Cut Outs

My daughter and I have been playing with cutout paper and glue sticks and have made some really fun things together. I do the cutting. My little one tells me what to cut out and does most of the gluing.

I'm delighted with the results of our collaboration. I would never think of adding an orange plane to the pretty scene with flowers and my sense of composition is much less free. Leave it to a three year old to ignore convention and "good taste" and come up with something really interesting.

Image above courteousy of the master of cutouts Matisse. I'll post some of ours when I get a chance to take some photos.

I heart...

Here's a random list of things I love...
my daughter
my family
reading bedtime stories and snuggling before lights out
black cashmere sweaters
a good cup of espresso in a real espresso cup
getting lost in a good book or movie
watching my daughter's dance class and swim class together
daffodils and violets
gardening
having a drink with friends
when my daughter announces it's a sunny shiny day" even when it's grey outside
nice art books
when the floor is freshly vacuumed and the toys are all put away (lasts five minutes)
a great pair of shoes
splashing in a pool on super hot days
checking tough "to dos" off my list
the way my daughter says "the end" instead of "amen" when she says her bedtime prayers
shopping for little clothes
looking at blogs
watching the deer in our backyard
when the laundry is all done (almost never)
freshly painted finger nails and manicured toes
"purizes" (surprises) from my daughter
flipping through magazines
finally seeing a movie I missed in the cinema (hmm, when was I last at a cinema)
time to knit, time to draw, time to just hang out
country roads
picking flowers
napping

and the list could go on...

The awesome heart poster by Keith Davis Young and available here.

Little Casanovas

February for obvious reasons is a good month to contemplate love. It is hard not to think of the topic when little Cupids are pasted every where and store shelves are stacked with flashy hearts stuffed full of chocolates.

Valentine's Day is certainly one ginormous commercialized nod to romantic love, and I suppose depending on whether or not Cupid has set his sights on you, a cause for celebration or an opportunity to feel left out in the cold. One could certainly look at all the dozens of roses waiting to be delivered and wonder "Where's my price charming?"

Personally, I think the grade school version of Valentine's Day from my childhood was a lot more fun and inclusive. I remember buying a book full of Valentines and carefully removing them from their perforated pages? Assembling the flimsy little envelopes and addressing one to every member of my class. Maybe I saved the best one for a special friend but everyone got a token of my friendship. And I in turn collected my own stash of Valentines back. What a bunch of little Casanovas we all were.

Vintage Valentines (Press Out Book) available here.

Near & Dear

My Christmas gift to myself this year was a silver locket which I have wanted since my daughter was born. I was finally able to buy it after 3 years of waiting. I think the long wait has made it even more special to me, but there's definitely something to be said for instant gratification.

I now wear the locket daily. It doesn't hold the baby picture that I imagined it would when I first pictured owning it. Instead it holds a photo of my daughter dressed as a lady bug. My little love bug.

Now when I am missing her during the day or start feeling overwhelmed, I touch it and think just keep going. It's my reminder of what's dearest to me and gives me a sense of being near to her even when we are apart.

Oval locket by Tiffany & Co.

Testing Out My Nook

Not the easiest way to create a post but at least I can use my time on the train.

Super Snow with Ice on Top

I think I'm going to remember this as the winter of super snow. It just keeps coming and I'm sure a lot of people have had it. Spending two hours digging a car out of snow the other day almost put me over the edge. Today's ice storm may be the final straw.

What did our little furry friend the ground hog have to say today? I'll have to check. What ever his prediction, I've resigned myself to the fact that more snow is on it's way. So I'm going to try and forget all the inconveniences and remember how beautiful it can be. Happy Ground Hog Day everyone!