• Made a calendar. You can still buy one!
• Launched a Dia de Los Muertos portrait project on Kickstarter
• Painted Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman and The Bloggess with skull faces
• Was mentioned on Molly Crabapple’s Tumblr page

• Made Dooce’s Friday Under Fifty list
• Bought a grown-up camera and an iPad
• Shipped my artwork to 5 of 7 continents
• Inspired a font based on my handwriting

• Saw Les Miserables onstage
• Discovered Edith Piaf and Kim Boekbinder
• Introduced my husband to the work of Neil Gaiman
• Watched my kids learn French and pitch a no-hitter

• Showed my work in Portland
• Was written about in Sunday Statesman Journal, Willamette Valley Life, Creative Humans and Watercolor Artists Magazine
• Set up a night vision trail cam to catch Santa Claus

• Entered a poster contest for Washington International Horse Show
• Became obsessed with Frida Kahlo
• Became proficient at Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja
• Learned about “the cloud”

• Started wearing more dresses
• Skipped my 20th high school reunion
• Painted over 150 portraits and have 110 more on the books
• Plotted and planned for 2012

Watch out, New Year!

In 12 hours, I will be back at work.

In 12 hours, I will be sitting at a computer, but not on Facebook or Twitter.

In 12 hours, my cell phone will be on vibrate, not set to play the Mad Men theme song.

In 12 hours, I will be on the clock.

In 12 hours, I will not be doing laundry.

In 12 hours, there will still be laundry to be done.

In 12 hours, I will not be painting.

In 12 hours, it will seem like I had no vacation at all.

In 12 hours, I will be 30 miles away from my babies – for 8 hours.

By god, I need to figure out how to do this Artist Thing full-time.

Every summer our friends have a house concert and over the years we’ve heard the likes of Rachel Harrington, Zak Borden and Amanda Richards from the comfort of our lawn blanket. It’s an excuse for me to dust off the vintage picnic basket, stuff it with cheese, charcuterie and red wine (The Hemingway Meal, I call it) and support independent artists at the same time.

The view from here.

Shade

Chillin'

Drew Nelson

Zac Borden

Is there anything better than live music? Not much.

Yesterday was my birthday. I don’t remember being this angsty about birthdays in the past, but this one resulted in a lot of quiet reflection. It’s not about getting older, really, just trying to figure out where I thought I’d be when I was 38, where I actually am, and where I’d rather be. You know, angst.

I also did an experiment. I put all 38 candles on my cake…pretty sure that guarantees my wish comes true, right?

My studio cat Ron Weasley usually spends his days lounging in his bed/nest/cave perched atop a table in my art room. A couple of days ago though, I found him lounging in my daughter’s room like he owned the place.  He’s a photogenic little bugger, isn’t he? Maybe “Sundays with Ron” will become a regular feature on the blog…his posts always get the most comments anyway.

Last night, as I was driving my tax return to the post office (at 10:30 p.m.) I drove around for an extra 30 minutes trying to find a good place from which to photograph the full moon.

Two mornings last week, I turned off the route to work and drove farther out into the country, just because the fog was cool.

Another afternoon, I came to a complete stop in the middle of the road because I liked the way the rows of nursery plants looked.

On my home, I took a detour because I thought I’d spotted a perfectly symmetrical oak tree.

I don’t have a fancy camera but I think that if I did I would never get to where I need to go.

Really, it’s amazing that I get anywhere or accomplish anything.

The kids and I made a list of all the things we want to accomplish over Spring Break, and it looks like I’m already setting them up for disappointment. It’s Day 3 and we’ve only marked one thing off the list. I’ve done a lot of painting and they’ve done a lot of going over to friends’ houses…so maybe it’s just that our goals have changed.

We do have a few things to add:

• Son: make a scroll theater for a book report
• Me: make a chair for a Chair-ity Auction (get it?)
• Daughter: No, she is resolute. Her list remains the same.

Tomorrow we are determined to make a sizable dent in the list. There will probably be a movie, a trip to the library and possibly a  museum-type visit of some kind.

Also, just a reminder that there are just 13 days left to support my Kickstarter Calendar Project. Your portrait can be included in the calendar! Author Neil Gaiman is even on board as a backer which which makes me a little faint-y.

Pappy

Lilly

Tiki

Mija

Rueben

The mister and I don’t get out much. The combination of work, gym, homework management, hobbies, children, cooking and housework kinda takes the wind out of our sails come Friday night if you know what I’m sayin’. But last weekend, we kicked off my spring break with dinner out in the big city. I threw Weight Watchers to the wind and we met a friend at the delightfully meat-centric Olympic Provisions in Southeast Portland.

It took three cocktails for me to work up the nerve to try oxtail (which I liked) but the rest of the menu was enjoyed with such relish I might have even shed a grateful tear over the housemade salami.

CHARCUTERIE

Cacciatore – Italian style “hunter’s salami” with caraway & coriander

Saucisson Sec – Classic French style with garlic and black pepper

Saucisson d’Arles – French style with no added seasonings (just pork and salt)

Country-style pork terrine with pistachios

Homemade pickled cucumbers, celery, beet stalk

SMALL PLATES

Oxtails, olives, chicories

Sauteed squid, chorizo, corona beans, garlic, crushed chillies

Octopus, tesa, soft scrambled egg, scallion

Seared shrimp, valencia rice, saffron broth

Bread pudding, caramel, preserved peaches

I am still thinking about that bread pudding.

I haven’t had Spring Break since I was in junior high. In high school, I worked full-time at Puppy Love dog grooming to earn money for my horse habit. In college, I had that work study job in the Psychological Services department making posters for support groups.

Every year spring break rolls around and my kids are incredulous that I don’t automatically get time off like they do. So this year, I am taking the whole damn week off. I mean, except for one afternoon when I have to go back to the office for a meeting. I’m going to spend the week painting, mostly, and cleaning up this house, which seriously looks like it could be on an episode of C.O.P.S. at this point.

I told the kids to make a list of things they want to do over spring break, fully recognizing that we’ll be able to accomplish about 10%.

MY LIST

• Do tax stuff
• Clean kids’ rooms
• Clean bathrooms
• Clean kitchen
• Clean out closets
• Clean studio (send help)
• Clean out the fridge
• Get a manicure
• Bake bread
• PAINT. PAINT. PAINT.

THEIR LIST

• A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village
• Get a happy meal at McDonald’s (whaaaa??)
• See Rango
• Evergreen Aviation Museum
• Oregon Coast Aquarium
• OMSI
• Portland Chinatown
• Make a book report diorama
• Draw comics
• Oregon Zoo
• Get a typewriter ribbon at Pacific Typewriter
• Go to grama’s house
• Go to the library
• Walk around downtown Salem, Reed Opera House
• Create A Memory
• Mini golf
• See Radio Disney at the mall
• Go to Build A Bear
• Play with American Girl and make clothes for her

Tonight I’m kicking off my spring break with a couple glasses of wine and changing into sweatpants that will be my uniform for the next nine days. It’s getting crazy up in here.

• I’m wearing green today.
• I wear green every day because my wedding ring is an emerald.
• I have been listening to The Chieftains all morning. My St. Patrick’s Day playlist includes The Chieftains, The Corrs, Sinead O’Connor and The Cranberries, among others.
• I will not make corned beef and cabbage tonight.
• I don’t drink beer, which my husband claims is an abomination and a character flaw.
• My favorite St. Patrick’s Day ever was spent at The City Bar in Great Falls, Montana.
• Almost everyone in my immediate family and my dad’s side of the family has red hair, except me.
• I’ve seen Riverdance twice.
• Bagpipes make me bawl like a baby.
• My favorite Irish whiskey is Bushmills.
• My ipod has nearly 20 versions of Danny Boy.

Sláinte!