Art Appreciation...

It was fitting that the "original" Miss Sarah...our resident artist...would come back to babysit for us last night.  Ed and I were invited to a fancy event at an art gallery by our good friends, Geoff and Elayne.  More on that later!

The boys were so happy to see Sarah.  She is home until October - and then she'll be leaving for a very long mission to Turkey for FIVE years!!  We're hoping to spend as much time as we can with her over the summer.  It was like she never left - the boys just jumped right in to play with her!  Brian has been calling her Miss "Other" Sarah.

The event was "cocktail attire" which thrilled me to no end.  I love a reason to get all dressed up - it happens so very rarely anymore!  It took a long time for a very nice woman at the Nordstrom makeup counter to help me cover my facial bruising (I'm still recovering from the oral surgery and have a huge bruise on my jaw!) - and I ended up having WAY too much makeup on (and hairspray for that matter) than I intended - but I didn't care.  I was in a fun dress and, to prove it, Brian and I had a spinning party before we left...

Ed and I even posed in the backyard - feeling quite "prom like."  

Sarah hasn't stayed with the boys for over a year - so if you're wondering if I was a little worried that it wouldn't go well...

...uh, that would be a no.  They are just as much in love with her than they ever were.

And the report when we got home was that they had a TON of fun.

Meanwhile, we met up with our friends, the Schmidts, who were kind enough to invite us to this event at The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.

Geoff and Elayne are our friends that we gave our dog, Lucy, to when we learned that Gavin was allergic.  Lucy is still SO happy in her new home.  We definitely picked the right puppy parents!

We were given a special tour around the gallery.  Even though we are not huge art aficionados, both Ed and I felt it wasn't even enough time!  The history of Dr. Albert Barnes - the owner of all the art and the founder of the Foundation - was fascinating to us.  He has a unique viewpoint - choosing to hang his art collection in unexpected (and often controversial) ways.  For example, his thinking was that a bowl made by a local potter was just as beautiful and deserved the same distinction as a Matisse or a Van Gogh.  I connected with this.  There was something 'unpretentious' and welcoming about this philosophy.  And knowing that they bring students from local grade schools and high schools through this gallery to learn about the arts - it resonated even more for me.  What a lovely way to learn that not one of us is ever 'better' than another.  Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder.  There are so may ways to determine "worth" in something...or someone.

This is what  a typical room looked like in the gallery.  Some rooms were more "busy" than others with metal work, furniture, pottery - and in some rooms even jewelry - hung among the most famous paintings in the world.  And if you looked long enough, you could see the connection between the chosen metal work - the chosen side art - the furniture below - it was all connected by a theme.

And just like life - everyone likely walked away with a different message...a different interpretation...and their own opinion.

Ed fell in love with Renoir's works.  He appreciated the colors and the softness.  He especially loved his portraits of children and how their faces just popped right off the canvas.

I discovered an artist I never knew - Amedeo Modigliani.  I loved his non-traditional portrait style.  I was drawn to his pained life story and his struggles with addiction.  His portraits moved me.

I'm not sure if I was technically "allowed" to take photos in the gallery - see what I do for you?  *wink*

We had such a great night out.  Today I woke up totally energized and decided to clean the house - like, REALLY clean the house.  I'm pretty sure I won't be able to move tomorrow.  Oh, and if you want to see this house clean - schedule a visit immediately.  It won't last long.

As I mentioned earlier, Miss Sarah will be leaving for a five year mission to Turkey in October.  As you may know, missions are paid for by the individuals and through donations.  I came up with an idea to help Sarah on her way!

Sarah is an incredible photographer.  Just look at these two photos I stole from her from her last mission trips.

India -

and Uganda.

She's taken exceptional photos of our family (our Christmas card twice!) and the boys and I can vouch for her talent - and sweetness!

If you live locally and would be interested in a family portrait - an individual portrait - a maternity session - pictures of your kids - your house - your dog - your car - whatever!!  (Kidding.  Only humans, please.) Please consider helping Sarah as she raises money to live out her dream.  I asked her to provide me with details of how she'd set up the sessions and what she'd charge (next to nothing, if you ask me!)...so I am listing her response below.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!!  Or you can contact Sarah directly at SRacine86@gmail.com

Family/Regular Sessions 2-5 hours $300.00

Senior Portraits 1 hour $100.00

Pregnancy Portraits 2 hours 200.00

I want to hear from the families or individual on how we can

creatively develop the story they want their images to tell.

Once their session is booked, I'll provide plenty of information on

how to prepare, what to wear, etc. We'll set up the session date,

time, and location together.

They will receive digital negatives on CD and then can do with the

photos what they would like.