Really digging this art by Brian Lotti.   Great little video segment.   PEOPLE: BRIAN LOTTI from Monster Children on Vimeo.

Extreme Beauty. Minnesota Winter.

Moving to Minneapolis, MN from New York City has been an adventure in many ways.   But lately I am (constantly) reminded that we have moved to the land of extreme living.  In the middle of a long hard winter, it's not unusual to have days where the temperature doesn't climb above 0 degrees Fahrenheit.   That's before wind chill is factored in.  This is weather in which you HAVE to wear a hat and gloves or you may have frostbite before you know it.  Well, I've decided to embrace it.  It's HARD CORE winter.    We gear up and face the day.  With warm clothes, hot tea and warm soups it's really not all that bad.  I've discovered the joys of wool socks (as someone who had perpetually cold feet, my feet are no longer cold with those suckers on).  Oh, and my remote starter helps too, especially with my 2 small kiddos.

So it's dangerously cold here sometimes during the winter.   But the snow!  It's absolutely magical.  The extreme cold this time of year keeps it pristine and enchanting.  Once it gets over 25 degrees it gets all slushy and dirty, so extra cold means extra pretty snow.  The light it reflects, oh the light!  The white of the snow reflects so much light that it brightens up the inside of the house to keep the winter gloom at bay.  To my great surprise,  my street (in the city of Minneapolis) regularly has snow packed over it even after plows go by.  So it's white out my window as far as the eye can see.  I love it.  It's beautiful and refreshing and different.  From what I can tell we should expect snow for at least 4 months and it pretty much stays put.

There is something ethereal about winter sunrises and sunsets too.  Perhaps the snow sets them off.

Then there are the lakes - the City of Lakes turns into the City of Frozen Lakes and they sparkle in the sun.  Huge light reflection spaces.   And locals use these frozen lakes for oh so many things: skating, flying kites, cross country skiing (if there is snow), ice fishing.  There is so much to DO because of the snow.

I've spent years living in Chicago, London and New York City.  I never cared all that much for winter in those places, but it never really got cold enough, even in Chicago, to have a real culture surrounding winter.  I'm intrigued as never before by winter and the places, countries and customs that have evolved around it.

Part of me wonders if I'm still new here and the wonder of winter with it's dangerous and beautiful qualities will wear off and I'll tire of it.  But for now, I'm fascinated by this crazy cold place.

Oh, hello blog.  It's been a WHILE.
Some children's book illustration inspiration for today:



Found on: Booooooom