The Children's Museum and Serious Vaccuuming...

We went to the Children's Museum in Escondido for the first time today. We could spend all day every day there. Gets us out of the house and it means I don't feel guilty about not going to the park. This little guy is obsessed with vaccuum cleaners. for real. He runs to the closet, opens the door, points to the vaccuum and whines in a high pitched voice,"Mom!(x 1000)(not mmommy. not momma. just mom.)until I ackonwledge the vaccuum. So, we wentto this museum with a million gazillion new fun toys, and what does he do for a good 30 minutes? You guessed it... Tongue out. concentrating. very serious about vaccuuming.

A Beautiful Day...

I swear that January is the best month in San Diego.
The sun is bright, not overcast.
The tempurature is perfect.
And I can wear a scarf.


Papa & Jack at the beach
Such a fun day today.
Ate great Mexican food and walked on the beach with Mimi & Papa.
Discovered, explored, puttered around.
Climbed in the wagon. Climbed out of the wagon. x 100


Jack exploring in the back yard.
One of his favorite things to do, of course.
I love this picture. It totally captures his serious look.
He gets so serious about his exploring outside.
He loves this birch tree.
He loves to shake the branches &
make the whole tree shake &
then he giggles with pride and delight.

so thankful for these moments.

Today...

Growing up my grandfather had a wooden plaque on the side of his kitchen cabinet with this saying on it. I would always ask him what it meant and he would read it to me again and again. I would say, "No, what does it really mean?!? Really?"

Now I love this saying and thought it was appropriate for the new year. Wishing you many blessings in therest of yoru life today...

The Parable of the Talents: Giving our Gifts

Creativity is God's gift to us. Our use of it is our gift back to God. We are intended to be creative."
Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way



This year I resolve... to make time and room for God. for creativity. for health: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual...

As I listen more and more to the creative voice inside of me,
I can't help but come back to the parable of the talents
again and again.
and again and again.

there is so much to learn here.
(the whole parable from Matthew 25 is told below)


God has entrusted
(I love the word entrusted)
He has entrusted every single one of us
his creation
with these gifts
straight from his heart
to ours.

and they're different,
our gifts,
but we all have them.

And for some reason,
rather than believe my creator
I have believed this lie for so long:
That to celebrate and explore this
precious gift is somehow
frivolous or
selfish or
wasteful or
silly

but look what the Lord calls those who use their talents:
good and faithful servants.

my epiphany:
to not use this creative gift,
to not give time
and attention
and energy
to what he has given to me

is to hide this precious gift I've been given
out of fear.

how long will I let fear keep these gifts hidden?
when will I step out in faith to really explore, discover, and celebrate these gifts to find out what the Lord has in store for me?
"exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that I can ask or imagine"

What gifts have you have been entrusted to gift others with?


The Parable of the Talents
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The holiday madness is over...

The holiday madness is over. So fun. So much. I'm exhausted. and happy to be back to bloggerville.

Favorite Holiday Picture: Shopping at Target.
Like mother, like son.
I am notorious for fallign asleep any place. any time. hmmm...
maybe blogging at 1:02 AM has something to do with it... nah.


Favorite Christmas Morning shot:serious bedhead...


Favorite Christmas Gift: The wagon
nuf said.

The only thing better than traveling is coming home. And creating...I'm getting to that part...

Oh how He provides...

Baby trying to sweep with 3 brooms at once. Very serious about the whole thing.

Anything daddy does, he wants to do. so cute.

Sheesh,it's been so long! This baby has been talking up a storm, sweeping and coloring and climbing stairs. He has been obssessed with crayons and lights and brooms and anything daddy...so sweet. It's overwhelming to see this daddy with his baby. I mean, I knew that Darryl would be a great dad, but I had no idea what that really meant.

and when I see them together... it makes me love him in a completely different way. And it's so fun to do together and I just know that these moments are precious and fleeting. That they are a gift. Pure grace. Poured out on me. I could never have done anything to earn this kind of love, the Lord just provides. Over and over and over again. That's just who He is. That's just what he does. My Jehovah Jirah. And all I can do is say thank you, Lord. Thank you for this moment.

Christmas, ready or not...

Okay, okay, okay... so, now that it's after Thanksgiving, I'm officially really excited about Christmas. Yesterday Jack took a nap and we put up the tree. He came down the stairs and has been absolutely obsessed ever since. So sweet. "Wow!" he says, over and over and over... Wow.

We decorated the tree & the rest of the house, put up stockings & snowflakes, made cookies & watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. We even went to Wal Mart & bought a little tricycle forJack. He tried it out in the store. His feet barelytouched the pedals, but he was on cloud 9.

Breath in, breathe out. Okay. I'm ready. Ready or not... here it comes...

Holiday traditions to start with our family this year:

Advent devotionals with the wreath & the calendar...
I bought an advent devotional book a fewyears back, actually when I was single, and thought, I want to do this with my family one day... I was reading through it, and it'sreally, really cool. Not just for kids, but for the whole family to refocus our hearts on Jesus during such a crazy time. You read a verse from the Bible, read the short commentary, answer a question, and sing a Christmas song. so sweet. I'll let you know how it goes...

Go to the Living Nativity at Horizon
Every year we say we're going to go, and it gets so busy that I'm exhausted by the time it comes around. But this year Jack will love it. We're going. For sure.

I want to start painting houses for a little village. Each year everyone paints a house and our village grows and grows. Love it...

I think that's it. Remember Erin: Keep it simple. Focus on Jesus. Keep expectations low. Repeat to yourself, "You are not Superwoman. You are not Superwoman.You are not Superwoman." Breathe in, breathe out.

My budding artist...

this year's baby...



After watching me finish up some paintings, Jack climbed up into a grown up chair, grabbed a pencil in each fist and proceeded to write, and write, and write. He sat for 30 minutes at the kitchen table intently writing...

a masterpiece...

Holiday denial...

Last year's baby...





Okay, okay... I refuse to acknowledge the existance of holiday paraphenalia popping up... everywhere. I even saw a house with Christmas lights... on November 6th! What the heck. I feel like walking around with my eyes closed and my fingers in my ears singing the Star Spangled Banner so I that can live in blissful denial that the holiday season is quickly, and I mean quickly tiptoeng up behind us.

Most of all, I want to resist the temptation to look forward to the 26th, so I can relax until next year's frenzy. I want to relax, enjoy, savor, capture every moment this season, especially with Jack & Darryl now.

My friend Ginger over at Weiner dog tricks made a great list,something alongthe lines of: things Ilike about the holidays & things that stress me out about the holidays. Then she proceeded to eliminate some of the things that weren't her favorite... and add to the list of things she loves. I highly suggest this approach, way above mine... So hear goes. I'm gonna start with things I love about the holidays...

Things I love about the holiday season
Watching How the Grinch stole Christmas & Elf & Charlie Brown Christmas. Elf always makes me giggle, even though I've seen it 100 times.
Ice skating at the Hotel Del (okay, I've never actually done this, but doesn't it sound like fun?)
Christmas Eve Chili Party, getting to see dear friends and family
Opening each little square on the advent calendar
Garland and stockings on the mantle
Decorating the Tree
Going to see A Christmas Carol
Cinnamon smelling pine cones for sale outside of Michael's
Reading the Christmas story in Luke
Singing Christmas carols

Ummm... I know there's more, I just can't think of them... I'll get back to you. Oh, baking Christmas cookies, of course...

As Darryl and I have started our family & holidays with a child I want to be intentional about the traditions we create and the messages behind them. What we do and why? Is it for real or for show? Kids see right through your words...

I want my child to believe me when I tell them...
that the birth Jesus really is the reason we have so much joy.
that the most important things in life can't be bought or seen.
that Christmas really is about what we have to contribute to each other.

I want to create traditions that are a joy, not a burden. That bind us together and that are the heart of what we believe to be true...

What about you? What are your favorite holiday traditions?

A baby and his banana

Oh, how I love Halloween! And yes, that's me. I'm the banana.
Okay, I have to admit. One of the reasons I wanted to procreate was to have an excuse to have a big plastic bin labeled "dress up" in my garage and to use it often. Anyone in need of a banana suit?

Today was a total turning point in our monkey training. So, ever since we got this monkey his costume, the day Target put them on the shelves, we've gone through rigorous training. Really. Me, my husband, my mom,& my dad have been been jumping around like monkeys for way too long.

And today was a total turning point for us. All of our hard work paid off. Someone call Oprah. I have a gifted monkey on my hands here folks...



I know this picture is blurry, but I love his expression here. So, today when he put the monkey suit on he was so tickled with himself, he started running (running) around the house giggling, with his hands in his armpits like a chicken. Classic. Then I took him upstairs to get a good full length look at himself and he did his wholechicken/monkeyroutine again, just giggling. So pleased with himself.I can't even stand the cuteness...

Thoughts on HOME...

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.”
Matsuo Basho



As I'm madly getting ready for my 2nd Street Fair and trying not to completely neglect my family and get some amount of sleep... I'm so caught up and inspired by the possibilities of so many ideas...

Home is the idea that I keep coming back to...
Because I've been home full time, spending time with my 14 month old (my kindergarteners are on a 2 week vacation)I've been thinking about being intentional about what kind of home I want to create for my husband & my baby & myself & my friends & family...

I'm so thankful for our physical home. It's a gift from God. I really never expected or thought we would get a real home, here in Southern California, and it is a definite financial stretch, to say the least, but it really is a dream come true... it's where we want to be, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We've been here for a little over a year and it so feels like home to us. But even more than the paint & wood & pictures on the wall...

As I explore this idea of home I can't help but think...
What kind of home do I want to create?

love... but really, I mean what does that mean? what does that look like?
acceptance
patience
adventure
joy
faithfulness
prayer
peace
wisdom
generousity
communication
authenticity
belonging
contribution
laughter
stability
silliness
possibility
uniquely us
hot coffee & chocolate chip cookies
hand made stuffs
photos everywhere

We get to make our home whatever we want it to be...or at least try to make it what we want it to be...
Our own little nest.
Our place of possibility.
Our sanctuary from the world.
Our place of love & acceptance.
Our place of connection where we are intimately known & celebrated.

Really, anything is possible... we are the makers of our home... with a lot of wisdom and patience and help from Jesus...

I'm off to create... I'll be back very soon...

Little Treasures

“Develop an interest in life as you see it;

the people, things, literature, music-

the world is so rich,

simply throbbing with rich treasures,

beautiful souls and

interesting people.

Forget yourself.”

Henry Miller

I love the way this baby finds treasures everywhere. He could spend all day exploring our little backyard, creating new adventures all day long. A rock. A wood chip. A flower. I have a lot to learn from him...

The Laundry Saga Continues...

Ya know how you start the laundry and then the baby just won't tolerate any more laundry so you take a little break, like say, for a week, and you have to rewash the moldy clothes that you forgot about in the washer... and you can't remember what's clean and what's dirty anymore...?

So, by the time you start to finish the laundry you have a whole bunch of new dirty laundry to do? ya know what I mean?

Today's mission: laundry & do something (ANYTHING) creative, which means allowing my creative supplies to explode into the kitchen so I can play with baby & be creative all at the time... I'm working on it... I'll let you know how it goes, buit I'm a little desperate for creativity right now and I'm feeling kinda silly, so anything can happen at 644 Sonoma Street today. anything. the world is my rice krispie treat & I'm gonna make something happen... more to come...

Things come undone...

We went to the pumpkin patch last week.... so fun! This baby rode on a tractor, in a wheelbarrow, on daddy's shoulders and finally... a pony! Yes, he rode a pony. He was so thrilled with himself, but he really didn't want anything to do with the animals at the petting zoo.

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged. I miss my computer! Ever since thisbaby started walking/running I fall down on the couch the minute he goes to bed. I can barely brush my teeth and most tof the time I save tyhe dishes for morning (and hate myself in the morning)...

So, my new challenge for myself:

Walk every day.

Blog every day. Even if it's just a thought or a sentence or a wondering. I love getting on to read my favorite blogs and feel connected again...

It's so easy to get disconnected so quickly...

and another challenge: try to make art!!! how? I haven't figured that one out yet... I need to make myself begin... and then I get into the zone... beginning is the hardest part. darned inertia. darned that... what's the 2nd law of thermodynamics where things come undone?!?! can I blame my jiggly arms on that?!?

Baby's First Birthday

Is there anything better than a cozy coupe & vacuum popper? The one year old birthday gifts were a hit. This baby is in heaven.

What Matters Most

Baby and daddy throwing rocks at Lake Arrowhead

As much as I try to write about my art and make this an art blog I keep coming back to what matters most, what I am most intensely thankful for: my baby boy & my husband, who both surprise me every day. I get to be mommy and wife to these two precious souls. Corny as it sounds, it’s really an amazing thing. We grow and learn and love and share life together. This is by far the hardest and sweetest thing I’ve ever attempted. So worth it…

First Steps...

Okay, this is my very first blog ever and I know it’s supposed to be an art blog but… this baby is taking steps!!! Holy cow. This is something incredible to see. He is proud of himself. He’ll take a step or two, fall to the ground and get this look of utter satisfaction. So sweet.

And here are my first little blogging steps. I just read the latest edition of Artful Blogging and I'm half totally inspired/ half totally intimidated. Beautiful, beautiful magazine. What the heck? I can hear my “inner critic” screaming at me…

Okay, now that that’s out in the open… I can begin. I’ll take inspiration from Aimee Dolich’s article, as if she wrote it just for me, “Just start and see what happens.” “Your blog will push you forward each day…”

So here I go… baby steps…