Play with a Passion
http://blog.oliverifairy.com
Random Play
Inspired 2009
Been so busy lately it's been hard to blog. I have no pictures from Inspired because I was counting on HUGELY talented Paolo to hook me up. And he did. Check out the pictures I'm gonna get....
I had an amazing time at Inspired and wish that I've been able to do more with what I've learned since I've been home. I have managed to carve a couple stamps and sort of finish up my face from Paulette's class. I'm so very excited that it looks like a person! I have had very little success in the past in making people look like people. This gal still needs some stuff, but she's mostly there. I'm afraid to add eyelashes but I really want to. Suggestions? And I'd like to take the necklace off....but I'll figure out something to do with that.
Stamp Carving - Oliver's done upon request. Now he wants to design a whole mess of stamps:
I decided I wanted to try to make a stamp that would use all the sides to create something bigger. I'm pleased with my first try. Though wish I'd used one side for apples instead of a second set of leaves. Live and learn. Neither one of the tree prints below looks that great on the trunk, but I stamped one using a dark brown ink and it looks more like one piece.
Wondering if we'll have soccer tomorrow since it's POURING right now. Since I missed my team play last week while I was arting, and next week is Memorial Day Weekend, I'm hoping I'll get to see the team tomorrow. Go Tigers!
Observations from the Road
So maybe suggestions too...
1. Find yourself a Wendy. Traveling is so much better with her. She was SO MISSED this year!
2. Nibs are way better than Twizzler bites.
3. Eating an entire bag of either will give you a stomach ache.
4. You can jack yourself up on enough caffeine that your hands will shake the car all over the road.
5. If you're tired enough, this much caffeine will still not keep your eyes open.
6. If you pull over into a rest area to take a nap, take your glasses off.
7. How does one get a bruise on their face while lying on the seat face up? (see 6?)
8. Mourn loss of eyesight to the extent that (assuming) glasses + gravity = bruise. (See 6 and 7)
9. People will look at you funny if you have a bruise on forehead just above the bridge of your nose.
10. There's nothing better than driving into your driveway, hearing the pitter pat of little feet, the front door being flung open, and greeted by "MOMMA!" after a long trip!
Long Overdue
We drove to New York to visit Jeremy for his birthday. We had a great time and Oliver mentioned at the end of the day that it seemed more like his birthday than Jeremy's. Yeah, he's so lucky to have such great big brothers!
Anyway, we had a great day and I'm sad that I didn't get a birthday post up for Jeremy's birthday. So Happy VERY Belated Birthday!
Sweet Dreams.
Earth Day and Lots (Loss!) of Trees
Okay, so I've been a miserable person lately. I love trees. And the miserable utility company decided to come and cut down all the trees all the way up our drive ON EARTH DAY NONETHELESS! IRRITATING. I'm trying not to let it get to me, but I cry every time I go up or down the drive (or look out any one of the numerous windows at our house.) In any case, Oliver and I have been enjoying the trees and woods in other places and this post is FULL of woodsy posts.
Earth Day was pretty spectacular. Marty Kelley came to Oliver's school for his presentations and the writers' festival at night.
Marty Kelley is a HUGELY funny man and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentations. I also really enjoyed talking to him the night of the writers' festival. He had the kids in stitches all day and his presentation was both a presentation of his books (complete with questions and answers)
and his artwork:
He does an excellent job of telling you how to steal his job (if only we were all talented enough to do so) and how to make illustrations (again, if only we were all so talented.) Oliver decided that since Mr. Kelley was going to be at school through lunch he needed a lunchbox note. Marty was nice enough to post Oliver's note on his blog which has made Oliver the happiest kid. WARNING! There's some sort of little love-fest going on between our two blogs, so just wanted to let people know. I do not take any responsibility for chunks blown on keyboards. That said, Oliver's artwork can be seen here. And apparently you can submit your own for a chance to have it stolen into a book. heh.
After school, Oliver and I decided to go on a walk to clean up our road. We have a tradition of PLANTING on earth day, however, the utility company was too busy clear-cutting our property to let us up the drive to plant. So here's Oliver picking up trash which is an equally good thing to do on Earth Day.
We also did a quick photoshoot in the woods. I've really been digging the woods for shots as of late.
We went hiking with some friends at Pulpit on Friday. Love this picture of the three kids - especially the little one in front looking up at her sister.
I'm so excited! Michelle took a great picture of Oliver and I! WHOOO!
Similar, I know. But *both* kids are in the next one...
The kids were fishing with sticks. It was pretty cute.
I guess I need to play with this picture more. I'm not sure why it's showing up so dark — I thought I lightened it up when I was working on it — maybe this version is straight out of camera. I'll fix and repost later...(hopefully!) Just wanted to show all the great little waterfalls that were everywhere.
Next picture cracks me up. Showing off for the girl? I wish I had taken the picture one second earlier. He's showing off. She's hugging on him....of course by the time I actually hit the shutter he had to grab on her for balance and it's not nearly so cute.
Then of course Chiara wanted to perform the same pose...
What a beautiful weekend. I'm a little shocked that April is "the dog days of summer" at 90 degrees. A breeze just blew through this way and is cooling off the house which is nice. I'm hoping for an equally nice school vacation week for all the kids out this way. I'm working tomorrow, but Peter and Oliver have grand plans to wash the car....thinking I'm stealing Peter's for work tomorrow so MINE gets washed. heh.
Catch-up
It's been awhile. There's been so much stuff going on I don't even know where to start so I'll just post a bunch of pictures. Before I do that, though, thanks for all the kind words on the Marty Kelley bulletin board. He's coming to Oliver's school on Wednesday and all the kids are *SO* excited. I can't wait either! In any case, to answer the requests for custom Marty Kelley cutouts....I will not make paper cutouts of someone else's artwork for your children's walls because it's someone else's artwork. HOWEVER, Marty Kelley can be contacted for artwork. Go here. Check out his illustrations and his WONDERFUL welding projects — ooo, I want one of those!
Here was the boy on Easter. We did eggs and the whole nine yards, but this was my favorite pic.
We've been going to the playground on Fridays....this puppy has been there the past couple weeks. Highly entertaining. I had to laugh at him eating sand...big shout out to my little friend Chelsea who used to like to eat sand when she was a year old. Yuck.
Bogged it again.
Oliver snapped this next picture. I wanted an example of Michelle's barrettes in action. I love them so much and I think they're a total steal. Since I'm always looking for fun hair things thought I'd share. Visit her for really cute little girl's wear too. And leave her a message asking for adult-wear too please.
Friday we had a playdate with friends. It was such a good time. Even though I burned the pizza on the grill. Next time I'll do better!
Sweet dreams.
Marty Kelley Rocks
So I've been working on the bulletin board for the school library which I need to put up tomorrow. The author of the month is Marty Kelley. I love his humor and his illustrations so I decided that the bulletin board should be two (or more...I settled for two when I ran out of time...) giant book covers. When the author of the month is such a talented illustrator, why bother using your OWN creative juices...pilfer away. So I did my best to replicate his book covers in construction paper cutouts. I'm not quite as talented as Mr. Kelley, however, I think the children at the school know his books well enough that I'll at least get an A for effort.
Unfortunately I wrecked the Winter Woes one's scarf feeding it through the lamination machine.
I'm hoping "The Rules" one goes through better tomorrow. I also hope it fits.....
Oliver loves The Rules book. He would like to hang this one in his room when they're done with it at school. We are very fortunate, in that, Marty is coming to Oliver's school in the middle of April for the writer's festival. Oliver will probably greet him by sticking a french fry up his nose or something. FANTASTIC!
Alright, I'm off to exercise...it is, afterall, only quarter to 11pm. I really need to get on a normal schedule! Sweet dreams.
More bog walkin'
Three little monkeys on the fence.
I wish I hadn't had to take this picture through so many trees — I find the blurry branches distracting and really kind of wreck the female....but I like the picture anyway. Props to the ducks for sticking around with our crazy loud tribe of little beasties crashing through the bog.
I just thought it was the sweetest thing that Oliver was helping Chiara through the bog. Unfortunately, since the path was pretty straight, I never got a good from-the-front-holding-hands photo. I still think this one is pretty cute. You can tell Chiara is terrified and needs his help?!? heh.
Walk in the bog with a frog on a log
So there was no frog on the log, but we did go for a walk in the bog and there were logs. And some little tadpoles. And LOTS of water. In fact, I'm the only one that didn't get soaked. Oliver went for a dip in the bog up to his waist. The girls to their knees. Oliver, ever the gentleman, helped his little friend through the bog which I thought was the sweetest thing. But you'll have to wait for a photo. Been slow with everything lately (just in case no one's noticed. Hello? Is there anyone still out there?)
Lots of pics and more to come.
The bog was beautiful. I can't wait to see it in full bloom in the spring.
My friend Michelle makes quite a lot of her children's clothes. They are so great. I'm trying to talk her into making an adult line. In the meantime, if you have a little girl, check this out. Or if you want really fabulous hair clips. They're so great!
This was the biggest pitcher plant I've ever seen. My teeny tiny ones at home PALE in comparison. GORGEOUS.
Alright, will get more photos in here later. Sweet dreams....
A Hoppin' Good Time
So I had to write a quick blog to thank the Artist in Residence Committee for doing such a fabulous job at the Sock Hop on Friday night. The theme to the AIR program was the Fabulous 50's and culminated in said Sock Hop. I was at the Hop taking photos and it was NUTS. In fact, the photo area was so crazy that I never even got to see the dance. I was quite sad about that, but Peter and Oliver were able to enjoy. Here's Oliver (rather stiffly) doing the hand jive. Minus a run in with the floor and a goose-egg bruise on his forehead, he had a great time.
And here's the fabulous car the 4-6 grade art class(es?) made for my photo station. I will post pictures this week as it was set up. This version stems from the fact that I could NOT get the Talking Heads song out of my head all night for some reason. NOT EVEN 50's which was the theme to the Artist in Residence Program. Will post more pictures this week and catch up on my life after I finish making the 50 states paper props for the Spring Concert. I did not take the background photo I used below — oddly I have no photo of a road from that angle. A quick google image search and voila! I hate not being able to credit a photo, but it was not credited in the search. sigh. Anyway...
The biggest BIGGEST thank you to Vida for helping me keep my sanity at the photo booth. The amount of craziness that she kept in control was pretty amazing. And the fact that she too gave up the whole dance was super nice!
Sweet dreams. I promise to be a better blogger in the near future. I've started the year off rough, eh? Thanks for those of you who are sticking with me and for the kind, encouraging emails.
My mother's making me marry Mary Mac...
For those of you who don't know, the title is a song by Carbon Leaf. Only thing I can think of since i've gotten my new computer.
Okay, so I know it's not a macintosh apple, but I'm strictly a Granny Smith kind of girl. Or at least I was until I discovered Cameo's last year and Honeycrisp this year. But I must say, Granny Smith are still my tried and true. I love that crunch and that tart taste. I just CANNOT bring myself to eat a Mac. ugh.
Oliver helped me stage this project and he was A RIOT. He's really been getting into the whole photography thing lately.
AFter he finished biting and setting up the apple to perfection he thought it would be funny to give it a worm. So after our one bite apple logo, this ensued:
"Set your blasters to stun!"
which reminded me that I wanted to show him THIS Lego a day website. Which he of course loved. And now wants to take on his own lego a day project. And his idea for the first one (which he set up and shot this morning) was really funny.
"Lego my eggo!"
So, that's our last couple days.
Gotta give a special THANKS to my friend David who is always especially helpful, but who's been an absolute sanity saver in the switch from PC to Mac and updated photoshop, etc, etc, etc. I just can't seem to come up with the words for an appropriately large thank you...
I must be putting this new toy to bed and get there myself. Sweet dreams!