mimi feel better

Your Mimi had surgery on her knee on Friday. We want you to feel better, Mimi! So you can do more of this:


and even though she isn't in this video, she really is the one who got you, yelling with joy, into the water:

sammy mac photoshoot

While we were in Rhode Island we had a little photoshoot for some of Sammy Mac's t-shirt line. Here are some of my favorite shots:

5 wedding pictures, 5 gift ideas

Today is our five year wedding anniversary. Daddy + me = five years married. Five happy happy years! According to tradition, the 5 year anniversary is symbolized by............wood. Romantic, no? I thought long and hard about what to give your father for a gift. My first thought was a boat, since that's made out of wood. I thought it appropriate since Jon can sail and that always impressed me to no end. So Jon, I wanted to get you this:

BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM BUILT SCHOONER! But even though it lists the price as negotiable, I thought it might be a little bit out of our range. So then I found this one:

A DUYFKEN 37" wooden ship model wood sailing boat! on ebay. No bids yet, and bidding's still open. Then I scrapped that idea and wanted to get you a tree. But oh yeah, we live in Brooklyn on the third floor. And I would probably kill it anyway.

Then I found this print by our friend Todd St. John on 20x200. Wood blocks, perfect!

Then I thought, the opposite of wood is fire! And I've been thinking for a while that we need a fire extinguisher.

Good idea, right?! And look, you can get an entire little family of them! It can symbolize our happy little family.

Happy anniversary, Jon. I love you so very much.

PS I didn't actually get you anything yet but it's on its way.
PPS #5 picture from Jackson's Wayne Thiebaud's Counting board book.

PPPS I just found this picture and had to add it, because I love it:

back in brooklyn

Look! Our building! The former Federal Brewing Co.

Artist: Not Given
Lithographer: Louis J. Porr, 16 Thomas Street, NYC
Copyright Date: Non given
Size: 20" x 26-1/2"

The Federal Brewing Company's plant shown in this circa 1905 poster is representative of the hundreds of red brick breweries that were constructed throughout America in the second half of the nineteenth century. Federal, itself, remained in existence but a few years, but its roots go back to 1854. In that year, Samuel Duell started the Long Island Brewery at 83 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, just a short distance from Flatbush Avenue. Only ale was brewed until 1887, when lager was added. In 1902 there was a change in ownership, and the plant became the Federal Brewing Company. As Federal, however, the brewery lasted but five years, going out of business in 1907. The building itself has gone through several different uses since its days as a brewery. It still appears, however, much the same as when pictured seventy years ago on the poster, except that the handsome corner turret has somehow been removed in the intervening years. Since 1961 the former brewery has been the home of the Quality Cosmetics Corporation, manufacturer of Monique hair and skin products.

--Will Anderson, The Beer Poster Book, 1976.

If you look closely you can see Daddy watching tv on the third floor.

thoughts and prayers

I remember seeing a house on Cookie Magazine's nesting site with this image of a baby's crib with this great mobile over it. As it turns out, they're simply a bunch of bird ornaments hung from the ceiling! Brilliant. 

The parents whose house that is have been in an accident. So many people in the blog world have shown such love and support for this family, including an amazing auction at Design Mom, with a million wonderful items to bid on. Or you can click here to donate. 

doggies

Jackson, lately you have shown a real interest, or rather, obsession, with little dogs. I wish your aunt Abigail lived closer so you could see Gus and Ollie occasionally. You would love them.  

Oh Happy Day!

Jackson, your mama got blogged about again. Check it out (you might have to scroll down). And on one of my all-time favorite blogs, Oh Happy Day! Jordan continually inspires me with the coolest, prettiest, loveliest stuff, like this alphabet poster (now THAT would look good in your room):

{by Tim Fishlock)

and this project I've always wanted to do for you:

{from Apartment Therapy, a while ago}

and this image (which I'm partial to because....that would have been your name if you'd been a girl): 

{from brides.com}

Thank you for the mention, Jordan! You made my day!

for small people, like you

I love this on-line magazine: Small. It's full of great stuff, like in this picture. OOOh, if you were a girl, I would totally get you those shoes on the left. 

patterns

I loved this contest on design*sponge. This picture made me think of it.
It also made me want Lena Corwin's book: Printing by Hand:

3 G

Daddy finally got the new i phone. It's a phone, an ipod, takes pictures AND has email. I thought that was pretty incredible. By the time you read this, you'll be like, yeah, but you have to TYPE your messages....(meaning, when you're 20, it will be able to read your mind to create text messages, get it?).

Here's one of the first pictures from it.

more fame!

here and here (well, very minor fame, but still)

roosters and hens

While looking for an image of the delicious Rhode Island corn we've been enjoying this week, I came across these images of roosters and hens, by some kindergarten, first, and second graders. How great are they? The Rhode Island Red is enjoying some corn. 

I can't wait til we can draw with you. 

seaside

We're going to Rhode Island for a few days......yippee!

fabric to measure with

I love the measuring tape fabric from Peapod Fabrics in San Francisco. I would make you a sweet little pillow if I could get my hands on some of that.

fresh white bedding

When we were upstate in July, there was the softest, dreamiest white bedding on the bed. Made me want to remake our bed. I found these amazing white-sheeted beds that I'd like to take a nap in right now.



{top two interiors from Cote de Texas, bottom from domino}

chiarascuro

I love this picture of you, Brett, Hayden and Gael from a few weeks ago. It immediately made me think of the paintings that use the chiarascuro technique:


The Nativity by Gerard van Honthhorst.



And in this Fragonard painting The Lock.



And this untitled landscape painting by Jan Both.

Chiaroscuro (Italian for light-dark) is a term in art for a contrast between light and dark. The term is usually applied to bold contrasts affecting a whole composition, but is also more technically used by artists and art historians for the use of effects representing contrasts of light, not necessarily strong, to achieve a sense of volume in modeling three-dimensional objects such as the human body.

{from wikipedia}

And yes, my name does mean light.

transportation

If we lived in Amsterdam, we might get around with you in this:



or maybe this:



{from jon's photos of his trip}

missed you

Jon!

Missed you so much we forgot to laugh.

{update: picture from the day we picked Daddy up at the airport}