Stop a fleeting moment

I found this photo essay of a family photographing themselves every year on the same date. I LOVE THAT. I wish I had done this with my husband and son. The closest we ever get is the family Christmas photo, and even THAT we sometimes forget (like this year.) It was a link from tenyearsofmylife, a photographer friend is always sending me the best sites.

Illustration Friday - Magic

Cool Tool

My friend Jared forwarded this to me. Very cool drawing tool.

Wedding Cake Reject

For work, on my own volition, sometimes, my own time, I created this cake to present to the Today Show Throws a Wedding series as their logo for the series 2004. I made all the crepe paper flowers on the cake. It was rejected and I was pretty sure it would be, but it was such fun, was all worth it.
"Do you, Today Show, take this hand-made flowers, life-size, Today show colors, wedding cake, from Kim, to be your long-term series logo, to have and to hold, until you Throw Another Wedding in 2005?" They said, "I don't"! All photos by James Cheng.

The Best Of Us

Valentine's Day 2002. I made a mini-book for my husband. The book was called the "BEST OF US" but was really all the worst photos that we had ever taken. The silly ones -- me early in the morning before coffee, my son having a break-down during his "Christmas Outfit" photo session. I measured it all out and had the images line up so I could use my handy 1/2 inch punch on the front and back to let the images peek through. Message on last page -- "The best of us is yet to come." Made this when I was totally into making little books. Am still in the mood, don't have the time. I made many little books like this -- also made little mini-portfolios to mail out.

Farting Into Teens

Did I mention that my teenage son farts and sleeps ALL THE TIME. Is there a treatment for this condition?

Stolen Day

I had a great rainy day. Arrived at work to find I was really meant to be OFF. Stayed long enough to read email, do a little work and blog. Then hit all my favorite Goodwills on the route home. Usually don't get to do that anymore since I work until 8 p.m. Found a few treasures. A pink floral damask table cloth and matching napkins (possible S-I-L birthday present). A large worn to the silk feel - cotton mint color table cloth. A couple of stemmed etched goblets. Two what look to be cut glass butter trays, but I am growing grass in pots for a friend and thought I would put two in one tray and use them as saucers ($1.29 each.) I do have this fear that a loud speaker will blast out "LADY, STEP AWAY FROM THE LINENS!", that my family will have given them my photo-ID of a person who is not allowed to shop Goodwill anymore. The great thing about Goodwill is --- they DO have a return policy of a week after purchase, so if you can not make up your mind, bring it home and think about it.
Also found 4 in tall metal pails for $1 each in the Target dollar corner. I bought 8 pink and 8 red. I should have bought more and when I can figure out what I am going to do with them, I will be sorry that I didn't.

Ghost of Christmas Cards Past

I am feeling so guilty about not doing a Christmas card. It is usually the highlight of my holiday season. I did have ONE lame idea. Having the greeting melting off the card. I came up with that one driving to work in the pouring rain. It sounded like a good idea in the car, once scanned in, I was having second thoughts.



Here a few from years past. I would scan in the REAL cards, except they are hidden in the SECRET Christmas paper/card place my studio, and I can't remember where that secret place. Did a big search the other day because I was missing vintage placecard Santas that stand up. And a huge supply of old gift tags I was thinking of incorporating into a card. I am sure by next Christmas I will have located that stash.

Font Fun

I have been making these little font wreaths in Adobe Illustrator for years. And look, firstbornmultimedia.com has gone and made a useful little ap with the same idea!
Pick a font, any font. Pick a letter, any letter. Use the rotate tool. Usually rotating 45 degrees, but you can experiment with that as well. Rotating and picking different center marks on the letter for rotation will give you a variety of looks from one letter. Below see of the variations from some boring font for the letter "y". I found that the most elaborate scripts make the most fun wreaths!

Skating Into Teens

With the grim news stories, I feel the need to hold my son a little closer than usual. He is an obstinate 13-year-old, aggressive in-line skater, rap listening, pant-sagging, soccer, baseball, trombone playing, great kid, going through a challenging time. And I love him all the more for it. I never wished to be a mother. Never thought I would be a good parent, but it just happened ... at 35. And so my new life began the moment I held him in my arms. Fortunately, I like rap music and just ask that he clean his room once a month.
Tonight while he and I were running through IKEA for his new bedroom look and some furniture ideas (he wants black walls, I say no, but dark grey okay), he weighs himself on some scales -- and he weighs what I did when I met his father a mere 13 years ago. How can that be??? Please -- TIME, slow down.

Re-Gift-Wrapper

I am a re-gift-wrapper. I admit it. I do not throw away tissue paper, ribbon over 3-inches long, re-usable gift bags, wine-bottle gift bags, a piece of wrapping paper that I deem re-usable. When my son was young, and we would go to those kiddie birthday parties, I was the weird mom collecting the scads of ribbon headed to the trash. What possesses me? Saving the environment? Re-using? Waste-Not-Want-Not? Any of the above? I have been afflicted with this sickness for years and have an entire corner in the basement dedicated to wrapping resources. I also can not throw away packing material, peanuts, and bubble wrap. What is up with that? If I don't use it, I take it to my favorite mailing store.



My other alligator clips. Aren't those just the best little invention. Also bought the little pictures holders at Paper Zone, which display little inspirations for the season.

Wall Offerings

I changed out my wall offerings this week. Cut out trees from a Christmas wrapping paper I found at Paper Zone and a few of the Christmas tags my husband put on his presents. I am only allowed to go to Paper Zone every couple of months, I have most of their inventory in my art studio

Christmas Dawg

I forgot my favorite Christmas dawg. I bought him a couple of years ago. He is papier mache, wire with colored dangling balls and a star. I love him! Of course when I made the purchase, I thought "I am going to make more of something like him". Ha!

Wave Of Death

I am completely devastated by the news of so many dead by the tsunami. I have worked for the Dallas Times Herald, San Francisco Examiner, The Post-Intelligencer and presently employed at MSNBC.com and I STILL can not help absorbing these tragic events. They become a terrible, sad part of my psyche. I become sick to my stomach, dizzy, dazed, discombobulated. After so many years in the news business I should be immune to tragic news, but I am not. I think about all of those people that in one minute lost all they had, all they loved. It is unbelievable. It feels almost obscene to continue on with holiday gift-wrapping and mailing presents. So many have lost so much, the event itself, the grief of all of those thousands of people, chinks out a big piece of my being. I encourage all to help as you can, as I intend to do. My prayers of with them.

Will The Real Henry Please Lift His Leg

My dear friend and co-worker (for 12 years) made these delightful papier mache gifts for his daughters. Are these dogs the cutest things you have every seen? (Also see the real Henry he has for inspiration!) Duane also made ME a life-size Pumpkin-Head papier mache figure for Halloween decoration. I was over-whelmed with joy at such a treasured gift. His wife, Susan, owns the greatest card shop in Shoreline, BEACH HOUSE. She has the most exquisite taste, at her house, in her shop, in her dress and her meals. One of the most memorable meals I ever had was cooked by her!

Santa was good to me

Merry Christmas. I must have been very good this year, 'cause I got some great stuff from my Santa. A Roy Rogers wind-up tin rocking cowboy and rocking horse. A molded metal lil' cowboy bank, I don't think it is vintage, "Fine Art of the West" by Bryon Price and a signed, vintage painting of Indians rounding up buffalo -- Santa spotted in a anique store during the summer. My Santa also gave me an abundance of new wild west tree ornaments. My wonderful friend Chris gave me "Extraordinary Chickens" books and beautiful blown glass hanging chili peppers tree ornament. My best Texas pal sent me a State of Texas tree ornament with boots attached. You know I can not have enough of those on the tree! Thanks to friends and family, I have a great collection of western/Texas Christmas ornaments. Sister-in-law gave me the perfect linen shirt with elongated mother-of-pearl buttons.









Lucky dog has gone back with his dad to Virginia. We hated to see him go, except the chihuahua. I swore I saw a smile on his demonic, snarling face when the door shut. My sister-in-law was here for just a few days. We all had a good time, good meal, then all back to work.
So now back to work, getting the rest of presents off to the post office. One of these years, I am not going to be mailing Christmas presents in January!

Lucky Dog

We have the privilege of watching 'Lucky' Dog for a couple of days. Is there anything better than puppy belly? Puppy breath? The way a puppy can fall into a deep sleep in seconds?

Dig Those Dwellings

When I win the lottery, my first purchase will be acres and acres of land in West Texas or New Mexico. Somewhere I can drive for hours on a highway and only pass a few pick-up trucks. These modern pre-fab homes might just be what I build out there. Maybe a Glide House or one of these modular homes for a little art studio. A girl can dream, can't she?

Dish Alert

Back to work for a day. Co-worker sent me this link where I found a few items of note. These plyFOLD Containers made out of recycled material are very fun. Animal Kingdom Dinnerware from Fish Eddy I love! If I were purchasing more dishes, (and I am not, yet) it would be the Pantone Collection. And speaking of DISHING, while Christmas shopping in Ballard, Washington, we were lucky enough to happen by Kathy Casey's Food Studios open a couple days during the holidays to the public for retail. She had a variety of samples of her fabulous Dish D'Lish and there was not one sample that we did not taste, love and purchase. I bought the bread dippers, Blue Cheese & Hazelnut Spread, Firecracker Wasabi Spread, Red Sangria Mix Cocktailor™ Mixer and some olive bread. She also offers cooking classes and I plan on signing up for one.

Elves Spotted In Texas

A wonderful story I saw on the Today Show about a Texas man who founded ELVES AND MORE, giving his time, money and inlisting hundreds of volunteers to make sure kids have Christmas gifts. There are good people in the world.