Monkeys Go Home!

Triumphant Return!

2010-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

It's been so busy around here. Lots of travel, lots of getting work made for shows, plus there was Charlie's three week business trip to India (I stayed home. Flights to India are expensive).

But! I am hoping to get this internet thing back down. Post more often. Right now I'm just popping in to say hi quickly (Photo editing! More travel for which I have packing and preparation! Laundry to fold! And dinner to make!) before I get back to work. But I wanted to show a little preview of my upcoming shop update (For real this time!).

A few months ago I started tinkering with making felt jewelry versions on my work. They've turned out pretty well, and they'll be available for sale this coming Monday! And if you like these ones, click my flickr badge at right to see a whole bunch more.

And if you're in Seattle this weekend, stop by the Plush You! show and say hi. I'll be there, and my work will be up at Nancy.

2010-06-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Three things I have done today:

Repotted some seedlings in my patio garden. We now have, among other plants, seven different tomato varieties! Pictured is the Black Krim, which is already covered with fruit.

Worked on some toys. They aren't all visible in the picture, but there are five sets of bird legs and seven bird faces awaiting bodies on my desk. This is leading up to what will be the first update to my online store in a billion years. Soon!
javascript:void(0)

Worked on x-mas knitting. I'm starting early this year. Really early. I'm about a quarter of the way done with project number one, and it's looking good.

On the schedule for tomorrow- voting, dinner at my favorite Peruvian restaurant, and turning thirty.

January 12 and 13, 2010- in pictures

2010-01-14T12:20:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2010- in pictures

2010-01-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Felty New Year!

2010-01-02T18:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! New comics are coming soon, but while I get them ready to post, enjoy the first thing I've ever needle felted! Finished just a few minutes ago, it looks very dramatic and a bit sinister. But only in the photo. This is what happens when you're eager to share a new project, and it's already dark out and you have to use a flash.

Off to watch the end of Tremors 4!

December 12-18, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-18T20:12:00.000-08:00

And as an added bonus, here's a link to that inchworm video (don't worry, it's very short)

December 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-11T22:43:00.000-08:00

December 6 and 7, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

javascript:void(0)

Cartoon pending

2009-12-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

Cartoon coming tomorrow morning, because oh my god what a day. Good day, except for the two lamps we broke, but very, very busy.

December 5, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

December 4, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-04T23:22:00.001-08:00

Today I'm a little light on awesome, cartoon-wise, because I'm so excited about the wheel that it's hard to stop spinning to get drawing done.

December 3, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-03T21:28:00.001-08:00

One day, I will master the fine art of sleeping, and I won't be so tired.

December 2, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-02T20:55:00.000-08:00

For the curious, my necklace is a wee little bird, and I'm drinking orange juice. Now off to put the finishing touches on dinner (braised fennel, chicken sausages).

December 1, 2009- in pictures

2009-12-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

I like how this turned out, except for the picture of Charlie, which turned out so badly it nearly ruins the rest of it. It looks more like Nicholas Cage than it does Charlie. Now I'm all grumpy about it, and cursing my lack of white-out, and the unlikely-hood that I would use it even if I had it.

November 30, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

And I've successfully blogged every day in November! Go me! And more importantly, I started doing this day in pictures thing, and I'm totally digging it. I've tried, off and on since childhood, to keep a daily journal. And I always kind of sucked at it. I can't believe it took me this long to realize that since I'm such a visual person, perhaps incorporating visuals would be a way to make the activity enjoyable for me. I think I'm going to keep going.

That said, rest assured that photos of toys and paintings and my pets are coming back, along with more recipes. Their absence the past two weeks had nothing to do with all the drawing, and everything to do with being super crazy busy. Perhaps tomorrow, a day in pictures and a toy in progress.

November 29, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

Lazy Sunday. Lazy lazy lazy Sunday. Very much needed. Back to getting things done tomorrow.

November 28, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

November 27, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

Don't get the impression that I didn't have fun at the Huntington today, because I totally did. It was awesome! I just had to step outside of some of the indoor stuff because of the crowds. I have some auditory processing issues in crowds.

November 26, 2009 in Pictures.

2009-11-26T18:31:00.000-08:00

November 25, 2009 in Pictures.

2009-11-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

November 24, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-24T21:43:00.001-08:00

My kitchen is now completely gorgeous. And I am completely exhausted. But happy. Very, very happy, and looking forward to awesome family time tomorrow.

November 23, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

Seriously. So much cleaning the kitchen, and I'm not even done yet. But it's starting to look pretty awesome. Although my hands are feeling all sore and bleach-y.

November 22, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

And now I'm so tired I'll be proud of myself if I make it to ten pm.

November 21, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Drawn while chatting with Charlie and Dan about cameras and samurai. The photo (I need a new scanner. Hopefully soon) is a little crooked, but I'm in a hurry to get to that movie. Maybe I'll put up a non-crooked version later?

November 20, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

November 19, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-19T22:58:00.000-08:00

Now with Bonus Smee! Here, he is shown cozied and dozing in his nest in my office, circa this afternoon.

November 18, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Plus a book I'd been waiting for forever came in for me at the library! And I cut out felt for toys! And I made dinner! And I tried to go to the grocery store, but it shares parking with stupid Macy's which was having a stupid sale so I ended up going home without even getting out of the car. And now I'm going to go curl up with Charlie and watch Krazy Kat cartoons.

November 17, 2009 in pictures.

2009-11-17T21:38:00.000-08:00

November 16, 2009 in Pictures.

2009-11-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

For anyone who's interested, there's a very straight-forward Andean plying tutorial with great, easy to follow diagrams here.

2009-11-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

They Might Be Giants was awesome! It's so nice to see people succeed so throughly with something that is so legitamately good. Plus the audience was adorable, mainly nerdy folks in their 30s and 40s looking very giddy and bouncing around. Plus there were sock puppets! Made of socks! Puppets! All around, a very good evening.

In Favor of.

2009-11-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

Things I am in favor of today-

-Popeye! We've been watching a lot of old Popeye cartoons lately. A lot a lot. To the extent that it's starting to affect my speech patterns if I'm not careful.

-They Might Be Giants! My friend Brianna and I are going to see them tonight in Westwood. Very excited. More on this after the show.

-Spinning! Still. The yarn kind, not the exercise bike thing. I'm sad that I'm too busy and exhausted to get down to the craft center to practice on the wheel this weekend, but I've been enjoying working on my drop spindle in the mean time.

-Fall/Winter vegetables! My food budget gets a lot cheaper once cabbage comes into season. And it's a fun change of pace. Plus, now that it's not a million degrees outside, I have so many more cooking method options.

-My various infirm family members are all at least somewhat on the mend! This is a big one, as some of them were causing me a great deal of worry.

-Awesome leftover kale, bean and sausage soup! Very tasty, and leftovers give me a break from cooking.

-This sweater! (It's a Ravelry link, so if you don't have an account there it won't work.) All sorts of small needle colorwork-y goodness. I am in love, and may need to make this. It'll be somewhat of a major undertaking, but whatever.

Hooray for good things!

Ply!

2009-11-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

The two ply I finished last night. It's not done with the most even singles I've ever made (or single, really, singular, as I plyed Andean plying bracelet style), but it turned out quite nicely. And it's very, very soft. I am pleased. Giddy, even.

2009-11-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

Hey! Almost forgot to blog today. Nothing big to report. Charlie is majorly on the mend, although still very tired. I'm exhausted, but continue to be healthy. I took care of Charlie in the morning, then went to work, then went to the grocery store, and then back home for a simple dinner and some Popeye cartoons (Which- Popeye cartoons are awesome, but I think they are starting to have and adverse effect on my speech patterns.). After Charlie went to bed I finished some plying I started this afternoon. If I had thought of it, I would have posted a picture of the yarn, but as it's currently soaking in soapy water, it'll have to wait for tomorrow. That's okay though, as it will be better then. It's not the best yarn I've ever made, and there isn't a lot of it (it was an experiment) but it is the most success I've had with plying to date. And it's awfully soft. I'm excited to knit it into something.

2009-11-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

So I had a whole plan for art today, but instead Charlie has what may be the swine flu, and I'm taking care of him, and I'm exhausted. Because of course our doctor's office is closed for Veteran's day, I had to take him to immediate care. Which for some reason, the closest one that takes our insurance is about 15 miles away, in Koreatown. Which in itself seems wrong, since we have insurance through a major carrier and live in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles, which is huge and densely populated. But whatever. So I took him there, and we waited for about three hours even though we were the only people there. Once we actually got to see the doctor, she apologized and told us that she had just gotten a new staff, and that they were stupid. She herself was very helpful, and gave us both Tamiflu, Charlie for treatment and me for prevention. Then I dropped Charlie off at home, and went to the pharmacy and the grocery. At 2pm I finally got to eat something.

So yeah. No art today. But on the plus side, I think we got treatment for Charlie quickly enough I doubt it will turn into anything major, and I'm fine other than being so tired that I'm having trouble typing properly.

Cabbage! With recipe!

2009-11-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

Oh cabbage! How I love you so. So cheap, so tasty, so nutritious. When people think you are stinky, it's just because they aren't cooking you right. When cooked quickly, you are one of the tastiest damn things out there.

Here's something to make with cabbage, courtesy of my brain. We had it for the second time for dinner last night, and it was awesome.

-Cabbage and White Bean Picatta-
ingredients
About 1/2 a cabbage,cored and shredded up fairly fine. I use a big knife for this, personally, but I suspect you could use a food processor.

3 cloves of garlic. You could use less if you want, but I love garlic. I may add even more garlic the next time I make this. But 3 cloves is good. Oh, and you'll want to mince them or grate them or press them. I put mine through the garlic press. The point is, make it into kind of a loose mush.

Olive oil. Just a little. A few tablespoons at most.

Cannellini beans. I used a 15oz can, but you could also use about 2 cups of beans you cooked up yourself from dried.

Butter! 2 tablespoons should do it!

Capers! I can't say I really measure these, but 1-3 tablespoons? I tend to err on the side of more capers, because I am in favor of capers.

Juice of one or two lemons. I used two last night, but generally I would use one. The lemons I had around last night were tiny.

Instructions
Start heating up a wok or a big skillet. Once it's nice and hot, add the olive oil. While that's heating up, start melting some butter in a tiny skillet or saucepan.
Okay. So now you add the shredded cabbage to the wok/big skillet, and toss it around (carefully, using two spoons, so that the cabbage doesn't go all over the stove) to get the cabbage coated with oil. Then let it sit for a minute or two at high heat. You want it to start to brown in the places it's touch the pan. That means it's caramelizing, and that in turn means it will taste awesome.

The butter in your little pan should be melty by now, so stir it gently until it's a nutty brown, and then turn off the heat. If it's an electric stove, remove it from heat so that it stops browning. Set it aside. We'll come back to it later.

Back to your cabbage. Add the garlic to it, and toss that together. Then let it cook another minute or so. It should be starting to get a bit limp at this point. Now you add the beans, toss it together again, turn the heat down to medium, and let it cook together nicely while you finish the sauce.

Okay. We're back to the butter now. It should have sat for at least two minutes off heat at this point. You don't want to add cool liquids to hot butter, generally, as it generates an oil spitty mess. But it should be cool enough at this point. So add your capers and your lemon juice, and put the pan back over heat. Let it come to the slightest boil and reduce just a little. Stir it all around, and turn off the heat again.

And you're done! Combine the contents of the two pans in your serving dish, make sure they're mixed up nicely, and put that sucker on the table!

Serves anywhere from 2-6 depending on how hungry you are and how much other stuff you're serving. We had this with nothing else, just the two of us, for dinner last night, and finished the whole thing. But if there's only one of you try it anyway. The leftovers should heat up just fine.

Current Obsession

2009-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

So very into spinning again after yesterday's class. I believe a wheel may be in my future. This wheel, perhaps. And due to the magic of anniversaries and Christmas, I just might get one. Hee!

Anyhow, it will get me closer to my dream of making all of the socks I wear be as difficult to obtain as possible. Currently I'm just knitting them, but I'm now totally renewed in my quest to spin the yarn that I make them with. Eventually there will be a sheep living in my bathtub.

2009-11-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Accomplished today-
-Charlie and I drove out to Santa Monica, and drank coffee on the beach.

-Then I had my first spinning class, over at Urban Craft Center! We started with spindle spinning, which I've been doing for awhile (but still love, and was gratified to learn I was doing correctly, despite the fact that I taught myself from a pamphlet), and then we started in on the wheels. This was the first time I've ever spun on a wheel, and I loved it! I'm still not so great at it, and my wheel yarn is so much crappier than my spindle yarn, but I'm determined to get the hang of it. And by the end my work was definitely getting easier and looking better. The next class is in two weeks, and I can't wait. I also see the purchase of my own wheel in the near future.

-After class I was immediately picked up by Charlie and Jed (who were neighborhood scouting) and taken to lunch. Tasty, tasty lunch, at Sapp Coffee Shop, which is not so much a coffee shop as it is a Thai restaurant. I adore it muchly. We went there for the first time about a month ago, and we've gone about once a week since then. If you go, I recommend the boat noodles and the jade noodles.

-Then we went to the Arclight to see the new Coen brothers movie, A Serious Man. Which was very, very good. I actually thought it was better than No Country for Old Men. Much more subtle. Also funny, which I'm always in favor of.

-Oh! Between lunch and the movie we went to Amoeba Records and got three cds and one movie, which I am to lazy to actually go get from the other room to get the titles. Tomorrow maybe? I'm really tired.

-Anyway, after the movie Jed offered to treat us to dinner (I had treated him to lunch) so we went and had some Salvadorean food at a lovely place that I believe is called Gloria's. It was very nice, and I suspect we will be back.

-And now I am home, the dog has been fed and walked, and I'm going to curl up with some dvds and the charming young man I married.

Accomplished

2009-11-07T17:06:00.001-08:00

Accomplished today:
-Slept in until an alarm I hadn't even realized I'd set on my watch went off. (We'd be out late last night going to see these guys- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Very cool.)

-Got our vegetables and fruits for the week at our local farmers market. (Very in to bok choy and kale lately.)

-Got our flu shots at Charlie's work. (Seasonal only so far, but it was nice to get that with so little hassle.)

-Ate some lunch.

-Sat down to read books, ended up taking naps instead.

-Watched most of Psycho, except for the end, because the dvd got all screwy. Luckily, we've both seen it before, but I'm still a little grouchy about it.

Things that did not get done include various art projects and writing. Still to come today (probably) is the making of ravioli to freeze for Thanksgiving.

My co-workers

2009-11-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

New Socks!

2009-11-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished these babies. Nice and toasty Noro Silk Garden Sock socks. Not that it's all that chilly today, but warm toes are always nice, and they'll really come in handy on our next trip to Chicago.

Even! More! Faces!

2009-11-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

Guess what I did today? That's right, I painted more faces. Also, but not pictured, I painted some doll feet. The doll feet are only partly painted though. They're getting stripes.

I promise tomorrow will have some non-face action, if only because I've now run out of faces to paint.

2009-11-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

This is the large part of what I worked on today. Certainly it's the interesting part, since the rest of it was of the household maintenance, laundry, grocery shopping variety. They took about three This American Lifes to paint, and I have a whole bunch left to do tomorrow. I like them. They remind me of little jack-o-lanterns.

One of the This American Lifes I listened to was this one, the one about superpowers. It was a re-listen really, as it's probably my favorite one of all time. I'm a big comic book nerd at heart. On that note, flight or invisibility? I'm going with flight, personally. It just sounds fun. Exhilarating. Invisibility isn't to interesting to me. I feel invisible sometimes anyhow, and it isn't really a good feeling. Plus most of the things people mention as reasons to want to be invisible aren't appealing to me. I don't want to look at people naked without their consent. That's creepy. I wouldn't want to sneak into movies without paying. If the movie looks good, I want to support it so that they'll make more like it. Where as flight? Flight sounds nice. You could experience the world from a different perspective. I like to imagine it being like swimming

New faces. BIG faces. And the creative process.

2009-11-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

These four big faces are currently baking up in my oven (the smaller, painted face is one of my normal size ones, shown along with some of my worktable clutter to give an idea of scale). On my way to the dentist today I stopped in the copy shop and made a few different enlargements of one of my favorite of my toy patterns. I've been enjoying putting clothing on some of the toys lately, and I'm hoping that by making some larger versions I'll be able to make that clothing more detailed. So it's an experiment.

It puts me in mind of how for the past year or so, the creative process is so much more interesting to me than the finished work. This applies both to my own work and to my viewing of others' works. It's not that I've lost interest in the finished product, but man has my fascination with the process grown. I'm all about looking at sketch books and notes. I like watching things grow and change and develop. There is something satisfying about watching the actual labor involved in artistic creation, and then looking at the finish product and seeing the marks of that labor.

And now I think I need to go watch My Dinner with Andre. Again.

Necklace! And a month of posts!

2009-11-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

A peek at a new project I'm playing with- shrinky plastic pendants.

-Before baking-

-After baking and being turned into a necklace-

I'm really fond of these. I'm hoping to put some up in the shop soon, after I pick up more (and I think, different) chain tomorrow.

And in other news, I'm doing Nablopomo again, which is to say I'm hoping to post everyday for the month of November. It'll be a good exercise.

Sketchies!

2009-10-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Charlie and I dropped my sister and brother off at the airport before dawn Monday morning. It was a great visit, and I wish they were still here.

Alas, they are not, and perhaps it's not such a bad thing, since I've been very busy with work this week. And not the art half of my work, but the more out of the house half that is yarn related, teaching knitting and crochet, finishing needlework for some clients (just some weaving in ends and blocking) and working out some new patterns I hope to sell. And when I wasn't doing those things, or normal household sorts of tasks, I was trying to fit in a nap here and there, because it's been kind of non-stop action for a least a month now, and I'm starting to get worn down. Therefore, I don't have any new toys to share at the moment (soon though, hopefully). What I do have is sketches for possible future toys, which are pictured above. I know I enjoy flipping through other peoples sketch books, so I hope you enjoy a peek at mine.

Pollywog

2009-10-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Pollywog is one of two toys I finished this morning (the other being a bird that I'm not sharing just yet). Originally she was supposed to be for the next shop update, but I can't bring myself to part with her. She has the goofy charm that makes me love what I do. Plus she works as a companion piece with a toy I made for my dad's birthday of a seamonster king (Mighty King Neptune!, so there's that too. Other toymakers out there- am I the only one who periodically makes a toy she just can't bear to give away?

And! Speaking of that shop update, I know it was supposed to be last week. Which clearly didn't happen. And I'm betting it isn't going to happen this week either, since I have my sister and brother arriving for the weekend in a few hours. So I'm aiming for next week. I'll try to make it extra awesome.

Oh! And I have the twitter now! Link in the sidebar! I'm on that way more often than this, what with the taking less time and all.

2009-10-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Seattle was awesome.

There was chowder.

And lots of galleries. (This is the one my work is in!)

And lots and lots and lots of art.

Best of all, there were so many kind, incredible people, amazing people who's business cards I need to dig out of my bag so that I can send emails and post links and generally keep in touch. Which I will start working on. Tomorrow. Right now it's time to make some lentil soup.

Fish!

2009-10-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hey there! New posts coming Monday, and a store update sometime next week.
And in the meantime, if you're in Seattle this weekend, check out Plush You! It should all be great, and I have some pieces at the Anne Bonney, and made the "S" for the sign at Blue Bottle. So yeah! That's exciting. I'm flying up there tomorrow morning for the weekend. Huzzah!

(On another note, I think the above picture may be the best I've ever taken of my work. So of course it was taken entirely on the fly, in one shot. Go figure.)

2009-07-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

Aaah! I was so caught up in making art that I forgot to put any of it on the blog. Here's today's/last night's work. More faces! A head! And some hands!

pro and con

2009-06-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Pictured is a future tomato/current blossom from my garden. It's sort of tangentially related to the post, and it's nice to have a picture up there.

Good for today-
- Way, way better running times than I was expecting. I'm running a 5K in July, and today is the first day I started to think there was a possibility of me running the whole race instead of just most of it.
- Got my gardening done. Two more tomatoes, a replacement basil, a japanese cucumber, a bell pepper, and a marigold all put in their proper pots, plus a succulent repotted in a bigger new home. Plus I did it all before the sun hit the patio, thus making for a much more pleasant gardening experience.
- Actually remembered to buy dish soap at the store. I've been forgetting this for several store trips now, so remembering this time was a relief.
- Picked up books at the library, including one that's been held for Charlie for almost a week. I love the library.
- Going to the comic book store. They didn't have what I wanted today, but they thought they would have it in soon. Plus I love browsing there. And the employees are super friendly.

Bad for today-
- The return of the heat. The Los Angeles area had been having such nice, cool, wet weather the past few weeks. I'm very sad to see it go. I'm not a hot and sunny person.
- Tom's of Maine apparently no longer makes the toothpaste we like in the flavor we like. So I got stupid peppermint instead, but I am not happy about it. I realize it's ridiculous to be angry about it, and do see the humor in my grumpiness, but I'm very particular about my toothpaste.
- I feel bad calling peppermint stupid. It isn't peppermint's fault they stopped making the SLS free cinnamon-clove. And now I'm having guilty anthropomorphizations of toothpaste flavors. Lovely.
- The sewing of toys is not working so well today. It's a very tangly thread, hot office, stupid pieces not fitting kind of work day.

All in all, I'd say good out weighs bad. Huzzah!

Art in progress

2009-06-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Some toy progress has been made today, if not as much as I was hoping for. Other responsibilities keep getting in the way. Perhaps better luck Thursday morning? (Tomorrow is pretty packed with other stuff already.)

In other news, I made cookies! Shortbread specifically, in fun shapes thanks to all of the cookie cutters I've received recently. I'd include a picture of those too, but my kitchen is pretty dark.

First tomato!

2009-06-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

See that little red jobber there? That's my first ripe tomato of the season! It's on my mystery tomato plant, that when I bought it at the L.A. Arboretum came with a label that read ""sugary" tomato". It has flourished, and seems to be a red grape tomato. And as you can see in the picture, he's got some friends ripening too.

My little patio garden in general is doing well, which is a pleasant surprise. In the past, I haven't had the best luck with plants, but I think I've finally gotten the hang of it. I've only had one plant die this year. And it was a basil that I'm thinking was screwed up to begin with, or it just wasn't trying, because I certainly was. But the rest of the plants are thriving and happy, and where appropriate, blooming.

2009-06-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

So I have a whole post in my head, complete with pictures, about haircut day and running and biking (these things are all related, I swear), but it will have to wait because I am currently being freaked out/fascinated by a big wasp that's stuck in the space between my sliding glass door and the screen. It's right next to the computer. Right next to. I put the dog out of the office just in case it gets in the house. I can deal with getting stung myself, but I don't want that to happen to my little guy. I tried to get a picture of it, because it is really interesting to look at, but I can't get the camera to focus on the wasp and not the screen. It isn't the world's best, my camera.

And now it seems to be gone. I really hope it found it's way out again, both for it's sake and mine.

2009-06-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

This toy was made for my brother, in celebration of his graduation from college. My baby brother now joins our older sister in the realm of personal trainers.

It was a really fun piece to work on. I worked out a new pattern based on one of my old one, and I've already used it a few times since this toy. It comes together very quickly, but looks very tidy and cute. I'm very pleased with it. I also love working with the plush felt, which makes the toys feel a little like tiny wild animals. And above all, making something for someone you love is very, very gratifying.

Back on the pony. Again.

2009-06-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today I am twenty-nine. And I've decided to use my blog to document this year of my life, the last one in my twenties. I don't know that I'll post every day, but if I hit the 4-5 times a week I'm aiming for, I'll be happy. I want the record to look back on, especially of my art, but also of what's going on in my life at the time.

I'm hoping I can pull it off. In the past, I've posted in fits and starts. I get going at a good pace for a month or two, and then something will happen to make me feel massively discouraged, and I'll stop again. But I'm not giving up. I will keep trying until I make this a habit.

Tomorrow I'll bring out the art (and there's a lot of art going on lately, and lots of cool big art news), and later in the week I'll bring out the active life stuff (I've started running! I run 3-5 days a week, and I got a bike I've been riding too. I'll be running a race in July. I don't entirely believe it myself), and there are other cool things coming up, like a new header and making good on long overdue giveaways.

Today, though, I'm enjoying my birthday. It's been a quiet one, which is really what I was going for. Charlie made me tea in the morning and gave me books and dvds, and since he's gone off to work I've had a peaceful time of reading and snuggling with the animals. Tonight we'll go to Dumpling Master for dinner, and then come home and eat dessert, watch dvds, and drink wine. It is absolutely perfect.

busy busy busy

2009-02-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Oh my has it been crazy around here. Lots of rain (for Los Angeles, anyhow), an out-of-town guest, a gas leak, not having a stove for over twenty-four hours after said gas leak, a dog ear infection, Charlie starting a new job, dim sum awesomeness, seeing Amarcord on the big screen for Valentine's Day, and now finally being able to get back in a more full-time sense to my artwork. And all while trying to decide what I want to do with my career in a long term sense. Luckily, most of that has been fun stuff, and things are starting to calm down a bit. Well, this week end is promising to be jam-packed (we've been invited to way more events than we can make it to), but over all, I think we may be getting to smoother times.

2009-02-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I cannot get photos to load to my flickr. And Blogger is no longer giving me any way to load photos at the moment (that area has disappeared) so I guess it doesn't matter much. I have lovely photos of my plants in the rain that I'd love to share. Ah well. Hopefully it will be resolved soon.

2009-02-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

Woo, I am exhausted. My brain has been moving a mile a minute all day (and most of last night; thank you lovely brain for that not so great sleep) thinking of possible knitting patterns to devise, and my body hasn't done a lot of stopping today either. So for tonight I share a link to what I think will be my next knitting project of substance (some things are basic enough that I feel they don't entirely count), which for once is a pattern designed by someone else. I have a massive tendency to just make up my own pattern when I want to make something, so my following someone else's instructions is a bigger deal for me than it is for most people.

But I think these are worth it-

Harika socks

Aren't they lovely? If I do end up making them (and it would be a few weeks, probably, before I start) I'll share.

Please.

2009-02-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

2009-02-03T21:44:00.001-08:00

I am thinking about ghosts.

And the future.

And ghosts in the future.

And ghosts of the future.

The Boys.

2009-02-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

2009-02-01T17:13:00.001-08:00

Today Charlie went hiking with a friend, and I stayed here. In doing so, I discovered something. Charlie has been around this week, and he almost always has something on producing sound, be it the radio, music, or more rarely, the television. And I had been getting increasingly antsy. It wasn't until this afternoon, having sometime to myself, that I realized that I don't tend to turn on the radio or music until it gets dark. There are exceptions, but for the most part I work in the natural background noise of our neighborhood. What I had been missing was having a few hours of quiet. Also a nap. That nap felt really, really good.

The Return of the Frog Eating Bird!

2009-01-31T17:08:00.000-08:00

We saw our frog eating egret friend again on our evening walk! I was able to get much closer this time, although because of the light this time of day he's still a bit blurry.

I was very excited to see him. There's something about him that seems very special. I've really been noticing birds a lot lately. I'll have to read up on them, I'm dying to know more.

2009-01-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for-

Scrabble- We've been playing a lot of Scrabble lately (open dictionary), and I've really been enjoying it. I'm not great at it, but I'm getting better. And I'm increasing my vocabulary. We've actually been learning so many words with our open dictionary style that we're going to start a list.

Charlie- I'm married to a truly wonderful young man. I can't fully express how happy he makes me. He's so sweet, and so kind, and he works so hard to make our lives happy and secure. I don't know what I would do without him.

My job- I really love what I do. I like working at the yarn store, I like teaching knitting and crochet classes, I like making art. Being able to not only do what I love, but to get paid for it, makes life very pleasant and fulfilling.

The pecan bar from Buster's Coffee Shop- It's like pecan pie, but in cookie form! I love it so very much.

2009-01-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

A recommendation tonight, for The Human Face, a BBC production available on dvd. It's presented by John Cleese, and covers not only the physiology of the human face, but also the importance of human interaction. We just watched the first episode tonight, and we loved it. Thanks to Orchid for recommending it to me.

link day!

2009-01-28T20:17:00.000-08:00

Today I direct you towards Book By Its Cover. It's really lovely for peeking at the inside of other peoples sketchbooks, which I adore. The different paths the creative process can take are really fascinating.

walk

2009-01-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

2009-01-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

We saw this guy at Caltech yesterday, eating frogs out of one of the lily ponds! I sent this picture to my bird expert/friend Jean, and she believes he is a greater egret.

I'm just thrilled I happened to bring the camera when walking the dog.

eager

2009-01-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

He wants to keep going! Why have we stopped moving?! Must pull!

2009-01-24T08:11:00.001-08:00

It is so overcast that when I walked the dog this morning, I could not see the mountains. I can pretty much always see the mountains. I'm giddy. All of these clouds, all of this rain, it feels like some sort of magical present.

2009-01-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

First of all, and most importantly, the vet called me on his lunch hour, and the dog is just fine. The little lump on his leg is indeed a histiocytoma, and it will go away by itself in a few months. He said they could remove it, but since it isn't chafing on anything, I'm just going to make sure it doesn't get infected again, and let it do it's own thing in reabsorbing into the body. If it was in his armpit or something, I'd consider the surgery, but it's on the outside of his front leg, just below his elbow. It isn't hurting him. The vet seemed to think this was a perfectly good way to go, so good. No unnecessary surgery for my baby.

In other news, it's raining. It's just lovely. Seriously. I should probably live in the Pacific Northwest; I really, really like rain. Unfortunately, I live in Southern California, land of constant drought. On the other hand, that makes days like today, when it does rain, seem that much more special. Plus it's supposed to rain for a few more days after this, so I'm pleased.

And lastly, I got my copy of Keri Smith's How to Be an Explorer of the World in the mail yesterday. It rocks. It rocks hard. It works very much with how I generally approach the world, so I think it will serve as a nice, gentle reminder when I get stuck in my work. I suspect there will be more on this awesome book once I've played with it more.

2009-01-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

No news on the dog yet. They're pretty sure they'll have his results tomorrow. I'm almost positive that the results will be good, but I'm still nervous. So much so that mainly what I got done today were repairs (a throw pillow and a baseball hat, both ripped up by the same dog I'm now worried about) because that's all I could really concentrate on. I have students tomorrow, so I'll call the vet after I teach. Teaching is the sort of thing I can handle when I'm anxious, so that will keep me pleasantly busy.

Expensive Pup

2009-01-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

It was back to the vet today for Smee and me. We were there Saturday to have his tick bite checked, to have another possible tick bite (from the same day as the first one) that looked a little angry checked, and to get some Frontline to prevent future tick bites. Today we were back because a certain little someone's possible tick bite was bleeding, possibly because he was fussing at it, and because due to how it was healing I was becoming increasingly sure it was probably not a tick bite.

Today's vet agreed with me. He thinks it's a histiocytoma, but to be sure it was fact benign, he aspirated it. The results will be back tomorrow or Friday. I'm not terribly worried, because he's so healthy otherwise, and the vet didn't seem deeply concerned.

But either way, since someone was not inclined to leave the owie on his leg alone, he gets the Elizabethan collar and bandage. Although if you look closely, you can actually see his owie in the picture, right above the bandage, as I took the photo before I realized his bandage had scootched down. I've since hiked it back up.

2009-01-20T17:36:00.000-08:00

I am-
-Still feeling giddy, hours later, about the inauguration.
-Also feeling fairly giddy about realizing that I do have the makings of a fast, easy dinner after all.
-kind of sleepy.
-wondering what smells like poop. Is it the cat box? I sure hope it's the cat box.
-finally feeling a good deal better, after feeling pretty cruddy all last week.
-kind of hungry.
-excited to get back into printmaking.

Haircut day!

2009-01-19T21:15:00.000-08:00

Today was haircut day for Charlie. Nothing fancy, just a buzz cut I gave him in the bathroom. I'm a little jealous. I enjoy having a buzz cut, but I'm trying to grow my hair out at the moment. We'll see how long that lasts. I love having longer hair, and for me that starts a chin length. At the moment it's a lot shorter than that, but much longer than a buzz cut, and extremely awkward looking. On the other hand, it has a messy little boy quality I love. So we'll see. But Charlie! He looks great with a buzz cut. It's one of my favorite looks for him.

2009-01-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight I direct you towards a show I saw earlier today at the Hammer Museum- Gouge: The Modern Woodcut. Check out the page even if you aren't in the Los Angeles area or aren't going to make it there (the show runs through February 8). There are lots of images, and a little video walk-through.

2009-01-17T21:48:00.001-08:00

A girl and her walrus.

2009-01-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

2009-01-15T21:24:00.001-08:00

sketchbook

2009-01-14T21:55:00.000-08:00

Still sick, but getting better.

diagram

2009-01-13T21:32:00.000-08:00

A diagram for a plan that has yet to be enacted, because I am too busy coughing and sneezing.

2009-01-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

2009-01-11T19:14:00.000-08:00

In progress, although not tonight. Tonight will be spent curled on the sofa in a blanket, because I seem to have caught an awful cold. Despite this, I did some vigorous yoga this morning, followed by dim sum (with the friend who I suspect gave me the cold). That ended up being about the extent of what I had energy for today. Well, I also accompanied Charlie to Trader Joes, but no matter how sick I am, I like having a say in what food is in our house.

I suspect, however, that with tea and a little rest, I will be feeling fine again soon. Which is good, because there's a lot I want to do this week.

Someone loves his washcloth.

2009-01-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

An old photo, but the sentiment remains the same.

2009-01-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

I drove to work today, which is unusual for me. Usually I take the bus and then the train to work, and the train and then a long walk on the way home. I use public transportation for the usual sorts of reasons- environment, cost, parking difficulties, not really wanting to deal with driving. There is parking available to me at work, but it's a little tight, and my car is boat like and somewhat difficult to maneuver. So I take public transportation, and I feel a little smug, and I get a little exercise in on the way home.

But today I had a lesson to teach at noon, and I missed the 11:15 bus. I probably could have caught the 11:30, but they aren't terribly consistent, and it would be cutting it close. So I decided to go for it, and got in my car, and drove. I found a three hour street spot (huzzah!) and got in in time to get a cup of coffee before I started.

And man, I can entirely understand why people drive places. Instead of taking minimum thirty minutes to get to work, it took maybe seven. And when I got there, I wasn't jostled or jangled. And likewise, I was able to get home quickly, and wasn't exhausted when I got in. My feet weren't sore, and my shoulders weren't aching from carrying my work backs long distances. It was really nice.

I don't think I'll make a regular habit of driving to work. For one thing, I really do believe in public transportation, both in the environmental sense, and also in the sense that it keeps you from getting isolated in your own little bubble. Also, at high traffic times driving is very stressful. But I did learn something today. Driving, for this short distance, is easier on me in a lot of ways. And in the future, on days when I have a ton to carry or am just feeling really run down, I'm just going to suck it up and drive. And it will be okay!

New shirt!

2009-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

I love this t-shirt my husband got me for Christmas. Actually, I've been loving it on the Buy Olympia website for a long while now, but my hints finally got loud enough. Anyhow, it came in the mail yesterday, so of course I have to wear it today.

I love this whole outfit, actually, and may end up wearing it again when I go out this weekend.

I also love how in this picture, it looks like I have a hair style. I do not have a hair style. I have hair that is slowly growing out of a buzz cut. Although it looks generally cute today, it is overall just sort of there.

Ooo! I am also very pleased that as I fell asleep last night, I thought of a good way to put bones in my armatures with out using JB Weld. A way that will result in bonus hands and feet. A way that, frankly, once I thought of I felt kind of stupid that it hadn't occurred to me sooner. I will share this way once I actually try it out, which should be next week.

plague rat!

2009-01-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

tick tick tick

2009-01-06T19:25:00.001-08:00

So, a quick post, because we're having guest to a dinner I haven't prepared yet. I got behind, you see, because we found a tick sticking out of the dog, and had to take him to the night vet to have it removed. Luckily, they got the whole thing out (and for free!), but it definitely put me behind schedule. And scared the shit out of me at first, although they said we have essentially nothing to worry about living where we do.

Fortunately for our dinner plans, I'd already finished the above cake when we found the tick. It's a cranberry upside down cake, and very tasty. It's not to sweet, and the color is gorgeous. The recipe calls for an 8" round, and while I can't find my one of those, I do have a lovely heart shaped pan that holds the same volume. Thus, a beautiful red heart. And yes, I do plan on making another one of these for Valentines Day.

eh

2009-01-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

Today is an apathy day. I folded a lot of laundry. That was my big accomplishment. Other than that, not a lot happened. Tomorrow should be good though. I'm, um, returning some dvds we rented, and getting some groceries I forgot on my last trip to the store. Man, I really need to get some solid art in there tomorrow. I'm boring myself. Oh well, if nothing else, I'm throwing a miniature dinner party tomorrow (the dinner will be normal sized. It's just a small party. Not miniature guests, just a small amount of people.). That should be good, at least. Now I just have to decide what to serve.

Malibu Creek State Park

2009-01-04T21:29:00.000-08:00

Pictures from yesterday's hike!

Also, today marks the first time I've been able to do a decent camel pose in yoga and hold it for more than a millisecond. I'm very pleased, especially because what difficulty I had with it today had more to do with tiredness from yesterday's hike, I think, than it did with my muscles being tight. So yay!

2009-01-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

We're off hiking today! I'm a little apprehensive, but probably just because the cloudy weather brings out the lazy homebody in me. But it will be good hiking weather, and I'll bring a picnic!

Resolutions/Goals 2009

2009-01-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

I feel I should preface this by saying that I'm not traditionally a big New Years resolution person. So why this year? I don't really know. A lot of things are things that I want to start doing, and it being the beginning of the year is a coincidence. Others are things I want to give myself stronger motivation for. Plus, for some reason, I feel like this will be a big year.

The other thing I should say, going it this, is that I don't consider any of these things law for myself. I reserve the right to chance as circumstance changes. But these are things I'm working towards, as of now.

1. By the end of the year, I will be able to do at least one pull-up, and at least 3 chin-ups. When I was nine years old or so, I was the pull-up queen. When they did our fitness tests, I did seven pull-ups, and I would have done more but they told me to stop. I want to be strong like that again.

2. Yoga in some form, every day. It doesn't always have to be a long asana practice. Some days it will just be focused breathing. But yoga had such a positive influence on my life it the past year, and I want to bring want to bring it into my life more.

3. Write every day.

4. Draw every day.

5. Cut animal products further from the things I eat. I don't see myself ever becoming a vegetarian, but I always feel better when my meat consumption is very, very small.

6. Prepare physically, emotionally, financially, for having a child. We are not planning on having kids super immediately, but it is something coming up in the next few years, and I want to be as ready as I can be. I realize you can never be entirely prepared for something that big, but I can certainly be in a better place than I am now. Which isn't a bad place at all, but there is always room for improvement. And I am now rambling, because this is something personal enough that I feel a little unsure of putting it out there. But it brings me to my next resolution-

7. Be brave. Stop being paralyzed by fear, and stop shutting other people out. Sometimes the risk of being hurt is better.

8. Start publishing (self publishing or have published by others) knitting/crochet patterns. I work mainly from patterns I devise myself. I may as well share than with others, and perhaps make some money doing so.

9. Step up art on all fronts. Life got hard this year, and I let my art slip. I think it was necessary for my sanity, but things are going better now, and art needs to come back full force.

10. Apply for more art shows. Obviously this is part of stepping up the art, but it's important enough to get its own spot. If I want my art to be seen, I need to put it places other people can see it, not just hide it away in my office.

11. Make a quilt for the bed. This is entirely fluffy and without any introspection. I just want to make a big, basic quilt for my bed. It will be awesome.

12. Start a cooking blog/Self publish a cookbook. It might be either/or, or it may be both. I love to cook, and it's another thing I want to share with the world.

13. Help Charlie do whatever it takes for him to pursue his writing. He does so much to help me devote time to art, and I want to return the favor.

14. Make new friends, and deepen existing friendships. I'm still lonely a lot of the time. I'm never going to be a naturally social person, but I can still try to connect with people more.

So yay! I am working! Towards the future!

2009-01-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Charlie and I spent today in our pajamas, lazing around and watching first the Rose Parade, and then some movies. The Rose Parade, by the way, goes by about two and half blocks from our house, but we prefer to watch on tv, in the comfort of our living room. I'm not a big crowd person, and there's something very cozy about watching it with a cup of tea while wearing a bathrobe.

The movies we watched were fun. The first was Emperor of the North, a 70s movie about hobos during the Great Depression. It wasn't very good, but it starred Lee Marvin, and am currently fascinated by Lee Marvin.

The second movie was a Lon Chaney starring, Tod Browning directed silent film called The Unknown, which was about having arms and not having arms and circus folk. It was deeply, deeply awesome.

Now I am off to watch some Simpsons, still in my pajamas, before rejoining the world of productive adults tomorrow.

Have you voted yet?

2008-11-04T09:09:00.001-08:00

2008-10-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Slowly, carefully trying to reemerge. First I was busy, then there was some family medical crisis stuff that I didn't really want to talk about. But of course it was occupying my brain, so there wasn't anything else to really talk about either. But things are starting to get better. I'm still busy, but I'm getting the hang of it. Family members are still ailing, but they are getting better.

So I've come here to complain about how I just had to rip out six rows of careful lace knitting. Luckily, I had woven in a lifeline, so at least I'm not starting over. And I think the project is actually going to turn out beautifully. I just need to remember not to work on a semi-involved lace project when I'm exhausted.

Hopefully I'll be around again. I want to be.

2008-09-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted in a long while. Nothing bad is going on, it's just been busy, and I haven't been having the writing mood. But! I'm hoping to get back on track soon. Helping this is a restorative trip north this weekend, to go and gawk at elephant seals. If we find some, I'll take pictures and post them here next week. I'm so excited. Elephant seals are awesome!

Feather earrings!

2008-08-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Made using this tutorial, on a break from painting. I plan on wearing them to my teaching job this afternoon.

I really recommend this project. It's super fast, super easy, and feather earrings are just plain awesome. I'm in love with them myself, and plan to make a bunch more.

Ooo! And pictures of my stripey sun hat will be coming soon. It's all done, and adorable, but I haven't managed to get a good photo of it yet.

Success!

2008-08-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

As of this afternoon, my yellow stripey socks are done!

2008-08-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Yo! Still knitting those yellow stripey socks. I'm almost done. I'm maybe half an inch or so from starting the toe. I've been working on them when I can, I've just been busy. Which is also the reason for the lack of blogging. But as I am starting to settle into my new, more madcap routine, I'm ready to start blogging again.

Sadly, I don't have a whole ton to say at the moment, or at least not things I would want to say to the world at large.

Oh! I know. Charlie and I started going to yoga again on Sunday after a bit of a hiatus, and it was wonderful. We can really only afford to go to class once a week most weeks, but I really want to incorporate it into our lives more. So I'm using part of an Amazon gift certificate to order a dvd. I'm sure eventually our home practice will be self-directed, but we really aren't ready for that yet. I just know that it's the right thing, doing more yoga. It makes us both feel good. For me, I think it's a more effective treatment for depression than medication or therapy. (For me. Obviously, different things work for different people, and if therapy or medication or a combination of the two are what works for you, than I'm just really happy for you that you have something that works. For me, yoga just feels more effective. Different people, different brain chemistry.) (God am I defensive.) For Charlie, I think it helps him to slow down, which is something he really needs. Not to mention, it helps our posture immensely, which I've noticed cuts way down on my foot pain.

Ooo! And I'm crocheting a sun hat. Which, like the yellow stripey socks, is almost finished. It's also yellow stripey, come to think of it, although it's yellow and gray striped in a much more sedate way. I'm digging it though, and I'm excited about having something to keep the sun out of my eyes.

After those are done I'm going to start another pair of socks, this time a nice alpaca-blend pair for Charlie. I also want to start a lace project. I am all about lace right now, and it isn't reflected in anything I'm working on right now, which is just wrong. It is reflected in my Ravelry queue, which is largely lace sweaters. So I'm pondering my options, and I think I'll be starting on a lace sweater soon.

Hey! I guess I had stuff to say after all, just in a very rambling, semi-random sort of way. I am out of practice with the blogging. I imagine with a renewed regular posting schedule, I will become a bit more coherent. In the meantime, I promise pictures of my projects as soon as they are finished, which should be soon.

2008-07-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Big earthquake, but Charlie and the boys and I are all fine, other than that our phones aren't working.