shanna murray

braids

I've been working with watercolors quite a lot lately. One of the things I've been obsessed with painting is braids. All sorts of braids. I don't know what it is about braids, but I love them. I wear them nearly constantly, and have loved them since I was small. As braids have become quite popular I've really enjoyed seeing all the interpretations people come up with. In my opinion it really is an art. I've loved seeing them pop up in photographs, on the runway and in real life. I can't get enough! Here are a few of my favorites right now: hair, defacedbraidsdiptych, spare, marcio simnch photography.

A couple weeks ago I was going through old photos and came across this one. It's a little worse for wear, but I'm so glad I found it! I remember this trip to Seattle with my grandparents so vividly. It was just us three, we drove up from California to visit family. Here I am with my great aunt Cris on a ferry wearing my favorite dress. 

I remember my mom packed little ribbons for my braids as a surprise, in all different colors. It was the first time I ate crab, on this trip, and the first time I saw Clash of the TItans. If I'm not mistaken I think there's lots of braids in that movie too? I've been in such a nostalgic mood lately. I don't know if painting all these braids is a part of that, but whatever is inspiring them, I'm going with it.

Oh, and more about these watercolors soon...!

Have a super Thursday! 

Shanna

It's snowing again today. During the handful of days when the grass was visible I'd been dreaming of spring. Realistically, spring won't really arrive here until just before summer, usually around the third week of May, but I've decided to pack up my little scene of fake snow and trees, snowmen and deer and replace them with something more evocative of sun, and new growth. I'm not quite sure what that will be yet, we'll see. I just might ignore the snow from here on out.

We had a late start around here this morning. C and I were up late celebrating 5 years together. How time flies! We made a great meal together, exchanged some small tokens of our love for each other and talked about lots of good things (they're secrets, though!). Today's a work day for us, but we're taking our time easing into the day, so nice to do once in a while.

Later, after some painting and sewing, I'll sit down with a cup of tea and plan our meals for the week, a suggestion many of you left the other day. In the past I have sort of dreaded this, and found it daunting to make so many choices at once, but you all made it sound so relaxing. Thanks everyone for leaving such helpful suggestions and so many great ideas! I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks too for all the love on Tuesday. Your comments and kindness were so appreciated on that very tough day. Part of me wishes I could have written her that letter while she was still here, but I know that wasn't possible. It did, however, give me an idea I'll share with you in the months to come.

Do you have any fun things planned for Spring? For C and I, a trip to NYC is in the works, and maybe for me a trip to Seattle. Also, a baby shower for a dear friend (any ideas?). I'd to make a few new things for the house. Maybe a rug for the bathroom, some crisp new pillowcases after we tuck the flannel ones away, and a new table cloth for the kitchen.

Time to head up to the studio and get working!

Happy friday, friends! 

Shanna

a letter

Dear Mom,

Thank you for teaching me to roller skate in the kitchen, and setting up all the chairs around the room so I could hold on. Thank you for giving me Heidi braids. Thank you for wrapping hot towels around my legs when I had growing pains. Thank you for dancing with me before dinner and singing Shall We Dance from The King and I. Thank you for knowing I needed lots of snuggles, and for snuggling me. Thank you for my brother. 

Thank you for hanging that beautiful rose and ribbon wall paper in my bedroom. Thank you for letting me shove things under my bed when I was supposed to be cleaning. Thank you for my Baby Beth doll and all the clothes you made for her. That was pure magic on Christmas morning. Thank you for my sister. More pure magic. 

Thank you for moving our family to a tiny mountain town (even though I hated it at the time). Thank you for trying to keep it together as long as you could. Thank you for saying sorry. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for making holidays so beautiful. Thank you for making my prom dress, and for not laughing when what I wanted was a copy of an Oscar de la Renta gown in Vogue. Thank you for not laughing that it had a giant baby pink satin bow on the back, and for making the dress fit me like a glove. Thank you for eating the eggs I made for you even though I covered them in salt. 

Thank you for all the laughter-filled goofy scrabble games, and for making up words that made my sides split. Thank you for calico. Thank you for ordering that rugby shirt from J.Crew for me even though you couldn't afford it. Thank you for the gift that was our last few weeks together. Thank you for being strong in the end. Thank you for telling me you would have loved me the way I needed you to, if only you could have. I didn't know it then but now I realize, of course you would have. Thank you for that one healing, beautiful, all-encompassing sentence that saved my life at the end of yours. Thank you for holding my hand.

It's been three years. I've learned so much. I wish you were here. I think we could finally have been the type of friends you so longed for us to be. I longed for that too, but was scared. I'm not scared anymore.

I love you,

Nonny

kitchen strategery

Help! I am totally floundering in the meal planning, grocery shopping department these days. I am dead out of ideas, dead bored of my recipes, totally uninspired in the kitchen. I am also making far too many trips to the grocery store lately. Every other day sometimes, which is awful in so many ways; budget, environment, schedule are all impacted in adverse ways. I'm wondering what your tricks are for planning, shopping, cooking. Perhaps some of you out there have figured it out, mastered this task? I am, however, an utter disaster. 

I would love to hear how you get through the week eating healthfully, happily, and simply. Suggestions? Or perhaps you have troubles too? Does dinner time sneak up on you when you're working away on projects or unwinding from a long day of work? I'd love to hear...

Happy Monday!

Shanna

I've been enjoying taking photos at night lately. The recent warmer temps have made me feel less in a hurry to retreat inside, though it won't last long. Colder temps are on the way! I'm trying to find something to enjoy about the next ten weeks of winter here in Rochester, right now I'm coming up short. Maybe I need to implement a movie going schedule? Matinees! I haven't been to the movies in ages (well aside from the one I saw this weekend), any suggestions? 

Cheerio!

Shanna

Happy Monday, friends! There's a super busy day and week ahead of me, but I did want to stop in and say hello! So, hello! I saw the movie Beautiful Losers this weekend, have you seen it? It was awesome. If you haven't you should, you really should. I know for certain I wasn't the only one that left the theater ultra inspired. All I want to do this week is tear it up! Creatively, that is. That's the plan.

I'm going to be working on some little pieces for the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair today. I think I'll get to know the new Andrew Bird Album while I work. And maybe hatch a plan to see him play in Toronto this year. I've already heard a couple of the new songs live, during his last tour, and they were totally amazing. He is totally amazing. Talk about tearing it up creatively. He tears it up and then puts it back together.

Who really tears it up for you? I'd love to know.

Shanna

The sun is out today, it feels so good. I sat by the window for a snack, and a quick browse through some really inspiring images. I made Caroline's banana cake this weekend. Delicious!

Happy Tuesday!

Shanna