tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67820218036916402442024-02-19T20:45:35.208-06:00Jen's Next ChanceLife at the intersection of art and parenting.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-72811190963962097742014-03-07T19:57:00.001-06:002014-03-07T19:57:22.919-06:00New Website!So, after a long internal debate followed by much inaction, I've decided to move to a self-hosted website and blog. I hope that explains the silence here. Stay tuned for details!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-43187151227129085672014-01-02T15:16:00.002-06:002014-01-02T16:16:56.480-06:002013 in PicturesSnow buries us deeper and deeper here in Chicago today. It's been a perfect day for stitching inside, reflecting on the gifts of 2013. I'll start the year here with some images that didn't make it to the blog last year.<br />
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Ellis started Kindergarten in his <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/thumbandpinky" target="_blank">Thumb and Pinky</a> finery.<br />
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I stitched some special orders.<br />
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I made a robot costume. And it rained. A lot.</div>
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Ellis learned to take a selfie.</div>
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We hosted Thanksgiving dinner for my parents and dear friends, and the food was awesome!</div>
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Christmas came and we enjoyed every second of it. (Well, not every second, but I didn't take any pictures of the lousy parts!)</div>
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And Illinois passed Marriage Equality and Sarah and I got engaged!</div>
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I also started using my crummy phone more often to take pictures, so I didn't have much to blog about. Luckily, Christmas brought me a new, sweet phone with a great camera. I have much hope for my photography future.<br />
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2014, we can't wait.<br />
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-69744979694708072242013-10-21T08:40:00.001-05:002013-10-21T08:40:57.590-05:00It's All Painty Up In HereEllis has been inspired. He saw a painting of a lightning bolt at the movie theater and loved it so much he came home and wanted to paint something like it himself. Obviously, I had a moment of total parenting awesomeness. It was amazing not just because my child had a moment of inspiration but because I had everything on hand to help him realize his vision. Hooray for art supply hoarding!<br />
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He loved it so much he wanted to do it again a few days later!<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-11369910874047758552013-10-15T08:52:00.000-05:002013-10-15T08:52:03.036-05:00Canning Swap, and Canning Season UpdatesI'm gearing up for the social event of the season tonight: Our Canning Swap. 9 of us are bringing our yummiest, most safely-canned jars over to my place and we'll trade and leave with all kinds of goodies.<br />
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I'm offering up Peach Bourbon BBQ Sauce, <a href="http://www.sbcanning.com/2010/08/eggplant-appetizer-caponata.html" target="_blank">Caponata</a> (featuring garden-grown eggplant), and Peach Salsa.<br />
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Here is the Caponata in progress.<br />
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It's been a busy canning season, with a focus on things we can in quantity, like tomatoes.<br />
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Last year we canned tomato sauce for the first time, but in a group of friends. This was my first solo effort for sauce in my own kitchen. Of course, the food mill is borrowed from my friend Karen.<br />
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After processing, it all went into the roaster, a thrifted Christmas gift from my friend Erin. Even when you work alone, it takes a village to can tomato sauce!<br />
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All told, we got 19 pints.<br />
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We used the Ball Seasoned Tomato Sauce here, which is my favorite for canning. I'm heading out the the farmers market now for more produce. It's a cold and rainy day, so I'm feeling like beets might be on the agenda!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-60382973645149751262013-08-24T07:00:00.000-05:002013-08-24T07:00:01.207-05:00Millions of PeachesNot quite a million, but our fresh produce fairy Anika hooked us up with a bushel of freshly picked organic Michigan peaches. They were quite possibly the most beautiful peaches in all the land.<br />
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So, what's a girl to do with 50 lbs. of peaches? I freaked out and did nothing the first day. But I did make a plan for jam, salsa, barbecue sauce, peaches in syrup, and frozen peaches. And Ellis made a plan to eat as many peaches as possible before bedtime. We both triumphed.<br />
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The next day, things got real. I took Ellis and his cousin to one of those crazy trampoline places in the morning to wear them out and then I spent the afternoon and evening putting up as many peaches as I could.<br />
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The first step in any canning session is to take your kitchen to Beauty Base Zero. Your kitchen must be a pristine blank slate onto which you can project your particular brand of canning carnage, er, I mean canning glory.<br />
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Then I sorted my produce. (Cue the gratuitous peach beauty shots!)<br />
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And then, my friends, it's time to get to work.<br />
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First up was peach jam. We used the most-bruisey peaches for the jam (though even the bruisey ones were awesome). Peaches can be tedious to process because you do have to take the skins off. Once you get into a rhythm, things go quickly. We used the <a href="http://harmonioushomestead.com/2010/08/03/peach-jam-using-pomonas-universal-pectin/" target="_blank">Pamona's Pectin low-sugar recipe</a>, but I used the most recommended sugar. Last year, my peach jam didn't set well. It was fine and we used it mostly in smoothies and things like that. Still, I wanted it to set. I must confess, it took over a day of cooling, but the jam does seem to have set up nicely.<br />
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With 12 half-pints of peach jam put up, I turned to the most awesome but most labor-intensive recipe: <a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/2010/08/23/peach-salsa-for-canning-revisited/" target="_blank">Peach Salsa</a>. I'd gotten the peppers and onions and all at the farmers market that morning. Peach Salsa is a wonderful confluence of ripe things here in the midwest. Every ingredient was freshly picked. Still, salsa-making is basically a chop-a-thon. The chopping and prepping can take hours. And it did. But what a pay-off!<br />
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14 pints later, all was well. Oh, except that it was 3 in the morning, I'd gone to bed, and the lovely and sleep-deprived Sarah has to finish up. True love means finishing up your partner's overly-ambitious canning projects.<br />
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Stay tuned for Peaches in Syrup, Frozen Peaches, Peach Bourbon Barbecue Sauce, and whatever I end up doing with that last bowl of peaches eyeing me from the end of the table.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-29323259106003485032013-08-23T14:00:00.000-05:002013-08-23T14:00:32.076-05:00Gearing Up For FallFall draws close. Ellis is starting school on Monday. He's successfully completed his Kindergarten orientation.<br />
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His school is lovely. He likes it so far. He's ready.<br />
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Me? Not so much. How did my baby get so big, so fast? I'm certainly excited to get back to work, to have time to breathe, to be able to actually clean my house. But, oh, does it have to be so soon?Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-49904744641857051712013-08-06T07:00:00.000-05:002013-08-06T07:00:02.046-05:00Cheetah ManIt was dress as your favorite animal day at camp. Ellis went as a cheetah. Or, he went as his invented cheetah-based superhero: Cheetah Man!<br />
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He plans to be Cheetah Man for Halloween, too. I will need to make a less half-assed costume for that. At least I don't have to buy a drab, muscled superhero costume from Costco.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-59506764501818210682013-08-05T07:00:00.000-05:002013-08-05T07:00:01.269-05:00Blueberries for AllA few weeks ago, we headed to Blueberry Ranch for some organic blueberry goodness. It was hot. Like 95 and not breezy. But we still managed to pick around 22 lbs. We didn't smell all that good afterwards.<br />
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Then we headed home to put up half the berries into jam and freeze the rest.<br />
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We used the Pamona Pectin low-sugar recipe, adding basil from our garden to one of the batches for some extra zing.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-87833220430343893992013-08-04T10:56:00.002-05:002013-08-04T10:56:54.717-05:00In the StudioI finally got around to a much-needed studio cleaning. And there's only one thing to be done with a clean studio: mess it up.<br />
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A dear friend's daughter is having her 7th birthday party. What 7 year old doesn't need a fairy headband?<br />
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Isn't it nice to have so many pretty materials to work with? Sometimes I spend a lot of time just gazing at all the colors. And other times, I get to work.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-45827586344600482912013-07-31T19:01:00.001-05:002013-07-31T19:01:37.952-05:00Food Theory, Part 1: My Community Food HistoryI've been thinking lately about food and community. I want to do a few posts around this. I doubt they'll be very photo-heavy, so I hope you'll stay with me. Today I'm thinking about my own history of sharing food (and drink) with my non-family communities, what it means to me, and what it could be.<br />
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I have some very clear memories of a particular church basement in Southern Minnesota, punctuated with watermelon pickles, 7-Up and sherbet punch, 7-layer salad and brownies.<br />
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I have other clear and memories of other basements, school basement cafeterias and sandwiches and juice boxes. That particular smell of old chocolate milk. That particular echo of kids and linoleum.<br />
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I've drunk generic kool-aid mixed with vodka in a recycling bin out of a $3 cup.<br />
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I've brought a hot dish of my own, or two, to various potlucks across the country. I hid my roots, though, and called them casseroles. Shame on me. Viva la hot dish!<br />
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These days, I share food with my friends and their families at events we call Playdates or Mama Nights or, as in the days of yore, Potlucks. I bring meals to new mamas. I swap meals with friends to give my own family some variety. I preserve food for later in groups.<br />
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I'm lucky to have enough money to eat. I'm lucky to live among other people who also have enough money to eat. Shared food, though, is more than just food. It's a gesture of community. It's intimate. It binds us to each other.<br />
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Sometimes it's the excuse to get together in a world where slow food is marginalized. Sometimes we give food because we have nothing else to give, because we can't fix the rough spots in other people's lives, but we can feed them dinner.<br />
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And yes, sometimes it's an act of faith. I've eaten food that I did not find to be delicious. I've given food I did not find to be delicious. I've made food when I did not have time or money. I have flaked out and not made food when I should have.<br />
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Because, sometimes, food made by someone else is exactly what a person needs.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-54688554811832986042013-07-27T17:58:00.002-05:002013-07-27T17:58:25.761-05:0040I turned 40 a week ago. I've been 40 for one week. It feels the same as not-40 felt. All that stuff about age being a state of mind? I think that's true.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-58995483899504890232013-07-15T10:17:00.000-05:002013-07-15T10:17:03.513-05:00Making SpaceYesterday was a day to clean up and clear out. We needed to get rid of what didn't need and make room for what we do need. And mid-July, one thing we need is blueberries. So we must make space in the freezer.<br />
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A thorough accounting of the freezer inventory revealed copious chicken stock materials--enough to feed an army--and 3 quarts of tomato puree.<br />
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10 quarts of chicken stock and 3 quarts of Bloody Mary mix later, the freezer is ready for blueberries. I love my pressure canner!<br />
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Of course, we also filled up the fridge a bit with Cucumber pickles, but I expect those will be gone shortly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Ellis</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Ellis</td></tr>
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Now, if I could just find a way to clear out and make space in the rest of the house, I'll be set.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-36609597116503123662013-07-12T11:16:00.001-05:002013-07-12T11:16:55.980-05:00Cherry Jammin'Cherries are gorgeous, even at night.<div>
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They do, however, take forever to process into jam. First we have to wait until the kid is in bed. Then we have to pit every. single. cherry. We could use a cherry pitter, but we find it's faster to just do it by hand. And by "faster", I don't exactly mean "fast." By the time we put the cherries in the pot, the clock looked like this:</div>
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Yep, that's 10:43 pm. </div>
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By the time the jars were out of the water bath, we were here:<br />
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That's when I went to bed and the lovely Sarah stayed up to finish processing the remaining jars and clean the kitchen. Yeah, I'm keeping her.</div>
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Things looked brighter in the morning.</div>
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I'm looking forward to blueberries.</div>
Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-78580766615833365992013-07-10T09:03:00.000-05:002013-07-10T09:03:36.509-05:00Canning Season 2013It's that time of year. Lots of delicious fruit that has to last all. year. long. I use a spreadsheet to keep track of my plans. It lives <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiRJO3Q9M9iPdE1LaWprckstVnhLUDVxT3JlT3JEZUE#gid=2" target="_blank">here</a>. Feel free to take a look.<br />
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So far this year, we've canned <a href="http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/2012/09/canning-101-low-sugar-strawberry-jam-recipe-with-pomonas-pectin/" target="_blank">Strawberry Jam</a> and <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/strawberry-balsamic-thyme-jam.html" target="_blank">Strawberry-Balsamic Jam</a>. I had planned to add thyme but killed my thyme plants and was thyme-less at the critical moment. The jam turned out great anyway. We picked the berries ourselves in the pouring rain. Although I'd definitely prefer it not be pouring rain, it was sort of nice to not get a mega-strawberry-picking sunburn and sweat through all of my clothes. The downside, of course, is we don't really have any pictures worth posting.<br />
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We've also done two kinds of pickled asparagus, <a href="http://www.leenaeats.com/blog/recipes/leena-cooks/leena-cooks-n-cans-spicy-dill-pickled-asparagus/" target="_blank">this spicy dill one</a> and the Sherri Brooks Vinton <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Put-em-Sherri-Brooks-Vinton/dp/1603425462" target="_blank">Put 'Em Up</a></i> Pickled Asparagus with Mustard Seed recipe. I confess, I've already tried both and both are yummy.<br />
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This week, however, is all about the cherries.<br />
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Because of our vacation, we miss quite a lot of cherry season. This year, my awesome friend Anika did some picking for me and will be bringing both sour and tart cherries this afternoon. I also picked up some farmers markets cherries. They're gorgeous but so pricey.<br />
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Maybe someday I'll have a cherry tree of my very own.<br />
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In other jar-related news, look what my good friend Anne had for me today. I love <a href="http://www.cuppow.com/" target="_blank">cuppow!</a> Ellis also got a blue one. Let the mason jar obsession continue unabated.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-41374737669849910422013-07-09T17:27:00.001-05:002013-07-09T17:27:41.045-05:00Up North, With Photos!Finally, the lake pictures. I know I've blogged about our family vacation before. We do the quintessential Minnesota Week Up North At The Lake. We rent a cabin at a resort, the same one each year. My grandparents, parents, brother, sister and their families all go. And this year my parents' dog Joe joined us. We fish and boat and swim and hang out together. It's a good time. Too bad this year Ellis has fully entered the weird picture face stage. I didn't get many good smiles from him. The ones I did get are candid.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-70556692792307505402013-07-08T23:19:00.000-05:002013-07-08T23:19:04.149-05:00Up NorthWe just returned from our annual big family vacation Up North (that's Northern MN for you southerners). As usual, it was lovely. Our weather was absolutely perfect. It was 79-81 degrees and sunny. Every. Single. Day. File that under Big Win.<br />
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This vacation was sort of a canning vacation in two ways. First, I served <a href="http://gastronometart.typepad.com/gastronome_tart/2011/08/bourbon-peach-barbecue-sauce.html" target="_blank">Peach Bourbon Barbecue Sauce</a> from last year's canning season. I'll definitely be canning more of that this year. I only put up 4 half-pints last year and saved two for this trip. Second, I may have convinced my sister to start making her own jam! She's still a bit nervous about the whole canning/maybe I'll kill my family thing, but I think she'll try out some freezer jam this year (or whenever jam season is in Australia). I did also bring up some pickled asparagus, but managed to break the jar when opening it. File that under Not Awesome.<br />
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Ack! Just now, while getting my camera cord to upload my pictures for this post, I set a glass of red wine down on my desk. Too bad that in the dim light, I also set it down on a clothes pin and spilled red wine all over a stack of vintage linens. Most of it is no big deal, but I think I ruined two really lovely crocheted pieces. File that under This Is Why We Can't Have Anything Nice.<br />
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I'm going to cut my losses and skip the pictures for tonight.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-3352049671671258362013-06-10T14:30:00.002-05:002013-06-10T14:30:20.019-05:00Humble ReturnsI fell off the blog wagon. Frankly, I fell off the art wagon. That's okay. We need fallow times, too, I suppose. As always, there are many factors, but I must say, for me, the emotion of my life has been heightened, raw. Art on top of that has felt like too much.<br />
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I am trying to return to art. To process the non-starter that was Marriage Equality in Illinois and the implication of it all. To come to terms with the mass school closings in Chicago as I prepare to send my kiddo off to Kindergarten. To endure the summer, the rain finally stopped.<br />
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I'll start slow. No pictures today.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-27287474936213005172013-05-13T08:34:00.001-05:002013-05-13T08:34:13.762-05:00Busy HandsI hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mine was awesome and restorative. I wanted it to last forever!!<br />
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I've been wanting to stitch in the evenings as I relax from my day. But sometimes, after a full day, I just don't have the energy for working on official "pieces". So I've started a simple back-stitching piece as a way of relaxing, working on muslin with whatever threads I have available. It's quite gratifying and keeps me from feeling lazy when I'm not working on "Work".<br />
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Meanwhile, I did make some progress on this piece.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-87630998650434718782013-05-08T19:18:00.004-05:002013-05-08T19:18:55.972-05:00The Return of the French KnotMan, I used to love the french knot. But then we went through a period of time where I just wasn't feeling it, with its tendency to sometimes suck and pull through the work or to be hard on my fingers. French knots can also loosen and sag over time if you're not careful. I am not always careful.<div>
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But the french knot beckoned.<br /><div>
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I think we're back in love.</div>
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It's a brilliant stitch. (Is it a stitch? Embellishment?) The sculptural qualities add depth. The effects can be dramatic or adorable, depending on their context. And really, who doesn't love dots?</div>
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They give the work that certain Je ne sais quois, non?</div>
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Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-35392529366534561212013-05-06T15:38:00.001-05:002013-05-06T15:38:58.822-05:00Process Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm working on a few pieces at once right now, exploring related ideas in a few different ways.</div>
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The backside.<br />
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Another piece, near and far.<br />
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I love looking at the stitches up close, sort of removed from their context. I'm thinking about how to imbue this quality into the work as a whole, to make the entire piece seem like a close-up.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-19722849014578071292013-05-04T15:32:00.001-05:002013-05-04T15:32:50.668-05:00On Dreaming and PracticeI have many dreams. It's just part of who I am: I dream. I imagine whole lives for myself in an instant based on the smallest thing. It's a wonderful skill, and yet sometimes I struggle to truly be in the present. The possible always beckons. And the more amazing these dreams are, the more the present pales.<br />
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As I get older (40 looms), I begin to understand more fully that the present is where I live; I must truly inhabit the now. These days, I have taken up some practices I hope will ground me more fully in the present--even as I continue to embrace this habit of dreaming, a habit I know is a core element of me.<br />
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Connecting with the physical present has been the most life-changing so far. I've "done yoga" for years, but only lately have I embraced a rigorous practice. In the past, yoga has helped me calm my mind, ease stress and connect with my body. For the first time, now, I feel it opening up other possibilities. I begin to understand that I can do more than I think I can. The dreams, I think they have had a stronger purpose all along.<br />
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The dreams are not meant as diversion; they are instructions. They are a call to arms. Create this world, they say. Do not sit by and wish it. Do not dwell in the fantasy: create it. I'm searching for the courage to do just that.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-52052268126034406992013-04-28T17:05:00.002-05:002013-04-28T17:05:51.786-05:00Melancholy SundaysOn Sundays, I want to give everything up for love. I want it all dyed red. I want the paint to peel, the floorboards to buckle. I want to burn it down.<br />
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I want the crown of thorns. I want dresses made of scraps of silk and lace. I want everything whole and torn apart all at once.</div>
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How do we get through these Sundays, brightness shining on this clear, sensational imperfection?<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-15530892945038491082013-04-27T08:00:00.000-05:002013-04-27T08:00:11.605-05:00Art ParalysisI had some trouble figuring out what to do in my last studio session. I got out a bunch of materials and made a big mess.<br />
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Although they made pretty pictures, these ideas just weren't working for me in the moment. I confess: I despaired. Some days I encounter a kind of creative block I call Art Paralysis. It happens when I have too many images in my head. I get all of these expectations and of course, everything falls short.</div>
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In this instance, I think I was making it all too complicated. Time to simplify.</div>
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This piece is going to be a pillow, eventually.<br />
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I'm pretty happy with it so far. I need to do a little more stitching over the layered portions to make them nice and solid.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-67155874944462352332013-04-26T16:00:00.001-05:002013-04-26T16:00:32.580-05:00Scenes from Sick DaysEllis has a cold and has been home from school for two days. I think everyone has a set of things they want close by when they feel crappy. For Ellis, it's a stuffed animal, a special blanket, and one of my pillows. These days, his favorite stuffed animal is Pita the Panda and his favorite blanket is this ripple afghan I made for him while I was pregnant. And since this is a snotty kind of cold, a box of kleenex is required.<br />
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He's been watching Curious George all day.<br />
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I much prefer these non-lethal sick days to the Norovirus sick days. The sun shining makes for lovely light inside and all we have to do all day is rest.<br />
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Even my laundry seems dreamy in the brightness.<br />
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And Josie, beautiful as always.<br />
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<br />Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782021803691640244.post-90929843881052135032013-04-23T14:49:00.001-05:002013-04-23T20:11:07.179-05:00I Do DoodleProduct placement: awesome new crayons for mama!<br />
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I wanted new colored pencils for sketching. Alas, real artist colored pencils turned out to be far too expensive when I do already have some. I mean, I have the ones that Ellis uses and so are Crayola and have also been dropped so many times that the lead is shattered in most of them. So I settled on these pretty crayons, instead.<br />
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They did jumpstart my sketching this afternoon.<br />
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The rain has been falling steadily for going on two hours. I do enjoy a good rainy afternoon from time to time, but I'm growing weary of this fickle Spring. I want an explosion of life rather than this slow leaking of green into the world. I guess I'll take what I can get: an afternoon spent in the studio, thinking about the next thing.Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12958065383975161614noreply@blogger.com0