Decapitating Shadows

Studio Update

January 04, 2009

First, my favorite Xmas present. My stepmother, who is a fantastic quilter and seamstress, made me a retro-style apron. I absolutely love it and will be cooking in it, despite the jeers of my family, on a regular basis.

The painting I just finished (I think), titled Watch, Wait, Worry

I also went to Michigan City yesterday to shoot inspiration photos for a new painting. I'm submitting something for the Area Artists' 30th anniversary exhibit, which is all works inspired by various sites around Michigan City. I was taking different landscape shots around the church and playground when I discovered a little birdbath tucked behind the sanctuary; it's shaped like a bird and just seemed sort of unexpected. Given my obsession with birds, I considered it a lucky accident, and hope to start some sketches today.

Posted at 09:41 AM | Comments (0) | Posted to Arts and Culture

Glad Those Days Are Over

January 03, 2009

Now that celebrities are wearing their babies, it seems to have become something of a fashion trend. Never mind that it is convenient, useful, and arguably good for baby. I switched back and forth between the Maya Wrap and the Kozy, and tried a few other styles including the hotsling. Which baby sling works best for you really depends on your baby, the size of the baby, and your size. Once the Bug hit 25 lbs the Maya wrap was difficult because of the weight being all on one shoulder, but the Kozy was perfect and kept both arms happily free.

Hugamonkey is another site offering very affordable baby slings, and offers reviews/comparisons, including hotslings reviews and all the other major makers. Some of the information seems a little inaccurate (for instance the comparison with Maya wrap states that the Maya includes bulky padding, but only the padded style and not the original has this). It seems like the hugamonkey would be a fantastic backup sling, especially because it folds up so tiny and could be stashed in a pocket or purse. The fabrics are also gorgeous. The Maya wrap, while completely functional, was a bit hippie-flavored for my taste, so I'm always happy to come across carriers offered in more fashionable fabrics.

Baby slings are a great way to keep baby close while you do other things, get out to the store or on walks without dragging strollers and other parephenalia, allow you to nurse discreetly, and keep your baby attached and content. You just have to use a little common sense in making sure your baby is secure (you don't want to go skiing or ride a bike with your baby in a sling) and it takes a little getting used to, but in my opinion it's well worth it.

Posted at 10:15 AM | Comments (0) | Posted to mommyhood

Ringing in the New (Update)

January 02, 2009

Well, now I can say that the worst part of the end of 2008 was coming back from vacation to find out that I no longer have a job. Well, no, it isn't the worst part. I am already moving forward, have a long list of phone calls to make, and am actually pretty excited about putting more time into artistic endeavors at least in the short-term. I have a few pieces to finish up, at least two art shows on the slate for 2009 (one of them a solo show!), and some new work I'm all ready to start.

My biggest challenge is working on discipline. Getting up in the morning, not getting distracted by the internet (unless I'm doing something productive), and really setting some concrete goals for myself. I do get a little overwhelmed, not knowing where to start, feeling like I've got so many ideas running around my head I can't pay adequate attention to any one. So I'll be working on prioritizing and maybe even scheduling specific time for specific things (job hunt, painting, networking, etc.) We'll see how that all goes. I'm optimistic about the new year, and hope that this is the start of bigger and better things.

Posted at 08:42 AM | Comments (0) | Posted to True Stories

Ringing in the New Year

December 30, 2008

So the worst part of my Christmas break was finishing my new Noro scarf only to realize I'd somehow dropped a stitch back in one of the early rows. I'm going to throw myself on the mercy of our local yarn shop today and hope it's fixable without frogging the whole thing.

There's probably lots to tell, but I'm finding (in case you hadn't noticed) that blogging hasn't been very high on my list of priorities right now. I'm excited about some exhibitions I'm planning to participate in in 2009, but unfortunately the disastrous economy has me re-thinking my five year plan of launching an art-related business. I'm starting 2009 with a lot of uncertainty about what is next for me, but at least feeling pretty good about having some options. I hope to be posting more soon, and at the very least we'll have some new photos up on the Lilybug site soon. The Bug got a kids' digital camera for Xmas, so we'll be starting a special section of the blog to post her photography as well.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2009.

Posted at 08:09 AM | Comments (0) | Posted to True Stories

Having a Green Holiday

December 11, 2008

Last year, right after Xmas I bought some reusable fabric gift bags from reusablebags.com. They're pretty, and they assuage my guilt about the tons and tons of non-recyclable paper I've consumed in the past. I really have been thinking about the incredible amount of waste during the holidays, and though I *love* paper and shiny things and ribbon, I vowed that I would not buy any wrapping paper this year. I am using up what's left of last year's rolls, buying only paper boxes and gift bags that can be reused, and getting creative with stuff around the house. For several years now I've been cutting up the previous year's holiday cards and making gift tags. It's actually fun and turns out looking pretty cool. The other thing I've tried this year is wrapping in fabric with scraps from my stash; you just fold the edges in and secure with ribbon. And I've let Lily get creative, just wrapping things in plain sheets of paper or brown paper bag and letting her color on them. So the spread under our tree is very eclectic, but it's all pretty much either reusable or recyclable. And cheap. I like cheap.

Posted at 05:07 PM | Comments (0) | Posted to Culture & Politics

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About Me

At different times in my adult life, I've been a museum administrator, production designer, and a bookstore clerk. I now work almost full-time as a graphic designer, and run Studio Virgo. I'm also mommy to Lilybug, the coolest toddler on the planet, and am addicted to coffee, knitting, and yoga.