greenbeanbaby art

how do i do it??

many people have often asked how i manage to work on art, while having two kids...  although each day can be different, i decided to give you one day's example of how i assembled 20 invitations for wendy's order...

keep in mind, both kids were wide eyed at half past midnight... i already did the illustration for the invitation and had them printed out... they were delivered to me earlier in the day... because i knew i'd be up late at night, i drank a venti orange mocha from starbucks... that gave the caffeine enough time to kick in... and then the assemblage began...

 
1. diego was put to bed at 10pm however, he was wide awake... as was isabella... ramel needed his sleep so i took out my rated R movie and put another dvd in... i went from resident evil to superman cartoons... i needed to do some "unsafe" work so isabella went in the playpen... diego relaxed on my chair... i cut my 12x12" paper to size... and then i cut some ribbon...

2.  isabella got antsy so i placed her on the carpet while i cut the postcards into the shapes of tags... then i folded the papers just cut... i started to cut the edges but she began to get hungry... can you see i was too? mint caribou coffee bars for mama and milk for baby... diego drank water- hehe...

 
3. while isabella nursed, i punched holes in the tags and in the papers... i finished cutting the edges of the paper with decorative scissors (safe scissors for while she nursed on my lap)

4. after her feeding (she's pretty quick and thus the reason she wakes up so often), she fell asleep on my lap... that gave me a tad of time to wrap and tie the ribbons around the papers....

5. by then, i decided to put diego to bed... it was well over 1:30am... isabella mussed up a diaper; i woke up ramel so he could change her diaper while i worked a bit more... while he gave me this time, i rushed (yes, RUSHED) to sizzix the flowers for the envelopes... the flowers were glued and pieced together all the while isabella cried (yes, i bet that mocha was keeping her up too)

6. i brought isabella to the studio again so ramel could go back to sleep... while holding her, i added the ribbon onto the tags and put the tags inside the papers... i nearly completed the task until my leg fell asleep and my arms grew tired... i figured i better blog this before i forget...

7. i checked up on diego, and he seemed quite asleep... the kid keeps so much in his bed, no wonder he has little room!!!  isabella hasn't been doing a good job sleeping in her bassinet or her swing... she prefers a warm body to cuddle next to... so often ramel will assist in this department too... while i blogged, he cuddled her...

that is how i worked on art this past night!! this is not the everyday venture however, it gives you an idea of how i multi task... some nights ramel cares for isabella the entire time (except for feeding time)... most nights, diego stays in his bed and falls asleep early enough... and of course, MANY nights, i cannot afford a starbucks drink or coffee bars, so i am left without as much caffeine in my system....

it's 3:55am and i am off to sleep

life with kids...

 
how do you console a baby that cries on and off for over hour straight? and at that, right when you are about to take a nap? well, you skip the nap entirely, chug a huge cup of coffee, and try everything in the book to keep her calm... after the diaper change and the feeding, the change of clothes and the burping, she may still cry... so then you bounce her around until your legs and arms get too weak... a solid hour passes and she is finally asleep but the caffeine has now kicked in so you attempt to work on art... and the result? new designs for the shop!!!!


so far, this is the routine.... everyone's timing is a bit off right now in the house... as i am feeding 'bella, diego has to use the potty chair (and he is still too short to stand alone so i hold him over the toilet... i am pretty sure he finds the ordeal uncomfortable)...or as i am about to lay down with diego, 'bella begins to cry... as i start to cook, both kids are crying... diego is upset that he can't eat cookies (i don't even have any around!) and bella is itching to be held... eventually, everyone is happy at some point, and we are all adjusting gradually...


diego is a wonderful helper and big brother.. he likes "holding" her (see 2nd last photo) and often isabella will stop crying and stare at him... he is very good at letting me know that she is crying too! i can't let the girl cry for a minute without diego telling me over and over.... maybe he doesn't think i can hear her loud wails! nonetheless, diego is a charming big brother who will even sometimes wake her up purposely (but for reasons unknown to me)... one day, 'bella will get him back

 
but onto artwork issues... my mom is wonderful at thrifting and often finds good retro wrapping paper... she will give me a few sheets and this is how i will use them- notecards and tags!!! a few people have given me retro wrapping paper as well and i use it in the same manner (like the baby ones below)... although it's not cut paper illustration, it is nice to have a variety of goodies in my shop...

 
so while i have been making stationery sets for the shop, i've been conjuring up ideas for new designs for journals and greeting cards... as stated before, there are so many ideas in my head but not enough time to execute them all... but there isn't a major need to rush, right?!
 
ramel has been buying me papers and goodies for my studio (you should see what he got me for mother's day!!! i will post later on it all)... some papers are just too pretty to use solely as a background or a piece of clothing... so i'll make items with using the paper as the main design aspect... like these two sets above... i absolutely love that green paper (of course)... and i really love making simple items that are affordable for everyone... tsk, tsk, this is rambling though...
 
i rarely get a photo of diego because he is so fast... like flash gordon... often, pictures of him are of a blurred image or perhaps an empty couch... bella is usually easier to photograph since she is in her "jabba the hutt" stage (you know, star wars)... but i was able to take a good image of diego happily holding isabella... and the LAST PHOTO WAS TAKEN BY DIEGO HIMSELF... just  had to show off his  handiwork :)

* all these items will be available on the 15th...

you know you're overly tired when.... pt. 2

lately, the fatigue has set in... it could be that i am not drinking as much coffee as i once did... or that the hormones are just causing me to be in constant slumber... but when you have a toddler, sleeping is not really something you can do a lot of... especially when that toddler seems to be going on a nap strike.... going days without a nap, thus leaving you to find ways to muster up energy to clean and walk.... of course, the fatigue is temporary, right?!

so i post on a saturday while my husband naps, and my son jumps off the couch pretending to be superman... all the while, cartoons are playing as i blink more times than necessary because i'm that tired... sipping on coffee seems to only be contributing to a minor stomach ache but i'm hoping the caffeine will give me the same energy that diego has (ah, whoever has seen diego in action, knows that he has a lot  of energy)...

but really, being tired can affect your judgment... and goodness, cooking while sleepy only leads to yet another burned meal... and cleaning?! i admit, certain circumstances have contributed to my exhaustion (finding new tenants, clogged and overflowing basement sewers, etc) but there is a dire need to regain some energy so that i can begin my fall artwork for the shop... and some christmas goodies too... ah, but how is this relevant?!

in march, i did a post called you know you're overly tired when.... so here is the second part

1. after a craving, you make a toaster strudel for yourself, only to drop it on the carpet... and yes, you pick it up, examine it for hairs, and eat it (good thing, you vacuum a ton!)

2. the one toaster strudel didn't hit the spot, so you make two more, only to burn them to a crisp... you eat them anyhow since those were the last two in the box

3. you do laundry and forget to add the soap... so although it looked like you have one load done, its really just a dirty, wet pile of clothes

4. you pull out your artwork to work on something, only to fall asleep on the couch, while taking a "quick" break.... 

5. you burn your nachos in the microwave... yes, you find out that it is possible to burn chips in the microwave

6. you are so tired that you can feel your veins throb... you feel them and see them pulsate; it hurts...

7. you debate on how dirty your kid is and whether he really needs a bath tonight... only you forget, that you debated that last night too...

8. you try to muster up energy by cleaning the attic that is now free of wasps.... but somehow, in the middle of cleaning, you get so exhausted that you start crying over all the cleaning you have to do still... (hmmm, that has to be tiredness, and not hormones)

9. you want to go to the thrift store, but the thought of getting up is too exhausting... not to mention, do you really have the spare change to buy something???

10. you feel more lazy than pregnant.. you wonder how in the world you will be able to keep up with a "hopefully potty trained" and happy, active toddler while managing a newborn... but of course, worrying doesn't help either so maybe you really just need a simple nap... if only your toddler would be as tired as you...

and lastly, good news?! soon my studio will be occupied and put to use once again... the thought of it makes me fiend to do art... but first, let me take a nap....

when i'm not working on art...

10 things that i do:

1. play old records so diego and i can dance.... we march around the living room with spoons and hats singing loudly...

2. have a fit because i saw another big spider or bee or wasp... something creepy and crawly... (once there was a wasp in my hallway, and i couldn't go down the stairs because i was freaked out so bad... i had a friend coming over and when she rang the doorbell, i threw the keys out the window to let herself in... and then asked her if she could raid the area where the wasp was hiding out)

3. make a lunch that diego won't eat (see next post)

4. take all the things i want to photograph outside... that means lugging a huge bunch of things down a big flight of stairs... why?! because that is the ONLY SUNLIGHT available...  yeah, who'd have thought you needed to go outside to get sunlight?! ah, my house has poor lighting...

5. while outside, try to take photos quickly since the batteries keep dying and diego is bound to wake up from his nap any moment...

6. take all the things i wanted to photograph back upstairs and put them where they belonged

7. fix something that was broken in the house... like the curtain rods that keep falling- no matter how many times i nail them back up, the brackets fall off... and once one is fixed, another curtain rod is falling... or maybe i am taping up holes in the air mattress while diego is busily in the way wanting a closer look at the whole process...

8. catch up on emails as i push the cats off the keyboard and telling diego to stop pressing the spacebar...

9. take photos of diego being diego

10.  talk to my mom or sister for a long time... the subject can go from serious to goofy in less than 5 minutes... or from history to future... from ideas to dislikes to marriage and kids to food... sometimes a bit of math is thrown in but usually that ends up with a tad of confusion that leads to laughter... and in between, diego is talking on the phone saying his "hello" and "superman" and "look" and ending it with a kiss and a "bye"

of course, i do more than 10 things but if i mentioned it all, it'd be too long and far too boring...

so what are ten things you do while not working on art????? tell me, pretty please!

a creative stay-at-home mom's story...

well, many of you know i work in the wee hours of the morning... cutting paper away to the voices of scully and mulder arguing over faith and science... or gluing to the voices of lucy and ethel getting into another crazy mess... sometimes, i type away to the sounds of batman or superman (the cartoon) beating up another wild villain... nonetheless, i have my weeks where i can create while the world sleeps... and then i sleep short hours and during diego's nap times... after all, my kind of art does not allow me to really work on it with a loose toddler around... with x-acto blades, hot glue guns, and a curious kid, what mother would feel comfortable and creative?

but some nights, i lose energy... it catches up with me... regardless of the cups of coffee in my system, the fatigue sets in... although i have a set list of things to do, there isn't enough "umph" to complete the tasks at hand... i am too tired to play video games with my husband or to even email people....  it's a lot of work to bathe diego or to cook a june cleaver style meal... on top of that, seasonal allergies kick in and some medicines cause unwanted drowsiness... plus, i take many walks with my child, which aren't of short distance either! i love our outings to the parks and the zoo, but just like diego, i end up taking a long nap after such a day... but can i complain?! who would say no to taking a snooze in the middle of the day in such a clean and peaceful home?!

it's true, i have such days... sometimes, being a stay-at-home mom can seem lazy... all we do is cook, clean, and watch after a kid, right?????!!!! i mean, is it really that hard to vacuum a house? or to rearrange the living room? or to change a few diapers and keep an active kid entertained? is it really that hard to teach a child all that they should know at this age? and feed them the appropriate foods and be 100% responsible for their health and nutrition? can it be so difficult to raise a kid the best possible way, even when you wonder if all that you are doing is right in the first place?! how many times do we have to explain ourselves to our husbands or others that what we do is really a lot of work... that most days aren't filled with naps and watching tv... but in honesty, we have such days to preserve our sanity and regain our strength...

i've debated on returning to work outside of the home... the offers come and i have the credentials and the experience to do so... i mean, i could work at a coffee shop or retail... maybe design or coordinate...  and diego is old enough to handle a daycare... with bills around, another check couldn't hurt... my hopes to make a career out of this creativity and still maintain my normal duties of being a mother, wife, and homeowner can seem distant... it's possible but of course, takes time... in all honesty, i don't think i could work part-time, do my normal duties, and create at night... i almost feel guilty that i cannot do all this... (as if i don't do enough, eh?!)... after all, it's been 2.5 years of not working outside the home...  i am an artist who's finally got her groove back... i am determined to make freelance work a bigger part of our income... with the etsy shop still in progress and investments being made, it's not impossible... ramel fully supports me and understands my plate is full... and that my goal is not selfish; my family is forever on my mind... diego won't be a toddler forever... and our bills aren't out of control... so whatever doubts, frustrations, and fatigue felt now, are only temporary...

i can't say this post ends with a purpose... it's moreso just a ramble of thoughts and ideas... it raises a question of how many other creative moms go through this... who are working hard to raise a happy, healthy child... how many moms are willing to stay up late at night utilizing their creativity for both a stress reliever and a money-maker?!  no doubt, the latter is not the most important, and that shouldn't be what ultimately drives us to create... but how many of us create with a purpose beyond just "for the sake of creating"? how many of us have a vision that goes beyond dusting the furniture and making a meal that isn't from a box?! how many of us relish the days we have with our kid, but yet question if we are doing enough?

regardless of such thoughts, i try very hard... in all that i do, i try hard... and no doubt, you do too...

you know you're overly tired

and worn down to the bare minimum when...

1. you drink water out of a bowl from the drying rack instead of getting a cup in the cupboard...

2. worse yet, you drink tap water (especially when you have a full jug of ice cold mountain water)

3. you can't   fall asleep because every time you shut your eyes, you remember something else you forgot...

4. the baby monitor is on the lowest of lows but the kiddo's whines seem louder than a tornado siren...

5. the hubby is home and it sounds like he's slamming doors (although he swears he isn't)

6. you're dreaming of things you made (art-wise)... and you dream you are doing it over and over...

7. the  dvd you fell asleep on has ended... the menu keeps playing the same song over and over and you've no strength to press the "off" button on the remote under your pillow...

8. you don't want anyone to cuddle you, including the cats...

9. you make your kid watch tv just so you can get quick 15 minute snooze...

10. you fall asleep to find an 18mos pair of jeans next to you, as your kiddo happily renames all the folders on your desktop...

11. you cry over every single thing... including the fact that you are crying because you are tired, makes you cry...

12. lastly,the following minute you are hysterically laughing because of all the crying you just did...

yes, being a full time mom to an incredibly fast and energetic kid... being a mom who works on art part-time... and blogs between walks and naps and food preps... is not only fulfilling, it can be tiresome... not to say i don't love it because i do  (i just don't like dealing with the dirty diapers)... thank goodness for coffee...

and of course, i thank all my devoted readers...

how to multi-task

 
it's not easy being a mother who finds it necessary to maintain a pristine clean home... it's not even the grind work that makes simple tasks excruciatingly hard, but it's having a toddler alongside you the whole time... a toddler who is quite curious most times and needy the rest...

thus, i've found ways to accomplish household task and have the child reap benefits in the process (keep in mind, i am not a pediatrician)... how so, you may ask... below, are a list of how-to's, not entirely fool-proofed (or fully child-proofed, for that matter as each child is different)... most of these require you to put attention on two things... thus, you can't zone out as you clean... but if you are a mom, i am sure you already know how to do this... so enjoy, get a laugh, utilize, or find me off my rocker!

to get ready for the day:
-put child in highchair so he/she can eat breakfast while watching sesame street... keep bathroom    door open and take quick shower! fix hair and makeup even quicker before child begins throwing leftover breakfast on the floor
            (benefits for kid: nutrition, education)

to vacuum the house:
-well, this one is fairly simple... while you are vacuuming the house, take short moments of time to vacuum your kid's clothes and perhaps, their afro... please make sure your vacuum doesn't have a deathly strong suction or else your child will fear this powerful tool necessary to clean...
            (benefits for kid: hygiene, as you are fixing their hair & removing cat hair off their clothes)

to sweep, mop, and clean bathroom & kitchen
- run mop water in kitchen as you clean bathroom... while cleaning, allow kid to brush their teeth with toddler-safe toothpaste... you can sweep kitchen and bathroom as you put on some music for your child to dance to (and still brush their teeth in the process).... mop both places while child throws a tantrum because you took away the toothbrush (ok, no one brushes their teeth that long)... move tantrum kid into the living room, or a close by room as you mop... no need to give in to the tantrum, as this gives  you time to do what must be done!
            (benefits for kid: dental health, anger management)

to sweep/mop attic
-run mop water in kitchen wile you sweep(or vacuum) attic... allow your child to run freely but within view as you get the edges with the appropriate vacuum pieces... give your child the corner piece so he/she can use it as a microphone... as you mop the attic, the child will most likely find something to play with that should be safe... in our case, we have video games he looks at (yes, the cases of the games) and a computer keyboard... plus, he likes to turn my studio tv off and on...
            (benefits for kid: physical activity, verbal skills)

to sweep/mop hallways with stairs...
-time this with your kid's snack or lunch time! put your kiddo in highchair with some food... bring high chair in the hallway with you so your child can watch you quickly sweep and mop the hallway and its stairs...
            (benefits for kid: nutrition, education on how to clean)

to pay bills over the phone:
-give your kid an old cellphone that was once yours and he/she ruined... as you walk around the house trying to negotiate with operator, child will most likely imitate... not only can you play with your kid during the long waiting periods  but your kid will learn how to converse to difficult people without losing it...
            (benefits for kid: verbal skills, physical activity, early math skills)

for laundry:
-put child in crib for a short moment while you run & throw all clothes down the basement... most times, kid will cry but at least they are safe from any mishaps such as falling down the stairs along with the clothes... yes, we don't want any horrible accidents, now do we?! put one load in washer and go back to kid.... come second load, bring your kiddo to the basement... as he/she runs around, you can put one load in washer, one in dryer, and fold the rest... keep folded clothes in basement until last load is completed... put child in crib so as to bring all clothes up the stairs (again, for safety purposes- ahem!)
            (benefits for kid: safety, physical activity)

in between all these duties, there are still moments for you to
-load dishwasher
-make lunch (brunch stuff is good, like waffles or scrambled eggs)
-fix hair again
-change diaper
-chase kiddo around
-quickly check emails and snail mail

in the end, you also reap some benefits... not only do  you save gas energy as you clean (because boy, you work up a sweat!) but you also burn calories from working so hard! and the best part, you give your child attention as well as nutrition and teaching them how to be a clean person...i have managed to do every single task listed above in one day... of course, the following day was spent on the computer- hahaha.... but at least the house was clean!

*second photo is from better homes and gardens baby book ©1951... i can't remember where i found the first one!