Aprons! Aprons!

I have been so busy on the weekends with painting and apron making, sometimes both in the same day. But I can move on with my life now since the painting part is done.

The apron making will have to continue tho. I am selling aprons designed exclusively for Planet Cookies in Old Town Monrovia. Each one is unique and one of a kind. This style and set of colors Chocolate/Blue and Chocolate/Pink will only be sold there. Along with yummy cookies, pretty cakes and delicious salads and sandwiches. Luckily I have help in this little venture, my sister and I are sharing the work and turning some of our weekend hours into sewing parties. Its fun, and we always hang out and chit chat anyways, so now we sew too. Its a little sisterly bonding and crafting goodness.
We have been at it for a while, making, selling, and cant seem to make enough to keep the store stocked.

Vroom vroom

Im FINALLY finished with this window mural for a hot rod shop I have been working on for the past 2 months of my weekends. I had to do the whole thing from the inside of the window (so it lasts) . That meant doing the entire painting in reverse. I had to do the black outline first(that part was difficult cuz the black was not opaque at all and I needed about 3 passes to get it to be solid), then the highlights, then shadows, last color. It was a really fun project. It reminded me of painting cels for animation so long ago, its exactly the same reverse process.

Bye Buddy

Good boy, sweet Pistol

Wise old Owl

Sat on an Oak

The more that he Saw

The less that he Spoke,

The less that he Spoke

The more that he Heard

Why cant we all be like that Wise Old Bird

Old Skool Benetton

When I was a teenager in the 90's I used to plaster my bedroom walls with magazine tears of cool images I found. I was inspired by my best friends older cooler sister who had her entire room including the ceiling covered. I found this awsome ad with a bunch of hippie stuff like troll dolls, pins, patches etc up there, alot of anti-war stuff from the first invasion of Iraq, and all the United Colors of Benetton ads I could get my hands on.

These are some of the early-90's ones I remember. There are so many more that I cant find. They are ALL in here, (I want).
All of these ads had a purpose back in the day. The one above was from 1991 during the first "gulf war". And then the ads just got crazier and more controvercial from there. But each one had a clear message to raise public awareness of the important social issue of the time - racism, religion, AIDS, sexism, tolerance, war, female power, safe sex, etc. These ads were amazing to me at 11-12 years old and on and helped shape the way I see the world in a positive way. Maybe it was just my age at the time, but it felt like the 90's were all about awareness. We were wearing cross colours and listening to arrested development. Good times.

Company motto:
'communication should not be commissioned from outside the company, but conceived from within its heart.'
From that assumption stems the advertising strategy of a brand that has aimed, for over 20 years, to create “value” by capitalizing on an image.

Read the whole story here. I dont know of any other clothing company that has done anything like this.

I found the one above in vogue just before easter, I was inspired to make braided rope garlands like these, I also wanted to do hats and wear them as our easter bonnets but I didnt have enough time.

Weekend madness

Another estate sale, looking out my dirty windows, my old books the kid got out and layed out all over the floor in perfect formation for me to capture in photos, the baby kittys are half rascals and half sweeties, damn good small town breakfast.

KC Bear

Good Morning....When I read this email and saw the pictures I could not help thinking of you.....You are such a wonderful granddaughter and how you love your dog....Remember...there is a God in heaven.
Love Grandpa and GranBeverly

There is a God in the Post Office…This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month.The day after she died, my 5 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: Dear God,Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith, 'in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:Dear Meredith,Abbey arrived safely in heaven.Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.Love,God

This one got me. I thought that was so sweet. I have been a little emotional these past few days, not sad or depressed just more emotional and listening to the Once soundtrack isnt helping my cause much.

Ofcourse I love my dog, he is the joy of my life and has been since the day we met. He just had his winter coat cut for spring/summer weather and we had a little photo shoot before the haircut. He was really fluffy, fluffier than usual. He gets upset after a while during haircuts but I told him that he would feel better after and like all the hair gone. I guess that calmed him down (less squirming, biting and groaning) and the cut took alot less time that it usually does.



His eyes are going grey now. He is getting slower. He doesnt greet me at the door anymore. Now he just rolls over on his back wherever he is laying (mostly my bed) and paws at me until I get close enough to rub his belly. This must go on for at least 10 minutes or so.

I have gotten a lot of flack from various people over the years. "Its just a dog", "You spoil that dog too much", "Your crazy". Etc. But I dont care, Sometimes you just have to not care what other people think and follow your heart. Thats all KC does, he is pure innocent emotion all day everyday. I have a feeling that they dont know his booboo ways, how he hides behind me when he is scared, how he has to show me the treat or cookie he has before he will eat it, how he purposefully looks away from the camera when Im trying to take his picture, how he tells me when he needs water, how he comes running up to me with the most serious and concerned look on his face if I so much as wimper, how he talks to me in "roorooroos", and looks at me with all the sweetness in the world. If you dont think your dog can teach YOU things, your not listening with your heart. I cant look in his booboo eyes, and not feel my heart fill up.

NO!

Dream On

roller skating

It was around 100 degrees this weekend in LA.

We went roller skating.

Two good and slightly off movies to rent.

Lars and the Real Girl
Wristcutters: A Love Story

Penguin Pants

This reminds me of this...

The Magic Castle

I went to the Magic Castle for my friend Meghan's birthday last nite.

I havent been there in years and years. Last time I used to go was with the x cuz he was on one of his wierd random kicks where he would get all into something new for about 10 minutes and then move on to something else. The bummer about that is now I know how alot of tricks work. Um, I mean... its magic!

Upon entering you arrive in the Close-Up Gallery, you must tell the owl in the bookcase the secret password to get into the main castle. Once you walk through the bookcase door, you arrive in room with a beautiful bar and the Grand Staircase leading up to the third floor dining room and everyone inside is dressed so elegant and lovely. Beyond the bar is Invisible Irma's Music room with a piano and bird cage. You can ask her to play ANYTHING and she will. Then you must tip her (in the birdcage) and her bird churps happily. Its a little disneyland-ish, old and dusty and ornate. Especially downstairs in the Inner Circle. There are two vignettes with marionettes. Reminded me of these ones. And there is a small model of the Haunted Mansion ballroom where tiny ghosts materialize, to illustrate the Pepper's Ghost technique. We saw Rocco perform, he was fantastic, even from the front row I couldnt see how he was doing his tricks. He used alot of food items in his act and I got a little gold glitter and lime spray on my bare toes.