A trip - and a life - interrupted

When we began to plan this trip to France last fall, my sister Sherri was in remission from the brain cancer that she had been fighting with impressive courage for several months. It was a giddy time for her - she could drive again, she was back at work, she was feeling good, looking good, seemingly back from the brink.

While we all knew that this cancer was about as serious as it gets - and would be the thing to eventually take her life - we all hoped, believed, prayed, wished, begged that she would be feeling good for at least a couple of more years.

So we all went on about our lives - mom going back to work, Jordan graduating from college, Chris trying to focus on his new job, and Eric and I planning a month-long trip to France with Chloe - something we'd talked about ever since we decided to try to have a baby together. We had enough miles to get all three of us here, we have an amazingly generous friend offering a free place to stay....allons y!

But then in December, Sherri's brain tumor made a reappearance. Since then, she has steadily grown weaker from the increased chemo, but was still working, still feeling pretty good. Well, she felt bad enough that Eric and I repeatedly questioned the timing of our trip, but good enough that we decided better now than later this year. Yet now, long story short, the cancer has suddenly gotten very, very aggressive. Last Thursday, the day we arrived in France, she had two grand maul seizures and is now in hospice care.

Her dramatically fast decline is almost impossible for me to accept, as I sit here with a view of the Pyrenees, wanting so badly to feel like everything is okay and that I'm on the dream trip of a lifetime. But I ache to be with her, to help support my mom, Jordan and Chris. We've shortened our trip by two weeks, taking the earliest possible flight that we can with our restricted tickets using miles. We'll fly directly to Dallas to spend some time with her, hopefully bring some Chloe-infused smiles to her face.

So now, I'm trying to enjoy the random sweet moments here - Chloe playing with a little French girl at the playground, the charming century-old carousel, David and Fernand's overwhelming generosity - but in my head I'm really several thousand miles away, at Sherri's bedside, trying to make her laugh, telling her how much I love her.

A Month in Pau: ALLONS-Y!

What better excuse to fire up this old blog than the amazing opportunity we have - a month in Pau, France?! Thanks to the generosity of our hosts, David and Fernand of Villa Hutton, and the bevy of miles we had with American Airlines, we arrived yesterday for a month in the foothills of the Pyrenees!

I won't go into the history of Pau, since it is quite extensive and there are plenty of sites that do the job much better than I would (click here), but I'll give my two bits. Surprisingly, it has a lot in common with Portland, Oregon. Both cities are close to mountains, are at about the same latitude, are about the same distance from the coast, have very similar weather (I think Portland actually has more annual days of sun), and are both lush, green and moist. And they both have really great coffee and beer (dark beer drinkers, do your best to track down Pelfort Brune).

Wine is cheap, gas is expensive. A gallon of gas costs $9 - as much as two bottles of good Bordeaux wine. There are no Starbucks, Targets, Wal-Marts or any other big box stores. The cars are tiny. The flowers are huge. People are very nice, and a little intrigued with my American-ness and horrible French. Spain is a stone's throw away (almost literally).

In our first 24 hours, I've been to a drug store and two markets, both to stock up on provisions and to get some emergency diapers and allergy pills, since our luggage decided to spend a night in Paris. But even our luggage realized that Pau is really the place to be, and joined us here this morning, so we're all ready to hunker down for a month near the snow-capped mountains.

Chloe was an amazing champ on the 17 hour journey here, sleeping a lot, crying very little, and generally amazingly very amenable. If American Airlines had behaved half as well as Chloe, our travels would have been much less stressful, but that's behind us now. Today Chloe has not felt like venturing out - perhaps absorbing her new surroundings before venturing further - but that is fine. We'll just hang out at our little pad, listening to French jazz on the radio, the grown ups drinking Pelforth, and Chloe reading fairy books while we watch the clouds roll over the mountains. Life is good, and we're so thankful. Salut!

Swinging at Smokilious

This originated on my baby blog, but I thought it would fit here too. I know I've mentioned a few times how much I love Smokilicious, one of the many trailer eateries on South Congress. Tony and Lisa are so friendly, and they make surprisingly yummy food - BBQ chicken, pulled port, breakfast tacos, you name it - in their tiny little trailer. They even catered my birthday party. And to top it off, they installed a baby swing from the amazing tree that shades their little spot. So now Chloe is their number one fan - just wait until she can try the BBQ! They're located just north of Perla's, behind the Austin Pets Alive station. Track it down, especially if you're looking for a mellow place to eat with a baby!

Marla Camp's Radio Program "Tap Roots"

I'm pretty sure that my dear old friend Marla Camp is the busiest person I've ever met - and she's not faux-busy, as in "Wow I barely had time to get a manicure last week" -type busy. She really has a LOT on her plate, but fortunately for her it's all really cool and fun.

In addition to her incredibly-time-consuming work as Publisher of Edible Austin (a position that has reaped so many benefits for us, since she's the most well-connected foodie person in this city!), she also hosts a monthly radio program called "Tap Roots" through the Heritage Radio Network. Every month she interviews different movers and shakers in the foodie world, particularly people involved in the locavore and sustainable food movement. You can listen to all the previous programs on the web site.

The last program aired April 5, and featured Marla's in-studio (meaning - from NYC!) interviews with Anna Lappe (author of "Diet for a Hot Planet") and Louisa Shafia of Lucid Food. They discussed ways to improve our food system and how eating responsibly can change the world.

"Tap Roots" is a great program for anyone interested in seasonal, local foods - and just check out the show's cute little turnip art (courtesy of cartoonist Sam Hurt)!

Arte Y Chocolate in Austin

Ah, this poor blog. First it was the baby blog sabotaging my time here, then it was mommy-hood sabotaging my time, then it was the move to Austin sabotaging my time. Now the dust is finally settling and we're getting into a bit of a rhythm, so I'm looking forward to posting here again!

This story is a great re-entry into blogging. This evening, Eric, Chloe, Eric's mother (who's visiting from Cambridge) and I were sitting on our fantastic porch, which faces a street corner that is very popular with walkers making their way to the park. We could see Georgia, one of the little girls who lives across the street, sitting there at a little table, selling something. So I ventured over, with $2 in hand, curious what she was offering.

To my delight, it was chocolate - beautiful little shards of dark choclate, decorated in gorgeous swirls and designs! Turns out her mother Lila is, indeed, a chocolate maker. What an awesome neighbor to have! So this was our introduction to Arte y Chocolate. I purchased $2 worth of chocolate, went back a few minutes later for $2 more, and then Georgia suddenly walked over to our porch to show us even more options. So, $10 later, we suddenly had a nice stock pile of delightful, artisanal, locally-made (across the street!) chocolates. Lucky for all of you, they sell at several local stores and farmers markets, and they have a great web site, just click here to read more. Just when I thought our new home couldn't get any better, the chocolate gods smile down favorably on us...

Sale at Melissa Moss's Etsy Store

Here's your chance to get a little slice of the beautiful world of Melissa Moss at a discount - to ring in the new year she's offering 20% off everything in her Etsy shop, including calendars, mini paintings, original drawings, prints and even shipping! I just love her work and hope one day to get a huge original painting from her! For now the prints and minis will have to suffice; fortunately she is very prolific and there's always some new delightful creation on her site, like this one above, "Too Happy." Click here to check out her store.

Getty Villa

It feels like it has been forever since I've been to the Museum - a baby's arrival tends to put a damper on such things! But yesterday I had a terrific outing with my girlfriends to the Getty Villa up in Malibu. I mentioned to Gina that it has been on my to-do list for years, and it looked like I wouldn't make it happen before moving away.
Well she waved her magic wand and got me there, along with Emily and Margie. What a fun way to spend some time with my brunette beauties! It was an unusual day for Southern California - cool, gray and rainy. But the dreary weather made the Villa even more luscious.

Per usual with these girls, it was kind of hard for us to concentrate on anything since we had so much chatting to do, but we had such fun walking the grounds with the Getty umbrellas, and just generally goofing around. Oh, and the Greek and Roman antiquities were stunning too!

This was the longest I've ever been away from Chloe - a whole six and a half hours! She and daddy did great, although apparently she refused to eat, but didn't seem bothered by it. But by the time I walked in she was noshing on some avocado, so all was well.

The Pop Up Shop is back!

The LB Pop Up shop gang are at it again, this year presenting their very cool wares at Portfolio on 4th Street this coming weekend. I can't believe it has been a year since we first launched the Pop Up. I'm so glad they're doing it again, it's a great way to shop local, and buy some really cool stuff! Click here for more info.

Rest in Peace, Andrea Burden

I received some really terrible news today - a friend from Austin named Andrea Burden died suddenly of meningitis last Saturday. This is such a loss, both for the art world and for all of us. I didn't know Andrea well, but we kind of ran around in the same crowd when I lived in Austin, and I was always glad to run into her. The last time I saw her was two years ago at the Maker's Faire in Austin. She had her new baby girl with her, and her daughter Bella, who was nine or ten. Andrea was, as usual, just glowing. She always had a huge smile and an aura of happiness radiating about her.

Andrea was an amazing painter. Her work always reminded me a bit of Spanish Surrealist Remedios Varo. You could just get lost in Andrea's world as depicted on canvas - a dreamy, mysterious and beautiful world, much more magical and serene than the one in which we actually live.

This self portrait perfectly captures her spirit. Click here to see more of Andrea's work. I can only begin to imagine the impact of her death among her loved ones in Austin. I know she was adored by all who knew her, and my heart goes out to her family, particularly her darling girls.

Patchwork Festival in LB this Sunday

So there's a nifty indie arts and crafts festival this Sunday in our neck of the woods. We're so so lucky to have Patchwork right around the corner, at Marine Stadium. It's an offshoot of the popular semi-annual Patchwork Festival in Santa Ana, which I've always wanted to check out and just never can make it. Can't wait to check out all the locally-made goodies!

Gingersnaps with a cause!

This post is way overdue, inspired by a birthday gift that Eric's mother gave him last July. The gift was a lovely tin continer filled with yummy ginger snap cookies, sent by a non-profit organization called Gingersnaps, which is an agency of the United Way that benefits mentally handicapped people with its sales of yummy cookies and other treats. The treats come in nifty containers, with handmade paper ornaments, made in San Felipe, Texas at Willow River Farm, an organic farm and artisan community.

Gingersnaps is volunteer-driven, and all proceeds benefit 700 children and adults served daily by The Center Serving Persons with Mental Retardation in Houston, TX. So keep Gingersnaps in mind this coming holiday, if you're in the market for gingersnaps, cheese snaps, chocolate nuggets or fruitcakes! I love finding things like this - nifty, creative gifts that serve a greater purpose!

Soylar Candles

Our friend Julie told us about a nifty new home-based business here in Long Beach, Soylar Candles, run by a stay-at-home mom named Irene. She came up with the ingenious idea of using all her kids' old baby food jars and other old jars as candle holders, and she now creates and sells the candles online.

Not only are the jars recycled, she uses solar energy to produce the candles, which are are all custom made with phthalate-free soy with lead-free cotton wicks. They are adorable and make a great gift, plus they leave only a tiny footprint! If you're in the LB area, there is free pick up, so you can even avoid shipping costs. She also offers lots of other green goodies, like organic beanies for kids and reusable shopping bags. Good luck, Irene!

Rebecca Mann on Etsy

An old friend of mine named Rebecca is ridiculously talented - photographer, ceramicist, foodie, artist. She's now taking Etsy by storm with a new shop. I'm sure these amazing mobiles are going to be a big hit. Click here to visit her Etsy shop, and click here to check out her cool blog (feauturing her beautiful boy Calder!).

LB Organic T-shirts at Merry's

Long Beach Organic recently held a Summer Solstice party at our community garden - alas, we didn't make it, as it was just a week after Chloe was born! But I hear it was a great event, and they made these nifty t-shirts to commemorate it. The T’s are made ethically of organic cotton and printed in good ol’ Long Beach. Local artist and gardener James de Boer did the design, and they're available+ in men’s and women’s cuts.

To get your T-Shirt stop by Merry’s Fashion with Passion, Tuesday – Sunday 11ish to 6ish. Bring a check to Long Beach Organic or $15 cash. For each purchase made at Merry’s shop, $1 will be donated to the charity Pennies for Peace, which builds schools to educate children, particularly girls, in Afghanistan. Merry's is a great shop, offering all kinds of goodies made in developing nations, with money going straight back to the artisans behind the good.

LB Depot for Creative Reuse

For the past year and a half, I've somewhat obsessively saved things like egg cartons, twist ties, wine corks, the green plastic baskets that berries come in, and gift bags (and we've had a lot of those!). Once upon a time all those things would have gone in the trash, but now we can put all that random stuff to use by donating it to the Long Beach Depot for Creative Reuse! The brain child of the incredibly sweet Lisa Hernandez, the Depot is one of those win-win propositions - people like me can put a serious dent in their waste and re-purpose all kinds of stuff, and artists, teachers and other creative sorts can put all that stuff to use! Shopping there is such a blast, and gets your creative juices flowing. I always leave there trying to think of ways I could use some broken ceramic tiles, wooden nickels and beer caps, among other things. There is a section of free stuff for teachers to use in classroom projects. How cool is this??

This "magical shop" is now an official non-profit, and they have a list of ways we can all suppor their mission to "Promote, Inspire and Encourage creative reuse of all those items that don't make it to the thrift stores but too good to put in the trash!"

1. Sign up online for eScrip and follow the instructions to register your grocery and credit/debit cards. Everytime you shop at Vons, etc, or use your cards, the merchant partners contribute to us at no cost to you! We are under "The Long Beach Depot for Creative ReUse".

2. Please tell all of your Artists friends, Teachers, Students, etc. about "The Depot"."

3. Write, Call or Email anyone who's connected with the Media (newspapers, magazines, t.v., etc.) including stars like Ed Begley, Jr., Oprah, Ellen Degeneres, Tyra Banks, Justin Timberlake, Al Gore and yes, even President Obama on the importance of small "green" businesses like "The Depot" that help boost the economy and is good for the environment! Let them know that "The Depot" would be a great model for others to emulate across the country! Imagine Creative Reuse shops in every community!

There is also a link on their web site for those of you who may want to contribute via Paypal.
You can also follow them on Twitter: twitter.com/creativereuse

"Choose to ReUse...Art is Education!"

Fab Etsy Stuff for Babies

We were given so many amazing baby gifts from sundry Etsy sellers, I really have to give a shout out to these terrific artists and crafters.

Devilish Grin
Margie gave Chloe this incredibly adorable kimono (with matching booties!) from Devilish Grin. I'm so in love with the fabric - wish I could get a mommy-sized dress in that fabric.







Organic Quilt
We received two quilts from Organic Quilt, plus some great burp cloths. Again, the fabrics are so gorgeous. Chloe hasn't used these quilts, I'm waiting until she gets through the massive spit up stage!






Tiddly Winks
I was the shopper here...just had to get Lily the Lion for Chloe, plus a little Elephant for wee Lola.








Backwoods Babies
Karin gave us this nifty portable changing pad (the one on the far left), which we actually use as her main changing pad in the living. This thing has probably gotten more use than anything else we received!

Bundled
Sophie gave us a now-indespensable diaper organizer thingy from Bundled. It's perfect, compact and so cute (again in fabric that I want to turn into a dress!).



I'd like to include here some small, non-chain shops that have great things for kids. We love Etsy, but we also want to support locally-owned businesses!

No Sugar Added in Claremont, CA

Sol Baby in Hermosa Beach, CA

Ashley (and Anne!) at Pacific Art League

Our friend Ashley Smith created this gorgeous painting of his wife Anne - it's uncanny, how perfectly he captured her (with kitty and pregnant belly!). I love how realistic it is, yet so dreamy and sublime. I know Ashley more for his theater work, and I always forget what an amazing 2D artist he is. Fortunately the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, CA took notice, and accepted this piece for their upcoming exhibition"Figures and Faces." It opens Friday, August 7. Oh how I wish we could travel north for the opening! The painting is titled is ANNE, oil on board, measuring 14.5" x 33.5. Congrats Ashley!

Fantastic Plastic in Johnson City, TX

I discovered Rebecca Tolk's lovely Holga photography at Yard Dog Gallery in Marfa, TX last year. Not only are her moody, mysterious shots so appealing, she mounts them on little wooden boxes made from reclaimed barn wood. How cool is that? I learned from her newsletter about the show above, the Fantastic Plastic show in Johnson City, TX, my old stomping grounds! I love this concept, a show of works all created by the cool old vanguard of cameras - Dianas, Holgas, pinholes, etc. The show opens tomorrow and runs through Sept. 19. Click here for details.

I hope they do this again next year when we'll be living nearby again! Who knows, maybe I'll dust off my Diana camera and try to enter one of my shots. This image, "Oatgrass," is Rebecca's work in the show.

Henry Levine on Etsy

I'm finally coming out of my baby haze to do a little art blogging! Eric's old friend Henry Levine is an amazing craftsman, specializing in custom wood furniture. Someday hopefully we can commission him to design and build some furniture for us. Fortunately, he also offers some starter items, like these beautiful votive holders, made from re-purposed solid chunks of American black walnut and now available at his new Etsy shop. I love it when such talented artists join Etsy!

Flora Bowley's online sale

I blogged a while back about Flora Bowley, whose lovely work we discovered on a trip to Seattle. She's having a nifty online sale of her "mini" paintings, little 8 x 8" gems painted on bamboo. And she's offering them on a sliding scale! So you can have a little original Bowley for between $95 and $165. Click here to check it out.