Une Envie de Sel

2012-02-13T23:12:00.000-08:00

HAPPY LOVE DAY, FRIENDS!

2012-02-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

Life has been so busy this past year or so that many a gorgeous day has passed that I have just not had the time to process photos. They just keep piling up. Some of them i just have to eject, but this set I have saved against a day when I'd have time to post them. These are too good to miss.

A hike on Shrine Pass outside of Redcliff, CO, early last summer.

2012-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

photos: Jessie Kenney, styled by Heather Rome for Babiekins Magazine

BABIEKINS ISSUE 8!!!!!!!

Online now.

I always love a new issue of Babiekins to dive into.

Oh, and go to page 69 to print out my exclusive coloring page with a little nautical adventure theme! You can print it out for the littles to color!

2012-02-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago, Q created a new hairstyle for herself. She did it in the privacy of her room, and then came out to show it to us.

I have to say, I love it. Since her hair began to grow (just a little) we rarely see the whole of her face, and it's a beautiful face, a face worth showing. I love to see that beautiful forehead.

She has been channeling Eloise pretty heavily lately, and with the outfit and the hair bow (both of her own devising) I had to ask her to give me some Eloise attitude for the camera. She refused at first, but finally consented, and I was able to capture this moment of pure attitude. And boy, did she bring it!

She brought it and then some.

Eloise would be proud.

My girl. She knows from attitude.

2012-01-31T21:51:00.000-08:00

What we do on weekend nights when Daddy is at work...the aquarium.

This fish was my greatest fear as a tweenager snorkling in the Virgin Islands. I once read that the largest of the potato cods (Epinephelus tukula) have sometimes been known to swallow a diver whole, and then spit him/her out again. I never could quite shake off that visual.

Q, however, has never been afraid of fish. Her one and only fear at the aquarium is the simulated flash-flood room. And actually, her fear is much more rational than mine. My odds of being swallowed by a potato cod are exponentially smaller than her odds of being endangered by a flash flood. Here in the Rocky Mountain West, we are very close to the redrock deserts of Utah and Nevada, prime flash-flood territory. During my childless years I spent many a month hiking and camping in slot-canyon territory, where one always has to be on the lookout for microbursts that might easily turn a beautiful canyon into a deathtrap.

Q proving she is not afraid of he shark tank.

In landlocked Colorado, it sometimes feels lovely to immerse onesself in the underwater world, even if only virtually.

Ready to feed the stingrays, Q shows her fish-food-holding form. She is neither squeamish of bait fish nor fearful of the underwater critters.

It was late-night on a Sunday, and these rays had been fed heavily all weekend, so it was no easy task to attract them with food.

"Come on, come oooooonnnnnnn...."

Q is using all her charms here to attract a ray.

Maybe....maybe....???

Nope. Passing her by.

First eye contact! Lookin' good. And then....

...full-body contact. Two stingrays entirely engulf Q's arm, up to the elbow. I'm still not sure I understand how, with their eyes on top and their mouths on the bottom, they are able to accurately select the fish snack without eating any of her fingers. But she never doubted. She didn't even flinch. She trusted them entirely. It's good to see a child so confident in the natural world that she can give this much trust to a creature of the sea.

Sweet.

Q loves her some stingrays, with their beautiful, flexible, silky bodies.

2012-01-31T09:16:00.001-08:00

Announcing.......Some exciting new projects with the amazing Michele Brulé of Enchanted Enfant!

Michele's lush and dreamy designs have graced the covers and pages of VOGUE Bambini, Martha Stewart Weddings, and have appeared on the red carpet at film premiers and television events.

I am proud and excited to be working on these new projects for Enchanted Enfant. Because they are still under wraps, I can't show you any previews here, but right now you can see a beautiful preview slideshow on the Enchanted Enfant site here! Just click on the "Estelle: the book" button in the menu.

Go look, go look! It's so beautiful!

2012-01-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

Q and her magic tricks.

Wearing ribbon overalls by Juney Bloom...which we LOVE!

2012-01-26T16:46:00.000-08:00

And on a different subject....

Check out Babiekins Magazine's fab interview with the über-cool Mini & Maximus. The owl tee in the left picture is my design for their upcoming collection.

2012-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

We celebrated the lunar new year quietly with friends at the restaurant where Mike sometimes cooks.

It was crab night at Highland Pacific!

Is there anything better for the heart than the sight of a pile of happy kids?

Most of the photos in this post were taken by my friend's daughter Sasha. That's her with Q in the photo below. I think she has a future in photography!

Cake...gone before you know it.

2012-01-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

A bedtime moment with Q:

(Scene, a darkened bedroom, a small girl tucked under a huge duvet, her night-dark eyes already at half-mast. A mommy sitting on top of the duvet, holding her daughters slender, sleep-warm hand)

Q: (tugging my hand inexorably toward her) Why you have to leave, mommy?

Me: Because I have to work, and it's time for you to sleep. But you're my girl, forever and ever, and I love you more than anything in the whole, wide world. More than the moon and all the stars.

Q: (gripping my hand a little tighter) And no one takes me away.

Me: And no one ever takes you away, not ever, never, ever.

Q: (smiles sleepily, and then raises one drowsy hand and carefully traces the outlines of my face in the air) That's you, mommy. I just drew your face. That's you.

I waited until I was outside her room to melt into a puddle of warm butter on the floor.

2012-01-19T21:35:00.000-08:00

2012-01-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

With so much growth, so many new friends, and so many other distractions in her life (school, gymnastics, the ongoing operatic drama of her relationship with her two embattled boyfriends...) it has been a while since she remembered her once-beloved guitars.

In the past week, however, she has been going through a rock-n-roll renaissance.

Her comeback just might be epic.

2012-01-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

Off to the stock show...check out the snowy front range of the Rocky Mountains in the background!

Stock show 2012...flashier than ever before!

This sheep was very interested in my telling him how handsome he was...

Sheep shower!

Q trying to figure out whether that cotton candy could fit into her stomach.

It did.

Stadium jumping.

It was a good day at the Stock Show, and far balmier than the past couple of years!!!

2012-01-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sun and snow, the best of Colorado.

2012-01-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

Miso soup on a chilly day is always a comfort.

Trying to pick up slippery edamame with chopsticks.

She'll eat salmon and yellowtail straight-up, no rice. And she loves her some "pop-pop", aka Salmon roe.

2012-01-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

So for those of you who have been following The Wanderer's Closet (and thank you ALL so much for making it such a success!) I'm starting to put some more pieces in the shop for the new year.

Also, I swear, I have actually taken some photos of some of the children's pieces I have, and will put them in as soon as I get a chance to photo-edit them! I have pieces from Q's closet in sizes ranging from 2T - 6Y. I am still awfully busy with work, but hope to get to my photocard soon! I'll keep you posted.

2012-01-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Another day at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

2012-01-04T17:57:00.001-08:00

Building a bed fort.

2012-01-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd counteract all that holiday glitz with a little ordinary silliness.

2011-12-31T20:59:00.000-08:00

2011-12-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

I have spent the past couple of "movie night" at home making this doll, at the request of my daughter.

My daughter does not like dolls.

She doesn't want to keep the doll - I think she just wanted to see me make it.

She holds very firm on the stance that she does not like, want, or need dolls. But she wanted to have a hand in designing this one. She dictated the size, hair color and thread color for the features.

I keep offering to let her keep the doll, since she has been so instrumental in the design, but she declines. So the doll will be in my shop once we decide how to dress her.

2011-12-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas with family.

2011-12-26T22:57:00.000-08:00

"Don't hurt me, Mommy," she said tonight.

We were cuddled on the couch watching Disney's Hercules, during which Meg, the embattled love interest, mumbles something to young Herc about how it's easier to be alone, because that way no one can hurt you.

Just moments earlier, I had found myself thinking, "Now how is a four-year-old supposed to interpret a concept like this? A child this age is not going to understand the concept of romance and heartbreak. She's going to think that this woman is afraid that the muscle-bound man might hit her."

Secretly I was hoping that her mind would just gloss over that moment and move on with the story. So when she said, "Don't hurt me, mommy," I thought she was playing out that idea in her mind.

I put my hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes, and said, "Q, you know that I would never, ever hurt you, right?"

"I know, mommy," she said gravely, returning my frank stare with her night-black eyes. "And I will never, ever hurt you."

And then she said, "I'll love you forever, Mommy."

Let me step back several years and say that, when we were taking adoption classes prior to our trip to China, one of the many warnings that the adoption counselors gave us was that a child from an institutional background in China will often take longer to trust the women in their lives, since most of the caretakers are women, and therefore the children have already been abandoned (in their view) once (or twice, if you count the original abandonment) by women that they cared for. Therefore, we were told, the child might hold out affection from the female partner in order to protect themselves from further heartache.

Q has always been a happy and optimistic child, and we had very few attachment issues during our early times together. She accepted us, had fun with us, seemed to love us. She was always a happy, humorous and smiling child, a creature of joy.

But I have to admit that during the first three years she always gave her open affection more easily to her daddy. I did not feel outcast, as I had feared. She gave me plenty of love as well. We were very close in many not-so-physical ways, and life was good and fun and full between us. But the openly adoring glances, the broadest smiles, the easiest affection was always for her daddy.

Only in the past month or so has there been a noticeable shift in her affection toward me. It was as if a floodgate had opened abruptly, and her affection was flowing at full volume. She started hugging and kissing me unprompted. She would throw her arms around me at odd, random moments. When she was sad or scared or hurt, she would no longer put a hand on my chest to hold me off when I would try to comfort her. She would kiss without prompting, instead of offering a peremptory cheek when asked for a kiss. She would blurt out "I love you, Mommy!" without my saying it first. She even began to write the letters of her name intermingled with the letters of my name: "Q-M-I-O-U-M-M-Y", when she was perfectly capable of writing both "Qiu" and "Mommy" separately.

"I'll love you forever, Mommy", my new, preternaturally-mature daughter pronounced with intense gravity. "Even when I'm angry."

"And I will love you forever, Q," I told her, making my best effort at not allowing the tears to well up in my eyes.

She nodded once, pragmatically, as if a deal had been made, and we could now move on with our lives together.

2011-12-23T12:17:00.000-08:00

...from Maia, Mike and Flynn Q !!!

2011-12-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

2011-12-22T04:51:00.000-08:00

It snowed buckets last night, and I just walked out to the back fridge in the dark through about a foot of fresh powder, but until the sun comes up and illuminates the scene, I will leave you with these magical photos that my mum took last week in the mountains.

This is the stunning TenMile Range outside of Copper Mountain.

2011-12-21T14:14:00.001-08:00

I just got in some Japanese paper clay - a wonderful medium - and I have been having so much fun! There is a new doll in the shop, Isabelle!

She is just 6" tall and light as a feather, jointed with wire. Her hair is hand-sewn from mohair, her dress from vintage lace (her polka dot leotard peeks out from underneath) and she wears an aged bronze necklace with a tiny, vintage bell from India.

See more of Isabelle in my shop here.

OOOPS...she's already SOLD!

2011-12-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

Since we were fortunate to have my mother in town the week before Christmas (a spontaneous, last-minute visit on her part before she heads off for Africa) we decided to stage a sort of pre-Christmas on a randomly-chosen day.

Q was absolutely delighted to have a chance to open presents before the actual holiday...I think it broke the wait up for her a bit! Also, I have to say that at this age, opening all the presents on one day is a bit overwhelming for her. Her brain tends to sort of short out, as if fuses were blowing all over her nerve endings. The end result is that she doesn't seem to really "see" any of the gifts individually, which sort of defeats the purpose of all the thought and time that goes into choosing them. So really I think that opening some of the gifts previously was a stroke of genius. This way she is not overwhelmed, and has a chance to appreciate the gifts on a more individual basis ;)

LaoLao trying on her new down puffer.

One of LaoLao's gifts, brought from the fabulous (and much-missed) Tinker Toys in Woodstock, was a packet of dragon tattoos. Q needed for daddy to help her apply six or seven of them at once.

But the real prize, the highlight of the 2011 season, were the Tin Men that LaoLao brought (see picture later this post). Q's greatest hero.

The girl with the dragon tattoos.

TinMen, one store-bought, one handmade by LaoLao.

It was such a treat for all of us having LaoLao here for a surprise visit. Q was beside herself with joy the entire time, and we all had such a lovely visit. It's good to spend time as three generations of mothers and daughters who treasure each other so deeply.

I never dared hope that I would have as joyful a relationship with my daughter as I did with my mother, but this impossible dream seems to have come true. Lucky all of us!

Q took this portrait of LaoLao's ear over lunch at Parisi. She was very into taking artistic closeups of us. So sweet.

2011-12-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

Denvers contemporary art museum, with LaoLao.

2011-12-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

I am so far behind right now - on work, on blog, on life - that for a bit here I'm going to just be posting random and disorganized moments from our days.

Bear with me! I hope to be more organized... at some point in the future.

2011-12-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

A few quick snapshots as we spend our pre-holiday week pre-holiday-ing with Q's LaoLao.

Q eating pheasant (thanks to our friends Aztechan and Brooks) with wild rice, mushroom sauce and artichokes.

And reading with LaoLao before bed.

2011-12-14T21:15:00.000-08:00


Q with Santa....yet again! At this point, I think I've actually lost track of how many times we have seen "Santa" this season. Ah well, make the most of it while they're still young and credulous, right?

These were taken by our local Bloom Portraits of Highlands Square at Holiday in the Highlands, after we stopped by Daddy's restaurant for a little music and food.

2011-12-13T15:19:00.001-08:00

2011-12-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we stopped by the winter faire at a school we would like to get into.

It's a bit of a magic place, full of wonders, as you can see by Q's expressions here, as she explores it for the first time.

There were many crafts on offer at the winter faire - the first we tried was dipping our own beeswax candles. I love the look on her face when she concentrates deeply.

So proud of her creation.

Next, we were on to handmade felt crowns.

Q was thrilled to see her friend Sasha singing in the chorale, and had to run up on "stage" for a quick hug.

Is there anything sweeter than the voices of children raised in celebration of the season?

It was a good day. Fingers crossed that they can find a space for Q at the Waldorf-inspired Mountain Phoenix Community School.

2011-12-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

An evening at the Governer's mansion.

Her silver skirt "jupe poudre d'argent" by L'Atelier de Marie et Rose-Alice. My dress, vintage.

2011-12-08T09:51:00.001-08:00

Dream Journal is live today! I'm delighted to be a contributor and cover artist for this issue. I also had the opportunity to do a little interview on the blog, so check it out!!

WEBSITE/BLOG: www.dreamerjournal.com

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dreamer-A-Creative-Sketchbook/154138761351438

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/dreamerjournal

2011-12-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

photo by Yoli

I am just loving this photo of little Paloma with two of my hand-sculpted love bears. So sweet! And how great is that hat??

2011-12-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

The flour mill at Old Town Arvada on the night of the Christmas tree lighting.

2011-12-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

Donner (or Blitzen, not sure which) made a dramatic entrance when we went to see Santa's reindeer. He came in prancing and rearing and trying to escape his traces. I felt for him, but at the same time I was vibrating with Christmas magic as I watched his gorgeous reindeer antics! For a few minutes, I was completely able to suspend my adult disbelief...

Daddy and Q on their way to see the reindeer.

Luckily for us, we just happened to run into Q's friend Amelia and her family, who were dressed in the most amazing Nordic finery for the occasion!

Oh, and it was only Q's THIRD consecutive day of meeting with Santa. She was so overwhelmed with hero worship that she somehow failed to notice that it was not the same Santa she'd seen the day before. Usually, she's much more canny. But I think on this occasion she was suspending her disbelief as well.

After Santa and reindeer, we perused the garden center - new to us - which happens to have the most amazing cactus garden I've ever had the good fortune to experience in the state of Colorado.

Oh, and the hanging strawberry baskets! They smelled like heaven.

And should I even mention the poinsettia aisles?? Every variety known to man, and a few that I think might have arrived from outer space.

I love cacti, it's kinda my thing...

...but Irish mosses just make me swoon. Probably why I married an Irishman.

Q cavorting among the holiday plants!

She was very full of silly.

Stopping for hot mulled cider and cookies on the way out.

2011-12-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

Many, many new items coming into my resale site this week...and I swear, I promise, there will be more kid's clothes very soon!!!

2011-12-04T21:19:00.000-08:00

Decorating the tree.

This was the first year that she had the attention span for it, and honestly I expected her to loose interest after the first couple of ornaments.

But she turned out to be in for the duration...methodical and meticulous.

I was quite impressed with her skills!

And there were gratuitous moments of complete four-year-old joy, like when these little glass birds formed a family and had conversations on her fingertips.

I can't tell you how much I love that she had written "Mommy" (give or take and "m") on her own arm that morning.

Giving special attention to the precious feathered white dove.

A last few ornaments ready to be hung.

Random bursts of holiday joy...

and a spontaneous final hug for the lovely, fragrant tree!

2011-12-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

And the process begins.

Tree in the house, Q in her (second favorite) holiday dress, candy canes unwrapped...

Everyone pretty stoked for the start of the Christmas season!

(Behind her, daddy is downloading Christmas movies.)

Drumming with candycane drumsticks.

Vibrating with excitement.

A little performance break...

...to make good use of her twirly skirts!

The ritual unraveling of the lights.

Daddy lights the tree.

And Q ceremoniously prepares the star for the top (no, she's not smoking, that's a candycane.)

And places it atop the tree.

We saved the rest of the decorating for daylight, but this is a quick shot of Q's first viewing of Frosty the Snowman.

Riveted.

2011-12-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Marie of the blog Croix de Provence and designer of the Paris-based children's clothing line Le Carrousel (Q and I are big fans!) currently has a gift selection up on the French site kidZcorner, and she has been sweet enough to include my Audrey paper doll among her selections!

Check out her kidZcorner selection here!!!

And while you're at it, check out one of MY personal favorites from this holiday season the Voute Céleste skirt from Le Carrousel. Yes, Q will be wearing it this holiday season!!

2011-12-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Holiday preparations!

And Q is getting in the spirit...busily, all over the house!

Even the fishes get a dose of her holiday sparkle.

One of her three advent calendars is taped the the chalkboard wall (along with a few other random things) and she checks on it from time to time to say which holiday activities are scheduled for today.

When the baking was done, and we'd had ample portions of Daddy's homemade bolognese, we bundled up for a trip to the tree yard.

Yup, it's that time!

Q was a fan of the miniature trees, but we ended up with a medium sized and very fragrant Noble.

Some ambitious folks in the 'hood have already been hard at it.

Mike carries the tree up to the house.

2011-12-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Off to school in several inches of snow this morning. What a perfect way to kick off the month of December!!

2011-11-29T19:08:00.000-08:00

Starting on Christmas crafts...

2011-11-29T17:33:00.000-08:00

Today in the mail, we received this beautiful polka-dot shirt from the ever-talented Valérie at

L'Ateliér de Marie et Rose-Alice.

It turned out to be the perfect shirt to wear with Q's new Christmas hat that she painted with silver glitter.

She put this outfit together herself ;)

2011-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

One more thing....

Several people have asked the source of the gilded skirt and stag top that Q is wearing in our Thanksgiving photos.

So here it is, from the fall/winter '11 collection at Anais & I out of New York, with illustrations by me, I'm proud to say!(And yes, there's a bunny as well, with a Liberty print bow!)

The top is here, the skirt is here!

2011-11-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

The Ice Cave, by Maia C. Larkin

With the Holiday season in full swing, I thought it was a good time to do one of my Etsy shopping roundups and put up a selection of my favorite things from the world of all-things-handmade!

I'll start out by mentioning that, in my own shop The Voyagers (above) all 8.5 x 11 prints are discounted from $25 to $19 right now. In addition, look for free or discounted shipping (depending on your location) throughout the shop! AND, through Cyber Monday only, use COUPON CODE ThankYou10 at checkout for 10% off of you entire purchase!

Without further ado, here are some of my picks for the most magical things in the handmade universe this holiday season!


O is for Owl by Rebekka Seale

The shop of the gorgeous, sweet and talented Rebekka Seale, whose illustrations never fail to enchant (Q has one hanging near her bed to sweeten her dreams!)

These AMAZING folklore cups made to order by Ninainvorm out of The Netherlands.
I had such a hard time choosing a single image from this shop because each and every item is so absolutely wonderful!

boutique Snow Bloom dress/tunic by Poompatta

The gorgeous, embellished, India-inspired dresses at Poompatta. Q has a couple in her closet, and they are beautiful and enduring!

Upcycled deer mugs by Second Chance Ceramics. Perfect for a cup of cocoa on a snowy day. I love the reindeer mug too!

The amazing confectionary world of Andie's Specialty Sweets. If you ever have the need to decorate the cake of all cakes, this is where to go!

And by way of a stocking-stuffer, the Mid-Century Designers pencil set at oneupdesigns.

That's all for today!
Happy Shopping!!

2011-11-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

Today our friends were back from Miami, and we all met up at Whole Foods in the midst of Holiday mayhem for lunch and sorbets.

Larkin, Pettus and Dahl children. Evidently Q had a bit of a thing for the Nutcracker guy.

Q and her lime-ade sorbet.

I'm not sure who started the dance-off...

...but it progressed quickly into a major event...

...at the Whole Foods Pizza Bar in the middle of the lunch rush.

Goodness!

My family is just not this flexible, sadly.

Bianca schools Q in a very graceful splits stretch.

And Q tries it out in turn.

I think Q just gave up and started breakdancing in between Bianca and Sasha here! Is she takin' it 2 da street? Will she risk everything?

Ballet-trained Sasha has her moves down!

Bonding with Bianca over pink things.

2011-11-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, Part 2

2011-11-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at the Larkins, part 1.

2011-11-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

She confiscated a pair of my glasses.

I love the wonder on her face as she looks around the room to see how they warp and blur her vision.

She only bumped into the wall a couple of times trying to walk down the hall with them ;)

2011-11-20T19:26:00.001-08:00

Q in winter.

2011-11-20T10:17:00.001-08:00

New items and holiday specials all over The Voyagers Etsy Shop this week!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Free shipping in the USA on all 8.5" x 11" art prints AND on all original illustrations! Also look for discounted shipping outside the US, and discounted shipping on all art dolls, artist bears, clothing, and limited edition prints!

2011-11-19T16:20:00.000-08:00

In response to those who have requested, I have finally started adding some items from Q's closet to my resale site! More coming soon... xoxo

2011-11-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

2011-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

If you're in the US and have access to PayPal, I have just set up an online re-sale store for gently-used clothing and accessories!

Clothing sizes are mostly S and M, US sizes 4-8.
Zara, J.Crew, EmersonMade, TopShop etc. etc.
I will be adding new items over the next days!

In the near future, I hope to add some items from Q's closet as well!

At this time, I am only shipping inside the US due to the high cost of shipping out of the country, but if you are outside the US and eager to buy something on the site, feel free to email me and I will give you a shipping quote if I'm able. First come first serve.

You can find The Wanderer's Closet here: http://wandererscloset.blogspot.com/

There will also be a link button in my sidebar.

2011-11-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

Feeling cool in Harajuku Mini and Daddy's tie.

2011-11-14T15:51:00.001-08:00

Getting ready for the holidays around my studio! That's what's going on here this week!

2011-11-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

Q in her Little Red Riding Hood incarnation...

Sans wolf.

Naturally.

She is a friend to all dogs, and not canine, no matter how large or intimidating, strikes anything but love in her heart.

So the wolf scenario...not so much. She'd be petting him and kissing him on the nose before he could say "grandma".

Carrying on an animated (if a tad one-sided) conversation with her dear friend the scarecrow.

Happy girl in the warm-ish days of a late Denver fall.

2011-11-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

First big snow of the year came early, this year, for Denver. Our Halloween ghosts were still up in the tree, and our autumn flowers frozen solid on the doorstep.

But no one felt like complaining. First snow in Colorado is always fun...especially since one always knows that a random, gratuitous 60-degree day is sure to follow in the near future!

First big snow also happened to coincide with our first parent/teacher conference day. As you can see from Q's tentative face, we were all a bit nervous for that! She came out of it with flying colours, you may not be surprised to know!

According to the teachers' notes, she has been known to be a tad bossy (no suprise there), but she is also smart, attentive, eager, ultra-enthusiastic, and scored way above average on her letters and numbers.

Here she is showing off her autumn leaf project for us! We love LOVE her teachers this year. They are really exceptional. We got lucky.

At home in the front yard after our conference.

(Outfit by Zara)

Reveling in the Colorado powder!

Doing her best Austin Powers (for some reason?)

It was a good day.

2011-11-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

A new series in the works in my Etsy shop this Holiday season...read about it on my illustration blog!

2011-11-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

On All Hallow's Eve, Q chose to sacrifice another round of trick-or-treating in order to give out candy from our house. This is one of the multitude of things that I love about her. The many levels of social interaction are of utmost importance to her, and she is determined to experience, practice, and excel at each and every one.

She woke early from her afternoon nap - because this was just as exciting as Christmas morning for her - and by 4:30 she was dressed in the mummy costume she had chosen as her third halloween get-up. I had torn up a sheet into strips and tried to wrap it over her white shirt and leggings, but she's so whippet-lean that even a cotton sheet was far too bulky. So we found a single roll of sticky bandage, which she insisted on wrapping by herself. Hence the scanty nod to mummy wrappings that you see here.

By five, she had added a witch's broom (from her first costume) and a paper crown (left over from her birthday).

By 5:30 she was getting a little frantic, running from one room of the house to the next in order to peer out every window in search of the first sign of trick-or-treaters.

By 6:00, she was opening the front door about every five minutes, in spite of the outdoor chill, just to check.

Ordinarily, our trick-or-treaters start a bit earlier, but this year was an odd year, and as sunset began to color the horizon, there was still no sign of children trolling the street.

I couldn't help but feel bad for her. When we heard the first voices echoing down the sidewalk, she actually rushed out with her bowl of candy (and her cat), but it turned out to be only an older couple walking their dog after work. The expectant look on her face in this shot just kills me!

Eventually, tiring, she just lay down on the throw-rug next to the front door and settled in to wait...

...and wait...and wait.

Eventually, the first trick-or-treaters did arrive (greatly to my relief), and even though they weren't exactly children, Q was ready with her bowl of treats and a friendly word. She only flinched slightly when the more frightening costumes showed up on her stoop.

Eventually, the night did liven up, and Q was the consummate Halloween hostess, asking about people's costumes, handing out a kind word to the youngest children, and bidding everyone farewell with a friendly wave and a hearty send-off.

Can you just see the pride on her face here?

When it comes to social occasions, she is really in her element.

She also loves her costumes, and continued to embellish hers throughout the course of the evening - adding pink sticker to her cheeks (I'm thinking she was emulating her beloved Kerroppi).

Happy girl.

Halloween is certainly her holiday. And I love how she makes the most of it in her own, unique way!

2011-11-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Still hard at work in the studio (many new things emerging in my Etsy shop this month!), but I wanted to tell everyone to CHECK OUT THE HOLIDAY ISSUE OF BABIEKINS MAGAZINE!!!

It's absolutely enchanting, every page. Grab a cup of cocoa, sit down, and feast your eyes!

And while you're at it, check out my I Spy illustration on p. 15, the Stag tee that I illustrated for the fabulous children's clothing line Anais & I on p. 26 (and the Anais & I interview on pp. 57-60), my printable dot-to-dot on p. 71/72, and my daughter Q's "My Closet" interview on p. 249!!

2011-11-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

For Halloween this year, Q was ambitious.

She chose her first costume several weeks before the actual event.

It was a witch broom and hat.

She wore it around for a day or two, but by the time the actual day of Halloween approached, she was on to a fresh concept.

Her second costume choice was Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story movies. Since it was only a second choice, I let her buy the pre-fab version on sale at Target. She wore this to her costume day at school (the boy whose arm she is gripping so ardently is her "boyfriend", Jayden. He's a very sweet kid. They even have adjacent cubbies. They're pretty much madly in love.

Her third costume choice was Jack Skellington from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. This was an eleventh-hour decision, made on the actual eve of...um... all hallow's eve. So while I did it all from scratch, it was a very hasty job, and you really had to use your imagination.

In her own eyes, however, she was Jack Skellington all the way!

Daddy was DJ Lance Rock once again. He has since sworn to be DJ Lance Rock every year until she turns 18, just to embarrass her. Not a bad strategy, actually. After all, what is a parent's job except to embarrass their teen-aged children?

And I was...I was...

Well, I didn't really have a costume. I would have, really, but I didn't have time. However, I'd recently bought this amazing pair of Pendleton plaid wool pants (circa 1964) from a vintage shop on Etsy for $15. So I borrowed my husband's Bean Boots and a fisherman's cardigan and just went with it.

Epilogue: It is now three days after Halloween, and tonight my husband's parents took us all to see the stage version of The Lion King.
(It was amazing btw)
After the show, Q informed us that she would like to be "the monkey who holds the stick" for Halloween.

I'm not sure how to break it to her that Halloween is all over with until next year. Yup, 362-ish days from now. Suck it up, sweetie. I'm done with the costume thing.

2011-11-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dia de los Muertos celebration 2011...

and my girl finally gets over her skeleton-phobia.

Folding paper flowers at the craft tables.

At home again, decorating her sugar skulls.

2011-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our second annual Halloween ghost cake.

Q loves her some ghosts!

She also loves just any excuse to blow out some candles.

Goofing around with daddy.

Hamming it up with the frosting...

2011-10-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Fall! Fall!! Fall!!!

The most spectacular I've seen in years.

Typically, Colorado is not as colorful (in the autumn leaf department, that is) as the East Coast. But this year? You just can't beat us!

It's the fall of your dreams. The fall to define all falls. Autumn spectacular.

And we have been making hay while the sun shines!

Times like this, you just can't help but be in love with life, no matter what's going on in the world.

2011-10-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I don't usually post about fashion. But I do occasionally make an exception for EmersonMade, because...well, who doesn't love EmersonMade? It's just...something special.

(That's me in my EM high-waisted straight legs above).

In case you haven't heard, EM is offering a ten percent discount code right now, through Nov. 9. The code is ShareEM10.

Just type it in at checkout.

Cheers!

2011-10-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

On the road out of Golden on a sunny Sunday morning, heading upward!

When I lived in the mountains, we used to use the term "weekend warriors" in a derogatory sense - we who skied or hiked or snowshoed or snowboarded every day of the week as a point of pride. That was our lifestyle choice, and we looked down our noses at those who took outdoor sport as a vacation passtime.

But now that I live on the Front Range, I have come to realize that "weekend warriors" are no joke here in Colorado. These guys and girls aren't messing around. This road gains altitude but fast.

(And trust me, I'm eating humble pie. Now that my career and my child have taken center stage in my life, I have precious little time for outdoor activities myself. So yeah, I get it.)

But oh, it does feel good to get out, with the fresh wind at your back and all that gorgeous space before your eyes.

A small herd charging up the hillside as we started our hike.

Let me tell you that at this altitude (even if you've lived here all your life) it is not easy to carry a four-year-old (even a skinny one) on your shoulders up a 90-degree hillside.

And the dogs weren't helping.

I mean...come on! It was so beautiful up there.

Lichen on the rocks.

Q was drawing maps for me as we went. She is quite the mapmaker. In fact, there might be a career for her in charting. She often knows where we are even when I get lost. It's kind of impressive.

Q took this shot (with the heavy Nikon!) If you look closely you can see the snowy mountains in the distance.

Busily map-making.

That's downtown Denver directly behind her head

What cracks me up about this photo is our mirror-image pigeon-toed walk. So funny. This child who is in no way related to me by blood has exactly the same oddball stride as I do. We both wear down the outsides of our sneaker soles at precisely the same rate. What are the odds?

Early autumn vista on the Front Range. Sunshine in the foreground, snow in the distance. I love it.

This is the life.

2011-10-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

2011-10-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

2011-10-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Since I have no time for anything but the studio today, I thought I'd post some images of the newest things in my shop for the season!

2011-10-16T20:55:00.000-07:00


It has been so hard to find time to post lately, as busy as I am with work.

The photos are piling up in my iPhoto, and me with no time to edit and arrange posts.

Going into the holiday season, it becomes even harder to balance my personal work and my client work, not to mention our family time.

While our family "days" look carefree, these moments are hard-won, and for them we pay dearly in late nights and early mornings, lost sleep and neglected essentials.

But, naturally, every moment like this is sacred and irreplaceable. Unthinkable not to have this time together.

As tough as life can be right now, as tenuous a place this world to live in, we still feel so very fortunate.

And we take our moments of peace and tranquility where we can.

2011-10-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

2011-10-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

My girl.

She makes me so proud.

She is obviously not of my gene pool, and what she is is so different, and so amazing!

At her age, I was shy, introverted, dreamy, and self-protective. She is extroverted, social, stubborn, organized, determined, independent and smart.

She loved school from the get-go.

This is her first year in preschool (at age four) because I wasn't ready to give her up last year. But she is an eager and willing student. She started out in half-day preschool five days a week, but quickly transitioned to full-day as soon as a space became available. She now goes to school five days a week from 7:45 am to 2:40 pm.

Whenever we peek in at her during class, she is front-and-center, raising her hand every time her teacher poses a question.

She wakes in the morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to head off to school. She adores both her teacher and her teacher's assistant, and lives to please them.

Tonight, in spite of having missed out on her after-school nap (she runs in high gear, and still needs an hour or two of nap every day) she wanted to practice her letters and exercises for an hour before bedtime, instead of watching a movie. Instead! I kid you not. Of her own accord.

She makes a mommy so, so proud.

I am still amazed that it is my great privilege to raise, protect and nourish this astonishing child until it is time for us to send her out into the world.

I still wish I could tell her birth parents what an amazing child she has turned out to be.

What good fortune I have had in this life.

What did I do to deserve this child?

2011-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last night, after re-discovering Canelle et Vanille (oh, the joy of it!), I decided to try out this savory mushroom, fingerling potato and blue cheese galette.

I am no cook, not like my husband, but every now and then it's fun to get out of the studio and get my hands dirty in the kitchen...

2011-10-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

I just discovered that my phone is overrun with photos, so I decided to do a phone-photo-post tonight, and purge the backlog.

This is Q in the Anais & I top that I illustrated,

Our one and only cat, Sawyer.

Q painting her nails.

With her own chosen Halloween costume.

Last year, she wanted to be Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba. This year, she wanted to be a character from The Wizard of Oz. Initially, she wanted to be the tinman. But at the moment of truth, she decided to be the wicked witch. While other girls her age are dressing up as princesses for Halloween, it makes me very proud to know that my girl decided, without any outside influence, to be the witch.

Mathilda and a bank of autumn flowers.

Me and Rollergirl.

Q using a vintage typewriter ( to think for her it's an artifact of a bygone age!) for the first time at the bookstore.

My first attempt at Q pancakes (I have since become much more proficient).

Q with the scarecrow she made at the pumpkin festival.

Our last surviving snail, "Gary", atop the Squidward house in our fishtank.

Q and I decided to do temporary tattoos while Daddy was at work tonight.

2011-10-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Autumn in the park with Q.

I have been working so hard and so long that I've lost track, just a bit, of time on the blog.

This set was taken by my husband on a recent day in the park - though, obviously, before I got my hair chopped off.

Drastic chopping of hair causes a singular problem in the blogosphere, because one is for a time no longer able to get away with posting out of sequence.

My old hair. I don't miss it. I may never grow my hair again. I love waking in the morning and having to do nothing but finger-comb my hair and shove some sunglasses into it if it looks a bit unkempt. It's almost like boy-hair now, and I love that.

Q in the unnatural moonscape of our drained lake...being prepared for its new incarnation (complete with a new pelican island, so I hear) next spring.

I love early autumn.

2011-10-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of our day at the historical park for pumpkin festival. I always enjoy this house - something about it is so gracious and inviting. That, and it provides shade (and sometimes music) on what is each and every year an unseasonably hot day in early fall.

The sugar-cookie cabin is always a priority stop. Cookies made from scratch, and served straight out of the wood oven, if your timing is good.

We had a woodstove almost identical to this on our ranch when I was small, so the nostalgia factor is strong.

There are always wandering volunteers in period costume, and they always have good stories to tell. It's important to seek them out and make contact.

I was particularly fond of the place where Q was able to learn how to do laundry by hand (more or less). I used to do my laundry like this, both at the ranch, and when I lived in central Mexico (where we did our hand laundry on the roof) as a teenager.

Hoops, sticks, and stilts.

Call me old-fashioned, but I love that they have hand-pumps all over the property here for water. I well remember the cool, clear, clean water we drew from out pump on the ranch (at great physical expense each time, since the pump always needed some serious priming!)

Q seemed right at home with the pioneer-era games...which makes me wonder why on earth we have SO many toys and electronics??

Q and daddy posing.

Visiting the smithies and draft horses.

2011-10-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Part 1 of our trip to the Four Mile Historical Park pumpkin festival.

Q was just two days out of her latest surgery, and as you can see in these first photos, she was still feeling a bit groggy and weak.

It's difficult to know how to dress for the days this time of year in Colorado, because the early mornings are chill, melting gradually into warmth, and then into sweaty heat in the broad sun of the afternoons. Here, she is walking out into the morning in a sleeveless faux-fur coat by Suvi Ainoa over a jersey blouse by L'Atelier de Marie et Rose-Alice, gold lamé leggings by American Apparel, and dinosaur sneakers by Converse.

By the time we made it to the historical park, and found a place to park (a challenge each and every year!) the heat was setting in, and shade was at a premium.

Q loves her scarecrows. It's a factor of her Wizard-of-Oz obsession. The TinMan is her favorite, followed closely by the Scarecrow. In her inner monologue, she is the TinMan, I am Dorothy, and her daddy is the ScareCrow. That said, this year she departed from her pattern and decided to be the Wicked Witch for Halloween. I give her a lot of credit for that decision.

Wagons and draft horses.

This year for the first time Q was ready to make her own scarecrow. She was very serious about her sartorial choices, and spent a long time pouring over the wardrobe section so as to choose just the right shirt and pants.

Drawing on the face and selecting a hat.

Creating an armature, and beginning the stuffing process.

Teamwork is essential during this stage of the process.

Q ducked out from time to time to navigate the straw bales, an irresistible temptation for a four-year-old.

We had to call her back for the momentous occasion of stuffing and attaching the head.

Q took this picture (which I love) of Mike and I looking ever-so relaxed and relieved after making it through Q's final surgery of the summer.

Finishing, hugging and tagging her scarecrow.

2011-09-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

My mother sent these pictures from Prague.

Fabulous weather, it seems!

2011-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, with Q in full-day preschool and us with (at last) some real time on our hands, we decided to celebrate just a bit by treating ourselves to (long neglected) haircuts. I got mine chopped at a local arts district salon called Rebelle - all pink and rock-baroque inside.

(I got quite a lot chopped off my hair - but will have to post pictures of the result at a later date!)

We stopped for tea and coffee at a nearby coffee shop before I treated Mike to his belated anniversary gift - a cut and straight-shave at the new men's salon, Proper.

I don't know which one of us was more excited about visiting Proper for the first time, but it was probably me, because I adore the place!

It pushes every single one of my design buttons.

I would like to shake the hand of the person that designed Proper. No detail has been ignored, and everything is just perfection.

A treatment at Proper begins with a shot of Jameson's Irish Whiskey.

If you're still thirsty, Pabst Blue Ribbon is on offer while you're under the blade.

Lounge feet.

How much do I love the fact that they mix in vintage '60s Playboys with copies of GQ in the waiting area? A lot.

I love every detail from the whiskey display over the front door to the über-cool logo T-shirts, the bleached deer-skull hat racks, the kitschy painting of the creature from the black lagoon over the wash station, and the custom-designed wallpaper.

Who doesn't need a tin of mustache elixir?

My husband is working up to a clean shave after a couple of years of wearing a beard. In the interim, he's decided to rock 70's biker chops and a fu manchu, just for kicks.

Prepping for the straight razor.

Mid-shave, I dashed out to pick up Q from school, so she could watch Papa get his haircut. She got a sucker out of the bargain as well - always a plus!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

This place kinda makes me wish I were a guy.

2011-09-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

And FINALLY the last of Q's birthday party!!

Many thanks to all who made this such a delightful day!

2011-09-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Birthday party, part 3!

Sad that it has taken me this long to blog half of Q's b'day party!

And so it goes.

Part 4 yet to come...I hope! Stay tuned!

2011-09-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Birthday party preparations, stage 2: Q sets up the gift table, with much pomp and circumstance!

2011-09-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Today was finally the day of our girl's birthday party - a whole month late, delayed by her surgeries and then by my busy work schedule, but I finally realized there was never going to be a "right time" in my schedule, and I was just going to have to close my eyes and jump.

As you can see, she woke pretty excited this morning. We spent the early morning making paper hats and finishing cupcake decorations.

Silly girl.

I love the smile on her face, my little Mowgli of the jungle.

Here she is wearing her Anais & I skirt as a dress.

In the end, she chose a more practical dress, also by A&I, for the actual party, but I love how ethereal she looks in these photos. Like a sylph come to life in our livingroom.

She wanted the buddhas to wear party hats as well ;)

Fully dressed (finally) and setting up an outdoor table with silver stars, paper hats, and little gifts for the guests.

My "invitations" were so last-minute, so hap-hazard and so less-than-planned that I really expected two or three people to show up. But as it happened, a good crowd turned out for Q's little celebration, with many, many little ones, and we had a blast!

I'm too tired to post pictures from the party tonight, but I will soon. It was really quite magical all around!

Many thanks to all who attended!!

2011-09-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's corn maze season!

New photos coming as soon as I have a moment to catch my breath.

2011-09-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

So, for the longest time now I have been trying to find the time to do this post. The cards and gifts started pouring in a week or two before Q's surgery, and still haven't stopped coming to this day. I am just so overwhelmed by the enormous hearts of all those who have taken time out of their busy lives to think of Q, make her cards, gifts, letters, treasure maps, creative play kits, selected books or music or special toys for her, and then (wonder of wonders) wrapped, packaged, addressed, stamped, and taken them to the post office!!! It just amazes me. I am blown away.

And of course, at this point, our girl is hopelessly spoiled an may never recover!

I am convinced that she now thinks that she will receive at least one exciting package in the mail every day of her life until infinity.

This first photo, above, was taken just a day or two after surgery - as you can see, her face was still puffy and her hair still matted - but she had already opened many a magical envelope and was ready to say a big "thank you" to all her friends throughout the blogosphere for making her difficult time a little lighter and brighter.

This is a picture of her opening a stack of mail a few days after surgery. I have so very many of these photos - I probably took pictures each time she opened a package - but at this point I have to admit that there are not enough hours in a day for me to edit and upload all of the photos, so I have selected a few that capture the essence of what it looks like when Q opens her mail. Even though she was still feeling quite ill on this particular day (she was nauseous and dizzy for many days after surgery, even after she was on her feet and back to a regular daily routine) you can see the thrill and expectation on her face here.

John will recognize this as the box his family sent - it was hilarious to Q that, when the wrapping was off the repurposed carton, her daddy said, "Did someone send you beer?"

For the next two hours she was going around saying "Did someone send me beer?" and then laughing bawdily and at length over her own joke.

In fact, this box contained the most astonishing collection of treasures, found, shared or handed down, invented games, personal histories, hand-sketched cartoons, and local lore that I still shake my head in wonder.

Q proudly clad in an Oregonian scarf and soccer ball.

Another wonderful face of intense satisfaction at the pure, visceral anticipation implicit in the process of opening her mail. In this photo, she had stopped to just close her eyes and hold the envelopes close, clutching them to her and breathing in the scent of far away places and unimagined pleasures before tearing them open to discover what wonders might be found inside.

Holding tight a new treasure that she felt might bring her solace and protection during the long, uncomfortable nights (John, this is the little fetish bear, which still watches over her from a bedside table every night).

Her mail (not even to mention the gifts) soon covered an entire tabletop in my studio, and has since overflowed it. I tried to capture her with her stacks of loot, but it was just too much to fit into one photo.

As you can see, this is a bit later, when her nose packing was out and her palate mostly recovered.

I love this shot of her with a little hand-painted owl by the amazing Laurie (go see more of her work and read her story, it is worth your while).

Laurie's watercolor-tale of a group of animal friends from the Canadian wilderness was simply...simply...I have no words. The fact that someone we have never met would take the time to make something so beautiful, elaborate and enchanting just for one little girl...it boggles my mind.

I have done two previous posts in which I have attempted to thank each person by name, along with a little something about their gift - but I know that some things have slipped through the cracks (mostly things that have been ferreted away by a certain four-year-old before I have had time to register them), and at this point the sheer volume of what has fallen through our mail slot has completely overwhelmed my capacity to keep track. The scope, the creativity, the love, the imagination involved in the things we have received are astonishing, and would bolster anyone's faith in humanity. A beautifully-packaged gift of native children's music from Paula in Argentina (above), Kate in Philadelphia whose package of gifts were so intuitively right up Q's alley, a set of fancy chocolate sundae sauces from Michele and her family (let me just tell you that fingers were very sticky for quite some time thereafter!), a whole passle of wooden animal puzzles from Amy and her family (let me just say that this was the SECOND package of creative gifts that came from them, and they are not the only ones who have sent multiple envelopes!), Carole, Kirsten, The Mordens (again!!), the Le Grands, so many that I can't possibly name you all!

And I also can't possibly do justice to the vast reservoirs of creativity that have been displayed. I cannot, for instance, do justice to this magical painting by the darling and talented Rebekka Seale, whose work I have long coveted (unfortunately the light in Q's room is terrible for photography, and I can't capture the delicacy of her painting. You can see her work much better here).

The wonderful artwork of so many children who have taken the time to make a little something for the Q (these by Axel Le Grand, don't you love the rocketship and rainbow??)

And I had to give a closer look at Laurie's Canadian forest tale, because it is just so charming in every way.

Carole and Hauie's kitties and mice, Emilie's happily winking sun, and more, and more, and moe....

So, if you are one of the many who have sent us such beautiful things, please accept our humble gratitude. We are without words. Q (and, vicariously, I) have pored over and spindled and foxed and treasured and loved each and every one. And if you have sent something, and haven't checked the blog in a while, scroll back a ways...you may very well see your missive somewhere herein!

Love and kisses!

M, M & Q

ps - I would also be remiss if I didn't send out thanks to the amazing team of medical professionals who have made possible all the surgeries, therapies and various stages of recovery. There are many (cleft surgeries are lengthy, complex and ongoing throughout life, and require a large team of specialists from various fields). Foremost among them at this time are her plastic surgeon, the amazing Stacey Folk, MD, her wonderful ENT, Tyler Lewark, MD, and her beloved speech therapist, Theresa Snelling, MA. Should anyone in the Denver area happen to be reading this, feel free to ask me anything. We lucked into one of the best teams around, and I would be happy to recommend them.

2011-09-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

We went out yesterday morning for a quick drive into the mountains to see if we could catch any fall color.

It was a spectacular day - just as early fall should be in Colorado, crisp and dry and not too hot.

The colors have not reached their peak yet, but there were all sorts of wonders of the season to discover!

View from the foothills down the front range to Golden Gate Canyon.

The backroads were nearly empty and it felt like we had the world to ourselves!

On the way down, we stopped for a cool-off in the river and to let the dogs play fetch and cool their heels in the mountain water.

Lovely day!

2011-09-18T21:27:00.001-07:00

Swordfighting at the Celtic festival.

2011-09-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

So, little confession: the other night we were supposed to have a "date night". And we really did try. We even got a current doctor's form filled out for our fail-safe last-minute daycare in case we were not able to find a babysitter (we were not).

But anyone with a four-year-old can tell you that it often takes far longer than anticipated to make it out of the house with a little in tow. On this night it was also raining, so the Little needed to collect her rain boots, raincoats and umbrellas, which also takes extra time.

Suffice to say that we did not make it out of the house in time to take the Little to daycare and still make it to our date night.

But here's another confession:

I am rarely disappointed when we are not able to make it out for an evening without the Q. In fact, I love an evening out as a family, with Q in tow.

And that's exactly what we ended up doing.

We went out for a sushi dinner (thank you Groupon) and spent the rest of the evening escaping the rainy weather while perusing the bookstore with Q.

During the course of dinner, Q managed to charm a neighboring table out of the tiny paper umbrella from their special sushi platter.

Hence, hours of free entertainment.

As you can see, her "new nose" is healing beautifully, even if not entirely healed yet. Certain parts are still swollen, and others have yet to fuse. She is no longer in any great pain, but still sensitive and sore when touched. I should also say that cleft-affected children are born with extremely problematic teeth. Teeth are uneven, with many gaps where the bone never developed, and some of the front teeth are "fused", meaning they grow at irregular rates and in irregular patterns. All teeth grow in without an even coating of enamel, resulting in many cavities and many years of extreme dental work.

But fortunately for our girl, she is confident, resilient, and (don't tell her I said it) gorgeous. Every time she asks me why people keep staring at her, I have to tell her, "Because you're pretty."

"NO, I'm NOT!' she shouts. "Tell them I'm NOT pretty."

Sigh.

It's a heavy burden she has to bear, this beauty of hers. She would far rather be funny, or fast, or brave. And she is all of those things too.

2011-09-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Weekend!

2011-09-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

The weather since the last heatwave broke has been typical fall in Colorado, alternating between cool, warm, and perfect. School mornings, it's sometimes hard to guess just how to layer for the day.

Q very much enjoyed walking to school with LaoLao while she was here...

and as you can see, our post-surgical weepiness has pretty much disappeared. School is fun again!

Lassooing and scaling the great seamonster of Berkeley Park with mommy and LaoLao.

We kicked off the first "long weekend" from school with a family night out on the town - spicy Asian food and a rainy evening spent dawdling around the Tattered Cover.

How to entertain a busy four-year-old while waiting for dinner to be served!

And daddy looks on...