Rescuing Bert

Man, we had a great morning.  --Completely unexpected considering V woke up in the middle of the night sad and crying, and then was up for good at 5:15 AM with a cold.

Violet spent much of the morning hiding her Bert (as in Ernie and Bert) in wooden A-B-C block towers.... and then having the mom or the dad from her dollhouse rescue him in very elaborate scenarios.
I don't know why I found this so funny and fascinating--  I just couldn't stop watching.
Is there something about being sick that brings a kid down to speed, just enough to have them focus in on imaginative play in this sort of loopy intense way?  That would explain all the awesome creative stuff she did while we were [sick for 10 weeks] in India...!  Or maybe it's just the general feeling of wanting to stay home and lay low that brings it out.
Anyway, whatever--  it's an awesome silver lining to her having a cold!

Hourglass Footwear and Dissertation Fun

First of all, sorry for the neglect everyone.  I realize I haven't typed a word since June, but there is good reason for that!  This seems to have become the summer of enormous endeavors!  Tyler is teaching four days a week at the university, PLUS is working like an army ant to get his dissertation done.
Do you know what writing a dissertation is like?
It's like nothing else.
...It's maybe a little like starting a business.
Which is another thing that is happening this summer (more on that in a second).

Writing a dissertation is this incredible process that involves research and original thought--
--so much to the point where you become a bit of an expert in your field of study
--so much to the point where you can (and are expected to) actually contribute something original and clever to the world of thought regarding your topic.  I don't think there are many of us who have ever actually contributed something completely original and new to this world in the way that you are expected to do when you write a dissertation.  It's nuts.  And he is working hard.  And I am proud of him.

Anyway... With Tyler WorkingWorkingWorking, I've been playing full time mommy this summer, and also trying to get a few other things done (which, with a 3 year old, is basically like trying to climb a tree while its being pruned of all its branches).  But that brings me to the other huge endeavor that is swirling around this summer....

...Let me introduce you once again (now with a full fledged running website,) to Hourglass Footwear.
This thing is happening, and let me warn you, it's BIG.  Lisa and Kira have done the most incredible job getting this thing going-- within our first week we've gotten tons of attention, even (today) an article in NW Beauty Magazine! We've all been painting our hearts out, and I am constantly in awe of my fellow artists.  These ladies are the tops.  Really, they are remarkable.
Here are a few of my own designs-- and keep your eyes open; there are more in the works!

Cat Scratch Fever

Garden Party

Put a Bird On It! 

Cherry Bomb

Kiss the Bride

Holly Golightly

With A Twist