can you spell lazy?

Ok, I have been lazy writing this blog. But I haven't been lazy working. It's a really busy season and I have tons of work to do. Noah being sick and staying home with the kids is not helping things, but on the other hand I look forward to a semi-lazy morning. I really enjoy spending time at home and reorganizing stuff. I have been on a mission to clear out furniture that we don't need and sorting the kid's clothes into Goodwill, Consigment, and ebay piles. I'm very happy how ebay has reorganized their site. It is so easy to sell stuff there. I am on a mission and have been selling tons of stuff. It is fun to clear out old crap. And make money. Ok, obviously it is not crap, otherwise people wouldn't be interested. But I need room. Stuff that is just sitting around just makes me crazy. So, that's what I've been up to.

Last week I was so lucky to get a last minute ticket to So You Think You Can Dance, my absolute favorite TV show. It was great to see these talented dancers put on these great choreographies. it did make me a tad bit sad that I am not dancing, but I simply must change it. Don't I?
Anyway, I felt like a teenager hooting and hollering. Silly, but fun.

Oh, yeah, right, and working on my two hotel comissions. I'm about to wrap up one this week and the other one maybe in the next couple of weeks. This week is the Susan Bridges sale that should be super fun and hopefully very succesfull. The Paideia Sale was! So lucky!
The pink show was a great success and such a fun event. Delicious food and cocktails, great art, interesting people. What else does one need? I felt so lucky to have people interested in my art and have multiple orders going on. So blessed. Sniff!
Peace!

Paideia Art Show

If you are looking for something to do, go visit Paideia

Pink Show - November 14, 2008

Very exciting news: I am going to take part in the annual Pink show
hosted by Soho Myriad gallery on November 14th.
An art sale, silent auction, and cocktail party benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art and all funds raised through the silent auction will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
I am honored to take part in it. Soho Myriad puts on quite a show with great art!
Please come and join the fun.
Here is a sneak peek at my submission:

...you missed a spot.

Here is what's going on lateley...

a naked girl who refuses to dress herself and throws lots of tantrums.
oh, the joys of mommyhood!
love ya!

My frazzled, self-doubting self revealed

I haven't been writing a lot about my pottery. Although this blog is supposed to be about it.
I'm not very good about following the rules about working on my business. It is so hard to stay
focused and not get overwhelmed. It seems like that's all I can manage to do is be overwhelmed
by all the shoulds and should nots. I decided to go with the flow or try to at least.

I have been working ferociously on my angels and have almost 30 ready for the holidays. I need to take new pictures for my website. It hasn't been updated in ages. Also, the Morpheo line is out for now. Haven't made any of these things in probably 2 years. And I have my new treehugger line instead. It is coming along nicely. I really really need to work on slowing myself down. I'm such a fast worker, but I need not be sloppy. I had a dream about my friend Jeanette Zeis and she kept on telling me about the spirit, the spirit of things. It keeps on reverberating in my head. Just mindfully working on each little thing will make a difference. I know it.

I need to keep it simple. I'm always trying to do too many things at the same time. I'll try to just concentrate on the angels and tree vases. Mostly... I am working on another new gallery line, because that is an area I need to invest more time in. I am proud of myself to have my work in several public spaces in the US, but again, my website says nothing about that. Anyway, if I could just finally work it out in my head, that idea. I'll just need to get down and dirty and allow myself messy 'mistakes'. Be ugly! Please hold me accountable!

So, here you have it. My frazzled, self-doubting self revealed.

Birthday Fun

It was Rick's birthday on the 27th. As a surprise we went on a downtown tour of Atlanta ...
on a Segway. Three hours on one of those was sooo much fun. Especially after they took
the turtle mode out halfway into the trip. There is a speed inhibitor or something that jams
the handle into your stomach (slightly exaggerated here). That happened to me 5 minutes
into practice. But Rick was no angel either. he bumped into me a couple of times.
But fun it was. With that gorgeous Atlanta weather in September.
Happy Birthday Luv!

Mini Tree Vase

I have been pretty productive lately. Making lots of angels. need to take pictures.
here are some of an order. Well, one urn order for dog ashes. Bailey liked to bite trees.
Cute. Wish I could have seen that.


And a little mini for the etsy mud team swap. Ok, it's not actually for the swap. I made some extra.
It's only the size of a business card!

Sadness...

Today was a sucky day. It was actually pretty good. But it sucks.
My dear friend Steffi is leaving for Italy in a few days. So we had our last bbq together
at our house; with husbands and Anja & Juan... urgh.
The food was great, the kids played without any great screams or booboos, but sheeeesh.
I have a headache. All that crying in the morning when I wrote my little letter to her into
the photobook that Anja and I created. I finally had to face the fact that she will no longer
live here. I will not be able to go over to her house and hang out. She won't cook her
fabulous Empanadas. We will not have Advanced Kaffeeklatsch anymore (internal joke..).
So, as I said, it sucks. Ok, ok, i love just being negative. Yeah, yeah, we will be able to see
her, maybe in Miami, maybe in Bergamo, maybe in Cologne. I will, I will.
But she has become a staple in my life. A home away from home. Don't fucking take that
away from me.

Sophie turns 2!

I've been sewing up a storm. It is my way of relaxation. Of course I only allow myself to relax
while being productive. Otherwise there would only be guilt...
Anyway.

Here is her birthday outfit. Naturally she always prefers her birthday suit.

And then I've been whipping up some pants out of remnant fabrics.
They are so fast and it is gratifying to have something done so quickly.


And this last number was also remnant fabric from Deborah Moebes and Anne Roth from the Beehive Co-op.

Tree Hugger

Here is a lovely picture my husband took. We are working on the story behind
the new tree hugger vases and successfully took many pictures in Grant Park.
It was quick, painless, and very efficient. Just the way I like it.
And I do like the results very much:

Pottery: A dangerous sport

Some exciting news. Too exciting for my taste, actually.
I'm still recovering. Unfortunately, the reminder of it will linger for several weeks. At least. So, here is what happened: I'm working at the studio. Getting a lot done. All those little things on my list. Of course, I'm spread out all over the studio as usual.
It's raining outside, lots of tornado warnings are out. Our busy street is as usual. The occasional sirens. Even the occasional crash is not uncommon. So, I turn around, my back is facing the front of the store, as I hear both, first sirens, then a loud crash, walls are shaking. Our building is hit. The facade is collapsing. I run for the back door, scramble to get both locks open, thinking the building is going to collapse on top of me. Fortunately it doesn't. I run to the back door of stone soup, where everything is still standing and everyone is trying to figure out what that loud sound was. Anyway, here is what we looked at:

a couple of hours later channel 2 and channel 5 came by:

here is an inside view with jeanette rescuing her pots:
and here is a picture of today's paper (metro section online):
anyway, as you can see, i'm fine. can't wait to continue to work in the studio with a new facade in place and a new door that doesn't require 3 locks...

How freakin' exciting....

a brand new person commented on my blog. I'm so honored.
So freakin' exciting. Someone who is part of this great show
"Speaking of Faith" that I think can be really life altering if you
listen to it a lot. Yesterday I listened to the podcast "The Ethics of Eating":

"Kingsolver describes an adventure her family undertook to spend one year eating primarily what they could grow or raise themselves. As a citizen and mother more than an expert, she turned her life towards questions many of us are asking. Food, she says, is a "rare moral arena" in which the ethical choice is often the pleasurable choice."

Her book is definitly on my list.

Anyway, the reason I'm writing today was to share my new tree hugger vase.
I think it's getting more and more where it is supposed to.
So far, one of my favorites:


The tree I took this impression from is in front of the Cyclorama / Atlanta Zoo.
Which gave me the idea of doing specific series, like "The Grant Park Series" or
"The Atlanta Zoo Series".
I'll keep you posted...

What is your favorite podcast?

I am a big fan of NPR and all of their different programs.
One program that offers a free podcast is "Speaking of Faith".
Now that I am so green and ride my bike so much, I can listen to the program.
Last Saturday I listened to the one about Rumi.
They had this beatiful poem that I wanted to share.
It is really beautiful to listen to it. Hope you enjoy.

Like This
translation from Rumi's Divan by Fatemeh Keshavarz

Listen to the Poem

» in Persian

» in Persian

» in English

If anyone asks you about the huris, show your face, say: like this!
If anyone asks you about the moon, climb up on the roof, say: like this!
If anyone seeks a fairy, let them see your countenance,
If anyone talks about the aroma of musk, untie your hair [and] say: like this!
If anyone asks: "How do the clouds uncover the moon?" untie the front of

Your robe, knot by knot, say: like this!

If anyone asks: "How did Jesus raise the dead?" kiss me on the lips, say:

like this!

If anyone asks: What are those killed by love like?" direct him to me, say:

like this!

If anyone kindly asks you how tall I am, show him your arched eyebrows,

say: like this!

Upcoming events

This weekend: Our annual Sidewalk Sale at CCGW.
Our address is 588 Woodward Avenue in Atlanta, GA 30312.
We will be open 10-6 Saturday and Sunday.
You'll be able to get some great steals as we are cleaning up in preparation for the holidays.

This month: I was invited to be part of the Annual Alumni Show at the
Art Institute of Atlanta. I graduated in 2000 and it's time I go and catch up a bit.
A few of my pieces will be for sale (that's a new thing they are implementing for the first time)

August 23rd, 2008:


Hope you can make it!

Addicted

It is official: I am addicted to the twilight series. My 13 year old babysitter who so graciously helped me entertain my wabbits, recommended one of her favorite books to me. Since I had nothing better to do, I obliged. Hm.
Now I'm sitting here, school has started. It is 9: 40. It is raining.
My bed is calling me to curl up and read. But I don't have book No.3.
Should I go to Barnes & Noble and buy it? But it's late and it's raining and I'm lazy.... urgh.

Edward, ..... Bella,..... I must know what happens next. I'm in love with a fictional stone cold gorgeous restraining vampire. Must read more..... darn. I wish I had the next one right here, right now. You see, I'm desperate. I'm writing about it... crazy.

The past 2 weeks-ish

My brother was in town, as I may have mentioned previously.
Here is a picture as he was leaving:
Then we went to Chattanooga this past weekend. It was my first time. Finally exploring the south. I still have so many places to visit nearby. Next on my list are Athens, Savannah, & Charleston. But let's take it slow. It took me 13 years to get to Chattanooga.
We really enjoyed the Chattanoogan. A really nice hotel, and the beds... I wish I was in
one right now... The aquarium was great, really nicely done, as was the Kid's Discovery Museum. And the food we ate was great. In fact, I ate too much. But it was hot. Too hot.
Anyway, here are some snaps (my camera wasn't participating, so that's all I have for now):

My New Ceramic Gift Idea

Here is a little gift I made for my friend Nane in Germany. It was her birthday at the beginning of July. I thought this would be a little delightful way to dress up a table. I found this great fabric at a quilting shop. I regularly go crazy in there. Ok, not really. But maybe I should make more of these! And sell them on etsy...

New Apron

My brother just left. Now our summer will really start. Gone are the visitors. Now only the heat of the South and my kids are left. Ok. I'm over-dramatizing. I don't think we will get bored. I'm ready to be bored. Next weekend we are going to Chattanooga. I've never been. Sounds like a great little weekend getaway. Puh, and no more chocolate. I'm ready to stop eating so much. I'm getting rounder in the middle. Although I started to exercise some.
Just for the curious reader why this blog is labeled 'ceramics', I don't know. This seems to be my diary that almost nobody reads (Hallo Nane, winke, winke).

Boy, Sophie has been on a rampage of screaming fits. I almost have enough. My brother certainly has. He is so glad he doesn't have kids. I am glad. Keeps me somewhat trim...

Ok, so here to my blog title. Here is the apron I've been trying to sew for the last 3 weeks. It was way beyond my skill level and I had to resew parts of it 3 times. But it's done. It's ok, I like the fabric, but it's certainly not perfect. And I can use it while I make my pots. Hah, there it is. The ceramic part. Now it all makes sense to me :-)

Dream House

We finally found it... our dream house. No, we weren't looking. No, we don't have the money.
But big dreams... enjoy. I certainly did. Bathroom fabulousness!

Crafting Goodness

Sewing is relaxing to me. I really enjoy it. Best of all, I can do it at home. Sometimes even with the kids around. So, here is what I've been working on. Steffi's birthday gift, a reversible apron. The fabric is from a quilting fabric store. Another word for heaven! I could go crazy in there. Fabric definitely somehow touches my soul. I can't have enough of it. Ever since I was a young girl, I loved wrapping my barbies in fabric scraps from my dad's tailoring shop. See, it's good not to have enough money to buy barbie clothes, no? Worked for me, anyway.

Then, I thought another fun thing to have is a birthday banner that can be used again and again. So, here it is. And I didn't have to spend any money, since I had scraps left! I'm happy with the results.

SATC

This weekend some truly amazing things happened. I had a lot of fun. You will see, my standards are very humble. It's very easy to entertain me. Here is what was so fun to me:
Saturday afternoon it was girl's afternoon in celebration of Steffi's birthday. We watched Sex and the City at the theater with Cosmos at a bar afterwards. Steffi made a really sweet goody bag for everyone with the soundtrack, chips, chocolates, and champagne! How stylish is that!
An afternoon with adults, no kids, and a really good chick flick. I am such a big fan of the series that I really enjoyed the movie and would see it again. Although I thought it was a bit predictable and stuff, I am very easy to be entertained, as I mentioned in the beginning. I felt like I was 16 about to see Dirty Dancing. So I guess I would see it again to get that feeling again.
Not that I want to be 16 again. Nooohohoho.

Ok, to the second part of the weekend (father's day); we got some fresh bagels, Rick liked his Skeledog Dachshund T-shirt and was sooo nice to give me a H&M shopping spree at the newly opened store. It was actually not too busy. Ok, it was pretty busy and the dressing room line was outrageous. But, oh, shopping by myself, at H&M. Again, felt like a teenager. My sister and I drove 1.5 hours to go to hm in Mannheim, the closest location to our house. That was yeeeeeeaaaars ago. Like, early 90s... wowse! Anyway, it was way so great. I found a cute flowy top in my favorite color and a summer dress and some things for the kids.
Of course I listened to the soundtrack on the way. Love the Jennifer Hudson song. So impressive, what she managed to do in a year. Amazing. Maybe it's been 2 years, who's counting?
Then we had Mexican at El Tesoro in Decatur; that was delicious and the weather was nice, the kids played outside and made some friends. the salsa was great (my favorite part), the chips were nice and salty. Yum. A very successful weekend. And I finally started reading a book again. Eat, Pray, Love. It's been months. My Solitaire addiction took over any remaining minute. I pray that it will be cured soon. The only successful part was that cleaning and laundry folding fell short and I have to catch up REALLY quickly as my mum is on the plane on her way here, RIGHT NOW! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh.

Sandra is here!

Not much to tell you, nobody. Had a fun weekend with my friend Sandra visiting from Glasgow with her son Liam. He is really hitting it off with Sophie. They play really cute together.
We went to the Botanical Garden where the kids played in the fountain and to Piedmont Park, where Noah practiced riding his bicycle a bit more (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7A_S-u0w18)
Noah has summercamp for the next 3 weeks and swim lessons start tomorrow. Very exciting stuff. For me, anyway.
Oh, that reminds me;; potty training with my big boy. So painful to watch. We've been enabling him for ever and had been giving him a diaper to poop in. We just figured he'll decide to use the toilet soon. Anyway, it hasn't happened, and we're over it. He is almost 4.5! Cuhrazy, when you realize you are THAT family... anyway, we've been refusing and after hours, days of holding it in, he finally runs to the bathroom. Urgh, that screaming and fearful crying is too much to deal with. Really shakes me up. Beer helps.. me, of course.

Let's change the subject, it's too depressing. Oh of course I should mention that after he's done, he's proud like nothing was ever wrong.


Here are some new vases that need to post on etsy. I made them for the ICE show coming up this Saturday. Oh, I need to start preparing for that! So much to do...

This one is my favorite, I think the bark imprint is stunning.