bedroom, because that color is totally photoshopped in as I am still trying to decide how to cover the dead-green current color...but you can cast your vote if you like it.)

xoxo,AM

Birthday Girl

5 friends. bacon & eggs & muffins for breakfast. comic collaborative cake decorating. cake & ice cream for lunch. driving practice. confusing the brake & the gas. twice. target giftcard spending. candy for all. starbucks. driving by the old house. loading the new ipod nano. dinner out with parents & friends & no siblings. shirley temples. calamari. asian bbq. planked grilled alaskan salmon. coffee house for mocha lattes & cookies. movies.











Lucky duck.

Weirdness & Relativity

So I've been tagged by weirdness in bloggityville, and I'm gonna be a good sport. But I'll make one thing clear first. Every weird thing I could come up with really seemed normal within circumstances. I think this is more a list of 6 things I might not otherwise talk about that makes me a little unique. Weird just seems weird if you assume what's on the opposite side of it is normal. After awhile normality starts seeming weird. Like when you know you've spelled a word correctly but, when you put it in a different font and stare at it long enough, you are just certain it's mispelled, but it's not. It's relative to experience and perspective. Some of it is just funny history, but I find it to be defining history. So it therefore defines me. Weird, normal, or somewhere in between, and hopefully just barely entertaining.

*When I was a kid, I used a Greek term constantly thinking that I was actually speaking English, because we said it in the house so much. It wasn't until around 1st grade that I learned from Becky up the street that "etsi-k-etsi" didn't mean "kinda". She looked and me and was like, 'why do you always say that weird thing?' 'What weird thing?' 'That eti-sketi word!' I was insistant that everyone knew what that meant. I don't know who it was that finally got to the bottom of it, but I still think it in purely english situations.

*You wouldn't know it unless you looked into my nostrils, but I have a very crooked nose on the inside. Straight on it looks normal, but I have what is called a deviated septum. I'll pass on taking a picture of it, just make me look up at the ceiling next time I see you, and you'll see what I mean....very clearly

*When I was at a college football game with my first serious boyfriend I got so mad at him that I knocked his two front teeth out. It wasn't totally intentional, but I didn't mean not to hit him either. We were sitting with all his cool-guy fraternity brothers and he stood at about 6'3" and 220lbs to my 5'7" and 125lbs (at least then). He took off with his bloody two teeth in hand and I couldn't find him for days. He came to call me slugger affectionately and we continued dating until I met Jeff. He is now happily married with 3 beautiful children who likely get a real kick out of his fake teeth. Jeff used to tease me by ducking when I got mad.

*Speaking of the love of my life, dear Jeff. We started dating when I was 18. I was a teenager who had never babysat, ever. No interest in kids, babies, diapers none of it. I thought maybe I would have 1 child around 38 and be done with it and get back to my normal totally cool art studio living in NYC one day. When Jeff and I would hang out and watch TV or go out to eat, he would always make comments on cute babies "Oh look at that one!" ~ "Anna come see the baby on this commercial, quick!" I was like -whatever. I was also like -pregnant 3 months later. And 5 kids (last I counted) for the reluctant nuturer. Go figure.

*And speaking of pregnancy, I have certainly sat in the friggin o.b. office enough to hear about every complaint, craving and myth known to womankind. But my all time weirdest craving that I never heard from anyone else was for snow. I was so thirsty and nothing would quench it, and I really really really wanted snow.

*When I plan food for entertaining, I have to admit intentionally planning at least twice as much as I need. That amount is the completely normal amount for me to plan. I am not happy unless there are obnoxious amounts of food leftover. It's like an embarassment if my company actually finishes even one dish completely. What if they really did want more and it just wasn't there. This is the only way I am sure. I am always doing the what if they could be happier bit in my head. Like rearranging my sleeping child's limbs in a way that looks more comfortable. I know those are two weird things but it's kinda all rolled into one thing. Well you know, etsi-k-etsi.

Heather, Sarah, Kathy, Kim, Alex & Gina, consider yourself tagged. (And Gina you are only allowed to be weird as it relates to quilting)

xoxo,AM

Because I love hue!

UPDATE * 7:42pm central time
ALL THE KITS ARE SOLD OUT!
Sorry to some of you...I am counting now to see how many I am actually saying sorry to. I will respond to all that have emailed me, either way. I am checking to see how many of the last orders I can still accomodate without sending you scraps of my bedspread (which is really pretty...hmmm). Mostly thank you for all your orders, wow, I thought I may be making garlands until I was 97. I feel, well, loved. It's the theme for sure. Love. Despair not if you haven't gotten one, I have faith that you'll be rocking out your own version. And this is not the last 'studio sampling'!

Hey you guuuuyyys........remember when I was rambling about creating little 'limited edition studio samplings' in the form of a kit or goody bag? Well goody gumdrops, the first one is here!



The studio is currently glowing and awash in pretty pinks, kicky corals and luscious lilacs that I've selected for this "Love Chain" garland kit.



Most of the fabrics are from Bohemian, but they've fallen in love with a few other vintage-y friends.



Each 9x12" clear completely giftable bag includes some of all the fabrics shown, ribbons, pattern, instructions, helpful hints on assembling, and a few surprises. The combined yardage is roughly 1.5 yards, but in mix & match pieces of lovely prints. I've priced the kit at $24 and plan to ship all around February 1.



Though this will be an amorous addition to your decor anywhere in the house during Valentines, the color scheme isn't limiting to just that happy holiday. Love should be in there air (literally) everyday so you can let this reversible garland hang from your bedframe, your doorframe, or over your luvy-wuvy baby's crib all year round.



Because I've done these in such a limited quantity, I'm not using the most sophisticated of ordering schemes. It is a simple one though, thats for sure. Just email me at am@annamariahorner.com to place your order and I will reply promptly with the payment and postal details. OH! and orders will be taken on a first love-me/first email-me basis, so don't be lazy, but do be inspired to make your own if quantities should get nabbed up!

This has been extremely enjoyable to put together! Barely even feels like work...which reminds me....back to work.

Promise to be weird tomorrow...I've been tagged twice now...hmmm...ya think everyone thinks there are 12 weird things about me?

xoxo,AM

DING! round two!

Happy Birthday to Nicolas! My nine year old boy. sniff. sniff. wimper. sigh.



Wowee. Nine. Okay, I'll not bore you with more disbelief about time going by. I have never had such a difficult pregnancy, delivery, or first few months with a baby. More than worth every physical and emotional pain though. Such a strong boy. I think my body just couldn't contain all that his personality was brewing. Deep and loving character even though he stifffens like a board when I try to hug him. I know just how soft he is, which is why I find it so amusing. Anyone who knew my husband as a boy cannot believe the likeness of the two, not just looks, but likeness, in every way. How about that beautiful sweater from Nani? Deep chocolate brown and warm like the little man's eyes.



Speaking of chocolate. After the red velvet experience, I succumbed to cake mix, mostly because of time constraints. For a child that I say "no" to an awful lot, I thought I should try saying "yes" on his birthday as much as I could. Within reason of course. Mom, can we have cupcakes instead of one cake? Yup you bet. Can I take 24 of them to school? Sure, how about we make 2 batches. I want to light the candles myself, please? Well it's your birthday isn't it? Light those things little man! Wow that was a big deal, all the kids came in close to see one of their own light the birthday candles. Little gifts of permissions made for a happy boy.


So on his way down to the gameroom, he can now have a stop in the garage at his own punching bag. So much brain energy, emotional energy and physical energy in that one child, it'll be great for him to do something just mindless. We also heard its really good for strengthening bones...and if you read this blog often you should know that's a good thing for us. He was thrilled. Something he can hit as much as he wants. What could be better when you're boy-nine?

So I've been hit with the six weird things tag. I'll work on narrowing down my (long) list and try to post that before the end of the week. And look out fellow bloggers, also making my hit list.

2 birthdays down, one to go. xo,AM

Gifted Girl

Happy Birthday to Eleni!



How could this have happened to the baby in the family? Three years old? Are we sure? Mommy disbelief aside, we had a wonderful day with our sweet girl yesterday. She kept asking when can we 'go to her birthday', like it was a place. And every time someone wished her 'happy birthday' she said 'happy birthday to you too'. She ordered this custom 'under the sea' cake and wanted it red on the inside. Rather than dive into Disney duplication, I settled on a pale blue sea with a pink coral reef and Swedish fish in place of the more obvious characters of her favorite movie. Let's just be glad it at least looked yummy. It tasted less than yummy and I admit my defeat. I've never made red velvet, err well, I have now, but this one doesn't count. I actually have never been a fan. But now I am determined to both bake a delicoius one and like it. Any tips welcome. Oh and she was absolutely no help at all in the kitchen, just stood there. She got cocky after looking so darned cute in that apron. Miss Mango, however was lovely, and an inspiration to continue perfecting my baking skills.



I did bake up the most delicious pretend cookies as a gift for sweetie. Ever since the little girls got a play kitchen for Christmas, Eleni has been serving up some really yummy imaginary cookies. But something was missing from her recipe. Day after day she would lovingly bring me a fresh batch into the studio for a sample. She is an excellent baker, but they needed something still. Then it hit me! Eleni's cookies needed to be tangible....but not like plastic playfood tangible. Like delicious homemade tangible! The package design had to pay homage to our head cookie chef......Dad. He makes the most amazing cookies. So good in fact, that my failure at red velvet had him smiling at me with a condescending yet loving head tilt and oh-thats-okay-not-everyone-is-great-at-baking look.



We feasted on these yummies though. The simple ingredients of felt, machine embroidery and buttons make a delectable cookie, if you'd like to try.

My parents joined us for a day of homemade burgers and fries, birthday kisses, watching our Bears win, and of course handmade gifts from Nani. How gorgeous is this hat my mom knit? And if thats not enough, my mom makes the BEST red velvet cake in the world. I think she better come the next time I try. (got that, Mom?) Their visit and that hat topped our weekend and our baby off perfectly.

Go Bears!
xoxo,AM

Be my guest

On with the domestication. Not quite to the big events yet, but I am spending some time with another colorful home appliance. Mr.Dyson has been extremely jealous of Miss Mango, but hopefully I will be using them each equally today. We have my best friend and her husband coming tonight, followed by Nani and Papou (my mom and dad). People will always tell you, especially the close ones, 'oh please don't clean up for us'. But I certainly don't clean up for us alot, so I jump at the chance to spend a day cleaning. Well jump could be a strong word. But honestly, do you ever miss your house?? I spend all day in it, but I don't see it much. Cleaning it is a way for me to enjoy it all over again. Downside being, I am mentally decorating and adding up a tab of things I want, constantly. How does one stop that?



A room that I barely come into is our guest room. (How do I maintain a guest room when I have 5 children, you ask? Well, Juliana has her own, the boys share, and the little girls share too. It works for us. Character building. Good gracious we have definitely built characters.) Like this one, there is a second room at the bottom of the stairs that is a finished space, but was used for storage by the previous owners. We did the same with it until about this time last year. My mom and I tackled it head on for 3 days. I used up lots of existing furniture and odds and ends that I had no home for and pulled it all together. Slipcovered an old headboard, repainted an old futon and chest of drawers, made a ledge shelf out of the old kitchen chair rail, made this for the bed (have you noticed how it moves here in the studio on occassion? I miss it sometimes), obviously we painted, hung up the unused windows from the old kitchen because this basement room doesn't have a window...well now it does, also hung an unused frame around an antique beveled mirror that felt too small.



I love having guests. I love that this room is filled up with family things. Linens from my grandmothers, my grandfather's rocking chair, my grandma's cool vintage driftwood lamp, a huge series of old books from Jeff's dad and this painting my dad made more that thirty years ago. I was born in Chicago. When we were all babies, he made this painting of the view out of our window. He has never liked it. I love it. I don't remember anything about Chicago because I was so little when we came to Tennessee. Maybe thats why I love it so much. It's the missing piece filling the gap in my memory bank. It's humble. It speaks to me about my dad's immigrant beginnings. Vibrant and warm and optimistic even though its a bleak quiet snow scene. A welcoming neighborhood for the eyes of all my visitors.

Hospitality calls....and cake dreams await! More later!
xo,AM

Cake-a-thon

Who's ready??

It's just about birthday bonanza time in this house. Eleni will be 3 on the 20th, Nicolas 9 on the 22nd and Juliana 15 (ack) on the 27th! Count'em! Three birthdays in one week! (I know, I know...something special about the month of March) It is much better than the 3 broken arms in one year I was whining about. But golly there are cakes to make.

And because I was so completely plushed at Christmas, it's time to do my part and mix, baby. That mango mixer has been waiting for me. But I wasn't ready. Until now. I have something new to wear for the big cake-a-thon. As I sew, sketch, measure and plan through my pattern prototypes, I decided to cook one up that would compliment my new partner in the kitchen. I'm not getting all dressed up for a store bought cake mix either,...oh no. That would be like taking your brother to the prom (love you George). I shall bake from scratch, my darlings.



Now when I hear Jeff pull into the driveway in the evenings, I won't dash to change out of my pajamas, I'll just dab flour on the nose and tie this one on.

Stay tuned to the sweetest place on earth for the cake chronicles........

xoxo, AM

From one circus to another to another

When that morning sun was cracking through the clouds over Atlanta I had already been driving for 4 hours. Leaving behind the happy chaos of a weekend at my house only sent me to another kind of chaos known as the Atlanta gift and accessoires market. For those of you who don't know, this is one of the biggest sources in the country for retailers to gather their product lines for their stores. This is where the shops shop. It's also where the manufacturers I work with have showrooms and sell. So during high market weeks, I meet with them to have a look at our new stuff and make plans for future lines.



I was able to snap a few quick pics of my new melamine dishware line, holiday embroidered linens, and butterfly giftwrap. There were several things that I didn't get to snap because either the showrooms were so packed or because I forgot (duh) to when I was busy sharing new project concepts. I had fun walking around looking at all that will be hitting stores in the next few months, but man that place is huge! I have been going there for years, ever since I had my clothing line and store. We used to buy accessories and other lines through the Atlanta and New York showrooms. It hasn't gotten any smaller, thats for sure. Imagine an 18 story mall, and then imagine three of those buildings connected together and then you can imagine the amount of space this place covers. Unbelieveable!



Speaking of circus, there is no shortage of enticing showroom antics to attract buyers inside to place huge orders. I love Hello Kitty. Not nearly as much as my girls though...well actually perhaps as much. That showroom is soooo fun, and I had to prove to little Isabela and Eleni that I met Kitty herself. Kitty was looking adorable in a gingham blouse and applique jumper, she is so on top of fashion! My girls' just squealed. It was better than the coloring books from the airport giftshop which I usually resort to at the last pre-flight minute.



Sunday morning after my last meetings and a grande Starbucks, I packed up my exhausted self and headed home. My wheels were spinning as fast as my car tires were taking me home, thinking about all the well-received idea sharing sessions, and how fun it was going to be to play it all out. I need a voice recorder to talk my thoughts into notes as I drive. I just about wrecked reaching over to jot things down as forms, colors and products danced around inside my head. There's a circus up there too. Mostly jugglers. And as far away as 2008 seems to see today's ideas turn into tangible things, like the rearview says, 'objects in mirror are closer than they appear'.



This morning, we took Isabela to get her cast off-yay! That was fun too see here cute skinny scaley arm. I don't think I've mentioned that she is just one of 3 of our kids who have broken her arm in 2006-can you imagine?! Three kids, 3 arms, all broken in just about the same spot. Both forearm bones. The ER has to ask you all those child and family services questions, and they always apologize for having to. Today the child-life specialist who is on hand in the casting room to comfort the kids or distract with toys asked me to step outside for a minute. I thought I was going to get an extra round of investigative questions because we've been there so much. I was right. But the question was, "how would you like some box seat tickets to the circus for your family?"......(huh?) She had recognized us as being there alot over the past several months and thought we deserved a fun night out donated by the Ringling Brothers. Wasn't that sweet? Then I started thinking, oh gosh certainly there are more deserving families with more serious child-bone issues than ours that may really need it more. I asked, but she insisted.

A circus. We'll feel right at home.
xoxo,AM

Codeword: Candymusic

I've got candy.
I've got music.
I've got paintbrushes.
Who could ask for anything more?

All inhabitants here know the code of music and candy together in the stuido. It means I'm working. Usually painting. I feel like I barely get to paint anymore. I've got some new concepts going involving painting and fabric and as soon as I do some with legal fabrics I will share. Can't wait.

So Jack and I are hard at work and dancing through some lovely rhythms of color and acoustic guitar. And my contractor overbought building supplies for the candy-laden gingerbread house, so I'll be sweetly sustained. No resolutions regarding sweets here. Only to be sweet. But I try that every year. Heading off on a biztrip with new designs under my arm this weekend, so likely we won't visit again until next week.

Just a little down and to your left Jack, and you've almost got the purple one.

xo,AM

Four minutes of yesterday

Highschool bus pulls up. Juliana hops off, lightly.

AM: "Awe, hi honey-your bag looks so cute with that jacket! How was school?"
J-A: "Uhh...okay. Thanks. School was good"
AM: "Seriously, that is so cool, I can't believe you didn't like it at first, you did a perfect job. Let's take a picture real quick before I take Bela to dance"
J-A: "Hang on, I'm hungry"

Juliana slices of a giant piece of breakfast pastry while Anna dashes for the camera, checking the battery level. Dang. Of course. Puts the rechargeables in their charger and digs through the kitchen drawer for two more.

AM: "Put that sticky thing down and com'ere. Okay just be natural and pretend like you just got off the bus."
J-A: " I did just get off the bus."

Juliana mocks with a slowmotion walk up the front stairs.

AM: "Oh this first one is perfect. Okay that's good. Let's go have a look"
J-A: "Man I look like a stringbean"
AM: "Geesh, you do. You need to eat more Juliana"
J-A: "MOM! I was trying to have schnecken and you made me take a picture. I like it"
AM: "The schnecken?"
J-A: "No. The picture!"
AM: "Oh good, we'll use it. Go eat."

No wait, this is the beginning

After proclaiming the beginning of the new year a week ago, I feel I should do it again. My husband made us a bacon, egg, donut breakfast today and the first 3 have gone to their bus stops and the little two are still snoozing. School's in! This is the beginning of real work. I mean it this time! What was I talking about, wanting Christmas break to never end? I must have been crazy! (I tease) Thank you for all the sweet motherly lovey things you said in regards to my last post. Makes it feel like a team effort. What great perspectives. Ahh, you're all so wise, dearies!

My work is ramping up, with a trip this weekend , a new one in Februaury (an exciting invitation I can't wait to share with you) and this one and that one in May, whew, I'm already tired! Fabrics are just one of the many things I design, but it has definitely been the spoiled child lately. Having been a clothing designer for years, it gets back at my heart and I am seeing all my design work through textile goggles these days.

Knowing that I have alot coming up has had me thinking about how on earth I will manage it all, and then I woke up to read Heather's post this morning about the same, in regards to blogging. Wow we really are in the same boat. Only blogging for just a few months, I already can't imagine not doing it regularly. But I can imagine making you read (or not) about what I had for dinner last night while I work away behind the scenes on lots of stuff that is either in progress or can't be shared or is waiting for my seal of approval (lots of those items lying around). Although, pretty food pictures are fun.

I used to think that I would be happy doing nothing but this or this in the corner of a quiet studio, day in, day out. But as soon as I opened a boutique in1995, I was bit (hard) by the bug of selling stuff that I made and designed. It took a few years to learn to let someone else handle the making and selling, but the design is still all mine. I love the connection it gives me. I love product. I love trend (though I love to not love trend too). I love teaching people stuff. I love people enjoying what I've made enough to bring it into their homes. What a feeling that is!! In fact, I've been milling around thoughts of selling some of my own items, right here out of the studio. But I want it to be something that you can't get anywhere else. I'd love to sell you my fabrics, but maybe in a way that you can't get at the stores. Lots of ideas. Kits or goody bags of fabrics n' such is one thought. Any takers? If you have thoughts on it I'd love to know, either a comment or email.



Oh and here are some glamour shots of the Bohemian quilt I made awhile ago. I'm to be featured in an Australian quilt mag this spring so I'm gathering lovely photos to pretend like I live in a lovely and perfect place. Oh and there have been some other interesting requests along those lines, that I look forward to sharing when (if) they materialize.

New beginning friends! Join me! xoxo,AM

The art of childhood

I made this painting about 4 years ago of Isabela when she was about one, just after she learned to walk. I named it "For her Amusement" and its 3'x3' and hangs on the apple green walls in the playroom...appropriately. Originally, I was inspired by this one, as I am inspired by all the paintings of Picasso's blue period. It seems the more human his paintings were the less well they were received, it's just where art was at the time. Anyway. Love the blue period. All the thoughts I have when I make a painting kind of fleet away from me in the years after, and then come back around again. I don't know why or how. When I made the painting I was thinking of all those tasks and chores that surround occupying and entertaining a child. I didn't want to portray her as a spoiled brat but more, like the central act in a domestic circus where each corner is filled with something she may want or need. I did lots of paintings with birds and birdcages in them for a while. I think I was the bird in the cage. Can I say that? Motherhood is hard. If you want to do it right. And going after goals outside of motherhood is hard too, not harder, but maybe more complicated.

Geesh, where is this going?

What I wanted to say is I feel guilty sometimes, that I have the ability to amuse my kids with a playroom and a gameroom as shared in my last post, and I feel like I should apologize for it somehow. Is it okay to spend so much time keeping them happy? Yea, I think so, but for me its the the kind of happy that makes the difference. I justify giving them so much by 1) the sheer number of children we have and 2) the kind of things I am occupying them with. The gameroom was something that we came up with to reroute that kneejerk phenomenon of waking up and turning on the tv. Jeff was startled in the wee hours of the morning a few days ago by hearing some rustling in the garage, thinking we may have an intruder. What we had instead was Nicolas and Joseph waking before dawn to play down in their new room, cause it was the first thing they thought of when they woke up. Perfect.



I guess there is a 3) justification to bestowing lots of fun on the kids. We expect alot in return in terms of their character and their treatment of each other. Juliana and I made this big (3x4) "Family Rules" painting after we moved into this house a few years ago. It is actually referred to often as we discipline the kids. Nicolas has pointed out that there are so many more rules in this house than what is shown in the posted parameters. I explained that this just touches on the basics. It is actually a very fun little project for a family to work on together, creating and refining a list and then tackling it with not too much care of aesthetics. It's not about aesthetics, you see.

So let me revise. I don't feel guilty, just incrediby blessed. Today is the last day of the kids' Christmas break and I'm just thinking about how great it's been. Usually I am counting the days till they go back, so I can get some work done, and I've done that a tiny bit, but it'll be really quiet here next week. Which is fine. We'll share them with their lucky teachers and use the time we have to both refine them and entertain them. I think that's our job.

xoxo,AM

Play Forward

As promised I'm sharing the revealed Christmas secret of the kids' new game room. We have had this empty room off the garage packed from wall to wall and ceiling to floor with storage stuff. When clearing some things out last month, I had the thought to make a new space for the kids to have some old-fashioned fun. You remember ceratinly. Nothing electric except a lightbulb ? Remember what that was like?? So the first step was to put a new doorknob and lock on and get to work either while they were at school or asleep. I enlisted Juliana because, well, it would have been impossible without her. And this is mostly a younger kid space, and she took as much excitement in planning all the activities as I did.

So after painting a playful color and throwing down a few cheap industrial rugs from Home Depot, the real fun started. We bought a junior size ping pong table, a safety dartboard, a rocking horse (that winnies and gallops when you press his ears....so okay there is more than just the lightbulb, but totally acceptable, Eleni glows when she hears it, anyway), a pair of bent plywood stools a tub for dressup clothes, a mirror and a mini basket ball goal.

We made lots of stuff....a 4'x4' sheet metal magnet wall with homemade magnetic words to inspire some major silliness and composition... a 4'x4' framed dry-erase board to inspire even more silliness, some score keeping and some artistry....a checkerboard table was fashioned from an unused old playroom table, and squares of decoupaged fabric to form the checker, and some painted wooden discs for the playing pieces. We also fashioned a semi-circlar dressing room that hangs from the ceiling to inspire...uhh...modesty. Then there's the feltboard I made that features Eleni and Isabela. Currently the felt attachables have them visiting the museum with printouts of famous paintings stitched to felt , and I'm sure these felt girls will go lots of other places in the future.



So while they play away downstairs this morning, I am working away up here in the studio. It is my own form of grown up playing though, admittedly. I've been updating my website some. I will be meeting with a lot of clients in a fews weeks so I have lots of product concept presentations to make. That just means I get to cut up all my art on the computer and put it into to pretend images of lovely things. I really am in my playroom.



My new year is also filled with some very useful amusements. My brother-in-law Jason gave me this fabulous little coffee cup. What's better than a cool cup that will become your daily standard? Nothin' is what. And at the same time I can exhibit a little local pride for my favorite coffee house.

Back to work, for lack of a better word for what I get to do....most of the time.

xoxo,AM

New Day, New Year

If only we had the same reverance for the beginning of every day as we do for each new year. I've been away for a few days visiting my hometown for one of the happiest occassions I've ever taken part in, outside my own family. My dearest, sweetest friend Julie got married. We've been friends for 20 years and seeing her happy and in love completes me somehow. She found her soulmate and that is cause for celebration. The wedding was on New Year's Eve and we all welcomed 2007 on the dancefloor. What a blast that was! As a bridesmaid , I was doing nothing but changing clothes for all of the 5 or 6 events that I was happily obliged to. Getting our hair done (my personal grandest style is a ponytail) was quite entertaining. Everyone looked very sophisticated but of course way over the top of what we would have chosen without the opinion of a southern hairstylist. She took one look at me and said "I want to make you a greek goddess!"....'how did she know?' I thought to myself (sarcasm). That was exciting, my hair has never spent so much time with a curling iron. I may share wedding pictures once they're back, but you wouldn't recognize me. Really.



Anyway, the occassion gave us a roadtrip we hadn't had in a while. It was strangely peaceful having all of us in the car for 3 hours. It's like we needed a roadtrip. The beautiful Tennessee landscape in the winter is a sleepy wonderful piece of heaven to travel through, I must say. The softness of the rolling hills, the harshness of the hardcut mountains behind, the stark bare trees, and the tired faded colors barely there from fall all look appropriately dormant and waiting to regenerate with the rest of us.



And guess what? I was really happy to be back, even to be back in the studio and anticipating lots of new projects. I feel ready and inspired for work again. Not that I was uninspired before the holidays, but I really feel fresh now. I think the physical removal did something for me. It cleared my my mind and my hands are ready to get busy.



I was so pleasantly greeted by all the nooks and crannies of the studio. The neat ones as well as those messy ones that went untidied as I hurriedly finished up some bridesmaid alterations for a pregnant friend. It had been a while since I sat sewing on a garment and that bug bit me again. Which is really a good thing as I embark on the year that I plan to publish my very first sewing patterns. I'm just so excited about it all. And as always you know that I'll keep you posted. You should be seeing the very first images of my new fabric collection in the coming weeks. I look forward to sharing a "Chocolate Lollipop" with you soon!

Happy New Year! xoxo,AM