Bella Sinclair Doodlespot

Illustration Friday: Forward

2012-01-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time,

there were three little sisters,

Elsie

Lacie

and Tillie,

and they lived at the bottom of a treacle well,

making treacle pies and treacle cakes

and all sorts of treacle delights.

Because what else do you do with so much treacle.

Now, everyone knows that Elsie and Lacie and Tillie

loved to draw things that start with the letter M:

like monsters,

and maggots,

and meerkats.

But what they don't know is

that every afternoon,

they would draw mustaches on their faces

and sneak topside

with their basket full of treacle goodies

and leave it at the doorstep of a random house

with a note that read:

Got Milk?

*Inspired by the Dormouse's story from Alice in Wonderland.

Illustration Friday: Prepare

2012-01-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

Once she had moved into her new home, Haruki came to the chilling realization that she had not prepared a way to get down. It looked as if she might be stuck there. Forever. Until she came up with a plan to lure in some unsuspecting birds....

Illustration Friday: Grounded

2012-01-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

Heeeeeelp!!!

Hello, and Happy New Year! I hope 2012 is starting off smoothly and beautifully for you. We had an amazing vacation visiting my truly beautiful sister-in-law in Kauai. Days were spent playing in the waves and reveling in sudden rain showers. And in the evenings, we delighted in each other's company over fragrant teas, guitar strumming and the perfect ratio of raisins to almonds. Thank you, C! I hope you are having fun on your board and smiling. We miss you!

Just a few snapshots from our time in paradise. The Stalker Santa in the window creeped out my girls. And yes, feral chickens! Roosters are quite gorgeous, I must say.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

We are about to embark on two weeks of madcap craziness and festivities around here, so I'm cutting out a little early. But before I do, I want to wish you all a very happy holiday season. I hope you find time to squeeze the people you love and to be squeezed lovingly in return. Thank you, truly, for your visits and words of encouragement. You've made me smile and giggle and dream. Here's to a better and brighter 2012.

With love,

bella

The Brigade that Arrived Too Late

2011-12-09T21:58:00.001-08:00

This was supposed to be for last week's Illustration Friday prompt.....uh...yeah.....

When Emma and I walk to school in the morning, we each get into our imaginary pods, strap on layer upon layer of imaginary protective gear, and then engage in fierce candy war. We try to think of the stickiest, goopiest, most creative way to pummel each other with sugar.

"Candy apple mace!"

"Argh! Marshmallow absorption shield. Spun-sugar web!"

"Fredward!"

"Fredward?"

"Yes, Fredward. He's my giant jellybean who eats your sugar web."

"Ugh. Sour Patch Kids, attack Fredward!"

"Fredward womps them flat. Poprock cannon with lemonade sprayer!"

"Arrgghghghgh, ow ow ow! "

By the time we get to school, we are both a gloppy, battered mess. Luckily, we have the gummy bear brigade to lick us clean so the teacher will never suspect a thing.

Have a spectacular weekend!

Illustration Friday: Round

2011-12-01T22:53:00.001-08:00

Row, row, row your boat.....

Row, row, row your boat....

I love singing in rounds, don't you? What did you say? Sorry, I had my fingers stuck in my ears.

Jeepers, where have I been? In a food coma, apparently. And then battling the cyber-crowds while cyber-shopping in the cyber-malls. I didn't get to finish my drawing for this week's word, and I can practically hear tomorrow's IF word knocking on the door. Ah well. Snagged some pretty good deals, though.

In other news, I received a great surprise in the mail yesterday. A while ago, I worked with the fabulous Caren Krupinski of Kdottie Designs on a personal project. Caren had written a heartwarming and enchanting poem and asked me to help her illustrate it. She put everything together into a little book and sent me my very own copy. How wonderful! Thank you, Caren!!!!

And finally, the book I've been working on with Donna Shepherd is still in production, but a coloring page is available here for any crayon-wielding kiddies out there. Doh! Don't color your computer screen. Print it out first. Gah.

Wishing you a fantastic weekend!

Illustration Friday: Silent

2011-11-15T10:25:00.001-08:00

And then Walter did the only thing he could think of to make her silent.

Illustration Friday: Stripes

2011-11-10T13:40:00.001-08:00

Round and round the narwhal tusk

Stripes of green in shades of dusk

Take my hand, come round with me

Let your heart and joy swim free

Mr. (albino) Narwhal, who was inspired by my sweet sisterfriend Ces's drawing of a sweatered narwhal,

is sporting a mustache in support of Movember. Grow a mo!

❈ ❈ ❈

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the amazing, fanciful, and tremendously entertaining stories conjured up by the above drawing! I was tickled by all the stories. You made me eat all my kettle corn! Here are just a few highlight:

• A roving reporter gets caught in a gust of wind that blows away her tiny interviewees as well as her earpiece

• Magical butterflies are carrying away the seeds of spring

• Pixies scatter to find her lost younger sisters to guide them back home

• Her car broke down and started smoking. Really badly.

• She scratched her head trying to think of a solution to her brother's potential dating disaster and unleashed a great storm of dandruff

• She is about to eat the magical seed of a wishflower, which can only grow and release its seeds during a fog

• Lightning bugs are carrying away every drop of snowflake so that spring can finally arrive

There are many more, and I loved them all! Thanks so much for playing with me.

xoxo

Illustration Friday: Scary

2011-11-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Yay for carnivals! A couple of weekends ago, the carnival came back to town, so of course, we had to go. The kids love the rides, and I love watching them being spun and dropped and scared out of their wits. Is that sadistic of me?

There's this one ride called The Zipper. You have to be yea-tall to ride, and it costs five whole tickets, so you know it's a good one. Plus, they don't accept single riders. Basically, you sit inside a swinging metal cage with a little bit of padding, and it sends you looping round and round. The number of flips you do is totally unpredictable. Here's what it looks like:

My older daughter LOVES this ride, but my younger daughter chickened out. Not that it mattered, because she was too short anyway. I was hoping to find another single rider to partner with my daughter. I even accosted a young boy, but he got this frightened look in his eye and pointed to a random girl and said she was going to ride with him. Hehehe. He probably went home to his mom and told her about a crazy lady going around saying, "You need a partner? You need a partner?"

Anyhoo. Now, I hate rides with big drops and flips. Something about getting older and internal organs being all jiggly and loose makes the whole thing nauseating. But the look of disappointment on my daughter's face... well, that just would not do. So I had to suck it up.

"I'll ride with you. See, Nona? This is how much I love you."

Oh.

My goodness.

It felt like an eternity of sheer torture. To be honest, I don't remember much because I had my eyes squeezed shut the whole time. And for the life of me, I could not stop screaming no matter how hard I tried. At one point, I felt my cell phone slip out of my pocket and I watched it banging around our cage, up and down, like an angry, rabid honey badger in a trap.

"Just close your eyes, Mom, close your eyes! It'll be less scary that way!"

Do you know what it's like to be coaxed off the edge of a nervous breakdown by your young child? Not my proudest moment.

I'm happy to say that I survived the ride. My cell phone lost a button, but at least I did not lose my lunch.

Illustration Friday: Scattered

2011-10-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

What do you think is going on here? I'm just going to sit back with my bag of kettle corn and read your stories. Entertain me. :)

Illustration Friday - Contraption

2011-10-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

*slurp*

This is what my daughter Emma wants from Santa this year: a soda drinking hat. I'm always amused by the items on her list. Once, she asked for an engine to make her bed fly. Or a fireplace for her bedroom. Or even a two-story clubhouse, complete with mini fridge and lights that clap-on-clap-off. At least this year, she has scaled down her request to something that would actually fit on his sleigh. Emma designed everything on her hat, from the pinwheels to the dangling choco cornets filled with treats. And even though I put tea mugs in the holders, she wants you to know that there's soda in there.

Ack! Another Friday is upon us. I hope I get next week's word done a little earlier next time.

Have a great weekend!

Swinging by to say hello!

2011-10-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello! I hope you had a marvelous and memorable summer. Autumn is now upon us. Goodness, is it really October already?

I've been slow to get back into the swing of things. And it didn't help that pressure was on to make a splashy return (haha, thanks, Ted!). Hopefully, this will be a decent start as I get my gears rolling again.

Over the summer, I saw an opportunity to make a customized lamp and thought, 'Hmmm, this might be fun.' So I created two drawings of frolicking youngsters, stitched them together, and sent it in for printing. And viola! I received the lamp a few days ago, and I must say, I'm quite impressed with the quality of printing and the lamp itself.

This is something else I worked on last week. One of my favorite things is a music box. The kind that you crank the little handle, and a drum with little bumps turns while plinking tiny metal keys. I love those. When I was a little girl, I had a donkey plushie named Eeyore with a music box sewn in. When he got very old and ratty I retired him for good, but not before performing a little surgery and removing that precious box. I don't even remember now what tune it played, but I do remember the joy of finally holding the magic in my hands. And then I promptly dismantled it to find out how it worked. I think I broke it.

So this is for Eeyore. Sorry, buddy.

I'll be by to say hello and catch up with you. You have been warned. :)

EDIT: Oh! I do remember the tune! It played Happy Days are Here Again. Ahhh, sadly, not for you, Eeyore, not for you.

Playing...playing...playing....

2011-07-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I'm so sorry I've been silent and haven't visited in a while. Summers are usually busy with the girls home from school and travels and visitors and general idleness. But this summer is especially busy in the very best way. I am working on illustrating a book for Donna Shepherd, and I'm very excited about it (yes! I'm jumping up and down!). Not only is Donna a pure treasure to work with, but the story she has created is so full of charm it makes my toes tingle. I can't spill too many beans on it just yet. So here's just a little sneak peek at what's been swimming in my head.

Also, the very lovely and inspirational Deepa gave me such an honor recently when she asked to interview me. Please visit her gorgeously colorful world of Hues 'n' Shades. Thank you, Deepa!

Have a fun filled and joyous summer (or winter for our friends down under). See you on the flip side. I'm eager to catch up with you again!

xoxo

Illustration Friday - Shadow

2011-06-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

Theodore sat and rested in the shadow of a nearby tree,

lest he dry out from the hot midday sun.

Sssssshhhh, this was supposed to be for last week's Asleep, but I fell asleep and didn't get it done on time. Don't tell the IF Police, okay?

About a month ago, an extremely rare all-white kiwi was born in New Zealand. Isn't he adorable? When I saw him, I knew I had to have him. On paper, anyway.

Have a great week!

A letter to Ces

2011-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Ces,

How can it be that I have known you for less than three years, yet I feel like we have known each other for a lifetime? At least one lifetime, anyway, perhaps more. I suspect someone had mercy and sent you to me, knowing I'd soon need a friend to get through some difficult times. And what a friend you turned out to be. There is so much that we share, so much we have been through together, and so much that intrigues me about you still. You can reduce me to tearful laughter with your playful antics (remember what you did with your kneadable eraser one night? and our comment-race to 1000?). And the way you can charm a Micron pen across a piece of paper to make the most magical pictures out of mere ink squiggles still wows me, even hundreds of illustrations later. Your vibrant paintings grace my walls and keep me company though you are far. You make me strive to be a better artist, so that I can feel worthy of your attention. You give me the confidence I need to do more, not just in art but in life.

I started to make something for you, intending to have it finished in time for your very special day, the second day of June. But I failed. I am still working on it and will send it to you when it is finished. You are too grand, too wonderful, and too amazing to be celebrated in just one day, after all.

Happy birthday to my dearest Sisterfriend. May the angels smile upon you and grant you your most desired wishes.

Tsup

bella

Illustration Friday - Safari

2011-05-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Let's go surfin' now

Everybody's learning how

Come on and safari with me!

(Beach Boys, 1962)

*WIP from an even larger WIP. Have a great week!

Nothing to see here, keep moving.

2011-05-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

Just a bit of silliness, that's all.

Godzilla enjoys a bit of fairy floss.

Illustration Friday - Journey

2011-04-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Charlotte and Roland take a journey through Europe

Have you ever played with a roly poly pillbug? They are so cute!

Thank you, my dear friends, for your outpouring of support for our Japan disaster relief fundraiser! Thank you for your generosity, not only with your funds but with your kind words and cheers as well. Ces and I were overwhelmed and deeply touched by the show of solidarity and encouragement. I knew many of you had already donated or contributed in another way, and I honestly did not expect much given it was already a few weeks past the disaster. But to date, Ces and I have received direct donation receipts to the Red Cross Japan disaster relief fund totaling $925! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Without question, the people there will need help for a long time, and we will continue to send out thank you packages to anyone who emails a donation receipt (please click here for further details) to either Ces or myself.

And Jack Foster! Come on down! You are the lucky winner of Ces's beautiful pen and ink Quercus Glauca. We will get that off to you very soon. You will absolutely love it, guaranteed. Congratulations!

In other news, my computer has been acting wonky again. First the video card and cable went kaput. Then the internal mic cable came loose. And yesterday, I swore my internal hard drive disintegrated. I tried everything to repair it, to no avail. I was fed up and ready to take the computer back to the shop where, by now, we are all on a first name basis. I tell you, I feel like Norm from Cheers when I go there.

Now here's where things get a little interesting.

See, when my husband passed away, I inherited his computer. He was a whiz with computers, absolutely loved them. So this morning, while doing the dishes, I silently scolded him for pranking me and futzing around inside the Mac. A little while later, I decided to turn it on one last time before taking it to the shop.

And lo and behold..... It's working perfectly!

"Hmmmmmm..... Very interesting," she said, stroking her Fu Manchu mustache. "Very interesting, indeed."

I hope you have a wonderful week full of small miracles.

xoxo

七転び八起き (Nana korobi Ya oki)

2011-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hello!

After weeks of head scratching and tinkering, I finally have my computer back home. The empty space on my desk looks like it should once more. Yes, my ability to create art was hindered and my pocketbook is considerably lighter, but those are minor inconveniences compared to what others are going through across the world. I can only be grateful for what I have and for the safety and health of my family.

For the past few weeks, I've been following the disaster in Japan with great sadness. Like most of you, I've watched the waters smashing houses and large boats and cars like toys. I've seen photos of people surveying the damage, their town and their lives unrecognizable. One particular photo that burned in my mind was that of a woman calling out the names of her loved ones, desperate to hear a familiar voice. I imagined myself in her place, calling out the names of my daughters. I could feel her panic, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

But along with the destruction, I have seen videos of children singing at school graduations held in shelters. I've seen them laughing and playing and blowing bubbles. The children offer hope. The Japanese, I believe, are a resilient people. I am not Japanese, but after living there for two years, I feel akin to these people and their culture. This tragedy feels personal to me, and I feel a need to help as much as I can.

To that end, Ces has most generously and graciously teamed up with me to raise funds for Japan. For everyone who makes a $25 donation to the American Red Cross for the Japanese disaster relief fund, we will send the following.

An 8" x 10" print signed by yours truly. This is an image of two young Japanese children painting in one eye of a Daruma Doll. In Japan, the Daruma is a symbol of good luck and perseverance and is inspired by Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk often credited for his Zen teachings. The doll is weighted on the bottom so that it always rights itself rather than toppling over. Because of this, it is often associated with the saying Nana korobi Ya oki, which means, 'Seven times fall down, eight times get up.' Upon acquiring a Daruma Doll, a person will set a goal and paint in one eye. When the goal is achieved, he or she will paint in the other eye. In this image, the young children are setting their goal, and that is to get up once more.

As a thank you, you will also receive an original ACEO (2.5" x 3.5") of a Japanese Blue Oak Acorn (Quercus glauca), exquisitely rendered in pen and ink and signed by Ces. It comes in a handcrafted envelope made of beautiful Japanese decorative paper, along with information about this majestic tree.

But that's not all, folks. Everyone who makes a donation will also be entered into a raffle to receive a larger original 9" x 12" pen and ink drawing of the Japanese Blue Oak on Bristol Board, illustrated and signed by Ces. Isn't it gorgeous?

If you would like to receive the above, please email your receipt for a $25 donation to the American Red Cross (earmarked for the Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund) to bellasinclairdoodler@yahoo.com. The print and ACEO will be shipped to you, free of charge. In addition Ces and I will match each donation received (up to $200 each).

And finally, a fun way to help efforts in Japan is to make origami cranes. For each crane received, the Bezos Family Foundation will donate $2 to the Architecture for Humanity's reconstruction efforts in Japan (up to $200,000). The cranes will be woven into an art installation as a gift to the Japanese youth. I've been happily making cranes, and these little guys will be making their way to the Students Rebuild organization soon. To find out more about this effort, please visit Students Rebuild.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through this long post. I'm sorry for making my comeback post a plea for donations, but this was important to me. If you have already made a donation, thank you so very, very much. どうもありがとうございます。

Down for the Count

2011-03-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well. It seems my computer has decided to go kaput this week. The repair technician is telling me to brace for the worst and may need up to two weeks to fix it. Fortunately, I still have a my laptop so I can feel connected to the outside world. Creating art on it, however, is slow and laborious, so I won't be posting for a while.

In the meantime, please continue sending prayers and support to the disaster victims in Japan.

xoxo

Illustration Friday - Warning

2011-03-07T13:19:00.001-08:00

I had a dream about Andrew Finnie's enormous nuts. I tell you, it was as if after I saw them, they crawled into the recesses of my brain when I wasn't looking and hid in there like stowaways, secretly controlling my thoughts and actions. Would you like to see them? I warn you, though, his art will make you giddy and will leave an indelible mark of excitement and amazement on your very soul. And I promise, you will burn calories guffawing and howling at the hilarious stories that often accompany his pictures. Bonus. Ready to see? Then click here.

Okay, back to me. So in my dream, I was stolen away in my sleep by wee creatures that turned out to be, oddly enough, gigantic nuts. They dragged me to the forest and had me...well... my therapist told me to draw it since it's too painful to talk about. So here it is.

Now when I go to bed, I make sure I wear my giant red squirrel costume. Just in case.

Illustration Friday - Swarm

2011-03-03T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hanging out with a swarm of ninjas can sure make you hungry. Who knew that ninjas love churros?

Mmmmmm...churros.

Anyway, I've been kind of lost in my own little world for the past several days. I'm eager to head out and see what joys you all have been up to lately. See you soon. Up up and away!

Swarm of the Light Brigade

Illustration Friday - Layer

2011-02-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

Hiding under thorny layers.

Do you remember Ding Dongs?

In Canada, they are called King Dons. Not to be confused, however, with Don King.

Don King

Maybe you've had one recently, but I haven't eaten one in decades. I loved those things. I could hear a choir of angels whenever I spied the shimmery, silver wrapper at the bottom of my lunchbox. I'd gingerly peel back the silver, careful to keep it intact so that I could later smooth out the square of foil with the back of my fingernail. Then, I'd nibble off the thin layer of chocolate before finally biting into the chocolate cake with creamy white filling. Mmmmmmm.

It appears that whatever is hiding within the artichoke loves Ding Dongs, too.

Oh! Guess what we are having for dinner tonight? No, not Ding Dongs, silly. Artichokes! Yum!

Have a fantastic week!

Illustration Friday - Sweater

2011-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

What must I do to capture your heart?

Gosh darnit. When your mother tells you to put on your sweater, you put on your sweater or all sorts of body parts can go missing.

When I was playing around with patterns for Gumby's pigment-challenged cousin, the first thing I selected was polka dots which immediately made me jump in my seat. He looks like a giant Band-Aid, doesn't he?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Now go hug someone.

And give me candy.

xoxo

Illustration Friday - Reverse

2011-02-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

In hindsight, Swifty was probably not the best name for his new friend. If they went any slower, he swore they'd be going in reverse.

Have a wonderful week!

Illustration Friday - Surrender

2011-01-31T15:57:00.001-08:00

Stop! Or I'll... woof!

(groan. Yes, haul me off to bad joke jail.)

Ces in a nutshell. Literally.

2011-01-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

"Will you please draw me drawing an acorn?"

"Sure! Will you please draw me drawing you drawing an acorn?"

This is my dearest friend Ces, painter and illustrator extraordinaire. She is, by far, the most prolific creator of astounding trees and acorns and elephants and bald babies and slender women in stylish clothing that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her passion is unbridled. Her wit and intelligence and playful mischief are explosive. It is impossible to fit such an enormous personality into one tiny little nutshell. But I tried anyway.

Ces asked me to draw her drawing an acorn, so I did. She is drawing an acorn on an acorn in an acorn. I agreed to draw her on the condition that she draw me drawing her. And so she did. To see her incredible and mind-blowing rendition, please click here.

Now for the real challenge. Is anyone willing to draw Ces drawing me drawing her drawing an acorn on an acorn in an acorn? Hmmmmmm?

Ces, Tsup!

Illustration Friday - Chicken

2011-01-19T22:44:00.000-08:00

Walking on eggshells.

They are eggsperts.

Illustration Friday - Deja Vu

2011-01-13T14:01:00.000-08:00

♔♕♖♗♘

I've been working on a few portraits lately, and a couple of personal projects. Here's a doodle of the very sweet and talented Yoon See who has a heart of gold. She is always thoughtful and sends me adorable handmade surprises in the mail. Thank you, Yoon See!

Happy 2011!

2010-12-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

May love reign in your house this holiday season.

I received a card yesterday, and I loved what it said so I will pass it on to you:

Merry Everything . . . Happy Always

xoxo

bella

Illustration Friday - Prehistoric

2010-12-07T11:31:00.001-08:00

*Inspired by the works of Ces.
**Also inspired by my hands which are badly in need of Lubriderm.

Did you know, some people argue that the pomegranate was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden?

◉⃝◉⃝◉⃝◉⃝◉⃝

In the spirit of holiday shopping, I am offering a SOGO (see one, get one free)! I recently learned that my talented and crafty friend Esque shares my love for cows. Do you remember the decorated cow sculptures that paraded around New York City some years ago? It seems that some of them have made it to the Swiss hills to enjoy their own serenade. And we all know that happy cows give more milk. :)

This one's for you, Esque! Mooo!

Illustration Friday - Savour

2010-12-01T14:03:00.001-08:00

"Is that a blowhole or a mouth?"

"Hmmm, you know, I'm not sure."

Lately, my two girls have taken to sleeping with me at night. It's the three of us, plus the pooch, snuggled in a queen size bed. Inevitably, someone steals the covers or gets a knee or elbow, but it's also warm and cozy. I am savoring these nights when I can fall asleep listening to everyone breathing.

Happy December! And Happy Hanukkah!

Illustration Friday - Burning

2010-11-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

My kid: "What are those, chickens?"

Me: "What? No, they are not chickens! Gah!"

So last week, I invited a friend and her son over for movie night. I had it all planned. Before they arrived, I went out and got two large pies -- one combo, one cheese. And I got five different flavors of popcorn. Woohoo! To keep the pizzas warm, I shoved the boxes into the oven and turned the dial to "Keep Warm". Then I took the dog out for a quick walk before our friends arrived.

When I returned, smoke was billowing out of the oven. One of the boxes had caught on fire. I tried to whack the flames out with a towel, but that only made it jump to the other side of the box and black ash spew everywhere. Yikes! Finally, I grabbed a cup of water and threw it on the fire. Sssssssssss. Out. I shed a quick tear for the half-pie I lost and tried my best to pick out the ashes from the remaining slices. Eh, they'll never know.

As we were watching the movie, I heard my friend's son mutter, "Why does the pizza taste like smoke?"

Illustration Friday - Afterward, ad nauseam

2010-11-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

"Afterward!"

Lemme 'splain.

See, I was out walking the dog when I suddenly had this image of two little girls wanting to go back in time. And I thought, 'Hmmm, what would be the opposite battle cry of Forward? Would it be....Afterward?"

So then I started drawing this thing, and afterward I said to myself, "Hey dummy, the opposite of Forward would be Backward, not Afterward." Oh well, too late.

Afterward, my older daughter gave me such a look of pity and said, "Umm, yeah. You kind of messed that one up." HA!

What's that? The aardvark? Well, I just think they're cute.

My little one asked me to post this recent drawing that she's quite pleased about:

Afterward, I decided to add a few embellishments. Because everything looks better with laser eyes, in my opinion.

She's going to give me laser eyes when she sees this.

Illustration Friday - Spooky

2010-10-21T12:51:00.001-07:00

Hanging with the Fungi

I know, I know. More creepy than spooky. But really, my laundry pile spooks me.

Last night, I got exasperated at my little kid, telling her she rushes through her homework. She promptly stomped upstairs in a huff and came back sometime later with a hand delivered message. That's her on the right, and the funny thing is, that's exactly how she looks. That's me on the left. Note my diminutive size.

Have a wonderful weekend. And thank you for your kind words of encouragement!

Illustration Friday - Transportation

2010-10-14T21:17:00.001-07:00

FAIL

in 10...9...8...7...6...5...

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

2010-10-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

The world is your oyster, baby!

She sings

and sews

and paints

and knows

exactly how to inspire.

She writes

and cooks

and illustrates

books

and sends my heart floating higher.

Happy birthday, Vanessa! You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. May ALL your dreams and wishes come true.

To be whisked away to the über-fantastic world of Miss V, click here! Hurry, whatareyawaitingfor?!

Illustration Friday - Old Fashioned

2010-09-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Theirs was an old fashioned love story.

Newlyweds in Central Park

This is a drawing created for a very special friend earlier this year. It was a gift for a sweet young couple who recently got married.

Wow, you guys really know how to make a girl feel good. Last week's drawing was a simple one, but I'm thrilled to the core that you were able to feel the joy that I felt while drawing it. Thank you!

Speaking of old fashioned, I've been listening to a lot of Pink Martini lately. This one's called:

Let's Never Stop Falling in Love

Enjoy.

♥

Illustration Friday - Acrobat

2010-09-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Every time she saw him,

her heart did flips

like a little acrobat in her chest.

Just a quickie. Thank you so much for all your wonderful and encouraging comments on the saber-toothed deer. Have a great week!

Illustration Friday - Proverb

2010-09-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

This image best depicts:

[ ] Look before you leap.

[ ] Let sleeping dogs lie.

[ ] People named Bella are attracted to things with fangs.

No, I did NOT make this up! There really are saber-toothed deer running around outside my head. These are water deer that reside primarily in China and Korea. Rather than antlers, they have fangs or tusks. Imagine running into this Bambi in the forest! You can read more about them here.

Lastly, just for kicks, I thought I'd share with you what the image looks like without the original pencil drawing. Whenever I color in a drawing, I like to see what all the mess looks like underneath. Kinda neat.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

2010-09-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

Hello! Hello, hello, hello! Can you see me waving my hands wildly in the air? I hope you've had a spectacular few months. The girls and I had a marvelous summer spending time with family on the beach, hugging my nieces and nephews, receiving friends from all over, visiting Mickey Mouse, racing with my best friend, and just having a wonderfully lazy ol' time with each other. It's hard to see it all come to an end.

But it's good to be back. My pencils have been rather lonely, they tell me. They can be...rather dull. (ba-dum bum) And I'm eager to see what everyone has been up to!

⌘ ⌘ ⌘

My dear friends recently had a new baby, so I drew this piece last week to welcome baby Sadie. These are their three beautiful little girls in a poppy field (poppies, I have learned, are the flowers for August birthdays). My daughters were their flower girls when they got married, so I think it's only fitting that I made their daughters part of my flower girl crew as well.

Now, off to work on my IF piece...

SUMMER!

2010-07-08T12:32:00.001-07:00

What was I thinking? Art and blogging in the summer? Say WHUT?

Nope, I can't do it.

Between spending time with friends and family, secretly poking my kids in line at amusement parks, combing the beaches for sand dollars and freaking the girls out with crab claws, and eating pretend spaghetti and drinking pretend tea at my kids' pretend cafe, I can't seem to find the time. But that's okay. After all, it's all about the kids, isn't it? I intend to soak up as much of their laughter and happy faces while I can this summer.

And hey, thank you all so much for your heartwarming wishes and beautiful sentiments on my last post. You made the event that much more meaningful, and I'm glad I could share it with you.

See you all in a couple of months! Hope you have a ridiculously fun summer (or winter, as the case may be).

XOXO

A Very Special Day

2010-07-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. It's a very special day for me, and not just because it's a holiday or the birth of our nation. It's the day Peter and I began dating, and as such, it had more meaning for both of us than even our wedding day. It was our beginning.

We met in college through a mutual friend. I was taking extra courses, and he was working on campus. A month after we started dating, he asked me to marry him, and I laughed. I didn't think he was serious, but he was.

You and me, under our tree where you carved our initials.

When Peter formally proposed, it was in a restaurant called Sign of the Dove in New York City. It's no longer there, and I don't remember much about the menu or what we ate. But I do remember how adorably agitated he became when the waiter interrupted just as he pulled the ring box from his pocket. And I remember the delicious loaf of olive bread that the waiter gave us as we left, as much an apology as a congratulatory offering.

Last year, after Peter's memorial service in midtown Manhattan, the girls and I lingered behind a few days in the city. It was the Fourth of July once again, and the first year that the grand Macy's fireworks show would be displayed over the Hudson River. I brought the girls up to the rooftop deck of our hotel where we could see a narrow patch of sky between the tall buildings. When the first firework boomed, hundreds of startled pigeons took flight into the sky. In the darkness, they looked like a flock of white doves, soaring and swerving overhead in graceful unison.

It was the sign of the dove.

Happy Anniversary to my love.

Illustration Friday - Ripple

2010-06-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

⌘ ⌘ ⌘

Thank you to everyone for all your encouragement and support and friendship. I do appreciate all your visits and comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave a few words. Visiting you keeps me inspired and itching to be better and do more. Thank you!

xoxo

Illustration Friday - Trail

2010-06-09T00:15:00.000-07:00

She was relieved to see that the strange kid had lost her trail.

Happy Birthday, Ces!

2010-06-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

you make me so very

HAPPY!

Happy birthday to a most darling Sisterfriend whose depth of passion, intelligence, talent, and generosity are among the greatest known to humankind! Thank you for not getting a restraining order against me. Thank you for letting me push your beautiful buttons. Thank you for your pen lines that have traveled to the moon and back a hundred times over. But thank you, most of all, for your loyal friendship and love.

I love you!!!!

Illustration Friday - Slither

2010-05-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

It slithered toward her outstretched hands and

inspected the shimmering droplet.

Apparently, I have monsters coming out the wazoo. This piece actually started out several months ago with a hummingbird, inspired by the many that zip by my window. However, I just was not happy with it. So I obliterated the bird and snuck in a steampunk dragon. Thankfully, I don't think the girl noticed the change.

Happy weekend, everyone!

IF - Fearless

2010-05-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Fearless means not caring whether your friends will tease you for playing dress up and dolls with a girl.

IF - Cocoon

2010-05-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to Arija,
Mother Nature's most beloved ambassador
and rose enchantress.

Sugar High

2010-05-02T22:26:00.001-07:00

I could use some potato chips right about now.

Jelly

2010-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this is a joy ride or a daring rescue mission.
You decide.

IF - Linked

2010-04-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

At the encouragement of a good friend, I squeezed out one more Totoro, which wasn't difficult considering how much I adore the works of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. There are friends who stimulate me with love and laughter, friends who inspire me with incredible art, and friends who challenge me to push further and step outside my comfort zone. I am lucky to have all types, often within the very same person. I started drawing again two years ago, and I probably would have packed the pencils away after a few short months had I not been adopted by such an extraordinary second family. Cheers to you all.

p.s. Initially, my daughters looked at an earlier version of this and thought the girl was being blown away by a Totoro fart. Aaah, I love my little art critics.

Hippity Hoppity

2010-04-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

Don't tell me you've never worn stockings on YOUR head.

Thanks for all your wonderful comments and words of encouragement. And for those of you who remarked that Frankenbunny had a Totoro resemblance, you absolutely floored me! You were spot on. He actually started out as a Totoro, but elected to have species-reassignment surgery at the last minute. I'm so grateful none of you thought he looked like Pikachu.

Skipping out of town for a few days. I hope you all have a blessedly wonderful week!

IF - Rescue

2010-03-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

Frankenbunny says Ooops

To market, to market, to buy a fat....pachyderm?

2010-03-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your sympathies for my spine. I'm up and about, but I have been banned from the tennis courts for a while. Probably more because I suck at it, though.

This is a doodle I did for Illustration Friday's Perspective a little while back, but did not get around to posting it. If anyone knows where I can buy a little pink elephant, please let me know.

Have a wonderful week!

IF-Subterranean

2010-03-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I hurt my back and had to stay in bed for a couple of days. And today, this came out of my head. Hmmmmm..... connection.....

(I'm doing much better now, by the way. Thanks!)

Dreaming

2010-03-12T10:31:00.001-08:00

I close my eyes and dream of you,
Oh, the wondrous things we do.

It has been a solemn week. Our beautiful friend Renee passed away, and hearts were heavy with sorrow around the world. My deepest sympathies for her husband and children and grandchildren and siblings who have endured so much over the past year.

On a lighter note, today I get to make a wee little girl feel like a princess on her birthday. I am so very lucky. Happy birthday, Emma. I love you.

Searching the heavens for new stars

Journey Home

2010-03-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Renee, Ces, and Bella dance beneath the bluebells.

Thank you for all your heartfelt thoughts and prayers for our dearest friend Renee as she prepares to make her final journey home soon. Travel well, my darling. Your loved ones await to greet you with open arms. We miss you and love you.

xoxo

Forget Me Not

2010-02-23T20:32:00.000-08:00

Renee and Josephine and baby Domenic

I am thinking of you, my beloved Renee. I miss you fiercely. My time with you has been one of the richest in my life. It has been much too short, but I am grateful for every single second. Thank you for making a home for me in your heart and for taking up residence in mine. Thank you for showing me how to love openly and honestly. In the past year alone, I must have said, 'I love you,' to more people, more times than in all my years combined. Thank you for extending your hand and offering me comfort and wisdom when I was confused and distraught. Thank you for making me simultaneously burst out in laughter and blush as we speed-tagged through comments. I miss your sharp and quick wit. I miss your har hars.

Last year, you described how you and Josephine pretended to flit and fly like butterflies on the lawn. How I loved that image. That is how you live in my mind now. Not sick, battling bats or lying in a hospital bed. In my mind, you are free and happy and oh so full of love.

Do not forget me, my dearest. Save me a seat next to you, and I shall come find you. I always do. Ces will join us, and we shall have a riotous time and probably get kicked out the pearly gates for being too bawdy. But we won't care, because we will be having the best time, and then they will have to let us back in because you are the best angel and the life of the party.

I love you, darling Renee. Forever and always.

IF - Adrift

2010-02-14T16:35:00.001-08:00

Adrift on the Love Float

I have to admit, I kept humming the theme to Love Boat while drawing this. As a kid, I used to pretend I was boarding the Love Boat. I made paper tickets and everything. But we weren't headed to Mexico, oh no. We were sailing to....that's right, Fantasy Island. De boat, de boat!

Come on now, sing it with me. You know you wanna.

Love, exciting and new
Come Aboard. We're expecting you.
And love, life's sweetest reward.
Let it flow, it floats back to you.

The Looooooove Flooooooaaaaat.....

Hope you are all enjoying the most love filled day. And Happy Chinese New Year! And Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

IF - Muddy

2010-02-08T12:47:00.001-08:00

Her heart raced faster as they dove down into the muddy depths.

Oh boy, where have I been. Missing all the fun, it seems. I apologize for the dearth of posts. Still trying to find my sea legs, but I promise to be better. I do miss all of you and am eager to catch up.

This is dedicated to my favorite Lost Boy.

IF - Wilderness

2010-01-18T22:24:00.001-08:00

Sheesh, I go away for a little while, and my doodles have gone feral. Serves me right.

I read about three little kids in Germany last week who waited until their nursery school teacher wasn't looking. And as soon as they saw their chance, they made a break for it, off to catch a plane to the wilderness of Africa! Seriously, that was their plan.

But!

Their plan was foiled, because they first had to stop at a toy store...presumably to stock up on supplies. Hahahahaha!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the new year. Long live the spork.

All I Want for Christmas

2009-12-23T21:32:00.004-08:00

Dear Santa,

I've been a good girl this year. At least I think I have. I've tried. So if you could manage to bring me what I really, really want this year, I promise I will never ever ask for anything ever again. You see, my beloved Renee is so very miserable. She has a bad case of the bats bumping around in her tummy. She cannot even enjoy a 7-Layer Magic Square cookie without getting violently ill. So what I would like, more than anything in the world, is to make those bats go away. Shoo. Gone. Please, Santa, it doesn't need to be much, just something that will chase those bats away for good. I don't need anything else. She is such an amazing and wonderful person, loved and adored by hundreds worldwide. It's not hard to see why. She could use a little help right now. And while you're at it, if you could have a word with the Big Guy about this, that would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Love,
bella

ps. I will leave an extra cookie and some carrots out for you this year.

* * * * *

Thank you for being such wonderful friends this year. Thank you for your visits and generous comments and loving support. I could not have gotten through it without you. Happy holidays to you and your loving families.

IF - Hatch

2009-12-16T16:08:00.003-08:00

Down the hatch. Cheers!

* * * * *

I did a quick drawing for Crunchy last week but didn't get a chance to post it. Whoa boy, when my kids got a whiff of this, they were horrified and called me evil incarnate. Ssssshhhh, don't tell them I posted this, okay?

Om nom nom nom

Nothing's Buggin' Me

2009-12-05T22:38:00.003-08:00

I'm still in my happy place, and you can't make me leave. I'm not listening. Lalalalalalalala.

This is a drawing inspired by my good friends, S and S and their two little s girls. They are just the most adorable little things. I saw a photo of them recently, and they were so enthralled with a grasshopper that Daddy S had caught. So I decided to build them a bug carousel.

Daddy S recently walked a marathon trailwalk in Hong Kong in my husband's honor, which I found deeply touching. He wrote that, "Peter was a true inspiration for me and showed me by example how to seize challenges, achieve through grit and determination, and live life as fully as possible." The charity walk was a nonstop 100km trek across Hong Kong, which is about 62 miles. My jaw dropped when I heard that! It took him about 33 hours to finish, walking all day and all night long. I cannot imagine and am just stunned by his stamina and determination. Daddy S is a big Sweetheart and will get a gigantic hug from me the next time I see him.

IF - Entangled

2009-11-30T14:06:00.004-08:00

Entangled

Our vines
Intertwine
Your life and mine

Lines play
Then stray
Never really going away

Momentarily
Gently, tenderly
Become tangled with me

IF - Music

2009-11-22T21:33:00.004-08:00

Lured by the music.

Nona asked me once why I don't draw more realistic stuff. I guess, I answered, I'd rather live in a world of childhood innocence and fun. There's too much that I'd rather not know, too much that I'd rather un-see. Heck, I'd buy a chunk of real estate along the banks of de Nile, if I could.

Sweet Nothings

2009-11-10T09:44:00.006-08:00

How to Whisper Sweet Nothings in Your Girlfriend's Ear

shamelessly copied from eHow.com

Things you'll need: Breath Mints, Girlfriend

1. Check your breath. There is nothing that will sour sweet nothings faster than bad breath.

2. Set the mood. You can whisper sweet nothings anytime, but knowing when to do it is important. Wait for a particularly intimate moment, like while watching a movie together or when you are stroking her hair.

3. Think about not only how the mood is striking you, but also how she feels. Knowing your girlfriend is important to finding the right words. Think about things like how beautiful she is when lying next to you, or how nice her smile is.

4. Try to put your feelings into words. Think about how to vocalize your feelings and emotions.

5. Lean in and whisper your declarations of love.

Tips and Warnings:

Get close to your partner when whispering. Sweet nothings are an intimate exchange between the two of you. Make sure what you say is for her ears only.
Don’t be overtly sexual. They are called sweet nothings, and not dirty talk, for a reason.
Don’t be overly poetic. This should be a vocalization of what you feel, not stolen prose.
Try not to be corny by using lines from old movies. Chances are she has heard them already.

P.S. A Tarzan yell does not count as a vocalization.

* * * * *

Thank you for your patience and kindness and understanding during my previous post. I didn't expect to be as affected as I was. I thought I had a good handle on things, but I was blindsided. Things are good, though. I've got my cogs spinning again. Thank you.

IF - Blur

2009-11-08T00:00:00.004-08:00

Happy birthday, my love. Your girls are missing you.

IF - Skinny

2009-11-05T10:30:00.001-08:00

Walking the Skinny Mile

Roll Out the Red Carpet

2009-11-01T12:22:00.007-08:00

Ces and her Oaks

"It's just squiggles and lines," she said dismissively.
"And Seurat just had dots, " I said.

I received several awards recently which mean so much to me. They each represent sisterhood. Two of them were created by my dearest sisterfriend Ces. Is there anything closer than a sisterfriend? If there is, she would be it. She offers me her hand, and it is always full, never asking, only giving. When my life took a difficult turn, she was there to gently nudge it back on course. Her squiggles and lines have intersected my squiggles and lines, and now they are inseparable, indistinguishable. She makes me laugh with her playfulness and cry with her generosity.

Ces created the following two awards:

The Deborah Award was created to honor a dear sisterfriend who is forever blowing kisses – “poet, friend, not just a mother but a soldier’s mother, too. Oh, the sleepless nights, the anxiety and worries, yet she is perpetually pleasant and cheerful, kind and gentle, diplomatic and tactful. She exudes courage, hope, and faith."

The Arija award was created to honor another sisterfriend: “a thinking, seeing, feeling, loving person who celebrates life every day. She is an artist, a photographer, a fascinating woman with great sense of humor, wise and thoughtful blogger and a loving and caring friend."

The Friendship Award was created by a new and wonderful friend, Kathi of Beautiful Mini Blessings. Kathi creates incredible miniatures and is in the process of renovating a dollhouse as masterfully as any craftsman-carpenter on This Old House. I am currently in the process of willing myself smaller so that I can live in one of her creations. On friendship, as she so gracefully put it, even though we may be far apart we are close at heart. This award is for someone who has inspired you or brought joy into your life.

I would like to share these awards with the following ladies who bring me joy and inspiration and who enrich my life. Thank you so much!

aimee
Dusik
Janine
Carolyn
Kathi
TattingChic
Caren

Peter Breese....LIVE!

2009-10-30T17:07:00.002-07:00

My dear friend, the wonderfully talented and formerly headless Peter Breese will be showing his works AND his face at an exhibit in Dallas, Texas, November 7th. His retro and stylish brushstrokes and brilliant silhouettes are the crème de la crème. Take a peek at some of Peter's work, and I guarantee you will be blown away!

Congratulations, Peter!

IF - Fast

2009-10-23T10:07:00.002-07:00

Banzai!

I'm still scaling mountains of boxes, and getting tangled up in giant wads of paper and bubble wrap. I think I must have deforested a small village with my move, alone. Oy, the guilt! But I couldn't resist the IF word this week. Plus, certain people were getting restless and resorting to language, and I feared violence would be next. You know who you are.

Have a great week, y'all!

I'll be back....

2009-10-07T09:15:00.003-07:00

Currently lost in a canyon of boxes.
I should GPS myself.

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!

2009-10-02T22:53:00.002-07:00

October 3 is Über V's birthday!
Break out the cake 'n' ice cream!

Vanessa just ooooozes with talent. You name it, she can do it. She draws the cutest characters, all sporting the most expressive little grins. She paints, sews amazing dolls, and sings with a beautiful voice. She can poke you with a needle without making you flinch, and afterwards make you look like a superstar by playing with your hair and makeup. She makes the world's best pineapple upside down cake. And on top of it all, she leaves the funniest, side-splittinest, bust-yo-gut kinda comments.

Plus, she is one of the most loving friends I know.

Happy Birthday, Vanessa!
May all your wishes come true.

xoxoxo

IF - Pattern

2009-09-26T21:57:00.007-07:00

Ker-thunk

That is the sound pattern of girls playing a rousing game of See-Saw Xtreme. In Korea, see-saw is a traditional sport, often played by young women during festivals. It's like the typical playground game, but on steroids.

*Guaranteed you will want to wear shoes for this.

Not to be outdone at festivals, the Korean boys perform a traditional ribbon hat dance, creating flamboyant circular patterns in the air with the wobble-wobble of their heads. That's the official term, by the way. Wobble-wobble.

Good gracious! Does anyone else's neck hurt after watching this video? Quite dizzying.

I'm going to take some Tylenol now. Tell me when the room stops spinning. Hope you have a wonderful week!

Goody Goody

2009-09-20T07:00:00.001-07:00

How cool is it to meet so many wonderful people from all over the world!

A while ago, an entrepreneurial and talented, crafty blogger in Australia contacted me about turning some of my doodles into stamps. Andrea has since become a terrific friend, and I greatly admire her dream and ambition of starting her own company.

Well, I was more than happy to give her some drawings, and viola! Look what I received in the mail yesterday!

I have to tell you, I was enormously impressed with the quality of these stamps. They are made from photopolymer and look like those gel window clings, only much sturdier and of higher quality.

You just peel the image off the acetate backing and stick it on the lucite block. Once you've conditioned your stamp, simply ink, position and BAM! What's even more wonderful is that the stamping block and stamp are both clear, so you can see exactly where you are positioning the image. This enables you to mix and match elements to create your own custom design.

Couldn't be easier! Andrea has more stamps created by different designers, each with its own unique style, and more stamps are being introduced monthly. I encourage you to visit her site and give her your support. Congratulations on the launch, Andrea! And thank you so much for the opportunity to collaborate with you.

(Good grief, the girls think they are famous now. Hahaha!)

IF-Infinite

2009-09-18T20:56:00.003-07:00

Infinite Love, Infinite Spirit, Infinite Peace

For Renee

IF - Welcome

2009-09-15T17:47:00.003-07:00

Bringing out the welcome wagon.

My wonderful and extremely talented brother-in-law Jeff recently started his own blog about painting. Jeff's beautiful oil paintings have a pensive and passionate quality. They stir me, emotionally. He works hard at honing his already innumerable skills, which I find highly admirable. Please welcome Jeff to the blogging world of artists.

Hey ya, Jeff! Yo yo, bro!

Pffft

2009-09-12T07:26:00.004-07:00

*original illustration by Ces, vandalized by...someone.

IF - Strong

2009-09-08T17:56:00.003-07:00

Suzy Sullivan could suck a sockeye salmon through a straw, if she wanted to. Her lungs were that strong. But she preferred milkshakes.

Spent some time making sucky faces in the mirror for this one.

Swimming in Sunshine

2009-09-01T17:42:00.005-07:00

Look what's on the other side of the rainbow.

I was recently inspired by aimee's gorgeous photographs of a field of sunflowers and her adorable flower girls.

Summer is beginning its gentle fade, the bustle of a new school year is just over the horizon, and a new home is blossoming around the corner. If all goes well, we will be moving into our new home in about a month's time.

Hope you are having a sunny day.

Hope, Magnified

2009-08-29T16:32:00.007-07:00

Dedicated to a certain brave warrior lion up in Winnipeg.

And in the distance, evidence of brush fire.

* sigh *

Providence and Gratitude

2009-08-09T17:59:00.006-07:00

How can I ever thank you enough for your compassion and prayers. I have read each and every one of your warm and loving messages and have held them to my heart. And one by one, they have helped to fill the void.

I am blessed to have found so many wonderful and dear friends in the blogging community. Perhaps it was Providence. Perhaps the Fates, knowing they would take my beloved husband, were merciful and gave me good friends to soften the pain. Hundreds of hands to catch me when I fell. Hundreds of balloons to lift me upward again. I will not question it. I am just ever so thankful to have you in my life.

My girls and I are doing well. We miss him, and think of him, and still shed some tears. But we are, for the most part, at peace. We are rebuilding our lives and are holding each other up with the help of loving family members and friends. I intend on visiting each and every one who left me kind words on my last post to give a personal thank you. It might take me a while, but I will do it.

In the meantime, please keep my dear friend Renee, and her sister Jacquie and nephew Sheldon in your prayers.

xoxo
bella

How Life Unfolds

2009-06-15T14:10:00.002-07:00

My Dearest Friends,

My heart is heavy. My darling husband, my best friend and partner, my love and father of my children, passed away suddenly this past Saturday. Nona, Emma and I love him and miss him so very deeply.

We are days away from returning to the States, preparing ourselves to start a new journey with the knowledge that we are short one very important member of our family. This summer will be a busy one, with new starts in ways we did not imagine. But we will get through this. We are survivors.

I may be away for a few months, getting my girls settled into their new life, but I did not want you to wonder where I went. I hope I will feel the urge to pick up my pencil again soon.

Thank you for all your good wishes. Please know that your friendship brings me great comfort and joy.

With love,
bella

My Little Music Maker

2009-06-04T01:03:00.007-07:00

A few weeks ago, my older daughter Nona had a violin recital. She played Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement, by F. Seitz. For weeks, I had listened and tapped loudly in rhythm as she tried to master a particularly difficult part of the music and the dog ran neurotically in circles. I'd watch, heartbroken, as she would grimace in frustration and whip her bow angrily through the air, threatening to break it in two. But on the big night, she held her composure and aced it, every single note. I was so proud and so happy and so relieved. As luck would have it, though, my camera ran out of juice, so I have no pictures, no video, nothing but the vision in my head. So this is my tribute to my daughter Nona, my little violinist.

Thank you all for your visits and wonderfully uplifting comments. I appreciate them all. We're busy preparing for our trans-pacific move and making the rounds at sayonara events, so I haven't had time to visit all your blogs. Please forgive me. I will hopefully return to normal in a few weeks. Thank you, thank you!

Bryce Canyon, Utah

And thank you, Yoon See, for the adorable Hello Kitty figurines! Can you believe it? She made and painted them herself! She is talented in so many ways and always, always generous. We love them, and I couldn't wait to climb them!

A Very Special Day

2009-06-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

*From my moleskine. Tree and birds by Ces.

Today, I celebrate the birth of an amazing human being. Her crackerjack wit makes me laugh until my sides feel like splitting. I will find myself giggling at inappropriate locations and inappropriate times, just remembering our sometimes-ribald conversations. She makes my brain light up like Christmas lights and undergo contortionistic feats, like a cerebral Cirque du Soleil. Her incredible art makes my eyes dance and my jaws succumb to gravity, and I have to reach for a paperbag to keep from hyperventilating. Sounds like quite a painful friendship, but I assure you, it is not. She elevates me and holds me up when I feel like crumbling and inspires me to reach new heights. Happy birthday, my dearest Ces and her Gemini twin sister. I celebrate you.

Ces, her Viking who loves to fish,
Epsilon 1 who caught a ginormous catfish,
and Epsilon 2 who starred in a musical production of Don't Rock the Boat.

IF - Adapt

2009-05-30T20:57:00.007-07:00

She waited for her eyes
to adapt to the darkness.

Have a wonderful week!

モレスキナ (mo-re-su-ki-na)

2009-05-23T21:41:00.006-07:00

What's in my new and treasured moleskine:

I've been having fun adding to Ces's artwork in the breathtaking moleskine she sent to me.

I am not worthy.

2009-05-21T18:58:00.003-07:00

My heart is a hard lump at my throat. I have just received the most delicious goodies from the gift fairy. First, a collection of adorable knick-knacks from Caren at kdottie designs: pink napkins to wipe pink smiles, a baa-baa to add to my collection of rescued sheep, a dainty pink hook to hang my hat, and a gorgeous keyhole that, when unlocked, will lead to someplace mysterious and magical.

And then -- ohhhh, and THEN! I unwrapped layer after layer to reveal the most beautiful treasure! My very first Moleskine, embellished with incredible pen and ink illustrations by Ces, my darling sister-friend with a heart of gold. I was literally floored by her beautiful, astonishing artwork. I don't want to mar it with my doodles, but I promised I would use it. Perhaps, with Ces's permission, I will give you a peek at the drawings over the course of time.

Thank you, Caren and Ces! My cup has runneth over and now sits at the bottom of a sea of happy tears. Dang, somebody throw me a life preserver.

IF - Parade

2009-05-14T06:16:00.005-07:00

We are approaching our final five weeks here in Tokyo, and I find myself mentally cataloging all the things I will miss about this wonderful country. One thing, surely, will be the sight of little Japanese schoolchildren on their way to school or on field trips in their adorable uniforms. The sight of brightly colored hats bobbing up and down in a wobbly line like a parade never fails to hypnotize me with delight.

Bo

2009-05-08T19:53:00.003-07:00

This is Bo. No wonder her sheep keep running away.

I went to the rodeo once in Cody, Wyoming. What an experience! Thrilling and nail-biting exciting and painful to watch all at the same time. Little boys as young as eight or so even competed on bucking sheep. Yikes!

Adorable dough sheep courtesy of Carolyn from Draffin Bears. Thanks, Carolyn!!!

Barbie at 50

2009-05-06T18:12:00.001-07:00

Whoa

2009-05-05T18:46:00.004-07:00

Peter Donnelly, Sand Dancer and inspiration. What I wouldn't give to watch this man at work and absorb his passion, his energy.

"It's not 'perform for money,' it's not 'perform for an audience.' It's 'perform for yourself', a potential audience..... But it's really for my own wholeness."

Enjoy.

Flower Girls Project: Nos. 11 & 12 of 12

2009-05-02T17:14:00.005-07:00

Finished! Yaaaaaaaaa!
おわりました!

And Emilia found where the wild roses grew.

Miss Linda and Miss Yoshie, we love you. We do!

Thank you for keeping me company on this mission and for all your encouragement to keep plodding through it. And only one casualty to report. Not bad, not bad at all.

Tokyo Safari - Roppongi Hills

2009-05-01T15:52:00.010-07:00

The girl in the taco plant was beginning to reek, so I decided to give you a change of scenery while I clean up the mess. These are a few photos of Roppongi Hills during a recent outdoor art exhibit. Actually, the only thing on exhibit when I went was that giant metal space baby.

Flower Girls Project: No. 11?

2009-04-26T19:53:00.006-07:00

I cannot remember what the new girl's hair looks like! And she keeps eluding me at school. Grumble grumble. This was Ces's suggestion for a solution. HA! Thanks, Ces!

UPDATE:

Emma came home from school and saw this on my computer. The conversation that ensued was so hysterical, I couldn't resist sharing it with you:

"Is that me? Is that me?"
"No."
"I want that to be me."
"Why, you want to be dead?"
*gasp* "WHAT?! She's dead?"
"Yeah, what did you think?"
"I thought she was just looking in there."
"It's a Venus Fly Trap."
"I thought it was a taco plant! And she's looking for cheese! No, no, no, I don't want to be her!"

Flower Girls Project: Nos. 9 & 10 of 12

2009-04-26T00:29:00.007-07:00

Ooooh, the end is in sight! Can you feel the excitement?

Serena and Yasmin imagined fierce duels

(Voz, the peeper is for you.)

Amelie and Janice thought dew drops were jewels

Feeling Blue?

2009-04-24T23:08:00.005-07:00

Just a little doodle I put down a while ago and decided to color this afternoon. I need a break from drawing little girls.

＊＊＊＊＊

This adorable little beauty flew to me from the very lovely Valerie from Val's Simple Passions. Valerie is a master tatter of beautiful lacey things and the creator of truly adorable teddy bears. Her blog and her visits always bring great big smiles to my heart. Thank you, Valerie, for your sweetness and for this wonderful award!

According to the rules, I am supposed to pass this on to 10 bloggers who make me smile. But in all honesty, you ALL make me smile so much that my darn cheeks hurt. So I'm going to break the rules and say that if you leave me a comment, please do take this little ladybug with you. You make my day brighter, and I thank you!

If you'd like to post the rules on your blog, here they are:

The winner may put the logo on their blog.
Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
Nominate 10 blogs.
Put a link to their blogs.
Leave a message for your nominees.

Have a freakin' fantastic day!
x o x o x o

IF - Impossibility

2009-04-17T19:24:00.005-07:00

Flower Girls Project: Nos. 7 & 8 of 12

I'd love to grow flowers as big as these, but that, I know, is an impossibility.

Just as I'm entering the home stretch on this series, a new girl has come to the class. Darn it. I'm going to have to see how I can squeeze her in.....

Maria and Hessa turned daisies to chain

Amandine and Beatriz skipped down the lane

Hope you have a fabulous week!