mother's day lunch

I am having a Mother's Day lunch for my mum. That is all I know- the menu, the decorations, indoors or outside....still a mystery. I am getting too many good ideas for a single luncheon from the blogging/ pinning world.... I guess I know that, too.

 

Images: Pinterest , HGTV,  strandedincleveland , Pinterest, Pinterest, lover.ly, inspiredbycharm

homemade holiday cards

My mother wanted me to illustrate her holiday card this year (her not-so-subtle way of making sure I continue to draw or paint and not get lazy about art), so I did just that (not only because I am still a little scared of my mum and always do what she asks, but because it is so rare for her to ask a favor and I'm thrilled to be able to do something for her for once! ).

I decided to make two designs- a pine cone with greenery and berries hanging from a ribbon and the side door of my parents' house, complete with the holiday wreath.
The images were scanned in and reproduced on stationery. After I had the cards back home, I added just a little color- green in the wreath on the door and red for the berries with the pine cone.
Now I'm especially glad I took on the project. It felt good to draw again- why are moms always right?

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Mamas out there - hope you have a lovely day!

{images from "Photobooth" by Babbette Hines

via cori kindred}

"A Mother’s Prayer for Its Child"

A blogger shared the following awesome "prayer" from Tina Fey's Bossypants. It makes me want to read the book even more now...

"A Mother's Prayer for Its Child" by Tina Fe

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.”

from "Bossypants" (via Melody Godfred)

M is for...

via k.james

Love to all the moms out there this weekend especially to the ones I love most - my own as well as my fellow bloggers, Lorelei and Mae! In honor of your day - here's a little round-up of some beautiful mom-centric illustrations just for you...

By the way, love the shades of red and oranges and yellows in these (especially when cooled with touches of blue or brown):

via SurrendrDorothy

via pipnstuff

via ART By MAR

via finsbry

via judibird (animal mothers count too!)

In terms of the next 3, I've got to point out how surprising similar these seemingly very different images are in color (green and a red maroon), composition, and just general sweetness:

by Laura Logan

via Little Cotton Rabbits

via "T"eresa

And here's a really beautiful poem by Hope Anita Smith from her really beautiful collection, "Mother Poems," that will make you want to call your mother today:

Q and A

I never thought to ask my mother
what I was like when I was a baby.
Did I laugh a lot?
Was I fussy?
Did I have a favorite toy?
What was my first word?
When did I roll over? Crawl? Walk?
Did I ever like carrots?
Mothers give us our stories,
at least the beginning.
My mother left before she got a chance to
give me mine,
and I forgot to ask.
God should have made me smarter.
I am remembering less and less about my mother
and wanting to know more and more about me.

{poem found here}

Shirley and her girl

via allposters

I bookmarked this picture of Shirley MacClaine with her daughter on A Cup of Jo because I just thought it was so incredibly fun and goofy and just the kind of relationship I'd want to one day have with my children. Turns out that there are plenty of other pictures of Shirl and her girl, Sachi, hamming in it up in front of the camera which I adore just as much. Speaking as someone who has none, I know that having kids is hard and stressful and not always easy, but it also looks like some of the most fun you can ever have too. Maybe I'm being a little too romantic about one day being a mother, but these two make motherhood look so darn joyful.

via art.com

via art.com

via cup of jo

via imbd

via allposters

via usatoday

Lily of the Valley

Photo courtesy of Petalpicker.com

It is an ideal, gentle scent to catch on the breeze, not too stifling or overwhelming. It smells , for lack of a fancier term, pretty....and it comes from tiny, delicate bell-shaped blossoms to boot.

When I was little I loved making miniature bouquets from the lilies of the valley that grew next to my house. There were white and lavender flowers scattered throughout the the giant, leafy carpet in the woods. I would present the flowers to my mum for her to display in a juice glass vase on the windowsill. I remember she was always appreciative, but also told me that if all the lilies were picked then there would nothing left outside to enjoy. ( This probably had something to do with my copycat siblings and their bouquets as well- we were clear cutting the field at an alarming rate!) Still, I loved seeing those tiny flowers dangling from their stems in our window.

This year I planted lily of the valley in my own yard. My family and I are still settling into our house, getting to know our yard, making this place our own. I definitely do not have a green thumb and , unfortunately, there are no fields of lilies nearby like the one from my childhood home, but if all goes well I'll be able to look out soon enough and enjoy a sea of those fragrant bells. So, I'm holding a place on my windowsill.... just in case.