Thrilled by the Thought

Since I became a stay-at-home mom 8 months ago, I’ve had a bit more time on my hands, something I have loved.  I never considered myself a crafty person, but I am finding myself enjoying crafts more and more.  I stumbled upon Erin Schlosser’s design craft site a while ago and became inspired to make my own cards.  Mine are nothing like hers, so please go visit her site for some real inspiration.  However, here’s what my husband and I came up with for some “Thinking of You” cards:

And here is one of her lovely concoctions.  (I purposely posted mine first, so you would think mine were good for at least a second)

I actually won a giveaway of some lovely cloth napkins on her site.  I’m going to embroider them with her stamp designs like shown here.  Click for more pictures and a tutorial.

When I opened up my package of lovely cloth napkins, there was a lovely “thank you” card, hand made of course, by Erin Schlosser! 

Calling of Saint Matthew

I just adore Caravaggio’s paintings.  He painted this particular one to honor the Saint Matthew.  Christ stands in the shadows, pointing to Matthew, summoning him to a higher calling.  The use of light is stunning, as it always is in any of Caravaggio’s paintings.  Notice how it streams in and focuses your eye exactly on Matthew.

Do you love it as much as I do?

 
I fell in love with this book. The author makes you really love the characters. The narrator is so endearing. I was going to write my own review, but I decided goodreads.com had a much better review than I could write. So here is their review:

To the list of great American child narrators that includes Huck Finn and Scout Finch, let us now add
Reuben “Rube” Land, the asthmatic 11-year-old boy at the center of Leif Enger’s remarkable first novel, Peace Like a River. Rube recalls the events of his childhood, in small-town Minnesota circa 1962, in a voice that perfectly captures the poetic, verbal stoicism of the northern Great Plains. “Here’s what I saw,” Rube warns his readers. “Here’s how it went. Make of it what you will.” And Rube sees plenty.

In the winter of his 11th year, two schoolyard bullies break into the Lands’ house, and Rube’s big brother Davy guns them down with a Winchester. Shortly after his arrest, Davy breaks out of jail and goes on the lam. Swede is Rube’s younger sister, a precocious writer who crafts rhymed epics of romantic Western outlawry. Shortly after Davy’s escape, Rube, Swede, and their father, a widowed school custodian, hit the road too, swerving this way and that across Minnesota and North Dakota, determined to find their lost outlaw Davy. In the end it’s not Rube who haunts the reader’s imagination, it’s his father, torn between love for his outlaw son and the duty to do the right, honest thing. Enger finds something quietly heroic in the bred-in-the-bone Minnesota decency of America’s heartland. Peace Like a River opens up a new chapter in Midwestern literature. –Claire Dederer [close]

When we were in California last week, we went to the beach and saw several schools of dolphins playing in the water.  I wish I had been able to get a picture like the one above, but my camera is awful.  We first saw their fins as they came close to the waves.  Then they started jumping out of the water, like the picture above.  They were incredibly close to shore.  We also saw sea otters.  I’ve been to the beach so many times, but I have never seen dolphins.  It was so fun for me!

Growing up in suburbia and the city, experiences with wildlife have typically been limited to the Discovery channel and the zoo for me.  Although, if the animals are at the zoo, it’s not really wildlife is it?

I have seen moose, deer, raccoons, jack rabbits, and plenty of squirrels.  Once I even saw a bear at summer camp.  But other than that, I haven’t seen too much.  What is your favorite experience seeing an animal in the wild?

I took a much longer than expected blog break.  After spending a week here

and at the beach, I just couldn’t get it together to focus on daily life!  Thanks to everyone who commented while I was away.  I enjoyed reading your thoughts!

Doubting Thomas

Ahhh Caravaggio…one of my absolute favorite artists for his use of light.  Isn’t it stunning?  I can’t wait to see a painting by Caravaggio in real life! 

A Fanciful Twist- words can’t describe this blog.  It is one of the most creative blogs out there.  Whimsical and filled with beautiful photography, the blog takes you on magical trips through fairy lands, follows rainbows, throws wonderful crazy tea parties…it goes on and on.  Such a fun blog.  You won’t be disappointed!

All three of these sculptures are of the same subject: David- the one who slew Goliath.  The first is by Donatello, the second by Michelangelo, and the third by Bernini.  (We almost had all the Ninja Turtles there, didn’t we?)

While the second, by Michelangelo, is surely the most famous, which is your favorite?  I love the one by Bernini.  Donatello’s and Michelangelo’s Davids show a calm warrior, but Bernini shows the action and intensity that surely must have been present when David was swinging his slingshot at Goliath.  Bernini’s David shows a more real person.  Look at his facial expression and muscle tension!  That’s definitely a warrior in action!  What do you think?

La Porte Rouge: Fabulous photography.  What more can I say?  Go check it out!

My blog is automatically posting while I am at the beach and the lake!  I am posting about an artist and a blog each day.  Comments may not show up right away, but please do leave them!

The Arnolfini Marriage has puzzled scholars for a long time.  It’s been a while since I sat in an art history class, so hopefully I can remember the reasons.  It is called a marriage, yet it is in a bedroom and the woman appears pregnant.  Lately, scholars have suggested that symbols may instead indicate that this painting is not about a marriage, but a contract.  The husband is going off to sea (his shoes pointing toward the open window may indicate this) and he is transferring his decision making powers to his wife.  Many other symbols are present in this painting.  What do you think?

Regardless of what this painting is about, however, it is a fabulous painting.  If you look closely, you can see the tiny reflection of the couple in the mirror behind them.  The artist even left a little grafitti above the mirror that says in essence, “Jan van Eyck was here.”