Goodbye Room no. 5

It seems like this year has been a lot of closing doors for me. Saying goodbye to houses that were meaningful in my life (3 so far). Last week John and I went with my parents to my grandparent's house on Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire for the last time....I still can't believe I'll probably never go there again. I went there with my cousins almost every summer growing up--the memories that I have of that place (some wonderful, some not so wonderful) are so much a part of me that I can't believe it's just MEMORIES now.

This house on the lake is so amazing. It's on a point on the lake that has an unbelievable view and is over a hundred years old! There is all this beautiful architecture and craftsmanship--but it's falling apart. And that's why they are tearing it down next week. My grandparents are gone now and someone else owns the place and they will build something bigger and better...but it won't ever be the same.

Every year we would come and each of us had a special room that was "ours". Mine and my older cousin Shannon's was room number 5. The main house has an "L" with 5 small bedrooms . Ours was on the end. It had this beautiful antique yellow furniture and it's own sink in the corner. I loved staying up late at night and talking with Shannon. She was like an older sister to me and I looked up (and still do) to her so much! We would swim in the lake, waterskii, go antiquing, and ALWAYS eat gingerbread men from the Yum Yum shop. ( As a side note, I think I gained at least 10 pounds last week from frequenting that establishment too much...) Good times, good times.

In the end, I didn't realize how hard it would be for me to say goodbye. As I sat in room number 5 for the last time and remembered all the great times I had in that wonderful house and shed a few tears--I felt my grandmother there for a moment. The house isn't the same without her....

GOODBYE house. Goodbye room no. 5. I will miss you.






This is a picture of my mom and me in the lake on my first trip to Winnepesaukee when I was 3 months old.

jump baby jump!

My Joseph was so good yesterday afternoon jumping around in his seat I actually completed an art project! That's a first in a long time.... I started this project in art group (the only place I usually get ANYTHING done). Sorry the picture is not very good, I was in a hurry. We were doing Kelly Rae Roberts techniques and I tried those oil sticks (yuck!) and because of my lack of time, didn't finish. I love oil paint, but find the oil sticks to be a little difficult to work with when you are trying to do something so detailed. So I just finished in acrylics (which I also don't love).... The texture of the papers underneath were really challenging and I had a hard time with it, but I really like the finished product and I even think I want to do more of them...maybe a queen bee or a twisted sister or something.....

she cooks she cleans she wears mom jeans

Do you YuDu?

My sweet friend Lori introduced our art group last week to the coolest new product: the YuDu silkscreen machine! She is the art director for Provo Craft and got us all set up with machines and excellent guidance. I haven't done silkscreening since I was teaching and I forgot how fun it is. I did a project for my mom (I'll have to post it later so she doesn't see it yet!) and this apron. I didn't quite get the color mixing the way I wanted (GUNMETAL is my newest fav color), but I really like how it turned out.

I think if I could practice a little and work out the kinks, I could YuDu all day long! As my friend Emily said, "Mama like the YuDu"....
This lovely picture is by the great Cheryl Burton.