honest to mom

my favorite bike contest is...back! yes another chance to win!!

2009-08-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

click here for me to have a chance to win and you can do the same for yourself too.

hey ....is that guy my husband??

hey ....is that guy my husband??

I wish...cause I would already be cruisin' down Hope St in Providence

life sized art

2009-08-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

Galliano made this amazing piece of artwork earlier this summer and I have been meaning to document it. So here it is. It is amazing in part because of how he made it and also because it turned out to look really nice.

He asked me for some brown bags and some glue. He started ripping pieces up and laid out his pieces to make a person and then he glued it all together. He then took a marker and drew a few details, a face, nails on the hands, toes on the feet and a belly button. The proportions turned out great! Then he proceeded to make a horse for his person to ride on which is pretty darn good as well. (gotta post that pic too)

India Point Park, Providence, RI

2009-07-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

A fun park in Providence located along the water.

summer reading

2009-07-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

We have certainly taken full advantage of our public library this summer, which is less than 3 blocks away. The rain has prompted lots of reading and movies this summer. I am getting so used to the rain that I think I could live in Seattle! Sunny days seem unusually these days.

i wan dhat (camera)

2009-07-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

mia

I am in love with a bike!!

2009-06-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

This Looks Amazingly Fun! I want one.
MADSEN Cargo Bikes

Check out this bike and I guarantee that you will want one too.

MADSEN Cargo Bikes

car talk

2009-06-13T06:39:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, me, mom, and the two littles were parked in a spot, waiting for dad. We were picking him up at the studio and he still had some clean-up to do before he could leave. So we were just sitting there waiting and chatting. And as I am looking around and people watching out the window...Gali tells me that he was putting his hands in his mouth and that Mia was doing the same. It is normal for the 18 month-old to be chewing on her hands but the four-year-old? There was silence and then and huge GASP (filled with surprise). Galliano exclaimed, "My hand has salt on it!" I started laughing and then I look in the back seat and I see Gali licking Mia's hand. Then he says, "Mia's hand has salt on it too!!" I think he was pleasantly surprised since he is a big fan of salt on just about every thing he eats.
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Some other funny 4-year-old talk:

"Mommy, I am watch-y" (as in I want to watch a movie or show)
"Mommy, I am read-Y" (as in I want to read books)
"I have allergies with all vegetables and all things mommy and daddy eat"
"Dad, I have a hicking up and it's stopping my voice"
"In heaven, is there going to be lots of pajamas?"
"I like smellin the sauce of the garlic" (while helping make pizza)
"For Africa, we do every morning" (?????)
"Can you hold me, cause I don't feel like walkin?"
"I have LOTS of parts inside my body" (he told me this after I told him he couldn't eat more b/c dinner was being made)

enjoying my girl

2009-05-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been trying to treasure my time with my 19month old Mia and it has been working! The stage she is in, is undeniably cute and continues to melt my heart. Maybe the weather has lifted my mood a bit but I am tired of mothering being so difficult. So I am shutting out the "responsibilities" and setting aside what I want to accomplish and just giving in to playing with the littles. It has been working out great. I am enjoying my kids more and feel less weighted down. The laundry will get done some how. Maybe magically or ...when my mom comes to visit.

This morning Mia and I had the entire morning together until Galliano got out of school at 2pm.

We had an adventure....gave her a good breakfast and she was happy ready to go.

start of the day.

We went to the Providence Place Mall down town...and we went right to the piercing pagoda. Basically it was like 1, 2, 3 easy. She pointed to the star earrings that were kind of huge, so I picked littler triple-star shaped earrings. She sat on my lap with a berry smoothie in hand. The nice girl who worked there put dots to mark the spots on her ears and then she pierced the left ear. Mia did NOT cry. I was amazed. She may have been in shock. Then the right...and she started to cry but not even a very big cry at all. I was easily able to distract her and we walked off hand in hand both wearing earrings! so fun.

We of course stopped at the studio for daddy to see on the way home.

end of the day.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

2009-05-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

where I would like to be

where I usually am

the view from our house after kid-bedtime

ahhhh a day to rest
Wishing myself and all mothers some peace and quiet today!

RISD Beach

2009-05-05T23:55:00.001-07:00

Recently we went with friends to the RISD farm which is a farm and then goes out to the beach. We happened to go on a very windy day and one of the first sunny warmish days we have had this season. It also had rained the day before so there were some BIG puddles. Galliano fell in one puddle in the first 10minutes we were there! Thankfully I had some "emergency" clothes in the trunk and we borrowed our little friends boots. I knew that Eagles sweatsuit was good for something. Once we got to the beach, Mia and Gali loved it. Especially Mia. She was in awe and wonder. So cool to see her discovery of a new world. It was also a good landscape distraction for me and I got to take some nice photos. Hopefully we will go to the beach many more times this summer since we live so close.

Benders Caffe

2009-05-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

mmmmmm ......a very good latte can be found at Benders Caffe in downtown Providence on Weybossett St.

A couple of times a week I stop in with the kids and meet up with Rubens while he is on a break from class or the studio. The best part is that we support not only our friends Chris and Julie, who own it but also Benders is the only certified "green" cafe in Rhode Island. They recycle everything in the place, even bringing food scraps to a pigfarm. Great food and drinks too!

The kids love meeting dad here.

Let's Change the Room around Again!

2009-05-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

I have this habit, I don't know if good or bad of changing things around all the time. I have done this since I was small. I remember changing things around my room as a girl and even moving furniture that was way too heavy for me. I do it now, partially to make better use of the space and in part because I have to something creative. The kids can be around and be apart of it. Galliano loves when we change furniture around and he has suggestions on how he wants it. It's fun!

The newest change is in his and Mia's room. We hung some airplanes (Gali helped put them together) and we put up three posters. It looks good. My theory about changing things around is that each time I do it, it improves the space.

Drawing Time

2009-05-05T22:19:00.001-07:00

Mia and Gali look so calm and content drawing on our kitchen floor.

so concentrated!

RISD Museum Class Trip

2009-05-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

Went on a class trip with Galliano and his nursery school friends to the RISD Museum. It was very cute to see the kids in the museum. My favorite moment was when Gali's friend (boy) runs up to Gali and says "quick, come see this painting it has a guy dressed like a soldier in it!" so the two of them run over to the big painting. I follow out of curiosity and sure enough there was a soldier guy...directly next to a woman with the top of her dress torn with breasts hanging out. The boys took no notice whatsoever in her, and went on and on about the soldier and his sword. It made me chuckle and savor this time of their innocence.

Anyway, when we got home later, Galliano decided to build a museum with his legos and I was impressed!

this week is a trip to the fire station and hope to remember my camera this time.

Ella Sings Gershwin

2009-04-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Today we were listening to Ella Fitzgerald on vinyl and Gali (4yr-old) said: "mom, is this 'missin' music?"...
She always creates a mood. It was good listening to some good music and play'n cars with the two littles!

"There are two kinds of blues...happy blues and sad blues..." Ella

4-yr-old conversation

2009-04-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Galliano asked grandmom today if she would ever wear a boy dress. I said, "what is that?" He said, "when boys mix up into girls and girls wear boy dresses." So I told him that sometimes boys wear skirts called kilts, like in Scotland and other places. He then told me, "yeah and sometimes people go to bed with quilts."

Cousins Coloring Calmly with Grandmom. Cool

2009-04-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

this is the "I'm working..."face

Aidan is calculating his ester pikter

Grandmom in her glory, with all four of her grandkids

Kaia loves sparkle-y glue (who doesn't)

Mia is including herself by opening and closing the crayon box.

Fun times with G-mom before during her Easter visit 09

Easter - the hunt is on

2009-04-13T09:45:00.001-07:00

Crying craziness

2009-04-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

There is a little phrase in Portuguese that says tadinha meaning "poor little..." This "poor little" girl has been crying for about a week straight. So we say awwwe tadinha Mia. She is teething and is in pain and wants to be held. Yeah, insanity for me, the mom. This little face has been looking at me and clinging to me 24/7 and literally wants to be attached to me day and night. As I am writing she was sitting with me and in the last minute has become distracted by a plastic toy ring on the floor so I am quickly finishing up. Just to write...tadinha de mim. Awwe "poor me" (with the 18 m-old leeched on to me)!! And as difficult as it is I know I will miss it when she stops.

Finished the Rocket

2009-04-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Galliano decided to paint his entire block-rocket, black. Good choice, I think. Powerful. vvvvroom!

my endless search for the world's most incredible sewing machine for really cheap and rockets

2009-04-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

I have been looking, although not intensely, for the "perfect" sewing machine. It has been about 6 to 9months. I have found some nice machines online but I have the lemon fear. I bought a brand new Volkswagen Jetta in 1999 and it turned out to be a complete lemon. By the time I figured it out, it was too late to legally get my $$ back. so...I think I have a fear of buying a sewing machine that will end up being the same type of deal. I also really want a great machine! A machine that will not break if I use it a lot, sewing just about any material, even a soda can. I have been looking on eBay and I saw pictures of an industrial machine sewing soda cans. I wanted that one but it cost too much. ...But I did finally "put a bid" as they say on a Viking sewing machine which seems to have a good reputation. here is the one So if you know about machines and want to give me some input, it would be greatly appreciated. The last time I bought a sewing machine was in like 1998 or something and I hastily bought it without having done research. It is a terrible machine that barely ran correctly that is sitting in my closet, broken. I am excited to get one sometime though, and I have been dreaming about some projects I want to do.
Today: To fill my creative void I offered to my 4-yr-old son Galliano to build a rocket from his wooden blocks and then glue them together and then paint it. He loved the idea. He built one and I built three. It was fun. I may regret later using his nice building blocks to do this or I may have saved a little money. Creativity in 2009 is necessary, right? So tomorrow we will paint and I will post some pics.

Street Style

2009-01-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

http://www.style-arena.jp/

REUSE

2008-11-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

2008-11-02T05:30:00.001-08:00

trip to Trader Joe's RI opening weekend
Warwick, RI -
Nov 1, 2008

Gali has a used spiderman shirt that we got at Saver's(thrift store) about 15 minutes before we went to Trader Joe's. So in the grocery store he walked around showing everyone his shirt and telling me he wanted to show his shirt to people! Mia was starving and grabbing at everything she saw, almost falling out of the cart until I opened some crackers to give her. She got covered in "slime" aka baby drool.
It was a fun trip reminding me of our old Trader Joe's in Jenkintown/Abington, PA. So of course by the time I left I was a little homesick.

new post of old (a few months ago) peice

2008-07-28T06:10:00.001-07:00

approx 4ft by 5ft

summer 08 in RI

2008-07-19T04:49:00.000-07:00

...just a couple of shots of our summer so far...I am really going to try to post more and more often.....

flight pattern #1

2008-05-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd February 13th Birthday to Galliano !

2008-02-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

SUPER HERO

BIG BROTHER BABY
(who is supposed to have that pacifier?)

COMEDIAN/CHARMER

DJ GALI

BEST FRIEND

love you,
mommy

someone has been using our bathroom

2008-02-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

I know, I don't make a post for years and then.... this

2007-12-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

A Favorite Family

2007-12-24T12:05:00.000-08:00

There is nothing better during this time of year, than spending time with family. My big brother and his family are the best! We got to see them for a few days, during which we all were dealing with sickness and cranky kids. But in the midst of tiredness and crowded house I still love it. It really is an awesome thing to see families grow and change and support one another. Praise God. I am thankful!

a few new drawings

2007-12-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

I have more of these types of drawings but just posted a few. I am building on these and not sure where it will go but so far I am happy with them.

MOM?

2007-12-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I think this blog may be on its way to becoming a mom blog which I really don't want to happen but ...since my current life is 24 hrs a day of being a mother to a two and a half year old and an infant ( born a month and a half ago) Most of my time consists of nursing, changing diapers, cleaning up, cooking, disciplining, answering questions, playing with toys/teaching......all mom activities. You can throw in a few hours each week for me to run out and do something by myself, usually shopping for something we need. I need to get to the studio.........

...here you see me with, yes, a diaper ("pull-up" for those of you who are familiar), on my head. I have learned that if I somehow make my son, who is 2 laugh, then he will agree to change his diaper ("pull-up")

Did I mention he is 2? Well....he is really almost 3 years old and probably should be potty trained, but as you see here this is as far as we have gotten with the potty seat.

Can you tell we are related?

new pics of baby mia

2007-11-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

this has been her bed most of the time

with mom

cry (daddy loves it, especially around 3am)

sleeping at the coffee shop

home from Children's hospital after treatment for RSV ( she's feeling better)

my dream

2007-08-08T10:29:00.001-07:00

to have a washer and dryer in my house/apartment...............hauling laundry out of the house to another place and back again takes entirely too much time out of my life

"Haircut Place"

2007-08-05T18:40:00.001-07:00

To me it seems kind of ridiculous to go to a hairdresser for a two year old to get a haircut. I have been cutting friends' hair since high school so you would think it would be no problem to cut my own son's hair. Not the case. Once, I cut his hair when he was around one years old. It worked ok although I had to do it without him really knowing. The next time, my husband cut Gali's hair on the sly while I distracted him with bubbles and it was kind of dangerous. Whenever he realized we were trying to cut his hair he would madly swat his hands around in the air yelling no no. So now we opt for a kid's salon in Chestnut Hill, PA (Cookie Cutters). He loves it. He sits in a kid's size toy car, watches a movie that he picks out, and at the end gets a lolipop. He talks about the "haircut place" quite often and Rubens and I are happy to fork out 20 bucks for a peaceful quick haircut.

master sculptor

2007-08-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

toy donkey is a major part of the process

my relationship with country music

2007-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

I don't really have enough time to talk fully about my relationship to country music but what I will say is that there is some alt country (I think that is what it is called) that I like.

My friend Jeff Dernlan plays music, which is considered country or alternative country, and I like it also. Here is his debut video.

Beach

2007-07-04T05:51:00.001-07:00

Gali's House

2007-05-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Rubens and Galliano under the bistro table/Gali's house.

Sketches I have been working on....

2007-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

these two are charcoal pencil on fabric, in a fabric sample book

The next images are a combination of drawing/collage

let me know what you think

Studio time

2007-04-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

I spent some time in my studio, today and I decided to take some pictures of the space to show where I get to do some of my art now. It is a pretty large space that I share with another girl, yvonne. I am hoping to make good use of the space to do some installation work but for now I have been doing some collages and drawings. I am so thankful to have this place to work in and to be amongst other artists who are like minded in faith and heart. The church that houses us artists is extremely generous to share their building with us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBENS

2007-03-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love my husband very much and wish him a joyful and healthy new year of life. Thank God for the last year. Happy 32nd!

drawing by Rubens Q. Ghenov

OPEN STUDIOS/ART AUCTION

2007-03-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

HAPPENING ...THIS FRIDAY NIGHT MARCH 23RD 7pm
AT... 22ND AND MT. VERNON, PHILADELPHIA, PA
There are several artists who have studios at this unconventional location, Olivet Church. Thus the spot has become known to us artists and friends as the church studios. Many of the artists are donating work for the auction this year and some will be showing some work as well. Rubens, my husband along with friend Mark Allard will be spinning music on the turntables. There will be food and lots of people hanging out for the night. It should be a fun event.

so......midnight we can celebrate someone's 32nd birthday!!!!! Happy birthday Rubens, March 24th!

galliano's prebirthday celebration

2007-03-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

I thought it should be shown, that before Gali's big party we had a little family celebration with a bran muffin. Gali loved it!.......and then we did some coloring.

Gali did some experimentation with the black marker. I think he may have thought we were going to attend some sporting event later that night.

Galliano and Bella (and Papai's white shoes)

2007-03-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

sparrow

2007-03-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

2007-03-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

bird

2007-03-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

Elmo vs. Galliano

2006-12-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

The match between Gali and Elmo, this past week, was pretty intense...

Here is Gali, after "pinning" Elmo. You can see Elmo in the back right side of the picture (face down)

Here we are celebrating the victory at home

until.........

the guilt set in and while Rubens and I were still celebrating, Gali started crying for Elmo.

In the end....I'm so glad we have a strong yet sensitive boy!

playgroup redux

2006-12-13T08:58:00.000-08:00


playgroup redux

back in the day

2006-10-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

this used to be one of my favorite songs by the cure.
this is really just a test to post a video.

2006-09-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

bow

2006-08-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

........I have been thinking alot about rainbows in relation to some artwork I want to make....black and white rainbows.......I am using the blog to help me work out some ideas to the point where some art emerges....so anyway this post and the next few are sort of sketchbook like..but still feel free to comment

An poem of William Wordsworth from 1802, "My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold The Rainbow", begins:
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!…

"Harpe de Lumière" photo by Georges Noblet
However, the Newtonian deconstruction of the rainbow is said to have provoked John Keats to lament in his poem "Lamia" in 1820:
Do not all charms fly
At the mere touch of cold philosophy?
There was an awful rainbow once in heaven:
We know her woof, her texture; she is given
In the dull catalogue of common things.
Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings,
Conquer all mysteries by rule and line,
Empty the haunted air, and gnomed mine –
Unweave a rainbow

God gave Noah the rainbow sign.
No more water, the fire next time!
-Anonymous,
Negro spiritual

Just like the falling rainbow,
Just like the stars in the sky,
Life should never feel small.
-Vearncombe

As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. Ezekiel 1:28

brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth

2006-07-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Galliano (17 months old) loves to brush his teeth especially with a brush partner.

One day Gali put his mouth on this dirty footstool in our apartment and Rubens saw him. Rubens immediately washed Gali's mouth and then helped him to brush his teeth. So Rubens brought him back to play and Gali started doing the same thing again knowing that he would get to brush his teeth! He did it the third time when we figured it out. We redirected him and stopped brushing his teeth. He is so funny and too cute.

2006-07-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

*************************************************************************

************Jill****************Jenn***************Lynne*****************

Tea shower

2006-07-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a bridal shower at our apartment for Jenn, my very good friend. After weeks of planning with Jill and the help of a few others, the day turned out well. Jenn was surprised and despite the heat we all had a good time. We had the apartment set up like a tea room (very girlie) and drank iced tea out of tea cups. It was fun.

The beautiful bride-to-be is the one wearing the white tank (to the right).

PEOPLE make the place

2006-04-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

A few pictures of some of the people who have visited this past month and a half.

two crazy latinos...one friend Carlos and my husband Rubens(the "hidden" one)

Paul, who we hadn't seen for a year and who our little 5 year old neighbor says looks like Bruce Lee.

Ayo, our neighbor and her cute daughter (asleep).

This is Little Bear and Rubens. Both multitalented.

Me and Ayo chatting away...It is always amazing when you know someone such a short time and connect with them so quickly. My new friend and I have alot in common we even used to work at the same place but at different times. God is funny the way He weaves our lives together. I have really enjoyed Ayo!

Me and my dear friend Jill trying to find a pizza place that delivers. We found a place that delivers $8 large pies but the pizza was a little tastless. That's what you get for 8 bucks. Jill was supposed to be in my wedding, a few years ago but she was too busy in Chile meeting that crazy latino guy. I guess I forgive her since they are married now!

Uncle Naldo and his favorite nephew.

My mother-in-law, who is asleep after some serious playing with her grandson and my brother-in-law Ronaldo(Ruben's bro).

Galliano is definately enjoying the pizza!!

Our Apartment Our Home

2006-04-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

So far I love our new apartment. It really feels like home. We moved in the middle of February and it seems like we have been living here for so long. We still have alot of decorating to do but for only being in Philly for about a month and a half it looks pretty good. We have even had much activity in the apartment with visitors. We have great neighbors upstairs...a young couple with two kids age five and two. Gali loves when they come to visit. He even cries sometimes when they have to go home. It is so cute. I will put some pictures of people hanging out later. I posted a couple of pictures of our "living room" It is probably the most finished so far as far as decorating is concerned. These are mostly so the fam in Providence can see and for anyone else interested.

Here is looking toward the doorway that enters the dining room.

This is when you come in the front door and look to the right. We have very high ceilings and huge windows. This room gets great afternoon sun.

Our plants are growing beautifully on the wide window sills (about 8" or so).

I'll show more later, as we do more and as I get better shots.

BEAUTY

2006-04-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

The simple but powerful beauty of nature always seems to make me rethink the idea of making art. I tend to think what is the point? ...all the most beautiful things of the earth already have been created. But maybe the creative "bug" we all have in some way or another is just a celebration of what already exists in life.

These pictures are so beautiful.

happy birthday BIN !!!!!

2006-03-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA (clap) .....
.....happy birthday to ahh yaa(clap)..HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AH YA! (clap)..
...........happy happy happy birthday to ya!

Wishing Rubens a most blessed birthday on the 24th. Welcome to thirty-one with love. This handsome husband of mine, not to mention the funniest in the world is truly the love of my life!! God is good. May He shower you with amazingness this year, Rubens. love, Lynne

happy birthday daddy......i love you more than toast.... and that's alot ..
love gali

my babies who never sleep

2006-03-19T19:29:00.000-08:00

one

two

three

....finally Gali got daddy to sleep......

São Paulo, Brazil shoe store

2006-03-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

I love this because it looks more like an installation you would see in a gallery than a store.

There was an article about the great city of São Paulo Brazil (my husband's homeland) recently in the New York Times, with some cool pictures of "new" spots in the city. This was one.
My experience visiting there was one of visiting lots of family, shopping, eating the best pizza in the world, but not a whole lot of sight seeing. Next time we go I am determined to see more art galleries and museums.