I discovered the work of Lisa Kaus on a recent trip to Boulder and now I love her blog!  She documents her creative process with lots of yummy photos. 

I met Mari Robeson many years ago and am so happy we've managed to stay in close touch despite moves, children, career changes and all the other things that sometimes interfere with keeping connected to friends. Let's begin!

[April 21, 2008] 

My dear friend...I am finally interviewing you!!!  Woo hoo!!!  Let's get on with it!!

I swear, every time I read your blog I need a nap - how on earth do you balance all of your projects, your boutique, your family?
Gosh, that is such a good question. I am incredibly busy but that's my personality. I like to have a million things going on all the time. I just think life is so full, I want to be fully immersed in it.

What I don't mention a lot, and I should, is that I have incredible people around me helping me. My husband, Bill, is amazing and works very hard. My niece, Shaunah, lives with us and is an incredible designer who helps me quite a bit, then there are my parents who live on the property (in their new house we built for them "Pepper Tree Cottage") so my girls always have someone around. I couldn't do half as much if I didn't have these great people around me. :-)

Now I will backtrack - tell me about each of the different projects that are now currently occupying your time.
Oh goodness, let's do the short version of this... Currently, I am redesigning a restaurant in Pismo Beach, named Rosa's. They have delicious Italian food! I am also working on a very large house in Edna Ranch, a remodel on a home in Corbett Canyon, an icredible architectural structure in San Luis Obispo that will be a resort, a gorgeous Spanish Villa by the beach, several nurseries and kid's rooms, several color consultations... OK now, I'm getting a little overwhelmed.... ha ha...
I am also working on new fabric and product designs and last but not least I was just asked, and have accepted, to be the Entertainment Editor for a new and FANTASTIC magazine called Artful Living!!!

What is your Mondo Beyondo dream for Mari Robeson Home?
Well, dream big right? In line with the question above, I want to bring quality and beauty back to people's lives. I wish to expand and grow my product with that in mind. I decided a few years ago, that I was done collecting "stuff". That even if I had just a few things in my home, those few things would be exquisite. I would like people to see my brand and associate it with beautiful, quality, thoughtfully designed items....that inspire and make them feel good.

I have known you for many years now, and while the specifics of your journey as an artist has changed, there has always been a very special thread that connects everything you do...a wonderfully unique sparkle...how would you describe that part of your creative self that has stayed consistent and intact no matter what you are working on?
Hmmmm.....I think it is staying true to yourself. If you stay authentic, then whatever you create will feel like you. I, like you, chose to live an artist's life...whether we are painting or cooking or designing a home...it's all art, right?



What messages about life and creativity do you want to instill in your three beautiful daughters?
To be passionate about what you do. To ask yourself the question, "What do I really want?" often...answer, and then live authentically. I know whatever they choose to do, as long as it's something they love, they will find true happiness....

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions, and thank you for sharing your sparkling light with the world!!!  xoxo...Christine
Thank you so much Christine! You are amazing with all that you do and share. I simply adore you and your sparkle!!!

Find out the latest & greatest about this fall's Squam Art Workshops on their new blog!

P.S.  My book will be launching at Squam! 

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow." -Anthony J D'Angelo

Greetings Everyone...I am having big server problems on my end so I apologize for no posts or udpates. I just tried to upload a photograph with this entry and it failed five times in a row, so I surrender! I will get things back up and running as soon as whatever issues are going on get resolved.

Happy Tuesday!

What does this image mean to you? Make you think of? Want to do?

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance." -Bruce Barton.

"You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that created the world." -Sheila Graham

"The spirit of a person's life is ever shedding some power, just as a flower is steadily bestowing fragrance upon the air." -Michele Rousseau

The travel gods have informed me - loudly and clearly - that I am supposed to stay home right now, as I have had so many potential travel plans fall through in the last few months it has become laughable!  So be it, but in the meantime, here are some of my favorite travel accessories & tips and where to find them.  I have developed certain routines and easily packable creature comforts over the years, and it is a quirky hobby of mine to search for the perfect little travel accoutrements.

To be honest, I don't own a travel neck pillow; it is one of those things I keep thinking I should invest in but I haven't yet for some reason.  I hereby vow to purchase one before my next trip, just to see what I've been missing.  I might have to get the Minnie Neck Pillow, pictured above, from Flight 001, a great website with every possible travel amenity you can imagine.  They have a few stores here and there too, so see if one is in your neighborhood. 

I have this passport wallet from Tepper Jackson and it makes every international travel experience a colorful adventure!  I L-O-V-E Tepper Jackson's travel accessories.  I have the passport case, luggage tags (helps you spot your luggage easily on the conveyer belt for checked bags), an overnight bag and toiletry kit.  Their pieces are indestructible, eye-catching and can be cleaned easily because they're all plastic.  My favorites!!!  A little P.S.  Tepper Jackson does have a website, but right now it looks to be only a splash page, so do a google search for Tepper Jackson and go hunting.

Another confession:  I have no idea what my brand of luggage is.  I don't feel terribly passionate about finding the perfect suitcase.  As long as it holds my belongings and has strong zippers to hold it all in, I'm happy.  But if I were going to go all-out, I'd try one of these beauties - maybe the International 20" Zippered Expandable Carry On, pictured above, from the Rolls Royce of luggage, Tumi.

Or maybe this colorful number by Orla Kiely.

A few other goodies I always have with me when I travel, particularly on longer trips across oceans:

* Hardcover journal - I am a big fan of the 8" x 6" basic black sketchbook, but I know many people swear by Moleskin notebooks.  There are also handmade Lama Li travel journals and I just received this set of Jonathan Adler Blue & Brown notebooks as a gift and they're FAB!  I also bring plenty of my favorite pens and a few pencils for sketching.  When I am feeling really ambitious, I'll throw in a travel watercolor set.

* Travel candles - You can find these pretty much anywhere, but right now my favorites are from Aroma Naturals, which I get at my local Whole Foods Market.  While I'm there I also pick up Emergen-C, which I like to have on long trips as well.

* Siggs Water Bottle - I just received one of these as a gift on my recent trip to Boulder as a reminder to stay super hydrated while at altitude.  Word on the street has been that these are the super deluxe, super cool water bottles to have and I've never believed the hype, but I am now a believer!  They are indestructible and...

"Due to SIGG's special, proprietary internal coating, these high-tech bottles are resistant to fruit juice acids, energy drinks, alcohol and virtually any consumable beverage. Because the liners are taste and scent neutral, you can enjoy any beverage you'd like – without any lingering smell or taste of the last beverage you drank. The composition of the liner also reduces the chances of bacteria build-up." -SIGGS website

They may or may not make it with me on every trip depending on how packed my suitcase is, but if there's room it's worth bringing it along.

* Skin Care - I am a fanatic about washing my face every night, and a little dab of moisturizer on a ten-hour plane ride can feel blissful.  Pictured on the left above is a complete travel kit from Juice Beauty, an organic skin care line.  On the right is from Origins, whose products I've been using for years.  Things that smell nice and feel good on your skin in a foreign place can make your day!

* Other items I find handy and/or indespensible - Nail files, lip balms, sugar free lozenges (pictured above), granola bars, tissues, anti-bacterial towlettes (I found lavender wipes by Giovanni Cosmetics at Whole Foods and they are heavenly), and another trick I use sometimes is to take along lavender sachets to put in my pillow.

* One more note - When it comes to your ipod, use it sparingly.  There are times when it might be nice to shut yourself off from the world in order to recharge - a long bus ride, at the end of a busy day exploring, but I encourage you to go without it as you are out and about, particularly in a foreign country.  Having your headphones on sends a clear message that you want to be left alone, and if you aren't feeling particularly worn out, left it in your bag and listen to the sounds around you, open yourself up to a potential conversation with someone fascinating.

Now all you have to do is decide where to go - head over to Lonely Planet and go exploring!! 

The lovely Jamila Tazewell, owner & designer of 11:11 enterprises, emailed me recently and I am now about to order one of her fabulous creations.  She has a colorful array of wallets, passport covers and business card holders that are sold all over the country.  Rock on Jamila!

My friend Keri Smith is speaking at this year's ICON5 Illustration Conference in New York City July 2-5, 2008.  Visit the ICON5 website for information on the schedule, speakers and more.  Registration is now open!!

"ICON5 will be held in New York City at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan. This year's theme, The Big Picture, is more than a slogan, it is the perspective through which we see our future – a future of limitless possibilities for illustrators as thinkers, story tellers and providers of creative content. The conference promises to examine and discuss the current creative and economic forces that our industry faces today.

The ICON continues to gather the industry's best and brightest talent to present and talk about their work, their business, their lives, and their passion for illustration. Our conferences have also grown to include inspiring, informative and topical pre-conference tours and workshops. ICON5 is going a step further with ambitious attendance goals, increased global involvement and more pre-conference events to make the ICON5 experience a must-do for 2008."  -ICON5 website

I know suicide isn't an uplifting topic, but this story about a man in China who is doing his part to stop complete strangers from taking their own lives reminded me of all the ways we can each make a difference in the world.  For other fascinating human interest stories, the LA Times' Column One is a great place to browse.

I am teaching my final workshop today in this first four week series, and one of our projects this afternoon will be to create cards for this project, organized by Jen Lemen.  Get creative and send hope across the Atlantic! 

The Weepies' new album, Hideaway, is now available!! 

Download it & view it, download it & print it or order a glossy copy of your own, it's Inspiration #3 from Design for Mankind.