Little Feet

Passed out in the car seat after a fun afternoon.

They might actually not be so little... Mr. SevPrez jokingly refers to me as Chief Big Toe (I do have a big big toe), so I dubbed the little one Chief Little Big Toe.

Funny names aside, she started walking on Monday, July 9th. Two steps at a time, a couple times. Now I believe she's up to 4. Very, very exciting.

My mom would also like me to add that she's signing "more" and "all done."

Today three generations of SevPrez women had an impromptu summer day of fun. Mom met me at the craft store where I was picking up dye for an upcoming project. Then we went shopping and had lunch. Chief Little Big Toe didn't sleep a wink. She was just too excited to miss a thing.


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Scribbles From An Earlier Self

New mantra.

I was flipping through my little scribble pad and was so pleased to find these little drawings and remember how I was feeling when I made them. Further proof that even when you feel like what you are doing is ugly/dumb/pointless/worthless, one day you will look back and be glad your previous self made a record marking where you were.

In order to get full, you have to be empty.



Riding a commuter bus without headphones can be like staring into the void.

Garden Update

The tomatoes are growing like crazy! And we have a couple tiny jalapenos. My friend Treehouse Chatter came down and got the full tour, and snapped this picture.

And Then She Wrote Me Back!

The next day!!

dear dallas.
thank you for this incredibly gracious letter.
i think that the only way to do what you want to do is to do it in a way that feels comfortable.
so if you were to do you art, you would keep your job and see you how feel creating.
but if it is not an imperative in your life, then that is fine too.
it is all good.
i really appreciate your thoughts.
all best to you

I still haven't done "my art." But in leaving my old job I feel like I got un-stuck. I was so stuck. I was so scared of the unknown. Taking that leap of faith was so liberating. So. Liberating. For six weeks my mantra was "I'm a free bird," because I had to keep reminding myself of the new context I had created to live into. On the graph of my life, I'm on a steep incline of learning about myself: who I am and what I want to do. It's very amorphous, a little confronting, but very exciting. I'm in inquiry.

I'm not sure I really agree with Maira. I think I have a rougher constitution. But then, I don't have all that much to show for it. But like she says, "it is all good." And that is an ethos I can get behind.

Did I Forget To Tell You I Met My Idol?!

In February I ran into Maira Kalman first thing in the morning on my way into work. It was magical. At my mom's urging I wrote her a note, and I want to share it with you.
Hi Maira-

I ran into you recently one morning at the elevator at 611 Broadway. I was on my way to work and recognized you and your orange hat. You were very sweet and shook my hand. I called off the Annual February Misery Day Parade for the day and immediately called my mom to tell her about it.

I couldn't resist writing you a note because your work resonates with me so much that I find myself hoping that meeting you was some sort of magical incident -- that you are my white rabbit.

Your work makes my heart leap. It is gorgeous and arresting and and makes me feel things. It also awakens a possibility I put to sleep a long time ago because I thought it was too impractical. I wanted to be Picasso when I was eight years old, just like I wanted to be a New York Knick. In the zero-gravity space inside my head, it was definitely going to happen. I was going to be a great artist unbothered by offices and desk jobs and mundane concerns.

But I ran into you because I was on my way to work in an office, at a truly excellent, world-renowned company that churns out awesome, inspiring nuggets of wisdom on smart looking cards and gifts. I have worked here for 10 years, since college, when I started out stuffing envelops because I wanted to be a part of the organization in any way possible. My position, which was created for me, has blossomed over time and really, I think I have a job that most people dream about. I'm the lady who picks the quotes. And really, it is great, it is about the best desk job a girl could ever ask for. But it's not Picasso -- or, in my present day parlance -- Maira Kalman.

I feel a bit foolish and embarrassed writing all this to you. Shouldn't I just be out there doing it!? What am I waiting for? I am, after all, the creator of follow-your-dreams paraphernalia. But I'm scared of letting go of what I have for something unknown. I suppose this letter is somewhere between a very, very earnest piece of fan mail and a message in a bottle. Thank you for reading it, and for being where you were in the world the other day. It was delightful meeting you.

Truly,
Mrs. SevPrez