Monica's Cafe

I have moved!!

2009-01-24T08:36:00.002-05:00

I have a new spot for my blog, I am hoping to have it nestled into my site in the next couple days (help, Tom!) In the meantime, you can find it at his link! Tell me what you think!

http://monicalee.typepad.com/monicaleestudios/

Michelle wearing Isabel!

2009-01-20T14:22:00.003-05:00

Did you see this? I simply cannot imagine that you didn't! Michelle Obama is reviving some talented but slightly unsung designers! This dress was designed by Isabel Toledo, a daring Cuban born designer who (as my illustrator friends may know) is the wife of fashion illustrator Ruben Toledo. Ruben did all of Nordstroms Fall advertising illustrations last year. He and his wife are a very talented eclectic pair. When I first saw the dress, I thought? brocade, what is it? No, almost an eyelet type cut work with a shimmer underneath, very pretty in close shots! My son who mysteriously became ill before school this morning is hold up with me in front of my office TV. We had blue and red m n m's to celebrate the Inaguration. I saw the daytime shimmer on this dress and was unsure at first, it did seem rather early in the day BUT after I saw all the other women (ugh!) I thought-Thank God for Michelle Obama! Loved the green J Crew gloves and colored shoes and the girls...bright orange and blue, happy! Thank you that you brightened a cold day with the REAL sentiment of the day-bright and hopeful. Fun! (AP/ photo Jae C .Hong)

Studio

2009-01-17T12:23:00.006-05:00

After coming home from NY I had to jump right into a deadline so I did a big clean up of my studio. It really helped clear my head. I always like to see other artists studio pictures. So many are bright and colorful. I really had to scale my small space back on color and use creams and whites, I work best this way. I realized that my whole house is in a soothing palette (except my kitchen). I am guessing since my art is so colorful that when I get up from my desk I need neutral tones. That's my story anyway, it sounds sophisticated. It may actually be because I can't commit to any strong colors in my home because I would want to change them too often. (The last place I lived was red, red and more red, yikes!) So I have not posted yet about the whole Printsource experience-sorry, I am still digesting it all. It was actually a small show but I did meet people whose blogs I follow, Lilla Rogers and her gang, Jill McDonald and her nice hubby and Tara Reed. I am very glad I am committed to be IN the Surtex show this May but I do think I have a heck of a lot of art to produce between now and then. I have art that I want to redo, new art I want to create AND I don't think I mentioned I just signed a contract on a book deal with LOTS of illustrations in it. Teen/tween right up my alley. All that art talk makes me want to take a nap! See that couch and my great grandmothers quilt in the pic above? I call it the magic quilt and sometimes it call out to me ..."Nap, Monica! Nap and then do art....!"

Pause here before moving forward

2009-01-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

Morning! I just got back from Printsource and have so much to tell you about it! But first a bit of venting. Apparently my computer was quite mad at me for being neglected for 2 days and decided to act up this morning....although I have recently heard a rumor that a certain loved one of mine worked in Photoshop for "only 2 minutes" and now the program won't let me save files as jpegs AT ALL. This can prove to be a bit tricky considering I have to pump some art out TODAY! Anyhoo, I will post a long blog in a bit about at the things I saw in New York after I get a bit of work squeaked out. Duty calls! I did want to post this this complimentary piece to my groovy girl prints below. I named this one Desert Girl. I have a passion for turquoise and all the coral and brown shade that go with it. I spent quite a bit of my childhood in the Southwest and my brain still loves the colors! See ya later after I have painted a bit!

My Cutie Pootie

2009-01-12T08:47:00.003-05:00

My sister was digging through her files and emailed me a bunch of photos that I must have emailed her a few years ago. These are of Luke and I down on Cape Cod. He was such a cutie in his Ladybug boots (I did try to talk him into to frog boots but he knew what he wanted). He is a big 11 years old now but I think he still looks just like this except his face is thinner. Is that just a mom talking? My girlfriend Elisabeth was visiting that summer and she always takes fun photos. I remember on the way home Luke started making 'beep' noises in the back seat-which he continued to do for roughly an hour straight. Finally Elisabeth broke down, "Is that noise driving you crazy?!" she squeaked trying to be polite but clearly exasperated. "What noise?" I replied. It is funny how your brain changes when you are a mother? As long as he wasn't not crying, it all becomes white noise. This weekend Luke and Connor where playing out in the fresh snow. I could hear them laughing and shouting. It was the perfect sound to curl up under my favorite quilt and fall asleep to! Boys are wonderful, I don't care what anyone says!

From this to this....

2009-01-07T13:44:00.004-05:00

I started out with a color palette and a few drawings and decided to design more fabric to make a "groovy floral apron". I just ordered the coffee fabric from spoonflower below and I got so excited! I also got that start of the New Year focus I was looking for ( a week late but at least it came.) I decided I wanted at LEAST 2 coordinating prints and then it grew to 4 . Then I decided it would make a really cute quilt but if I was going to design matching prints I should lay it out like a quilt. So so very fun! So in a matter of days, I ignored all the other work that I should have been doing and got caught up in this! I am already pestering my mother to sew the aprons for me. ALTHOUGH I do actually know how to sew and I AM going to pick it up again this year. I did think-however that I have a cousin that is a great seamstress too and my mom said she reads my blog and maybe Sue, if you are out there you might like to take some of the fabrics that I am about to print and make up some cute things for me...Isn't it funny how I can always find work for other people, when the ideas were actually part of MY to do list?! I think I just needed to shake off the lingering pineneedles of the holidays, climb down off my sugar cookie high and spend a couple days at my desk!

Help, it's Monday!

2009-01-05T08:54:00.003-05:00

Ok, It is Jan. 5. The holidays are officially over. My husband was all abuzz this weekend with his new business book. He issued the challenge to himself and his office mates to go to work today as if it were your very first day at work. UGH. I tried get on the bandwagon and I dug through all my old business books to get inspired. We even sojourned to Barnes and Noble with gift cards in hand and I searched in every section for an inspiring book that I could sink into for the weekend to get me feeling like today was my first day at my new business. So here I am sitting down with my second cup of coffee and all I can say is more please!

What I actually am doing is cleaning my office, organizing some of my file folders into work that has not been scanned and developed yet and into art that needs to be reworked. I re stacked books and took everything that needs returning and placed it in another room completely. I found my phone headset(lost for some time) but it is 9:02 am and I need more coffee!!! The first day of work is exhausting! Will any of the new employees take me to lunch? Will my boss notice if I slip out to do returns or go to the gym? Did anyone bring doughnuts for the break room? OH! That's right...I am the boss, there are no doughnuts and I would have to actually take a shower before I ran out to do returns. I think I am going to let my husbands zeal go out the door when he heads to work and in the meantime I am going to spruce the place up a bit and get to work.

New Year of Attitude!

2008-12-30T10:53:00.004-05:00

In keeping with my New Years theme...I dug out an old journal and did a bit of end of the year reading. I found this question that I posed to myself... If your ART could tell why it exists, what would it say? My answers were to make someone smile, to lift a spirit and to give joy, style and color into everyday life.

I think my answer for my art would be the same this year. I would like it a step further and apply that question to another part of myself. If my spirit could say why it exists, what would it say? To have joy, joy lifts people spirits, and to somehow give hope to and encourage others. Maybe also to be original. An original spirit, people that tap into their originality (and yes God made us all completely original) as a general rule bring other people joy and inspire them. Now for the tough part of these questions...Am I conveying all that? Yikes. Well, it is nice to have goals and aspirations anyway. Sounds rather lofty but I guess if I wanted to convey all that I would definitely quit sweating the small stuff, since the small stuff can be distracting. You know what I am talking about, "Why do I have to unload the dishwasher AGAIN?" "Why is this line so LONG?" Whine, Whine, Me, Me. This year is going to be "Fun, Fun!" "Create! Create!" "Joy!" and a wee bit of eccentricity too.

By the way, my husband asked me yesterday, "How were you eccentric today?" Pressure! Geez...give a gal a break. All I could come up with was I polished off a bunch of brownies and followed it up with a salad to make it all seem OK. I think I better look up the word eccentric to see what it really means.

So this is a print I am playing with right now. I am going to have this made into a fabric and the prints in the corner are what I am experimenting to coordinate with it. I think it would make a cute apron!

Resolve.

2008-12-26T14:37:00.007-05:00

So my charming and terribly handsome husband has penned his New Years Resolutions. Over that last few years I have really embraced this ritual. It usually takes on the form of readjusting my goals for the year. The very phrase "New Year Resolution" has somehow acquired a bad connotation. I buy a new blank journal and begin feverishly jotting down what I would like to accomplish in the next 12 months. I form new business plans laced with personal goals.

Some ideas I completely embrace and others will make it onto the list again this year.

Some things that came to fruition this past year were redirecting my career into licensing my art. I think I have mentioned that I had toyed with the idea for some time and jumped in last winter and now have a good body of work and some new contracts. My hubby built me a slick new site and I am organizing my work to show at the Surtex Show this May. I am really glad I wrote it all down, it sort of etched the plan into my life. A few months ago I considered not showing at Surtex since I have some upcoming legal expenses this year (ugh!). But I do believe there is a ( absolutely) divine plan for me and I have made up my mind that it is going to all work for the best. I think if I had not written it down and told all my friends and colleagues what my plan was, I might have gotten knocked off course.

Another plan from last year was to join a gym, the final step in to really taking my health back, no excuses! It has been great...I feel stronger than ever and I can (sort of) eat chocolate without much guilt, ha! I do recommend this...guilt free chocolate eating is has brought me to a new level of nirvana.

Something that didn't make it from last year was starting to sew again. It took almost an entire year for me to purchase a new machine. It now sits under my art table unopened. I keep having to cancel the "Get to Know Your Machine Class" it just is NOT fitting into my schedule. But since I am going to design my own fabrics and have them made up by Spoonflower (this year's resolution) I simply must break the seal on the box and get started.

This year I am determined to spiff up my blog (I know, I know, I have been talking about that for awhile too!) I am going to attempt to do this without the help of the charming, handsome husband because for some reason he does not support this endeavor. I mean, he does and he doesn't...Anyhoo...maybe the mere mention of it will change his mind.

THE BIG RESOLUTION is to get a little eccentric this year. This may sound odd maybe but a couple of years ago a friend of mine told me to embrace my inner artist and I did embrace my inner commercial artist and now am making it full time as illustrator. But there is something inside me that wants more more MORE! When I first met Tom I told him about an older female rancher I had met in Texas years ago. She had on a white tunic with gobs of beautiful turquoise belts, bracelets and necklaces on. As the perfect foil to her outfit she had on bright pink lipstick, I fell instantly in love. I was dressing mannequins at the time and her daughter and granddaughter were shopping so she thought she would come talk to me, the window dresser. She looked wonderful, carried herself proudly and I new instantly that she was an original spirit . I told Tom that I wanted to be just like her when I grew old. I think he might have fallen in love that day (good man). Over the years I had met many other women like her on my flights, interesting, happy with themselves and a bit over the top. Not to be too self involved (but it is my blog) I think I am very happy and pretty interesting but I am not over the top. YET. I live in suburban MA and am caught in some New England vortex. I can't really describe it without sounding a bit rude and I assure I don't mean to be but I may be missing my gay flight attendant friends complimenting my purses and strolling through the streets of Paris. Now I am a mom that sits patiently in the carpool lane and knits at hockey practice. How am I supposed to become the beautiful old rancher woman when every time I go to buy more turquoise jewelry I tell myself I have quite enough thank you! And do not even think of buying more? What common sense has taken over my body and mind?! It must stop! What do I think? I will reach 70 and simply become a wonderful eccentric woman overnight? I think this new mind set may be overtaking me already because I actually stood in my bathroom today with scissors in my hand about to cut my own hair! Gasp, my hairdresser would kill me! I recently got a neat little hair style that I hate, I belong in the messy hair category and I think I need to stay in this category, neat house, messy hair-that's more me. This year is going to be about becoming more ...me. More relaxed, more outspoken (my poor friends) and more fun.

I have decided to apply this to my art too, more humor, more fabulousness! Less asking "Would this sell?" and more asking, "Is it clever, maybe a bit silly, then let's do it!"

What are your plans? Please tell me I am not alone in all this. I promise to still sit patiently in the carpool line and I promise my father to spell check all my emails but I am not getting and younger although I will try to use better punctuation in my blog but REALLY!!! Isn't being eccentric a lot more interesting?

It is getting closer...

2008-12-22T15:10:00.004-05:00

Only a few days away now! I spent the morning, actually most the day, wrapping Christmas gifts. I kept getting up for Christmas cookies, something about wrapping that makes me hungry I guess. I actually decided to get out and about after several days couped up at home because of all the snow. I got in my gym gear, pulled up in front of the gym and realized I still had my Uggs on and my sneakers were at home. Do I sound distracted lately? Anyway, I headed back home and worked out at home....must keep the bum from getting too big from cookie eating.

However all this staying at home had me popping out lots of Christmas art! Switching gears and concentrating on that genre was a great idea. I have so much Christmas art work to scan and play with, I hardly know where to begin. This is a pattern I worked on...I wish I could have been wrapping my gifts in it. I would add some sparkle to the snow...I love that little bit of sparkle stuff at Christmas!

All Snuggled In

2008-12-19T13:25:00.002-05:00

We are expecting a big snow storm today! I ran around yesterday and did all my last minute errands. Of course I didn't get all groceries I needed and had go to back to the grocery store this morning. New Englanders are funny. Will everyone even use all the eggs and milk they bought? I got sidetracked by all the grocery buying frenzy and now have 3 dozens eggs in my fridge. One thing that I decided to do was set aside the spring time prints I was working on and jump into working on my Christmas imagery. I can't imagine a better time to draw snowmen than when it is snowing!

Holiday Tags

2008-12-16T13:53:00.002-05:00

I ran across this blog How About Orange and I thought I would share it with you. Cute blog, I think I have looked at her hang bags on Etsy before, really cute Christmas Stockings in her etsy Shop. I wish I could buy new Christmas Stocking every single year...I just love them. Do you think my husband would notice? I did just buy a new sewing machine, I could make my own. Pleeeze! Even as I type that, I am thinking "what are you, nuts?" How do people have all this time on their hands to be so creative? Maybe I appear that way too. Naaaah. Maybe they don't have children. How does Helen from Orange You Lucky do it ALL and have kids? Maybe it is because she lives in cold land and spends a ton of time indoors. Maybe it is because both of these women have used the word ORANGE in their marketing. Maybe Orange has some weird superpower. I used to hate that color but I was 8 when I thought that. I have wised up and only hate teal and burgundy now. Anyway, these tags are from Martha Stewart and you can ddownload them and use them. It is easier going to the How About Orange blog to do it rather than to try to dig around Martha's site. If you print them out on the big sheets of mailing labels all you have to do it cut and stick! Something easy for the holidays!

Are you ready?

2008-12-12T15:53:00.002-05:00

How is all your planning going? I guess I am addressing mostly women on that question and you know what I mean! Shopping and wrapping and decorating, and cooking and plotting and planning and just plain running around! I loaded my car up with 5 Christmas CD's. I am doing the whole holiday thing, feeling like I have it all together. I am even patting myself on the back for simplifying a bit this year and not digging out EVERY single decoration of mine. Today I ran out to the store since my family's dinner plans changed (ice storm north of us, tepid temps here). I came home with the intent to throw all my ingredients in the crock pot but I got sidetracked, dipped into emails, ended up on the phone with my mother. Later I walked into the kitchen with all my ground meat and chicken sitting out on the kitchen counter, ugh! 5 second rule? Was I home 15 minutes, 30 minutes? How long had I been home from the store? Christmas can get the best of us and it is supposed to be such a holiday of fun and celebration! I had a class I was supposed to attend tonite as I type this post I think my heart is saying CANCEL the class, stay home with the boys and eat the crock pot chili! Do nothing!! Just sit around in jammie pants and plan nothing!

Family Fun

2008-12-09T15:40:00.003-05:00

I was trolling through some digital files and found these old photos of my family. My big sis is so cute. I always love seeing my parents wedding pictures. It was so 50's. My parents just visited over Thanksgiving. We had such a nice time. Now my mom and dad are getting ready to pack up and see my sister for a Tender Tennessee Christmas. I will be missing them over the holiday but I am happy mom and dad are getting their fill. Probably too full of daughters in fact! Ha!

As for me, I just wiped out a lot of my shopping, sitting right at my desk...LOVE that online shopping! Now I can take a breather and enjoy my Christmas lights! No tree yet, I am phasing the decor in. Hope you are getting some relaxing in!

'Tis the season

2008-12-03T10:51:00.003-05:00

I am trying to make a conscious decision to stay at perfect peace this holiday season. So I thought I would post this Christmas card that I designed. Thanksgiving was hectic and yet so nice. My parents came in from Texas for a week. It was a super visit. The turkey turned out perfect and today I am busy at my desk catching up on work and emails and plotting my holiday schedule for Dec. that includes everything from hockey games to a couple of birthdays and decorating and Christmas shopping. Oh, did I forget about working?! But I think PEACE is the word I will keep foremost in my mind. I really soaked in being surrounded by my family over Thanksgiving and it was great, the mess and cooking did not get to me because I kept thinking "Enjoy all these warm, lovable people in your life right now at this moment." It really worked. So I am going to go into December the same way...getting the tree is going to be fun this weekend and I am not even putting any pressure on myself to decorate it right away...I am just going to soak it all in with a smile and with peace. The Christmas parties are fun, not stress! Sometimes we forget to just be happy someone has invited us to their homes! So Peace be to you on the first week of this busy month!

Happy Days!

2008-11-24T09:29:00.004-05:00

So I headed over to SUINK to look at all the cards made from all the stamps I designed. I as always am so impressed at what these women do with the stamps. They are just so darling! Cute Cute! My parents are here for Thanksgiving...so I have to keep it short! Have the greatest Turkey Day ever!

New Portfolio Images

2008-11-19T11:04:00.005-05:00

I have been whittling away at my "to-do" list. One of the things I wanted to do was join childrens illustrator.com again. I joined it only for during its first year and really did not get any work from it. But I talked to some of my illustrator friends and I think the site has found its way onto art directors lists. I think it is a bit awkward to navigate which is what I think of most portfolio sites. I am a tired and true theispot fan and their new look works even better as far as finding talent. I go to these sites and act like I am hunting for art and see what I instinctively come up with. I wanted to join Altpick also figuring it would bring my art to a bit of an edgier audience but I find this site particularly hard to navigate. Maybe edgy people use different parts of their brains to search the Internet.

It was fun to dig around and find my tween and teen art to put up on childrensillustrator.com. I found these 2 pieces and forgotten that I created these when I was just starting to combine ink drawing and collage. I think on my "to do" list will be a few more tween pieces for this site, maybe there is even a post card mailing in my future. (now I am just talkin' smack!)

Finally...the perfect cup!

2008-11-13T16:23:00.002-05:00

Last year I tried and tried to make the perfect cup of hot chocolate. I can't really do the typical store bought hot cocoa because of the whole wheat/gluten intolerance thing I have. If you read the ingredients of some store bought cocoa it have all sorts of weird unrecognizable things in it. I tired buying pure dutch cocoa...mix it with sugar and corn starch and it just wasn't the right mix. Plus-I don't really drink a lot of diary (an aftermath of Celiac) and who wants to heat up milk with the risk if scalding it? ANYHOO..For all you are a chocolate lovers, I have concocted a delicious mix that is even a little spicy. I searched the shelves of Whole Foods for just the right mix. I found this wonderful spicy hot chocolate mix from Dagoba. It has chilies and cinnamon in it but it is pretty spicy and I have to mix it with regular cocoa to cut the bite. Also you know how hot chocolate can get lumpy? Mine doesn't! This is what I do... 1 Tablespoon of non fat dry milk

1 Tablespoon of Dogoba XOCOLATI

1 Tablespoon All Natural Hot chocolate (I use Lake Champlain from Whole Foods, it is not too sweet)

I put it all in a super big cup and mix a small amount of water and whisk/stir it until it makes a thick paste. THEN add you hot water, stir again and YUM! Drink up!

It is just a bit spicy, not too sweet and no lumps and no upset tummy (for me)! It is the perfect afternoon snack! All of these ingredients that I use are organic and in this instance I think the quality makes a difference and in these times you are worth a yummy good quality cup of cocoa to keep you toasty and happy. HEY! I just got an idea...I think I will whip this up as Christmas treats for friends..ohhhhh, good idea! I wish I could put it in this cup I drew...that would be cute and yummy!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2008-11-11T10:34:00.002-05:00

This is from the USA collection that I did a while a back. I thought it would be good to put up today! I would like to develop each of my collections further. NO, I WILL develop these collections further! My illustration group met this last weekend. Barb made us all go around and say OUTLOUD what we were planning on accomplish in the next six months. It was really a great thing to do. I was completely motivated! It is so nice to be able to get out of the studio and talk and brainstorm with other artists!

Mermaid Love

2008-11-07T11:57:00.002-05:00

Here is a piece did recently. I did several drawing of Mermaids but this is the only one I have added color to so far. I designed patterns along with the mermaid and am hoping to make this a complete collection. I have her for sale in my Etsy shop. My girlfriend Laura and I were contemplating selling your licensing art to manufacturers and selling the same work as prints on Etsy. Do you overlap that market? Ultimately we decided yes...the Etsy shop might give you an avenue to see what sells well.

I think I mentioned in a few blogs my lack of focus lately. I am so deadline oriented that when I give myself free creative time it is simply not as productive. Time to structure my free creative time. UGH! How awful does that sound? But really, if I look at this mermaid piece there is an entire story that goes with her and I need to press myself to get it all done and see if it works. I like her...she just might need a few friends! So when is that due? ha! I need an agenda set up like my sons at school! It makes a difference if there is someone down the line waiting on the art! So I need to be my own client and demand that this all get done by next week!

Did you see this?

2008-11-04T11:22:00.002-05:00

Ok Artists, take note! Here is an article that says that this original A.A. Milne sketch (sketch, mind you) is expected to fetch over $30, 000 at auction today. Sometimes when we are racing through assignments to meet deadlines or to fatten our portfolios maybe we should stop and ask ourselves if we are producing art as memorable as A.A. Milne's art. It would be interesting to have been his friend during this time. Did he rush through the work trying to meet a deadline or did he dip into this make believe world and become a part of it? That is what happens to most of us when we read Winnie The Pooh and see the art.

Milne's art always makes me slow down. Since I am in love with what I call "line quality", Milne's art has always had a special place in my heart. It even makes me think of a piece I am working on now. I love the sketches but I have been toying with what I will do next because I am wondering how it will scan and how I will color it. I was thinking of using a digital collage style for this current piece but looking at Milne's art is giving me a bit of pause. There is really something to art that is completely done by hand. I hope it sells for more than they plan.

Book Cover

2008-11-02T11:38:00.004-05:00

One of the things about working on a book cover is, the length of time you need to keep mum about it. I am always excited to post what I am working on but know that publishers are careful about their own "big reveals". I went over to Deva Fagan's blog, who is the books author, and saw she had the cover and pictures of the galleys up so now I will post the art. This turned out to be such and interesting read. It is a Young Adult novel, suitable for a tween that is a good reader (the content is fine) and also a good read for an adult. Something that you can read together actually. I have a girlfriend, Susan, whose belong to a book club with her daughter .(Isn't that a good idea?) This would be and excellent book club read.

BUT on to the art....ha! I love it when publishers are open to letting the illustration flow right onto the back cover. I think this wrap around style can set the entire mood of a novel. In her blog Deva mentioned that I chose a night scene. I did! There was a specific night scene in the book that was so descriptive and romantic. As soon as I read it, I felt like I was there so that is the image I pushed for. Fun! I believe the book comes out this Spring!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T10:05:00.002-05:00

Halloween is here! This is a fun holiday. I have all my candy spread out on my dining room table. Tom and I were accessing our stash last night. We ran out of candy at 7:30 last year. We have a very popular trick or treat neighborhood! This was a promo piece with a bunch of my Halloween images on it, I have so many more. I don't seem to get tired of orange and black and purple! I am trying to not eat too much candy before the night begins and I am planning a a nice hot soup for dinner so I won't spend the night doing what? Eating candy!!!! No wonder we ran out last year!

Nursery Rhymes!

2008-10-29T15:45:00.006-05:00

So I am adding all sorts of images to my Etsy shop. I added these baby images. They look good with the whites mattes, I need to some photos of the pieces. I have uploaded them onto the site but I think there is something to seeing the final printed product. A project for tomorrow! I am having fun doing all this and after thinking about it for so long. I am glad that I have jumped in!

Whew it is a lot of uploading and I want to get back to painting!

Etsy Shop!

2008-10-26T12:55:00.004-05:00

Ok! I have done it! I opened an Etsy shop selling prints of my illustrations. I covertly have been plotting this out. I ordered white mattes because I think a matte is a nice option if you are giving a print as a gift. I researched paper to have the art printed on. That was fun! I ended up with some beautiful cotton rag-just lovely- especially if you have always been a paper lover like me! I have also been arranging the work in files, sizing it and and generally spiffing it up over the last few weeks. Today I have been posting my first category "The Girls". I will have Children and Wine also. Girls, Wine and Children...hmmm, what does that say about me and and my girlfriends? ha! So I figured out how to list items, set my prices and loaded them up. I needed a break from formatting so I thought I would blog an announcement! I am NOT the greatest photographer but I wanted to take some photos to show how the art is fitted into the matte! I need to get better at that. The Shop name is Monica Lee (pretty original, huh? It was my original username and it is my name soooo branding, branding right?). If you all have any tips for an Etsy newbie, please send the advice my way!!

2008-10-24T07:20:00.003-05:00

I guess I just couldn't say goodbye to summer since I produced the painting (on the bottom) of this summer girl and her puppy last week. I love playing with that madras plaid pattern that I water colored in her dress. I had spent some time creating quite a few watercolor "patterns" and it is tricky to use that medium and be successful. I just keep at it though! I created these trees within the last couple weeks too. I know these two images have nothing to do with each other I think I just keep trying to take watercolor, which I believe is wonder when illustrating people, and some how putting into a repeat pattern like these tree trunks. Ha! Well, experimenting is a good thing! Sometimes when I try something like the trees (above) I will watercolor them and then take the same sketch create it using pen and ink and maybe some digital color. Then I hang them up in my studio for a couple days. My family usually wonders in and tosses out a couple of opinions. Boys and men, the ultimate critics! It helps actually. If you have read my blog of any amount of time, I have had a continuing dialogue about whether I should take water color illustrations out of my portfolio. I have often felt that using multiple mediums makes my portfolio appear to have too many different "styles". I can mentally run down the work on my online portfolio and both mediums have gotten me work so I finally relaxed and decided that it just "is what it is". One thing I have realized recently is that if I cannot focus or if I am a anxious about something in my personal life, sitting down and using old fashioned paint and paper calms my mind. When I have an actual paintbrush in my hand I have no choice but to completely concentrate on the task at hand. Especially when I am using a medium like watercolor where mistakes cannot be easily erased!

Coat Design Contest

2008-10-17T07:35:00.004-05:00

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by Leanne who has organized a contest for a fashion coat design. She is an activist and strict vegan and a beauty herself and has a passion for fashion and using Eco fair materials. Of course when someone praises your work you always want to rise to the occasion so I entered 3 designs in her Vaute Couture contest. I went out of a limb not with the intention of winning per se because they are actually going to create the winning designs. I designed each coat with prints that were specific to the cut of the garment. I think it makes for a fab illustration (actually if it could be affordably produced, a fab coat too!) so these are the designs that I sent. The top one, (in gray) and evening coat got an honorable mention. Yeah! You can actually go to the site at Vaute Couture and VOTE for the winning design. I haven't done it yet but I noticed the voting ends Monday so I need to today. BUT if I had to vote for a coat I would wear out of MY three entries that I would actually wear.....I think it would be the white pea coat with the embroidery. No wait, I take that back...it would be the mid length coat I am a sucker for a cute outfit, beret and tights included!

Cyclocross

2008-10-14T09:41:00.004-05:00

So, what a great weekend we had!! We have decided we like cyclocross! Cyclocross is a weird off road bike race where the riders ride in dirt and mud/sand and pick up their (special and expensive bikes) during the hilly course. We went up to Gloucester, Ma for a big race. It was a gorgeous weekend! Luke, Tom and I could not have had a better time. We were sad we didn't bring our border collie though, because everyone brought their dogs! This picture above is of the women's race, a point in the race where they pick up their bikes and jump hurdles! Each race is about and hour and these riders were in pain by the end! Luke has serious plans to be in the kids race next year....not quite as hard as this...he came home and started training! cute!

Lottie Frank

2008-10-10T08:18:00.003-05:00

So this is some of Lucy's work from Lottie Frank. I don't know if you clicked through the link last week to her etsy shop. I ended up emailing her and asking permission to show her work on my blog. I see other people post other peoples art on their blogs and I never know whether they have received permission... I know it is not like you are using it as a reproduction but it is a gray area for me. If you thoughts on that pass them on to me. Everyone I have ever asking to show their work has been very gracious. Anyway, Lucy is great and I feel like I made a new friend across the pond. Lucy is from Britain. I forgot to mention to her how much time I spent in London as an international flight attendant. I got quite spoiled, we stayed in South Kensington. I do miss the layover but not the flights over!

I am about to open my own Etsy shop with some of my illustrations for sale. I have been thinking about it for some time and then it all came together in my head. Yikes! I have totally seen my pattern repeat itself again....I mull things over for some time in my head and then (thankfully) it happens. When I realized that I actually accomplish what I plan in my head has been freeing to me. Now if I can bring that mulling over time down to a more reasonable amount of days (months) I will be all set!

Yummy!

2008-10-07T12:45:00.005-05:00

A new season has arrived in New England and even though I have not outgrown any of my current shoes crowding my closet somehow a change of season always seems to be an excuse to just squeeze in one more pair. This illustration is one I have been playing with as a promo piece and I decided to girly it up this morning and add the florals. Now that I think about it I do have a brown boot in my closet that has embroidery on it. It is tone on tone but actually it would be cute if the embroidery were more colorful like these boots. Wouldn't these be fun peaking out from under your jeans? Sometimes a girl just needs shoes.

Friday Favs, Danita and Lucy!

2008-10-03T09:20:00.004-05:00

Wow! I haven't blogged since Tuesday. I have thought about it a lot but haven't actually done it. What does that say about where my head is!? I have not done a Friday Favs in a bit. I do have a few new artists and things and ideas booked marked. The first is danita art. Click to her etsy shop for a full range of her work. I found her on Etsy and she is spread out on several sites selling her art. I think she is original and has a very distinct style. Then I also found Lucy Claydon an artist who works under the name Lottie Frank. I think I must have seen her before in one of my fashion illustration books because the name and her style is familiar to me. I was surfing around Etsy because I was thinking about selling some of my more fashion based illustrations online. I did 3 new fashion illos this weekend, I am not sure if I can post them, actually I don't know why I can't...anyhoo and I just sunk into it and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I keep a creative/business journal and I was asking myself "how does making this type of art make you feel?" Excited? Bored? And "how does making that type of art make you feel?" Nervous, excited and slightly uncomfortable. Hmmmm, interesting emotions and I think for me good ones, slightly uncomfortable means I am pushing myself to think differently about my art and my surroundings. There I was in my previous post asking about how I could make sure I was bringing cash flow in if the economy took a dip (or dive). And I think my conclusion is to head in the direction that makes me nervous, excited and slightly uncomfortable.

Is the sky falling?

2008-09-30T07:05:00.004-05:00

Good Morning America! Have you been watching the news? Are you shaken up yet? Has the news made you question your work and your security? I have been a bit obsessed with watching CNN and Fox news and have even taken to tevoing Glenn Beck! Stop the madness, Monica! But I am ultimately a practical person and sometimes I can't understand how my creative self works with my practical self. But all this has lead me to thinking about my career over the next year. I made a leap into licensing this year and am quite committed to it. This has not stopped me from my editorial illustration but I am in a quandary about where and how to spend my marketing dollar. If I concentrate on licensing designs will there be manufacturers still around to produce what I create? If I really focus on editorial art I have to ask myself if advertising budgets with still be large enough to hire illustrators at a decent rate of pay? Should I jump in the pool and start selling stock art? I don't know that I am adamantly against stock art but I always wonder if people actually follow the usage rights that they agree to when they buy the art. Time is a serious commodity for and artist and every artist I know has a big list of to-do's that they try to get to in between actual paying jobs. When I made the commitment to focus on licensing last January, I sat my husband down and told him that some of my regular salary might drop since I needed to spend the time building up my portfolio of designs for licensing. He was completely supportive and still is but now I am second guessing myself. What if it takes even longer than I planned to establish myself, what if, what if? Is this the bad news on Main Street (I HATE that term!) talking? Am I considering a redirection of my current path because I am trying to practical or scared? How has this news about the economy been making you feel? Here is a design that I created for a fashion illo. I then mocked it up for plates and napkins and I liked it so much I had stationery made for myself using the same design.

Along came a spider

2008-09-26T12:26:00.002-05:00

It's getting a bit closer to Halloween. Here is a greeting card design I am sending out to a card company. I have such a big stash of Halloween designs. And for some reason I am not sick of the whole Halloween color palette. I need to get my Christmas groove on, I do get tired of red and green although I think Christmas can be done in a larger color range. I collect shiny bright ornaments so that tends to be the holiday palette that I lean towards especially once WWII began and they started using pastels in the colorings. You would think that I would like Easter and Spring with my thing for a pastel Christmas but my childhood Christmas was full of Shiny Brights so that is what I like. Maybe my childhood is what made me never tire of Halloween also. My mom always decorated the house every year, remember those old paper decoration that would expand accordion style? Wow! The gift industry has come a long way since then!! halloween decor is serious business now! I have considered have an entire Halloween portfolio when I am at Surtex this spring!

Off Season!

2008-09-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

Here is a Christmas card design that I created last week. I have been working on Halloween and Christmas images to send out to some companies. I don't know if I mentioned that my sojourn to the National Stationery show last May lead to a licensing contract with Design Design. They will be using several Christmas designs of mine and some of my wine images for boxed notes. This is all so good, it is nice to have work that you created used this way instead of have the work assigned and directed by an art director. (not that I mind that)It is just a different way to work. When I am designing I feel like I am working for myself, that I am my own client. It can add to that vacuum feeling of being an artist but fortunately I live in an area of the country where I have managed to plug in to quite a few other artists and designers. This week some of us are getting together to have a licensing meeting to discuss ideas and swap information! We are going to Liz's house-she has such a great house, she collects vintage toys and it is such eye candy to visit her place!

Halloween Stamp Collection

2008-09-18T06:17:00.008-05:00

I popped over to SUINK's blog and saw the fall releases of the stamps that I create for them. I just love to see what the designers do with the products. Here is the original art that I sent over and here are 2 of Kathie Bailey's card creations using the stamps. Isn't that black and white and orange one cute? Really clever!

My Day!

2008-09-15T09:27:00.002-05:00

Yeah! Today I am taking the day off, I have mad money burning a hole in my pocket and I am off to shop. It is so much more fun when you actually plan a day off! I worked on Saturday so I wouldn't get behind because their is a lot of art due this week. I had a terrific Sunday-Luke made Tom and I breakfast in bed. Pretty awesome little ten year old! Then we were off to church and out to lunch and I enjoyed my boys so much. They helped plan my big day off and even drew me a map (ha! me and my maps!!!) to guide my day of fun with stops at Dunkin Donuts and Joanns to shop for a new sewing machine and then to the mall to Sephora and THEN Tom and I are going to look at a new bed for us! I know that might not sound fun to everyone but HEY! when you get older this is your Six Flags! See ya tomorrow!

Girl Gets Healthy

2008-09-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

My husband called me a gym rat yesterday and I think he might be right. I joined a new gym in June and now I plan my day around the class I want to take. I craeted this picture with art in my files because half way through the class I was debating should I get a coffee or a tea after class and I got completely lost-I was out of sync with everyone else. I think that is why I actually go to class because if I let my mind wander it costs me so I am forced to focus on just working out. Of course since I joined in June I have gained 2 pounds! WHAT is that all about? One of the instructors assured me it was most likely muscle-she better be right! I have been lifting weights a lot but..it is great to feel healthy and strong. .Anyway, here is a funny tidbit about this yoga girl A couple years ago I was asked to "try out" my art for the Stacy's Pita Chip ad campaign. I was flattered but truthfully I was sooo sick at that time, my parents had even come out to help me out around the house. Of course, if you know my story it turns out that the wheat in products like a pita chip was what was making me so sick, ha! And it took sometime for anyone to realize that I could not have ANY gluten at all. I just remember this really young girl from the ad agency trying to art direct me into having "Stacy" the owner of Stacy's Pita Chip look sassy and edgy and be in a yoga pose. Oi! I do see the chips all the time now at the store and it reminds of that period in my life when I needed my own parents to drive my son the school but I was still trying carve out an illustration career for myself by trying not to miss out on any opportunity. I don't mind not having been chosen at all, check out the art on the bag next time you are at the store. As for me, no wheat chips for the gal...make mine potato!

I pledge...

2008-09-08T11:37:00.002-05:00

I was working on the Vintage cars and got nostalgic and ended up the with this patriotic themed piece. Election year, what can I say? It also has a bit of a back to school theme. I think I will do add ons and take it that way. I was at Luke's first day of school orientation and we all did the pledge of allegiance together. Funny, I have not done that since grade school! When else do we do it? Maybe as the political debate heats up and everyone is moaning about our economy we should step in to a school and say the pledge with 400 grade school children. It makes you grateful and gives you perspective about how blessed we are to live here.

New Licensing Goodies

2008-09-04T12:27:00.004-05:00

I have been wanting to develop these vintage cars into licensing collection. I have a big weakness for old cars. I just love them. If I won the lottery I would probably buy an old Chevy pick up. I would drive around in a comfy pair of jeans and nice pair of cowboy boots. Yup! That is what I would do!

Last weekend of summer

2008-09-02T09:33:00.004-05:00

I had a great weekend! It started out with my digging out my sewing machine and sewing a new doggie bed and some throw pillows and having my sewing machine frustrate the poop out of me! I am done with it and I am officially buying a new one! It got dropped in a move and has never been quite the same since I had it fixed That was actually the not so good part of the weekend. Nothing is worse than spending more time fighting with your machine than it took to complete the actual project. ANYWAY...Saturday we went to a Red Sox game, the weather was perfect! We parked on Newbury Street and had lunch-lovely day. And yesterday my neighbor called me up and asked me if I wanted to go to the Antique Textile and Vintage Fashion Show. This is a show that is right at the start of Brimfield. I have been wanting to go for some time to the textile show, it is only 45 minutes from my house. AND OMIGOSH! I was in heaven! So much bark cloth and a broken sewing machine at home, yikes! But I away with this cute purse and 2 vintage silk scarves and 4 cashmere sweaters. Really the entire show was like Nirvana for me. I did get to thinking that I have a couture vintage ball gown that I could probably sell and I have some silk night gowns from the 30's. Funny how I have acquired this stuff over the years. I have actually worn the ball gown to 3 different events but it may be time to move it on to another destination. I took a couple of buyer names down that I could sell my gooodies to. I can bring myself to part with things that I have picked up myself at estate sales but nothing of my own families and trust me I have quite a bit of costume jewelry from my grandmother. I think this may become a yearly sojourn for me! Actually, I think it is held 3 times a year BUT I will try to at least get to one a year....one so I don't break the bank! Won't this be a cute fall purse to tote around?

My Assistants

2008-08-28T08:26:00.004-05:00

Well, here are my assistants. Just why have the last few weeks not been as productive as I had hoped? This car washing got a bit out of hand. The boys started back to school yesterday and I miss them already even though I was mentally plotting out my new office schedule for the minute they returned to their school schedule. Yesterday as Luke was getting dressed he or we discovered that we had outfitted his school uniforms (ordered online, I thought I was so organized!) completely with winter shirts and not any summer shirts. So we found ONE short sleeve shirt and I ran all over after I dropped him off and managed to find only 2 more at different stores in his size. I always thought I liked the ease of school uniforms but it would have been nice to slap a t-shirt on him and send him off. Now they are back in school and I will spend the next few nights covering books with paper bags. Luke and I have to have Tom show us how to do it every year, funny how we just can't remember....and he ends up having to assist us. My list of office assistants just keep growing! Too bad we can't get that dog to help out more!

Saturday Fav!

2008-08-23T07:54:00.004-05:00

ok, ok, so I didn't get to my Friday Favorite on Friday but I am up early and have a great thing to share with you. It is a really fun website called Delight.com. I happen to really enjoy gift giving and I like to think up fun and unusual gifts to buy for friends and family. In fact, I hate being rushed in my gift shopping, I feel like rushing forces me to purchase gifts that are not genuine. I have never been able to do the whole "gift stash" thing-keeping generic gifts on hand in case of emergency. I like to tailor presents to the recipient even if it is by color choice. Something, anything, that says " I really thought of you!". So I found this fun website and have already started scouring it for my mom and sisters Christmas gifts! The site enables you to shop through categories if you like-back to school, for the cook, kids and families-really nice. These are a few of my instant favorites-the recyclable shopping bags-I try to remember to take my big reusable bags in the grocery store with me but they are big and cumbersome and I forget them most of the time. These come as a set and fold up into a tiny pouch inside your purse (which I never forget). I also liked the collapsible colander-I have a "quaint" -read small-kitchen and I have 3 large colanders that take up a lot of room. This collapses flat into a drawer or you can tuck it in with your cookie sheets. Then there is this clear teapot set that comes with 30 tea posies...they make for such a great tea loving experience-you watch the tea blossoms expand in the hot water...a nice grandmother or mother gift, don't you think? Don't I sound like an advertisement? ha! I REALLY like easy shopping for unusual things. Hard to combine easy and unusual. This site gives you no excuse to cruise through Marshall's 2 days before Christmas to grab the broken leftovers as gifts. Right? Right! PS Starting your shopping early is less of a hit to your wallet...I know, I know you feel like you spend more but when you shop online BUT you never overspend like you do when you are out grabbing things in a hurry...trust me.

Anyhoo, it is a beautiful day and I am going to drag my border collie out for a walk...or maybe she is going to drag me out for a walk! See ya!

Dinner!

2008-08-20T11:14:00.003-05:00

I am digging through my files and realizing there is so much work that I still need to put up on the site under the licensing section. I was lamenting to my sister how much art work I needed to do by the time the next Surtex Show roles around. She told me I had actually done quite a bit of work already. I was convinced I had not nearly enough but then I dug around and think I do have a lot of art but it does need to be developed. Like my fishy here...what is it with me and fish lately?! I do like water but this is ridiculous! I am headed to Whole Foods during my lunch break today...guess what I think I will grab for dinner?!

It's here!!

2008-08-18T07:59:00.003-05:00

Hooray! Tom rebuilt my website! I have been trying not to breathe down his neck to get it done! Although it is a very cute neck! So take a peek at my new licensing line up! I am very happy! Click, click, click! I do need to add to this page, but I have to format the work to the correct size. So much to do so little time! I even had Tom put in a books section...and soon there will be more to add to that! Whoo-hoo!

Friday Favorite :Sarah Gibb

2008-08-14T17:10:00.005-05:00

I was talking the Senior Designer at Henry Holt they other day and I mentioned how much I liked Sarah Gibbs art. We were talking about how we like illustrated covers better than book covers with photos (sorry to all you photographers out there!) I was saying that I liked Sarah's version of The Nanny Diaries much better than the US version. Although I would add that Sarah is from the UK and her version looks so much more British, doesn't it? I think I like Sarah because she mixes a sort of poetic hand drawn line and watercolor. Sometimes when you look at some other illustrators work you can just imagine yourself enjoying a cup of tea with them simply by the quality of their art!

Hmmm, I wonder if anyone wants to have a cuppa tea with me by looking at my art? Probably a glass of wine because I have so much "wine art". Or maybe a glass of wine just becuse of my squiggly line work! ha!

Fresh Neighborhood!

2008-08-11T07:54:00.002-05:00

I couldn't decide what art to post today! It was a lovely weekend here and I found myself talking over the fence to my neighbors several times. So I thought I would post this pattern, I can't remember whether I have posted it or not. I wanted to play with my "neighborhood" series and see how the pattern would look as a clean watercolor print. Sometimes when I am out of sorts, I dig out my watercolors and stay away from the computer completely. It calms me to have a old fashioned paintbrush in my hands! So I was trolling around the Internet and I saw that you can download the entire issue of PicutreBook which is a children's illustrator directory. It is really nice to be able to view the entire source book. It got me in the mood to create some children's work again, that industry is so fresh and happy, brightly colored. I see all genres of art and think, "I want to do that!" This is a very easy way to fall of track from the task at hand! So I have some work assignments to complete today and then maybe I will pick up my paints...

Go Fish!

2008-08-05T13:15:00.003-05:00

I thought I would post this collage of a series that I created for my licensing portfolio. It is funny how you get an idea in your head and it stays there until you put it on paper and then it takes on a whole new life and it does not look anything like the image you had been carrying in your head. At least that is how it works for me! I did really like doing these fish. I am a water baby at heart. Maybe a mermaid in a firmer life. I love the ocean it thrills me and spooks me out at the same time. I drove down to Cape Cod yesterday and watched Luke take swim lessons (in the ocean). He had 2 female lifeguards teaching, he was the only student. How did he manage that?

There was a beautiful breeze and the seagulls were squawking. I have been sitting on a birthday card assignment based around Cape Cod that incorporates sea life (what?) but this brief outing may have made something click for me to get going on it. I recently got a book cover assignment and since I completely judge a book by it's cover, I am so happy for this assignment. It is a fantasy young adult novel and I read it and thought it was really good! I may not be able to post the cover for some time but I will have goodies to show you!

Friday Favs on Thursday!

2008-07-31T09:48:00.006-05:00

I have not blogged all week and now it is almost time for Friday Favs again! I made a quick 2 day trip to Dallas and am home trying to regroup. This had better be my last trip for a bit. Am I the only person you know who doesn't want to travel anymore? Actually I don't think I am. I talked to a girlfriend who had to take her daughter to NYC for a People to People camp and from there she was headed to Bermuda with her husband and they just opted to stay in NY for a couple days instead. She said, "Isn't it weird to want to be in the city in the summer? No one is here." What does that mean? I can just imgine her and her husband walking around the streets of New York with only a few scattered people about. That's what people say about Paris in August, "Everyone leaves." I have been to Paris in August and it stills feels pretty crowded to me. ANYWAY..I picked up a the British magazine Eve and found 2 business that I wanted to tell you about. I know they are in England and you probably can't purchase the goods from them BUT if you are reading my blog you probably just come over for some eye candy and inspiration. The first picture is from a children's clothing line called i love gorgeous. Two stay at home mum's living in the English country side who used to get together and over a bottle of wine plot how to break out of full time mothering. Isn't that an interesting comment? I typed that verbatim from the magazine. It was a funny thing to read. Would American mothers be so bold as to actually say that they were plotting their way out of full time mothering? Maybe the English are more comfortable in their own skin. The clothes are adorable and their children get to model the goods! So now everyone is employed!

There is also a fun new textile company called Thornback and Peel, two young women started this fun company with wallpaper, tea towels-fun stuff! They use 19th century wood engravings...I think it is interesting to use old art in new colorways. Will they run out of images to use? I like the color choices and the idea, they have gotten good press so let's keep an eye on them, ok?

Friday Favs

2008-07-25T07:21:00.004-05:00

As you may realize I am a bit enchanted with France. Considering that I was born in Italy, this may be a bit disloyal. Actually, I like all of Europe but I have been expsoed more to France and England the most. When you hang out in these cities not just for vacation you get a different feel of how people live. One of my favorite magazines is Marie Claire Idees. It is pure eye candy and very clever. One thing that always nags me is that I cannot see French women actually doing these crafts. See these cute dresses? I believe the feature is on trim but do French women wear these? Of course my exposure is very urban and I have not spent any amount of time in the country side where the pace might be slower. When I used to fly with European tourists bringing them into New York, I would always ask what they were planning to see in America and was always saddened by the reply. "New York, LA" What?!! There is so much stunning country in between! Not to mention that our National Parks are breath taking. Did you even know that Omaha has a very funky downtown, with quite a bit of local flair? Downtown Indianapolis is really pretty too. What about Colorado? New Mexico? The deep south has a complete personality of its own. The reality is I guess we do the same thing as tourists in there country, do you think they are reading our magazines that feature other parts of our country?

2008-07-24T10:06:00.002-05:00

Travel, travel, travel...that used to be me. I probably still do travel more than an average person but it is soooo much less traveling than I used to do! Hooray! I do not miss it although I am a people person and tucking into my art studio can make me a bit stir crazy. I just really like the feeling of not having to be at an airport at some godforsaken hour. Even as I say this, I do have to be on a 6am flight to DFW next week. BUT after that I am going near an airport for months! (I hope). When I was asked to create this art showing an jet set girl in an airport, I thought this is right up my alley! And of course, she is in a cute Burberry!

CHA

2008-07-21T11:22:00.005-05:00

Hello! I went to the CHA this weekend and I have no photos! ha! Most trade shows that you attend have a very strict policy about photography. But I saw all sorts of people snapping away! I did not pack my camera-bummer. Clay from for Cloud 9 told me that photos are allowed for people talking shots of layouts. We had a very nice chat and he was helpful, giving me "artist" insider secrets about the industry. I hung out at K and Company's booth which kind if reminded me of a wedding reception, they had pretty little tables set up for people to sit at with springy plaid table cloths. I was just waiting for the cake to be served. Mary Beth and I hung out with the folks at Creative Imaginations. That was fun, I found out that Sonja, the senior art director is a big John Mayer fan...actually she is a self confessed stalker, oops! I don't think I mentioned to you that I took Luke, my son, to his first John Mayer concert last week. I could not have had a better time, it was outdoors, John was an energetic performer and Luke had a great time so I was very happy. Anyway...who else did I meet? All sorts of nice people. The craft industry is very friendly and refreshing. The biggest trend I saw was papers with cut edging, scollop's etc. and papers that are laser cut. It also might be called Lace Cut. I did see a lot more Halloween than in previous years. For those of us that like designing for the Happy Haunting Holiday, that is good news! Last but not least,I met Denise from SUINK in person and got to see what all her designers did with that stamps that I created. FYI, in the craft industry they use the word designer for people who take the bare products that have been developed by someone like me- a product developer and they make a final sample, a card, scrap page etc. Anyway, the cards that came from the stamps were just super. I was impressed! So since I did not take pictures, I am posting a wedding sample that I put together. A bit of a wedsite redo is coming soon, I am hoping to fill out my licensing section with an easier flow and I decided to put these "squares" together to help show different elements of my style.

Stamp Sets

2008-07-15T06:12:00.004-05:00

Hi! I dropped off the face of the earth for a week! The art has been flyin' off my desk and that is a very good thing! I wanted to show you some cards created by Kathie Bailey. These were created with the stamps I designed for SUINK. I love to see what everyone does with them. Stamps always lend the most surprise because they are so versatile. The stamps that I illustrated are PUT ME IN COACH, BOYS 'N' BUGS, ALL THINGS GROW WITH LOVE, and GET YOUR GOGGLES ON! Take a look, if you go to the gallery page you can see all sort of designs created with these sets. These sets have a lot of children in them. (Wait until you see the Halloween set coming out very cute, if i do say so myself!)

Hippo Birdie Two Ewe!

2008-07-09T09:51:00.003-05:00

Today is my sister's birthday! So I am posting a special birthday piece for her! She has been helping me jump start my licensing business so now we talk all the time! Hooray! She is super organized and is taking over my marketing. Marketing art to license and marketing art for freelance illustration are two entirely different games so we are learning together. This is a big adventure for both of us and it so nice to have such a sweetie in my life. So if she happens to call your company...you will know it is Michelle Marie by her sultry voice (she used to be a radio DJ many moons ago!) Then she moved onto to teaching English (I think it is called "language arts" now) So if you get any promo pieces or emails from me with bad grammar or typos, it means that I didn't run it by her first! ha! Happy Birthday, Michelle!

Fresh Art to Go!

2008-07-08T07:45:00.005-05:00

So yet again, I am redesigning my website. I think this is like changing clothes for me. Good thing I sleep with my webmaster, ha! So this is my new front page. As I am enlarging my licensing portfolio-I have really been making a business plan for myself and that included asking myself "what exactly do I do?' On the surface that would be easy to answer, I do art. But I dug a bit deeper-what kind of art, what am I communicating with my work? What adjectives best describe my look? Well after jotting down a lot of notes. I kept coming back to the words-fresh and clever. I ditched words like cute and whimsy-ugh! I always felt my color palette was fresh. Even when I work on the computer, my watercolor color mixing sensibilities take hold of me-muddy is NOT my thing. Also, I HOPE that I problem solve my design and illustration assignments with a clever perspective. If nothing else-I should ask myself when I finish a piece, is it clever? Am I bringing something slightly different to the table? I have always had this thing about seeing a piece of art-whether it is a book cover, in a magazine or even art on a serving dish, I like it to bring a small smile to my face. I sometimes imagine the artists reaction when they completed the work and realized that it worked. Even the most simple art can work and I like that. Anyway, this is my new front page...it should be up in a week or two but I like it so I thought I would post it. Fresh Art to Go. That's me! Call me , buy it, pack it and take it with you!

Cake!

2008-07-02T07:21:00.003-05:00

Which cake looks yummier!? I sketched out this cake and I keep playing with the ingredients. I am making a cake for our 4th of July celebration-gluten free of course. Tom and I and the boys are going to a fun potluck type party. Of course, I bring my own food to every party, ha! This cake I am making a White Texas Sheet cake is so yummy, no one even knows I use gluten free flour. It calls for almond extract and my added speciality-I toast large flake coconut to put on top of the frosting! And my fall back plan for a side dish a Mexican bean salad with beans, corn, tomatoes, jalapenos and cilantro. It holds up really well in the heat and keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.

But until then, I am cranking on the air and putting my nose to the grindstone and pop some artwork out. Luke is headed to the beach today with a buddy from school-so I am free-free to work anyway! Ha! When he is home in the summer I try to make it fun for him (somewhat) Of course my fun- a trip to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and his fun-a trip to the Bass Outdoor store (I guess it has waterfalls?) are two different things. Hope the sun is shining where you are!

OMIGOSH! Friday Favorites

2008-06-27T12:08:00.003-05:00

I almost did not even realize today was Friday. And I do have a new host of favorites on my computer! Here is one that may or may not appeal to everyone, it is the Gluten free girl's blog and now she has a new blog Gluten Free Girl Recommends. She is an author and foodie that has a book out about her journey.(Just up my issues, I mean alley!) I have gotten to know her through her blog and she has a sweet and adventurous spirit. AND she married a chef last year...you know I adore my husband but how handy would THAT be?
I also am a big fan of Helen and her art at One Lucky Helen. It is so charming and quirky at the same time. I just found her blog...Orange You Lucky. Cute names. Isn't everybody so clever nowadays? Me, just Monica Lee Studios, which was my greeting card companies name. And if I recall,I choose that domain name because monicalee.com was taken. And Monica's Cafe was so yo could sit with your cuppa'and read and look and cute stuff. Now you can look at my favorite cute stuff. Life was meant to be cute, lovely, pretty. I know alot of other things come our way that aren't so neat but when your not being bombarded with ugly stuff, I believe you should immerse yourself with cute stuff.

Wall Street Journal

2008-06-26T05:02:00.004-05:00

I was working away this week creating a new set on ink stamps for Denise, putting together some wedding paper plate samples for Larry and I get a call from the Wall Street Journal. Can I do an illustration by tomorrow? Why, of course I can. This made me sooo happy. They called me when I was in NYC at the Stationery Show and I was not home and could not meet the deadline. This time, I was home. Well, not really...I had scooted out of the office to stretch my legs and buy a cool drink. God forbid I walk to my kitchen and fix myself a glass of iced tea when I can get in my car and drive down the street and purchase one! (Don't talk to me about my carbon imprint...I walk down the hall to my office.)

This is the illustration, it should run today. I will treat myself to iced tea (my latest vice) and go out and pick it up! I feel like I got my head back in the game (the game called MY CAREER) after all my travels. Now, I have that nagging feeling hang over my head of all that needs to be done, update website, update theipsot, put samples together for CHA and actually finish the art (you know, the art with actual deadlines) that is sitting on my desk! Ahhh, it is good to be back!

Summer Stickers

2008-06-23T08:58:00.004-05:00

So after our garage sale it was time to take some time out...actually I took the rest of Saturday off and hung out of my neighbors back porch with a glass of wine in hand, and then Sunday I finished these sticker and paper sets. I have more papers to go with the first set above but i thought I would post a close up. My sweet sis and niece loved these sets. I do believe they are very partial to my watercolored art since that is what I have been doing the longest! I did commit to going to the CHA in Chicago next month and then I thought I had better have something fresh to show manufacturers! I am also in the process of reading Lessons of a Lipstick Queen by Poppy King. It is a business book, in case you haven't heard of Poppy King-she began her own lipstick company at 18 years old. "ately I have been getting caught up in art and falling off the business bandwagon with my career and I am a girl that thrives on having a plan! It is a smooth and interesting read and as I am reading it I have my note book in hand. Sometimes as a freelancer I feel like I am always playing catch up. You know me, a chick that has to have a map! ha!

Friday Favorites

2008-06-20T09:39:00.005-05:00

I think I will start a Friday Favorites post about my favorite things. I have a huge list of favorites on my computer. Sites and people and businesses that I am going to take time to watch and explore. So here is a really interesting one, Spoonflower, a business that will print YOUR OWN designs on fabrics. Can this be really be my dream come true?! Someone wake me up. Do we really have the opportunity to be that original?
You can see it in action at another Friday Fav Inside a Black Apple. Emily is a groovy crafter and artist and is an original spirit. She creates wonderful dolls and is now designing her own fabric for the dolls. OK, I am not much of a seamstress and I can just imagine how happy she is...
I think I must try Spoonflower, they are doing an all call for holiday prints. I have a few I could post by Monday if I get a snippet of time. Yes, I am trying to do art, organize for a garage sale..."I love my husband, I love my husband..." if I say it often enough.....AND I have been on a real focused "time out" for taking a good look at the "story" for lack of a better word, at my art. I feel the need for this as I continue to prepare my portfolio for licensing...more on this endeavor later. Which holiday print to choose?

Little Pink Houses

2008-06-16T08:10:00.003-05:00

I am being house inspired lately! Here are 2 sets of scrap booking paper and embellishments that I designed last week using my neighborhood series. I am digging out my watercolors to do girl "summer relax" themed ones today. This should be fun! I am planning on going to the CHA on July and talking to some companies about designing some products for them. I really fell off the wagon for a couple of weeks after the Stationery Show. I have finally found some passion again and made my way back to my studio. I had to clean out my bedroom closet first, completely clean my office and then do some summer planting in my garden. Talk about procrastination! I have even been baking to avoid refocusing on the art. Now the only thing left is getting organized for a garage sale next weekend. OK THAT I won't put before art! Ugh! I do hate having them but do like going to them. Tom is a a garage sale king from childhood. His father was the little old man who bought all the items of real value before 8am. He has quite the vintage toy collection and now laments how eBay has ruined all garage sales. He is probably right. When Tom and I had just gotten married we would grab a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and drive around looking for sales. He is good at finding them too. I think he thinks he is going to stumble across that old valuable guitar and have the find of the year! I should probably make someones day and sell my bark cloth curtains that I have had laying around that I have meant to sell on eBay! I actually have quite a bit of vintage costume jewelry too. Hmmmm...we'll see!

My bungalow...

2008-06-10T15:23:00.005-05:00

Heatwave here in New England! And so I pay a blog homage to my little bungalow cottage. "Oh how I love thee...little cute house." I have to do this because... the 1929 cottage has no central air conditioning. So I have to focus on how lucky I am to own a house that they devote entire magazines to! We are painting the exterior this summer (or Tom is anyway) and I picked up a magazine about choosing colors for craftsman style bungalows. And entire issue to a house like mine! I have also been getting Cottage Living Magazine for several years now and when it arrives at my door. I remind myself that even though I have fickle rope and pulley windows, this is the type f house I used to long for and I also think other boys and girls like me would just love to live in! So there you have it! Being very positive in 95 degree weather today! (New England summers are actually quite lovely! Please, do a plan a New England vacation soon!) Do I sound like a commercial today?

A Little Cupcake

2008-06-06T11:20:00.002-05:00

Today I am playing with some designs that for "gluten free" t-shirts. This turned out to be a bit therapeutic for me. Being gluten free does make for a happy, healthy me. I have a couple designs I am working on and I think I like designing Tees. I have talked about it before, but basically it is all I wear and I like some that have little tasteful images on them. It breaks up all my solids, ha! I think I like tees so much because the are perfect to pack when I traveled because there is no ironing needed. I don't even own blouses! And now I like them because...there is no ironing even when I am at home. I confess that I hate doing laundry and am always on the search for the perfect pair of khaki pants that rumple well without the need of ironing. I sounds awfully lazy don't I? I think cold New England winters and unpredictable springs have sealed the deal with my lazy dressing. A t-shirt and a big funky bracelet and I am ready to go. I love fashion but after going to see Sex and the City last night I couldn't help but thinking, it is quite a bit of work, between shopping for the lastest and greatest garments and then trying to find it a remotely affordable price, that within itself can be quite time consuming. Oh, I am babbling now but have you noticed how expensive the clothing is that is featured in magazines now? 4K for a dress, please...! The next time you pick up a fashion magazine I challenge you to find ONE garment under $100. Oh my! now I have lost my focus on my little gluten free cupcake...isn't she cute?

Back from Paris

2008-06-03T08:48:00.004-05:00

We are back from Paris. With less pictures than I thought we took. It was overcast so the photos did not turn out nearly as lovely as the city actually is in person! We had a nice time and my gluten free dining cards were a great thing! The waiters did take them very seriously and even thanked me for having them! I may even try these cards here at home, they have English printed on the other side. Maybe the waiters here will take me a bit more seriously. We walked and walked and then walked some more and now I ma happy to be home. This is what I saw...bohemian fashion EVERYWHERE in store windows for summer. Which is kind of a loose almost beachy look for city life but for a girl who likes sophisticated hippywear like me it was great to see. I think it is interesting that Paris has old European antiques and completely modern design in their home furnishings and nothing in between. It made me realize how strongly Pottery Barn has influenced American home life. I did pick up a few French magazines but not too many suddenly toting it all home seemed very heavy! I did buy scarves and I bought an omelet pan from E. Dehillerin a famous French kitchen shop. We love Paris and realized we know our way around better than we thought. I popped up out of a Metro stop and realized that le droguerie a famous knit and notions shop was right around the corner. I wasn't my plan to stop in and I can't believe I just recognized the surroundings enough to find it. But we are very happy to be home, it was a short, short trip and we missed the boys terribly. I think it was just the fact that we 'felt" so far away! Happy to be back with my pup and my sweet family!

Off to Paris!

2008-05-27T12:27:00.003-05:00

So Tom and I are leaving for Paris tonite! Very exciting although I was a bit apprehensive. I did just search the web for gluten free dining in Paris and basically there are no restaurants that specialize in a "gluten free" menu. BUT every blog I read pretty much my mind at ease. A lot of travelers said that when you hand your gluten free dining card (in French) to a waiter that they take it very seriously. This makes sense since the French take their food so seriously. No where did I read that the waiters were rude about it...maybe this pushes them out of their usual busy distracted (sometimes rude) state. I am trying to make this trip and not be wrapped up with the idea of food, I figure I will just eat omelette's and salads but I am looking at my suitcase that is completely packed with gluten free snacks! I could feed and small Army of wheat less eaters! I did find out three types of natural health food stores and they even have really cute websites...check out the art on this one, (La vie Claire) doesn't this illustrator look familiar? Anyway since I can't read French, I of course can't find the locations! ha! Actually, I just went a "googled mapped it" and found a local close to my hotel...I just LOVE solving my own problems. Monica is getting very excited!
I did Google the best design stores and can't wait to drag Tom to them! I promise to take pictures and get sooo inspired! My sweet sister is answering all my email for me and I will be back late Saturday so I know I should not fret about any missed assignments BUT did I tell you that when I was in New York the Wall Street Journal called for a quick turn around job? Geez, a girl travels once year and all the fun stuff happens while she is gone! Maybe it just feels like once a year because I used to travel so much!

The Shows

2008-05-22T12:05:00.003-05:00

ok! I am back from Surtex and The National Stationery Show and I have had one day to recoup before blogging. I actually needed the one day BECAUSE (and this is my ONLY complaint about the trip) I got "glutened" at the Javits Center. I don't mind throwing them under the bus because I KNOW Hebrew National hot dogs are gluten free AND I don't think they were actually serving what they advertised because I was totally sick within a couple hours after eating one. (just the dog, no bun) It was such a bummer, all my "connecting and contacting" was over for the most part but I wanted to enjoy the last night with girlfriends and I was down for the count. I am really tired of trying to eat out successfully on a gluten free diet. I do well locally, but I am headed to Paris for a couple days next week and I am a bit shaken on this front. I need some encouragement!
Anyway on with the shows...I was delighted with both. I didn't walk to entire Sationery Show I just hit key booths for me. I don't like loitering around. People at trade shows can be so protective so I try to be respectful of their time and efforts. I did find however that the artists at the Surtex Show were just super to talk to! I really feel like they were helpful when we told them were were scoping out the land since we were going to have a booth next year. I thought they were all funny and candid and it was really enjoyable to talk to other artists about their "art journeys". The time flew by and I did not get to see as much of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair as I would have liked but I was busy chatting it up with potential clients. I did want to mention that the Surtex Show had seminars and I picked a few to attend and I thought that they were very vaulable! I think it is great when you can take away even a few key tidbits of info from them and I really did, so yeah! money well spent.
I did manage to hit Purl Soho to purchase some cashmere yarn for my plane trip to Paris. I have bamboo yarn I am working with now but I simply could not resist this beautiful yarn. I am knitting up simple cowls trying to teach myself the continental style of knitting. I need a solution between illustrating all day and knitting in the evening my right should has gotten rather mad at me so I am looking for new ways we can both be happy.

My girlfriend Liz brought the camera, I was too lazy. I know you can't use it at the show so I didn't bring one AND I knew my faithful friends would have theirs...hopefully she will post pics soon...hint hint Liz!
Since I have no travel pics, oh I will have them from France, I promise! I will post this cupcake series that I had put together with some tiny had painted cupcakes I had done. As far as trends that I saw I would say-cupcakes. Yup. Maybe that was just me craving something soft and yummy instead of my gluten free quinoa muffins that I toted along!

Almost there!

2008-05-17T17:40:00.003-05:00

One final push to get my desk cleared for a few days and now I have just packed (or should I say over packed!) my bag to head out to New York City! Whew! I am excited and am embarrassed to confess that what I am really looking forward to the most is the train ride and getting the chance to re-group a bit and maybe catch up on some reading and knitting! Am I getting old or what? Going on a great trip and looking forward to getting to read and knit! ha! I will tell you everything when I get back!

Veggies and Champagne

2008-05-12T17:57:00.002-05:00

Have you had a vegetable lately? ha! This is a piece that I have mocked up using some veggies that designed using a bit collage. I have been hand rendering a lot lately and haven't colored my pieces with collage work in awhile. This is probably because I hand created the actual itty bitty work of the actual collage. I want it to be original down to the last detail BUT you can imagine that this can be pretty time consuming work when you are just creating a carrot!
Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day, mine was busy. Maybe busier than I would have hoped...end of the school year projects with my son are killing me! Why are they giving him so much "coloring" and "cut out" work, he is in fourth grade for Pete's sake! Paste it on a cereal box, cut out all the letters from a magazine cover foam core with fabric...ARGH!!! I am a professional artist and I am going crazy! Busy work! It is all stuff that he needs supplies and help with and it is all packed into the end of the year! Are they simply DONE actually teaching them? I digress...

Well, my hubby did pop a bottle on champagne yesterday and I think there is still a bit left. I think I will pour myself some after Luke is in bed and his CRAYONS are put away and indulge in one of my favorite shows (now don't judge me...) The Big Bang Theory. Love those geeky boys....

Sophitichix

2008-05-09T08:14:00.005-05:00

Quick Friday blog! I just finished up these girls. I am organizing 3 portfolios and one is all my "girls". My sister and I have decided to call them "Sophistichix!" ha! is that goofy? We thought it was clever but I may have been on a cappuccino high. As I gather all these girls up and print them out, I am still so fond of the ones that I have watercolored. They look so fresh, not sure how they would reproduce on every product but with the white of the paper the paint sparkles, I have always loved watercolors.

Trying to sit still!

2008-05-06T06:16:00.004-05:00

Have you read the blog Posie Gets Cozy lately? Many of you might have this blog bookmarked on your computer. How does she make this blog so beautiful? When I read it I feel like I made a visit to the English country side except that Alicia lives in Portland, Oregon. And of course I am a big fan of black and white dogs and Corgi's but Tom put his foot down about that one, he didn't want a dog that could not get into the car by itself, men! It is blogs like this that had me talking my husband into getting a new camera. I was sure that if I just had a better camera I could produce beautiful photographs just like hers! I love to scroll down and look at all of them put together.

I am just soooo excited about heading to New York with my girlfriends and then to Paris with Tom. Am I livin' the life or what? I also just got a fun fashion illustration job that I get to dig into AND to top it off it is supposed to be 70 degrees today. I am trying to stay focus at my art desk but I feel like a little kid the night before they are going on vacation all bouncy and stuff! I am post a mock up of a new pattern design I created. I created this in several different color combos, I am trying to stay away for all the traditional combinations but I did like the green and pink with a splash of orange.

Parties and happenings

2008-05-03T15:15:00.002-05:00

Party tonite, it is cold and rainy here. Not feeling like getting dressed as cute as this girl. It's a Vegas party at Marybeth's. She is another artist friend of my mine and she is still so YOUNG. Happy birthday MB! She is going with me to New York City this month. You should see us trying to eat out together, she is lactose intolerant and I am gluten intolerant. And it is pretty serious for us both-worth the speech to the waiter. We had this french waiter at Baltazar last spring who thought he was being punked we when tried to order our meals. Speaking of french waiters...Tom and I are going to Paris in late May and early anniversary gift to ourselves. Five big years, hooray! I have been a woman obsessed trying to secure a decent and affordable hotel in the area of Paris that I am fond of, St. Germaine. But at last, I found one and I have ordered my french language dining cards for wheat and gluten intolerance, ugh! This will presumably help me order something besides and omelet and salad! And now I have decided I need a new trench coat to take with me...which if I was smart I would pack no coat get cold while I was there and be forced to purchase one! Ahhh, how a woman's mind works!

I'm a travelin' girl...

2008-05-01T10:04:00.006-05:00

Here is a promo postcard I created and just ordered. I wanted to have it for my trip to The Big Apple. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I juggled and nudged these little images around! Christmas on the front and Halloween on the back.

I really like New York now that I can actually afford New York (somewhat). When I was a novice flight attendant at American Airlines I was sent to NY. I say sent but literally I was 'thrown" to the wolves in the big city (pre clean-up) and my first paycheck was $800. FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH! Lord, I was poor! I think the only time I ate was when I worked a trip and in those days we served what we called "hockey pucks" in first class! ha! Not great cuisine! Well, we've come a long way baby! I think I stroll through New York now and nothing really gets too me, noise, traffic, abrupt New Yorkers. I don't buy into that whole rude New Yorker thing actually. When I lived there I quit being so chatty myself, there were just too many people to talk to!

Now when I am there I am just so happy I can afford a decent cup of coffee, ha! Which reminds me, I think I am on tap to find a super restaurant for my girlfriends and I to splurge on while we are there!

Blue or Green?

2008-04-25T07:17:00.005-05:00

So if I have not mentioned it, I am heading to the Surtex Show in NYC in a couple weeks and so I have been spiffing up my work. I don't have a booth this year but am scouting the land to have one next year. My sister Michelle has been working away for me making appointments with handpicked companies at the Stationery Show also. This gives me the chance to just "do art". Hooray! But sometimes you can dive a bit deep into the strangest questions, like "What color Christmas person are you?" I personally have moved away from decorating with a lot of green at the holidays and am officially a blue Christmas person. Red and white always have a role but I have blue accents in my home and plus blue makes me think of snow and...well if the truth be told...blue makes me think of a Charlie Brown Christmas. And that makes me think of my childhood and what is happier that childhood Christmas memories?! So here is a green background and a blue background. I naturally like the blue, Tom likes the green.

A New Nest

2008-04-23T08:53:00.006-05:00

I added a new section to my website. It is a section called Licensing. This replaces the section that I had with just patterns. I have been spending the last couple weeks designing more of a "product look" to my work which has been great fun and it makes me think through what art I have created a bit more thoroughly. It also made me realize how much fun it would have been to have had a baby girl, ha! This is a stationery set that I created as part of the Neighborhood series.

It also makes me realize I am a homebody at heart. I think airline crew members all end up craving a "nest" after years of traveling. I think it was compounded in me because I was a military brat and we moved so much that I wanted to make a place of my own. In my immediate family we have noticed that we do get a bit restless after nesting in one spot too long. Then we start looking at changing things up a bit, furniture, decor even changing houses...and for my parents, changing cities!! It gets in your blood, ha! I will stick to my own neighborhood and just keep changing the curtains!

Fashion Heads!

2008-04-16T11:13:00.006-05:00

Omi! Did I sound grumpy below? I don't mean to it has just been a topic that has zoomed through my studio lately. In my studio by myself...I guess zooming is a strong word. Pretty much ideas and creation "float" unless I have had a lot cappuccino that day. Here are these girls, my fashion heads. I made them in to a pattern and now I think I need to find time to color them all, like I did to this single one. Although I do like black and white. I call the colored girl Monique, since I used to wear my hair like that!

What does this mean to you?

2008-04-14T11:55:00.004-05:00

So this has been at the fore front of my mind recently as I am doing art for a client that is using the art for profit. It is being manufactured into a product. I explained the process about limited use rights and she was completely agreeable and then I had an inquiry from another potential client that wanted me to create art for them and they wanted all the rights to the art work. What will the art be used for, I inquired? I don't know yet, was the response. I am not faulting the client for not knowing what they wanted to art for but it did not sit right and I am not going to be letting my art go with all rights without a fair fee which the client decided they could not afford. The funny thing is I called a couple of my freelancing friends and realized that there are some artists that do just let their art go for the quick fix of a couple hundred bucks AND a good portion of the time we work away without contracts. (ouch, that's me on the contract thing)Hmmmm, does this sound smart to you? Not if you want to protect your lively hood, not if you believe that it not just your time for sale for all the years of experience that led up to you portioning out your time and talent efficiently. I started think that in all my art I had only one trademarked logo and one contract with Disney that gave up all the rights. The Disney contract was actually limited to North America so it was NOT ALL rights. Not to mention that I was well compensated and was very pleased with the job.

I did run across this article about the copyright symbol here. This does not answer all the usage questions but this is a good start to the dialogue.

Another blog will be about the copyright legislation that is coming up....yikes! Oh wait I will use my hot air now....This is the Orphan Works Bill which I think the language still sucks on...read this. Am I mistaken? "Orphaned art" (art that one cannot find the owner of) can be used in nonfiction books and on websites not for profit? Please that is every bodies website that does not use commerce! And non fiction books? I just got done illustrating a book about wine, that's non fiction. How about all my friends that make a living doing what we call "educational" work for text books? Will they not get that work anymore because someone can reuse someone elses orpahned work? What publisher or individual is going to hunt down a piece of art or an old photo from basically anytime before 2008 that you did not stick a copyright sign on? "Oh I thought it was Orpahned!" will be the cry heard around the world! There needs to be a serious penalty in place if you were just a dip and decided to to research it. And how could you PROVE that? Maybe I am misunderstanding this bill, but I think this is terrible. Can't find the artist for an old piece of art?! GET A NEW ONE. With so much trouble going on in the the US are we really going to by in the idea that just because the Copyright office prepared a report in 2005 that things really need to change to HELP us keep up with the world economy? PLEEEZE, in this humble girls opinion I will just remind everyone of a profession that have practically ceased to exist because of people having their heads in the sand. Called a TRAVEL AGENT lately? Remember when those people had jobs? The airlines snuffed them out because they did not want to pay a $25 user fee with each ticket issued by a travel agent and as a long term result as people were encouraged to by their tickets in the Internet not through an agent as a result airline customer loyalty went into the TRASH can. All the rewards programs mean nothing to the consumer and the airlines then started doing dramatic and terrible changes based on ideas that where NOT remotely customer friendly. Ask anyone whose flown lately-think the airline was trying to keep your business based on loyalty? THEY DON"T EVEN KNOW HOW ANYMORE! And all there research does not believe your loyalty makes a difference. Take out extra leg room in coach because all people want is a cheap seat...That was the line we were fed! Believe it? No, I don't either. If businesses still used travel agents and travel agents, yes, steered business towards airline with good loyalty programs intact they might actually be friendly skies. there might be loyalty all the way around. I am speaking as a flight attendant here....and I know I may appear to be drawing conclusion but was it the NY Times did too so go with me here. The serious ticket price wars via Internet shopping for seats were seriously self inflicted by the airlines themselves trying to take the travel agent out of the equation. And if you hoenstly think traveling more passenger friendly now, let's talk. I am not talking pricing, I am talking perks and service.

Am I digressing? Most likely, but what IS the actual point of exposing an artists work for the public to use so freely? Who is this bill actually good for in the long run? Remember all the old presidents gathering around and telling us to get on board with NAFTA? I remember thinking at the time, is this REALLY the best for us, our country and how we trade ( or import)...how much free trade do we actually need? Now on the news politicos are saying "well....Nafta has hurt us in the long term. DUH? I am just some chick with an BS in graphic art and I saw that and the airline thing happening. This "Orphan Works Bill" feels the same to me. The current copyright law is not as broken as you might think so please do not try to fix it.
Feel free to send this link to your congressman, ha! Artist need to get out of our studios and speak louder-don't just let photographers do you talking on this issue. How many time have you seen a book with the authors photo credited and not the cover illustration?

Yeah, it arrived!

2008-04-09T08:42:00.002-05:00

I have been waiting for this book to come out and then waiting for it to arrive from Amazon! This book is written by Carrie Mcarthy and Danielle LaPorte. It is a book about "living by your own design". It leads you through all sorts of questions and examples that help you form your style statement that you can incorporate into all areas of your life and style that help you communicate your authentic self. Can you just imagine anything more fun?! I am on page 45 and I want to stop my entire day and finish the book today and it is a big book. I will let you know if this helps me define all my choices in my wardrobe, home and career! Fun!

Halloween in April

2008-04-07T13:19:00.002-05:00

I am still busy at work designing all sorts things for licensing. I have been wrapped up in Halloween and I have realized that I can only concentrate on one holiday at a time. I tried to jump into Christmas for a couple hours but no I am still caught in Boooo! and Trick or Treat land. This is just the first of a few witchy-poos I am playing with. Just her skirt today, oh if i could only have skirt like this!

The neighborhood comes alive!

2008-04-04T07:25:00.007-05:00

Oh my! Don't you hate it when you think you have put a post up but in the busyness of the week you realize you did not? I think maybe I had this one in my head but wasn't quite sure whether or not to post all this yet but I can't think of why I would not...These are mock ups of the pattern I have designed called The Neighborhood. I think the actual print is down below some where in my blog. Now that i have decided to really make the effort and put a licensing portfolio together i am a bit overwhelmed at the amount of work involved. But i am trying to focus on the possibilities. i went so crazy doing art that i sat at my desk without practically moving only painting for 3 days and spent yesterday at the chiropractor as a result. Actually we figured out that this had been building up for some time. My shoulder and back get sore from the repetitive motion of doing artwork. Funny job hazard considering what i faced when i was a flight attendant. ALSO my crazy pup (see below) got excited on her leash and yanked me down some stairs with the leash of course in my right hand. ouch. OHHH i sound gloomy today, don't i? Maybe it is the gloomy rainy day outside! So gloomy in fact... so that i have officially given up capitalizing for today. what a relief! i feel better already. send some bright sunshine my way.

Art Styles

2008-03-31T06:42:00.005-05:00

There is an on going debate in this little studio in Massachusetts about medium and art. I wouldn't even say there is a debate about "style" necessarily. I really feel this debate is about medium. I have all these darlings above created in either a digital medium (for me it is ink and then colored in Photoshop) or the other post is done in watercolor. As I am preparing my licensing portfolio I have a consistent medium in the other lines I am creating but when it comes to any sort of fashion illustration I can't seem to stick to one look. I have experimented and I have even asked art directors to no avail, which is good I suppose that's means both mediums are being created successfully. I have such a soft spot for watercolor but I am not confident it will replicate onto a product well unless it is a paper product. My sister did mention that the digital girls could convey a bit more attitude which is probably what I need to have them do. I am going to design some cocktail darlings that need attitude! Your two cents is more than welcome.
On the other front I stumbled into a Dog Whisperer marathon of sorts and realized that I have to take my dog for longer walks. I do think it is funny how everyone in the house does agree that Maggie (my border collie) does needs walking so she doesn't get so crazed with her frisbee in our backyard but somehow I can barely get anyone to even come on a walk with us! This is probably a good thing I can shake off some of the Easter candy that I ate...let me see if I have cute pic of Maggie...Oh I do!

The Neighborhood

2008-03-25T16:25:00.004-05:00

Whew, busy couple of days. I don't how work days can get away from me all of the sudden I look at the clock and the day is just about over (well for an early bird like me it is!) Yesterday I went up to Marblehead, MA and met with Carol Eldridge about the process of licensing some of my artwork. I know the basic principles but this one on one time was invaluable and now that I am home my head is spinning with so much to do! I consider myself to have a fairly decent business head on my shoulders for an artist but I got to thinking as I was talking to my sister that I could really move forward with her help. She is sooo outgoing and she is "school teacher organized" so I think she is hired! Hmmm wondering if she actually wants to be paid-ha! Actually I know my weakness about contacting companies-I am simply not a salesperson even though I am extremely outgoing like my sister. We were Army brats and we can carry on a conversation with ANYONE but when it comes to selling my own art I have this thing...I don't want to be pushy, I don't want to appear full of myself. It is just this THING. She is terrific at sales of anything and everything but absolutely marvelous at something she believes in and yes, we ARE sisters after all and I am very lucky that she believes in me. And I can't imagine anything better than to have my sister make money too. So the adventure begins...

Here is a print I designed called The Neighborhood. I like it and again, it is funny when you like your own art. I guess it is funny because that means somethings I am not that crazy about, ha! Anyhow, I see this on baby items but truthfully I would buy it also. Would this just make me so happy in the morning on my coffee mug?

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T16:19:00.002-05:00

Posting an Easter message on Good Friday, oh well! My weekend is packed with family and festivities so I thought I would put this up. I created this as a card for some card company somewhere and I cannot even remember who! I have been creating a lot art for licensing and have been digging through my files on my computer and found this. Hey! that's cute-when did I do that? ha! I created these chicks out of an asterisk from a font that I used to have! Don't even have the font anymore but I always got a kick out of this little chick family. I have shown to people before, I may be the only one who has gotten such a kick out of it. Kind of funny when you are basically just entertaining yourself! Anyhoo! Rejoice on Easter morning, God is amazing! Then eat a bit of chocolate and rejoice some more!

Hannah

2008-03-19T14:30:00.004-05:00

Does anyone else feel like this week is racing by? Is it really Easter week? I need chocolate! Tom and I ran away from home last week. We did not make it not far from home but the getaway was just what we needed. We headed down to Newport, RI and stayed and a nice hotel and got a little couple and spa time in. The only problem is when you go away-you have to come BACK! And you have STUFF waiting for you to do! So after a bit of catching up I thought I would post a new piece of art. Her name is Hannah. It will be good to see her online to see if she needs "tweaking".

Curled hair and seafood...

2008-03-11T09:50:00.006-05:00

A quick blog about procrastination as I procrastinate the start of a drawing that is in my head . I have started this bad habit of getting a very late start to my day in my studio. This would be alright if I worked very late into the evening but I don't, so you see my problem. I have this thing about waking up doing the whole smell the coffee, read, meditate thing WHICH is a great way to start the day except...that I then torture myself on the decision whether to work out or not. That torture often takes up the amount of time it would take to actually work out. Then I have to shower because I can't be creative with dirty hair and now I seem to think I can't be crative without a shower, make-up and curled hair. After that I troll around the Internet or Amazon looking for new books to buy. I read every news headline-oh not just the headlines-the entire AP story. And now the early morning has passed and I have not actually picked up a pencil.

I need to break up this routine but I am sure I will procrastinate that too. So in my final attempt to get started REALLY late today I will blog, so here goes...

I have a new pattern section on my website here are a couple foodie patterns that I dig even though I don't eat lobster and I certainly don't eat fish with their heads on, I had fun creating these patterns. My son was home from school yesterday and was in my office watching cartoons, I would say mindless cartoons but some them are really cute.... Anyway I had an idea floating in my brain for a new pattern design and then I caught something out of the corner of my eye from a cratoon show that would complete the design so I need to get it from my head to paper. This is the hardest part for me, getting it from what I see in my head to match what I put of paper so I procrastinate...oh! I think my curling iron is hot, I must curl my hair.

Here's to a recession!

2008-03-09T10:08:00.004-05:00

Here is some work that I recently did for a client. This is a fun client since she works in the fashion/retail industry. The first version has the print skirt and the revised version has the brown skirt, there were a lot of other small changes, we call them "tweaks". I like to see them side by side.

I am very excited about the future and my freelancing. I have been hearing a lot of bad news about the economy as I am sure everyone has...but for some reason deep down I think this is going to be my best year yet. I am happy with the direction of my art, I like the work I am getting. I would like to do more books and I have determined that I am going to concentrate on licensing my art this year. I saw spot on the national news about how one unemployed man is taking the time to reeducate himself instead of endless job searching. I am certainly not out of work but I think you can be so fearful of what you hear on TV and from other people and colleagues that it can paralyze you. I guess I am truly am a "prisoner of hope" as the saying goes. I gabbed with my girlfriend Janet Montecalvo the other day and she had the same good attitude. It was refreshing to talk with someone who was positive!! Thanks Janet!

Snow no more!

2008-03-05T16:08:00.006-05:00

I have been underneath all sorts of work and website updates this week....take a peek at new portfolio pieces. I did get completely caught up and worked on this piece last weekend when it SNOWED here in New England! ahahahaha! I am determined to get every last bit of winter out of my skin!

Monique

2008-02-29T15:43:00.003-05:00

Here is another fun piece of art I finished the other day. I have been pumping it out, ha! One of the things that I have realized is how important line quality is to me and how much the original sketch means to me. I am finally getting to the point where the final colored piece of art is a as relaxed as the initial sketch. Finally the girl is loosening up! Well, it is about time. In my life the most and now my art follows suit. I am one of those people who can't stand to get into an unmade bed and now I am simply pulling my duvet up in the morning and I don't even fuss with actually making the bed. AND "It's a good thing!" as Martha would say. I have always liked a loose relaxed line in illustration (I am just not a vector art gal!) and now I have eased into that place. I also recently bought ink and bamboo pens and brushes and even bought an entire sumi kit-but that is an another blog for another day! Happy Weekend!

Julie

2008-02-27T13:04:00.006-05:00

OMIGosh! where has the time gone? I have not posted in some time. I have been working away on magazine pieces and on new art. I am also designing a new postcard promo. I am trying to get one more mailing out by the end of March. I need to lay it all out and see what my goal is with this mailing. Goals? Ugh! I am sure I have a list of goals somewhere on my desk.... But I have been having s a super time creating these pieces-it is always great doing promo work with full creative license. Of course I have still been naming all my fashion art-it is easier to identify that way-I think...does this look like a Julie. To me Julie's are sort of bohemian, organic by nature.

It is warm in my heart!

2008-02-21T08:22:00.002-05:00

Tom put up one of those "weather stations" in my studio. I am not sure if it is a good idea. It says it is 66 degrees in my office which I have a hard time believing and what I do believe is that it is 22 degrees outside. For anyone reading this who lives in the south-be grateful for your weather conditions today! It is Feb and I am longing for spring-or even a day in the 50's. I guess it is a good day to snuggle in because I have all sorts of work to do. AT LEAST the sun is shining ( I am trying to be positive). Oh! I am switching my blog over to typepad as soon as I meet a couple of deadlines I have looming. Barb from illustration group says she did on her own-soooooo if she can do it it so can I! ha!

What shall we do today?

2008-02-18T08:06:00.002-05:00

This week is this strange school break in the middle of Feb. I hate this break, it is gross and rainy outside and my son wants to play not to be couped up inside all day. So today I will take some time away from my desk to entertain my son and his friend by taking them to, of all things, a batting cage! Funny how a girly girl ends up at batting cages and hockey rinks (that's later tonite!) The things you do for the love of a child. ha! Actually there is no greater pleasure in my life than my role as a mother. I will remind myself of that as we are all swinging away at baseballs! I did this little painting awhile back one day while I was doing some small spots, I always liked the way watercolor can capture a quick emotion, mom and baby.

It Was the Best of Times...

2008-02-13T09:54:00.003-05:00

I went to my college reunion this past weekend! These are my "bestest" ever girlfriends that I met my first day of school oh-so-many-years ago! We had such fun and Diane brought her daughter Jessica who is a smart self assured 14 year old young woman. She actually spent last summer on missions in China! Diane's husband Pete is a pastor in the Twin City area in MN. She is such a hoot, I would love to live near them and attend their church! Diane brought 3 scrapbooks full of pictures from college, if I was truly a brave blogger, I would post a then and now picture, ha! We are so much better looking now. Which is odd, because aren't your 20's supposed to be your most attractive years? We had great time and I can't let so much time pass until we see each other again.

what's for lunch?

2008-02-04T15:57:00.000-05:00

This is another piece that I did for La Teen magazine, it felt a bit more realistic to me but I think it worked for the article. I need to get hard copies of these. I never think to ask for tear sheets, one more thing to lose in my office I suppose. Although it is good to see how something reproduces in print, and every magazine has it own feel. For Gotham Magazine I have been creating softer watercolor pieces. I did get a bit crazy on my last assignment with Gotham and produced 2 pieces for one assignment, one colored digitally and the other watercolored. I wanted to see what the art director thought. Which, by the way, the art director was AWESOME! I loved her responses, they where so positive, every illustrators dream. Ultimatley, they chose the watercolored piece because I painted the gym bag red and in the digital one it was gray...so that didn't help me make any medium decisions, ha! But working with them is great.

The travel girl is no more.

2008-02-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

Dahhlings...I did not suck it up and go to London! A wee sinus infection kept me home. The world traveler in me is in spirit only I suppose. I need to get back over there, there are so many design shops I want to see. I am a freak for staying snuggled in close to home but nothing is wrong with jet setting around in the United Sates? Right? I have drugs for my stuffy head and next weekend I am hoping to head to Tulsa for my college homecoming...please I don't even want to confess how long it has been since I have been in college! But I think good things will come from seeing old friends. Hooray! So I will post my travel darling...another redone piece for stationery. I was loving the digital rendering of these pieces but suddenly I had a moment where I missed my paints and watercolor...I think I need to LET IT GO and realize my portfolio is just a mix of medium. When you show your portfolio in the "childrens market" the big thing is a consistent look but in magazine work, which I have been doing, no one seems to care. Funny what you can get fixated on.

Stacy

2008-02-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

So...here are some more samples of the work I am doing lately. I am designing some more stationery. I wanted to repaint some of the images that were sold orignally as stamps at Inky Antics. Here is the stamp image...in black line and then how I painted it for their catalog. I like the idea of a girl gabbing on the phone so I wanted to work with this idea and modernize it but keep it somewhat feminie. So when I repainted it for a personalized note card I changed her clothes and hair. I also wanted to add some paisley since Rebecca at Pen to Paper wanted to do a paisley story. As I worked on Stacy ( I have decided to name my drawings with the first girls name that poped in my head! Weird but I have sooo many files and I am beginning to lose them on my own computer!) I then added a bit of background in and give her some lighting, she has to be able to see!

Kinda of fun to see her morph into someone a tad more modern! ha!

Disappearing Act.

2008-01-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

I have been away in Texas with Luke for a bit and then returned to deadlines and horrific head cold! Now it seems we changed hosting on my website and blogger does not seem to care for that change one bit. I couldn't post. I switched servers on my site and blogger doesn't recognize my new server and of course, they do not answer ANY emails. But my sweet hubby is figuring a way around it all. This is his solution for now! So today I am having a bit of a problem...I don't mention this too much but I am technically still an international flight attendant for American Airlines. I usually drop my trips and freelance my illustration from my studio. . After last year I decided to wait and to take an "early out"...I have to actually age 2 years before I exit the company with a few benefits intact. SOOOOO my problem is I have a long trip to London sitting on my schedule that no one wants to take from me and I would normally just go to London for a nice long weekend BUT I have a head cold-Yik! And trust me blocked sinuses are not airplane friendly. So I am heading in to my DR tomorrow. Do I call in sick, I hate doing that, what if my head cold (on day 12 now) goes away tomorrow? All I really want to do is sit at my desk and make pretty art. I have been experimenting with coloring my art digitally with just using my wacom pen...here is one sample.

Quick study (work) break...

2008-01-15T20:46:00.000-05:00

I thought I would take a break from working at 8:49 PM (ugh!) on a drawing and post my last assignment. I wanted to come out and say hello to the universe before I tuck my head down and get back to work. I DO NOT like working in the evening but I know I won't sleep well until I get this work out. So I have American Idol on in my office...will the writers PLEASE end the strike, this is killing me! Above is m6y lasy assignment, a postcard for a client who reps several fashionable clothing lines. She is just the cutest thing with her dog! She announces her new arrivals with a personalized postcard each season. It is a great idea.

Valentine's!

2008-01-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

What a busy week this turned out to be! I met with my new friend Rebecca from Pen and Paper in Wrentham MA. This is a new fine stationery store in my area and it is sooo cute! She has terrific lines of stationery and invitations. I could just gobble it all up. I had stopped in before Chirstmas and talked shop with them and agreed to meet up after the New Year. I got a call Monday from Rebecca-"I need Valentines! Let's meet tomorrow". I said " I don't have Valentine's, but yes, let's meet tomorrow." So by the next day I had a hand full of Valentine's custom designed for her shop. I couldn't let an opportunity to create NEW cutie Valentine's pass me by! When I was in college I used to hand watercolor all my Valentines for my family and friends! Here are the designs! I think they are cute, cute but of course they were done by me, I maybe biased! ha! They will retail for $9.95 for 12 and they have the bright orange ,pink and lime green envelopes. The girls were trying to include boys that send out cards for the classroom too so not all the envelopes will be pink. If you live in the area stop by her address is 52 Souht St, Wrentham, MA 508-384-8841.

Ok Now the New year has really started...

2008-01-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

I succumbed to the pain and took down my Christmas decorations this Sunday. As I took it all down I asked myself-"Do I really do this every year for only one months worth of pleasure?! " I always add to my sad mantra "I have a house full of boys who probably don't even care!" Then once I get the house all put back together and cleaned I assure myself that I CARE and that's what counts. I must admit it's about this time that I gain a healthy appreciation for my mother, an organized Army wife who always had a clean and well decorated home. AND we had a healthy hot meal on the table every night!

I do then let my mind wander and think she basically had help with two daughters as soon as we were old enough to hang an ornament and make a salad. As a mother of a son there is something about seeing the look of misery on his face that I just wave him away and I do the holiday decorating myself.

Anyhoo, a list of things to do this week, billing, business follow-ups etc. Above is a spot that I did for LA Teen magazine. I did 5 spots for them for a "flirting quiz"!

Wheat is not my friend.

2008-01-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

I headed out into the freezing cold yesterday to use a Borders Coupon to buy this jamie Oliver cookbook I have been wanting. I meant to dig into it last night with a nice lit candle and glass of wine. BUT>>>I got sidetracked with my gluten free life. I tend to get obsessed with the lifestyle and medical issues surrounding it when I accidentally ingest wheat or gluten it and it makes me ill. Which is exactly what I did somehow over the holidays. My mind retraces every morsel I put in my mouth trying to recall the culprit.Tthe truth is I ate out which is always a bit of a gamble and I tried all sort of sweets and cheeses that had additives in them that I couldn't pronounce or recognize. I even had a little Egg Nog with Rum that my Celiac friend, Jeremy says is a no-no for him. Distilled alcohol is widely debated in the Gluten free community.

What is interesting is my brain only heads down this road of research when I need to know "What does one do IF you have accidentally consumed gluten and now you are sick and have an inflamed tummy?" There isn't a lot of MEDICAL advice out there for this junction and I don't want to turn to message boards which I personally feel are a bit freaky. If you were not feeling good before you troll aoruind message boards will be feeling afterwards.

So while I was at Borders I picked up The Gluten Free Bible by Jax Lowell. She is a foodie and a Celiac. The book had me laughing out loud and I felt like I had found a friend. It made me think that maybe I should join a support group or something so when I needed I could have like minded people around. I clicked over to Amazon and try to grab a picture of this book and read the reviews of her book. Good Lord! People with food issues can be so harsh! I mean I read her book and took certain items with a grain of salt-she has a list in the book of things to help prevent you from cheating. What the??? I guess some wheat does cause instantaneous pain to some like it does me, cheating is not the issue!!! She also lists certain meds as gluten free and some as not. I have had serious issues with meds and supplements and I do keep a comprehensive downloaded-updated list at home. Unfortunately some over the counter items change the ingredients list when it becomes "instant dissolve" etc. This does not work for me, it may work out for someone else. But like any book hers is meant to comfort and instruct yes but you have to use reason as to what works for you. Can you see why I pull my head out of this HUGE issue in my life only to resurface occasionally? I have talked to dietitian's and doctors that flat out don't give the right advice to someone who needs a gluten free diet (now that is scary!!) Books like Lowells are at least CLOSE to the mark AND she has recipes that a foodie like me can love. So why all the mean reviews? Maybe because it has the word BIBLE in the title and well maybe this medical issue is just to new and unreseared to tout any kind of BIBLE. I just needed a friend! My frustration only surfaces when I have gotten myself sick and when I travel, oh and when I stand in the bakery section at the grocers. I guess that is more often that I realize. In the meantime, I read cookbooks like Jamie's, which focuses on whole foods-veggies, meats, fruits and I modify here and there as I need to, it makes me feel normal. Hmmm, I might have to get my head out of the sand about this issue this year. I guess last year was the year to heal physically and this year is the year to embrace it? yuk! That does not sound fun! Might have to think on this one.

New Year Woe!

2007-12-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

Whew! I swear doing returns has been more exhausting that my actual holiday SHOPPING. And it is all self inflicted. I got this idea that I HAD to have a pair of Uggs for myself and I had run all over creation to get some that fit right. I ended up at the UGG Outlet and bought some only to realize when I got home that one Ugg had more shearling in it than the other foot...too much money paid for that annoyance so I returned those ( and of course they had no more in my size) so I got on the phone with Nordstrom's. I had to purchase some OVER THE PHONE to secure them and then I went down to pick them up. And do think I learned my lesson and would actually try both pair on and walk in them for a few minutes before I walked out of the store? Nooooooo. Well, sort of but their were lots of people at the counter and I slipped them on and off really quickly, only to realize when I returned home......that they had given me a size 10 and a size 7!!! YA THINK I WOULD HAVE NOTICED! So back to the Mall again this time thinking I would just not get Uggs this years and would suffer (oh the suffering!) with cold feet. But amazingly they had the stray size 7 in the stock room and now I am vowing to stay out of traffic and away from any Mall for at least a year. Funny what you become accustomed to when your commute to work involves a short walk down the hall! But now I can do it with warm feet! Happy New year!

Getting ready for the New Year

2007-12-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

I thought I would jot a quick blog, I have been playing Christmas a have neglected my computer for a while! I thought I would share some of the fun things I had waiting for me in my email this morning. The first is Friday Focus with Carrie and Danielle these are 2 style gurus that I love. They have a terrific business helping you discover your natural and instinctive style. They created a page with a Lifestyle Map. This is a page that gives you some structure to evaluate where you might like to head this year, discover what worked last year and maybe what didn't. Here is an excerpt from their email THIS NEW YEAR: Create your ideal year based on the Lifestyle Map. On large paper, or using one page per heading, create sections for “HOME + STUFF,” “SPIRIT + LEARNING,” etc. Write out your wish list for 2008: Diving in Mexico. New sofa. More dinners with friends. Dance class. Firm up butt. Clean out storage locker. Get certified. Resolve things with Mom. $2 million in sales. Publish an article. Pay off loan. Run the 10k. Adopt a puppy…. Put it all down. Now, here’s the very important thing: Within each category, be sure to also include how you want to feel. This is key! So many of our goals include “stuff and experiences” and we miss the fundamentals of our desires: our feelings. This year, in terms of WEALTH + SERVICE, do you want to feel more ingenious, impeccable, generous, free? In terms of BODY + WELLNESS, do you want lightness, strength, energy? With RELATIONSHIPS + COMMUNICATION, how about feeling sexy, supported, cherished, or funfreakintastic?!

I am thrilled that they are coming out with a book in April. If you are at your desk at work and really don't want to work (OMI!!) go to to the home page of their site and download a small pdf with a preview of people that they profiled as they discovered their style. This was really fun and I am got completely absorbed in seeing profiles of people that were "ORGANIC TREASURE" and " ENDURING BOLD." I think mapping and setting your mind and spirit on want you want, need and hope for is so valuable. It often can help you discover things about yourself that you may have had hidden away. As you are doing exercises like this you may hear a still small voice inside you that says "I need to explore this." Or " I want to get rid of this strife in my life." or "I am not going to beat myself up about this anymore." These small ah-ha moments can unlock HUGE obstacles in your life and it all starts out with a little self indulgent fun!