COLLABORATION WITH: NATALIE, Jed and Penny

Every tattoo collaboration and subsequent story is special but there are some that are, for me, unforgettable. Natalie's is one. Last summer, en route to Provincetown, I got her email while on a train to Boston. Between jolts on the train tracks I managed to send her photos of the designs from my phone, and the final file when I reached my destination. That was the summer of calligraphy by land and by sea. Natalie just sent along the photos and I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. I'm so moved by her story (and her dad's sweet words of wisdom). Perhaps it's because I'm at that age, but the anxiety-inducing conversation around "having it all" seems to be inescapable these days. It's nice to be inspired by people like Natalie who have chosen, instead, to have enough. 

In June of last year I made the decision to close my business of 7 years to be a full-time Mum. It was an absolutely gut-wrenching decision but after juggling both for almost two years and feeling constantly torn, something had to give.

My bricks-and-mortar baby would forever run a distant second to my flesh-and-blood baby, so I chose to let go of the business and take my life in the direction of calm simplicity. A huge change for me, and a time that I felt needed a permanent marker.

The words are my Dad's paraphrased version of the Desiderata. He says them quietly in my ear with every big, reassuring Dad hug that he gives. He is my ever-supportive voice of reason, always sharing his pearls of wisdom.

I was on a wait-list for my tattoo artist and got a call sooner than I'd expected. As I sat down to email the studio, it happened that all the type-tatt images I was about to send as examples had been penned by Neither Snow. Despite my appointment being in three days time, I figured I'd email Mara instead! 

From her train seat on her way to Boston she emailed and, working with the 15-hour time difference, was able to get my words ready for inking.

Mara did the most perfect job for this perfectionist. I wear my words proudly, their placement reminding me to 'go easy' twice a day - just after breakfast and just before bed as I brush my teeth!

Thanks to Jed at Holdfast Tattoo in Perth, Western Australia for interpreting the work so well, and to photographer Penny Lane for the stunning photos. And most of all, to Natalie. 

FLORENTINE VALENTINE

Eeek! Eeek! Eeek! I'm hopping up and down excited to announce that Betty and I will be leading a little workshop at the British Institute of Florence on January 29th. We'll teach a little lesson on modern calligraphy and spend the evening drinking wine and making valentines in the Institute's big, beautiful library. The event is co-sponsored by my home away from home, &companyshop. Please stop by if you're in town! XO

The Reconstructionists

I let out an audible gasp/sob/yelp when I saw this collaboration, The Reconstructionists, between three of my heroes, Lisa Congdon, Maria Popova and Kelli Anderson. Every week this year they are celebrating remarkable women who have changed the world. Just when I thought I could get a handle on the talent of this trio they go do something like this that multiplies their awesomeness by infinity.  I'm going to resist screenshotting it. It seems they want to avoid that. Just go. At once. More about it:

"The project borrows its title from Anaïs Nin, one of the 52 female icons, who wrote of “woman's role in the reconstruction of the world” in a poetic 1944 diary entry — a sentiment that encapsulates the heart of what this undertaking is about: women who have reconstructed, in ways big and small, famous and infamous, timeless and timely, our understanding of ourselves, the world, and our place in it."

COLLABORATION WITH: LAUREN, TODD & LISA

Lauren sent along these snaps of her final tattoo honoring her two children. I think the location of this tattoo -- on an abdomen -- is a first. I love the way it turned out. Here's Lauren's moving story, which may resonate with many women: 

It's always been my dream to be a mother. I married the most wonderful man and we decided to start a family, only to find out that it wasn't going to be easy. The doctors told my husband and me that we would never be able to have children on our own. Our only option was IVF. We continued to pray for a child, but after so many let downs, we decided to make an appointment to start IVF. 
That morning, I woke up and decided to take one more test (just to make sure)... and it was positive. I was pregnant with our son, and we named him Levi, which means "joined together with God." 
When Levi was 5 months old, I was putting him to sleep for the night and praying over him, when I heard the Lord tell me, "Her name is Zoe." I had no idea what or who he was talking about, but I remembered thinking, "okay... well... good for her." Two months later I felt a little sick so I decided to take another pregnancy test... and it was positive. Again. Once we found out she was a girl, I told my husband about that night in Levi's room. His first question was, "What does Zoe mean?" So we looked it up. 
Zoe is Greek for "abundant life." It appears in John 10:10 - "The thief comes comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." The Lord is good. He wants us to have life with Levi, and abundant life with Zoe. 
I wanted this tattoo because it's my story, my heart.

I decided to place it on my ribs to symbolize how woman was made out of the rib of man, and I wanted to the tattoo to end with a needle piercing the mother's womb (so my tattoo artist added that for me)  to symbolize Psalm 139:13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." 
That's my story. I adore my tattoo. Thank you with everything I am for capturing exactly what I wanted.

Thank you to Lauren and tattoo artist Todd Wilson (Anderson, SC) and photographer Lisa Warsham. As always, you can find images of my portfolio of tattoos here.

LACE IN BERLIN

Over the holidays we visited Berlin. It was cold and dark, but still no less charming than the last time I visited. This time around I spent a lot of time in museums (of Communication, Egyptian art, East Berlin). My favorite, by far, was the Gemäldegalerie, which specializes in my favorite period, 13th through 18th century European art. What a treat to spend hours taking in Vermeer's light, Bruegel's chaos (do you know this painting? It was all I could do not to press my face into the protective glass.), Claesz's stil lifes, the intricate red threads of Hans Holbein, the way Botticelli renders hair. Days, weeks could be spent in this collection. I'm working on some projects around lace and the galleries were chock full of inspiration. The collars and cuffs are so intricate and careful. From top to bottom, the work of Peter Codde, Jan Anthonisz van Ravesteyn, Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy, Werner J. van den Valckert and Frans Hals (final two). I am amazed and fascinated by how artists can render such delicate patterns, and all with gradations of white and gray. 

MEXICO MENUS

A while back on Oh So Beautiful Paper, Nolé featured these menus I created with Amber Moon of Pitbulls and Posies and Jill LaFleur for Jose Villa's 2011 (gulp) Mexico workshop. As always, it was a blast creating them with this talented team of folks.  

{Photos by Jose Villa}

INDEED, DANA

Hero and bottomless source of inspiration Dana Tanamachi stole my heart with her new year's resoltuion, as featured on Design*Sponge. And have you purchased one of her prints above yet?

{via Design*Sponge and Dana Tanamachi}

COLLABORATION WITH: TOM, RAOUL & JESS

 

Tom Basson, who is a pastor in South Africa, sent along these photos of the tattoo we worked on together, and I'm moved as always to share his tattoo story. He writes: 

I really want my life to count for something greater than myself. And I really believe that if I want my life to matter, than I must learn to live into the things that matter to God. Of course, that begs the question, "What maters to God?", to which the ancient scriptures respond "To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly."For me, these three statements become a vision statement for my life.

DO JUSTICE - That everyday I would fight for the cause of justice in this world: to be a voice for those who have no voice; to stand up for those who cannot stand at all; and to help those less fortunate than myself.

LOVE MERCY - To love those around me wholeheartedly; to extend grace and forgiveness, acknowledging my own deep need for grace and mercy.

WALK HUMBLY - That I would learn to carry humility with me wherever I go and accept the opinions and beliefs of others without judgement or a false sense of self-righteousness.

DO LOVE WALK.

There are a couple of things that I've been struck by with my tattoo clients, and it is how often they embark on the process as a way to remind them of something that is greater than themselves. I'm surprised at how their their stories always remind me of the same thing. Thanks, Tom, Raoul & Jess!

PARIS

Last week I found myself in Paris for a whirlwind visit with friends, and to take in two concerts thanks to the impossibly generous and delightful K & M. It was an awfully special trip as Andrew and I got engaged in Paris four years ago. It's hard to find any fault with the city, but if there's one thing that frustrates me it is the feeling I panic I have whenever I get lost. It isn't a romantic, "ooh, I'm wandering the streets of Paris" lost. It's a "dearlord I onlyhave48hours in the city and everymomentspent walking down this interminably long boulevard isanotherminute spent away from themost delicious pastry/most beautiful painting/most incredible vintage market/most inspiringartisan" sort of anxiety. I spent an entire day actually acquainting myself with the Latin Quarter, not visiting any of the shops, so the next day I could return and would know exactly where to go. This, it turns out, helped a great deal.

In no particular order we visited with our adorable friends and hosts Chris and Charles who always greet us with lively conversation and quite the spread in their comfortable home; scarfed down pastries at Du Pain et Des Idees twice (my favorite part of their website is that they include the sound of the bakery. My heart melts and sometimes I just keep in on in the background while I work). I saw this terrific wrought iron door at a nearby school); had a duck extravaganza at Au Petit Sud Ouest; paid the obligatory visit to Deroylle; saw Mozart L'Egyptien, and then Artaserse, a late Baroque opera with five countertenors (including the incomparable Philiippe). For me, the conductor of the show, Diego Fasolis, stole the show. I can't find any good videos of him conducting but he is worth seeing live if you ever have the chance. And lastly, thanks to Betty, I spent a few hours gabbing and crafting with Simone, creator of Edition Poschette who embodies the Parisian fairy you've always wanted to meet (and whose apartment I covet). I'll do a separate post on her off the charts creations but in the meantime, you must check out her site. And then Berln for the holidays. Any suggestions? Want to meet up? Phew!

PARADISE

I'll resume regularly scheduled posting soon, but for now I'd like to acknowledge the recent tragic and heartbreaking events in Connecticut. I was especially moved by this video with compassionate words from Emilie Parker's father. Emilie was one of the six year-old victims. In it, he describes her love of handmade letterwriting and cardmaking. We can only wonder where this passion might have taken Emilie in life. At dinner tonight Andrew was reminded of this passage from Italian poet Dante Alighieri, and it felt right.