30 gratefulls for grateful friday

1. 30 years on this earth.
2. a cute as pie boyfriend... soon to be husband... who is extremely smart and artistically talented and makes me good food and takes care of me in the ways i need.
3. a loving crafty pants mom who is very strong and beautiful.
4. a wonderful little brother named andrew...almost 16. he's awesome and brave. he's going to spain this year!
5. an exceptionally funny and beautiful sister named jesse who is two weeks younger than me (were steps). so many childhood mems.
6. a smart and funny stepdad named michael who introduced me to literature (he's an english prof) and maybe even taught me to read? i probably wouldn't gone to college, definately not the college i went to, with out him. (i remember he said, he'd be proud if i went to macalester... and so it was).
7. a sadness and acceptance about my biological father who died when i was 1 year 1/2, and was even younger than me. he was an artist and i think i must have inherited it. since i was little his loss has made me appreciate every day more and strive to be present.
8. a gourgeous witty best friend named bekah who makes jewelery, me laugh and is going to be a child welfare lawyer or something kickass like that!
9. i have so many wonderful people... mostly women... in my life who i love and love me so.
10. kate walsh cunnane grounds me and makes tasty pie and gives me sweet hand me downs and models good behavior.... like domestic living.
11. jessie elizabeth rogers has made so many journies in time and space with me and is my sister of transition and growth.
12. kara bunte is a fabulous dancer, storyteller and friend i don't see enough of!
13. sabrina is my birthday sister and artistic role model and inspiration for spilling it all to find truth.
14. donna lee roy is a kindred spirit and a role model for being a young creative soulful mom.
15. donna lee... of maine is like my aunt and beautiful and real.
16. kate randalph is my walking and talking up the hills and figuring it out of life and love.
17. monica is my older un-related sister whose exuberance and songs fill me.
18. kendra is my organic gardener, northern californian native, amazing cook and passionate about what is righteous in the world.
19. grateful for all my exes who opened all those doors of knowledge.
20. grateful for a place to put my gratefuls.
21. grateful for pat murphy my life coach who listens so.
22. grateful for my grammie who passed when i was five, but i remember her love vividly.
23. grateful for all my new san francisco friends... art school and otherwise making our own new paths.
24. grateful for stef and supporting each other building our dreams bit by bit, even if we hardly see each other in person!
25. grateful for hugh's family and what's to come.
26. grateful for people i've met traveling and their kindness and stories.
27. grateful for my co-workers throughout life, even the crazy bosses, who taught me how not to be.
28. grateful for today.
29. grateful for paint.
30. grateful for all the people i forgot to give a shout out to because this was very spontaneous and piece meal and you all have made me who i am. i know i'll be kicking myself for not including you! and at the same time it's a risk because i do want to specifically say i am grateful for certain people today. (like jamie hogan... you are an artist role model and real family, thank you!) also i am grateful for being able to be more of who i am and i'm not going to apologize for my over the top genuineness which probably makes me sound un-cool. the 30's for me are about shedding being "cool" and hiding behind that and being more me.

grateful friday: you are beautiful

believe it!
~grateful for yesterday and the glorious sun after so many days of miserable rain.
~grateful for my new studio space that makes me feel like a teenager... i am so loving the privacy of my very own space! my studiomates can attest that i have even been bringing in my meals and making the studio smell like hamburgers (which was really BBQ chicken), opps!
~grateful for a wonderful show last night and feeling proud of my friends and artists beth & tom!
~grateful for a new job and other opportunities that keep abounding.
~grateful for a new baby lily in our family and the hopes of easter-time with the wee one.
~grateful for mail that makes me feel beautiful and music to do my work to. thank you!
~grateful for a clean house and full fridge.
~grateful for a plate of fresh mozzerella, basil and tomatoes on the back steps yesterday.
~grateful for my handmade goodies from the alternative press exp (APE) that line my inspiration board.
~grateful for solid communication with my partner.
~grateful for 2 weeks of sticking to no-carb action with my sister. hello skinny strong sister!
~grateful for running and training for a 10K with 2 of my best friends up north. i'm so excited to see you kara b if you read this!
~grateful for these words, at the risk of sounding like a total self-help geek, i love this idea of choosing your own adventure:
"you are a guardian of your spirit, mind, and body, the curator of your soul and identity, and the keeper of your dreams. The choice is yours. The rights, privileges, and responsibilities of ownership to you because this is Your Life".

grateful friday

i used to write lists of gratefulness on fridays... and want to start this habit again. here are some random smatterings of gratitude past.

*today i am grateful for art in the mail and how it greatly improves my mood. saturday i came home after a cranky day of work...and a lonely weekend of no hugh, and found this beautiful silk screen called "you're so hot" by the talented jeremiah ketner. art makes the world go round and around and please check out his work at small and round. the little doodle he did is priceless! thank you again jeremiah!

*grateful for mav's sublime orchid letterpress print i ordered and want to frame one. this green is so right on. thank you!

*grateful for thank yous... isn't that redundant? don't you wonder what the protocol is on thanking someone for their awesome thank you cards?! see my new little collection here. hee.

*grateful for going to lots of art shows and getting inspired by my friend paz.

*grateful for kickboxing again. honestly, the gym is becoming my new school... i'm on a little bit of a health kick now that i have the time. we are borrowing a juicer and it is pretty cool: ginger, lemon, carrots, apples and orange juice in lickety split.

*grateful for spending time with friends now that i'm outta school.


*grateful for tortas with debbie and scheming with her and christina (our 3 person art collective) getting projects in motion...

*grateful for my momma (happy b-day!) and happy be-lated international women's day!

*grateful for hugh and his new bloggity blog.

*grateful for my blog and a place to put my gratefuls. um, on another note (and i mean no disrespect for blogger), but i'm thinking typepad might be a nice upgrade... thoughts?

xoxo,
mati rose

grateful friday

I had been thinking this would be a good idea & then read Stef's post... maybe it will spread?

I am grateful for having a boy/life partner who blasts old school Liz Phair in the morning and sings along.

I am grateful for the $4 necklace I bought recently at the thrifty antique store with Kate, and wear nearly daily for some bling.

I am grateful for an illustration assignment this weekend for an empowering girls magazine about body image!

I am grateful for my family who I miss on the east coast.

I am grateful for my friends who I scarcely have time to see, but still love me.

I am grateful for my coach who reminded me the other week about the "pms perspective".

I am grateful for my new gym membership and the sauna rooms that I haven't tried yet!

I am grateful at the idea of going to an art show tonight.

I am grateful for deciding to spend the rest of my life with someone and the glimmer of wedding plans.

I am grateful for my daily inspiration of blog reading!

GF

grateful friday rears its' head again, even when i'm sniffly.

i am grateful i'm feeling better.

i am grateful i am in love, and all that that includes.

i am grateful for junky movies and falling asleep on the couch to them.

i am grateful for you kind readers.

i am grateful for my favorite holiday coming up-- day of the dead!

i am grateful fo always knowing where things are when hugh asks me... a female trait?

i am grateful for a mom who patiently listens as i babble on the phone about my classes and all the minutae of my day.

i am grateful for a best friend who does the same and cracks me up with her stories!

i am grateful for fava beans that spell nice things (written to hugh after not seeing him for days).

grateful friday

gonna keep on doing this...

i got stuck searching for a piece of art of foto for this post. because frankly i'm feeling a bit exhausted and ungrateful today. i tried to find one that embodied a different mati. light, laughing, funny faced.

i've stayed up every night till 2 or 3 this week. there is construction going on in the back. i'm wearing ear plugs! open studios is this weekend, at long last.

who do i want to be?

confident, relaxed and to quote arc from port 2 port- "throwing my cares to the wind".

i am grateful for earplugs.

i am grateful for a brown & green halter dress with hand stitched embrodiery and little loving details that kate bought me in exchange for her wedding invites. i have worn it to every subsequent (9?!) wedding and never tire of it!

i am grateful for having so many amazing people in my life.

i am grateful for the earrings bekah sent me from NYC H&M that i'm wearing in this photo.

i am grateful for H&M and i wish it was here now in SF... is it yet?

i am grateful for the minty burt's bees wax with tint that i'm wearing.

i am grateful for this blog community and the opportunity to share.

i am grateful for this ridiculously strong coffee.

grateful friday

i have to say that i am BLOWN away by all of you and your dreams! i believe in you!

a ways back i started a thing called grateful friday... it took hold for a few and i'd like to bring it back! leave your gratefuls or a link back to yours please :)

look at all the gorgeous women in my flickr faves (and a few of me in my model shoot with the talented thea--magic she is, more on that later!)off to celebrate my friend kendra getting married in a few weeks with an overnight!

today i am grateful for feeling abundant and a fig tart all wrapped up.

ps-- i also wanted to link to melissa loves for her spotlight on my shoppe! she makes beautiful necklaces for a jewelry slut like me (did i just type that?) i am though!i have this peacock and wear it constantly!!!

grateful::community & collaboration

hello friends,

i'm about a once a week blogger as of late!



today i am most grateful for this community of artists and friends i've built personally, and that we are all part of with the incredible networking of bloglandia.

other things A-Z order i'm grateful for~

A) i'm on the brink of some exciting projects:

*illustrations for a project concerning katrina victims who have re-located to oakland

*a piece for the guatemala SPCA to benefit their doggie & kitty orphans

*a guest artist in an inspiring yet to be revealed book

*co-teaching a painting/drawing workshop!

*building a website for my beehive studios collective where we will dish about art & finance... maybe a collab blog to come?

B) i am supa-dupa excited about these collaborative blogs:

sew green
1391
illustration friday blog
tagsale tales
re-presenting-- not a blog, but a must see collab of my friend amy with kids in ghana and chicago!

C) grateful for our upcoming wedding~ hugh and i are collaborating on all things wedding this weekend and going away for an overnight at the retreat center we are getting married at in august. we are very excited that our place caters on site and uses the slow food philosophy, by using organic farms and distributors nearby, including their own produce grown on their organic farm on the premises. i've been loving design sponge's guest blog on homemade weddings (good timing for us)! ...not to mention the link to green wedding reminders ( link from oh joy!)

D) and last, but not least, grateful for miss kelly rae and our new ochre shoes! kelly is someone who draws out your story... from the woman at the soap store who reveals her life changing perspective after chemo, to sharing my own story of becoming an artist. i find myself telling her details of my path that i had never acknowledged before. we share a past of finding our bliss as artists later in life and losing our bio fathers at a young age and have a tender understanding of how this feels and has shaped us in ways we increasingly realize. there is such an easy fluidity to our time together that i am so appreciating and grateful for this girl. and this kickass weather doesn't hurt the appreciation factor of spending a day walking in the park and eating breakfast outside of waffles with strawberries... mmmm. i want a re-do!

here are a few peeks of our day spent together:




have lovely weekends all!

xxx,
mati rose

ps- i saw mira nair'smovie the namesakelast night and it is beautiful with incredibly developed characters and richly saturated colors-- go see!

grateful friday + giving

new gallery style wooden block prints ready for hanging + stacking available in my shop

In the spirit of being grateful and hopeful in giving the gift of art... in both the tangible sense and the experience of making... I'm donating $10 from each purchase of a print, original or wood block to Drawbridge, an organization fostering art in the lives of homeless children. That means 3 prints=$30, plus they will match the donation so it really equals $60!! I will be donating the proceeds from today until Christmas.

"The mission of DrawBridge is to provide art programs for homeless and other vulnerable children in an environment that fosters their sense of joy, creativity and exuberance".

I volunteered a few years ago at Drawbridge facilitating Art on a weekly basis at a transitional homeless shelter. It was an incredible experience and I fell in love with one family of 5 in particular. I remember one day where I brought in a bunch of material, including swaths of my favorite hot pink to make costumes with, and one of the girls who was 11 and super creative asked me if she could keep some for a special project. The next time I went back she had transformed her bed and her room at the shelter that she shared with 2 of her sisters into a magnificent pink canopy~ Indian inspired and incredibly stylish. 

Be well,

Mati

grateful friday

there are truly a million things i feel grateful about today, but one that i'm celebrating this week is our *2nd* wedding anniversary!

i haven't shared many photos here of our wedding because it feels intimate, but i love this one for how clearly adoring i am of my husband hugh. we've come along way over the 7 years of being together and building our dreams H and it feels good.

kudos to michael rauner our awesome photographer.

xxxx
m

grateful friday

the winner is andi which is really serendipitous that i chose her (eyes closed finger pointing at the screen) because she is an acupuncturist and as part of my dream list i wrote to see an acupuncture and she was just sharing with me some info! andi went on an AMAZING adventure that she is blogging about.

more turquoise ellies here!

today i'm grateful for so many things! one of which is my beautiful and helpful intern jenny who is my model... her shirt is adorable (matches too) and she made it from a pillow cover! she and her husband joe are rocking out on their retrieval project and it looks like they are on their way to retrieving their belongings!

be well,
mati

grateful friday!

hello my friends,

i really feel like i am making gigantic leaps of understanding in the last few days. i've had an incredible combination of working really hard at school, having a mini-break away with friends i've known for 12 years and know me to the core, meeting up with newer friends from art school who share my art dreams and now a bit of a break in it all to process it all.

it is time for me to catch up with who I AM. REALLY seeing who AM I today. who is Me, Mati? presently. enjoying this. I am quoting someone else here, but I am "moving out of a world of other people's projections and finding new labels for myself".

out with the OLD: laxidaisical, dreamer, passive, head in the clouds, out to lunch, quiet, flexible, loose boundaries, small, financially struggling with not a lot to offer...

TODAY: organized, creative, resourceful, engaged, emotionally available, with my own opinions, tall, authentic, an ARTIST, empowered, accepting, imperfect, strong sense of self, growing, capable, dreamer and goal oriented, worthy and have so much to offer in this world (and some salty tears streaming down my face as I write this and come to realize how many false irritating labels I carry, and why?)

I really want to connect with my own voice. my own passion. i really want to be engaged and present with who I am today and discard the rest. stop working so hard towards the future and harness my yoga lessons of being present in TODAY and the rest will follow. Today I am grateful for myself and this understanding and for you and this bloggy place to foster these realizations.

how about them apples? Who are YOU today? What do you want to discard? !Viva!

grateful friday: cowgirl

My bf from childhood Bekah sent me this card the other day with this written on the back:

...the cowgirl symbolizes everywoman as she moves through life in quest of self, meaning, happiness, friendship and love. The cowgirl finds in the world around her and within herself the courage and strength she needs to meet life, and all life's unexpected twists and tangles with laughter and hope. This cowgirl is intense, creative being bravely in search of inspiration and adventure. ~ written about Donna Howell-Sickles' artwork

I feel that about us all.

Jessie, my other bestfriend from college is currently in town, well SF is her town, but she's on sabatical in New Mexico. She better move back;) So good to see her last night. Grounding hugs from her little body. Her graduation is on the same day that we are planning our wedding and it makes me want to cry, but it will work out somehow. The last time we met up it was in LA with her family whom i adore, for a cowboy/girl wedding which was excitingly held at Gwenyth Paltrow's family home. (Whom I happen to think is beautiful and talented and like the name Apple-- so don't go there! hee.) But I digress, Jessie and I have a history of cowgirl hats... on our road-trip from the east coast to our eventual life here in SF, we were all about finding the perfect hat. We got ours somewhere in Texas, of course, and wore it basically every day thereafter until we got urban. It was perfect.

I have since lost that hat, but still feel so grateful to be so involved in Jessie and Bekah's lives--2 of my many cowgirls. For a year we all were roomates and I was the luckiest girl (except for the hellish downstairs neighbor). I'm cheezing out and oddly it is very early-- 6:30 am for me, but I am so fortunate for these 2 cowgirls. And all my others who share this adventure! xoxo

grateful friday: niece nora

meet my niece ( i was going to say hugh's niece, but we're getting married so i'll be an official auntie soon!). don't you want to be her? dress like her? she is holding thorn on the left and red on the right. you might think red is on the left, but red is red because of his eyes. kids are excellent. i want to learn more from them.

niece nora or nu-nu as the family calls her is very wise. once her aunt nina asked her: "what is your favorite time of day?" her answer was something like, "it is now when i am here". baba nu-nu speaks:)

blessings to little kids, imaginations, play time and returning to that place of play and wonder. yes, that is why i like painting. i create my own little worlds that i get to play with all the time!

** i am also grateful for meeting up with shash this morning from me cozy! i never would have thought to meet such interesting, thoughtful, supportive, creative people over the internet, but here you are. thank you shash! i love your haircut, your kindness, your listening, your smile, your style, your musical tastes and your calmness in person:)

grateful friday

these are a bit vague and maybe relevant to your lives? i am grateful for these things about myself & work today:
*risk-taking in art even though i'm uncertain
*remembering i'm still learning-- playing in the sandbox
*being brave
*digging
*staying with the struggle
*holding onto my sense of self
*curiousity about the present
*giving credit for who people are today, forgiving past
*beautiful day ahead
*pacing
*balancing act
*going up to twin peaks in my mind, looking down we are so little
*finding my own true nature and applauding jenny's:)
*pep talks
*lucinda williams on the stereo
*being gentle on myself, did i already say that?
*30th b-day party tonight & letting go of expectations but letting it happen
*wabi sabi: imperfect, turning ugly into beautiful...
and you, what are the little niceities you tell yourself when you wake up and feel tired and overwrought?

grateful friday: happy imperfections

marriage

one of the best things about gift giving when you're about to be married is the idea that the gift is also yours. hee. i gave the salt & pepper shakers to my hugh for christmas because i loved them so, and to add to our collection.

i had a revelation this morning about marriage and how it relates to my art. i want to vow to commit to my art making more seriously. what i mean by that is that i want to have confidence and trust in it's future. i have done this same thing with my engagement with hugh, quite effortlessly and excitedly, and i'd like to adopt what that feels like to making a similar commitment to art. less questions, more faith in the road ahead. during my break i re-read some of my blog writing, and while i feel my questioning of illustrator versus painter, etc. etc. was a necessary process, i want to be more solid in my commitment to this relationship to my art and future. no more ambivalent flings! i should have a little ceremony for my self, right?

so this is what my grateful friday realization is about today: commitment to my art and trusting the road ahead!

i thought these salt and pepper shakers looked remarkably like my previous drawings. i think i'm going to start painting more chubby animals. they are very cute salt and pepper shakers, don't you think?

quicky grateful friday

~endorphins
~looza passion fruit juice
~reading mags on the plane: violet, domino & vanity fair do me right
~the slow food movement
~films: mad hot ballroom, wallmart documentary, you and me and everyone we know
~indian summers
~the "joy of cooking" for a classic reference
~MOCA art museum in LA
~off to the latino film fest and to see some very good friends tonight

grateful friday

~ having a good little cry.
~ hugh making a most delicious salad of olives, fresh figs, tofu and the most amazing homemade ginger sesame dressing for lunch today. OK, that alone is enough.
~ ms. penelope with her thoughtful words after my voicing my newbie illustration woes.
~ honesty honesty honesty.
~ stretching (physically & mentally & drawing wise).
~ acknowledging my artistic growing pains!
~ planning with my studio mates for open studios in but ONE week!!!
~ seeing Jessie (all the way from New Mex) & Kaden for Vietnamese tonight.
~ making Thursday night Laundry/domestic night for me & H.
~ a tidy house for a whole week!
~ planning... dreaming... of a trip camping, a trip to LA and the hopes of meeting Swirly Girl and maybe Ms. Gwyeneth P., Thanksgiving in New Mex and NYC for my B-day (the big 3-0)!? And 2 weeks at home in Maine. a little much, I know on a waitress & student & artist budget, but a girl can dream.
~ refraining from eating chocolate chip cookies at work. not even one, even though they are so tempting and right in front of my face calling to me all live long day.
~ laughing & spooning too...

grateful photobooth friday

as promised, here are the photobooth pics from our 4th anniversary, note the helmet. check out hula70's adorable making-out one!

grateful:
~waking up early today, before hugh (he's the early bird)
~treating myself to a sesame bagel with lots of cream cheese
~going away this weekend with a group of friends (the hot tub awaits!)
~meeting with my art school friends last night about starting a collective
~lunch and errands yesterday with kerrie and hearing her strong story of healing herself
~supportive professors
~mini-shoulder rubs