random images from this week...

It's been a good week: busy, working, trying to work... I've been sporadically in the studio, but spending most of my time with my kids. Spring is slow to arrive and it seems to be raining most of the days making all the joy of springtime outdoor living feel a bit lost. How is it already June? Right now, in my studio I have the window open. It feels good to finally let the fresh air in and hear the birds just outside. There are lots of small and big projects on the table. The POLKA DOT CLUB has been taking up most of my time and creative energy and I really can't wait to launch the full site and shop later in the month (fingers crossed). This is what I've been wanting to do for the last 5 years and finally I'm close. I'm excited. I'm overwhelmed, but I'm trying to take it all in stride. Getting what we want in life is hard work.

I was meeting with a group of group of women this morning who are all small business owners, who all happen to all be my friends. We were having a mini meeting with someone and each of us went around the table telling our stories as creative people trying to make what we love a business. We each had our uphill battles and many of the challenges we shared, but I was so overwhelmed to hear each woman with children talk about how that changed her life path, priorities, and ultimately the direction of her business. Here I am today, writing on one of my few "studio days" away from my children. I feel lucky to have this time, lucky to have them in my life, happy to have had my priorities shift because of them, and awed by the task of redefining my work-life in this new phase of my life. I know, I'm not alone, but this is hard. Hard and the Best.

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elsewhere

It's no secret that I've been posting less and less here on my blog. Between working on getting the POLKA DOT CLUB up and going (which I'm crazy excited about by the way! things are looking good and the website is getting sooooo close to being DONE!) and being with the kiddos, I've found less and less time to write here. I know, I'm not alone. I don't think blogs are a thing of the past, but with so many other platforms to play with I think the real writers are sticking it out, while people like me... who may not always have a whole lot to say but like to live visually have gone elsewhere. If you'd like to find be again- I'm on both instagram and pinterest. I'll still pop in here on occasion... it's a nice place to come back to.

one ... two

Spring time and gathering flowers.

Spring time is short here in Minneapolis. Summer never lasts long enough but most of spring gets eaten up by the cold northern-winter-takeover... So when it's warm but not hot and the flowers come out, everyone pretty much puts all indoor life on hold and ventures outdoors. We have been spending all of our time soaking up the newly warm sun and falling into bed each night too tired to think about doing any work around the house or in the studio. As it happens I'm writing this post from the park. Claude has gathered a bouquet of dandelions and baby vita is sitting on her papa's lap. At this moment the life that has been overwhelming us suddenly feels easy. For this moment anyway and I'll take it.  Happy spring all.

Happy Mothers Day

sent from my mother to me (thanks mama wish we could have spent the day together!):

wool and fiber fair (aka a country outing)

I'm always looking for new ways to incorporate natural and ideally local fibers into what I make. Claude and I went to a fair today to look at yarn, fiber and of course the animals. I joked with a farmer about him sending his mohair to Germany just so they can send it back to me here in mn. Why can't someone weave mohair onto a cotton backing domestically?! I left even more in love with the materials I work with but disappointed that I can't get it more directly... That and wanting a baby goat. A girl can dream.

Finishing...

I'm finishing up all my special order ducks today and I'll be sending them off soon. There is still one lone duck hanging out in the shop- he's a good looker and I must admit I've been quite happy having him in the studio these last weeks.

claude's not so old, but very worn and loved ... LITTLE BEAR

april snow

I could so easily make beautiful photos of snow hanging on everything outside, but I'm not going to even give it that much of my attention. If I ignore it perhaps it will go away- like now. It would be lovely if it were not APRIL and everyone in my house is going c r a z y. I love living in Minneapolis, and usually I don't complain about the long winter and cold, but this lack of spring is getting the better of me this year. My goodness, is it ever.

portraits

(((these old bears are part of my mother's collection. I've borrowed to make photos and I'm not all that eager to get them back in her hands. thanks mom!)))