I want to make this!

Yeah, I know, on top of my other quilt ambition for my daughter's big girl bed. These are nice big squares though so I envision it going so quickly. Ha! Special needles needed for denim though. That I know. It's from the June/July 2010 Issue of ReadyMade Magazine, for those who are curious.

progress on the homefront

Friday night was spent in a paint store. I bought supplies for:
• painting the shutters, front door, and side door a dark purple
• putting a fresh coat of black on the railing
• painting our rain barrel (vision: dark green with light green leaf prints)

Of course the weather was hot, humid, rainy, or all of the above. None ideal for getting paint to dry. Therefore, I don't have any before & afters shots to share.

You'll have to be amused at the selection process for the purple. I actually brought leaves with me to the store! I went more dark than I did reddish.

castle building

We had a family reunion of sorts last Thursday on the shore of Lake Michigan. The breeze was fresh, the lake was warm (65º), the food was plentiful, and the kids were happy. Loved it!

My nephew and I enjoyed some architectural adventures. We designed and landscaped a handsome home that was made all the more fabulous by the backyard pool with dual diving boards.

cover art

These are the covers of catalogs put out by book publishers. I love them all for different reasons.

The top one is a catalog of fashion-related books. I love the messiness on the wide brushstrokes, the way they are almost abstract but so carefully capture the movement of the figures. Repetition is a design tool that always works well.

The middle one has some intricate illustration that I always admire. I like that it appears to be a doodle in black ink later filled in with color. And who doesn't admire hand-drawn typography? The bottom one is a photograph of some kind of embroidery – a handicraft way beyond my skill level. Just gorgeous.

gravestones are art too

Those of you who are near and dear to me know that I have an odd little obsession with old cemeteries and the designs found on gravestones. I am busting out with Library pride because I just returned from one of two Fulton Street Cemetery Tours being held as a part of GR Reads. I was not the only one with an interest: 140 people were in attendance. Wow!

Tom Dilly, a local historian and Library fan, led us on a tour of who's who in Grand Rapids history. Along the way we learned about the history of gravestone designs, the different stones used, and a whole lot of other interesting tidbits. There's something for everyone: a little art, a little architecture, a little history, and a lot of Grand Rapids pride. If you missed this one then mark your calendars for Saturday, July 24. Rumor has it the Grand Rapids Historical Society is hosting tours of Oak Hill Cemetery on September 18 and 19 too.