mer.mer. pottery

This evening I went to Petroglyph here in Santa Cruz (a DIY bisque pottery shop) and painted this mug and saucer. Jon got me a gift certificate for our anniversary and I'm so glad he did! I had a lot of fun and it only got me excited to make even more pottery with my illustrations. I originally wanted thin lines but this type if painting doesn't lend itself to it so I just went with the flow. I think I like the decorative motif better than the girl. I'd love to start a line of pottery but I'll have to figure out how to get the line just as I like it. Can't wait to see what it looks like after firing.

Happy Anniversary!!

Six years ago today Jon and I were married! We have had a great six years filled with all the joy you can imagine. Here are some of my top ten highlights from the past six years:

1. The birth of our son, Atticus
2. Our Wedding Day
3. Our trip to Paris (particularly when Jon gave me an anniversary ring and "proposed" for a second time)
4. Our first midnight walk when we were first getting to know each other, and realizing that we shared so many of the same hopes and dreams
   
5. Our first snowball fight on another walk when we were dating (he had the cutest hair and the most stylish jacket and gloves on, as I do recall)
   
6. Just being together as a family, playing with Atticus and watching him grow
   
7. Our magical time in the Big Apple (I can think of LOADS of things that happened here)
8. Our honeymoon-particularly the M&M candy factory and the waterfall pools
   
9. Being pregnant (I really loved the dynamic of our relationship as we both looked toward the future with joy and excitement of what was to come)
10. Our recent trip to Big Sur where we relaxed in the hippest of cabins and enjoyed the most incredible beaches and views

This morning I gave Jon an 8x10 framed photo of us under the Eiffel Tower (above). I also gave him this fun little drawing that Shannon from Aunty Cookie custom created of our family.

So hears to another 6 years and on to eternity! I love you Jon!

Sketch of the day

I found a photo of a profile of this beautiful girl and couldn't help but sketch her. If only I could look so fabulous.

mini art wall

This is my mini art wall that is getting me through the summer. It's hard to be away from my home that I love (and that I can't stop decorating!). I feel like I'm a college student again in a less then ideal boxy thing that passes for an apartment where spiders are my shower mates on a daily basis. (OK, I'm sounding spoiled, I know it). So a big thanks to my two Kate Sutton wall paintings from Urban and my Belle & Boo sachet for keeping me company and adding a bit of inspiration back into my peripheral.

Sketch of the day

I had fun with this one. Can't wait to go to color on it. To see more updates of my work check out my Tuesday Mourning blog.

What's in Carianne's Bag

1. My awesome bag by necessary objects, Merrilee pointed it out to me last summer, or was two summers ago? Anyway I’ve never been the same since; I’ve never had… anything get me as many compliments as this bag has! I LOVE IT.


2. Coppertone Water Babies sun block, for when we go to the park, I always have it, I don’t always remember to use it but I always have it.


3. My wallet… I just searched it and there is no brand marked on it… from Wal-Mart, I love that it matches the inside of my bag!


4. My Keys


5. My Nokia cell phone. I have Cingulair or is it AT&T they keep merging and changing back and forth, well one of those and if you have it too you can call me without using your minuets!


6. My pink water bottle, I try to keep it with me to stay hydrated.


7. My sunglasses, ever since I lost my favorite pair to the depths of Lake Granby I’ve been trying to replace them.


8. Safeway diapers, Kirkland wipes and A&D ointment, just gotta' have it.


9. Abigail’s cool headband I made from a nylon sock.


10. Hair clippies… so that’s where they are!


11. My scriptures, they are usually in my church bag but got shifted on Sunday.

Homage to Santa Cruz

Our little family will be leaving this beautiful city of Santa Cruz on Labor Day. I wanted to share with you a small slice of all the things I have loved about being here. Most of these pictures are taken from my daily walks with Atticus, which both of us have grown to adore.

I can't say enough for the beauty of this part of the world. The Ocean is absolutely gorgeous and has an effect on me that I can't ignore. I feel so free and at home gazing out into it's endless depths and I love to feel the salty sea spraying onto my face. The flora and fauna here is unmeasurable. I can't believe the incredible plant life nearly every home here has growing in all areas of their yards. And the weather here is unlike anything I've ever experienced. It is hot, sunny, breezy and chilly all in the same day. And then you have redwood filled mountains mere minutes away from ocean side cliffs and sandy beaches. The lovely Victorian homes also really excite me as well as the quaint local boutiques.

This place has influenced me in small ways that I am very grateful for. High on the list would be the relaxed, laid back vibe that California in general embodies. I don't know how there couldn't be one with such beautiful surroundings. Being a New York city girl at heart (even though I'm from Colorado) I'm usually drawn to the work-a-holic, fast paced, cutting edge life style. The city will never leave me but I do hope to slow things down a bit internally and just enjoy each day of life for what it is.

There is a lot I'll be happy to get back to for sure (individuals who consider bathing important and who don't consistently mistake hemp for the next best fashion excessory for starters :)) but for now I'll just sit back and enjoy what it is about Santa Cruz that I do like.

What's in Lorajean's Bag

Thanks Lorajean for taking on the bag challenge! I love the creative way you set everything up. Here's what Lorajean has to say about what's in her bag:

#1- My new spiffy purse I made.
#2- Relief Society papers (that should be in a folder, but I haven't gotten one yet).
#3- A heart keychain from Carianne, and the awesome bird purse that Merrilee made for me.
#4- Trident gum, for that just-brushed breath.
#5- My "real" keys (my entire life, basically)--the Hello Kitty coin purse is the heart of my purse...it's been with me through a lot..."what would I do without you, Kitty?"...aaawwwww...
#6- Two pens. They're good for writing with...sometimes.
#7- Western Family brand, size 5, "Clifford" diapers.
#8- An extra set of keys...but why are they in the same purse as my regular keys? Shouldn't they be in a different purse so I can still get in the house if I lock this one in?...oh, well.
#9- Awesome retro earrings (purchased at D.I.), altered to be dangly instead of clip-on.
#10- Baby spoon, that used to be with the baby food. The baby food was eaten...the spoon survived.
#11- "My handy-dandy (*ding*) notebook". My re-covered composition notebook journal.
#12- The remains of my make-up. The rest has either been destroyed by Lizzy or left in Daryllyn's glove box (psst, D-lyn might want to check her glove box). :)

Lemon Lime

Loving this collage on fall's "it" accent color, lemon lime, which I found on flygirls. I have patent flats in this hue that I can't wait to dig out of my closet when we go back home to Tennessee. I too especially love this color paired with grey.

Tamar Mogendorff

I love the work of artist Tamar Mogendorff. I like her imperfect sewing style and the vintage feel of her creatures. I really think her work crosses over from craft to art.

Lorajean's new work

Check out my sister Lorajean's new painting. She is just learning gouache and I thinks she's doing a pretty good job for never using them before. Prints of this are soon to be on her etsy shop Little Lola's.

Perennial Patchwork Quilt

So I'm jumping up and down, super excited about my recent purchase from Urban Outfitters. I absolutely L-O-V-E this Perennial Patchwork Quilt. I have been wanting a quilt for sometime, even wanting to make one, but I couldn't find one that really hit my style dead on. That is until I saw this cuddly thing out of the corner of my eye. Atticus and I were taking our daily stroll around Santa Cruz and we happened to pop into one our favorite haunts, Urban Outfitters. Thinking it just an innocent window shopping excursion, I was surprised to find myself bee-lining for the checkout desk with an enormous ball of quilt tucked under my chin whilst one-handing a reckless stroller. It appeared to be the last one so my impulses kicked in and I made the buy. I haven't had one ounce of regret since. (Of course it has only been one day :)).

Kids Clothes on Etsy

I've been browsing etsy to try and find some original hand made children's fashions and I found some really cute stuff that I wanted to share with you.



First off I love these shirts made by Stacy & Mark of 1Girl 1 Boy. All of their shirts are hand dyed, block printed and appliqued. I love them! These top two shirts are a must have for Atticus. For a girl, the chickadee is my favorite.

These appliqued shirts and onsies by quiltbaby are very simple and sweet. There is an enormous amount of decorated onsies and tee's on this site but these stood out to me. I think it was because of their clean and simple patterns as well as the interesting placement of the applique.

The Plaid Giraffe has a selection of gorgeous appliqued shirts as well.

Loving these sweet reversible dresses by Lassie Girl.

Very sweet and elegant girls clothing by Little Empress Couture.

I also like these these items from 1. courtneycourtney, 2. hipkid, 3. petitedebutant, 4. foxyandwinston.

Of course most of these are for little girls and I have a boy. Just goes to show that even in the hand made indie world it's much easier to find cute girls clothes :).

Kelly Tunstall

I've been loving the work of the fabulous Kelly Tunstall and hope to one day own an original. I've had my sights on this girl in yellow shown up top in a boutique. I also love these other images. She has such a great way of displaying her work as well. I'll have to make it out to one of her shows. You can also see more of her work on her blog, One True Thought.

What's In Daryllyn's Bag

DARYLLYN'S BAG!
1. red heart bag by XOXO gift from my mommy!
2. my keys with a pretty silver heart fob, and a Hancock fabrics mini card, and nail clippers.
3. pens, one is a cool pen a gift from my hubby and another is freebie from my kids school, Connections Academy.
4. my kiwi colored leather wallet (I love this color!)
5. a stack of my family cards from Vista Print
6. various lipglosses, lip balms, and lipsticks (3 are Lancome, 2 Blistex, an IN COLOR by Jordana and the blue one Lip Vitamins is my favorite a minty balm from the the Dollar Tree)
7. a pink beaded charm bracelet
8. various clips, pony tail elastics, bobby pins
9. Pink sunglasses from shopping in Atlanta Georgia, with Merrilee
10. eyeglass lens cleaner
11. my cell phone
12. coupon to Toys R Us
13. business cards for my fav. places
14. Colrado State Fishing License, someday I will be fishing with my husband!
Not listed or shown (because I am using it to photo journal this stuff) is the real #1 item in my purse~ my Canon Power shot SD 600 Digital ELPH! I take it everywhere I go!
(Only left out all the reciepts that were floating around in there.)
How is that for honest!
So what does this all mean?
I guess you can see I like hearts and pink and red!
Otherwise I would say it means nothing!

What's in Jen's Bag

Thanks Jen for being the first to take the "What's in Your Bag" challenge! Here's what Jen has to say:

and then merrilee comes up with a long distance way of rifling through my stuff.

"what's in my bag?" she asks. . .

1. polaroid sunglasses: finally i splurged for a pair of real sunglasses and i couldn't be happier with them. my eyes love me when i put these on.
2. givenchy wallet: this was a gift to my father-in-law that he kindly passed along to me. he has been my friend for several years now (the wallet that is)

3. purell: i like to think i'm not a purell junkie, but hey, what's wrong with that, anyway?

4. bib & spoon: avi likes me for these ones.

5. Elle: because i never know when i'm going to have to kill some time, in every sense of the word. usually when i'm sitting in the car with sleeping girls and waiting for alex to take care of one item of business or another.

6. bristle blocks guy: i mean, isn't this one an essential in every woman's purse? what explanation is needed?

7. piece of Babaevski chocolate: for when that blood sugar level drops.

8. Dirol mint/vanilla flavored gum: my favorite. now tell me you can find that in america!

9. flash drive: because i don't have a printer at home, i must print elsewhere!

10. burt's bees cuticle cream: there are only two beauty products that i feel have changed my life forever. this is one of them. if you want to know the other, please arrange for a personal consultation with me.

and lastly, the bag itself. a no-namer that i picked out and given to me by my sweet mom for christmas.

there you have it, a glimpse into my life to start off this record.

just please, no underwear drawer challenges, okay?

What's In My Bag

Inspired by the "What's in her bag" series running by figments design I've decided to start the same challenge amongst my friends and family. So get your bags out and photograph them. Number and list what each item is and why you have have it in your bag. I know a few of you that read this blog so I'm going to give you a shout out so you know I'm expecting to see something from you :). Angie, Kari, Denise, Julie, Sarah, Natalie, Melody, Jen, Cambria, Wendy, Kristi, Nadja and anyone else I'm forgetting or who might come accross this post, get your bags out and share. D-lyn, Cari, Lola and SB, you are still a part of this.

I think this will also be a great way to connect with more fabulous women like yourself. Please feel free to pass along the challenge to any of your friends as well. I'm even thinking of awarding prizes so stay tuned.

Ok, so here's the low down with What's In My Bag:

1. The bag itself is from my recent trip to Paris and is from promod. It's actually an interesting story. I had purchased a much more expensive Miu Miu bag for the trip but body strap was very uncomfortable and then the handle broke so I had to find a replacement. This more affordable bag actually worked much better. It's nice and roomy and doubles great as a diaper bag.
   
2. Kenneth Cole Reaction wallet. Nothing too incredibly special about this. I purchased it from my favorite discount store in NYC, Daffy's. I love the color.
3. My cell phone is in desperate need of updating. I'm waiting for all the bugs to be fixed on the new iphone and then I hope to get that. I always have my hands free set with me for business calls and driving. Can't leave home without either one.
4. I got this little gem of a notebook in Paris. I love pink and I love notebooks. This size was just perfect for all the things I need to jot down at a moments notice. I recently found the books online by tout noté which makes me so happy. I can now purchase refills.
   
5. Guess sunglasses. These are my first pair of prescription sunglasses and I love them! I can't believe how free it feels to be able to wear sunglasses on a day that I am wearing my regular glasses. I purchased these as part of a killer package deal from Eyeglass World, but one pair get 2 free (still going on now).
6. Lip gloss. I always have to have lip gloss on me at all times. One of my favorite brands is Stila lip glaze. Goes on glossy and stays that way for a long time.
7. My bus cards. I try to keep these on me at all times.
8. Currently loving the uniball vision elite pen with purple ink. Writes dark enough so that it's sophisticated but still has a little zing.
9. Sketchbooks. mini sketchbooks must absolutely follow me around wherever I roam. Some of my favorites are these little brown paper ones by Moleskine.
10. Diapers and baby wipes. As all mothers of young children know, you don't leave home without at least one diaper and some baby wipes. Atticus only does well in Huggies.
    
11. Munchkin snack cup. Another absolute necessity for toting around a toddler. Atticus loves his to be filled with preztels and goldfish and I love that there are three compartments to keep things interesting.
12. Keys. I don't know what to say about these other than I got the little hello kitty key chain back when I was in NY. I just loved that she was in a little bear suit. I also have a cool flourish design on my house key to make it easier to find. Something I definitely recommend if you have a toddler on one hip and well, a large promod bag and groceries on the other.
13. Pocket Notes Shopping List. I just found this little notebook at Urban Outfitters and love it. I make shopping lists constantly and I hate using good notebook paper for them. This is the perfect solution.
    

Can't wait to see what you have hiding in the deep confines of your bags! :)

Casch

Loving this Casch jacket that Holly from decor8 shows in her Cash + Zara home post. I loved her Zarah home post from a while back and this was just the icing on the cake. Love the styling in this pic as well. Everything is perfect, you could just say that I want to be this girl wearing this jacket in this room :).

Gearing up for fall

Here are some items on my dream list for fall. If I had my way, I'd be wearing fall gear all year round :). Don't the words jacket, boots, tights, and Kate Spade get excitement pumping through your veins?

lovely necklaces

I adore these but can't seem to recall where I originally found them. Etsy perhaps? I'll do some digging.

*OK, as promised I did some digging. These necklaces are by Arms and Armory, a gorgeous jewelry line, and I originally found them on Clothes Pin.

the beach

We had a dreamy time at the beach recently (more pics and back story at Lost Boy's Cove). I have to say I will really miss the beach when we leave Santa Cruz and head back to Tennessee. There is something about it that makes me feel so free. Something about it says home, and for a wanderer like myself that's saying something.

The 11th Hours: Lately

Seeing my vogs got me in the shoe shopping mood so I've been browsing the fluevog site. I came across these 11 Hours: Lately shoes and I love them! So want them.

Vogs in Santa Cruz

My in-laws are in town visiting us so that they can see Jon in the Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival (he plays Ferdinand in The Tempest and makes and appearance in Much Ado About Nothing). Today they were shopping around and spotted my 'Merrilee' fluevogs for sale at a local store. I had never seen them in an actual shop (only for purchase online - I have a pair so I have of course seen them in person) so it was really exciting. The sales clerk said that they were some of her customers favorite. What a great thing to hear! I would love to design more. I've certainly got a closet full of ideas :).

Artful Blogging

I know this new magazine Artful Blogging has been getting some press around the blog world for a bit now but I just wanted to mention it as well. I really enjoy the work of artist Anahata Katkin who is covered in this premiere issue.