Letters are Hard

This reminds me of trying to learn how to write my name in cursive to get my library card. Letters are hard. This kid is adorable.

Snaps

One night this week I found myself stuck in some nasty traffic after work in Santa Monica. The hours after 5 are a bad time to be leaving SM for Culver City, plus it was rainging. The important thing to do when you find yourself in this situation in LA is to discover a way to entertain yourself and keep your mind occupied, or you're doomed to either impotent rage or complete despair. So I fiddled with the radio to try and find something good, and pulled out my camera. I decided to hold the camera against the windows and snap as I crawled along, to see what I'd end up with. I got Rocketman by Elton John on the radio, and I decided to make the best of the drive. LA can be so frustrating and big and urban, but I love the way these pictures all are rainbowy and sparkley.

Hey Fella

On Thrusday, David tooke me on a suprise journey downtown by Metro to a great show at the Red Cat Gallery : Ed Fella and Geoff McFetridge, Two Lines Align. It was great to see such amazing work - my favorites were a tiny room you could step into completely covered with cute clever graphics, floor to ceiling, and all of Ed Fella's sketckbooks, tables and tables of them full of hand rendered type, collage and illustration. It really hurt that I don't draw the way I used to, filling sketchbooks with silly drawings, and I feel out of practice.

What did suprise me, was how gross the hipsters are dressing now at the gallery scene. I gawked in horror at these blue diaper-shorts.I also saw the dirtiest, grossest moustache I've ever seen, but didn't get to snap a photo of it sadly. Or maybe not so sadly. The treat of the night was that Amanda was visiting LA for her birthday and met us there! We had dinner at Pitfire Pizza where after hours they have some tasty sangria! It was a magic suprise, and we got home late and sleepy.

Happy Birthday Rachel Kim

Today we went to Rachel's 26th birthday party at Griffith Park! Ton's o' fun, wines, cheese, crackers, cookies, lots of treats to snack on. I also brought my Chinese Gambling Game wich got it's first action ever. Several lucky rollers won some dollars thanks to lucky bets. Also there was a guy who played drums all day unaffiliated with this party or any other, some Bacchi Ball fun, and some rad kite flying. Oh, and some interesting tree climbing. Happy Birthday Rachel!

Oh Wendy

Built By Wendys new spring line is very pretty and nice, and I wish I could afford to spend so much money on clothes. My crazy all day sewing class gave me so much respect to a well made, well designed garment, and I wish I was skilled enough to make my own clothes. I guess I just have to keep trying.

Love is A Pie

This year, for Valentine's Day, I expressed my love in the form of a steamy hot, homemade chicken pot pie. I was scared as I'd never made one before, and I worried about the timing of events, like the chicken roasting while the sacue and veggies were simmering, but it all came out great, and we had a nice dinner at home. Cozy cozy!

Cake Batter Cookies!

Tonight Jessie and I expiramented with making Cake Batter Cookies, and they are wonderful! You buy any box of cake mix you like, add eggs and oil but No water, and bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes depending on how soft you want them. They are fluffy and cakey and delicious! David, who has a serious aversion to cake, was ok with the crispy cookie edges, but not pleased with the fluffy moist center. Silly boy, Cake Cookies are for Tinies!

in Memorium

Last night, we watched Jaws in memorium of Roy Scheider, actor extrodinare. Died this last week at age 75. I hope he reunites with fellow Seaquest cast member Johathon Brandis on the other side. Roy, we did not know you, but we like watching you in Jaws.

The 13th Hour

This Saturday some ladies from work met up to take a one-day sewing class in Karen's studio. She's been sewing for years and is a big-time expert on the right way to do everything. I'm really glad I did this because I learned a lot, and 13 insane hours later, I had basically finished the dress, it just needs to be hemmed, but what sucks is that it doesn't fit me. It's like 2 sizes too big, it barely fits on my hanger. I even tried to alter the pattern a little when I began, and in the class we took the sides in and altered the front, but nonethelsess, I have a giant sack. I suppose the good side of this is that I got some actuall garment making experience, whereas before this I only attempt small bunnies and table linens and such, but at the same time, it made me even more scared to try real clothing patterns in all their cryptic form. On Sunday I stuck to something gentler, felt applique of animals to tiny onesies, and generally lazed about after the dress marathon. I finally got to spend some much needed time with the Tiny, and watched "Confessions of a Superhero", which I highly reccommend. Crazy Hollywood Blvd. crazies.

WTWWA

Some time ago, David Michael, movie-industry-informer that he is, brought my attention to the fact that Spike Jonze is making Where The WIld Things Are into a movie. A live action movie with real monsters with puppet bodies and CGI faces. He showed me these images and I almost peed my pants. I always thought that Max would be the best ever halloween costume if only I could get that together. I'm short enough to get by I think. Plus I want to wear the crown. Oh big, huggable loveable monsters, I yearn for movies in the spirit of Labyrinth and Willow for this day and age, done the right way. I should be making dinner, but instead, I'm imagining my dining room turning into a jungle full of shaggy, dopey, partying monsters.

Little Love

I discovered Rama Hughes portfolio the other day and was completely charmed by these a illustrations depicting him and his wife in motifs from the wonderful French children's book The Little Prince. These he made for their wedding invitations! It's so adorable and inspirational, I'm all a sucker right now for love! Check out the link, he also pens the story of how they met, it's sweet :)

Arkansas

I've received my latest book in the mail from the McSweenys club: Arkansas by John Brandon. I picked it up Sunday night and am reading steadily. It's pretty good so far, but it's definately not something I would have chosen for myself in the bookstore, though the cover is gorgeous as always (this photo doesn't show the fancy gold foil stamping on the front). In joining this club, where I get mailed titles I've no idea what they are about, I'm opening up to authors and subjects I'd otherwise not be exposed to. However, I'm not sure how great this is if I'm missing the topics I usually seek out due to the simple fact that I find them interesting. I'll let you know how this little experiment works out, and in the meantime, here is a synopsis and info on the author:

"There are the days: the dappled grounds, the aimless yardwork, the hours in the booth giving directions to families in SUVs. And then there are the nights, crisscrossing the South with illicit goods, the shifty deals in dingy trailers, the vague orders from a boss they've never met. Sooner than Kyle and Swin can recognize how close to paradise they are, in this neglected state park in southern Arkansas, the lazy peace is shattered with a shot. Night blends into day. Dead bodies. Crooked superiors. Suspicious associates. It's on-the-job training, with no time for slow learning, bad judgment, or foul luck.

John Brandon was raised on the Gulf Coast of Florida. During the writing of this book, he worked at a lumber mill, a windshield warehouse, a Coca-Cola distributor, and several small factories that produce goods made of rubber and plastic. His favorite recreational activity is watching college football. This is his first book."

Rain In

With all the drizzly cold outside I didn't want to leave the cozy indoors all weekend. Sunday evening I spent some quality time with my new ironing board and some Heather Bailey fabric wich turned into a new Big Footed Bunny. That bunny's feet are so hard to put on. I have cleared out a big section of the craft room on the sewing side, and put it into order, which is so delightful! I've gone through my giant fabric basket and rid myself of all the inherited material that I'm just not ever going to use, and transfered all the keepers into hidden storage bins in my closet. It's wonderful to have the extra space and I swear I can think better in a clearer room. The other half of the room however, is a different story. Poor letterpress is surrounded by a hurricane of books, records and papers, cat things and CDs and hidden trolls I'm sure. That is next weekends task maybe.

Bee-Utiful

I adore this bee print by LittleRobot on etsy. It was featured in a Storque Article telling about a documentary called Rooftop Bees. It's about a man who keeps bees on his rooftop in New York. How lovely! I would like to watch it but it was not to Bee found on Netflix.