breakfast at the barn

 

 Guess who followed us home from the west coast? My mom! She's spending the rest of the month at her barn, and we're so excited to all continue our summer together. Yesterday, Laura and I descended upon the barn for breakfast after a hike together. Look at what my mama whipped up for us! Yum, right?

 

The secret is in her little fajita cast iron skillets, but I'm going to try it with my standard cast iron, and you might want to also. Here's how she did it:

• Roast new potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper in a hot oven (400 degrees perhaps). 
• When nearly done, add some cherry tomatoes until they slump and began to crinkle. 
• In the very last moments add a tiny bit more olive oil and scoot all to one side to make room for two cracked eggs. Back into the oven it goes for another few moments until the eggs set. 
• Top it off with, a slice of avocado, salsa verde, fresh chives and a pinch of parmesan. 

It took so little attention that my mother could hang out and chat with us and not fret over making a meal. My mother does make everything look effortless, but she convinced me that this truly was!

Now that I'm home and getting in the swing of things, I have some time to reflect on the last few weeks. And upload my pics! I'll be sharing some Bay Area highlights throughout the week. Next up, those shots of my mother's studio that I promised long ago. Definite inspiration that I'm sure you'll love!

p.s. This is my second blog post on my new Mac, and I think I'm getting the hang of it. Even edited the above iPhone photos in iPhoto. Not so shabby!
p.p.s. Happy Monday!

stretch

 I did something brave. I attempted a short video that may or may not be "editable". If it turns out... you'll be the first to know! It was a totally new experience that I've been wanting to try and finally had an external motivator- a deadline for someone. Well, not totally new, I once did a video into my computer, but never shared it. So that doesn't quite count. Yesterday I got a good buddy to push her camera button and help me through, but oh man! Hard stuff. I am in awe of so many folks on the web who put up videos of themselves as if it's as easy as pie. I'm not a super shy person, but it's fascinating to see where I have my walls, and how my insecurities play out when I'm being recorded. Still, I think it's important to push up against that edge of comfort. Stretching gives me energy, increases my self awareness and builds compassion.

Today I will be viewing dozens of clips to see if there is anything workable. Oh my. I tend not to post about things until they're completed, but feel compelled to share a little bit about this process with you. After all, it was you I was thinking of the entire time we recorded! You definitely inspire and motivate me more than you could ever know. Thank you!  Here's a little shot of the scene... for posterity's sake.


The very nature of stretching often hurts, but we're always stronger for it. Any edges you've been pushing up against? New horizons you're reaching for?

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note: if you had trouble viewing the Hand in Hand promo in yesterday's maya*mail here's another link to try.

a mother's work

I really enjoyed the discussion that came out of my last post. I think it leads very nicely into sharing a little bit about the creative work my mother does today. She is still a nursery school teacher throughout most of the year, but when she has time off she comes to us... and her barn down the road, which is shown above in all its winter glory (not this snow-less one, I'm afraid). I've shared about it countless times, but for anyone new to maya*made, I think you'll enjoy grabbing a cup of tea and checking out the photos and links over at flickr barn set or reading through the barn archives. The barn is the first home that she has ever owned. Her dream had always been to live in her very own studio.  After years of renting tiny places and having little room for her collections and creative space, this barn became her biggest and greatest canvas over the past four years. So when I spoke about how we can use our homes as our galleries and studios, my mother's journey was at the forefront of my mind. She doesn't have small children surrounding her (at home,at least) anymore. There is finally a little time to actually make art. I've been trying to get her to document her mixed media work and bricolage diy projects for some time, but in the mean time here are a couple of pieces I shot recently. They were created (mostly) this summer in and around grandchildren. I placed them on her stairwell for display. The crew of puppets above seemed like a supportive audience. (That monkey on the right was mine when I was little!)

Not surprisingly, found materials are her constant muse.




I'm in love with each of them and marvel at the ease she has with assembling odd bits and bringing them to life. As you can probably see, I am her biggest fan and loudest cheerleader. And isn't that what we all might hope for as we creatively raise our children?

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The Barn Crate Wall

I've been wanting to share this barn project with you for over a month. It was a spontaneous makeover my mother and I threw together right before she had to return to her teaching job in California. Do you remember those fantastic crates she hauled home from Madison Bouckville? They sat on her front porch until the forecast of Irene intensified, and we had no choice but to bring them in (letting one remain). There's always a need for storage in her little barn, but wall space is hard to come by between the radiators and the many windows. And then the light bulb moment happened. I had never been completely satisfied with the bathroom divider and its many iterations over the last year. You can read more about it here, or just take a quick refresher peek of the previous photos.

So, those crates were configured into a dividing wall. Two vertically and one horizontally across the top.The wooden crates seems to grow right out of the old barn floor. It's sturdier and little less busy then other versions. Still fun and wild, but since this is the first thing you see upon coming upstairs, it's nice to let the eyes have a moment to take everything in.

A little ledge was left on one side. Nice for rotating displays, since the afternoon sun hits it like a spotlight.

One side is wall, and the other... a bank of shelves in her bathroom/closet. We had fun filling it up, but it's still evolving.

See that toilet paper, laugh if you will, but that's my favorite part of the entire makeover! Since this shelf is close to the toilet, we could have continued to just have baskets of tp. While we were pondering this, my mom noted that the top shelf was wobbly. "It needs a little shim..." I said as I wandered over to the studio for something to temporarily do the trick. That's when I spotted the "kill two birds with one stone" (what an awful saying that is!) wooden spool thingy we had gotten together years before.

It formed the perfect "shim" and tp holder! Don't you love those moments? I love "playing" with my mom. STILL.

I sure hope my kids will enjoy playing with me when they grow up, too.

melancholy monday

 Good morning friends!
Hope today finds you dry, safe and well. Although the sun is shining brightly right now, yesterday's storm kept us cozy inside with a pot of soup and a cake in the oven... a definite taste of the cooler months ahead. Summer is coming to a close.We said goodbye to my mother after her long and wonderful stay. Heartbreaking for each of us. And now I get ready to say goodbye to the long leisurely mornings for my children and all of the other dreamy, slow qualities of this season. This is my last full week of having them home with me, and I intend to soak it up.
This weekend I found myself:

staring at their happy bare toes and sun-kissed shoulders

and

inhaling their tousled hair scented with the perfume of days spent outdoors

I'm etching into memory how they look and smell and feel in my arms right this moment, because come October we cover up to keep warm. The next time I'll see my children so wild and free, they will be that much bigger. Oh, the ache that comes from watching a life unfold. A longing to slow it down. Please. This photo captures so much for me that I struggle to find the words... I think it's that feeling we all get when we observe someone we love while they are unaware. The full depth of our love washes over us for a moment like a big sigh.

And this gorgeous bouquet? It's the last one my mother picked at the farm... beautiful just like her. I think I'll head over to the barn and scoop it up for my own kitchen table before the petals droop too much.

Oh, the bittersweetness of a life full of love. I DO feel very blessed even (or maybe especially) in the midst of my melancholy Monday.
Ah, I think I just figured out the title to this morning's post...
xox,
Maya

summer postcards #15 birthday wishes

Today my sister turns one year older...  she's such a wonderful mother, loving woman and as gorgeous inside as out. She is also... STILL... my first baby girl! Happy Birthday!

If you were here, we would greet you with banners and laughter...

bouquets of just picked flowers...

and bowl upon bowl of fresh summer goodness! Missing you so much... especially today! So grateful for this virtual world that can bridge oceans miles instantly!

Geography for Children and a New Map

My mother scored a gorgeous vintage school map of the state of New York. Last week she hung it up in her barn's downstairs bedroom, where my children sleep when they stay over. We were all so excited, and it got me thinking about the role maps have played in my life.


 My sense of the world, and even the United States, was fuzzy until I met my husband, a map aficionado. I had always been a good student, but without the constant visual of maps, my sense of location wasn't my strength. He changed all that when he handed my a Rand McNalley Road Atlas and invited me to be the navigator on what turned out to be many trips across the country... up and down the coasts, and even a wild trek from Montreal to BC. Nothing beats traveling, with map in hand (a GPS is not same!,) to really get a sense of place. I believe the next best thing is to have maps, globes, and atlases handy. Having them accessible is an invitation for exploration.  Children have an innate fascination with maps, globes and other children around the world. Maybe this is why geography is one of the oldest sciences. It asks the most basic question "where am I and what's over there?". This morning I gathered a little list of things we've enjoyed in our home. This is by no means a comprehensive list, just what I put together from doing a quick stroll around the house glancing at walls, checking bookshelves and looking in the game cabinet. We get lots of our resources used, so they may not be perfectly up to date but are accurate and do the trick.

-Peters Projection World MapPeters  - Laminated Ours hangs in our art corner where the children spend tons of time.
"All the countries of the world are represented at true size and true proportion. This is one of the few commercially available maps that is fair to all peoples. Most maps drastically enlarge the size of the Northern hemisphere countries and diminish the size of the Southern hemisphere countries. This traditional bias leads most people to overestimate the importance of the developed nations based on their inflated appearance"
-Melissa & Doug's License Plate Game 2098
-Floor puzzles of the world and our country are always popular... we have several.
-Map placemats- we love educational placemats at snack time.
-GEOGRAPHY: This is a favorite road trip game once a child has a general knowledge of reading and geography. Start with any place in the world-- "Camaroon", for example. The next person has to think of a place that begins with the last letter of "Camaroon," such as "New York." Whoever goes next needs a place that starts with an K. You may not use the same place twice in a game--and it has to be a real place.


A few book suggestions:

• Bread, Bread, Bread any and all of Anne Morris' series Around the World
• Children Just Like Me
• My World- From the Seven Continents to The Seven Seas, From Katmandu to Kalamazoo
• Me on the Map
• Mapping Penny's World
• DK First Atlas
• National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers

I'm sure there are many more favorites out there, so I invite you to share your own! And if you are interested in a vintage school map search ebay or Etsty... they are growing in popularity so the prices seem to be going up, but sometimes a bargain is to be had. Good luck!

summer postcards #10 (the vintage dress edition)

 Summer Postcards: a July series capturing snapshots of my favorite month
Special guests: my nieces who traveled six thousands miles to be here this month
Location: in and around HOME and BARN
Format: Instagram (follow username mayamade for sneak peeks)

What child doesn't find enchantment exploring grandma's attic? Dressing up in clothes from another era stirs imaginations and transports the wearer back in time. A few days ago my nieces discovered my mother's collection of vintage dresses and hats. Those tree-climbing tomboys (who only brought one skirt between the two of them for an entire month) were smitten.  The silky floral prints and pretty little details of these clothes and accessories felt completely removed from their everyday world on a farm in Hawaii. For several days the dresses kept coming out to be worn around the barn. One evening a photo shoot unfolded that was pure delight. I know my little sister will be so happy to see her beautiful girls returning to a field of Queen Ann's lace at dusk. She's missing them so. This photo shoot was really for her, but I think you'll find it enchanting too. So with their permission, here's a sneak peek.

 I'll share the photos I took with my real camera tomorrow. Yes, I still bring it out now and then during this Instagram month. Her two beauties always inspire me to create paintings with my lens.

ready!

My mother's beautiful barn has seen a lot of action while she was away all winter in California. This past weekend was no exception. My, was there a lot of commotion! But since we are now counting the hours to her arrival (with my nieces in tow), it was time to get things in order. While my son was at camp, my daughter and I got to work. Well, she mostly made art and ate snacks, but she did make a great companion until she had had "enough cleaning already, Mama!". But I think we're set. Fresh sheets and bouquets from the meadow will greet them. We can't wait! July is my favorite month of my favorite season. Between the juxtaposition of summering it up with family and the amount of writing I'm currently immersed in, something has to give. After spending several days away from this space, I know how much I miss you and can't just say "see ya in August". No way! My solution as of right now is: Instagram (my username is mayamade) I will be blogging visually (with a caption) for the month of July. I may surprise you with a book review, giveaway or tutorial, but mostly you will see snapshots of what we do best around here: s.u.m.m.e.r.! Barn frolicking is sure to be a frequent subject and I will definitely keep the tweeting up... so now's a great time to give me a follow. I know what you're thinking... it's still JUNE! Just getting ready...
Are you getting ready for any big summer plans or fun guests?

mixing up a meadow

Several years ago, my mother made the decision to forgo the traditional lawn and install a wildflower meadow instead. The parade of flowers from May to September has been spectacular and the talk of the town... in more ways than one. Some folks truly do prefer to have their neighbors keep a tidy lawn so there have been a couple of complaints.  But mostly, we've gotten used to seeing folks drive slowly by, eyes as wide as their smiles. Many stop and take photos when the poppies are at their peak. We've been proud of all of the lovely attention it has gotten, but it hasn't been as maintenance free as we had hoped. Pigweed took over one August, and thistles have been vying for real estate in the back. Town municipal workers parked their huge trucks in the middle while repairing a water line... September's sunflowers and black-eyed susans were mistaken for an empty lot! When we complained, they apologized by reseeding it...  with a lawn! Only in one strip, but oh dear. So this weekend I did a little meadow management.

Neighbor Dan came with his tractor and tilled up the strip of "lawn", the thistle station in the back and the entire swath of road frontage. I waited until  rain clouds were hanging low, and then headed over with a pound of seeds and soil.


I mixed  1/2 lb. in a 5 gallon bucket filled 3/4 of the way with organic potting soil and distributed this recipe with wishes for growth and beauty...

just be true little seeds... do what you do best!

I'll let you know how it goes. The daisies and lupines were already coming up in the un-tilled parts, so I have great hope! (Just Be True tee made by my friend Jen.)

Happy belated Mother's Day, Mom... should be blooming when you get here!

May through September

barn lights and a beam shelf

This winter, my mother added two new lights to the barn's main room. This shop light was picked up at a yard sale. The wires are threaded through a galvanized pipe. It hangs high above the kitchen sink, so it was hard to get a good shot from the floor. I stood on the counter so you could get a glimpse of its patina.

And look over there... do you spy a bookshelf in an unusual spot? My mother has a huge collection of cookbooks and finding a place to store them, but keep them accessible to the kitchen, was a huge challenge. And then we came up with the beam shelf. Small spaces can feel very cluttered with too many bookshelves lining each available wall. Taking to the rafters is a nice solution. It utilizes untapped real estate, while raising the eyes to create the illusion of more height in any room. A huge beam separates the kitchen ceiling from the rest of the room. It was added to the barn during renovation for stability. Here's a photo of it with the old tiny sink light to give you perspective. By putting a bookshelf on the kitchen side of the beam:

• the books are hidden to the rest of the space
• the visual impact of the beam upon entering the room was kept intact
• and access was perfect with help from our favorite slim fold footstool

Galvanized pipes and flanges hold the shelf, keeping the hardware in the room consistent, while doing their job with strength and honesty.
Hey- there's the other new light!

My mother had originally gotten the light to hang outside. It didn't attach well to the chosen spot, and sat in the shed dejected for two years. I think its new home is just right, don't you? Exterior (industrial) lighting works very well in the inside of a barn/home.

I might have to go sit under that light with a stack of my mom's cookbooks... and plan some delicious meals to get us through the rest of this snowy winter. I'll let you know if I come up with some winners. I was quite thrilled with how many of you made last week's lentil miso soup! It's the simple things... it really is.