To The Moon

"Mama, when will we get to go up there, to the moon?"

-Imogen, looking up at the night sky recently

Leaving Her Mark

"AI" (or "IA") is Imogen's mark.
It stands for Amy|Imogen.

Featured Artist

Imogen is a featured artist at her pre-school.

Pink Princess

Buildings

Barbie & Barack Obama

The other day, Imogen was talking about Barbie and I was talking about Barack Obama. I first suggested it it would be fun to be one of Barack Obama's daughters or his wife, then I caught myself and said, "I'd just like to be Barack Obama," to which Imogen responded:

"You wish you were a girl and Barack Obama and I wish I was Barbie."

Then:

"We couldn't live together if you were Barack Obama and I was Barbie."

Really Important

"Mama, I don't have to be really important 'cuz I'm just a kid and I don't know anything."

-Imogen, responding to me talking about a social issue she's dealing with at pre-school

The Right Thing

English designer Luella Bartley on ending her “Luella” fashion line:

“‘It’s a difficult thing, being a woman, trying to have a successful business, be creative and do the best by your family. I sold it to myself that I could do it all,’ she told the Times [London]. ‘You can, but not the way my business was set up. It was set up for the old me. Maybe I was moving away from that life without realising it.’

With that in mind, Bartley has since been staying full time in the Cornwall cottage that she shares with boyfriend David Sims and their three children. But despite it being 11 months on, the Luella girl hasn't disappeared she said. ‘My lifestyle changed, but she stayed, which is nice.’

‘To anybody urban and creative, it obviously sounds like a drop-out situation,’ she said. ‘Letting go has been the biggest lesson. I used to think that if someone wasn’t successful, it was because they were crap, but now I realise that if people aren’t successful, it’s probably because they aren’t that bothered…You think that everyone’s going to forget who you are. But I had a chat with Phoebe [Philo, the creative director of Céline], who I admire so much. She took three years out and made sure her kids were secure. Then, when she was ready, she got the deal she wanted. You’ve just got to know what you want. I know I’ve done the right thing. I don’t mourn anything. I loved what it was, but I’m happy to be out.’”

Mdudu, Naomi, Luella Embraces Life After The [Close] Of Her Brand. The Fash Pack. October 12, 2010, from http://thefashpack.onsugar.com/Luella-Embraces-Life-After-Clouse-Her-Brand-11433700

Image from The Fash Pack via Bryan Boy

High Cost of Child Care

"The average cost for center-based care for a four-year-old in Washington state is more than the average cost of tuition at a public university."

MomsRising.org, citing "Parents and the High Cost of Child Care 2010 Update," pg 41, National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies

Original House

Front Cover, Select Pages, Back Cover

Light Bulb Moment

“…Jefferson County and Port Townsend lead the state, per capita, in solar energy projects. Jefferson County had 87 certified projects as of Sept. 1, 2010 – or one project for every 337 residents. The number includes 67 projects in Port Townsend, one for every 134 residents.

San Juan County ranked second among counties at one project for every 434 residents, followed by Klickitat County at one per 466 residents, Clallam County at one per 922 and Island County at one per 1,287.

King County had the greatest number of projects at 479 – or one project for every 4,036 residents.

…Other cities with at least 30 projects include Bellingham at 62, Sequim at 47, Olympia at 45, Redmond at 40, Spokane at 39, and Anacortes at 33.”

From:

(2010, September 30). Port Townsend and Jefferson County are state leaders in solar projects. The Port Townsend Leader.

Retrieved October 6, 2010, from ptleader.com: http://ptleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=27831&SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&S=1.