I'm coming Rhode Island, please wait for me!

A watercolor that I did last year is going to be printed in the Rhode Island Monthly, for the month of June, I think.  I had persuaded my grandmother to sell paintings with me at the Gaspee Arts and Crafts festival last spring, in what turned out to be a festival more heavy on the "crafts," less so on the arts.  While sitting at our booth, I had produced this little picture and a counterpart.  I had completely forgotten about them until my father-in-law contacted me.  I'm so excited!  This is my first painting to be put in a magazine. 

All rights reserved to John Concannon, DO.

Summer Likes

Summer seems to have hit Toledo like a ton of bricks- suddenly the humidity is heavy and the sun is bright.  Of course, I guess it could go back to chilly again - that's always how it is in New England - but the Midwest weather seems to be a little more consistent.  Anyway,with the heat, I'm really getting into the summer state of mind. 

Eating

Lots of chopped salads.  What I mean when I say this is not your typical leafy salads, because I get pretty bored with those, but rather once summer comes - I start taking cues from  my dad.  He always makes a chopped tomato salad with cilantro and mint, juice from a whole lemon, and some salt.  It is the most refreshing and satisfying food, tastes superb on grilled steak.  I've also seen him add apple and substitute the lemon for lime juice like the Dominicans do.  Sometimes he likes to add shrimp.  My dad should open his own beach salad bar -- maybe I could help him.  Hey, that's not a bad idea...

Reading

I do not really have many options at the moment, seeing as we are in transition, but this week I'm going to devote myself to Fr. Luigi Guissani's "The Religous Sense" - a book on the intuitive needs within every person. 

Wearing

White linen sundress I just got from Anthropologie, grey or pink bermudas, button up shirts, Clarks high heeled sandals. And I love my skinny leather belt from American Apparel.  I'm beginning to really learn the value of a good accessory - I always liked them before but never wanted to spend my money on them, but they make all your current clothes all the more wearable and versatile.  Fleur Cherie eau from L'Occitane.

Listening

Francoise Hardy or The Peasal Sisters or La Roux - but if I'm in the car, the latter makes me drive really fast!

Toledo in the springtime

If I had to liken Toledo to a person, I think it would be a very pretty women who has done way too much drugs and has gotten away with it up until now, when the wear and tear is suddenly starting to show.  Sounds like Kate Moss!  Except this person would have to be of Dutch-German origin and would really like eating chicken and dumplings.  All winter I was ready to slap this said person and give her a good shake.  I could never step outside without my skin being flayed off by the wind.  That was probably my primary annoyance, besides the fact that Toledo is actually quite attractive in the downtown area, and even in parts of the west end where you can view the super-gorgeous mansions lining the streets, for sale at drool-worthy prices, but you can't really enjoy it without the possibility of being mugged or kidnapped.  Now that spring is here I'm starting to feel a little more kinship to this poor lady, the sunshine is really helping her out.  I noticed that there are flowering trees everywhere!  And even the addition of a little greenery is giving the city a more optimistic air.  Perhaps I'm thinking this because its my last time to appreciate it before I go back home to the east and the ocean!!!!! yay!!!!!  But seriously now, I realized I've lived here longer than I have in Louisiana and New Mexico, and I haven't even sampled the famous Tony Packo's hotdogs.  That is like so crazy, right?  Well tonight that is all going to change...

Scribbles

The Ballad of Jack and Ness

Collaborating with my daughter is so fun - My grown-up mind always wants to push in and be like "No, don't use that color!" or "don't scribble there!"  But when I leave her to do what she wants, even if I'm not sure about it - it always comes out so cool.   Little kids have so much organic creativity.  This is Jack and Ness riding in a little boat through a rainbow. 

Wild West fashion - Loving the muse

According to Style.com, the western Americana style is what's trending for Fall fashion.  This is a picture from the brand N.Hoolywood, whose designer Daisuke Obana was inspired by rock climbers in Yosemite. "His Fall '11 collection referenced the early-twentieth-century climbers who first attempted to scale Half Dome's forbidding face."  I love how designers become inspired by the most random people and take them on as muses.  I remember one designer in a magazine over a decade ago talking about his inspiration coming from the faithful old ladies who would come into church clinking their rosaries and medals.  And who can forget Alexander Mcqueen's fantastical shows?  His success was from his unbridled creativity, to transform a collection.  That's probably the most attractive part of fashion for me - the runway show becomes a character sketch.  But then again the actual character is much more interesting and honest than a passing trend that will be on to some new look come next season.  After all, that's what we find appealing about the runway show - inspiration is taken from people with depth, determination, tradition.  No one wants clothes from a vapid person.

That's because, whether we have those qualities or not, we all want them.

Munching on the tree

Making cookies

Leif the Luckey

When my husband and I were first married, we went to teach at a mission school on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.  The first thing we did before we even arrived at the school was adopt a dog.  Here's Leif with my husband.  I made some drawings of him that year hoping to make a children's story that never really materialized.  The drawings are still charming on their own, I think.

Good Skin

I have had many elaborate skin regimens over the years, beginning with the Almay 3-step system my mother bought me when I was 11.  It seems like the worse my skin got, the more complicated my morning and night ablutions became in the quest for a clear, glowing face - toners, serums, daycreams and nightcreams.  I had a very greasy period in my early teens when I would punish my skin with alcohol or witch hazel - and later such dry skin that no amount of oil rubbed in seemed to take away the taut feeling.  Since then, it seems like my pregnancies (and the right diet - no gluten, lots of water) have changed my skin chemistry for the better.  Now my skin barely ever breaks out, and never really gets too dry or oily.  I feel like I've found a happy medium.  And with my good skin, my regimen has become likewise pretty minimal.  A swipe of toner in the morning (Lacura toner- not my favorite, but it will do for now) followed by some raw shea butter rubbed in.  At night I use Victorian egg-white soap, which I sometimes leave on my face for a couple of minutes as the directions say to do, sometimes I just wash it off.  A swipe of toner and then some more shea butter.  The shea butter is funny stuff - it feels a little grainy and has to be melted between fingers - but it works nicely and I also like to rub the excess on the ends of my hair.  My current obsession- find some fancy toner ( I happen to like toner -I prefer it to always washing with water).  I'd really like to try Chidorya's Peach Moon Water, a Japanese Geisha brand, or perhaps a toner from Kiehl's. 

La Cinematique

I've been watching alot of Jean-Luc Godard this winter, perhaps to off-set the dullness of O-Hioooooo. What's funny is that I find him to be indescribably pretentious, but I watch it anyway because the scenes and characters are so appealing. This is my latest viewing - "Une Femme est une Femme" starring Anna Karina.  I love her because I think she personifies the French je ne sais quoi.  Except if I had been her I would have chosen Alfred over lame-o Emile!  And also I love her apartment - some ideas for my next rental.