Jennifer Lu

About our blogger: Jennifer Lu

My name is Jennifer Lu. I'm a wife, a mother to my son (10) and daughter (7), and an artist. With the support of my family, and for the sake of my sanity, I pursue many art forms. My creative life blood is medieval calligraphy and illumination, followed closely by bookbinding. I am starting a non-profit organization, Bookmenders, to fix books for schools.

Recently I've begun several string arts like weaving and tatting. I also make clothes and costumes for fun and recreation events.

I've been a nanny, little red riding hood food delivery gal (yes, I wore the red cape), kids karate instructor, receptionist, college student, sales associate and office manager. Now I'm stay at home mom and the last 10 years are just an extension of the previous work experience, no pay but great benefits.

This blog will hopefully serve as a central information hub for the many projects that keep me going, a place to store inspirations, patterns and ideas and share these with others. Thank you for joining the journey with me.

Visit Jennifer Lu @ http://quillcreations.blogspot.com/

Posts by Jennifer Lu:

February 21st, 2012

Artist and Designer

I am an artist! There are days I wake up in the morning, down on myself and this thought perks me up. This quality lay dormant in me until, at 22 years of age, a friend told me “Yes, you can.”

Up until then, art was a mystical thing that, to my mind, one was born with or without the ability to do. Art can and must be learned for the quality to develop. An Artist! Me?! Now, I find joy in seeing the possibilities that lay in random objects, of putting shapes together to create something new and beautiful and uplifting to those around me.

I feel at peace with a pen in my hand, whether doodling or doing calligraphy. It is a pleasure to follow an inspiration where it wants to go, to feel and experience the whim of the muse. No art is ever finished in this way; each is a part of a larger limitless exploration of the world leading me on a path. It is without timeline or destination.

My skills are still new and will continue to develop with time and experience. However, I am an artist. My art is in each moment, selfish and for myself. Read the rest of this entry »

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January 3rd, 2012

Explaining Economy

My boy is nearly 11, which is slightly daunting when his attentive mind starts asking hard questions. Not the birds and bees this time. He wants to know about the economy. This was scarier than ‘the talk.’

As with most of the world, much of the grown up conversation around here has been about money, budgets, and work. My little brain sponge asked last night what happened and why. How could I explain something so big that I don’t even really understand?

Imagine a road winding along the side of a steep rocky cliff. Though only paved with one lane in each direction, some places have wide shoulders, enough for another car, and the ground is fairly smooth. A sign warns against using them for anything other than emergencies. There are more cars on the road than it was designed for, and it frequently has slow traffic. It’s mostly moving…just slow. One day, someone looks at that shoulder and decides to speed things up by driving there. He’s just adding another lane that should be there anyway, he thinks. In a few years, they’ll expand the road… He’s just ahead of his time. He zips past everyone and makes it to his destination in record time. Someone else, seeing his success, follows this example. Then another, then another. Read the rest of this entry »

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December 30th, 2011

Why I killed Santa Claus

http://www.needzo.com/

This year, I got asked a few times, ‘Do your kids still believe in Santa?’ and received quite a few shocked looks to my answer. ‘They never believed.’  What? Why are you stealing the magic of Christmas? What about the wonder and joy of the season? What do you have against Santa?

I’m quite fond of Santa. Here’s how I explained it to my kids: he’s a fun figure who has evolved in our cultural and literary history. He embodies generosity toward children and encourages good behavior. He’s like Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder.

Believe in fairies and dragons and magic. I do with my heart and enjoy suspending reality for a time. Hear the silent bell ring on the polar express and believe. Enjoy the thought of elves making toys and the stories and lessons you can glean from them like we do from Mother Goose rhymes and other fables.

Then, mindful of the phone calls I’d get from parents if they spilled the beans in pre-school, I strongly encouraged them to go along with it. They were in on the secret, but they shouldn’t tell the other children or it would hurt their feelings.

Rob and I are far too logical, and chances were (and have since proven) our kids would be too. So I had a hard time justifying a ‘bait and switch’ for the season. Here’s how the coming out conversation would have gone. Read the rest of this entry »

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November 10th, 2011

Bullying, part 1

Looking for Heroes.
As a survivor of childhood bullying, this is a very sensitive topic to address. We tell our children to be inclusive, ask loner kids to play, make everyone feel included. But what do I tell them when this advice blows up in their face? When befriending the unpopular kid gets them pushed around, called names, and ostracized… When doing what’s right and bravely standing up for others gets them shoved down hard… What is a mom to do?

‘It builds character’, said my mother as she could only helplessly send me back to school.  Now those words are coming out of my mouth. ‘It will make you stronger. It will build character. I’m so sorry, but you have to go.’

But can I do more?

I’m an involved volunteer at several schools and libraries and network with others. Not all this happens at our school, but in the last few years I’ve seen Principals lower their principles to favor the bullies, multiple times and for several reasons. One because they are friends with the parents and want to keep the peace of that relationship. Another because the bully has high test scores and so shows well for the school. Another still wants to be ‘friends’ with all the kids, and so turns the responsibility back to the teachers to deal with and won’t take the hard stance at all - then won’t back up the teachers once they do. There are fewer attendants on the playgrounds, so when the incident goes unseen, fault is assigned based on the evidence of who has the most friends on their side. In my experience in the far field, the bully is usually the one with the most back up. The victims are being put in time out while the offenders learn all the wrong lessons about working the system.

I see kids pressed into silence as mine stand up for the right, alone. Even as my heart aches I am proud of them.  Read the rest of this entry »

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October 31st, 2011

Girl power for Halloween

Halloween is such a sneaky holiday. We’re just catching the new routine, getting things set up…and it jumps out of a dark alleyway to say, “Beee-ware. It’s the start of the holiday season. I will sugar up your children and turn them loose into the nii-iight.”  Which is enough to terrify any parent.

I like Halloween. Any excuse to play dress up is fine by me. The kids have to get their ‘order’ to me by October 1st if they want new costumes.  Mark, now 10, believes he’s too old to go and so has decided to dress as himself and hand out candy. Megan, 7, bounced up to me with How to Train Your Dragon. Yes, she’s going to be Astrid.

Of course, I put off making it until nearly the last minute. That way, Halloween can feel accomplished by striking fear into my heart when I realize the school festival is Thursday.

The cost breakdown…
black leggings and a green t-shirt from goodwill.  $2.50.
brown and silver felt,  $1.50.
plastic canvas $1.00
silver puffy fabric paint $3.00
Fimo clay for skulls- donated

Transforming my daughter into a dragon rider, Priceless

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October 25th, 2011

PTSO Budget Meeting

My job on the PTSO board is as parliamentarian. No, I didn’t know what it was either. It’s my job to read the charter and keep us on track legally and time wise. Yes, I find that extremely funny as well.

I can be pretty shy and slow to warm up to a situation, but after we get going, I’m the worst offender at getting us off on tangents. Susan Holt calls it ADOS…Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny. For example, we got to the line item on t shirts, and I distract the situation by pulling some out of the cupboard to buy some for the kids and I.

The PTSO is a lot about selling. Not necessarily t-shirts, otter pops, and wrapping paper, but the idea of parent and community involvement in the education process. The education system at a whole is struggling. Lack of funding, time, and support limits our very talented teachers trying to grab at 30 live wires in a class room looking for a way to ground them while jumping through bureaucratic hoops and spinning their own personal plates in a corner. The teachers at the school have my full respect. Our job as parents is to support them beyond just making sure our kids are at school. In whatever way is possible to us at the time, teachers need resources, volunteers, and most especially patience.

Parent teacher conferences are coming up. Click here for some tips on successfully getting the most out of that meeting.  Read the rest of this entry »

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October 14th, 2011

Lu

This is a grape. As a child, I often did homework under my Grandmommie Lu’s careful teaching.  For a treat, she set out a bowl of ripe grapes but first showed me how to savor it.  First, you roll it in your fingers and anticipate the taste.  Breathe deeply, slowly enjoying the aroma.  Hold it to your lips to tantalize the taste buds.  Bite off the first half and experience the explosion of flavor. Chew it slowly with your eyes closed, experiencing every sensation it has to offer, both in texture and taste, as it dissolves. Wait a moment, breathing deeply, to remember the taste.  Hold the second half of the grape in your mouth and feel the juices run over your tongue and down your throat.  And so on….

This wasn’t just a way to make her grapes last, but it became a framework for many lessons afterward.  Lu taught me how waiting for the right time with patience makes the reward sweeter.  How to acknowledge my feelings, make room for them, process them and be aware of the feelings of others. To be aware of the many avenues of experience available to the senses.  To be careful of the words that came from my lips and the power of words to hurt or help.  To close my eyes to distractions and focus on goals, whether my own or the path the Lord has for me. To look back of life’s experiences and learn from them.  

Read the rest of this entry »

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September 27th, 2011

Adventures in the Book Fair

The whole of our PTSO board is new this year, which has led to some interesting situations.  We have enthusiasm, a love of our children, and an interest in their education.  I’m the Parliamentarian and became, by interest and default, Book Fair Chair.

The book fair chair sounds like a large over stuffed lounger with good light and a side table stacked with all the new stories to read.  In reality, it was my job to schedule 2-4 volunteers to work the book fair from roughly 8am-4pm for a week. About 70 hours worth.

Finding the volunteers was a whole other adventure. As I said, the board is new.  I had some names but very little contact information for parents available.  It came down to the wire, and stressed our poor librarian, but due to the generosity of parents and grandparents, we made it through the week fully staffed and profitable.

Scholastic Book Fair - Spring 2011

My favorite stories:  A girl who had to choose between buying Dolphin Tale, one of the most popular books of the sale, or something for her little sister. She agonized over the decision but was pleased when she chose her sister.

The kids who donated their pennies to the library.

In between kids coming in, we grown ups had time to laugh, tell stories, and get to know each other.

“You’re Mrs. Mark’s Mom, aren’t you?”

I had to laugh when a 2nd grader made his purchases one item at a time, one after another, when each time he realized that he still had change.  Read the rest of this entry »

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September 12th, 2011

All my ducks in a row

Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey was one of Rob’s favorite childhood books.  He introduced me to it when we were engaged and visiting Boston, where the story takes place.

Once our own children were born, we adopted ducks as a family totum representing the importance of each little chick and how it is up to us to guide, teach, and protect them, and to prepare them for their own time to take flight.

Rob suggested I paint these with so much confidence in my abilities that it inspired me to do so.  I’d never painted a wall mural before, but if he believed in me, then I had better figure it out.

This mini mural I painted on the wall below the kitchen island to test out the technique.  Read the rest of this entry »

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August 19th, 2011

Mark’s tangled words

Mark (10) has a flair for the dramatic.  It is surprising to people who only see him out of the house, as elsewhere he’s shy and reserved.  At school, he’s mostly quiet.  Don’t let that fool you. He’s always thinking, plotting, planning.  When he gets home, I ask…”what did you do today?”

“Stuff,”  he replies.

I’ve grown to dislike that word.

‘Stuff’ is difficult to build on.  “Stuff.  I guess. I don’t know”……it’s like untangling a string.  I have to gently tease it, come at it from another direction, pull at it, turn it over, and keep at it again.

There are times when nothing much comes of this arduous process.

However, sometimes he warms up, and he’s jumping around the couches, acting it out, and talking a mile a minute. Building some world in a video game, whatever he saw that day, a new Lego creation, and this on-going story he’s been imagining falls out of his brain at light speed. It’s wonderful on those days when my patience wins over the stubbornness he inherited from both his parents. In those moments, we connect, and I see how much he’s grown. He lets me into his mind to teach him the values he’ll need to be a responsible adult.

That makes it worth all the effort.

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