Knit For Nancy

My Dear Bloggie friends:

Of all my clients, this one is closest to my heart.

The Nancy Klauber Forest Foundation is a charitable foundation, whose objective is to have a long-term positive impact on cancer patients, their families and the hospital staff that take care of them.

It all started 5 years ago, when Deidre, a close friend and colleague of mine, lost her best friend to non-hodgkins lymphoma. 

It was devasting. Unthinkable. 

She left behind an army of family and friends, who started this foundation in her name. Since then, it has grown leaps and bounds from the pure and determined focus of their efforts.

If you know how to  knit, or if you know someone who knows how to knit, please consider providing a cap for a cancer patient, in Nancy's name. The event will be in Connecticut on November 9, 2008. If you can't make it there, a knitting kit complete with instructions can be yours, for a tax-deductible donation of only $75.

If you are interested feel free to contact me: heidi[at]faboographics.com

Or Deidre: dsgreben[at]gmail.com
Or the foundation: nancysfriends.org/
Thank you!!
xxooh

Mean Girls

Why are girls SO mean?

Harbor Sunset

Diana at Please Sir asked us yesterday how we chose where we live, 

and she wanted to know the pros and cons.

One of my favorite things about living here, is that we are able to watch the sunset over the water (the bay) even though we live on the east coast.

Sometimes we take the kids down to the harbor in their pyjamas before bed.

You never know what you might find...

Or what lifetime traditions you might be making.

Thanks for asking, Diana!

Plastic Man

I'm a lucky girl. My hubby works in plastics manufacturing. The company he works for is a distributor and fabricator of sheets, rods and tubes of plastic. You might see his work hidden in the current modern architecture craze, in groovy store displays, lighting fixtures, on bus stands, taxicab dividers, museum exhibits, zoos, etc. 

And in almost every room of our house. 

Here is just one of many plastic shelving units I commissioned through him. The process goes something like this: 

Me: "Sweetie? We need a new shelf in the basement."

Sweetie: "How big?"

Me: "About THIS big, and THIS wide."

The result: A solid and sturdy, clear or frosted shelf unit that doesn't darken a room! And it makes the objects on it look as though they float on air.

How cool is that?

Moody Monday 8/25/08

I found this jazz dude practicing his trumpet before an orchestra gig at our local bandshell. Here he is trying to escape the papparazzi. (me.)

Q & A Part 1

Once a month or so, I'd like to answer questions that I don't usually have time to address during the varmint crazed, work pile days of my blogging life. Feel free to pass along new questions to: heidi[at]faboographics.com.

I'll start with the most common one:

1)  What kind of camera do you use? I use a Canon Powershot S500 Digital Elph. Hubby bought it for me 4 years ago, and it goes with me EVERYWHERE. (obviously.) The thing that I love about it, is that it's fast, small, lightweight, etc. And it takes great video, for such a small camera. Unfortunately, I use it for my design work, as well as everything else, which means I never know if something is perfectly in focus until I download to my computer. And the viewer on the back is about the size of a negative frame, which is very small, compared to newer models. I end up spending more time in photoshop than I'd like to admit. I will have to buy a professional camera very soon. Any recommendations??

2) How did you become a Graphic Designer? I went to a traditional 4 year art school. I majored in graphic design. It was a great experience for me, going to college in Manhattan. This was back in the stone ages, before the internet, so being in the city was my web. There was an endless supply of resources within a few blocks from everywhere. Museums, used book stores, art supplies, art galleries, (gallery openings!) graffiti, bars, art movie houses, etc. 

3) How did you take the leap from working at a full-time job, to working from your home? It was almost a year after Thing 1 & Thing 2 were born, that I realized the potential positives of working from home, or atleast having a more flexible schedule. I went to my boss and asked for a shorter work day, or shorter work week in exchange for a cut in pay. They said no. So, I asked how long it would take them to replace me. In the end, it took between 3 and 4 months. Hubby and I put our budget down on paper, and  it turned out that I had basically been paying for a nanny, a train ticket, and many lunches, only to have $1,000 leftover, to put in the bank per month. In that time, I began looking for freelance clients in earnest, so that by the time my paycheck ended, I had a small client base. Now, 5 years later, the fruits of my labor have paid off, not only in the success of my business, but also in the supervision and care of my kids.

4) How is the baby bunny doing? That ungrateful child moved himself across the street! I got a call from Heather one evening: "Um, Heidi... I don't want to upset you, but your baby bunny has been hanging out under the tree next door." The fact that it moved away, doesn't stop me from looking for it EVERYtime I walk out the door.

5) How is the obscene piece of ginger root doing? Unlike that ungrateful bunny, it's been staying put.

6) How is the basement doing after the flood? Thankfully, we have a mold-resistant vinyl floor down there, so we think (hope) it will all be alright. It took over 6 hours of wet/vacuuming and mopping to get all the water up. I couldn't have done it without the help of these guys:

Backsies

It was great to get away... 

see the country....

do a little fishin'... 

(is there anything sexier than a man that can teach 3 varmints at a time how to fish?) 

give a brown butterfly some much needed love and attention...

frog catchin' (and releasing)....

surprise Alphabet Series "S." (also set free)...

a boy and his net...

there's some story out there about how this owl found it's way to my hubby's dorm room, 

but it remains a secret to this day. 

(please email me immediately if you went to Oneonta College in the 80's and have any information about the origins of this owl.)

this great heron forever eludes me...

lovin' the new dishware at Friendly's. 

(this is the oriental salad, hold the chicken. But don't leave without a happy ending sundae) 

wild fleurs...

it was a great place to breathe for a few days...

but it also felt good to come back home.

Off to The Berkshires...

I'll be back in a  few days, with fresh pics and more maple syrup for pancake art.

6 Things

Gah! Tagged again... this time by Murray, over at studiodomestique. 

Who can resist sharing 6 things that bring happiness?

1) My family. Hubby & the 3 varmints are a constant source of the purest joy. More specifically: Eating tuna fish on crackers for lunch with Thing 1, playing uno or rummy with Thing 2, walking with my son, hand-in-hand, down Main Street. 

2) Creating art. For myself, for someone else, for work.

3) Eating great food. Here are some (a fraction of ) incredibly delectable places to eat in NY. Some  are upscale, some are hole-in-the wall joints. Manhattan: Hangawi, Nobu, Japonica, Souen, Café Asean, Sacred Chow, Burritoville (yes, a chain) Pearl Oyster Bar.  Queens: SriPraPhai, Natural Tofu, El Shater, King Chef, Pop Diner, Akiyama. Brooklyn: Taro Sushi, Franny's. (I know there are more, but can't think of them right now) Long Island: Mama's, Sea Cliff Coffee and Sushi Company, Besito, La Piccolo Liguria, Kotobuki, Baked to Perfection.

4) Blogging. This post says it all.

5) People-watching. Can't you tell from my photos that I'm a little bit of a voyeur?

6) Going to the beach. (any beach)

Guess who gets tagged next? Elena and Nadia. Tell us 6 things that make you happy. And everyone else, feel free to leave some happy things in the comments below!

Coffee Table Installation Part 3: August 2008

Shells, beach glass, salvage & rocks.

Alphabet Series: Cap D

This just in from my dear friend Lex. 

Aside from having the super-powers to bend peppers at will,

she has the power to get all 4 of her children to sit quietly at her feet during storytime. 

And she made this awesome game of concentration for my varmints. 

Handmade. 

Did I mention she has 4 kids? 

You rock, Lex.

Moody Monday Revisited

Just yesterday morning, I actually complained a little that I had no 

rain pics to post for moody monday. 

I'm thinking that the universe heard me loud and clear. 

Here I was, on my way to do the usual pick-ups and drop-offs, 

when I see the sky turn black.

Most people would see this, and scurry straight home. 

So, I grabbed my camera, abandoned my car and ran straight to the beach.

Here it comes. Can you smell it?

The boats are all pointing north.

When the first bolt of lightning hit I was out of there. 

(Interesting side note: I just looked up the word "lightning," wondering if it's spelled "lightening," with an "e." The definition of Lightening: 

Not to be confused with a discharge of atmospheric electricity, lightening refers to the sensation that a pregnant woman feels when the baby drops. 

This is the time when the presenting (lowermost) part of the fetus descends into the maternal pelvis.) 

Here I am, waiting out the storm with Christine, in her driveway. 

Can you hear the universe laughing?

When we all got home, there were piles of the funny stuff everywhere.

Here's a handful, right here.

This one was really refreshing and tasted great!

Inside my house, the crew was already at work, cleaning up the bodies and 

mopping the basement floor. (if only.)

That universe is SO funny.