Making Stuff.

For a long time I have been wanting to add stationery to my shop. Slash notecards. 


(What's the difference? Are they the same thing?)


It's been a long process. At first I was definitely going to have them in the shop by the end of June. Then I was going to get them done in July, but I had a paper problem. Then perhaps I would get them done in August but probably not. 


Now that it is very nearly October, I am getting close. I was productive today.


This is my work station. (Which I have to tear down and set up every time I use it because it's actually my kitchen table.)

You will see to the top left of the above photo one of my most prized possessions - my lovely Epson Stylus. It's big. It's black. It's smooth. And it makes lovely, wonderful archival prints.


I really love my printer. It's probably a weird thing but I'm just going to keep saying it. I really love my printer.

You can't tell from the picture below, but these are all printed on different papers. Which is probably a bad idea since I'm one of the most indecisive people on the face of the planet. Remember when I took an obscene amount of time to decide what color loofa to buy? Ya. I know. It's a problem.

BUT. I think I may be close to a decision on this one. I surprised myself by preferring some linen and canvas samples over a simple premium matte. But I'm bringing them all along to dinner with my fam tonight to ask their opinions.

I'm really excited to start getting some of these in the shop. 


And to get better at taking product photos. 


BUT. 


Can I ask you a few questions?


If you were to order stationery. Or notecards. Or something. You know. How would you prefer to do it? 


Would you like to buy one at a time? Or would you prefer a pack? 4 in a pack? 12? 


And what size do you prefer your stationery / notecards? 5 x 7 folded? 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 folded?


Or do you like a little of everything?


Your thoughts help me. :)




I'm linking up with Gussy again (a day late again). The prompt for this week was DIY!

Click to see everyone else's linkups!

New stuff.

The blog makeover continues. I made a new "about me" page - so you know. If you want you can check it out. 


I know I've been a bit missing in action this week, but it's all for good reasons like having a big magazine to format and wondering what to write for a new about me page and also a crick in my neck. 


Plus it's box elder bug season which presents all sorts of new problems. Like not being able to use the front door since it's in the sun and those little jerks like the sun and well, they just smell bad when you kill them. And I think Pisica ate one the other day, after which I told her she couldn't bring her face near my face anymore.


Also I have passed my disease from last week on to my poor hubs. 


Bad Elizabeth. Poor hubsie.


But. I have some fun posts coming up soon which probably won't talk about box elder bugs. Stay tuned folks!

It's hard being a cat.

Sometimes

when I'm stressed

I take lots of pictures

of cats.

Then I get back to whatever I was trying to work on.

Opossum Doodle

(Semi) Daily Animal Doodle


The hubs says that opossums are supposed to be scary.

Mine aren't though. They are nice and fluffy and concerned about your well being.


Thanks for your concern kind opossum, my cold is almost gone.




September Doodles: Manatee, Ferret, Seahorse, Heron, Little Owl, Persian Cat, Chipmunk
Want to see more doodles? Check out June's here, July's here, and August's here.

Chipmunk Doodle

(Semi) Daily Animal Doodle


I drew this young whipper snapper a few days ago. 

Before I was overcome with a terrible sickness.


I mean a cold. But not just a little one. A big one that makes you feel punching the wall or crying, but you know that if you cry it will only make your congested head that much closer to exploding so you resort to punching the wall.


Ok, maybe I'm being dramatic.


But it's a big one.


Try as I might, I only got a few productive things today (as in sending a few emails and putting away a few dishes) and mostly just sat on the couch sleeping with the kitties or watching Mad Men.


I didn't know it was possible to watch so much Mad Men.


But somewhere in my sleepy-Mad Men-very old box of chicken noodle soup-never getting up from the couch haze I had a pondering.


It was this: when your nose is so stuffed up that you have absolutely no sense of taste, your body stops listening to your brain (oooo yummy food eat more!) and instead starts listening to your stomach (I've had quite enough, thank you.)


Also that it's gross to eat peanut butter when you can't taste it.


Thankfully I believe my day of pure bum-ness has made me feel a bit better. I'm feeling more alert and hopefully will be back to doing useful and responsible tasks tomorrow (instead of informing the hubs of all the places my snot has dripped.)


September Doodles: Manatee, Ferret, Seahorse, Heron, Little Owl, Persian Cat
Want to see more doodles? Check out June's here, July's here, and August's here.

Persian Cat

(Semi) Daily Animal Doodle


Le purrr.

This guy looks less like a cat and more like a badger of some type...or maybe a chinchilla. Or something. Guinea pig? I don't know.




September Doodles: Manatee, Ferret, Seahorse, Heron, Little Owl
Want to see more doodles? Check out June's here, July's here, and August's here.

Ren Fest

This past weekend I went to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (caution: if you click on that link it makes arrow shooty noises). I try and make it every year with my fam and some friends. There were lots of funny shows, people in costume, many leeeetle shops, people shouting, amazing artists, and giant pickles on sticks. 


And lots and lots of dust and dirt. By the end of the day we were blowing mud out of our nose. Everyone thought it was gross but I thought it was awesome.


We also had delicious food including raspberry mead, fresh battered beans, falafel sandwiches, sangria, and warm cookies so soft and gooey that you had to eat them with a fork.


All authentic foods from the renaissance period. Obviously.


We had a fun filled time filled with silliness, laughing, and lots and lots of walking. Our last activity of the day was to sit down on a bench in silence and stare at each other. Wanting to leave, but too tired to actually stand up and walk out.


Here are some pics from the day:


Ancient villages.

Leeeetle pirate woman running across the sibling pic.

Cute gypsies.

If you have an owl purse it is a requirement that you bring it to the ren fest.

A mother and her daughters.

Oh and my brother bought a gargoyle.

Little Owl Doodle

(Semi) Daily Animal Doodle


HOOT HOOT.

Ok I did cheat a little bit on this one because I actually drew this a couple of months ago.


It's ok though.


And did you notice my blog makeover? I am still working out a few little tweaks but...whaddaya think?


September Doodles: Manatee, Ferret, Seahorse, Heron
Want to see more doodles? Check out June's here, July's here, and August's here.

Heron Doodle

(Semi) Daily Animal Doodle


Here's a nice peaceful image.

Hope you are having a nice peaceful day.


In other news Minnesota is being it's usual pesky self. 90 degrees on Monday and frost yesterday morning. 


And just like that, sandal season was over.


Dear MN, please don't bring us an early winter. Pleeeeaaaase.


Kthanksbye.




September Doodles: Manatee, Ferret, Seahorse
Want to see more doodles? Check out June's here, July's here, and August's here.

Thrifting is one of my passions in life.

Have you been to Unique?

I'm surprised I haven't mentioned it on here before. I talk about it all the time.


Just ask anyone who knows me.


Unique is a small chain of thrift stores around the twin cities area.


And as fate would have it, we happen to live just up the street from one.


Ya, probably about half of my wardrobe and most of the decorations in my house are supplied by Unique.


I went there on Tuesday because Tuesdays are 25% off all merchandise days.


I mean, can it get any better?


I saw these two. 

I love birds. And I thought it would be awesome to Young House Love these bad boys by spray painting them white and using them as some awesome book ends. Or something.


But alas, they were $8 a piece.


C'mon. Really Unique?!?


Aww, I can't stay mad. I got nothing but love for you.


I did happen to snatch this cute clutch and lovely scarf. 

Um, confession? I have a scarf fetish. Obsession, if you will.


I also bought a book. As I mentioned last week, I like reading.




...I was going to take more pictures of the inside of the store. But I felt wierd.

Linking up with Gussy:

Click to see everyone else's linkups!

Blog Party!

Hey folks! 


Just wanted to drop in and let you know that Andrea from Paper Sparrow is hosting  fabulous blog party today...and it's all about cats! Since I am basically a cat lady in every way shape and form, naturally I decided to participate. There is a MEGA giveaway, one of the items being my new Lil' Kitty print! You should definitely check it out - there are lot's of fantastic prizes. And sweet Andrea wrote a lovely little blurb about me and the ol' blog here (including a picture of my incredibly accurate cat impression).


Andrea always has the most creative ideas (she is after all the Daily Animal Doodle originator) and I was so happy to participate today! Head on over and check out all the other party goers - what better way is there to spend a Wednesday evening may I ask? 


As you can see, Pisica can barely contain her excitement.

.

Lot's of people smiling for this one.

I wanted to share a couple of pictures from our little family vacay over Labor Day weekend.


This is me with the hubs, my siblings, and my cousins.

Isn't it the most fabulous picture of EVER? Especially my sister. She's the one making the scared animal face in the lower left hand corner.


Ya she makes me laugh. Frequently.


Here's a nice smiling one.

And here's all of us.

top: uncle, aunt, brother, sister, mom
bottom: cousins, grandparents, me and the hubbsies

I pretty much really love my fam.


Here's a tubing pic of me and my cousin. You can't really see our faces, but I'm pretty sure they are contorted because of our arms being yanked our of their sockets.

Have I mentioned that I think I'm getting too old for tubing?


Also. Did you notice the hubs' new hairdo? Here's a before and after.

My own handiwork. When his hair is long I always want it short but then when we finally get around to cutting it I miss his long locks.


Oh fickle wife that I am.

Seahorse Doodle

(Semi) Daily Animal Doodle


Did you know that in seahorse land the males get pregnant instead of the females?

You probably already did know. But I just thought I would mention it.


September Doodles: Manatee, Ferret
Want to see more doodles? Check out June's here, July's here, and August's here.

Camping, climbing, and all the good stuff.

The hubs and I had a nice little adventure this weekend. We did some camping (finally!!), some hiking, some rock climbing, and had some nice long chats. 


We also had a couple of laughs at the expense of some kids (they looked like kids to me? the hubs thought they were college-age) who could not get their tent set up. They pulled into their campsite around 10pm and when we went to bed around midnight they were STILL trying to get it up. I think they were missing one of their poles or something. As I was drifting off to sleep I heard one of them say, "We are DONE. Let's put our mattresses ON TOP OF the tent."


I chuckled to myself.


Not that I judge. The hubs and I have had our fair share of silly camping experiences, one being the time when I shouted out "MY BUTT HOLE IS GETTING BIGGER!" not realizing that someone was walking by our tent at that very moment. I was referring to a rip in my jeans. The hubs burrowed himself under our sleeping bags in embarrassment. 


Anyway. Here are some pictures of our fun times this weekend.


Fog in the morning

Us! At a lake!

The hubs' mad fo-to skizzles

Me being lowered down from a climb of not so mad climbing skizzles

And here is my rugged hubbsidizer.

The hubs spends quite a bit of time immersed in rock climbing activities - he works at an awesome indoor rock climbing gym in St. Paul called Vertical Endeavors, and is training to be facility manager of either the St. Paul location or a new one that they are building in Minneapolis. I realized I haven't really given an explanation of what my hubs does (besides his summer job he had working at Mink) so I thought I would fill everybody in. I mean. For those of us that don't already know.


So there's that. It's pretty cool.


All in all a splendid weekend was had by all. By the both of us. There was also some rock band, some Arrested Development, some Chipotle, and some I Am Number Four thrown in there (the last of which did NOT live up to expectations, I am sorry but not really all that surprised to say.)


I hope that your weekends were excellent as well.

Books books books

Warning. This post is picture heavy. Pictures of books, to be precise. 


So I'm a little late on the Gussy train this week but I didn't want to skip it, because her prompt was books. And I love books. I love reading. As a kid I used to stay up for hours in bed reading by our hallway light. 


Don't worry, this is old news to my mom. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I never fooled her into thinking that I was sleeping.


Here are some pictures from our book shelf:


Notice the collection of Winnie the Pooh classics that the hubs got me for Valentines Day. Ya, he's a keeper.

Also notice the agate collection. Fantastic, I know.

Here we have some Dostoyevsky, some Dickens, and a cat family.

I recently finished reading both Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck and Dandelion Wine by Bradbury.

I love Steinbeck but for some reason always put off reading Grapes of Wrath. I'm so glad I finally got to it - it's incredibly profound and obviously one of his best (although I think I still like East of Eden better). 


Dandelion Wine was full of nostalgia and summer days, but still had some of the intrigue you find more of in Bradbury's science fiction works. I loved this quote: "My dear, you will never understand time, will you? You're always trying to be the things you were, instead of the person you are tonight."


Makes you think, you know.


My current book stack:

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - a fun read recommended to me by my bff. I've read it before, but decided to take it out once again because I love it so. Mystery, romance, murder, excitement, all that good stuff. And a fairly easy read as well - a nice break after ol' Steinbeck.


I haven't read Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson before, but I am enjoying it so far. One of our small group members highly recommended it - it's about relearning how we view and follow the Holy Spirit. I'm looking forward to getting further into it.


And of course my sketchbook is always in the pile. I spend a lot of time in there.


Now I'm off to check out everyone else's linkups - I'm always looking for new books!

Linking up with Gussy:

Click to see everyone else's linkups!