Knot Sew Crafty

Rainy Friday

(via Green Jello)

Thanks to Anne of Green Jello for posting this song the other day.  It's the only thing getting me through this endless rainy day with all three children home from camp.

I don't know anything about Michael Franti, but they've been playing this song on my radio station, and it never fails to cheer me up.  You can stream The Peak here and maybe you'll hear some stuff to cheer you up too.

If it rains tomorrow, I'm going to need extra-strength.  What are your favorite cheery songs?

Love La Vida

I have a six year old who is obsessed with Love Story by Taylor Swift.  She wants to perform it for us pretty much anytime we will let her.  I've drawn the line at her coming into my room in the morning and waking me up by serenade.

I happened to see this version on be yourself, create art everyday and I really like it.  It's a combination of Love Story and Viva La Vida by Coldplay, played on piano and cello.  Be forewarned that it's quite long, and that it might just get stuck in your head all day.

And this is for Willa, to prove to her that the song is indeed about Romeo and Juliet, not Romeo and Julian:

And The Winner Is...

Frogdancer!

E-mail me your mailing address and I'll send it right out to you!

**My 400th post Mystery Giveaway is coming up very soon.  Visit often!  And visit Dancing with Frogs, which is very funny, and real, and engaging.

Wall Decal Crazy!

The whole world covers my bad patching job of Bea's wall:

Allows the fairies easy access to the kitchen:

And one more door for the upstairs fairies:

All these decals are from Wilson Graphics on Etsy.

Giveaway! The Impostor's Daughter

Wowza.

I just finished this book and that's all I can say.

Wow.

I took a peek in when it arrived in the mail, and did not put it down until I was finished.

Laurie Sandell grew up in my hometown, but I didn't know her.  I think I babysat for her and her sisters once, but other than that my only knowledge of her comes from reading her magazine articles over the years.  I always liked her magazine writing, and I thought it would be nice to support a hometown girl, so I ordered it.

Wow.

Wow.

I realize that I'm gushing incoherently, so I'll share the blurb on the the cover flap, which says it all better than I ever could:

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe--and sometimes in terror--of her larger-than-life father. A former Green Beret with a law degree, a PhD, and fluency in several languages, he told dazzling tales of life in Buenos Aires, heroism in Vietnam, friendships with Henry Kissinger and the pope. In her childhood drawings, Laurie placed her father prominently among the faces on Mount Rushmore and herself ant-sized, gazing up at him. Beguiled and repelled by outrageous behavior, she grew into a young woman as restless as her father, roaming the globe, trying on her own outsized personalities--Tokyo stripper, seducer of Yeshiva girls, yogi, Ambien addict. Laurie finally lucked into the perfect job: interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father gave her a knack for relating to the stars--she slipped easily into their surreal worlds, having lived in one herself. Yet even after meeting so many of entertainment's most intriguing people, it was her father she still desperately wanted to understand.

Her investigation uncovered a staggering secret: her father wasn't the man he had always claimed to be, not even close. His unbelievable stories were in fact an extravagant collection of lies, the discovery of which shook Laurie to the core.

In The Impostor's Daughter, Laurie Sandell asks: if the man whose identity is the basis of my own is a fraud, then who am I? This is a brilliantly original and dramatic graphic memoir, a father-daughter story as achingly loving and heartbreakingly honest as it is visually captivating.

**I love this book so much that I want to send a copy to everyone I know, but since I can't do that, I'm going to send it to one lucky person.  Leave a comment by Friday afternoon, and I'll pick a random winner.  International entrants welcome!

Fleeting Glimpse

I've been feeling guilty lately that, while I have featured my nephew Eli several times, I have not yet shared a picture of Eli's brother, my very funny, very sweet, and very handsome nephew Theo.

This is why:

The kid will not sit still for more than one second!  This is the best picture out of the bunch that I took.  You can see that India is valiantly trying to hold onto him, while maintaining her picture smile.  Sadly, my perfect picture was not meant to be.  I'm going to have to get much faster to catch up with Theo. Either that, or snap his picture when he's sleeping.

Don't Tell My Children

but I think that their bathroom is the most depressing room in the house. We still haven't put up a mirror, the room is very small, the wall color is just eh, and, worst of all, there is no window.

I'm trying to make it better with a little help from ellynelly.

(Raina, please shield your eyes so the white subway tiles don't blind you!) 

Cool, huh?  

CMR has to reign me in or I will put wall decals all over the house!  So easy and fun!

All Hail, Mankind Mag!

I love magazines.  Love them.  Would have 50 subscriptions if I could afford it.

Lately, a few of my favorites have gone out of business, and others have become prohibitively expensive. Luckily for me, clever people, like Erin of Design for Mankind, have started to create online PDF magazines that are beautiful, don't waste trees, and cost less than a cup of coffee at your neighborhood coffee spot.

Case in point:

 

Mankind Mag is a bi-monthly art/design digital magazine that is full of stunning photographs, interviews and artistic inspiration.  And it only costs $1.99!  It's a steal at twice the price, I tell you!

As Erin says, "One of my favorite things about a life infused with art/design is the creative people you meet along the way, so this magazine is dedicated to interviews, showcases and features about those living a life filled with making!"

I am, as I readily admit, Knot Sew Crafty, but I find that the artwork and artists featured in Mankind Mag inspire me to look at art, and the world in general, in different ways.  I love my life, but I really appreciate an escape from my suburban mom-hood once in a while, and Mankind Mag does that for me.

Just so you know, I don't know Erin personally--solely from reading her blog--and this is a completely unsolicited endorsement.  I really love Mankind Mag.  I get nothing but the joy of sharing this love with others!  If you guys have other digital zines that you like, please let me know!  I'm always on the lookout for inspiration.

I leave you with the:

MANKIND MANIFESTO 

We like all people, but we love creative people most. 

If you’re creative AND nice? Even better. 

We think design is super cool. 

But not that normal design-ness. Nope. 

Pure, cool, mankind design. 

You won’t find celebrities here. 

They don’t belong. 

And you won’t find trendy restaurants. 

They don’t belong either. 

In fact, they’re where the celebrities are. 

We’d rather be eating Ramen and reading books. 

Yeah, we’re smart, too. 

And art? Yes,art you will find here. 

After all, Design is inevitable. 

Celebrated. 

Design for Mankind. 

Nothing Says "Summer Fun" Like...

a toy outhouse made of foam!  Did I mention that it's also a craft because you put it together yourself? And that it's 3-D?  I can barely contain my excitement!

Please forgive the terrible photo...

Happy Fifth of July!

We had so much left-over barbeque food, we just did the whole shebang again today!