goodbye 2009

 

christmas presents - forest friends

When I married Timmy, I became an instant aunt to one beautiful niece and three adorable nephews.

My nephews are not only delightfully boy-ish and perfectly rambunctious, but they are also so sweet, well behaved, and imaginative. And I know they love books, because they have a fabulous mom who reads them stories. (Lucky boys!) I think you will agree, there is nothing more wonderful than an imaginative child who loves books.

So, for their Christmas gift, we bought them one of my all time favorite books, The Mitten, by Jan Bret. And then we created a series of animal masks, one for each furry creature that stars within its pages.

Because stories are so much more magical when there are costumes involved.

These masks were so much fun to make! I spent a weekend designing and sketching and cutting and sewing. An old children's puppy mask became my model for sizing. Once I had the basic shape down, it was just a matter of tweaking the ears, face shape, and eyes to make each individual animal. The back of the masks are stiff black felt and the fronts are regular felt. I used interfacing to fuse the layers together - no sewing necessary!

 

I love these little masks. I love how they are just so whimsical. I love that the felt makes them so soft for young faces. I love that they are durable, ready to engage in any sort of activity a young badger or bear might deem necessary.

But mostly, I love that they instantly turned my darling nephews into a crew of growling, hooting, squeaking, and grunting forest friends.

Sometimes... while I'm sitting at work I get emails like this one from my darling husband:

"So I just had an amazing revelation of how talented you really are!!! It really has just bursted to overflowing in my heart!!! You are an incredible writer! Incredible photographer! And the most artistic creative designer in this whole world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am more excited about you and more proud of being YOUR husband than ever before! Congratulations on being amazing!! love, your Timmy"

Sometimes... it's nice to have someone think you're way more amazing than you really are.

And sometimes... their unwavering belief in you is what makes you truly amazing.

christmas presents - rynn's secret book

My little sister, Rynn, is beautiful and mysterious. She loves locks and keys and hidden compartments and secrets. And because she is so interestingly curious and imaginative, she has lots of good secrets worth keeping.

For her Christmas present, I made her a Secret Book. A little book that has a hidden compartment for hiding treasures. Full of secrets and just sitting on your bookshelf - but nobody would know it! Because secrets are so much more exciting when they are hidden in plain sight.

Secret books are most successful when they are purposely made to look positively boring. Find an old book that is so perfectly uninteresting that it can quietly sit on your shelf for years and years, without anyone ever wishing to notice it's shabby little spine. Because if someone did pick it up, it would ruin your secret hiding place. No good.

The great thing about secret books is that they are very easy to make and the results are guaranteed to be thrilling. After a little gluing and lot of cutting (Timmy did most of the cutting) a perfectly secretive secret book, one that made my Rynn's eyes light up in the sneakiest way, was created.

Happy Christmas, little love. Thanks for always sharing your best secrets with me. xoxo

my christmas

(This is a picture of Pinklepurr by my parents' fireplace. I think she is pretending to be a log.)

christmas presents - cozies

Hot drinks just taste better when your fingers have pretty cup cozies to keep them warm and happy.

I have one amazing mom in law and three pretty sisters who love tasty hot drinks from Starbuck's. And so, for their Christmas gifts, I made them some fabric cup cozies. Now when they drink their Starbuck's, they can match their outfits, make a statement, sport their colors, love the environment... and remember how much I love them. Perfect.

 

 

 

They turned out so fun, it almost makes me want to start drinking coffee so I can use them too! And they are really rather simple to make. I say rather because they are time consuming, but not hard. I made all 12 of these in one day, with the help of my fabulous mom. The hardest part was creating the pattern and figuring out how to make them insulate fingers without being too thick and bulky.

I think there are countless ways I could switch things up to embellish these. Ribbons? Hook and eye closures? Iron-on transfers? Any creative thoughts?

christmas presents - jumbled cards

Timmy and I made all of our Christmas presents this year. We did not step into the mall craziness even once.

Of course, I could not show any Christmas present pictures before Christmas, because then you would all know what you were getting! Ahh, but it has been so hard not to show the beautiful treasures I have made for you all! Each present is full of love, love, and more love.

I can show these jumbled cards though because, in the end, I loved them too much to give them away, and have decided to keep them for myself. :) (Sorry Lizzy, you're getting something even better instead.)

 

 

I love typography, and I love asterisks. And I am currently in love with celery green and pumpkin orange.

joy to me and you.

When you're married to a graphic designer, your life is a creative adventure...

Because she snaps pictures of you at all sorts of inconvenient times and refuses to delete the embarrassing ones. Because she sometimes becomes glued to her computer and you have to literally drag her away from her designing. Because she is always making something new and your house is full of little artsy projects. Because she is much better at making food look good than making food taste good. Because she does things, to your horror, like take perfectly good doors off their hinges and then replaces them with curtains that "just look prettier." Because she hangs glittery stars from the ceiling of your living room. Because she insists on decorating your kitchen cupboards with piles of pretty plates that don't match and are impossible to stack... but you put up with them because you know each unique plate makes her smile. Because she is always finding "the perfect shot" and makes you wait and wait while she takes picture after picture... Because she writes you love messages on the insides of your undershirts. Because she goes a little crazy around Christmas time, making Christmas presents, Christmas decorations... Christmas cards...

Because she drags you to a graveyard to take Christmas card pictures. Because she pokes and prods and poses you. Because she asks "why can't you stand straighter" and "dont you know how to bend at the waist" and gets a little bit bossy. Because you patiently pose and smile even though, no, you don't know how to pose like a "J".

 

 

 

 

Because you made this year's Christmas card the best one yet. Because you fill her heart with joy and she likes to tell the world just how wonderful you are.


(PS If you didn't get Christmas card from us, it's just because we don't have your address.)

sock cards.

 

 

So, my amazing mother-in-law bought me new socks. They are so pretty and comfy and warm, my feet have been happy all day. So happy, in fact, that I decided to design a series of cards after my comfy, warm, and pretty new socks.

Mom #2, you knock my socks off! :)

freshly brewed life flyer

then and now.

December 13, 2008

December 13, 2009

 

When you're married to the most darling boy, life is like a fairytale...

Because he holds your hand wherever you go, and he never stops telling you how beautiful you are (even when you're not especially). Because he gives you piggy back rides when your feet get tired. Because he never-ever-never complains when you ask him, every single night, to get you a glass of water after he's already snuggled in bed. Because he prays for you every day. Because he always makes you a smoothie for breakfast and because he always does the dishes. Because he takes you fun places like Europe and Hawaii and Disney World. Because he knows how much you hate shopping and always does it for you. Because he gives you lots of kisses and they taste very good. Because he knows you better than anyone else and always gives the best surprises. Because he calls you his princess. Because he makes you laugh like no one else can. Because he is so handsome and his smile still gives you butterflies. Because he sings sweet songs in your ear when you're scared, and because he writes you romantic love letters. Because he loves being with you and tells you so. Because sometimes you can't believe how beautiful life has become, how blessed you are to have him.

Because he is your best friend and you love him more than you ever dreamed possible.

Dear Mom,

I lit candles in the living room the other night. Lots and lots of them. As I was lighting them, I told Timmy how you never ever let me have candles when I was growing up. He couldn't believe that and wondered why. I said I had no idea. I thought perhaps you had a traumatic experience with candles as a child.

And then, while I was happily putting out Christmas decorations, I dropped a tag into one of my candles. And it started on fire. Timmy had to put it out.

And then, as I was intently situating holly berries on the mantle, I tipped three candles over onto myself, all at once. I burned my tummy, ruined my shirt, and got wax all over the mantle and the hearth and the carpet. As I was sniffling in the bathroom, putting ice on my burns and apologizing for making such a huge waxy mess, Timmy hugged me close.

"I think I know why your mom never let you have candles." he said.

I have a very wise mother. Thank you.

Love,
Becki

P.S. Timmy is in charge of our candles from now on.

about the Pearl Harbor memorial.

The tour of the USS Arizona Memorial begins with a brief, but moving film relating the events leading up and following December 7, 1941. We were then ushered back outside and onto the ferry that would take us out to the memorial standing in the middle of the harbor.

The USS Arizona Memorial is a solemn, white structure, built over the untouched remains of the USS Arizona battleship. Huge open windows let sunlight filter onto the deck of the memorial, blue skies a stark contrast to the pure white walls. There are 21 windows in all, representing an eternal 21 gun salute over the fallen ship. To the left and right are the ship's turrets, painfully jutting out of the ocean. It is eerie and unnatural in appearance, a jarring break in the cool beauty of the water. Oil still seeps from the wreckage, "black tears" mourning a lost crew. And, under the murmuring waves, 1,102 fallen men lie, forever entombed in the bright turquoise waters. A small shrine at the end of the deck has just one window and is lined with the names of each soul whose life was cut short on December 7, 1941.

It was almost a relief to step back onto the ferry that would take us back to the docks. And the ride back was a little quieter than before, as each person pondered Pearl Harbor, thinking about their part of the story.

My grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was on the USS Nevada and was wounded during the attack. His part at Pearl Harbor altered the course of his whole life and, subsequently, mine. How curious that one event can hold the power to effect generations.

My grandpa died when I was just 11, an age where I couldn't truly begin to comprehend how noble of a man he was. I just knew him as my sweet, gentle Grandpa. Being at the Pearl Harbor Memorial brought back the ache of missing him, and the realization of all the reasons I have to be proud of the great man he was. How I wish that he was still alive today, so that I could honor him and thank him for his part at Pearl Harbor. As I stood on the deck of the USS Arizona Memorial, I paid tribute to the tragic death of thousands, and honored the very special life of one, my grandpa, Sydney Jameson.

wedding collage.

christmas cards for lizzy.

December is not the best month to do an outdoor photo shoot in Wisconsin. Brr!

But don't I just have the prettiest big sister?

Proudly presenting the Robinson family's custom designed, non-cliché, intentionally non-Christmas-colored Christmas card. Happy Christmas!

friday favorites - those eyes.

those blue, blue eyes. reflecting the christmas lights on our very first tree.

owl cards.

itty bitty preview of my newest line of cards.

a conversation.

Timmy: You are more beautiful than me.
Me: Well you are more handsome than me.
Timmy: No. What I mean to say is that you are more beautiful than I am handsome.
Me: That's not true.
Timmy: Yes, it is true. I'm afraid people see me as, well, a charity case.

about snorkeling.

Hanuama Bay is a glittering crescent, carved out hundreds of years ago by pools of boiling lava. The water is a dazzling jewel of turquoise, filled with rainbows of tropical fish and coral. We joined the crowds of tourists and flocked to the sunny bright bay, decked out in snorkel gear. Timmy and I held hands as we flippered out into the bright water and, on the count of three, we ducked out of this world and entered the world beneath the waves. The sound of waves faded into a soft hum, and all I could hear was my own breathing and the elusive whoosh of water and bubbles. I felt slippery and light, as if I had become part of the ocean. I saw mounds of dazzling pink coral, white shimmery sand, and clouds of beautiful fish. We danced among striped fish, fish that looked like a rainbow had smeared across their scales, and I even teased a puffer fish, in hopes it would become scared and puff up. I found a small crustacean, no bigger than my little toe, hiding in a small hole in the coral. Fish swam so close I could feel the ripple of their fins as they flitted away. (They seemed completely unafraid of us as we swam among them. I think perhaps they saw our flippers and thought we were one of them. Tim thinks they are just used to people, since Hanuama Bay gets 3,000 visitors PER DAY, every day of the year.) And then we would break to the surface, and the noises of our world and the sound of our own voices seemed deafening. We'd laugh and smile and talk about our discoveries as we cleared our masks. Then we'd slip back underneath the waves, dazzled. We spent three hours snorkeling, until our fingers were pruny and Timmy's teeth were chattering because he was so cold. (Yup, he got cold faster than me!) 

If you ever go to Hawaii, promise me that you'll visit Hanauma Bay. It is truly a magical place. 

about beaches.

Hawaii is full of beaches. Some beaches are created just for tourists, with sand as soft as talcum powder, brought in by the truckload. Barriers go up, softening the waves into gentle murmurs, and lifeguards guard the buoyed off waters, complete with nets to keep the sharks away. Those beaches are relaxing, full of people, and, just a little, boring. 

Real beaches are wet and tangy, refreshing and wild. The crash of waves and spray of saltwater is constant. The sand is coarse and littered with small pebbles and broken seashells. The water in the ocean changes color with the sky and it swirls in a myriad of delicious hues. Sometimes grey, sometimes green, and sometimes the most shimmering shade of turquoise you have ever seen. The waves pull up from the deep, forming giant whitecaps. Breathtaking and intimidating at the same time. 

Those waves hold the power to hypnotize and make your mind churn as they crack against the shore. Sometimes, as I stood in the water, with the water foaming in swirling fingers around my toes, beckoning me to slide deeper into it's depths, I could almost feel myself being drawn out to sea. And then I would jump back to the safety of dry sand, away from the brilliant depths, the power of the ocean making me dizzy with fear. Timmy would laugh at me, and assure my rapidly beating heart that undertows don't manifest themselves in water less than six inches deep. Hmm. I was not convinced and rarely went into water deeper than my ankles. 

But there is so much more to real beaches than water. 

Palm trees bend and creak in the never ceasing wind that catches your hair and tugs at your clothes. Crab families skitter amidst craggy rocks and snails group in clusters along the rim of the shoreline. Bright green seaweed drapes in wet ribbons and seashells can be found by digging into the cool sand. 

But, the rocks are my favorite. Holes and spouts and crags, pounded into more shapes than you knew existed by the relentless waves. Small pools of water, warm from the bright sunlight, form here and there, home to tiny fish and mussels (until a huge wave comes and pushes them back out to sea). Sharp rocks that poke through your sandals, and smooth rocks, rounded out until they gleam. Ledges, columns, and caves are roughly carved away. 

It is fascinating to see such wild beauty created from pounding force. I have never felt closer to nature than my moments spent with Timmy on real beaches in Hawaii. 

birthday thank you cards.

 

 (original photography by Laura Zastrow)

about hawaii.

Hawaii smells like saltwater and flowers. The air is sweet and warm, and constant breezes dance with groves of palm trees. The sunshine is so bright and the skies are so blue. The ocean really IS a shimmering pool of turquoise and jade, and sand really does stick to everything. When it rains, there are always rainbows, and it never really rains for long anyway. Waves are mesmerizing, and watching them rise and fall becomes addicting. Falling asleep to the sound of the ocean is God's perfect lullaby (especially when you're snuggled in bed with a handsome husband). 
 
The people of Hawaii are beautiful, laid back, and incredibly friendly. Homes and businesses lay among sprawling streets, dotted with countless surfers. Everyone greets you with a bright smile and "aloha!". (Hawaiians seem to have a ridiculous obsession with speed bumps. Huge, extra bumpy speed bumps. Speed bumps that jolt your car and flip flop your tummy. Everywhere.)
 
Hawaii has fruit in every color and shape. Starfruit, dragonfruit, pineapple, blackberries as big as my thumb, pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, mango, and guava. You have never tasted pineapple until you have had it in Hawaii. So sweet and perfectly ripe, dripping with juice. Mmmm.  
 
If there is a place like paradise on earth, Hawaii may just be it. It is intoxicating, pulling you into it's tropical depths and enchanting you with it's dazzling beauty. Time slows down as you find yourself just gazing at this new world, trying to absorb all it's radiant splendor. It fills your senses and captivates your heart. I feel like I'm still floating on a Hawaiian cloud.
 
Needless to say, our trip was nothing short of magical. (My very, very favorite part was having 100% Timmy Time for 8 whole days.)
 
More stories and photos to come. :) 

P.S. My birthday is tomorrow! 

learning to surf.

Today Timmy learned to surf. For $75 they give you a surf board and a super cool blue swim shirt, right after you sign a waiver, promising not to sue them if you die.

The sun was shining and the waves were high. Timmy was outfitted in his bright blue swim shirt, ready to rock. The surf instructor was big and blonde, tall and tan. I think the ground may have shook a little as he walked toward us.

Tim and Goliath shook hands. (Why do guys always, always shake hands when they meet?)

"Hey, what's your name?" says Goliath.
"Hey bro, my name's Tim!" says handsome, adorable husband.
"Tim," says Goliath,  "I'm Shawn. Your shirt is inside out and backwards."
 "Oh." says husband, turning a bright shade of red.

 

And then my amazing husband learned how to surf. He's a natural, as you can tell by the photos above.

We are having such a magical time in Hawaii. I can't wait to share more pictures and stories.