Getting ready...

The end of the week for me and the start of my little vacation!!!
Amira has had quite a long week. She is taking baby steps, getting a molar, and had to go to the doctors...

She needed her one year check up which comes with enough needles. But poor Amira has had some rashes after eating milk and eggs, so she had blood drawn for an allergy screening-uh.
This was hard for her, and for mom and dad. This was dads first time with needles at the doctors and he did not like it at all! But Amira is pretty resilient and gets over things pretty quickly. At home, if she bumps herself, which happen fairly often, I just bring her to the window where she presses her pointer finger against the glass and calms down.
But I am not to be fooled into thinking my daughter has a relaxed disposition. She has lately been throwing little tantrums. Getting herself exasperated and laying on her back whining. What is this? Though, I have to say, she is still small enough that it is pretty cute. I know I shouldn't indulge her, but how can I help it!
Now I am off to start packing for our vacation on the lake with a couple of friends! We both plan on getting some art making squeezed into this week!

Sunday Night

My plan was to finish up a few projects. But first, after a day at work, I spent some time eating grapes with my baby. Grapes are possibly her favorite food. She would eat the whole vine if she could. I can't peel them fast enough for her, and she is at the point where she just wants to grab them herself. Next to us are some of my books I used yesterday when making the biggest granny square ever.

So I am turning this giant granny square into a pillow. I was thinking about the stained glass windows and our hazy summer sky.

I am still working on how to attach it well to a pillow, so it appears seamless.
I lined the back with purple burlap and the inside with green sateen to come through the spaces in the pattern.
I finished the base of the baby blanket. I am going to keep it relatively plain, but I do want to add something...
But maybe just a little direction for baby...

Goodnight:)

Prelude:
While I was a little under the weather this weekend, I was very productive with my crocheting. This is a glimpse of a project I worked on all day yesterday. I will post the final piece later today...

Victorian Neighborhood:
I walk through this neighborhood on the way to the train, and there are so many beautiful Victorian homes. Victorian is not an era I used to favor, with so much ornament, it seemed excessive. But, I have fallen in love with many of these homes. This one below is my favorite.
This fence seems like it belongs outside a gingerbread house! (and in fact, it pretty much is.)

While these flowers did block my way as I was pushing a stroller, they make the sidewalk so much prettier, popping up through the cracks! I don't mind stepping into the street for them.

And the stained glass windows, set up in descending order on the front of this house!
Was this driveway really paved in 1906!
Adrian prefers this era, but he is so tall, whenever we step inside a sloped roof house, he feels claustrophobic. Though I don't think we are quite ready to move into one of these yet anyway:)

Projects:

I am starting a baby blanket. Something a little smaller than the large afghan that is still not done! Though I have not forgotten about it. I am just not obsessively working on it. I am doing a ribbed pattern on this baby blanket, and I'm intending to strip it with decorative trim. Though the simplicity of the white is quite appealing to me.

Hexagons for the large afghan:

Tonight will be spent at home, just working on my projects. Adrian put the baby to bed and is cooking dinner. (Though she is still stirring in her room.) There are lots of clothes to put away in our bedroom, but I am going to procrastinate from doing that as long as possible!

It was Amira's first birthday this weekend! Hopefully soon I will post a few pictures from the party. My family came from New York for the celebration, but upon leaving, accidentally took my camera instead of theirs! I had the thought to use some of the picts my mom took, but our cords don't match so I can't download her images...

My parents, sister, and her boyfriend came, a few friends from my work, a few friends from Adrian's past and present jobs, an old friend of mine. It was a nice time. We did a little brunch, had banana cupcakes with cinnamon frosting and lots of flowers. Amira's library is growing! As is she! I will have to finish her baby book, and the book I am trying to make of our first year together! Where does the time go? These days, mostly to helping her learn to walk:)

Tonight:

1. Finish a page for our first year together
2. Laundry
3. Get swim shoes for impending vacation(!)
4. Prepare food for Amira
5. Lay on the couch;)

Another walk, another color story.

Walking through the streets of our Dorchester neighborhood today, it began to rain.
Just a little.
White:


I like looking at all the houses, the patterns of the shingles, the size of the window, what is in the windows (some glass bottles, a barking dog, a lace curtain.)
Pink:

I turned around, but by the time we got back to our street the rain stopped. Amira, agitated that the stroller stopped, pressed me with her babels to walk some more.
Red:

Going into other peoples spaces, seeing where their furniture is, what is worn where, what nick knacks are scattered about, the towels in the bathroom-all of it is interesting to me.
Orange:

The most mundane details of life.
Yellow:

I guess I am what one would call a looky loo.
Green:

Growing up my mom was always bringing us to open houses, hoping to find her dream home.
Blue:

Amira and I took our time looking at our neighbor's flowers. So many people keep their front yards so neat!
Purple:

The rain started and stopped again and again but was never too heavy.
Brown:

Amira kept leaning forward.
Black:

A man coming down his front stairs saw her and smiled big. "These are the best days of your life" he said.
Gray:

Color Story:
Amira and I took a walk this morning since Tuesday's I don't have to go to work. We saw:
White; Pink; Red; Orange; Yellow; Green; Blue; Purple; Brown; Gray; Black.

Rain!

After weeks of hot, humid, rain-less weather, it is pouring now! Flash floods, car troubles, pipes leaking all included. Summer rain storms are a favorite of mine. They remind me of when I was a teen and would spend my summer days walking around our small town all day, day after day. Getting caught in the rain added a little excitement. So I ran away from my desk to snap a few shots...

Thirsty Flowers

So, I have been fantasizing about doing what I love these days, professionally speaking. My husband and baby make me immensely happy and grateful, and I have a pretty good job at an institution I respect. I recently got my MBA and thought a year ago that I would be applying for some high powered job, but I seem to be paused instead and lacking direction. Obviously having a baby changed lots of things about my life. But I didn't think being a mom would make me desire to pursue the dreams I had when I was 20.

Part of it is, if I have to be away from Amira, I would rather that time be spent doing something I find directly meaningful, instead of peripherally important. Part of it is, being an artist, a designer, a crafter, is something I could do from home, I could have flexible hours, work at night when she is asleep, work at my pace and not worry about "face time."

But here I am, and I don't know how to get to there.

So I am a little all over the place, trying to find a new direction.

Today, I drew a flower. One that I am watering, but the relentless heat is continuously drying. I do these from time to time. They are an exercise in looking. I have always enjoyed botanical drawings. There is a close connection between the object and the art. Nature has so much pattern and rhythm, and we frequently stylize these features. A close study of the object reveals all the flaws that prevent the pattern from being what is imagined.

A HOT Summer day:
We are in the middle of a heat wave in the Northeast. My parent's yard offers some relief with a little kiddie pool and some very big trees. Amira had fun playing with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Alima. I think I will have to get one of these for our porch in Boston, that little tub is not going to cut it if this heat continues.