i have a few years left of seminary but i keep thinking about how i will serve our communities in need when i'm done -(i think all communities are in need to some extent - some spiritually, some in great need of material goods, food and shelter). i love the concept of social design where the objects we make and sell, develop and purchase are developed with the goal of solving some of our greatest socio-economic problems. i would love to get involved with an organization like Project H Design to harness creative energies and empower people while keeping both social and spiritual considerations in mind. check them out. pass it on....k
mission statement: Project H Design connects the power of design to the people who need it most, and the places where it can make a real and lasting difference.
We are a team of designers and builders engaging locally to improve the quality of life for the socially overlooked. Our five-tenet design process (There is no design without (critical) action; We design WITH, not FOR; We document, share and measure; We start locally and scale globally, We design systems, not stuff) results in simple and effective design solutions for those without access to creative capital.
Our long-term initiatives focus on improving environments, products, and experiences for K-12 education institutions in the US through systems- level design thinking and deep community engagements.
paz.
in june, you will always be a bride. (anyone seen seven brides for seven brothers? it's the best musical!). i've been married a while and well, i didn't really think much about my wedding when it happened 14 years ago. i was pretty anti-wedding fluff and didn't know that i could have been creative and put my stamp on it to make it ours. i didn't know we could take photos on a ferris wheel or in a field. i didn't know much then. my hair was too short and i was still a tomboy. he loved me anyway. i love to read bridal magazines (martha stewart weddings!! - not all the time, just every now and then :)) now just to see what the younger generations are doing with their love made manifest. it's amazing! it is one of the most important days in our lives and we should have fun with it - i didn't and wish i had. so, maybe for my 20th i'll wear white all over. in the meantime, i'll have fun dreaming. can't hurt, right?
i'm off to maryland to see my dad who is having radiation treatment for a brain tumor. i believe in miracles so i think anything can happen. this thing might just vanish....so, i won't be able to blog over the next couple of days and i wanted to wish you all a wonderful weekend. any carnivals, or antique shows, farmer's markets for you....? do tell. 
today is the last day of school (yes, i'm a little sad - they do grow so quickly). summer vacation begins for the kids. picnic in the park after school, maybe some cake too....and lots of thought into our wish list for the summer like multiple trips to the art institute, the bean, brookfield zoo, the morton arboretum, oak street beach in downtown Chicago....motor home trip in 3 weeks! blueberry picking in july and the dells in august....
collage? i really want to experiment with this medium. i used to love making collages on poster board with magazine clippings when i was in college. it was something that felt so natural to me but i haven't made one in almost a decade or more. i'd like to begin again. 
these wonderful accessories, prints and papers are from uk designer kate forman. she has a passion for french inspired decor and her site is filled with incredible photographs of her work. happy monday!! k
