Studio Update: Knits and Paintings

Greetings from The Studio!

In this case, I mean not only my studio, but also our home, recently christened The Studio because of the way my arting space is central in our new place. 

If you've been following the shop or any of my social media, you know a lot of things have happened in the last week or so. Here's an overview of all the latest shop items!

Custom Order Watercolor Painting

 This listing is for one custom order painting from a photograph (or an idea. ie: "I would like a painting of a field and barn." I can make that happen!).

Subjects can include:
Pets
Animals
People (faceless only)
Cityscapes
Landscapes
Homes (or other buildings)
Flowers, trees, etc.

Sizes range from 4x6 inches to 11x14 inches. 

The photos above are examples of the kind of work I can do--I love creating custom paintings!!


Tree of Life Fingerless Gloves
 I have been wearing a pair of these for the past two winters, and I looooove them. I recently worked out a deal with the pattern designer so that I can offer them to YOU in my shop. 

Mine are moss green and knit from wonderful soft wool. But, I can knit them in any number of colors for you! They come in two sizes: S/M and M/L. 
 (Photos courtesy of the wonderful designer, Jenny Williams)

 

Snow Day: A Mixed Media Painting

If y'all have been following the news, we got a lot of snow and ice here in Atlanta this week. 

This piece was inspired by the view outside my new studio. It was also a lovely foray into mixed media art, using permanent pen, watercolor, and oil pastel. It is 12x7 inches. 


Celtic Cable Knitted Mug Cozies

These originated from a custom order, and I loved them so much, that I just had to put them up in my shop.

 

 There are two colors listed, hopefully with more to come soon. If you are just itching for a different color in the meanwhile, all you have to do is ask! 

Last one, y'all:

Kissing Gouramis: Watercolor Pencil Drawing

These fish compete for dominance through lip-locking...

...but I think they're a pretty cute idea for your fish loving honey, too! 

Remember, Valentine's Day is coming! :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully.

HAK

Mary Poppins and Walking by Faith

For the first time since I started writing, I have a back-log of blog ideas. BUT, for today I simply want to pause and reflect:

I start a new job today. 
I'm going to be "Mary Poppins" for my best friend's youngest two siblings because their mama went Home unexpectedly in October. 

I'm neither mom nor sister, but it's my job to love and care for and teach these two young teenagers in the best ways I can so that they continue to grow and so their dad has more time during the work day to provide for his family. 

I woke up this morning feeling daunted. 
I'm excited beyond all belief--I love these kids, and I love nannying. 
But I woke up this morning staring my own weakness in the face.

On the one hand, I'm well equipped. I've got about 8 years of nannying experience under my belt, I'm a great cook, and I have a lot of confidence in these kids. But it's a new road for all of us. School, doctors, dinner, home responsibilities, spiritual growth, love and encouragement...my job bumps up against and includes all these things. It can be overwhelming to think about.

I ran myself in circles for awhile this morning before I came up short:

My inadequacy is not what matters: Jesus matters. 
Walking by faith, being faithful in prayer, lifting these kids and their family and all of these responsibilities to the throne of grace daily, hourly, minute-ly. That is what matters. 

This job has been on my heart for the better part of two months. 
I feel called to it, and I'm so blessed that God moved us back to Atlanta, and that I have this opportunity. 

Join me in prayer for these kiddos, their family and friends, and for me as I seek to show them Jesus in how I love and care for them.

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Studio Update: My New Sunroom Studio!

Hey, y'all!

The Hubster and I are back to my hometown outside of Atlanta, and I'm just about done setting up my studio! I wanted to sell some early photos with y'all. :-)

My studio is in our sunroom, nestled between the living, dining, and guest rooms. 

 I have this huge, wonderful window, too. 

It's been snowing all afternoon, and I have the best winter view in the house!

 One of my bestie's Christmas gifts was this "Hipster Decorating Set." 

Polaroid cards, strings, and clothespins.

I love it!!

And, in case you were wondering, it's still mug cozy central around here. 

I love these, too! :D

But, wait! There's more!

 Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co. has a mini "store front" in my studio now!

I'm hoping there will be some snowish art soon to come. Until then, stay warm!

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK 

Going Boldly: Atlanta or Bust!

The Hubster and I are moving tomorrow. 
The first move of our married life. 

We've been waiting, dreaming, and praying for tomorrow for over a month (and in some ways, longer). 
He'll be taking a new IT job, I'll be back to doing child care (in addition to Etsy), and we'll be closer to my family and many of our friends.

The Burrow is almost packed. I'm hiding out in our room as I type because it's the last semblance of order in our home. There are boxes and spreads of the last remnants of packing everywhere. 

This move is our dream.
But it's a little heartbreaking to leave our first little love nest. 
We spent our wedding night here. 
This was the first place we welcomed our parents to our home. 
Friends have come up from Atlanta, over from Covenant, down from Cleveland...
More than once faces have lit up in surprise at how often we have company...and just how many people you can fit in our little home! 
John painted these walls and built our furniture with love and care, turning a (very) humble mobile home into a sweet little cottage. 
We grew veggies in the summer, filled wine bottles with flowers, and hung succulents in the windows. 

Obviously we'll still do many of these things in Atlanta, 
but there's something about the first time. 
Our first home.

Woven in all these things are our friends, especially all the lovely ladies I've had to tea. 
One of them, probably the Burrow's most frequent visitor, asked me yesterday how it has been saying our goodbyes this week. 
Honestly, I've been trying not to think about goodbyes.
We're all grown up, and Atlanta isn't far--that means there will still be visits and teas...
 
But I'm going to miss hugging JE and NS almost every day, swapping chocolate chips with SS in the library, whispering in class with KR and MK, Sunday afternoons with our small group...

Then I look forward:
Meals and games and walks and talks with Mom and Dad. 
Tea and coffee with MD, MH, S&FtP.
The Reelets--who are growing up way faster than I care to admit. 
Meals and homework and life with A&AS. 
Breaks and holidays when "my girls" come to town, and we go to the Forum or out for Mexican, or a night in at our new apartment.
New friends that we don't even know yet--other newlyweds, young families, small groups, John's coworkers...
Visits from out of town friends--and a guest room to host them!
Perimeter.
My favorite bike routes.
The luxuries of Target and Trader Joe's. 
A sunroom-studio that I am determined to transform into arting heaven. 
An aquarium--and eventually a cat and dogs, too. 
The Someday Knightlets.  

I hope we'll name our new home...and all the homes yet to come. 
It's an old tradition that delights me. 
I can't put into words the rush I got when I realized that everyone was catching on to calling our home here "The Burrow." It still thrills me. I smile every time. 

So, we gather our skirts (proverbially), our belongings, and our courage and go boldly further south. 
We are blessed. 
We have been blessed here, and blessings won't stop with a move. 
We will grow--in wisdom, love, experience, relationships, blessings, and grace. 


"The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen."  (Philippians 4.23)

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Gift of Life

I knew days ago that I wanted to write this post. 
I was supposed to write and publish it yesterday. 
But even today it took several minutes to even find a title. 
Every year I think words will come more easily. 
They never do. 

January 22,1973.
Roe Vs. Wade.

January 22, 2014. 
41 years later. 
54.5 million abortions later. 

I'm not going to beat around the bush, y'all. I am vehemently prolife. Frankly, no, it's not your body, your life, or your decision. God in His grace placed the gift of life in you, and it's your baby's body, your baby's life, and God's decision. 

But let's clear up something else, too: 

I don't hate you if you've had an abortion.

I wish I could make you a cup of tea, hug you, and talk about it--or maybe just sit there and drink our tea. I know it's often fear that leads to the decision, and I'm so, so sorry that you were so scared. I grieve the physical and emotional pain you've been through, and I grieve your baby. Whether or not you share my griefs, you don't need one more angry Christian in your life. I'm really sorry if you've experienced that anger. You need a hug. You need love and grace. Christ alone can set you free from fear, regret, pain, guilt, grief...the list for all of us goes on and on. We are all in bondage without Jesus. We could talk about that over tea if you want. I'll make scones, too--we could be talking awhile.

Like I said, I meant to write this yesterday. 
As much as I am passionately pro-life, I shy away from January 22.
"Right to Life" day.
It's a humbling day where words don't come easily. 

About 23 years ago, a 17 year old girl found out she was pregnant. 
From what I understand, she considered abortion. 
It would have been so easy for me to be part of the 54.5 million. 

And yet, I'm sitting here writing this blog post. 
Over the course of her pregnancy, my birth mother not only chose to carry me to term, but came to know the grace and freedom of Jesus, too. 

The end of October 1991, I was born and then adopted by my wonderful parents. 

Every January I think about how my life hung tenuously in that balance. And yet, miraculously, a terrified teenager chose 9 months of pregnancy. 
A young couple was given a baby--a baby for which they had long prayed.

Amazing Grace. 

My life is neither mine, nor a right. 

It's a gift.

God forgive me for the times when I forget that. 

January 23, 2014. 

A day to be thankful. 

Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK

Ode to Summer

I like winter... in theory. 
 I like tea, blankets, snuggling, snow in moonlight, sweaters, knitting...

But the reality is that winter wears on me. I get colds, I shiver, constant chilly, overcast days make me glum, and even tea and knitting can only outweigh these things for so long. 

Around January-time, I begin to yearn for summer. 

I may like winter, but I loooove summer.

I grew up in Hotlanta. It has that  nickname for a reason. Summer is blistering. 

When I spent a large portion of my summer in England two years ago, I realized just how much I love the summer heat. 

(The secret is to wear tank tops...sweat shows a lot less on tank tops... and bring a jacket because air conditioning is like the Arctic.)

I love the early hints that summer is coming...the sun is too warm for spring, but it still takes courage to dive into the still cold depths of the pool. 

And two months later, when it's so hot I can barely change into a suit before I jump in...I'm willing and ready to plunge in fully clothed--anything to cool off. 

Returning from morning bike rides panting...and developing all sorts of odd tan lines from spandex and sunglasses. 

There's never enough iced tea or lemonade. 

Falling asleep in a sunbeam could mean a burn...but it's so worth it.  

Warm nights of blue jeans and bare feet. 

Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee. 

Playing Marco Polo until my fingers shrivel. 

Swimming back and forth with burning lungs because the sky is so beautiful through the surface of the water. 

Songbirds.

Salads.

Smoothies.

The coolness of each morning is like a bubble popped by the sun's kiss. 

Watching Teva straps slowly leave pale shadows on my feet.

Books by the pool. 

The sun makes gold streaks in my hair. 

Fresh veggies from the garden. 

Rhododendron. 

Last light is late in the evening giving the whole world a feeling of extended life and energy. 

Ode to Summer. 


Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK
 

Bonkers for Board Games OR 10 Reasons to Play More Board Games

I grew up playing board games...
      ...Lots of board games. 

Every Sunday afternoon within living memory, Mom, Dad, and I would gather in the kitchen around 3:30pm, one of us would choose a game, and the challenge was on. 
For three rounds (a chance for each of us to go first, I presume), we would vie for the win. Almost, it sometimes seemed, for the title of Champion for that Sunday. 

Granted, I went through the usual teenage jerk phase where I acted like games were dumb, but, for the most part, I loved it.

Clue, Rat-a-tat-Cat, Rummikub, Sorry, Mexican Train... all of them were the bomb dot com if you ask me. 

Then, when John and I got married in May, it didn't take me too long to figure out that we didn't really own any games. A chess board, Uno, Things, and a few decks of cards...that was about it. Crisis. 

And, so, every cent of birthday and Christmas money went to board games, and I got a lot as Christmas presents, too.  Now, we're set: backgammon, checkers, chess, Connect-4, Risk, Monopoly, Taboo, Yahtzee, Rummikub, Clue... The list goes on. 

John and I have played more rounds of Backgammon in the last three weeks than you would believe. And Yahtzee, and Connect-4. Risk, Monopoly. Clue when Mom and Dad were here; Rummikub with Jane Ellen last night.  

So last night I started thinking. While most of us may agree that board games are valuable, we may not have given a whole lot of thought to why. Here's my list:

10 Reasons to Play More Board Games:
1) Community. Some general chatter occurs during games, the family is together in the same room. But it's simple--you talk about the game, maybe related things. It's easy, pleasant. 

2) Relaxation. There's so much hype today about the need to "unplug." Take an hour and play some games. It's a great defrag. 

3) Mental Exercise. Most games involve some strategy or problem solving. You're developing brain strength and stamina in a relatively low-stress. way. 

4) Healthy Competition. Sibling rivalry, general bickering...these things are too common in our daily lives. Games give us an opportunity to compete with each other in a positive way. This includes learning to lose (or win!) gracefully, game talking without trash talking, and sometimes even rooting for another player. I told John recently that one of the things I love about Yahtzee is that I feel like I can root for him even though we're competing. I want him to roll that awesome four of a kind; I can suggest that he take the full house because he may not roll another. Sure, ultimately, I'm trying to get more points than him, but that's not added up until the end, and, to some extent, the chance element of the game will determine a winner. In the meanwhile, we can cheer each other on as we roll and fill up our score cards.

5) Blow off steam. This is connected to healthy competition and relaxation. Sometimes we're just wound too tightly from the other stresses in our lives. Having another avenue of focus and competition can give us a chance to lighten up about the more serious parts of our lives.

6) Humor. Last night, John, Jane Ellen, and I played the.slowest.game of Rummikub EVER. After a few turns, though, it became flat out funny. Our two minute turns became group efforts of board organization in hopes of seeing something new in the hopelessly unhelpful patterns before us. I'm sure there's some rule about board reorganization somewhere, but we were all in on it, and we found it hilarious.

7) Team/Relationship Building. Some games require more cooperation or negotiation, and these are also valuable skills. Plus, group games like Imagin-iff, Things, Taboo, or Apples to Apples facilitate learning about each other as you play. For John and I, games have helped us learn about each other's skill sets and ways of thinking. he will smash me at Chess every time and Connect-4 almost every time. But I'm more likely to win at Bananagrams. This is because he is more mathematical and strategic, where as I loooove words. We trade off playing games that he's good at, I'm good at, or that we're fairly matched at so that we can both be challenged and both have a chance to win fairly often. This in itself is a form of teamwork and bonding so that game time stays fun.

8) Time passing. This may sound silly, but, seriously, can you think of a better way to spend the countdown to New Year's? My family traditionally played Monopoly (or some variation) or Taboo on New Year's Eve, and John and I continued that this year. Chips, salsa, and champagne optional. ;-) 

9) Inclusive. There's a game for nearly every age--from Candyland to Risk, you can probably find something to engage the whole family. C'mon, not even movies do that very well. Plus, older siblings can enjoy/learn about teaching younger siblings their favorite games and tricks. For the record, I still love Candyland. 

10) The bottom line is that games are FUN. We too often forget them in our age of movies and video games, but the tactile, simple competition and amusement that boardgames offer is timeless. Go dust one off tonight!


Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

PS I think all of the above applies to friends as well as family. Just sayin'. ;-)

Yarn Review: Darn Good Yarn

Happy Monday, y'all! 


The workday is almost over, and if you're heading home to knit, I want to make sure you know about Darn Good Yarn!

 
Check out this snippet from the DGY website:

"After leaving the Air Force, she decided that she wanted to “unwind” with yarn. In early 2008, Nicole Snow decided to take two of her passions in life—art and helping others—and combine them. The result was “Darn Good Yarn” a yarn and fiber importer, wholesaler, and retailer.
The mission was simple: provide phenomenal quality fibers to enthusiasts, while helping the women of Nepal and India become autonomous and self-reliant."

I learned about DGY shortly after Nicole started her company. I ordered some of their classic recycled sari silk yarn (click here to see how beautiful it is!). I was pretty much in love at first sight. Also, I remember that Nicole wrote me a little thank you note for my order and tucked it in the box. I was floored and delighted. 

Since then, DGY has grown by leaps and bounds, and I love watching it. Their products continue to amaze and delight me. In addition to various forms of yarn, they also have fibers, clothes, accessories, kits, patterns, etc. 

 

So, bound on over to their website to see all their cool stuff and learn more about this awesome company!

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

(click here to see a cowl made of this wonderful yarn in my Etsy shop)




**All photos are from the DGY website.

DIY: Make the Perfect Planner

I am a list maker. 
I love lists--writing them , checking them off, keeping track of things. 
I also love schedules. 
And the big picture. 
And room to scribble. 
My planner must fit in my purse. And since my purse is only about 7 inches square, worn as a hip bag (Think Fiona if you watch Burn Notice), that's a tall order in itself.
I do NOT love address books or sterile looking pages. 

Since this appears to be a rather tall order for a premade planner, I decided to take the plunge this year and figure out how to make my own. 


Step 1: Gather your stuff. 

I bought a small moleskine notebook with gridded pages and gathered my favorite pins for making the inside bright and delightful. 

Step 2: Know what's important to me. My top three things in a planner are 1) monthly pages, 2) Lots of to do list space, 3) a place to write a schedule for each day, all with enough space left to scribble notes around the margins. 

Step 3: Place and create month pages. I put mine on the last 12 pages (6 spreads) of the book. I use these for remembering birthdays, due dates, doctor's appointments, etc, so I want them accessible, but not necessarily at the front.  

 One of the great things about having gridded paper, is that it's super easy to make a nice, even calendar. I used the extra space on the sides to create a little "notes" box, too, for reminders, etc. 

Step 4: Design and make your daily pages. 
(Disclaimer: all of 2014 probably won't fit in a notebook this size because it has 192 pages, and I'm using a 2 page "spread" for each day. This doesn't particularly bother me, but if you want all year in a single place, you could use just 1/2 a spread for each day. That would be particularly feasible if you have a larger notebook. Mine is only 3.5x5.5 inches).  

On the left page I have the date, day of the week, what I'm cooking for dinner, and a to do list (on days when my list is not quite so long, I'd also have general scribble space). On the right side, I map out a schedule for the day around things like appointments, going to the gym, etc. Again, I like the grid because I think it adds a general neatness to the look. 

One other tip:
In case you're worried about how time consuming this could be: I've only made the calendar pages for Jan and Feb so far, and I've only made daily pages thru next week. Not only does this break it down so I can just add as I need pages and months, it also means that I could change up my layout at almost any point during the year if I wanted to try something new. 

There you have it, folks! A personalized planner in your favorite colors, patterns, and layouts for less than your average pre-made planner! Happy 2014!

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK 

 

Seedlings of a Creative Life

"To live a creative life,

we must lose our fear of being wrong."

~Joseph Chilton Pearce

It's an odd and interesting thing to feel oneself transitioning from someone who likes art and does it occasionally to someone who does, pursues, and lives art. 

I have this ideal in my mind of the slightly eccentric, fascinating artist that I want to be. Long hair, cleverly matched (or mismatched) clothes, fun jewelry, the occasional paint smudge. Sketchbook toting, notebook keeping, book-loving, new food cooking, adventurous, traveling... My list could go on and on. After all, I've loved art and admired artists for a long time, so I've had a chance to dream and idealize. 

On the one hand, my ideal can be paralyzing. I fear doing it "wrong." Whatever the heck that means. While I sometimes exemplify parts of my ideal, I don't think I've ever really embodied it. But that's okay--"Life's a journey, not a destination," right? 

But I have to admit, I get really excited when I find myself growing into this graceful, creative being, albeit in very small ways. Little things, like a day of knitting, feel like seedlings of a more creative life. 

That's part of my 2014 blog goal, I guess: to document and share with you the growth of these little seedlings.

Now, that day of knitting I mentioned: Yesterday, I put a halt to everything except hours and hours of knitting. Sure, there was a bit of unpacking from a weekend trip and even some cooking and laundry that "needed" to be done (and today they will be so), but yesterday I indulged in hours of wonderful knitting. In addition to my Tree of Life gloves (warm fingers--finally!), I finished the first of those mug cozies I told you guys about. I'm completely in love.

(I'm working on an order right now before I put any up in the shop, but if you're interested in custom ordering some, let me know!)

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

(Top image from crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Pinterest)

Share a Friend: Tiffany at One Small Sparrow

Hey y'all!

I'm out of the studio for a couple days, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to share another Etsy artist with you! 

Tiffany Moeller, based out of Chicago, started One Small Sparrow at the end of September. 

I fell in love with her work when I saw this painting:

Isn't it FABULOUS!

So creative! 

Brilliant, endearing, wonderfully rendered. 

Tiffany shares on Etsy, though, that portraits are truly her passion because of the value of each and every human life. 

"For me," she writes, "painting and drawing people becomes so interesting and beautiful because it is a celebration of that truth."

This portrait is listed in her shop right now:

Captivating. 

Why not hop on over to her shop right now by clicking here?
Think about commissioning her for a portrait. :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

Studio Update: gloves, mug cozies, and cichlids.

Hey y'all!

It's been a good week in my studio, and I wanted to let y'all behind the scenes. 

As y'all know, I drew a lionfish earlier this week. In case you missed it, check out the drawing here. 

It's winter, as even Georgia has been reminding us lately, so I've been knitting lots (as often as I can thaw out my fingers, that is. ha!) 

As posted, I started a new set of gloves for myself. And, TA-DA! The first is finished!!

Must keep knitting. The sooner that second glove is done, the sooner my hands will be warm again!

I've been knitting something else, too. Mug cozies! They're going to be fabulous. 

And, last but not least, another drawing. I'm loving my watercolor pencils. These are Regal Peacock Cichlids, native to Lake Malawi in East Africa. 

 If you want to learn more about this piece, click here to head over to Etsy!

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

2014

Happy New Year!

As you may have seen on Twitter or Facebook, the Hubster and I celebrated fairly simply and had a lot of fun with just the two of us and the two dogs we're petsitting. We played Monopoly (he won), sipped champagne, watched The Fall of Sam Axe, and hid under the table with the pups when the fireworks freaked them out. You think I'm joking:

Yesterday we dutifully, and delightedly ate our pork roast, kraut, black eyed peas, greens, and cornbread. I was very pleased that I managed to cook all of the above--four first times in one meal was a bit daunting--especially the greens which I bought fresh! I was glad I had saved some of our Christmas ham in the freeze for flavoring the beans and greens, too. yummmm.

Anyway, I also spent some time reflecting over the past couple of days, looking back at 2013 and ahead to 2014. I thought a lot about the "hats" I wear. 

I became a wife in 2013--a role that I love and am still growing into. 

I learned a lot about being a daughter, a friend, an adult. 

In light of two of my best friends' moms dying this past year, I have been both mourner and comforter, prayer and prayed for. We carry that weight with us into 2014--a weight of grief and a weight of the hope of glory. We're all hoping that this year brings renewed joy and peace as we weave memory and hope into our hearts. 

I continue to be a student, and, for maybe the first time in my life, I struck a healthier balance between schoolwork and the rest of my life. I was astonished that, other than in French which is really hard, my grades didn't change that much even though my quality of life did. 

I started a business, too--something that maybe surprised me as much as anyone else. Mes Aventures, Crafts & Co. started as an art shop about place and has already morphed a bit to be about all kinds of life adventures--big and small. With this rather big leap I became an entrepreneur/ small business owner and, of all things, a professional artist. 

I don't ever remember not wanting to be an artist. Whatever else I was pursuing, I always seemed to add "and an artist." in my head and heart. But after about age 6, it was always like that--a sort of afterthought. 

And yet, here I am, a newlywed in 2014 (another thing I didn't see coming ;-) ), who has decided to take a break from the education required for all those other pursuits (after I finish my B.A. this semester), to encourage and grow the "afterthought." 

But now that I "really am" an artist, I find myself paralyzed with fear of my own inadequacy. 

I didn't go to art school--I'm a lit student, teacher, and budding linguist by training. I find myself spending plenty of time thinking about art and much less time doing it. I want that to change. I don't want to just pursue the idea of art or creativity. I want to embrace and act upon them. 

So, a couple of days ago, I sat down with journal and tea to make a plan. (Just ask April: I love plans. She can tell you, too, that things rarely go according to plan.)

 Across one page I scrawled the words of Andy Warhol:

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if its good or bad whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art."

That's where I'm heading this year. As I create, I know my skills will improve, as will my focus and routine. 

Maybe by the end of 2014 I won't feel so sheepish when I tell people I'm an artist. ;-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK