I Am A Grownup

I found this draft from April 2017 and I am delighted by it.
Maybe I'm back.


I drink black coffee.
I have two children.
I make my bed more often than I don't.
I am on the fundraising committee of my child's private school.
I clean my dishes after I use them.
I pick up all the trash that rolls up on my property on a weekly basis instead of being too resentful of slobs that litter to pick it up.
People (multiple people) have asked me to run for elected office.
I have a LinkedIn profile, that I put effort into.
I make lunches.
I am in charge of flossing other people's teeth.

I stopped resisting life, in my better moments.

Rhubarb Pie

A stucco Arts & Crafts house built in 1926.

It's not for everyone, but rhubarb pie is the favorite of a select group of adamant pie lovers. It's also the code name of my new house project, chosen because any house I was going to move into would feel warm and homemade, and be suited for not just anyone. My brother coached me on the project and just giving it a name that resonated for me was a huge help in keeping my excitement going and my motivations present while confronting the fear of uprooting into the unknown. And the paperwork, don't forget the paperwork!

My brother, who gets paid large amounts of money to coach Fortune 500 executives, will always tell you, you have to know the future -- what you want -- and leave figuring out "how to" for later. We created an aggressive date of July 1st when we'd be in our new house. And we came pretty damn close. Our house was on the market on April 21st, we closed on our new place on July 11th, and were sleeping there a day later. The house we are selling is currently under contract and *fingers crossed* will be sold before September is out!

And it's awesome! There is still a lot to do, but Mr. SevPrez and I both feel like we found our dream home. We each got what we wanted. I got a historic home with architectural detail and good bones in a nice neighborhood. He got a huge yard (it's a triple lot -- so much to landscape and room for a big garden) and a town that he feels is keeping it real. 

I was really nervous about moving the Little One. Every time I brought it up she would say "NO! We are NOT moving to a new house!" Seriously, for weeks I tried. My mom (the child whisperer) recommended we find a library book about moving, then upped the ante and said she was going to write a book about us, with pictures and everything. Only my mother.

I gave it one more try, before we started packing boxes on the 4th of July, and told her that her birthday party would be at the big new house. And don't you know it, she changed her tune! I gave her a box to decorate and she became part of the process. My mom delivered the book a few days later and she was filled with authentic excitement and a better understanding of what was about to happen.

She had a brief moment of yearning for the old house before bed on our first night, but when she woke up on Sunday morning, we heard her step into the hallway and say to no one in particular, "I love my new house!" 

And the project was complete.

Grandma D, 1925-2014

I had the honor of speaking at my paternal grandmother's memorial service in Indianapolis this past weekend. I wrote out my remarks because I tend to cry a lot at funerals (even for people I didn't know) so I wanted to have a script to keep me grounded. Below are my remarks. 

Thank you everyone for being here to celebrate the life of my grandmother, Margaret Lou Dellinger. It is a real honor for me to speak on behalf of my family, and it means a lot for me to be here, in Indianapolis, the family seat of the Dellingers.

I was born and raised in New Jersey, but I came to Indianapolis twice a year for most of childhood, and have a lot of great memories of this place. The first time I got on a plane was to come to Indiana, but who could forget the 12 hour drives each way across the great states of Pennsylvania and Ohio with my dad. Those trips were like Dellinger Cultural Immersion programs, with the books on tape and geology lectures from my dad as we drove through the landscape.

It is in Indianapolis that I played Hearts with my aunt and uncles, walked with Uncle Roger’s dogs around Eagle Creek, and first met my cousins. I met Matt, the youngest cousin, when he wasn’t quite yet walking, an incredibly joyful experience for me as I was used to being the absolute baby of my family. I got to know Jerry and Jimmy meet their children, the ever open-hearted Amber and Dustin. For me, Indianapolis is where the Dellingers come together.

So I understand my Grandmother’s reluctance to leave her Indiana home late in her life. Though she spent many years raising her family outside of Buffalo in Tanawanda, New York, she was a Hoosier to the core: raised on a farm in Mays, she ventured into Indianapolis during the war and met her husband, Hartley, there at a dance. She brought all four of her kids home from the hospital to her house Speedway. She made a real presence for herself in the community with her volunteering, the Presbyterian church, her neighbors, her bridge circles, and her friends.

That said, Margaret Lou was always comfortable to stand on her own. When I brought my husband, Kris, out to meet her, we expected our long weekend visit to be spent almost entirely altogether. But she had different ideas. She was very eager to make sure that we were busy exploring the area, but preferred to be left alone in the house to read her books and listen to basketball games on the radio, and could we please just let her know if we’d be back for lunch and dinner. And maybe, if pressed, could we bring her back a sandwich from Arby’s.

This was the hardy stock of the Greatest Generation: born in 1925, and raised by her mother on a farm in the Great Depression. They had an outhouse until she left home to go to the big city. It’s a story I tell anyone who will listen. I’m proud of where I come from. It’s not something you hear everyday in 2014 New Jersey.

To me, some of the best things about my grandmother to me are hallmarks of her stoic upbringing.

She recycled greeting cards and envelopes, which I remember fondly, as we were penpals since as I started writing until she no longer could. She sent dispatches on the unpredictable local weather, her family visits and social engagements, and her family history.

She made her own bread, left to rise in coffee cans on the counter. To this day, any time I smell or taste fresh homemade bread, I am transported back to her breakfast table.

She had huge blueberry bushes in her backyard and we would walk out back to pick enough to make a blueberry pie, and eat it, still warm, with vanilla ice cream melting on top, in the heart of Midwestern summer. She grew rhubarb and squash and a whole lot of other things that I didn’t pay much attention to if they didn’t make good pie filling.

She took absolute joy in the simple pleasure and steady company of books, and read voraciously, keeping a catalog of all the titles she read, a habit she started as a girl, to show that the few dollars that went towards her obtaining her library card were well worth it.

She was notorious for, in her 70s and 80s, raking and bagging her own leaves. This was very alarming to learn as her long distance relatives, but I always quietly admired her spirit and gumption.

And though we did live far and couldn’t see each other as much as some grandparents and children too, I thought the world of my grandmother, so much so that I once wondered out loud if she didn’t wish that she wasn’t born at a different time, when she would have been afforded all the opportunities of a modern woman. Because in my opinion, she could have done anything -- taken all her smarts and self-assuredness and made a big splash in the career world. I meant it as the utmost compliment. But she went out of her way to tell me that she had no regrets or bigger wishes, and that she took umbrage at my suggestion. She had absolute fulfillment in the impact she made on her family and community, and would not have had it any other way. It was a communication that has stayed with me, and a lesson that I will never forget. Don’t ever sell short the contribution that you are to the people you touch in your lifetime. That is the real work.

There’s a photograph of my Grandmother in the front of a canoe, in a sleeveless blouse and pleated skirt, paddling into a lake in the North Woods. I love it because it captures just how proper she always was but, at the same time, how bold and out front she is in that moment. My Uncle Roger pointed out that she couldn’t swim. And there was no life vest. Grandma was a brave woman, with an indomitable spirit, and it is with gratitude that I honor such a great woman who went before me here today. 

10 More Things

My birthday is almost here. It's sneaking up on me this year. With so much going on, the days just fly by: three restaurants to open, condos to build, and a two year old to raise. I'm going to be 32. I haven't thought much about it except that it sounds a little more mature than I am used to saying but that it also feels right.

Reflecting back on this year, I can see it was seminal. My daughter is growing into a person. The proud flesh of my marriage. My growth as a leader at work. A mountainous marathon under my belt. Best friends getting married. An old friend that passed. It has run the gamut.

It feels like I should throw some feathers in the wind -- put some prayers into the future. So with that, ten more things.

1. Take a storytelling class. Finish my essay "The Greatest." Be on stage.
2. Go to the Met more. Go to the city more. It's a pleasure, remember!
3. Go to a Korean spa and have an awkward naked experience but be profoundly exfoliated as a result.
4. Speak more Spanish.
5. Go to Europe with the Mr. And maybe The Baby. Let's go to South America too to visit the cousins.
6. Have another baby. Maybe lots of babies. Don't worry so much about the future.
7. Move. To a beautiful old house!
8. Watch less TV. Way less. Create more.
9. Eat more vegetables. (All of us).
10. Go for it. Really. Make a run at the best life ever.

10 Things

Last week I learned on Facebook that the boy that was my freshman year of college passed away, "suddenly and unexpectedly," to quote his obituary. We drifted apart in college and I haven't talked to him since we graduated, more or less, which was ten years ago. Though I probably would have never talked to him again -- I even hid his profile from my Facebook feed, because our friendship seemed outdated and lopsided, like I would always care more that he did -- I feel the loss tremendously. 

He was such an unbelievably self-possessed spirit. When I met him, along with a few other truly excellent individuals on the sidewalk outside of the Rubin Dormitory on 5th Ave & 10th Street, it felt like I found my people. He loved music, and we spent the year of 1999-2000 going to live shows in the city or blasting music in our dorm rooms. He went on to be a live music sound engineer, and he travelled the world in that capacity. I don't know what exactly took him from this Earth so soon, but I suspect it wasn't good. 

In trying to find some meaning in his death, I thought about my life when I knew him. I dove headlong into memories, and read almost every page of my old journals and poetry books. I found email exchanges with old friends, and was washed over with the person I was more than a decade ago. I was searching for something, or someone, who could go with me through this life, steadfastly. For one short period of time, my friend Adam was that person. 

The fierce openness with which I searched for something to fill me up scares me now. I would never want to go back to that, but I do miss that feeling of not knowing what will happen next, or who I might meet that would bend my life. When a piece of paper 7 inches wide and 1 inch tall fell out of my journal with a list of things 10 things I wanted to do, I saw a reflection of a girl that I forgot I was. 

I've had my head down, in a lot of ways, for a lot of years. I've been plugging away. At what? Inner peace, love, family, sophisticated ladydom, tax paying... Adam's death has me picking my head up and wondering, what do I really want? I used to feel like I had nothing to lose and a real sense of what I could be. Now that I have a lot of things that I want, it's hard to resist the temptation to hold on too tight. Can I throw my hat up in the air of adventure to see where it lands in 2013 like I did in 2003? It's started an interesting conversation.

10 things --
1. learn how to use quark
2. be a hard core babysitter of jamie carly alexandra
3. take really long bike rides
3. get freckly
4. find an excellent apartment
5. write for the new yorker vogue nyt magazine jane
6. find a nice guy
7. start a dance troop
8. drive through canada, mexico
9. go to cuba and speak lots of spanish
10. move to rome

If you'll notice, my list of ten actually consists of eleven, as I have two number 3s. I've never been as conscientious as I pretend to be.

I'll miss you Adam. You were a kindred spirit, a spitfire and a savior. I loved you, like so many others.

Brotherly Love

Check out this amazing watercolor my brother painted and gave to us for our sixth wedding anniversary. He is a visionary architect and has recently taken up watercolors as a new medium to express his creativity. Acquiring my favorite of his pieces prompted me to entirely shift the display of art in our whole house.

It's pretty much the first thing you see in our house upon entry.

Please note the surfboards that I painted my other brother in the early 90s. It is the only thing that survived from everything I made during art lessons. I'm glad sentimentality kept someone from throwing it out, and that my dad thought to bring it to my house when he cleaned out the garage. I'd be willing to give it back, but only if asked really nicely.

Rounding out the new vignette are some floral prints I've found antiquing, a print of a woman with cropped hair laying in a field next to a basket of blueberries that used to be my Grammy's, a Chagall I cropped from a calendar collection, and an original painting of a Paris street scene by our now deceased family friend and B-movie star Norma Eberhardt Dauphin. We have three of Norma's pieces in Baby SevPrez's room and they are unbelievably awesome.

There's nothing like original art in your home.

Tears

I'm a crier. It's a thing I do. Weddings, funerals, all types of gatherings of people who are sharing themselves honestly.

Today I was in charge of a group of people. At the end of the day I was moved, and I cried sharing how much it meant to me. I regretted it immediately -- showing weakness when I should have shown strength.

Then I watched this video and felt that tears are one of the most beautiful things a human can produce.

Enjoy.

Puttin' On The Glitz

Somebody tell my husband to pick this necklace up at J. Crew in time for my 31st birthday. It may be a little dressy for everyday wear but I think I've got to keep reaching for the brass ring. I'm keeping my clicky heels, and give me my old lady brooch flower necklace. Add some red lipstick and it's on. Oh yes, it's on.

From Souls To Soles

Ever since I started my new job I became acutely aware of what turns out to be a collection of shoes I own. I never thought I really had that many pairs. I love shoes, of course, but never considered myself a shoe-horse.

On my first day of work I wore my turquoise suede strappy heels (yeah I said turquoise suede -- chosen by the same part of my brain that picked out the teal velvet couch). They have a decent heel, and they are fabulous. They make me happy to wear them, and I especially enjoy wearing them with an otherwise casual outfit (ripped jeans). Knowing what I know now, my new coworkers were wondering who was this crazy girl with the fancy shoes that make noise? Where does she think she has come to work? They definitely got some comments, not bad, more like "Do your shoes always make noise?" and I facetiously promised to bring the shoe. Tomorrow, purple flats. The day after that. leapard pointy toes with black bows. I was half-kidding, but I became aware that it was definitely possible for me to go into my closet each morning and put on a shoe-show.

These photos are just the beginning. If I really focused on it, I could devote an entire week to shoe pics. Not that you'd be all that intersted.

Happy Labor Day Weekend. It's a big deal here at the Jersey shore.

Fashion Illustration

Proof that I am not Garance Dore:

Yes, I spelled topknot wrong.

Drawing people is hard. I wish it was easier. I love Garance, Rene Gruau, Samantha Hahn, et al. I suppose what makes their work so special is that they make it look easy.


Anyway I was thinking of wearing this ensemble for something that is going to be filmed and may appear on national television. Chose a look that will hopefully make me look thin and put together. Nothing too special or outlandish. Felt like I wanted to get my vision down on paper. This is the 2nd attempt and this is where I rest. 


Happy weekend.

Coming To A Living Room Near Me

We finally pulled the trigger on a new couch, and it's spectacular.  "Go big or go home" is definitely turning out to be my home decor mantra, between this velvet fox and my yellow chairs. I think I will just have to be one of those people who has a house filled with eccentric treasures that somehow go together because they are loved ecstatically. And I'm okay with that.

Special shout-out to Sonny the cat, who we lost last month. His passing allowed us to finally let go of our 7 year old Ikea wreck and move on to something more grown up. I know what you're thinking -- your kid is going to ruin that couch. You may be right, but the time was right for us to say yes to a piece of furniture that we absolutely love.

Extra-special shout out to Mr. SevPrez who rejected my reasonable, compromise choice in couches and fell in love with my fantasy couch, and then spent all of Thursday night moving furniture around to make it fit in our family room. (We won't get the new couch til February but we are living with the new configuration.)

We spend a lot of time on our couch. And a lot of time looking at it, since we have an open floor plan. Why not have something big, bold, and beautiful? Life is short, seize the teal velvet!

My Life These Days*

As my friend who visited the other day with her new dog said, "Most of our conversations revolve around whether or not she is the cutest dog in the world." I relate to that. Right now so much of the space of my life is taken up by my daughter -- all of the "baby appliances" all over our house, all of the time spent feeding, holding, and soothing her, all of the parts of my brain anticipating her future needs, our new life as a family, the moment to moment excitement of getting to know her.


Becoming a parent has brought a new importance and excitement to family for me. It's one area of my life right now that feels complete. Part of it is probably just having all this time off from work, but I have never spent so much time with my family and been so happy to be a part of it. I like to think we are a real life version of the Bravermans (if you are not watching the show "Parenthood," you really should be.) Getting together at my parents' house for big sprawling family dinners with both of my brothers and their kids is a really awesome way to spend a Sunday night. We pass the little kids around and the big kids help out. In fact, my oldest niece opted to have a quiet dinner with me while I was feeding little P-- and even cut my meat -- while the rest of the family ate in the other room. You never feel left out.


Everyone says "you sleep while they sleep!" but since my little one is not the best napper that means I just go to bed around 8 or 9 when she calls it a night. So I've started watching movies (and Masterpieces, why are British mysteries so good!?) around 4pm since I can't stay up for anything after dinner. So going out for a dinner date with Mr. SevPrez is a tremendous treat (we've only done it once so far) but also makes me feel like I'm living on the edge since it cuts into my sleep time.


Everyone also says you lose weight while breastfeeding and I'm not sure that's true for everyone. I think you lose weight because you don't have two hands to eat with once your spouse goes back to work. Seriously. If I have to choose between eating and taking a shower, I'd rather take a shower. There's just something about keeping myself clean that makes me feel like I have everything under control.


And last but not least I am getting my running legs back. I went for my first jog/walk three weeks after giving birth, which is not really recommended or endorsed by any of the books. But everyone is different and I felt pretty good. I knew to go slow and give it a rest if my body sent me signals that it was too much. But now I'm jogging pretty much every other day, enjoying the time outdoors to myself and the feeling that I'm getting back into my old groove and, slowly but surely, my old body. I have a 5K picked out for October 9th and am looking forward to just completing it and having a good time. (I say that but I'm sure I'll end up setting a time goal for myself and as a result will be dry-heaving at the finish line.) But little P will be there to cheer me on and that will make me feel like a champ no matter how slow I go.


Motherhood is an awesome thing. I still can't believe we made a human being (and one who's so cute!). Right now she depends on us for all of her needs, but one day she'll go off into the world as her own woman, with her own opinions, hopes, and aspirations. It's pretty wild. But for now, I am pretty sure that all she dreams about are milk, swings, and bouncy balls. So we'll just take it one day at a time.




*I don't really want to give into to blogging about motherhood and kid clothes (there are so many other mom bloggers out there who do a great job), but right now my life revolves around parental concerns and experiences, and I felt I wanted to post something, so this is what you get. More diverse posts to come as "the first trimester" comes to a close and I go back to work.

Making A Pilgrimage To Maira

Crappy photos illicitly taken with my iPhone while trying to look like I was checking my email.

I was pleased as punch to discover that Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) was coming to The Jewish Museum in New York, having missed it by just hours when it was in Philadelphia last fall. My mom and I went for our annual Summer Day of Fun on Friday afternoon. For me, it was like snuggling up on the couch with the cats and a good book -- totally comfortable and reassuring. I have most of her books, and even purchased the companion book to the exhibition last year to console myself for missing it, so there wasn't much newness to be discovered. Nonetheless I really enjoyed seeing her originals, and being in a space carefully curated by the hands of Maira. And I really enjoyed hearing the sound of my mother's giggles from across the gallery as she watch Maira's TED talk with headphones on. 


I could go on and on and on about Maira's wit, wisdom, and talent, or my feeling of spiritual connection to her, or my profound admiration for the fact that she has made such an accomplished career for herself by plumbing the depths of herself and her life, but I won't, I don't have it in me today. It's too much to put into words. I would say just check out her work for yourself and you'll understand. 

A horizon of Maira. 

There were a several other great exhibits going on at the museum but we were unable to see them before the museum closed (at 4:45 on Friday, for the Sabbath). I suppose we had spent too long luxuriating over lunch and lemonade at Sarabeth's.  For the record, Sarabeth's is exactly the kind of restaurant I would have if I ever had a restaurant: brunch food and baked goods all day. I would eat breakfast for every meal if it was nutritiously acceptable, and I have always been this way. A few years ago I ran into my high school sweetheart after many years of radio silence, and as we were catching up he asked "Do you still love pancakes?" I suppose I do, I just hadn't realized quite how much it made an impression on others. 


After picking up some things at the gift shop, I made the executive decision that under no circumstances should we take the 6 train downtown and make the horrible transfer to the E at 51st Street. It was a nice day (after several days of sweltering weather and thunderstorms), so we dared cross Central Park in hopes that we would come out on the other side and take the A/C/E directly to Penn Station. I use dramatic language to describe this decision because, well, have you ever tried to cross Central Park in a straight line? It's not really designed to be transversed on foot in this way, so it took some extreme diligence on our part. We consulted a lot of maps, and finally, when leaving Belvedere Castle and having to decide which way to take through The Ramble, I busted out the GPS on my iPhone. After all, my mother was wearing wedges and I am extremely pregnant. I could not stand the idea of us walking far out of our way. But what do you know -- we made it from the Jewish Museum to the Museum of Natural History in record time (not counting our respite at the Turtle Pond, where mom read Maira's newest children's book, Thirteen Words, and I took pictures of all the turtles in the pond). Once we popped out on the West side of the park, I made another executive decision that I was done with the smelly, crowded subway for the week, so I raised my right arm, stuck my belly out, and hailed us a cab to Penn Station. 

Mom reads to the turtles.

All in all it was another wonderful Summer Day of Fun for the books. Mom got off the train with me and Mr. SevPrez picked us up at the station so Mom could come back and get a tour of our new house -- well, our newly beautiful house with new hardwood floors. Photos to come!

Top 5 at 8.5

5 things that are saving me as I get more and more pregnant, in case you find yourself in a similar situation or know someone else who is.

1.  The Snoogle Pillow. My mother-in-law got a hot tip from her pregnant niece that this pillow was a must, and I've had it ever since Mother's Day. It's shaped like a G so it supports you head, belly, and legs. I've had great nights sleep with this thing although when you roll over it's a bit like wrestling an alligator in the night.

2.  MIA clogs from Urban Outfitters. Stylish arch support for my 12 hour days. They never even gave me a blister! And they are much cheaper than Hasbeens, which I love but are outrageously expensive for wooden shoes that are going to get smelly and beat up. When I see pregnant women waddling around in flip flops I cringe. You wouldn't be waddling if you would just wear proper footwear! I still walk faster than 65% of the people in Penn Station. So far so good.

3.  Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in Wild Berry (essentially bright red). Focus on my red lips not my double chin! Took a recommendation from Cup of Joe and don't regret it. I layer a little Black Honey Almost Lipstick from Clinique over it to make it look less like I drew on my lips with a red magic marker and to freshen the color up during the day. 

4. American Apparel tank dress. Mine's a little longer than the ones on the site -- thankfully it goes past the knees which has become my preferred hem length. Not sure if it's because their website is pervy and models are only allowed to wear XXS or if I have an older version, but I think I'm going back for another sometime this week. The 90 degree weather makes me feel like I need more dresses, and STAT!

5.  Sunbeam electric heating pad. I keep this sucker plugged in on my couch at all times so any time I sit or lay down I can use it on my back to soothe any aches and pains or loosen up tight muscles. It is a must after a long day or a long pop up! The cats like it too.

Clogs in action.

First Modern Family

I usually try not to just grab pictures and repost, but I was looking through the Michele Obama Look Book at NYMag.com and spotted this image of the First Lady and daughter Malia leaving the White House on March 18th for their trip to Brazil. 

So modern, chic, and lively. I love these people. Say what you want about their policies, they have style, confidence, and panache. We could use more of that in America.


On a related note, cookie maker extraordinaire Sweet Dani B made cookies for Operation Shower Presents Red, White and Coo at Camp Lejeune, an event for 40 pregnant wives of service members attended by the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden.  Like Sweet Dani B on Facebook to see all her amazing cookies — including her cookie portraits of the Obamas on Inauguration night. 

Seven Questions for Sweet Dani B

Sweet Dani B's love gnome loves you... a lot.

Today we get a glimpse into the life of the woman behind the cookies, none other than Sweet Dani B herself, hot off her Valentine's Day appearance on "The Martha Stewart Show"! Dan may make the most fabulous looking and tasting cookies in the universe, but she is also a pretty awesome person. I had the privilege of making her acquaintance through a friend. I was a little intimidated to meet her, knowing that she had her own cookie company (!), styled for Martha Stewart (!!), and was best friends with my coolest new friend (!!!). I mean, really. But Dan immediately disarmed my nervousness with her smile, laugh, and all around excellent spirit.


After you read this post you should definitely start thinking about any upcoming parties that Dan can trick out for you — besides cookies she also creates awesome invitations and party environments (I think I just made that term up but I'm going with it). Not only will you love what she comes up with, you will be happy to find yourself working with such a cool cat. 


Here's wishing Dan all the success in the world! And not just 'cause she took the time to answer my questions. ; )


Q 1. What's something you wish more people knew? 
A 1. Agreeing to disagree can solve so many problems from big to small.

Q 2. Current favorite sources of inspiration? (Books, websites, movies, music, people, places, food)
A 2. I do a lot of online research these days but I so miss having time to pour over a stack of juicy mags... My ideal magazine stack would include a few of the fall issues (hopefully SJP in on one of the covers), the latest J. Crew and Free People catalogs, mixed in with Martha Living and Weddings all set next to a lovely glass of red wine and a few empty hours. If we are being honest, I'll throw in the current Us Weekly too. : )

Q 3. What did you want to be when you grew up? What do you do now?
Q 3. I had to ask my Mom about this because I have no recollection of wanting to "be" anything. I was doodling and making crafts (and messes) since I was very little... so when I started getting a little older my Mom said "Maybe you will be an artist some day" and I always said "I don't think so" or "I don't want to do that"... I was very big into art in middle school and high school and suddenly it was time to look at college. My parents were nervous about letting me loose in NYC (I was a bit of a rebel) so they drove us up to see RISD and while we were touring the studios I felt and strong need to be part of it... I applied and was lucky enough to get in but even through college I always wondered "what do I want to be?" I still wonder but try to live by "the journey is the destination" theory... I have worked in fashion as a graphic artist, a fashion illustrator, started an event design / cookie business, worked on restaurant graphics, styled for Martha Stewart (again walked into the Martha offices and had that 'this is where I belong' feeling), went freelance for Martha, then went back to my business and changed it up a bit. It's been a crazy journey. The constant is the desire to be creative and making myself and other people happy with what I do... "spreading the love" as they say.

Q 4. When you look back on your first love, how do you think your idea of love has changed or stayed the same?
A 4. I've always been obsessed with love as a "lifestyle" from then to now... My views on love have matured since high school but love is love... It's all meaningful.

Q 5. What is your biggest weakness? (Spiritual, disciplinary, dietary)
A 5. Red wine & pizza (separate, combined)

Q 6. Three things you want or are working toward in your future? 
A 6.   1. Peace with all my decisions  2. Big fenced in yard behind a great house near the beach- outdoor brick pizza oven, table for 12 to 14, and lots more rescue dogs running around the yard  3. Meeting THE Cookie Monster (no fakes)

The Real Cookie Monster? Or just an impostor?

Q 7. And finally, for my records, chocolate/chocolate, chocolate/vanilla,  vanilla/vanilla or other (please specify)?
(This is helpful in case I am ever bringing you dessert).
A 7. Chocolate/ vanilla, and I always like a topping or garnish... sprinkles, hot fudge, fresh whipped cream, or cookie crumbs on top!

A Spread from Dan's "Greatest Story Ever Told" Sketchbook.