new! : summer illustration prints

We are happy to introduce two new prints this weekend: Under the Rose Tree and Summertime in the Park! They will be available exclusively at Just Be in Greensboro this Friday and at The Big Crafty in Asheville on Sunday.  Not near either of these places?  No worries... they will be available on Etsy next Wednesday, July 11!

meet the crawleys...and the buchanans?

The current obsession around our house: Downton Abbey! If you haven't seen this PBS Masterpiece Classic yet, consider it recommended. Love, love, love, love.

I believe what I enjoy the most about Downton Abbey is how the drama revolves around so many strong female characters, including three very different daughters. In fact, the Crawley family kind of reminds me of my own...minus their fancy titles, social standing, estate, servants, formalities....

What show can you not get enough of at the moment? We always love a new series, so suggestions on what to watch next greatly appreciated!

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!

illustrated journaling workshop in greensboro

We are SO excited about leading the first workshop of the year at Just Be and we'd love for you to join us if you're in the area!

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!

bear with me

I am SOOOO excited!!!!!! SOOOO excited.

After several days of having too little energy to even unfold the newspaper, I waddled to the curb late this afternoon to pick up today's edition and discovered some thrilling news!

Michael Berenstain, son of Jan and Stan Berenstain, the husband and wife team behind The Berenstain Bears, will be speaking at Elon University this Thursday! I've been a fan of Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister Bear for as long as I can remember. Reading these books with my mom are some of my best memories. And I know that studying the Bear Country drawings has certainly made an impact on what I do today and even the place in which I do it [check out this bear-inspired-post from a few years back].

According to the N&R, Michael, whose childhood was the fodder of many of the bear family stories, continues to write and illustrate new Berenstain Bears' stories along with his 87-year-old mother. He will speak about the importance of early literacy, as well as writing and editing for children.

If you live in the area and want to attend, you can find all the details here.

On another note, Happy Birthday to my own Sista' Bear, Addie!

for the record

If you live in the area, this sounds like a cool exhibit:


Thanks to Patrick for sharing this with me.