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Still Awake! 
Autumn. It's finally autumn. October has long been my favorite month for it's crisp cold blustery days, turning leaves, layered clothes and slumbery slipper-footed weekend mornings. October is nearly here and, though I've switched coasts, those fine fall days are nonetheless coming upon us in their own way out here in Oregon.
Right now finding a balance between work, auntiehood (thank you for a beautiful afternoon, sister), art and ...whatever else it is that people do... is the priority. I feel like such a bum that I can't update when the Etsy shop is coming back, or even report on finished projects but for every once in a while. I felt, on the other hand, incredibly proud of myself for treating myself to a spontaneous viewing of the Dark Knight after work last Thursday. Have I ever gone to a movie alone? Not sure. And then there are nights like tonight when I'm sitting on the couch blogging over at Auntie K's home after a scrumptious meal, everyone has gone to bed, Max and Shoghi are sleeping here with me to give their mama a rest... my choices don't seem to be that complicated at all.
I spend some nights of the week here with Celeste, the boys, and the extended family of our generous friends. The rest of the week around work I spend at my own place recovering sleep and looking for time to draw. I admit: through this first month of the boys being home from the hospital I've been drinking a little too much coffee, possibly even indulging in just a smidge too much chocolate, these things may have something to do with my own moments (or days) of transitional exhaustion. I haven't been blogging much... or online much... with these tired bouts as my excuse. I'll do better. Swear.
Before I go, just to explain the blog title tonight: while I'm looking after the boys I've started putting on Pandora Radio and making these little "stations" for them. Mostly of sleepy music. I mean, come on... they're babies. Seriously, though, I didn't ever think in my adult life I would fine reason to listen to things like Peter, Paul and Mary, but oh my goodness- they fall right to sleep! Magic! I get really excited when "You Can Close Your Eyes" by James Taylor comes on. Yeah, that's right, I sure did just say that. I'm snuggling a couple babies here, people. I suppose this means October is going to be one sweet, sentimental month. 
My brother came up from New Mexico to visit his sisters and newborn nephews here in Portland last week. Since right around that time life has just swept me away (from the computer). I have a couple new sketches in rough, rough, very early stages of drawing-hood, though mostly they're still tucked warmly away in my camera. (Ditto for any new photos I have of the boys, though I'm working on it).
Mostly, if I can swing it, I'm trying to cull together some helpful tips from my online shop days to pitch to the business I work for here in Portland. People make an effort to shop at independent, local, family-owned businesses here more than some of the other cities I've lived in, but it still takes some savvy to encourage folks toward these businesses. I'm hoping I can help them expand their online marketplace a little. What do you think, do any of you read/ follow blogs from artisan shops in your areas? Find them helpful for following local artists' works or products?
Anyway, that accounts for a couple of my marbles along the way.
Celeste took this brilliant photo of Max
looking at his mobile while still at OHSU
So here we are in another time of change, learning, and thankfulness that I'm living in a city that really appreciates a good cup of coffee. At some point before the mobile I finished some other sketches as well, like this one here: 
I can't really express how grateful I am for the comments recently. Honestly, I'm doing a little overtime at work, bouncing between Auntie K's house and my own, and since I've got little experience with kids (luckily, just with babies) I'm taking in quite a bit right now. Once I sat down at the laptop tonight my mind went a nice fuzzy blank. I'm just catching up with all of this, overwhelmed with even just the thought that a year ago all of this was going on in a pipe-dream phone call between New York City and the suburbs of Philadelphia. Unbelievable. So, my friends, what an extraordinary highlight your sweet words are. This place seems so far sometimes from everything I've known, its delightful to have you with me here.
Shoghi having some breakfast with me
on his first morning after coming home.
Thank you, Celeste, for recording this beautiful morning for me!
Sometimes I'll have these little bursts of creativity that end up putting me in somewhat of a fog for several days. During those times, the entire curve of a project, painting or drawing will take up main focus in my thinking until I've finished whatever project it is. I am grateful for having a job where I work with so many artists who were interested in what I was in a wild tear about and offered good advise on it's completion. Some of my coworkers were working on their own projects, too, off the clock last night as I wrapped mine up~ such great energy to be a part of once again. I'll post pictures tomorrow!
Autumn is beginning to knuckle the sleep out of it's eyes around here. Summer is still around, yesterday became bright and sunny, but for the preceding two days we had cool weather, goosebumped mornings, and fingers clasped around steaming mugs. It will be my first season change here on the west coast, and I am eagerly looking forward to each and every sign of it's arrival.
Here in Portland, signs of Portland-ness... like the seasons... come and go, rise and fall. For weeks now living here has been no different than other places. Well, some other places. A few. But several nights ago I was heading off to slumberland when hearing a mysterious singing. My window looks out over the street where a young man drove by on his bike, a headlight flashing, singing in operatic bombast, "I'm riding my bike in the neee-bor-hooood, out on the neeee-boor-hoooood watch!".
Evidently this man is keeping me safe at night.
Last week a member of our neighborhood community stopped by with literature regarding a tree planting project the city funds that plants a tree in your yard. Sweet! And that same day, on the bus coming home from work, I had been sitting in front of a little 6-ish year old boy and his mother discussing his ideas for a solar-wind-electric powered vehicle... maybe a bus? It was hearing this child say the words "carbon footprint" that really blew my mind and reminded me, yes, we're certainly living in Portland.
Here, in closing, are some adorable pink tiny toes:
Shoghi (right?) and his mama
The boys are sick. In fact, everyone here has been sick this past week with the sniffles, sneezes, and a smidge of fever. As Auntie, I'm in the privileged position of swooping in from the outside world (hopefully after the contagious period has passed) but even so it has been somewhat of a harried beginning of the week. 
Shoghi in knits from Auntie Jennie
Maxwell in knits from Auntie Jennie
Drawings still coming along when they can. Hope everyone out there is having a good end of September.
