meredith cutler :: arts marketing :: artist

Mi dispiace! In my excitement to remove myself to locations more favorable, I neglected to mention that I am off to "bella Roma" with mio marito for our long overdue honeymoon (and second half of the wedding, if you will).

Il tempo è fresco, e siamo contenti di stare qui. (The weather is cool, and we are happy to be here).

As I am writing this on my father-in-law's (il mio suocero) kooky Italian laptop, I cannot yet figure out how to post photos (or easily punctuate, mind you). When I get this sorted out I'll be sure to share some of my Roma art, design and food adventures right here.

Stay cool ragazzi! Alla prossima volta!

It's a rainy, slow Sunday, made ever more so by the brakes of waiting; a delivery appointment for our long coveted Tempurpedic bed scheduled to arrive between 1pm-5pm. With our doors removed from their hinges and furniture carefully pushed aside, there is nothing more to do except stew in anticipation.

Time for a good read, and while in house-mode, an errant pile of documents reveals a treasure: my long-deceased grandfather's hand-written auto-biography, "Poor Little Me", penned politely in March of 1926, when he was just fourteen years old. Having re-read it for the first time since my own adolescence, I finally realize its true value. I never knew Grandpa Henry, he died when my own father was only 10 years old.

It's a sweet, genuine read, a true time-capsule, revealing a boy who aspired to become a mechanical engineer or draftsman; with a special ambition to design airplane engines in what he predicted to be known as "the motor age". I have decided I should at least make an attempt to adapt the carefully pencilled script into an illustrated book format. After all, Henry wondered aloud whether "an autobiography of a fourteen year old boy would sell as well [as that] of one of our famous men?"

Art has finally slept...I had to slow it down a bit this week, given that my domestic unit has obtained the mysterious, mid-spring flu (plague). After a solid week of summer weather (the devil's trickery), the sky transitioned to cold, miserable rain for two days straight. With it pounding on my skylight, I awoke early yesterday morning with my bones rattling with fever and the evil one climbing out of my stomach. (Sadly, because of "once sick, never again" rules, it will be a cold day in hell before I am able to enjoy my husband's mushroom risotto.)

The truly "sick" thing about a household stricken is the dilemma: who will care for the ill if all are indisposed? Maybe this guy can help, he seems to be parked on the emergency defibrillator...

Above: "Bunny": First Aid Station, East Side/Mt. Hope YMCA, Providence, RI

Some might call them the terrible twos, but I think that two is company. I also believe in: "take two of these and call me in the morning!" Okay, the truth is that today is not only our 2 month wedding anniversary, but also the 2 year anniversary of our first date. (Awww). I realize that I am pushing the boundaries of cheese here, but the coincidence seemed both auspicious and short-lived, so I'll get to the point and declare that "today's posting is brought to you by the number 2."

Photo Credit: Folk Artist Alan Moore: Counting With Numbers - 2 Question Mark

Photo Credit: Cat Bishop: Clock Couple - 8"x10" Photo Print

Anyone with eyes, ears and a wallet knows that these days are lean days here in the good ol' U.S.A. As a veteran of art school, student loans, freelancing, layoffs and studio life, I have seen my share of these times through (with nary a scar on my credit rating, I might add). Although our current economic climate can be a bit anxiety provoking, in a way I welcome the familiar challenge of tightening the belt. It reminds me how to prioritize, how to edit and how to live as well as I can at all times. The secret? The above three points are key ingredients to a successful life.

As a blushing newlywed, I find myself in charge of our household finances, as well as much (though not all!) of the meal planning. Good thing, too: I have plenty of experience in budgeting, from my nitty-gritty basement arts collaborative days to a 500K corporate trade show budget…you could say I know my way around a spreadsheet (just adjust the zeroes to get where we are right about now :).

My lovely mother recently sent an insightful email on Peter Menzel's photo documentary Hungry Planet, which highlights families around the world, depicting all household members alongside their weekly grocery purchases, and noting the amount spent (both in local currency and U.S. dollars). I found this book simply fascinating, and given the far reaching economic, ecological and health implications of our “weekly bread”, felt inspired to add to the project.

Unfortunately, my better half has been burning the night oil as of late, and I assumed the role of photographer, so we are not depicted alongside our haul.  Needless to say, we are a household of two (alas, no children or pets!)

As you can see, we keep a vegetarian house, and it is my goal to keep our menu full of as many whole foods as possible. And folks...if you have to buy pasta (which you do if your husband is from Italy), buy DeCecco.

Total amount spent: $110.73*
*Includes $0.15 credit for bringing our own, reusable grocery bags!