Things Ava Loves

Here is a little taste of what it is like to be Ava right now. It is so amazing to see things through her eyes.

template courtesy of paislee press.

Baby Shower Success!

Today was the big day! It was Heidi's baby shower (and Heidi & Bob's 1st year anniversary)! Above is the picture of the invitation for the "Feather Her Nest" baby shower theme. It was so fun to decorate! Our house became a vision in teal green (and yes, it is teal green and not blue...for those thinking that Heidi knows the sex of the baby, but just happened to neglect to tell everyone). Instead of a card, we asked guests to bring a book for the baby. We started quite a library for baby!

Below are a few of the decorations. Before you say, "Lizzie, you're so talented", you must know that Andrea (a.k.a. the best mother-in-law in the world) did most of it. I basically provided the location. The house was simply beautiful! We had such a fun time and everything went so smoothly. Can't wait for that little one to arrive!

In other news: Here is the evolution of my painting...I hate to say that it is finished, because there are things that I'd like to touch up, but I doubt that I'll end up working on it any more....you never know.

Painting Update - 3 days left

Here's where I'm at. My painting is due on Tuesday night, so I guess I have 3 days left to finish it...the only technicality is that I have to work two of those days, so it is really like I've got 1 day and 2 nights (after Ava goes to bed of course). That's not all though...I have to write an artist statement, 3 lecture summaries, 2 artist biographies and 4 journal entries. This is the procrastination that I was talking about earlier on Facebook.

"It looks finished to me", you say. Well, those white blobs at the top are supposed to be peacock feathers, the grass and all of the tree branches need a second coat. And then there is endless touch ups, resolving my contrast and color balancing issues.

I've finally been pretty productive/creative lately. Having a master's class that requires you to create artwork will do that to you. While this may look like an ordinary doll, it is in fact a serious art doll. Ok, not so serious, but I still love her. I made this little girl for my little girl. Attempts to acquaint the two have been unsuccessful as of yet. I am sure that eventually Ava will love her!

Here is my next bit of creativity:

Another assignment for my class is to create an 'art project' that incorporates the influences of a couple of African American Female Artists. So here is my interpretation. I was inspired by Emma Amos because I am truly seeking to find that emotional connection to my artwork now more than ever. I was also inspired stylistically to Minnie Evans - I don't think it is hard to see the connection to her artwork. I actually started this painting before Ava was born. I had the drawing done and a little bit of the wings on the right painted, but not much else. There is a 'mama' and baby figure in the center (that's Ava and I), the butterfly and wings represent change and growth. Overall, it is about love and nurturing. I am thinking of adding a tree with roots to represent my family tree of sorts. So I've been chugging along on it. It is due in a week...I've got a lot more work to do.

On the home front, I finally finished painting the kitchen. I had painted the 'bump out' a different color, but I just didn't like it. So I painted yesterday. Amazing how a little rest and relaxation will get you fired up to conquer the world.

And where did I find all of this energy? Well, it actually did start before Spring Break, but spending time in Maui sure did help! These are my two sweethearts - you couldn't find a better pair for love and inspiration (and lots of snuggles too).

Sorry for the somewhat incoherent post, but I wanted to share what I've been up to lately. Enjoy!

~Lizzie

I've gotta get my butt in gear

With the new year (and a new house) there are so many things swirling through my mind....things I want to get done, things I'd like to make. The list seems to get longer by the day. While writing the final for one of my classes, I stumbled across this artist, Mike Stilkey:

Are you kidding me? This is awesome! So somewhere inside of me a little voice says "I should have thought of that" (or better yet) "I can do that." And then I start thinking of how I can gather old books and what I could paint on them and where I could put it in the house.

But here is what is standing in my way...

Projects I've already started in the house, or rather projects I've been thinking about starting have got me at a roadblock. I've been trying to figure out the kitchen of course. We spend the most amount of time in here and I hate (well, maybe not hate, but seriously dislike) the color yellow. I've had fabric swatches hanging up for about 2 months, hoping to get inspiration. I'm thinking of lime green, teal or a grayish blue.

Here is another project I'm in the middle of. I actually started painting this book case. The top is almost done and I'm not sure what to do next. My mom has painted a lot of cute pieces of furniture and now I've got the bug. Why have a plain white bookcase when you can have a totally cute painted one?

So here are just two things that pop in my mind. If I do anything, it should be these things, right? Not that simple though, because the really funbuster is work. Here is what I REALLY should be doing: writing a final for Tuesday.

Why is it that the not so fun stuff seems to win? I let you know how the other projects go. ;)

Thank you so much!

Thank you all so much for all of your comments! I just wrapped up the presentation portion of my assignment and have a week to write the paper. I appreciate your help sooooo much! I had a George Bailey-like moment as I sat down to read all of the comments. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family! I am also floored by how insightful and thoughtful your responses were. This is such a great movie for so many reasons and I am glad I picked it for my final assignment. I needed a little pick me up right now.

So, I figured you needed a bit of a reward...what better way to thank you than with pictures of Ava? Here are the updates from our family.

Thanksgiving at the Setter's
Right after waking up from a nap...snuggle time with Mommy!

Ava's new favorite activity: reading books.

The Setter Clan

Our princess...in her Halloween costume.

This little update was fun! I'll have to get back here more often. See you soon!

It's a Wonderful Life

Hi folks!

I know this is a departure from my normal posts, but please read on. Seeing as there are no new super cute pics of Ava, I am not sure how I will be able to hold your attention, but here goes. This is an assignment for my Masters class. It is a mini critique of It's a Wonderful Life. Please give me feedback, as that is also part of my assignment. THANKS A MILLION!!!

There are many reasons that It's a Wonderful Life has become a classic. However, due to space and limited attention spans, I will not go into all of them here. Primarily, the film tells a touching and relatable story. It is about a man who, imperfect at times, significantly touches the lives of those around him. From the desperate prayers at the beginning of the film that psychologically call us to attention, we root for George Bailey in an almost primal way. We are reminded throughout the film how this ordinary boy puts aside his own ambitions to help those around him. In the end, he learns that although his life does not turn out how he had planned, he has been truly blessed.

George Bailey is a character that most of us can relate to. Tired of small town life and chocked full of ambition, he desperately tries to escape Bedford Falls. Most adults can think back to a time when we also went through this same period in our lives. Whether we wanted to travel the world like George or grow up to be a veterinarian, there was time in our lives when anything was possible. We all started out as dreamers, like George. Besides violence and death, the idea of a "Dream Deferred" as Langston Hughes puts it, might just be one of our biggest fears. So, from the moment we know that George is a dreamer, we feel disappointment and regret whenever there are obstacles that distance him from his dreams. It is this tension that draws us into the movie and grips us. As the movie end, we soon realize that tension slip away as George recognizes all the good things that have come into his life because he didn't pursue his dream.

The audience knows, just like George comes to understand, that our values change in life. We understand that those things that may appear to be hindrances in our lives are really the things that make life worth living. True, George may have had to set aside his boyhood aspirations, but it was all worth it in the end. The film charges us to believe that the little things in life matter the most. It also challenges our fear of unfulfilled dreams. Is is really so scary to set aside the childhood fantasies that we once held onto so tightly? It is really so horrible to grow up and be the one thing we said we would never be? George Bailey thought he would never marry, but found out in the end that it was his wife who gave him him all the good things in his life. It is ok to grow and change. We're human. We're still learning. So instead of living in fear of what you will not do or what you will not be, look around and see how life have given you exactly what you needed to be happy.