pick up your brush

Dear Melissa,

Your romantic getaway to Paris sounds enchanting, and you look devastatingly adorable in your thrifty dress! My husband would totally be into wearing a small bathing suit. I look forward to the summer months even more now. :)

Spring in California is beautiful. We've had lots of rain, so the hills around our house are green - layers of green in all different shades. I am soaking it all in, and have been painting quite a bit. I'm trying to savor all of the green before it turns gold. That's beautiful too, but being a Virginia gal, there's something about that color that I just can't get enough of.

Love,

Lynne

(painting for sale in my shop)

PS: Macbeth! Finish reading it by Monday, we will discuss!

the house of franglais

Dear Lynne:

I've been thinking long and hard about your question of how you can be more French. I've recently returned from a wedding anniversary trip to Paris. (Do you like this lovely flat we rented?) It's true that French women have a certain je ne sais quoi that we American women seem to often lack.

Here are some of my observations that might help:

1. pink toilet paper: I've never seen this in America, and it's everywhere in France.
2. scarves: the French actually have two words to describe this; one is "un foulard" which is more of a dressy light, silky sort of scarf; the other is "une écharpe" which is the woolen variety worn in winter. I think a good collection of both types of scarves is a good start.
3. lettuce: French women are really always eating salad and drinking lots of water, sparkling or flat.
4. speedos: I think you should buy one for your man if you want to be really French. In fact, at many public pools, voluminous swimming trunks are not allowed. Tight fitting swimming attire for men is a must.
5. women often wear skirts or dresses, with lovely shoes, no running shoes or sweat pants. Do you like my 1960's thrift-store find?

study a bit

Dear Melissa,

I hope you are having a lovely time with your house guests (give them a hug from me, please).

I finally found time last night to plunge into Macbeth. I opened up a window to hear the wind, wrapped myself in a big blanket, and read. It's awesome of course, and I can't believe how completely crazy Lady Macbeth is. And Macbeth, hello, flaky. I am thoroughly enjoying it and I am excited to hear your thoughts (and those of whoever else is reading.)

Love,

Lynne

ps - more pictures, anyone? the possibilities are endless, really...

Home Sweet Home: Tricia

Welcome to Tricia's kitchen.

Tricia is an amazing woman. She homeschools her six children, raises all kinds of animals (including some really cute chickens), and fills her gorgeous home with books and creative activities. If you are lucky enough to be going, you can catch Tricia's presentation at BYU's Women's Conference on Gathering in the Kitchen: Healthy Eating and Happy Memories. Her blog, Our Home Made Happy, is consistently an inspiration to me as it is chock full of Tricia's great ideas and photographs. Go look.

When Tricia and her family moved in to their home, she painted the cabinets white herself.

Gorgeous and peaceful.

(plus I am madly in love with her tolix chairs)

She breaks her philosophy of using whites and neutrals down really well on her blog here...

more of Tricia's home to come!

pick up your brush

(Natural Patchwork giveaway winner is...

VIOLET MUNDAY!

email me and I will ship it off to you!)

Dear Melissa,

I always, always struggle to come up with meaningful teacher presents for my kids' teachers. They work so darn hard and get paid so darn little that I feel like I really want to do something spectacular for them when their birthday or the holidays or the end of the year roll around. I don't know if this is that spectacular thing or not, but it's one of my efforts that has now become somewhat of a tradition for me: the book of portraits.

I always do it on the day I teach our little portrait lesson (the main thing we do is to diagram a face on the board so we can talk about human proportion. It is amazing how helpful it is for children to show them how eyes are actually in the middle of that face oval - and that ears are similarly half way down one's head.)

Then I make the teacher be our model. Can you tell that my daughter's teacher loves the Oakland A's? And wears TONS of eye make-up? (kidding about the last thing. this picture is my favorite of the bunch)

They always turn out great, I think. Isn't this one above so Modigliani? Very graceful. While the kids are drawing I creep around the room and ask them on the sly what they think is the most beautiful thing about the teacher. Then I write that thing under their drawing. It is so sweet, what they say. Second graders love, love, love their teachers.

Love,

Lynne

Minding the unruly

Dear Melissa,

The other morning my husband walked by the bathroom door, where the seven year old and four year old were locked in together (they like to keep each other company while taking care of business). Steve overheard the following conversation:

7: ...no, that's wrong. try again.
4: ...but I don't know how to read
7: Just try again. You can do it! "Cloud." Spell, "cloud."
4: ...but I just need some toilet paper
7: not until you can spell the word correctly.
4: but the only word I can spell is my name
7: "Cloud" is simple. Do it.



I guess by the time we finally shuttle the four year old off to kindergarten, she will be well prepared with such a rigorous teacher at home. That's really what our public school system needs to shape those standards up - my daughter to come in and show them how it's done. Although her methods may or may not be legal. :)

(pictured are a pair of grey flannel matching blankets I recently made for those little sisters. they like all things in twin-form these days. how do you tie blankets without your fingers getting sore?)

Love,
Lynne

Natural Patchwork Giveaway!

Dear Readers,

Trumpeter Books has kindly offered to do a giveaway for their newest title in the Make Good: Crafts + Life series, Natural Patchwork, by Suzuko Koseki. Japanese craft book loveliness in ENGLISH!! Brilliant. I am looking at the book as I type (well, actually I had to put it down because I can't do that many things at once) - and it is so pretty. The photographs, the 26 sweet projects... you will absolutely be inspired.

Anyway, leave a comment and the random number generator will choose a recipient next Monday.

Help!

Lynne:

I've not been able to respond to your articulate (and hilarious) post regarding your desire to be more French. I've been obsessing about how to improve the look of our very orange rental kitchen/dining room. I've received permission to paint. I think that's a start to tone down the orangeness of it all. What color do you like (from samples 1-5)? Do you have any other ideas? I've thought perhaps an indoor/outdoor carpet under the dining room table. Any other suggestions? I'm desperate for your advice.

xoxo

Melissa

pick up your brush

"cheerful as a cricket"

Grandma Moses, painting

Dear Melissa,

In doing a little research for an art class this morning, I came upon the obituary of artist Grandma Moses from the New York Times on the day of her passing back in 1961, and was completely charmed. Go read it, it doesn't take long and it will make you feel happy. I especially loved this quote from an unnamed German fan:

"There emanates from her paintings a light-hearted optimism; the world she shows us is beautiful and it is good. You feel at home in all these pictures, and you know their meaning. The unrest and the neurotic insecurity of the present day make us inclined to enjoy the simple and affirmative outlook of Grandma Moses."

Doesn't that just make you, to quote the obituary writer, cheerful as a cricket yourself? I think Grandma Moses had it all figured out.

"I look back on my life like a good day's work, it was done and I feel satisfied with it. I was happy and contented, I knew nothing better and made the best out of what life offered. And life is what we make it, always has been, always will be."