Mindy Tsonas Choi

what kind of creative adventure could you go on where you had absolutely no travel expenses to pay, no accommodations to book, and you didn’t have to pack your bags and leave your family behind? where could you go and gather with kindred spirits from near and far, nurture and play with you inner muse, learn from and be inspired by talented artists, and get messy with paint, words, glue, photos, ideas and dreams… all in your pajamas with your favorite mug in hand? wish*full virtual art retreat spring 2010 april 30th to may 2nd you are invited to join us for a one of a kind, special online event; 3 days of art, creativity, and connecting with like minded souls, right from the comfort of your own home! for an entire weekend you will be immersed in creative exploration through an exciting variety of engaging  workshops  brought to you by 14 amazing artists and teachers…  mindy tsonas, madelyn mulvaney, susannah conway, hope wallace,  lisa field elliot, christine mason miller,

harvard square last weekend this is my word of the year . it took me a while to find it (as you can tell, it is almost february). at first i thought it might be grow, or embrace, or possibility... but those words, while inspiring notions, didn't really reflect the quality of my life that i want to really focus on this year. yes, i do want to grow and embrace and dream into the possibilities of all there is, but i really want to do this mindfully and with care. so nurture is really where i find my heart to be. nur-ture: 1. to feed and protect: to nurture one's offspring. 2. to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development; foster: to nurture promising musicians. 3. to bring up; train; educate. here is what i am nurturing in my life these days... my children :: with one who is 6 and one who is 6 months there is much to do. for my oldest we are navigating the educational world, putting plans into place, building skills and tools, shining a light on st

yesterday was a day that there were just surprises around every corner... it felt like the universe was trying to tell me something. something good. really good. and so i listened. this chair. well, i can only tell you that it was love at first sight. the kind of thing that from the moment i saw it, i knew it was meant just for me. it was my chair. and it finally found me. this seems silly, i know. but this is how it felt. that somehow in that moment i had arrived into some part of my life that was really true and really meaningful and really powerful, and it came in the form of a hot pink vintage chair. that's cretainly not a bad thing. but it really made me think. it made me think about authenticity. it made me think of how since i have been living my truth and embracing all that is me, everything in my life seems to be automatically aligning itself to that in amazing and unexpected ways. this chair is really just a symbol of that. a reminder of who i am and where i am in my l

i was a children's clothing designer. before my own kids (initially). before i started blogging. before i really knew what i wanted to be when i grew up. it was a tiny but well established mom and pop business, built from the the dreams and artful aspirations of a mom in a small seaside town. funny how that is. now i can really relate and truly admire all that marsha and her husband created, and i am really grateful for having been a small part of that. i was watching the new season of project runway last night (and can i just say how much i love that they painted the studio hot pink! i'm thinking of doing the same :)... this is what brought me back to that time. it really was a fun and fabulous job. very unglamorous (well maybe a tiny bit so), but i learned so much and got to see a slice of the fashion industry that was really fascinating and all new to me. i traveled to LA and new york city regulary to attend the trade shows and to buy tons of fabric and notions. i eve

saturday mornings are now family time at the pool. living so close to the ocean, we wanted to be sure our kids were comfortable with the water and would learn how to swim. this was the baby's first time... he loved it, and is a little happy fish! over the weekend, we had a surprise visit from a long lost friend. it's been almost 6 years since we've seen him, but really it was like it had just been yesterday. just like old times. it's funny how some friendships can be that way... timeless and unwavering. it really was wonderful to get caught up and just spend time together. we looked at old photos (we looked so young!), reminisced about ill fated hiking trips, laughed about our doggies from that time, and drank a celebratory and traditional round (or three) of scotch. my oldest son was starstruck and completely enamored by our visitor, which was really so cute. he took this picture during his goodbye photo shoot. with all the support and goodness that has co

my constant companion *this little face smiling up at me *kicking off the necklace project today *being invited to contribute to a shiny new group blog as well as a deliciously bohemian artist's sleepover in vancouver next fall! *my son saying, seriously "sorry i took so long, i was enjoying the art" upon returning from a trip to the bathroom (of all places) *a six month check-up, all gold stars and a whopping 20lbs. 14oz. (no wonder my back kills :) *finally getting in touch with a long lost friend, and making plans for an exciting creative collaboration *making an artist's playdate with leah to go see this inspiring exhibit *working in my new planner pad *writing my artist's interview for madalyn's new ecourse i am going to be featured in (such an honor) *reading harry potter in bed with my 6 year old *sipping yummy wine from my cousin's vinyard *plans with family and friends tomorrow *savoring the latest issue of where women cre

i really enjoyed taking the time to collage this cover for my new planner pad . the soothing greens and pinks (as always) called to me, and i was delighted to see this color theme emerge. combined with little vintage bits of ephemera, some pretty art paper, and inspiring scraps cut from magazines this collage came together quite nicely i think. i wanted to start with a nice clean canvas, so for this i decided to use a blank sheet of sticker paper which ended up working very well. i cut a decorative edge along the binder side and rounded off the other corners to fit nicely over the original cover. i added another plain sheet in the same way to the inside cover to brighten things up and for doodles and notes. i think for the inside back cover i will order a clear pocket to hold all of the little loose things that seem to always find thier way between the pages. i imagine on some cold and snowy day, i will eventually collage the back cover as well as it is such a relaxing way to spend

there is nothing better than starting off the new year with lots of family time, new projects , and a yummy date. yesterday after dropping the boys off at nana and grandpa's (a big treat for them as well), the grown ups got to spend some much needed time together. we ventured out together in the falling snow and explored a brand new asian supermarket hidden away in a small boston suburb... and we found a little slice of (yummy) heaven! the store was overflowing with delicious offerings. both my husband and i share the same love affair with korean food. for me, it must be in my blood as i grew up eating meatloaf and spaghetti, for my hubby, it's the spicy flavorful goodness. if you are not familiar with korean food, you have to try it. it is unlike any other asian cuisine. the abundance of kimchee and banchan that is always served alongside a korean meal makes it especially festive and communal. eating korean style is always a celebration of family and tradition. so at the ma

pink skies of possibility... as i sit and reflect on the past year, simply i'm in awe. in so many aspects of my life there has been beautiful growth... in my family, in my creative life, and in my belief in the possibility of everything. i am overflowing with gratitude. last year saw the arrival of my second son. he has brought so much joy into our lives and every day i stare at him in wonder. also with this little person came an earth shaking shift in my perspective of being a mother, one that really has changed so much about how i think and feel in every way. this evolution has had profound effects on my life as a whole. my spirit grew into spaces that i never new existed, and thus i am a more complete person. in 2009, while embracing the notion of becoming a new mom again i also recommitted to my belief and dreams for the wishstudio . i knew this virtual community had tremendous potential and i also knew i needed to breathe through that space in order to sustain my own cre