Hey, I made this!
Also in here: something I'm a smidge nervous about
Hi! How are you? I’m super nervous and I’ll tell you why, but first, I want to show you something I made:
It’s a photo that turned into a painting!
Originally, I shot this photo on 35mm film. Then I ordered a 5x7 print on cotton paper, and painted on top of that with acrylic paint, mixing colors and matching them precisely to the colors in the image. It’s just the right level of challenging. Yesterday I started another one of my sister’s golden retriever and you’d never guess how many colors it takes to get his features right. Yay art!
Here’s the original photo if you’d like to see:
Related: last spring, I painted my giant peony photograph.
today’s bouquet
Something I’m nervous about: Over the weekend I had a conversation about TSLOMW with Aja Frost from Platonic Love, and tomorrow our conversation will be featured in their Thursday newsletter. Aja was incredibly respectful, curious, and kind. I hope you’ll like the piece; I’m thinking I may need to write a follow up Deep Dive. Would you read it? Also, please know my inbox is always open if you ever want to talk one-on-one. There’s some stuff I don’t share on a large scale but will happily open up about in a private conversation.
If you’re into more LDS/ Mormon stuff: here’s a talk I gave in church last month about why I bake sacrament bread.
My neighbor brought me some treats from New York: these “cookies for grownups” taste like an almond roca became a shortbread.
3 luxury vacation reviews from someone with excellent taste.
This photoshoot made me all kinds of wistful for the seven autumns we spent in the Midwest. Tuckernuck is my go-to for an occasion dress that feels special, chic, and modest but not matronly.
Cannot stop thinking about this artist who found her thing age 69.
I hate Halloween for the most part, but even my Scroogey old self will admit that these giant pink skeletons are cute and fun.
Feeling extremely smug: last weekend, I dissected our tupperware cupboard and am now the proud owner of zero orphan containers. Only problem is that I found a crucial missing lid and can no longer convince myself that I need another one of these.
Currently reading: The Highly Sensitive Person and Women Holding Things. Just finished: Pride and Prejudice audiobook, narrated by Rosamund Pike! I loved it even more than the movies. I also realized I didn’t have the physical book on my shelf and repented immediately.
My favorite link this week: babywearing statues — seeing fatherhood represented in this creative way brought me to tears. Also, give. all. of. the. dads. paid. leave.
“As long as there is love, there will be grief. The grief of time passing, of life moving on half-finished, of empty spaces that were once bursting with the laughter and energy of people we loved.
As long as there is love there will be grief because grief is love’s natural continuation. It shows up in the aisles of stores we once frequented, in the half-finished bottle of wine we pour out, in the whiff of cologne we get two years after they’ve been gone.
Grief is a giant neon sign, protruding through everything, pointing everywhere, broadcasting loudly, “Love was here.” In the finer print, quietly, “Love still is.”
— Heidi Priebe
three things
Three things from Trader Joe’s in my kitchen right now:
Strawberry jalapeño crackers
Brownie coffee crisp ice cream sandwiches
Scallion pancakes (frozen)
one photo
last thing
Most popular link from last week: that jaw-dropping dress
Readers today: 1,734
Grateful for you.
LOVE LOVE LOVE that painted photo!! I want to make one too!
I’m so impressed by that painting — stunning!