Cordial Kitten

2012-01-10T12:51:00.002-05:00

Oh, internet. I am finding artworking to be difficult these days. The problem seems to be a huge mixture of a bunch of different things. I have a ton more free time since I am not getting ready for shows, so I end up not going into the studio quite as early in the morning. And in the evening I've been watching a lot of movies. I have a couple of commissions to work on, but do dumb things like forget my computer cord at home when I go into the studio to work, so I can't use my laptop. Which has all the photos I need to work from for the commissions. I have a ton of ideas for personal work. I started a new series that I will start revealing to you soon. So at least there is that. But that is only like 20% of the ideas I have that I want to be making now during my "non-busy" season. Another huge part of my personal work is to make a children's book dummy (actually, two ... no it's more like 3), and I just can't seem to get started on it. I am intimidating myself, and I need to figure out how to let go!

No more complaining, me. Here is one of my favorite portraits right now:

Funny to work on a summery portrait in the middle of all the wintery-christmas themed ones. But it makes more sense when I tell you this portrait made its way to Australia where is is now, yes, summery.

2011-12-30T20:56:00.002-05:00

And so the year draws to a close.

Christmas with a 14 month old was much more fun than Christmas with a 2 month old.

Virginia loves the (many) gifts that light up and play (horrendous repeating) songs she received from family. Brandon and I knew those gifts were coming her way, so we tried to balance it out by making her a few things. We also gave her a "Band in a Box" so she can make her own songs, and many books (including Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus).

(She makes funny faces because of the bright lights on the camera :)

Here is the kitty I made her:

It does not meow on its own, but she loves it just the same.

Brandon and I also decided to hand make all the gifts we gave out to our families. Among the many things we made were:

Turtle Popcorn

Manly Mustard

(Made from an Ancient Roman Recipe! We're going to use ours this week with some roasted pork.)

Relaxing body lotion

(Bee&Kitten is a fake business name I made up for an imaginary cosmetic company my friend Megan and I have.)

Brandon and I thought it would be fun to give each product its own identity and special treatment for the package design. I think he did an amazing job creating all the different logos.

Next year we may not be so ambitious to hand make EVERY gift we give, but if we do have to buy anything we hope it will be from small businesses and/or handmade shops.

How was your Christmas?

2011-12-07T17:42:00.003-05:00

Oh hi, it is me! Did you think I had disappeared? Because I really thought I did.

This holiday season is kicking my behind like never before, but it's ok! Being busy with work means that my little family can eat and live in a house and sometimes do fun things like get sushi (Virginia really loves spicy salmon ... just kidding).

What have I been busy with you ask? Mainly portraits. Here is one I just finished up for a repeat customer:

This family is great to work with, and they must think I do a pretty good job since they keep coming back for more. This is their Christmas card this year.

I have also been to several holiday craft shows this season, including the Bloomington Handmade Market, The Crafty Supermarket, Art Vs. Craft, and Renegade Chicago. Tomorrow I'll be at an awesome Yelp party in downtown Indianapolis, and then Bizarre Bazaar over the weekend and then I'm DONE! With shows. Will still have to finish up 2+ portraits. But then it will be Cordial Christmas Break! At last. Maybe I will work on that needlepoint I started LAST Christmas break. hmm.

One last thing: if you sign up for my mailing list you can stay up to date with what is going on in my Cordial World, as well as get access to free offers from time to time (including a free card pdf I am giving away right now! Limited time only!).

2011-10-11T13:00:00.006-05:00

Things have been quite hectic around here.

I made this drawing:

And this one:

And some more, but they are secrets.

In other business news, I decided my skin had once again become thick enough to try looking for an illustration agent (this happens about once a year or every two years). It has been a pretty rocky road on my way to getting an agent. It is more or less nothing but rejection, which can be kind of hard to take. I usually end up crawling back into my hole to nurse my ego, and to try to continue getting by on my own. I know all it takes is that one person who really loves my work, and who is in the right place to take on a new client, but I just haven't come across that person yet. I try to tell myself that the rejection I am getting isn't (usually) a direct blow to my craft, but is usually more of a personal taste issue. When I think of it that way I feel a bit better.

In personal news, Virginia turned one!

Personalized cupcake stand from Vessels and Wares.

Party hat tutorial on Oh, Happy Day!

It was a really lovely day, and a pretty successful party.

Maybe later I will tell you about the pumpkin eating dinosaur we saw today ...

2011-09-20T10:48:00.002-05:00

Awhile back I was reading this blog and the author mentioned something about his friend who keeps a list of things that he enjoys. "'Watching cartoon cats eat fish' was one of them .. when I saw that, I smiled ... I like that too, especially when they pull the fish back out and it's just a skeleton." That list has stuck in my head. I keep thinking about it, and today I decided to start my own list. Firmly at #1 is "When people call babies busy." I don't know why, it's just so cute to me, and makes me so happy thinking about a baby being busy doing "very important things."

What would you put on your list?

I have felt simultaneously busy and lazy the last couple of weeks. It was a scramble to get ready for Renegade, and now I am just sort of coasting by. I haven't been to my studio in almost a week (although I do a little bit of work from my satellite office, aka "the couch"). I have portraits to finish, a top secret poster project, and my ever growing list of personal projects.

I am also trying to plan Virginia's first birthday party, which is coming up very soon! I might be crazy, but I'm envisioning fringy crepe paper, homemade cupcakes, and maybe a diy photobooth!

2011-09-14T22:37:00.003-05:00

I'm gathering ideas ... I'm starting to write *stories* again, and it feels good. For awhile I felt burned out from children's literature, but I think I'm ready to take another stab at it. Look out!

ps These mittens are adorable!

2011-09-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

My lovely studio mate Kathryn Dart and I are back from vending at Renegade. Man, it was a trip. A real trip!

We decided to drive into Chicago early in the morning on the first day of the fair, which was this past Saturday. That could have proved disastrous, but it was ok. We were bleary eyed, but with coffee in hand we soldiered on.

It was quite foggy, which made for a mysterious hour or so at the beginning of our journey. We were chatting and laughing, heading into the abyss when suddenly cars were STOPPED RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! They just materialized out of the fog, too quick for us to stop. Luckily there was quite a large shoulder and Kathryn headed that way to safety. Before we had a chance to process what just happened, traffic was already moving. We could see a ghostly semi-truck turned sideways off the other shoulder, which caused the whole thing.

After that things were more uneventful. For awhile.

Of course I forgot my camera (and my toothbrush. and my beautiful stock inventory sheet), but here is a picture I stole from the Renegade flickr set:

Our tent was somewhere to the right of that balloon man.

We ended up being right next to the Yard Sale Press, which is nuts because I was right next to them at the Handmade Arcade in Pittsburgh back in ... May or whenever that was.

We had a long and busy first day, and ended it by meeting up with my best friend from grade school, Chrystan. We hadn't seen each other in probably about 10 years, but thanks to the magic of facebook we've been connected for a little while. She was nice and brave enough to let two silly girls stay in her apartment overnight, so we took her out for the most healthy dinner of all: macaroni and gouda and fries.

The second day was also busy and tiring. At the end, we packed up quick, and Kathryn went to get the car. She was gone FOREVER. She called to tell me she couldn't get onto the street yet, and then her phone died. She was gone for forever again, then suddenly appeared on foot. She parked just as far away, if not further, b/c she kept getting turned around, and didn't know what to do. Eventually we could see cars were driving onto the street, so she went back out to the car again. All the tents around me were packed up, my friendly neighbors were wanting to leave, and were wary of leaving me standing there alone in the middle of the street. But finally, there she was! Yay! We packed up, then decided to hit up the bakery one more time for road cupcakes. After a moment of sheer terror thinking she just locked the keys in the car with it still running and the gas tank on empty (it wasn't locked), we got our sweet treats and were finally off.

And then we got pulled over for speeding in a construction zone. Someone was watching out for us because we left with only a warning.

Then finally finally finally, after hours of driving into the night, eating french fries, identifying mysterious looking night-windmills, we made it home and I was never happier.

Until I discovered way in the back, trying to hide from my toothbrush and floss, I have my first cavity. Crap.

2011-09-06T09:17:00.003-05:00

Life has been busy around here, but we still try to find some time for quiet contemplation.

Yesterday morning I woke up to bring Mona her breakfast outside, and realized it was definitely sweater weather. 59 degrees! When just the other day it was 100 degrees! Quite a change, but a welcome one. So I broke out some sweaters, and Virginia's new long sleeved shirts and overalls, and we had a little photo shoot.

She is very mobile, now!

From time to time I am jealous of my friends living in such places as San Francisco, which has my most favorite kind of weather pretty much year-round. However, to miss those few days each year that happen as winter melts into spring, or when summer fades into fall, would be a tragedy. Really nothing else is quite like the change of the seasons. It makes me feel renewed, and ready for a fresh start. I feel happy every day I can open the front door or a window and just breathe in the change. Bring it on!

In business news I have been working very hard getting ready for this weekend's Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. My prints are all printed, my pendants are all pretty, and I have a small pile of plush awaiting their final stitches. Not much time left to go now. I am nervous and excited!

2011-08-14T22:06:00.002-05:00

Little Kid Candice would be so impressed with Adult Candice. Not only do I get to draw pictures for my JOB, but I frequently make some pretty impressive nutritional choices. For example, tonight I had pizza for dinner, and peach pie for dessert. Then I had a brownie. Then I had a (diet) soda. Then I had popcorn. When I was little I would only have been able to choose one of those things. But now I can choose them all! Where is the part where I gain 200 pounds? I always expect it to be just around the corner, but it never is.

These are a few things hanging in Virginia's room. The Vulture print is new, by Jen Oaks.

Woops ... oh well.

2011-08-11T08:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I missed Awesome Artist Day! Didn't take long for that to taper off, did it? Actually I'm still trying to figure out the schedule, and I decided perhaps once a week was too often. I don't want my art blog to be filled up entirely of other people's art. MY art must also make an appearance from time to time!

Because otherwise you'd miss such gems as:

Sheep Wearing Sweater

and

Party Tiger

I made both of these pieces (plus one more) to sell during First Friday at my studio. Missed First Friday in August? Come out on September 2 from 5-9! The Harrison Center is having an open house and all the studios will be open to the public.

On Tuesday I had a birthday. I turned 29. I am almost old, but not quite. It is weird as I get older, the things I forget and the things I remember. I have a very distinct memory of turning 8. I got a card in the mail with a button attached that said, "It's Great to be 8!" And I wondered if I'd get one the next year that said, "It's Fine to be 9!" (I didn't, by the way). That was 21 years ago. 21 years ago. I also have a pretty good memory of my 5th birthday party, where I hid my face in my arms while everyone sang Happy Birthday because I was embarrassed for some reason. That was ... oh crap that was 24 years ago!

Anyway, for my birthday I got some pretty good presents.

Look! It's me wearing the ring I've wanted for oh so long!

Honestly, I was really hoping I'd get this for my birthday, but I was trying not to hope TOO much, just in case I didn't. So, I was quite happy when I opened it. If you'd like one for yourself, go check out Sara B.'s etsy shop.

I also got this purse:

From Refind Originals. The creator, Anita Hopper, makes all her bags from upcycled outdated leather apparel and upholstery. She also makes some pretty cool earrings and wrist cuffs. This purse was a total surprise from my mother-in-law, and I love it!

(And it's Virginia tested and approved)

And last but not least, I received some cash pooled from my lovely family, which purchased me some much needed new natural cleaning supplies. Check it:

Dr. Bronner's Almond scented liquid castile soap, Seventh Generation toilet bowl cleaner, Seventh Generation bathroom cleaner, and Burt's Bees facial cleansing towelettes.

Awesome Artist Day!

2011-08-03T08:48:00.000-05:00

Lately I have an intense interest in patterns and lettering (look for some new art from me featuring one or both very soon), and today's Awesome Artist really satisfies my longing. Please welcome Katie Daisy!

Katie is a girl after my own heart, making illustrations for magazines as well as attending art festivals and shows (and she's done some work for Target ... if you know me you know my dorky obsession with Target).

The colors she uses are so delicious I want to eat them up, or maybe I could shrink myself down and and be surrounded by their warmth and cheerfulness.

One of my most favorite things about Katie's work is her positivity. I am learning as I get older how important it is to surround yourself with positive energy. I want everything I see to bring me up, not down.

So if you are in the mood to feel uplifted, content, and happy (and I hope you are), please check out Katie Daisy, and maybe buy a print from her shop to help brighten up your space a bit.

Awesome Artist Day!

2011-07-27T09:34:00.000-05:00

Today's Awesome Artist: Derek P. Sullivan.

I first came across Derek's work while searching for alphabet cards on etsy. I fell in love with that lil narwhal up there.

I am enchanted with his subtle humor and cute characters.

This Visit Washington poster is freaking amazing. I love the colors, the composition, the typography ... everything.

Cute and funny (notice the animals playing cards).

Don't forget to see more of Derek's work on his website, and to purchase prints from his shop!

Awesome Artist Day!

2011-07-24T21:22:00.000-05:00

Hello, all. In an attempt to blog more regularly I will be instituting Awesome Artist Day! Ideally this will happen once a week, and I'm going to say it will happen on Wednesdays. I spend a lot of time clicking from here to there on the internet, and come across a ton of amazing artists, from illustrators, to fine artists, to jewelry designers, to seamstresses. I want to share their awesomeness with you and describe what it is I think makes them great. So stay tuned!

2011-07-12T22:35:00.004-05:00

The amazing Brandon With Glasses (ahem ... my husband) has graciously spiffed up my blog to coordinate with my website! Isn't it grand? He is very good at making the web a nice, clean, and functional place.

Also check out the new Binding Bee site, which I love. My friend Megan, who runs the business, had started the site up herself, and had Brandon tweak, nudge, and bring everything together. Now it is as lovely and charming as her hand bound books (and Megan herself).

2011-07-10T18:47:00.005-05:00

I stayed home from my studio last night so I could go to bed early. I ended up trying to do some sewing, climbed into bed around 11:30, then did some reading. In other words, I did not go to bed early. I'm going to try again tonight. I am so exhausted I feel I can barely keep my eyes open, and it's only 7:45. I must be in bed by 10. I can do some reading, but lights out by 11. No excuses! This girl is keeping me on my toes more than normal, now that she can crawl:

It's more of an army crawl, scooting around on her tummy with her toes. But she can definitely go places. Going places leads to trouble, like pulling on cords that belong to scanners or speakers, and finding every piece of crap on the floor that the broom somehow missed (ie, a rogue piece of toenail. I know. Gross.), and eating bandaids when I'm not looking.

I have been doing some work lately, although it is slow going.

For the Little Lutheran Magazine:

For the Day Nursery Association of Indianapolis:

And Kryslis:

Next up I have some personal portraits to finish, and then I must madly prepare for the Renegade Craft Fair in September. It feels like the summer is already gone.

Oh and humming in the background of every day is my desire for this ring:

Available here from Sara B Jewelry. Sara is one of the many wonderful, beautiful, amazing women I know here in Indianapolis, and she makes such beautiful jewelry. I feel honored to know her.

2011-06-15T22:40:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to make a strawberry rhubarb pie for a really long time. Like, probably my whole life. I finally did for the first time tonight, and it's so delicious! When I was little my grandma would make her specialty rhubarb pie, and I HATED IT. It was way too sour for my kid mouth. But I'd still want it because come on, it's pie. I'm pretty sure I'd only eat a bite or two every time till I realized oh yeah, this is pie I do not like. When I was a bit older my mom showed me that pie with rhubarb could be delicious if it also contains strawberries. Since then I've only ever had store bought strawberry-rhubarb pie, which contains those goopy-almost-not-real-sugar-coma-strawberries (you know the kind you can eat at breakfast? On your waffle?). I decided the time had come that I make a REAL strawberry-rhubarb pie with my own two hands, I guess sort of as a throwback to my roots, and just to see what the heck it would taste like with fresh ingredients. I feel proud that the strawberries and rhubarb came from my neighborhood farmer's market, even though the pie crust came ready made from Kroger. You win some ...

Maybe you'd like to try it yourself?

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups rhubarb, red, 1 inch slices
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups strawberries, fresh, sliced
1/4 cup enriched flour
1 9" pastry crust with lattice top
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1 Combine eggs, sugar, flour, salt, and nutmeg; mix well.
2 Combine rhubarb and strawberries.
3 Line 9" pie plate with pastry; fill with fruits.
4 Pour egg mixture over.
5 Dot with butter.
6 Top with lattice crust, crimping edge high.
7 Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes.
8 Fill openings in lattice crust with whole strawberries.
9 Serve warm- plain, or topped with vanilla ice cream.

I would post a picture, but I do not have one. So you will just have to use your imagination.

Now I should probably get some sleep ...

2011-06-12T10:55:00.003-05:00

Mona the cat has been living outside. Overall, she seems to love it, although she still asks to come inside from time to time (but she is not allowed to anymore). She has picked up two new naughty habits, though. One, when Virginia and I go out for a walk, she will follow us. This sounds very cute, however it is not. She will stay about a block behind us, and howl like the world is ending. "WHEEERE ARE YOOOUU GOOOINGGG?? DON'T LEEEAAAVE MEEEE!" And neighbors will all look at her like "What is wrong with that cat? Is she dying?" It's annoying and embarrassing.

The second is she has discovered her cat instincts.

(I love this second picture, it makes me think of graphic iconography ... that bird is clearly dead since it is upside down).

This bird she left for us on the front porch last week.

Then this morning I heard a bunch of bird commotion, and went to the window to see what was up. A flock of birds was flying back and forth between our tree and our roof for some reason, and making a huge racket about it. Suddenly one swooped a little low and Mona came from nowhere, bringing it down to the grass. She just sat on it for a long time, meowing. I could see that it was still alive and I felt very bad for it. Brandon told me to leave them alone, since they were just doing what is natural. However I know Mona will not eat the bird, so I feel it is such a waste.

Enough about murdering birds.

Today is a freaking fantastic beautiful day outside after many days of what felt like late August. Virginia and I are going to walk to the farmer's market in a few minutes, and later this evening she is going to her first of many weddings this summer. I'm so glad it's no longer winter!

2011-06-06T08:05:00.002-05:00

On of my favorite blogs, Oh Happy Day, is sponsoring one of the best contests I've ever seen: a free trip to Paris! I am so excited, and have my fingers firmly crossed. There are several ways to enter, so head on over there to see how to do it! Good luck to everyone!

2011-05-08T08:26:00.004-05:00

I didn't think I would ever make it to this day! My streak of out-of-town shows is over for a minute, and now I can take a bit of a breather. Still tons of work to be done, but at least I don't have to go out of town to do it.

I am so grateful for the chance to do all of these different shows. It is always really fun to run into other vendors I know, and to meet new ones. I made a new friend named Laura (I LOVE her illustration work), and we realized we're on the same show circuit. We were both at The Bloomington Handmade Market, The Handmade Arcade, Indie Craft Revolution, Crafty Supermarket, and we'll see each other again at the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange. Whew!

Last week the fam and I were in St. Louis for the Handmade Revolution. I must say it was pretty fun. Much better than Pittsburgh, but probably only because we weren't all sick. And the drive wasn't quite as long.

On the way in we stopped at the Cahokia Mounds, which were beautiful. The experience would have been much more amazing if there wasn't all the noise from the interstate. :\

Hard to believe people made that hill by hand.

We checked out the arch:

It was big and shiny.

And we went to the City Museum, which was a pretty amazing place:

It would have been more fun if we'd had a 3rd person to watch Virginia b/c there was a lot of climbing that we missed out on. Although Brandon and I both went down the 10 story slide, which involved me going up the entire flight of stairs twice and down once. Virginia wasn't allowed to go down on our laps.

The drive back home felt like FOREVER. Virginia wasn't a very good driver, either. ;)

Then Friday was the big First Friday open house; after which I had to pack up my car in the dark, then sleep for 6 hours, get up and drive to Cincinnati for the Crafty Supermarket. This was the first show I've done alone since Virginia was born, and I have to say it was kind of awesome. She spent the day with her dad and her grandma, and I got to have a solo road trip, and interact with my customers with undivided attention, and not have to answer the question "AAAWWWW ... HOW OLD IS SHEEEE??" 30 times. I missed her a lot, and at one point I talked to Brandon on the phone and I heard her crying in the background and it almost made me cry, but we totally both survived! And now it is Mother's Day, and I'm taking the day off. I want to work on for-fun embroidery, and work outside in the yard if it doesn't rain. Yay!

2011-05-05T18:33:00.006-05:00

Exciting news! Oliver at the Window is going to Korea!

(Remember the book I illustrated?)

Just got the word today, and I can't wait to see a copy of it written in a different language. I somehow feel more accomplished now, knowing that a different country with a different culture wants to look at the book I worked on. It's somehow way more rewarding than having the book published in the first place. Which was still rewarding, but you know.

I don't think I ever told you this other bit of exciting news, which is I infiltrated the Harrison Center finally, and have been spending this week moving into my new studio! I feel so honored to have been asked to move into the building, and even more so because my studio mate is the very awesome Kathryn Dart. She makes beautiful work in encaustic, which is painting with bees wax. Tomorrow night is First Friday (when most/all of the artsy places in the city have openings), and I will be in my space with some work hanging, as well as my table set up with my wares. Come visit me! Virginia and I went into the studio this afternoon to hang some work. She did pretty well, but started to get grumpy just as I was finishing up. So I nursed her for a bit, and she ended up falling asleep. I laid her down on the comfy blankets I brought and she snuggled in to sleep for about an hour. Since I don't have all my stuff moved in yet, I almost didn't know what to do with myself! I rummaged around and found some wooden plaques I've been holding onto for years, and decided to paint them white. Maybe I will do something with them soon. I have tons of pressing work to do, but it was kind of nice to goof off and do something art-related that isn't FOR something.

A strange note to send you off: The other day I pulled out some sandalwood incense to burn in the living room, and ever since then I've been catching whiffs of it and it somehow smells exactly like my grandma (who died 8 or 9 years ago). It makes me feel like she is watching me.

2011-04-25T10:05:00.002-05:00

Rainy Monday. The first day of a long busy week, possibly the busiest I've seen in awhile. So naturally we went out for a late leisurely breakfast. And now I'm listening to free music downloads from the Urban Outfitters blog. And writing here. Makes sense, right?

Virginia and I spent the Easter holiday with my family up in South Bend (Brandon stayed home to work and to guard our basement from all the rain we've been getting). My brother was conspicuously absent, as he was off proposing to his girlfriend. I guess we can forgive him for that. I still haven't met his official fiance, but I look forward to getting a new sister later this year!

Virginia made the cutest Easter Bunny of all time. She was a bit unstable, however.

So now it's time to work. We'll be traveling to St. Louis this weekend for the Indie Craft Revolution, and I need to replenish my entire stock of Cordial Critters which flew off my shelves in Pittsburgh. Plus I have portraits coming out of my ears. Till next time!

2011-04-18T11:59:00.005-05:00

A few months ago I enlisted the help of my friend Alexandra to build me some new show displays. She is an amazing woodworker, and I knew we could come up with something great if we put our minds to it.

It wasn't that my display was particularly BAD. It just wasn't very cohesive.

The cabinet in the middle I found at Goodwill, and it worked pretty well for my pendants. I made some "stairs" out of foamboard that did the job of displaying my prints, however it didn't look pretty. I eventually started covering it with fabric, which helped, but it was always in danger of being crushed, not to mention it could not be collapsed so it took up a massive amount of space in my car. The thing on the end is an old cd rack I stole from Brandon. I sewed in some fabric "slings" for the cats to ride in. It worked well enough.

But I decided I wanted to start looking more professional, so I enlisted Alex.

Now let me just say when you are redesigning something, especially if you are having someone else help you out, make sure you have thought everything through! We hit several snags along this road, and it would have been helpful if we had considered every angle, drawn out extremely detailed plans, and measured. Measuring is essential!

Because the first displays, although beautiful, did not even fit on my 6 foot table.

And ... hey, wait ... isn't Cordial Kitten an illustrator?? Oh well, looks like all she does is plush, now!

The displays collapsed down for easy car transport, and the shelves were interlocking so I could take those out as well, and were also interchangeable. They really are a work of art! However I am wanting to move away from plush, or at least only do plush when I have the luxury of time. I need to showcase my illustration work! That is what I do. So it was back to the drawing board. Literally.

Brandon and I sat down and talked measurements. We drew everything out on graph paper. We figured out how we could still use one of the frames that was already made, and then make two new ones for the prints. And in one brain-lightening-storm-awesome-idea I figured out how to display my prints: with some fabric "slings," reminiscent of my previous cat-erpillar (cd) stand! I geared up and told Alex we'd have to start over, afraid she wouldn't be game for round two. But she was up for it, and we did it. And the results are fantastic!

(blurry pic from the Handmade Arcade this past weekend)

It's still a bit off b/c they provided 8 foot tables, and the displays are made for 6 foot tables, and my extra floor rack looks weird and in the way there in front of the table, but overall this is a million times better. And hey, look ... I'm an illustrator again! Yay!

(I forgot how crappy my old digital camera is. Couldn't take a non-blurry picture to save my life).

So, thinking=good. Think about things! And the results will make you happy.

Also, here is my daughter sleeping like a dead bug:

2011-04-14T18:44:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow we're hittin' the road for the Handmade Arcade in Pittsburgh! I'm really excited for the show b/c I only know 1 other vendor who is attending (my awesome pal sally Harless), so it will be neat to walk around and see so many vendors I've never seen before. Over 100 booths! I'm not really looking forward to the 6 hour drive with Virginia, but hopefully she'll be awesome. We're making a pit stop in Columbus, OH for lunch and to visit Wholly Craft.

I also heard some promising news about the Harrison Center studio situation. It's not exactly perfect like I had envisioned (ie I think I will end up with a studio w/o windows!), but I sort of knew it wouldn't be. Also it's depending on this one thing happening and then another thing happening, so who knows how long it will take, and if things will get held up. Fingers still firmly crossed.

Well just wanted to check in with you all. See you in PA?

2011-03-25T10:07:00.008-05:00

I think Virginia may have read my last blog post. Since Daylight Savings Time began, she's been sleeping in till at least 8 (yay, she got tricked!). But in the last week she has been bypassing her 2am wake-up ... I'm able to get about 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep! Well it's interrupted by a 6am panic wake-up "WAIT, why hasn't the baby cried yet??" But when I calm myself back down to sleep it is awesome. Then we lay around in bed till 8 or 9 or so. IT'S AMAZING! I think it's because she is starting to eat baby food more consistently these days. The baby food: it's a good thing!

This has to be the busiest spring I have ever experienced, I think. Besides the year I had to finish the final artwork for a childrens book, start a new day job, and fix up and move into a new house all in about 2 months time. This year I have FIVE shows lined up (to see which ones, see my "upcoming events" on the right), and I am so excited! But also so stressed. They are mostly spaced 2 weeks apart, so that gives me a bit of time to replenish between shows (and the IHE is off by itself in June). I also have my normal etsy and personal portrait orders to work on (sorry if you are waiting on one from me ...), plus a rather large project that is looming over my head (which I hope is still on, I will be very sad if it should fall through). Oh and also I have this baby, so there's that, too.

Here is an example of a "Value Portrait," which is something new I've added to the portrait business this year:

It's a 5"x7" portrait, characters only, no background. A wash of color is ok. It's a good way to get yourself Cordial-ized but on a budget.

And for your enjoyment, one of the earliest versions of the cat-erpillar, circa 2006:

They've come a long way, huh? Perhaps a celebration is in order for his 5th birthday.

*edit*
Someone asked me the backstory of the cat-erpillars. Here is all I could come up with:

"Honestly, I can't really tell you how he started. I remember drawing him in my sketch book, but I was also drawing more "normal" caterpillars and cats around the same time. Not sure if someone suggested it to me, or if the progression was just natural. His beginnings are a mystery, just like him."

*edit #2*

Here is a picture of the very first cat-erpillar stuffie, also circa 2006. Yay!

They are so much better now, right? yes.

2011-03-13T20:16:00.002-05:00

This year I am really looking forward to sleeping. I feel I have not had a decent 8-hour sleep in well over a year, and I would like to do that again. I am someone who does not function well on anything less than 8 hours, and yet since last January I have been getting up 2-3 times a night either to (a)pee (when I was pregnant), or (b) feed a baby (now that I am no longer pregnant). I am looking forward to the baby sleeping 12 hours a night, but I think that might be a fable that other parents tell you so that you feel like your kid is just doing the 3-4-6 hour stretch as a way to torture you. Every night I go to bed thinking, "Ok, maybe TONIGHT she'll sleep all the way until 6am ... maybe?" But no. We normally do something like 2am, 5am, then 7am when Brandon is getting ready for work and we're like, "OK I guess we'll just get up now, too."

Also, this is the year for throwing caution to the wind. I'm still planning on getting a studio outside of the home, which is sort of a risk for me. Will I get new business, or dig myself a hole paying all that rent? Which is even scarier now that Brandon is moving closer and closer to having his own freelance career (which will kick in sometime this year, most likely within the next month or two). And also, bangs? Will I get bangs? On Tuesday I just might do it, and then I will probably spend the rest of the year growing them out. That sounds like a fun project. I'm noticing something about myself lately, and that is I am so afraid of regretting something that I end up not doing it. For some reason the feeling of longing to do something is easier for me to deal with than beating myself up over something I did but that's not working. I need to stop doing this! I only have one life ... I should live it! I should cut my hair!

This was taken yesterday on one of the most beautiful days, ever. Virginia and I tagged along while Brandon met with a client, and we walked up and down Mass Ave. window shopping. Then we came back home and sat in the yard. It was so nice to be outside.

See the necklace I am wearing? I got the idea from a couple places online, but sort of tweaked it for my own tastes. It's a necklace specifically for Virginia to chew on, but it still looks pretty for me! We both love it.

Also I made this for her today:

I probably should have been working on something else (read: doing the dishes), but I will call this product research. I think I will make a whole line of bugs for babies! There is a rattle hidden inside, and the antenna make crinkle sounds!

They are friends now.

2011-02-22T17:36:00.001-05:00

Hello again! If you'd like a shot at winning a totally dapper siamese cat-erpillar, go to the Renegade Handmade blog and enter the contest! Good luck!

2011-02-21T21:30:00.003-05:00

I am so excited to tell you that I am featured in the Spotlight Series at Renegade Handmade! I just sent them a rather large shipment of new cat-erpillars, so they are all stocked up. They will also be doing a giveaway later in the week. The prize you ask? A siamese cat-erpillar!

Work has felt rather slow around here, but really it's an illusion. I spend most of every day entertaining my little lady (who is already trying to pop out her first tooth!), and by the evening I am usually pretty pooped to do too much work. Meanwhile everything is silently piling up higher and higher over my head. Never fear, you who are awaiting work from me, the work ALWAYS gets done on time.

I am trying to plan for "show season" right now as well. I am hoping to do more shows than normal this year. So far I know I will be at the Indie Craft Revolution in St. Louis. I've enlisted the help of my good friend and talented woodworker Alexandra Geske to make some custom product displays. I have good feelings about this year!

My beautiful girl

She is changing so much every day. I know they say they grow fast, but MAN.
(notice the open front door: we had a February heat wave here in Indiana ... high 60's! It made me feel happy and hopeful and excited.)

2011-01-25T20:56:00.004-05:00

In Indianapolis there is this cool place called The Harrison Center. It has galleries and artist studios, and every first friday of the month they participate in a city wide gallery opening event. I have always thought it would be pretty amazing to get a studio in this building. Suddenly, over the last couple of months, that dream has seemed within reach.

I have been agonizing over money. A lot. I know I'm not alone here. We're lucky enough to have a nice amount of money saved up so we can comfortably live while I stay at home with the baby, but it's still driving me mad knowing that we're steadily chipping away at that pile. I keep thinking, "Man, as soon as it's feasible, I should really think about getting another part time job." Although my freelance work is nice, it's even nicer when I have that sure-thing steady paycheck coming in.

But then suddenly it dawned on me: Having a part time job is making me feel comfortable. It's giving me an easy excuse to not push myself harder as a freelancer and as a crafter. Knowing that I will be getting that little paycheck every other Friday made it easy for me to turn down weekend shows, or to decide consigning in more than 2 shops wasn't worth my time. Not having a "lame job" is my dream, so why am I not I helping myself reach that goal? Now is the time to make art my real job. To push through it even when I don't want to. To seek out new avenues, and abandon what isn't necessarily working for me. And maybe having a studio that is a place I go to outside of my house will help make this feel more like a real job. Because, even though my current studio is located conveniently inside my own house, how many times do I walk up here with the intent of working only to turn on daytime tv and zone out? Realize I should start that load of laundry, or look something up online, or read some more of that book, or look for my missing gameboy?

I am still quite torn over this decision, though. And I haven't even applied for a studio yet. It could take a year to get a place. It could take a month. I won't really know unless I do it. They could offer me a less than ideal spot, or a really awesome one. How will I cope with my art supplies OUTSIDE of my home? What if I really really need to cut a mat, but all my stuff is 20 minutes away and there's a blizzard? What if I pay for this space, but never feel like going? And end up toting half my supplies back to the house anyway so I can work on the couch? Will the baby make it too difficult, and should I continue to try to work with the little snippets of time I have at the moment? I really value my current studio space, and the alone time it offers me. But the connections I could make at the Harrison Center could be amazing, the exposure it offers could be invaluable.

What to do? My gut tells me to try it. To set aside 6 months of the rent and give it a trial run. The baby in me doesn't want to move all my crap over there then have to move it all back. The business woman in me thinks it would be really awesome to have a genuine place of business. The ditz in me wants to know how I'll feel when I accidentally leave my laptop cord at the studio 3 days a week (you know it will happen).

What do I do?

2011-01-03T21:36:00.004-05:00

I just found out that the book I illustrated, Oliver At The Window, won an honor award from the Society of School Librarians International. I didn't even know it was up for consideration! I'm amazed to be on the same list as someone like Jerry Pinkney. I honestly don't really know if this award is a big deal or not, but hey, it's an award, right?

Here is the most recent portrait I did for my friend, Aubrey:

Aubrey is an amazing woman and fellow crafter. Her production is staggering, and her product is always warmly received at shows. I feel like I hold my head a little higher when I wear her blooming headband.

And finally, Brandon is teaching the baby how to play the drums. This might be a bad idea.

2010-12-28T21:12:00.002-05:00

Hope you had a nice Christmas, if you celebrate it.

Virginia didn't really know what was going on, but I'd like to think she had a nice time.

I've been taking a sort of "winter break" right now since I am between projects. I had a very intense Christmas season due to custom orders and a demanding baby, so I'm glad to be doing some projects just for me. So far I've embroidered a wall hanging for us, one for my friend's new baby, and am starting a new one with crewel wool, which I've never used before. Has anyone else? The project says to split the wool into one strand, but that makes it so delicate that it's impossible to sew with. Anyway, after this week it will be back to work as normal, or whatever the new "normal" is for me now.

Hope you have a happy new year! I will probably go to bed before midnight on the 31st, sort of like that time my best friend in high school and I rebelled against new years by not paying attention to the clock and writing in our journals.

2010-12-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

she's grabbing and holding things now. so cute!

2010-12-14T12:33:00.002-05:00

Life has been pretty hectic and slow all at once. This girl keeps me guessing:

One night she'll sleep for 5 hours, the next for 9. I never know what to expect. It's always a gamble: do I stay awake to work after she's gone to bed and risk only 4 hours of sleep? I usually end up just zonking out at the same time as her. Especially since I am currently ALMOST caught up with all my christmas orders. Everything I have left can be hand-delivered, so I'm not rushing against time and the post office. It's nice to take it slow for once.

I've also been working on a personal embroidery project, and plan to do a few more in the immediate future. I checked out The Embroidery Companion from the library, and it is amazing. Usually I will check out craft books, flip through them, think the projects are nice, want to attempt to make them, but never do. But I feel like almost every project in this book is just calling out to me. I can't resist. I like it so much that when I realized I can't renew the book any more since someone else requested it, I decided to buy it. I suppose since it's a reference book there's a loophole in my "YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BUY NOVELS ANY MORE" rule (we have too many books!). I also usually look at craft projects with a business woman's eye: How can I alter this idea into something that I can make and sell? This time, I'm not doing that! I'm embroidering for the simple joy of embroidering, and I'm loving it.

Oh, Virginia must be hungry. See you later!

2010-11-17T19:07:00.002-05:00

I just got to do a fun portrait as a Christmas card for this family.

The mom described them as "a quirky little family": she is a pinup model, and the dad is a neuroscientist. How cool do they sound?

in other news, my daughter is now doing this on purpose:

she is 6 weeks old now! her dad is back to work after paternity leave, so she and i are left to our own devices. we're trying to find a good routine. i think it's going to involve me getting up super early (ie 6am) everyday if i ever want to get any work done. babies are a tremendous time suck! but just look at that face ... totally worth it.

2010-11-01T10:30:00.002-05:00

I'm having a print Giveaway on my facebook fan page! To win, you must be a fan of Cordial Kitten; pick your favorite print (either 4x6
or 8x10), and leave a comment on this post telling me which one it is. I'll randomly pick a winner this Wednesday the 3rd. Tell yer friends!

Also, have you got your winter issue of Venus Zine yet? Look who made it in:

Very exciting! I'll be adding cat-erpillars back into my shop all day today, so keep an eye out for the one you want to give to your best friend for the holidays!

2010-10-31T12:53:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Of course Virginia dressed up this year. We live in Irvington, where Halloween is a BIG DEAL. She and I trekked out to the festival this year (my first time as an attendee rather than a vendor!) where she received a lot of attention in her cute costume!

Today her dad and grandpa are blowing insulation into our house so we'll be a bit more toasty this year (funny that I've been wanting to do this for years, but the new little one has finally lit a fire under everyone's butts). Our 70 year old windows will still be drafty, but that's what plastic wrap is for, right?

2010-10-16T08:37:00.004-05:00

Hello! Sorry it's been so long. But look who's here:

Virginia Lucille.

Most of my internet time now is when the baby is eating, so I only have one hand free, which makes typing difficult. I finally got around writing this yesterday, and I'll share it with you now.

So, she was born October 4th. I went into labor at 11:30 pm the night before. I was pretty much awake all night, and we didn't go into the midwife center until 6:45 the next morning. The midwife was stuck in traffic, and the birth attendant was late, so we got there before everyone and just had to sit out in the parking lot for about 20 long annoying minutes. Finally the attendant got there and let us in. I got to sit in a big tub which was "nice" I guess. I'm not sure if it really helped me or not, but I felt like it did I suppose. Oh did you know I did this without drugs? I did! It sucked a whole lot, but I never once thought, "Man I want to go get drugs now." Never even crossed my mind, so I guess it couldn't have been TOO unbearable. Although I think if the labor had been 3 times as long as it was, I might have started thinking that way. The midwife was super late, and finally got there at some point. Time went extremely fast for me, which was awesome. I remember telling Brandon, "I never want to do this again!!" which is comical to me now. I heard the midwife say, "Ok, she might be born with the next contraction," and I took that as a challenge. And she totally was! Born at 8:43am, 6 pounds, 9 ounces. A nice size ... in your face, other annoying midwife who kept thinking I wasn't eating enough and she wasn't growing enough. I had the good midwife attend me, which was awesome.

Brandon was pretty much mesmerized by the whole thing. He fell in love with her immediately, and kept telling me how amazed he was with me, and how proud he was of me, which was nice. Honestly I was sort of out of it, I think. Just really tired. But happy of course, you know. I still sort of feel that way ... I'm not getting much sleep, and just sitting around the house a lot. I don't have a lot of time to do ANYthing which is sort of annoying. Hopefully I'll eventually find some sort of balance again. I'm trying to keep her from sleeping too much today so that she'll sleep more tonight. Last night was really really tough. I had been feeling sort of bad earlier in the evening; emotionally bad. Which I guess is normal. I just felt sort of sad. We went to bed around 11, and she woke up 2 hours later and wouldn't go back to sleep for 3 hours. ugh. I was so sleepy and grumpy. We laid in bed this morning till 11, but it wasn't very good sleep for me at all.

Anyway, even though it is hard, I'm glad she's here. And I'm SO GLAD I am no longer pregnant. I can't imagine how it would feel if I was still pregnant right now. My due date was 2 days ago. It's awesome to be able to bend down and pick things up, and to stand closer to the kitchen counter, and to not pee when I sneeze. Woops, too much info?

My mom came to help out for a few days last week which was awesome. She thoroughly cleaned my kitchen and bathroom and I loved every minute of it. She took Virginia and I on our first outing to the library and Homespun where she got to hang out with her new friend, Zeke.

Oh and here is a picture of Brandon as a baby, and one of Virginia. They look eerily similar. Brandon said, "Well, at least I'm sure she's mine." lol.

I hope you have enjoyed my update. That's all I'll give you for now. I must tend to the little one. Bye!

2010-09-21T07:55:00.004-05:00

My time as a library page is now over. I really loved that job. Sure, I would grumble and complain about having to get up and go somewhere for 8 hours, only to come home to be too tired to work my "main job" as illustrator. I would sometimes get really bored when we were all caught up with shelving and I had to find other things to keep myself busy. And my paycheck? Although the regularity of it was comforting, the amount of it was kind of a joke. But even still, I think it was one of the best, if not THE best, job I've ever had. At my last job, I was a retail manager, which meant lots of responsibility. But a page? Doesn't have a lot of responsibility. Sure, it's very important for the library books to be in the correct order. But I had little to no contact with patrons, which I enjoyed a great deal. Sorry, patrons. I helped you when I could, but since I do not have a masters in library science, I could only look up things in the catalog about as good as you could.

Here is a small snippet of a large spread I did for Ladybug magazine just a couple of weeks ago, for a story about a children's library. Appropriate? Yes.

But now, after a year and a half, my time there is over. I can't really even believe it. Now I'm on to a new phase of life. As long as it is financially feasible for our family, I will be a stay-at-home-mom. And a work-from-home-mom. This is crazy, but exciting. It's something I've wanted for a long time, and now it's almost here. We've now entered the "waiting game." I want her to stay in there another couple of weeks, but I guess we'll see how it goes!

(We're almost ready for you, but not quite.)

2010-09-09T14:08:00.002-05:00

Oh man, I can't get over these watches!! I pretty much love all of them, however this one is my favorite:

I love that it looks small, even on a Japanese woman's wrist. I can't tell you how many times I've had people say, "Holy crap! You have such thin wrists!" I'm not sure if that is a compliment, or just an observation ... but I do know that having a smaller wrist circumference makes me more at risk for osteoporosis. Yay! Anyway, I also love that this watch involves embroidery. I thoroughly enjoy embroidery. Wish I could drop the $129 on it right now, but I guess I should probably save that money for my baby coming soon. However, if you bought it for me, I would love you forever! Also I would make you an equivalent amount of cat-erpillars, probably even one-of-a-kind cat-erpillars, to reward you with your generosity. Think it over.

This weekend I am going to the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago with my mom (and dad, who offered to drive us so we wouldn't have to take the train in from South Bend, and I wouldn't be surprised if one or two of my brothers decide they desperately need to follow us around and be bored ...). This is probably going to be the last little trip I take before the baby comes. Then next week is my last week to work at the library, and that Sunday my friends Sally and Sarah are throwing me a baby shower. I am excited for this! I kind of thought maybe no one would give me a shower, and I was sad. But now of course, because I am lame, I feel guilty to have a shower, because I hate making people feel like they have to buy me presents. You don't have to buy me presents! Just come and eat cake! Although presents are nice, of course.

Now I will sort some more baby laundry, and I guess pack some stuff for my trip. See you later!

2010-09-01T20:16:00.002-05:00

Time is running out! I am 34 weeks, exactly.

I have anywhere from 4 to 8 more weeks. Although it'd be nice to not be pregnant any more, I am hoping she takes her time. I have tons of work to get done between now and her arrival, and the more time I have to do it, the better!

Other things in my family life are continuing to get better and stay better. It's amazing how life can throw you for a huge loop, you seem to reach the end of the world, but suddenly you realize how that's the way things were supposed to go. You couldn't have predicted it, but things are better now than they've been in a very long time. I am very grateful for the people in my life, and the way events are unfolding before me. I'm sorry to be vague ... just know that I'm very happy these days.

2010-08-22T20:08:00.002-05:00

I've wanted to show you how my portraits progress from beginning to end.

First of all, people send me pictures of who and what they want to see in the final portrait. Here are Robin and Zered from my latest project:

Usually I get tons and tons of pictures of each person in different positions and in different environments which helps me get a really good idea of what they look like.

In an email, Robin told me what sorts of things she and Zered like to do together. They enjoy cooking, their adorable pet cat, Berlioz, and are obsessed with beer.

After Robin told me she thought the sketch looked good, I went ahead and started working on filling in the water color. (I meant to scan the image at this point, but I totally forgot!)

After the watercolor is done I go back over everything with mechanical pencil.

Tada!

2010-08-22T09:59:00.002-05:00

Life is getting back to normal bit by bit. I've been seeing lots of friends, and creating good memories. Baby is getting closer to arriving, and has apparently already found the correct position for her arrival ... 7 more weeks until I hit 40 weeks. I feel like I'm preparing myself for the possibility of only 4 more weeks, since I was 3 weeks early. Anything could happen, I guess.

I started my day with a bagel and hypnobirth practice (it's sort of like meditating, and leaves me feeling really peaceful and ready for the day). Then I went up to my studio to start working, and realized the folding chair I sit on while I draw was still in my car from the show I did yesterday. So I went outside to get it, and noticed that it was a BEAUTIFUL morning. Warm, but lovely in the shade, and with a nice breeze going. I decided before I could do anything, I needed to take a walk. And bring home a cup of coffee. I've been sort of addicted to coffee from Lazy Daze lately. It's just so good! So I don't know if it was the hypno-practice, or the walk, or the fresh air, but I'm in a fantastic mood, and ready to get lots of work done!

Here I am, 32 weeks, housing the one who gets hiccups every single day.

2010-08-11T20:58:00.002-05:00

My most recent family portrait I've done. I think it turned out pretty well. As I do more and more of these, I'm finding it easier to be more accurate with likeness, which is a plus when you are doing portraits of people.

I have not been very updatey, I just realized. Things have been sort of ultra crazy around here. Some huge family issues are being worked out that have left me exhausted and unable to do anything besides basic day-to-day functioning. Things are looking up this week, though, and with looming deadlines, I'm finding it a bit easier to start working again. So, never fear, customers who are waiting on drawings! They are still sitting on my table; they will be finished soon.

Oh and in case you were wondering what my pregnant self looks like, here is a sample of me at 30 weeks:

Still growing! I feel I've reached the final countdown ... only 9 more weeks?? With the potential for only 7 more weeks?? Although my midwife claims I'll "go long" since baby is apparently a petite one. She thinks she'll want to stay in to cook a bit longer. Guess we'll see what happens!

2010-07-18T07:48:00.002-05:00

Hello!

Things are going somewhat well over here. Everything is going well with the baby so far, and I've been feeling pretty good and keeping up with my job and artwork. My husband is very unhappy with his job, and is constantly trying to find a new one, but to no avail. Anyone have any ideas? He's even open to something completely unrelated to design.

Last night we did something fun, which honestly is kind of rare for us. We used to go out and do fun stuff all the time, but now we are sort of boring and don't go out much, and a "fun evening" consists of eating dinner together and maybe working out in the garden. But last night we drove all the way up to Connor Prairie to see the Sci-Fi Spectacular at the Symphony on the Prairie. It was really fun! We somehow couldn't find our folding chairs, but then we were able to sneak in real close with our blanket. Since we sat so low to the ground we didn't have to worry about blocking anyone's view. They opened with the Star Wars theme, and about a minute after I said, "I wonder if they'll do The X-Files," they totally did. They also had this tiny lady do the vocals for the Star Trek theme, and it was pretty amazing. About a quarter of the way through, George Takei from Star Trek came out and talked. He was quite silly.

Here you can see George:

Storm troopers and Darth Vader in front of the Indianapolis Symphony:

When it first started it began to get more and more cloudy.

For some reason meteorologist Chuck Lofton from channel 13 news was there, and made announcements about the weather from time to time. About half way through the program it seemed the conductor just sort of ran off stage, and the musicians started milling around and going off stage also. We thought maybe it was intermission, but ol' Chuck came back out and said the storm was getting too close, and that we all, hundreds and hundreds of people, should head out to our cars and wait for it to blow over. Brandon and I just sat around for awhile waiting for the mobs of people to clear out and to decide what to do. Eventually it started getting really dark, so we decided to head for shelter. I went into the bathroom and when I came out it was pouring. We took shelter on the side of the potty building under a ledge and just waited to see what would happen. Eventually Chuck came back and announced they had canceled the rest of the show. So sad! We finally get to do something, and half of it is canceled. Oh well, it was still fun!

Today is our first "baby class." It was supposed to be last Sunday, but it got rescheduled. We are going to be learning Hypnobirthing, and I'm sort of nervous but also intrigued. The lady who teaches it is actually coming to our house and meeting with us one-on-one, so it should be interesting. So, I guess I should go clean the house before she gets here ...

2010-06-29T16:14:00.003-05:00

Today is beautiful outside! I should really take myself out for a walk, but occasionally I'm finding some of my first trimester nauseousness making a comeback ... and it's happening today, of course. So I'm enjoying my back porch. Which was nice and peaceful until my neighbor's handyman arrived and made her dog yip like crazy. Shush!

The baby is still growing, see?

Taken this afternoon.

Here is something I made for my friend Amanda's baby, who is due to arrive about 6 weeks before my little McNugget.

It's just a little pillow thing I made out of scraps. I put a jingle bell inside, but it's sort of muffled. I would like to make more toys like this, but I need to figure out how to make it less muffled. Also I should make them a bit smaller. I think this one will be good for hugging, but it's not so good for jingling, really, since it might be difficult for a little guy to grab and shake. I'm hoping to be able to unveil a bunch of new little things like this to bring to shows this summer to keep my booth fresh!

2010-06-25T09:05:00.004-05:00

Well, the Crohn's/Colitis walk was a success! The walk as a whole was able to surpass it's goal (although I can't remember how much it was ... something ridiculous sounding, like $16,000!) Here is Max, the honored hero:

Look at that blue sky! I accidentally had my camera on a weird setting, so everything looks all super bright and weird.

After the walk we stayed for the Silverhawks baseball game. Here's their mascot.

In case you were wondering, my faithful assistant and I picked the winner of the "Great Cat-erpillar Giveaway" yesterday. The winner is my old babysitter! She now lives in Germany.

And here's a detail from a new drawing:

We have not been as good at yard upkeep this year, and when I heard it was in the 60s and low humidity this morning I decided to power weed. The front walk is about to be overtaken, so I started there first. After about half hour/45 minutes, my hands were so swollen I felt like I was wearing baseball mitts! I couldn't and still currently can't get my wedding rings off, which is so weird because they're usually quite loose and drive me crazy with spinning around my finger all day. Hello, pregnancy, you bring some weird surprises!

Oh and I almost forgot! Brandon's hair has been getting very long. He likes it long; I always beg him to cut it. At some point I mentioned buying clippers to buzz it, and he said, "If you buy them, I'll let you do it."

Here he is, regretting that he agreed to this:

And here he is after:

He turned into a zombie! Oh no!!

(in case you didn't know ... Brandon and his friends made a movie called "Oh, No! Zombies!")

2010-06-17T17:54:00.003-05:00

Hello!

Although at first glance July seemed to be a barren, art-free month, it's turning around quite nicely. I have no shows lined up, but just last week my portraits were featured in Etsy Finds. This is published online, but it also goes out in a mailing list to whoever subscribes. My shop saw many new pairs of eyes, and I got a few new portrait commissions, so things are looking up! Here are some portraits I've done recently, all for Father's Day gifts:

I've been really enjoying doing these projects, and getting to know the families through their pictures and stories. Keep 'em coming, everyone!
ETA: I just realized that all three of these have little boys with their arms raised high! A coincidence? What does this tell you about my brain? I don't know.

We started a garden again this year. Got kind of a late start, but things are finally starting to come up.

Here are some cucumbers that are already about ready to eat!

They were an accident ... we did not plant these on purpose, you see, they are growing ...

out the side of the compost bin! How silly!

2010-06-13T21:00:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange. It was a pretty good day, although it was hot! I had a table inside, but the indiana mugginess still managed to seep in.

I had a few new Cat-erpillars and some original paintings, which are now listed in my etsy shop. Here's a little peek:

Here also is a sneak peek of me:

Still growing! 22 weeks.

I took a break of sorts from working today. I have a bunch of projects to be working on, but I feel like my lazy sundays are limited so I should take full advantage of them now. Even though it was a "break" I still did things like clean my house, which always makes me feel better about life. Now little bits of dirt dragged in from outside don't stick to my feet when I walk across the room! The laundry is done, and I'll have a fresh bed to sleep in tonight! Right now I am watching Dracula, which I am finding to be a silly movie. I guess I can't take anything seriously that stars both Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. Oh and also the guy from Robin Hood: Men in Tights (and the Princess Bride), haha. Oh Hollywood.

2010-06-10T06:59:00.003-05:00

Hello! I'm here to solicit donations for the Crohn's Colitis Walk again. This is to benefit people like my two younger brothers (who have now both surpassed me in height ... how did that happen) who suffer from Colitis. This year lil' Max (the tallest one in the picture below) is the Honored Hero for the South Bend walk!

Help us kick some butt and reach our goal! Last year we raised the second highest amount of money, and this year we'd like to be #1 in support of Max!

If you'd like to make a donation, you can go to this site: 2010 Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis.

Also, if you are a facebook fan, I'm having a drawing coming up next week for a Cat-erpillar of your choice. If you're a fan, you're automatically entered to win ... but for every $10 you donate to the CCFA walk, you'll receive another entry into the raffle ... Help someone, and potentially get a cool cat? Awesome. To become a fan of Cordial Kitten, go here.

Thanks for listening to my commercial! I might update again later today ...

And now for something completely different:

2010-06-02T20:47:00.002-05:00

I will give you a recipe! Well a recipe of sorts. Really just a list of ingredients for you to pick and choose and throw into a bowl and probably have tasty results.

I give you Strawberry Raspberry Blackberry Ginger Mint Sorbet! (or SRBGM Sorbet.)

1 package strawberries, hulled (my package was 16 oz)
1 package raspberries (my package was 6 oz)
1 package blackberries (my package was 6 oz, although I ended up throwing most of them out because they were rotten. Dang, Kroger. Dang.)
Finely chopped mint (approximately 1 tablespoon*)
Freshly grated ginger root (1 tablespoon?)
1 cup of water (I used a little more than a cup)
1 cup of sugar

1. Place all berries in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pass berry mixture through a mesh sieve to remove seeds (if you so desire ... I didn't feel like it, and it's fine. Just a bit seedy).

2. Bring water to a boil. Add mint and ginger. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.

3. Take off heat and add berry mixture. Allow to cool.

4. You can make this in an icecream maker if you have one. I do not. So I put it in the freezer and stir every hour or so. It takes 4+ hours to sufficiently freeze.

5. EAT AND ENJOY!!

*I found it to be not quite as minty as I was hoping. Probably either adding more mint would help, or maybe just simmer the water for awhile with the mint? I'm not sure. Yesterday was my first day making it, so I haven't done any experimenting yet. Also next time I make it I will probably cut back on the sugar. I based this off of a bunch of different recipes, and most of them called for 1 1/4 cup of sugar, but I still thought 1 cup was a little too sweet. But maybe I'm just weird.

Next time I'm going to try ginger peach sorbet! Can't wait!

2010-05-27T06:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the ultrasound ... and it's a girl! Brandon is so excited.

Here is one of the best pictures. You can see a foot, a leg, and an alien head with a fist next to it.

I had just eaten lunch about an hour before we went, so the girl was bouncing all around in there. The technician, a lady with an accent and a headscarf, kept saying, "My! What an active baby!" She also said she noticed the baby kept "touching the placenta." She said, "It must bring her great comfort." Then because she was moving around so much, we couldn't get a really great profile shot, which is sad. But oh well. Soon I will have more profile shots than you can handle.

I'm glad it's a girl, although I keep thinking how awful it would be if she was wrong, heh. Now I can look at cute girl things. But hey! Don't buy us lots of pink stuff! I'm sure I'll get some pink stuff, but really, if that's all we get I'll be sad!

We worked some more in the garden last night. I just pulled lots and lots of weeds. It's gotten a little out of control, but hopefully soon we'll be back up and running. I'm really excited this year because we're going to have both red and yellow bell peppers! Last year we tried to start those from seeds, but they kept failing. This year we started with little baby plants, and I hope they will actually produce. I looove bell peppers. Which is crazy since when I was a kid they made me want to throw up.

Today I have so much work to do, but of course I don't want to start it. I have 2 cats to finish for an order, and the thought of going up into my studio is like torture. It's super hot up there. It's not very hot outside yet, but I'm sure it is hot up there already. We have an a/c for me, but it needs to go in the window, which I am not going to do alone. hopefully when Brandon comes home he'll do it for me. This is day one of a 5 day long "weekend" full of work that mostly needs to take place upstairs. ugh.

2010-05-24T17:39:00.002-05:00

Hello! I just wanted to write real quick to invite you to donate to a walk I'm participating in for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. Both my brother's have colitis, and are doing really well these days (although my littlest brother Max still has on-going treatment). This year Max is the South Bend "Local Honored Hero," so there's a blurb about him in all their brochures and on their website. Last year my family's team was the second highest money raiser in South Bend, and this year, since Max is the hero, we're aiming to be #1!

To help us at least reach our goal, please go to our team page. (Our goal is actually $1,000, not $150 like it says).

Thanks so much everyone!

And just so this post gets dressed up a bit, here's a close up of a piece I just finished last week.

2010-04-29T06:39:00.002-05:00

I just remembered the other OTHER thing I wanted to tell you about. Last Thursday, I went and visited Holy Name Catholic School. My friend Julie is the art teacher there, and she has very patiently been asking me for ages if I could come in and talk to some of her classes. I don't normally do school visits. I don't know if you can tell from this blog, but I am actually a fairly quiet and reserved person in most situations. Unless I know you really really well. I dislike being the center of attention, and during a school visit, that's exactly what I am. This visit was different, though. Since I know Julie, we were able to tag team it. She did a lot of talking, too, and was able to help me control the kids. I'm not good with large groups of kids.

She's been trying to send some pictures to me, and we've had some technical difficulties. So far this one is the only one that's made it through:

I don't know if you can tell, but I'm drawing the lion from Oliver at the Window. The kids did a really good job following my steps. This was the 4th grade class.

When the kindergarteners came, I remembered that I had my own camera. So I took some pictures of the lions they drew. Again, fantastic work!

So it was a pretty fun day. I hope the kids had fun, too!

2010-04-24T20:23:00.004-05:00

Brandon and I went out to a members event at the WFYI station tonight. It was pretty fun. We saw a blues band playing live on the air, and got free Yats and hummus and coke. We don't go out a whole lot, so it was nice to have a little date.

It is extremely windy and a little bit rainy right now. I am really hoping for a thunderstorm. Hearing that would make me feel very happy. I've been having a not-to-productive kind of day, which is making me feel sort of depressed. So something making me happy would be good.

Here is a peony about to bloom.

It's amazing to think all of those fluffy beautiful petals are all closed up so tight in that little ball. I can't wait till they open.

And our garden gnome, who is significantly more creepy this year than he was last.

I've been trying really hard to remember what the other thing was that I wanted to tell you about yesterday, and I finally just figured it out. I got a new camera! Those two pictures are some of my test shots. It's a DSLR, and I'm so excited to play around with it. I haven't used an SLR in ages, so I'm basically relearning it. The one I got doesn't show a live display on the screen, so I actually have to put it up to my eyeball and look through the viewfinder. It's sort of weird, but awesome.

2010-04-23T21:38:00.004-05:00

Oh I almost forgot about the other things I have to post about!

Last week was the Crafty Supermarket in Cincinnati, and it was great fun! I somehow convinced my friend Sarah to come along and be my helper, and we made a fun weekend out of it. We got up before the sun on Saturday, visited Starbucks (I still have a lot of money left on a gift card from my uncle who apparently couldn't think of anything else to give me for Christmas), and drove to Ohio. The day of the market was beautiful, and the shoppers were ready to shop. The place was packed when it first opened, and stayed pretty busy throughout the day. Here is a picture from my booth. Even though I had help, I really couldn't stray from the table most of the day because it was so busy (and we were pretty cramped behind the table, and I felt bad having to make people get out of my way so I could do lame things, like pee).

That night Sarah and I headed downtown to our hotel. We walked to dinner, bought lots of candy from Walgreens, and headed to bed early. I was completely exhausted after getting up early, driving 2 hours, standing all day, then walking for blocks out in the pretty chilly night air.

We learned about a place that supposedly makes the best Belgium waffles in the entire world, so we woke up intent on going there. Since we fell asleep so early, we woke up around 7. And realized the waffle place didn't open till 10! So we decided to have pre-breakfast, again at Starbucks (that gift card just keeps on going). I love being on vacation, and just being lazy and doing what ever you feel like doing.

The waffle place ended up being at a pretty awesome marketplace. I'm completely jealous of it. It's filled with permanent booths of fruit, meat, spices, pastry, etc, vendors inside, and outside had some tents set up with things like soap, clothes, incense, etc vendors.

The waffles, although in my opinion not the best in the world, were still pretty delicious.

They were just a bit too heavy for me.

Next we visited the Newport Aquarium.

It was pretty nice. We were mesmerized by the jelly fish for a very long time.

We ended the trip by just "popping in" to IKEA ... for 3 hours. That place is like a time warp!

Again, I still have more to post. But I don't want to overload you! Perhaps tomorrow ...

ps Become a fan (or "like" or whatever) of Cordial Kitten on facebook! When I get to 100 fans, I'll host another giveaway!

2010-04-19T20:09:00.002-05:00

Hello it's me! I have some updatin' to do.

A little over a week ago I was involved in a video shoot that will air on such places as MTV, Hulu, Teen Nick, etc. Sounds kind of weird, huh? Some friends of mine applied for a Pepsi Refresh grant, and were in the first group of winners. Pepsi chose a few different winners to interview, and my friends were one of the lucky ones. They're going to use the money to open a crafty/handmade store/school here in our neighborhood, Irvington. The camera crew really wanted to interview them during a indie craft fair since the actual store isn't open yet, but since there weren't any happening that weekend they did the next best thing: created a fake one in their backyard.

(that's my booth there in the foreground)

The crew came around to each booth, and Su-chin Pak (who is apparently from MTV News, or something) did a quick interview with each entrepreneur. I'm glad I didn't really know who Su-chin was, or else I would have been a whole lot more nervous! The crew started on the opposite end of the "fair" so my booth was the very last they interviewed. While I was waiting for them to come around, I got to stand around in the very intense sunshine with only a spf 15, so I left with some pretty impressive sunburns. Ah, fair skin. I also waged battles against the wind that kept popping my products onto the ground, and one time blew everything on my table clean off. Not fun. That day I remembered why I hate outdoor shows with such a passion.

The weather has been completely crazy lately, going back and forth between normal-for-april chilliness, and record heat. I kind of like it, though. Tank tops one day, jackets the next. Makes for some nice variety! Oh, and my lilacs bloomed! I had a very nice smelling house for about a week with 5 vases full sitting around my house. I will miss you until next year, my most favorite flowers.

I have more things to write about, but I'll give you a break for now. See you later.

2010-04-04T08:38:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the Spring Bloomington Handmade Market. I felt it was pretty successful, and I came home happy. I am trying to save up some money so I can buy a new digital SLR camera for taking better product shots and whatnot, and I might be able to buy one soon.

Here are the only two pictures I took while in Bloomington:

Bloomington is a little over an hour south of Indianapolis, and therefore they are slightly ahead of us in the spring department. We have some flowers going on here, but I haven't seen any trees popping out like that yet. It was nice to get a little taste.

Two weeks from now is the Crafty Supermarket in Cincinnati, OH. This will be my first show in Ohio, and I'm looking forward to seeing vendors that I don't normally come into contact with here in Indiana.

And now I will reveal to you the super top secret project I have been working on. Brandon and I are awaiting the arrival of a new little baby! I tricked you into thinking it was some sort of art project, didn't I? We're still pretty early on in the game, as I'm only just shy of 13 weeks. But I'm glad to be through the first trimester. I was spending lots of time feeling sick and depressed on my couch. Not depressed because of the baby, but depressed I think because of the hormones. Now most days I'm not feeling too sick, or too tired (although I'm still averaging 10 hours of sleep a night), and spring is helping me feel a little bit more motivated and happy. Oh, Indiana and your cloudy, short, sunless days during winter. Be gone! Baby is something we've been planning on for awhile now (people keep asking if it was a surprise, so I guess I'll just fill you in). We've talked and thought about it for years, then last summer made plans to wait for the new year. The new year arrived, and what do you know? I'm glad we were lucky and things were easy, and so far going somewhat smoothly. The countdown to October has begun!

I promised myself I wouldn't show a lot of naked tummy pictures, because sometimes I find them to be a little disturbing from other people. But I thought I'd share this one, since I think with clothes on it might look as if nothing is amiss. But something is going on in there!

2010-03-18T14:59:00.002-05:00

Um. HELLO! Remember me? I am still here.

We are getting a taste of spring here in Indiana, and it feels wonderful! 64 degrees is making me feel like I need to drive to the beach right now. I grew up in northern Indiana and spent a lot of time playing at the dunes in Michigan. Being so far away from the lake is probably the only thing I hate about living in Indianapolis.

Here is a new cat I made the other day:

Find him at the Bloomington Handmade Market, coming up in 2 weeks! You should check out their site because an interview with me was posted just today. Go!

I have been working very very hard on a top secret project which is the main reason why I have been scarce around here. I will be able to fill you in soon, so don't fret!

2010-02-14T11:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

We're not doing anything special today, really. Brandon might brave the cold and melting snow to make steaks on the grill, but that's about it. How about you?

2010-02-10T13:34:00.003-05:00

The big blog updates are pretty difficult for me. I haven't written a thing about the trip to NY and the SCBWI conference, and the longer I go without doing it, the more difficult it gets to start. Well I guess I will just say it was pretty amazing. Alexis and Rob were wonderful hosts who took me to some great restaurants, helped me figure out the small bit of navigating I needed to do, and generally showed me a good time.

The conference was great, although when I left my feelings were a mixture of depression and fortitude. There are so many other people in the world who want to do what I want to do, but I can't let that cause me to give up!

Here is Alexis and I being rock stars in Prospect Park.

The lake there was frozen solid; we couldn't even break it with a large rock. Here are birds walking on water.

I had a delicious bagel, but it had too much cream cheese.

After I came back into town, we got a lot of snow. So Brandon and I made a new friend.

Hope you're having a good February. So far this year is turning out great.

2010-01-26T08:55:00.004-05:00

where have i been? i don't know. i have a picture to post, but the camera is all the way over there ... and the camera cord is up there ... i'll have to do it later. i would get up and get these things, but really i don't have time to even be writing this blog post, so i need to speed through it.

on thursday i am leaving for NEW YORK CITY! i've been to new york once, almost exactly 8 years ago. that was also the last time i flew anywhere, so i'm a bit nervous to do it again. and all alone, no less. i am going to the SCBWI conference, which is so exciting. I've wanted to go for years, and finally decided now was the time. i have some friends who live in brooklyn and they graciously allowed me to stay with them. it will be a trek each morning into manhattan, but at least it's a free place to stay, and at least they are awesome.

on friday i am going to an optional "Illustrator intensive." i have confirmation that i'm going, but i never had any information mailed to me, even though they mailed me info on the other two regular days of conference. i thought that was odd, so the other night i went on their site in search of info. that's when i discovered that there is an ASSIGNMENT we're supposed to bring. what? so i have to do that pretty quickly. it won't be great, and i'll probably be blown away by all the amazing work that the other illustrators will do. sigh. at least i won't walk in empty handed though, i guess.

so anyway, the next time i make a post i will hopefully have cool pictures to show you from the trip. be safe, babies.

2010-01-09T11:55:00.002-05:00

Here is one of the only pictures I took from Christmas:

We made pizzas on the grill for Christmas dinner at my parent's house, and I thought the toppings looked so pretty. Apparently I didn't think my family members looked pretty. I would always like to take more pictures at events, but never think of it. Or feel dorky whipping out the camera. People never seem to want me to take their picture.

It's been snowing a lot here in Indianapolis. I grew up with loads of snow in northern Indiana, so whatever snow we get here in central Indiana always seems like nothin'. Although I do really love that it doesn't snow so much. I despise driving in it. But I do always laugh and roll my eyes at "BREAKING NEWS!" stories about 2 inches of snow. Try 12 inches and your school doesn't even get canceled: the story of my life as a child. Anyway, here is the first "big" snow we got here in indy:

The snow is falling so fast, it looks like streaks through the tree!

And here is the winner of the first Cordial Kitten Giveaway on facebook:

It's my friend, Kim! Doesn't she look happy with her new kitten? Become a fan of Cordial Kitten in order to be included in future drawings.

But if you don't want to wait for your name to be drawn out of a hat, head over to my shop for a special offer: 10% off your entire order (not including shipping) now until January 18th! Buy yourself a little warmth for your heart ... and everyone knows cat-erpillars are good for snuggling under a toasty blanket.

2010-01-04T08:45:00.002-05:00

Happy new year!

Here are some keywords people have used that ultimately led them to my site, cordial kitten:

*obey my brain
*art with fairies and people with bunny heads
*beard hat
*most popular item on etsy
*what is monocle cat

New years eve was fun for us. my mom put on a surprise birthday party for my dad, who is turning 50. she wanted to give him a party, and knew that he'd figure it out if she had it on his actual birthday, which is the 14th. so she planned a "small get together" for new years eve. One couple canceled, the other showed up at 6:30. The rest of the guests showed up around quarter after 7, and boy was he surprised! It was a fun night of champagne, food, and friends.

now it is back to normal life. it has been hard to get back into the swing of things. i haven't been able to break out of holiday-lazy-mode. and brandon is already home sick for the new year. but don't tell him that i think he is just a tad bit wimpy ... he wants to see the doctor after one day of coughing. hmm.

have a good week, all!

2009-12-23T09:56:00.002-05:00

this drawing is for a friend whose father used to have a recurring dream when he was younger. he would be in the Murphy's Department Store, and would see random piles of coins on the floor. Just as he would bend down to get them, ladies with sweepers for feet would zoom by, sweeping them up. so silly!

happy holidays, everyone!

2009-12-19T16:14:00.002-05:00

two pups, a portrait for a friend from work. the doggy on the right has gone off to heaven, and she wanted a nice reminder of them playing together for her family.

now i am down to one portrait before the holidays, and won't have any more to think about until january. yah! perhaps during my christmas break i'll be able to finish painting the storm windows, and other practical things around the house that i always think i'll get around to someday.

the christmas shopping is finished up, and only have a few things to make before christmas eve. I went to the winter farmers market today and got this AMAZING cheese dip (two full containers!) to bring to our two family Christmases, from a place called Country Mouse City Mouse. It's cream-cheesy and horseradishy, and so delish! I almost can't keep myself out of the fridge, away from devouring it ... one of my families won't know that the other got a nice package of cheese, I can just eat one all by myself, right?

Last night Brandon and I went to the holiday party for the library where I work, and a coworker asked me what my goal is in life. I think he is either afraid that I won't want to shelve books forever, or afraid that maybe i will. But it was a funny question for me, because for a long time my goal in life has been to have my drawings in a children's picture book. And now I've done that. But I don't consider myself done, I would like to keep working. But working towards what? What is my new goal? I guess I sort of don't know. I would like to make more books, perhaps write my own book. I would like to get famous, but is that a realistic goal? Not really. So I guess if I'm going to have a New Year's resolution this year, it will be to figure out my new goal.

I'm hoping this new year will bring lots of good things. I have two major "situations" that I hope will come together in a way that I like, and the way that is best. I have 1 gallery show scheduled, and 2 more tentatively scheduled. I have a big trip to the Big Apple to stay with friends and attend the SCBWI conference. It looks like it's going to be pretty good, right?

2009-12-17T08:56:00.003-05:00

I am bad at getting up at a reasonable hour. Reasonable, for me, is around 7. I like getting up early. I love the feel of the morning, and it feels like I get way more done. I'm usually much more lazy in the evening time, so if I get up early, and go to bed early, I avoid a lot of unnecessary slacking. Alas, the winter is making me want to hibernate. I'm not getting up till 8 (on a library work day) or later (on my art work day). Today is a library work day. I am slacking so much that I'm not even going to shower! Take that, world! Actually I'm not taking a shower because I think my hair might look better that way? I got a slightly bad haircut the other day. I've had cuts that were too short, weren't exactly what I was expecting, decided I didn't like bangs. But this hair cut ... it's a BAD haircut. The lady did a bad job. I have a huge chunk on the left side of my head, but not the right. Come on, at least give me symmetrical chunks! Also the layers in the back aren't even at all, there's super long next to super short. It's just terrible. I spent yesterday at work wishing I could put books over my head so no one would see it. I'm going to see about getting the place to fix it for free, however I'm now afraid they will make it even worse. Gah!

Ok enough stalling. Time to get ready for work.

2009-12-13T22:31:00.002-05:00

I can't believe this weekend is over already. It was supposed to feel super long and amazing because I had 3 whole days off with which to do whatever I wanted. No shows, no fixing things on my house. Just hanging out and working on getting last minute art projects done. But now here it is, Sunday night once again. sigh.

I forgot to tell you that yesterday we went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox. I know I read that book when I was a kid, but I can't remember at all what it was about. So I have no idea if it followed the story faithfully or anything like that, but I must say I thought it was a great movie. I just loved the feel of it. The shots and odd perspective were amazing. It made us laugh out loud. It was about foxes. It had pretty much everything I could have hoped for, and the minute it comes out on DVD it shall be mine.

Between fun stuff, procrastinating yet again on painting the storm windows, and getting art projects done, I decided to teach myself how to make a purse with a zipper. I have a couple sewing books from the library and both of them have pretty extensive instructions on how to do this, yet no pictures showing the steps. So I would read them feeling like I was reading a foreign language. They just made no sense in my head at all. So I looked up a couple youtube videos that showed how to do it, and again I just wasn't able to really SEE what was going on. So I just cut out some fabric and started pinning things together, and through trial and error it finally just made sense. So here is my first attempt:

The only problem I can see is that the lining fabric is a bit too close to the zipper, and gets a little caught. So over time it will probably get worn and frayed. But next time it shall be perfect!

2009-12-12T19:37:00.003-05:00

Become a fan of Cordial Kitten by tomorrow morning at 10am (est) to be in a drawing for this baby cat-erpillar!

I've been feeling particularly christmasy this year. Brandon and I went to see the Russian Ballet perform the Nutcracker last Sunday; Tuesday I went to the Christmas neighborhood celebration at the Children's Museum. I made cookies. Today I finally put up the tree, and watched A Christmas Story. Tonight I will sit under the christmas lights and drink Kahlua. That's christmasy, right? Rich and tasty.

This morning my pal Amanda and I went to the Indy Winter Farmers Market. The place was jam packed, and I'm already excited to go back next weekend. I bought 2 black bean and goat cheese tamales, and some fancy loose tea. I want to spend more time alone perusing the cheeses, gourdes, beautiful wooden cutting boards, ethnic cuisine, and sweets. After that we checked out the Alternative Gift Fair at the Earth House, and rounded out the day with a trip to a new bakery in our neighborhood specializing in cinnamon rolls. I told Brandon I will be gaining 15 pounds this holiday. He said he supposes he's ok with that.

2009-12-05T10:05:00.002-05:00

Last night was my last show of the year. Thank god! Not that I don't love the opportunity to do shows. I really do love the idea that I make things and people buy them, which is something I've wanted to do since the 3rd grade (I remember making my own catalog of jewelry I could make, mostly friendship bracelets). But it will be really nice to have a "break" and concentrate more on my etsy shop, my illustration biz, and things around the house like finally painting those storm windows (they are all currently sitting in my dining room waiting for paint and glazing ... needless to say our house is even colder than it should be right now).

So next week after finishing up a huge cat-erpillar order, I will be working on some personal portrait commissions for the holidays. Here is a sneak peek of one:

From the family of bears series.

Last night my friend Sally and her boyfriend Mark stayed over, and we're going to run around the city and play today, which will be great fun. Hope you are having a great weekend, too!

2009-11-25T17:45:00.003-05:00

Posting has been slipping my mind. You'd think keeping up on the blogs I read would remind me to update my own, but no. I also have several saved drafts to post from weeks ago. Should I just go ahead and post them even though they are no longer in chronological order? I guess.

Well here is today. Today is the day before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow we shall be joining Brandon's parents for lovely food, and one of my favorite things: mashed potatoes. The day after Thanksgiving is, as I'm sure you know, "Black Friday." I am avoiding black friday. I never go out shopping on that day, it sounds like torture to me. I despise crowds and waiting in lines, and that's pretty much black friday in a nut shell. I'm pretty sure the only time I ever ventured out on black friday was the year Toy Story came out. My family was in Indianapolis visiting my cousins, and we all went to see the movie the day after Thanksgiving, and then walked around the new Circle Center Mall. That was 14 years ago. My god.

That being said ... I am definitely having a "black friday - cyber monday" sale in my etsy shop. So, if you live in the good ol' U.S., make a purchase between 11/27-11/30 and you'll get free shipping on any purchase (free shipping = refund through paypal after you've made your payment).

Oh and in case you are unsure as to whether or not you want to spend your hard earned money in my shop, just take a look at this guy:

He would love to live with you.

be careful with knives, kids

2009-11-17T20:55:00.002-05:00

i'm going to give you some very useful advice. do not try to hurry when using an exacto knife. do not turn your attention away for even a fraction of a second. if you do, you will slice off the side of your finger and end up having a very painful afternoon. and maybe you only have rubbing alcohol in the house, and no peroxide, so you have to use that to clean the cut, and it burns like you never imagined anything could. and when you go back to the job of cutting an hour later, trying to psych yourself up for it, mustering up as much mental concentration as possible, you find that side tip of your finger laying there, like something out of a horror movie.

please learn this lesson from me.

i started this post weeks ago and am finally finishing and posting it

2009-11-14T18:14:00.005-05:00

I am finally sitting down to write the post about my Adventures in Book Signing.

Here is me with Elizabeth Shreeve, the author of Oliver at the Window. She is such a nice wonderful person, and I'm so glad I got to meet her! We spent some time wandering around the Indianapolis Museum of Art one day, and I really felt like I had known her for a long time, and that we were old friends catching up.

Last Thursday we went to the Day Nursery at Ft. Harrison. Elizabeth spent some time talking to the kids about her inspiration for the book, and then talked about how she wrote it. She taught them how to come up with the key elements of a story. What do you need? Characters who have a problem, and who then find a solution. The kids came up with some really fun stuff, including a princess and a dinosaur whose pet spider went outside the gate and got lost and they had to find him again, and a bear who was terrorizing a snail and a lion, so they had to chase him off to Colorado.

The next day we went to the International School to visit the 2nd graders. They were great! We had a bit of a slide presentation, read the story, and then I showed them how to draw some characters from the book. They were super excited to see me draw things before their eyes, and even though they were about 7 years old it was a good feeling to have so many people say "wow! you're good at drawing!"

That, in a nut shell, was my first school visit adventure. We also did a couple signings at some independent book stores in Indianapolis (Mudsock Books and Kids Ink). By the end of the week I was exhausted, but glad to have learned so much from Elizabeth. I would have been a nervous wreck without her! Maybe now in the future it will be easier for me to get up in front of large groups of children.

2009-11-07T16:10:00.003-05:00

tonight some friends of ours are getting married. i'm very excited for them! it's been a long time coming, and they will be very happy together.

here is the drawing i made for their card:

fall is in full swing around here. today i got blisters on my hands from raking leaves, and i think i'm working on a sore shoulder. fun. but the good news is that i find pretty things on my way home from work.

and here is a picture of mona for good measure, in her new bedroom (where my studio used to be).

i frequently find her in there taking a little nap. so cute.

i will update again soon to tell you about all my exciting school visits and book signings from this past week. have a wonderful saturday!

2009-11-03T08:39:00.002-05:00

Happy belated Halloween.

I forgot to tell you that I had sleep paralysis 3 times last month. Weird, huh? All three times it was the same, so by the last time it didn't scare me any more. But the first time, man. What happened was I "woke up" and heard people walking around in the house. Someone was either going to rob us, or hurt me. But I couldn't get up. My eyes were open, but no matter what I did I couldn't get up. When I finally actually woke up, I realized no one was really there, but every single hair on my body was standing up straight and I had goosebumps everywhere. It had felt so real! But yeah, by time #3 I knew no one was actually there, but it was still very frustrating that I couldn't get up. Such a weird feeling! Brandon said he's had this happen a few times, too. One time he fell asleep on his parents couch and "woke up" to find a dead body on their coffee table. Heh!

Now onto the pictures.

Here is a better image of the beautiful glowing tree out front:

Then later it threw up on brandon's car.

Now the tree is all bare. I suppose it's time to rake.

Here is part of my new beloved studio:

And finally, the best costume I saw at the Irvington Halloween Festival last saturday:

it's bender!

This week I will be doing my very first book signings with the author of Oliver at the Window, Elizabeth Shreeve. I am very nervous! Not so much nervous for the signings, but for the school presentation. Yikes!

See you later.

2009-10-25T15:57:00.002-05:00

yesterday brandon and i finally went to see Where the Wild Things Are. He wasn't sure he liked it, but I enjoyed it a lot. However, I spent the majority of the movie wanting to cry ... as I get older I'm becoming one of those women who cries at Hallmark commercials, so you can imagine what happens during a movie with a lonely little boy who makes up sad stories and is quite unhappy and angry.

The past couple of days have been really beautiful, weather wise. The trees all around us are turning to gold, and it's amazing when you walk underneath one of them and the light filtering though seems to change the whole atmosphere. Here is the one in our front yard:

I didn't capture the amazing light. But it's still pretty.

Next saturday (halloween!) is a mini INDIEana Handicraft Exchange event at the Halloween Festival in Irvington. Come on our if you can! The festival is a huge event that shuts down US 40, and they're on their 63rd year, so you know they must be doing something right. See you there!

2009-10-19T19:02:00.000-05:00

I have things to do, but I do not want to do things. I worked at the library all day, and now i just want to veg. i should be picking from:
scanning an image;
matting said image;
finishing a painting;
sewing cat-erpillars to send to the Renegade store;
bringing more things up to my studio.

instead i suppose i am mentally preparing myself for having to go get my tires rotated and checked tomorrow. it's a little overdue ... my signature from the paperwork from the last time i was there is just "candice hartsough." no mcdonald. uh oh. i'm hoping they're not like "oh well you just need 4 new tires, sorry."

here is a picture of me pretending to work last night:

A friend is applying for a grant for a *secret* project, and needed pictures of crafty people working in their studios. and hooray, since i'm halfway between old studio and new studio, we went up to the new one for the photo shoot. fingers crossed she gets the grant, because if she does, some amazing things will be happening soon. i'll keep you posted.

2009-10-14T09:47:00.002-05:00

brandon and i are both home sick from work today. and we have different ailments. i hope we don't cross contaminate each other. i really hate calling into work, i always feel bad. i can't tell if i just have a headache that is causing a stomach thing (which happens to me occasionally), or if it's something worse. i don't have any body aches or fever, so i'm thinking it's not the flu, thank god. brandon is reporting a sore throat and cough. no fever either. hopefully this day of rest will bring us back up to speed by tomorrow.

i must admit that it is fun to have a lazy snuggle with blankets watching court tv day, even though i feel a bit miserable.

2009-10-10T18:26:00.002-05:00

remember this?

Well a fellow Indianapolis artist, silastones, saw my entry and made me this amazing present:

isn't it wonderful?! I was so excited to come home this evening and find it in my mail box.

2009-10-05T19:47:00.004-05:00

Hello!

Moments ago I uploaded my newly updated website! Check it out!

I would appreciate it if you let me know if you find any broken links or any other funny business. I don't think there are any, but I suppose it's possible for me to make a mistake.

I am proud to say I built the whole thing by myself! I read, oh, perhaps just the first page of a CSS book, and after my mind became scrambled I just dove in with my prior html knowledge and Dreamweaver. It may not be fancy or perfect, but at least I tried.

2009-10-04T17:51:00.004-05:00

Hello, all!

I am back from the INDIEana Handicraft Exchange! It was a fun day and a half, as always. I met some pretty awesome people, and saw lots of familiar faces (and I'll bet I didn't remember your names ... I only remember names after about the 30th meeting. Sorry!). One of my favorite things about doing fairs such as this one is the trading, which I am getting braver about instigating. Here are two great trades I made yesterday:

This pendant was made by Once Lost. I had the honor of having my booth right next to Michelle, the maker of these wonderful pieces. She uses things like antique watch parts to make beautiful steam punk type jewelry. I was proud to wear my piece today! Michelle also had the cutest baby boy. I kept stealing glances at him, and saw him do fun baby things, such as dancing to the loud music playing.

These earrings were made by Courtney Fischer. They are antiqued brass filigree that she painted turquoise. So pretty, and so light! I hate when earrings hang heavy in my ears.

I also traded for some yummy treats from The Hot Cookie. Lemon tarragon= love

So after the weekend's festivities, I'm taking it a bit easy today. I've been working on my website some, but we took the afternoon off to go to the Riley Days festival in Greenfield, and then went to see the movie Zombieland ... which I highly recommend, by the way. Brandon and I typically go to every zombie movie that comes out (because he loves them so, and i just like to tag along), but this one was actually a comedy, and we laughed out loud plenty of times!

2009-10-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

today i am going to be very busy, because tonight is the handicraft exchange. i have to clean the house, finish some stuffed animals (i may not have the new hybrids to sell this weekend after all, unless i can get these guys done), prep and freeze garden green beans (i always put that off ... it must be done today!!), and hopefully leave the house by 2:30. i'm not actually supposed to be there till 3:30, but i want to make sure to get a good place to park! and also if i'm awesome early, i can help with the set up of the event, which will probably be appreciated.

but despite all that, i decided that i need a hair cut. today. i cannot wait another day, it must be done today. it is weird, because my hair will grow, and i'll think "it's cool, no worries. it's growing, whatever." and then suddenly i'll be like "OH NO IT'S TOO LONG IT HAS TO BE SHORTERRR!" and also, i always feel more confident right after a hair cut (that is, until i discover that maybe it was cut too short, why won't it groooww?), and confidence will be good for tonight's event.

so, come on out, if you can! hopefully i will be there with shorter hairs, and not still trying to get my house cleaned.

2009-09-29T20:33:00.004-05:00

Today is me and Brandon's (Brandon and I's) second wedding anniversary. Can't believe it's been that long already! I wonder if the rest of our lives will go this quickly. Probably.

Brandon took the day off, and this afternoon we went to the apple orchard. Here we are in the orchard, making faces:

Here we are 3 years ago at the same orchard, also making faces:

We don't often take pictures without making faces.

Also, please note that in both pictures Brandon is wearing the same jacket. And I almost picked out the same jacket to wear as well. That would have been really weird.

We saw a tree growing inside another tree:

In the orchard shop, I pounced on this jar:

It shall be mine, and it is.

Tonight we went to a fancy dinner at a place called Barcelona Tapas, which I've been wanting to go to for a very long time. It wasn't really as expensive as I had feared, and it was delicious. You pick from perfect Candice and Brandon sized portions that you share with each other, and for dessert we had a plate of figs, dates, almonds, walnuts, oranges, and apples. How rare for a dessert in America to not be smothered in chocolate.

Here is a sneak peak of one of my new cat hybrids that will be appearing at the INDIEanna Handicraft Exchange this weekend:

There will be two other new ones there, as well as the cat-erpillars you are used to. Hopefully this winter I will continue to develop new hybrids, including some involving dogs, and other such exotic animals.

2009-09-25T15:14:00.001-05:00

nothing much is new. here is something i did this afternoon for illustration friday. haven't done one of these in ages.

The word is "pattern."

2009-09-20T08:39:00.002-05:00

Hello, everyone. We entertained this house guest the other night. I had to kick him out.

Yesterday was the Fountain Square Art Fair. Sally and I really enjoyed being outside on such a beautiful day. We didn't even mind that it was windy, because even though everyone else's tents were threatening to blow away, ours was all secured by large cinder blocks! Hooray! Two people tried to take the tent down singlehandedly, though: one man tripped and one baby walked into one of the legs of the tent. Watch where you are going, people! Especially you, baby! Just kidding. It happens. I unfortunately do not have any pictures to show you of the event because I forgot my camera. How lame of me. We had some good picture opportunities, too. Especially later in the evening when the event was over. The sun was starting to go down and the light was just beautiful. It made all the buildings look dreamy.

Instead, I will show you this:

Never mind scary glowing flash-induced cat eyes. Focus on the smallest box ever. What is wrong with cats?

2009-09-14T11:14:00.003-05:00

So, Allison and I are back from Renegade! It was a great fun time for all, and I'm so glad I had a chance to participate! But I can't even describe to you how glad I am to be home, and how lovely it feels to have spent the last 3 hours eating breakfast, drinking coffee, and browsing the internet. A day of rest. I feel quite slothful, but can afford a day or two of lounging before I get back into the swing of things.

Here is the run down. We got to stay with Allison's amazing friends Matt and Jamie. They live in a beautiful apartment only about a mile or so away from the fair, which was quite convenient. We learned how to parallel park in a spot that had literally only 3 inches to spare on either end in front of their place. They spoiled us with a Spanish style breakfast on the second day: a delicious egg dish somewhere between an omelet and a quiche, toasted tomato bread with olive oil, and bacon. Thank you so much for your hospitality, if you ever read this!

Here is the long line of booths beside ours:

When we first arrived it was so hectic. We were part of the last group to unload since our booth was at the end. Allison had to drive around looking for a place to park while I started setting everything up. Soon everything fell into place and we settled in for two long days of smiles plastered onto our faces.

Our booth pretty much looked like this all day:

Here is my lovely table:

And Allison's beautiful jewelry:

And some super cute bulldogs:

We saw so many cute dogs and adorable babies. A dog and baby neighborhood.

I felt honored to meet Sue Daly who is the organizer of the Renegade Craft Fair. She specifically said she wants more cat-erpillars to sell in their store front as soon as I can get 'em to her. Who knew that a cat hybrid would be so popular? Here they are in their very appropriate cardboard box display:

We were both seriously dreading the time to pack up and go home. We imagined over 300 cars trying to jam their way down Division street, and hours spent trying to get out after our car was loaded up. But when 7:00 arrived and most of the vendors kept trying to sell, we started breaking everything down. We had a neat little pile by 7:30, and Allison went to get the car to wait in the "line" we imagined (cars weren't allowed onto the street until 8). But by some huge miracle, she ended up being the 2nd car in line! We threw everything in like a perfectly fitting puzzle, and were on the road by 8:15! Amazing.

Here is the skyway on the way home:

Goodbye, Chicago! It was fun.

Tick Tock ...

2009-09-11T07:11:00.002-05:00

The countdown is on! In less than 24 hours I will be awake too early, nervously awaiting our jaunt across Chicago to set up our tent at the Renegade Craft Fair. I didn't get everything done that I had hoped, but I think I had my standards set a little high. If you come out to find me, here are some things you will see:

My new necklace packaging.

The very popular "monocle cat."

Here are all the cats in a pile.

In about 8 hours I will be leaving home to make the trip. Wish us luck!

Oh and here is something I wish I could wear all the time:

I sadly had to give it to the compost bin.

2009-09-04T07:26:00.004-05:00

I just enjoyed a lovely breakfast of multi-grain cheerios. drank out the milk left over, and let mona lick the bottom of the bowl since she was begging so much for it. I stretched, and turned to look out the window and saw this:

It's starting. This year has gone so fast. In real life those leaves are bright red and shining in the sun ... something gets lost when you zoom through a window.

2009-09-03T22:01:00.003-05:00

i'm afraid i'm going to get the h1n1 crap. i so rarely get sick (yay, immune system), but because of all the hype, and my job this year, i have a feeling it might hit me. i think the last time i had the flu was over 3 years ago, back when Brandon and I were still dating. I was at his parent's house, and his mom took my temperature. Kind of funny to think about now. I remember I still had to go into work that afternoon because I was the only manager that could do it. Hooray, retail. That one was sarcastic.

Here is what I've been working on today:

I had to stop before I wanted to because my wrist was hurting really bad from cutting out the paper. But there is always tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day after that to work. It somehow worked out that between now and Renegade, I only work one day at the library. How fortunate for my sanity!

Here is one of our watermelons:

It was the reddest watermelon I've ever seen, I think. Not much of that light/white color near the rind. And so delicious! Too bad it was so tiny.

And finally, what are these guys doing?

At first I thought they were doing it, but Brandon questioned it because don't they only do it with the queen? Any ideas?

2009-08-30T21:42:00.004-05:00

Hello, everyone. It's me.

About a week and a half remain until the Renegade Craft fair in Chicago. Wish I could hire someone to do my stitchin'. Not sure how I'll get everything done in time. Hopefully, with the long weekend, it will be a breeze.

Sunday a friend of mine from high school is hosting a *reunion* of sorts in South Bend, and I would really love to go, but just don't know if I will have the time. I'm wrestling between knowing life is short and all that and I should visit my pals when the chance arises, and the thought that if I drive to South Bend and take an entire day off that my sanity will be at stake. What to do?

Here is a blurry pic of our tent at the Feast of Lanterns yesterday:

It was a beautiful day. such wonderful fall-like weather. if this is what global warming gives us, I will take it. Sorry polar bears. The Feast of Lanterns is such a weird event for me, as a vendor. It begins around noon, and usually we sit there for many many hours before anyone is even ready to start buying things. Sort of hard to trudge through, but since it was so nice out I was just glad to be outside. The thing that always worries me the most is that it is not over until 11pm. The park where it's held is not in the MOST stellar neighborhood ever, although it is trying. But even if it was in the safest place in the world, I would still not feel safe packing up my car at midnight. I am a very paranoid person, and expect a robber or kidnapper to appear behind every corner. Sally and I tried to pack up as quickly as possible. It still took about an hour to get everything ready to go. On one of my trips to the car, I heard some arguing in the house across the street from my car ... and later on a woman involved in the fight approached us and asked us for a ride to the battered woman's shelter where she lives ... so i was wondering why she left the battered woman's shelter to visit the man who hits her and steals her money. I told her to go tell a cop she was robbed, but she didn't want to. Sort of sketchy. Neither one of us had room for her in our cars anyway. So, I'm really sorry, lady.

This morning I enjoyed my coffee in my brand new Sadly Harmless mug that I love.

And then in the afternoon I learned how to do needle felting with the Indianapolis Craft Mafia. Very fun and stabby!

Time for bed!

2009-08-23T11:14:00.001-05:00

The morning is over, and I just cannot get myself to start working. I did a little morning sketch, which is helpful, and here I am updating the blog. I guess those are considered work. But just barely.

Here are some pretty garden flowers:

Here is an awesome book I got yesterday:

Each page has a different "List" topic, and then blank lines. You fill in the lines with things about yourself. Ie, "List your favorite books," or "List the fashion trends you've had over the years." I think it will be fun.

Here is Sally yesterday at the fringe fest. She is anticipating eating the veggies I was cutting up.

The fringe thing was sort of a bust. There were supposed to be 6 tents selling to the theater goers, and it turned out there were only two. When we got there to set up, a Hispanic festival was going on. So we had to wait for them to tear down. Then it poured down rain. When the sun started coming out, we decided it looked safe enough to set up, even though our two tent group was sort of pathetic. A few people wandered in and out of our tents, but no one bought anything. And then suddenly, this happened (Illustrated for you in a crudely drawn comic):

So. Now I have to buy a new tent. Lame!

Ok, sewing time. See ya.

2009-08-19T21:54:00.004-05:00

I don't remember if I told you, but my friend Allison and I applied for the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. And we got in. Although this is amazingly awesome, it is also my biggest nightmare. It's going to be busy. I have a lot of product to make. It's less than a month away. I worry I won't make enough and I will run out of things to sell by the end of the first day.

But it's going to be an amazing experience. And I can't wait for it to be over.

Here is what my table looks like when I'm in the middle of a sewing project.

Not sure why I mess around with sewing. I have absolutely no speed when it comes to sewing (well I have no speed when it comes to anything really, I'm a pretty slow worker), which ends up meaning I make something like $1 an hour when all is said and done. But I just love how stuffies and pins end up looking. So cute!

For example, here is a cat that someone commissioned.

It only has 4 legs, what??

And here is a secret picture I took of Brandon yesterday.

He's cute.

Our Trip

2009-08-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in awhile because I keep wanting to do a good post about our trip. But the more days that get in between then and now, the harder it gets to sit down and do it. I guess I will just try and do it.

First we went to Corydon. A whole week ago! Time. It passes. We stayed in a bed and breakfast for the first time. I guess it was actually in a building that had been built in the 1800's that was intended to be a hotel type place, so it wasn't completely bed-and-breakfasty, but it was close. We stayed on the 3rd floor, so we had lots of steps to climb. Breakfast was the kind of deal where all the guests go down at the same time and sit around a large table and eat things like grits with cheese and some sort of casserole and act somewhat awkward. Eventually one of the braver ladies started asking questions and everyone started talking. Brandon and I were by far the youngest guests. One of the guys who was 40-something, bald-yet-close-shaven-to-hide-it, dark framed glasses, dark clothes, riding his motercycle across the country with his mother, turned out to be a design professor. As soon as he said it I thought, "Of course! How did I not see it before?" He fit the profile impeccably.

It was really freaking hot in Corydon. Really hot and humid. But we still tried to walk around and enjoy the town. We saw a graveyard (we try to visit graveyards in new towns, seriously), and enjoyed some icecream at Butt Drugs, which is owned by the 3rd generation of Butts. For real.

That was pretty much all we did in the town because we were so hot. We also visited the place where the battle of Corydon took place, if I remember right, the only place in Indiana that saw a Civil War battle. Brandon pretended to be a proud homesteader.

We decided to loop back up and visit the Falls of the Ohio, which I have always wanted to see after I wrote a report about it in my Indiana Geology class.

I saw a sign warning visitors that it may feel up to 20 degrees hotter down there because of all the reflective limestone, and since it was already around 95 ... whew. But we braved it anyway.

I saw fossils.

And a stick.

Then we drove toward Mammoth Cave. We got to stay in the most amazing place ever: a teepee! or as it calls itself, "Wigwam Village." It was built in 1937, a realization of some dude's dream to someday have a kitschy and somewhat dirty motel.

Even though I found a booger on the wall, and the shower was sort of scary, it was totally worth $55 a night. For one night, though, another night would have killed me.

Tuesday was the big Mammoth Cave day. We only went on one tour since they're kind of pricey, but it was fun. Saw this kind of stuff:

It was slightly claustrophobic at times, but so so so much more fun than the other time I went "spelunking" for real. This time it was much more babyish, with handrails and first aid boxes every so often, lights, and a tour guide both at the front and the back of our large group. No belly crawls through muddy water, no headlights going out plunging you in darkness, no exiting the cave in a completely different location than the rest of your group.

On the way back up north, we visited a couple of Lincoln places (his birthplace and boyhood home), and stayed in Bardstown in a motel with a room that was at least 3 times the size of the teepee room, and was a few dollars cheaper. I guess you pay for your kitsch.

Wednesday we visited the Jim Beam distillery which was sort of a bust because they didn't even have a distillery tour, but we did get to have a whiskey tasting at 11am.

Our final stop was Louisville. I went there to visit my new friend Karen Hartsough, who apparently has no relation to me, at least none that we can trace at this time. Well she was married into the name anyway. Brandon and I had a heck of a time navigating our way through Louisville's diagonal nonsense streets, especially since our only map was a composite of several maps from brochures we'd picked up. But we found our way around eventually, and ended on a good note.

The end. Sorry that was so long. I guess you could have just clicked on the icecream above and seen all our pictures, and saved yourself my babbling. Too late!

k bai.

2009-08-09T10:47:00.001-05:00

My birthday flower blooming on my birthday.

2009-08-07T21:19:00.000-05:00

mona is sitting on my arm and making it difficult to post. ok she got up.

i spent the morning drawing to meet a deadline, and then the rest of the afternoon running errands. very exciting.

Brandon's mom took us out to dinner for my birthday (it's on sunday!). It was pretty good. The food and the visiting. I got a margarita. Not the child size, but the next one up. every single time i say "child sized margarita" brandon goes "psssssh. child sized." but seriously, it's tiny, yo.

tonight i am planning a little trip brandon and i are taking. we've been, well, i've been, wanting to go to Mammoth Cave for like FOREVER and we're finally going to go! I remember noticing Mammoth Cave for the first time when Sarah and I were driving south on our way to Savannah, Georgia about 6 years ago. I'd heard of it before, but ever since I saw the actual signs for it I've been intrigued. but first on my birthday, we're driving to Corydon, IN. I dorkily saw that town featured in Indianapolis Monthly (one of our free magazine subscriptions, thanks coca-cola!), and it looks really cute. It was the first capitol of indiana, which I forget about that sometimes. it also has a place called Butt Drug. We're totally going there.

Tomorrow there is a Decemberists show here in Indy, and we would really like to go. We knew about this show, but somehow Brandon thought it was in September, but then he called me from work today saying it's actually tomorrow. So he got me all excited saying he would buy tickets. But when he got home he said the ticket master fees were too much, so tomorrow we're going to go try to buy tickets at the box office. if we are unsuccessful, we'll just drive around listening to their music in the car. which honestly i think would be just as fun.

I'm off to read 1984, now. See ya.

2009-08-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

i somehow feel like i didn't accomplish much this weekend. i spent a lot of time being idle. i guess that's ok. i started two cat-erpillars for orders that were made, did 3 sketches waiting for approval, did a couple other sketches for some paintings for myself (personal work?? what's that?), and i think that's pretty much it. over 3 entire days.

tonight i chopped up some veggies to attempt to make salsa. yesterday brandon's aunt and uncle gave us some peppers, and warned us they were hot. i totally believed them. i even tasted one to see just how hot it was. it was hot. but then i was unaware that you can get a lingering burn from the oils in the peppers. i knew i could get burned if the juice entered my eye, or my mouth, or a cut. but this was just plain ol' finger skin. it killed! and wouldn't go away no matter what i did. it's finally feeling better right now, like 3 hours later. dag. next time i will wear gloves. rubber gloves. i also learned that the oils can seep right through latex.

tomorrow is work, then the next day i get to go pick out new glasses! this is an exciting thing. my current glasses are 7 years old!! and not entirely the correct prescription. i'll be able to see really far away things soon!

our first carrots (we ate them with dinner):

we walked past this for many days without even noticing it has peas on it:

(i'm realizing what they say about city people being disconnected from the food they eat is true ... it is really weird to me to see these pea pods just growing on a little plant ... it's sort of equivalent in my mind to going outside one day and seeing a hamburger bush ... nature, you astound me)

and a busy bee butt.

2009-07-26T15:44:00.001-05:00

Hey, Guys!

i used the word "lovely" 4 times in this post, but i fixed it. you're welcome.

2009-07-25T15:07:00.006-05:00

This was created by, as my little brother put it, *cheating*. I drew the image in pencil then colored it with colors stolen from other drawings I've done in the past. I wouldn't call that cheating, since everything I used I created myself ... I would just call it *smart*, because it was wicked fast.

So after not driving my car for months because the brakes were weird, having them looked at by 2 different places, then having the brake light come on last week and getting the wheel cylinder replaced to solve the leaking brake fluid problem ... the brakes on my bike are funky. the front ones stick a little bit. I'm not sure what it is with me and brakes ...

I am still not fully out of vacation mode. I've done some work today, but I'm being very slow about it. This morning was wonderful. Brandon went into work (yes, on a Saturday), so I had the house to myself. It was raining and cool out, so I opened up all the windows and doors to air out the house. I did some drawing, and it was lovely. Then this afternoon I went for a bike ride (where I discovered the break problem) to take pictures and pick up some pita bread. Tonight is taco night, and I'm also going to make a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and basil from the garden. This summer is great. I'm hoping the searing hot temperatures stay away forever, but perhaps I'm asking too much.

back from mackinac

2009-07-23T19:29:00.001-05:00

max and i were excited on the ferry boat over.

I touched this.

max rode one of these for the first time (i was too chicken to do it).

we ate ice cream (the seagull tried to eat some, too).

played glow golf at 10pm.

attended a ladies party on that porch.

sat on this boat (the one my dad took across for the Mac Race ... they got 1st in their class, and 2nd overall ... out of over 300 boats!).

went to a place on the island i'd never seen before.

and it rained a lot.

2009-07-18T08:29:00.002-05:00

Later today I will be driving to South Bend. And then tomorrow morning I will pile in the car with my family and go to Mackinac Island, Michigan, which I believe is a good 6 hour drive. I'll be leaving Brandon behind, who I will miss very much. But it will feel so good to get away!

Before I leave I have so much to do. Here is a list:

Bank
Post Office
Recycle Center
Make sure mona's food and litter are squared away
Pack
Clean Out Car
Put Bike in Car
Do Dishes
Finish a tiny drawing and scan it
Figure out why the house smells like onions.

Last night I made spanakopita featuring some items from our garden: spinach, basil, and red onion. Probably why the house still smells like onions. They were pretty decent. Not as fantastic as greek restaurant ones, but I think that had something to do with the quality of the phyllo dough. I would imagine an authentic greek restaurant makes its own phyllo, or else has access to better quality than the kind you can buy from Meijer.

I feel like our overgrown garden is making out backyard feel bigger, which is a weird phenomenon.

This is not a good photo to illustrate such, but I still like it.

These are all different kinds of zinnias. Aren't they pretty? And Allison, I actually DID plant these flower seeds, I was so freaking happy when they actually came up and didn't just die. I do not have a very green thumb. Thank god for Brandon's.

We found a baby pumpkin!!

2009-07-12T16:55:00.002-05:00

Right now I feel like I have a giant cotton ball on my head. I finished a huge project earlier today, except for a few odds and ends ... well the odds and ends will take awhile to work out, but at least the biggest part of this big project is completed. Finally. I have very literally been coloring and coloring for days. It seems for as long as I can remember I've been sitting here, wild eyed, listening to episode after episode of The Office, my pinky finger getting rubbed raw from scraping back and forth across the paper, my pointer finger developing a red lump against the pencil. It feels really good to no longer have it all hanging over my head, but I think the feeling of it being done is what is causing this cotton ball. I almost feel like I don't know what to do with myself, even though I have plenty to do. It's like since I no longer have this huge thing dominating every waking hour of my life, I am now free to choose things from my to-do list, and that freedom is freaking me out.

So, step one ... here is our first cucumber:

This is not the baby one I showed you before. This was one that was growing in secret, and is way bigger than the other one. Although that one can probably be picked any time now. How fast my babies are growing up.

Step two ... make dinner. We're having good old fashioned meat loaf. Even though I'm not usually a huge ground beef fan, this meal redeems itself due to the use of ketchup. I love ketchup. One time Brandon helped me make a grocery list, and he wrote "growd befe" instead of ground beef. He also wrote "ketcup" and "gamola bars." Then he gave me the list with a straight face. It was one of the most amazing grocery lists ever, and it is currently hanging on the fridge in a place of glory.

2009-07-10T20:25:00.000-05:00

did you know corn looked so exotic?

this will eventually become a pumpkin.

this butterfly tried so hard to drink from that flower from the wrong side of the fence; eventually figured out how to get around it and settled in for dinner right in front of me.

only 3 more drawings to go. 2 days to do them. i think i'm going to make it!