[i] LoveLife

Here we go + the winners.

 

Good dog. This was my view on Saturday when we took a short road trip out of town. (I love this little pup!) We spent the day with friends at their cottage soaking in the fall temperatures and family connections. And old friends. And new small people. Even the dogs. It was a little bit magical and a whole lot awesome. Worth it.

I am trying so hard to be present this fall. The temperatures have dropped. The leaves are starting to fall... It seems like Fall has just barely arrived, but I know that we are only a strong wind away from bare trees and Halloween apples. Sigh...

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I LOVED reading your comments about what you are hungry for. We are a hungry bunch. And that is probably indicative of so many things... I wish I could feed the world. I used a random number selection... but I think you all deserve whatever it is that fills you. THANK YOU for playing along. I love that. If you're one of the comments below - please send me a note with your details so I can get your prints in the mail.

And thanks again.

Today: it's the last week before the art show and I have a lot to get done. Which I am going to try to keep under control by drinking enormous mugs of coffee and keeping my TO-DO list in my back pocket. It looks like things are shaping up to be terrific. I need to be focused and intensely organized this week... I will do my best.

There will be painting in my studio today. Lots of it.

GO!

Hungry + a giveaway.

Friday. Sigh. I am still recovering from a night of creative inspiration. Good, inspiring time. Which is amazing. And necessary. Because it's 9 days until the TipsyTipsy art show. There is a LOT going on in my studio right now. And my brain. And my heart. I hurt my arm a couple of days ago and now I can barely lift it. My hand is aching. And that makes lifting babies difficult. And painting. And keeping the tears at bay. Crap. I'm pretty sure it's coming from my neck so I am off today to find a solution. Ideas?

IN THE MEANTIME - I have another giveaway. Tell me what you are most hungry for... I love that there is this incredible pool of authenticity here. We are broad and woven. You may be hungry for cake, but what else feeds you? I'll pick three winners to receive these prints in the mail + I'll post the winners on Monday.

Today: oh, don't fail me now. I'm on this. The paintings are coming. The plans are coming. The show is coming together and I need 9 days of pure awesome. I need you to RSVP if you're coming because we are running out of room. Happy Friday. I am hungry for healing.

GO!

Zoober cute.

I have more cute things than is legal right now. HOLY CRAP. At one point yesterday the girls decided that they should dress up. Which turned into one of the funniest days I have been a part of in years. We ran our afternoon errands as full-on wild animals. And we owned that absurdity like NO BODY'S BUSINESS. And I loved it. Because REALLY - who am I to rain on a fun parade like these three? These photos make my heart happy and make me SO EFFIN' OVERJOYED that these small people of mine a have killer sense of humour.

They TOTALLY get that from me. ;) (I love you, Dan.)

OH, the magic of siblings. I am slayed by their cuteness. By the third stop of our trip - I plum forgot they were out-of-the-norm and it took me a minute to clue in to why people were taking photos of us with their phones in Costco. Ridiculously adorable - THAT'S WHY.

Today: I am making a bonus video for SCRIPTschool and painting for my upcoming show. Breathing a sigh of relief and slown down into a focused rhythm of productivity. The weather has turned cold and I am so happy about that. I have my legwarmers on and a new fall jacket in the mail. My target is a certified mountain of full on radical script pieces. The tunes are on. The coffee is poured and my smile is wide.

GO!

On Frenchies.

[ Frank, 11 weeks + 11 pound + Norman, 2 and a half years 36 pounds.]

This picture is so cute it HURTS ME.

I've been getting questions about French Bulldogs. I am by no means an expert on these dogs. I have only had two of them. We got Norman on a whim to keep our Boxer company and when I say whim I mean I only researched them for a month. That's unlike my deep-seeded, long-time love for Boxers. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that we made a great choice. I am constantly surprised by how much this breed of laid-back pups impresses me and wins my heart. We got Frank to keep Norman company and it's been awesome.

• Do they shed? Yes. Not a ton, but as much as a short haired cat.
• Do they need lots of exercise? No. A walk around the block or a ball in the backyard is plenty (and sometimes too much.)
• Do they bark? Just when they are playing. I know if I hear one of these guys barking - someone has to pee or there is a serious issue with a soccer ball.
• Are they good with kids? Most books and sites say they are not - but these two are incredible. That said, Frank is a baby. Norman is 36 pounds (he's bigger than most Frenchies) and if you are a 46 pound kid on the other end of his leash when he decides to chase a whim - you are going to makeout with the sidewalk. I can say that because it has happened a lot.
• Are they good with other dogs? Yes. Norman goes bizerk from happiness at the chance to play with a pal.
• Are they good with cats? I don't know. They have never been around cats. Normie is the toughest dog I know. He once took on 2 raccoons at the same time AND WON.
• Are they hard to train? Normie was harder to potty train than any other dog I've ever had. Frank is too little to know. He's doing GREAT so far, but he is by no means potty trained.
• Do you crate train them? I do. Normie slept in the kennel until he was about 18 months. Frank is in the kennel until then - or if he otherwise proves himself worthy before that time.
• Do they snore? OH. DEAR. GOD. THEY. DO.
• Are they smelly? No.
• Can they swim? Norman sure tries.
  Are they good in the car? Yes.
• What do they eat? They eat Halo dog food smothered in salmon oil. I'm not sure if that's the best stuff, but it seems like it should be okay. It doesn't produce a lot of waste so I think it must be alright. For about a year we were making our own dogfood and saw first hand what an incredible difference that makes, but it's not as easy with the three small people. And something gotta give.
• Do they require special care? Not overly. We take pretty great care of our dogs. The books say no extreme cold or hot temperatures... but we have both here and they do fine. Norman LOVES snow. And swimming. Frank is still new to us so maybe he won't. Normie gets a sore knee if he overdoes it... but so do I so I won't hold it against him.
• Are they rambunctious? No + yes. No: they are considered a toy breed so they're pretty small + lazy. They don't require a lot of exercise. They like to cash out on the couch. Lay in the sun - that kind of thing. PERFECT apartment dogs. (Elise you totally need one!) Yes: they can be a little crazy when you get them jacked up. Norman LOVES the park. He loves to rip up and down the play strctures and go down the slides (when we let him). He crazy fast and incredible with a soccer ball (I'll find a video!).

That's about it. If you're thinking about getting one - I think it's a win.

Today: is a girl tribe day. We are going to try to coordinate school and naps and awesomeness for everyone involved in this tribe. And visits. And sweaters and mittens BECAUSE THE WEATHER HAS TURNED. It's awesome. It calls for mugs and mugs and mugs of tea. I'm on it.

GO!

The new hound + the old hound.

This little guy has been with us for almost 4 weeks. And in that small number of days he has learned to go up and down the stairs himself. He's learned that although the girls are very loud - they are not as scary as they sound. He has learned that he no longers fits under the couch. He has learned that Norman is his bestfriend for life. He's learned that babies are not to be chewed on. That cuteness gets you miles. That baths are not fun but they're mandatory if you poop on yourself. That Dan falls asleep on the couch watching podcasts in the evening and makes a warm body to cuddle with. That I get up faithfully every three hours to let him outside for a pee. That life is good for hounds around these parts.

[Left photo: Norman's singing face.]

So good.

He's got BIG shoes to fill, but he's doing good so far. I miss Crash like crazy, but my heart feels soothed a bit to have him and his silly puppy body stumbling around these parts. Norman is happy to have a buddy. Frank adores beating up on Normie. He's warming up a wee bit every day. He's getting used to us and we are all bonding with his cuteness.

Welcome home, Frank.

There she goes.

And there she goes. Pilot's school journey officially started and it was bittersweet... The chilly, gloomy day did not phase that little bird. She insisted on drawing a picture for her new teacher. She insisted on picking out her own clothes. Brushing her own hair. Zipping up her own jacket. Racing back to give Penn another bear hug before setting off. She insisted on holding my hand all the way to school. And smelling every flower along the way. And looking back for only a brief moment when she was lead, wide-eyed into the primary-coloured classroom. In the half second when she looked back - our eyes met and it was like every memory we share flashed before me and my body made an involuntary attempt to leap forward and grab her back. And I called out for her. Only there was no sound. And that frozen heartbeat turned into a lump in my throat. Which melted into a sigh as they closed the nursery school door and we moved in opposite directions. It was a strange series of seconds that passed through me like a spirit. No, like a poem. Which I am guessing is the just the beginning of the rest of our journey together.

When I picked her up for lunch all seemed right with the world again. The poem was gone. The moment of spirit had blown away and she was just a cute kid on a normal day and I was just a tired mom. We chatted all the way home and then she hugged her sisters. 

Life is funny that way.

When Pilot was born I had a conversation with a teacher about unique names in classrooms. The teacher made it clear that she thought it was really hard on kids to have strange names and it set them up to be ridiculed. I almost felt a little bit guilty. FAST FORWARD. Her class list sounds a little like this: Pilot, Raven, Hope, Micah, Gian, Sawyer, Venus, and on and on. And I smile.

Today: we do it again and in between the life bits I am burning the candle at both ends to make September extraordinary on several different levels. This is one of my favourite months and I am heading into my favourite half of the year with a focus and determination that are driving me to create. I like it. No, I love it.

Life is funny that way.

GO!

Wow + the winners.

Hi Monday. Here are a couple of photos from the new location for the wine+art show. WOW. Pretty inspiring stuff, right? This weekend kind of blew my mind. My family was here to visit us and that is always a great time - the girls were in heaven. We shared drinks with friends. We went to a football game. We lived + loved. And laughed. I had a brainstorming session with GMB Chomichuk that left me more inspired then ever and that little speedbump called sudden-change-of-location for the wine+art show HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT AWESOME. I'm grateful! And excited.

And speaking of SPEEDBUMPS. The comments from Friday's post were INCREDIBLE. Oh wow... It's an amazing + humbling thing to read the stories of what people have overcome. The print winners are posted here but I have two extra sets of prints - would you mind reading through the comments and voting for your favourite? That would be fabulous! If you are one of the comments below - please send me your details so I can mail you the prints from Friday's post. And thanks. Thanks for sharing yourself with me. It means so much....

Thanks again.

Today: is my first baby's first day of pre-school. I am full of reflection... Gratitude. Love. Pride. Excitement. I really didn't know that this day would be so full. So crazy. Oh, and SCRIPTschool starts today! You can still register - the course will be available for a whole year. Which is cool. And so are the leaves that seems to be falling like snow flakes. Hello Fall. Bestill my heart.

Coffee please.

GO!

Crazy Friday + a giveaway.

Hi Friday. I meant to do a DIY about my glamorous bulletin board by my desk. It's not fancy or complicated - it's an 8 foot sheet of galvanized roofing metal. AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. It's a mega-mega bulletin board and now that I can see all of the things that get me jacked up - I can safely say it's my favourite part of my studio. And so is the set of original paintings I've got posted up there this week.

Speaking of paintings. I'm having an art show on SEPT27 and the date is approaching very quickly. We had an abrupt location change yesterday and it threw me for a loop. Initially - it felt like a pretty massive speedbump but today I have new eyes and I'm looking forward to the opportunity. I accept the calling. I am up for the challenge. It's BIGGER. It's BETTER. And BRIGHTER. And so inspiring that I just want to throw myself into a can of paint and die. SO IT'S AN IMPROVEMENT - not a speed bump! The show is called TipsyTipsy and will be at the brand new Children's Museum at the Forks. Cool right? Myself + GMB Chomichuk (both artist parents of young kids) will be showing separately and some together-pieces and our guests will be lucky enough to sample the delicious portfolio of the wine import company called Tipsy Thief Imports. OH. And there will be a unique opportunity to raise money for the Eye Department at the Children's Hospital. And buy original artwork. And prints. And mingle. And be dazzled by the tour de force of creativity that the Children's Museum is the epicentre of. WAY. COOL.

The event is also pretty exclusive. The tickets are free, but you need to get on the list. Please contact me and I'll make sure you get added before it's too late. If you're local + interested View this photo

AND IT'S FRIDAY! Today I have a couple of extra sets of the prints in the photo above. And by couple I mean 5 sets. I want to know what things in your life YOU THOUGHT WERE SPEEDBUMPS but were actually extraordinary gifts. Leave me a comment. Or tweet about it with a link to this post. Or an @kalbarteski mention. I will pick 5 random winners and post them on Monday (which coincidentally is the first day of SCRIPTschool). The winners will be mailed a set of these pretty prints. Good day.

Today: is as crazy as the last day of a short week tends to get. It's all good because it's gonna end with a glass of pinot noir under the twinkly lights on our amazing back deck. With a cuddly puppy in my lap. Goodness.

GO!

SCRIPTschool countdown.

Rollin' with it. I'm working furiously on the finishing touches for SCRIPTschool. I LOVE IT. I did the last couple of videos and it's ready to roll ON MONDAY. I love this class. I love technical information. I love sharing. I love script + brushes + tips. The hardest part was keeping it short (which I JUST COULDN'T DO).

Are you registered?

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Today has been about rolling with the punches. The location for the art show (in 2 weeks) was changed unexpectedly after a series of hurdles. OUCH. Wouldn't you know it - just as I picked up the printed invites. The bad news: it's a bummer. The good news: we found a new location and things will carry on as planned. PS. It's an INVITE ONLY show so if you're in town and you want to come check out my new stuff before I start posting it on the blog - leave me comment so I can get you on the list. NEW STUFF. Great wine. Some combo work with GMB Chomichuk. Guaranteed to be a good, laid-back time and a crazy-inspiring location. It's show CRUNCH TIME and my adrenaline is flowing. My all-nighters are starting. My inspiration is boiling over.

Booyah. Happy Thursday.

Creative cocktails.

Photo by C.D. Muckosky.

This image is from Elise's visit. It was super fun to be able to connect internet pals in real life. Goodness is out there.

Today: more to come. COFFEE first. Preschool meet-the-teacher next. Painting after that.

GO!