I have a headache. A splitting headache. I have been trying to follow the directions enclosed in a Monkey Sock Monkey do-it-yourself box that we purchased at the craft store for La-La and the Bean. Good grief. Do I need a doctorate to make one of these things? Okay, it helps to read the instructions in English. I was a little confused with the Spanish Monkey Sock Monkey instructions. O la. Nonnie aka. Junebug was here to calm the chaos. While I was machine stitching the limbs, Junebug was whip stitching those limbs on those lumpy home-stuffed Monkey Sock monkeys/kitties.  These Monkey Socks Monkey’s were NOT made in China… however the kit, socks and instructions probably were. Oh well.

I haven’t sewn in quite a long time. I like to sew. I made my senior prom dress after the woman with coke- bottle eye glasses that we hired to make it put a nice hole in the bodice and couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Eeegads!! Somehow my mom and I remade that dress and it was lovely and beautiful.  Nevertheless, I have always dreamed of making clothes for my daughter. So far… not a one. Zip. Ziltch. Nada. Oh, the guilt. Do you feel it?

But, I do love to sew. I love fabric. Don’t get to peruse the fabric stores like I used to but when I do… look out. The theme for the 2011 Philadelphia Flower Show is “Springtime in Paris”. I’m inspired! I bought the cutest, most funky cart thingy the other day that I saw out in someone’s yard. Drove by it going 40 mph one day and retraced my steps a couple of days later only more certain that if it was still there I had to purchase it. (Will photograph it soon and post). Now, LaLa also had dibs on it for her cupcake stand… but that cutie is SO going to Philly with me next year! The cart, not LaLa- actually she’ll be there too. Can’t wait till she is old enough to set up shop with me. What fun.

Back to Monkey Socks. In my quest for fabrics/patterns for my pillows Junebug and I thought a trip to the store would be very productive. I bought lots of fabric. I am SO excited about putting all of these textures/patterns and colors together with my little french themed topiary designs (more to come).

After receiving my Mommy Phd., you would think that when in a store I could deal with a 5 yr old’s love of all things lip gloss related. Now, when I say we are going to get a craft project at the craft store… which one of you thinks that includes lip gloss? Exactly.  I want that 5 yr old to make something… with her hands, her heart, her head, her imagination.

For the lip gloss, she is willing to toss, throw away if you will, the Amazing Glitter Glue Package Supreme (with BLACK glitter glue which we have never seen before) AND the Monkey Sock Kitty kit? Are you serious?? Really?? You would throw away all of that glittery stickiness and Monkey Sock love for some craft store lip gloss?  Oh, the humanity. We had to have a little pow-wow in the middle of my Parisian fabric cutting fest. It sounded like this; “You will not ruin this little adventure by pouting about not getting lip gloss. I said you could chose a craft project and that is what I meant.” Geez. Junebug and I are in French fabric obliviousness and I keep getting sucked back into parenting reality. Bummer.

We walked out of there with Monkey sock monkey kits and the most amazing set of glitter glue pens that you will ever lay your eyes on… and no lip gloss. Win one for The Mommy!

Note to self… read the packaging. I did not know that these kits were for 12 yr olds who apparently were skilled and competent with sewing machines and whip stitching not to mention french knots and embroidery. Hello!? Junebug and I had a busy day of sewing when we got home. It was perfect. The kiddos stuffed body parts with filler while Junebug and I sewed on limbs and tails. It took so long the kids conceded that their completion could wait until tomorrow. Thanks heavens. However, the Bean just did a dance around the living room in Monkey Sock anticipation for tomorrow. Heaven help me. He’ll be knocking on my door at 7 am to crank up the sewing machine to finish “Monkingson” his Monkey Sock Monkey. LaLa named her Monkey Sock Miss Kitty. Don’t they make the cutest pair? Are you feeling the Monkey Sock love? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Monkingson and Miss Kitty

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Finally. A break in activities and in orders going out. I’ve been so anxious to paint again… not just topiaries. Now I realize there is a huge backlog of images that I want to work on. I’m completely overwhelmed. I want to start 6 paintings all at once and work for 3 days straight. Probably not so practical considering dinner has to be cooked and there is a lacrosse game tonight and I have other custom work to do. Its challenging finding a balance- as many of you know! But, today I am rejoicing. Honestly because I’ve been a little scared. Writer’s block only with paints. There is always fear that the talent won’t be there anymore when you have been away too long from your craft. Luckily my illustration keeps me in it to some degree. I’ve been nervous about starting again. I have a show in September wherein I need many new paintings- August used to be my painting month to prepare. Its been ages since I’ve painted for painting’s sake.

I paint to discover and to research my subject. I find beauty in the most mundane of objects. I photograph many scenes, landscapes, items that I want to study further with the hopes of returning to my studio and becoming of student of learning and seeing again. I have years of photos built up, years of experiences that I haven’t been able to process thru painting. Thankfully my topiary designs whether of whales or realistic dogs on topiary furniture keep me squirting paint from tubes but I always long to paint on a larger scale in a more expressive way. The topiary designs make he happy and brighten my day. I KNOW that sounds corny but I’m captivated by their simplicity. If you have ever enjoyed one of them, I have a million times more and I’m so thankful.

This little study… it’s not the best. It’s not the worst. It’s the only thing I didn’t tear up and discard. In it I see promise. That I haven’t lost everything. Perhaps that I can step aside and just enjoy painting without illustrating. That is a whole other topic I know. Anyway… stay tuned. I’m inspired and I feel like its going to be a very productive August in so many ways. I can’t wait to be a student again!

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Splish, splash and they are finally done. I hope the folks at the whale museum in Bar Harbor, ME will like the designs. Notecards and gift items with these designs should be a hit with their whale loving customers. Which one do you prefer? I love the flowers in the spout of the first design and I am crazy about the lead planter of the other one. I may have to do a ship/boat in that planter too. On paper the possibilities are endless. : )

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Click HERE to see all of the available products and be sure to order through the Stationery Department to receive the discount! There are many pages of notecards designs available. Click through them at the top right hand corner of the page!

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Today I am working on Whales! A whimsical topiary whale, as well as portraits of unique whale tales off the coast of Maine. Who knew!? I do love my job. Stop back by to see the finished results. Which way should that topiary whale’s tail flip?

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Not long ago a stray cat started making an appearance at the barn. Three older kittens live there to keep the mice in check. They have all been spayed and neutered. The little orange, peanut butter stray is quiet and skittish but has warmed up over the past couple of months.

I am an animal lover- always have been. I’ve never known life without some sort of pet/family member. Growing up we always had a cat, dog and/or horses at some time or another. Both of my horses came off the local racetrack in the Finger Lakes. My gelding was a pitiful sack of bones. It took some time to put on some weight on his frame and get the steriods out of his system. He lives high on the hog now and his less than stellar racing career is a distant memory. Oh how he loves to run but that is another story… another post.

This post is about the whispy peanut butter cat that started to become very round over the past month. I told Farmboy “That is a Momma Kitty, she is getting ready to have kittens.” Oh dear. There are already three at the barn and we have three in our home. I feel responsible for this poor cat who was probably dropped off out here in the country. Our three house/garden cats all were adopted. Little Helen Chapel is sleeping beside me as I type. (Farmboy and I are “Wings” fans… what can I say? Didn’t you love Helen, those Hackett brothers and Lowell??)

I consider myself a responsible, conscientious pet owner. Somehow I think we have adopted this little orange peanut butter cat or she adopted us. We’d better get ready for the vet bills- as if 3 cats, 2 dogs and 3 horses aren’t enough. LaLa has been thrilled at the idea of more kittens. She is some sort of bizarre savant cat-whisperer. Our rough and tumble Pongo is a tremendous hunter- a very serious cat yet he sits outside of LaLa’s door at night and cries until someone opens the door and he can go cuddle up in bed with her. He watches TV with her and tolerates her packing him around on her hip like a purse. She is the only one of us that he seeks to be with. Toonces sleeps every night with The Bean. When he hears a story being read he is there purring in stereo. Little Helen Chapel sleeps with me and Farmboy at night and doesn’t stir until we head to the kitchen for coffee in the morning. Numerous days I’ve woken up with a “Helen scarf” wrapped around my neck.  We have our companions and all is right in the world at night.

I’ve kept a close eye on Momma Kitty the past week then two days ago I saw her- skinnier. I knew she had her kittens but there was no telling where they were. The next day we saw her take a kitten into one of the horses’ stall. We tried to keep her out but she would only run back in. After we brought the horses in that evening Farmboy saw her take a kitten in through a stall window.

She was determined to nest in the straw in the corner of my mare Paley’s stall. The other morning when I went to feed to my surprise there were four kittens. She was snuggled up with them in the corner of the stall. It cracks me up to think of my spooky Paley with a mother cat and nest of kittens in her stall under her nervous and watchful eye.

So far all is well. I turn into a child again when I go in Paley’s stall and sit in the corner with “Pumpkin” and her babies. The barn comes to life with the sounds of the horses quietly chewing and the busy sparrows flying in and out feeding their new babies. I’m amazed all over again at the circle of life- the beauty and the tragedy of it all. That little momma kitty is a skinny pathetic thing but she is sweet and starved for a caress and a tender word. She is always there with those furry, yawning, hungry, eyed-closed kittens. Soon their eyes will open and they will start to explore their environment which makes me nervous. The plan is to get them out of the stall. I am afraid they will get stepped on. I hope she won’t keep taking them back to Paley’s stall once they are moved. We will see.

I think she is a keeper. We’ll have her spayed and she’ll have a permanent home where she’ll be fed and loved and patted regularly. Hopefully we’ll find homes for the kittens… the kids and cousins will be disappointed. Maybe they will stay and we’ll have them fixed too… the kittens, not the kids.  What if another stray comes next year?  Where do you stop? I don’t know. I’m glad Farmboy has a kind heart. Who knew that Pumpkin carried a four little glass slippers- that we have found in Paley’s stall. Maybe she is a princess after all.

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