Fill a Bare Book and Try New Art Medium - Done

Hello Friends,

As part of a series of drawing sessions between Monica and I, I managed to fill a bare book and try several new types of art media.  Great exercise all around and it got us making art again more frequently. It turned out to be a counting book called 11Wheels.  Great fun.  Below are some examples from the book including papercut, masking fluid,  digital, block print, and pen on top of gouache.

Much love,

Nicole

Try New Recipes - Three Done

Hello Friends,

Cooking is something I only really got into when I decided to resign from my job to be a radical homemaker. Many tasty adventures have followed, which is why trying new recipes is on my Year-Long list. It is very easy to make the same things over and over again, especially with the Little Ones. I added recipes to my list so that I would not make excuses for myself and continue to push my skills and taste buds.

When I look for recipes, I first check our few recipe books Betty Crocker Cookbook and the Homemade Pantry being the most perused. Then I grab a few recipes from the internets and use a little from each one to create a recipe that works for how I cook. So far Indian-Style Samosas, Chocolate Mouse, and Orange Cream Smoothies. Yum.

Much love,

Nicole

Go on a Trip - Done

Hello Friends,

My list this year should really have said "Plan and execute an epic train adventure" because seriously, it was intense.  If you know any 2 to 7 year old tiny people, you will notice that trains have an impressive and magical ability to connect to children in a way that has been lost by growns-ups.  The Bigger Little Human's first word was "choo-choo" and the Little Human can already say "train."  Shit is magic, check it out.  Below is our itinerary and a few photos.  The Chicago Hostel is amazing; great rooms and fantastic crown pleasing breakfast.  The Earthship was miraculous.  Mesa Verde was beautiful and 10 times more impressive than in photos.  New Mexico reminded us much of Norte Chico, Chile.  Tasty food and gorgeous sunsets and sunrises.  This was our first time traveling with the Little Humans and it went exceptionally well.  Enjoy.

Train to Chicago
Stayed in HI Chicago Hostel - Cloud Gate
Train to New Mexico
Stayed in Earthship
Visited and Stayed at Mesa Verde in Colorado
Stayed in Albuquerque Hostel
Train to Chicago
Stayed in HI Chicago Hostel - Chicago Children's Museum
Train to St. Paul

Much love,

Nicole

Visit a Minnesota Destination - Done

Hello Friends,

Although I was hoping to visit the Jeffers Petroglyphs, we ended up staying a hostel near the Mississippi Headwaters and visited the tallest Paul Bunyan statue over winter break.  It was pretty great and pretty Minnesotan.  The Little Human now says "Hi Paul" to his photo on the wall in our living room.  Still can't say Auntie, but Paul gets his own greeting.  When's the last time Paul changed any diapers?  Anyway, enjoy the photos. (Note: Paul Bunyan is a myth and the Mississippi Headwaters are really every bit of water in that region and no one specific place even if a bunch of guys constructed a neat looking pile of rocks that get stolen by visitors and have to be replaced all the time from rocks that are not even from the area.  Both were highly photogenic.  The dinosaurs were, of course, Monica's doing.  Shockingly.) 

Much Love,

Nicole

Create a T-Shirt Design - Done

Hello Friends,

After beginning an illustration class, and not really digging the first assignment, I began reworking a t-shirt design that I had started in the fall.  It combines my fascination with bubbles and their power to calm toddlers with shape work.  I think I finally managed to get the bubble blower more accurate proportions.

Much love,

Nicole