Another busy weekend - time flies!!!!

On Friday night we attended a memorial service for a dear man. We stayed much too long at his house afterward with friends who will all miss him very much. The Greek Orthodox priest used a wonderful word to describe him...I will have to get it from a friend. It meant that he didn't know a stranger, and it was a perfect appelation.

On Saturday I attended the company picnic while Steve helped the kids move. This meant - I had Jace! I took him to the picnic with me. I'm going to have to get a grandma car. The Mustang just isn't built for backseat car seats and baby gear. It was another dreadfully hot and humid day. We have had 6 weeks of temps over 90. This will probably be a record-breaking June. It was quite sweet when the Chief Operating Officer gave me a foam paper plate to use as a fan for Jace...and also sweet when the CEO and owner spent nearly a half an hour standing and fanning him with it! We only stayed 2 hours, but the food and camaraderie were good. It was nice to meet the families of co-workers.

Saturday night I kept Jace all night and took him home this afternoon...stayed til 4, then came home and worked in my too, too hot garage for a bit. I need to clear out and organize my 'stuff', including years worth of art supplies. Because I taught classes for years, I have multiples of many basics like colored pencils and inexpensive paper. Most markers and some paints may be dried up, so garbage may get a lot of it.

Sandy sent me a few of the fantastic photographer's latest photos of Jace. Here is my favorite. I think he's going to have his daddy's blond hair, but where did he get those gorgeous baby blues! He's holding the monkey I gave him last week.

MONKEYS EVERYWHERE!

Jace's nickname is "Monkey" because of how much he kicked in utero. Naturally, he's received a few stuffed monkeys from various Jace-admirers. Sandy posted this photo today, and I love it! They're having a professional photo shoot this evening, so watch out for some really nice ones to come too.


I just love this little monkey.

And here is a self-photo of the whole 'fam damily.' Sweet, huh! : )

Five nieces. One grandson. Busy weekend...busy life. Time goes too quickly.

What a busy weekend! Time flies when you're having fun...and when you're not too. Niece Andrea's graduation was at 10AM Saturday. Party at 2, lasted til nearly 7, then babysat til midnight. Niece Celeste picked up her painting Friday night. It really looked great! I have FOUR beautiful nieces...FIVE if you count Steve's beautiful Tiffany, which I do. (Tiffer is learning to ride...enjoying trotting now and has new boots...all of which I learned on Facebook.) Shauna is recovering from back surgery, but is bouncing back finally. I don't get to see her much, so FB is a good 'keeper-in-toucher'. I saw the three youngest nieces this weekend. Celeste picked up her painting and looked super gorgeous on Saturday in a slinky cream colored backless dress. She looked model-riffic! Natalie looked her usual beautiful self at the grad party. Hers was just last year! She has stunning looks and killer eyes. I'm showing a photo here of the graduate, Andrea. She is kissing Jace's cheek and his look is priceless! They are both so darn cute!


The baby girl in the family kissing the baby boy. I love my gurlz...and my guy too. (Can you tell?)

Jace - The Face!

There is absolutely nothing in the world like holding a precious, sleeping baby in your arms while he naps, nuzzling into you, softly holding on to you. I had that pleasure last night, and held him until his parents arrived to get him. They've been working each week preparing their house, which they will move in to by next weekend. I will miss these sweet times with Jace. I can get absolutely nothing else done when I have him, but that's okay. There is nothing more important.

Here is my latest favorite photo of him, taken on his Daddy's birthday last week. Yes! At only 3 months old, he already seems to be starting the teething process. He wants to gnaw on everything. He has a nice selection to choose from on the tray in front of him...but chances are he'd be just as happy chomping his gums into a bib or a finger.

Painting with Celeste

Busy week once again. Work, naturally, took its usual measure of hours (rougher maybe because it was a full week after the shorter holiday week.) Babysitting took up many evening hours and most of Saturday, but I don't need to add that those hours are treasured times with my grandson, who is growing so quickly. Jace is getting old enough now to miss his Mommy and Daddy a little even though he likes being spoiled by Grandma and Pappy. We celebrated his daddy's birthday privately Friday and again yesterday with his Grandma. On Thursday I finished a piece of calligraphy, which was picked up Saturday morning. I bought a beautiful large flat file via Craigslist, which was delivered Friday night - and as I predicted, it is already full and I don't have all of my papers in it. (What this tells me is that I need to paint, paint, paint and collage, collage, collage and begin using up my precious stash!)

Speaking of painting, my niece Celeste came over this afternoon and we had a canvas painting session. I am so proud of her first painting ever! She bought the canvas and paints months ago, and came over one night and we painted a pink and white striated background. It's been behind my couch ever since. No longer! It awaits a final glaze coat when it's less humid outside, but otherwise it is finished. Here are some photos of the painting in different stages and of Celeste at work. She made all the strokes and color choices, and only asked for my opinion as she worked. She was gung-ho and approached it as she does life...with joy and decisiveness. I gave a little instruction, showed her a few techniques and gave some general painting advice as she went, but the painting is hers, and quite wonderful, I think.











Here's a photo of the house across the road from my street in its summer garb...pretty flowers and ancient green leafy trees.



What? No Jace photo? I'll make up for that next time. : )

Graffiti, Miniature Book Exhibit and Logo

For my friend Nicoll, I grabbed my camera while stuck in traffic Wednesday afternoon for a train. I hoped to see some graffiti because she posts some really nice work from her part of the world. "Kid BUG" is the best I could do.

Here are photos of my logo design up on display inside the publishing company where I work. The words on the back panel were my boss's, the owner of the company. He allowed the art director and me to help him tweak them...we came up with 'innovative and creative', and the three of us chose the fonts together. The color scheme and original idea were all his. My logo was added while I was on vacation, so it was a nice surprise to me when I returned. There's a lot of reflection going on with the shiny black substrate. He plans to add lighting as the next step.




Last, but not least are a couple of shots of the Miniature Book Society traveling exhibit, which I arranged to have delivered to the University of Louisville Ekstrom Library's Rare Books department to be on exhibit for the month of June. In the second shot, the five books at the apex of the triangular side were actually bound by craftsmen at the bindery we purchased last year. That bindery is now the basis of Centennial Graphics Group, for which I designed the logo over a year ago...way before I knew I'd be working there one day.





And here is an antique book press - circa 1850 - that is on display at Ekstrom. Looks to be cast iron, and extremely heavy.