wow. thank you.

Reading all the truly kind comments on the House Love giveaway post blew me away. Trying new things and putting myself out there isn't always easy, but it's so incredibly worth it. I feel proud of what House Love has become, and to see that all of you are proud of me, too... well, my heart is swelling and I feel so incredibly grateful for your support. That post will be bookmarked for a long time. For moments when I feel discouraged or overwhelmed, your thoughts will remind me that what I have going is pretty great. To be able to contribute to my family financially while staying home with my children, doing something I enjoy, something that means something to people, well, I can't really ask for more. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all are a big part of why my world really is a lovely place to be.

with Grace in my heart

To my dear friends, Kimmie and Jason, whose beloved daughter, Grace Evelyn Smith, was born still on November 12, 2012 at 30 weeks after being diagnosed with a genetic condition called Trisomy 18.

Watching my beautiful friends, Kimmie and Jason, receive this devastating diagnosis for their baby girl, cherish their time with Grace during pregnancy, and navigate the rough waters of living after loss has been both heartbreaking and inspiring. Through a deep love for their daughter, they have found the strength to honor her memory by speaking on panels about infant loss and by sharing Grace's story on their blog.

As parents, we have an intimate relationship with fear. We bring helpless, beautiful, perfect little creatures into this world. We are charged with the heavy responsibility of keeping them safe. Of loving them, taking care of them, shielding them from pain. Grace's story reminds us that not everything is within our control. The world is a scary, but beautiful place. I am more aware than ever of the deep pain so many have experienced. That loss is part of life. That what we have is each other, right now.

I hope that by sharing a small part of their story in this space, I can further honor Grace's memory and her parent's journey. There is a long road ahead and my greatest wish is that they know they are not alone. They are loved. Grace is loved. She will never be forgotten.

I will end with the letter to Grace that I wrote her while she was still in her Mama's belly:

Dear Grace,

I’d like to start by introducing myself. I’m Miranda, your Mama’s friend. I met your mom four years ago. We started out as co-workers, but today, your Mother is one of my dearest friends. When my daughter Fiona was born and your Mom came to meet her for the first time, I answered the front door to your sweet Mom shaking excitedly with tears in her eyes. I knew in that moment that your Mother was a very special kind of friend and I felt so lucky that she loved me and my new baby so much. I looked forward to the day that I would feel that same excitement and love about your Mama’s baby. And I did!  When your Mama told me she was pregnant with you, I got to feel that joy! You were such a wished for, loved on baby right from the start.

Grace, you have brought immeasurable meaning to the life of your parents and changed them both forever. You have made them parents. The greatest gift in all the world. You have opened their eyes, and the eyes of all who love you, to what life is all about, just by being you. We have learned hard things about the world. That although your life is a perfect little piece of the universe, it will not last nearly as long as we would like. But we have learned beautiful things, too. That life is precious and delicate, and that every moment is a gift.

But, I can’t write this letter without acknowledging the hard truth. It’s not fair, dear little Grace. You should have been given more time here. You should have had time to experience what our world has to offer. I am so sorry you don’t have that time. I am so, so sorry. I can’t pretend to know the way the world works. I don’t. My one consolation is knowing that you won’t miss out on the very greatest thing the world offers. Love. You’ve got that by the bushel full.

I will always think of you, Grace, and you will forever have a place in my heart.

All my love,

Miranda

one year of house love (a giveaway!)

Today, I am giving away a House Love portrait as a way of saying thank you for an amazing year. It has been one turn around the sun since I opened the shop. I still remember my first order (from Nina!), my first sale on Etsy ( from Val!) and the day I discovered that my house portraits had been featured on Apartment Therapy, then Design Mom. It was so exciting to see my little idea take off. I appreciate your support, your orders and your friendship so much. (The giveaway is open to previous and current customers as well as wait-listers!)

To enter to win one free 8x10 House Love portrait, leave a comment on this post! I'll choose a winner on Tuesday, May 28th and post the winner on the House Love Shop Facebook page.

Good luck!

~~~

Comments closed! And the winner (#37 chosen by a random number generator) is...

Lacy

Just found you're blog. Love it so much. Just moved to a farm and this would be a lovely addition.

xo

hello there, gouache. i think i like you.

I painted this little portrait of Fiona and Elsa for my mom for Mother's Day. It was my first experiment using gouache, and I think it turned out pretty cute. I have a long way to go to get comfortable with this new material, but I have a feeling that this is leading somewhere good. Hooray!

In other artsy news, tomorrow is House Love's one year anniversary. Oh my! I think we have to celebrate! Please check back tomorrow for a special giveaway. It will be my way of saying... Holy crap, thank you! I had no idea that my little house portrait project would become what it has. Almost 130 house portraits later, I have a 6 month long wait list and whole new appreciation for what home means to all of us. Check back tomorrow and celebrate 365 days of House Love with me!

family sketchbook project

The Adventures of Fiona and Elsa by Miranda

A house and the night sky, she has seven babies by Fiona

{family sketchbook project}
One sketch a week from any family member who'd like to take part.
Just fun. No pressure.

I've been working here and there on creating some Fiona and Elsa illustrations. They have such different looks and ways of carrying themselves, I think their characters could really complement each other well.

Fiona's drawing this week is so sweet. I love the star hanging in the night sky.

{this moment}

{this moment} is a Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama.

why I won't be showing dove's "real beauty sketches" to my daughters

Over the past couple days, the Dove video, Real Beauty Sketches, has been shared many times over on my social media feeds. I'd like to start by saying that on one level, I get it. We are our own harshest critics. We need to be gentler on ourselves. I also think that the concept is interesting. I like the idea of exploring how we see ourselves vs. how others see us. But, for me, there is more to the story here.

These are conventionally attractive people. And that's okay! It's okay to be conventionally attractive! (And let me say, this is a critique of the video and the concept, not of the participants.) But this video is meant to be a commentary on the way our society perceives beauty. The problem is, Dove doesn't challenge that perception at all. Every participant fits neatly into society's narrow definition. The observers used the descriptions "thin face", "small chin", "short, cute nose", and "nice blue eyes". These were the highlighted 'positive' observations made by the observers about the participants. Does that sound like Barbie, or is it just me? Also, are the drawings on the left so bad? There are people who look like that. What about them?

I also have to wonder why the way strangers describe our physical appearance should be so important, anyway? Perhaps we don't need strangers to tell us we're beautiful. Maybe we should be telling our daughters (and ourselves) that it doesn't really doesn't matter that much what these strangers think of our physical appearance. That we have so much more to offer.

Another thing I noticed about the participants is that they all seemed kind of quiet. Some even seemed sad. (The music doesn't help.) I'm sure that this was intentionally done to keep the mood consistent and from a marketing point of view, I get it. But as a woman and mother, it makes me uncomfortable. I find it hard to believe that every single woman described themselves in such a negative light. Unfortunately, I think they are (again) perpetuating a conventional feminine ideal. That of being quiet and modest. Society frowns on a pretty girl who knows it.

To those of you who were moved by this video, my motivation in posting this isn't to make you feel bad or make your feelings illegitimate. If it spoke to you, and it helped you, I am glad. My only thought is that maybe we should think twice about whether this video might be adding to the problem, rather than mitigating it. Maybe we should be reminding ourselves that our worth as a woman has very little to do with the shape of our nose and much more to do with the strength of our character and the generosity of our heart.

notes from the dunes

I look around my house and see toys strewn on the floor, dust gathered in corners, dirty dishes waiting to be washed. There are bills that need paying and emails requiring replies. Papers that need sorting and stacks of boxes in my attic and basement that need to be, I don't know... thrown out? Put somewhere else? Today it all seems more overwhelming than usual.

I read a book many years ago, The Woman in the Dunes, and while my memory of it is hazy, the allegory has stayed with me. Two people are living trapped at the bottom of a giant sand dune. They spend every day digging out their home so that it isn't buried in sand. There is no escaping. They have to spend most of their waking hours digging. While there are struggles and attempts to escape, there is also contentment found in the daily ritual, in accepting their roles. It's a simple life.

Some days more than others, I feel like a woman in the dunes. There is no glory to be found in sweeping up cobwebs or cleaning the bathtub. No fame will be won when the laundry pile is a little less huge than it was the day before. There are no pretty pictures at the end to post on instagram.

But today, I need to focus on digging. Not because I might find something shiny, but because there is peace to be found in hard work. Because digging is life.

{this moment}

{this moment} is a Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama.

family sketchbook project

Tough Girl by Fiona

{family sketchbook project}
One sketch a week from any family member who'd like to take part.
Just fun. No pressure.

How awesome is this girl? I cannot get enough of these little characters Fiona creates. This tough little thing might be my favorite yet. Look at that stance!  And I love what Elijah has been doing with the ornate scroll shapes in the last two drawings...

Royalty by Elijah

Sledding by Miranda

For my drawing, I used a photo reference this week. I want to loosen up a bit, so made a conscious effort to look away from the photo for a good portion of the drawing. I can get caught up in drawing from life, or from a photo reference, as the case may be.

I definitely wouldn't have fit in a sketch this week if it weren't for this Wednesday ritual. I'm so glad I've got this going. Stephanie, from Neuroses Galore has been participating, too, so pay her a visit! If you have your own Family Sketchbook Project, let me know. You can leave your link in the comments and I can add your link up here in the post!

celebrations of spring

After the slow months of Winter, morning walks through almost empty city streets and a sun that sets before dinner, the last few weeks of Spring have been nothing short of exhilarating. I find myself smiling a silly amount of the time and practically skipping along as we welcome our new Spring rhythm. We head out of the house early, find ourselves at the book store one morning, the Science Center the next. We stop by the playground and run some errands on the way home, picking up something fresh for dinner. Our waterfront town is bustling now with neighbors and visitors.

On top of all that, there are the many springtime gatherings with family and friends. We celebrate another turn around the sun for Fiona and a different holiday with each side of the family. Oh yes, it is Spring, and life feels lighter, brighter and full of possibility.

{this moment}

{this moment} is a Friday ritual inspired by Soulemama.