SignificantForm Studio

I know I said I wouldn't be posting for awhile, but my holidays are not as crazy as they usually are (praise God!!). Anyway, I recently launched my studio website and wanted to share. Enjoy and visit it often :)

www.significantformstudio.com

A Dulin Update - And Last Post (for awhile)

Happy day-after-Thanksgiving!  We had a lovely QUIET day with Danny, Lauren and me. We did not have to travel. We didn't even cook. Yeah, I ordered the turkey dinner from Harris Teeter. Ordered it from the wrong Harris Teeter and had a moment of "Oh, no....." when I went to pick it up. Anyway, I DID make my yummy cornbread and chesnut dressing. It was so relaxing. NO STRESS! And there was a lot to be thankful for. Early that morning, Danny and I had devotions together and reviewed how much our lives have changed in the last year. Again, lots to be thankful and praise God for.

Well, keeping up with the blog has proved to be low on my priority due to lack of time. Life for us is on a constant ..... what's the word?.... We are in a constant state of experiencing life :)  Our lives are so full ---- full of many good things and it bums me out that I don't have time to record it for myself (not so much for any of you!!! :P )

So here is one last post for awhile......

THE BITTY. (1996-2011). Well, we had reached our limit. She was losing lots of weight and continuing to urinate in places not designated as "catbox" and we just could not deal with her smelling up our house any longer. In the end she was confined to the basement, but mostly to the storage room. What kind of life is that?

Danny bravely made the decision to put her down (last week) and after feeling the relief of finally being rid of her, I am a little sad. I will never get another cat. And I am more happy she is gone than not simply because she had pushed us to our limit and that was 2 years ago and yet I kept hoping she would change her ways. She was a great cat for the first 10 years of her life. But then she was a serious and expensive burden and ...... ahhhhh..... after serious bleaching and cleaning, the basement smells clean! 

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LAUREN turned 20 on November 19. I don't even know what to say, except that every year I am in a state of shock that she is this old. I told her, "Welcome to your 3rd decade." Again, I am so freaked out that I've been a mother for 20 years. Oh... to redo so many of those years. But a post for another time (as if).

She chose to come home for the weekend. We had fun family time, sushi Friday night, birthday brunch on Saturday, and then she had a poetry slam in Durham that night. We went to the slam and she was awesome! If you've never been to a poetry slam, its a ton of fun. Of course you have to be forewarned about the content you might hear. But the Dulins love the arts and love to show our support of it in our community.

Lauren performed a clever and witty poem about her period. Many of you ladies out there, would have appreciated it :)  She has grown a tremendous amount as a poetry performer, but was no match for a seasoned group of more mature women who have been doing this for years. So, it was a huge step out of her comfort zone to perform in this venue and we could not have been more proud of her.

She is a completely different woman then I was at 20 and yet there ARE similarities. I'm not the mother I should've, could've, wish I'd be and she is not the daughter I expected her to be. I am grateful and ultimately, she is exactly who God has created her to be and He in His strange sovereignty gave Lauren ME to be her mom.

BTW, Michael turns 20 December 11 so Danny will have his moment of "I can't believe my son is no longer a teenager" moment....

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DANNY continues to focus most of his time on his studies with his seminary class. He is doing well .... A's left and right on exams and papers! Good job Dulin! He has been very disciplined in reading and regurgitating what he's reading to me. I've (we've) decided John Calvin and Martin Luther were lunatics. Who knew!! But we will still keep some of their theology they developed :)

He has one last exam early December and then will be finished. He will take another class in the spring, possibly 2 classes. But he's still making plans to take us back to Guatemala...... Aye caramba!

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JASPER continues to grow. Grow on my nerves too. I like to look into his pretty little eyes and say, "You are such a good boy! Except for when YOU ARE NOT!"
He is seriously looking more like a dog and less like a puppy. He has not destroyed anything in the house except for every single one of his toys. That dog can chew through ANYTHING made for dogs. And momma don't buy cheap dog toys! He is also a serious snorer. He snores louder than Danny.

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And JACQUELINE. My husband decided that my painting was important. He decided that I deserved a studio of my own and one where I could take Jasper and he could hang out in to study while I painted. So, I moved out of the first little studio I was suppose to share with the other artist and am now in a space we have affectionately called "Our city pad."

I am painting full-time. There are days I spend 8+ hours there. Someone pinch me because I'm sure my husband might be misguided and figure out I have done nothing to deserve this. But as my sweet friend wisely said, "We don't do anything to deserve God's blessing. We are blessed because of Him, not because of us."

I have spent my entire life putting my art last, or being grateful for the other ways God has provided for me regarding a creative outlet like my design career and work in museums. Life just isn't fair. Its not fair I have the husband of my dreams who has given me the studio of my dreams. How wonderful, wonderful life isn't fair and that God is the one in control.

We eat meals there, we make coffee there, we are becoming a part of this downtown community in the heart of the city because of it. Artists, they are a special group. (Do I hear an "Amen!" from my fellow artists friends in Bowen Island?). My prayer is our (yes, its Danny's too) studio and my art will be more than just about me. God has blessed me, how will I be obedient and intentional about blessing others with all this? I confess, I have no idea what that looks like.

I won't be completely silent. (We know that is not possible!) I will be here now and then. Please continue to keep in touch via email.  Jakwalin@gmail.com

I'm at 22 Glenwood Ave, Studio #8. Its SignificantForm Studio. Stop by... :)

Here are pics of the studio

Guatemala Trip :: Part 2 :: The Video

One of our team mates, Stewart is a professional photographer/videographer. It was his job to do just that. I was often taking pictures of him because he was never in the pics and I would say, "Trust me, your wife will thank me later!"

Here is a video Stewart put together for Barcroft Bible. For those of you McLean people, guess which one is Rachel Miller (Brijet's daughter)!

Click here to see video (about 5 min -- takes a little time to load)