hoot!

not too long ago, my husband and i were walking our mutts through our very regular (albeit wonderfully funky!) residential neighborhood. we don't live in the burbs, nor do we live among barns and woods. most nights we're lucky to see A star twinkling. that's houston for you. we are lucky enough to battle LA and mexico city for the most polluted cities in north america. three cheers for us. BUT on this seemingly regular night on our normal walking route, we looked left to see a small barn owl staring unblinkingly at us through the slash of light made by a street lamp. i thought for a moment it was one of those resin owls designed to keep pestering pigeons away, but it's head followed us...probably keeping a watchful eye on our frisky dogs. even though owls are pretty regular birds, it was one of those gifts from the universe to see one in our part of the world. kind of like i mentioned before, a little present that felt like it was especially for me.
i love owls. i love their silence and the whispering flutter their wings make when they spot food. i love the fact that their heads swivel 270 degrees, but not in a freaky exorcist kind of way. instead in a way that makes you feel like a weirdo for NOT being able to swivel your head! completely elegant, in fact, when owls do it. as of late i have been drawing a lot of owls and they have even worked their beautiful way into my wardrobe.


it started with a skirt. it came from anthropologie over a year ago. i love to wear it with my cowgirl boots!


then a batch of onesies i made to sell at my sister's open house featuring her beautiful stationery and my mom's fun necklaces.


then a little guy i made from felt (and on the back some beautiful african cloth with XOX stiched in).


just the other day i purchased this silkscreened t from the lovely and generously wise theresa o'connor at hello lucky!


and finally, i experimented with wool roving to make this handheld little guy for my 9 year old niece. he's my favorite! don't be fooled by his cute exterior...wool roving is done by incessantly jabbing very sharp, long needles into a bundle of fiber until you have the right shape. then you continue to jab details like the heart, eyes, and beak until the top fibers blend in with the body fibers. poor guy. i htink he understands a thing or two about beauty having a price!