Extra Special Homemade Paper Dolls!

 Gwen and Caroline have paper dolls that they rarely play with. I thought paper dolls just weren't their thing. But we visited with Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho in early November and they discovered a set there that they played with for hours at a time! It was kind of miraculous! In trying to determine what made Grandma's paper dolls so much better than ours at home (besides the obvious fact that they are GRANDMA's and therefore AWESOME), Gwen indicated 3 things:

1- she liked that these dolls could share each others' clothes. They were all the exact same size and pose, so everyone could wear everything. 

2- she liked the fun backgrounds included in the set. 

3- she liked the pages for designing your own dolls and clothes, letting your imagination guide you.

Armed with this information, I determined to make her a set of awesome paper dolls for Christmas! I started with these free printable dolls from Babalisme that I'd been saving on Pinterest for years until just the right occasion. So cute and did I mention absolutely free?

I knew they would be perfect because she's designed all her dolls (boys included!) with the same size and pose, so all clothing would be mutually interchangeable! Plus, her designs are just adorable, the perfect small size that my girls obsess over!

I printed out each set from Babalisme, but wanted to expand her Elsa and Anna dolls to include Frozen Fever outfits. And I wanted a mermaid. And Sophia the First. and more princess clothes. and, HONEY, I wanted cool hair styles! Time to design my own!

I used tracing paper of Babalisme's dolls to make sure I got the shape just right, then used images I found on Google to get ideas for dress designs. I transferred my tracing paper designs to card stock using carbon paper. Time to add color!

I love how they turned out! I think the girls are going to love them too! I think my 3 favorites are Elsa's Frozen Fever dress, the blue princess inspired by a Ruth Sanderson illustration, and the blue butterfly gown! Do you have a favorite?

Next was cutting out, laminating, then cutting out again. We're going to try using sticky gluey-strips (the ones that attach credit cards to paper when they come in the mail?) to hold on clothes and accessories. 

and just to make sure I covered all the bases, I prepared backgrounds for them, a little box for storing everybody and their clothes, and 2 sheets of uncolored dresses and hair styles for the girls to color to their exact desires! We are going to have fun coloring together! (I think I'll be nice and let them use my set of colored pencils. :)

So excited for the grand unveiling tomorrow for Christmas! You'd think I was getting them myself, I'm that stoked!

Nutcracker: An Amazing First!

Since Gwen has taken ballet for going on 2 years now and has shown a love for expanding her abilities in dance, AND since she gets an ever-so-slight discount for being a Balletmet student (meaning, she takes her lessons in a school staffed by the same professional ballet company that astounds all of Columbus with their amazing performances year after year!), we decided she should see her first live ballet performance!

And what better first ballet than that of The Nutcracker?

We surprised her with our plans just a few days before the event, mostly so she could become very absorbed in our copy of the story, memorize all the various dances, and be prepared to inform me that they switched up the order on a couple things or whisper anxiously "that wasn't in the book!" when a character like Grandma was introduced or when Mother Ginger was played by a man!

So excited! The rest of these photos are courtesy of my friend, Wendy, who can be credited for suggesting the outing for our daughters, driving our party downtown, bringing chocolate graham crackers to share, and just being excellent company for the production. She also had a camera where I did not. :)

The Grand Theatre downtown is VERY late Baroque, very ornate, and even had people taking photos in the bathrooms because of the fancy tapestry and chandelier! Gwen was duly impressed with all of it. A little too much gold and brocade for my personal tastes, but it contributed to the 'specialness' of the occasion for Gwen. She really thought she was at a pretty fancy princess event!

She got to have her picture taken with the Mouse King and the Sugar Plum Fairy! 

Actually, OUR Sugar Plum Fairy was Asian, but I didn't point out this fact to Gwen, who didn't notice the discrepancy.
I loved Herr Drosselmeier's mechanical doll (the interpretation of dance as a mechanized toy was really fabulous!), the snowflakes with their handfuls of glittery snow, and the brilliant use of a huge silk sheet during the Arabian dance that created such interesting compositions!
But for the record, I have to say our Sugar Plum Fairy performed the most stunning solo dance I've ever seen! I get the impression that matinees are usually the less-prominent dancers and that the big stars are saved for the evening performances (which would make sense), but I honestly can't imagine a more artfully done performance than the one that our SPF gave us! Well done, bravo! I'm incredibly glad I got to see this lovely ballet! (Let's be honest, taking Gwen was really just a cover so I had an excuse to go! lol!)

maple flan recipe and I really love ukiyo-e

If you like custard, you've GOT to try this! You won't believe me until you try it yourself: this flan is really easy and ABSOLUTELY melt-in-your-mouth silky. My first flan and sooooo wonderful!... I'm looking for a holiday that could use a presentation-worthy, rich and fancy dessert like this as a permanent staple and family tradition, it was THAT good!

The original recipe for Rachel's maple flan is here:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/dessert-recipes/silky-maple-flan

and I finished my paper on Japanese Ukiyo-e... I LOVED it! The images are so compelling... of course, you have to be careful because there is a lot that is inappropriate... but I love Kaigetsudo's courtesans, Harunobu's innocent girls, Hokusai's Great Wave, and of course Hiroshige's landscapes of solitude. Aaaaaah... homework might not always be fun (case in point last Friday when I was totally spazzing), but at least I quite genuinely enjoy the subject matter. That always helps. Here are some of my favorites from this paper:

And now that I'm done, I can just drool over the exquisite images and dream for a trip to the Far East...

Chinese Lantern Festival at the Allans

As mentioned in today's post for countdown to love, today is Chinese Lantern Festival. I thought it would be fun if we did a little lanterning for Family Home Evening. After a lesson about how Jesus Christ is the Light of the world and how we are supposed to be a light too, we did a lil crafting.

Gwen went to town with her new Fancy Nancy stickers (thanks Mama and Papa! She loves em!)

and Eric turned his into a puzzle-math-quandary. I love seeing how this man's brain works. I was perfectly content with the average lantern, but not Eric. He wanted to do something challenging.

the idea is for a spiral lantern...

you'll see how it turned out in a minute...

Gwen wanted to see the candles

and then when she realized I was taking pictures of her, she started posing... lol!...

the lantern lineup

with candles

my favorite: Eric's 'spiral' masterpiece! LOL!!!!

(I should add that the prettiest one, featured at the top, was also one of Eric's creations. But this one is still my favorite)

Caroline just wanted to play with the lanterns

what I mean is, she wanted to eat them. Surprise, surprise.

Happy Lantern Day!

Countdown to Love

Inspired by a friend's blog, I'm going to share a lil somethin somethin that I love every day leading up to Valentine's Day. I am not going to limit this to 'romantic' love alone, though I'm sure there will be some of that too. And to keep the scope narrow, I'm going to shoot for things

relevant to my day, not just something I adore in general.

#14 I love Chinese ink landscapes and nature paintings

I love the composition, the beautiful forms, the skilled portrayal of nature, and especially the provocative use of negative space. Gorgeous.

The current section of my class right now is on Chinese art... and even though I am positive I will not be able to remember names and dates of even the most famous Chinese artists (despite having to write a paper... due in 2 days, I might add), I am truly inspired. I've got some great ideas for my own versions of Chinese-inspired paintings that I want to do. Something with color, but still muted and subtle. Not quite as bold as this:

but with that same gorgeous use of line and silhouette.

For those of you artistically minded who might care: I'm planning a triptych of square paintings that together depict an entire plum blossom branch. I'll paint in oil for more texture and depth, but try to capture those gorgeous lines and perfect composition. My future dining room will thank me, I'm sure.

I am in love.

Crystal Bridges

I love art. I'm passionate about it, even, though not enough to memorize all kinds of facts. And I'm very particular about what I like, though I have studied enough to be able to appreciate even the stuff I don't really like. I mean, I can see why it is famous or groundbreaking or whatever even if I don't particularly enjoy it. That said, I really loved this art museum we visited with my sister in NW Arkansas called Crystal Bridges.

I LOVE architecture and three dimensional art, and the buildings really drew me in right away with how unique the shapes are, the curving roof lines and mixing of metal and stone materials, the way the water reflects to create shimmering gold affects... really, it was stunning. I want to go back in the spring/summer when there are leaves on the trees. My pictures don't do it justice, but think of this as a teaser...

I really enjoyed seeing how much Gwen loved the sculptures too. She was only mildly interested in the paintings, but these large pieces drew her attention and kept it there. Reminds me of me.

and they had an awesome children's play area!

Ships that have Sailed

No pictures of the girls on this post. Just a lot of thoughts. Here is an instance when my blog is my journal. so only read on if you are actually interested in what goes on in my head. If not, if you just like the funny posts, you are under no obligation to continue. I promise, I won't get my feelings hurt. :)

During our long day of flying to come back out to Idaho, Eric and I had opportunity to talk about a million different things. But the one that really stuck out to me--because I haven't taken time to really think about it...EVER-- was our discussion about 'wishes' or 'desires' or 'dreams' or whatever you would like to call them. A discussion about all the possible things we almost did with our lives as far as education and profession goes. Now I'm not talking about when you are 6 and you want to be a firefighter or when you are 10 and think you will be the next Jane Goodall (um, yes, that was my goal in 3rd-5th grade). Those dreams are valid, but my thoughts revolve around the choices in HS and college that shape your 'career'. Do you ever have those 'what if' moments? Like I said, I had never really thought about all the things I almost did, until now. Suddenly 'what if' is more on my mind.

I love art. and I love biological science. In my younger years, I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. I'm not even kidding when I tell you that at the end of 10th grade I told my adviser I wanted to illustrate biology textbooks as a career. I think I would have been amazing at it. Eric tells me there is actually HUGE demand for qualified science-artists who can illustrate what the intellectuals can't. But, that ship has definitely sailed. I don't remember much biology. And this field would not afford me the interaction with people that I thrive on.

I thought about being an architect. The art and engineering was both lovely and challenging... but I was intimidated and scared to pursue such an ambitious field. Plus, BYU didn't have an architecture program. If they had, I might have given it a shot. But that ship has sailed too. I am neither prepared to go into such a rigorous field nor confident that I could design anything fabulous. I guess I will just have to be one of those admirer/critics that appreciates fantastic architecture when she sees it.

Then I was going to be an industrial designer. Again, that combination of art and science was so intriguing to me. But I got in there and realized I was not trendy enough to make really great designs, nor skilled enough to really master all the industrial materials, nor interested in the huge time commitment and ridiculous work hours. I didn't fit in the program and really didn't see myself fitting in the profession. Again, I can admire great design when I see it... but don't want to be the one making it.

I thought I'd make a pretty fabulous landscape architect because I love gardening and being outdoors. But I got talked out of it (I won't say by whom), which I think is a shame. Because I could have been great in this field. But that ship has sailed too because going into landscape would require full time education which I'm not willing to do with little kids... and let's face it, when they aren't little any more, I probably won't want to do it then either. I'll probably keep it as a hobby-- or at least be an annoying client looking over the shoulder of whomever comes to trim our trees when I'm 50. :)

I thought about floral design-- the hands on, almost sculptural elements were satisfying along with the 'outdoorsy' quality to it. The foil, of course, is the business side of things. Plus it could easily digress into floral grunt work and lose that creative, stimulating quality. It can't be all weddings and events, there are also the 'boring' bouquets and balloon thingies.

I thought about illustration because it is a career with a more stable paycheck. I could definitely have done that, and I suppose that door hasn't entirely closed, but it would require self-marketing and business sense.... which, shamefully, I don't possess much of. Which, by the way, is why I would make a terrible 'artist'. I'm not interested in trying to get into the gallery scene, which is where the money is to begin until commissions come in. And that's just it. I'm not eager to seek out commissions.

I love sculpture. That hands on thing again. And I can do it outside or work with natural materials like wood and stone that are just so satisfying. I'm very good in sculpture too, it comes naturally to me. And my work is actually-gasp-right up there with my competition instead of mediocre (like my painting). but it is a)expensive. equipment and materials. b)space consuming. equipment and materials. c) time consuming. I want to focus on my family. and d)marketing. the bane of my artistic pursuits. I guess sculpture will just remain a strong desire-- or a very expensive hobby, if we ever have the money to make that a reality.

Then there are the fields like culinary arts that would be amazing because I LOVE to cook, I love the intellectual, scientific challenge of it combined with the sculptural element to food presentation. Or there are the performing arts that I would have LOVED to actually do something with-- musical theater particularly. Though I'm not the best dancer, so that would probably have been a flop. Still, there are always community productions...

So then we come to teaching. Because that is the field I'm actually pursuing. I can take the art I love--and all those talents at appreciating good design that I DIDN'T create-- and combine it with an art history intellectualism I'm good at and teaching skills that aren't too shabby either... and voila! you've got a career that is flexible enough to allow me the familial focus I demand, stable (hopefully) so I'm actually employable, artistic but without business savvy, and intellectually challenging. I think this is the best I'm going to get at this point. And I think I'll be good at it. and I am excited to teach.

but sometimes I wonder...

especially those hands-on or science-oriented fields that would be so fun...

what if...

But you know what? An entire fleet of possibilities has sailed. And it won't do me any good to mourn their departure. I'm not on a leaky rowboat or anything, I've got a decent rig--- and my beautiful family is here with me too. So while it may not be the first dream or the most exciting or exotic dream I've had, it is a fit. And for those of you who successfully caught the ship I dreamed of catching at one time or another, I'll admit sometimes I'm jealous of you. But I also don't begrudge you your happiness. Maybe I'll take a vacation tour on one of your ships some day. In the mean time. I've got a ship to sail (aka, a paper to finish) and a family on whom I need to focus. Today is infinitely more vital than possible tomorrows of yesterday. So to all those ships that have sailed...

bon voyage.

Baby Time!

LOL, nah, that's April Fool's. But I guess it isn't really that funny. Oh well. :)

I finished Gwen's stool for her bathroom (to facilitate hand washing post potty use). Her potty is a lil green turtle, and she loves fishies, turtles, and all sea creatures, so I thought this would make a nice matching set. I got the unfinished stool for Christmas. Looked online and on cover of Finding Nemo for inspiration. Drew them on the wood. Painted with acrylic paints. Finished with spray to seal it. Tah-dah!

Blooms and Butterflies

Gwen and I splurged and went to the Franklin Park Conservatory "Blooms and Butterflies" exhibit. I was hoping she would love it because she's been so enamored with The Very Hungry Caterpillar lately, especially when he becomes a beautiful butterfly... and I wasn't disappointed! She was very excited about seeing the butterflies and asked me repeatedly "Gwen hold them in my hand?" on our way there. When they landed on her, she was THRILLED!Totally worth the money, just to see the expressions on her face! She kept raising her arm and telling them to fly away. She also loved the fish. It was nice to have some me and Gwen bonding time!
One beautiful blue one from Costa Rica landed on my belly... Gwen was happy that baby sister got to see one too!
She also really loved the Chihuly artwork throughout the conservatory. She kept asking, "What's dat?"...and all I could say was, "pretty sculptures, honey...I mean, pretty round bowls and plates, just for looking." Well, whether or not she ever understood what a sculpture is, she sure liked looking at them. :)

Very cool, very educational, very fun... Glad we went!

Image Eye Candy

(made from heron feathers)

Amazing, don't you think? I first saw this artist's work when I was a Senior in HS and was struck by it then. Completely constructed using natural materials (often thorns, twigs, or ice as "glue"), native to whatever site, temporary and yet unforgettable. Just a sampling of Andy Goldworthy. If you like what you see, check out Jim Denevan, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, or google Earthworks or Land art. Eye candy, don't you agree? (I have to remind myself I'm supposed to be searching for 'quotable' text for my current paper, not spending hours devouring the amazing imagery!)