MotherMade

A Letter to Linzy

So this is my post for today and it goes out to my best girl, Linzy! We have been Best-ies since I was 13 & she was 15, though at times she would be hardly admit to it. Once she even put a two foot boundary on me. That stated I wasn't allowed within two feet of her... Due to my hyper activity- and how gravely uncool I was. In a time where it really was the thing to just play it cool, pretend to be way older then you actually were, chill back and act nonchalant about everything, I was always making a total scene and consequently totally blowing it for her... Because she was seriously THE COOLEST!!! She know every band that she was supposed to and then some. Not just because she was supposed to but because she she actually like them- all on her own. She smoked cigarettes on her moms front porch, and played the base guitar she could skateboard- and push really fast. She listened to records (wouldn't touch a CD), went to shows and hung out at coffee shops... Where everyone was older then us, but she totally knew how to play it cool, and to tell you the truth, I don't think she was playing, she really was JUST THAT FUCKING COOL! I wanted to be just like her... except, that I was me... and let me tell you, THAT WAS NOT WHO I WAS! No matter how hard I could wish it were so, I could never pull it off. Me, I was a total dork and not dork like I mean cool. But DORK like I mean DORK! Tall, Awkward, goofy, flaily, loud, inappropriate- I was 13 but at times I would act 8- dramatic, loud, obnoxious... Yep, that sounds like 8 to me. Oh and I thought I was hilarious... And ya know? I'm pretty sure I was? But, Yah, I may have totally blown it for her in public. And it was always a little risky for her if we were around other people (especially the coolies). But when it was just us...Oh, were those the days?! They really were some of the best times of my life. She would get just as dorky as me and we would laugh so hard we'd cry or even pee... Either way it often ended in droplets of some kind (see there it is, the inappropriate coming out) it's true. I pretty much lived at her house. Sometimes we would be in fights and I still didn't go home- I would just sleep on the couch instead on the futon in her room. I would ride her to school on the handle bars of her Cruser. We would walk home from the coffee shop late at night along west cliff and sit on a little remaining slab of the old road that had fallen into the Pacific Ocean. We would spend hours talking and smoking cigarettes. We'd sit there under the stars staring out sea on that quiet cliff and share everything with each other and laugh... And cry... No idea where our lives would take us. From there, on those rocks, we have both lived a crazy many lifetimes. We've had great adventures, and maybe even greater heart breaks... Had major scares and seen wild dreams come... and have always twined back into one another's lives. I could probably write all night about our Wonder Years, but I'll save it for another time... Because at this point I am actually bawling my eyes out. So to wrap it up...

Linzy (Auntie Linzy- as we call her now) was just up for a visit, and it did, like always, have the flavor of old times. We love you linzy and miss you already!

Here we are at Pix... for mmmm... Chocolate!!!!! Can you tell who is who?

Bridge tour USA!!! Well... PDX

We started off with the Sellwood bridge and ended with my favorite, the St. Johns for the grand fanally. I do believe it is the most marvelous of all the bridges in all the world... Well, again in all of PDX. If Oz had a bridge between it and Kansas (which, if it did, Dorothy would not have had to take a tornado in) The St Johns would be the one.

Like I said, we started off with The Sellwood Bridge...

Then...

The Ross Island...

Marquam (i-5)...

Hawthorne...

Morrison...

Burnside...

Steel (Billy's favorite)...

Broadway...

Fremont...

And dunt-di-dunt-dah... The St Johns!

All the beautiful Bridges -- just another reason I love Portland!

Little preview...

I am getting ready to hang some art shows. Lots of new work! The first of the shows is going to be hung at The Clinton Corner Cafe on the corner of SE Clinton St. and SE 21st Ave. The show goes up on Feb 1st and hangs through the end of March. Please stop by if you are in the neighbor hood and enjoy Stumptown Coffee and tasty treats.

Getting on the wire... To sing my little songs

Well I did it, I took that blogging class... And let me tell you, I hardly have all the answers. It was a cool experience for sure and the instructor was great! A real Queen of Craft herself, Diane Gilleland from D.I.Y. Alert and the Portland chapter of Church of Craft. She covered a lot of information but sadly, I have a feeling it was just the tip of the ice burg. I do however feel that I have a little more direction and if you ask me a little direction is worth it's weight in gold. Although I am not sure that direction has an actual weight. Anyhow- what I came away with, was to be consistent (which I was ascared of- Not exactly me) and to be genuine and inspiring (which, I hope I can make this sound anything other then freakishly conceded... I am). So if I can do this thing more often, maybe someday someone will read it. Enough with the boring blah,blah.

Now with the inspiration... They do it perfectly.

Have I ever told you?...

About our 560 sq. ft home? Well to say the least, it is quite small. For any one single person it would be tight quarters. And us -- we are a family of five! My usually orderly, and for the record mostly organized husband. Our (above) average toddler doing his normal toddler stuff... You know, the scattering, smearing, spreading, smashing, smooshing, throwing, tracking, trailing, dumping, clumping, messing, thrashing, tearing... I am sure you get the picture. Two cats- and I am not exactly a cat fanatic or anything and under normal accommodations I would hardly count them as members of the family (call me cruel but they are more like pets to me then family members Purr-say)... But, in a house the size of a tree fort, by default they are counted as people. Because in an area this small everybody is fighting to have a little whisker room... And the two four legged boys are certainly in on that fight- and usually winning. Then there is me... Oh brother where to start? I am a clutter bug and a scatter queen. I love pretty things and I must have them when I see them. knickknacks and paddy whacks galore! So I pretend that I must surely have a palace to keep all of my lovely little keepers. I bring home all sorts of treasures and realize there is no palace- nope I live in a nut shell... So, I just tuck them away into the basement for someday. And the stuff that makes it into the Museum of "560 sq. ft " ends up all cluttered and crowded with no proper stage for its adoration. That or they are lost in bags, boxes and piles- all patently awaiting their turn. so that is how I am with things- Now clothes, we wont even get into how I handle those. Suffice to say I am a creator of all kinds of arts and crafts and lovely little messes... I am not much for the clean up. However, I do partake on occasion, out of obligation, or madness and that sense of accomplishment that comes with, walking on the moon, moving mountains, or for me making order and just a little more room in our tiny bird house.

I do love our little Bird house...

And these guys too.

Limbs & Leaves

"Let go (...it's time)"

I am working on a new series. Here is a little preview of what's to come. It's a celebration of nature and my appreciation for learning from the lessons that it holds. So simple and accessible are all of the answers when you look to nature.

I was in my studio late the other night after a LONG day of momming. Struggling especially with my ambivalence about continuing to nurse or not. Feeling torn between, so desperately longing to have my body back and NOT wanting to take away this comfort that Reese has known his whole life. Besides childbirth is it the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. At one point it was his only source of nourishment and vital to his survival. It has since become more of a comfort, a connection and a bond between mother and son. It truly is precious and sacred to me- Yet somehow, I am ready to call the whole thing off- mostly I am feeling ready to stop... Although I know that I will morn it, and the process of weaning is going to be an emotional one. The thing that makes me most resistant to stopping is that I don't know if the little guy is ready for it. I want to do it in the way that is the best for him... But any signs of quitting, on his end, are scarce. If I left it up to him he would nurse till he was 35, and well that just won't do. So... I do?... What then????

As I was saying, I was in the studio painting, getting ready for up coming shows... Thinking I am just painting... Simple pretty paintings - to fill in space for my viewings... When a little bit of magic seemed to be happening. You see the painting above was intended to be quite literal, speaking of a tree letting go of it's leaves because it is just that time of year... Nature gracefully bowing at the end of her yearly dance...

"Sweet was the Song"

Then I went on to paint the second painting "Sweet was the Song" (part of a different series for another show). About ten minutes from being finished I had all but detached the little yellow birds beak from the big green birds chest... when I noticed, OMG that bird is totally nursing off of that other birds breast! I could not believe I was so blind not to have noticed this sooner- or even to have done it consciously as some sort of process. But NOPE I was just filling the gaps for my shows. It is so funny how I totally painted my heart (in two different paintings) and didn't even know it. I am always amazed by how we manifest our feelings through our art and in our lives.

So there I have it, Magic! "Let go... it's time." and "Sweet was the Song". The answers to my situation.

Art Up...

New Artwork now hanging at Lili's Patisserie.
SE 17th ave. one block south of SE Umatilla. The art is fine... But the food is divine, and it really is! I am not just saying that because it rhymes... Although, you may catch me doing that from time to time. I apologize in advance for my clanging.

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I am taking a blogging class this weekend... So get ready to be dazzled by all my new found blogginess. But really I am and I can't wait. I don't think I have quite found my voice... Maybe I need to go to New Hampshire? Basically it is a class on how to market your crafty business through your blog, and well, that is what I am trying to do over here (well partly). So Look out Looky-Lous here comes a new grade of blog from MotherMade! Stop back by. I promise -- more pretty things, more often. But I am not making any guarantees about spelling or grammar- Not that kinda class- Thank goodness!

Nap time again, and we didn't quite make it home. Usually when he falls asleep in the car (which, I must admit, is far more frequently then not) I go park at the train tracks and read, write, knit, draw... Breath!

This is one of my favorite places for peace, quiet and perspective. I can see for miles down the railway in to the South and to the North, the steel rails make a sharp turn and disappear around the bend. It feels like my own private corner of a wide open world. On days like these, when the rain is pouring down, it is especially quiet... And amazing. The sound of rain on the roof, the constant sheets of water dancing down the windshield, the distorted warbly tracks dot and dashing above the horizon of my dashboard... It is like a daytime drive-in movie theater, playing a silent love story... Between Nature and Industry.

And then I look into the back seat and see another love story... One of my very own.

So, as some of you may have followed... or stumbled behind, as patient observers--MotherMade is ever-changing. It is an idea, a passion, a community of mothers (and supporters of moms), both a source and an outlet for creativity, and I guess most tangibly - a website...??? We have been live, on the web, since August and have been growing and changing ever since . Slowly transforming into what we will become... What that is exactly- I am not quite sure of just yet. There are a few basic fundamental elements that we grow from, Supporting: Mothers, Creativity, and Community... and from there we just see what organic shape we take on as we move forward.

You may have become familiar with the site through a project I created and WAS making & selling- The Spitty (baby Puke Poncho)- I am no longer making the Spitty nor am I coordinating the making of the Spitty by other Moms either. Unfortunately I was unable to find the time to devote to this project. With the running of MotherMade and building of the MM website, being a full time mom to my crazy-rad toddler, Reese, and an after hours Artist - Painting and hanging shows, and promoting + booking not only my own art, but my husbands as well (he is a woodworker - you can visit his site here - WWW.HOLDFASTWOODSHOP.COM) and then there is always just plain life... Enjoying the quiet times when they happen to sneak up on me- Making time for tea & friends - Dates with the man I married - Knitting little stripped pants for my son - Walks in the rain to keep the blood flowing as well as the inspiration... You know all of the little things that are SO HUGE to me. I just had to make some decisions- Every once in a while I have to do some serious weeding through and make room for the flowers -I always have about one million pots going at once and this means that I am always having to let one or two of them go so that they don't all boil over... And so I say good buy to the Spitty...
It was fun.

Now back to Business-
Still on the search for mother Artists and Craftswomen to represent on the website.
Send in your submissions to www.mm@mothermade.org!

Thank you all for grooving with the ebb and flow of all that we are creating over here at MotherMade.
Goodnight for now

More Pretty Things... More Often

I am taking a blogging class this weekend... So get ready to be dazzled by all my new found blogginess. But really I am and I can't wait. I don't think I have quite found my voice... Maybe I need to go to New Hampshire? Basically it is a class on how to market your crafty business through your blog, and well, that is what I am trying to do over here (well partly). So Look out Looky-Lous here comes a new grade of blog from MotherMade! Stop back by. I promise -- more pretty things, more often. But I am not making any guarantees about spelling or grammar- Not that kinda class- Thank goodness!

Nap time again, and we didn't quite make it home. Usually when he falls asleep in the car (which, I must admit, is far more frequently then not) I go park at the train tracks and read, write, knit, draw... Breath!

This is one of my favorite places for peace, quiet and perspective. I can see for miles down the railway in to the South and to the North, the steel rails make a sharp turn and disappear around the bend. It feels like my own private corner of a wide open world. On days like these, when the rain is pouring down, it is especially quiet... And amazing. The sound of rain on the roof, the constant sheets of water dancing down the windshield, the distorted warbly tracks dot and dashing above the horizon of my dashboard... It is like a daytime drive-in movie theater, playing a silent love story... Between Nature and Industry.

And then I look into the back seat and see another love story... One of my very own.

Everchanging (I think that should be one word)

So, as some of you may have followed... or stumbled behind, as patient observers--MotherMade is ever-changing. It is an idea, a passion, a community of mothers (and supporters of moms), both a source and an outlet for creativity, and I guess most tangibly - a website...??? We have been live, on the web, since August and have been growing and changing ever since . Slowly transforming into what we will become... What that is exactly- I am not quite sure of just yet. There are a few basic fundamental elements that we grow from, Supporting: Mothers, Creativity, and Community... and from there we just see what organic shape we take on as we move forward.

You may have become familiar with the site through a project I created and WAS making & selling- The Spitty (baby Puke Poncho)- I am no longer making the Spitty nor am I coordinating the making of the Spitty by other Moms either. Unfortunately I was unable to find the time to devote to this project. With the running of MotherMade and building of the MM website, being a full time mom to my crazy-rad toddler, Reese, and an after hours Artist - Painting and hanging shows, and promoting + booking not only my own art, but my husbands as well (he is a woodworker - you can visit his site here - WWW.HOLDFASTWOODSHOP.COM) and then there is always just plain life... Enjoying the quiet times when they happen to sneak up on me- Making time for tea & friends - Dates with the man I married - Knitting little stripped pants for my son - Walks in the rain to keep the blood flowing as well as the inspiration... You know all of the little things that are SO HUGE to me. I just had to make some decisions- Every once in a while I have to do some serious weeding through and make room for the flowers -I always have about one million pots going at once and this means that I am always having to let one or two of them go so that they don't all boil over... And so I say good buy to the Spitty...
It was fun.

Now back to Business-
Still on the search for mother Artists and Craftswomen to represent on the website.
Send in your submissions to www.mm@mothermade.org!

Thank you all for grooving with the ebb and flow of all that we are creating over here at MotherMade.
Goodnight for now