Weekend images...

I will not be drawing a winner for the book giveaway until midnight tonight, so you can still leave a comment on the post below. I am really enjoying hearing about your favorite family travel memories.

This weekend, in an effort to continue with my goal of collecting images I decided to participate in Ali's weekend creative challenge by capturing the essence of our weekend with my camera. I really enjoyed this and am excited to make a project with these images.

It is peak liliac time here in Minnesota. I cut a few to bring indoors, the smell is pure bliss!

Saturday morning means tee-ball for Lowell and estate sales for mom! It was a very cold Saturday, during Lowell's game it was in the 40's and windy! After the game I hit an estate sale that was shabby chic heaven. I ended up going back several times and got quite the haul! I'll be sharing more soon.

Finished up a mini-book project that I will also share here.

Saturday afternoon we went for a very long walk in the woods. The kids ran, jumped over and under branches blocking the path, made up wonderful imaginative stories and held hands! priceless.

Lowell gets up every morning and tends our little veggie garden.

Sunday it was gorgeous and much warmer. We met up with Nana and Bobo to wander the labyrinth and walk in the garden.

My first attempt at bird photography.

Monday morning, all is cleaned up from the weekend and my "studio" space has a bit of a spring spruce up.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Together We Go: book giveaway!

I was thrilled to get a package the other day containing some fabulous new books from Random House. When I sorted through the pile I was over-the-top excited to see a new book from Anita Kaushal the author of The Family at Home, one of the most inspiring books I own. Her new book is called Together We Go: Extraordinary Family Journeys to Discover and Remember. After pouring over the book a few times, admiring the wonderful photography and delightful and intriguing destinations that she presents in the book, I was thrilled to see that this book is as good as her last. She presents vacations that are "inspirational and aspirational" showing us every step of the journey. I immediately wanted to get a hold of Anita to ask her a few questions. I love that reaching authors that inspire our journey are only an email away. Anita and I began a converstation and she gratiously answered a few of my questions. I thought you would enjoy her insights.

Together We Go is the second in your Love.Life.Style. series. How did you dream up this series concept?

The idea came to me because I felt there were too many people dwelling on the woes of parenthood and not enough on the joys. I truly felt that since having children my home had become more stylish and interesting and my travel experiences richer. Life is good.

The photography in the book is amazing. How did you involve the other photographers in the process of this book coming together?

I think that if you really believe in something and do it with passion and love, then the right people find you. I was looking for photographers that would get vision and one by one they just seemed to appear. I have been very blessed to find such people.

Besides being an author, what other hats do you wear? For someone like me who is absolutely inspired by your style and vision, where else can we see your artistry?

I have a vision and ideas and when I am styling and art directing, ideas and images come together on the spot. Take the images in the travel book of New York City: the stop and go signs and so exciting but can all be rather overwhelming and on seeing them, I thought of the many commands we give our children and how confusing it can all be. Does red mean go today and stop tomorrow? Are we clear and consistent and if not, is it any wonder our children become fustrated? Everything I see inspires a thought and everything I think inspires an image. So I think about how I want shots to look and the story I am trying to tell and it just seems to work.
Your books are truly a unique niche in the parenting/family/design/travel market. What would you like people to come away with after they read your work?

Mostly I would love for people to take pleasure in the moment and in knowing that our children are a huge gift and that they will grow up so very fast, that rather than worry and fuss and fret, we should enjoy life. I also want people to know that it is okay to want time away from them to be a couple or be with friends or indeed be alone, as it is in those moments we can appreciate being a parent.

I enjoyed seeing photos of your home on your blog. Your white backgrounds definitely offer a sense of peace and calm. What is your decorating philosophy and how is your family involved?

My house is painted in colours of whites, greys and taupes as it is the perfect backdrop on which to display their beautiful artworks and to let their imagination run wild. I don't save things for best and I know if I enjoy the pleasure and beauty of my home, they will too. We all make a mess and that is part of living, but we tidy up together and that too is important if they are to have spaces for contemplation and reflection.

Above all, our home is a house of fun - with a teepee, swing and sofa in the kitchen, with a roll top bath big enough for two, with spaces designed just for drawing on when the mood takes you. Everything is precious and yet nothing is precious.

I have a copy of Together We Go to give away. Please leave a comment by Monday, May 18th at midnight letting me know your favorite place that you've traveled with your children or your family and make sure I can reach you if you win.

Good luck!

Collecting images...

We're still enjoying the amazing spring color display here. This week it's the pink and white cherry and crabapple blossoms that are in full splendor.I've been reading Susan Wooldridge's book Foolsgold again. I love the idea of her daily "collection boxes" that Susan fills with goodies from her daily jaunts. I have been taking my camera with me everywhere and capturing my daily life through the camera lens. I love taking a walk in the woods and having all my senses piqued. My images are my daily collections. I spy turtles basking in the sun.
We're also heading into peak estate sale time. We have them year round, but it seems that spring brings out the best of the best. Here are a few of my treasures from last weekend.


I love this vintage handpainted chest to hold Chloe's doll clothes.
Hope you're having a great week!

Seasonal notes...

My kids love nothing more than a romp in the woods as a new season emerges. Here exemplifies the contrast of beginnings and endings. The new leaves of spring and the glorious golds of autumn. I wanted to remind everyone who is participating in A Year of Color blog that we are currently having a check-in giveaway. If for some reason you have not been able to access the blog after buying a subsription, please email me at artsy_mama@hotmail.com.

I am excited to announce that the new book Collaborative Art Journals by LK Ludwig is now available. The Spring Secrets round robin coordinated by Julie Collings that I was a part of with some amazing artists is represented in the book. Very exciting!!

Happy Wednesday!

With love and gratitude...

My mother sent me this quote this morning....

With each new phase of your life, I watch your body, mind, and personality change, but you still remain you. This you is always present is your soul, a divine spark of the infinite spirit that pervades the entire universe. Your presence has blessed me and made my own spirit soar and dance with ecstasy. I shall Love you for eternity, and I am honored that I have been touched by your soul in this lifetime and for lifetimes to come.

100 Promises to My Baby

by Mallika Chopra

Spring succession....

It seems to be coming in waves this springtime. First were the yellow blossoms, then the white, now moving into a sea of pink.

Happy Weekend!

Extraordinary lightness of being...

Thanks for all your wonderful comments on our garage sale. We had quite a bit of traffic and some nice sales. I wish you could have all been there. There were a few comments about the "uniqueness" of our treasures. However, it would have been fabulous to have a handful of people who really could appreciate our eccentric tastes. I definitely feel lighter after purging so many of my belongings. A sense of renewal and a fresh start. I sat down last night to some fresh cut flowers and a candle and journaled for several hours. Springtime definitely brings new growth.
Happy Mother's Day weekend to all of the fabulous, empowering, delightful, compassionate and amazing mother's out there!

It's garage sale time!

The blog has been a little quiet because I've been lugging stuff up from the basement for our garage sale tomorrow. We're all set up and as the sign says, the treasures await. If you're in the Twin Cities stop by and say hi!

This cutie will be there, along with the dolls from this post.

I **heart** garage sales!

The art of the spring woods...

Ephemeral spring beauties.