spring color tour

Spring has sprung in our corner of Manhattan. It means more to me than ever, after surviving snow, sleet, rain and freezing temperatures. Not that I could really experience anything outside our Bikram yoga-heated apt, but it looked really cold out there. Maggie has been adding green to our home, pacing succulents up our painted ladder.

And purchasing a Target lamp that you can fill with any ol thing you want. The colored pencils and china markers make me giggle everytime I cruise by.

To welcome Easter, she brought the outdoors in. Mmm, cherry blossoms smell so good.

I'm sewww good

I helped Maggie make a felt alphabet book spelling out her friend Katie's new baby's name. It's Emerson, but she goes by Sonny. So sweet!

We crafted animals to stand for every letter of her cute name.

It'll be a while before the baby reads as well as I do, but

with Katie as a Mom/talented stylist, Sonny may be sewing first.

GIFTed CARDS in the New York studio

Susie and me, working on the new necklace idea.

Maggie gets the charms from some hella cool guys who do Loyalty & Blood, sold at the Brooklyn Flea Market. {www.loyaltyandblood.com} Maggie creates a design for a card, incorporating the charm. Then she gives it over to Susie. Susie & I add a plain chain, or a chain with additional pieces, like beads, lockets or charms.

It's a great way to send a card that actually becomes a gift. You can easily take off the charm - and then without any tools - string the charm to the chain necklace. They call it a >>gifted card<<. I call it rad. (I'm a California cat, man. We say >>rad<<.)

Peace out, Patty

watching is helping

Here I am, helping Maggie hang clothes in her closet.

We live on the UWS and are very happy, watching the leaves fall. The holidays and lure of NYC bring visitors. Mostly the sisters of 'hello'. Today, Maggie and Susie are in the studio, getting ready for a craft fair. New York offers new resources. The Brooklyn Flea market, MAD the Museum of Art & Design, and central park for sure.

Now, I'm very cozy and feel myself dozing off. More soon.

Leaving Cali...

I'm spending my last few foggy days of summer in San Francisco and trading them for the high, high humidity of New York City. Maggie has landed a big job [and air conditioning] in the big [advertising] apple.

So now begins the journey. Patty-on-the-plane. I'll let you know how it goes...

The sisters will keep crafting, oh yeah. But they're bi coastal these days. The crafting keeps on, drawing inspiration from the east as well as the west. And I'll bear witness to it all. You'll see New York and the San Francisco creations through my eyes.

Just not through my medical bills - Maggie doesn't knit.

GO hello sister, GO!

Cartoon by Tim Collins, ~ever the muse!

I'm back