Facebook and Jace the Face

Facebook - great tool for staying in touch. Facebook - time waster extraordinaire. Finding the balance is worthwhile. I use Facebook now mostly for quick updates on what friends are doing, learning about art events I'm interested in, staying in touch with my nieces and now seeing my new grandson between actual visits. His mommy is really good about taking photos and sharing them via Facebook. Here's my latest favorite photo of Jace at two months. Yes - Jace the Face is already two months old, and he's changed a lot. His once dark hair is coming in much lighter now. (His daddy's hair was dark at birth, fell out and at three months he began a new phase of life as a towhead.)

He's a very contented baby - just like his daddy was. Unlike his daddy, though, he likes to be awake at night and sleep all day. They were just beginning to turn that around, but a 'swing emergency' occurred that had his mommy about to tear her own hair out. The cradle swing they'd purchased - and which Jace had become firmly addicted to - stopped working. They bought a new one, put it together, and same thing. The motor wouldn't work. A few sleepless nights later they purchased a third swing (FisherPrice) and Jace is a happy, contented baby once again. The new fear is what they will do when he outgrows the swing. I guess he'll have to come live with Grandma then. : ) Don't you just love the "I am the King of my world" look on his little face?

I am still enmeshed in too much calligraphy to even think. Tomorrow I will be in Indianapolis instead of Louisville. Unheard of for me on Derby Day! I will be at the big event doing last minute changes and place cards, helping the event coordinator. I can't believe it, but as I've FedExed various parts of the job to her I have not even had time to take photos of them. I hope to get a chance to take some photos Saturday. I'm sure it is going to be tres elegante. As if that weren't enough, I sandwiched two smaller jobs into tiny breathing spaces in the ongoing projects that have otherwise taken all my 'spare' time. As soon as I get home Saturday night/Sunday morning I need to do everything I can to finish the very elegant wedding job I have been working on for months. I have two art workshops coming up in May too. Both out of town. I will be posting and sharing photos.

At work, I am happily entrenched in projects that hopefully will really make a difference to the company. I have been writing marketing materials and website articles and pushing a myriad of other projects forward. I have learned a lot about the publishing business since beginning this job last October. It suits me well. I am doing something different almost every day. I have played an integral part in the publishing of two books so far. It was really exciting to see the dummy books come back to us from the printer in various formats...one all white with blank pages just to show placement of various artifacts within the pages. Since I've been on board, we've probably worked with hundreds of clients including some very well known ones that I wish I could mention.

Every day brings new challenges and new fun. And hopefully new photos of 'swinging' Jace the Face on Facebook.

Jace the Face and work in progress

Had a great weekend! Babysat for Jace the Face while his mommy and daddy attended Derby Festival events. He is my heart's keeper for sure. I held him for hours. And hours. He laughs now and smiles a lot. What a great baby! Mommy and Daddy are pretty cool too. He looked like his mommy when he was born, but now looks just like his daddy did when he was a that age.

Here is a photo of Jace with his Grandaddy.



And lest you think I am all Jace, all the time, I did manage to work on some calligraphy jobs this past week too. I worked on a proclamation for my cousin who is being posthumously honored by his city for his wonderful work. Unfortunately I was sent a form that was much too small. I had hoped to hand letter everything in a nice size. As it turns out, I didn't have time for it anyway when it came down to it, so did what I could using the form I was sent, and will reduce it mechanically tomorrow and FedEx it to the Mayor's office Tuesday for the presentation on Thursday. No photo of that yet, but here is a photo of one of the other projects I've been working on, a menu for a major event in a distant city. This is 'in-progress', not finished. I have to do a scan of it tomorrow after work too and do some touch ups tomorrow night. (My new scanner is not large enough to accommodate the paper.)



I have a lot more calligraphy work for the next couple of weeks. Then a breather for some surgery. In the meantime, I finished the course from h-e-#-#, Quantitative Analysis. I got an A!!!!! Final grade was 99.11%. I'm so glad it's over. I switched to a Mac early in the class and course materials on CD were no longer available to me. These things compounded the frustrations and time constraints of an already super-difficult course. I was also involved in a life drawing class through early March. And calligraphy jobs and the new grandchild meant I had other things I wanted and needed to concentrate on. I won't be taking another class too soon. Except two art workshops I've already signed up for. (Right. I never seem to stop.)

Laughing Baby

Forgive me another photo of new grandson Jace. In this one his mother had him laughing. She shot this one with her telephone.


Though Jace is the very best thing happening, there is more. We hosted my family for Easter. The youngest was Jace at just one month old and the eldest was Aunt Chris - who will be 99 next month. Everyone brought great additions to the meal, and the weather was gorgeously cooperative.

I am still pursuing my MBA and am in the killer class Quantitative Analysis. Every person I have asked for help has been unable to help. It's been a horror and I hope to finish it by the end of this month. I have an A average, but it's only because of the time I am putting in to the study...40 hours one week! And as quickly as I 'learn' it, it flies out the window. (I'm thinking that's why others who work with QA to some degree have been unable to help, so in a weird way that makes me feel better.)

In addition, I am working on a lovely wedding job, a premiere event in Indianapolis and an invitation for a small dinner party. (One day turnaround on that rush job...each invitation was hand-lettered and each envelope required lettering the return address as well as the recipient's address.) I am going to letter a Proclamation this week/weekend to honor my cousin Doug Webb of Columbus, IN, who died earlier this year. The city is honoring him later this month with a Doug Webb Day and is naming a softball field in his honor for his dedication to the sport and to the fields he worked closely with the Parks Department to build and maintain which have brought the city visitors from around the country and Canada. I am honored to do this small part toward honoring his generous spirit.

And, yes, I still work full time. Life will be at a more manageable pace once this blankety-blank QA course ends! It will almost feel like I'm on vacation. Speaking of which, I had to turn down a vacation in Ireland to concentrate on coursework. Photos of some of the projects will come as soon as I have time to work with them.