Saturday, March 24, 2007


~:W A I T I N G • T O O • L O N G:~

Look what MilkFace did to me before giving him a bath? Funny thing is that the thought of being peed on makes me ill, but when it's your own baby, it just makes me laugh.

Recent Facts:

Anton has TWO teeth.

He's officially 6 months old now.

He can hold a bottle.

He found his toes today.

He reaches for toys now, reaches to touch my face.

My thighs are peppered with bruises from him jumping in my lap.

He wraps his arms around my neck.

I am having the time of my life.

Saturday, March 17, 2007


~:W A L L P A P E R • S C H M A L L P A P E R:~

I love color. Besides coffee, it's what I get up for every morning. (Sorry Dougie Fresh.) Colors do wonderful things next to each other. They talk to each other. They say a lot. They DO a lot.

I've been painting walls since I was in college. Though I've got a "thing" for paper (passion) I hate the thought of wallpapering a room. I grew up watching my Mom do that in the house, only to watch her manage the chore of ripping/peeling/melting it down a few years later. It was quite a mess.

When we moved into this house, I painted right over the wallpaper. I'm a fan of pattern and I love the texture of slippery house paint. I've got gallons of it in just about every closet here. My whole house is in a constant stage of being repainted. I just can't get enough of it.

When guests come over and ask where I got my wallpaper, I smile and tell them I hand painted it. Then I pick their jaws up off the floor and hand them back to them. I live for this moment.

My house is one color palette trip after another. Colorful, lush, warm and welcoming. Yes, it's unfinished. Yes, it's not always clean. But it's colorful and cozy and welcomes the guest: "Come, sit with me and tell me who you are."

Monday, March 12, 2007


~:S T A T I O N S • O F • T H E • C R O S S :~
During Lent every year, we Catholic Lights prepare for Easter by picking a Station Of The Cross to paint/sculpt/Design, etc. This year I chose Station 4: Jesus Meets his Afflicted Mother. I chose this one for obvious reasons - the loss of my first pregnancy vs. the fear of losing Anton. I've got a better understanding now of this kind of loss and I think it's interesting that we gather each year to remember how much the stations hurt.

I've decided to post other stations I've done in the past in the order I've done them. The first was done in 1997, shortly after Tommy died: Station 9: Jesus Falls For The Third Time. I was in despair. Grieving and letting it hurt. Nothing could touch my anger. A black cloud of grief followed me wherever I went. I cried in my car every day. I was that glass, full only a third, running on empty.

Then I chose Station 2: Jesus take Up The Cross. He's on his way to Golgotha, the site of the execution - walking outside the gates of Jerusalem on a well-traveled path. A path whose end is highly visible and makes a great advertisement for the power of the law. This exit has no return access.

A year later I tackled Station 14: Thomas Touches Christ's Wounds. He's got to because he doesn't believe his eyes. Christ has resurrected. Thomas has failed the test of faith, lacking the vision to trust that things work out.

Lastly I returned to Station 9: Jesus Falls For The Third Time. A typographic treatment this time. We all know how relentless life's lessons and pitfalls can be. We keep falling and falling and falling and picking ourselves up again. It's life's job to keep challenging us. It's OK to fall.

Many years ago, I asked god while sitting in traffic, "Who are you?" His answer back to me was, "I'm just like YOU." This makes so much sense to me. We can't identify with anything until we compare it to ourselves. We want everything to be a mirror - and in many ways, things really are. The stations retell a story that brings us closer to god. Christ's presence does that very thing - makes god real to us. Makes god one of us.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Saturday, March 10, 2007



Time to brag a little more. In January, I was invited to participate in the Weddings With Style event created by Paper Dolls Design at King Plow. I had a table up front with paints, ink, envelopes and name tags to be customized for each bride attending. Lots of fun to work in front of an audience - and for such cheery and excited brides-to-be.

Wogah was kind enough to send me a copy of the article about the show. Thank you! I've updated my Calligraphy page with photos of the event. Spread the word, folks. I'm hungry for more calligraphy work!

~Anne

Wednesday, March 07, 2007


This post goes out to my sweet Dougie Fresh, who has become physically healthy for the first time in his life. (I hope to follow is lead soon). Just over 2 years ago, he lost over 80 pounds and began running regularly. This new lifestyle really has changed our lives together. He's running in races and now is training for his first marathon. On top of that, he's using the event to raise money for fighting cancer. Below is an e-mail from him with details and a link to the donation site.

Cancer has touched so many of us personally and through the people we know and love. My father is currently battling 2 forms of cancer. He's doing well so far, but it's far from easy and has been a lonnnng, long journey. There's cancer on both sides of my family, so this is something I need to watch out for, too. There have been many victories, though - so there's hope.

~Anne


Doug Elser, running a Marathon?? Has the world gone mad?


Those who know me best know that I am given to shameless self-promotion. And that's true. On March 25th, I'll take on the ING Georgia Marathon as I run down the streets of Atlanta with nothing chasing me. But I will have the fight against cancer driving me. And although I didn't have to beat cancer to get to the point where I could run 26.2 miles, I did turn my life around health-wise by losing 80 pounds. What that has given me is a newfound perspective on how delicate our health is. I am so blessed to have the health that I now have.

Others don't have that. We all have stories about those we know that have cancer and have either beaten it or died from it. Brent Lunsford, a good friend from high school, was killed by it before he was much north of 25 years. Janet Elser, my father's sister, couldn't beat it and died in her early 50's.

Others I know have been more fortunate. My father-in-law, Tom Dusenberry, has battled two different cancers in the past year. My best friend, Kari Siegel, beat cancer a couple of years ago. And although it makes me smile to know that they will be around for many more years, it's pretty scary to think about what they have gone through.

The strides in cancer treatment over the past many years have made their successes possible. And money makes that happen. Many of you have expressed to me how impressed you are by the accomplishment I'm about to achieve...so show me the money!

To help me reach my fund-raising goal of $5,000 for the American Cancer Society, please visit my personal page by clicking on the link below...

Help me fight cancer.

Thank you all in advance!

-Doug

~:S A I N T • L O U I S:~

Good day friends and family. We all took a lovely trip to Chicago to visit Cousin Mia, Tio Peter and Tia Gloria. On the way, we spent the night with our Garlock cousins in Saint Louis and took these fun photos of our visit. Anton saw his first snow, we read a beautiful poem written by Robert and was entertained by Michael's magical baby entertaining skills. Dagny was there, too and is so grown up and beautiful. We hope to return soon for a longer visit.

Thank you Saint Louis!

~Doug, Anne and Anton