Mary Cassatt’s place in the history of American art is unique, not only because she was one of the few woman artists of any nationality to succeed professionally in her time, but also because she was the only American artist to exhibit with the French Impressionists. After mastering the requirements of academic painting, Cassatt broke away from tradition and joined Edgar Degas, a close friend and mentor, in the exhibition of Impressionist artists in 1879. Cassatt embraced the technique of the Impressionists while developing a highly accomplished individual style.
munch on
Looking for a healthy snack to munch on while curled up with your favorite book this weekend or watching the Oscars? Lesser Evil is a snack food company that makes yummy treats that have no trans-fatty acids, no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors and they are gluten-free. I recently tried (and devoured) a box of their KettleCorn. Okay, maybe a handful of carrot sticks would be a healthier snack, but come on, it’s not snacking if there aren’t a few calories involved!
spring daydreams
Right now it’s thirty degrees outside and we have 40mph winds. This is a close-up of the Clematis, Margot Koster, from my garden last summer. I went a little nutty and planted clematis vines everywhere on our property. I have about 35 or 40 varieties. They tend to require a bit of TLC and not all of them are happy with where I’ve planted them. I look forward to the spring. Taking that first walk around our property to see who survived the winter. I love the sight of those tender green shoots pushing their way up through the cold brown earth, each one is like a little gift meant just for me.
george vs brad
Okay folks, time for another George vs Brad poll. In an effort to be totally fair this time, I’ve used candid photos for both men. So the question is, which bike would you want to hop on the back of, Pitt’s or Clooney’s?
empty arms
I once dreamt that I was holding my three-year-old son on my lap. It felt so good, to wrap my arms around his small body, to hear his sweet voice again. Suddenly, I heard my grown son, the same son, coming down the stairs. I tried to hold on to my baby boy but he squirmed out of my lap and ran to the bottom of the steps to greet his grown-up self. I was afraid in the dream, of what would happen when the past met the future. There was a loud popping noise and a flash of white light as they came together. And there, standing alone on the stairs was the little one, the one that was still mine, the one that still needed me. We looked at each other briefly and then I woke up…my arms empty.
mooch that book
Do you have books piling up all over the house that you don’t know what to do with? I mean, we don’t want to throw books out, but the reality is some books were meant to be read just once, right? Well BookMooch is a free community where you can exchange books using a point system. For each book you enter into the system you get a tenth-of-a-point, and for each book you send someone you get a full point. All you do is pay the postage to mail your books to someone who has requested them and in order to keep receiving books you need to give away at least one book for every five that you receive. Hmmm, maybe I’m not explaining that very well, I suggest you go to their site and check it out for yourself!
friday frenchmen
The Story Book by William-Adolphe Bouguereau French Painter (1825-1905)
“I’ve never known any trouble that an hour’s reading didn’t assuage.” Charles De Secondat French lawyer & philosopher (1689-1755)
best of youtube
It takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud at a YouTube video and this is one of the best I’ve seen (me and over two million other web surfers!). If you need a reason to smile as your week is winding down, maybe your Valentine’s Day didn’t live up to all the hype (as usual) or the joy of having the kids home for another snow is wearing thin, then click on the arrow and enjoy this amazing stop-motion video.
bookbabie 
