April 30, 2008
It's great when ideas come together, when a jumble of thoughts becomes a clear project. And when that clear project leads to an unexpected opportunity to collaborate with another artist, well, that's sure to add an extra skip to your step and put a smile on your face. That's how I felt this morning when Rachel came over with her videocamera. A few shots later, we found ourselves in New Brunswick, New Jersey, taping a winged messenger onto a telephone booth on the train platform. The message reads "call him". Thank you, Rachel, I had fun!
Then it was back home where I found this surprise present from Karen:
Karen knows that I have a tendency to talk myself out of purchasing things, which I did with this book during our outing last week, so she sneakily bought it for me while I was rummaging through a box of old photographs. Sneaky sneaky, Karen! I laughed with delight when I opened the parcel. Plus she added that wonderful John Derian tissue paper...
What a lovely day.


I had Such a great time with you today. I promise next time I see you, I won't put you to work! Thanks for being so generous with your time and your talent. And for your patience with my camera fumbling.
That book looks amazing.
Posted by: Rachel | April 30, 2008 at 06:31 PM
I adore your Winged Messengers. What fun you have been having photographing them...a great project.
How wonderful to have a friend that knows you so well and gives gifts...lucky you.
Posted by: Mo'a | April 30, 2008 at 07:12 PM
i, too, am a Winged Messenger fan!
what a brilliant idea.
i adore the randomness of folks passing by
and wondering...
that part blows me away,
what they are thinking and so on.
:-)
that karen!
she really knows how to gift!
she was spot-on with her book to me.
isn't life grand how things happen?
Posted by: somepinkflowers | April 30, 2008 at 09:56 PM
I somehow missed the posts explaining about your Winged Messages. I think they are great!
Posted by: Jamie | April 30, 2008 at 10:17 PM
I do the same. Talk myself out of things but I linger there forever, "should I, should I not?" I'm awful sometimes but at least I don't just buy everything that catches my eye. I just treated myself to a lovely book filled with beautiful things to make from A-Z. Of course, I eyed it for the last three months and finally bought it because I couldn't stop thinking about it.
What a lovely surprise and so thoughtful. I love giving someone something they had their eye on but didn't get. What a great friend.
Love the winged envelope's message.
Posted by: collette | April 30, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Susanna, I like your life!
So you are like me; I also talk myself out of purchasing things all the time :) I can very well imagine how you felt when you laughing unwrapped this book out of the lovely tissuepaper!
Posted by: o l g a | May 01, 2008 at 05:07 AM
Would you like to put one of your messanger in Stockholm?
If you send one to me I can be your "guestphotographer" for your project and photograph it here in different spots and then have it fly back home to you again.
Posted by: o l g a | May 01, 2008 at 05:13 AM
How sweet of your friend and how thoughtful. Your little winged envelopes are such a magical touch. I loved that it said, "call him".
Posted by: Yoli | May 01, 2008 at 08:28 AM
I think your winged messengers are just brilliant, love how they are being documented flying their messages all over the place!
happy May Day Susanna!
x...x
Posted by: stephanie | May 01, 2008 at 12:23 PM
It is SO cool the way taking action leads to new adventures! Your wings in your dreams came into reality because you listened.
Happy May Day Susanna!
Thanks for trying to help me yesterday.
xo
Constance
Posted by: rochambeau | May 01, 2008 at 01:52 PM
HA!! Oh God Susanna you make me so happy sometimes. I am going straight out to Wally World and buy me a kiddy pool ta'day.
(I am so glad that book was purchased for you because I am lusting after it as we 'speak')
Posted by: teawithdemeter | May 01, 2008 at 02:16 PM
Rachel, that wasn't work at all! I got to hang out with you for a morning and get all creative. Thank you for coming over.
Mo'a, Some Pink Flowers, Jamie, Yoli, Stephanie, and Constance, thanks for the support! I'm going to write a post soon mentioning where I found the inspiration. There are a few people I need to thank.
Collette, I'm glad that you went and bought that book that you have been eyeing for months now. We need to treat ourselves sometimes.
Olga, REALLY?? You'll put up one of my winged messengers up in Stockholm?! That would be so cool! I'll write to you in a minute.
Tea with Demeter, I expect a thank you note from your husband within the week. ;p
Posted by: susanna | May 01, 2008 at 03:28 PM
well...hmmmm....i wish i found that
winged messenger:) :) :)
i am so taken with this project ~ such
sublime pulses your wings ~ the unexpected
surprise and magic of discovery...
and Karen is a dear dear girl and that book
is utterly YOU!!!
:)
Posted by: maddie | May 01, 2008 at 05:32 PM
Hi Susanna,
I am so inspired by your project - I want to try something like this some day.
I can't tell you how many countless times I stood on that very train station platform in New Brunswick - either waiting with anticipation to head into the city to visit my beau at the time, or waiting for him to come visit me. He was a trombonist at Juilliard, and I went to Rutgers - Mason Gross School of the Arts right in New Brunswick. Your photo brought back some nice memories.
Warmly,
Susan
Posted by: Susan Tuttle | May 02, 2008 at 04:21 PM
What a Sweet (sneakysneaky) Friend Karen is !
That book looks so great. I dont know HOW you talked yourself out of it.
And oh yes ! the JD tissue, someone sent me a gob of it too.
I just love it, pet it...smell it. No not really. But yehhh, I do.
It's so perfect.
Anyway...this winged project gets better and better.
I would buy a pack of printed ones and make notes to leave myself....ETSY for You ? I am in line for them ! pack of ten ? No pressure.
Love, S.
Posted by: art Tea Life | May 02, 2008 at 05:12 PM
Love the book
And what a wonderful project!
Posted by: Judy Wilkenfeld | May 09, 2008 at 05:25 PM
I wanted to come back and see this one, and the carnival shots, again. I'm wondering, did you wait for that coachman to come and stand in the shot, or was that just serendipity? Either way, I think he adds a lot. He almost seems spectral to me, like a vistor from 1899 caught in a modern train station. But maybe that's just the way my mind works!
Posted by: Shay | May 12, 2008 at 03:08 PM