a quick hello!

my ode to spring. it's really coming... hooray!

just wanted to pop in and say hello!

it's a crazy week! i've got a teething babe in the house, need i say more?!

in addition to the above, i am working on taxes, a couple of interviews, as well as making plans for book promo stuff. phew! so much to do!

as i type this, there's a nutty baby in the other room screeching in delight while jumping in her bouncer. when she's not bouncing/scooting/crawling, she's pulling herself up on everything. yikes. (don't worry, grammy is on the case!)

i'm trying to focus on work by blasting my ipod and drinking way too much coffee.

i think it might be working. :)

one day in may

i've got the month of MAY on my mind today, this dreary day in march.

here's a piece i did last month for nahcotta. i imagined these friends out on a fun, springtime adventure... see those two cars in the background? i just love this photograph.

do you have any springtime adventures planned?

may for me means book release, twist fair and ada's first birthday!

{8 things}

one} i've decided to bring back the {8 things}. it'll be on tuesdays. just like the first one. (be sure to read the list today, i've saved the best for last!)

today. the sun is shining and it's supposed to be 40 degrees. snow is melting, sidewalks are clear. this is big, people. spring is seriously on the way!

today. thinking about how much i love what christine said. such a real post. i also LOVE her new blog design. so pretty!

four} lately, i've been living vicariously through these two sisters who have moved to france. perhaps you know these blogs, but just in case you don't, i thought i'd share. one sister has moved to paris with her two little boys, and the other has moved to normandy with her six (!) enfants. i'm really enjoying their posts. thought you might too.

five} speaking of french things~ my sister, my husband and i went into boston this weekend and saw these two guys. so fun! it was great evening!

six} speaking of foodie related things, on a blizzardy day in early february i preserved some meyer lemons. idea and recipe here. so easy and delicious! the lemons were finally ready to eat last week, and it was worth the wait! so far i've layered them on baguette with olive oil (a good, fancy one) and topped with halloumi cheese and then grilled as an open face sandwich. so so good!

today} we're getting out of the house finally! no rain, no snow, just sunshine! hooray!

eight} my editor wrote to me yesterday to say the advance copies of my book are IN (!!!) and that i should be receiving mine this week! i did a big happy dance and then proceeded to hyperventilate. just thinking about it now is making me get butterflies in my stomach... SO excited to see it and hold it in my hands. (they will be shaking most likely!)

the BIG news!

finally! the BIG news!

some of you have had your suspicions, and some of you flat out guessed after my last post, but it's finally time to officially let you know! (drumroll please... ) my BIG news is... we're having a baby! just pretend that the plastic woodpecker is a stork! ada maeve is due at the end of may and we couldn't be more thrilled!

see the proof here!

i'll be back with my {8 things} to fill you in with details of the journey so far... can't wait for little ada maeve bellemare to join us soon! (ah! just a few weeks to go!)

xo *s

bits from my holiday weekend...

and now we are waiting for friends to stop in for a lunchtime picnic, then to a cookout for dinner. what have you been up to over the long weekend? 

i'm so glad you liked sketchbook friday!  see it here (on flickr).

xo, *s

today's 8 things

today. 

today is friday and i don't know where the week went.

1. today.

here's peek into one of my little books.  these are not my sketchbooks, they are smaller books filled with the scraps i find on the studio floor during a clean-up.  some bits are too precious to be thrown away, so they are saved in boxes and books like this one above.  so yes, since i just had a big clean up in the studio, i have more books like this one that are going to be filled and shared soon.  

2.  today.

stephanie reminded me that  i wrote about this process in the interview you can read here. 

3.  today.

i realized that i the foggy brain feeling i have had lately is due to feeling completely overwhelmed.  not to complain of course, but you know how they say "when i rains, it pours" ???  well, i feel like i have a little rain cloud over my head!  

4. today. 

blasted birds fly away in the car this afternoon and drove around in the springtime sun.  then this song came on, and well, this is how it felt.  you said it so well kelly rae!  things are shifting, in a good way.    

5.  today.

we may have found new home, not sure yet, but fingers are crossed.  you see, we are currently in between homes, jobs and lives.  all of my belongings are in boxes, most of our stuff is in a storage unit in another state and my studio is what you may call a make shifty sort of one at the moment.  you think this could have something to do with #3?!  

6.  today.

loving the lilacs, leafy trees and warm spring breezes.  working on appreciating the little things in life, taking it day by day and trying to remember to breathe.  (yes, i do have to stop and remember to calmly do that once and a while) 

7.  today. 

exactly one year ago today, this happened.  to say that i did a happy dance would be a complete understatement.  BIG hugs to lucie who wrote to holly.  i'm so happy that our first little correspondences have turned into friendships. this blogging world is quiet magical if i do say so myself.  

8. today. 

speaking of squam, (hint, see #2)  this is the best.  check in out!  found via the squam blog.

so that's my 8 for today.  i have so many more... 

what's today like for you?

wishing you a happy weekend!  we're heading to our favorite little "gorges" town for a few days and then i'll be back on a regular schedule.  as i type this, i am already planning next week's blog posts.  how's about another sketchbook peek?!  i'm excited for that.  : )  

i'll also share some more news and a couple of other things to look forward to.  

until then, xo, *s

a quick hello

happy monday to you! 

i'm a bit stressed getting ready for the twist fair which is coming up this weekend.... someday maybe shows will not = stress, but for now it seems to be the case!  

but i thought i'd  just pop in say hi & a big thanks for the feedback on my sketchbook!  there will be more, i'm glad you liked it!  i was happy to see it over on poppytalk today too. 

i'll be back tomorrow with *8 things*

xo, *s 

PS!  this original is now up on etsy! 

you may recognize it from cloth/paper/scissors magazine (dec. 2008)