goods and heroes

a little urban art therapy, chicago style

(Thanks for seeing this and sharing it, Sarah!)

spoons and honey

The first thing I did when it was official that I had a part-time project going on, was to order myself something from a farm in Vermont. The farm is called LiveWire and its owner John is a rural renaissance man of sorts. He installs and repairs hot wire fences (hence the name of the farm) he is a wood carver and keeps bees and harvests their honey. If there is one universal foodstuff that I am 100% smitten with no matter what time of year or geographic location I find myself in, that would be honey. I am wondering actually if honey can somehow help us achieve a little bit of world peace, since it seems to be almost everywhere, but that's a much bigger project to tackle.

Anyhow, I had to order some honey. So I did.

And then I saw that John carves spoons, spoons in a magical array of sizes. Spoons are fairly universal too, I mean, everybody uses spoons or spoon-like instruments, don't they? I wish I had a spoon from every place I've visited. That would be a collection that could tell stories . . . actually, my brother-in-law Lyle has a wonderful wooden spoon collection. He has a spoon from Uruapan, Mexico that Ben's bottom could fit in.  So I ordered three spoons from John.  I don't know who I am giving them to (Christmas is coming and they seem perfect) but I think they are just so handsome and artful.

I think I forgot to mention that they are tiny. They are meant for salt or mustard. Or you could get all rustic with your caviar.

Aren't they lovely? If we do in fact make it to Vermont next summer (I've never been) John has extended an invitation to the family to come visit the farm and check out the cows and just enjoy the beauty of the place. See what I mean about honey and world peace? It's just brings us all together in a very honest way.

If you would like to ask John about his honey or his spoons, you can contact him here. (He also makes wooden hooks and napkin rings.)

favorite children's books

okay my friends, here's a chance for all of you wonderful readers (or dare I say it for some of you, nice but quiet lurkers) who read my blog . . . to offer your two cents. My question is: what were your favorite books as a child and/or what are your favorite books for your own children or nieces, grandchildren or book-loving shorties in your life?  I challenge you to keep it to 5 books (or less).  I am taking a bonnie blog poll of sorts and would love to share my findings soon. So comment with abandon. Or cautiously. Whatever works for you. Just type in your thoughts in the "Comments" section at the end (or you can e-mail me directly at wordparty@yahoo.com).

I have been completely in love with books as far as my memory can stretch back. I can remember "reading" Richard Scarry before I could, in fact read and then being crazy into the books once I could. Even when things were really tight money-wise when we lived in the mountains and I was in 5th-7th grades, my mother always allowed me to buy one paperback book at the magical (and independent!) Little Yellow House bookstore. Once we got to know the owner, my mom would actually drop me off at the bookstore while she went to the laundromat and I would snuggle into a cozy old chair and the caramel-colored golden retriever would come curl up at my feet and I would be so sucked into the heaven of reading freely and comfortably that the time just zipped by. My mom would come, the back of the car loaded with soapy-smeling, warm, impeccably folded clothes. And I would keep my nose in my book all the way back up the mountain. This is the bookstore where, at some point in my girlhood, I discovered Judy Blume. And those of you who know what that means, well, you just know.

Anyhow, back to the point. Here are my five favorites as of this past Sunday. My list is super fluid and constantly changing. I definitely have a fondness for old books and I also fall in love with books that have delicious illustrations. And what's up with mid-century children's books authors having super cool names like Munro, Tibor and Ilo (and Garth)?

Anyhow, here's my list (and I am basing it on what Sam likes too, so this isn't a Bonnie in a vacuum list).

1. Richard Scarry's Going Places

This book was mine when I was little and comes in a BIG 4 book series. Sam loves it as much as I did and I get all sappy/misty when I see him sitting on his bed Indian style blissed out flipping through the "big books." If you don't know this book, you travel all over the world and meet completely un-PC cultural stereotypes of the chipper animal kind (Achtung the Chimney Sweeping German Cat and so on) but the drawings are amazing and the stories are fast and in many cases, furious or silly enough to keep the kid engaged.

p.s. Ted thinks that the Canadian Raccoon pictured at the bottom, Sergeant Yukon, is the most confident and rocking little miltary animal ever.

2. Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

I bought this book up at the trusty Antique Mall in Coloma. Michigan when Sam wasn't even yet two. I had never heard of it but loved the yellow red and black graphics. And then of course I came to find out it was my mother's very favorite book from her childhood and my niece Claire ranks it numero uno as well. (It's reprinted now in both cloth and hardbound, our copy is from the early 60s.) Without spoiling the story, let me just tell you it's the ultimate animal pacifist story which includes humor, a bee sting and pretty ladies with flowers in their hair.

3. Spring is Here by Taro Gomi

If you know me and you've had a baby in the last five years, chances are, I gave you this book. Oh how I swoon for Taro Gomi. Oh sure, he got mucho fame from his "Everyone Poops" book (which we own as well and talk about a LOT more these days) but this is just the perfectly quiet, perfect picture book. Go on a Taro Gomi buying frenzy, it will feel so good. (He also has this crazy thick "coloring book" which is so much more for adults than kids. He's like the Japanese Shel Silverstein without the wicked rhymes and Playboy/Johnny Cash past.

4. Choo Choo by Virgina Lee Burton

How can you not dig a good train story? And this one literally has propulsion in it almost the entire time. Ms. Burton (who chose to Americanize her Greek last name, or rather, her editors did) has this genius illustrating talent, using as far as I can tell, only charcoal pencil. And little Choo Choo, well, she's a pistol: a little vain, a little independent, a little naughty, a hard worker  . . . sigh. This is also a fun story to read  aloud, "Choo ch ch choo choo choo chooooo." If that kind of thing embarrasses you, well then read it aloud when no one is looking or listening.

5. Mister Dog by Margaret Wise Brown

This last Mister Dog pick is kind of a wild card. (It was between this and Maurice Sendak's Nutshell collection.)  Margaret Wise Brown wrote Goodnight, Moon which is like the Kleenex of children's books, if I can make that kind of tortured comparison.  But Mister Dog, it's a weird book. But weird in a good way. The dog's name is Crispin Crispian and he's very particular about how things ought to be, but then he's also sloppy and eccentric and he loves strawberries. He bumps into a Boy one day and the Boy comes back to live with Crispin Crispian. Garth Williams, (who wasn't ever a country music star) he really has it going on with his lively domestic life-meets-fantasy illustrations.  Both Sam and I like the odd humor in this humble little book, we don't read it all the time but every once in a while, Sam picks it out like a tried and true old pal.

OK, so there you have it. I'd love to hear your favorites and maybe your reasons why. The other thing I'd like to share with you is, don't be shy about troving for children's books at yard sales, thrift stores and even massive antique malls. It doesn't mean you are cheap. It means you're open to anything and saving good books from being tossed into a dump. The last three coolest, best illustrated books that Sam has scored came from he and Irma (his Nanny) digging deep at the local Brown Elephant. (Animal Orchestra, hooray!)

Happy reading!

super creative heroes

Time to highlight some hand-crafted goods (and the people who create them) that I find inspirational and exquisite. (I can't sew, don't knit and don't know how to embroider and don't think I ever will--even though I love old fabrics and buttons and nubbly, wooly things.) But I think I have a decent eye for the unique and the well-made.

First up is my friend Sarah and her thoughful, playful creations. She makes these wonderful critters (whom all belong to the Scrappynation) out of felted wool, vintage and new fabrics, old buttons and then she often knits a teeny little scarf and ties one one for the last little dapper detail.

Here's one of her medium-sized "cats" that she gave me for my birthday last year--I love it so! (She also has minis and jumbos in all shapes and colors and personalities. In fact they each have their own personality.) I got to help Sarah at the One of a Kind show at the Merchandise Mart before Christmas and it was incredibly amazing to see how people would come into the booth and choose one. Some people were drawn to one in seconds, no questions asked. Others slowly took in the entire clan and thought about it carefully. Then there were couples who would bicker playfully, "This one looks exactly like you." "No way! That's not my style at all, I like this one, with the seashell print." "You? Seashells? Since when?" "Since now." But it really was like watching someone adopt something. I'm not kidding.

It was through the scrappynation website that I linked up to a blog called weewonderfuls. This blog most definitely helped me decide that 1. I wanted to take the plunge and give this blogging business a go and 2. I really am a sucker for robots. The woman who designs these is Hillary Lange and I am extremely impressed with her winde range of talents. Here is one of her robots. I love the little off-to-side jaunty, upturned mouth (that's just a bit of thread making that expression happen) and the groovalicious chocolatey 70s buttons.

And here is the kind of snow bunny I can live with.

And in a funny link-to-a-link, magical portal kind-of-way, I discovered the lovely little birds site while peeking around at Hillary's weewonderfuls. Stephanie's latest post is actually announcing that she's going to take a break on the blogging to spend more time creating things to sell, but that just means there will be more squirrels and ducks to choose from!

I want a squirrel very badly.

But the duck family (inspired by Robert McCloskey's adorable book Make Way for Ducklings) is pretty irresistable as well.

What all three of these artists have in common is that they're creating these spirited, wonderful things, often using old fabrics and old patterns. (Which means they spend a good amount of time haunting thrift stores, which I feel like I never have enough time to do.) And this thriftiness, this reusing something rather than it being thrown away--combined with such originality and sparkle, all held together with thread--this is what I find so compelling and beautiful. Enjoy!

chinese papercuts

For some odd reason, I've been bitten by the Chinese New Year bug. Maybe it's because it's the year of the dog, or maybe it's because I love colorful celebrations. Maybe it's fond memories of my parents taking us down to San Francisco to watch the loud, wild parade with the enormous dancing dragons. Anyhow, on Thursday night I quickly ducked into the library at Columbia College for the opening reception of Cutting Edge: The Beauty of Chinese Papercuts. The exhibit features almost 200 works featuring scenes of daily life, animals, flowers, religious symbols and mythic creatures--all cut from red paper. It defintely took my breath away--how such magic and beauty can come from a thin piece of paper and a pair of scissors (or a knife) leaves me full of wonder.

The first thing I learned is that paper was invented in China during the Han dynasty (206 B.C. - 221 A.D.) and papercutting first became popular in the royal courts as a favorite pasttime of court ladies. As paper became more affordable, papercutting became the ideal medium for the masses to tell stories, show reverance, keep customs alive, bring good luck or keep evil away or simply communicate joy and happiness. To this day, all throughout China, papercuts are an important part of holidays, festivals and weddings to convey well wishes and symbolic meanings.

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me at the exhibit, but I did find some images on-line that were very similar to those I saw.

The image below was in one piece that illustrated "Everyday Life Scenes -- 10 Folk Customs From Shaanxi"

Below the piece it actually articulated the 10 Folk Customs. #1 read: The house is built in a way that rain water runs in one direction from the roof. (#3 read: Girls do not marry guys from other regions. And #10 read: In local opera, they sing like roaring.)

What struck me when looking at these, was how much they remind me of papel picado, the Mexican art of cutting delicate scenes out of colorful tissue paper. Hmmmmm, I'll have to look into this. Until then, if you'd like to read more about Chinese papercuts, read more here. Happy almost Chinese New Year!

And this one's for Ted!