Tour de Friends 2013

Over the weekend we joined a group of friends in an epic biking/camping extravaganza, with everyone biking or driving 30 miles to the campsite, spending the night, then driving or biking back! Daniel, Hudson, Jude and I biked there, Jude on a bike that connects to Daniel's. Then Daniel and Hudson biked back. So that means Hudson, being the competitive sportsman that he is, biked over 60 miles on his little single speed kids' bike over two days, averaging about 10 miles per hour. Rockstar.

Heather. 8 months pregnant with #4. Camping. And looking good while doing it. Also a rockstar.

Jude in his happy place.

(biking photos by Levi)

Hudson, leading the way home.

Arian : )

New Print and Free Society6 Shipping

 I just added this new print to my Etsy shop. Sometimes when I sit down to draw, I know where I am headed. But sometimes I just start drawing and characters come out on their own! I guess these guys have been hanging out deep in my subconscious waiting to reveal themselves!

And, FYI, Society6 is offering FREE SHIPPING through the weekend! My art on tshirts, laptop skins, tote bags, greeting cards, ipod cases, throw pillows....all kinds of fun stuff! Shipping can be pricey so I'd jump on this opportunity if you're interested!

Have a great weekend!

Arian

Back to School/Work!

 Jude started afternoon kindergarten this week! Since he didn't go to preschool, this is a big deal, for Jude AND for me! Jude stopped needing afternoon naps when he was 2 (early, I know). So it's been years since I've had that precious afternoon nap time to work or rest or just have some time alone. With the two older ones in school and Eli napping in the afternoon I now have two and a half glorious hours to myself each day. I've got lots of plans, probably more than can be fit into two and a half hours, but still, I have plans : )

Plus afternoon kindergarten lets these guys still enjoy their mornings together. They're becoming little buddies.

And there's still time for hanging out at the coffee shop before heading into class.

Our school just got a good deal cuter and sweeter now that Jude is there. He's going to love it.

And in the quiet of the afternoon I will draw, draw, draw. This one will be finished and available soon!

Kindergarten and third grade! My big little boys!

Arian : )

What My Kids Read

My boys love books. Jude still prefers picture books, which I happen to love too. But since Hudson started reading chapter books I haven't been able to keep up with him! He finishes books I didn't even know he started and then brings MORE stacks of books home from the library that I don't know anything about. I monitor the movies he watches and the games he plays and the websites he uses, but I can't read all the books he reads.

 So I was pumped when my friend Jen started her What My Kids Read blog. She is a speedy reader and has developed her own very detailed rating system to help parents decide which books are safe for their kids. In addition to her clear safety ratings, she also includes summaries and discussion questions so you can talk to your kids about a particular book even if you don't have time to read it. It's like only reading Cliff's Notes in high school except this time it's not cheating : )

Jen is an all-around amazing lady. She has a special knack for creating cozy spaces and making people feel welcome in her home. And her family is great too. They're all avid book lovers and great conversationalists. 

 So like her on Facebook, consult her website before you let your kids read an book you don't know much about, and feel free to suggest books to her to read. Follow her Amazon link if you choose to buy a book (or anything else) to support her work!

Happy reading!
Arian

Fun Day with Grammy

 The boys, my mom, and I took the day to explore a few downtown Cincinnati treasures. Old buildings are so inspiring to me. They're filled with textures and colors and layers that tell quiet stories of past inhabitants.

 Algin houses floor after floor of used office furniture. I love it. Put a cup of iced coffee in my hands and I could explore for hours.

Urban industrial beauty.

Restoration.

These chairs. I want these chairs.

That's Carew Tower through the window. The highest point in Cincinnati. We'll end up there in a bit!

Next up, Ohio Book Store! 5 Levels of beautiful, used books to explore!

Hudson is a cultured, sophisticated adult trapped in an 8-year old's body. His favorite things?--- old books, fine leather, fancy shoes, herbal teas, handcrafted pipes (just to hold, not to smoke...though he would if we let him), wood working, and dressing up. Yesterday he waited on the front porch for thirty minutes for the mailman to deliver the shoe polish he ordered from Amazon. He needed it to complete his homemade shoe polishing kit. This kid.

From there we headed to Carew Tower, a wealth of art deco design. We rode the tiny elevators up 49 floors to the very top to enjoy the view on a beautifully sunny day.

 The top!

 Ohio on one side of the river, Kentucky on the other.

 I love days like these. I love the city. We finished the day with sushi and iced coffee. Pretty perfect!

Arian

BeLoved BeFree Piano

My lovely and talented sister called in a favor --- "Could you paint an old piano with your BeLoved BeFree image?" No problem!

Shortly after, the piano arrived on our front porch and I got to work!

Vintage pianos are such beautiful pieces of art. This one was gorgeously aged, smelled like a basement, and sounded like a old western saloon : )

They're using it in a video promo for a creative project my sister is a part of. I'll share the video with you as soon as I get to see it!

Andrea, doin her thang.

Plus, having a piano on our front porch made for a great, very "Kentucky"style family photo op. Reminds me of this old Kentucky family photo.

It was a fun project and reminded me of my days in the scene shop working on theatre props and sets. In fact, I used a lot of the painting techniques from our book, "Stage It Right"(shameless plug) ; )

Hope you're having a great day!

Arian

Business Day

On the heels of our second quarterly family vision retreat we needed another full day to talk business --- family business. Daniel and I want to work together and also build something we can invite our kids into some day. Our lives aren't really structured to work together at the moment. Daniel spends his days and creative energy at an amazing company that he loves. And I spend my days and creative energy at home with our kids, squeezing in time to draw a few hours a week while I pay a babysitter to hang out with the boys. So anything creative that Daniel and I work on together has to happen late at night, when we're tired and need sleep.

We need a plan.

So my mom took the kids for a Saturday and Daniel and I got to spend a full day hashing out a plan for how to work together and what to work on. We started out at Coffee Emporium and talked about everything from what creative projects we want to work on to who we want to work with and even sketched out our dream home/studio/greenhouse/office design.

To make the moment even cooler----that's our Jason there in the background (our "like family" friend that has been living with us for over a year to learn what he can learn about being a dad and husband). And that's his beautiful new girlfriend with the lovely hair and dress. To get their relationship off on the right foot, the two of them spent the day mapping out their OWN vision for this stage as a new couple--- everything from coordinating schedules to physical boundaries to planning fun dates. I have to admit, it felt like no small victory to see Jason taking the reins and beginning to lead a beautiful woman through love and adventures. YAY!!

From there Daniel and I headed home to work on character sketches for the next music video we want to create.

(garden cucumber and sparkling water, a new summertime fav)

Daniel is a pro both on paper and on the screen. The stuff his brain comes up with just amazes me.

Slow and steady but it feels like we're moving in the right direction. Despite the few hours that we are opening up during our day times to work together, it will still be a season of late nights and overflowing laundry, but what else is new : )

Arian