This week was busy, busy, busy, and next week is Spring Break! I did a lot of running around this week, but the highlight, by far, was finally meeting Lindsay of Black & Blonde. She’s my New York fashion blogger friend who just moved to Texas, and I was able to coordinate a coffee date with Donna of Discount Thief, too. The three of us are Blog Trends buddies, and now we are also neighbors in real life. So far, this year is turning out to be a wonderful time for making real-life connections via my blog, and it’s only going to get better. Here are a few things that caught my eye this week.
These photographs of a little girl by her father are really lovely. I could do without the last one, but it’s creative, nonetheless.
ROCO Magazine is back with its fourth edition, and you won’t be disappointed.
A new play about Texas’ beloved governor, Ann Richards, opens on Broadway this week.
It looks like Matthew Crawley’s not the only character to leave the grounds of Downton Abbey.
And finally, I’m totally tooting my own horn here, but check out this fun interview I did for Cameron’s lovely blog, 33 avenue Miquelon. Thank you so much for featuring me, Cameron!
Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m in the beginning stages of my blog redesign with Kory, and it’s been a blast so far. As I’m thinking about the changes I want to make, I realized that I need to update my About picture, since my current one is from last summer. That’s not so long ago, but I took it in a hurry, and I’ve changed my hair a little since then. So last weekend, I asked Ryan to set up the tripod so I could snap a few self shots. You know how much I hate having my picture taken, but I can get a pretty good picture of myself if nobody is in the room to watch. Still, it’s an activity I loathe.
I know we are always our own harshest critics, and as I looked at my pictures, I thought a lot about artists who paint portraits of themselves. Not that I’m calling myself an artist or anything remotely resembling one, but there’s definitely an exercise in reflection that occurs when you are looking at pictures of yourself, that you have taken. It isn’t an issue of vanity so much as a chance to really see yourself as others see you, and that’s not an opportunity most of us get very often.
I’ve written about my face in the past, and I obviously feel comfortable sharing my pictures with you, but the process of self-photography is still so difficult for me. I’m completely fine with sharing my deepest feelings for the world to read, but I don’t think I will ever get used to standing in front of a camera. Even when it’s just me in the room. And I’ve tried placing my picture on my blog’s front page, because I know readers like to see the author of the blog they’re reading, but I can only stomach it for a few weeks before it has to come down. That’s why you’ll find my picture on a separate page, and I hope you’ll understand.
But I do want to show you my new highlights! I got them last week, and I think they’re so cool. I feel like a blonde!
(Blondes have more fun, right?)
Please tell me I’m not alone when it comes to pictures of myself. And if you’re a blogger, do you take your own? I’d love to hear!
In January, I wrote about my favorite childhood poem, which comes from a book of nursery rhymes illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. After writing that post, I became intrigued by the Johnstone sisters, but couldn’t find much information about them beyond their Wikipedia page and this lovely book blog (the comments are especially interesting).
It seems the pair of British sisters was quite well-known and respected as illustrators of over 100 children’s books. Both artists worked together on each piece, and they never married, choosing to remain at home their entire lives. After Janet died in 1979, Anne took over the work alone, and continued illustrating until her death in 1998.
The illustrations of Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone are beloved by many, but there’s so little information available about the sisters themselves. For years, I’ve been captivated by the incredibly detailed pictures within my book, and it’s become one of my favorite possessions. Here are a few of the works for you to enjoy, too.
(An illustration for “Rockabye Baby,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
(An illustration for “Little Miss Muppet,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
(An illustration for “The Man in the Moon,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
(An illustration from “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
(An illustration from “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
(An illustration from “The Kite Poem,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
(An illustration from “Mary, Mary Quite Contrary,” by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone.)
I wish I knew more about the talented and fascinating Johnstone sisters, and I hope you enjoy their beautiful illustrations as much as I do.
