July and Eulalie Banks

Happy July! Where did the month of June go? July promises to be a busy month for the Colantino family. Right after the 4th of July, Jimmy and I have another Expo Antique and Collectible show. We are in the process of sorting, choosing, cleaning, pricing and getting things ready now. We pack for the show in about a week! Of course, we can't forget Otto's first birthday on the 25th!

I woke up before 5 AM this morning after a restless and warm night. I was having bad dreams off and on and our summer East wind is here today. Things were blowing and banging in the backyard already.

It promises to be a HOT day to welcome in July....near 100 degrees. I will have to water more than once as the wind just parches the plants. The warm sun should speed up Jimmy's tomatoes and ripen the blueberries.

Summer means time at the Oregon coast if you can squeeze a trip or two in. Do you like to go to the beach? Summer means lots of time to play when you are a child. I hope kids will get time to play outside. I think it's sad that kids just don't get out like we did when we were little.

Have you enjoyed these illustrations? Isn't the art just charming? Yesterday, I was listing a few delightful children's books I had picked up at an Estate sale and I was doing a bit of research on them. The illustrator is Eulalie Banks. I had never heard of her but this is another woman illustrator that I know I have seen her work. She had a very long life~1895 to 1999~and illustrated so many books. She was quite an artist and even did murals. She was born in England, but spent a great deal of her life in the USA. Sadly, she was not always paid well for her beautiful work. This seems to be a common story with women illustrators in the past. These are the books that I listed. I'm not sure I want to sell them now! I love children's lit and the artwork that accompanies these books.

I found this picture of Eulalie that was taken in 1978. A very talented lady. I wonder if she kept her British accent.

When you start reading about her and looking at her work, this book will always come up. A very fun book to own!

When I was a little girl, my mom read us a bedtime story every night. I think we had this book! It was one of my favorites and I still love this collection by Robert Louis Stevenson. I can still see some of the illustrations in my head. I think I need to find this book too! Oh goodness, look what has happened again! One of my favorite classes in college when I was studying to be a primary school teacher was CHILDREN'S LIT. I'm not sure what I loved more~the stories or the artwork.

Enjoy the month of July and all the summer fun it brings! Stay cool. I think it's time for ice tea now.