IHOP rules

I love going out to breakfast. And I've just discovered the latest good reason to--IHOP's stuffed french toast. Nummers! One thing I was surprised about was the portion size--that it WASN'T an obscene amount of food, which seems to be the norm in American restaurants. Maybe that's changing? We can only hope.

ATC on State Fair: Beware the Ax Man

This one is my favorite of the State Fair ATC's I made: it's the Ax Man from a coupon for a cool junk store of the same name, more of Mary GrandPre's illustration from the Fair flyer, the word "Donate" is from a flyer in the Medical Building on donating organs and blood, and the white bits are from the Fairground directory, listing slightly dangerous rides like the Slingshot and the Haunted House.

MN State Fair ATC's

A couple ATC's made for a MN State Fair-themed swap. We had to use bits of stuff collected at the Minnesota State Fair to make the cards. The first one is cute and a bit boring, using tape and Post-Its from the 3M exhibit along with woven paper and a bead from the Fair store. I love the chicken one, how the lady's hair and coat are apparently blowing from the chicken's squawking. It's made of the directory of the Fair exhibits and buildings, a postcard from the MN Transit dept. , and the Fair flyer with the illustration done by Mary GrandPre, the illustrator of the American version of the Harry Potter books.

ATC: Not Waving But Drowning

I named this after a favorite Stevie Smith poem. Bits used: Fairground map, postcard from MN Transit Authority, sticker from boat safety exhibit, 3M scotch tape (the little guy drowning), and a medallion from the Air Force (covered up by the boat safety sticker).

Mary GrandPre

See more of Mary GrandPre's illustration style at her website. She was trained at MCAD here in Minneapolis. One of our many celebrities.

Spaghetti Ball

This is what Cocoa likes to do to her toys--rip them up! Pulling the fuzz off tennis balls is a great time.

Happy Doggie

thank you for this great toy, Mom!

Cocoa's newest toy

Oh man do I love this huge ball!

J. and Trees being trees

J. amongst the raucous color at the Arboretum

Us

self-portrait of me and J. at the Arboretum last week. He took a day off from work and we went to see the purty colors of the turning leaves.

Beaker and the Chickens

Photography from the Fine Arts show at the State Fair. It's got a muppet, what else does it need? This is my kind of wacky art.

and stuff

Aw, crap. Today I got a Dear Merc letter from the library saying thanks for the fascinating interview but we aren't hiring you. It's kind of discouraging to get turned down for a job you're highly overqualified for. Oh well, something else will come along.

I'm still waiting to hear from Richfield Community Ed if they want me to teach Artist Trading Cards or not in the winter. Minneapolis already picked up my class for two sessions in February, so I have that to look forward to.

I've been pondering writing a book of meditations about having a miscarraige, or rather, how to get through the aftermath of suffering a miscarraige. I tried writing a novel about it and I just don't feel like it right now.

Fall is in full swing here now and it's beautiful, the colors, the wind, the cool air, I love it all.

Job Interview

I haven't had many job interviews in the last, oh, ten years. I had one today for a part-time library job and I felt like such a dork. I guess I'd rather have a personal chat than sit there and listen to myself jabber about my mad skills. I actually heard the phrase "and stuff" come out of my mouth... I wanted to follow it with "Doh!" but that seemed like it would only make things worse. And they ask you basically the same questions that you filled out on the application--that you took time and care to craft brilliant answers for. Only this time you say "and stuff." Yeesh. Well, I was probably fine. I'll find out in a week or so if some teenager beat me out. I hope not, it would be sooooo fun to work at a library. I mean, I guess I am a dork, because I love the idea of shelving books for hours. So there you have it.

Halloween Crop Art

This is my favorite crop art from the State Fair. If I was the judge, Liz Schreiber-Sakes, I would have given you best in show! Frankie rocks!

Damian Priour

I was watching Carol Duvall today and she did a segment on this artist, Damian Priour, who works with limestone and glass. I love the way he uses the glass to look like water in some of his pieces, it looks so inviting. There's this fountain (second picture down underneath photo of the artist) that has sunken little boats underneath glass, it's really fascinating. I like his small pieces even more, like these cute like glass chairs called Twin Peaks. Notice the funky signs and symbols in both the glass and the stone.

I Rule!

Wheeeee! I created an altered CD for one of the big online art groups I'm in, and they put the picture of it on their homepage! I am so excited! It's at ABC_alteredbookclub if you want to go see-it's a fun Halloween theme.

ATCs: Fertility Theme

ATCs with drawings I made of fertility goddesses for a swap I hosted with a fertility theme. The one on the left is Venus of Willendorf.

ATCs about My Birthday

I created this swap to find out things of consequence that happened on my birthday, Sept. 29. This is called Hip Hep, and it's for Katherine Hepburn's first film appearance, on Sept. 29th, 1932, in the film Bill of Divorcement.

ATC: Happy Birthday, Count

Another fun moment in history: Dracula with Bela Lugosi starts filming on Sept. 29th, 1930.

ATC: Rebel

My new favorite ATC I just made today. I carved the stamp myself! It's James Dean, can you tell? I traced a photograph and made my stamp based on that drawing.

Blessing of the Animals at The Basilica of St. Mary

me and J. and Cocoa in front of the Basilica before the service. Cocoa is wearing a bandana for the event.

Cocoa wearing fashion bandana

Cocoa is having a fun time!

Gathering on front steps

Just before we processed into the church with all our animals. Notice the big blue parrot on the guy's shoulder in the bottom right.

Kitty in Church

One of the few relaxed cats, sitting in the aisle next to the pew.

Cocoa sitting nicely in church

J. singing while Cocoa sits in the pew