Go Swimming (or How the YWCA Saved Our Sanity) - Done

Hello Friends,

The YWCA may be one of the best inventions for people with little humans ever.  Did you know that swimming for an hour forces little humans to pass out instantly?  Also, they have this room where you can drop your kid off and then go sit in a hot tub.  What?  These gifts have actually encouraged me to swim quite a bit.  I have even started running even though I am not playing tag or breaking the law.  Strange.  With one mini triathlon completed and the second one scheduled, I am left wondering what all of this means, but I have grown to love it.  So, with a pair of ugly running shoes from a secondhand store and the tightest article of clothing I own, my racing swimsuit, we are off again.

Much love,

Nicole

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

Year-Long Lists

Hello Friends,

Each year around her birthday, Monica makes a list of things to do before her next birthday. The number of things to do is determined by her new current age. I picked up this habit last year, but instead of my birthday, I use the start of the new school year which always feels like our New Year. I have found that it helps focus me I what I really want to accomplish. Some things change throughout the year and I remain flexible to the whims of life. As I turned 30 in June, this is my current list:

30 Things Before Fall of 31^st Year

1. Create a t-shirt design
2. Create family postcard #2
3. Try paddle boarding
4. Visit petroglyphs or another MN destination
5. Go on a trip
6. Learn a song on something I can sing with
7. Learn a song on the harmonica
8. Create a backpack plan
9. Submit filet crochet, papercut, or seed art to the State Fair
10. Update artist website
11. Fill a bare book
12. Try a new art medium
13. Do something with memorabilia bucket
14. Create or attend an illustration class and create 6 print-ready pages
15. Go dancing or throw a dance party 6 times
16. Draw 6 people, well
17. Read books, stories, or essays
18. Go climbing and/or swimming
19. Create surprises for Monica
20. Eat at 6 new restaurants and/or food trucks
21. Try 6 new recipes
22. Watch 6 new foreign films
23. Scan photographs to fill album 12 times
24. Practice steps
25. Do one nice thing for myself each month
26. Conduct second graphic novel book club
27. Complete Spanish levels 1 and 2 on computer
28. Floss twice each week
29. Stretch and exercise twice each week
30. Continue blog (starting with this post)

Much love,

Nicole

Taking a Moment to List

Making : a laundry line
Cooking : pasta salad
Drinking : water
Reading: Shelter II
Wanting: a slice of fresh bread
Looking: for simple recipes
Playing: peek-a-boo with nephew
Wasting: time
Sewing: a tote bag and a hanging laundry hamper
Wishing: for another week of summer break
Enjoying: my new home
Waiting: for school to start again
Liking: circular floor plans
Wondering: what age group I will be working with
Loving: my new wife :)
Hoping: for a brilliant idea
Marvelling: at the mail service
Needing: a shower
Smelling: crisp morning air
Wearing: no shoes
Following: the activity at my Little Free Library
Noticing: how many craft materials there are in my house
Knowing: I need to use up those craft materials
Thinking: about homes
Feeling: relaxed, and thoughtful
Bookmarking: bungalow floor plans, and chocolate cake recipes
Opening: the blog up again (and all the windows I can)
Giggling: at my nephew
Feeling: curious about what is to come.

Thanks for the idea from Foxs Lane who got it from Pip.