The Life Poetic

A Link Between Angels and Men

What could inspire more creativity than a baby? I can think of nothing! Of all of God’s creative masterpieces,  the intricacies of human life make man His ultimate of masterpieces. And to be a woman and be a vessel to that creative process is one of the great creative accomplishments of my life! There is no artistic accomplishment that equals that of nurturing and rearing my two children.

Now to watch Beth get to experience motherhood, all wrapped up in the wonder of her newborn, is such a joy. And a wonder little C.J. certainly is. He is irresistible. An angelic face with the softest and sweetest of baby skin...a link between angels and men as today's quote from Martin Farquhar Tupper so poetically states. Yesterday, my daughter ,Victoria, and I got to soak it all in when we paid the Wilkinson’s a visit. And within no time, I’d snapped 60 plus photos (one of those shown here). See how the little guy has already spurred on our creativity!

In several weeks, when C.J. joins the work environment at Sonnets Studios (a porta crib friendly environment!) he is sure to bring even more life, activity and inspiration along with him.  I can’t wait to bring on our littlest staff member, where brainstorming can be paired with pacing the floors with a baby in arms. And working on art files can be done to the humming of a baby swing going back and forth. How effective to have a presence of your real set of priorities laying in residence!

If you are an artist, I highly recommend the insertion of living things in the studio environment: whether it is the coming and going of a furry, four-footed creature (like our Coolidge), or the soft chirping and flapping of wings of a feathered one (like Beth’s Cockatiel, Bean), or if you can finagle it like I have: the coos and cries of a little babe. The insertion of life in an otherwise static environment, by its very nature, brings movement, perspective, character, interest, humor, and even love. And all those things, especially love, birth the creative process.

Waiting for Something to Happen or Hatch

This was such a glorious week for me. It was a time where God just vividly showed Beth and I that we were in a precious space of His unmerited grace and mercy. The work-week was spent at Beth’s condo instead of the cottage, and each day we prayed (as we have been for some time) that the Lord would orchestrate His perfect timing of this birth of Beth’s soon-to-be-son; we asked Him that He would bless the work of our hands too, allowing us to get our deadline work done before she went out on pregnancy leave and I began my own daunting task of our home/office move also to take place this month.

While we carried on with life as usual, Beth’s body began to ready itself for labor, and this last week she was dilated to 5 centimeters (and 4 centimeters the week prior). With her doctor saying “it could be any time”, our faith was challenged while it did not seem very likely in the earthly frame of mind that we would really beat the “baby clock” and wrap up our June deadlines. But God kept bolstering our faith, telling us: “you prayed asking; didn’t you think I would answer?”. And answer He did.

This passage from Robin Jones Gunn reminds me of this last week:

Dear Baby, here beneath my heart,
I thought that you might come today;
The timing seemed just right.

But the stars are out
And the moon is high
And sheepishly I wonder why
I try to arrange the plans
Of God.

For now I know
You will not come
Until the One who holds eternity
Rustles your soft cocoon
And whispers in tones that I will not hear,
"It's time, precious gift."

"Now it's time."

On Friday, we wrapped up the work we had made our goal to accomplish. 
Saturday morning in the wee hours Beth went into labor.
Yesterday, at 2:30 Christian James Wilkinson was ushered into life, weighing 8 lbs. 6 oz., measuring 20 inches long and sporting a head of wavy dark hair. Baby C.J. is healthy and mom is doing well.
I’m yearning to see and hold this little one, but we are away in Pacific Palisades congregating with family until tomorrow night. So my introduction to the newest Wilkinson will have to wait until Monday. I can hardly stand the wait. 

Off now to ride bikes on the beach trail in Santa Monica with a whole band of Soneffs.

Thinking about Dads….

With the passage of Father’s Day, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about dads: missing mine, being thankful that I had the best dad imaginable, and that I married I pretty fine man of my own that my kiddos call their Daddy. I'm going to elaborate on three fine men that I've had the pleasure of knowing or meeting.

First a little bit about my dad: Edward Levsen
I lost my Daddy just two short years ago to a series of devastating strokes, so his loss still seems so fresh to me. But the memory of him is still so fresh and vivid to me too. I hope somehow the memory will remain that way, miraculously preserved. You see, Daddy was and is the great hero of my life. Ger and I agree. We don’t know any other men like Dad. This was a man who loved his family, his country, his God and all that the Creator had given him. I hate to wear out the superlatives, but with Dad it is deserved. Superlatives were made for men like Daddy. He was the most kind, the most cheerful, and simultaneously the most gentle & the most strong. He was a truly grateful person. He was the best conversationalist and remarkable at extending himself to anyone and everyone he met, befriending perfect strangers from all walks of life. That knack for conversation partly came from his availability to others, but it also came from an impressive knowledge of vast topics. You see, Dad never stopped being curious….for all his near 80 years, he never stopped craving new information. And he was so open; certainly, he had opinions of his own, but he was so open to hear another’s and was not easily offended... always interested….always involved…always a hands-on-person. He knew the gift of a smile and was generous with it. He understood the power of encouragement and provided it freely. He was my biggest fan and made that known often….but then, he was a great fan of humankind. He had that extraordinary gift of making every person feel entirely special and gifted. He is without a doubt the most unselfish person I’ve ever known. Never complained….never maligned….never an ill word on his lips…unbelievably patient and tolerant…uncompromising integrity. And as you can imagine, I miss that presence in my life dearly. But what a legacy he has left. 

Now a little bit about my children’s dad: Gerry Soneff
This is a man whom I’ve known for 20 years come this fall,  and that first spark of attraction oh-so-many-years-ago was surely set ablaze because I saw a man who reminded me just a bit of my Dad. (Partly that slighter, lean-but-strong stature that I acquainted with my Dad, and partly that he had an obvious love for children). I remember thinking very early on, that this guy would make a great Daddy someday (and he has!). But what stands out to me as the great defining quality of Gerry is his endurance…his perseverance…his tenacity...his courage…his confidence. This is a man who is going to finish the great race of life despite every obstacle in his way. When reflecting upon Ger’s early life,  I consider a man who should probably not be alive, let alone be the man of exceptional character that he is. Gerry has learned a great lesson: not to dwell in the past. And as a result, he does not dwell on the past of others either. I love that about him. I love that the same courage he groomed as a survival mechanism as a child, is the courage that makes him an adventurous person. Always willing to try something new, whether it be in business or recreation or in any realm, Ger has an unshrinking attitude about living. Not unlike my Dad, Ger views everyday as a new and fresh opportunity. But beyond that, this is a man who is wise. He has great insights into people and the human condition. Partly by braving his own human plights, and partly by readily sharing with those in the midst of struggles of their own, he has really become a man of empathy and compassion. He has amazing people skills and a savviness that I greatly admire. He is a man of conviction, a man of action, and man of God. I’m so glad that Ian and Victoria will have a great legacy of love in their father as I have with mine.

Now a word about another special Dad: Art
This is not a man I know well. I snapped his photo, while I don’t even know his last name to record here. But our brief meeting at Ever After earlier this month left quite an impression on me. I thought of Art on Father’s Day, and thought of what a blessing he is to his daughter, Theresa, and undoubtedly to so many others. You see, Theresa had introduced Art to the craft of scrapbooking and now they avidly pursue it together. Art told me about how he was unashamed about pursuing this female-dominated hobby and how he wished more men would see it for what it is. He described with candor this craft as one that has given him the opportunity to get to know his children better. Wow. This man floored me. He described albums he had made to memorialize his own father. And with a sparkle in his eye he told me about his Route 66 album (with 66 pages, no less!) and other books he crafted with care. Art was cheerful, humorous, and conversational…he extended words of encouragement and blessing to me. And he left me with more shimmering hope that men like my Father are not an extinct breed. I count myself fortunate to have met him and his dear daughter.

I hope men like these provide just the model and inspiration my son, and so many young boys like him, need today to become a man of great character too. Rare men. Memorable men. Extraordinary men.

Post Trade Show Modus Operandi & the Never Ending Pursuit of Balance

Upon arriving home from Surtex, I fell into what seems to be my typical post-tradeshow modus operandi:

Day 1 of Return: enjoy the exuberant reception of my family…. bask in the hugs and doting attention of my sweet hubby and kiddos. There really is something to that proverb, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” (mind you, as long as the absence isn’t TOO long!). Talk, giggle, hug, and talk some more. So much catching up to do!

Day 2 of Return: face with undaunted courage the state of the household. Do 5+ loads of laundry and a couple cycles of dirty dishes. Unpack my bags and then clean some more.
Retire those luggage pieces to the garage until next trip (let’s see….that would be next month to Chicago for CHA Summer….they won’t be collecting too much dust).

Day 3 through Day 6 of Return:  Completely and utterly succumb to some dreadful virus {in this case a flu with a battery of aches, pains, chills, fever, and horribly sore throat). Stay in bed in a state of misery. (This would be the part of my M.O. that I would like to alter. Veteran travelers must have some answers here…. Airborne? Personal air purifiers to be donned on the plane? (Now there's a fashion statement I'm not sure I can pull off....) Perhaps it is simply the post show exhaustion that lets down the defenses and lowers the immunity. Whatever it is, I hate to be such a vision of malady and malaise on my return as always seems to be the case! After being absent from the family on business, it just seems such a crime that I would virtually continue to have to be absent due to illness!}

Day 7 of Return to Present: Continue to fight the remnants of my virus and fatigue while returning vigorously to the duties I adore: those of mother and those of artist. Follow up on all the wonderful and promising leads from Surtex. Engage in all the school year-end festivities with my son and daughter (open house, spring choir concert, McTeacher night at our local McDonald's....).

These days Creamy Corn and Roasted Pepper Soup, Organic Tomato and Red Pepper Soup (soooo savory and soooo soothing.....from Trader Joe's), and Vitamin Water  (big fan of their product...big fan of their wit on the packaging), they are my fuel, and prayer is my other sustainer. While I must get to the tasks that need my attention, both at home and the studio, I feel a heightened need to also find some recuperative time each day for rest (dare I say, a moderate midday nap!), solitude and prayer. Balancing the needs that my family has, the needs that my business has, and the needs that I have (physically, emotionally, spiritually) will always be a never-ending pursuit, but one I continue to want to master better. This passage from Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s Gift from the Sea addresses so articulately much of what I’ve been sensing. Perhaps it will shed some light on some of the roles and tasks you are juggling too:

"With a new awareness, both painful and humorous, I begin to understand why the saints were rarely married women. I am convinced it has nothing inherently to do, as once supposed, with chastity or children. It has to do primarily with distractions. The bearing, rearing, feeding, and educating of children; the running of a house with its thousand details; human relationships with their myriad pulls-- woman’s normal occupations in general run counter to creative life, or contemplative life, or saintly life. The problem is not merely one of Woman and Career, Woman and the Home, Woman and Independence. It is more basically: how to remain whole in the midst of the distractions of life; how to remain balanced, no matter what centrifugal forces tend to pull one off center; how to remain strong, no matter what shocks come in at the periphery and tend to crack the hub of the wheel…

But how? Total retirement is not possible. I cannot shed my responsibilities… I cannot be a nun in the midst of family life. I would not want to be. The solution for me, surely, is neither in total renunciation of the world, nor in total acceptance of it. I must find a balance somewhere, or an alternating rhythm between solitude and communion, between retreat and return…

It is a difficult lesson to learn today- to leave one’s friends and family and deliberately practice the art of solitude for an hour or a day or a week… For me, the break is the most difficult…And yet, once it is done, I find there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid and fuller than before."               

I don’t know about you, but I really desire that richer, more vivid, fuller experience of life Anne describes. And as Anne suggests, I too find that attaining that only comes from days that are deliberately and regularly interspersed with quiet times with God. Then that full, expressive, poetic life is felt, expressed, and realized. Then the balance returns. Then the health returns. Then the joy returns. Then the creativity returns.

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

The art of collecting memorabilia, assembling photos, and recounting my memories....my blessings.... results in a craft that I count worthwhile....satisfying....and perpetually delightful.  Today women across the continent are assembling to spend the day in festive observance of National Scrapbooking Day, and I will be one of them!

To kick off my National Scrapbooking Day festivities, I’m announcing the randomly drawn winner of the Cupcake Giveaway!
And the winner is…….. Lynn Mathers!
Thanks to all who participated, and be sure to come back for future give-aways!

And now I’m going to continue the Scrapbook par-tay by splitting my day between my two “hometowns”: Whittier (the town I grew up in) and San Clemente (the town I call home now and where we are rooted and raising our family). It feels so warm, and personal, and homey to be passing the day away in the two towns closest to my heart…with two of the scrapbook stores closest to my heart (I Love Scrappin’ in Whittier, CA  and ‘Member Me Scrapbooking in San Clemente, CA)…and their owners whom I adore (Teresa and Nicole).

If you don’t have plans today and want to make a fun, springy, make-and-take (the pencil top pinwheel), get some Sonnets freebies, gander at some of my projects, and come gab with me, please come on over! The more the merrier!

Here’s where I’ll be celebrating:

Noon to 4 p.m.    I Love Scrappin’
                                16561 Whittier Blvd.
                                Whittier, CA
                                (562) 902-2799

6 to 8 p.m.        ‘Member Me Scrapbooking
                            372 Camino De Estrella
                            San Clemente, CA 
                            (949) 542-7676

And might I be so bold as to suggest another way you might celebrate National Scrapbooking Day? My recommendation is to head on over to Karen’s blog, and donate a mere buck or more that will go entirely to Women for Women International. You’ll be extending a hand of assistance to our sisters in war torn countries and in return for your donation you’ll be entered into a drawing that might get you an awesome scrapbook gift basket…or even better: a chance at having your own photos scrapbooked by me (smile; it would be my honor and privilge) or another celebrated scrapbooker. There are only a couple more days left to get in on this phenomenal fundraiser that is a total win/win for everyone!

Women For Women

To live in a place where opportunity abounds…where safety for ourselves and our chidren is a granted part of life. ..and where women are rightly availed to education and can aspire to careers of their choosing…where food is as close as a grocery trip away… we are so blessed.

I can’t imagine what women in war torn countries like Sudan, Kosovo, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq  deal with. Their strength, courage and triumph in the midst of adversity inspires me.  Will they ever know how much they are  respected? Will they ever feel the support of women more fortunate? Will they know that they have sisters in the United States who think of them…care about them…pray for them…who want to help?

There is a way. And I'm so proud to be joined with a force of wonderful, talented women who have teamed up in hopes of making a difference by raising money for the organization Women for Women International.

A $1 donation (all of which will go to Women for Women) will put you in the running for having your own personal photos scrapbooked in a layout by a talented scrapbook artist, or possibly being awarded a fabulous gift basket of scrapbook products from some great donors. And since this is about women, how apropos that the multitude of winners will be announced on Mother’s Day!

For all the details on how to enter visit Karen Russell’s blog (big thanks to Karen for spearheading this endeavor).

Definitely spend some time learning about Women for Women and all the meaningful work they do.

And then, for fun, you could visit the sites and blogs of all the gifted women who have decided to participate
(I took a little time this morning to do that, and I was both introduced to some new fascinating women and was also delightfully surprised to find out some of my industry pals were holding out on me and had blogs! What fun!):

Alannah Jurgensmeyer  Ali Edwards  Amy Grendell  Angelia Wigginton  Becky Higgins  Candi Gershon  Carrie Colbert  Carol Wingert  Cathy Zielske  Cheryl Manz  Christine Adolph  Christine Brown  Christy Tomlinson  Dana Smith  Danelle Johnson  Danielle Thompson  Denise Pauley  Erica Hernandez  Erikia Ghumm  Erin Lincoln  Faye Morrow Bell  Ginger Rohlfs  Heather Melzer
Heather Preckel  Heidi Swapp   Janna Wilson   Jen Lessinger  Jenni Bowlin   Jennifer Harrison  Jennifer McGuire  Jennifer Wohlenberg  Joanna Bolick  Joy Uzarraga   Judith Fender
Julie Scattaregia   Kah-Mei Smith    Karen Burniston   Karen Russell  Kelli Crowe   Kristina Nicolai-White  Leslie Lightfoot
Lisa Russo   Loni Stevens   Marah Johnson    Margie Romney-Aslett   Maria Grace Abuzman   Melissa Inman
Nichol Magouirk   Pam Kopka   Patricia Anderson  Polly Maly   Rebecca Sower   Renee Camacho   Renee Coffey    Renee Villabos-Campa   Robin Johnson    Robyn Werlich   Rhonna Farrer   Sarah Champion   Shannon Montez   Shannon Tidwell   Stacey Panassidi   Stacey Sattler  Sue Thomas   Susan Weinroth
Tara Whitney  Tena Sprenger   Teresa Collins  Teresa McFayden  Terrie McDaniel   Tia Bennett  Tracy Kyle  Vicki Boutin  Vicki Harvey

Whirligig of Time

It’s so odd….strangely anachronistic, working on artwork and product a year or more out from when it actually hits the marketplace (and then the income from it often comes several months after that!). It’s a way of working that often leaves me scratching my head as to what day or even month it is in real time. My husband and kids are so wonderfully tolerant of me losing complete track of the calendar: definitely one of the hazzards of this trade. (It's so hard sometimes to be "in the moment" when you are trying to put yourself in a mindset of what will be in marketable in 2007/2008!) Projecting colors and trends is all part of that curious and wonderful task of working out of season.

Lately the Bible verse II Timothy 4:2 has been frequently coming to my mind. The part specifically where it says, “Be ready in season and out of season” (NKJV) has visited and revisited my mind often of late. I think it is God’s way of instructing and encouraging me when I feel overwhelmed about the timing of art releases and trend projections. (I suppose I’m taking this verse a bit out of context and am stretching the limits of its meaning; but it has been an encouragement to me, none the less.) It puts me at rest knowing that the God who cares for me has the future already accounted for. All those nuances that steer color trends (cutural influences, political environments, the economy) are all in His command. The very spark that put the realm of color into existence is the spark within me too. (And you know what: it's in you too!) Wow!  It gives me such a wonderful feeling having a touchstone to eternity. I love that.

I hope that whether you are enjoying the entrance of spring and readying yourself for the Easter holiday, or if on the contrary your profession has you working on a publishing project that has you scrapbooking Christmas photos or crafting Halloween decorations, or if you are designing holiday ornaments and wrap for Holiday 2008, that regardless, you will find yourself inspired by the seasons, by time and by the Eternal.

* I had a blast making these pinwheels in the photo to really get in the mood of the current season: SPRING!  While you can use any of your favorite papers, the papers I’ve used here are from the Passports brand Sonnets Studios worked on that will be hitting various Wal-Mart stores before month's end! (This is really exciting for our studio as we’ve branched out in the last year or so into new brand development beyond our primary boutique brands, Sonnets and Anthology!)

Rejoice Over Color

This quote from French reformer and theologian, John Calvin, really stirs me. Perhaps because I can entirely identify with the notion that color is reason for rejoicing.

From my earliest memories I was rather enamored with color and my parents even kept an old paint chart from the early 70’s as a keepsake because I had made copious notes, inscriptions, and floor plans on it. It must have been an omen of future professions, for later I would actually be a space planner (for an ASID interior designer) and work for that very paint chart’s manufacturer (Dunn Edwards) as a colorist.

To this day, one of the things that excites me most about working in the art field is constantly being in touch with hue. My heart still skips a beat when I get to pull out the pantone decks and play. Mixing colors on a painter’s palette really is like child’s play.

What has been really enjoyable has been getting to take different approaches to color as we release new brands. {Sonnets has really always been about a soft attack on color: employing de-saturated or lighter executions. I think we get more compliments about the use of shades and tones as much as anything when it comes to our flagship brand. But, getting to work on new brands, like Anthology where the color is bold and vibrant is such, such fun. And then on The Armoire (that you can see on QVC on April 18th) we have employed black in a larger way which is something our other brands never called for. The high contrast of the black really makes the watercolors and other artwork pop. And I love that tuxedo elegance of black and white that we are getting to explore too. Another fun thing about The Amoire was that the use of black beckoned us to use flocking to create the “Vintage Velveteen” look that became this European, boutique-inspired brand’s featured attribute. Sometimes it’s so great to see how color will take your hand and lead you to something else, like execution or medium. Love that!}

You know what blows my mind about color:
-that its spectrum is infinite (you can have a swatch book full of thousands of colors and there are still increments of color unaccounted for!! This leaves me dumbstruck.)
-that color is all about light and how your eye perceives light being reflected and refracted! (even the make-up of one person’s eye to the next can cause the perception of hue to be somewhat individual.) The science of color is mind-boggling and awesome. Light is such a beautiful thing.
-that color can affect your mood and your actual physical being.  How red will make your pulse rate increase or get hungry,  and how pink (a derivative or red) will actually make you  calm.

I think Calvin had it wired: every color is reason to rejoice! Appreciate it. Immerse yourself in every nuance of it. Let yourself feel the effects of it. Play with it. Rejoice over it!

Ordinary Days

My blog absence can be attributed to a revolving array of viruses and various infections running their course through the Soneff household (with the younger Soneffs being hardest hit…both Ian and Victoria were home from school today). High fevers, nasty coughs, aches and chills have made the last few weeks rather dreary at times. But, while it is so easy to become frustrated when illness thwarts productivity, I’m finally starting to learn to embrace these ordinary days for what they offer: a chance to quietly nurture and cuddle my children ….and to break from the more harried pace of my work without self reproach.  While seemingly ordinary, days such as these are an uncommon gift.  And as Thomas Moore’s quote featured here reminds us, the “ordinary acts we practice every day at home” are really of far more significance to our soul than the ones that look so important in our day planner. It just goes to show that the important moments of life are not always able to be accounted for in pretty photographs or in an iCal entry.

I’m excited that spring is here, with its assurances of warmer days when we will all be feeling more vibrant and productive. But until we are all recovered, I’m going to take delight in flannel pajamas, down comforters, chicken noodle soup, and over the counter drugs.  :) 

Stormy Monday

A cozy day was spent at the studio today while a storm brewed outside. The seasons here are mild so anything that offers an excuse to make hot cocoa and bundle up is welcomed!
The cadence of falling rain is today’s soundtrack; that and the howling sound of wind whipping up the canyon. Coolidge seemed to feel responsible for protecting us from the blustery intruder, but the rain is a charming visitor as far as I’m concerned. The heightened smells and colors resulting from the gloss of precipitation are my inspiration today.