Tuesday, July 30, 2013

pin my love on you..

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so i think it's safe to say that one of my jewelry obsession's are brooches and pins. i'm not real clear what the difference is...but the word brooch conveys to me an over the top or be-jeweled, pin sprakley in nature pin, i suppose. where as a pin is more subtle, despite it's size. regardless, i have a small drawer full of them both. no lie, don't judge!

i just found allira tee's adorable wood and acrylic brooches (which is what she calls them, so we are going w/ that category.). allira is an artist from new zealand who in her bio on chocosho says...

" At the end of 2006, I decided to start designingaccessories for a bit of fun and as an outlet for my creativity. Mydesigns are quirky and playful, aimed for people of all ages who wantto bring out their childish nature."Roarso far her designs do just that. her brooches are fun and although they have child like themes they still translate as mature. stylish and classic in their shapes, make it easy for them to slip into anyone's wardrobe, adding instant whimsy to an outfit.be sure to check out her website where new designs have been unveiled and promised to be out soon (like the hobby horses!!). also get a load of her triceratops yellow tote, boasting the dino as "the greatest of all time." ummm, hello? doorbell. (a-door-bell. adorable!!)

Monday, July 29, 2013

Andrew Schoultz Compound Eyes On The World..

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Last week I posted an installation visit with Andrew Schoultz as he prepared for his show, Compound Eyes on the World at Marx & Zavattero and as promised here are pics from the opening. AND to boot, I'll be posting a studio visit tomorrow that I did with Andrew back in April. You'll get to see back to some of the pieces in this current show that were in progress at that time. The detail in Andrew's show is incredible and as I have said many times before, I hate this word, but truly epic. I took so many pictures, I was like a kid in a candy store, all of the pics from the install and opening can be found on the blog's flickr. You can also take an online walk through on M&Z's website.

Compound Eyes on the World: New Work by Andrew Schoultz opens September 11 through October 23, 2010. Opening Reception Saturday, September 11, 5:00 PM.

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

thankfully, theres more where that came from

I was looking through pictures from Christmas last year.If I had wanted to keep my makeup in-tact, that would have been a really, really bad idea.Brace yourself (and your heart parts) for a picture of OBaby on Christmas morning last year.I can’t look at that picture and not cry. This one, either:My teeny tiny wittle bee-bee!! O My Cheeks, where the heck did he go??I so wish I were exaggerating, friends, but both of those pictures just instantly melt my face into a puddle of mommy love + sadness + joy + heart pain. Which translates to tears. Lots and lots of big, salty tears.This? Was my baby with the Christmas tree last year.This is my baby with the Christmas tree this year (he thought that branch needed a teddy bear).{I have no words. Just tears. Happy, yet bittersweet tears.}

Thursday, July 25, 2013

growing new piece buy alison sommers..

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when i was a little girl, i would get lost in my mom's humongous art history book. often times i would find myself at the hieronymous bosch images. i would spend hours looking and pretending i was in the paintings running w/ the plum headed naked peeps. ha! well, what do you want, i was an inner city latch key kid...my imagination was my bff.

i think, perhaps that is why i absolutely love allison sommers' work. i get lost looking at all the little details and story lines of her wonderfully, intricate gouache paintings. take a look at her latest painting above. there so much to look at and apply meaning and wonder to. just look at that little guy. i just want to hug him and help him grab those berries.

allison tells a bit about the painting on her blog:

"streeetch for that berry, buddy...so, the rats are back once againin my paintings, this time providing moral support for difficult times.(puberty all alone in the woods is, after all, a most difficult time). i've heard it [sic] tell that the aukle birds nearby provide very little supportand only clean crumbs off his face if he's very, very still."

it could light up the room

So, since writing this post about struggling to feel like my new (and underpaid) position is a rewarding one, I have been making an effort to look for the rewards around here. I’ve discovered that there are about a million of them*. I know I have had bouts of frustration about this whole new motherhood thing, but I’m here to tell you that when I’m level headed and the crying has paused for long enough for me to hear myself think, this job rocks.It rocks because I can tell you first-hand how my son has learned so much and grown by leaps and bounds in the last 5.5 weeks.It rocks because I can’t even describe the joy it brings me to see him smile, even if it’s in response to his digestive system. It rocks because I don’t miss a single cooing sound or vocalization (that he’s making more and more everyday).It rocks because I can tell you all about how fun it is when he grasps onto my hair or necklace because he couldn’t do that last week. It rocks because he has been making eye contact with me for extended periods of time which is also a brand new milestone we’ve reached.This is the most rewarded I have ever felt.*On good days. Tough days have only 999,999

Monday, July 22, 2013

Exclusive Video ABOVE..

White Walls just sent over this exclusive video from ABOVE documenting his progress as he gets ready for his show Transitions which opens May 1st, at 7 pm. It's hard to not get excited watching this vid. It'll be ABOVE's first gallery show, don't miss out!

ABOVE X WHITEWALLS MAY 1st, 2010 from ABOVE on Vimeo.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

lil sneak peek from know hope..

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just sent over some shots of work he has been working on. The pictures in the background are wicked, and I love the use of yarn as a cat's cradle. I threw in some detail shots because after a year & a half I still haven't adjusted the specs on this blog. LORD.

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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Mike Perry X Scout Books..

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Before this whole 'internet' thing I carried a notebook with me everywhere. I am not sure when that stopped, but I am seriously considering starting again. My iphone just isn't the same as the timeless feel of a notebook. I won't stumble upon my it in a few years and page through it, being reminded of all the great thoughts I had, like I have done in the past with many a notebook because ummmm, I erase it all. I can't think of a better notebook to go with than the latest edition by Scout Books with Mike Perry. Plus, they're shiny and perfectly sized. *****This just in! Scout Books is offering ML4U readers a $25 off any order of the Make Your Own books. Enter BLOGLOVE at checkout.*****

The difference between $40 and $750 Moen Faucets

Turning it on, turning it off! That’s what we do with faucets throughout the day, making them simply the most used item in the kitchen. They are the heart of our kitchen, and are something that no one can do without. Since they are used to often, they need to be of the highest quality thereby giving you a convenient experience and ease of operation throughout the day. Further, they need to have a long life too, because excessively using anything can cause it to deteriorate earlier.

A plethora of faucets can be found today, with options right from $35 to several hundreds of dollars. You are definitely wondering what the difference between them is, aren’t you? This guide will make you informed about the same, thereby helping you to make good choices. Before starting out, you should remove the longstanding notion from your mind which says that good polishing and finishing is indicative of expensive Moen Faucet. There’s much more to faucets than just finishing. There are designs, internal mechanisms, technological touches etc.

Temperature control: Expensive faucets are equipped with a temperature control mechanism that prevents abrupt shifting of temperature from cold to hot when you turn the knob/handle on either side. This is specially done so as to prevent your hands from burning. Cheap faucets might not have this mechanism.Finishing: There are various types of finishing with respect to faucets. Some give way to abrasions easily, whereas some last as long as the faucets last! The expensive ones are coated and plated multiple times to ensure that the coat lasts long. This also makes it resistant to scratches.

While buying faucets, a thing worth considering is your kitchen’s plumbing. There is specific number of holes in the deck plate, so make sure your new faucet has equal number of fixtures.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Remember not me! Mondays

[Preface: Yes, that it a totally different header up there. No, I did not warn you. You should probably be getting used to stuff like that on here by now, right? I mean, this blog design is an experiment like our first child is an experiment. We're liable to try anything.] It’s been a while since I have linked up as part of the nmm blog carnival hosted by MckMama, and I thought it was high time for some more honest to goodness confessions around here. Not that these are actually my confessions or anything. Right? Right.Confessions, forthwith.After a day of genuinely sour nap times, I hopped in my car and ran two errands with OBaby safely in his carseat (and actually not screaming, this time). After the second errand, when I saw in my rear view mirror that OBaby had quietly zonked out, I did not drive around the greater Twin Cities area for 35 minutes just to keep the nap going. Wouldn’t that be an awful waste of fossil fuels? Furthermore, when I landed, magically, in front of Pottery Barn in downtown St. Paul, I did not leave my car running for another 17 minutes while OBaby snoozed on. (That would also not have been the longest nap he’d taken all day).After waking from his nap, OBaby needed to eat, and my sweet, adorable little ‘in one end, out the other’ baby did not mess his diaper like nobody’s business as I nursed him there in the backseat of the (not still running) car. What followed was a not-so impressive display of ingenuity and flexibility in which I did not change my son’s diaper on the same car seat on which I was sitting.I’ll leave that one up to your imagination.We then proceeded, recently-napped, clean-diapered, and well-fed, to walk around Pottery Barn and drool over the hand knotted wool rugs. Ok, OBaby did most of the drooling and I did most of the rug admiring.Wait, there were no nots in that one. Crap.I did not return home that afternoon and attempt to convince my husband that the new living room rug we’ve been looking for for months is most certainly this one. The total cost would not have been over $500 either. I would never fork that much over for a silly old thing to walk on. Never. But it’s on sale! But it’s gorgeous! But my friend Cindy has a 10% off coupon! Please, please, please?!I totally did not win and the rug will totally not be arriving sometime this week.(Squeeeee!)

Friday, July 12, 2013

Tattooed Toothums..

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Yep. That's right. Tattooed crowns. Personally, I can't wait til at least one or all of my teeth fall out now. I'm all about subtle adornment, and I will be rocking a hawk on a back molar at the silver nugget's old folks home I reside in later on. Don't hate.

Found via Fletcher Lives via my homegirl Rae McCall.

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Claim Your Property Depreciation Benefits Today

According to research, there are about 80% of property owners who do not claim their depreciation. What they don’t realize is that, this way the money they lose in taxes can be gained back. Even though some people know about property depreciation, they choose to ignore it. Still many others don’t even know about such tax deductions.

Property depreciation is the deduction in income tax of a property or asset due to the wear and tear caused by its continuous use. Australian Taxation Office (ATO) allows the owners of the property to claim the tax credit. It is called a ‘non-tax cash deduction’.

Many owners think that depreciation is only for properties that are new. Even though new properties are more beneficial, old properties too secure some tax deductions. The difference between old and new property tax deduction is that, new properties cause $8,500 more tax deduction than the old properties in the first year. But this does not mean that old properties are not worth depreciating. They still create tax deductions, which is better than no tax deduction!

Finding out what the depreciation of your property amount is not too difficult. Although the amount can be calculated on your own, it is highly advisable to appoint a trained and professional Quantity Surveyor. Also make sure that the company you hire is registered since ATO demands a compliant tax depreciation report. The calculations of a professional would be accurate and in accordance with the current market values.

When you hire a Quantity Supervisor, he will ask you a series of questions related to the property and then prepare a depreciation report that would be inspected by your specified accountant. This could mean that you acquire thousands of dollars without doing anything. So, if you haven’t claimed your depreciation, now is the time to do it.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

matthew feyld new work..

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I want to marry this painting by Matthew Feyld. I'm not afraid to say it. Matthew is absolutely hands down one my very favorite artists today. See more work by Matthew on his blog .

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Swimming..

I almost forgot Miles’s first time swimming!!!His favorite time of the day is bath time.. Every day I come home from work and sit down to feed him while I watch Gilmore Girls.. At 7:00 Aaron comes down the stairs singing our bath time song and Miles wakes right up and smiles.. He kicks and plays and laughs the whole time he’s in the water.. he loves it. Always has.. We were so excited to take him swimming for the first time.I just wish it had been warmer.. The water was SOOO cold. He cried when we first put him in but then got used to it..He never really had a super time… but he tolerated it.. I don’t think we ever got a smile or laugh out of him..Maybe one day we’ll try an indoor warm pool!