[i] LoveLife

Australia, wine + owls.

 

IT'S NO SECRET. I've love Australia. I spent a nice chunk of time there in 2003 and rang in 2004 in the Sydney Harbour. I love wine. I spend a fair number of evenings in the front porch sipping on something red after the girls are asleep AND MY NEXT SHOW HAS A WINE THEME. I love line drawings! They are one of my favourite types of art. I love owls. My last art show centered around them and was graced by a couple of live beauties.

I got an email last year inquiring about creating a line-drawing owl image for a special wine out of Australia - and it was the Universe calling. DESIGN FOR A WINERY was something on my LIFE LIST. Check! I thought I'd share a picture of the final product. This is a shiraz and from what I hear it's been a BIG HIT DOWN UNDER. Canada is a bit of a stodgy country when it comes to importing wine SO I WILL LIKELY NEVER GET TO SAMPLE THE WINE. But, I hope if you're in Australia you will have a glass for me and toast the greatness of the internet. [ We are about to start work on the 2011 design. So cool. Vinous has been fantastic to work with (thanks Tim!). ]

HEY. My friend Brené Brown brought to my attention that it's END MALARIA DAY. So let's help END IT. Seems like the right thing to do. There's a cool book called: END MALARIA: Bold Innovation, Limitless Generosity, and the Opportunity to Save a Life. $20 from evey sale will go to Malaria No More. That's 100% of the Kindle price, and 80% of the hard copy. That's pretty awesome. I bought mine.

Today: This is the last Girl Tribe day before Pilot starts everyday preschool! (Geeez, that was a quick 3.75 years!) We have lots of fun things planned to distract Pilot + Poet from the fact that they are getting checkups (and likely needles) this morning. I am not anticipating this doctor visit to be SMOOTH or QUIET. Or easy. Or happy. Or free from drama. But it is my hope that the nightmare will be forgotten over icecream for lunch and an afternoon at the pool with friends. (I know I will forget the drama when I am sharing a bottle of wine with my besties tonight for our celebration dinner.) Wish us luck!

GO!

Frank.

Short + happy (+ the winners).

This short video makes me happy. I love stop-motion films and I am especially pleased with how my first try turned out. Every day I get more excited to share my process + tricks at SCRIPTschool. I love to share and I have been putting my heart + soul into making this an unforgettable class. I'd love it if you could help me spread the word. Please, share the video. Maybe there's someone you know who enjoy this class as much as I will.

SHORT: this is a short week (after a long weekend in Canada) and that fact makes me happy. OH, AND Fall is here! It's subtle, but it's here. The temperatures are dipping, the leaves are turning, it's back-to-school and the pumpkins are almost ready. I LOVE FALL. I love it. I can hardly contain my smile when I go outside and realize that I should GO BACK IN AND GET A SCARF. And boots. Yay! This week is supposed to be warm, but after THAT the cinnamon sticks are coming out. Yay!

HAPPY: I love to give things away. The winners from Friday's giveaway are posted below. I had so much fun reading the comments - I've decided that I'm going to to giveaways every Friday. They make me feel good. If you are are one of the commenters from below - please send me an email with your details so we can mail you out your winning print sets.

There is so much to celebrate. Sometimes you just need to look around. (Thanks for playing with me.)

Today: I am getting course materials ready. I'm getting art show materials ready. I'm feeling a renewed sense of GO now that the deadlines are crowding me a little. Hello September. My mind is whirling. Expect more blog posts than usual this week. Some sneak peeks on my Pinterest boards. Some tweets. And a couple of new photos of that really cute pup named Frank.

I love you, September. GO!

Shhhhh...

It's a holiday here today + that's good news because I have 3 ladies, 2 pups, and 1 guy that I want to have adventures with. See you tomorrow...

What I think + a giveaway.

I think that Fridays should be celebrated by more than just a Happy Hour. I really do. A Happy DAY? A Happy WEEKEND? Maybe I'm on to something. ;) This week was terrific. Not only was cool Elise here for a fun visit, but I got my studio into a bit of shape, I got my September list organized, and I was inspired forty times over by the goodness of people. Love is better when you give it away. CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION, I say. I also found a box of prints that I totally forgot about. SO LET'S DO A GIVEAWAY.

Leave me a comment and I'll pick 5 random winners. FRIDAY/givings. Those pretty winners will get the two prints in the graphic. The hello friend and the purity flip flops from the LOVELIFE collection. In honour of friends and summer. You want them? Leave me an idea of what you're celebrating on this Happy Day. (The lion is a SOLD OUT magnet from the same collection and NOT included in the giveaway.)

Bon voyage Elise. (I think she will be back!)

Bon voyage Summer.

Today: It's GAME ON. I will be working like the dickens this month and when I come up for air IT WILL BE OCTOBER and I will be drowning in tall boots + chunky sweaters. I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR. Happy Long Weekend!

GO!

Joy + good times.

Hi. We're having an OK time here in the middle of the continent. And by OK - I really mean radical. We're keeping her. It's a funny thing to meet someone on the internet and grow to love them... but it's EVEN CRAZIER when you meet them in person and they surpass your expactations. Couldn't be happier. Elise is here from California and we are spending time in the regular days that happen here at house90.

**IF YOU WANT TO DROP INTO SAY HI - we are going to head to Finn McCue's @ the Forks tonight for creativity beers. At 8pm. Come say hi. Come and meet a real live internet celebrity. She's great.

Today: WE ARE MAKING ART. The inspiration is through the roof and you will find us sitting in my studio in the treetops MAKING STUFF. MAKING STUFF. Bringing it. Drinking coffee and getting messy with gouache. She's going to teach me how to use a MINI book (do you have yours?)

Sweet! GO!