[i] LoveLife

Celebrated.

Happy Birthday Penn! Happy one year, baby girl - and what a year it has been. Your first year was sort of in like a lamb and out like a lion. Literally. You were the most peaceful + content baby I have ever met. You were the Dream Baby. You were kind and patient and easy on your mama. You never did catch on to sleeping well - but, I'll take the blame for that one and if we ever make it to a place where we both get some zzzzz's - we'll laugh about it all later. I love everything about you - the way you sit and watch, the way you take it all in, the way you look around for Pilot or Dan, the way you fearlessly stand on the top of your highchair and the way you blast Norman at every chance you get. You love to climb. I love how you cuddle with the dogs. I love how you tilt your head and lean on me when I say "be cute". I love the way you light up when Pilot is melting down. I love how you are finally able to interact with Pilot (who adores you) and you two have started to PLAY GAMES. It's amazing. I love how you squeal with delight when that elusive something delights you. Man, you are a serious kid. You don't give out laughs for free - and that's what makes me know you are your father's daughter. You don't say a lot - but, this last week you have started imitating animal noises and certain words with incredible + surprising clarity - which makes me believe that you are either a full-blown chimpanzee baby OR just the type that watches, learns and then gives it a kick-ass whirl. I can appreciate that. You can walk like you're HARDCORE if you're holding our hand - but, you've only taken 4 steps in a row on your own. You just bail. What's the deal with that, Penners? You are REALLY, REALLY not a fan of falling down... which I just know is gonna give you trouble later on, but is probably going to help make you a successful little fart. You just started shouting random 'GO!' and that makes me know you belong just exactly where you are. You wake up happy (MOST of the time). You love music. You love to dance + clap. STOP EATING CHALK, little girl. You feel the need to put every piece of food in your hair - that's weird. You love baths + books. You're happy in the car and especially outside in the sled. You freak out if things don't go your way... which I suspect you got from me. You're having a great time - until you're just not anymore and then it is GAME OVER - GOOD NIGHT.  AND that's okay - I can appreciate that, too. You surprise me everyday. I love you more everyday. I learn something new about you everyday. I can not imagine life without you here.

Love you so much, Penn.

Today: I am rocking all over the place to get a load of errands + work done this week. Watch for random posts and total chaos. Just shaking it up. That sounds good.

GO!

P.S.

Hey lazy-sort-of-hectic Saturday morning. [This photo was from our day on Thursday.] We're hanging out and running errands so that we can get ready to host a celebration of Penn's first year tomorrow (eventhough her birthday was on the third). When Pilot turned a year - I was pretty against the fluff and circumstance of a party for someone who won't remember. And I have not changed my stance on the fluff part. BUT, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing our friends and seeing our small people interact like two big fun worlds colliding. I'm definitely not good at balancing the two worlds and at first I felt guilty - but I'm over it. These two awesomely wonderful people have stolen my heart and I love being able to give it to them - WHOLE.

If any of these comments are you - you are a winner. Email me with your ADD-LOVE print choice AND your address. I can't guarantee you'll get it in time for Valentine's Day, but I will do my best. Congrats! I'm also going to send a print to Elise for encouraging me to do the GOventure again because it was worth it. TOTALLY.

GO!

WHOLE (GO/venture2 : day5)

Today's prompt was WHOLE. When I think of the word 'whole' - I have for 2 decades immediately thought of the word GESTALT: the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. I love that. It's in my top 5 phrases of all time. I think it sums up all and everything that whole is. If you have a whole orange in your purse - that is entirely greater than having a whole orange cut up into 10 pieces sloshing around. A whole car is better than just a bucket of nuts. A pile of random bricks is way less cool than a nice warm house. But, better than that - I am not only my lack of laundry motivation or my guilty conscience or my shoddy math skills or my unfinished sandwich or my poor grammar or my mediocre brushskills or my short temper or my obsessive nature - my whole is greater than my parts will ever add up to. I didn't go to GESTALT for this challenge because I feel like I ALWAYS go there. I live and breathe GESTALT. I heart it. I love it. For this prompt - I tried to think of whole as something physical. Whole bottle of wine came to mind because I was emailing back and forth with Maile and thinking about our great conversation in October over Ethiopian food and how we should have TECHNICALLY only ordered a half bottle of wine - but, we had the WHOLE and in and around that supper - we shared the conversations that made us truly friends. That made me think of all my friends and all the wine and the people I love and the times I have shared over a bottles and bottles of wine. The friends I have made. The loves. The memories that have been created - BY GOING FOR WHOLE. With love and wine - go whole. ;)

*I have thoroughly enjoyed this GO/venture2 series (thank you Elise!). I think IT WAS epic. So many people shared and participated. I felt like I gained a lot of momentum in my own self. I felt pleased and satisfied to have created art when I might not have otherwise. I also felt that my Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday solutions were strong and my Thurday/Friday - not so much. But, there's a tide to it and that's what I needed. I also feel a little pooped. It's been a busy week around here with the ladies. (My new bus roll should be here in a few days!)

Check out Elise's solution. Check out the FLICKR group. Super awesome thank you to the SUPER MEGA STARS that played yesterday. That was EPIC. Let's do this again some time soon. Like in April. Deal?

Thank you for leaving comments about the solutions - I love reading through. If this is your comment below - you are the random.org winner of the ADD-LOVE UNCOMMON iPhone case (it's your lucky day!). Email me. If you don't have an iPhone - then we will draw again!

*AS PROMISED - every day is a give away this week! Leave me a comment about what you were inspired by from GOventures2, or a question about GOventures2 or an anything-related-to-goventures and I'll draw for a couple more ADD-LOVE prizes - I'll pick a winner tonight at 11:59pm CST and post tomorrow. Happy weekending!

Today: It's a bona fide circus so coffee up! A super casual maternity shoot. A date with my inner abdominals. A shower. A chance to try Thursday's prompt all over again. A trip to the grocery store and after a week so full - I am sitting my tired butt on the couch tonight to hang with Dan and cuddle the dogs (it was a big week for them - Crash got his tongue stuck to a frozen pole and Normie got SERVED by a Scottie). We have a busy weekend ahead complete with Penn's big first birthday bash. Hello weekend.

GO!

PERMANENT (GO/venture2 : day4)

Today's prompt was PERMANENT. I had a nice little plan all worked out and then it just sort of sucked. But, whatever - that's how it goes and this was a tough word. I like 'em tough. PERMANENT made me think about tattoos and my babies and perennials and jail time and hair-do's and my larger-than-life Sharpie marker collection and species that are permanently extinct... but, then I realized that my smallest baby just turned one and took her first steps unassisted - and everything started spinning. Oh, I know she'll always be MY baby - she's just not a BABY anymore. Boo. But, back to my list... Tulips die. And poodle perms eventually straighten themselves out. And my Sharpie's dry out. Oh, yes they do. And I could almost hear my grand schemes and plans falling taking a dive. I was surprised by how sad I felt that Penn is growing up. Which was totally in contrast to Dan's WHOO-HOO because Penn is growing up. Weird. And right there I realized that it's not so much that elements or pieces change - it's that we are constantly and forever changing the way we feel about what becomes different. Change is constant + permanent. Of course.

Whew. A little too deep for a Thursday, I know. Check out how Elise did. And the rest of the FLICKR group.

OH. AND A COUPLE OF SUPER STARS PLAYED ALONG TODAY, too. So cool. For me, part of the GO/ventures magic is seeing how everyone does something different. There's no single answer and the more creativity you share - the more there is floating around you. So happy and so honoured that others wanted to be a part of it, too.

You might have heard of a little someone awesome named Ali Edwards. Here is her solution...

(Thank you Ali - I love how this looks like layers of earth.)

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Oh! This is Tara Whitney's take on the prompt PERMANENT. (Even with a thrown out back she rocks - thank you Tara!)

This is what she had to say about it: All I could think, when I thought of the word PERMANENT was how UN-permanent everything really is. I was struggling to find something to photograph, and I didn't want to stoop to the very permanent stain on my white quilt. But I knew there had to be something. And then I thought of it. The connection we have with each other. We may not always be together, and we may not always like each other, but there is a permanent line of connection and love and knowing that runs between us and always will.

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Paolo Liloc's take on it is right here. I LOVE what he wrote about the challenge pushing him forward. That's EXACTLY why I love GO/ventures. (I also LOVE that we found creative MEN! Thank you Paolo.)

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The ever-awesome, ever-fashionable Jessica McDougall was game to play, too. I love it - thanks Jessica!

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Jeope Wolfe is a mega-talented illustrator/creative-type and I knew his solution would be the perfect compliment to the rest of the GO/ventureres. He has an amazing style. He also rocked it. Check in on Jeope's blog for more of his reall great illustrationsand witty, witty wit. Thank you Jeope!

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AND LOOK!! More! Very awesome CD Muckowsky is playing, too! I love what she did. This is what she had to say about it:  I got thinking of "permanent" and what I ended up thinking about  was everything that changes, everything we have NO control over...life situations change, friendships change, interests and schedules change, uuuunfortunately clothing sizes change....and so does almost everything in this life; but then I had to stop and smile as I was reminded of my personal motto, my outlook...THAT is permanent! It is mine; No matter what life brings my way- when life is incredible, and when it is a big pile of sucky yuck...I have the freedom to choose how I want to face it...whoot! Everyday a choice, everyday I see the light and feel the warmth of my Blessings and choose to spread that warmth in my world.....well, most days anyway :)
the piece is a little crazy and more visually noisy than anything I usually create but I just let go and let it do itself, and in the end it all holds meaning every little bit...

The messy layers upon layers of the background is kind of like the messy layers that make up me, the wings- obviously- my freedom to choose to shine and rise above whatever may come, and I chose to write the words in old book text because sometimes I feel like this life is throwing me the same old story. This project gave me time to think as I puttered and time to be super thankful for my outlook....my permanent "Shine Brightly" attitude.

Thanks CD. AWESOME.

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ANOTHER ONE! Creative and beautiful Coralee Penner ALSO played and this is what she came up with. Love it. Thanks Coralee! Check out her blog and leave her some love. She said this about PERMANENT: I was watching Charlie & the chocolate factory and thought that so little in life is permanent these days. Relationships end, loves are lost..even houses can burn down (all of which I have been affected by in the last two years). Watching that silly movie that reminded me so much of the bittersweetness of life's lessons, I realized that no matter how old you are or how much money you have in your wallet, we all have dreams. They can be small or large but they belong to you and you alone and in my mind, that is permanent. All that Charlie wanted was that last golden ticket so that he and Grandpa Joe could see the mystery behind the closed factory gates and have a swell time at the amazing factory of wonders made by Mr.Wonka. So, there it is..gazing into that shop window, wondering what the possibility of finding the last golden ticket is, is Charlie Buckett, a boy with a dream and for me...dreams are permanent. 

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Also MORE awesome going on at Elise's blog! She has a cool solution by Stephanie Howell! Be sure to check out the other awesome players and what they created. Marta Dansie & Rachel Denbow! (Nice to e-meet you and THANKS for playing!).

This was so cool. Thank you to everyone. Seriously inspiring.

TOMORROW'S PROMPT IS: whole. Play along! It's the last day of GO/venture2 (thank goodness because I'm feeling FAT + FULL!). It brings inspiration. I promise.

Thanks for the COINCIDENCE comments, birthday wishes for Penn and sites to check out. If the comment below is yours - email me (me at kalbarteski dot com) because you are getting an ADD-LOVE SIGG water bottle. We're STILL 3 bottles shy of raising $200 for the Red Cross and Haiti. COME ON. The randomly generated winner is...

If you are Maria Kurylo or Jaclyn VandeGraaf - you were the random winners from the list of people who already bought ADD-LOVE SIGG water bottles and you both get your own custom ADD-LOVE print. Email me!

*Every day is a give away this week! Check out all of the blogs and solutions for the prompt PERMANENT - post something to the FLICKR group, leave me a comment with some conversation about which ones stood out for you - what does PERMANENT look like to you and I'll pick a winner tonight at 11:59pm CST FOR AN ADD-LOVE iPHONE CASE from UNCOMMON. Sweet. (I realize that not everyone has an iPhone to cover so if you don't want a case - I will send you an ADD-LOVE mini print set instead. Or maybe Norman. Kidding.

Today: is all about a morning tea party and trip to the riverwalk. We have some odds + bits to accomplish, but nothing more pressing than laughing our butts off at Crash and trying for the umpteenth time to get a few photos of ourselves enjoying the start of Penn's second trip around the sun. Yay Thursday. I hope to get started on tomorrow's piece (whole) during afternoon naps WHILE I SIP GREEN TEA AND SIT IN THE SUN. And eat chocolate. Nice.

GO!

COINCIDENCE (GO/venture2 : day3)

Today's prompt was COINCIDENCE. This prompt came at me from all over the map (and I have to say that the original piece is so much nicer than the scan - that I just might frame it). But, whatever. I was thinking of coincidence yesterday. The dictionary says it's chance or fate. Two instances coinciding. And that just got me to thinking about Dan. And this life of ours. And how we met at a dog park less than three and a half years ago and if we hadn't - so much awesome would be missing from my life my heart aches just imagining it. Coincidence? Who knows. At the same time I was brainstorming COINCIDENCE I got an email from someone I don't know saying I could be Maya Rudolph's sister. Except I'm not half black. WHAT? It was so random that it sent me off on an internet image search. And that stumbled me on the movie poster for AWAY WE GO and that poster is so pretty and so warm and so much dream-meets-sketchbook-meets-tall-grass-prairie that it made me think of Dan again. WHAT A COINCIDENCE! And away I went...

[Alternate photos of the original.] The photo that I started with is by the very talented, very lovely Maile Wilson. She took this awesome shot of our little family unit in October when she was visiting (our connection was a total coincidence, too). Thank you Maile. I love them.

Check out Elise's solution for COINCIDENCE. She's crafty - I love it. Check out the FLICKR group and add your creation, too. If you've been following along with GO/venture2 - play along and stay tuned for EPIC AWESOMENESS + happy surprises. TOMORROW'S PROMPT IS: permanent. 

Oh, thanks for the comments about INVISIBLE. I wish I had hundreds of things to give away. Today's winner gets a HELLO BABY SIZE SMALL. I only had one and it was breaking my heart. If you didn't win - you can always order a HELLO BABY book of your own. If this comment is yours - email me (me at kalbarteski dot com). The randomly generated winner is...

*Every day is a give away this week! I've got a ADD-LOVE SIGG water bottle up for grabs. (I am donating my profit - $2 from each bottle sold to Red Cross Relief for Haiti.) Leave me a comment with a great site to check out and one lucky randomly-drawn winner will receive an ADD-LOVE SIGG water bottle so you can stay hydrated and ready for coincidences. I'll pick a winner tonight at 11:59pm CST. Sweet. ALSO. As a thank you for those who have already bought water bottles: I will be drawing for two custom ADD-LOVE prints from the list of names that purchased a ADD-LOVE SIGG water bottle already (yes, I know who you are). We're still 13 bottles shy of raising $200 for the Red Cross and Haiti. COME ON. I'll pick a winner tonight at 11:59pm CST.

Today: It's Penn's first birthday! I'm sad and happy at the same time. I'm all over the place finishing up some work and then getting some small things ready for us to celebrate tonight as a family (and on the weekend as a larger group). I'm off to write in her HELLO BABY book right now. I love you, Penn. (SHE JUST TOOK HER FIRST STEPS THIS MORNING. Triple Arm Pump.)

GO!