teensy update

I'm feeling good. People are supporting my strange (and sort of malnourished) little shop, my bearded partner and I aren't stressing each other out as much, we found a sandy-grey tabby kitten next door in the overgrown lot, hiding beneath a smashed car, we just got some sushi from Whole Foods, and we spent the day ransacking Philly Aids Thrift (PATS) for the ugliest Christmas sweaters we could find. As I type, we're listening to Little Richard & Jimi Hendrix's AMAZING record, Together.

If anyone who's made a purchase recently is reading this: thank you to infinity and beyond, you are making my dreams into realities, and I appreciate it more than a non-physical blog entry can say.

The Christmas sweaters, btw, are for our Halloween costumes. Oversized Christmas sweaters, classy red turtlenecks, and bright, tight red & green pants equal an amazing vision. Once we have some fake presents, fake blood and blue face-grease, we'll be set. Yeah, I think the idea is that the holiday shopping season turns people into zombies. Eh? Zombies are a bit too weirdly trendy considering their social commentary, but this just feels right.

Happy -- what day is this? Okay, Wednesday. Happy Wednesday to anyone (anyone?) who's reading this. I hope you don't regret spending these few minutes here.

on my mind

Matthias Grünewald - The Temptation of St. Anthony
Matthias Grünewald - Temptation of St. Anthony (close)
Peter Max - Outer Space

Sweet Beasts

Colored pencil, pen, acrylic on watercolor paper

I've been a doodler ("artist") since forever, but I've always struggled to capture my ideas on paper. It's a common struggle, often satisfying, occasionally grounds for depression, but nothing short of human magick, when the feat's been realized. That's why I'm so thrilled about these new creatures that have been appearing, they're small but so perfect (in my brain). It's like: "Oh, you're just how I imagined you!" with an immediate burst of fondness.

a must-have

Oh man, I could've really used this, like, twelve years ago. Edit: Oh, I found this on Amazon.com; it's only been within the past few years that Labyrinth's gotten its exploitativepast due line of Ludo plushes and Jareth figures and this -- the official Jareth pendant.

Updates

Updating the shop with free shipping offers and new original illustrations. Check it out at Fantastic Beasts.

Oh, Dear

Ray Fenwick (via booooooom)

My new forever favorite.

Oh My Heart

I'm really liking this site.

Erika Somogyi

Updates and Timeliness

I have clearly been neglecting this poor blog. At least I'm able to admit my failings, though that won't add more posts.

Finally saw Grosse Pointe Blank -- library's treat -- and it disappointed me that I hadn't seen it earlier, like when I was in high school and suffering from wild, creative obsessions over various public figures. I didn't understand the John Cusack thing then, not even later when I finally let Say Anything charm the delight out of my too-cynical heart, but it could have been grand, our imagined romance.

Late Night Early Morning

Listening to Yo La Tengo with the boy as we work on various things. I haven't posted in a while, so I haven't been able to mention how exciting it's been completing my first bunch of Etsy orders. Getting to recycle a lot of salvaged materials for packaging is an immense satisfaction.

I also wanted to share an award-worthy tip I stumbled across while scouring for DIY ways to improve my old camera's macro/zoom abilities. It's a 5.1 megapixel Sony Cyber-Shot and it functions perfectly well, but I've had terrible trouble taking close-ups of smaller, detailed things. I don't have the money to spare for a new camera -- even though they're all cheaper now than what I paid -- so I looked up some alternatives. I found this video tutorial from DPhotoJournal -- although it doesn't really need to be a video. Basically, you take the front lens off an unloved pair of binoculars and sit that in front of your camera's lens when you need to get a crisp, close shot. Fortunately enough, I even had the pair of unloved binoculars nearby. So simple, so life-changing... My excitement in real life was much noisier.