And why I think it is so important to vote in every election--not just the big ones. It's so important that I spend time researching the candidates on the ballot (do you know who's running for Board of Directors at your community college? Because you should).  I was looking around for a shirt that says "VOTE" to wear and I couldn't find one I liked. In true DIY fashion, I decided to design one myself. And then I fell down the rabbit hole of fonts and wound up designing 4 different options. All of which are available at my Society6 shop.

I really liked the shape of the E on this one. 

This one is why I shouldn't do line work after 3 cups of coffee. Everything wobbles....

I think this one is my favorite. I like the balance of the white inside the letters against the color outside. 

Do you have a favorite? 

It's me! 
This bizzaro year has had me reevaluate how I want to spend my days. The short answer is that I want less time in front of a screen and more time with people I care about, doing things that bring me a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm going to be leaning harder into art-making and applying to various publications as an illustrator. I'm also going to be updating my Society6 shop, and taking more private commissions. 

Thanks for checking in and riding along. 

This piece is available as a print in my Society6 shop. 

Crafts are fun! Crafts are great! I love crafts!
No seriously, I am one crafty mammajamma. But crafts are for school and adult-type people.

Process art allows for exploration, experimentation, and provides an environment that is conducive to peer-to-peer learning.

So what's the difference?
A craft is a project with a specific end goal in mind.
Process art is a project that focuses on the making (or process) rather than the end product.

We frequently hear that libraries are about fostering life-long learning. I ask you: are you likely to continue with an activity that is not fun? One that has a narrowly defined version of success? Or are you interested in spending your time doing something that is fun, open-ended, with a wide variety of outcomes?

Oh my gosh--I'm so glad you asked! 
If you take a look at the way preschool is being taught right now, you may have an idea.  A better concept comes from schools that have a Reggio Emilia based curriculum. The thing I like best about Reggio Emilia is that you show the kids how a thing works, and then get out of their way. You put before them tools, tell them this is the time for them to explore the tools and watch what happens. If they get bored, you can ask: what would happen if you added water? Or what would happen if you combined two of these things? 

It's really hard to let go of the idea that everyone leaves your program with something pretty to take home. I know. And more often than not, what kids create is (to the casual observer) a mess. 

But what they are actually getting out of the time spent with you is so much more than a craft that will ultimately find it's way to the recycle bin. 

Process art 

• Builds confidence
• Encourages creative thinking
• Enhances vocabulary (use those fabulous art-words like form and composition!)
• Stimulates curiosity
• Strengthens children's ability to predict, plan, and problem solve

There are a lot of places you can go for crafts (Hello, Pinterest!) but I have found that some of the process-art posts there aren't truly process art. 

If you want to read more about Process Art and what that looks like, go to the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Meri Cherry in L.A. spent several years as a K-2 teacher, before leaving to pursue running art workshops fpor families and kids. 

TinkerLab is a great resource for art and science for young people.

ArtBar Blog is a favorite out of Connecticut--and her Instagram feed is a delight. (@artbarblog)

These are just a few places that I go to for inspiration. If you have a favorite resource, I'd love to know what it is! 

It's taken me a long time to process my feels into coherent (shareable) thoughts. And I am not entirely sure that everything has been worked through. But I'm going to share with you what I can, in the hopes that we can at least reach a common understanding.  

First, a wee bit of background: I am a fixer. If there is a problem or a conundrum, I love to untangle it and set it to rights. I like to say that undoing tangles is my magic (seriously, if you have a tangled chain from your jewelry box bring it on over). This desire is undoubtedly a huge part of what pushed me to join AmeriCorps after college. And so I went to work at the Cherokee Heritage Center--where I was served my first slice of humble pie. And rightly so. 

This may come as a shock to you, but there is a long and unpleasant history of white people showing up to "fix things" for Indigenous people the world over. And, bless my 21 year old white lady heart, I thought that I was different. Because I just wanted to help. Well, I was set down and gently explained that while I could assist with this one project I should mostly just keep my opinions to myself until I had a better grasp on the nuances of the culture and the ball-and-chain of history that everyone was dragging around. 
And they were right. They were 100% absolutely unfailingly correct. Everything that I knew up to that point I had read in a book. I could stand up and correctly point out overt injustices, but I was blind to cultural insensitivity and the way the system had been set up to disenfranchise a whole nation of people. 
So that was my first lesson in the difference between wanting to help and actually helping​. 

My next lesson came many years later when I was a mom. We had moved into a lovely neighborhood, with two playgrounds within walking distance and tons of children outside everyday--riding bikes, playing football, jumping rope. Our neighbors would sit outside in the evenings and converse across lawns while children played in the warm light of the setting sun. It was the kind of neighborhood I had always wanted to be a part of; where everyone looked out for everyone else. Can you picture it in your mind? 
Now let me tell you that we were the only white family on the block. 
It took a good long while for people to get comfortable with us--understandably. We were other. We were the physical manifestation of the oppressors. But once I had a friend on the block who was open and honest with me, I was set down once again and gently explained how it feels to send your kids into a world that is openly hostile to them. The same world that would throw open it's doors for my white kids had placed a guard out front to deter her kids. 

 So we circle back around to the recent events: Alton Sterling, Philando Castille, and the Dallas Police Officers. 
And again, I am a fixer. I want to help. But I know better than to stand on a chair and start yelling out directions. 
When Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, someone (if you know who let me know!) suggested that I take my Twitter account, unfollow a bunch of cishet white dudes and replace them with people of color. I suggest ALL OF YOU GO DO THIS RIGHT NOW. It was through this choice that I was able to hear the voices of the people who live under the unfair social rules that us white folk don't think about. And it was through the amazingness that is Feminista Jones (@feministajones) that I learned my latest lesson.  She said the first question you should ask when reaching out to people is: Do you need help? 
(But wait! There's more!)
If the people say, "Yes! We need help!" Then you ask, "What kind of help do you need?"

Because the long and short of it is: 
People who are in the middle of the chaos know what they need most right now. 
To think or act otherwise is removing the power from and infantilizing the people you are trying to help. That's the opposite of helping.

​So take a deep breath and say it with me: 

Do you need help?

What kind of help do you need?  

There's something about a sky full of stars that is awe-inducing and humbling. Recently, the Girl Scouts went on a camp out and were given the opportunity to look up into a star-filled sky. It was fun to point out the different constellations and to show the girls Jupiter. 

There's a world of resources for star gazing; but I will share my favorites with you here. 

These websites were chosen for their ease of use and information contained therein. 

To see what's going on in the sky at any time during the year, check out StarDate.org 

For a free sky map each month, try SkyMaps.com. In addition to the map, there is a list of all of the celestial objects that you can see--with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a telescope. 

To learn more about the mythology behind the constellations, download this PDF by Norm McCarter for the Tulare County Office of Education.

​ If you've had enough of star gazing from Earth, check out the website dedicated to the photos taken by the Hubble telescope.

Do you know who this is? It is the most fabulous Anna Wintour. Longtime editor of American Vogue, now artistic director for Conde Nast. She's fierce and flawless and she KNOWS it. 

Last year, Anna gave advice to a room full of fashion-industry hopefuls. It was excellent advice. It was advice you imagine receiving from someone who has walked the walk for 20+ years. It was also suspiciously like the advice I received from many successful women over the course of my life. 

1. Learn from the pros first. This was presented to me as: Don't Reinvent the Wheel. Which is really great advice--why would you pour your precious time into creating something that's already been done?
2. Think about your long term goals. Let's take this one step further--don't just think about them, WRITE THEM DOWN. Know what you want, so you can go out there and get t!
3. Your personality and presentation matter. Yes, we'd love to live in a magical world where you can look at someone and know how fantastically awesome they are. However, we live in THIS world where failing to shower and wearing clothes that are mostly holes don't fall into the "professional attire" category. When you are off the clock, wear what makes you happy. When you are on the clock, dress for the job on your goals list.
4. Get employed, even if it's not your dream job. Oh gods, yes. It's easier to get a job when you have a job. Additionally, use your current job to meet people and learn things--even if what you are learning is how not to do things. 
5. Make sure you have a mentor. I would like to say one thing about having a mentor: IT'S THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR LIFE. I have multiple mentors: for work, for Scouts, for art, for parenting. Everyone who is ahead of you in this game called life has a story that they can share with you. They can tell you when you are headed towards a cliff or when you are getting close to reaching those goals you set. 

What's the best advice you've ever received? 

Way back in August, I started keeping a Bullet Journal. I liked the flexibility of the system & how easy it is to keep all of your various notes in one place. I started with a notebook that I bought on clearance at the Walgreen's but in March I upgraded to the recommended notebook.

In addition to the weekly task tracker pages, you can customize pages for notes or phases of the moon or menus. The front of the journal has a place to record page numbers and titles of pages so that you can easily find what you are looking for.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool note taker, so the ability to have my notes for work, Girl Scouts, and everything else in one book was awesome. Then I started looking around at how others were customizing their journals and I got even more excited about the possibilities. I have yet to take up a page for an entire day, but knowing that I can feels pretty liberating. I also find that having a bullet journal ties in nicely with the other new routine I have adopted: The Miracle Morning. 

I first heard about the Miracle Morning from BohoBerry, and I thought back to last year when I was daily practicing Early Wake, Daily Write. I was much more productive when I started my day before everyone else. The difference between Early Wake, Daily Write and the Miracle Morning is that there are more components to the Miracle Morning. In addition to writing, there's meditation and exercise and reading. There's a cute little acronym to help you remember the order of events--which is great at 5:30 am, when I'm not fully functional. 
SAVERS
S- Silence
A- Affirmations
V-Visualization
E-Exercise
R-Reading
S-Scribe (because SAVERW isn't a word)

I LOVE starting my day with the Miracle Morning method. It's great to be able to head off to work knowing that I have already gotten in my exercise. I use the affirmation/visualization portion to set my intent for the day so that I have a clear picture of what I will accomplish. 

Now, you can go out and buy this book, or you can see if your library has it. As I am a note-taker, I didn't feel the need to own my copy. I wrote down what I needed to and then returned the book so that others could have their turn. 

And guess what! Just like the Bullet Journal, the Miracle Morning is something you can customize to your own needs. There are mornings when I use the writing time to paint. And it feels SO GOOD in my soul. 

Maybe being productive isn't your thing. That's okay too! But if you are feeling stuck or like you don't have enough hours in the day, I highly recommend adopting some new practices. 

I can hear you all now, nodding and murmuring, "Ah, yes, Stonehenge." And yes, well done you! Stonehenge was (we suspect) built to mark the seasons as well as a place to bury your (most important) dead. However! Stonehenge is not my favorite. My favorite is a place far north of Stonehenge, built on the Orkney Islands. It's called Maes Howe. 

And every year there is a live webcam of the sun penetrating the long tunnel into the chamber on the Winter Solstice. Before you roll your eyes at me, there are a few things you need to know. 

1. It was built around the year 2800 BCE (How did they engineer this thing? HOW?)
2. It is a burial chamber, and can fit 15 people comfortably inside with plenty of head room. 
3. When the sun shines fully into the chamber, there is a display shelf on the rear wall that gets bathed in sunlight (What?!
      HOW DID THEY DO THAT?!)
4. There is graffiti on the walls, in RUNES from when some Norsemen got snowed in one winter. It's fairly vulgar, and thus
​      hilarious.
5. Maes Howe and surrounding neolithic monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The Maes Howe website has some great information (and pictures!). The website itself was built a while ago (and thus lacks bells and whistles), but it is my favorite thing this time of year. 

I should mention that I have BEEN there, but all of my photos are analog and around here somewhere. If I can locate them, I will share with the class. 

I would be remiss in my librarian duty if I didn't share at least one title with you! I found two delightful nonfiction picture books that cover both the scientific reason behind the Solstice and the ways it was celebrated. 

The Winter Solstice by Ellen Jackson

Covers both the scientific reason for the Solstice and folklore associated with it. Offers historical perspectives from Europe and South America. 

The Shortest Day by Wendy Pfeffer

Discusses the holiday traditions that are tied to ancient Solstice traditions from all over the world. Includes a clearly illustrated explanation of why winter in the Northern Hemisphere has shorter days. 

I am a creature of habit when it comes to starting my day. I set my coffee pot to start my coffee before my alarm goes off so that I can start my day with the least amount of fuss possible. I also don't like making decisions about breakfast, which is why I eat granola almost every day of the year. I can hear some of you gagging now, but hear me out. The result of year-round granola is a variety of recipes that I can rotate through the year. And from December to February, the winner is gingerbread. It's slightly sweet, slightly spicy and very much like having cookies for breakfast.

You know you want cookies for breakfast.
It could not be easier to make AND making your own is super thrifty.

Are you ready? Of course you are.

Gingerbread Granola Recipe
Makes 4 cups

Preheat oven to 350 F

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cup nuts, chopped (use whatever floats your goat. I'm using a mix of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 large egg whites (this is what makes the clusters in the granola)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tablespoons agave nectar (or honey)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup dried fruit (I like cranberries, but you do what you like)