Funny

I bought these decorative toadstools for Annie for her fifth birthday, and I think it is so funny that they have somehow attracted spores and have sprouted this huge mushroom! Since I took this picture a few days ago it has grown and is now about as big as a dinner plate.

Funny.

4:00 a.m.

i don't know what woke me... i think i could have gone back to sleep except the lure of the computer drew me to my studio. just a few minutes to meander and read email while everyone is asleep seemed so guilt-free and irresistible.

here's a little "10 things" meme i saw batted around out in blogland;

1. i always find the shady side of the street. as a redhead, the sun has always been something i avoid.

2. i miss terribly the open ocean and the redwoods surrounding santa cruz california. not to mention the dear friends and neighbors that i miss daily.

3. people are often surprised when they see my hair down. i really only take it down to sleep and bathe.

4. i'm typing this in at 4:00a.m. it's perfectly still and quiet in my house and on my street. (i just heard jasper creeping around upstairs.)

5. i smile easily and often, although it takes a lot to make me laugh out loud.

6. i typically under-commit and over-deliver. i think it is because i don't like chaos and i enjoy thoroughness, economy and taking my sweet time.

7. just like my grandmother, i am mesmerized by babies, young children, and baby animals. i love the way they look, sound, smell and i am charmed by what they do. i'm confused at how different observing young life can be from the reality of parenting (and animal ownership) in my own life.

8. i enjoy a tidy and organized home. sometimes i get a feeling of utter contentment and pleasure putting things back where they belong.

9. when i was younger, i thought i was really tall. (I stand 5'4")

10. i can hear a train whistling in the distance. it's getting really faint.

now that i'm chilled, falling back asleep next to a sleeping annie is going to feel so warm and cozy...

Who's Busy as a Bee?

...that would be ME, ME, ME!

I thought I would do a quick post to say "Hi" and tell you what I've been up to. I've been putting every spare morsel of my energy and attention into my new venture, Alameda StudioTime. I've been so focused that I've hardly given my blog a thought! I keep looking around my studio and our day-to-day life and I see so many blog-worthy moments, and then I realize I want to have balance and take care not to deplete my energy reserves.
Having this blog has really been such a wonderful way to express myself and have some regular creative output. I wonder if StudioTime will begin to fill that need? We'll see!
Hello and warmth to you all.

Thanks Mary

Our dear friend and neighbor Mary has been cleaning out her basement in preparation for some foundation work and we have been the lucky recipients of many wonderful items. Today Annie got another bag of doll clothes, a globe, a wonderful vintage book filled with fuzzy felt kitties and over 100 colorful bindis. As you can see from the above photos, one bindi is beautiful, but 15 is spectacular!

Thanks Mary!

Lot of Little Things

Gosh, I'm surprised you haven't given up on me!

I'm still here and I can't seem to pull out of my moment-to-moment to grab the camera or form thoughts that might become a proper post. I have been busy doing a lot of little things; thrifting, entertaining, recovering from a cold, gearing up for Annie's fall classes, gardening, baking, watching Annie and Johnny swim, completing traffic school, plus all of my day-to-day mothering, housekeeping and dreaming up some plans for 2010.

Since our lives have been filled with all of the little things, here are a few links to view many cute little things. Annie checks in regularly at Cute Overload, Snuzzy, and Itty Bitty Kitty Committee.

(I like to imagine that the puppy in the top photo is Jasper as a newborn.)