the sojourn

Sisters are awesome.

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Hey that's no way to say goodbye...

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:41:00 +0000

Perhaps I was too hasty in saying goodbye. Evidently I have more to say. Just infrequently.

(Photo by Max Wanger)

On hiatus!

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:40:00 +0000

I'm taking a sojourn from "The Sojourn." If you want to talk for reals, please email me at alisaeve at yahoo dot com.

Lots of love.

At the end of the rainbow

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Long story short, we drove to the Bay area for my step-brother's wedding. Yes, 12+ hours both ways in a car. With a baby. Everyone, including Olivia, did very well.

After a long ride home last night, I was so happy to see that my sunflowers finally bloomed!

New Publication: Arts Learning In Oregon

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:49:00 +0000

I was thrilled when the Oregon Arts Commission asked me to write their 2009 monograph Connections: Arts Learning In Oregon, profiling arts education programs in Oregon. Coming from an arts background, not an education background, I was interested to learn why art is so important for children and how it actually helps young brains grow.

What I also found: Too often, art is seen as a specialty item to be cut when budgets are tight. That's a shame. Art is as important as math, reading, and running around on the windy playground.

Children & teens have an amazing capacity to learn and express themselves and our education system seems hell-bent on crushing that creativity as much as possible.

But, there is hope. The programs profiled have tremendous impact on students, whether their reach is large (Right Brain Initiative) or small (GreenStrings). Nonetheless, as we decide, as a culture, how our children should be educated, I strongly believe it should include art.

(Photo: Julie Keefe)

A Creative Malaise

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:48:00 +0000

I've been experiencing a bit of a creative downturn, a malaise if you will. Even if something pops into my head like, "I could decoupage that!" or "I'll make kitchen curtains out of these embroidered tea towels!" it is discouraging to then do the calculation: (time + effort= project completion?).

When my nieces were born, I went all-out for them in the craft department because I felt so inspired by their entry into the world. Kids are also very accepting of the imperfection of handmade items, so they are excellent patrons.

When I was pregnant, I kept waiting for the same inspiration to overtake me. But it never really did--or at least it manifested itself in other ways, for instance my obsessive organizing of the baby's closet.

As I wait for a full-blown creative wave, I'll start small just to help it along.

Step 1: Move desk out of nursery. I can't do my stuff in there when she's sleeping, which is the only time I have to do the stuff.

Step 2: Do one creative thing a day. Yesterday I used our cool new rubber stamps to make a label for Olivia's one-year memory box.

Step 3: Give self a break.

That's all I have for today.

Oh, this old thing?

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Watch out Portland! We've got our own Sartorialist roaming the streets. Put on your best outfit and maybe you'll get tagged... (Especially if you just happen to be lounging around Fresh Pot on Mississippi...)

Urban Weeds: Street Style From Portland blog

Happy Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:35:00 +0000

I've always thought that my dad was just the dad I needed--not perfect, but perfect enough. He was the kind of dad that would sit with you when you were sick or bring you a lunch if you forgot one (a really good lunch, too, with a sandwich, candy bar, and 7Up). I used to sit in his shop when I was seven or eight and ask him to explain the universe or the Stock Market. He could always get us to sleep by reading Old Man and the Sea. He said that I was just too softhearted for the world, but I think he was the ol' softie.

I miss him terribly since he's been in Alaska for so long. I want him here to be a grandpa to Olivia. Maybe someday.

Happy Father's Day Dad. xxoo

A little bit of Proust for your Friday...

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:06:00 +0000

“To elaborate on loss, to look for some insight in it, is not just what a psychologically mature person does, it’s how a person matures." -Dr. Laura A. King

I was watching a TV show yesterday (ok, it was Oprah) and they were discussing loss as a spiritual lesson. A woman was devastated that her business failed and one of the most significant things she said was "This wasn't what I imagined, this wasn't supposed to happen."

But isn't that life? Unexpected, unwelcome things happen and yet, that is when you really LIVE. That's when life becomes an opportunity. Too often, and I certainly do this, it is easier to concentrate on the injustice rather than the possibilities. Elaborating on loss, not ruminating and suffering is the only way of coming out of it (and you will come out of it) changed. As Proust said, "We are healed from suffering only by experiencing it to the full."

my baby!

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Fri, 22 May 2009 22:46:00 +0000

Here's a super cute picture of Olivia that I took last night:

She's such a good sleeper that usually she's in bed by 8:00PM. This picture, however, was her at 9:00PM, wide awake...

I went in for my annual today and was a bit dismayed that I actually weigh two pounds more now than before I got pregnant. I thought I weighed less. Perhaps it is all of the strawberry shortcake I've been shoving in my face.

Happy weekend!

I LOVE THIS

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:58:00 +0000

We've been looking for the perfect toothbrush holder and I think I've found it! Nothing like a little religious guilt to get you to brush your choppers!

(From Urban Outfitters)

Street Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:26:00 +0000

I've lived in Portland for so long, how did I miss hearing about this very cool program?: "Street Yoga gives youth and their caregivers the tools to overcome early life trauma, through the sharing of life-building mindfulness and wellness practices grounded in the ancient healing principles of yoga. We serve by helping them create a sense of true home in their own bodies, minds and communities."

This makes so much sense to me. Yoga is about body awareness and appreciation--concepts that probably take a backseat to everyday survival and fulfillment of basic needs. But if a person can have a moment of peace where their body is more than just the shell carried around all day, it must be worthwhile.

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Mon, 11 May 2009 04:00:00 +0000

I was shopping at Trader Joe's the other day while Olivia snoozed in her car seat perched on the top of cart. In the midst of the frozen food aisle, a woman came over and said, "Oh, what a beautiful baby!"

"Well I think so, but I'm just the mother," I said.

She looked at me and said, "Just the mother? That is a very important position to have."

So Happy Mother's Day to all of us.

Lately...

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Some images from my day:

It's Business Time

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:14:00 +0000

Even before we had Olivia, I'd heard about the myth of babies using the potty. I didn't know anyone who'd tried it and everyone in my circle of friends and sisters was suspicious.

Yet, I was curious.

The literature in support of "EC" (short for "elimination communication" or baby toileting) requires adherence to the attachment parenting to do list: breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing, cloth diapering, etc. If you are not doing all of the above, you will FAIL and then once again, here is an activity bound to make you feel bad about your parenting.

In reality, most of the parents I know follow a sort of cafeteria plan instead of a strict diet of Dr. Sears or any other parenting guru. That's my philosophy too, so I thought this toileting would simply become an opportunity to be peed on.

Nonetheless, after reading some books on EC and taking the good stuff and letting go of the others*, I took the baby potty plunge. I discovered right away that it doesn't take a genius or a baby whisperer to figure out when the baby needs to go poop. One evening, as Olivia was obviously ready for her evening constitution, we put her on the toilet and she did her business there.

Well that was easy, I thought.

I went out and bought a tiny white Baby Bjorn potty and we've been trying to use it when it seems like it's time to pee. After a bottle or before a bath seem to be good times. Just a few times a day. If she doesn't go, it's no big deal. When she does, and I don't have to clean up smeared poop from her behind, it's a really big deal.

And, I don't ever feel like a bad parent.

(*If you are interested in trying EC, I would not recommend this book. It's bound to bring your self confidence to a screeching halt. I liked this one much better with its more balanced approach.)

Exactly what I look like in the morning....

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:04:00 +0000

olivia in the a.m.

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:41:00 +0000

olivia in the a.m., originally uploaded by alisaeve.

It's a good thing her auntie is a hair dresser...

Anchored Down In Anchorage

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:22:00 +0000

I recently came across "Short Sharp Shocked" by Michelle Shocked after not hearing it for years. I remember riding in Sally Sparks' red Toyota in 1988 listening to her copy of the tape over and over. "Anchorage" still makes me a little misty. I'm completely in love with this sweet French boy singing a version in front of the Sacré Coeur:

Swimsuit Season is Upon Us!

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:04:00 +0000

I intend to make full use of my local public pool with Olivia this summer. However, I'm not quite ready to show my mummy-tummy, and thus the need for a good-looking one-piece bathing suit.

I'm inspired by the red suit Kate Winslet wore in Little Children:Hers was one-off, but I love the color and the understated hotness. Here's one by Jantzen that would also flatter the belly region and the cut is pure vintage:

I'd get this JCrew suit in black. I love the wrap front and cross-back:

Here's one by Victoria's Secret. Upon wearing, your supposed to feel a "slight compression." I guess it's like Spanx for swimwear:

Why is it that swimsuit models have such weird looks on their faces? The piping (more prononunced than Kate's) and internal shaping in this suit at ShapeFX could do wonders, but the model annoys.

We're A Contender!

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Lookie! Our house was picked as one of Apartment Therapy's Small Cool House contenders! Go and vote for us!

Dogs & Babies & Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Spring spring spring. I love it! Well, I loved the three days of spring before today when the weather turned cold again... At least we all had a stroll. Mister seemed tired after a while, so he got a lift home:

How many times have I uttered these words??

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:04:00 +0000

"Untitled (I told my therapist about you)"
by Mike Monteiro (available at 20x20 Art)

Twilight Examined

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:52:00 +0000

If you are of a certain age (over 15) this whole Twilight phenomenon may have passed you by. Short version: Love happens between high school girl and pretty boy vampire in small town Washington. While not a particularly new idea (Buffy, anyone?), Twilight is a totally different, uh, beast.

To be fair, I've never read the Twilight books but I did see the movie last night. Here are my thoughts:

1. These vampires and their oblivious human neighbors take themselves very seriously. No funny business, there's unironic brooding going on here.

2. Speaking of brooding, the scene where Edward and Bella meet in the science class was hilarious. I know we're supposed to believe that Edward is trying really hard not to suck her blood, (see photo above) but I couldn't help but hum the Andy Samberg classic, "Jizz in my pants."

3. And what about Ms. Kristen Stewart, graduate of the Mary Stuart Masterson school of breathless acting? "Oh, *gasp* Edward, I *sigh deeply* so totally *uh, suck in air* trust you!"

4. I love how Bella immediately deduces from Edward's pallor and show of superhuman strength that he must be a vampire. That is where I would go too.

5. I admit that it was impressive how they made running really fast through the woods not look retarded.

6. Why, if Edward is 200+ years old, would he fall for a gawky teen girl? One would think that he would want the company of a more mature woman (or say, one that is 36?).

7. Having been the new girl at school, I can attest to the fact that the entire student body DOES NOT know your name on the first day. Or any other subsequent day.

8. Is it me or is this a subtle abstinence film? Edward struggles to restrain himself from sucking the life out of our fair heroin (I mean heroine) , does that then automatically preclude sex? (Yet Bella's mom tells her to "Be safe," so are we to assume Bella's been around the block?)

Anyone else see this classic & wish to share?

Number Four With A Smile

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:18:00 +0000

Twice this past week, I dreamed I was in public without any underwear. In the first dream, I was in a bank wearing only a backless robe and when the security guard tried to stop me, I told him that I knew there was no law against being nude in a bank. In the second dream, I was in a ballet class with nothing beneath my tutu.

In my waking life, these would be nightmare scenarios. But as dreams, they signal my lack of shame about myself and willingness to be exposed. (Not like that!) I find myself at a moment in my life when all of the pieces fit together. I'm glad I'm aware of it now: Sometimes we don't know that everything is right until it's gone.

My best friend from middle school, Sharon, who I haven't seen since 1990 found me on Facebook the other day. She said, "You look happy." I thought, "Well I'll be goddamn! I am happy!" Not walking on sunshine happy, blissed out on Jesus happy, but content. Satisfied. Panties-free kinda happy.

In any event, perhaps this sense of exposure is also due to this very exciting announcement: annabelle magazine is now a blog! Instead of static issues, we're using the blog format to write timely pieces about our favorite topic: home! So head over to annabelle at home for your daily dose of design with some sass on the side.

Sweet dreams!

Past and Present

noreply@blogger.com (alisa) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I finally saw the documentary "Clearcut" about my hometown, Philomath, on Sundance. In the 22 years since I left Philomath, it seems that nothing has changed politically even while the population quadrupled and fields that once grew nothing but grass are now housing subdivisions. The struggle between the conservative religious right and their insistence on controling the liberal elements of the community has not changed since I lived there. It was there in my house as my ultra-conservative dad and ultra-liberal mom tried to keep it together through the Reagan years.

For those of you who don't know, until a few years ago, Philomath High School grads were given a no-strings scholarship in the amount of OSU's tuition to use at any college. The Clemens Foundation, the legacy of a timber baron for the children of his logger employees, funded the scholarships as well as the swimming pool my sisters and I learned to swim in, the track we ran on, and the fields our schools sat on. But something so pure can't last. The Foundation board used their money to try to control the actions and behaviors of the student body--a policy so antithetical to the spirit of the scholarship. It was sad to watch the right and left elements finally explode apart.

I'll always be nostaligic for the bucollic setting of my childhood, but I'm glad to be free of the politics.