Spandrel Studios's Page

You know when you are looking forward to something, and it's even better than you expected, and it takes you by surprise?

Well, my new job has been like that.

I've met dozens of people who are interested in making innovation happen - and who value my contribution to the conversation!

Smart, funny people who like cake.

And flowers! Really, really nice ones - on my first day.

There's a steep learning curve, for sure, but I'm climbing it steadily every day.

Already, halfway through week 2, I've made connections and breakthroughs and the wheels are turning with plenty of ideas for the future.

Do I like this job? Past experience makes me want to reserve judgment for a while... Once burned, twice shy and all that.

But the optimist in me says that all signs point to Yes.

My Chinese-food fortune the day I started?


Oh, yeah!

While I was growing up, stressing over one of life's little problems, my Mom was always there with a hug as I cried on her shoulder.

As a child, I think I was a mystery to her - and heck, I bet I'm just as enigmatic as an adult. But she always listens to me, if somewhat incredulously, over the things I worry about, live through, deal with.

So many times, after hearing me spill my guts, and offering advice, she'll ask incredulously, "Where did you come from?"

I mean, she knew the mechanics, of course. She was simply marveling at how different I was from her and my father.

Sure, I have her hands. And picked up many of her mannerisms along the way.

Among the things I'm forever grateful for is this: It's my Mom who taught me to read and write when I was two, setting the stage for my career.

A fellow lefty, she showed me the right way to hold my pencil so I was never vexed by the the left-side spirals in a notebook.

Over the years, I know I must have tested every last nerve in her body as she tried in vain to get me to mimic her Palmer-perfect penmanship earned refined during her years of Catholic school education. When done quickly, letting words pour out onto the page, a sheet full of my own writing resembles a ransom note more than lines written by the same person.

Little did she know, she'd created a monster.

As a toddler, I'd come downstairs - every morning for a month - toting a pretend schoolbag, declaring I was on my way to school.

So she threw up her hands and found me a preschool. Which was one of the most creative places I'd ever had the pleasure to spend time in my entire life.

That's another theme with my Mom, too - tapping into creativity. She used to sew a lot, obsessed with tactile textiles and beautiful patterns. These days, she quilts, making color schemes and poring over detailed designs at shows.

I get my obsession over materials from her. With her, it's fabrics for quilting. With me, it's beads and pieces of silver that catch the light.

So thank you, Mom, for all the creative support to do my own thing. Even when it seems unthinkable.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

(And if you're a Mom, Happy Mother's Day to you, too!)

While it can be a lot of little things that chip away at your satisfaction over time, I believe there's always a precise moment where you realize you're in the wrong job. At least that's been the case for me.

It could occur any time.

Making the connection that there's a disconnect between one's values and the organization's.

Feeling the daily struggle to do your best work, knowing that the tasks aren't aligned with your career goals - and knowing there's a better match somewhere else.

Hearing a statement that cuts to the core of the problem, articulating the ennui you've struggled so hard to put your finger on.

Whatever the situation, there's a moment of clarity encased in glass, "Yes! That's exactly why this isn't working!"

I've been through my share of light bulb moments - and job searches.

This last search was the most satisfying because after many years, I absolutely know myself. It's taken a while to believe the results of the inventory, but I know my talents, I know my interests, and all that was left was finding where my skills are put to best use.

People talk about being your best self, your most authentic. Knowing yourself is paramount. Too often we struggle along, trying to make things right, when the wrong is in the fit.

Trying something else on for size might involve a small shift, like changing roles or even departments. Or it could require a bigger commitment, like changing the organization you work for entirely.

But change is good. And like the cliches say, the only constant is change, these days.

I'm about to embark on a job change that on the face of it sounds like a perfect match. Room for growth, a chance to apply hard-won knowledge, and to take advantage of opportunities for learning.

At the same time, I'm bringing a new attitude to work, ensuring that I make time for the other things in life that are important to me, that give life balance.

That's definitely been challenging in the past. But that's what's good about the future - the future is unwritten.

It's an exciting time - scary, but good scary!

Sequenced Botanicals, a floral arrangement of orchids, larkspur, delphinium and pussy willow, by Stacey H. Ballard, Floral Confetti. Part of the Inspired Flora exhibit at Abington Art Center.

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*If you're into orchids, I suggest you check out Parkside Orchids, which ships anywhere and packs the plants in such a way that they will arrive looking spectacular, once you remove all the cotton batting and bubble wrap.

On my list of 100 Things I Want to Do, Italy figures in prominently, with visiting Tuscany and watching some olive oil harvesting among the things to do.

I love to cook. More than that, I love to eat.

Italian cooking - real Italian cuisine - is so earthy and delicious and soul stirring. For some reason though, these past few months, I've not been as inspired as I've been before. I've had more time to cook, more inclination, but no inspiration.

That post I wrote about how we made Jamie Oliver's Leeks and Papardelle pasta (for which Google seems to send lots of people this way) was the last time I felt all taste buds light up with glee. We even made it a couple of months later, and for some reason, although it was quite delicious, it wasn't quite the same.

This happens to me often when I try a new recipe. When it's completed and sitting on the table, ready to eat, there's the surprise and the delight in seeing it all come together, the anticipation of eating it.

And I think it's the combination that jolts my taste buds into overdrive.

But one thing never fails to disappoint for some reason, and that's good olive oil.

While on vacation last year in San Francisco, we happened by the Stonehouse Olive Oil stall at the Ferry Building one Saturday.

The oils they offered for tasting were a riot of flavors and tastes, from garlic olive oil to first-press. Some were potent, with the olive flavor bursting forth. With others, there was the merest hint at the oil's provenance.

We shipped several bottles home for ourselves and for gifts. And later I was thrilled to find the Olio Santo at my grocery store.

I'm fascinated by the processes and inspiration behind things that are beautiful or delicious.

Heck, I must be some sort of process junkie because I can appreciate nearly anything more if I know about all the work that goes into it.

Throw in rolling hills and beautiful, tree-lined vistas dotted with old stone farmhouses that have stood for hundreds of years and I'm in heaven.

So Italy, being both beautiful and a bounty of deliciousness, looks to be a double whammy.

Have you been to Italy? What was your favorite part?

Last night, a friend and I went to an author event at the Free Library of Philadelphia and heard Jhumpa Lahiri read from her new book, Unaccustomed Earth.

During the Q+A, Jhumpa talked about the subject of her characters' names. I was struck by how she said that she keeps lists of names, "I need them," she said, noting that she pores over lists of names for any that speak to her.

I knew someone in college who kept a list naming everyone she knew or had ever met. At least as far as she could remember when she began documenting them. I thought this was an odd practice, the cataloging of people from your life.

But I suppose a name can also trigger memories: of a long-forgotten event, a personality trait, a funny story.

In Jhumpa's case, names help shape a character's history. A birthplace as indicated by a geographically popular moniker. The struggle with being saddled with what others mock as a "strange name" throughout a childhood in America.

I first read Jhumpa Lahiri's other two books while taking a train to work every day, where I collaborated with colleagues thousands of miles away in India. There was something about the summer heat and the words on the page that made me feel a greater appreciation for India's many cultures and its people.

I am looking forward to seeing what Unaccustomed Earth has in store.

1. Triumph over my fear of inverted yoga poses.
2. Take a graphic design course.
3. Have tea at the Plaza.
4. Pick up the guitar again.
5. Write a screenplay.
6. Learn to paint a room.
7. Grow heirloom tomatoes.
8. Design the perfect jacket.
9. Flip an egg in a pan.
10. Convince my husband that Paris is a worthy destination.
11. Sing karaoke.
12. Visit my friend in Brazil.
13. Raise funds for my old music school.
14. Attend an opera at the Met.
15. Keep my orchids alive.
16. Help a graphic designer I know find a better job.
17. Obtain a patent.
18. Write a letter to the high school English teacher who inspired me the most.
19. Go canoeing in Maine.
20. Read The Bell Jar.
21. Help someone anonymously.
22. See more art every week.
23. Sink my toes into Hawaiian sand.
24. Bake a credible French baguette.
25. Visit all 50 states.
26. Learn to whistle.
27. Harbor fewer grievances.
28. Never give up hope.
29. Smile more.
30. See what happens.
31. Skim across clear-blue water on a sailboat.
32. Have more experiences than things.
33. Stand in a field of lavender.
34. Bang out a short story.
35. Stare in awe and wonder at the Grand Canyon.
36. Laugh out loud every day.
37. Make more sandwiches.
38. Sing with abandon.
39. Embrace my strengths.
40. Enjoy what I have.
41. Post a podcast on iTunes.
42. Tour a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
43. Catch sight of a rare bird.
44. Kiss fear goodbye.
45. Hang 10 for at least 10 seconds.
46. Add 7 more delicious veggie recipes to my culinary repertoire.
47. Give someone else a leg up.
48. Continuously spark curiosity.
49. Experience what makes Austin (TX) weird.
50. Throw a barbeque inviting 40 friends from different parts of my life.
51. Pay homage to a style icon.
52. Drink a martini.
53. Ride a camel (my grandmother beat me to this one).
54. Fly over a volcano in a helicopter.
55. Sip a margarita at sunset.
56. Build a custom jewelry box.
57. Give in to creative urges.
58. Stand on that bridge at Giverny.
59. Ride in a Checker cab.
60. Drive a Corvette.
61. Oh, and learn to drive stick.
62. Win a Monopoly game.
63. Memorize the Q-without-U words for Scrabble.
64. Play a scale on a Steinway.
65. Send a cartoon to the New Yorker.
66. Take photobooth pictures on every vacation.
67. Visit Morris Aboretum at least once each season.
68. Rent a beach house with people I like.
69. Ride a boat down the Seine.
70. Take a cooking class in Tuscany.
71. Follow an olive from harvest to first-press oil.
72. Take a suggestion from Clothilde for dinner.
73. Plant a new dogwood.
74. Make a fancy bow on the next gift I wrap.
75. Tour an artisanal chocolate studio.
76. Give everything my all.
77. Watch for the perfect moments that occur every day.
78. Get over my fear of fire enough to take a glass-blowing class.
79. Keep track of my goals all year long.
80. Worry less about what others think.
81. Use up my favorite beading supplies.
82. Eat a perfect mango.
83. Ride a bike every summer.
84. Open a stationery store.
85. Make more gifts.
86. Give things away.
87. Embrace fully the joy of celebrating another's happiness.
88. Get to the point faster.
89. Make mozzarella from scratch.
90. Buy flowers for no reason whatsoever.
91. Don't put off til tomorrow what can be done today.
92. Join in the chorus.
93. Ride the train into the city to save gas and savor the view.
94. Pitch every story idea and aim high.
95. Ask my nephew to coach me on throwing the perfect spiral.
96. Take out my frustrations at the driving range.
97. Eliminate 95% of the paper on my desk.
98. Color with markers for inspiration.
99. Write more love notes.
100. Let bygones be bygones.

Boy, who knew that golf could be such a workout if you've been neglecting weightlifting for a while?

Hoisting a nine-iron over my head and hurling it toward a little ball for four hours never felt so therapeutic.

My hands feel as if I've been digging compacted earth with a rusty shovel for three days straight. (I guess that would tell you something about my swing.)

It's a good pain, though. The pain that tells you you've done something good for yourself. That you've stretched a few muscles and burned more than a few calories.

The score of the game? Oh, it was laughable. Closer to a below-average bowling score than a tally for 18 holes of golf.

The conditions were absolutely perfect for this novice. A sunny and 80-degree day. No humidity. Hardly anyone on the course because the season hasn't officially started - so nobody saw me whiff four times on the 5th hole. Or three on the 12th.

Even the sand traps were forgiving - tamped-down from a lack of recent rain - allowing errant shots to roll in and right back out on occasion, saving the embarrassment of having to thwack away at the ball to get it back on the course.

It was a great way to spend a Friday morning. And a nice way to hang out with my Dad.

Last weekend's Inspired Flora exhibit had me looking differently at all the plants that we have growing in our yard.

We are lucky enough to have some gorgeous flowering trees, like the magnolia tree that burst open this week (see above).

I'm not much of a gardener. I tend to plant things and let survival of the fittest take over.

All the fussing that gardening requires, especially in the heat of the summer - when I just want to be glugging a tall, icy lemonade in front of the A/C - is too much maintenance.

Several years ago, I planted an armload of tulip bulbs.


These hardy little bulbs never fail to disappoint, erupting year after year from the soil and mulch to pay tribute to the longer, sunnier days.

With fair skin that burns at the slightest provocation, I'm more of an indoor girl. Actually, I do enjoy the outdoors - especially when it's 80 degrees, sunny and clear, like it was today.

Although the spate of early spring weather may be short-lived, I took advantage of the sun and the flowers to capture some of the springtime magic that abounded in my yard. Enjoy!

OK, I'm sorry, but I feel a soapbox calling my name...

When I took up golf a few years ago, I purchased some golf shoes that ended up being a smidge too narrow for me to walk in, comfortably, for more than a couple of hours.

But with the proper (read: microscopically thin) socks, and a cart rental, they were bearable for the time I'd spend on the course. God forbid I try wheeling the bag along behind me, walking the entire course wearing those things. My feet would be numb by the time we made it to the third hole.

Despite not fitting properly, they were all I could find at the time. I wasn't interested in doing something crazy like having custom shoes made. But in the meantime, I wore them whenever I played. But on one especially rain-savaged day, they got completely muddied up and basically wrecked.

So when cleaning out the garage one day, I tossed them. It had been at least two years since I'd played, and I figured, "Well, if I take up golf again, I'll get a pair that actually fits."

Now, I know that for a woman, wearing a size 11 shoe is out of the ordinary. It must be, because finding a quality pair of flats or a cute heel in a retail establishment is almost impossible, especially since my foot is built on the wider side. (And a Ladies Size 11 Golf Shoe must be its own type of holy grail, because it is certainly not easy to find.)

But in anticipation of my first golf outing in several years, today I visited or called literally dozens of golf stores, specialty shoe stores and pro shops in search of a Ladies Size 11 Golf Shoe. Not enough time to order online, or work with a shop to place a "special order."

In case you were wondering, or got here through a Google search, I'm here to tell you: There is not one pair of Ladies Size 11 Golf Shoes in stock in all the golf-attire-stocking stores in the entire Philadelphia area. Zero. Zip. Nada.

At Golfsmith, the salesman tried to be helpful, trying to find a men's style that would work. He also noted that at least four other women had come into the store, asking for Ladies' size 11 golf shoes. "Does that tell you something?" I asked. "Obviously, there's a market for them!"

A local sporting goods store apparently discontinued its line of golf shoes three months ago. This came to light only after the salesman had spent 5 minutes trying to help me find something amidst all their sneaker and workout offerings.

They say women's feet are getting both longer and wider, yet I see no evidence of that in department stores, since they insist on stocking only medium widths - and only up to size 10. And I defy you to try to even buy a size 10 shoe - they're either sold out, or they're the size, shape and color of a potato.

So, I'll be the one golfing in sneakers this Friday, sliding around the course in my cleatless Adidas. Barring that, maybe I'll just strap on some potatoes.

Too often, I fire up the iPod and head outside for a brisk walk.

But especially now that it's spring, during the last few walks I've taken I've left the gadgetry at home.

And it's amazing what tuning your visual attention to your surroundings can do for you.

Took a photo of a daffodil on my phone.

Heard six distinct bird calls in a one-block radius of my house.

Noticed that a neighbor's weeping willow tree has gorgeous pink petaled flowers this time of year.

Saved a child's ball from rolling into the street and executing a nice little kick to lob it right back into their hands (an actual achievement, given my lack of athletic prowess).

Met some neighbors I hadn't seen in a while and chatted up their one-year-old.

Walked farther and enjoyed it more than I have in quite a while.

Now you try it. Go ahead. Unplug, walk around and see what happens. Maybe you'll notice more, too.

On Sunday, I'd stopped by a favorite bakery that has really great coffee.

It's so good, I don't need sugar with it. And I normally need at least one of those sugar packets to take the edge off a cup of coffee.

As I made my way to my car, I spotted a man who appeared to be in his late fifties or so. He was well-dressed, which I could see as he climbed out of his Toyota Camry and crossed the street - barefoot.

It had rained earlier in the day so the street was kind of mucky and damp. I could not imagine crossing these city streets without shoes because street cleaning just isn't part of the deal here. This was in Philadelphia - far from a beach town - on a day when the temperature was still only in the 50s.

The man went into the bakery. He came out, balancing several boxes in front of him as he gingerly picked his way - barefoot, again - across the cobblestone street and got back into his car and drove away.

1. Jackets with decorative zippered pockets will always be trendy and not worth the investment.

2. "The easy way out" seldom is, except when it comes to food preparation.

3. If during a job interview they've squirreled you away in a conference room - and they never actually let you see the offices where you'd be working - that's a bad sign.

4. V-neck sweaters look better on about 95% of the population.

5. If you just work hard and keep your nose to the grindstone, you will never get ahead - a little self-promotion is always necessary.

6. Sunburn is always worth preventing.

7. With vital supplies, always buy more than you think you need - this goes for toilet paper, beads, and chocolate.

8. A manicure should be obtained the day before you have to do something important.

9. Spending time with kids is far more important that spending oodles of money on them.

10. Getting started is more important than starting exactly the right way.

What have you learned? Post it in the Comments.

Sometimes you run across something that makes utter sense, and on other days it never would. Yeah, this video's kind of like that.

But this tune is one that I've loved from the moment I first heard it.

This talented singer didn't give up on her dreams, and damn it, neither should you.

Well, NaBloPoMo's March Madness - aka, List-making - got away from me. So today, on the last day of March, I am finishing the last half of my 100 Things I Want to Do list.

Here goes:

51. Pay homage to a style icon.
52. Drink a martini.
53. Ride a camel (my grandmother beat me to this one).
54. Fly over a volcano in a helicopter.
55. Sip a margarita at sunset.
56. Build a custom jewelry box.
57. Give in to creative urges.
58. Stand on that bridge at Giverny.
59. Ride in a Checker cab.
60. Drive a Corvette.
61. Oh, and learn to drive stick.
62. Win a Monopoly game.
63. Memorize the Q-without-U words for Scrabble.
64. Play a scale on a Steinway.
65. Send a cartoon to the New Yorker.
66. Take photobooth pictures on every vacation.
67. Visit Morris Aboretum at least once each season.
68. Rent a beach house with people I like.
69. Ride a boat down the Seine.
70. Take a cooking class in Tuscany.
71. Follow an olive from harvest to first-press oil.
72. Take a suggestion from Clothilde for dinner.
73. Plant a new dogwood.
74. Make a fancy bow on the next gift I wrap.
75. Tour an artisanal chocolate studio.
76. Give everything my all.
77. Watch for the perfect moments that occur every day.
78. Get over my fear of fire enough to take a glass-blowing class.
79. Keep track of my goals all year long.
80. Worry less about what others think.
81. Use up my favorite beading supplies.
82. Eat a perfect mango.
83. Ride a bike every summer.
84. Open a stationery store.
85. Make more gifts.
86. Give things away.
87. Embrace fully the joy of celebrating another's happiness.
88. Get to the point faster.
89. Make mozzarella from scratch.
90. Buy flowers for no reason whatsoever.
91. Don't put off til tomorrow what can be done today.
92. Join in the chorus.
93. Ride the train into the city to save gas and savor the view.
94. Pitch every story idea and aim high.
95. Ask my nephew to coach me on throwing the perfect spiral.
96. Take out my frustrations at the driving range.
97. Eliminate 95% of the paper on my desk.
98. Color with markers for inspiration.
99. Write more love notes.
100. Let bygones be bygones.

41. Post a podcast on iTunes.
42. Tour a Frank Lloyd Wright house.
43. Catch sight of a rare bird.
44. Kiss fear goodbye.
45. Hang 10 for at least 10 seconds.
46. Add 7 more delicious veggie recipes to my culinary repertoire.
47. Give someone else a leg up.
48. Continuously spark curiosity.
49. Experience what makes Austin (TX) weird.
50. Throw a barbeque inviting 40 friends from different parts of my life.

What things are on your list?