it has arrived

it has arrived
Originally uploaded by ms.Tea.

recently released from crown point press.
this book arrived just when i was having these nagging self doubts in my art.
that and a phone call from friend, was just what i needed to get a wee bit of attitude adjustment....phew!

beneath

at night
i love
the quiet hum
of sleeping upstairs dreamers
drifting along.
among hushed laughs and murmurs

the dog's
shushing small snores
curled in her chair
dreaming of marrow bones.

slow rhythmic breaths
of the cat wrapped
round herself fast asleep

i watch over them
relaxed and safe
blanketed warm
beneath the night.

ink

Self doubts as an artist, wondering if this is for real.
am I an artist, if I'm not passionate, am I quietly passionate? Do I need to be a suffering artist,or can I be giddy with excitement, because I'm an artist!

or should I just relax, and let the process be. Learning and continuing to grow.

sometimes I feel like such a poseur. I can do the techniques, but does it matter,if I feel unsure of what I am creating.

then I think, you have this golden opportunity,this lovely supportive community and you feel like running, because that's what you always do, you can't commit, so you don't, and little by little, you stop coming, and then just stop.

aaargh!!!

it felt good to express my fears at the studio and have everyone, share there little freak out stories.(you mean I'm not alone)(duh)
the other good thing was getting some validation, that I do know what I am doing.
I am a good printmaker.(damn it!)

knowing soon I will be calm again, and feel like less of a poseur, and more like the artist I am.

(I hope)
;o)

the first day of spring

So It's March 20th and Spring is here.
Well actually winter is dragging it's feet a little, as it's 26 degrees.
I'm still waiting to plant my sweet peas.Which i try to do as close to St. Patrick's Day as possible, but the ground is still frozen.
I have seen many robins, and the blackbirds are coming back filling the trees
with their silouettes and their loud caws,and the daffodils are poking their green shoots through the pale anemic leaves.
But it's still cold, damn it.
The other concerning thing is the lack of snow(water) we've had this year. I've heard many a person, breathe a sigh of relief about it, but come June when our lawns are brown and the flowers, somewhat lack luster, due to this mild winter.It won't be so wonderful.

So fingers crossed to Spring showers, for the mud and flowers that will follow.

nor'ester or is it a blizzard

I think yesterdays storm , was evident of how excited , we in New England get over storms. Granted it's been a pale anemic winter, with not alot of snow.
finally the atmosphere is right for a nor'easter, thank gawd!
and local news reported on it.... Over and over and over again. There was discussion at great length, at whether we had made the criteria for a blizzard.
or just a lowly snow storm.
whatever it came to be, it was blowing and snowing. There were birds on the trees, their chest feathers puffed out, taking runs to the bird feeders. The snow came fast and covered over everything brown or pale green, the ugly bare lawns were blanketed with thick beautiful snow.
all the cats were inside, sleeping. The dog went out briefly, but quickly returned.
the temperature dropped from 28 degrees to 16, as the low pulled in the cold air.
and everyone for the most part stayed home, a car here and there, but mostly the roads were empty.
There is something to be said for having no where to go, during a snow storm that just is cozy and safe feeling it make me feeling like cooking, what better time to sit and watch the Olympics,to warm the house while dinner cooks, and relax, it make you take a time out, and breathe and watch the snow fall.

Mr. Bento

the power of the written word.
I blame Ariel, I read her blog.
I have since i looked at Derek's pictures about Burning Man, or maybe it was something he wrote about it. Of course I met him, through reading Heather's webpage, and well she's his wife.

But really it's about the influence of the written word, and my love of useful gadgets.
Mr.Bento is a lunch jar as opposed to a lunch pail, and frankly this isn't Little House in the Prairie, didn't Laura "halfpint" Ingalls always have a lunch pail?

I digress, so I read this great review,on Ariel's blog, about the useful nature of hanging out with Mr. Bento, and frankly I am sold. Plus I get into little containers, little containers that stack and hold food.
Hell I have died and gone to heaven.
okay maybe it wasn't that profound, but damn lunch was good,it was damn good.

All thanks to Mr.Bento and Ariel.

by the light of the moon

this reminds me of maxfield parris, maybe it's the colors.


this reminds me of grant wood, if he was taking pictures out the window , in the middle of the night.

who knew

I truly am a Capricorn!!
I wonder if all Caps score this way?

Your True Sign Is Capricorn

Retro Driven Classic Reserved Realistic Trustworthy Appreciative Ultra Competitive

What's Your True Sign?

what famous pinup are you?

i vaguely remember my Nana, once remarking i reminded her of Betty Grable.
Could this be a sign, or a little hello from my Nan.

You are Betty Grable

The ulitmate girl next door You're the perfect girl for mostly anybody Pretty yet approachable. Beautiful yet real.

What Famous Pinup Are You?

forty three

happy birthday to me.
I decided to make myself cupcakes,
just like small tiny cakes, but bitesize, well a few bites and they are gone.
I made 24, not 43, I'd be eating cupcakes until next month.

i usually give myself a gift, this year i'm splurging on snowshoes.
if i can't leave the winter behind. I may as well enjoy it more fully.

last year I gave my self, a subsription to Heather Powazek Champ's Print Club. It was divine.
I recommend it highly.

why do i give myself a gift?
I guess it's a way to let myself know, how happy I am in my skin.
or perhaps I love getting gifts.

either way...it's all good.
so happy birthday to me.

resolutions

Originally uploaded by teagrrl.

I plan on adding to this list. so this is by no means final

1. more yoga, less avoiding doing it.
2. create art each day.be it photography, or printmaking.
3. walk with the dog more often, it's good for both of us..
4. learn how to snowshoe.
5.spend more time with my sister.
6.live in the now.
7. listen to that inner voice, it's always right. (always!)
8. grow older with grace and style (yeah i want to be the sexy older chick).
9. view my self with realism (yeah I'm the cute older chick).
10. laugh more.
11.travel more.
12. to be continued.....

the eve of christmas eve

Originally uploaded by teagrrl.

a moment of calm...reading I Spy books.

Eve of Christmas eve

this year different than any other , we did Christmas on the 23rd, it was a Friday night, and my whole family had the night off,kinda.

it was chaos at it's holiday best.

there was a *terrible twos* two year old, there and he was terrible, and loud, and amazingly rambunctious.

there was the 7 year old, and she was sick... and she puked, all over my living room rug. which honestly, the dog had bled on just days before, and we have been meaning to get another one,as this one had many stains on it. pale beige or umm sand colored rugs, just aren't very realistic, in the world of dogs and kids.
so right then and there, they rolled up the rug and out it went into the cold night air. gone.

so thanks karlie, it's all good.

who knew i had such nice wooden floors.

and then there were those ice lanterns, that never unmolded very well, or at all I swear...I will figure those out. But they wasted my time and stressed me out...

and gift giving was chaotic, too.
You saw nothing of what people gave or received, so next year we...Me ....The Man...and the boychild...er ... the Young man have decided to open our gifts together, after all our guests have left.So we can fully enjoy what other people are getting .

so next year my plan:

one less lasagna

christmas music

baked ravioli

italian meatballs...serve some with supper , and some as an appetizer. while the lasagna and the ravioli heat up.

no more shrimp, it was kind of uninspired, and limp.

dips and chips only.

no puking
no terrible two's
no stress.

just lots of chaotic fun.

Merry Merry and a Happy New Year~
to each and everyone.

16 days until winter

the days are getting shorter.
the temps are getting colder.
winter is on it's way.

Halloween

It has always been a holiday, I get psyched over.
it's not the candy really, the costumes are fun.
I was drawn to the thought of this holiday celebrating witches,
witches riding their brooms over my house, on Halloween.
Leaving a glowing pumpkin on the doorstep,
as a "hello, how's the flying up there?"
like even though I didn't have a broom, I could still
show solidarity with my lit pumpkin.
I became aware that this was somehow a female- centric holiday.
After all witches were females, so that made me one of the girls.

One Halloween, when I was young,My Aunt Laurie, decorated her room,
and invited me in for my own private look.
It was magical. I felt special, and loved, so this is Halloween for me too.
That night on ride home, I looked out the car window, glowing clouds in the sky, as the moon raced alongside the car, and for a brief second, I saw a witch, flying her broom,then she was gone, under cloud cover.
I smiled the rest of the ride home , it was like I was let in on the secret.
I am older now, not so sure of what I know or don't about witches, but I am enamored nonetheless...So I leave a pumpkin, or two or three, burning bright on the porch, to
say thanks, for letting me see they existed.

happy Halloween to you all, and to all a good night.

treasure

my sister, found this when she traveled south.
i was touched by how thoughtful and special a gift that was.
i believe it to be a token for future travels, I hope to take with her.
you'll notice the hairline crack,
that's where I superglued it back together.

autumn does color right

autumn

I can see for miles and miles

the cat upstairs part deux

Originally uploaded by teagrrl.