Christine Chitnis: September 2012

Detroit...the good, the bad and the beautiful

Detroit often gets a bum rap, but having grown up a mere half-hour outside of the city and having spent many a wonderful days there, I can attest to the fact that it has always been seriously underrated. My mom grew up in the city, and went to school at Wayne State- her familiarity with the area makes her the perfect tour guide. Yesterday, after leaving Vijay with a family friend for the afternoon, I strapped on little Vik and followed my mom around on a whirlwind tour of the city, taking in the good, the bad and the downright beautiful!

First stop; the Guardian Building with its incredible Art Deco interior. We've been told that the rest of the building rivals, if not outshines the lobby, but unfortunately there were no tours being given when we stopped by. The lobby provided plenty of eye-candy in and of itself, wouldn't you agree? From the painted murals, to the arched ceilings and Tiffany double-sided clock, this building is simply breathtaking.

From there, we bundled up against the wind (can you spot the snugly baby?), and headed down to the riverfront, taking in the towering, mirrored buildings, and the Monument to Joe Louis sculpture.

The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy has put some serious effort into turning the river walk into a gorgeous, pedestrian friendly path. To say they have succeeded would be an understatement. There are beautiful sculptures, vibrant gardens, a carousel with an incredible mermaid, and even a wetlands walk. Even on this blustery day, there were bikers, runners, and walkers galore.

After our walk, we jumped back in the car, feeling invigorated, and decided to make a quick stop before lunch. I have heard so much over the years about The Heidelberg Project, which "uses art to provoke thought, promote discussion, inspire action and heal communities." There is an eerie feeling to this particular form of art... turning urban blight, and discarded objects into art...

As we made our way to Mudgie's Deli (Home of Detroit's Best Sandwiches) for lunch, we caught sight of the other side of the city, the one that comes to mind for most people when they hear "Detroit."

Abandoned houses, strewn with garbage and graffiti...

Perhaps the saddest site is the once-magnificent Michigan Central Station, which now sits abandoned and at the mercy of looters, graffiti-artists and scavengers.

But after our delicious lunch, as we headed home, we felt nothing but uplifted and inspired by all of the beauty and life that we saw in so many corners of the city. If you live nearby, or decide to come to Michigan for a visit, don't overlook The Motor City. It's alive and well...despite what you might have heard.

Just us four

As we neared Vikram's due date, I started thinking about who I wanted to capture the first pictures of our soon-to-be little man. It took no more than a second to land on the talented Heidi Murphy of White Loft Studio. She shoots in film, so the quality and light of the images she captures is simply magical. About two weeks after the birth, she came to our home and photographed our little family of four. I love, love, love the way our pictures turned out- they feel very natural, all of us hanging out around the house (albeit a bit more polished and put together than usual), reading, snuggling and laughing. Just me and my boys...

I love how Heidi incorporated black and white shots, as well as little vignettes from around our home, especially our bedroom, and Vik's nursery.

Oh these sweet little boys of mine. How they melt my heart...

First Haircut

We had put it off for as long as we possibly could, but his sweet little baby curls were cascading down his back, and hanging in his eyes. It was time for his first haircut. Luckily, right up the street from my parents is the most charming old fashion barber shop, which has been around since 1949. It was the perfect place for this memorable occasion.

Vijay "helped" comb out his unruly curls before donning an apron (umm- leopard print?) and allowing the barber to get down to business. He held remarkably still the whole time (shocker!), and actually seemed pretty intrigued by the whole process.

It was hard for me to watch his little curls being snipped off, so I busied myself taking way too many pictures!

The only other customer while we were there happened to be a pro baseball player, Jim Miller from the Oakland A's, in town to play the Detroit Tigers. Seriously...what are the odds of that? He was very sweet- and even autographed Vijay's "first haircut" certificate that the barber gave to him to commemorate the occasion! All in all, a successful, special first haircut, and this mama was very relieved to find that his curls still remain. My little baby looks all grown up now...such a handsome little man.

Squam, Quilts and Traveling with Babies

What a whirlwind week it was... on Thursday evening, I packed Vik into his carseat, swung into Boston to grab my friend Beth and together, we all made the journey to Squam so that I could teach my writing class on Friday. We stayed only one night, and I truly missed being able to sink into my time at Squam. By Saturday morning I was on a plane ALONE with the two boys, on my way to Michigan. It was quite a ride...the 1 1/2 hour flight coincided with Vijay's naptime, and so about halfway through he had a major meltdown before falling asleep on my lap. Poor Vik just laid on the seat next to us during the tantrum, and just as Vijay fell asleep, he started fussing. So there I was with Vijay asleep in my lap and Vik asleep on top of him. A family sandwich. What fun.

Needless to say, we made it to Michigan in one piece (barely) and fell into the waiting arms of my family. We are so happy to be here. Many hands do indeed make light work!

*Off topic completely, I am so excited to share this finished quilt. I managed to handstitch the binding while driving to Vermont, and on my way home from Squam, I found the perfect backdrop to photograph the finished product. This one is for the boys- full of fun colors and patterns!

-The fabric is LizzyHouse's Castle Peeps
-The pattern is Kaleidoscopic Kites by Fresh Lemons
-The long-arm quilting was done by Kathy at Stitch by Stitch

Original Art

I have no clue when it comes to 'real, serious' art. I just know what I like, and what speaks to me. When I was writing my book, I had the chance to meet hundreds of artists, and I even got to peek into several of their studios. Some artists stuck out in my mind, one of those being Caryn King. Her light filled studio, attached to her home in gorgeous, rural Vermont, was truly stunning to behold. Her paintings of farm animals are so full of life and color...I knew that one day I would just have to own an original (on that wall above I pretty much want every single painting- especially the sheep in the snowstorm, the little lamb curled in the hay, and the cow against the gorgeous turquoise background...oh and the little square chicken paintings!)

While in Vermont this past weekend, we happened upon the Woodstock Art Festival, and would you guess who was selling her work there? That's right...none other than Caryn. We browsed the paintings of sheep, pigs, roosters and even a moose before settling on this gorgeous painting of a cow. The colors could not be more perfect for our home...I think she painted it just for us!

It now resides in our living room, beside my two beloved original paintings from Janet Hill. Every time little Vijay passes our new painting, he lets out a 'mooo.' And that just makes me love this painting even more!

Vermont

It's impossible not to fall in love with Vermont. There is a serenity, and natural beauty there that soothes the soul. Our weekend visiting this lovely place was just that...a time to relax (as much as possible with our two little ones!), and breath deep.

Not that we didn't keep busy...there were farms to visit, an art fair to peruse, a lovely little town to explore, and plenty of wood-fired pizza on which we feasted. While the 'farm stay' that we were hoping for didn't live up to our expectations (ummm- a few sheep headed off to slaughter does not a farm stay make), we absolutely loved the town nearby. Woodstock has a charming main street with enticing shops, and plenty of great places to eat.

Walking distance from town, there is one of the nicest farms I have yet to visit- Billings Farm. A working dairy farm, Billings is also open to the public, both for tours, and just to wander. The animals are gorgeous, extremely well cared for, and the farm itself is just majestic.

On our second night there, a thunderstorm rolled in across the fields. We watched as the sheets of rain moved up the hill toward where we were staying, and the skies turned a beautiful shade of gray.

Thanks to a big furry friend, and a basket of good ole' fashion wooden blocks, Vijay kept himself entertained as we watched the storm. It was the perfect end to our weekend away. In Vermont, even the rain seems to leave you feeling refreshed and renewed. We returned home with lighter hearts, and a great sense of accomplishment at having made a successful road trip with our two little ones.