Midsummer

I'm in the home stretch with final artwork for Fort Building Time, so am in full blown mole mode at the moment. Life consists mostly of large quantities of iced coffee, zillions of podcasts and the occasional walk to get said iced coffee. Also, I've lately stumbled on the trick of listening to movie/television soundtracks while working (for times when music with lyrics is distracting). Speaking of which, any soundtrack recommendations?

And some Finding Wild news! I'm thrilled that Finding Wild made the Summer Kids' Indie Next List. And Finding Wild is also on Reading Rocket's Summer Reading Guide, a 2016 Bunk Reads selection and got a nice mention from the good folks at the TD Summer Reading Club. Confetti!

Happy Weekend!

Minty

Currently:

*I've developed a hobby an obsession with ice cream making. Mint chocolate has been my favorite so far, using this recipe and substituting 1/2 cup of maple syrup for the sugar. Of course this begs the question, fellow ice cream-ophiles: what's your favorite recipe?

* Lots of good news for Finding Wild! I'm tickled pink that the book is a part of Scholastic Teacher's 50 Sensational Books of Summer, on the SCBWI Summer Reading List and has received a starred review from Shelf Awareness. Jazz hands!

Farmhouse Flowers

I needed a break from the drafting table this afternoon, so took a couple minutes to mess about with a pattern.

I haven't had a chance to sew much this year, which I miss. But if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd turn the above into a sundress, pronto.

Measuring and Marking

My grandfather passed away last week. While he'd been in declining health, nothing was expected so soon and the news was a shock. Over the past few months, I'd been able to spend more time with my grandparents, giving me a wealth of memories and joy. I feel so very, very lucky to have had him in my life then and still.

As we've been taking care of things, I've been able to collect a few of his work tools. My grandfather was a civilian design engineer for the Navy, close to 30 years. I swear by his Eagle pencils and a small, homemade T-Square is quickly becoming my go-to for measuring.

And while I miss him profoundly, there's a joy and a connection that comes in giving his tools a new life.

Finding Wild

It's release day for

Finding Wild

!

Written by Megan Wagner Lloyd, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers and illustrated by me, it was a joy to illustrate. Thanks so much also to editor Julia Maguire and Nicole Gastonguay for the terrific art direction.

April

April in a nutshell:

*Tea to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday, complete with fancy hats, delectables and the host's delightful collection of royal memorabilia.

*More stitching/painting in between deadlines. I'm planning a shop update next month (more, later).

* A trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with friends. Despite the relative proximity, I never make it down to Boston (confession: I'm terrified of city driving). But thanks to the commuter rail out of Newburyport, the Green Line and traveling companions with a better navigational sense than my own, the trip was all smooth sailing.

* New episodes of Grantchester!

* And a visit from a brand new nephew. Which makes all in all for a pretty solid thirty days.

For the Love of Mother Earth

Find this (and two other designs I painted) available as a free digital download over on Spoonflower. Enjoy!