Travel / Transportation Art

When choosing a theme for my sons' rooms, I try to find something that will grow with them or allow their input as they develop interests. (For example Søren's room has transitioned from weather/sky to space.) Isaac's room has a travel and transportation theme. The past couple weeks I've been creating and assembling art.

The NATO alphabet poster took many attempts before I settled on one I was happy with. I could have scanned and photoshopped a final version, but I wanted it to be all hand-done.

The art wall is still a work in progress, but I'm pretty happy with the configuration and the major art pieces for the time being.

The "hello" art is from Loopzart on Etsy. The wall decal is the text of "Around the World in 180 Days" and is available to purchase at Litograph.

While putting together Isaac's room, I used these Pinterest boards - one and two - to keep track of ideas.

April

April is National Letter Writing month. This is a themed month I can really support! 

Take the #Write_On challenge and write 30 letters in 30 days this month. Visit the Write On Campaign website for inspiration and reasons to write.

White on Black

I've been experimenting with some pens I received as Christmas gifts, and have really been enamored with the Sakura Glaze pens. The white rolls on smoothly clear, so you can easily trace your pencil markings and then dries to a solid white.

This makes them perfect for measured letterforms, as well as highlighting other designs. The effect is somewhat three dimensional, and I've yet to find a surface they won't write on.

Filling in these letters took two sweeps, but the final result looks almost painted.

These bold city signs are to accompany the clocks in my youngest son's room, which is travel and transportation themed. Each timezone of his loved ones is now represented. 

Wild.

Quote from @atticuspoetry on Twitter.  

Let them be little.

Two more weeks of maternity leave. They grow up too fast; try not to wish it away.  

Hello, Spring!

First day of Spring 2015

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Bulbs breaking through in my front yard, Chicago.

Luck of the ...

Quote attributed to Dalai Lama XIV.  

Well and warm together

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." 

Ernest Hemingway's posthumous autobiography contains many gems, that hopefully can be applied to many points in life, not just Paris in the 20's. 

Sky Scarf

One of my 2015 projects is to complete a sky scarf. Each day I knit a row in the color of the sky, wherever I am. This makes a somewhat-tonal seed stitch scarf, and an interesting diary of the weather for the year.

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It is Knit Picks yarn, which is my favorite budget friendly knitting source. I'm using their Palette yarn, which is named for its expansive range of colors and is designed for color work. 

It is already interesting to look at it and remember some of the big winter storms or especially snowy days. (Notably, the first couple rows of dark gray at the beginning of January when I was in the hospital giving birth to my son.)

The back side.

March

A new month. After the February we've had in Chicago, I'm ready for it.  

Also, I read March by Geraldine Brooks for my Pulitzer Prize book club last month. Recommend.  

2015 Projects

This year I'm making a list of projects I want to complete by December. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the projects I'll undertake, but these have been on my radar for awhile and I'd like to finally get around to them. As I work on some of them, I'll post my progress or completion here. 

Chicago Voting Day

It is voting day in Chicago. Mayor, Alderman, and four important referendum are on the ballot. Go make your voice heard! (And vote for Chuy!)  

Other voting suggestions here: http://www.chicagovoterguide.org

A cynical view...