Happy Easter!!

We worked hard getting ready for Easter this year!

I'm happy the kids are as obsessive about Easter eggs as I am. This year Solenn made a pretty design on paper and I used it as inspiration for my egg.

I used to make these Ukrainian eggs when I was a kid. I can't remember when or how we started making them. I don't remember learning how to do it. I'll have to ask my mom if she remembers. I used to loooove making them. I made Easter egg Christmas ornaments for my grandmother. I won the high school art award with an Easter egg my senior year (Go Rams!).

Anyway... now the kids love making them too. A few years ago I started looking around for supplies and I called around to some local craft stores. And got awesomely insulted. I'm still trying to think of a good comeback. And when I called one (which shall remain nameless, but starts with the letter M) I said, "Excuse me do you have Ukrainian egg decorating supplies? No? Do you know where I might be able to find them?"

I can still hear her answer in my head. A little scratchy and nasal.  "Ummm... maybe back in the 70's?"

Let me know if you have any good comebacks. I'll call them back up again now.

These are some of mine from this year and the last few years:

These are some of the kids':

Here's the store in New York where I eventually found supplies. No one mocked me there.
http://www.surmastore.com/pysanka.html

And here's how to do it:
http://www.learnpysanky.com/steps.html

Rollerblading

Yesterday we went to the playground and the girls grabbed a bike and a scooter. I grabbed my 20, haven't been touched in 19, year old roller blades. Yes, our garage is a disaster. We went off, and at the park I made the kids stand next to me so they could break my fall when I wiped out. The middle one said, "Oh, Mom, you'll be able to do it. You're great at everything you try." So uplifting! And yet... now I just have to wonder when that sweet loving image she has of me will someday (many many many years from now) be shattered.

Here's a sketch from the same park a couple of days earlier. Someone else's kids...

More exciting news!

I now have a Favicon!!!!

Also known as I now have oneofthosefunnylittlepicturesthatgoesupinthebrowsertabswiththenameofmywebpage!

I can't tell you how excited this makes me and I have no idea why!

So exciting. Here is is:

Impressive, right?!

Even more impressive... it's a "multi-resolution favicon"!

Now I know you must be really impressed.

If it's a "multi-resolution favicon" that means if there's just a tiny bit of space it will show up tiny, but with a little more space it will look bigger. And it will look good at different sizes- all the way from small to teensy tiny.

You should see it in the tab at the top of my blog! Let me know if it works! I also put it on my website, so you should see it on the tab at the top of my website too: http://www.anikmcgrory.com


First I tried to make it myself. I used these webpages to figure it out:

http://voices.yahoo.com/10-tips-making-effective-favicon-7979814.html?cat=59
http://www.onextrapixel.com/2010/10/06/pixel-art-create-a-better-favicon-for-your-website/
http://www.sketchpad.net/1pixelbrush.htm

I discovered it was very difficult to make a tiny-little-image-so-small-you-can-barely-see-it look good. I spent several hours (days?) working on it and then gave up and went here:

http://smoothdraw.com/product/freeware.htm

I downloaded SimplyIcon and then dragged and dropped, and voila: instant magic multi-resolution favicon!

Further instructions for making your own multi-resolution favicon (yes, I like saying that) by hand on photoshop can be found here:
 
http://www.ehow.com/how_6511844_create-icon-file.html

I gave up after following the directions on how to use SimplyIcon.

OK... Now I want to see all those multi-resolution favicons everyone's making after reading this!!! Favicon away! I do think it should be a verb now.

My new toy!

... is a wacom tablet. So I can draw straight into the computer. I think for me it will never replace a pencil and a sketchbook, but it sure is fun. Here's my first wacom sketch...

Do you see the little guy in the bottom left corner?

His name is Logo.

Creative aren't I?

I'm going to use him to put watermarks on my photos and sketches that I put on here.

Look, here he is again!

Do you see him?

Bottom right?

Allright, here he is big!

Edit:  Some more info. How to make a logo and turn it into a watermark...
I used mostly these 2 links to figure it out. I've never used illustrator before so it took me a while to figure out how to do anything. It's so different from photoshop!

this had some helpful basic illustrator stuff:
http://www.newthinktank.com/2010/07/adobe-illustrator-cs5-tutorial/

and this was very useful to learn about watermarks:
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/watermarking-your-photos-in-photoshop-7-and-cs-4881

Yes, definitely my child.

Breakfast at our house a few days ago.

And yes, that is her drinking glass she has turned into her brush rinsing glass. I am a good enough mom that I confirmed she had only drunk out if it before she had rinsed her brushes. Not after.

How has this come about?

My new morning routine. I've been reclaiming time. 5-7 every morning is mine. All mine.

The only problem?

The other early riser is... You guessed it... Carys.

Sleepy Sheepy (her nightlight/anti-alarm clock) tries to keep her in bed, but he doesn't always succeed. 

Hence, painting and breakfast.

This is a photo from the following morning pre breakfast...

She likes mine best.

I like hers best.

2 Books You Should Go Read

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
I randomly came across this at the library a while back. The audio version, which was terrific. I thought it might help me pull my self together! Do I look pulled together yet?? This book could change your life (my life?). I think. Also, even if it doesn't it's fascinating!

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt
2004. Newbery Honor. Printz Honor.
I don't know why I had never read this before. The kids and I finished it last night. The ending was a little rough. I think my just turned 8 year old may have been a little young. Maybe. This is a book that I think will stick with me for a long long time.