a gift...

as i was working in my studio one evening, i had a great idea to make a gift for my friend. (her birthday was in early july.) i wanted to make something she would use...so i pulled out some sketches and measurements from a project i was toying with months prior. i decided on a portfolio - functional, but beautiful.

here are the results of a few hours of labor and love:

i used japanese book cloth in her favorite colors to cover the entire piece. i wanted to have a nameplate of some kind and went with a handstitched spirograph piece with hearts (also her favorite).

the inside left side contains a pocket for various notes & a small strap to hold business cards. the right side has a couple of strips to hold a legal pad (see below).

this project was challenging and fun - i really love how beautifully this piece came out. i think i'll try making a few and putting them out on the market....

home

i haven't fallen off the face of the earth...but i have been extremely busy. the clock is ticking on the move to okinawa and my to do list is growing a mile a minute.

we met with a realtor for the first time last week. she did a walk through of our home and discussed some things we need to do to spruce up the house. paint, clean, declutter...

one thing stayed with me after that meeting:
as we start making these changes, our home will be less ours...it'll turn into another house on the market. and that fact just breaks my heart.

this place is our first home, from when we were dating to becoming a married couple. this is where we brought home our puppies, where they grew up. there is a height chart on the wall for vito - starting when he was just 10 weeks old.

i know i should be excited about the adventure approaching. but right now, my heart aches as i mourn for the loss of our home.

"home is where the heart is" - i don't know...

new project...

i signed up for the sketchbook project again...but this time i'm actually going to get it done! i just received my sketchbook yesterday and t-shirt the day before. for more information about the sketchbook project (and to sign up! DO IT!!), go here.

image from here

so to recap, last year's project: fail. this year's project: its on like donkey kong.