Blast off!

Blast off!  I’m excited to share my next Hello, World! book with you.  Although it’s not out yet, it is available for pre-order.  Drawing rockets & machines is fun but it’s even more satisfying to learn about what these cool contraptions can do!  We’ll cover rockets, rovers, space shuttles and much more. 🚀

 

Spooky season

 

🔸 It's upon us! 🔸

It's back!

I wanted to share the meet the artist interview I did for Little Sleepies & let you know that the Around the World print I made for them is back.  Hope you enjoy learning a little more about this print and my art here.

Have you picked a pumpkin?

 So, here we are one week into October & now it feels appropriate to share a little more about my latest Hello, World! board book From Seed to Pumpkin.

 

This book shares the life cycle of a pumpkin, tells how the tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns started in the U.S. and offers a helpful tip on what to do with carved pumpkin after Halloween.  Like all my Hello, World! books I learned some new things & it's my hope/goal that you do too!

 

 

If you have a little one in your life who likes to color, this new coloring page has been added to my website.  Enjoy for some fall fun!

 

We went to the apple orchard (Red Barn Orchard in Weston Mo.) two weeks ago.  We've gone each year since my son was 3. (He's 17 now!)  This time was our hottest trip yet with a temp of 95 degrees.  Apple doughnuts didn't sound as good this year in the heat.  That said the pumpkins looked great in the bright, hot sun.  These ones with long stems caught my eye.

Did you know the art in my Hello, World! series starts out with cut paper characters & shapes?  I scan each item & continue creating in Photoshop.  I'm sharing a photo of a beginning stage.  Sometimes it feels like I'm making paper dolls.  I still like to play!

Fall flower fun

 I find making patterns so relaxing & fun.  This one is a crescendo of spicy fall color & shape.             

 

With no hard frost yet, I'm happy to report the flowers are still going strong!

Types of apples

 

I painted a few of my favorite kinds of apples.  Pink Lady apples are at the top of my list! Apples are in rose family, called Rosaceae.  I find this so cool & when you look at the calyx you can kind of see the similarities.  I can say (from experience) that painting an apple is so much easier than successfully painting a rose!

Shifting seasons

 

Mid September in my studio, where the light is soft and shining.

Labor Day weekend

 

Here’s to a fun, breezy, long weekend with some extra time to embrace the outdoors!  This watercolor painted was turned into a card for Design House Greetings.  I've mentioned it before, (and I'll do it again) I have dreams of learning to sail one day! 

All tucked in! (almost grown up)

Thanks to those who entered my Hello, World!  Bedtime book giveaway.  The winner was notified this afternoon.  Bedtime has always been special to me.  I’m fascinated by the science of sleep and some of you may or may not know I started my freelance design career working on mainly kids and baby bedding.  Primarily for The Land of Nod and Target’s Circo crib bedding. Eventually landing a brand under my own name sold in Babies-r-Us stores across the U.S.  I designed a dinosaur lamp for that collection that I still love today.  So much so I added it to the nightstand in my new book Bedtime.  Some ideas just stick with you!

 

 

 

The packaging for the Jill McDoanld baby brand had my picture holding my son.  This pulls at my heartstrings, that baby I loved to hold is turning 17 later this week.  I know that whole "time flies by" thing people tell young parents can come across as annoying, especially when you're immersed in the messy ins and outs of baby– toddler life.  Looking back now I can say this was totally true!  Another one of those lessons life teaches you with some space to breathe and a little distance.

 

Two NEW Hello, World! books

 

GIVEAWAY— to celebrate my new Hello, World! BEDTIME book out today!  I’m excited about this title, I remember when my son was a toddler wanting a book that explained the importance of sleep in a friendly, factual way.  Go to bed rarely works but a simple explanation on why our bodies need sleep, bedtime routines, dreams and what to do if you have a nightmare are helpful tools that can set them up with good habits from the start.  

 

If you'd like to enter visit my Instagram page to do so.

 

One last bit of nice news, Amazon has selected BEDTIME as one of the best books of the month for baby to age two!

 

 

 

From Seed to Pumpkin is my other new Hello, World! book available now.  With fall almost here this title explores how a pumpkin grows, visiting a pumpkin patch, how to pick a perfect pumpkin and many more fun pumpkin facts!  I plan on offering a GIVEAWAY of this title on Instagram the last week in September.  I love embracing the season and thought it would be nice to wait a month or so on this one.  That way we're all thinking crunchy fall leaves, trips to the orchard and everything pumpkin spice! (Which I'm still not sure I'm a fan of?) 

 

Sun sign 🌞

 

It's my birthday and you're ALL invited to the party!

Flipping for gymnastics

 

Anyone else enjoying the start of the Olympic games?  I’m dazzled and delighted by all the athletes but particularly the gymnasts!  Forever a Simone Biles fan she’s already a BIG winner to me whatever fantastic feat she does over the next couple weeks.  I was a gymnast when I was little (although nothing like this) that said I still do a handstand once a day.  I think I just like to be upside down!

Pirate's Map

Ahoy, there!  Back with you to share a new Pirate’s Map print I made for Little Sleepies.  A perfect way to sail off to bed!  You can see more here.

Greetings little one ❤

I love new beginnings and nothing says “new beginning” like having a baby!  Here’s some art I made for a Papyrus card. 

(💦painted with watercolor)

 

Choo, Choo!

 

With back to school just around the corner Little Sleepies just dropped something fun for little learners, the Education Express collection featuring my art.  I made this print thinking of all the kiddos heading to school for the very first time.  An adventure for sure!  (even for their parents)

 

 

Summer in full bloom

 

My very favorite season by far!

Greeting July

Summer sun seeking, to me that's what July is all about!

Birthday Builders

This is my Birthday Builders print purchased by Little Sleepies.  I love the idea of a variety of construction vehicles helping to build a beautiful birthday.  A dump truck filled with candles ready to deliver.  I tall crane carefully placing candles a top a towering cake. A forklift hulling the perfect cake slice.  And my favorite a digger dropping off a big scoop of sprinkles. 

Hope this puts you in the mood to party!  Available now (for a limited time) at Little Sleepies.  Life is sweet with so much to celebrate!

Happy Summer Solstice

 

Bring on the sunshine!

Top pops!

 

Happy Father's Day to all the special dads.  I feel lucky to have a wonderful dad who has always cheered me on!  And very lucky to have picked a man who is a truly terrific father.  Does my heart good! 💙

What's your sign?

 

Coming to you today with some zodiac signs and your horoscope.

—You're going to have a good week,

a VERY good week!—

 P.S. I'm a Leo

Decisions

 

 Patterned houses- which one would you like to vacation in this summer?

 

I think I'd stay in the pink patchwork house in the bottom left.

 

 

The grey flowery house is my second favorite but I could stare at that from the circular window in the pink house. 

So it's a win/win in my mind!

All the pretty colors.

 Counting butterflies as we flutter through the first long weekend that feels like summer!

🦋

Decided to stop at 11.  I've been noticing 11:11 a lot lately.
 

Hello, World! Let's Go Camping Activity

 I put this activity together for my story time at the Kansas City Public Library.  As you can see it's based off my board book Let's Go Camping.  This will keep your kiddo busy as there's coloring, cutting, and pasting.  You can download these two pages here, along with many other Hello, World! coloring pages.

 

Once the trail is colored to liking you move on to the animal, nature, and camping items.

Cut the colored outdoor items out and paste to the trail imaging what you'd like to see along the way.  Happy coloring, happy campers!

Homemade badges

 

My favorite thing about Scouts was always the badges.  Even over the cookies!  As summer quickly approaches what kind of badge would like to earn for your outdoor activities?  I’d like to earn one for 100 hours of kayaking.  Or planting enough trumpet shaped flowers to get a record number of hummingbirds in my backyard.  I love those busy little birds and the sense of adventure that comes with the warm summer months.

 

 

Design Bloc surface design show

 

Antonio will be showing my surface design collection at the Design Bloc show in NYC this Thursday and Friday. (May 16-17^th) at the Metropolitan Pavilion. If you’re a buyer or art director in the area looking for art this is a great chance to see art and its makers in person.  There are 35 different studios exhibiting so there’s something for everyone.  Hope you'll stop by!

 

Mothers love 💕

 I'm still thinking about moms with their babies.

This was before he was 2 ft taller than me!