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My mom, the cute lil’ punkin at the end of these photos, is without a doubt, a champion of strength and stamina.
A few, (among the infinite), reasons: She’s run at least 9 marathons, one of which she ran on a stress fractured ankle. When we were growing up, she willingly picked up her life and moved every couple of years for my dad’s job, (more challenging for adults than us kids as we made friends with the neighbors who also loved hopscotch.) When I was in college, she worked a full time job and a second job, all so I could afford to study abroad. And she humbly serves others, taking joy in helping people feel loved and cared for. Her love heals, I’ve seen it and felt it.
My gift to her on this past Mom’s day involved recipes because she does magical things in the kitchen, often by “throwing s*** together”. So I drew up some new ingredient cards. These days online recipes are approximately the length of a novel. Kind of like this blog post eh?
Oh, and the title is a nod to our inside joke when we’re confused or lost on anything and quote a line from this AT&T video, “W-what about the animals? What would THEY be made out of?”
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So often, I’m saddened by the thought of technology robbing us of the ability to simply think, solve, and create by hand. However, this ingenious Apple app is embracing both worlds and it makes me oh so happy; especially for the sake of kids development. Of course I say all of this while typing away on my beloved laptop I “had” to have for doing graphic design, (this is true for me but what would my heroes of decades ago computer-less graphic design say?)
Anyway, without discounting technology, I do hope that more people grasp the importance of expanding kids motor skills beyond the convenience of a little gadget. Thank you Lucas Zanotto for designing and animating Drawnimal.
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I heard these words from Ira Glass awhile back, but now, more than ever, I need it as a reminder to keep creating. I need to ingrain it in the front of my mind, for it to seep into my actions. If I continue this life void of creating, I’ll lose the root of me. Now back to drawing that silly hipster cat walking a goofy dog on water with fish flying in the sky and a bearded sun all smiles.
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Love the screen printed look of this text, and it feels like traveling through this scenery just last week.
GO WEST
iPhone photo I took in Joshua Tree National Park. Text was done in Adobe Illustrator.
(via steelbison)
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“Love is like water, and water gets rough.
You can drown underneath the surface so keep your head high.”(Source: Spotify)
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If you ever decide to move halfway across the country, I recommend doing so by car, and with a solid, easy going friend. Purge as much as you can so you can fit your life into a car, and just go. See the parts of the country you’ve only read about since you were little, imagining them as fairy tale lands you couldn’t possibly believe were real. Explore like you are the first one seeing it, and stand in awe. It will be hard not to. Moving is a difficult process, but I’ve grown to try and embrace it as an opportunity to experience what I don’t know, even if it’s uncomfortable, frightening, and physically lonely. If you begin the start of your adventure with a trip that drives you into challenge and growth, I think your heart will more willingly invite change in the form of people, environments, and culture. Yes, the suburbs of Kansas are a shockingly different culture than that of Portland…one I’m turned off by, but I’m trying my best to keep my eyes open, my walls down, and my heart loving and patient.
For the curious cats, this move was from Portland, Oregon, to Kansas City, Kansas in a 91 Subaru Wagon named Douglas. It took at least 35-40 hours of driving and 2200 miles to get it done. Thank the good Lord we made it.
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dip ‘n dots in Forest Park.
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These voices of Hannah Glavor and the family Band, (known as simply, Hannah Glavor), are the golden ones. Your ears will be so happy they’ll make a deal with your vocal chords to start speaking just to thank you. And I’ll miss hearing Hannah’s voice carry through our house’s vents and walls. I’m sure glad they make these that I can play over and over, everywhere I go. Watch and listen more here.
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This happened last week. Every morning I wake up and smile that it’s mine.
To some, it’s just an Aspen leaf. To me, it’s a symbol I’ll carry of community, connectedness, and strength through fragility. Aspen trees are like people; their roots are connected underground as they grow together through the calm and through the storm. The specific leaf this tattoo was drawn after, was one that has been in my possession for close to 3 years, through 3 moves and 2 different people. And we’re moving together again to Kansas. But together we’ll make it. We’ll be okay.
(Tattoo by John at Scapegoat in Portland, Oregon).
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I could walk these woods a million times and never cease to be amazed by the oddities of what God has created. And that somehow, while I’m exploring the outdoors, my mind is at ease, my heart is full, and my conversations with people are deep and flowing.
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everyone and their mom’s dog is outside today. (at Laurelhurst Park)
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so blessed by these beautiful treasures from @hannahvanlom #doehandcrafted
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bearded tree. I thought these only existed in fairy tales. (at Island Park)
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And He does it again. God combined two of my favorite things: beards and trees. (at Island Park)
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tools for escape. (at Sarasota, FL)
