Attachment Mama

Posts Tagged ‘Hideout Studios’

Mama the Word is Love…

By Monica Cravotta | Published: Saturday, April 17, 2010

…You’ve got to believe me
Cuz heaven above is right here and now
And if your fists clench too tightly
You can’t hold the world no how….

Libby Kirkpatrick

These are lyrics from Libby’s masterpiece song “Mama” on the Sweet Songs album….officially coming to life on Mother’s Day. I cried when I heard this song for the first time in the studio. I’ve heard it at least 30 times since and I’m still moved every time. Take a listen here: Mama

I’d like to share “the inside story of” Sweet Songs and I’m so close to it that I’m having trouble coming up with the words. This project is so close to my heart. And like childbirth, it has been both beautiful and difficult. I’m now beginning the transition from months of contractions to finally pushing it out to share with the world. And I wonder if I’ll be better equipped emotionally (fists less clenched?) to write about this after the album is born. Here’s the basics though:

For those of you that don’t know about my labor of love, Sweet Songs is an album of children’s music that was recorded at Hideout Studios — the world-class recording studio my husband had built that sits in our backyard. Eight singer-songwriter women from Austin, including me, contributed songs to the album. Most of us are moms; all of us love children: Libby Kirkpatrick, Sarah Sharp, Noëlle Hampton, Elizabeth McQueen, Gretchen Janzow, Elizabeth Suggs Mary Londos and Monica Cravotta. Texas State Musician of the Year for 2010, Sara Hickman, creatively led our recordings as producer.

Back row: Noelle Hampton, Sara Hickman, Libby Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth McQueen and baby Lisel Blossom; Front row: Andre Moran (our amazing engineer), Me and baby Izaroo, and Sarah Sharp

We are giving 100% of the CD’s profits to our local milk bank: The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin.

You can read more about Sweet Songs: Music for Families and hear music clips on our new web site (YAY!) courtesy of Websy Daisy at austinsweetsongs.com.

The painting on our cover art that you see here is by Andrea Burden, the magically gifted artist (designer of Attachment Mama banner) and friend of mine who died unexpectedly in December. I love that we are able to honor her memory through this album thanks to the incredible graphic art work of my very dear friend, Cheryl Mills. She has been helping me tirelessly for the last few months on everything from sponsor invitations and web site design to CD cover and liner note art, posters and thank you notes — all while maintaining her full-time job. Bless her.

Mamas in the Austin area, please join us with your families on Mother’s Day at Big Red Sun for brunch and a live performance of our Sweet Songs. We will be celebrating the release of our album, advocating for mothers’ milk and honoring motherhood. Tickets on sale now at austinsweetsongs.com.

Also watch for stories on the album coming up in the May issues of Austin Monthly, Austin Woman, Austin Family and ParentWise.

P.S. Thanks so much for sticking with me — I know my posts have been few and far between the last two weeks. I’ve needed to dedicate every spare waking hour (while my Tinies were either cared for or sleeping) working on completing and promoting Sweet Songs and organizing our Mother’s Day event. Now that I thankfully have an Event Coordinator Sponsor, Event Envy (YIPPEE!) and support on the media outreach front from Jo Rae and Hard Pressed Publicity, I’ll be able to nurture Attachment Mama again more regularly very soon. xxoooxxxxoooo

Posted in Andrea Burden, Music | No Comments

One Mama’s Trash Dance

By Monica Cravotta | Published: Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I hear the trash truck when it approaches our block every Tuesday morning. Yesterday it came and went without our garbage because dear Mark, our Chief Trash-Removal Officer, was out of town and I couldn’t make it happen while getting our Littles ready for the preschool schlep. Looking at our 3/4 full recycling bin and knowing that we won’t see the recycling truck for another 2 weeks was a solid “Oh Dear” moment.

Some mornings, it’s a wonder if we all get out the door with both hair and teeth brushed (the girls and me that is) — let alone take care of a significant chore like collecting trash from around the house and taking bins out to the curb.

Man, I so look forward to the day when my husband no longer says, “You don’t need a shower, you took one yesterday.” Or worse, when I haven’t had time for a shower in two days and pony tails can no longer hide the grease, and he says, “You look fine!” It’s such a drag that he’s used to seeing me this way. I’m envisioning a time that I hope isn’t in the too distant future when I’m actually able to fully groom myself daily and have him and everyone else see this as my status quo and are surprised instead when they see me looking frumpy and unkempt.

When I choose a topic like trash or laundry to write about and read my post after-the-fact, my inner voice says things like, “JEEZ your life is is so mundane — can’t you find something more interesting to write about?” And I wonder if I’m not one of those “pathetic” women that some jerk-bird blog commenter recently described when applauding the recent NY Times article on Mommy Bloggers. (more…)

Posted in Mama Self Expression | 2 Comments

Every Mama Has Her Juggling Act

By Monica Cravotta | Published: Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I’d like to say that all our moments are sweet and easy like my last post. But not really. How boring would that be?

In our family, we’ve got the full range of light and dark, happy and sad, and everything in between. Overall, I’m realizing that regardless of our emotions, an overarching theme in our home involves a fairly intense amount of multi-tasking.

We’re managing three businesses: our backyard recording studio, Hideout Studios; my husband’s interior design business, Cravotta Studios; and my consulting business, Bolder Communications. And I’m working to maintain this Attachment Mama blog and produce the Sweet Songs Children’s Album due to release in 9 weeks.

We’re attempting all this while desiring to be highly conscious in the way we care for our two little angels, ages 3 1/2 and 1 1/2.

My consulting business has been mostly on-the-side since motherhood began for me a little over three years ago, with minimal project work here and there — until two weeks ago. My new freelance work is turning out to be between 20 and 25 hours/week, but I’m choosing to have our baby-sitter for 30 hours/week so I have time to get organized and focused each day — the latter of which has been extremely challenging for me. I discovered that being with baby and toddler most hours of the day I live in a perpetual state of ADD that is hard for me to shake loose.

Holy moses….all I can say is I’m experiencing a new level of tired.

I’m generally one of those people that truly loves to have a lot going on. I feel more alive, more purposeful…more connected to the world around me. And all the balls that I toss in the air float up and down and around and energy is pumping and I feel connected to the Divine and life is good and then somebody throws in a few clubs. I think, “OK- Bring it! A new challenge!” I’m thrown off my game a bit, but I keep tossing everything around. Then somebody throws in a few flaming torches.

And then I get into a bit of high-stress downward spiraling…wondering how I got into this act when I don’t even know how to juggle. (more…)