Happy New Year 2009!

Enjoying the Chrismukkah Season

I haven't been posting much lately because I decided to take a little break and enjoy the Chrismukkah season with my family.
While Christmas ended yesterday, we still have 3 more days of Hanukkah to celebrate.
This is my family's third year of celebrating both holidays together: Chrismukkah.
(I think it's actually a new dictionary word.)
My sister sent me this book which is lots of fun and I recommend it to anyone who is celebrating this hybrid holiday.
I wonder what it would be called for families who celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.....
Merry Chrismukkahwanzaa!
Enjoy the season.

Top 5 Christmas Records plus One

I had to slow down with the art and take care of:

a sick child who is now on vacation from school , the stack of 50 cards waiting to be addressed and mailed out, not to mention the purchasing of gifts and packages to mail out to loved ones and then theres the Christmas parties, birthday parties and decorating (I still have to hang those darn stockings and the wreath). I'm working on it.

In the mean time I managed to pull out 5 of my All time favorite Christmas records for motivation:

1.Phil Spector"s Christmas Album

2.The Beach Boys' Christmas Album

3.The Partridge Family Christmas Card

4.Elvis' Christmas Album

5.Buck Owens and the Buckaroos Christmas Shopping

and a little 10" Happy Birthday Baby Jesus compilation with Steve's band, the Devil Dogs doing I wish it could be Christmas Everyday. Of course I love this one most of all............Because Daddy Rocks!

The Giant Robot Post It Show

If you live in Los Angeles or you're going to be visiting for the holidays, be sure to check out the Giant Robot Post-it Show. It will feature more than 95 artists and their works stuck to the wall on sticky note paper! The good thing is, much of it will be affordable (starting at $20) and you can purchase and take it home with you. Could make perfect gifts for the Holidays too.

Click on the image above to see the list of artists.

Brilliant Baby Art

My 20 month old is already exhibiting signs of artistic brilliance. It must be in the genes!

Collaboration

It's not too often that I find another artist whose work somehow connects with mine.

Nicole Carey and I admire each other's work and although we work in different media, we have decided to work together on 2 collaborations this winter.

Nicole is from Philadelphia and she works mostly with recycled fabrics, so to stay true to her work, I will be using recycled materials to embroider/handstitch my art using colored thread. When I am finished with my 2 pieces I will send them off to her.

This is the beginning of one of my ideas for the collaboration. Whether it will turn into a pillow or a tote or an apron, I cannot say. That part is up to Nicole.

Stay tuned and next month you'll see the finished product!

The Hula Hoop Lady

This is Pamela Brown, the Hula Hoop Lady of Norfolk.

I rolled the stroller with my son across the street to finally meet this heroic woman, to ask her questions and take these priceless photos.

She stands in the middle of a busy intersection rain or shine and does the hula hoop as cars drive by. Sometimes she does multiple hula hoops at a time and when it rains she holds an umbrella while still moving the hula hoop on her hips. She always has her little portable radio with the oldies station on.

As a teenager, she told me she was in a terrible car accident on prom night. Doctors said she would never be able to walk. She was in a coma and had serious brain damage. Metal pins run all through her shoulders and arms. Pamela is not only a survivor, she is pure hope and inspiration.

I remember driving by her one rainy day with a full stressful schedule of things to do before picking up my son from preschool. As I passed her, a big smile came to my face.

Special people like Pam can be found in small towns all across America. A lot of us may be afraid or laugh at these folks because they are different and may be dancing to another tune. Instead of being afraid and laughing at them, why not meet them?

A few weeks ago on the late night local news I was sad to hear that someone had complained about Pam's radio being too loud. I really do believe that the traffic from the cars is much louder! Anyhow, she was tazed by police, arrested and handcuffed...

and sadly, I haven't seen her since.

So ladies, (yes you!) Holly, Jolie, Kjersten, Jaime, Jennifer, Laurie, Kelly, Annie and Kim, in the spirit of Pamela Brown, let's get hoopin'!!!!