It Has Been Hectic

Last week was intense. There was a birth (my book, Provenciana). And a death (Mamy Gite, my husband's 97-year-old grandmother). In between there was travel, meeting up with old friends and making the acquaintance of new people. I even climbed the stairs leading up to the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre, because I was too impatient to wait in line to take the funicular. All that at eight months pregnant.

Right now, I have a lot of catching up to do on the work front, so when I'm done with that, I'll tell you more. Meanwhile, this was me at the book launch of Provenciana at the Philippine embassy in Paris, very nervous but trying hard not to show it, reading to guests a passage from the book.


Provenciana will be available in bookstores in the Philippines and in France, and online to the rest of the world, beginning August. So next month, please start checking Visionaria Publishing's website or the Facebook fan page for details.

More Siblings

These White Owls are a custom order for one of my new customers, who was brave enough to indulge me and my current obsession with plush families. So instead of making her two White Owls (on the left), I made her White Owl and White Owl's whiter sister.


Oh, and did you know that a group of owls is called a parliament? At least according to a piece of trivia I stumbled upon while mindlessly surfing (something I do when I need to clear my head). Interesting way to call a flock of birds. Do you think owls meet up in suits and hold debates nobody else but themselves understand?

Puppy Love

And more Lilous are marching into the shop! These puppies are siblings and, although not pedigreed, are a very well-behaved duo. Just don't expect them to go fetch your slippers though.

The Lilous

Lately, I've been into making home decor for grownups. Pillows, lavender sachets, and soft fruits have been filling up the shop. Then, just like that -- and because I am often like that -- images of soft pastel colors and simple but fun forms started taking over my sketchbook. I knew then that it was time to make something for the kids' room.

They're called Lilou Creatures.
Lilou Creatures are a family-oriented lot; they travel in groups of mom, dad, and kids, or any combination of these. So you can have the classic combination of mom, dad, little sister, and big bro, like the bunnies above.

You can have have papa bringing daughter to school .

It can be strictly a single-parent affair.
And sometimes you'll be seeing just siblings.They're now hopping, swimming, flying their way into the shop.

Too Hot to Garden

I've been neglecting my garden because it's just too hot over here, so nasty couch grass is starting to sprout all over. Perhaps in silent rebellion, I nurture these other types of flower in my workroom, which is all nice and cool:There's a green one:

A white one:And one in yellow and blue:
Each one of them says, "I love you."
You can find them in my shop.

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Meanwhile, this is what three of the male species melted by the summer sun looked like this Sunday afternoon. That's husband, dog, and husband's best friend on my favorite place for napping.

New Bird

This is the nest

that witnessed the birth of this little creature.


We come too late to the story, however, as aforementioned creature has left aforementioned nest. (My, my, they do grow up fast these days!) He has found himself a bride and gotten married. Playing catch-up, we can view the wedding pictures here.

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Plus, you can find out why I blog in this great interview Stephanie Levy did with me in her own blog, "Artists Who Blog." And I do think that, to date, that was the most number of times I've used the word "blog" in a single sentence.

What are you still doing here? Go read the interview!

June Already?!

The month of June always makes me nervous; makes me want to take stock of what I had done with the year so far and makes me want to make lists of what else I want to accomplish before the whole 12 months are up. I guess it's very similar to what most people get to doing New Year's time in January. Except I do it while licking on ice cream cones instead of all bundled up in sweaters. Which makes it better, I think. As ice cream makes everything better. And before I end up blabbing nonsense some more, please do allow me to indulge myself.

The highlights so far:

This, of course! A little baby girl we are in the process of creating in our private workshop.

And this, too, the long-awaited, long-promised book based on my old blog about adjusting to a new culture. The e-mail invitation still needs to be corrected, as the reading at the Philippine embassy in Paris is happening late July instead, but this is roughly it. (Then the publisher will have a launch in Manila -- without me, though. Sob!)

And La Pomme, on Etsy and off, is doing quite well. (I took new photos of my Feel-Good Apples, as I thought the old ones, featuring just one apple, were looking very forlorn.)

All things considered, a first half of the year well-spent. Now to dream up what the next six months will bring... Another scoop of ice cream, please!