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Paper cut window mobiles for the store from my time off during Spring Break with help from Thuy. Lots going on around here. We’ve been driving back and forth to see family during the past couple of weeks, and just said good bye to the last few still here. Be back soon with more updates!

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My spring break is drawing to an end, and, like I do with most weekends, I’m left wishing I’d done more before it ended, and probably dwelling a little too much on it all. But it’s been a pretty great week so far. I got to wake up late and it wasn’t pitch dark, eat multiple lunches with BJ, organize the house, hang out with my siblings, enjoy the spring weather, tackle loads of laundry, and work on fall orders for the store. We’ve also been watching The Americans. I’ll always be a Keri Russell fan (Felicity forever!), and although it was a little slow to start for me, I’m pretty hooked. The 80’s look good on her too.

While cleaning the house, I took some pictures of some of the things I’ve been collecting or using frequently. From the top: new comfy Anniel shoes from Leap and hat from Creatures of Comfort, Mujji restock from our last trip to NY, bits of fabric and packaging remnants from Julia and Shara + pretty business card I found in NY, and some of the art supplies I’ve using these days. Still obsessed with stamps!

 

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I got to try on some new stock at the store this week, and man, I wish I can wear Steven Alan’s spring collection everyday.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Model for Matisse

On Thursday night, BJ and I had dinner at our friends and we all watched A Model For Matisse on Netflix. The film tells the story of Matisse’s unlikely friendship and work with Sister Jacques- Marie on the Chapel of the Rosary. It may have been an unusually Valentine’s movie pick, but by the end, it made sense. I was a little caught off guard by how moved and inspired I was after watching both by the tenderness of their bond and the drive Matisse had even in his aging years.

Already a fan of Matisse, especially his paper cuts, I have an even bigger admiration for his work created after he became less mobile. Here he is in poor health, drawing with a 9 foot pole, climbing dressers to reach higher spots. I can’t imagine anyone else during that time who could have gotten away with creating such modern imagery for a chapel. I can see how some of the nuns were up in arms!

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I love the little details that went into planning of the chapel down to the priest’s chasubles, which Matisse first drafted with paper cut outs. There were several proposals for the stained glass, and one of my favorites that didn’t make it was the piece above called The Bees, which captured an overhead view of nuns in their habit. Definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already!

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2012 Longreads

 

2012 Every year, BJ makes end of the year lists for his favorite, movies, books, songs, albums, etc . He loves it and spends so much time on it. I give him a hard time though because he’s still working on the list way into the next year. This time around, he’s finally sharing his favorite longreads from 2012. I’m going to try and read one a day. Enjoy!

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Some of my favorite toppings.  We’ve been on a taco kick lately. (Mats from Anthropologie and the plate is from Angel.)

I’ve been watching the Inauguration all day while I work and catch up on emails. Later, BJ and I are going to Pass & Provisions with some new friends for dinner. A pretty good day so far. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Museum Visit + 2013

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Yesterday, we took BJ’s mom, who’s in town for the week, and some of my family to the MFAH. I took phone shots of a few of my favorites from the museum’s collection while our moms and my aunt walked through the War Photography exhibit.

2012 was definitely a trying year for the both of us—apart from the opening of a store, we had a lot of change going on. Looking back, I definitely got burned out, and I often didn’t handle the stress in the best way. But I feel very hopeful and determined to have a healthier and restorative year. Moving into our current place (smaller and in a more walkable neighborhood) was a step in the right direction. This year we’re resolving to take time to visit our city’s museums. They’re only a short walk or drive away.  We’ve already had two museums visits so far—not bad for the first month. Here are a few other goals. I tried to keep it simple:

+ Decompress each night by reading or drawing in bed. Close the screens, put down the phones.
+ Call, write, text my friends in other states at least a couple of times a month.
+ Drink water & eat breakfast.
+ Collaborate, create, and continue to practice my craft.
+ Watch movies with BJ.
+ Be a more patient and better teacher, wife, sister, daughter, friend, etc.

 

Menil Collection

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A stop at the Menil Collection, which is amazingly close to our new place. At the Twombly gallery, the guard who was working the front desk on the day we got engaged was on duty.

We’re working on getting the images bigger and cleaning up the blog during my break. Apologies for any distractions/disruptions.