the flying pencil

2010-10-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Stu-Stu-Studio!*

2009-07-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

As I write this, I am sitting in my newly rented studio space. It feels like a huge step for me as it is something I have dreamed about for so long. I've always made due with carving out spaces inside my house, so this is all feeling kind of foreign to me. Right now I feel like I am in my own teeny tiny clubhouse. This morning I moved my favorite chair out of our current home office, and a desk that was sitting in our garage. Within one hour of leaving our house I'd moved everything into my little 8 x 12 room, situated my desk in front of the huge window, cleaned the space, sat down and plugged in. It may be the fastest move-in on record, at least it feels that way right now.

From my little hideaway I look into an inner courtyard. I can see the studios across from me and above two big trees sway in the breeze. I've got a good view of the sky too, and have already spotted a few float planes overhead. I think I'll like it here.

It is hard to describe the mind-shift I experience when I walk into this room. I love that I have the choice to do my work anywhere, but this is like nothing I've had before. I took a hint from one of my heroes, Dick Proenneke and am thinking of this like my own little Twin Lakes. No internet, no phone, no email. The no internet is a biggie. Not only will it save me some hard earned money, but I am going to be very interested to see how much work and play I get done without the distraction of my email, facebook, blogs, pandora, or the like. I'm grateful for all the ways we have to connect, but they are so compelling that they sometimes pull me away from what it is I want to do, say, or make. Dis-connection is not such a bad thing; it is my own version of being "Alone in the Wilderness".

The fun stuff will have to wait a bit; the decorating and personalizing of this space. I'm currently so swamped with projects I can't even let myself stop to do that. A little delayed gratification never hurt, and will serve as good incentive to get my work done. In the meantime, I'm just going to get a feel for my space so I can make it exactly what I want. And I'm kind of enjoying the minimalist feeling of the room, feels like such a blank slate. So, time to put my money where my mouth is and get to the business at hand.

*Thanks to my (talented) pal, M!ke for inspiring the title of this post. I think Phil Collins really, really, should have written the song as "Stu-Stu-Studio", not that other one.

busy, busy, busy...

2009-07-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

Things are wild here. I heard this song on the Swing Years last night and thought..."hey, that sounds like the soundtrack to my life right now." The maniacal laughter at the end really sums it up.

More soon, I promise!

The Past Few Months at The Flying Pencil

2009-05-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry dear readers, for making you wonder where I've been all these months. It has been a hectic time for me both personally and professionally and I've been doing a little refocusing on the big question of "what I want to do right now". I've got some new direction now, and some very exciting new big ole plans, and you'll be the first to hear about them.

After a whole year of focusing on client driven work, I've realized that I really need a chance to get back to making art for the sake of just making it. For me, being freely creative is like I really important muscle that I need to exercise regularly. I've come to learn that when it atrophies, it ain't pretty. I get cranky and feel listless, my body even sends me signs that I'm not listening to myself (hello IBS, I hear you) and I am just no fun to be around. So, instead of thinking first and foremost about how I can bring home the creative bacon I've decided to work backwards, by really defining what I want to DO and then see how I can make money doing that. Luckily I have a huge support network around me to make this all happen, and it is pretty exciting. That's about all I can say about it now, so stay tuned!

Off The Hook
My dear friend is having a baby soon. And, I have been asked to be at the birth. This is really exciting for me, and a real honor. I wanted to make something special for the new little bundle and I wanted to exercise my new found love of crochet. Yes, that's right I said it: cro-to-the-chet. Notice: I am officially moving to Geriatric-ville. Bust out the granny panties! I do love how fast crochet is and the number of wacky stitches you can create. Plus, as one of the World's Slowest Knitters, I needed to add to my repertoire. This blanket was crocheted in Red Heart Soft yarn (it had to be machine washable and dry-able). I found the pattern in a book I checked out at the local library.

Food For Thought
In March we traveled to Arizona, oh Arizona how I love you and miss you. I filled myself with delicious tamales from The Tamale Store at every opportunity I was given. One of my life goals is to learn how to make tamales. I also ate some super duper delicious pulled pork tacos. Here is a recipe I plan to try to recreate them.

TV Moment
In the season finale of SNL Will Ferrel and company brought back my favorite sketch of the Lawerence Welk Show. I can't tell you how much I love that they are helping me revisit my childhood in this way. For those of you who don't know, I was forced to watch Welk with my grandparents when ever we saw them on the weekends (which was a lot). In my head I was always wishing something like this would happen.

Picture Pages
I've been drawing again! Each night when my little kiddo goes to bed I've been putting on my headphones and drawing for at least an hour. No questions, no goal, just keep the pen moving. The first few nights it was hard. I felt really rusty and unsure. But now I look forward to this time with my pens and paper, just getting back to what I love to do.

Can't be without
Drawing, my black pen collection, big pieces of paper, sweet iced coffee.

From my camera
Here are a few favorite shots from my trip to Arizona, where it was spring in March and snowing back at my place. I couldn't get enough of it.

In My Ears
Ohhh, it has been a long long time since I have added music to my playlist. A few tunes that I have been groovin' to are: Electric Feel by MGMT, makes me feel like going out dancing, and I like the idea of 'shocking someone like an electric eel'. 'The Way I Are' has been around awhile I know, but it also makes me feel like busting out my dancing shoes. 'This Tornado Loves You' kind of sums up how my last few months have been, and I just love Neko Case's voice and the lyrics of this song. "Reptile" by The Church is a throwback from my high school days, but it still kicks. "Amsterdam" is kind of funky, but I've been missing my second home so this song reminds me of those aimless days I spent wandering the canal streets, riding trams, and eating licorice. "Blue Ridge Mountains" by Fleet Foxes is a song I could listen to over and over, I mean come on! Those voices and the harmony are amazing it is hard for me to pick a favorite song by these guys. And here is another one from Sun Kil Moon "Truckers Atlas".

Illustration Friday: Clandestine

2009-01-01T11:46:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year all! This week's topic on Illustration Friday is "clandestine". I love this word,and there were so many ideas I had when thinking about illustrating something for this topic.

I couldn't help but think of spies, and all the gadgets that spies use (ok, maybe the kind of gadgets little kid spies might use). As a kid I fancied myself a bit of a neighborhood spy. I had a notebook where I kept notes and drawings regarding the comings and goings of the rather geriatric crowd on my street. The gutsiest I ever got was peeking in the window at the neighborhood widow I code named "George Washington" due to her pure white bouffant hairdo that reminded me for some reason of our first president. Go figure. I was determined to have an eye witness account of her styling methodoligies. If I'd had a pair of these x-ray glasses I wouldn't have had to go peeping into her window.

I've also been thinking a lot about WPA posters, and old advertisements from that era. I just wanted to play around with that look a bit here. The invention of x ray specs of the novelty variety is attributed to Harold Von Braunhut, who also invented Amazing Sea Monkeys.

Month in review: Decemb-rrrrrrrrr

2008-12-26T23:26:00.000-08:00

In my part of the country we had an exceptionally cold and snowy Decemb-rrrrr. My city isn't used to any snow at all so when we get some, the whole place falls apart. Roads close, stores run out of milk and eggs, people don't leave their houses for days on end. Our local weather reporters go nutty, working people into a thick and delicate froth before such storms hit. I got stuck in a large one-stop shop on the eve of the snowstorm. I was trapped in line for nearly an hour behind a couple with 20 loaves of bread and 10 gallons of milk, "stocking up". People ate their dinner in line fresh out of their shopping carts, talked on their cell phones, and caught up (as I did) on all the tabloids and crazy cookie recipes in Woman's Day and Martha and everything in between.

I haven't been out of the house since, and that was about 10 days ago. As I write this, I have about 12-14 inches of snow at my house and that's a record breaker in these parts. Our roads are a mess, and we can't even get out of our driveway. I'm slowly feeling the effects of Cabin Fever set in, and it is not pretty.

On my plate. Being trapped inside has its advantages, I suppose. I baked my little heart out the week before Christmas. I think I averaged one baked good per day. Just today (as I was baking scones) my measuring spoon scraped the bottom of my baking powder tin, which was new about 2 months ago.First up were the delicious Outrageous Chocolate Cookies from Everyday Food (pictured above)

Next were Almond Macaroons from the Martha Cookie Book.

Then I made Nordy Bars, my mom's recipe. These are a throwback to my teen years. Nordstrom department stores used to sell these (although I don't remember where since they didn't have espresso stands back in the day). But I'm wondering if they will ever bring them back? They are so freaking good. The kind of cookie that tastes better about a day after you bake them. They contain butterscotch chips, a stick of butter, chocolate chips, and marshmallows, just to give you an idea of their goey goodness. You can find the recipe here. My mom's version uses 1 3/4 C flour rather than the 1 1/2 listed here. Things that were baked this month that didn't get photographed? Oatmeal Cookies, New York Cheese Cake, Apple Pie, and a terrible batch of cornbread.

Font of the Month: I purchased Anisette by A.M. Cassandre. I love this font, it is so bold and has a lot of fun ligatures to play with. Plus, as a lover of anise (the spice), I just couldn't resist it based on its name. I'm hoping to use it in some upcoming poster projects.

On the Needles: Still working on my Flair sweater. Knitting in the round is awesome, but I'm getting kinda bored, I have to admit. 100 plus stitches in stockinette stitch over and over and over paired with cabin fever is just not a good thing. Hopefully I'll finish the sweater before next fall. In the meantime, I've started (and dare I say nearly finished) a project for a dear friend of mine. I can't show it yet, but am feeling very satisfied with it so far.

In My Ears: I'm so sad that Mixwit is going away. I just loved those little vintage tape graphics. Sad! So, I'm back to updating my playlist. Not a bad thing, just not as cute!

"Not Even Jail" is a fitting song for my housebound state this week. I like its dark, pop sound and these lyrics "Remember take hold of your time here / Give some meanings to the means / To your end". "Carry Me Ohio" is a song that reminds me of warm, lazy summer days that seem so long gone now. "Blue Eyes" is just a simple tune that you could sing to anyone you love, and they'd probably think you were pretty sweet. "Nite and Fog" is what it looks like outside my window most recently. I really like Jose Gonzales' acoustic guitar and voice, and this song is one of my faves.

Shop Talk: Snow and Sales

2008-12-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. It has been a wonderful and wild introduction to the world of Etsy these past few weeks. I had 4 sales over at Pixel & Post which was very exciting, and I'd like to thank all my dear friends and family who let me design their Holiday cards this year.

Sadly, many of my friends are still waiting to receive their cards due to a big ole snow storm that dumped record amounts of snow on my part of the world. Their holiday greetings are sitting somewhere in the city waiting to be delivered as soon as the roads clear up (there are currently people skiing, sledding and snowshoeing along our city streets). So, next year I'll have my holiday designs up earlier (maybe in the first part of November) so we can avoid any lateness due to weather problems.

The week before the snow storm hit, my family and I were housebound due to a really gross cold and flu virus. Then the snow hit, and we've been indoors going on 3 weeks now. Surprisingly Cabin Fever has not yet set in. But this has allowed me some time to regroup and consider what my next move will be for Pixel & Post. I'm feeling the need to really focus on getting my prices down while keeping quality high. It is going to be a bit of a challenge but I think it is important in times like these.

Stay tuned! And have a great Christmas Holiday.

Illustration Friday: Balloon

2008-12-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

After a long absence, I'm back to participating in Illustration Friday! Things have just been too wild and wacky these past few months to get it together, but I'm back! This week's topic was 'balloon'. Hot air balloons seem so 70s to me. I remember them as decor in my friend's room, printed on flour tins in people's kitchens and as bathroom wall paper. As thought a little more about the 70s and the word balloon, that wacky 70s tune from the group 5th Dimension started playing in my head. "Up! Up and away in my beautiful, my beautiful ba-loooooooon! Ba-looooon!" Can't you just hear it?

I'm going to be using Illustration Friday as a tool to get some spontaneous art making ideas, so this little number is now available as a limited edition giclee print at my shop! Get yours here!

Months in Review: October & November

2008-12-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

Last time I posted it was election night eve. The pure shock and happiness of that night kind of sent me into a few weeks of being speechless. In my suburban neighborhood the night ended with horns honking, distant 'whooo-hoos', fireworks, and me crying happy tears into a glass of merlot. I'll never forget it. I think I'm recovered now, still a little in shock, but ready to start posting again nevertheless. The last two months have been, well, guess what? Busy. I should really find other words to describe my life, lets see: swamped, up to my neck, busy as a bee? Yes, those sound much more interesting don't they? The great news is that all this busy as a bee-ness got my etsy site up and running (that's one of my cards, above). I'm super proud that I have some cards out in the world, it has been such a long road with so many detours that I'm just pleased as punch to finally be on my way. Here's a recap of the past two months in Flying Pencil land.

Greatest Free Find
Never, ever did I think I'd be singing the praises of the US Postal Service on my blog. I repeat: never. I'm generally, and probably unfairly annoyed with the USPS. Even though I have had a handful of pleasant experiences within many of the post offices in my town, I've had a mail-truck full of irritating ones. Like last time I was in, there was only one clerk open and I got stuck behind a grump wanting to look at ALL the stamp choices before buying theirs, and then complaining that all the choices are "too boring" and getting mad. But things are looking up for me and the USPS, because I found out that they will give you free boxes, and deliver them to your house. I found this little tidbit out while waiting in line behind Mrs. Grumpypants (thank you very much). I came home, went online, and ordered up some free shipping supplies for Pixel & Post. About a week later our very friendly postman delivered a stack for lovely priority mail boxes, and mail tubes to my door. Simple. Free. So cool! Now if mailing them could be as simple....

Flashback Moment
In November I had the chance to go 'teach/college-kid sit' for a silkscreen class at my art skool alma matter. You know that feeling you get if you ever have the chance to visit your grade school as an adult? I found out you get that same feeling when you visit the art studio you spent the majority of your 20's in. The smell of the ink, the creak of the studio door, the sound of one my favorite professors whistling as he walked down the hall, tea from the art school cafe where I used to work (and serve up espresso with complimentary dollups of attitude and sometimes a hand puppet). It all made me feel incredibly happy, completely nostalgic, and just a tad bit old. It was wonderful, and it made me want to make art again just for the heck of it.

In My Ears:
I'm going to break away from the playlist format for this post and tell you about my new time-waster: Mixwit. It is a free online service that allows you to make virtual 'mixed tapes' to email to friends or post to your blog. I think the interface is so darn cute, I just had to use it here and may continue. I love Sufijan Stevens. I wanted to post a newer track here, but this one will have to do "They Are Night Zombies! They Are Neighbors!" reminds me of my weird neighbors who had a zombie head on a stick poking out of their over groomed boxwood during the Halloween season, looming over their praying Madonna statue. Yikes. "The Cedar Room" by Doves starts out sounding like a weird electric train, but then rocks out. I love the sound. "Break Your Mama's Back" has a laid back synthesizer bit that is very danceable. "Revelry" by Sea Ray has been on my favorites list for some time now. And I think "Tendency" by Battle is probably one of the more rockin' songs I've heard in a long, long time. Crank it up!

Vote!

2008-11-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Months in Review: August & September

2008-10-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hello, sad, neglected blog. Is anyone reading this anymore? I can only hope. I feel like I should rename this "Miss J's Busy-Blog". Because I'm just too busy to update it very often. So what did I do? I went started another blog. Uhm, yeah..when you can't 'keep up' with your original blog, what should you do? Start another one! Haha. Here's the deal...soon, I'll be launching my line of printed goods on Etsy, and I wanted a blog to document that process. The name of my little biz is Pixel & Post. You can find it over there to the right in my links. I'm not sure how I'm going to merge these two blogs, or if that is even what I want to do. But for now all my personal stuff will live here on the Flying Pencil and business stuff will live on Pixel & Post.

Off the needles

I finally finished this sweater for the adorable Mister E. E is the firstborn of our good friends. He's an absolutely gorgeous little guy, and looks like he is also going to be one tall drink of water (with a daddy over 6'5" it is really no surprise). He's only 8 weeks old and is already sporting 3 month size clothes. I started the sweater with hopes of giving it to E's momma at her baby shower (which was in June), but it didn't get done in time. My next goal was to have it done when he was born...and that didn't happen either. I was knitting furiously on a trip back from the coast (in the passenger seat) on the day he was born. Finally I finished it, and luckily it fits him still.

After one of my knitted creations for my little one got ruined when it got thrown in the dryer (by ME of all people), I decided to try knitting in acrylic that could be thrown in the washer and the dryer. I know......gasp, choke, horror of all horrors...acrylic yarn. But seriously, the stuff they make today is way nicer than that scratchy stuff your granny knit with. I used Vanna's Choice yarn Who knew Vanna was so into yarn? Anyhoo, I like this stuff. It is soft, washes up beautifully and comes in super neat colors. I'm even knitting a sweater for myself with it. I still love me some fancy yarns, but there is something to be said for knitting yourself an entire sweater for under 30 buckaroos. I used this free Knitting Pure and Simple Cardigan pattern and made a few modifications, like turned cuffs and the crochet button hole loops. I love this pattern, as is it knit from the top down. I also changed the pattern to knit the sleeves flat instead of in the round, and that worked fine. Yay for completed projects, and cute babies to wear them!

On my plate: Because I've been spending every spare moment prepping for the opening of Pixel & Post, things have been a little spare on the dinner table. We've been eating the same things over and over and over. Namely, Martha's Chicken and Dumplings and her Ginger Beef with Kale, chicken enchiladas and grilled burgers. We've been trying to make a lot of things that can be eaten as leftovers, which is great. My mom also gave me a copy of this book of casseroles circa 1958.

It has recipes for such culinary delights as "Yummy Balls" and "Green Beans, Patio Style". Maybe I'll try and make one soon.

In my less healthy moments I've been consuming the new Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, enjoying some mini Twix bars, and have been craving french fries way too often. I've also tired of my afternoon cup of tea, so instead I dug out my demitasse cups I brought home from Holland back in 92, and have been having a delicious shot of espresso with cream and a touch of sugar. I also love these cookies by Two by Two, these are from The Owl and the Pussycat box.

Laughing at:

I record Saturday Night Live each week. Sometime during the week I usually catch up on it, and in the last year I feel like there have been some funny moments, but I used to skip through skits a lot. But lately, I've been cracking up big time. The political stuff has been just hilarious. And this skit nearly had me weeping with laughter. I guess it comes from all those weekends at my grandparents when I was forced to watch Lawrence Welk in silence. There was a part of me that just wanted something like THIS to happen.

In my ears:

In the past few months I've been addicted to Pandora. It has lead me to all sorts of new music and confirmed my love for certain artists. "Just One Thing" by My Morning Jacket is nice, and is how I think about my morning cuppa joe. "Words" by Doves has a sounds that reminds me of Stone Roses in a way. I love this song by Maps, a band I'd never taken much notice of before I started listening to Pandora. I know "Time to Pretend" has been played on a lot of prime time tv, but I still like it. My current favorite, favorite, favorite band is Helio Sequence. I haven't heard a thing by them I don't love.

Month in Review: June & July

2008-08-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wow...It is hard to believe that June and July have come and gone. I feel like the ole blog is just hanging by a thread! This summer has been so busy. I miss blogging and am looking forward to more regular posts soon, but until then...

Off my hard drive

One project I completed in June was the season brochure for Book It Repertory Theatre in Seattle. I did this mural-like illustration of their five plays for the season, featuring pull quotes from the books. If you live in Seattle or plan on visiting please check out their offerings for the season! It looks like it is going to be a good one (from left to right : Even Cowgirls Get The Blues by Tom Robbins, My Antonia by Willa Cather, Moby-Dick or The Whale by Herman Melville, The Beautiful Things Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu and Night Flight by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry).

On my plate

Unlike last month, June was a month full of culinary delights. Giving two birthday parties, and hosting visitors from another country forced us to bust out of our take out rut, dust off the recipe box and get to work. In early June I made our kiddo some sugar free carrot cupcakes for her first birthday. The cupcakes are sort of a tradition among my friends, and the recipe has been passed around to quite a few babes who still hadn't sampled sugar by their first b-day. Our girl daintily ate a few bites and then spied the sugar laden, 5 pound slice of butter cream loveliness on my plate and got mad. And, of course I gave in and let her have a few bites which made her happier than Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins. For the international guests I made Martha's Key Lime bars, which were a big hit and relatively easy for a Martha recipe ( I ignored the part about juicing 23 key limes and just used lime juice from a bottle- oh the scandal)! I also whipped up the Everyday Food Apricot Stuffed Chicken, Jicama Citrus Salad, and a spinach dip recipe I found online. All were eaten so fast I didn't get any photos. I've also become addicted to a nightly scoop of Ciao Bella gelato. A deliciously bad habit I plan on continuing until the day I leave this earth. Seriously, you should try this stuff. Their Fresh Mint with Chocolate Chips makes me go week in the knees.

Mother of invention

If you know me well, (or maybe even not so well) you know I live somewhere in between Organization Avenue, and Clutter Street. My problem is piles (luckily not the kind that require medical attention). I tend to flit so quickly between activities that I leave a trail, like some kind of blissed out domestic slug around my house. By evening there are usually little bits of my day strewn or sometimes piled all over the house. And now with a running toddler to chase I have even less time to clean up my act (both literally and figuratively speaking). It has me worried. I mean, how am I going to get my kid to pick up after herself if I can't? That's some scary stuff! So this month I invented a game for myself. I call it the "Rommel Basket". Rommel means "Junk" in Dutch, and to me has a less negative, more cheerful feel to it than JUNK. It goes like this. I have a beautiful, large wire basket that a friend gave me as a gift. During the day I just throw everything in it that I don't have time to put away properly at that very moment. And then, at the end of the day I play "beat the clock" and try to get it all put away in less than 10 minutes. And you know what? It is working! I'm finding that I hesitate before throwing stuff in, and just take care of it right away. And other days when things are hectic at least all the clutter is contained. Anyhow, it is a simple idea that is really working for me. Maybe someday I'll use the idea with my kiddo.

Font of the monthOne of my recent projects was in need of a scripty, handwritten typeface. I actually entertained the idea of hand lettering the type myself, but even I'm not loco enough to take that on at this point. I did a lot of research and finally found Panhandler by David Buck. I'm not usually a big fan of script fonts. I think they end up looking too regular and not spontaneous enough most of the time. But when I saw Panhandlers lower-case 'r' I fell ascender over descender (that's the typographical equivalent of head over heels).

From my camera

One of the highlights of my summer was finally seeing a bench I helped design in 3-D! It is living next to the Seattle Center fountain until the end of the summer. Fun!

In my ears

Here are a few songs that I added to my ipod in June and July. I really love the beginning of "I Will Possess Your Heart". Makes me want to play bass guitar for some reason. I'm pretty much gaga for anything by the Helio Sequence these days, "Hallelujah" is no exception. "SunShinin" pretty much perfectly decribes how summer is percieved here in Rainyville. I had to add "Caught in a Crosswalk", by Baskervilles..because I'm a type geek and any band that is named after a typeface has to be neat. I do think the song sounds a little more sans serif, though. And the sweet sound of 'Electric Love Letter", is just, well kinda sweet.

Month in Review: May

2008-06-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Folks, it is busy times around here. I'm working on a completing a big design project, we've got a house remodel going, two very anticipated international guests coming at the end of the month, and two first birthday parties to plan and give. Yeah. We're busy. And as a result ye olde blog has suffered a bit. But, as busy as things are right now there are still creative goings on that are worth reporting here. So I give you the Month in Review for May instead of The Weeklies.

On my plate

I'm not gonna lie. When things get hectic, my cooking and baking adventures tend to come to a stop. The month of May found us eating lots of take out burritos, delivered pizza, breakfast for dinner, and scraps of rejected banana off the baby's highchair tray (sounds kinda gross, doesn't it?). We've been eating more than our fair share of packaged foods, too. After a stop to a local import grocer I've become addicted to having a few McVitie's digestive cookies with my afternoon Typhoo tea. Hopefully June will see us eating a bit healthier.

Lesson Learned Cutting a squirmy baby's hair is hard, and my kid is destined to have crooked bangs. I wish my haircut went as easy as the on in this sweet Howcast video.

Font of the Month

I'm totally digging Sympathique by Canada Type. It's only 22 bucks, and best of all, I think I have an upcoming project the this face will be perfect for! I love, love, love the curly ampersand.

In my bookmarks Ok, for all you typophiles out there, here is a fun quiz to test your font-know how. The Rather Difficult Font Game. I'm not revealing my score.

Off the needles

Yes! I FINALLY finished a project. Since summer has yet to really start here in Mossytown (I am so OVER this weather I have no words for it anymore), the baby still has the need for a warm sweater. I had two skeins of inexpensive, soft, Red Heart yarn in my stash and thought, why not? In the past I've been partial to knitting with more expensive natural stuff. But after one such creation got thrown in the dryer and ruined by a very tired mama (that'd be me) I decided the knit something that could indeed be washed and dried without shrinking. I used this free pattern from Knitting Pure and Simple. All in all I'm happy with the results and it cost less than $10 to make.

From my camera

Here are two photos I'm pretty proud of from the past month. They are both inspired my my pal Andrea, a professional photographer who continually inspires me to look closer at things! I love her work so much. She's also been really helpful to me in explaining my new camera to me! Thanks Andrea!

In my ears

I love "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John. I know it has been around for a bit, but the whistling s so catchy! Any song with cool whistling is my friend. "Evil Urges" is also groovy, and will stick in your head as well. I love these lyrics " Honey it‘s rotten and they got us so scared/Thinking there’s some evil waiting under vain/ Whooo! I made a nasty decision/ To love whoever I want just-a whenever I can". Sweet! "Grounds For Divorce" kinda reminds me of The The from back in the day, mixed with Peter Gabriel..a strange but good combo. "Stronger" is just plain catchy and has been on my mind (Be warned..this is the explicit version..probably not for the kiddies) the month of May was challenging for me, so it was important to remember "N-n-now that that don't kill me can only make me stronger". Crank this one up, put on your shutter shades and do a silly dance. And finally, a little Flaming LIps love with "It's Summertime". I need to believe that it is!

5 Minute Doodle: Little Treasures

2008-05-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

The topic over at The Five Minute Doodle this week is "Little Treasures". It didn't take me long to decide what to doodle. There is a Robin nesting under our deck. Every day I tip toe quietly out there, get on my hands and knees and squish my face between the wooden slats of our deck's floor to check on the eggs. There are two, perfect little blue eggs in her nest. A few years back another Robin nested in the same place. One afternoon I heard a huge bird-ruckus. I flew to the window to see a Crow destroying the eggs on our driveway. It was heartbreaking. Worse yet, the sweet Robin sat there all day chirping a sad, mournful song. I get that it's all part of natural selection and all, but there is a part of me that wishes I could give this year's Robin a comfy Robin-condo with a nice, solid, locking door.

Weeklies#5: Back Burner Burnout

2008-05-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hi there. This month has been crazy and if anyone has visited here in the past few weeks, you've noticed my lack of posting. Sorry folks. I'm knee deep in project-ville, which is a good thing but I'm going non-stop. I hope to get back to regular posting again soon, and to get this blog off the back burner! Soon I can do a little show and tell, but until then it is nose to the grindstone time.

On my plate...In the past few weeks, I made Bakers One Bowl Brownies. I love to bake, but when it comes to brownies somehow I always make them from a box mix. Back in 8th grade my dad and I decided to taste-test every brownie mix on the market. We did our 'research' over a few weekends, and were surprised that the Krusteze brand was the best. Anyhow, that's why I'm probably into to box mix brownies. I mean, why throw away all that painstaking, highly scientific research? But this recipe could change my mind. They were really good, and easy. I left out the nuts and added mini chocolate chips instead. Part of the recipe reads "Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs." The phrase "fudgy crumbs" has been stuck in my head ever since.

I also made the Martha Stewart Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies. A.K.A the "cover cookie" from her new cookie book (thanks mom!). In true Martha style there were a few too many steps for my taste (chilling the dough twice for example). I also took some shortcuts like substituting mini chocolate chips for the hand chopped chocolate "cut into 1/4 inch chunks"( yeah whatever Martha) and powdered ginger for fresh. The cookies were tasty. I made a double batch, because after all that work you really should have more than 24 cookies to show for your efforts. This made for some very happy neighbors, and friends.

In my bookmarks...

My friend Gwen turned me on to these awesome print and assemble pinhole cameras. So cool!

In my ears...

I'm in love with these five songs. I heard the M83 song on the radio and my first impression was that it was some kind of awesome electronic movie score. Listening to it makes me want to run along the beach all Chariots of Fire style or something. The Bjork song, "Bachelorette" isn't new to me but I just love the melody and the words, and her voice. Bjork rocks, so dramatic! Iron and Wine blows me away. I could listen to them over and over. This song is no exception, there is something reminiscent of Crosby, Stills Nash and Young in this one. Love it. And yes, there's more electronic loveliness in "What Else is There?". Love the melody here too. If I were an aerobics instructor this would be my nifty "cool down" song. Feel the burn, ladies! "No One's Gonna Love You" by Band of Horses is a catchy, sweet song about loving someone though hard times. Love these lyrics: We're reeling through an endless fall / We are the ever-living ghost of what once was / But no one is ever gonna love you more than I do/ No one's gonna love you more than I do.

Weeklies #4: Rainy Days and Mondays

2008-04-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, people. The weather in my part of the world is playing some serious tricks on us this week. On the weekend we had record highs in my town. We are talking wearing tank tops at 7pm on your deck warm. It rocked. And today? Dreary, gray, soggy, cold, Mossytown once more. Seriously. I'm sure you've heard that they are going to try and control the weather during the Summer Olympics in China? Freaky, yes. But if they want to test that out, I'd invite theme over here to Rainytown in a heartbeat to blow some of these rain clouds far, far away.

Seen on the internet: This awesome Walking Bike. Click here to see a video of it in motion!

Lesson learned: Don't wear a black boucle sweater out to a cafe and feed your 10 month old a banana while holding her. Boucle and banana don't mix, y'all.

Music: Here's 5 songs that have me tapping my toes this week. "Foux Du Fafa" is just so fun and funny, and in French. I love the part that goes "Camembert...Jacque Cousteau... baguette!". I don't speak French, but I understand that much at least. "We Used to be Friends" is catchy, and had me dancing about the house in kind of a cheerleader-y fashion. "When Water Comes to Life" has some crazy violin and strings in the beginning, so pretty! "Clover Over Dover" is just plain groovy, although I don't think I'd let anyone "push me over the white Cliffs of Dover". Although it rhymes, it still doesn't sound like a good idea. The cover of "Harvest Moon" by Cassandra Wilson is one I hadn't listened to in years, it is really pretty. Enjoy. (Player has been moved to most recent Weeklies installment).

Ok, and just in case you were needing a visual for the title of this post, a little Carpenter's love for you. Come on, you know you want it!

Sunday Scribblings: Fearless

2008-04-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

The prompt for this week's Sunday Scribblings is "Fearless". As I was reading other people's two cents on the topic I happened across a post by the Greenish Lady over in Ireland. She quoted a friend who once said to her "fear is in the future". Meaning that if you live in the present, there is really no fear. I remembered that my pal A had said nearly the same thing to me a few weeks ago.

All of a sudden it gelled for me. Lately, I've been having this vision that inside of me lives a very powerful version of myself. A superhero if you will. I think of her as "Super-Me". She is unafraid to try new things, wears great shoes, eats chocolate for breakfast, has a wild sense of adventure, and is never tired (I said she was a superhero, right)? Anyhow, I really don't think this vision is unique to me. I think everyone has that same person inside themselves, some people just let theirs out to play a little more often.

I remembered an exercise I did a few years back when I did The Artist's Way (an awesome experience I'd highly recommend). It asks you to make a list of things you would do or try if you weren't afraid. Not necessarily horror-movie style afraid; but afraid of failure, success, or judgement from yourself or others. It is a really powerful way of thinking. What would you try if fear were removed from the equation?

Illustration Friday: Save

2008-04-10T14:06:00.001-07:00

My hubby is a literal penny saver. He has a huge jar of pennies he's been adding to since he was little. One year, while he was away at college, his mom (a grade school teacher) dipped into his stash to have some coins to teach her kids a unit on counting money . When he returned home on break his mom mentioned casually that she'd taken some coins out of the jar. Hubby's face went pale. "How MANY pennies did you take?" he asked. "Oh, a handful", she replied. He went downstairs and came back with a long sheet of paper made of a patchwork of little pieces taped, glued and stapled together over the years. A tally. He'd been counting those pennies since he was a little kid! His mom felt terrible. He considered recounting them all, but it has seemed like too daunting of a task. Instead, he's stared a new jar at our house. And this time, no one's counting.

Sunday Scribblings: Photograph

2008-04-07T20:57:00.000-07:00

This week at Sunday Scribblings we are asked to share a photo and write a little something about it. I've got loads of photos, and so many of them are special to me, it was hard to chose!

This photo was snapped by my dad when I was 15, the summer before I started high school. That's me on the right, with my $90 JCPenny spiral perm blowing in the breeze and my best pal S with the white Ray Ban knock offs on the left. When I look closely I can see a blurry image of my dad in his old varsity jacket reflected in S's glasses.

My dad had just taken us on a weekend camping trip at the end of a hot, perfect summer. We loaded up his speed boat and drove across a deep blue alpine lake to camp at a remote waterfront campground. We ate beans and hot dogs that we heated over the fire, put up a hammock between two trees, and S and I spent a lot of time swimming and washing our hair in the lake, while my dad read and hung out at the campsite. S and I weren't much into roughing it, and I wouldn't doubt if we both wore full makeup on that weekend excursion. At night S and I stayed up late laying on the cool rocks and looking up at the stars, laughing hard and talking until we got too cold to stay outside any longer.

In this photo I am driving my dad's boat across the lake at the end of the trip. It was getting stormy and the water was really rough. To avoid bouncing violently home I had to drive the low slung boat really fast and at a right angle to the waves. Logs were floating everywhere and I had to navigate around them lest we hit one and gouge a big hole in dad's boat. Instead of being scared, I remember laughing all the way home as we bounced and bobbed along, hoping not to lose our camping gear or worse yet, our makeup bags.

This photo captures such a fleeting, perfect moment in time. So much was about to change for me and S, and we had no idea what lay ahead. Much like driving dad's boat across that uncertain and choppy water, the only way to get through it was to go fast, and hit the waves head on.

Weeklies#3: Zippidee-Doo-Dah

2008-04-07T16:42:00.001-07:00

This week has zipped by! I'm having a hard time believing that it is time for The Weeklies again. Here's what's been going on around these parts.

Made this week:

Well, I made a few things this week. Again, both food. I promise someday I'll actually finish a craft and post it here, but until then a girl (and her family) gotta eat. Recently I've rediscovered my love for the crock pot. I mean, what could be better? You dump a bunch of stuff in, crank it on, and get to enjoy wafts of cooking food all day long while you happily go about doing other things. This week I made this Chicken Chili. It is hearty, spicy and filling. I love the addition of beer to the recipe. I always feel kinda deviant cracking open a Fat Tire Ale at 9 am. So naughty!

The next neat-o thing I made was something I can now scratch off my list of "Things I want to bake in 2008". My friend just earned her Ph.D, and moved back here to work, so we had a little celebration to welcome her back. This girl loves ice cream cake, and I've been dying to make one so I had the perfect reason. It was really quite simple. I baked my favorite chocolate cake recipe in a springform pan. After it cooled I lined the edges with waxed paper, melted a gallon of ice cream until it was soft-serve consistency, and spread it in the pan. I let that freeze overnight then "frosted" the entire thing with softened Haagen Dazs chocolate ice cream. It rocked. I'll be making more ice cream cakes in the future for sure! Yum.

Seen on the internet:

One of my favorite mom-artist-designer-neat-lady bloggers is back! Her blog, Loobylu is one of the first blogs I ever read. I read it daily until she signed off for a much needed blogging break last year. I still checked in with her url from time to time hoping she'd come back, and what do you know? She did! Check her out.

Also, this clip via Uncle B over at The Bedlam of Beefy. This was cracking me up all week. I give you "Hugo The Cat of a Thousand Faces":

Can't live without:

Lunch, and I've been skipping it way too often this week. My sunglasses, which I still need to replace, and my watch which I seem to always forget to wear or look at (I've been running late everywhere). Ugh.

Music:

Oooh, 5 new songs! Ok, some are just fresh to my ears, as they've been around awhile. Lysergic Bliss has something do with acid I'd guess. It's a happy song nevertheless, and you won't go to jail for listening to it, and it has a neat flute solo. Soldier is a great new song from Erykah Badu. I've always liked her stuff, and the stories she tells in her songs. Cheap and Cheerful is catchy, but that cough in the beginning is a little too much. Yuck. That said, any song that mentions living on ice cream is a friend of mine. I like the sound of Abandon. And Sunrise has great clapping and drums, so you can't go wrong. Player has been moved to most recent Weeklies entry.

Me, elesewheres. Part 2

2008-04-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Last summer I participated in the Print Zero Print Exchange. It was my third time participating in the exchange. This time 764 artists participated from 52 different countries. It is a really great thing, and if you'd like to find out how to participate, I urge you to visit Print Zero Studios and drop the organizer, Brian, an email. He'll put you in their database and let you know when the next exchange comes around.

Here's a photo collage of the process of the 3 color silkscreen I did for the exchange. It was my first time silkscreening in a long long time. I don't own a gocco, so I did it all with cut paper stencils. The result was pretty good, but not as crisp as I remembered. Practice, practice, practice.

Anyhoo, I just got word that this show was recently shown in Denmark! Man, how I wish I could have been there for the opening. It it crazy to think about something I made hanging on a wall all the way over there. That's one of the cool things about art. Once you make it, and get it out there it really takes on a life of its own. Have fun in Denmark, little print!

Me, elsewheres.

2008-04-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all! No, I'm not on vacation, but my pal The Pop Culture Librarian just took one and while she was cruising down the freeway headed for warmer weather she asked me to guest blog. It is sort of like house sitting, but for a blog. I wrote a post about becoming "fontastic". Curious? Have a looksie, and stay tuned for the Pop Culture Librarian to return to her fabulous domain.

Sunday Scribblings & 5 Minute Doodle: For the love of Zor

2008-03-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today I checked in with Sunday Scribblings and the 5 Minute Doodle only to see that both topics this week are about space. What kind of freaky alignment of the virtual planets is going on here on the internets? Why is everyone thinking about space this week, and didn't The Universe notice that I wrote about it last week, and said it made my head want to explode? Do I really have to go there again? Argh. But then I remembered this story.

The summer before I started college in the big city, I worked construction in my hometown building a community daycare center. The center was being built mostly on donations so there wasn't a huge budget for a construction crew. I came on the scene after the walls were up to help wire the place, do some plumbing, painting, and finish work on the floors. It was just me and the foreman, and the occasional community volunteer.

The foreman on the job was a guy I'll call Aaron. He was sort of a drifter, with lots of odd tattoos and a wacky, asymmetrical buzz cut that included a long rat tail down one side. He had some strange mannerisms, but was pretty a laid back boss. His looks didn't phase me, as I had just come back from attending a year of technical school with a bunch of heavily pierced, dreadlocked, punk-rock lady squatters in Amsterdam. Compared to that bunch this guy was pretty benign.

We were working on pulling some wire one hot afternoon when Aaron turned to me and asked "Do you believe in aliens?". "Uhm, I dunno", was my honest teenage reply. I'd seen plenty of old Star Trek reruns, and my dad and I had spent many lazy Sunday afternoons watching Sci-Fi movies on TV together but I really hadn't given it much thought beyond that. Aliens interested me about as much as who'd be playing in the World Series that fall. Which is to say, not much.

Oh how I'd wish I'd come out swinging with some kind of definite answer, because my indifference was about to haunt me for the rest of the summer . See, it turns out Aaron and his girlfriend could channel for some creature named Zor from the planet Zordon. No, I'm not kidding. This really happened.

Aaron was fluent in many extraterrestrial languages, and would sometimes teach me the alien names for things on the job-site. It's really too bad I can't remember the Zordonian word for "hammer". He told me that I too could channel for extraterrestrial life if I just got in touch with my own inner alien. Inner what?

At least once a day he'd ask me if I'd changed my ho-hum stance on alien life. And each day I'd just respond with my same "I dunno". He was relentless in inviting me and my boyfriend to come watch him channel for Zor, which he did every Tuesday night. Sometimes he'd try to tempt me by letting me know that this week, he was going to channel for a different alien life form. As if Zor wasn't compelling enough.

It creeped me out a little, but I also thought it was funny. My boyfriend (now my hubby) and I seriously considered going, because we thought it would be so hilarious. But we never went. After a long hot day of work all my inner alien wanted to do was take a shower, grab a big bowl of ice cream, and curl up with a good book.

Near the end of my summer job, Aaron brought to work what he thought would be the defining piece of evidence in his quest to prove to me that aliens really walked among us. It was a coffee table book of photos of spaceships visiting earth. It was chock full of fuzzy black and white pictures with little discs hovering in the air. He was so excited to show me the book, he could hardly contain himself. I remember standing in the daycare kitchen with him as he flipped through the pages, pointing out to me all the different ships. See? See? How could I be do indifferent? Here was rock solid proof. This was in the pre-Photoshop era, and you could see how these photos had been altered using rough cut and paste techniques. It made me feel kind of sad.

"Take the book home", he urged, "read it and then tell me what you think". "Sure." I said, and he seemed satisfied. Finally, he had a glimmer of hope that I'd come around. That evening as I was gathering my things to take home I purposely left the book sitting there on the counter untouched. I left it there the next night and the night after that, and then the daycare center was done. He never talked to me about it again.

After our last day of work, Aaron mysteriously disappeared. No one in our town ever heard from him again. He probably just drifted out of town, on to another job. But I like to imagine that maybe he packed up his things, and blasted off to the planet Zordon where he happily works as an English translator for Zor and all of his pals.

Weeklies#2: Brrrrrrring back spring.

2008-03-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

It has been a slow, strange week around here. Everyone in our house is getting over a cold, and the weather has been freezing and unwelcoming.What the heck happened to spring? It's like winter said "I'm not done with you people yet. Tee Hee!". Luckily Old Man Winter didn't freeze up my creative juices. Uhm...somehow that sounds kinda gross, even though I didn't mean it to.

Thing I made: Growing up, my mom had a copy of The Betty Crocker Cooky Book. I always loved looking at the technicolor pictures and awesome little line drawing illustrations. Last year, she gave me a copy she'd found at an antique store. I have lofty aspirations to make every cookie in this book from start to finish but I need to think about where I'd offload the results. I don't think our waistlines could handle it without some help. Anyhow, I wanted to try something new, so I made Jam Squares. They were quick and super tasty, great with a cup of tea. Here is a link to the original recipe. For Jam Squares, just replace the date filling with your favorite jam (about 1 1/2 cups).

Best food I ate: Yesterday it decided to snow in my city. Snow is not a common occurence here, and especially this time of year. Couple that with everyone in our house being sick, and you've got the perfect reason to make Chicken and Dumplings. I used the Everyday Food recipe. We didn't have frozen peas, and weren't willing to freeze ourselves to go out and get some so we added celery and finely chopped broccoli instead. It was an awesome meal, I'd highly recommend this recipe.

Best thing I saw on TV: I recorded the movie musical Easter Parade last week. How much do I love Fred Astaire? This scene was my favorite. I love the colors, the use of props and of course the dancing! Even though Fred is dancing in order to steal a bunny away from this little kid, it still makes me feel happy.

Can't live without: Gross as it may sound, my Neti Pot. If you've never used one I highly recommend it. I especially love the rhino horn, the monster truck of neti pots.

Music: Wow, here's 5 new-to-me songs. The first one, "Again and again", has been stuck in my head all week. Now it's going to be stuck in yours! I just heard The Heavy for the first time this week. I want the whole album. I love everything about "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" by Vampire Weekend, the name of the song and how it sounds like a cross between Paul Simon and the Talking Heads. "The Headphone Song" is rockin. I love the synthesizer, makes me wanna dance around. With my headphones on. I like "Jodi" too, by The Dodos. I went to grade school with a Jodi, who always had to make sure her knee socks were folded as to be the exact same height, this song probably isn't about her. (Player has been moved to next weeklies installment)

Feeling happy about: Posting here more often!

Illustration Friday: Pet Peeves

2008-03-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

I'm not one who is easily bugged. It takes a lot to get my knickers in a twist, but there is one thing that peeves me. Tailgating. I don't understand why people tailgate, it makes NO sense at all. Riding someone's tail isn't going to get you to where you are going any faster, and it is dangerous. In my city tailgating is an epidemic. It bugs me even more when it is done by an over loaded, jacked up gas guzzler, 6 times the size of my car. Maybe we all need to review the two second rule?

Sunday Scribblings: The Space Case

2008-03-23T20:35:00.001-07:00

I checked in with Sunday Scribblings today, as I am feeling the itch to post to my blog more frequently. The writing prompt this week is "I just don't get it....".

Now folks, there's a lot of stuff I don't get. I'll be the first one to admit that. But nothing can keep me up nights, fill my noggin up with confusion juice until it is oozing out my ears, and make me hit my head up against the wall like trying to understand SPACE That's space as in the final frontier. Not the distance between your couch and the wall (that I get).

I get planets, stars, galaxies, and zero gravity. I know the moon is not made of cheese (although, damn that would be cool). The thing about space that gets me every time is the idea that it might end somewhere. Does this boggle you? Because I just can't get my head around it. I mean, how does space just end? And what is on the outside of space? What would that even look like? The alternative to this theory is that space is infinite, which is a more comforting option but that can get my mind going all crazy as well. What do you mean it never ends? I love the idea of infinity, but it is baffling all the same.

I make a point to not post other people's work here, but for this post I'm making an exception. Here is a drawing out of my hubby's childhood scrapbook. I love this drawing because it shows that he too, was mulling over this whole outer space thing, and seemed to come to terms with it. Only difference is he was 5. I'm 7 times that and I still "just don't get it".

The Weeklies: #1 Return of The Weeklies

2008-03-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Its been a long time since I've done an installment of The Weeklies. A long stretch of sleepless nights left me feeling like I had little to share here. But now, spring has sprung, we are sleeping better and inspiration is flowing. So, I'm going to attempt The Weeklies again. Whoo Hoo!

Thing I made:

I made an awesome breakfast of Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches from the new Everyday Food Cookbook. They were super easy, and looked fancy. I used a Newman's Own Semisweet Chocolate bar, and challah from a local bakery. Bread and melted chocolate? Yes please! I could pretty much eat this every single morning for the rest of my life until all my teeth rotted out leaving me unable to chew.

Best food I ate
Chocolate Grilled Sandwiches of course, and a wonderfully ripe and sweet mango.

Best thing I saw on the web:

This xylophone! A bird house and xylophone in one?! Does it get any cuter? I don't think so.

Can't live without:
Black Typhoo Tea, the return of night time knitting while watching TV with hubby.

Music:
Yes! The Music Player is back. Nothing says spring to me like a little Edith Piaf. I first heard of her back in art school when I was working in a cafe with Uncle Beefy. We played all sorts of music in that place from showtunes to punk (and sometimes had dances that went with the tunes). Still In Love rocks like some kind of old school tune. I like the happy sound of Bag of Hammers, just don't drop the bag on your foot (ouch). To Be Young gets stuck in my head. Makes me want to go on a road trip in an old red pickup truck. We've Got Everything is kind of hyper, but fun nonetheless.

(Player has been moved to the newest Weeklies installment)

Feeling happy about:
Figuring out how to knit in the round, and sweater patterns that are knit from the neck down! Wow! Who knew such a thing existed? Knitting Pure and Simple has an assortment of basic sweater patterns that are knit this way. I'm making one for a gift so that's all I can say, but I'll post photos later on.

5 Minute Doodle: Replace The Easter Bunny

2008-03-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Over at the 5 Minute Doodle the challenge this week was to replace the easter bunny in 5 minutes. That's a tall order, folks. I mean, who would want to replace such a cute and generous creature? The easter bunny once brought me a basket that contained a Hickory Farms Beef Stick Lollipop for goodness sake. I was 6, but it made a huge impression. Well, the only thing cooler in my book would be an easter egg vending machine. I have a thing for vending machines and automats in general. So I give you the Eastermat 3000. For all you lazy souls who'd rather leave your egg hunting skills and baskets at home, just stroll up to the Eastermat 3000, punch the button and there you go, instant Easter! Have a happy one.

5 Minute Doodle: Nose Faucet

2008-03-11T12:20:00.001-07:00

Here's a little 5 minute doodle I did for the 5 Minute Doodle Challenge over at Flickr. The challenge this week was to replace a body part with an object. Since spring is in the air, it is the time of year I wish my nose were a faucet with a handle I could turn to drain it when congested, or stop it when drippy. Aaa-Choo!

Illustration Friday: Multiple

2008-02-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

Back when I worked at the theatre (yes that's theatre with an 're'), a coworker discovered she was expecting twins. We were all super happy for her. One day on a stop into our cluster of cubicles she was bemoaning the cost of childcare (especially for multiple kids). She had us all cracking up with her solution to leave the babies in the care of her surly male cat, named Jean Pierre*. Jean Pierre had a reputation amongst those who had cat-sat for him as being sly, moody and very picky about his people. I could just picture him, taking her kids out for a stroll smoking his French cat cigarettes, and wishing he were in Paris.

*names have been changed to protect the innocent.

5 Minute Doodle: My Favorite Word

2008-02-07T20:38:00.001-08:00

This is my first attempt at the 5 Minute Doodle challenge. One of my favorite words is "Winkelen", it means "to shop" in Dutch. A Winkel is a shop and a Winkelcentrum is a shopping center. I love the word because it sounds so fun when you say it, as is should..because shopping in Holland is one of the most fun things to do (besides drinking coffee and chatting with your loved and missed relatives and friends...miss you guys)!

Illustration Friday: Blanket

2008-02-04T10:32:00.001-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "Blanket". Back in the 70s my grandma crocheted a zig-zag, three tone green afghan (as she would call it) for my grandpa's naps. It matched his avocado green recliner, and was crocheted extra long to cover his 6 foot 6 inch frame from shoulder to foot. When she was done with the blanket, my grandpa took it for a test drive. Turned out all that extra yarn made it too heavy, and he called it the 'Horse Blanket'. Gramps was a wannabe cowboy in his older years, and I am sure he would have much rather saddled up a horse with that blanket than take naps under it. He was always on the go. I like to think that during his naps under the Horse Blanket he dreamed about taking a horse for a ride, and maybe letting the horse curl up with him under Grandma's heavy duty creation.

Years later after Gramps passed away, my mom and I were helping my grandma clean out some of her stuff and the horse blanket reappeared. It was in mint condition, since Gramps had taken to napping under a much lighter blanket. "Does anyone want this old blanket I crocheted for Gramps?" she asked. Of course I snatched it up.

Illustration Friday: Tales and Legends

2008-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

For Illustration Friday's topic "Tales and Legends" I give you Rip Van Winkle. Since Sleep (yes, that's sleep with a capital 'S') is the hot topic in our house, Rip's champion napping ability is something I envy. Of course I wouldn't want to miss out on 20 years of my life right now, but a few hour nap sounds mighty good. If you've forgotten the tale of Mr. Van Winkle, you can read it here.

Illustration Friday: Stitch

2008-01-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another last minute post for Illustration Friday. The theme this week is "Stitch". Of course, I cannot think of stitching without thinking about sewing...something I really enjoy and wish I could do more of. Of course time is an issue for me right now, but there is something else which also keeps me from stitching up a storm. That thing, my friends, is a total and complete lack of great fabric stores. I live in a big city, a metropolis if you will, and I'm shocked about this. It is kind of a running joke between me and my pals. One of us will discover a new fabric store and venture inside with big hopes, only to be gravely disappointed. We don't want much, just some nice basic fabric, stuff that isn't ugly or so expensive you're afraid to come near it with your Fiskars. Also, we want a store that just sells fabric! Not a teeny bit of fabric plus craft supplies, fake flowers, gardening tools, rubber stamps, yarn and home decor. A kind, knowledgeable staff would be nice too. So, since I still haven't found my fantasy fabric store, I thought I'd just make one up!

Illustration Friday: 100%

2008-01-10T20:01:00.001-08:00

At the very last minute...something for Illustration Friday. The topic this week was "100%". Here is an ode to a food I'm 100% crazy for: Sauerkraut. Yes, just another thing that makes me seem closer to 85 than 35 (along with my enjoyment of Lawrence Welk reruns, prunes, trying to revive the relish tray at dinner parties, and watching Masterpiece Theatre). I was reminded of my love for this pickled dish yesterday when I went out to lunch with my pal A, and we both ordered Ruben sandwiches piled high with deliciously sour, crunchy Sauerkraut. I first tasted the stuff in 8th grade atop a pizza at our local pizza restaurant. It was after an Olympics of The Mind (geeky..yes) competition and there was a guy who ordered it on his pizza and dared anyone to try it. I took him up on his dare and much to his dismay I loved it and he had less pizza to eat that night! Since then I've loved it atop bratwurst, in mashed spuds, and of course on a Ruben.

Photo Friday: Passage of Time

2008-01-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo I took a few years go of an old bottle rack and its shadow in the cellar of an old, old house in France. The house is actually much older than the 1943 sign plastered into the wall, but it is interesting to think of all the time that has passed in this house, how many bottles of wine imbibed, and stories told within its thick stone walls.

Illustration Friday: Soar

2008-01-03T11:14:00.001-08:00

Yay! I made something for this week's Illustration Friday topic: Soar. Originally the Waldorf Sisters were going to be flying trapeze artists, but then my former boss sent me this clip of Carol Channing in Throughly Modern Millie, and I was reminded also of the scene where dear Carol is shot through the air by a big ole cannon shouting "Raaaaassssberriesssss". I have been cracking up about it all week, so the Waldorf Sisters got the cannon. I've also been playing around with a book I got called Crumble Crackle Burn by Von Glitschka. It ROCKS my world. Hope your 2008 is Raaasssssbeerries, my dears!

Photo Friday: Best of 2007

2007-12-25T13:50:00.001-08:00

Hello dear blog friends. I'm so sorry my posts have been rather infrequent of late. The usual holiday craziness coupled with a lingering cold has resulted a case of the "blog-humbugs". The Photo Friday challenge this week is "Best of 2007", and while the above photo is not the very best photo I've taken all year, it is one of my favorites and one of the few that is not of my darling daughter! It was taken on a snowy January morning, and was one of those snows that sticks to each individual tree branch, lasts through the night ,and into the next sunny afternoon. Snow like this is pretty rare in my part of the world. And as I sit writing this it is snowing again, making this a true white Christmas.

Photo Friday: Primitive

2007-12-08T13:09:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, on a whirlwind trip to Albuquerque for a family reunion, my hubby and I took a wrong turn and drove past this cool building that was covered with paintings like the one above. There was something kind of mysterious about the place so had to stop and snap a few shots, plus it was right next door to a Dairy Queen (and who could resist a Blizzard in 90 degree heat). I loved all the textures on the building and the random paintings covering it. I really felt like whoever made these paintings to advertise their business really enjoyed doing so.

The word "primitive" when attached to the word "art", is kinda loaded. I really feel like it has taken years for me to shake off the art school definition of the term. In the academic world "primitive art" (work done by self taught artists using basic supplies) was something that was mostly looked down upon, and seen as "low art". I really don't subscribe to that way of thinking. In as much as I loved going to art school, the constant critiquing and analyzing ended up leaving me doubtful of something I once took so much joy in. So that's what I strive to get back to and what these picture remind me of: making art with what I have just because I feel like making it.

Illustration Friday: The Zoo

2007-11-28T23:09:00.001-08:00

Ths week's topic for Illustration Friday is "The Zoo". It was hard to think outside the box on this one. I'm not a real fan of zoo's personally, so I took another angle. I went searching for words that contain the word zoo, and built an illustration around that. Here you have Giant Gertie and her Giant KaZOO, flying thru town with her giant baZOOms, causing all of the townfolk to cry out "GadZOOks!" The End.

Weeklies#7: The Easy Bake Effect

2007-11-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

Image
Here is a fun still life I did awhile back. My friend Jen and i used to have Art Saturdays where we'd sit and do still life drawing with household objects, while drinking tea and listening to oldies on the radio. I like the contrast of the tools with the vintage bustier from my grandma.

Best food I ate
Thanksgiving food of course! We had dinner with good friends, potluck style. We were in charge of pie and a green bean dish. I got all inspired by Martha and made her Spiced Apple Pie. It was sooo good and worth wading through her sometimes wordy directions. I love the way the pie crust rounds look like shingles for some kind of elf house. Do you like this animated photo? I'm calling it The Easy Bake effect..kind of like an online Easy Bake Oven. We decided to be 100% Martha and also make her Green Bean Casserole. Also very good, but I have to say I did miss the crispy crunch of the typical French's Fried Onion topping.

Thing I made
The only thing I made this past week was the crazy Martha pie and our bed.

Best thing I saw on the web
This website dedicated to the one and only Bob Ross.

Can't live without
My sunglasses..they were prescription and I lost them this week, the sunniest week we've had all month!

Music
Here are a few new tunes. The song by Pinback starts out sounding kind of Goth, but then goes a little Campfire when the band sings in rounds. I really like Viva Voce, especially the beginning of this song. "Ode to LRC" is rockin' and makes me love Band of Horses even more. Some of the lyrics to "Masterfade" are "and when you look up at the sky / all you see are zeros / all you see are zeros and ones". I know enough to know that they are singing about binary, something my hubby totally gets, and I pretend to. Also this song has kick-butt whistling with vibrato which I love to do (just ask ant of my former co-workers who put up with a lot of my whistling of show tunes in this style).

Feeling happy about
Installing this Bush Countdown Widget on my computer. Hurry up January '09!

Photo Friday: Two

2007-11-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

I'm trying something new here. I found Photo Friday, akin to Illustration Friday in that each week a word or theme is posted and you either shoot a photo for that theme or dig through your archives to find one that fits. I'm by no means an expert photographer, but it is something that I'm interested in getting better at or at least playing around with.

I was just looking through some photos from a trip to Europe a few years ago. This is the way I'm traveling lately, looking back at old photos of my vacations pre-baby. I'm particularly fond of my pictures from this trip. I found these two chairs sitting in a corner of an old church in the south of France. Hubby and I were walking through a sleepy village with my Dutch family after a nice lunch and we came across this church and ducked inside. I love all of the textures and muted hues in those old villages.

Illustration Friday: Superstition

2007-11-22T08:23:00.001-08:00

It was really fun to research superstitions for this week's Illustration Friday topic, Superstition. I wanted to illustrate something that went beyond the usual black cats and walking under ladders. I found this: "It is good luck to cut your hair in a storm". The image that popped into my head was of a storm actually doing the cutting of a lady's long locks. I think I've been watching too many episodes of Storm Chasers!

Weeklies#6: Stuck on you

2007-11-18T21:38:00.001-08:00

Ok people. I've been officially avoiding my blog this week. Why? I really don't feel like I have anything to write about, and the weeklies categories that I set up for myself just aren't working for me this week. I've got nothin, unless you want to read my musings on the greatness of black yoga pants (you can dress them up! you can dress them down!). See? Not so exciting.

I do this to myself. I forget that I'm like The Mayor of this here bloggy town and I can switch it up whenever I want! Woo-hoo! I'm an expert at burdening myself with sky high expectations and all this does is buy me a one way ticket to "Procrastination Valley" (to quote my pal Uncle B). Isn't that brillant? Procrastination Valley! Such a great metaphor. Because I don't want this to turn into a blog about stretchy clothing, I turned to the internents and asked, "Internets what should I write about?. I found a few funny random writing prompt generators. These are neat-o because they take the pressure out of thinking about what the heck to write about and some of the topics are good jumping off points. The prompt I picked has to do with collecting. It asks: Describe in as much detail as possible something you collected as a child. Here goes...

Meredith, the Grande Dame of our local Hallmark was also a Grande Grump. Once, when I was about 3 she harshly reprimanded me for touching a snake head suspended in a glass ball (it was the 70s people, Hallmark rolled like that back then)sitting next to the register. Later, during that same shopping trip I wandered away from my grandma and found Meredith quietly re-stocking birthday cards in the next aisle. Her polyester rump was right about eye level and I snuck up, grabbed her elastic waist band and pulled down her pants with all my 3 year old might, revealing her huge waist high undies. I can still see the look of shock on her pinched up grumpy face. I was so pleased with myself that I just squealed and ran off. Sweet revenge! Needless to say Meredith and I didn't get off to a great start.

Like most kids of my generation I was wild about stickers. In my small town, the Meredith's Hallmark store was the sticker center-of-the universe. You had to wade through a maze of highly scented candles, mirrored poem-plaques, doilies, grandma's brag books and pressed flower bookmarks to reach it, but at the back of the store there was an entire wall of sticker-roll love displayed on on long dowels that reached from floor to ceiling. For most of the girls in my 5th grade class it was the piece de resistance of the mall. For us, the only thing that came even close was the promise of free Melt Away Mint samples from the Hickory Farms next door. A pair of scissors hung from a piece of ribbon next to the sticker wall, and a hand-made sign proclaimed that that you couldn't touch the scissors, or cut the stickers yourself unless you were an adult. Somewhere between the age of 3 and 10 I lost all my nerve, and started following the rules. This rule made for a big problem if you were hanging out with your friends at the mall. It meant you had to get Grumpy Meredith to help you.

For me the beauty of sticker collecting wasn't just choosing which to get (the dress-up bears, metallic unicorns, scratch-n-stiff pizza or the fuzzy dogs?) with my 50 cents, it was the chase, the thrill of the hunt. It went something like this. After your decision was made, and you counted and double counted your change, you had to gather your courage to stand in line to ask old Meredith to cut your stickers for you. If there were people behind you she always made you step to the side and wait it out till she rung up the last "real customer". You'd stand there shifting your weight from foot to foot repeating in your head the list of stickers you'd so carefully picked out, "One unicorn, two dress up bears, and one scratch and sniff pizza..or wait, was it two?". The more Meredith cheerfully stalled with her grown-up customers: offering free gold crown seals for people's cards, free gift wrapping, or making idle chit chat, the harder it was to remember your list. It was a sticker stakeout of sorts. I'm sure she thought we'd just give up. When the last person had paid for their breakable loot, and not-so-merry Meredith had painstakingly wrapped it up, she'd turn to you with a sigh and say, "Now what is it that you wanted?". Duh, lady.

You'd find yourself right on her heels as she trudged towards the back of the store. Along the way she'd be sure to stop 8 million times to tuck stray cards back into place, or re-adjust the Precious Moments display. My point is, it took for-friggin-ever. Finally, at the Great Wall of Stickers, she'd stand before you, hands on hips and ask which stickers you wanted. You'd spit out your list in one breathless run-on sentence because you'd held it in so long. Then there was usually an eye roll followed by the lecture about how you'd better be SURE, and you better have enough money because ALL STICKER SALES WERE FINAL. And then in one dramatic swoop she'd pick up the forbidden scissors and snip,snip,snip it was over.

As the years went by, the sticker wall at Meredith's slowly started to get smaller and smaller until finally it was gone. A few years ago my hubby and I took my grandma there to help her get some holiday stickers (after stopping at Hickory Farms where grandma bought us each a bag of Melt Aways), and the store was vastly changed. No more Meredith, and the few stickers they did have were all packaged up, no scissors required.

There you have it, I wrote my way down Memory Lane and right on out of Procrastination Valley! If any of you have your own collecting related story to share I'd love to hear what you collected as a kid and what you collect now, in my comments!

Illustration Friday: Scale

2007-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a sad tale about scale. There is a cute little brick house across the street from the post office in my town. Over the years I've admired its petite stature, symmetrical picture windows and trim lawn. This summer I drove past it and was horrified that two McMansions now flanked its sides. The sweet little house sits dwarfed by two architectual bullies that sprang up in less than two weeks flat. Currently the little house is up for sale. I keep driving by hoping that someone will buy it and keep it as is, taking a stand against the towering vinyl-clad duo. But so far, there are no takers.

copyright the flying pencil 2007

Illustration Friday: Hats

2007-11-06T17:00:00.002-08:00

Last weekend I returned to the women's spa with J, feeling much better than last time! At the front desk we were given a neatly folded packet that contained a robe, two towels and these funny fabric hats, that were sort of like shower caps.

The only thing you get to wear in the spa is your Birthday Suit topped with one of these caps. That's right, I repeat ...you're bare nekkid, and so is everybody else. I was a little apprehensive at four months postpartum as my Birthday Suit is still a little, well...baggy.

But as I melted into a bubbling 97 degree pool and looked around I was struck by how these hats served as an equalizer. At the spa I saw every size, shape, age and color of woman imaginable, but somehow wearing these funny little hats we were all visually kind of the same. It was a wonderful afternoon.

The Weeklies: #5 Zombie Days

2007-11-05T02:29:00.000-08:00

This Halloween I was a zombie, a new mom zombie to be exact. The costume wasn't too hard, I already had bags under my eyes, frazzled hair, drool stained clothes, and a glassy stare. I was up half of All Hallows Eve in my "costume" watching recorded episodes of Storm Chasers whlie baby slept on me (the only place she will sleep lately) and wishing baby and I would be swept away Dorothy-style into a lovely tornado of peaceful sleep. Nevertheless, baby's sleep strike has continued into this last week, which meant we aren't sleeping much either...for nearly three weeks now. This also means my blog is suffering, and I miss it.

Handmade Object
I am in big time love with these Cotton Monsters from Jennifer Strunge. The teeth!

Image
I've also missed the last few Illustration Fridays. So sad! A few weeks ago the topic was "grow". I couldn't help but think of my rather rapid growth in junior high. Here is a drawing of me and my date for my 9th grade dance, Yep, that is the actual background in the photo..yay Photoshop! In 9th grade most the boys were at least a head shorter than me, and drew their fashion inspiration from Maimi Vice. But that didn't stop me from struttin my stuff in a cobalt blue Jessica McClintock dress and size 10 Dyeables to match.

Best food I ate
I did a lot of dining out in the past week. Food always tastes better in the company of your friends! Pizza and Gelato with K, a delicious almond croissant with A, an amazing brownie dessert called Peppermint Twist shared with AM, Black forest cake with B ..cherries and chocolate in a cake? Oh yes!

Thing I made
After the week long smorgasbord, lack of sleep and general zombie-ness, my tummy finally gave out last weekend at the beginning of a much anticipated trip to a women's spa with my pal J. Sadly all I saw of the lovely spa was their ladies room. So for dinner we made waffles, pretty much the only food that ever sounds good to me when my tummy is not so happy.

Best thing I saw on the web
Here is a cool website for any of you with little kids on your Christmas list. It is a list of "safer" toy options (no plastic, no batteries, etc). Safety aside I thought this was a great compilation of some really cool stuff, and led me to some websites I'd never seen before. I'd like to cuddle up with this adorable Organic Dutch Anteater.

Can't live without
Tums and my all time favorite cure for The Green Apple Quickstep, carob powder and applesauce.

Music
Each time I was in the car this week (prime radio listening time) sweet baby would have a meltdown, and the only song that would calm her down was me singing Twnkle Twinkle Little Star...over and over and over again. Believe me I tried other songs but they didn't have nearly the same effect. Luckily when I made a stop to buy a sandwhich from my favorite deli they were playing some cool music with ghoulish themes.

So first, I give to you two nifty ghost songs. Next, two songs to make me feel a little better about our lame Halloween in the trick or treat department. Something was up in my town on Halloween night, there were no trick or treaters this year. I think we had about 7 kids all together. As the night wore on I tried to pawn off our candy kaboodle on the few kids we had. To this they replied with polite "no thank you"s and "just one piece please"..who the heck are these kids? Maybe if hubby, baby and I would have busted out a synthesizer and performed "Sugar" on our front porch we could have attracted more of a crowd. Instead we sat inside eating mini Twix bars and singing ala The White Stripes "I'm thinkin' about my doorbell / when ya gonna ring it? / when ya gonna ring it?"

(The player has been moved to the most recent Weeklies installment)

Feeling happy about
Crisp fall days, and my bed when I get to sleep in it.

Making me laugh
So...I'm going to admit to somethng wacky. Once per week I record The Lawerence Welk Show. As kids my cousin and I would be "forced" to watch this program whenever we visited my grandparents. I would be so moved by the music and dancing that on commercial breaks my cuz and I would raid our grandparents closet for Welk-inspired attire and waltz though the living room (always blocking the tv) doing our best Bobby and Sissy impersonation and usually collapsing in a heap of laughter. Most nights we'd be dismissed to go play in another room while the grown-ups finished watching the show. It was a brilliant exit strategy that I still believe made our parents a little envious.

As an adult there is something so cheesy-good about that show that I need a fix every once in a while. It is something about the technicolor costumes, clashing sets, the huge "Geritol" sign, and the ever-chipper band that keeps me coming back. I also love it when they show the audience dancing. I love to see what people wore, and it always cracks me up how they are all packed together in what seems to be the tiniest dance space known to man, resulting in an awesome polyester mosh pit.

This past week I caught an episode where two worlds collided. Lawerence Welk doing The Beatles "Hey Jude". It is so wrong that there is something kind of intriguing about it. So I offer you the Welk version, and to cleanse your palate the Beatles version (which includes a wonderfully amusing crowd scene all its own).

The Weeklies: #4 WeeklieZzzzzzz

2007-10-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

It has been kind of a tough, sleepless week around my house. The baby's former nights of 8 blissful hours of uninterrupted sleep have regressed back to sleeping 1- 2 hours at a time leaving my hubby and I bleary eyed and a tad grumpy in the morning. I'm convinced that whoever coined the phrase "sleeping like a baby" never actually hung around too many babies. This lack of vitamin Zzzzzzzz has resulted in a less inspired week for me creatively and The Weeklies are a wee bit ovedue.

Handmade Object
When I'm feeling tired and depleted I find myself turning to all things that bring me comfort. Comfort food, comfort clothes, comfort music. This is my favorite mug. I bought it from one of my ceramics teachers in art school, Marc Digeros. I love everything about it: the color and the form and how it feels in my hand. Marc made wheel throwing look so easy, turning lifeless lumps of porcelain clay into amazing vessels in no time flat. Here is his website with his current work.

Image
From my sketchbook, here is a drawing of an old Brownie camera I did awhile back.

Best food I ate
Home made chicken and biscuits, gingerbread (see below) a coconut cupcake, and blueberry pancakes..hello comfort food!

Thing I made
One thing I did do this week was make my mother-in-law's recipe for gingerbread. Talk about comfort food. This recipe is one of my favorites. It produces a rich moist cake that is pretty much to die for. Top it with whipped cream for an added treat, eat it for breakfast, grab a slice on your way to yoga, have some with tea in the afternoon, sneak some while you take a bubble bath and read a steamy novel.... Here's another clip-n-save recipe card! Just an FYI, the card will look much larger when you open it within your browser. It should print at 4 x 6 inches.

Best thing I saw on the web
My cousin just got his BFA in painting and printmaking! He is insanely talented, and has a wild imagination. When he was little he used to write me these crazy illustrated letters that came in elaborately decorated envelopes. It is a good thing I saved them for someday when he is famous. Here is my favorite painting from his show. it s titled "Without Teeth". I just love the colors, and especially the cassette tape cloud. You can see more of his work here. Congratulations cuz!

Can't live without
Sleep.... oh precious, precious sleep...

Music

So the thing about this embedded player is that I either have to erase all the songs from previous weeks or just keep adding to them until I have a playlist that is 70 songs long, at that point the site will allow me to make a new playlist. I've decided to keep adding to it so you can have something longer to listen to. The newest songs will be at the top.

Since I didn't have much time to find new music this week part of the playlist includes some of my comfort music, stuff I can listen to over and over. The Kings of Convienince are one such band. I can't tell you how much I love them. "Bad Dream" by Keane is also pretty and singable too. The Airborne Toxic Event song is fun, it kind of reminds me of They Might Be Giants but a little groovier. "Engine Driver" is another comfort song..the chicken and biscuits of my iPod. "Slipping Through the Sensors" and "Pain Killer" are two "new to me" songs I discovered this week.

(I've moved the player to the next weeklies entry)

Feeling happy about
Getting out my hand knit winter scarves, fall colors, and having time to read books again.

Making me laugh
The baby's crazy giggle. It is a little unpredictable but when it happens it is pretty much the cutest and funniest thing I have ever heard.

copyright The Flying Pencil 2007

Illustration Friday: Extremes

2007-10-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Frday topic is "extremes". Here I was thinking about all of the emotions a single person can feel on any given day. In the image above, Mr. Happy and Mr. Sad are actually the same image, all that is shifted is the perspective.

Illustration Friday: Open

2007-10-11T20:28:00.001-07:00

The topic for this week's IF challenge was 'open'. I was thinking here about maintaining an open mind and the many layers we sometimes have to peel away to achieve openness. That's about as deep as I get these days! Happy Friday!

Weeklies#3: Weeklies Cockaigne!

2007-10-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Handmade Object
These adorable socks were sent to me for our baby by my dear friend Molly over at Baby Finds a Kazoo. Thank you so much Miss Molly! We love them.

Image
I just filled another sketchbook. I tend to fill up one big one per year, and a few random smaller ones.Here is my final page.

Best food I ate
Banana cardamom cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (see below), delicious Apple Crisp with Jenny, and although this might sound lame...a big helping of sauteed spinach garnished with butter, lemon and pepper.

Thing I made
I rescued some more sad, neglected, over-ripe bananas moments before they were about to be thrown into our compost pile. I wanted to do something MORE with them than the usual bread. I also had a brick of cream cheese that needed to be used in the next week, and a large bag of organic powdered sugar that mysteriously showed up in my pantry after the baby was born. After a lot of searching for the perfect recipe I cracked open my new edition of The Joy of Cooking (thanks Grandma!) and found a recipe for Banana Cake Cockaigne. I'm really not sure what the heck cockaigne even means, but I think it is a fun word and I want to add it to everything. They turned out A-mazing, and I would highly recommend this recipe. Click below for a fun, clip-n-save recipe card designed by me! Banana Cardamom Cupcakes Cockaigne....cock a doodle doo!

Best thing I saw on the web
My recent job in a local theatre's communications and marketing group gave me a whole new appreciation for clever stick-to-your-ribs advertising and how hard it is to achieve something fresh. This campaign for Pemco insurance cracks me up. Their Northwest Profiles are spot on and funny without being mean or gross. And if you've ever been to the Pacific Northwest I'm sure you have spotted #56 "Sandals and Socks Guy".

Can't live without
My freakin lint roller. Postpartum hair loss bites!

Music
Oh my goodness people, am I excited. I am finally coming up to speed on the embeddable music players so popular on MySpace and the like. Now I can make these playlists and share them with you, and you can LISTEN to them. I get to be my own Casey Kasem. Some of the music below might not be new to you, but it is to me and these are the songs that have been stuck in my head all week.

Here's the low-down on this week's list. Jill Scott: how much do I love her? Why can't I sing like that? If I could, I'd give up talking, I'd just sing everything. Of course it would also help if I could come up with stuff like "What if I gave you diamonds / Out of my own womb / Would you feel the love in that / Or ask “why not the moon”?", I've been singing 'Boxcar' to my little one as a lullaby, ditto for 'Boy With a Coin'. 'The Wand' makes me want to do a crazy robot like dance.. 'Say Hello' makes me want to dig out my old goth wardrobe (before it was called goth) and moodily sip coffee in the rain, while looking forlorn. And I just discovered Arthur and Yu. I love the little toy piano in this song. Enjoy!

(10/16 I've temporarily removed the player while I update it for this week's entry...stay tuned!)

Feeling happy about
Returning to the gym, mom and baby yoga, daily tea breaks with hubby.

Making me laugh
The new season of The Office.

Illustration Friday: The Blues

2007-10-04T20:21:00.001-07:00

For me, nothing cures a good case of the blues like a little shoe shopping. But nothing gives me the blues like not being able to find shoes for my rather large set of feet. Unfortunate for me, and fortunate for my pocketbook because I seriously love shoes. As Fatts Waller sang "From your ankles up, I'd say you sure look sweet. From there down, there's just too much feet".

All Images Copyright The Flying Pencil 2007

Weeklies#2: A Rose by any other name....

2007-10-04T19:43:00.000-07:00

The absolute highlight of my week was finding out that my Dutch sis had her baby girl. It is hard to even take my little weekly "Best of's" seriously with this great news to report. I've been anticipating this moment for months and it finally came and she is a beauty! Earlier this summer, when my girl was born, we chose my Dutch sister's name as her middle name. I wanted to honor a friendship so special to me that it really changed the course of my life for the better. You see it was my Dutch sister's idea to host an exchange student in the first place. And that decision set the rest of my life into motion. From the moment I saw my Dutch sis getting out of the family's van to pick me up I just had this feeling that we'd be close, and our relationship has grown deeper than I ever imagined possible.

My Dutch sis called me first thing when she got home from the hospital (which for her was only a few hours after the baby was born!) It was the middle of the night in Holland and she was tucked up in her bed with the baby by her side. She called to tell me that her little girl had MY NAME as her middle name. I was speechless. I felt so honored, and flattered and humbled at the same time. I also felt a real sense of responsibility to live up to my own name. Here is this little innocent creature half a world away with my name as part as hers. I really want to do her proud! It makes me want to be a better person.

So our two girls are bound by more than this common history their mom's share. And it is my hope that someday their bond will be as special as the one we have. Welcome to the world little sweetie. I love you and can't wait to meet you.

And though none of these next things are nearly as exciting, here are my weekly top picks:

Handmade Object
I am in love, love, love with Etsy. I could spend hours browsing there. I am planning on doing most of my shopping for Christmas gifts online and Etsy will be a big part of my plan! It is a great way to support artists worldwide without leaving the comfort of your armchair. Here is an awesome necklace ($25!) from paraphernalia.

Image
A little something I drew in the car while waiting for hubby to pick up a chocolate shake (see "Best food I ate") while baby napped in her carseat. Hooray for multitasking!
Best food I ate
A maple glazed old fashioned donut, and a chocolate shake from my favorite local burger joint.

Thing I made
Pumpkin raisin bread from the good ole Betty Crocker cookbook, the recipe made 2 loaves and we polished them off in less than 2 days, and our slices were about 10 times as thick as the anemic ones in the recipe's picture.

Best thing I saw on the web:
This house. It is like something out of my imagination! From the Ticky Tacky Westlake photoset on Flickr.

Can't live without
Tetley tea (the British stuff...bought in Canada). It is nice and strong, the American version contains less tea per bag. What's up with that?

Music
Blue Scholars, Northwest hippy-hop (as my hubby calls it) at its finest.

Feeling happy about
New babies!!!! Trees turning gold and red, and the sound of rain at night.

Making me laugh
Again, another SNL skit with dancing! Crazy dancing pretty much cracks me up 24/7. This time it is Lebron James doing Solid Gold. How much did I used to want to be a Solid Gold Dancer?

Illustration Friday: Juggle

2007-09-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

Fish can't juggle,

they'd rather swim all day.
This one lives quite happily
'neath the hat of Auntie Mae.

__________________________

For this week's Illustration Friday challenge, I kept thinking "How can I draw something about juggling without DRAWING juggling". You know, when you are pressed for time and need to do most of your work with one hand while feeding a baby with the other it is helpful to make things even more challenging! Anyhoo, one afternoon after drawing some wacky fish in my sketchbook this little rhyme popped into my head so I illustrated that instead. It was pretty darn fun.

The Weeklies: #1

2007-09-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

I'm stealing this idea from my pal Librarian Girl, who "stoled" it from Chris. I like the idea of looking for the best parts of my week, taking notes and reporting them here. It may also help me make sure to eat something fabulous each week, keep my eyes and ears peeled for great art, and make something creative (even if it is just dinner). Here goes:

Image
This photo I took at my sister in law's wedding. It was a magical day.

Best food I ate (not all at once, mind you...)
Lavender cake filled with lemon curd and fresh blackberry jam topped with lemon butter creme frosting, a Honeycrisp apple, an ice cold Coke.

Handmade Object
This tunic top made by my mother in law. Made using Simplicity Pattern 4528 and fabric from Burundi, Africa.Thing I made
The Barefoot Contesa's baked Mac and Cheese. With a whole stick of butter and 6 cups of cheese you just can't go wrong. We happily ate this for three whole days. Click here for the recipe.

Best thing spotted on the web
Only a paper moon gallery on flickr. I want my picture in one of these!
Can't live without
IcyHot patches (I hurt my back earlier in the week...ouch!).

Music
Block Ice and Propane, Erik Friedlander. This guy plays a cello like a guitar (meaning sans bow), and the songs on this cd were inspired by his childhood cross country road trips. Listen and read about it here.

Feeling happy about
Baby talk, weddings, fall sunshine, heavy blankets on the bed, and coffee.

Making me laugh
This skit I caught on a rerun of SNL. Oh, the dancing! I wish I could say this is how I hurt my back.

Illustration Friday: Wedding

2007-09-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

It is pretty exciting that this week's illustration Friday topic is Wedding. This weekend my dear sister in law is tying the knot with the love of her life, and we all couldn't be happier. They already have a beautiful life together, living in a sweet A-frame in the forest just steps away from the water. I've known my sis in law since she was 12, many years before we were related. I've had the joy of watching her grow up and fall in love with a great guy, and together they have worked very hard to build the life they want. We are all super-excited to celebrate with these two love birds. Congratulations you two!

All images copyright The Flying Pencil 2007

Illustration Friday: Momentum

2007-09-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Finally, after a long absence I'm participating in Illustration Friday again! Woo-Hoo! I've been thinking a lot about Momentum recently. In June, shortly after the last transmission on my blog I became a mom to a happy, healthy baby girl. All summer long I've been trying to put the "mom" in momentum. I've started drinking coffee again, eating midnight snacks, and taking 'power naps'. What I really could use are a pair of rocket booster high tops to get going like the ones pictured above. A pair of wings and a bolero cap with a propeller wouldn't hurt either, but that might freak out the baby.

There is so much to write about to fill you in about my recent hiatus, but for now this post will have to do. Stay tuned for more to come.

All Images Copyright The Flying Pencil 2007

Weird-O

2007-06-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Molly to share 7 weird facts about myself. I'm actually really relieved to be doing this because I have been suffering from a major case of bloggers block and this may be just the thing to help me snippety-snap out of it! Why is it so hard to think of weird facts about oneself? I know for certain that I've got some odd traits but nothing as juicy-good as: an aversion to wrists, the ability to perfectly mimic a seagull's call, or the fear that you are cross-eyed and no one is telling you. I actually know people that will fully own up to those gems. But maybe since these are my weird facts they don't seem so weird. You be the judge:

1. Bad Smells
My hubby claims I have an "attraction to bad smells", I think the word "attraction" is a little strong. I prefer "strange fascination". When I smell something really really bad, I HAVE to figure out what it is and where it is coming from. I'm an olfactory Nancy Drew of sorts, and the joy I get from unearthing a bad smell is pretty disturbing. Following my nose to track down a bad smell has landed my sniffer in my hubby's armpit on more than one occasion.

2. Little House
I am a full fledged Little House On The Prairie fan (the TV show, not so much the books). I have seen nearly every episode at least a few times and recall strange and useless facts about plot lines, costumes, and dialogue. I know which episodes recycle actors and music. The only episode I have never made it through is called "For The Love Of Blanche" which stars an orangutan.

3. Voices
In college my pal Jenny and I developed a cast of make-believe characters that helped keep us going during those strenuous all nighters in the art studio. This included but was not limited to: a pair of college football players, a pair of octogenarian scientists (pictured at left), a pair of kleptomaniac sisters, a pair of dirty psychologists, two southern belles, and a pair of fast talking convict brothers. Not only did we spend time drawing these characters, but we developed voices and a unique syntax that each pair uses together. To this day in a normal conversation with Jenny, one of the voices will always come into play. Sometimes when this happens in public, people stare at us.

4. Howard Keel
I have an uncanny ability to sing like Howard Keel in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I discovered this by accident after an annual Christmas viewing of the movie musical with my friends when I decided to serenade them with "Bless Your Beautiful Hide". It was like I was channeling or something, it still freaks me out.

5. Sounds
Certain sounds drive me up the wall. Fingernails on a chalkboard? No problem with me, bring it on! I'm talking about the really annoying sounds like teeth hitting silverware, people chewing crunchy potato chips with open mouths, and the song "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick. All of these sounds will send me flying across the room.

6. Type Snob
This is a more recent one, post graphic design school. I am a font snob. I really never thought it could happen to me, but it has. I have been known to refuse to read things if they are written in a poorly designed typeface like Comic Sans. I'm also considering names for our baby not only based on sound, but on how the letters look together on paper. That's weird..I admit it.

7. Cold
I am allergic to the cold. When I tell people this they usually laugh and say "Yeah, I don't like the cold either". But I actually have something called Cold Induced Urticaria which means I can break out into hives, swell up like a balloon, and go into shock if I go skiing or jump into a lake. Sort of a weird fact that I can't control. But what is weirder is that I actually used this allergy to make my lips look fuller before my 10 year high school reunion by icing them so they puffed up like Angelina Jolie's, ok maybe the effect was more Meg Ryan.

So, there you have it. 7 weird things about little ole me. Next I am supposed to tag 7 other people to do the same exercise. Problem is, I only know one other person in Blogland who hasn't recently done this, and that would be my friend Gwen (if she's up for it). I'd also like to hear from some of my wacky sans blog pals like Biology Girl, Jenny, Christine, Ilana, Amber, and any of my other faithful readers who care to share. If you non bloggers are so inclined you can make your quirks public knowledge in my comments section. And I'll let you off easy..you don't have to share 7 things....maybe just one? Oh pretty please! But if none of you feel like doing this, seriously, no pressure. I wouldn't want to make you feel weird.

Illustration Friday: Cars

2007-05-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday I give you a double whammy for this week's word "Cars" (click on the image to see a larger version). The first being a tribute to The Cars lead singer Ric Ocasek, and the second a tribute to my first car, a 1973 Lincoln Continental. What do these two have in common you might ask?

On my 16th birthday my dad gave me a little box tied with a bow. Inside were the keys to "The Batmoblie" the aforementioned '73 Continental that my dad had scored for $500 bucks, repainted its oxodized red body a glossy black, tinted the windows, polished its many layers of chrome, and outfitted it with some pretty pimpin' whitewalls and wire rim wheels. On the bug shield we placed a bat-insignia sticker and dubbed it The Batmobile. This car was long, measuring in at somewhere around 233 inches (that's nearly 19 feet of car, people). When you drove it you felt like you were driving a yacht. At 16 I wasn't thinking much about gas mileage, but what was important was that I could fit all of my girlfriends in this car, and we looked cool. People at school thought I drove a limo.

My dad has a real soft spot for old Lincolns. In The Batmobile era he owned and restored two other models, both equally sweet as mine. My dad is also a musician and always listens to music while he works on his cars (he currently owns a Bill Blass Model..and if that isn't the definition of pimpin' I don't know what is). One of his favorite bands in the 80s was The Cars, and I can't think of my dad with out thinking of Ric Ocasek and the catchy synthesizer riffs in many of The Cars tunes. As a kid I listened to a lot of The Cars with my dad, who can cover a mean version of Shake It Up. I put on my Cars album as I drew this and have to say I think they are still pretty cool, just like my dad.

Super-Moms

2007-05-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

Since today is Mother's Day, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write a little shout-out to all the women in my life who have shown me what it means to be a mom. This Mom's Day is especially especial because I'm about to become a mom myself, and I have been doing a lot of thinking (and let's be honest..a little freaking out) about the great responsibility that lies ahead. But if you read on you'll realize (as I do) that I am in no shortage of some pretty darn amazing examples.
Of course I've got to start with the Original Super-Mom, numero-uno, the queen, my main lady, my Mom. Really I could write a book about how wonderful my Mom is, so somehow mentioning her on my little ole blog seems not quite enough. My mom is hands down amazing, and pretty much the sweetest person you'll ever know. Besides bringing me into this world (which I am gaining a whole new appreciation for) she did an amazing job raising me as a single parent from the time I was 9. I'm not sure if I went through The Terrible Twos, but I know for certain that I went through the Terrible Teens. Some of my many antics during this time included scaring off all of my mom's boyfriends, and driving her take so much Tylenol she should have bought stock in the company. I had to leave the country in order for her to meet and fall in love with my uber-sweet step dad, and I thank my lucky stars I didn't get in the way of that one. How anyone could come out the other end of that phase loving me more than ever still completely blows me away. And it is not just the big things she's done for me that knock my socks off, it is the things she does for me on a daily basis too. Last week she helped me clean and organize my entire house (trust me friends, it needed it). She vacuumed, dusted, cooked meals, and helped me wade through piles of all my embarrassing clutter, and then at the end of her stay she thanked ME for letting her help. That's just the kind of person she is. She is so giving to the people she loves, and is completely selfless and tireless about it.

Then there's my Mother in Law. I've loved this lady ever since I was 3. She was my preschool teacher and I was in love with her before I fell in love with her son (that only took another 14 years). My dad used to do interviews with me using our tape recorder and once when he asked me what I loved most about preschool I said it was her. I was pretty smart back then, because I still love her as much today if not more. One thing I love most about my mom-in-law is her ability to make everyone feel welcome in her home. When I was dating her son, my own super mom was going back to college and working so there were times when I was kind of on my own. I was welcomed to hang out at their house after school, there was always room for me at the dinner table, and sometimes there would be other people there too (as well as my hubby, his dad, and the other 4 kids in their family). Pretty amazing if you ask me.

The next mom figure that I encountered in my life was my Dutch Mom, or Moeder as I call her. She was my mom when I lived in Holland for a year, and I really do consider her one of my moms. Before we met I spent a good amount of time trying to imagine what she would be like as I'd left my hometown without even seeing a picture of my future Dutch parents. I'll never forget driving up to their house and seeing her stand in the doorway. I felt like I had always known her. When I was trying to learn Dutch she was my patient teacher and never tired of correcting my poor grammar. She taught me that I could remember the word for Mother (Moeder) because the first part of the word "moe" means "tired" in Dutch. And it was easy to see how she'd be tired with 4 of her kids at home plus Pops (my dear host father),and then me and all of my aforementioned school-skipping and inability to communicate for the first few months of living with them. Add to that list an amazing garden to tend to, house work, helping my Dutch sibs with their homework, volunteering, taking care of her mother, and cooking meals worth of mention in Bon Apetit magazine. But with Moeder there is always time for fun, and we have had so much of it together over the years. On hot afternoons she'd drop everything to take us to the beach, and most nights at the dinner table most of us would be in tears from laughing so hard together. This lady works as hard as she plays, and loves even harder. She really lives life to the fullest and I admire that so much.

And of course there are my grandma's. Both worthy again of a much longer tribute. I've been super lucky to be close to these two ladies my entire life. I grew up spending summer weeks at their houses when my parents were working and I was out of school. Now they both live in the same retirement community and even eat dinner together every night. My grandma's are both very different people with different ways of showing their love for their kids and grandkids (when I was little I used to call one of them my Sewing Grandma and the other my Talking Grandma). But one thing they do have in common is their strength, they are both very strong minded ladies who refuse to stop being happy. In their collective 182 years on this earth they have seen their fair share of difficulty, lost their soul mates, and have seen their own children and grandchildren battle illness and tragedy. But they've also seen an equal amount of joy, and will be the first to tell you what a pleasure their lives are and how happy they are to be in this very moment. You've got to love that, and if I am lucky enough to make it into my 90s I hope to be the same way.

If all this wasn't enough I also have 5 incredible aunts and a wonderful step-mom to boot, add to that all of my same-age pals who each do a wonderful job as moms and I pretty much have an All Star Team of Moms to look to for advice, inspiration, and courage before I step up to the plate myself. Happy Mother's Day to you all!

Illustration Friday: Neighbor

2007-05-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am super excited for this week's Illustration Friday topic: Neighbor. For me the word Neighbor means more than just someone that lives next door that you wave to every once in a while, for me it is synonymous with the word Friend.

Back in the late 90s my hubby and I lived in a funky duplex. Not too long after we moved in, the unit next door became available. I knew of some friends of friends that were looking so I gave them a call. They came and looked at the place and took it on the spot. I was excited because I had only hung out with these two a handful of times and thought they were great, and looked forward to getting to know them better. Nothing could have prepared me for the incredible friendship that would develop as we lived side by side, separated only by a very thin, poorly insulated wall.

We met for dinners and lunches in the shared back yard, made up nicknames for some of our less friendly street-mates, survived an earthquake, spent holidays together making delicious meals, and talked, and talked and talked. You would think separated only by such a thin wall that all of this talking happened in person, and some of it did. But mostly we talked on the phone. We both had to invest in headsets to relieve the phone-elbow and sore ears that became a symptom of our dedication to talking. And this habit continues today, now that we live in different neighborhoods. In one afternoon I will exhaust the battery on both my cordless phones, and my cell phone during our marathon conversations. One time we figured out how much time we spend on the phone together and the results were shocking. In an average year we spend about 35 DAYS talking on the phone. There is so much I could say about my Neighbor that I will just have to save for other posts. Most importantly I cherish our epic chats and I wouldn't spend those hours any other way. Love you Neighbor!

Illustration Friday: Remember

2007-05-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

I was recently chatting with my ultra cool grandma, who at nearly 90 is as web savvy as most and a faithful reader of this blog (thanks grandma)! We were talking about memories, and what we want to remember in our lives. She said that she likes to think of all of her experiences as a potpourri, some wonderful, some difficult but they all mix together to make something beautiful and fragrant. When I think of Remembering I think of a tree that lives in my head, always growing and putting off new fruit. Maybe the tree is not something I'm entirely in control of, but it is something that I want to nurture just the same.

As a little aside, some people have asked me what all this Illustration Friday stuff is about. Some of my pals thought it was something I was just doing on my own. Please check of this link: Illustration Friday to learn all about it and to see a bunch of fun stuff!

Thoughts On Drawing...

2007-04-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about drawing lately. I love to draw, always have...always will. I love pens, pencils, crayons, and now I even use my computer to draw. I was pretty lucky as a kid. Both my parents encouraged me to draw and there were always art supplies around. My dad and I would even "draw stories" together, telling tall tales as we sketched out collaborative scenes on paper. In my small Catholic grade school, I was friends with the other 3 'artistic' kids. At recess, when I wasn't busy tying the classroom crybaby to a tree for bawling his eyes out over a lost game of four-square (sorry, Mark) my little arty buddies and I would draw.

Then I started 6th grade at a public school. The new school was huge. It smelled like bleach and hot dogs, there were boys who had those downy pre-teen mustaches, and girls with big boobs and bigger permed hair. I barfed on my first day because I was convinced that my preppy Esprit outfit, bob haircut and I would be devoured by the secular freak fest even though I was 5'7", and stood head and shoulders above my mini-mustached classmates. And then there was the mandatory Art Class, which scared me even more than climbing the rope in gym. My teacher was awesome and also good looking (he had a full-on Tom Sellick mustache). This guy really tried his gosh darndest to make art class an all inclusive atmosphere. But despite his best intentions, over time it became known amongst the tweenagers who the "good artists" were, and I didn't make the cut. This lucky half dozen were the kids who possessed that freakish ability to draw things with photographic realness. It bored the crap out of me, because I was more interested in making up weird looking people with big pointy noses and bulgy Gene Wilder eyes, and writing funny job descriptions for them. It's not that people didn't like my stuff. Sure, my drawings got the laughs but it was the smudgy shaded, pencil drawings of "realistic" unicorns, long stemmed roses, and portraits of Boy George that got the "oohs and ahhhs". These were proudly displayed in the trophy cases after winning blue ribbons at the county fair or the prestigious mall art show.

At that point my drawing practice became more and more private. I never really stopped drawing, I just did it less publicly. By high school I was convinced that I either wanted to be a doctor or an architect so I focused on science classes and drafting (which was still drawing, but I just didn't call it that). I had to walk by the art department every day on my way to the drafting room and jealously scoffed at the moody still lives in the display case outside the door. Somehow I'd become convinced I wasn't "good enough" to be in art classes, but yet I can't ever remember anyone telling me that I wasn't. What the heck was happening?

After I graduated I got the hell out of dodge and studied abroad in Holland for a year. I absolutely won the Exchange Student Lottery with the amazing family I got placed with. For my birthday two months after I arrived they bought me a museum pass that was good for any museum in the country. I skipped a lot of school those first few rainy months and spent my long afternoons visiting museum after museum getting buzzed and chubby on strong Dutch coffee with cream, and bags of black licorice. I had no idea who any of these artists were, but standing before gigantic Rembrandt paintings wacky Jeff Koons sculptures blew my mind. Then, just when I thought things couldn't possibly get any better, my sweet family signed me up for drawing classes in the center of Amsterdam one day a week. Maybe it was the fact that I was really in a place where no one knew me, or the fact that my Dutch vocabulary at that time made me sound like a 2 year old, but drawing was something I could do to communicate, and so I began to trust myself again. I kept an elaborate sketchbook journal that included writing and drawing, and it is still one of my most prized possessions. I love it for the honesty and fearlessness recorded on those pages.

When I came back to the states I enrolled in art school at a big university. It made me nervous in the same way 6th grade did, but this time I didn't barf and luckily mustaches were out of style. I soon found though that art school shook that confidence that I'd built up in my year away. Being surrounded by such varied and intense talent sometimes made me want to throw my art supplies out the window, and there were professors and grad students who tried to tell you that you weren't good enough. But instead of listening to them I listened to more interesting people like the professor who told our class one day that drawing was anything you wanted it to be. It didn't have to be with a pen or pencil. In fact, this guy had an art show where he showcased a large mason jar full of a year's worth of his family's collected toenail clippings. He called this drawing. If that was true, then my 6 by 4 foot drawing of something I called The Flying Cupcake Lady had every right to exist too. And I stared to notice something very curious. The more I put myself out there, the more people responded. It didn't matter what I made, it was more about the confidence with which I put it out there. I listened to the people I wanted to listen to and drew ugly pictures of those who I thought were full of doo-doo butter.

Just recently I left my job at a local theatre to pursue another life path. At the theatre I was the lucky soul who got to illustrate and design all of the posters. I remember the first time I saw one of my posters in public. It was hanging front and center on an espresso stand outside a cafe. I almost rear-ended the car in front of me, partly out of shock, and a little bit out of pride but mostly out of a kind of panic I hadn't ever felt. My stuff was out in the world, on espresso stands and the sides of busses and on free bookmarks in cafes. Everywhere. Exposed! Surely people would see right through me, call the theatre and demand I be fired for putting such ridiculous stuff out into the world. But guess what? That never happened, people actually liked what I was doing. Complete strangers wrote me emails to tell me so, and ask for my "secrets" (I promise I really don't have any). Again I was reminded of what I have been shown over and over. Show up at the page, do the work, and the rest will come. Trust.
What is it that keeps us from trusting our creative instincts? It is something that I and many other creatives struggle with consistently. It doesn't matter what the medium or how much experience you have, it just happens. But I do feel like I am turning a corner, and just starting to understand that doing the work is pretty much 99.999% of the equation. It doesn't matter if it is 'good enough'. I'm giving myself permission to expel those 6th grade art critics from my head, and get back to the work I love. How about you?

Illustration Friday: Polar

2007-04-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I heard a story about this guy on NPR. It got me thinking not only about adorable polar bears of course, but how our rapid consumption and commodification are having globally devastating effects. For Illustration Friday I give you Polar Pops, probably the worst product idea EVER! If you see them at at store near you, please don't buy them.

For Frances

2007-04-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

My little friend Frances is celebrating her first birthday this week. Today was her super fun kid and adult party. She is quite the character, which is no big surprise as her parents are both blessed with a love of laughter and a wicked sense of humor. She entertained us by repeating her new favorite word "shoe", while pointing at my feet. A girl after my own heart!

Ever since I knew she was coming into the world I've loved making stuff for this little sweetie. Not only does Frances have a smile that melts your heart right into a big ole puddle, this girl has the most amazing head of auburn red hair. One afternoon she arrived at my house in a robin's egg blue polar fleece jacket. The color looked incredible on her and I knew I had to make something for her in that very color. Frances is just starting to walk, and I thought a cute pair of cropped rompers would look adorable as she practiced toddling around over the summer. Can't you just see the little ties flapping about? As a soon-to-be mom of a little girl I am finding it really hard to find clothes that are anything but pink. Not that pink is bad (I own plenty of it myself), I just like to mix things up with a little orange and turquoise from time to time. This is why I love sewing. The options are practically limitless and you always end up with a something that is truly one-of-a-kind, just like sweet Frances!

Here are the specs for this project:

Pattern: Burda 9652
Fabric: 5 Funky Monkeys by Erin Michael for Moda Fabrics
Notes: This was my first time sewing a Burda Kids pattern. It was really simple, but I had to improvise some of the directions as they were a little lacking in the detail department. The pattern is great because it includes sizes 6 months to 3 years. The pattern called for snaps, but I was more comfortable using buttons. I will definitely use this pattern again. I've got a lot of extra fabric and may sew a matching pair for our little gal.

Illustration Friday: Fortune

2007-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week's topic for Illustration Friday was Fortune. Here you have Mr. Anteater snorting up a juicy hill of ants. Said ant hill may seem like a pesky nuisance to you and me, but Mr. A feels like he's just won the lottery. For him this is better than Ben and Jerry's free cone day (which I missed this year, darnit), fresh made donuts, or a trip to the beach. Fortune is where you find it, friends.

Happy Friday!

Chocolate Banana Bread = Happiness

2007-04-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of banana buying around our house. Problem is, I'm kinda picky. Once they start turning spotty-brown, I'm done. As a result there are a lot of frozen, skinless, over-the-hill bananas just hanging out in our freezer, waiting for their reincarnation as muffins or bread.

About a year ago I found an awesome recipe for Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread in Cooking Light Magazine. Looks fancy and sounds fancy but it is really very simple. If you have your own trusty banana bread recipe already, you can still work some chocolatey swirl magic on it. Just melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in the microwave and mix in 1 cup of the banana bread batter. Layer the chocolate batter with the plain batter, swirl it with a knife and bake as you usually would. The Cooking Light recipe is a good one. I like the addition of yoghurt, but I ignore the egg replacer and just use in 2 eggs instead.

Tasty!

Getting Started

2007-04-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Meet Mississippi Charles Bevel. I had the chance to meet him a few months ago when he was visiting my town. A super-talented musician, and a sweet soul to boot. One gray and rainy afternoon I looked up from my dreary desk to see him walking by my window wearing his signature bowler cap adorned with a feather and this humongous rainbow umbrella. It was such a cheerful scene, I knew I had to make a drawing. I made a quick sketch, reworked it a few times in my sketchbook and then began laying it out in trusty Illustrator. I sent a digital print to Mississippi, but I wanted more!

I've been looking for an excuse to purchase some new silkscreen supplies, and this seems to be the perfect reason. Back in my art school days I was addicted to screen printing. I loved mixing the pudding-thick colors, planning out separations and watching the ink seep into the paper. I even stole my lucky squeegee (named Peterson) from the supply cabinet in the studio before I graduated. As time went by my screen printing obsession was always in the back of my mind but jobs, computers, and small spaces got in the way. I'm in a much bigger space now, and I have a lot more time on my hands. So, taking a cue from The Police, Peterson is ready to come out of his retirement and rock the screen once again. I may document the process and post it here.

And, as if I needed even another reason to get going it is also time for the Print Zero Studios Print Exchange. What started out as a small local exchange organized by a former classmate of mine has now grown to include many national and international artists. The last exchange included something like 200+ participants. All you have to do is make a wee edition of 15 prints, and you get 15 back from all around the world. A pretty good deal if you ask me. If you are a printmaker or even curious about getting started in printmaking and need a little extra motivation, I'd strongly suggest looking into this!

Printmakers unite!