Lilac Window

Simple and lovely birthday party for the now two year old. The house made from recycled pizza boxes is actually still standing after a good couple hours of play. Though I never actually made the cake, we did have hot dogs and a chance to blow out the candles. Big brother was so thrilled to show his little brother the world he had created out of cardboard, masking tape and blocks.

Grandma and Grandpa’s visit,  gift and play time made the day even more special.

Never made it to the river for the light event. but sometimes letting go means more joy for everyone.

peace.

Summer is too short. I love being outside. I love eating every meal of the day outside. Living in a colder climate means this happens only a few months of the year. Having a toddler means that it has happened very rarely. until today.

We live in a shared condo complex. I love all the green space. I love that I know my neighbours. I love the design allows for rolling topography, huge trees, large green areas to run in, and a sense of community. This is the kind of community I would love to design. except for those with toddlers. toddlers who run. away from their mothers, and have no problem making their own way to the park in nothing but their gum boots.

This scenario has meant that we just dont spend time outside at home.

and so far this sucks.

Until today.

Yesterday, I got a friend to join me at the local hardware store, while I gathered lumber. I bought every piece, came home and measured, went back to the store to have them re-cut the pieces, and we built a gate for our north facing porch.

it is now toddler friendly.

To make it better, I bought a wicker furniture set off kijiji for $40.

we had breakfast outside. chocolate scones. this is now my happy place.

I am now so. SO… happy!!!

Chocolate Chip Scone Recipe that we make atleast once a week and that the kids adore (and so do I).

2 cup flour

1T baking powder

1T sugar

1t salt

3/4 stick cold butter

1 cup milk (or yogurt, or cream)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat to 425F. in food processor blend dry ingredients. distribute chunks of butter around the blade. pulse 10 times.  dump into a mixing bowl. add milk and chocolate. stir until just blended. spoon out scones onto a greased pan,  or dump all of it onto a greased pan, mold into a 8″ cake that’s 1″ thick and cut into triangle wedges with a knife. bake for 18 mins.

We went berry picking for the first time this year, at Serviceberry farms, near Strathmore. What a pretty place! We picked a couple yogurt containers of berries. Its not a lot but at this time I am more about letting the kids have fun, than making it a chore. We all ate our fair share too! Anyways, I also have a couple bags of frozen rhubarb in the fridge and wanted to make something right away with the berries. There is something so special about picking and eating all in the same day. I made this recipe by combining a few and so I thought I would write it down so I don’t forget. It was worth remembering. This pie was amazing. Perhaps you will enjoy it too.

Saskatoon and Rhubarb Pie recipe.

Crust:

2 cups white flour

1 stick cold butter (1/2 cup)

1 egg

cold water

Preheat oven at 425F. put flour in food processor. cut chunks of butter and distribute around the blade in the processor. pulse the flour and butter 8 times. Tip mixture into a bowl, add egg, and combine with a spoon. Slowly add water until it just sticks together. Use hands to combine, and then roll out. This amount should be good for one 9″ pie. Butter your pan! Bake crust 10 mins before adding filling.

Filling:

2 cups Saskatoon Berries

2 cups Rhubarb (cut into 1″ lengths)

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 lemon’s juice

1/4 cup flour

Crumbly topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Combine filling in a bowl. mash together the topping ingredients. Pour filling into the crust and sprinkle topping over. I used the bits of pastry left over for the top. Bake at 425 F for 15mins, turn down oven to 350 F for 45 mins.

It was so great to get out and meet people yesterday. The tradeshow was such a great way to meet other local business owners and to tell people about what I do. Also got a chance to do an interview on camera for a web add. That was a little more nerve racking than I expected. I need to practice talking to a camera. I hate looking at the lens, it feels so odd.

The best part was when I realized that I needed to tell people that my kids painted the banner.  I had the pics below, but people didn’t realize what they were looking at until I said my 1 and 4 year old painted it. It was so fun to see their surprised and impressed expressions. It was definitely the best promoter for my business.

It was a fun, but long and tiring day. Em didn’t sleep the night before. Why is that? Then last night he did one of his only 8 hour sleeps ever. huh. Oh well, It was a good day and I’m glad to have met so many nice folks!

So. Today has been low key. Its now noon. I have done a lot of house cleaning, vacuumed the car, 2 loads of laundry, lunch and breakfast, read stories, made a loaf of bread and yogurt, all bed rooms clean and beds made, trade show gear put away… ummm yeah. “Quiet” is truly relative!

The boys are helping me paint the big banner for my booth at the Mommylicious Trade Show. Come see us!

Mommylicious Trade Show

Aug 8. Carriage House Inn. Calgary. 10am-4pm.

I am shamelessly enamored with my kid’s art. There I said it. sorry. But man, this is so fun! Being an artist myself, I cant even help the geek factor when my son wants to draw with me. I melt. I turn to butter, I am all his.

I also adore making his work special, and frame-able, and part of a process, where he learns steps and stages to making work. I love to use my expensive art supplies with him when we work on something over time. This piece took a few sessions together. Kids draw so amazingly. I mean, really. The final result is so wonderful. But its also incredible to see your busy, bouncing son, sit and calmly concentrate on something that he loves. It kills me as an artist, but more as a mom.

So. Here is the process we did for this painting. I would love to have some sort of tutorial, for those of you new to these steps, but that’s not in the cards tonight. Besides, I’m sure you can figure this out for now. (hmmm… I should do a lilacwindow class on this…hehe)

remember this all took a few weeks, so do a little at a time. take it slow…

1)choose subject matter. Marcel chose “Trucks and Transformers”. (which he calls “transporters”. cute.)

2)search the internet for appropriate pictures and print them out

3)trace them on tracing paper using a special pen. We use my calligraphy pen that you dip in india ink. yup. I let my four year old use it. (dont tell Mark.) This is my favorite part. I love the concentration and the beauty of the drawing that results. From an digitized and shoddy print out, we get a magnificent line drawing. The pen is important. I love the ink pen, because it teaches control, but it also makes such wonderfully complex lines.

4)scan the drawing onto the computer. I use photoshop to erase any smudges etc, and add a statement at the top. Of course Marcel decided what to put here. This stage is difficult if you are not tech savvy. duly noted. I’ll try think of something to help.

5)print out the drawing, and paint it with watercolours

6)hang on your wall with pride.

7) of course you could print many, and use as cards, gifts or a new wallpaper.

We’ve been traipsing all over Calgary these past few weeks. Particularly enjoying full days at the AP playgroup, at Sikome Lake, and at Stanley Park. Waking each morning, and packing a lunch, no matter what the weather or plans. It was nice to stay in pajamas till noon, and build an outdoor living room on the porch. The house is clean and all my doors are open. Feels good.

Spiritual contemplation, meditation and prayer. How do you find your motivation, reconnect with the source of your truth, call on help and make a connection with something greater?

After some thinking about the forces of our time, I am working on a plan to daily live a philosophy of “true economics” that is based on “Love, Kindness, Generosity and Severance.” pg 28.

my simple thoughts and initial plan includes:

Severance: detachment from results, to have dreams and goals but to not be attached to them, to pray and meditate on this daily.

Love: to love those I am with, to generate more love and to express love. to be specific about the love I feel and to direct it to the people, work, or reality I am facing.

Generosity: to consider what gifts I can offer. to not feel limited. to give, and give.

Kindness: to seek out those in need, and offer kindness.

This is my business plan as of today.

“Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity…” Baha’u'llah.

The boys are all ready for a pre-bed, and after dinner bike ride, in their PJ’s. So awesome to ride around the neighborhood in the evening. Makes me wish I had a bike-garage though. Dragging that trailer up the front steps every day is getting tiresome.

During nap we made this little monster pillow Marcel is holding. Super fun, and made from scraps around the house. We did cut up a bed-pillow for stuffing though. Some things just must be sacrificed when the creative urge hits. We also fill ed the bottom with rice so he stands up. Hes pretty cute, and well loved.

Marcel’s teacher said he needs to practice his writing over the summer. I don’t really agree that handwriting is really critical for a four year old boy, but I do see the joy he gets when he concentrates on something he is proud of. I also love encouraging him to develop skills, concentration and control. Its also nice to throw in some art, process and design.

During Em’s nap we worked on this project, that brought me so much delight…and is so much more fun than repetitious alphabets in a work book for Marcel! We started with choosing a subject matter, and printing out a photo of it. I chose a jack rabbit. Marcel chose Lightening McQueen. Then we drew a picture of it in pencil. Then we traced that picture using a ink pot and a old fashioned nib. Then we scanned that drawing, and put it into photoshop. We arranged our composition and then printed onto cardstock. We then coloured our drawing with watercolour pencils and painted it. Then we signed it and hung it up.

This process is one I do all the time for my work, and it was so fun to repeat with Marcel. I LOVE the results. His little drawing is so wonderful. Its very cubist the way he is trying to draw the car from the front, but including things like the side windows – because he knows they are there…

I did this painting with a group of kids in Edmonton. 6 little ones painted two of these as a gift for their caregiver. What a sweet way to thank her.

I will be participating in the “Mommylicious Trade Fair” this August 8 2010. Come and check us out there. It should be a wonderful display of goods and treats for moms and families. It will be held at the Carriage House Inn, in Calgary.

I am also really excited about some ideas I have up my sleeve. I am stoked dreaming up ways to make art more accessible to people who would love to paint, and want to create beautiful work, but feel intimidated. Making art can be relaxing, soothing, meditative, while also being expressive and therapeutic. I am hoping to have a new product available at the fair as a trial run… and I cant stop thinking about it…

cleaned the kids play area all weekend. removed 4 large garbage bags of “stuff” to the thrift store. Excited for beautiful, quiet, creative time spent at this table this summer.

Last day of preschool yesterday. First day of summer today.

Listening to this song: “Alas I cannot swim” my Laura Marling. You can hear it on her Myspace.

It nearly made me cry. There is a message in this song that I need to hear. The “river” may not represent a place, but my own fears, apathy or lethargy. I gotta cross that river, and start living the life I am meant to live right now, right here.

Summer should include:

• days spent entirely in your bathing suit.
• hours in the evening, after a summer potluck dinner with friends, spent chatting under swaying trees and hot summer breeze.
• nights outside, under the stars with your love
• breakfast on the porch
• screen doors, that only keep some bugs out, because they are open and closed so much
• a hammock
• campfire
• sparkling water, morning mist, songs of birds
• singing, guitars and lots of recorders
• time to read many books, cover to cover, and time to sit, and contemplate life with a four year old.
• adventure, packed lunches, and the smell of citronella.

All this may yet be on the other side of the “river”. But I am determined to do whatever it takes to get there!

Here is a painting I recently did as a commission for a family celebrating a new baby, and a birthday. The prayer is one for children, that they say to their baby. I really enjoyed painting this, and trying to express their joy and love for each other with the paint. Its quite big, which is also a departure from the little guys Ive been doing. Actually it was a really welcome relief.

I am taking commissions like these, email me (angie(at)lilacwindow(dot)com) if you are interested. I’ve done a few now, and they seem to be rather popular…

yes. this was my lunch. I am making salad every day this week. Probably more than once. It may be raining, but it will be summer on my plate, darn it.

The kids had mostly the same, only each item was separated into different bowls.

The great thing about this salad that I NEEDED to share was this:

After all the salad making, there’s always bits of leftover lettuce, greens, half a lemon,a piece of kale, a bit of onion… bits and pieces. Instead of trying to find millions of tiny tupperwares, I put them all in one big one. Then today, after toasting the pecans in olive oil (mmmmmm pecans) I quickly fried up all the lettuce and bits from the bin. Yup. I FRIED the lettuce. They do it in China, so its cool OK? Then I mixed these toasted bits in with crispy cold romaine lettuce and uncooked fresh herbs. sprinkled on nuts, added feta cheese, a boiled egg, a chopped tomatoe, a little raw onion, drizzled on my homemade dressing and OH MY GOODNESS! It was drool-y good.

I also baked some ciabatta buns. fresh. So there was warm buns to go with it. I felt like spoiling myself. I use the recipe from here. I have made them so much its actually easier to make my own than go to the store to buy buns. Only I do have to be prepared as I make the dough the day before.

But once again, this was the clincher for me. fresh bun with warm, fresh, dressed salad? need I say more?