Out WIth the Old and In With the New: The Art on our Walls

I am happy to say that Aaron's been selling quite a few paintings as of late.

I am sad to say that I miss them when they go.

To see him making his art, the things that are inside him and who he is, and to know that people get it and like it, well, it's wonderful.

Making art makes Aaron happy.

Making art that people enjoy makes Aaron happy.

All of this makes me happy, too.

I guess it's just that even when it's for a good reason, it's still always hard to say good-bye.

The first big painting he did for us, one that hung on our walls through James' first 3 years of life, and then sold to a friend, is still missed.

It was a pair of giant Converse high tops.  (see it here)

James learned what a star was from that painting while it hung in our living room.

He still talks about it sometimes.

Then there was this painting that Aaron sold a while back.

James actually cried when he found out Aaron sold it.

We recently said goodbye to our trailer, Bambi.

Many of our friends expressed dismay that it was for sale.

"It is so you!' they said, "you can't sell it."

But Aaron took it off our walls.

Still, when Aaron got the call that it had sold, he said he felt just a little bit sick to his stomach.

It was a real favorite.

That's the hard thing about the art on our walls--it becomes a part of us, and thus, it is hard to say good-bye.

It's exciting to watch Aaron's paintings sell, and to know that people love them like we do.

But I won't say we don't miss them.

The above painting, "I Like Eich" is Aaron's newest.

I love it so much.

So, so, much.

If you are at all a fan of mid-century architecture, then you are probably familiar with the name, Joseph Eichler.

You know his houses.

And, if you are like me, you wouldn't mind living in one some day.

This painting celebrates the classic Eichler houses.

The windows, the roof lines, and the clean, modern look that makes them so special.

Eichler was not the architect, but the developer of the communities that bear his name.

But because he had an penchant for modern design, his houses all share a similar design sense.

It's one that Aaron and I, and many other people, like very much.

Aaron designed the painting and it is all painted free hand.

He is amazing like that.

It's perfect for someone who really Likes Eich!

Right now, there is only one painting, but he hopes to make prints like it soon.

Which is good news to me, because he took this painting off my kitchen wall this morning and took it to sell at Just Modern in Palm Springs.

Hopefully I'll at least get a print, right?

If you've been reading my blogs for any amount of time, you might remember some of the other paintings that we've had hanging in the house.

First there was ICE.

I loved ICE and we had it for a couple of years before Aaron thought of selling it.

He sold it ast week.

Getting this note from the new owner helped:

"Just wanted to let you know that I'm the new owner of "ICE" - just purchased it today from a shop in Palm Springs.  From the second I saw it, I loved it! "

That's the kind of thing that makes an artist's heart happy.

And his wife's heart swell with pride.

After ICE was gone, Aaron made the Bear, which he titled Promised Land.
I also loved this one.
We didn't have him up for too long.
He sold at Aaron's recent show.

I suppose the reason we love these paintings so much, aside from the fact that Aaron made them and we're his biggest fans and think everything he does is great, is that they are just a part of our life in our home.

We do a lot of living with these paintings.

See?

And now that Eich is gone, the wall in the kitchen looks awfully bare.

Good thing I know an artist who can fill it back up again.

At least for a while.

You know what they say, the cobbler's children never have shoes, the doctor's children are always sick, and the artist's home always has bare walls.

Perhaps it's time for me to commission my artist for my very own piece.
The kids want their own paintings too.
We all thought it high time Aaron make each of the kids their very own painting to keep for always.
He was going to do it for Christmas.
But in the hustle and bustle of it all, we both forgot.
I think some birthday paintings are in order.
I guess I'm going to be keeping my painter busy for a while.
That is the fun part about all this, I do love seeing what he's going to come up with next.
It's always such a good surprise.

If you're still bothering to read this blog, thanks!
I'm hopeful there will be more regular posts in the new year.
The new year is nothing but full of good hopes, right?
So, I hope I'll be seeing you soon!

Love from,

Greta

PS.  Aaron is working on getting a website up and running where he can show some of his hand carved, linoleum block prints, paintings and hopefully silk screened and giclee prints as well.  

I'll let you know when it's operational.

For Your Christmas List: Books About Nature by Thornton Burgess

Hi friends!

It hasn't even been a month, and yet, here I am.

I'm hoping to get a few of these posts in before Christmas, but we'll see how that goes.

Most of the time I am an optimist, so I'll believe that those posts are going to get written.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking about Christmas gifts.
I've even gotten a few.
And I have my list of the things I am making for people all written out.

In my head.

It's not even December, so I am waaaay ahead, right?

Ha!

I've never been one of those, "it's August and I'm already done with my Christmas shopping!" kind of people.

I'm more like, "it's Christmas eve and I'm still wrapping presents!  Ahhhh!"

We'll see where this Christmas eve finds me.

The optimist in me says I'll be watching the Christmas pageant and playing games with my family, not hiding in the back room wrapping gifts.

In an effort to help you give less plastic stuff that will only be donated to the Goodwill in a matter of months, I thought I'd share one of my favorite gifts to give every Christmas: BOOKS!

Each Christmas, I choose a special book for each one of my children.

The book is hardcover, and is meant to be a book they will keep forever.

I like to think that by the time they have their own kids, each one will have the start of a fabulous book collection.

The books are different each year.

Sometimes they reflect the current interest of the child, or reflect the child's personality at the time.

No matter what, I chose each book especially for each child.

I like books with beautiful illustrations, or great design, and good writing.

Some are new, some are vintage, but they are always timeless sort of books, not trendy.

No biographies of Justin Beiber here!

This past weekend, I was able to spend the night away in Palm Springs, all by myself!
It was such a nice break from my regular life.
I did quite a bit of napping and reading by the pool, and a bit of thrifting too.
Usually we go to Palm Springs in the summer, when it's a million degrees and no one else is there.
The thrifting is awesome then.
It's high season now, and the thrifting is considerably less awesome.
More competition.
But I did find a few treasures: a pink, J. Crew sundress for $4, a gorgeous, vintage green coat, and some books.
When I found this one, I gasped, and said, out loud, "Ohhh, treasure!"
A lady standing next to me looked at the book in my hands, and smiled at me like I was crazy.
I am crazy.
For good books.

Do you know Thornton Burgess?
He is one of our favorite authors.
I was unfamiliar with him until James' first year of school when The Burgess Bird Book was part of our curriculum.
The next year we read the Burgess Animal Book.
My kids loved them both.

If your child is an animal lover, or if you want to learn more about birds, I cannot recommend these books enough.

Because they are told as stories, and each animal or bird is a character, there is none of the dry, textbooky, feeling that so often accompanies non fiction reading.

Yet I still consider them part of our science curriculum because they are so full of information about all sorts of birds and animals.

Also, because they are stories, they can be reread and enjoyed each time.

It's funny that I never bothered to look at other books written by Thornton Burgess simply because they weren't on my curriculum list.

Hence the gasp when I found this one, Longlegs the Heron.

I had no idea that there were so many other books written by Thornton Burgess.

And now I have a whole lot more books to look for!

Interestingly enough, the kids are taking part in some presentations with our home school group tomorrow.

Each child chose a mammal that we might see out and about on our hikes, studied it, and is presenting on it to the group.

My kids have made dioramas of their mammal's habitat, and created little posters with interesting facts about the mammal.

James chose a bear, William an otter, and Lilly a rabbit.

What are the chances I can find those 3 books by Thorton Burgess for under the Christmas tree this year?

How perfect would that be?

Looks like I am off to search the world wide web!

If you're looking for some more books to give this Christmas, here are a few of our other favorites:

every book by M. Sasek, books by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire,  books by Holling Clancy Holling, this book and others by Robert Mccloskey, The Secret Garden was a hit with all the kids and I just love it in this cover, and here are heaps of books written by Thornton Burgess.
What are some of your favorite children's books?

Happy Christmas, friends!

Love from,

Greta

Of Birthday Cakes and Vintage Catherineholm Cookware

Hey!

I know it's been a week and a half since I've posted.

Forget the holidays--spring time is our busy season.

It is wearing me out.

I've gone to bed at 9 twice in the last week.

I don't go to bed at 9 unless I am really sick, or pregnant.

I was really sick. (had you there for a minute, didn't I?)

And really tired.

Life doesn't slow down when I am sick or tired--there is still school to plan and to teach, there are still baseball games, and baseball practices, at the same time in different places no less, there are sick babies, and dinners to be made, laundry to be done and bathtubs to be scrubbed, groceries to be bought, and put away, reading to teach, letters to be traced, 4 kids to mother and a husband to pay attention to.

But today, there was a cake to be made.

My James turns 8 tomorrow.

He'll get his birthday presents in the morning when he wakes up, but we had his birthday dinner and cake tonight.

Tomorrow night is Cub Scouts and dinner will be a bit rushed.

We wanted to linger and enjoy James' celebration dinner.

So I made his favorite.

But first, that cake.

James asked for a "stacked cake".

He dreams of a layer cake about 10 layers high.

I think he's going to have a lot of input about his wedding cake.

His bride better be ready for a groom with a lot of opinions on all the details.

Just like his daddy.

Anyway, a stacked cake he asked for, and a stacked cake it would be.

I aim to please.

I used the best birthday cake recipe, I made for William last year.

James usually likes chocolate, but I felt like making a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

It's so good, I knew he wouldn't mind.

I decided to be legit this time and use real cake flour, just like the recipe calls for.

Usually I pay no attention to those things because I never have those kind of special ingredients on hand.

I have a small kitchen and not a lot of extra room for seldom used ingredients.

But since one of my life goals is to become a great cake baker, I wanted to see if there really was a difference between regular flour and cake flour.

That's something I need to know.

For the frosting, I planned on chocolate ganache.

However, I was at Target and they didn't have big hunks of chocolate for me to chop up.

I had a baby in need of a nap and wasn't about to stop at at another store.

So I got chocolate chips instead.

That's how I got the Swan's Down cake flour.

I am sure there are other labels that might be better, but that's all there was, so that's what I bought.

Will the cake flour make a difference?

I'll let you know.

Aside from his stacked cake, I made James his favorite meal: bean burritos.

All afternoon the beans bubbled away on the stove in my new pot.

Isn't she beautiful?

I have long loved and admired these pieces of Catherineholm cookware.
They were produced by the Catherineholm company, in Norway, beginning in the early 1900s.
These pieces in the Lotus pattern, are some of the most famous and most beloved of vintage, enamel cookware.
They were designed by a Norwegian designer, Grete Prytz.
They come in many bright and beautiful colors, and the lotus leaves adorn everything from pots and pans, to plates, bowls, and tea pots.
I think they are absolutely gorgeous.
I am not alone in my admiration.
You've probably seen them in many a magazine and blog article.
I spot them everywhere.


I never thought I'd have one of my own--they're pricey.
But my sister brought this yellow beauty to me yesterday.
Her dad found it and he generously gave it to me.
He knows my style and finds lots of goods for me on his treasure hunts.
Seeing that pot sitting on my stove makes my month.
Thanks Papa John!


If you want to see more of this gorgeous cookware, I have a few links for you.
For more on Grete Prytz, go here.
For cookware, go here.
And this Pinterest page of vintage enamelware is full of lotus pieces.
I'm dreaming of the coffee pots and pitchers especially.
And maybe a bowl or two.
Because one more collection is just the thing I need, right?
Right.


And now, I have some presents to wrap and a birthday garland to hang over the kitchen table and a bed to get to.
Because a very excited birthday boy is sure to be up early.
It was 8 years ago, right now, that I was walking the neighborhood, stopping every few minutes to breathe through contractions.
It was eight years ago that my life was forever changed for good.
Here's to many more years of stacked cakes for my birthday boy!
Love from,
Greta

Design Notes:Vintage Milton Bradley World Map Puzzle

I am a huge fan of good design.

I look for it everywhere, and I love all the different places I find it.

In an old car.

In an old sign.

In pots and pans.

In painted cuckoo clocks.

In books with great end papers.

In paint by numbers.

In Christmas ornaments.

An in far more things than I can continue to list here.

I pay attention to fonts.

I have favorite illustrators.  (her!)

I notice the lines of a piece of furniture or the shape of a roof line.

And when I see good design at a garage sale, thrift store or estate sale, I snap it up.

Like I did this old puzzle.

I have to admit, part of the reason I love this puzzle is for nostalgic reasons.
I remember doing this puzzle in the back of Mr. Walker's classroom in elementary school.
I loved it then.
I love it now.
The puzzle has 2 sides and I always liked the world map side much better than the United States side.
I liked the art better on the world map side.
Still do.


Just look at that sun.
Isn't it some great design?

I like the stylized water.
And I remember how much I loved those cute little Arctic animals.

This dragon is so cool.
Or is it a sea serpent?
And I like the font used for the names of the oceans.
I actually remember that font distinctly.  
I must have done this puzzle a number of times.
A large number.

I like the color choices for the map.
I really like the way this pink looks against the water and all that green of Canada.
Also, notice that big muscle car, front and center for America.
Really?  That's what we're about?
Oh yeah, this puzzle is from 1975.
Muscle cars were big then--especially in Detroit.
That little hula girl in the corner is pretty cute too.

I had forgotten all about this puzzle until I saw the box at a garage sale.
I gasped and scooped it up.
I clutched it to my breast and was flooded with good memories.
The bean bags at the back or Mr. Walker's classroom and all the hours I spent curled up there with books.
My classmates--I still remember many of them.
First names and last.
And how, even then I dreamed of exploring the world.
Things haven't changed.

I bought the puzzle for a quarter.

The boys and I put it together and discovered it was missing some pieces.

(can you tell what state that is that's missing over there on the right, by the Pacific Ocean?)

We kept it, and the kids still love to put it together.

They like the art just as much as I do.

But I would like to find a complete puzzle.

It would be fun to glue it together and hang it up.

I have a mild obsession with maps and globes.

Apparently I have since childhood.

I think these puzzles were pretty popular, but I only found 1 on Etsy.

What I'm thinking is that one of you must have one of these lying around in a closet somewhere.

You want to send it to me.

I'll pay for the shipping.

I'm just putting it out there to the blog universe.

It might work out for me.

Good design--it's everywhere.

Just don't forget to look for it.

Love from,

Greta

Garage Sale Finds: Tablecloths, Old Ties, Suitcases and More!

Hello.

Remember me?

I hardly do.

Do you have kids in sports?

Or after school activities?

More than 1?

How do you do it?

We've chosen not to do many extra classes or sports with our kids up till now.

So far the only thing we've done consistently is swimming lessons.

But that's once a week for a half an hour.

And I pick the time.

I like that.

I like it a lot.

Cub Scouts is twice a month.

We can work on the projects on our own schedule.

I like that, too.

But this season, both of the boys are in baseball.

That means late afternoon/evening practices.

It means Saturday games.

It means weeknight games at 5, or 6:30.

It means we have not been home together for dinner or a normal evening routine for 5 nights.

Tonight will be the 6th.

My kids are still little, and it's only 2 of them in sports right now.

I'm starting to wonder, how does one do music lessons, play practice, swim team, football practice, driving lessons and all the other things kids seem to fill up their time, and yours, with?

How does one do it with 4 kids?

Or, if your kid is amazing at something, do you really devote your time and energy to it, and live at the dojo, or ball field, or studio, or where ever, so your kid can go pro?

Or just be really good in high school or college and then drop it.

That's some serious commitment.

I have a lot to think about.

It's making me tired.

This is just one more reason people tell me to enjoy my kids right now, isn't it?

When, most of the time, our time is our own and we can just spend the day watching pet snails, reading books, making art, and hunting bugs in the back yard to feed to our new aligator lizard.

And, post about that garage sale we went to a week and a half ago.

So here's the rest of that fabulous garage sale post.

Take a peek at my treasures.

Feel free to squeal at your favorites--I did.

First, there were vintage table cloths.

This one is my favorite.

I love the color combo of yellow, grey and green on this one.                                                                                                                                                                                          
It had lots of yellowing on the fold lines.
Almost all of it came out.
And I don't mind that it's not perfect.
It's easier to enjoy using it when it isn't.
Don't let yellowing, or a few stains stop you from picking up a vintage linen you love.
Think of it as a patina, and let yourself enjoy using it.


I'm always on the look out for things for him:

and for me:

Then there were these suitcases:

This one needs some scrubbing, but I don't mind.

I don't mind that this one doesn't latch.

It will be used to store Lilly's dress up clothes.

And, look what it has on top!

It gets better!
Check out the lining inside--plaid!
These wool blankets had a few holes, so they gave them to me for free.
I think they'll be perfect camping blankets--holes and all.

This travel bag is only missing a matching, plaid, wool throw, and a thermos.
Perfect for picnics in the Falcon.
I'll have to get to work on that.

Can you believe how cute these little guys are?

Now I don't have to buy the kids ornaments for Christmas.
I can check one thing off my Christmas list and it's only March!

There were angels, too.

And my last find?
A whole box full of canning jars.
They are my favorite kind--the ones with the tiny diamond design.
Some of them even have those great lids with them still.

I've been waiting to find my canning supplies at a garage sale for a good deal.

I've resisted buying new at Target because I was confident that I'd find what I needed eventually.

I did!

Along with the jars came a big, black canning pot.

It has a rack on the bottom and everything.

Now I just need a few more tools and I'll be set.
I spent less than $3 for all my canning goods--would have spent at least $20 at Targ.
Happy.
This will be the summer fo canning, I tell you.
Canning!!


There were a few other odds and ends, but I've forgetten them because it's been so long.
I'll find my groove again.
It might not be until May, when baseball season is over, but I'll find it.
Oh wait, there were books!
Yes, come back for the books.
Love from,
Greta