sketching john edwards' jury selection

Greensboro is in the national spotlight this week as jury selection begins for the trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards. I took the ten minute trip from my studio to the courtroom this morning to observe and sketch this stage of the judicial process.

sketchworthy service : everyone at mythos grill

Recently Edgar and I were discussing the fact that it had been a while since we'd posted about sketchworthy service. After giving it a bit of thought [it didn't take much] we realized it had been approximately nine months since our last post and, coincidentally, nine months since the babies were born. No wonder we hadn't posted about outstanding service...we've hardly left the house!

Going out with twin babies isn't the easiest. [I still haven't figured out the best way to fit two newborns in a shopping cart.] But, when I do get the opportunity, I appreciate good service all the more.

This is exactly the reason we enjoy going to Mythos Grill or 'to The Greeks' as Edgar tends to exclaim as we get in the car. [Yes, exclaim!] While the gyros, souvlaki, and baklava are top notch, it's the staff that keeps us going back. Every person...EVERY PERSON we've come in contact with at Mythos has been accommodating, courteous and super nice. Special kudos go to the owners, Eddie and Miranda Balla, and the young bus boy who wears skinny jeans at the Battleground location :D Jobs well done!

About this series : Having both spent our fair share of time employed in customer service, we really value meeting people working with the public who seem to genuinely care about their jobs and the people they come in contact with. We find that it's these individuals, not necessarily their products, that make us repeat customers. Occasionally we highlight these fine folks as we encounter them, believing excellent work should be noted, valued and appreciated.

drawing from life

We feel very fortunate to have our story and sketches featured in today's Go Triad.

Thank you Jennifer Bringle for taking the time to get to know us and describing our sketchbook's purpose so well!

If you found your way here through the News & Record/Go Triad, thank you for stopping by! We hope you enjoy what you find and will continue to drop in.

opening up at just be

Many, many thanks to all those who supported Just Be and Cabrera Creative by attending our workshop this past weekend. I can't describe how thrilling it is to meet with others whose passions match our own.

We would also like to send out a special thank you to Lauren Kelley Mack. Lauren was a student in the first studio I ever taught and has gone on to pursue a variety of design avenues with her talents in the years since: not the least of which is photography. Lauren was kind enough to capture the workshop for us with her camera. I've included a few of the images here, but hope you'll visit Lauren's blog to see more. And while you're there, stay a while: SO much inspiration in one place!

just be there!

In case you're wondering why we've been so distant lately...it's us, not you.

I promise :D

All joking aside, we've got more on our plate than usual this week as we prepare for the Illustrated Journaling Workshop this Sunday at Just Be. We're thrilled to have a full house/store! As of last check, however, there ARE a couple more seats if you're interested in attending. No drawing skills required, just enthusiasm!

Call 336-274-2212 to sign up!

a happy recap

Sharing the work we do doesn't always come easy.

I remember being very reluctant to start this blog a little over five years ago as I didn't know how I'd handle the criticism that was certain to come with going public. The internet can be a very mean place after all. This fear, however, was erased within my first week's worth of posts as I was introduced to an incredibly warm community of people who not only didn't tear me to shreds, but offered their unrelenting support.

But, while it's one thing to hang out behind a computer screen, it's another to stand by and attempt to sell your work in person. For many years this is something Edgar and I have both wanted to do, but ahhh, the pain to sit quietly and watch others mull over your work's [or in a sense, your] worth.

For this reason, this weekend's double dose of craft fairs ---The Greensboro First Friday Indie Market on Friday, and The Big Crafty in Asheville on Sunday--was a big hurdle for us. We tried to go into it with 'no expectations' but inside hoped we'd receive a fraction of the support that we've had the great fortune to meet online. Looking back over the past three days, we are once again in awe of the supportive community that surrounds us and humbled by the way in which our illustrations have been received. Trust me when I say that no kind word goes unheard, no smile overlooked.

I'm sure I speak for others out there when I say it is wonderful to have people connect with the thing you love to do most. For us it's not about the money, but the feeling that we are doing what we should be. Your gracious response to that which we put forward confirms this...and its a very good feeling.

Thank you so very much.

in other christmas news

We're pleased to share that our work was awarded 1st place in the Downtown Greensboro holiday magazine cover competition. It is certainly nice to be recognized for doing something we love in a town we've grown very fond of.

If you're unfamiliar with Greensboro, the red awning across the street in this illustration belongs to what used to be Woolworth five-and-dime [currently the International Civil Rights Museum]. It was in this building that in 1960 four young black men, who refused to budge from a whites-only lunch counter, launched the civil rights sit-in movement, dramatically changing the course of history for the better.

the basketball diaries

Tuesday: Louie and I got our butts kicked playing basketball at the Rec Center.

Wednesday: Prepared and seeking revenge, we returned to the Rec Center, only to find the court was already reserved for a dog-training class. Bummer.

the man behind the curtain

Another perspective of Friday night's Indie Market.

On another note, I want to let you know how thankful Edgar and I are for your continued readership. In the past, we've always tried to follow-up with every comment, visiting blogs and getting to know you better. Unfortunately, time doesn't allow for that right now. But, rest assured we take note of every comment we receive...follower we gain....and that your presence here inspires us beyond words and sketches! Thank you!

don't look now, but

Look inside this issue here.

our finest works of art

Last week we did something I've been wanting to do for a long, long time...sell our illustrations at a local market. We had a terrific time Friday evening gaining experience merchandising our work, meeting lots of nice folks, even discussing the occasional spotted banana.

But as fun as it was, it simply didn't compare to the joy of coming home to these little guys sleeping peacefully in their crib [even if the peace only lasted a few minutes]. I never knew that I could love two souls so much.

I also NEVER knew my heart could be so full.

introducing : a downtown affair

We're excited to share with you a NEW limited edition print inspired by summer nights spent downtown!

Find it now on Etsy or visit us [where else but downtown?] tonight at Greensboro's First Friday Indie Market on the corner of MLK and S. Elm. We'll be there from 4 to 9, rain or shine!

Hope to see you!

lessons in efficiency

WOW. I never could have predicted how busy things would be! But as a friend of mine who also recently had twins said, "time flies when you're feeding every three hours!"

Because our 'free' time is limited, we're making the most it. It's amazing how many loads of laundry I can fold and dishes I can unload in just 5 minutes. Beyond the housework, we're also tackling some ongoing design projects, including prep work for the upcoming First Friday Indie Market. Not only will we be selling our prints at this event, but we were also responsible for designing the poster to promote it. Here's a look:

If you live in or around Greensboro, I hope you'll join us at the event. We'd love to catch up...between feedings of course :D!

it's a snap

A few weeks ago I was introduced to a new iPhone app by a couple of my most app-savy friends [you know who you are]. Instagram! If you have an iPhone and haven't experienced this freebie yet, you've got to! It's so cool!!!! An extremely easy way to share snapshots of your day and see the colors that fill others' lives:

So you get an idea, here's a sampling of my week.

: rainbow sherbert = new obsession :

: new grass! thank goodness for a rainy week :

: lots of thank you notes! :

: a quiet saturday morning filled with nutella crepes! :

: even Wonder Woman needs a hand to hold on occasion :

Normally I'm not a huge fan of photo filters, but the ones included with this app seem to really work, transforming ordinary photos into something special. Already aboard the Instagram train or ready to join? Find us under the username anopensketchbook. We'd love to follow you!

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Oh, and one last one....featuring the latest print to show up in our shop!

: Edgar's fishy-fishy! :

sketchworthy service : cole @ wal-mart #3658

It's sad to say, but it isn't all that often you leave a big box store these days saying, "Wow, that was some incredible customer service!" Saturday we experienced the exception to this rule. While looking at goldfish in Wal-Mart, we were greeted by Cole, as sales-associate who was both very knowledgeable about fish [thank goodness or we'd have some belly-up] and extremely courteous. Cole took his time answering our many questions and made sure we had everything we needed to prep our new tank prior to leaving the store. He seemed personally invested in the success of our new project. A very refreshing experience!

About this series : Having both spent our fair share of time employed in customer service, we really value meeting people working with the public who seem to genuinely care about their jobs and the people they come in contact with. We find that it's these individuals, not necessarily their products, that make us repeat customers. Occasionally we highlight these fine folks as we encounter them, believing excellent work should be noted, valued and appreciated.

berenstain bears : revisited

Meant to share this earlier: a snapshot from Michael Berenstain's wonderfully inspiring talk last week. It was very interesting to see the cross-section of people attending the lecture. While I couldn't capture them all from my vantage point, there were grandparents, college students, moms, dads, teens and toddlers, all eager to hear the stories behind the bears and have their much-loved books signed by the author/artist. The appeal of this family of bears is universal.

Some notes from the lecture:
1) Draw inspiration from the people, things and moments that surround you.
2) Don't be afraid to adapt and change with time.
3) If something works, recycle it!

sketchworthy service: jeremy @ new garden nursery

For quite some time I've wanted to purchase a couple of Dwarf English Boxwoods for our yard. A few weeks ago I visited New Garden Landscaping and Nursery and, much to my surprise, all the shrubs were half-off...bingo! [I was probably the only person looking for plants in the middle of winter, but that's besides the point.]

As I searched the nursery in the bitter cold, Jeremy Warren stopped what he was working on and asked if I needed any help finding anything. I asked his advice on how to take care of my new shrubs and could tell he took pleasure talking about the plants. And, because he noticed how much I liked my little shrubs, he took time to show me another stash of english boxwoods under a tarp and picked the ones he thought looked good.

This all sounds like a pretty good customer service, but Jeremy went above and beyond. When he asked “Is there anything else I can help you with?” he showed true sincerity. Not only was he glad to help me, he wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed before heading home.

Jeremy made me feel welcome…as if I was in my own yard. What a cool guy!

Learn more about this series here.

sketchworthy service : darragh @ sherwin-williams

Having both spent our fair share of time employed in customer service, we really value meeting people working with the public who seem to genuinely care about their jobs and the people they come in contact with. We find that it's these individuals, not necessarily their products, that make us repeat customers. Starting today, we would like to introduce a new feature on this blog, occasionally highlighting these fine folks as we encounter them. Afterall, we feel that excellent work should be noted, valued and appreciated.

First up, Darragh, a salesman at the Sherwin-Williams on High Point Road in Greensboro. Last weekend we were in the store purchasing paint for the babies' room and he was so helpful. Not only did he help us make a budget-friendly selection, he expressed interest in our project and the pregnancy. It's such a nice feeling when someone is there to help, not just sell.

Want to take part in these posts of sketchworthy service? Feel free to use the comment section to note who you've encountered that deserves recognition, as well as where they work. Perhaps through the wonder of the world wide web, this public acknowledgement will get back to that person!

from key's barber shop to emma key's flat top grill

As Suzanne and I searched for a place to eat Friday evening, we were happy to discover that Key's Barber Shop on Walker Ave. has been transformed into Emma Key's Flat Top Grill... as well as the fact that the 1957 building's character has been both preserved and celebrated in this tasteful renovation.

Not to mention that the tuna melt and grilled cheese were on point!

bruegger's babies

We eat breakfast at the Bruegger's near our house so frequently [almost everyday during my 1st trimester when nothing else tasted right] that we've joked we're going to need to name our babies after our friends that work there: Travis and Blake.

Well this afternoon we go in for an ultrasound to find out if our two are Travis and Blake; Travisette and Blakeini; a combination of the two...or just bagels!

Wanna place a bet? If there are indeed bagels...what kind would they be?!?