artwork by Laura Brown

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I cannot wait to introduce you to Laura Brown’s artwork today. It’s the kind of artwork that gives you all the feels. It’s overflowing with heart. She makes beautiful quilts from salvaged materials, as well as tender prints featuring evocative phrases that somehow feel like a hug. She also has a passion for community-oriented projects, especially in Minneapolis, the city she calls home.

I always look forward to seeing what she’s up to in her newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.

I’m so glad I found her on the internet—and that she had some Things Worth Sharing. I’ll let her take it away.

artwork by Laura Brown

This might sound like a downer, but I hope instead it feels more like a permission slip: quit that thing! I have been taking breaks from things, quitting, saying no left and right lately, and I have to say, it feels pretty good. Scrolling through my Libby timeline, I see more abandoned books this year than ever before, and while I miss some friends I have made on Instagram, my brain feels more free and my own after I deleted it off my phone over a year ago.

I started keeping a notes app list of things I have said “no” to this year. I have trouble saying no to things because I like to have fun, and so many things sound like fun! Or they are opportunities to make a little money, but often leave me wondering, “was that worth it?” (see: dogsitting). Once I say no to something, it leaves my brain entirely, and I fill my schedule up with other things and I realized I wanted to be able to feel the benefit of saying no. So I started keeping a list, which I also use as a reference for things I have forgotten I didn’t enjoy the last time (see: dogsitting). This has empowered me to continue to say no and also reminds me of the things I don’t regret having passed on recently!

artwork by Laura Brown

Something I would like everyone to practice saying YES to is: receiving help. I don’t know a single person in my life (mostly my friends, who are almost all women) who doesn’t say, “I have a hard time asking for help” as if they are the only ones who struggle with this. But I am an artist, and there have been plenty of times in my life when I have had to rely on help from others–sometimes for really basic things, like eating. I still need help from time to time, but I have practice in asking, so I don’t have as big of a mental barrier or discomfort around asking as I used to. I also have friends who need help and I am delighted to help them! I think giving and receiving help is a big part of being in a community. Helping makes us feel good, and asking for help when we need it can provide the ease we may need during a hard moment. Let people help you!

artwork by Laura Brown

Haley, you talked about making button pins in your last newsletter and if there is anything I have learned from running community engagement for an arts organization, it’s that PEOPLE LOVE MAKING BUTTONS. I facilitated art making activities at a weekend art festival earlier this summer and they paid me enough to buy my own button maker and I’m so excited to have it for future art-making events.

I’m a big fan of American Button Machines because of their high quality of button makers and customer service. Their tutorial videos are also a bit silly.

CSA’s are not a new idea, but I highly endorse joining one. I have belonged to a couple of different CSA’s this summer and last, and neither of them were the situation where I got a box of too much produce I didn’t know what to do with. The one I belong to this year includes meat and eggs, and I kind of regret not also getting the bread add-on. I pick it up from the farmers themselves, right up the street from where I live. They take payments in installments, which makes it really accessible, and it feels like the right amount of food in each pickup. In this age where it feels like every system is failing us, I am glad to have my money go directly to the people who grow the food.

Write Around Portland is an organization in Portland, OR that brings writing classes to underserved folks in the places where they live or receive services–places like prisons, retirement homes, and treatment centers. They are currently taking donations for unused journals, so if you have a habit of buying blank books and then not using them, this could be the perfect place for you to send those unused books: Donate blank journals to Write Around Portland.

Books I have enjoyed/am enjoying/will enjoy again when my Libby hold ends again (Bookshop.org links are affiliates)

The Lost Flock by Jane Cooper. This is a book about raising a rare breed of feral, ancient sheep in the Orkney Islands. The author reads this, and it’s clear she’s doing it from her living room, which makes it even more delightful. You can hear the page turns and little idiosyncrasies. She also gave an interview to The Long Thread podcast, which I downloaded but haven’t listened to.

Our Moon by Rebecca Boyle. This is one where I ended up buying the paper book so I could follow along to her reading. This is a fascinating history of the moon and our relationship to it as humans (and more!).

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Gah! Isn’t she great?! Thanks so much for contributing Laura! I loved what you had to share. If you want to hear more from Laura Brown, go check out her newsletter.

And thank you all for being here! You are a gift!

-Haley

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Oh hey, look at this! The South Street District highlighted me and my banner! It’s been really exciting to see this project come to life. I wanted to make something fun that celebrates people letting loose and dancing together, and the fact that if you head to South Street you never know what you’ll see like a pigeon stealing a slice of pizza! I’ll keep you posted on where they end up hanging my art. I can’t wait!

Now onto some more Things Worth Sharing!

• My other Summer art project has been collaborating with my friend Sarah on her music launch. I made some EP and T-shirt art inspired by some really beautiful songs that she wrote. She has a spectacular launch plan that includes music, art and AERIALISTS! You can read more about it in her newsletter. I’ll share some more as the event approaches on 9/11 and 9/12.

• Elliott’s been making some art of his own. He went to glass camp at East Falls Glassworks and made some real treasures. I was so proud of him!

  

• My friend Mary raved about this installation, Sky Space by James Terrell, at the Chestnut Hill Meeting House. Adding it to my art bucket list.

• Love Love Love Leah Duncan’s new fabric line.

• And HOLY SMOKES how beautiful is Louise Lockhart’s new wallpaper collection?!

• I love everything the sisters behind the Far Woods comes out with including this lil booklet about how to make a bird stuffy.

• Looking forward to seeing the Mary Oliver documentary coming out on PBS August 25.

• Also adding this Fairfield Porter show to my want to see list in NYC.

• Cutie lil customizable notebooks.

• I finished reading Mad Mabel and Wild Dark Shore.

• Adding Heather, a murder mystery set in the Pine Barrens in NJ, to my TBR list.

• The Nancy Meyer’s set designer talks about how to make a cozy home. (via Emily Henderson)

• How to do anything.

• I want to eat all of these.

• I might need to order this window film.

• The most beautiful stickers.

Ok! That’s all. Happy Friday! Thanks for being here!

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Happy August friends. I’ve only been swimming in the ocean once this Summer. I want to at least double that number before Labor Day. I hope you’re finding some joy in these sweaty summer days! Now here are a few Things Worth Sharing.

• Elliott used to complain about how cold the ocean was when we went to the beach, so I took a page from Gretchen Rubin and got him this wetsuit. He feels and looks super cool in it, I don’t have to worry about sunscreen or jellyfish, he doesn’t complain about the water temp and we are all so much happier because of it. Also, when he wears these goggles with the wetsuit he looks straight out of Tron.

• We had the chance to visit Cape May with some friends and I convinced everyone to go on The Cape May Ghost tour that I heard Tina Fey rave about. It was a fun way to see all the INCREDIBLE houses in town and hear a bit of history. The stories weren’t scary, just your run of the mill “someone got tuberculosis and died here, sometimes the lights flicker”. The victorian houses really stole the show.

• Speaking of spooky beach things, the Haunted House that I grew up with at Funland in Rehoboth Beach is getting a renovation. My cousin Mary told me about it and insisted we go on it one more time when we came down to visit and we did! It was wild to experience it as an adult, and it made me so happy to hear they are using the original designers to update the ride. This video about it even made me teary! lol. They care so much about the nostalgia folks have!

• My favorite thing I’ve seen on the internet this week. Grandma discovers Venmo.

• This speaks to me.

• I might need to make this giant couch sardine since we live in Fishtown.

• This Artistic License is for that person in your life that’s an artist but won’t call themselves an artist. (via Hallie Bateman)

• I’m new to the Apple Watch club. Is this the cutest watch band?

• I lost my mind over this fish stair runner. There are so many good options on Etsy.

• We had our block party this past Saturday and I wish I had this Hot Dog camo hat for the occasion.

• Eating chickpea salad with our hotdogs with our backyard tomatoes and cucumbers!

• Who’s going to see Horsegirls with me?

• Ronni Nicole is the OG plaster flower caster in my mind, but this book makes me want to try my hand at it myself.

• Akatsukamasami is an artist I love.

• Our library had a pin making workshop and me and Elliott went bananas. It was too much fun. I might have to get us one of these.

Ok! That’s all. Happy Friday! Thanks for being here!

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Here are a bunch of things worth sharing this week! I hope you’re enjoying the Summer as it flies by!

Carson Ellis has a show going up at the Society of Illustrators, and I’m adding it to our Fall NYC itinerary. She’ll be at the opening and I am so tempted to go, can you imagine the crew of illustrators that’s going to be there?! Gah!

I love to see what Tara and Percy of Jersey Ice Cream Co are up to.

And here’s a great article about artist Paul Carpenter and this great Phillies mural he created.

I can’t stop thinking about this article about how this family uses AI chatbots. It’s so strange. (via Cup of Jo)

This funny snake trivet caught my eye and this banana vase makes me giggle.

Things Tony Hawk can’t live without.

I was catching up on Abbott Elementary and cackled at this exchange that references the Merlin app.

Artist I love: Enikő Eged

This lady cancelled her streaming services for the Summer.

I didn’t know one of my favorite instagram crafters had a book.

I also may treat myself to this quilting book.

This painting class looks really enticing.

I’m curious what sorts of things you buy as souvenirs on vacation.

Going down a Kaffe Fassett rabbit hole. Look at this knit pot sweater! Their quilt books are chef’s kiss!

That’s all. Thanks for being here.

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After I mentioned Crafting with Cat Hair in last week’s newsletter my friend Betsy immediately texted letting me know that the crafting YouTuber her girls enjoy has a segment on the book! We were inspired to make these weirdos after watching it. I feel like the YouTube crafter definitely skipped some crafting steps because the fur didn’t really stick together all that well, so I ended up doing some needle felting to squish everything together. Overall they were very fun to make and yes we used our cat Igby’s fur. We giggled so much after making them.

Here are some more things worth sharing this week.

• I enjoyed Helen’s list of 25 ways to fill up your Summer sketchbook, though I have not touched my sketchbook in a month.

• I really enjoyed reading this newsletter from a children’s librarian on what children want to read.

• Delighted in these kneadable eraser stamps.

• Can’t wait to show Elliott these glass candy sculptures.

• I would like an artist’s shack in the Poconos.

• Obsessed with this $2.50 stain remover. I just wet the stain, rub the bar on it and then scrub with a soft bristle brush before throwing the item in the laundry.

• I’m feeling like I need a cute hat for my walks.

• I would like to eat a no bake biscoff icebox cake. Or maybe Atlantic Beach Pie?

• Let’s all set up “Dumb Mode” on our phones.

• I live in Philly, so I’m supposed to like David Lynch. I do like David Lynch, but his work is supposed to make you uncomfortable and being uncomfortable is not my favorite. So I was very curious that David Lynch made a G rated movie about a man riding a lawn mower across the country to make peace with his estranged brother and it’s streaming on Disney+. It’s called The Straight Story andI’m adding it to my watchlist. (via NY Times)

• Also we finally watched Sheep Detective because it’s streaming on Prime. It was enjoyed by the whole fam.

• I’ve been getting a watermelon every week and they have been soooo good this year. This is sort of how I cut them. I have a whole setup with a sheet pan to catch the juices, a cutting board and 2 bowls, one for the rind and one for the watermelon cubes. It’s a whole thing, but totally worth it. Curious how you do it.

• I finished the audiobook Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. It’s a twisty mystery about a family obsessed with tennis, a mysterious visitor appears and the mother disappears. The narrator’s Australian accent is also lovely to listen to.

• This stationery set is so cute if your kid is headed off to camp. (via Yoguna Park)

• I also went to the Millenial Dentist last week that I mentioned in a different newsletter. It was inside a WeWork, and going to the dentist in a coworking space was not what I was expecting. It was nice though because the WeWork space is beautiful and there’s free coffee and tea while you wait. Most of the visit felt like a standard dental visit, but they did take a 3d scan of my teeth to send me a custom whitening kit. Overall it was a good experience, the folks were nice and I paid less for the whole year of dental care and whitening than I would have for a single visit to my other dentist.

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That’s all. Thanks for being here.

My Shops: haleyharmon.printify.me | phillycornerstore.bigcartel.com

I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

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Portfolio: haleyharmon.com

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I finished my quilt project for my friend Carolyn’s baby right before school let out. I think it’s my favorite thing that I’ve ever made in my whole life. I shared a bunch of inspiration pictures in this post, and now that I have gifted it I’m able to share it with you.

Here it is! A log cabin quilt with an improv back in the sweetest pinks and greens.

I can’t wait to meet your baby Carolyn!!! What a joy to make this for her!

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I knew I had to get the quilt done before school let out because the first week of Summer always feels a bit like whiplash. I have no idea what we did besides a day trip to NYC and Elliott losing a molar at Skyzone. lol.

For our NYC trip we drove up to Staten Island and took the ferry into Manhattan. We headed straight to Kinokuniya so Elliott could get some manga and I could peruse Japanese craft books. We had lunch in Bryant Park and then walked up through Central Park to the American Museum of Natural History. I have a goal to get my family to NYC once in the spring and once in the fall for day trips. We live so close and it would be really sad to not take advantage of it.

Next we spent a week in Alabama visiting Jason’s family. I talked my mother in law into letting me join her Zumba water aerobics class at the YMCA and it was everything I hoped it would be. We danced in the water while Jason, Elliott and his dad played basketball in the gym. I complimented one nice lady on her nail polish and she told me it was Cajun Shrimp from OPI. It’s the perfect peachy red with the best name for summer. They also introduced us to the card game Phase 10, which we ended up playing many many rounds of. We had great meals at Full Moon BBQ and Waffle House. We watched the Spiderman movies. My niece and sister in law always take me to the indoor flea market Irondale Pickers and I was so sad I could not fit these giant snickers bars in my suitcase. They were 2.5 feet tall of molded plastic perfection and only $30! Where I would hang them, I do not know.

The kids lit sparklers and caught fireflies. They also made elephant toothpaste.

Jason worked hard to get his 10,000 steps in every day. I read half of Theo of Golden. We saw this Crafting with Cat Hair book at the Barnes and Noble and resisted buying it. Fortunately the Philly library has 3 copies in circulation which tracks with everything I know about Philly’s crafty cat lady community (of which I am a part) lol.

Now we are home and getting back into some sort of a routine, Elliott’s sick with a sore throat and we are guinea pig sitting for our friends.

I’m tired friends. How is July 4th weekend already here?!

Thanks for listening to my whirlwind recap.

Thank you for being here!!

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There was a hard day last week where we all went to bed sad. Nothing crazy happened, just sometimes things are hard and sometimes there are problems you can’t fix for your kid. So with nothing left for us to do we all hit the hay frustrated.

I woke up at 4am with spiraling brain. Thoughts were just swirling around and trying to solve all the problems. I couldn’t get back to sleep and ended up with a prayer of desperation, “God please surround Elliott with your angels.” This prayer of last resort is one that was imparted to me by my Mom. I can hear her in my head saying “PLEASE surround Haley with your angels” when she was at a loss for what to do with me, which was often. lol.

As I finally started drifting to sleep I hear little Elliott’s voice call out about something he could hear in our back yard. So we all got up and looked outside to see three raccoons climbing all over our backyard. We sat there for an hour in the middle of the night and delighted in their masked faces lying around and then chasing each other. It was the weird gift we all needed and my favorite kind of answered prayer, immediate and ridiculous.

I guess sometimes angels are disguised as raccoons.

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Things Worth Sharing

• I’m still reading A Gentleman in Moscow. I had a hard time getting into it, but now I don’t want it to end. It’s about a Count who is sentenced to live his life in a hotel after the Bolsheviks take over Russia. It’s about a whole life lived within very small physical quarters, but his life still feels very large. I also just saw that there is a TV series based on the book.

• We’ve been eating so many beans around here, so I kind of feel like I need this bean embroidery kit.

• Jason and I have been obsessed with getting 10,000 steps a day and it made me remember this hilarious article by David Sedaris about getting his Fitbit.

• Obsessed with this sailor’s valentine made from garbage. My art teacher in high school used to compete in sailor’s valentine art competitions.

• The best interview on making art from Austin Kleon on 10,000 hours outside.

• My friend Donna told me that this show in DC is great. Adding it to my I want to do list.

• My aunt made us these oven roasted ribs and they were soooo gooood.

• I’ve posted this before, but I brought this Morning Glory cake to brunch with friends, and everyone enjoyed it. It never disappoints.

• This swan bag made me laugh.

• The Sleeper-McCann House is an icon of American design. (via Elsie)

• Is this the cutest sewing pattern?

• I got this longboard for our family. We’ve been riding on the bike path under I95 in the evenings.

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That’s all. Thanks for being here. It means the world to me! Heart this post if you made it to the end!

My Shops: haleyharmon.printify.me | phillycornerstore.bigcartel.com

I wrote a book!

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I’m deep in a quilting project, but I can’t share it with you because it’s a secret. Instead I thought I would share some quilt inspiration from a book I picked up this past weekend on a trip to visit my Aunt Barb in Virginia. Whenever we visit her we make it a point to go to this fabulous used book store near her house. It always delivers some real treasures. This book I happened upon is called Crib Quilts and Other Small Wonders and it was published in 1988. It’s quickly become my favorite new inspiration book. The selection of quilts is varied and each one is a masterpiece.

Here are some of my favorites.

First take a look at these Amish quilts! I love that the Amish quilts are solid, no prints, it makes me think of the simple clothes they wear and how they could be repurposed into a quilt after they wear out, or made from remnants after their garments were sewn.

Clockwise starting from the top left there is “Baskets” 1910 Ohio, “Streak O’Lightning” early 20th century Ohio, “Grandmother’s Dream” 1890-1910 Lancaster County PA, and “One Patch Variation” early twentieth century Ohio.

And Lordy, look at this wonky lettering. Gah it steals my heart.

“Louisa” 1851 New York State

Here are some more Amish treasures.

Left: Log Cabin- Straight Furrows 1925 Ohio

Right: Log Cabin Light and Dark variation 1925 Ohio Amish

Cross Variation 1875 Pennsylvania. This one stated that there are two possible slip-ups, one of which may have been the “Devil’s Eye”, a deliberate flaw to show humility. Can you spot them?

These simple graphic stripes feel way more modern and fun than their 1895 date of creation.

And this rainbow from early twentieth century PA is just delightful. The book states, “this was probably made by the young daughter of a Mennonite quilt maker attempting to imitate on a small scale the stately beauty of a full-size Joseph’s Coat.”

Left: Simple but effective repeating triangles 1880

Right: Star of Bethlehem 1880 Pennsylvania with appliquéd tulips and vines.

This quilt pattern is called Philadelphia Pavement, and the name alone makes me want to make one for myself. 1930 Iowa Amish

And this final Log Cabin quilt is what I’m drawing on most for inspiration for my project. I’ll show you when it is finished!

Now onto a few more things worth sharing:

• When we go to visit my aunt Barb she always has endless homemade iced tea for us and chopped veggies with ranch dip and cheese and crackers. It’s the best.

• If you want more quilt content Maura Ambrose of Folk Fibers has a great Substack.

• Definitely adding this to my watch queue. I also mentioned this in another newsletter but it’s worth mentioning again.

• Zak Foster has the such a chill voice and his Seamside quilting podcast is great.

• If you want to go down a beautiful rabbit hole, look up crib quilt books on the internet archive.

• I just finished reading James. I had put off reading it because I knew it was going to make me sad. It’s the reimagined tale of Huckleberry Finn from the slave Jim’s perspective. It was sad, but it was also very good. More than anything it made me think of how we will never have a great understanding of the experience of slavery because it was illegal for enslaved people to read and write. They were robbed of a voice! So few primary narratives written by enslaved people are recorded. It made me want to read some of the stories that by some miracle ended up published.

• I’m currently reading A Gentleman in Moscow and now Jason and I are both listening to Russian history podcasts trying to get a better understanding of the time it takes place.

• I made a salad bowl planter and it’s making me super happy. I just filled this wide low planter that my aunt Cathy gave me years ago with potting soil and then added a packet of mixed lettuce seeds. It’s great if you want to do some low effort gardening.

  

• The storks are getting big!

• The internet has told me several times to create routines this Summer over a bucket list. Like pick a few things from your neighborhood and do them weekly like the pool, the library, a movie night etc over bigger adventures. What do you think? Are you team simple happy routine or team novelty bucket list? I personally think you need a little bit of both, but I’m curious what Elliott has to say.

• I signed up for a hip dentist. It’s a startup that feels like it wants to disrupt the dental industry or something. lol. I definitely fell for it, mostly because we don’t have dental insurance. You pay a flat fee for the year, and then you get unlimited cleanings, x-rays and whitening. They don’t do major dental work, it’s really just for maintenance. It’s called Wally. Do you know anyone that has tried it? I got $100 off during their Memorial Day sale so it ended up being $150 for the whole year which is nearly what it costs me for one regular dental visit. I’ll keep you posted on my experience. *not an ad

Ok! I think that’s all. Thanks for being here! Heart this if you made it to the end.

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I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

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I hurt my back over a week ago. I was hauling dirt around the yard and pulled a muscle making it hard to stand up and sit down. I have been on a steady diet of NSAIDS and am finally feeling better. I don’t know how people who deal with chronic pain make it through their day! Pain affects everything! I’m so thankful that I’m feeling some relief.

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Here are this week’s things worth sharing:

1. I’m still enjoying watching the baby storks grow up. They’re getting so big!

   

2. I made a smoothie containing a cup of black beans for breakfast and I didn’t hate it. I even made it a second time. I thought it was weird until I remembered my favorite Korean mom drinks a bean smoothie every day for breakfast. It made me want to go to the new H-mart in Cherry Hill and get some black soybeans. Here’s the recipe I used.

   

3. Speaking of Korea, one of my BFFs flew to Seoul this week and I am very invested in every aspect of her trip! Thinking of you Charis!

4. Love the idea of having any sort of retreat at home.

5. While my back was healing all I wanted to do was watch Alone. Is watching other people be uncomfortable a comfort watch for anyone else?

6. The pattern on this dress is just so good.

7. And look at this sweet dress that Helen made.

8. I think Elliott would love this game. (Via Brian & Em)

9. I printed Tiny Dad’s cleaning routine with a little hope but low expectations.

10. I bought a cheap pedometer watch and have been enjoying it. I know my phone does the same thing, but there’s something about the reminder on my wrist that keeps me motivated to get my steps in.

11. I’m not usually a gadget person, but this lil guy really gets the cat hair off our sofa.

12. There’s a new bakery along our walk to the library. We stopped and got a baguette and made some sandwiches when we got home that made us feel very fancy.

13. We picked up a new to us mountain bike on craigslist for Elliott and I really want to take him to the Philly Pump Track.

14. A couple folks posted pics of their t-shirts and they made my day! Also Schwartz posted a pic of his bird wall featuring some Haley art, but I forgot to snag a pic! Thanks Michael!

    

Alright, I love you all so much. Thank you for being here! If you are getting to be middle aged please take care of your back.

xoxo,

Haley

My Shops: haleyharmon.printify.me | phillycornerstore.bigcartel.com

I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

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I had never heard of Chanticleer Garden before my friends Lydia and Anna invited me to meetup there. I wasn’t expecting anything more than a good hang. What I got instead was 31 acres of the most beautiful gardens I had ever seen.

There were paths meandering through the woods where we would stop every few feet and exclaim, “LOOK AT THAT!” There were ponds and and enormous gazebo covered in the sweetest smelling wisteria. It was like being bathed in beauty, just wandering around absorbing all the colors. It was incredible. I really think that if Longwood Gardens wasn’t so close by it would have a much larger reputation.

The gardens were created by the Rosengarten family as their city escape in 1912. It’s located in Wayne, PA. In 1993 it was opened to the public with instructions stating that the gardens should evolve. It is tended by 8 head gardeners who get to decide what to do in their assigned section of the garden. It is amazing to see their creativity, passion and hard work on display. It is a treasure!

Monty Don did a tour of Chanticleer for his special on American Gardens if you would like to see more.

Admission is $15 and my only tip is to reserve parking when you buy your tickets.

Here are some photos from our adventure:

Here’s Anna saying “Look at that!” and Lydia being a great friend and wearing her sunshine sweatshirt.

Now I’m craving more beauty bathing! Where should I go next? What else have I been missing out on? lol.

Thanks for being here!

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daffodil illustration by me

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Happy first day of May. May and September are solidly my favorite months. The weather is just ::chef’s kiss::. I’m looking forward to gardening and Mother’s day, open windows and Elliott running around outside with the kids from the block.

I’ve been doing my own version of Spring cleaning, it’s slow and by no means a total overhaul, just little projects. I spent yesterday unloading some digital files to dropbox that were slowing down my pattern making. This way I don’t get a “YOU’RE ALMOST OUT OF STORAGE” alert every time I sit down to draw. I’m also trying to come up with a better system of keeping track of all the things I’m making, like you know, naming files instead of all my illustrations in procreate being called “untitled”. I am clearly not a type A person.

I cleaned out my closet and while I didn’t get rid of a bunch of stuff or make a capsule wardrobe, I did keep only the “hell yes” items in my dresser and closet and filed the others away in a bin in the basement to see if I miss them.

I cannot wait to plant my wall pockets, they make me so happy every year. This is a Spring project I really look forward to. Here’s what they looked like last year.

I want to get some adventures on the calendar to enjoy this month! I’ll keep you posted!

Things Worth Sharing:

• Folks said I buried the lead last week, so if you missed it, my illustration is going to be on a banner on South Street in June!

• A Mother’s day PSA: If you don’t know what to get the mother of your children for mother’s day, might I suggest vacuuming her car out for her. I don’t know any Mom that wouldn’t love someone to clean out her car for her. Honestly, maybe take the kids to the car wash, so she has a free morning, and then come home with her clean car and favorite takeout. You will win mother’s day.

• Loved these tips about taking photos of Moms.

• Don’t make fun of me, but I want to see Sheep Detective with my family.

• Who wants to be on my blacktop group chat?

  

• I went with some of my besties to Platt’s Farm market in Jersey last weekend and bought a bunch of treasures for my garden. They’re cheaper than Lowes, the quality is better and the people running the place are super kind. And they have long horned cows and sheep and ponies.

• Every year I get the Square foot garden book out from the library, and then I just end up scattering seeds like a wild animal.

• One other hot tip, Lowes has fresh markdowns on plants on Thursday mornings. I pass by one after taking Elliott to school, so I like to swing by and see what treasures they have discounted for my garden in the Spring.

• I made this feta salad dressing this week and it was too good.

• I dig Viv’s style.

• I love these appliqué wall hangings from Tessa Layzelle. The sun reminds me of the t-shirt I made and wear every other day!

• Look at these Enzo Mari geese.

• I somehow ended up on this live stork feed. The first time I checked it was nesting, and the second it was preening itself and you could see the babies! Then this morning I got to watch them feed the babies!!!!!!!!

  

• I put this book on hold at the library inspired by Austin

• Yale’s most popular class, the Science of Wellbeing is available for free online. (via Courtney Carver)

• Barbel Dressler is running a free trailing floral pattern workshop starting May 7th. She is a great teacher.

I think that’s all. What are you up to or thinking about or enjoying. I’d love to hear in the comments, or reply to this e-mail.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!!!

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Here are a few things worth sharing for your weekend:

• I’m reading Call the Midwife. I watched the PBS series when it first came out, but stopped watching once Jenny left. I had forgotten that it was based on a book until I came across a copy at the thrift store. It’s a memoire of a midwife in the tenements of 1950’s London and it is wild and beautiful and important. I’m also happy to learn it’s a trilogy.

• Looking forward to the the Incredibly Bright Creatures movie coming out May 8th on Netflix. The book is such a sweet read. We cancelled our Netflix, so TBD on when I’ll get to watch it. Maybe I can convince one of my friends to have a movie night.

• One of my favorite pattern design companies Matchy-Matchy just made a bunch of their patterns available for free to download. They are all really really good. The premise of their company is designing patterns that utilize smaller scraps to make use of some of your fabric waste.

• I love illustrator Sophie Blackall, so I really delighted in seeing her favorite picture books on Cup of Jo.

• I saw someone mention this site as a great place to get free heirloom seeds. I have not tried it, but I am curious!

• My cousin’s daughter sent me a letter in the mail, and I highly recommend finding a tiny pen pal that draws you pictures. It’s the best mail club I could ever dream up. Now it’s my turn to write her a sweet letter back!

  

  

• I designed three spring patterns last week, based on the technique I learned in this Skillshare class. I looooove how they turned out. You can buy curtains, wallpaper, duvets, fabric and a boatload of other products in my spoonflower shop. 15% off with code SPOON15

Dandelions

Spot the Four Leaf Clover

Pansies

• And finally, my artwork was selected for the banner project on Broad Street! Hooray. I’ll keep you posted on when it gets displayed.

Happy weekend folks. Thanks for being here!

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E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

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Mr. Coke by Howard Finster

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1. If you’re looking for a low stakes mystery podcast with a hint of conspiracy theory then Who Blew Up the Guidestones is a fun listen. They also have a little mini episode where they go and tour folk artist Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens which is on my bucket list of places to visit.

2. My friend Donna invited me to a talk with Kensington artist Roberto Lugo last week and it was so uplifting to listen to his story and how access to the arts matters. Some of his former teachers were in the audience and there was not a dry eye when he acknowledged the impact they had on his life. Here’s a little Sunday Morning feature of him from 4 years ago. Thanks for the invite Donna!

3. Some tiny friends made me cute notes recently. The first is from cousin Kate’s daughter Pepper. They came to Philly to visit us and it was such a delight.

   

   And the tiniest bouquet from our best friend neighbor Martha on Easter.

   

4. I made this cute patchwork pillow. I struggled with the zipper, but I will do better next time. Practice, practice, practice.

   

5. Still no word on the banners, but in the mean time I’ve been working on my spoonflower shop and getting back to pattern making. It’s been nice to have a place to upload my ideas. I got stuck a while back after I created a licensing portfolio, but couldn’t gain any traction in selling them. It made me stop making patterns because it felt like a waste of time. Now I can make them and send them out into the world which is motivating me to make more. Here’s one of my favorite patterns. I think I might put some on reusable bags too. Wouldn’t that be fun? You can use this coupon code for 15% off if something strikes your fancy: SPOON15

   

6. I took another Di Udji class on Skillshare and really enjoyed it. Here’s my pattern:

   

7. I got this cookbook from the library and I want to make everything in it.

8. Cecilia Pettersson is one of my current favorite surface pattern designers.

9. I would like all the block printed floral dresses from etsy.

10. Big thanks to folks who bought posters last week! It really means so much to me!

    Thanks for being here!

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    I wrote a book!

    E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

    Instagram: haleyharmondraws

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Here’s my joy offering because I don’t know what else to do.

Christian Robinson talks Leo Lioni, two of my favorite children’s books authors.

The quilts of Mary Jane Hannaford.

I watched Rental Family on Hulu and can’t stop thinking about it.

I really liked seeing all of the things Elisa made last year. I am not a knitter, but I have a great admiration for them.

French Onion Puff Pastry Quiche of my dreams.

This grumpy turtle.

The best small house living books.

Fun with your typewriter. (via Austin Kleon)

Spring capsule wardrobe formula, from the capsule queen.

No word on if my art was selected for the South Street banner project, but I will keep you posted. In the mean time I added these prints to my shop. I love how they look IRL! These are 11x14 and $18. It’s also available as an 8x10 for $15.

I picked up this book at the thrift store. Some of the projects are gems!

Thanks for being here.

Praying for peace.

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I won a thing last week. Sort of. Well, I’m a finalist for a thing.

I entered an art contest a month-ish ago through the South Street District on a whim. I submitted some work and found out I was chosen as a paid finalist to create a banner celebrating South Street, a Philly landmark lined with vintage shops and restaurants. According to the committee 615 people entered and they are choosing 15-20 artists and I was chosen as a finalist. I have had some arty disappointments lately, mostly sending out work and hearing crickets or no thanks. So it was nice to get a little boost of recognition. I will keep you posted on the process, I should know in early April how everything pans out. Thanks for following along!

In the mean time I wanted to share some artwork I’ve been making and loving lately. Di Ujdi is one of my favorite Skillshare teachers, and I loooooved this class called Let’s Play with Flowers. We started by sketching in a sketchbook, then filling in a grid with our illustrations, and then brought them into illustrator to clean them up. Finally, I added some textures in photoshop. It was delightful. Here are a couple things I made, and techniques I can now apply to my South Street banner.

Flower sketches:

Grid Layout:

Final Illustration:

Gahhhh it was so much fun.

Here’s one more I made, this time I wanted to make a poster with parakeets and Australian flowers.

Here are some sketches:

The grid layout:

The final illustration:

Do you see how this was just the most perfect class to take before designing a banner?! I can’t wait to show you my goofy ideas and let you know if they pick me.

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In the mean time here are some Things Worth Sharing:

• I picked up the latest Thursday Murder Club book from the library and can’t wait to revisit my favorite characters.

• We tried this magnatile + ironing board hack and had a family nerf target battle.

• Weaverbirds blow my mind.

• Martha Rich merch at the Philly art museum. And a little video about her work.

• Helen C Stark’s 25 Things to do in Spring

• Bircher Muesli seems up my alley.

• Filling Elliott’s easter basket with new socks, nerf darts, peanut butter cinnamon roll m&ms (which sounds gross to me but the kids rave), mechanical pencils. Maybe a marbling kit for us to work on together.

Ok, that’s it. Thank you for being here! It means the world to me!!!!! And big thanks to all the folks that bought t-shirts last week! You rule. Send me pics!

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I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

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Sometimes ideas get stuck in my brain and it takes me a long time to work them out. This shirt is one of them. Years ago I had the idea to make a mummers parade t-shirt. I wanted it to be weird and wonderful, much like the parade that happens every year in Philadelphia on New Year’s day. I went and photographed the parade for inspiration. I doodled and iterated. I picked it up and put it down. But nothing was feeling quite right. I let it simmer. Then I took this Not Boring Characters class by Anastacia Sholik and it felt like things were clicking once I started cutting out goofy shapes from paper. It helped me to simplify and play in a way that drawing on the iPad was not.

This is it friends. In all its glory. Lol. I present to you my Mummers Shirt. I’m offering 20% off my shop this week in honor of its launch.

Here’s a closeup of the artwork.

and some cut paper process:

If you get one I would love to see a picture!

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Things Worth Sharing

• I just finished The Correspondent. Halfway through I flipped to the author’s photo in the back and was BLOWN AWAY that she was so young because lordy, she writes from the perspective of a hard-nosed 70 something year old woman so believably!

• I want to go see the Moki Cherry show at the Fabric Workshop Museum.

• My family is back on an America’s Funniest Home Video kick.

• We’ve been playing the pattern matching race game Qbitz. I also like rubik’s race, but Jason is a little too good at it. Hat tip to my friend Bobbi for the introduction to Rubik’s Race.

• Speaking of Jason, this reminded me of him.

• Elizabeth Dunker Home tour is all heart eyes. And how did I not know there was a Fine Little Day book?!

• That has me going down a Swedish Wall Tapestry rabbit hole. And this one.

• A reminder if you’re feeling inspired by Alysa Liu that Philly has free figure skating lessons for kids AND ADULTS. I took them a couple years ago at Tarken Rec with my friend Jen and it was very very very fun.

• Harriet Powers stamps!!!!!

Thanks for being here! Grab a Mummers shirt if it strikes your fancy.

20% off just this week.

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I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

Instagram: haleyharmondraws

Portfolio: haleyharmon.com

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1. Fly Me to the Moon risograph print by Always Tired Art $22

2. Every Cat is My Best Friend risograph print by PinkGabberCatShop $22

3. Skateboard Fox Cat Rabbit Bird risograph print by KapiDesignStore $28

4. Dandy Lions risograph print by LyreBirdStudio $25

5. Black and White Cat on Chair risograph print by ClioIsadoraShop $17

6. Lovebirds risograph by LindseyKingDesign $25

7. Sushi risograph print by lucyhookdesigns $21

8. Creative Juice risograph print by JacquelineColley $16

9. Minecraft risograph print by TommeyKeyUK $32

10. Yeti risograph print by NaomiWilkinson $17

11. Artist in Studio with Cat & Mouse risograph print by TonyAllenStudio $21

12. Pokemon risograph print by TommyKeyUK $32

13. Magical Swords risograph print by Jasmine Floyd $23

14. Bad Strawberry screen print by KillerAcid $35

15. Gillman screen print by djlaroccaart $35

16. RF TM PE 033 screen print by jmprintdestroyer $40

17. Cat + Skull screen print by triangletrees $19

18. Finger Monster risograph print by DerekQuinlanArt $17

19. Neighborhood letterpress print by triangletrees $30

20. Wild Dinosaur risograph print by JacquelineColley $34

21. The Secret Raccoon Forest risograph print by JessWasHere $21

22. Connected risograph print by JavieraVaraStudio $15

23. Cool Beans risograph print by HolySmokesSupplyCo $20

24. Mushroom Paradise risograph print by Teuntjefleur $25

25. Celestial Houseboat risograph print by FourEyesIllustration $20

26. Godzilla Vs Dragon risograph print by KapiDesignStore $21

27. Cat Loaf risograph print by NaomiWilkinson $9

27. Party on Broad screen print by PaulCarpenterArt $30

28. Bryce Harper art print by OliviaHSMithDesign $23

29. Philadelphia Phillies screen print by OliviaHSMithDesign $30

30. Philadelphia Chinatown art print by NoahMarcuseDesigns $20

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Thanks for being here! Hope your week is going well.

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I wrote a book!

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A week ago today I threw my first in person crafting event!!! My friend Jess opened up her space at Kith + Kin and 17 ladies showed up to make some bracelets! The most amazing part to me was that there were women from so many different times in my life. Friends from college, from when I first moved to Philly, friends from church and Elliott’s school. And not only that, those friends brought new friends. It was a friendship bonanza that I felt really buoyed by. Big thanks to all the ladies who showed up. I hope you had a really wonderful time! I’m still riding the high from the event.

We set up a chocolate fountain that my friend Stacy lent me. I made some of Smitten Kitchen’s Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats, brownies and a jug of Red Zinger tea. We had some cheddar pop on the tables. Bahja of horticulture sold her beautiful flowers. I made a playlist and the criteria for song selection was just upbeat songs that I like by women. lol. I don’t think I should be trusted to make playlists. I set out my curated selection of beads from Temu and let these ladies have at it. Everyone made such different beautiful bracelets. It was so fun to see what everyone came up with. I loved them!

Bracelets by Charis, Jenn and Lydia.

Big thanks to Jess especially who hosted us, helped me setup and clean up, and encouraged me to do this! Thank you to everyone who came out and made the night a success. I hope to do more of these so keep your eyes peeled.

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Ok, on to this Week’s Things Worth Sharing:

• I need to make some room in my inventory, so everything in my big cartel shop is half off with code HEYFRIEND. 50% off your entire order. Might I suggest a print of the world’s fanciest pigeon? Or the world’s best sandwich?

• Did anyone make their parakeet valentine? Send me pics!

• We took Elliott to see the magician Justin Willman at the Keswick and had a great time. Justin has a segment on his show called “Magic for Susan’s” so I made him a shirt with some iron on letters that said “Magic for Elliott’s”. Highly recommend keeping a stash of iron on letters for last minute fun.

• I enjoyed this newsletter about how we should get kitchen setup ideas from chefs and hardware storage from carpenters. My art space is a disaster and I need all the ideas I can get.

• I just finished the book Hidden Valley Road, about a family of 12 kids where 6 are diagnosed with schizophrenia. The book tells their story, alongside the history of the treatment of schizophrenia and how doctors studied this family and others like them to see if they can find a genetic link to the disease. There is also a documentary that I have not seen. This family endured too much, and my heart breaks for them. This is an extreme story in both the trauma that they endured and that they inflicted. I feel like it should be said that this story is not typical of people who struggle with schizophrenia, but it was very interesting to hear their story and how it continues to shape the genetic understanding of the disease.

• I watched Song Sung Blue, it’s out on Peacock and what a rollercoaster! I laughed, I cried! I also now need to see the Thunder and Lightning documentary. I love them.

Please give this post a heart if you made it this far!

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I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

Instagram: haleyharmondraws

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*Amazon links are affiliate links

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Here’s a picture of the art. I think they’re called an Arpilleras. They are made in Peru and Chile. I’ve come across them in thrift stores before and now sort of regret not buying them. This one was $10 and it’s about 10”x10”.

Here’s the one Elliott found for me.

Look at this detail of the lady putting the fruit in her bag. She is perfect. And the little detailed pastries!!

This potato person reminds me of a trip I took to Peru in 2008ish, the polaroid is one I took at a market on that trip to Arequipa. The artist nailed it didn’t they?!

I went down a rabbit hole searching the internet for more examples and there are so many treasures. Here are a few of my favorites.

First up, this circus scene $60 on Etsy

Love a rad over the top beach scene $186.91 from Etsy

Those swimmers! lol. I love it all.

Another little shop scene $65 Ebay

Love the car in this wedding scene $100 Ebay

I am amazed by the detail and care that went into these. They are just treasures.

Hope you’re having a good week!

Thanks for being here! If you like this newsletter please heart it or tell a friend.

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T-SHIRTS!

I wrote a book!

E-mail: halestormenator@gmail.com

Instagram: haleyharmondraws

Portfolio: haleyharmon.com