EXALTED BEAUTY

Hare Terra Update

2012-01-02T10:49:00.002-05:00

This may just look like my favorite corner of the studio, but what it is is so much more, it has become my entrance into Hare Terra. I know I have been incredibly vague about my latest artistic endeavor, but The Legend of Hare Terra is beyond being just another series for me. I’m only half kidding when I say the creation of Hare Terra is a life changing experience. That’s why I’m taking my time, keeping it close, and just letting the magic happen. And you know what? I’m having a blast! I’ve been spending my days drawing fuzzy bunnies, creating fabulous fancy dresses, big funky bunny Queen crowns, elaborate hairdos, designing intricate floor and wallpaper patterns, decorative flowers and pretty much all the fantasy and fairytale scenarios I can dream up! On some level I feel as though my psyche realigned itself back to an ideal state of childhood, one that never truly existed for me then, but is being re-imagined and relived now. Dare I say it, I’m happy! I admit it, I am making frivolous, self indulgent art and I’m unbelievably thrilled about it.

For years I’ve been talking about creating a fairytale series, the desire to create Fairytale imagery has been calling to me as long as I can remember. One of the reasons I have a degree in Illustration is because of a long term fascination for the Golden Age of Illustration. The concept of what I envisioned for myself as “Artist” has ranged far and wide in the past 20 years, my art was more raw and angst ridden in the early years evolving with life into softer more decorative works. Thoughts of what direction I wanted to pursue have changed accordingly. Recently the most reliable career path appeared to be in the track of the floral paintings and the medallions. This was accumulating a respectable level of recognition and continued prospects. However, I felt like that certain something was missing, the floral paintings and medallions were enjoyable but not truly soul satisfying. But diverging from the current path and leaving behind years of establishment and progress to pursue a new illustrative fairytale series seemed like starting over. I had been painfully wavering over this dilemma (delusion?) until one day my husband finally convinced me to just do it. He said he wanted me to do what makes me happy, not what I think would provide an income and that our family would survive in the meantime. I can’t tell you how freeing that was and obviously how amazing my husband is. As Hare Terra evolves, I realized I may still be on the right course because I can see all of my former phases and past series at play, perhaps I have not wavered from my path, it’s just more inclusive and meandering then most.

So far I have completed 39 Legend of Hare Terra drawings. Let me clarify, some of the drawings are not exactly “completed”; some are still works in progress, and a few are already paintings that were brought to completion in 2010. Those pieces were created before I had a real vision of what this series was to become. However, I am doing my best to let the earlier paintings just “be”, as part of the developmental process and hope to work them into “the big picture”. And while I am anxious to get back to the painting aspect of this project, I’m forcing myself to stay focused until the series feels whole. I can’t explain how or what elements that will require, I think I’ll just know when the time comes. Part of the creative process has been to lay the pieces out on a giant table until they tell me the order in which they belong. This order has changed frequently over the past 7 months as new pieces have been added but at 39 it’s definitely getting there. At this point I hope to cut the series off at 50… even though I secretly fear my Hare Terra concepts could go on forever. I sort of envision the Legend of Hare Terra series as an exhibition as well as a book, but not a book in the sense that it is one linear story, more of a collection. As I examine the series spread before me, I believe it is developing a rhythm and an order of it’s own, and in it’s own way it has a beginning, middle and an end, but not in a way I can set words to. Basically, I’m working toward completing my Bucket List of everything fairytale, using a specific cast of characters (namely Hare Majesty and her Hare subjects) and containing these portraits/moments/scenarios within the conceptual construct of this world of Hare Terra. I’ve forbid myself from worrying about what it all means or who will buy it.

Of course I have doubts! One day I did the math and it hit me that I’ve been working on this series off and on for the past two years (or longer) and I realized that once I get these drawings done it will probably take me another two years to paint them! That was a painful reality check, especially for someone obsessed with time. And now this shocking fact is a Post It that stares at me whenever I’m in the Studio. It says “Hare Terra = 4 Years, 10% of my Entire Life and 20% of my entire Art Career”. Ouch. My husband (and avid supporter of the Hare Terra project) says that I can’t look at it that way. I say that’s easy advice to offer but it doesn’t take into consideration that some of us (namely Me) have this enormous burning urgency to do something utterly astounding, rock the world, life changing, brilliantly fabulous with their art. I’m not saying that it is ever going to happen; I’m just saying that the URGENCY is there. These pretty bunny filled portraits probably don’t have a chance in hell of changing the course of Art History, but they do seem to be fulfilling some other need that overrides the “urgency”. I’m loving what I’m doing right now but I’m pretty sure that fans of my older work will wonder if I had a prefrontal lobotomy. I’ve accepted that consequence and proudly state that The Legend of Hare Terra series is totally for the *me that exists now*. In the end I honestly don’t care if anyone else is into it. I truly believe that I NEED to see this project through to The End in order to get it out of my system. I also believe that it is about growth and change and that I am doing some of the best work of my life. Of course I’ll be pleased if the results are well met, but I’ll completely understand if no one gets it.

Thanks for listening!

Wish me luck on this journey into Hare Terra!

I’ll be back as soon as I have something to share!

Year End Review

2011-12-30T06:59:00.001-05:00

2011 has been a quiet year for me as far as having work to show. I opted out of all of my exhibition invitations and external projects in 2011 with plans to FOCUS on my Legend of Hare Terra project. Somehow I (irrationally) decided it was necessary to complete the Exalted Beauty Empress Medallion collection first, I have this thing where I hate to leave projects hanging. Anyway, what I didn’t know was that the months of January, February, March, April and part of May would be consumed with completing the new medallions. It was dreadful. I’m thinking that the Empress collection might rank as one of my top ten most grueling experiences ever. At the end of May when the 300 Empress pieces were finally beaded, cataloged, and boxed, I was so over the whole medallion thing that I also opted not to do any medallion parties or promotions of any kind. Instead of doing something practical with my new fabulous inventory, I went straight to work on The Legend of Hare Terra project. I have been blissfully working on that ever since, dedicating hundreds upon hundreds of hours to this one project and quietly keeping it to myself. I may even be in the midst of a life changing experience. Of course, not all of my time was spent in the studio; I did have minor interruptions in the creative time line for the multitude of other things I shared here on the blog. For instance I shared many delightful moments with my family, Caden’s sports, the gardening and house projects, vacations, Caden’s Birthday, Caden’s Halloween costume, lots of floral photography and of course Caden’s crafting. I will have art to share in 2012, I promise, I’ll post a more in-depth elucidation of Hare Terra in the near future. In the meantime, I have some serious baking and last minute wrapping to do. We have two more holiday events scheduled and then I’ll be back in the studio on January 2nd. Have a Happy Happy Wonderful New Year!

Caden’s Bluebird Frames

2011-12-29T07:11:00.002-05:00

Here are Caden’s Bluebird Frames:

Artist: Caden Fraser Perkins (Age 8)
Date: December 2011
Size: 7 ¾” x 7 ¾”
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Frame Blanks

I loved the Bluebirds from Caden’s Masterpieces so much I asked him if he could come up with a design for some frames. I am so incredibly thrilled with how they came out! OMG! Adorable! I think Caden could make a killing on Etsy! Not that I would ever… In fact these charming little gems will also be given to the Grandparents. I really hate to see them go but we needed to make a choice and Caden was unwilling to give up any of his Christmas Ornaments. That’s okay; it’s hard not to get attached, and I completely understand how difficult it is to give away something you worked so hard on. But that’s where the love and sacrifice come in, the true meaning and importance of a handmade gift. Besides, I think they will like these Bluebird frames even better because they can be used all year. I can’t wait to see what they think of Caden’s work!

Caden’s Masterpieces

2011-12-28T07:09:00.002-05:00

Here are the “Masterpieces” Caden created as Christmas gifts for his Grandparents this year:

Artist: Caden Fraser Perkins (Age 8)
Date: December 2011
Size: 10” x 13”
Medium: Colored Pencil and Acrylic on Watercolor paper

Here’s a look back at the 2010 Christmas “Masterpieces”:

Artist: Caden Fraser Perkins (Age 7)
Date: December 2010
Size: 11” x 14”
Medium: Acrylic on Watercolor paper

Christmas Morning

2011-12-26T18:56:00.000-05:00

Here’s what it’s really about, the pleasure of watching your child open all those presents on Christmas Morning. Ready, Set, Open!

Okay, I’m mostly kidding. While we do love to see him this ecstatic over presents, we most like to see that he appreciates everything we give him, whether it’s monster Lego projects or books or even gum, he seems to react to each and every one with the same sincere enthusiasm. It’s not ALL about the gifts, we do also teach Caden about the joy of giving and the importance of spending time with family during this time of year. Caden is very excited about a special Christmas event that’s happening with his grandparents this coming weekend, mostly just because they are coming to see him. It’s certainly not because he feels a need for any more presents! I think a big part of it is also because we’ve been working diligently on this year’s Masterpieces and he is looking forward to seeing how they respond to his latest works of art. I will share the 2011 Caden Christmas Masterpieces soon! Stay Tuned!

Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-26T18:47:00.003-05:00

Here is another Caden and Mama Collaboration, the 2011 Christmas Ornament collection:

These fabulous Christmas Ornaments created by Caden Fraser Perkins and Amy E. Fraser are ¼” polymer clay shapes cut with cookie cutters, hand painted in acrylics, then triple coated in industrial strength varnish. I love how they turned out but they ended up being our most time consuming batch yet! So much for keeping it simple!

Here’s what they look like on the tree:

Here are our Christmas Ornaments from years past:

2010 Christmas Ornaments
2009 Christmas Ornaments
2008 Christmas Ornaments
2007 Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Tree

2011-12-26T18:44:00.001-05:00

Here is a look at this year’s Christmas Tree:

I think it’s our best tree yet!

Here is a closer look at the 2011 Christmas Tree Topper:

Here is a look at Christmas Trees from years past:

2010 Christmas Tree
2009 Christmas Tree
2008 Christmas Tree
2007 Christmas Tree
2006 Christmas Tree

Christmas Card

2011-12-26T18:39:00.002-05:00

Here is this year’s Christmas card by Caden:

This card features “The Christmas Snowman” ornament created by Caden Fraser Perkins (age 8) against a backdrop of various wrapping papers used to create this year’s red green Christmas wrapping theme.

This Snowman was Caden’s favorite ornament made during this years ornament craft fest. I’ll share the entire Christmas Ornament collection soon, but first let’s take a look at some more of Caden’s delightful Christmas Cards from years past…

“Christmas Penguin” 2010:

“Rudolph” 2009:

Christmas Cat

2011-12-26T18:37:00.001-05:00

Christmas is Tonka’s favorite holiday, he loves the tree, the lights, the fuzzy hat and stockings but he especially enjoys eating Christmas ribbons and knocking ornaments off the tree. Here he is at his most charming:

Gingerbread House

2011-12-26T18:35:00.001-05:00

Caden really wanted to do a Gingerbread House this year. It all started because I was burning some Gingerbread scented candles one afternoon. He came home from school smelling the Gingerbread goodness and was seriously disappointed to discover that I hadn’t actually made real Gingerbread cookies. I knew we were already going to be on overload with our lengthy craft project list so I thought it would be best if we didn’t add another big project to the heap, so instead, for the sake of time and my sanity, we purchased a pre-baked kit (ugh). Despite my opinions about the kit and wishing I was somehow able to scrape up the time and energy to do a Gingerbread masterpiece from scratch; Caden had an absolutely fantastic time and made what he referred to as a blibbity blob motif. Here’s a look at Caden’s solo Gingerbread project:

Caden was super happy with the end result and had fun in the making so I’m even happier because I didn’t foolishly add to the Holiday Stress! Good all around. Yes, I’m working on “Letting Go” and attempting to allow Caden more opportunities to be *just be a kid* and not impose my controlling type A drill sergeant routine on those moments that are just supposed to be fun. See, growing, learning, there’s hope for me yet!

Dirty Snowman

2011-12-26T18:33:00.001-05:00

Here’s a look at Caden’s Dirty Snowman:

I bet you were expecting something different when you read the title “Dirty Snowman”. Caden does have a bit of a naughty sense of humor but so far it hasn’t translated to snow art! What we have here is a brief snowstorm in what has been an unseasonably warm December. Our biggest snowfall so far this year happened in October! Not that I am complaining, but my son is a huge fan of snow and he made the most of it last Friday with his “Best Snowman Ever”. We are probably going to wonder what that big mound of dirt is come spring, but so far the Dirty Snowman is holding his own.

The Tractor

2011-12-26T18:32:00.001-05:00

Here are the Mr.’s with their new Tractor:

The Mantle Project

2011-12-26T18:28:00.001-05:00

Finally, without further ado, here is a look at our recent Window and Fireplace Mantle Project:

When I went to pick out the do-dads for the Mantle, the Home Depot *molding specialist* said I was combining my Frank Lloyd Wright with a Victorian motif. I think I also threw in some Colonial and Country details just for kicks. It was met with quiet disapproval but I told her it was the new infusion style, completely Amyesque, a 100% Fraser Original. I’m not sure if she bought it but whatever the case we are very happy with the finished result. And our carpenter, a soft spoken, calm and contemplative man declared it “A Thing of Beauty”. I'm going to go with what he said. :)

Hockey Picture

2011-12-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

Here is Caden’s 2011-2012 Season Hockey Picture:

School Photo

2011-12-26T18:26:00.000-05:00

Here is Caden’s Second Grade School Photo:

Turkeys

2011-12-26T18:25:00.000-05:00

The Turkeys are all grown up and roaming the yard on a daily basis. We currently have a flock of 40:

Deer

2011-12-26T18:24:00.000-05:00

KUA has been logging the land next to our house the past few months and I was afraid we had lost our Deer friends to quieter woodlands, but happily they were nice enough to come back and visit recently:

November and December

2011-12-26T18:19:00.002-05:00

Wow, November and December flew by! We have had a lot going on these past few months. Most of it good, nothing too horribly awful to report, just so unbelievably busy!

One major catastrophe was that my computer died on November 4th. That led to a mad panic for a brief while, however, all was recovered and I was oddly blessed with a week or so without technology. I discovered that I was insanely productive! I know that sounds terrible, especially since I believe I’m not really on the computer that much, but… I guess I must have been? Anyway, I’m not sure how to explain it; but that little misfortune helped me to really get back to the basics and focus in a whole new way. Work on my Legend of Hare Terra project has been progressing fabulously (I’ll post a more in depth Hare Terra Update in the near future). I might also mention that my camera was severely injured this fall, Caden dropped it repeatedly (don’t ask), and while the camera is not completely dead, the photos taken only have a 50-50 chance of coming out. Attempting photography has been frustrating and understandably not at the top of my list. However, the lack of photos has messed with my ability to produce interesting blog fodder (admit it; you only come here for the pictures). However I do hope to get around to purchasing a new camera very soon and perhaps becoming a little less sporadic about the blogging.

So what else happened in November and December? Caden and Jody started Hockey in November and as most of you know, Hockey is a 4-5 day a week commitment (to be continued into March), very consuming for all of us, even if some of us (Me) do not go to all of the practices and away games. There’s lots of prep work behind the scenes to make Hockey happen smoothly, trust me; I’m busy with Hockey in my own way! In-between Hockey, of course there were many school appointments, events and happenings. Caden also seemed to have had an overload of homework assignments for November and December, namely the Family Heritage project, so that also kept us quite busy in our down time. And of course the Holidays! We had a wonderfully quiet and relaxing Thanksgiving here at the house with excessive feasting, and of course the past week or so has been filled with the usual list of Christmas crafty goodness (to be shared soon).

In other news, I finally got the mantle area painted! That was a major pain; I spent over a week of picking at Victorian carved moldings with a size 8 brush, OMG dreadful! But the results are fairly fantastic, if I must say so myself. Our carpenter Dick Eastman did an amazing job (photos coming soon). The Mr. has been having fun with his new toys; he recently purchased his dream bike (and is now working out on a regular basis in what Caden and I have dubbed his Captain America suit) and he also got a fancy new tractor that has been giving him hours of fun. Apparently we “needed” the tractor for the driveway maintenance, plowing and grading and so forth. There are an endless assortment of *must have* attachments that I see happening in the near future as well. Oh my. I never imagined I would be married to a man who loves tractors, but have discovered that it is a not so secret obsession of most of my friend’s husbands. Who knew? When Jody and I first got together 15 years ago he was all about race cars, he worked on a Race crew, our summers were filled with racing, even traveling to Nashville for a Racing Banquet and all things NASCAR and now… the Tractor (BTW - max speed 12 miles an hour). Funny stuff! Caden was so excited about our new tractor he couldn’t wait to report that his dad let him “drive it” in The Weekend News at school.

Well, that’s about it. Not a whole lot of exciting things to report I guess, we live a pretty quiet life up here on the mountain. My most scandalous moment, which was completely out of character, was when I suddenly developed an on-line shopping addiction and purchased everything from furniture to new wardrobes for the boys, as well as a disgusting overabundance of Christmas gifts for my beloved child. I should have purchased that new camera during my shopping binge but I have since regained my sanity and seem to be on the road to recovery, I blame the Holiday stress.

I’ll post photos from the above mentioned happenings next. I know some of you are very excited to see Caden’s pictures and the Christmas crafts. Regular life and The Legend of Hare Terra project will resume January 2. In the meantime, please join us in this, our wondrous Winter Holiday Break limbo, and peruse the fresh abundance of blog posts after a record dry spell. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-27T12:25:00.002-05:00

Caden decided to be a Vampire this year for Halloween. Here is a look at him doing his vampire thing:

Looks like the Vampire costume brought out Caden’s inner bad-boy. It’s the only time of year I encourage such behavior!

The photo shoot was awfully cold, wet and dreary and quite honestly, not as much fun as previous times. However, while we feared melting hair paint and make-up along with mud and mush, the Halloween gods were kind and no major mishaps occurred. I love how the photos turned out despite my extremely low expectations as to their outcome; which is great as we won’t have time for photo retakes. Instead we will be attending Sam’s Halloween party tomorrow night and Trick or Treating on Monday! It would be too hard to catch a Vampire amongst his friends. We are looking forward to a spooky good time! Hope you all have a very Happy Halloween!

Halloween Costumes

2011-10-27T11:42:00.002-05:00

Here is a look at the Halloween costumes I have created for Caden over the years:

2007 The Ghost (Age 4)

2008 The Goblin (Age 5)

2009 The Rotten Rocker (Age 6)

2010 The Satyr (Age 7)

This year Caden is a Vampire!
Stay tuned for the Vampire photo shoot up next!

Update

2011-10-27T11:26:00.001-05:00

Life has been an absolute blur since Caden’s Birthday. The construction project has been quite involved, the building process consumed the last seven weeks of weekends, but I am happy to report that it is almost finished and looking oh so splendid. Our carpenter Dick Eastman was a real trooper about my weekly whims and changes and executed all with the calmness and patience of a saint. We are unbelievably thrilled with how it turned out, it’s seriously magnificent. All that I need to do now is paint! More on that in the near future…

On weekdays when I haven’t been shopping for mantel do-dads and pondering molding styles, I have been working diligently on my Hare Terra project. I’ve been drawing my brains out, but each new drawing makes me think of one more image/idea that I would like to include in the series. It’s frustrating, but I’m committed to seeing this through to wherever it leads. I have hope that it will all make sense soon and that I can start painting these in early 2012. Keeping my fingers crossed…

And of course, the primary focus of busy blurry days being our very energetic boy; Caden has kept us hopping with soccer, school events, play dates, sleepovers and slumber parties and raising a colony of Sea Monkeys. He’s also been very busy earning those rewards by kicking butt on math tests and in general having a wonderfully new and improved attitude toward homework. However this enthusiasm means extra work for his Mama as I am now required to design practice tests and come up with inspiring ways in which to discover and learn new vocabulary during the weekly word challenge. In addition Caden is still pursuing his scientific study of animals. We’ve been consuming a plethora of national geographic type documentaries and finding information at the library on all of his newest favorite animals. Most recently Caden has been captivated by the life and times of the elusive Wolverine. During School’s latest Open House, Caden discovered that his teacher had actually seen a real life Wolverine in person when she was in Alaska (Wow-we she totally just moved up yet another notch on the idol belt!).

In other news, Jody’s Grammy Jo recently passed and we were all deeply saddened by the passing of this amazing woman. Everyone who ever met her was affected by her sparkling personality and her vivacious glowing positive energy. She was truly a pillar of her community, a spiritual, soulful, generous, kind and beautiful person. She will be missed.

Up next: Halloween Goodness, Stay Tuned.

Bowling Birthday Bash

2011-09-28T08:23:00.002-05:00

This year Caden decided to have a Bowling Bash to celebrate his 8th Birthday. This decision was mostly due to the fact that our house is currently Under Construction. I was of course saddened (and secretly relieved) by this turn of events (and now carry the heavy burden of Mama Guilt), but the kids had a really great time. Here’s a look at the happy blur that was Caden on his special day:

Here are some slightly calmer moments:

We learned that it’s almost as much fun to stuff a bowling ball in your shirt as it is to actually bowl and that there are, in fact, two kinds of splits, the kind in bowling and this kind:

This was demonstrated repeatedly by numerous talented individuals but my camera was unable to capture them all in the speed in which the splits were performed. None the less, it was a spectacle worth remembering :) .

Between games we took a break for hot dogs and chips:

And then the Bowling Birthday Cakes:

And some REALLY loud Birthday singing:

After the Big Birthday Bowling Bash, Caden was treated to a special Birthday Dinner out with his Grandparents and an additional Birthday Celebration night of his favorite dinner and presents with his parents. Here he is (in the midst of the construction) opening his gifts:

Here is a look at some Bowling Art by Caden, used on the Thank You cards:

I think overall he had a pretty excellent birthday.

Porcupine

2011-09-28T08:20:00.001-05:00

I’m not sure why, but I love Porcupines. They are ornery and covered in quills but somehow I still find them charming. This particular porcupine is quite a character; he seems cool and nonchalant until you point a camera at him, then he hustles away indignantly. This weekend he was especially uncooperative with my photography effort, going so far as to earn the name “Sniper” because he climbed up an oak tree and shot me with acorns. Rude. Yesterday I finally wore him down and he actually sat still long enough for me to take some pictures. Although, I think you can tell from his expression that he isn’t particularly fond of me. Unrequited adoration:

Squash Harvest

2011-09-28T08:18:00.000-05:00

The Terrace garden was much improved from years past; our Mammoth Graystripe Sunflowers were a great success this season, the corn however was less successful, producing only a handful of mini ears, while delicious, probably not worth the effort, and the rest, well… Here is a look at our very small Squash Harvest:

Not quite what we imagined, the melons didn’t make it at all but there are a few good pumpkins and acorn squash. I’m not sure what one does with mini butternut squash, but we’ll figure something out. We may have to rethink next year’s terrace crop.

Aster and Friends

2011-09-28T08:16:00.000-05:00

The Asters are always a Fall favorite of mine. I love the color combination of light purple and dark green against the flaming tones of the fall leaves. And as an added benefit, they are always a hubbub of buzzing insect activity:

Calendula

2011-09-28T08:13:00.001-05:00

The Calendula plants are magnificent this year, they continue to flourish and bring sunny joy with each new countenance. Enjoy:

Zinnias

2011-09-28T08:11:00.002-05:00

The Zinnias are giving it their best despite one seriously frosty setback:

The Turkeys

2011-09-28T08:11:00.001-05:00

The turkey babies are all grown up and taking over the yard:

Nasturtium

2011-09-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

Surprisingly, the Potager continues to bloom, the Nasturtium plants are brilliantly aflame and filling in where the summer vegetables have passed on:

Under Construction

2011-09-28T08:06:00.000-05:00

We started a new home improvement project this month. We spent years debating over what we wanted to do with this wall in the living room, long assuming we were going to do some sort of bookcase/entertainment built in. However, somehow we changed our minds and decided to go with some new windows, window seats and a fireplace instead. The TV (and paraphernalia) will still be included as well as some “hidden” bookshelves, however, I can’t say much about the end result, because each week we seem to be adjusting the concept a bit. Here’s a look at the beginning stages:

Caden absolutely loved the holes in the wall and is endlessly fascinated with the power tools.

Later today I’ll be grouting the tiles on our inlaid hearth. Wish me luck!

I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

September Daze

2011-09-28T08:03:00.001-05:00

September has been a total blur! Caden has had a flurry of activity this month; he’s been getting back into the rhythm of school and working on the idea of a regular of homework schedule, while also participating in a rigorous two week hockey camp, as well as a new season of soccer. In-between he’s managed to squeeze in a few play dates and of course the all important birthday extravaganza! We’ve been working on the house again, this time we’ve started a fairly intensive window and fireplace project that prevented us from doing our usual birthday overkill and went with a lower key event at the bowling alley with some of his school friends. I felt terribly guilty but have come to the realization that Caden (and friends) seemed to have had just as much fun with out all of my usual over the top efforts. Instead, I used the time normally spent building elaborate decorations, to make some headway on my Legend of Hare Terra project. It felt like everyone was happy with this decision and there was way less mess to deal with after the party – if you don’t count the sheet rock dust! Although, now it appears that the perimeters of the LOHT project keep changing and expanding… What was going to be a series of 20-25 paintings might end up closer to 40-50! I can’t say because I’m still in the drawing stage. So since I’m very far away from being able to share any artwork yet, I’ll attempt to distract you with photos of our construction, flowers, and critters and of course Caden’s birthday party! Stay tuned!

Caden Junior

2011-09-12T16:17:00.001-05:00

The other day Caden discovered an Eastern Painted Turtle walking down our driveway. Here is Caden posing with “Caden Junior”:

All you need to do is look at that face to see how happy Caden was to meet this incredible creature:

Poor Caden Junior seems slightly less enthusiastic about this chance meeting (or maybe he just didn’t like his new name?). However, after he realized we weren’t planning to eat him, he warmed up a bit and posed for some pictures:

Who knew that turtles were so photogenic? The markings on this guy are absolutely beautiful.

After awhile we felt as though we had taken up enough of Caden Junior’s time and while we all really enjoyed meeting him, it was obvious he had somewhere to be. We all said our goodbyes:

And brought him to the stream at the base of the driveway where we had a last parting moment:

And then the wise and wondrous Caden Junior went off into the sunset.

You will be missed CJ.

First Day Of School

2011-09-12T16:15:00.000-05:00

Here’s Caden on his First Day of Second Grade:

He is loving school so far this year but homework, not so much.

September Harvests

2011-09-12T16:14:00.000-05:00

Here’s a few examples of our September Harvests:

So far I have processed over 100 pounds of tomatoes. My freezer is chocked full of fabulous garden goodness. It really was another great year in the Potager, and there are still lots more veggies to come!

Chipmunk Family

2011-09-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

We recently had the pleasure of meeting some Chipmunk babies. Their Mama brought them out to meet us but they were quite shy. Here are a couple of shots of the Mama with one of her children:

The baby chipmunks first experience with humans probably didn’t go as well as one would hope, later that morning one of the babies fell into a recycling bin and had to be rescued by Caden and I. Normally I wouldn’t have interfered :) but the sad little guy was jumping down in there forever, apparently with no chance of escape so I gave it a hand. Did you know high a chipmunk can jump? Me neither. It was totally unexpected, but thankfully he landed safely. I am assuming he is not one of the newbie’s at the porch feeding center. Poor thing.

Sunflower Terraces

2011-09-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

Here is a look at the Sunflower Terraces post Irene:

As you can see from the photos above, many of our Mammoth beauties toppled over, as well as a large portion of the corn, but quite a few leaning survivors remain to share their sunny beauty with us. I’m hoping there is a good seed crop, our squirrels and chipmunks have been watching their development with avid interest.

Cardigan Mountain Hike

2011-08-19T10:55:00.001-05:00

Here’s a look at our hike up Cardigan Mountain:

Yesterday we enjoyed a hot steamy hike with a marvelously windy and scenic reward at the top. This was a terrific new experience for Caden; he had a great time and can’t wait to try the next mountain!

Canobie Lake Park

2011-08-19T10:53:00.001-05:00

Here are a few moments from our day at Canobie Lake Park with Willa:

We had a wonderful fun filled day at Canobie Lake Park this week. We all enjoyed the rides and had lots of laughs to, from, and in-between our park experience. A great day! We even met Willa’s alter ego “Environmental Super Girl” rescuing the planet one paper towel at a time.

August Harvest

2011-08-19T10:50:00.004-05:00

Here are a few photos of various veggie harvests in August:

Lots more veggies on the way! :)

The Potager

2011-08-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

Here’s what the Potager looks like in mid-August:

Tiny Frogs

2011-08-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

These adorable little frogs showed up in The Potager one day:

Finch Frustration

2011-08-19T10:43:00.001-05:00

The best thing about the over abundance of Chicory in the Wildflower Meadow is the mass arrival of the American Goldfinch. We love listening to their happy chatter and watching them through the windows. However, the Finches make for terrible photography subjects; as soon as we get close, they fly away. Below are a few (not so fabulous) long distance shots:

Butterflies

2011-08-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

Right now the butterflies are almost as numerous as the flowers in the meadow, everywhere you look – Butterflies! Here are a few more close ups:

Blackberries

2011-08-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

Caden and I picked a beautiful batch of blackberries from our berry patch, but we had to fight the spiders, wasps and giant grasshoppers to collect our haul:

Plains Coreopsis

2011-08-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

The Plains Coreopsis showed up at random again this summer, I haven’t planted these annuals in years but they keep showing up in various parts of our yard. I think we have the birds to thank:

Dragonflies

2011-08-19T10:38:00.001-05:00

The dragonflies have been abuzz with activity this summer, filling the sky above the gardens like a busy airport. Look closely and you’ll see a dragonfly eating a crunchy bee breakfast in the last photo:

Maine Vacation

2011-08-05T08:19:00.000-05:00

We just got back from an adventure in Vacationland where we enjoyed, sand, seagulls, seafood and surf. Here are a few moments from our Maine Vacation:

Zinnias

2011-08-05T08:16:00.001-05:00

The Zinnias are the star of the Potager this season, looking as fabulous as ever:

Yellow Ox-Eye

2011-08-05T08:14:00.000-05:00

The Yellow Ox Eye Daisies are creating a spectacular display in the Wildflower Meadow this year:

Fawns

2011-08-05T08:13:00.000-05:00

Here are a few snapshots of our adorable fawns having breakfast in the yard:

Hummingbird Moth

2011-08-05T08:10:00.001-05:00

This aggressive pollinator first appears to be a beautiful miniature hummingbird until you get a closer look. Here is an in-depth pictorial study of a Hummingbird Moth:

Chipmunk TV

2011-08-05T08:09:00.001-05:00

Tonka’s favorite show is on all day, every day, all summer long. Here he is, watching Chipmunk TV:

Butterflies

2011-08-05T08:05:00.000-05:00

The Butterflies have been busy in the Wildflower Meadow:

The Polar Caves

2011-07-31T10:22:00.001-05:00

Welcome to New Hampshire’s Polar Caves Park. Please follow your tour guide Caden to participate in a very exciting action adventure:

Caden’s favorite Polar Cave Park highlights: Feeding the deer, the Needles Eye, the Ice Cave, Fat Man’s Misery, the 87 stairs to the Raven’s Roost, the Lemon Squeeze and of course the Gift Shop! We had an amazing time. Caden is fanatical about rocks so this was a perfect place to spend an afternoon, literally a boy’s dream. We hope you enjoyed this virtual presentation of The Polar Caves, we highly recommend an in-person visit; it’s quite the experience.

Sculptured Rocks

2011-07-31T10:21:00.000-05:00

We recently visited some of New Hampshire’s beautiful and fascinating geological wonders. Here’s a look at our trip to the Sculptured Rocks:

Fox Kits

2011-07-31T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Fox Kits have been a regular site around the yard this summer. Unfortunately, it looks like they have caught on to our overabundant Chipmunk population. However, they seem to do a lot more playing then hunting. Their clowning around has been adorable to watch, I only wish I had a camera every time I saw them. Here are a few quick pictures I managed to snap before they disappeared back into the meadow:

The Potager

2011-07-25T05:04:00.001-05:00

Here’s a look at what’s currently growing on in The Potager:

As you can see we have enjoyed lots of Lettuce and Radishes so far and have harvested quite a bit of Basil and Cilantro as well. Green Beans, Snap Peas, Zucchini, Cucumbers and Sun Gold Tomatoes are on today’s picking agenda.

To see more of Our Garden go HERE.

Nasturtium

2011-07-25T05:02:00.000-05:00

Here’s a look at the Nasturtium presently taking over The Potager:

The Terraces

2011-07-25T04:57:00.001-05:00

Here is a look at the current state of the Terrace Garden:

The Corn and Sunflower plants are coming along nicely, however we are a bit concerned about the enormous size of some of the mound plants. Caden is posing above next to one of the escapees. There are still six weeks left in the growing season for some the squash and pumpkins… I’ll keep you posted on the progress (or failure) of this large scale companion plant experiment!

Morning Blues

2011-07-25T04:56:00.000-05:00

The Chicory is still going strong, making the most magnificent morning displays:

Purple Coneflowers

2011-07-25T04:54:00.001-05:00

The Purple Coneflowers are doing great this year. Here’s a look at some of the first to arrive to our Wildflower Meadow this season:

Star Of Yelta

2011-07-25T04:52:00.000-05:00

The Star of Yelta is a new addition to The Potager:

Night Watch

2011-07-25T04:49:00.000-05:00

Wildflower Meadow

2011-07-25T04:46:00.000-05:00

Here is what’s currently happening in the Wildflower Meadow:

Pacific Beauty

2011-07-25T04:45:00.000-05:00

The Pacific Beauty Calendula has started to bloom in The Potager:

Grasshopper

2011-07-25T04:44:00.000-05:00

The Back Garden

2011-07-25T04:41:00.002-05:00

Here is a look at the current display in our backyard flower garden:

Go here to see The Back Garden's previous incarnations.

Soapwort

2011-07-25T04:41:00.001-05:00

Turkeys

2011-07-25T04:39:00.000-05:00

Cape Cod Vacation

2011-07-09T09:43:00.002-05:00

We just got back from the most amazing vacation at The Cape! Here is a pictorial overview of our fantastic seaside adventure:

Our trip to The Cape was completely a spontaneous notion brought on by a change in Caden’s Hockey Camp schedule. We lucked out finding a room and really couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was absolutely gorgeous! We had so much fun exploring the beaches, marshes and rivers. We played with crabs and seagulls and went for walks over all kinds of beach surfaces, continuing to be amazed by how each beach is truly its own unique experience with its own identity and ocean offerings. Caden and his new beach pals caught minnows, collected shells and seaweed encrusted golf balls and gave serious effort to some surfing. We had a fantastic time playing Mini Golf. We also enjoyed exploring the adorable seaside neighborhoods, the quaint shops and boat yards and greatly admired the profusion of hydrangeas currently in peak display. It was a perfect vacation!

4th of July

2011-07-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

We had another phenomenal 4th of July at the Didehbani’s! They truly outdid themselves once again! We had a wonderful time with all of the usual suspects, we greatly enjoyed the 250th celebration with the town photo and all the old-time who-haw, Caden even marched in the parade. Fun, laughter, foolishness and more! Here is Caden below with the Twin Valley Hockey crew:

A good time was had by all!

Gloriosa Daisy

2011-07-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

The Gloriosa Daisies arrived right behind the Black Eyed Susan’s this year igniting the Wildflower Meadow into a brilliant yellow display:

Chicory

2011-07-09T09:38:00.001-05:00

The Chicory has fully invaded the gardens surrounding the house. So much for the multi-floral display, but it does have its charms and we are attempting to love the Chicory’s wild scraggly blue abandon:

And the best part, the American Goldfinches have been waiting patiently for the seeds to come to fruition, we look forward to their festive return.

Daylilies

2011-07-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

The Daylilies have been enjoying these warm steamy days. Here they are, looking bright and lush next to our culvert where a family of red foxes has made their home:

Black Eyed Susan

2011-07-09T09:34:00.001-05:00

The Black Eyed Susan’s have appeared in massive yellow abundance this year:

Shasta Daisies

2011-07-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

The Shasta Daisies have begun their elegant demonstration in the Wildflower Meadow:

Tickseed

2011-07-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

Tickseed is currently aglow in the Wildflower Meadow:

Chipmunks

2011-07-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

We are still enjoying our Chipmunk friends:

Here’s Caden feeding one of the chipmunks:

They have continued to keep us entertained and have stuck to our deal of leaving the gardens alone in exchange for easy seeds.

The Terraces

2011-07-09T09:20:00.001-05:00

The Sunflower Terraces have now been converted into an additional vegetable garden. Here’s a look at this year’s version of the Terraces (July 2nd):

The Mr. was inspired to do some major improvements to the soil in the Terraces this year, so I decided to plant corn, winter squash, pumpkins and melons in addition to the sunflowers. So far, so good, the sunflowers and corn seem to be doing great. The various mounds have had mixed results due to critter damage but overall it looks like things are growing and we are feeling pretty hopeful about our fall harvest.

Here’s a look at Jody working in the Terrace garden yesterday, you can see how much everything grew in one week:

This is what the Sunflower Terrace looked like last year:

The Potager

2011-07-09T09:18:00.001-05:00

Here’s a look at this year’s Potager (July 2nd):

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photo but I’ve changed quite a few things around from last year’s design. I added a lot more bell peppers and re-situated the lettuce and radishes to the central mound with the cucumbers and zucchini. I thought I gave everything a bit more space to grow but as you can see in the photo below (taken yesterday), things have already started to reach a jungle state similar to last year:

It looks like I have a lot of work to do in there! I’ll try to keep you posted on the Potager’s progress.

Turkeys

2011-07-09T09:16:00.001-05:00

First Grade Winner

2011-06-22T10:29:00.002-05:00

Not only is our darling boy an enthusiastic athlete, he’s quite the little speller too! Caden was the First Grade Winner in the PES Spelling Bee! Here’s a look at his snazzy award:

The Winners were also treated to a dinner at a local Mexican restaurant to celebrate their victory. Well deserved! We are extremely proud of him.

Lighting Soccer

2011-06-22T10:25:00.000-05:00

Lightning Soccer ended last week. It was quite the experience, not just the practices and games – but the traveling! Oh my! I hate to admit it but the trips to and from practice were the most memorable for me. I (kind of) miss my additional kids! I brought the snacks and Caden, Killian and Willa provided the entertainment! I learned so much about the kids at school and who’s crushing on who, who’s parents are strict, who’s are not, who ate what for lunch, who’s gross, who stinks and even a bit of sex ed. That last bit had me in stitches! I had difficulty keeping a straight face most days, I think they forgot I was a grown up. Lots of fun. Anyway – in addition to all the great kids on Caden’s team, he also got to hang with his cousin Griffin during the soccer clinics. Here are Caden and Griffin hamming it up for the camera:

We have now moved on to baseball and next week Sports Camp begins. Caden is really looking forward to it!

Sweet William

2011-06-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

Sweet William never stops amazing me with the endless combinations of pinks:

Bees and Lupine

2011-06-22T10:19:00.001-05:00

The Lupine Jungle came back again in its usual wealth of purple abundance and the bees just couldn’t seem to get enough. Here is a look at this year’s Lupine crop as well as some portraits of the bees who interfered with almost every photo:

Ox-Eye Daisy

2011-06-22T10:17:00.000-05:00

One of my long time favorite flowers is the Ox-Eye Daisy. We no longer have them in the great profusion we once did in the Wildflower Meadow, but they are still plenty enough to truly appreciate their fresh, clean, sunny goodness. It’s a flower that just exudes happy! Here is a look at some of this year’s Ox-Eye Daisies:

Devil’s Paintbrush

2011-06-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

Also known as Orange Hawkweed:

King Devil

2011-06-22T10:15:00.001-05:00

Also known as Yellow Hawkweed:

Thimbleweed

2011-06-22T10:13:00.002-05:00

Blue Eyed Grass

2011-06-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

Mother Spider

2011-06-22T10:11:00.000-05:00

One thing I’ve learned to accept and expect during my stonework is an abundance of spiders. I have reached a shaky state of tolerance; while I think they are admittedly interesting to look at, I would be much happier if they stayed far away. Armed with gloves, I persevere. However, one thing I was NOT prepared for was the Wolf Spider’s unique form of mothering. One day I brushed away what I thought was a large fuzzy spider, only to discover that it was something much more terrifying. The great big fuzzy spider dispersed and became not just one spider, but a hundred! OMG – want to watch a grown woman scream? Yuck. Disgusting and yet fascinating. Here is a look at the creature that now haunts my dreams, Mother Spider:

Stonework

2011-06-22T10:08:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately this past winter’s heavy snows were extremely rough on our stone walls. I’m currently in the process of rebuilding some of the first walls (from 2009) and surprised at how much I’ve learned along the way. This time I’ve got fresh materials, we collected some nice big rocks from Dave Smith’s rock wonderland. Here is a look at the corner wall re-do; bigger, bolder, stronger, and hopefully it will last a lot longer:

Here’s a look at the first version of this same wall from 2009:

Somehow I put the first version of this wall together with an interior made of pebbles! I’ve since relocated the pebbles to supply my cobblestone project (to be shared in the near future).

Here’s Caden moving some of the larger leftover rocks from re-do 1 to re-do 2:

I’ll be so happy when I get these stone walls finished!

Common Fleabane

2011-06-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

Such an appealing Wildflower with a most unfortunate name; here’s my attempt to do this fluffy pink pretty justice:

Meadow Iris

2011-06-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

These elegant beauties are still appearing in the Wildflower Meadow every year, and every year I swear I am going to collect all the bulbs and put them together into a singular dynamic display… maybe I’ll remember to do that this fall? In the meantime here’s a look at them in their current meadow environment:

Blackberry Blossoms

2011-06-22T10:04:00.001-05:00

Looks like we are going to have another great crop of blackberries again this year, here’s a gaze at some of their beautiful blossoms:

Woodland Butterfly

2011-06-22T10:03:00.001-05:00

Wild Evening Primrose

2011-06-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

I’ve been noticing an abundance of these petite rays of sunshine this year, I never paid much attention to them before but I discovered they are smaller versions of my beloved Sundrops:

Seed Compositions

2011-06-22T10:01:00.000-05:00

Persian Speedwell

2011-06-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

Often it is the smallest of Mother Nature’s creations that award us with the greatest inspiration…

These itty bitty fairy sized flowers pack a big design punch. I love the shape, color and structure of these tiny purple wonders.

The Meadow Path

2011-06-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

When I built this path in the Wildflower Meadow six years ago, I had no idea where it would lead…

If you built a path, where would it lead you?