The Explorer's OLD Notebook

Mail, for You: My Moving Announcement

2009-01-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Interimaginational Institute for Fantastical Exploration & Cartography is excited to announce its big move back to my original blog, at paintandink.blogspot.com.

The new blog will have all sorts of exciting happenings, including some cool destash giveaways from my really extensive library.

I will not be closing this blog, but I will no longer be updating it, so to keep up with my wanderings, exploring, and map-making, please do visit me over there. I look forward to seeing you! Also, the Institute now has its own Flickr account, so please stop by there as well!

(If you have any trouble finding me, please feel free to email me at paintandink @ gmail.com)

Living the Map

2009-01-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

Living the Map is such a delicious phrase, isn't it? Just three words, but packed with so much possibility that they make me want to pack my bags, jump in the car and get moving. And that's before learning the story behind them.

Daniel Seddiqui, a recent graduate of my own alma mater, couldn't find a job after graduation, so he hopped in his car, and set out on an extraordinary journey: traveling to 50 states in 50 weeks, working at a different job in each place: meatpacker, farmer, rodeo announcer, wedding coordinator, Border Patrol agent, and, appropriately, a cartographer.

Daniel as a rodeo announcer.

He has a whole page on his site to explain why, but really, why not?

Truth be told, I am doing exactly what I want to be doing right now, and delighted about it. But I still have a list of dream careers, from ESL teacher to marine biologist (he did that, too) to Imagineer, and wouldn't it be fun someday, when I'm itching for something new, to try them each out for a week or even a month? And, even better, to take the road trip of all road trips, to each of the 50 states. It is my secret (not-so-green*) dream to travel the United States in an RV, and just take my ink and brushes and paints with me, to map as I go.

But Daniel's story also appeals to me for another reason. I've been thinking a lot lately about the world and all its greatness and all its problems and how two people from the same country can have such extremely different opinions about how things should be. Not to mention people from two different hemispheres.

And I've been thinking about how some people live in very small, constrained worlds, when they don't have to, often just because they don't realize there is more to the world beyond their limited experiences. Some people get very belligerent when they say this is how things should be, regarding this issue or that policy, or this war or that country's actions, or this religion or that philosophy. Some people don't seem to ever consider other perspectives. And I used to think this was because they were narrow-minded, but maybe it's because the just don't know there are other perspectives. They don't remember how to look.

As Daniel Seddiqui says, "I was unaware of what life was like outside my bubble."

Daniel as a marine biologist.

I'm not against opinions, not at all. I am fond of opinions, especially my own, and frankly, some of my own probably are narrow-minded, too. It's just that I think - my opinion is - that the more different types of experiences you have, the more tolerant you becomes of other viewpoints, other lifestyles, and other cultures. You don't always have to understand why people do things a different way. You just have to understand that there is a different way.

I think most of the readers of this blog have had experiences in learning that there is a different way. And maybe you have found, like I have, when it comes to solving problems, that once you understand that other perspectives exist, the more willing you'll tend to be to try fluid solutions instead of applying one-size-fits-all, rigid solutions. I often get overwhelmed by obstacles and problems, but as my horizons become ever broader, my mind is more and more likely to jump immediately to thinking of ways to solve the problems.

You just have to have one motivation, more than any other: curiosity. Even while I think there are no certain solutions to the world's problems, I think curiosity is a key element in all of them. (We can't try new solutions until we want to find out what they might be.) And I mean any curiosity (as long as it doesn't cause harm, of course), even if it's just finding out how people decorate their homes in another country. Because curiosity is like creativity: nurture the spark and you can build a fire.

So while there aren't many people who can take a journey like Daniel Seddiqui's and literally "live the map," the rest of us can travel vicariously, explore virtually, and nurture our own curiosity. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think curiosity is an innate human quality, and some people just don't remember how to keep the fire going. And I also think it's contagious. The more we indulge our own curiosity, the more it will spread, and the more our collective horizons will expand: curiosity about decorating becomes curiosity about daily life becomes curiosity about economics becomes curiosity about government.

Daniel as a cartographer.

We don't have to become experts, but I think eventually, after curiosity becomes knowledge, knowledge transforms into ideas. It simple, maybe too simple, but it's a start, I think. And then we can, together, really make the world a better place.

(At least, that's my opinion.)

* Maybe by the time I achieve that dream, there will be solar powered RVs.

The Biggest Little City

2009-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Reno, Nevada, 8"x10", watercolor and India ink
© 2009 Alison Whittington, all rights reserved

I'm going to make a concerted effort this year to share more of my artwork on my blog. This map of Reno, Nevada, commissioned last year, is one of my favorites, but that could just be because Reno is the closest thing I have to a hometown...

... No, it really is one of my favorites. I am especially fond of the compass rose and Circus Circus.

And Fleischmann Planetarium, because I spent a lot of time there in high school, happy in my nerdiness. That's where I first ate astronaut ice cream. Not on my list of most delicious foods ever eaten, but clearly on my list of most memorable foods ever eaten. (Right up there with pulling a spoon out of my soup to find a tentacle draped across it. And that is another story.)

Maps, to Start the Year Off on the Right Foot, er, Hand...

2009-01-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

I hope this blog post finds you all well and starting off your new year happily...

We are back from our northeast post-holiday cross-year excursion, having enjoyed delicious beverages, eaten some of the best breakfasts ever, and cheered each of our favorite football teams to victory (mine, college, and his, professional).

And now I have wrapped up my first day back by diving into the backlog of Google Alerts I have set up for keywords and phrases like "imaginary maps," "cartography," "watercolor maps," and every variation of my name and/or shop name that I could think of.

This is often, especially for "cartography," a lovely way to discover other people's maps and artwork and generally delightful things.

Like the Hand Drawn Map Association. Where have you been all my life, oh, Hand Drawn Map Association?

Actually (tucking my head down and lowering my voice), I have seen the Hand Drawn Map Association before... but couldn't remember how to get there again... lost the map, you see.

Not a problem. Thanks to Cartophilia, I found my way.

I love the detail in this map, by Alex Williams:

This anonymous map is great... bringing to mind the question, what did I do while spending countless hours in meetings over the years? Nothing nearly so interesting, I think.

I'm fond of this one, by Andrea Biller-Collins, since my birthday is Groundhog Day:

And an imaginary world, or two, after my own heart (drawn by Jamie McQuinn, who I believe is the Cartophiliac himself, which might just show that all roads take us back to where we started):

Moving Pictures

2008-12-28T08:43:00.000-08:00

This is an video of art illustrating a song about art. It's just lovely. Magical, actually.

(Via Luca Has 2 Mommies)

I loved the video so much, I went to iTunes and bought the song.

Do You Know Your State's Motto?

2008-12-28T08:24:00.001-08:00

Check out this awesome map, a composite of 50 linocuts, from artist Emily Wick (via Prêt à Voyager).

Emily says, on Anne's site:

Believe it or not, they are the official mottos. Each state only has one official motto (though occasionally a state will change it).

However, a state can have many slogans; they are typically used for advertising purposes, such as "Vacationland" or "The Sunshine State".

The mottos are often written in Latin on the flag and other official documents, so many people are not familiar with a motto even if they live in the state!

Thanks for visiting Two Eyeballs. Maryland's is definitely the most eyebrow-raising...

She offers shirts and other goodies with the individual states, as well, in her gift shop.

Accidental Deliciousness

2008-12-27T18:39:00.001-08:00

I meant to make haystacks, which are very simple: melted butterscotch chips and chow mein noodles in clumps.

But I forgot that the recipe didn't include marshmallows, so I added marshmallows.

But then it was too sticky, and I realized my mistake.

And I do like marshmallows, but I don't like overly marshmallowy things (blame it on an overdose of rice krispy treats as a kid). So I decided to add chocolate chips to the marshmallow-butterscotch mix, to balance it out a bit.

Then I stirred in the chow mein noodles. And at some point, a half stick of butter.

The mess was too sticky to form spoonful cookies, so I pushed it all into a 9 x 13 baking pan and let it cool.

Oh-my-god good.

Sticky, but not too sticky, not too firm. Not too sweet, either. Just sweet enough to make them irresistible. Do you know what I mean?

Here's the recipe (I've unofficially named them earthworm cookies, because that's what they look like, but there's got to be a more appetizing name):

1/2 stick butter
1 bag marshmallows
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag chocolate chips
1 can chow mein noodles

Melt it all together, push into pan. Let cool. Enjoy.

... Season's Greetings ...

2008-12-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

... Wishing you all a perfectly magical Christmas ...

... full of joyful surprises ...

... and of course, merriness ...

... and a delightful New Year ...

... full of dreams come true ...

... and all the happiness in the world.

A Retrospective, of Sorts

2008-12-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Hugh, for summing it up so perfectly*:

So true. I am so sorry. I haven't forgotten this blog. How could I? Just, in the blizzard of pre-holiday activity, haven't had the large chunks of time to sit down and write a post that will add to the world in any meaningful way.

So I offer up little, Halloween-sized chunks of my life, for now, which all together, probably add up to more calories than it would be if I just gave you a candy bar.

* and for allowing me to share your cartoon on my own blog. Via GapingVoid, via TwitterFanWiki.

Save the Handmade World!

2008-12-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

One of my treasured possessions is a handmade teddy bear that my aunt purchased at a craft fair for me while my Mom was still pregnant with me. Bear - I renamed him many times over the years, but always came back to Bear - isn't that handsome (he's the one in back), and he's really looking his age, which is like 95 in teddy bear years, but he's taken so much abuse over the years and survived. He knows all my secrets and has been there for me whenever I needed him. I actually left him at home when I went to college... and then brought him back down with me the very next time I went home, because I missed him so much.

But if the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act had been in effect back then, Bear and I probably would never have been given the chance to become the best of friends.

I think the only time I've ever written to a Congressman or Senator might have been in high school -- I'm not positive -- and a few weeks ago, when I wrote to request Inauguration tickets. But today I wrote to my Congressman, my Senator and my Senator-elect, and I ask you to please do the same thing.

In its crucial, admirable and necessary efforts to protect children from poisonous products, Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requiring manufacturers of items for children -- everything from toys to furniture to clothing -- to submit their products for extensive, and expensive, third party testing.

The unintended consequence is that thousands of independent American makers of handmade toys, baby blankets, clothing, and the like may very well be forced out of business, because the cost of the testing is so prohibitive. This legislation, which seems to be aimed at large companies importing items from countries like China,* does not take into consideration the sole proprietors and small businesses making safe, high-quality handcrafted items in workshops, cottages and studios across the United States, Canada and Europe.

My artwork is not targeted specifically at children, although parents do bring me a large portion of my business, but the effects could spread far and wide, as craft fairs and the online marketplaces that serve all craftspeople, such as Etsy and ArtFire, take a beating. If they, in turn, go out of business, even those people who do not make items for children may lose their main sales venues.

I don't think a single person is arguing against making sure products are safe for children - in fact I think most of these craftspeople are parents or grandparents themselves, or hope to be, like me, and are making these things because they love children - but if provisions are not made for small businesses and sole proprietors, the unintended consequences could be devastating to the handmade world.

I think it is a terrible shame that legislation that is intended to protect the health of children and babies should also throw another baby – small business owners and craftspeople – out with the bathwater, particularly at a time when our economy needs all the help it can get. At a time when people who are losing their jobs might turn to alternate methods of earning a living, the CPSIA will pull those opportunities right out from under them.

There must be solution: perhaps a way to make it possible for these small makers to document their materials to show they are not dangerous, or perhaps, as the Handmade Toy Alliance suggests, for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to offer free testing for small businesses.

I've sent letters to my Congressman, my Senator and my Senator-elect, and you can find out how to do the same thing, here: Senate and Congress. You can also find out more at the Handmade Toy Alliance, and find a sample letter here. You can also read an open letter written by Etsy, here, and find more information at this activist site.

Please, take a few minutes, and put in a good word for craftspeople. They need you.

* And I certainly don't want to imply that items from China or other countries, and items manufactured or imported by larger companies, are automatically dangerous to children, or that this won't affect large companies whose products are safe, as well. It's just that craftspeople and small businesses have much smaller safety nets, if they have any at all.

The Interimaginational Institute's New Outpost

2008-12-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

I am so delighted to announce the opening of the latest outpost of the Interimaginational Institute, at ArtFire, a new handmade marketplace.

If you head over there now, you'll find some of my favorite maps, plus my North Pole Map Christmas postcards (I am so, so excited and proud of these that you'd think I'd have all my Christmas cards sent out already, just to show them off, but no, I am lagging, as usual!).

If you are a seller of handmade items and are interested in setting up shop on Artfire, there's no better time to do it... first, you can get in early, and tell everyone that you knew Artfire when.

And second, if you sign up now, you can lock in a Verified membership at $7 a month for life (it's usually $20 a month). The great thing is, you don't have to sign up for a Verified membership, because a basic membership is free (That's right! Free! No listing fees and no commissions when an item sells), but Verified membership does offer perks like shop stats, which, naturally, I am checking 8,237 times a day, just for the novelty of it.

Either way, ArtFire is not just another Etsy. I love Etsy so much. Etsy has changed my life, in so many wonderful ways, and made it possible for me to even continue doing what I do.

ArtFire is still very new, with a lot of bugs. But it's obvious that they're working really hard to make it a nice place to find and to sell handmade items (and vintage, supplies and design services, too). And I think ArtFire has some features that make it a great complement to Etsy, a lovely place to bring even more people into the marvelous world of fantastical exploring...

Speaking of exploring, just head on over there and check it out. If you do sign up for the paid membership, tell 'em I sent you (by using this link: Register on ArtFire.com), and you'll help me be on my way to a free lifetime Verified membership (for which I will be eternally grateful)... and then you can refer your way to a free lifetime membership too (the offer ends at the end of December).

Already, the ArtFire buzz is noticeable. I think it's going to catch on fi ... uh, sorry... I think it might just be the next big thing.

My Own Personal Sing-Along

2008-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

I made one of those obvious discoveries today, the ones that come with technological advances, that everyone else always seems to know from the get-go...

If I ever have trouble thinking of my favorite songs - and I do, because I like a lot of music, and I've had senior moments since I was a senior in high school, or maybe since I was a senior in pre-school - I can just click on my "Top 25 Most Played" list in iTunes.

And there's no hiding from the fact that these are, well, the songs I listen to the most, and the songs I know by heart.

The list seems pretty eclectic at first glance, and it makes me really happy (and not a little bit smug, to be totally honest) that it spans so many artists and genres, but actually, these songs fit together really well. The playlist flows quite nicely.

As far as favorites go, though, I would replace "Rich Woman" with "Fortune Teller," and "Spooky" by the Classics IV has been getting a lot of ear time lately, so you can consider it the honorary 26th member. Also, I'd add "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin, and "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd, and about 25 more songs I don't listen to that often that are still my favorites. But this pretty much sums it up, for the time being:

LDN by Lily Allen
Iko Iko by Cyndi Lauper
Millionär by Die Prinzen
Tiny Dancer by Elton John
Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
Superstition by Stevie Wonder
Take Me to the River by Al Green
Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch
Desperation Song by Carbon Leaf
Long Black Veil by The Band
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
Ballad of Cable Hogue by Calexico
How Many Times by Fairport Convention
La Mariquita by Correo Aereo
Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) by Concrete Blonde
Sloop John B by the Beach Boys
Tall Ships by Show of Hands
A Cloak of Elvenkind by Marcy Playground
Bird from the Mountain by Fairport Convention and Ric Sander
Rich Woman by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant
New Shoes by Paulo Nutini
Tóg É Go Bog É by Kíla
King of Elfland's Daughter by Phoenyx
The Perfect Crime by the Decemberists
Fidelity by Regina Spektor

Win Free Paintandink Prints Today!

2008-11-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Quick! You have a chance to win some of my prints at Coveiter if you make a comment on that blog post by midnight tonight...

Thank you to Coveiter for inviting me to participate.

(Sorry for the late notice... holiday decorating with company going on around here to the sounds of jazzy Christmas music.)

To Australia, Pittsburgh, the North Pole, and Beyond!

2008-11-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

It might not surprise you, but I love Google Maps Street View. I can travel vicariously through my computer, and that's awesome ... a few weeks ago, in fact, I spent a good half hour wandering around Sydney, Australia.

Even more, I like to go back and visit all my old haunts, the ones that are hundreds or thousands of miles away from me now. Not all of my favorite places are on Street View yet, but enough of them are that when I get homesick for whichever place - I've had a lot of homes - it's not a bad antidote.

It never occurred to me to see Street View as a performance venue, but other people have, some for prurient purposes (go find your own links for that one if you want) and others just for the sake of plain old fun, wacky entertainment. Like Street With a View, in which vignettes were purposely set up in time for the Google car to capture them on camera. Take a look at the photos, then click the links on the side to see the scenes in Street View. (Via http://stormthecastle.blogspot.com)

This is my favorite:

View Larger Map

Or maybe this one:

View Larger Map

In other news, I was knocked off my feet and out of the studio last week, not by sword-bearing people, but by a very rude flu. This week I am gratefully on my way to recovery, aided by joyous excitement that my holiday postcards with my map of the North Pole have arrived!

As soon as the envelopes (ordered separately) get here, I will list the cards in my Etsy shop. Reproductions of the map are already available, here. Not only that, but you can find it on nifty products here, in the other Interimaginational Institute shop, including a coffee mug and an apron for wearing while you make your favorite holiday cookies. While you're there, you might just find the perfect gift for your favorite map lover. Happy browsing!

Facebook Fun...

2008-11-14T10:12:00.001-08:00

I have read a lot of suggestions lately that artists open a Facebook account and share it with the world. The thing is, I love that Facebook isn't open to the world. I do have a Facebook account, but I keep it fairly private, limited mostly to people I know in person, so that I can be "myself."

Not that I'm not myself with you, my wonderful blog readers, but I do try to keep the conversation (somewhat) sweet and polite, and keep my more sardonic / political / sometimes very mundane / occasionally fiercely opinionated sides out of the spotlight. I wouldn't want you all to run away screaming...

But thanks to French Toast Girl, I have discovered a way to share Facebook with everyone: I have set up a page for the Interimaginational Institute, and if you have a Facebook account, you can be my fan, post comments, take a look at my gallery and so on. I'd be honored if you check it out, and if you do, please say hello!

Do you know your way around the North Pole?

2008-11-12T12:34:00.000-08:00

No? No problem! I have the North Pole Tourism Bureau's definitive map right here:

Tour the toy factory, carpentry workshop, and stocking shop; take a spin in Santa's sleigh; pick up a delicious snack at the bakery; slide around on the skating pond; and top it all off with a cozy supper at the North Pole Restaurant & Inn. There's caroling, tree-lighting, cocoa-drinking and merriment galore at the North Pole, and they can't wait for your visit!

And very soon, you can share that with everyone on your Christmas card list. I've just ordered a batch of holiday cards, which will be available in the next few weeks at the Interimaginational Institute for Fantastical Exploration & Cartography, so check back soon.

November 11

2008-11-11T21:39:00.001-08:00

Veteran's Day is technically over where I am, but before I go to bed, I just want to say:

Thank you, honey.

For working so hard and giving up so much (especially things like daylight and fresh air).

I love you, and I am proud of you.

Origami Magic

2008-11-10T08:08:00.000-08:00

This is really neat, captivating, actually, and the music is lovely:

Via Life as a Tea Party (aka Vusova)

Cherry-Picking #9: These Boots Are Made for Everything

2008-11-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

I wore cowboy boots almost every day for five years .

I hated cowboy boots growing up in Reno -- thought they were totally dorky, and I would know, because I was a total dork.*

And then a strange thing happened when I moved away. I got nostalgic. So I bought a pair on one visit home. Ariats. Comfortable, like a dream. Or like jeans, which I also wear almost every day.

When that pair wore out (after thousands of days, not to mention miles, because I lived in and walked all over the city of Philadelphia for most of those five years), I started mixing my shoes up a bit in the summer (I like Mary Janes almost as much as I like cowboy boots and flip flops are slightly more practical in Virginia humidity, after all).

But I have a new pair of boots, purchased on my road trip last year** from the same tiny shop in Reno where I bought the first pair, for almost the same price.

And I am so glad fall is here, so I can bask in their bootness: comfort, laid-backedness, me-ness.***

* Yes, I still am. I know.

** What, you don't think year-old boots are new? Well, I did work in an office all last winter, and then wore other shoes all summer. The boots aren't even close to being broken in, yet.

*** And no, in case you're wondering, I don't ride horses. Would love to, they just haven't really been part of my life, except for that one day when I lost my hat because I happened to be on horse that decided it was a Ferrari and managed 0 to 60 in 1.2 seconds. I didn't have boots back then. Probably lucky my hat was all I lost.

Election Day

2008-11-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

I don't have any photos or fancy Election Day graphics, but you can find those in a lot of places online today (not to mention some cool artwork, like my friend Jeannine's).

I just want to say this:

I voted this morning.

Actually, I arrived this morning, couldn't find a parking spot, drove home, walked back, waited in line, and ended up voting just after noon.

The last time I voted -- I do my best to vote in each election, even the small ones, because I feel it's important to use your rights or lose them, although I won't vote if I know nothing about the ballot, because that is also irresponsible, and I forgot that I would be in Hawaii during the primaries, so I never ordered an absentee ballot -- the last time I voted, which was for city council races, there were only five other voters in the room. No line.

This morning, I was told, there were 800 people in line when the polls opened. Eight hundred. That's a lot more than five. The earliest voters arrived at 3:20 a.m. Still yesterday in some parts of the country.

You should know that this morning, when the polls opened, it was raining. And it rained until just before I arrived, and then off and on again. Those people waited up to three hours, outside in the rain, to vote in an election that, in our area, only has three things on the ballot: United States president, U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative.

I arrived later, at 10:37, thinking that most people would be at work. I was wrong. I waited for an hour and a half. And every minute felt fantastic.

This is the first time in the 15 years since I turned 18 that voting made me feel elated, instead of mildly curious, or even resigned. And it brought tears to my eyes. Tears of joy. Tears of hope. Tears at the thought that I have the privilege of casting my vote for the leader of my country - nay, leaders, because our Senators and Representatives are leaders, too - when so many people haven't, for so long through history, had the right to pick their own government and to this day still do not have that right.

And when my vote not only affects the future of my country, but the future of the world.

It was an honor to wait in that line.

If only all elections were like this.

I Hear Turkeys Wearing Sleigh Bells and Bearing Gifts

2008-11-03T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I do have very strange and vivid dreams a lot of the time, but actually, that title is a roundabout way of saying:

Holiday shopping time is nearly here!

Actually, for some, it is already here and gone. My cousin has finished Christmas shopping for her kids, and wow, I am in awe.

But for those who have not finished, or even begun (um, like me), don't forget to check out Etsy for some incredible, marvelous, singular handmade items and vintage goodies.

I'm going to post a new widget on my sidebar to give you an easy way to sign up, but feel free to try out the link now (and I don't get anything from the referral but joy, because it's my opinion buying from craftspeople and artists like those on Etsy can improve the economy and change the world).

***

I invite you to visit an incredible website called Etsy (http://www.etsy.com). Etsy is an amazing online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. You'll find a creative community of independent artists and designers offering the very best in handmade goods, craft supplies and vintage. It's an excellent place to buy one of a kind items, to give as gifts or for yourself, directly from the artists, while forming personal connections with the people who create them. And even just the window-shopping is fantastic.

Signing up is free and easy. Just click here:

Enjoy! And while you're there, stop by my shop for a visit:

http://paintandink.etsy.com

Cherry-Picking #8: The Skeleton in the Closet

2008-11-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Day of the Dead...

I used to keep a skeleton in my closet.

A glow-in-the-dark skeleton that was a left-over prop from a show I worked on.

I named him, but I don't remember what his name was.

I thought the closet was the appropriate place for a skeleton, and I made a point of telling everyone I had a skeleton in my closet. A little affected, perhaps, but I thought it was hilarious.

I miss my skeleton. I don't know what happened to him.

Behind the (Many) Mask(s)

2008-10-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

I won't really be Halloweening it this year, or even dressing up, because, once again, I'll be en route to New Jersey, this time for my sister's birthday party. I've been on the go so much lately, I haven't had much time to think of a costume, anyway. (I did hear a rumor that there would be face painting at the party, though!)

But I think the drive will give me plenty of time to plan next year's costume. In the meantime, here is a list of my most memorable costumes... sadly, I only have a few photos. Such is the way of the pre-digital camera world. Or the I-was-partying-so-I-forgot-photos world. Or the I-was-partying-so-I-deleted-those-photos world.

1. The Queen of Hearts costume I mentioned on Becky's blog.

2. At 11, I took a cardboard box, a sheet, and some aluminum foil and turned my best friend into a pack of Bubble-Yum. I have no idea what my costume was, but I've always remembered hers.

3. Cruella de Vil, just before the news came out of the live-action version of 101 Dalmations. That costume was fabulous: a white fur coat (from a thrift store, I promise), a red silk purse, a slinky black dress, the perfect wig, and a cigarette holder to top it all off.

4. I turned myself into Daphne and my mother into Velma in 2000, two years before the Scooby-Doo movie (again with the uncanny cinematic timing), for my mom's Halloween birthday party about 8 years ago.

I was sewing that costume, which you can't even see in this photo, on the airplane from Philly to Reno, much to the amusement of my fellow passengers. But I was even prouder of my mom's costume -- those glasses are the perfect touch, no?

5. In 2003, I made a mask out of cardboard, paint, sequins and ribbons. Didn't really fit my face, but doesn't that just make it more mysterious? (Please say yes.) It hangs in my studio to this day.

And, to tell the truth, that blue cloak ends up as an element of my costumes on a regular basis.

6. And for years, I was Annie at every opportunity... Halloween, school photos, random Annie-ish occasions, so I could remind the sun to come out tomorrow.

7. And then I morphed into Laura Ingalls...

8. Actually... yeah... who needs Halloween?

My 12th birthday party.

Me in a production of The Pied Piper my cousins and I put on at my grandma's house.

I look like my Dad, don't I?

Many years in the Society for Creative Anachronism left me with a great wardrobe.

Which I continue to find reasons to wear.

How do I look as a blond? Me and some of my coworkers on Official Wear-a-Wig-to-Work day. Okay, so it's not a national holiday yet. It will be soon.

And if you don't have a wig, just improvise.

Oh, wait, this isn't really a costume, per se, but a uniform. I wore this to march in a parade at Disneyland and perform on the field at Angel Stadium during halftime of a USC game. Then I quit the band and joined crew instead. Where we also got cool clothes, but no flag.

Whatever you're wearing, I hope you have a very happy Halloween!

Witchy Woman: Who, Me?

2008-10-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

This morning was full of those little annoyances that add up quickly into something more disgruntling than the sum of their parts, and I was feeling quite witchy after such a tricky day...

... but then I opened the mailbox and got a sweet treat.

The Fab (and so generous) Miss B, akay Becky Kazana, offered up a giveaway of her Halloween mix in exchange for a comment about her readers' best Halloween costumes, and I, with no casting of spells whatsoever, won...

The packaging alone is a treat...

... and the mix is awesome, full of a number of songs I have loved for years but never had in my collection, and is going a long way toward improving my mood.

(I even got a new vibrant green sticker to add to my long-beloved clipboard from my TV days.)

My winning luck has been lovely lately (with the exception of the races a few weeks ago), and so I think it will soon be time for me to offer up a gift to the world in return. It may take me a little while, since my topsy-turvy schedule still stretches out in front of me for weeks to come, but watch this space for your chance to win some sort of paintandinky treat.

THEY WON!

2008-10-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

The Phillies won the World Series!!!!!!!

Sometimes there IS crying in baseball.

Tears of joy!

They Say It's Your Birthday...

2008-10-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

I'd like to wish my mom a very happy, belated birthday -- it was yesterday. Happy birthday, Mom! May it be the start of a magical year.

And today, it's my sister's second birthday. Happy birthday, Olivia!

I'm a Thief, but I Have a Cute Hat

2008-10-28T19:52:00.001-07:00

For all that I am against the stealing of other people's images, I am shamelessly stealing photos from my stepmother's Facebook account. Don't try this at home, but I think she'll forgive me...

Me and my dad.

Me and my stepmom.

Me and my dad, after the game. That rally towel? It was pristine, until I dropped it on the rainy ground in the ninth inning. I don't care, I'm framing it, dirt smudges and all.

(As for my hat, whoops, how did it get turned around? Must have been in all the excitement.)

Cold and Wet and Happier Than I Can Ever Explain

2008-10-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

World Series, Game 3
October 25, 2008
Citizens Bank Park
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It was the most exciting baseball game I have ever attended in my life.

It was POURING before the game. We got there at 6 p.m., the start of the game was delayed until 10, and the game ended just before 2 a.m.

But at least we were luckier than the fans at yesterday's game, who sat in pouring rain during the game, and then had to go home when it was suspended.

These fireworks went off during the Star-Spangled Banner -- and then went off for every Phillies home run -- three times during the game -- that was fantastic!

We had a great view. High up, but we could see everything -- including the Philly skyline over the back of the park -- and at least twice, our section started a cheer that spread through the whole stadium. It was awesome.

Then again, we also got to see one of our neighbors arrested for peeing over the railing... it seems, onto the head of a police officer (we didn't actually see that happen, because he was two rows behind us, just the arrest). I've never seen a police officer so angry; I thought he might throw the guy over the railing himself. I couldn't believe what an idiot the guy was... wasting a World Series ticket like that and only in the first or second inning.

The upper sections of the park... a different world.

Shane Victorino, the Flyin' Hawaiian

This photo is actually in remarkable focus, considering how far away we were and the fact that this is 16x digital zoom.

The Philly Phanatic: We have the best mascot ever.

At the top of the 7th, we moved down to the standing room only area, to be part of the crowd, and missed all the craziness that led to a tie game, because I decided to make a "quick" stop at the merch stand on the way.

But we didn't miss the ninth inning... in which a game in which the winning team had three home runs was won with a hit that didn't even leave the infield.

After the game... everyone was so excited... perfect strangers hugging each other... we were all exhausted, and frozen, but I didn't want to leave... this is me (on the right) with my friend Amanda (on the left) and her friend Dawn (in the middle)...

I really don't have the words - or the photos - to describe what an amazing night it was - I get tears of excitement in my eyes when I think about it - and I can't ever put into words how grateful I am that I had the chance to go.

Unforgettable.

Mapping the Story of the United States

2008-10-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am so very fortunate and grateful to have been recently given a copy of the Census Atlas of the United States. It's a marvelous book for those of us who, as I read in a comment made recently by Anne Chung, "read maps like novels."

Full of vibrantly colored graphics, this atlas tells the stories of America through all those details that make up our lives: ancestry, language, occupation, and so forth.

I have poured over this book for hours, and probably will for a long time to come. Beautiful, absorbing, and meticulously assembled, it's a treasure for map lovers and fact lovers.

If you'd like your own copy, you can purchase the atlas here or you can download it in PDF format for free here.

Fascinating stories and a fascinating book.

I'm in a Calendar! No, not that kind...

2008-10-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

Before I became a full-time artist again in July, I worked at Dolphin Scholarship Foundation, an incredible independent nonprofit organization that provides undergraduate scholarships to children and stepchildren of U.S. Navy submariners and Navy members who've served in a submarine support capacity.

It was a meaningful job, not least because my husband is a submariner, and I am very proud of him and what he does, and hold deep admiration for the sailors who serve our country from deep beneath the sea, often with very little or no contact with the world above.

DSF gives back to this community, in the form of 137 scholarships each year (each Dolphin Scholar will receive $3,400 for the 2008-2009 school year). If you know someone who might qualify for a scholarship, please have them take a look at the eligibility requirements.

The Foundation held a novel fundraiser this year, a virtual submarine race to the North Pole, in which each dollar donated in the name of a submarine counted as one nautical mile for that boat. This "Race to the North Pole" commemorated the 50th anniversary of the first crossing of the North Pole, not just by a submarine but by any ship, on August 3, 1958 by the USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571), which you can explore here, and which was first to the North Pole again, although with some heavy competition this time around...

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to commemorate the "Race" with a contribution to another DSF fundraiser and longtime tradition, the annual cartoon calendar.

If you are interested in supporting the submarine community by purchasing a calendar of your own, they are available now, for $8.50 each, plus shipping (and sales tax for VA residents). You can find the contact information here.

Cherry-Picking #7: Steve? It's Your Wedding Day!

2008-10-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Today's story is one of the funnier things that happened to me when I worked on A Wedding Story, and it's all in what wasn't said.

The wedding was at the Venetian in Las Vegas (and both the crew and wedding party were staying there as well).

The groom's name was Steve.

As an associate producer, it was my job to get footage of the groom getting ready for the wedding.

So I called Steve up in the morning to find out when we should meet him.

"Hi, Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Alison."

(pause) "Uh, hi?"

"Hi! Just checking to see when you're going to start getting ready for the wedding?"

(longer pause) "The wedding?"

"Um, yeah, your wedding. Today?"

(another long pause) "What?"

"You are getting married today, right?"

(no pause at all). "No."

(long pause on my part) "This is Steve, right?"

"Yes."

"Steve Smith?"

"No, this is Steve Jones."

Wrong room. Wrong Steve.

***

Here's the conversation as I interpreted it after we hung up:

"Hi, Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Alison."

(pause: Alison. Alison. I don't remember meeting an Alison. But I was pretty wasted.) "Uh, hi?"

"Hi! Just checking to see when you're going to start getting ready for the wedding?"

(longer pause: Wedding? The wedding? ) "The wedding?"

"Um, yeah, your wedding. Today?"

(another long pause: My wedding? My wedding! Holy &#%@$! What happened last night? Oh, god, I've always heard bad stories about Vegas. Mama told me not to come.) "What?"

"You are getting married today, right?"

(no pause at all). "No."

(long pause on my part: Is this some kind of joke by his groomsmen? Or did the bride and groom have a fight? I do NOT want to call the producer and tell her the wedding has been called off.) "This is Steve, right?"

"Yes."

(This cannot be happening to me. What do I do?) "Steve Smith?"

"No, this is Steve Jones."

When I Get a Little Money, I Buy Books...

2008-10-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

When I get a little money, I buy books, and if any is left, I buy food and clothes. -- Erasmus

Because I am a DIY-er through and through, and because I've got books on my mind, I am going to write my own meme. I am sure it won't be that original, just like the title of this post, but I'm going to live dangerously and not even look to see if it's been done before.

If love books the way I do; if your palms start to sweat and you breathe a little faster when you walk past a bookstore; if you never turn down a free book, even it's about gastrointestinal health or in a language you can't read; if you remember the names of characters in books you read when you were ten better than you remember the names of people you went to college with; or if you just want to fill out the meme, then please do, and let me know.

(I know these answers are mostly fiction titles, but I have plenty of nonfiction books I love as well.)

Favorite Book(s): Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, A Wrinkle in Time and And Both Were Young by Madeleine L’Engle, Song for the Basilisk by Patricia McKillip, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery, Biting the Sun by Tanith Lee

Favorite Author(s): Madeleine L'Engle, Patricia McKillip, L.M. Montgomery, Orson Scott Card, Charles de Lint, Guy Gavriel Kay, Neil Gaiman, Joanne Harris, Isabel Allende, Tom Robbins, Ivan Klima (in no particular order)

Favorite genre(s): Fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, espionage and old-fashioned British mysteries (by Margery Allingham and M.M. Kaye). But really? I'll read anything.

Best beginning to a book, ever: Well, that's a hard one to answer (I know, I wrote the question), but I like these two lines:

"If I had cared to live, I would have died," from Silverlock by John Myers Myers.

"This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it," from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Best ending to a book, ever: Water for Elephants, by Sarah Gruen

Book pilgrimages you've made: To DeSmet, South Dakota (Little House on the Prairie) and Cavendish, Prince Edward Island (Anne of Green Gables)

Funniest book(s) you've read: Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club, by Laurie Notaro.

Book that picks you up when you're in a bad mood: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman or anything by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Book that most surprised you: I had to read a book about the Peloponnesian Wars when I was in middle school, that I thought would be so boring -- I mean, it was a nonfiction history book about war, which was not a subject my girly-phase preteen self found all that interesting -- but I could not put it down. Absolutely captivating. Wish I could remember the title.

Book everyone else loves but you can't finish: Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and, um, I am embarrassed to admit it, but I can never make it past the halfway point of The Two Towers in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I keep trying, though.

Most memorable book you just happened to buy on a whim: Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology, edited by Bruce Sterling. A Wrinkle in Time aside, this is the first science fiction book I remember reading, and it kindled a passion in me. And I just bought it because I liked the bright and colorful cover. Tsk Tsk.

Book you mistakenly judged by its cover: The Merchant of Marvels and the Peddler of Dreams, by Frederic Clement. I was working at B. Dalton in Newport Beach and this book was on the counter for months. I thought it was so ugly. One day I finally picked it up, said out loud, "Who would buy a book with such an ugly cover?" and promptly bought it. Amazing, wondrous, marvelous, splendid book!

Best recommendation you've received: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Silverlock by John Myers Myers

A random recommendation: Tell me about yourself, and I'll recommend a book. Fiction, nonfiction, cooking, fantasy, business, history, whatever.

Books from your childhood that you still re-read: The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, and anything by L.M. Montgomery or Madeleine L'Engle

Book you're reading now: The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier

Book you've been actively reading for the longest time: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara W. Tuchman

Favorite guilty pleasure book: Anything by Judith McNaught. I'm not a romance reader, but I love her books. Total escapism.

Number of books you own: About 1,500 (Al keeps trying to talk me into getting rid of some, but I bet the total weight of my books is less than the weight of his beloved motorcycle. Okay, maybe not, but it can't be that much more.)

Number of books you own that you've never even read: About 100

Other random bookish fact about you: I collect copies of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in different languages as souvenirs when I travel. When I was six, the other kids called me Alison Wonderland. Drove me nuts back then but now I think it was, and is, totally fitting.

Al bought this for me in Spain.

Cherry-Picking #6: Theater Tickets, Anyone?

2008-10-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

My mom wouldn't let me get a job in high school because she wanted me to concentrate on school.

Which worked, I suppose, because I had a 4.0 GPA, was my high school valedictorian, and received a full scholarship to college.

(Yes, I told you. I am a total nerd and not ashamed.)

But it also meant that when I did go job-hunting, at my father's insistence, one summer in college, I was terrified, and jumped at the first job I could get.

Telemarketing.

Considering that I hate talking on the telephone and hate asking people questions or to give me something, it's odd that this was just the first of many jobs that required me to do both: telemarketing, journalism, television production.

But it wasn't such a bad gig. I sold season tickets for South Coast Repertory, and I was actually pretty good at it, so I made a decent commission, the base pay wasn't bad for a college student, and I won a few prizes, like tickets to an Angels game, for selling the most tickets in a given week.

The best part, though, was that I was selling something I wanted myself, for an organization I believed in.

And while not everyone I spoke to was the kindest, friendliest person in the world, only one person was ever outright mean to me. So mean, in fact, that it was impossible to take him seriously. But as a result, I am as polite as can be to people who call my house, because they are, after all, just doing their job.

Cherry-Picking, #5: The U.S. Constitution

2008-10-20T08:13:00.001-07:00

Image downloaded from www.archives.gov

I carry a copy of the U.S. Constitution with me.

Not everywhere I go, but I keep it in my calendar, and I take that most places I go.

(I know. I am a complete and total nerd, and I am not ashamed, because I have come to realize over the past eight years just how important this document is. The Constitution, not my calendar, although my calendar is certainly important to me.)

I used to just carry the Bill of Rights, in my wallet, you know, just in case I ever needed that. It was a lark, really.

But then Al and I visited the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, and they have little pocket copies of the Constitution for grabs at the ticket counter (typed, not a copy of the original as seen above).

Why settle for a few rights when you can have them all?

The print is so small I can barely read it, and I don't really spend a lot of time reading it, to be honest, but I like having it with me. Just in case I need it.

Cherry-picking, #4: I Find Myself Fascinating

2008-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

I mentioned here that I find myself fascinating. And I really do.

But I think that statement deserves a little more clarification. It's not in an "I'm-so-cool-as-I-lean-against-my-red-sportscar-and-flip-my-hair (like-a-character-from-an-80s-movie)" kind of way. It's more in the way an infant stares at its hands, like, "Whoa, dude, look at those amazing things! Lordy!"

First, I find my life fascinating.

It actually usually feels quite routine (which I am discovering is not such a bad thing), but when I take a look back at the experiences that have happened to me, the things I have made happen, intentionally or unintentionally, the places I've gone, the people I've met, the things I have seen, I think, Wow, what a crazy, interesting, lucky life I lead!

I can't take much credit for it all, because I don't see myself as being in control as much as being a guide for my life, sort of loosely shepherding it in this way, or that, and waiting with anticipation to see what comes next. Even when something happens as a direct result of a conscious decision on my part, it usually unfolds in a completely unexpected manner.

Second, I do find myself fascinating.

But it's as if I were someone else, a subject to study, and I am starting to learn that I am not the Alison I thought I was.

I am 33, at the age where you start having doctors who are younger than you are, which is a bit of a shock, really, and you realize that all that worldliness and wisdom you thought you had in college and your 20s is replaced in equal parts by certainty and uncertainty.

In other words, even though I am pretty sure I know a few things by now, I am also aware that I know nothing, really. And I'm okay with that.

My life changed pretty drastically three years ago when my husband and I got married -- I left my job, and, really, my career; I left my friends and some of my family behind; I left my beloved city of Philadelphia; and (this is the one that I had the most trouble adjusting to, because I didn't expect it to be difficult at all), I left my name.

Essentially, I, who had never had a problem with dramatic changes and had gleefully jaunted off to live in countries where I knew no one and spoke none of the language not once, but twice, stepped into a major identity crisis and fell, and kept falling for a long time.

I did not know what hit me.

It has taken a lot of time to climb back out of the hole I fell into, using a ladder constructed mainly of two things: the patient and supportive love of my husband and this new life as an artist.

As I've climbed out, I have discovered that I am not the person I thought I was. In some ways, I've changed. In other ways, I just never was that person. But I find this new me as interesting as the old one, as I get to know myself all over again.

(And I am discovering that, in many ways, I have come full circle, and that, deep at the core, I am still just me.)

Funny Money, Honey

2008-10-18T13:19:00.001-07:00

Washington, DC on $85 a Day

Originally uploaded by Musely

Okay, okay, okay. Sorry about that post title.

But it IS funny money! So, so funny.

By Brendan McKeon, via Prêt à Voyager.

Cherry-Picking, #3: The King of Cambodia

2008-10-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

Today's interesting fact from my life:

I met the King of Cambodia once.

It was just before the wedding of his granddaughter. There were a few dozen of us. We had to kneel down on the ground (against my principles, but the combination of curiosity and the need to be polite in someone else's home is a potent mix) in the palace hall.

He walked down the line of kneeling people and held each of our hands for a moment, then left. I don't remember him saying anything.

His hands were very soft.

It felt strangely like being in church, receiving some sort of benediction.

The whole trip was slightly surreal.

Cherry-Picking, #2: The Llama in the Halloween Costume

2008-10-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today's interesting fact from Alison's life:

I once saw a llama.

In a bar.

In Manayunk, Pennsylvania.

Wearing a Halloween costume.

It was a little top hat and jacket with a candy corn pattern.

I was stone cold sober.

No one ever believes me.

Cherry-Picking the Interesting Bits #1: The Russian Truck Driver

2008-10-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking of other things I should have added to the meme yesterday, but now I think it will be more intriguing to share them with you one at a time.

Today's Interesting Bit:

I was once in a car with a German friend when we had a blowout at 180 km/hour, in the middle of a winter night, on a dark highway in the Czech republic.

She didn't lose control of the car. She had a spare tire. But we had no tools.

And then a truck driver stopped to see what was wrong. Barbara and I both spoke English, German and a little Czech. The truck driver was Russian and spoke none of these three languages.

Fortunately, Czech is just similar enough to Russian that by wrangling with a dictionary, we eked out some bare bones communication. At least, we managed to convey the concept of "Wrench? Do you have?"

And when we all got a close look at the inside of the shredded tire, we all understood when each of us said some variation of "Holy #$*&%."

I Just Love These Things...

2008-10-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

I think being tagged is a terrific compliment. It means that one person, at least, wants to know more about me, so every time I'm tagged, I feel the same thrill that I do when someone buys something from my shop. So many thanks to Sarah, thebeadedlily, for she has done both.

So here goes... this is actually two memes, one after the other, but I'm pretty sure she intended we taggees to answer them both, and since I find myself to be pretty fascinating (whooops, did I just say that out loud?), I will.

***

Meme #1:

The rules are:

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I hate going to bed and often stay up way too late, then feel like I'm behind all the next day, no matter how much I accomplished by staying up late.

2. I still believe I will visit every country in the world in my lifetime. I am so jealous of that couple in the "1,001 Places to See Before You Die" television show.

3. I still am not quite sure how to apply make-up so I stick mostly to mascara.

4. I have no concept of my own hair color. No matter how many times I color it, it just looks brown to me. If I bleached it blond, it would still look brown to me. Apparently right now, it's strawberry blond. Ish. But it looks brown to me.

5. I have a knack for accumulating free stuff.

6. I have flown about 570,000 miles in my lifetime (I'm 33), and I had flown about 500,000 miles before I developed a fear of flying. Now I clean the house from top to bottom before I fly anywhere, just in case.

7. My dream place to live would be in the mountains, overlooking the ocean. Then I could have them both.

***

Meme #2:

Two names you go by:

1. Al

2. Alisoni

Two things you’re wearing now (Oh, I should have changed before answering this one; I'm still wearing the clothes I threw on after scuba class tonight and they're not all that interesting):

1. Track pants

2. A Mt. Rose ski resort t-shirt.

Two things you would want [or have] in a relationship (I do have them and know that I am so, so lucky):

1. Love

2. Friendship

Two favorite things to do?

1. Read

2. Draw

Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. Success with my artwork so I can pull my own weight around here and contribute to #2.

2. Finished renovations through the whole house.

Two things you did yesterday:

1. Bet on horses with my stepmother, grandmother, father and uncle

2. Watched the Phillies win in my other favorite city. But I just want you to know that my baseball loyalties are in no way split, no matter how much I love Los Angeles.

Two things I ate yesterday:

1. Chik-Fil-A

2. Egg salad on a bagel

Two people you last talked to:

1. My husband
2. My scuba instructor

Two things you’re doing tomorrow:

1. Taking my written scuba test
2. Working on a map of Panama

Two favorite beverages:

1. Coffee

2. Red wines of various sorts

Two people no longer alive that you’d like to talk to:

1. My maternal grandmother

2. My paternal grandfather (for advice on betting the horses, natch)

***

Sarah also nominated me for the Kreative Blogger award, but I have tried uploading the image multiple times with no luck and I am way past my bedtime (See? And I actually have to take a test tomorrow) so I am going to have to give up on that. Check it out here.

My fellow taggees and awardees are... oh, no... here I go not following the rules again...

I'm tagging anyone who wants to be tagged. If you come read my blog, that means, yes, I want to know more about YOU. So please, take the memes, post your answers, and leave me a comment to let me know. Please, do it!

The Obligatory "Excuse Our Dust" Browser-Switch Announcement

2008-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

UPDATED: to add that I have changed my display name to "paintandink," so everyone will recognize me. I hope. Do you know who I am?

***

Well, I guess it's not really obligatory, but I've seen a lot of them.

This is an apologetic announcement to all my friends in blog-o-land that I've reluctantly switched browsers (from my wonderful Firefox to Camino, because Firefox was crashing repeatedly on my Mac. Seems this is not an uncommon problem when people use Firefox on a Mac, and I was unable to find a consensus about the cause, but that's not the announcement...).

Regrettably, my live bookmarks aren't working on Camino, so I am switching all of my regular blogs -- all of the bookmarks I wanted to keep, actually -- to Google Reader. I much prefer visiting actual blogs themselves over going to a reader, but it's difficult without live bookmarks to streamline the process. Otherwise, I have to check every single blog every single day, and I am just not able to do that. So I have great faith that Google Reader* will ultimately help streamline my blog-checking and turn me into a better blog friend!

But it's taking time, because I have bookmarked hundreds of blogs over the years, and I must move them over one at a time. So please, bear with me, and forgive me. I promise, I haven't forgotten you.

* Bloglines never really caught on with me, and Google Reader seems even more inconvenient to use, but I am a big fan of Google's services, so I am willing to try in the interest of keeping my online activities integrated.

Alison's (Underwater) Wonderland

2008-10-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

My second (real) scuba diving lesson was yesterday, and it was our first day in the pool. I was a bit anxious, I have to admit, because when Al and I went for the free introductory lesson, I spent a good deal of time feeling baffled, confused and overwhelmed by the 8,003 things you have to keep track of. The kicker being that if you forget just one of those things, it could spell disaster. Unless, of course, you have gills. Which I don't.

This time, it was different; the instructor was patient, methodical and very calm, and although I still found it tough to remember everything at once, I was able to follow his lead and keep calm long enough to think things through before I panicked.

For the first time, I'm actually thinking I am going to really like this scuba diving adventure, especially if it means I get to go see things that I can only see on television now, like cool fish, fabulous shipwrecks (I am already hoping to take that extra class), interesting creatures, and other unusual and awe-inspiring things. These are things I love, and now I can get to know them even better.

Well, not now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. But soon, soon.

And speaking of underwater creatures and things I love, I am proud to introduce you to a few new creatures in my shop:

They're part of a four-creature series, all four of which will be available in the shop by the end of the day (might add more to the series later, too).

The featured sellership was fantastic, a dream come true, but boy-o-boy, it sure cleared out my inventory (not that I'm complaining, mind you). And I am just now getting it back up to snuff, with lots of new originals in the shop: those and other sea creatures...

...more small ships...

...castles...

... treasure maps on wood...

... larger originals of all kinds...

... and if you're not intersted in scuba diving yourself, there's other ways to explore the wonders of the ocean...

Something for everyone, and much, much more to come.

The Big Old Move

2008-09-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished moving all the relevant archives from my old blog (RadioGirl Designs) over here, covered the rest of the blog posts over there (I left a lot intact for their comments) with sheets to protect them from dust, and locked the place up. In a manner of speaking.

Now that this is my only blog, I can finally unpack all the boxes, buy some throw rugs, hang pictures on the walls and really get settled in. For a while, anyway. My goal is to get a main site up and running, and publish my blog there, but I'm a big believer in one step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

But in the meantime, can I offer you a cup of tea and some cookies?

There's NO CRYING in baseball.

2008-09-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Phillies didn't fare so well yesterday. It was a game of almosts... of loaded bases and full counts and missed chances... but it was still fun in a way that only baseball can be fun even when everything is going wrong. I mean, a bad day at the ballpark is better than a good day ... well, I love what I do for a living, but you get the point.

Tonight, they fared even worse, but the season isn't over yet.

So no crying, even though I'm thoroughly convinced that I am bad luck for the Phillies and I must sacrifice my own game-watching pleasure for the good of the team and not watch them anymore, because I think I have "jinx" written across my forehead.

But if worse comes to worse, at least I now have "Schmidt" written across my back (yeah, I know you can't see it, but it's there), so if I never watch another Phillies game again, at least they'll still know I care.

My dad took me out to the ball game. Thanks, Dad!

I consoled myself this evening while watching the Cubs-Mets game (since they don't air many Phillies games here in this neck of the bay) by putting together an Etsy Poster Sketch... and then I scored a Treasury.

So life ain't all bad. Not bad at all.

(Especially since the Cubs have pulled out in front of the Mets in the top of tenth, which makes me feel a little bit better.)

Mailbox Merriness

2008-09-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Remember the mug I won from Kim and Jason's Lemonade Stand? It came in the mail just before I left for Philly yesterday. Such a perfect mug to start any day.

And the whole box is an Adultitis antidote, from the cartoon to the Kool-Aid (awesome bonus!) to the chalk they included in a little gumball machine globe, for "creating hopscotch, foursquare and marbles boundaries on the driveway or perhaps as the medium for creating sidewalk masterpieces."

A box full o' fun... thanks again, Kim and Jason!

A wonderful package to find on your doorstep

The Last Innings

2008-09-22T05:46:00.001-07:00

I love baseball. I know very little about the sport, relatively speaking, for such a passionate fan of a sport in which history and statistics are as important as the game in front of you. And I have a terrible memory for players' names, so I'm quite incapable of holding an intelligent discussion about even the game in front of me.

But still, I love the game, I love the history, I love the stadiums, I love the sound of a ball hitting a leather glove, I love sipping a beer on a summer afternoon at the ballpark.

Or on an early fall afternoon, as the case may be: I'm heading on the briefest road trip ever -- 12 hours roundtrip in two days -- to Philadelphia, to see the Phils play the Braves tomorrow (thanks to my Dad, who rocks).

I am extremely superstitious, though -- call me silly, but I can't help it -- and harbor the belief that I am bad luck for them, because it seems whenever I watch the Phillies play, everything falls to pieces and then when I walk away from my seat or from the television, they get it back together. So I'm tempted not to go, because they're so close to the playoffs.

But not that tempted.

Actually, I'm so excited, I can hardly breathe.

Just after Mike Liberthal's grand slam, July 30, 2006.

In other news... I'm not the hating type, but I hate the Yankees, in the, you know, good old sportsmanshiply way of hating a team, mostly because their fans are so smug, although people probably say the same thing about USC fans, and so I know that most Yankees fans are probably nice people, just like most of us USC fans are nice people. (Unless you are a UCLA or Notre Dame fan. But that's neither here nor there.)

My point is that, regardless of how I feel about the Yankees, I am choked up about the last game at Yankee Stadium and not a little bit disappointed that I never made any effort to visit the stadium. Let this be my lesson to see more things, just for the sake of seeing them.

Word Play

2008-09-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of cutting words and pictures out of magazines and gluing them in a notebook, then using them to jog my creativity while making maps... sort of like an art journal, but I don't do any decorating of the pages, I just glue the words in, in random arrangements, to jog the little a-ha parts of my creative brain. It isn't pretty, but it works.

But it's nice to know that if the glue stick runs out, I have other options. Check out Wordles. So pretty, I want to frame them.

Avast! The Merriment is Upon Us!

2008-09-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

Here's wishing all ye pirates, rogues, swashbucklers, buccanneers and other nefarious (in a kindly way) sorts a cheery and rewarding Talk Like a Pirate Day! May it bring lots of plunder (the not-so-cruel kinds, like chocolate and popcorn) and celebration.

I am delighted to share that me treasure map of the Island of Intrigue has been featured on the illustrious Cuteable, in honor of the day's festivities. Huzzah! Huzzah! (And a big thank you to Cuteable's Lynsey.)

And my special is still sailing on, through Sunday the 21st: Buy any two treasure maps from me shop -- prints or originals -- and receive a free print of "Sea Monster Breath."

So stock up the ship...

... grab the treasure map...

... snatch up the parrot, tap the barrels of grog, raise the sails and head on out in search of adventure and fun! Cause we're all about the happiness of make-believe piracy here in these parts.

For more pirate-y goodness:

Read all about Anne Bonny, one of the better known female pirates.

More talking like pirates.

Pat Croce's Pirate Soul Museum, one of the destinations on my must-see-sooner-or-later list.

Discover your Pirate Name. My pirate name is:

Red Bess Flint

Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Ahoy again, me hearties! Shiver me timbers! I just had to come back to share the news!

You can now search Google in Pirate-speak.

Ahoy, mateys, avast!

2008-09-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

That's right, it's one of me favorite holidays of the year! Friday, this Friday, just four short days from today, is Talk Like a Pirate Day!

And all you swashbucklers, buccaneers, privateers and, yea, even landlubbers can celebrate all week long! The Interimaginational Institute is offering a very special special: anyone who purchases two or more treasure maps (prints or originals) from September 15 to September 21 will receive a FREE print of "Sea Monster Breath" (No need to add this print to your cart; it will be sent automatically with qualifying orders).

So stock up on treasure maps, load up your ships, buckle on your swords, grab the parrot, raise the sails, pour the grog, and get ready for big adventures!

AND, me hearties, you'll be able to take your pet sea monster with you, although you mighn't want to let him get too close to the parrot.

Yipppppeeeee! I won!

2008-09-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

One of the neatest sites I've stumbled across online is Kim and Jason's Lemonade Stand, a fantastic gift shop (I'm already making my list for Christmas shopping*).

And they not only run their Lemonade Stand, they write a charming blog, send out a great daily newsletter with fun quotes and a sweetly funny cartoon strip drawn by Jason (which he started as a way to woo his wife, Kim), and offer great downloads, including wonderful ideas on how to escape Adultitis. What's Adultitis? See here. It's a far-too common affliction in our modern society, and it is very important that you have yourself screened regularly.

And every Thursday, they offer a giveaway on their blog, and this week... I won this mug! I am so excited. It's not only one of my favorite quotes, but I love, love, LOVE coffee mugs, and I will be so delighted to add this one to my collection. Thank you, Kim and Jason, so much!

And now, I am heading off with Al to conquer some Adultitis with my first scuba diving lesson... funny enough, for someone as in love with the ocean as I am, scuba diving has never been at the top of my list of things to do, but Al has talked me into trying it, and if this first free lesson goes well, then I'll be signing up for the real lessons. Wish me luck.

*One of the greatest things I'm learning, since going into business, is how to plan ahead (with anticipation and excitement instead of panic and dread) for things like holidays, such as Talk Like a Pirate Day... I'll be celebrating this terrific holiday with a special on treasure maps in the Interimaginational Institute, so check in soon!

Leeches, Wet Tar, and Other Fun Things

2008-09-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

I actually think I'm doing a darn good job of paring down photos from my trip, but it's taking some time. You can check out a few more Mystic Seaport photos on my Flickr stream, although they haven't been captioned yet.

And until I've posted more (I know you'll be waiting anxiously...), you can ponder the fact that leeches are still used in modern medicine. And if that's not eeky enough, visit The Daily Monster to see some more unusual creatures (so awesome).

And I just had to come back to tell you if you want to read The Longest List of the Longest Stuff at the Longest Domain Name, go, well, here.

Also, some parting advice, should you ever visit Mystic Seaport yourself, the "wet tar" signs are not historical artifacts. They actually are warnings that, indeed, the tar is wet. I did not find this out through personal experimentation, but from a guide who, laughing and watching people touch the wet tar, shook her head and said, "The surest way to get people to touch wet tar is to put up a sign saying 'wet tar.'"

I Kept Waiting, and Waiting...

2008-09-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

But I still missed the storm.

She was weak. As in, like so weak, if I hadn't know there was a tropical storm passing overhead, thanks to the news, I wouldn't even have known there was a storm at all. I saw a lot of wind, only because I kept looking out the window to see if it was windy, but we got almost no rain at our house. I do think a leaf blew off the third tree from the driveway.

I've seen much worse on a normal summer day here in Virginia, normal here meaning torrential downpours, actual waves going down our street, and the patio umbrella ending up in the neighbor's yard (for those people who might have a particular interest in our replacement patio umbrella, we did take the precaution of putting it in the garage, so it has survived to shelter us again and we are still grateful to you for providing said umbrella).

But thanks to our housebound-ness due to the anticipated storm, the pantry is sparkling clean, down to the corners behind the molding. And I took this opportunity to clean out old hurricane supplies. Call me crazy, but it would take one hell of a storm to get me to eat a can of mixed greens that expired in 2006.

Back in Time to Batten Down

2008-09-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, in spite of the fact that I stocked up on water yesterday and non-perishable food products, especially Pop-Tarts, which are easily portable and don't require cooking to be enjoyed, I really wasn't expecting this impending storm to be worrisome. I went shopping because the pantry was empty and we needed to fill it.

So should it concern me that they're canceling events around us? Should I be worried?

See, if I had started out by being worried (other people, specifically my spouse, have been known to call me paranoid), then Hanna would certainly have dissipated by now. So clearly it's my fault that the storm is heading this way, because if I had just worried a little harder, it would be down to about 5-mile-an-hour-winds by now. I'm sorry, everyone in the path of the storm, I am really sorry.

So my transition back to work has been proceeding more slowly than expected, pretty much because I've been cleaning the house, doing laundry, and battling crowds -- crowds -- at the commissary, while looking at empty water shelves. Yes, that was disconcerting. I have never seen that happen before, and it's not like we haven't had storms since I've been here. But that water was going fast. I am so glad I went shopping yesterday instead of procrastinating, because today, the stores must just be mayhemish.

This all does mean I still have a lot of emails to answer and blogs to visit and people to contact, and if you're one of them, please bear with me while I bring my brain back around.

Today, I am getting reacquainted with my artist self, drawing up new maps, reminding myself what it is that I do, after all, and putting first things first. I love drawing on gray days, because it feels so cozy. There might be tropical temperatures and humidity outside, but looking out the window, it feels like fall to me. Hot chocolate just might be in order.

Maybe Hanna would like some too, since she's apparently coming to visit. Then again, maybe she'd prefer some whiskey, as my new Mariner's Miscellany suggests the gods and goddesses of the sea prefer stronger beverages, and if a tropical storm/hurricane trainee isn't a goddess of the sea, then what is? But since I think we're all out of whiskey she'll have to settle for hot chocolate. If she's a courteous guest, I could throw in some marshmallows.

Ike, on the other hand, he's not invited.

You Can't Get Away From Me

2008-08-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

About to head out on another trip, this one up the Atlantic coast with various destinations and stops along the way:

Mystic, Connecticut
Prince Edward Island (with new passport in hand) -- thanks to my Mom, who is making one of my lifelong dreams come true -- to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables, one of my very favorite books. I am preparing by reading this book: Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L. M. Montgomery and Her Literary Classic
Maine for a family reunion
Boston, and at least three different towns in the area to visit family and friends and people I haven't seen in a long, long time.
Philadelphia, my love. Which I can now visit virtually thanks to the extraordinary Google Maps Street View. But in person is still better.

So, just so that you can come along on the grand journey -- don't you want to? -- I've signed up for Twitter (slightly delightedly because, along with Google Maps Street View, it is one more way the world is moving into cyberpunkdom and slightly reluctantly because sometimes cyberpunkdom isn't all it's cracked up to be, and woe is me, this could be another tumble on the slippery slope to never leaving my computer again although I haven't signed up for Second Life yet, so there IS hope).

So they'll be up there on the sidebar, all my updates, which at the moment are sort of silly but may or may not improve in interestingness. I make no promises. I LOVE silliness.

Are your bags packed yet?

Marco?

2008-08-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Polo!

Scientists Say They're Closer to Invisibility Material

How (terrifyingly) wonderful...

(You're IT, by the way.)

In which I re-use analogies, get a few extra minutes of fame and thank YOU.

2008-08-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

I've recently read a few different articles about mountain climbing that stressed that most accidents on mountains actually happen on the descent, because the climbers are tired and have let their guard down, and, I imagine, because the sense of euphoria fades a bit, leaving them feeling slightly at a loss.

I imagine, too, that for those who do make it safely down, this faded feeling must make it especially nice to receive a bit of notice, a few more pats on the back, once they get to the bottom, when the peak is again a distant vision, only now behind them.

I've been so lucky that being one of Etsy's featured sellers brought me a huge number of sales from some incredible people, and that it brought me some incredible commissions, which have been keeping me working hard in the weeks since. But the speed at which general attention to my store dropped off once I was no longer on the front page, and now even on the sidebar on the featured seller page, has been almost as staggering as the intense explosion of attention the day I became a featured seller.

Although it has been, to be honest, disconcerting, this isn't actually a bad thing, because it gives me a breather in which to work on commissions, collect my thoughts, refill the creative well, plan ahead, rethink strategies, and most of all, get some painting done.

Also, I believe that it's probably a very normal experience: that for almost everyone, the path to success is not straight but a series of ups and downs and highs and lows. It's a trail that is occasionally paved perfectly, but more often consists mainly of faded marks on distant trees or even disappears completely.

Which means that each pat on the back becomes even more appreciated and encouraging, a way marker reminding me that I'm going in the right direction, and so, I'd like to thank Dotty of Indie Finds on Etsy and dottyral.etsy.com for interviewing me specifically about my featured sellership.

I'd also like to extend my special thanks to someone who has been a repeat customer, who features me quite often in her treasury creations, and whom I frequently find sneakily praising my name in comments other people's treasuries (she probably thinks I haven't noticed): thebeadedlily. She has also interviewed me for a feature on her blog, in which I avoid re-using analogies but tell you why I finally feel like a "real" artist and why my arms are so tired.

And I'd like to thank you, my friends, family, and wonderful customers, for keeping me going all the time with your never-ceasing pats on the back and much-appreciated encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Coffee or Tea?

2008-08-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

(No, this isn't really a discussion about the merits of these two beverages, because, in truth, I adore them both.)

There are two kinds of shopping I actually LIKE to do: books and travel stuff. I would rather spend days looking for the perfect suitcase than an hour looking for the clothes to put in it. (Unless it's travel clothing, of course.)

And now I've found what I'd like for the next 10 Christmases or birthdays or the first thing I buy when I win the lottery:

A genuINE pretty-fied airline beverage cart:

Found at the so-fabulous Flight 001, found through DailyCandy. Just one of the many amazing items they offer for sale, most of which are far less expensive and slightly more practical.

But not nearly as fun.

That Little Blue Book

2008-07-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I handed over my most treasured possession to an employee at the post office, a bit reluctantly (although, it was never really my possession, as the small text so firmly states: This passport is the property of the United States (Title 22, Code of Federal Regulation, Section 51.9). It must be surrendered upon demand made by an authorized representative of the United States Government.)

(Photo from Wikimedia)

I was both sad and apprehensive.

Apprehensive because my passport has been so important to me over the years and to be without it felt sort of like going out on a boat in a storm with no life jacket. Unsettling. Uncomfortable. Maybe it will all work out just fine, but who knows?

Sad because, although the State Department usually happily punches a hole in outdated or used passports and returns them so you can keep all those pretty stamps and visas, I knew I probably wouldn't get this one back, because it was fairly mangled (the State Department uses the word "mutilated") and I was told they don't give those passports back. I don't know why. Maybe they think I'm going to mangle it more? Or I don't deserve to get it back because I let it get mangled in the first place?

I say, "Hey, that thing traveled thousands of miles with me, 21,000 in one week, as a matter of fact, and a zillion different climates. Of course it's a little worse for the wear, like my wrinkled skin."

And they say, "You're not allowed to play with it any more because you broke it."

So unfair.

And that wasn't my first passport (I think it was my third), but I went through a lot to get it, after my previous passport was stolen in Munich, presumably by the same person who bought $900 in perfume, $400 in beer and $50 in gas on my also-stolen credit cards (these being 2000 prices, $50 in gas was a lot back then, even in Europe). So this passport said, oh-so-sophisticatedly, "issued in Munich," and it had so many stamps: Hong Kong, Cambodia, Jamaica, Canada. I'm one of those travelers who insists that the customs officials stamp my passport, even if it makes them roll their eyes and they have to brush the cobwebs off the stamp before they can touch it.

Finally, it was my last piece of identification with my maiden name. Which brings up all sorts of psychological issues and plain old nostalgia.

But that's precisely why I had to get a new one, manglement aside. A passport is not usable if it doesn't have the right name. Unless you're a spy, of course, but since I'm not and have no wish to be mistaken for one, I needed a new one.

Today, most of my sadness and and all my apprehension faded when I picked up my new passport. I forgot how exciting it is. A new passport represents my favorite concept: possibility. All those blank pages waiting for stamps and visas, all those places I can go, all those adventures to be had. (All you international bloggers I can visit someday.)

(Photo by Jim Wilson/ The New York Times)

Not only that, but U.S. passports are way, way prettier than they were eight years ago, with engravings of American scenes on every pages, lots of stuff to look at until I can fill up all the pages, although the New York Times might disagree about the prettiness part. But whatever. It's my passport.

I can't wait to beat it up a little.

UPDATED: They DID send me my old passport back. Hurray!

Razzle Zazzle

2008-07-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

Do you sit at work dreaming of places you'd rather be? Like sailing in your gorgeous yacht across the Mediterranean, as the sea sparkles around you? Or hiking through the Rocky Mountains with crisp, cool air filling your lungs and pine needles crunching under foot?

While you sit at your desk, poring over reports instead of navigational charts, or crunching numbers instead of pine needles, keep this close at hand for a little inspiration:

Compass Rose Mousepad by paintandink

I am pleased to announce my first Zazzle product. One of my strongest hopes is that my artwork will inspire other people to follow their dreams, and this is one more venue for me to achieve that. I'm very excited, and in the coming weeks, I hope to have many more products for your enjoyment, including, especially, things with maps and ships on them.

In the meantime, thank you so much for all of your lovely comments, e-mails and Etsy conversations. The past few weeks have been an incredible confirmation that I am on the right path, and have been filled with extraordinary joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my family and friends, old and new, who've showed such tremendous support along the way. I couldn't have made it this far without you.

More Dreams A-Comin' True...

2008-06-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at tooting my own horn (although I still keep meaning to learn to play the harmonica, but I suppose that's totally different, and I do like playing my own piano, even though it badly needs to be tuned... oh, sorry, digressing, as usual), not because I don't like people to pay attention to me, but because it's usually a little weird and awkward and embarrassing to be, like, "HEY, people, look at ME!"

Because that's usually immediately preceding the moment that I trip over my own feet and fall flat on my face, or fly through the air and land flat on my back in the middle of hundreds of fellow college students because I failed to notice that the sidewalk ended and the drop into a drainage ditch had begun....

.... sorry, there's that bad digression habit again...

BUT I've been lucky and honored enough to be selected as Etsy's Featured Seller for the next few days, and I just wanted to share and say a BIG BIG Thank YOU! to all of YOU, my friends, family, clients and customers who've been so supportive over the last year. I totally couldn't have made it this far without you.

And just because my drafting table looks very boring in that particular photo that I submitted to them, here's some more photos of my studio in its latest incarnation, because there are few things I like more than artistic voyeurism, so why not return the favor?

Does That Run on Biodiesel?

2008-06-26T04:10:00.000-07:00

I think I've found my next vehicle. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to own their very own submarine? The old version of the submarine ride at Disneyland was one of my favorite rides (with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion, later joined by Space Mountain. But I digress).

And, really, at only $699,000, it's not that expensive. Certainly less than a tall ship. Although, the main fuel for a tall sailing ship is a lot cheaper, at least until the powers that be find a way to start charging for wind (here in Chesapeake, we get a bill for the rain that falls each month).

Maybe I'll just have to get both.

The Crazy Chicken

2008-06-24T04:34:00.000-07:00

This is an official report of an El Pollo Loco sighting in Virginia Beach. It's not open yet, but Al told me he could smell the chicken cooking, and there was a sign that said "Employee training" on the door.

Dreams do come true.

(If you're not familiar with El Pollo Loco, it's a California fast food chain, and one of my favorite restaurants ever. I'm really not the biggest fan of chain restaurants, but California fast food ROCKS, and I'd rather eat at El Pollo Loco than a lot of the fancy schmancy restaurants I've encountered in my life. The food is so, so good. Right up there with In-N-Out Burger.)

Goings-On, in Tens

2008-06-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

1. We walked out of our house this afternoon to find the air thick with haze and smoke from the wildfires in North Carolina.

2. The smell of smoke reminds me of the West Coast.

3. It's been outrageously hot here this week, almost 100 (which is 10x10) degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), and huuuuuuuuuumid, which is really what makes me feel like melting. Yep, it might be hot on the West Coast, but it's a drrrrryyyy heat, and yep, that makes a difference (it really does, Walter).

4. My artwork has been going very well, so well, in fact, that in four weeks I'll become a full-time artist once again.

5. So you should see a lot more of me very soon.

6. And I actually have more than 10 tiny paintings to list in the next few days, so there will be lots to look at in the Interimaginational Institute.

7. My aunt and uncle were here last month and took me to see the map exhibit at the Walters Art Museum again. We hit traffic in D.C., though, so we only got to Baltimore an hour before the museum closed. Still, it was a terrific hour. The exhibit's last day was June 8, and I got to see it twice. And it all started thanks to that anonymous Dean.

8. Then we spent many more hours and many more dollars at Daedalus Books, one of the most fabulous places on earth -- imagine a lovely bookstore packed with magical books that are all at least half off -- and a place I wouldn't even know existed if it weren't for Anne. Thank you, forever, Anne.

9. Al and I saw "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" this weekend. I loved it. Very well done. Truly like stepping into another world for two hours. Movie reviewing isn't my spec-ial-ity, because I'm not the most critical of movie watchers, but I thought the sets and photography were quite good, and I, always willing to suspend disbelief, a necessary skill in my line of work, also thought the not-so-human Narnians were charming and occasionally quite real-ish, as well. Especially cute... uh, I mean handsome... Reepicheep.

10. Both cats have finally learned to sit on command. I know. Sorry. I'm a bit tired and can't really think of anything more interesting than that. Although I do think it's pretty interesting that we taught our cats to sit, albeit only under the influence of bribery. But life should get a lot more interesting when I actually have time to pay attention. And isn't that the joy of blogging? Paying attention?

Bees = Honey. Honey = Sweet. Sweet = Mom.

2008-05-11T05:02:00.001-07:00

It's been busy, busy beehive around here, between day job and artwork and family visits and vet visits and art sales and so forth. I'm feeling a bit like a juggler with one arm tied behind her back.

But I just wanted to pop in to wish my mom, 2761 miles away, a very happy Mother's Day. I love you, Mom.

Things to Do, All Over the Place, When You're Dead.

2008-04-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Is it right to steal a title from a movie I haven't seen?

No matter, I just had to share this reassuring CNN article. I think it's especially funny that they put it in the ... LIVING... section of the site.

Personally, I am not fond of the art exhibit idea. I've never much liked being stared at.

Actually, I'm torn between cremation and being buried under a tree as fertilizer. Not an apple tree, because I'm a bit skeeved by the idea of people eating my body, but perhaps a lovely oak, or something along those lines, and then I could find my way into an heirloom piece of furniture. On the other hand, I do like the idea of being cremated as a power source and perhaps providing the light for another artist to work in the studio.

Okay, this is getting weird.

I don't know why...

2008-04-30T12:29:00.001-07:00

... the last post is acting funny, but here's the most important part:

(I really am still around, just a bit overwhelmed, and the tornadoes were close, but we didn't even know they had happened until a few hours later, and to the best of our knowledge, everyone we know is okay, but I know a lot of people are going through some rough times right now. The odd thing is, while my mom was worrying about me, I was worrying about her, because she's in Reno, where they're having hundreds of earthquakes.)

Another Map of Places I've Been, With Favorites

2008-04-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

I guess I've been a lot of places, because I finally had to stop making the map, so I can get ready for work. So this is far from exhaustive, but I think it has most of the places that stick out in my mind and all of the places I've lived. I think. The ones in blue, beneath, are my "favorites," in no particular order, but that's not exhaustive, either (Philadelphia should definitely be on there).

Create your own travel map or travel blog
Visit TripAdvisor.com

(I really am still around, just a bit overwhelmed, and the tornadoes were close, but we didn't even know they had happened until a few hours later, and to the best of our knowledge, everyone we know is okay. The odd thing is, while my mom was worrying about me, I was worrying about her.)

It's That Day of the Year...

2008-04-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

... that makes me cringe while still offering surprises that truly make me laugh.

So I won't try to fool you all, but I will share some of the laughs.

The best April Fool's joke I ever saw is one I have framed and hanging in my dining room. People always look at it strangely... first of all, why would someone have a Taco Bell ad framed and hanging in their own home? And second, huh, really? ... until I point out the date: April 1, 1996.

Today, I got an e-mail from Paper.com with this title: "Paper.com Set to Merge with Rock.com and Scissors.com."

A link on Google's main page will open up new horizons, maybe beyond your wildest dreams. That crazy Richard Branson sure does like an adventure.

Unfortunately, my application was not received with we-couldn't-do-it-without-you-Alison rejoicing:

Well, you're distressingly normal and could conceivably adjust to life as a deep space pioneer, though we recommend instead that you leave the Mars missions to the serious whack jobs who scored over 130 and instead finish year 3 of law school, tuck your toddler into bed, design Web 2.0 applications, run for Congress or do whatever other normal, healthy, middle-of-the-road thing you're currently doing with your normal, healthy, middle-of-the-road life. If you're determined to give Virgle a try, though, you can submit your video here.

I've thought of myself as many things before. But never quite distressingly normal. But it's okay, because Google is offering me another life-changing resource. And, believe it or not, I actually fell for this one for at least half a minute.

And finally, Etsy is not without its own bit of the fun, here and here.

Find more delightful April Fool's jokes from years past at the Museum of Hoaxes (and there's more about the Taco Liberty Bell).

Happy April Fool's Day! Here's hoping it's a funny but painless one.

(If it's quiet here for the next few days, it's because I am deeply entrenched in tax preparation, and I assure you, that's no hoax, no joke and not all that much fun, but definitely an adventure with new horizons.)

Simply exCITing!

2008-03-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

With a million thanks to Jennifer DeDonato of Colorfly Studio, I've discovered that my Kingdom of Imagination print is included in a post on affordable art for kids' rooms on Real Simple's Simply Stated blog.

(Insert my excited gasps here!)

It's about halfway down, right under some really cool paintings of PEZ dispensers, number four in that batch.

Real Simple is, like, only one of my favorite magazines. How simply wonderful!

***

In other simplicity news, I'm slowly moving all of my posts over from the RadioGirl Designs blog. This will be the main blog for now, until such time that I move everything again, I hope to my own website-to-be, but I hereby reserve the right to be indecisive. For now, I will leave some duplicate posts, so I can keep the comments.

My United States

2008-03-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

It's a different story when you get to the U.S. Just so you don't have to count, I've visited 44 out of 50 states, plus D.C.

When I was a kid, I definitely counted states in which I'd only been to the airport (I used to know Denver Stapleton Airport better than the back of my hand, from flying across the country to see my dad, but I didn't actually visit Denver itself until 2001) as states I'd visited, because when you're a kid, well, everything counts, as long as you want it to, and if not, then it doesn't. Because the best thing about childhood is that sense of elastic reality.*

But I don't have to do that anymore, because every state above is a state I've actually visited, on the ground, even if I was just driving through on my way to another state. The only states I have left to visit for the first time are Alaska, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Rhode Island. And I actually think I might have been in Rhode Island before, but I can't remember for sure.

My favorite states are, in no particular order, and based primarily on scenery: California, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky, and Idaho. My favorite cities are Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Washington D.C., Portland, Austin, and Philadelphia. And I actually am quite fond of Orlando, but you will never catch me admitting that in public.

* If I had a band, I think I'd name it that. Elastic Reality. Chances are, I will never have a band. If you do, feel free to take the name, provided you thank me in the liner notes and send me a copy of every album you release.

Libro = Liebe: Clearly, a Linguistical Connection

2008-03-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

"When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes" - Erasmus

I love books. Adore them. Dream about them. Get crushes on them, which I nurture by putting them on my Amazon.com wishlis t, or when I get really infatuated, in the "save for later" part of my shopping cart, which I rearrange when I'm having a bad day because it makes me feel better. I own, at best guess, 1,400 books. I love looking at them, holding them, smelling them, thinking about them, buying them (my heartrate doubles in a bookstore and sometimes my palms get sweaty), talking about them (I don't actually talk to them, most of the time, but maybe I'd love that, too), and most of all, reading them.

I also like reading about them.

Here, I wrote about Goodreads, where you can list the books you've read, are reading or want to read; write reviews; and see what other people are reading.

And now, thanks to People Reading, you can actually see what people are reading, at least in San Francisco (one of my five favorite cities) and find out why they're reading it, what they think, and so on. Great site, via CabaCurl.

Speaking of books, I just got a new t-shirt from Threadless. I think it's a bit of an odd design for a t-shirt -- I'd expect to see this design more as an art print on Etsy -- and somewhat out of character for Threadless, I think -- but I'm not complaining, because I adore my new shirt (and it's these magnificent once-in-a-bunch treasures that keep me coming back to the site).

Today, I'll be working with a different kind of book, namely our checkbook, in preparation for our taxes, but I'll bribe myself with some good reading time, later, maybe with a cup of cocoa. I have a large stack of books waiting for me.

I'm not so well-traveled as I thought...

2008-03-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

... although I can say some pretty naughty words, if nothing else, in a surprising number of languages.

Found this map generator at the World 66 World Travel Guide (via this Flickr user) and all of a sudden, I've really got this urge to go get that passport issue fixed (as in, I've never updated it with my married name, not to mention the fact that it's falling to pieces). Here I prided myself on my vast world travels, and in reality, there's not nearly as much red as I had imagined there would be (don't let all that red over in Asia fool you... I can't really think of myself as having been to China, even though I was in Hong Kong. If I thought I could get away with it, I would, on the other hand, put a little red dot in Japan, where I spent eleven hours in the airport even though I never actually saw any of the country. I think eleven hours is a pretty significant experience, no? As for Canada, I've been to Toronto and Sudbury, Ontario, but that hardly justifies half of the Arctic Circle turning red. On the other hand, I really have been to all four corners of the continental U.S., and a significant portion of the land in between*).

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

If I could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, with no worries about, you know, money, I think I'd be off to Australia (where I could say hi to CabaCurl) and New Zealand, just to balance things out a bit. Gonna have to find a way to make that happen. And then I'd be off to Sweden to say hello to some of my favorite bloggers... and then all over Europe to visit so many of my other favorite bloggers, who collectively bring incredible amounts of fun and joy into the world and generally make it a better place. (Along with quite a few bloggers here in the U.S., whom I haven't forgotten). And then I'd start exploring the rest of the world...

*I no longer call the midwest the "fly-over states," but the "drive-through states." Although, actually, there are a few of them where I'd gladly stay for a while, like South Dakota. Did I tell you how beautiful it is? It's beautiful.

It's Like Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, Only Better

2008-03-03T04:32:00.000-08:00

I am well on my way to recovery, and I thank you all for your kind wishes and much-appreciated notes.

Now, after what seems like years, but is really only three months or so, of topsy-turvy upheaved schedules, with two trips, one new job, two colds, one family surgery (not serious) and, let's not forget, way back at the beginning, the holiday season, it's time to slip life back into a nice, comfortable routine (I hope). Like putting on broken-in jeans and my favorite sweater. Although, at the moment, this routine is a little new and stiff, but I'm hoping it will break in quickly.

And now onto the delicious part: not that I'll have any spare time now, but it's always good to fill your spare time with the things you love passionately. In my case, that usually means chocolate (especially when it's part of the Cheesecake Factory's Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake), books and, of course, maps. And thanks to my father, stepmother and little sister, who know that the way to my heart is through bookstore gift cards, I can kill two of those birds with one stone. Or, rather, not a stone, really, but four books about maps.

This marvelously fun book and its author/mapmaker I found through the mysterious M. Ninehouser, who sent me an Etsy conversation loosely comparing my maps to those of Eric Chase Anderson. What a wonderful compliment. I thank him again for the tip, because this book is just terrific. Everything... people... boats... rooms... it's all mapped.

***

Maps: Finding Our Place in the World is the accompanying volume to the exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, which will next be coming to a town near me. Well, sort of near me, anyway. I mean, in the grand scheme of things, relatively speaking, and all that. In American distances, and on small-scale maps, it's practically next door, actually.

And thanks to the anonymous Dean, and Anne of Prêt à Voyager, I'll be making that three-hour-one-way drive round-trip twice very soon for a mapmaking workshop hosted by MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art). Don't let my matter-of-fact tone fool you. As I mentioned before, I'm so excited, I can hardly breathe. Every time I think about the workshop and the exhibit, I feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. And two days just doesn't seem even close to enough.

***

Ah... yes... how could I NOT buy a book with a title like this? Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer, by Peter Turchi, so far, is brilliant (I'm about halfway through). I hate writing book reviews because they so often sound pretentious, but I'll try to explain why I like this book so much: It's great. It's about maps. And it's about writing. And it has a lot of maps in it, like this one, which makes me laugh:

"The Silver Dog With the Golden Tail: Will the Tail Wag the Dog or the Dog Wag the Tail?,"
an 1896 advertisement for the Nuckolls Packing Company.

***

And this next book? I can't even think of the words to praise this book the way it deserves. It is packed with maps from front to back, with a few essays peppered throughout. The maps are of incredible variety in topic, age, color, style, and so on. A contour map of a face. A map of the Road to Success. Many maps about Love. Maps on tapestries, maps on canvas, embroidered maps. A map of the jack-o-lanterns in Raleigh, North Carolina, neighborhood. Stone maps found on an Arizona mountain.

It's like a candy store with every candy ever made. It's like cheesecake with whipped cream and a cappuccino. It's just amazing, all the way through.

You Are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination, by Katharine Harmon

A map of the journey to Paradise from a Japanese children's board game.

The Land of Matrimony, just one of a number of entertaining maps about love and relationships, all of which are quite unique, leaving lots of room for my own map of the Realm of Love. (Incidentally, these maps include one that's very clever but not necessarily work- or children-safe, so if you do come across this book, be sure to browse all the way through it before sharing it.)

***

Treasures, all of them. I am so grateful and so glad.

And the best thing about these books is that, as sweet and rich and incredible as they are, unlike chocolate cheesecake, I can indulge as much as I want.

P.S. My apologies for the appalling photographs. Bad lighting and lack of time to make accommodations. Excuses, excuses. I have no shame.

Sailing the Vivid Sea

2008-02-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Every time one of my items is featured in an Etsy treasury, it's a thrill and a compliment and a pat on the back all wrapped up in one. And when someone features my artwork in their blog, it's even more exciting. Lynne Davies of the Etsy shop skully and the blog Autonomous Artisans has featured my map of the Vivid Sea in a wonderful story in her post "Sailing the Seven Seas" with a bunch of other really fun piratey treasures, including the dangerously sweet Thomas Tillerman and a dress that I love (I already have the stein to go with it, you see...). Check it out!

On Elationism, Fogginess and Rainbows

2008-02-15T14:16:00.001-08:00

Thank you all for the lovely birthday wishes! And what a place to spend a birthday. And it was a good and busy trip, if a bit tempered by under-the-weatherness. We swam with dolphins (I have always wanted to do that), hiked up Diamondhead Crater, learned about Polynesia, got a lot of sand in our shoes and chased rainbows.

Chasing rainbows is a lot of fun, especially when you don't realize that's what you're doing at first, but just start pointing and laughing and turning corners, going this way and that.

I am back now, about halfway through my second cold in three weeks. And this isn't the same old warmed-up leftovers of a cold, the one I dropped off in the Pacific Ocean somewhere. It's a brand-new shiny fresh cold. Did you know that was possible? Neither did I. My head feels like it weighs 400 pounds, my oxygen intake has been halved and my brain is fogged by cold medicine. Add substantial jet lag on top of that, and I really am able to process only about half of what is said to me and a quarter of what is happening around me. I hope you'll understand if I'm a bit quiet for the next few days.

In the meantime, I will try my hand at being an elationist and believing that "behind every calamity lies possibility"... (Via SARK's eLetter, which you can view here) I wouldn't say that a bad cold is a calamity, exactly, but it has sort of forced me to put all unnecessary activities on hold, leaving plenty of time to ponder possibilities while drinking hot chocolate.

Sweetness, Indeed.

2008-02-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

The first time I had an Etsy order from someone I didn't know, I thought it was a mistake. Actually, what I thought was that someone had used MY Etsy and PayPal accounts to purchase something from someone else. (It seems sjavascript:void(0)o silly now, but at first glance, that's what I thought.) I was floored. And then, after reading the e-mails over and over again, and figuring out what had happened, I was still floored. Only much, much happier than I had been ten minutes earlier.

That customer, April Meeker, who sells her own wares on Etsy as secondsister, commissioned a second painting almost immediately after purchasing the first one, thereby doing wonders for my self esteem and my hope for my future as an artist.

And she has done that again by featuring my artwork this week on her blog, secondsister suaviloquy. (Suaviloquy is the coolest word, isn't it?) Many thanks, April. It's an honor.

Aloha, Or How I Spent My Birthday Morning

2008-02-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Good Stuff

2008-01-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

A little bit of this:

Followed by a little bit of this:

That's right, folks, I'm hitting the road again. Except this time, I'm flying.

It's hard to drive to Hawaii.

My mother and I are going to Honolulu for a week, then it's back to Reno for a few days at Mom's house, and possibly a little skiing (if my poor battered immune system can handle it by then, but I'm sure a few days in Hawaii will perk me right back up again).

This handy MacBook (ah, glorious computer, how I loooooooove you) might make it possible for me to check in from time to time, and I'll be back in time to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day, but in the meantime, let me be the first to wish you the best and happiest of Groundhog Days.* It's my favorite day of the year. I'll be three times eleven.

Before I go, let me share with you two of my favoritest Internet discoveries of the week:

Goodreads, thanks to Jeannine of art*play*possibility, one of the nicest people I've met in Virginia. You can list the books you've read, are reading, or want to read; review books; look at other people's reading lists; and so on. It feels much more personal and less snarky than Amazon reviews can be. So far, it doesn't seem to have a "since you liked this, you might like that" recommendation system or a "neighbors" feature (like last.fm does), but I'm still quite pleased to be part of it.

Notes From the Universe, thanks to the marvelous iHanna. I've received two notes so far and I think they're pretty darn cool.

Also, before I wrap this up, I'd like to give a birthday shout-out to Corey of Tongue in Cheek Antiques, whose birthday is only two days after mine. If you've never been to her blog, go, go go. Corey is someone who really knows how to live. I hope it's a beautiful day for you, Corey.

All right, time for me to go tie up loose pre-vacation ends, like paying bills, and head out for a pre-birthday dinner with my husband. As always, I am wishing you my very best

* Groundhog Day is my father's favorite movie. He watches it every February 2nd, possibly before he even calls to wish me happy birthday, but I don't mind, because I have to admit that Punxutawney Phil IS pretty charming.

They Make It Look Effortless

2008-01-26T17:49:00.001-08:00

They make it look like a movie.

I wasn't even really paying attention. It was just on because, well, that's what was on TV. I just happened to glance up as they began skating. I know next to nothing about figure skating, and I feel pretty proud of myself if I can make it around an ice rink once without falling. So I can't begin to comment on any technical merit, but I am so glad I looked up just in time to watch Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto perform tonight at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Amazing. I'd never heard of them before an hour ago, but I don't think I'll forget them soon. Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

Still Mapping, and Soon, Exploring

2008-01-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a whirlwind two months around here, and I'm about to head off into the tropics to celebrate my birthday with some hands-on exploring of Hawaii (surely island travel falls under the category of business research, too?), but before I go, I thought you'd like to see what I've been doing around here. My latest paintings:

Realm of Good Cheer, 8" x 10", (reproduction)

(This original has been sold, but reproductions are available in the Interimaginational Institute Shop. These others are all originals and available; reproductions of some will also be available when I return from my travels.)

Marvelopolis, 5" x 7", ink and watercolor on paper

Fortune Isle Treasure Map, 8 1/2" x 11 1/4", ink on wood

Tall Ship No. 1, 2.5" x 3.5", ink and watercolor on paper

And a special map just in time for Valentine's Day:

Realm of Love, 5" x 7", ink and watercolor on paper

(This is actually one of two love-themed maps - I have yet to scan the second, which I like even more, but I'll share it when I do.)

Happy Travels, all.

Table Therapy

2008-01-26T16:33:00.000-08:00

You may remember my starry table tutorial from a long ways back...

I am honored to discover that my beloved table has inspired others, one of which was featured today on Apartment Therapy's ohdeedoh blog. Isn't it beautiful?

My Kind of Business Trip, or "Is This Tax-Deductible?"

2008-01-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

What we did with a few hours to spare:

Made new friends...

...studied other lifeforms...

...got studied by other lifeforms...

...made another new friend...

...avoided making some other friends, but did become nodding acquaintances...

...and conducted artistic research. (The business part of a lovely cross-town trip.)

Oh, and learned how to work the video part of the digital camera. Maybe I'll figure out how to edit it next, and share that, cause there's something special about an octopus moving. A bit creepy, a bit endearing.

What a great way to spend time we didn't know we would have.

(Just for the record, all of these shots were taken without a flash in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Not bad for a little Canon PowerShot (A550). That first one's a bit blurry, but how could I resist sharing that facial expression?)

Anthromorphic...

2008-01-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

... isn't my favorite word, although I couldn't say why. It seems a little creepy to me.

But what other word do you use to describe this map of Europe in 1870, and others in the same style? I've always liked maps like this.

The thesaurus offers "hominine" as an alternative, but who's ever heard that word before?

Whatever word you pick to say what the map is physically, I say it's also clever, impressive, and funny in spite of its subject matter, and made even more enjoyable by the blogger's interpretation (the whole blog is terrific, actually).

Found via a comment here, which in turn, was found via Google Alert.

He Brings Me Flowers

2008-01-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

Just one of the 8,432,094,837, 231, 212 + ways he makes me smile.

Just a Month Before Valentine's Day...

2008-01-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most romantic stories I've ever heard began to unfold this weekend in the south of France (in truth, of course, it began to unfold long ago, but it all started to come together with momentum on Friday). If you are looking for something to take your breath away, visit Corey Amaro's blog, Tongue in Cheek Antiques. Start here:

Blogger Turned Matchmaker

and follow the Typepad links at the top of the page to get to the next entries.

Never before have I paid so much attention to the lives of people I don't know, or waited anxiously for someone to write a new blog entry with such nervous, happy, joyous delight. I feel so lucky to have been a witness of sorts.

The Belle of the Ball

2008-01-14T06:38:00.000-08:00

French Toast Girl has a watercolor posted on her latest blog entry that is just beautiful. Go see...

Mapping the Imagination, Among Other Things

2008-01-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

If I hadn't just started a new job, you can bet I'd be in the car, on the way to Chicago to see the "Festival of Maps," a citywide exhibition that includes everything from some of J.R.R. Tolkien's maps of Middle-earth to the map Charles Lindbergh carried on his historic flight across the Atlantic to a 1920-ish "Ancient Mappe of Fairyland"* by Bernard Sleigh. It looks like I have mighty big shoes to fill. In fact, it is one of the great pleasures of this occupation, finding kindred spirits who have paved a path for me to explore. And another great joy is that each of us has a different world of the imaginary to map.

Read more about the festival here. Yes, I desperately wish I could go.

And now, I've just discovered, via Google Alert, this exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum:

Mapping the Imagination: This display includes maps made to inform or to entertain, maps enhanced by imaginative embellishments, maps that show imaginary places, and works in which artists have adapted map iconography to express their ideas and experiences of place.

Right up my alley, wouldn't you agree? At least it's not so painful to miss this one, since it's not as if I could hop in the car and drive on over to London. Someday, perhaps, someday. Some day, I'll have a little amphibious, solar-powered car with a galley, to boot, and London will be just a short drive away. In the meantime, if you're there, feel free to go on my behalf.

(Incidentally, this exhibit looks of particular interest to Etsyians, as well.)

*** UPDATE , WITH HYPERVENTILATION ***

With many thanks to the almost-anonymous Dean who left a comment below, I can now start planning a visit -- or dare I dream -- visits to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, sometime between March and June, to see that same exhibit currently at the Field Museum in Chicago. And it seems the city of Baltimore is planning a Festival of Maps in conjunction with the event. I'm so excited -- how could I not have known this? -- that I'm sitting perfectly still, lest I jump out of my skin and scare the cats (and trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to breathe slowly). That, my friends, is very excited.

I Always Dream in Color.

2008-01-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

And I think in color, too. I think in color and texture and temperature and, often, in musical notes, even though I am only an occasional musician. How do you think and dream?

Pantone has named a Color of the Year - Blue Iris - and French Toast Girl has asked her readers to choose their own Color of the Year. I think Blue Iris is an absolutely lovely color, soothing and rich and calming. It's serene, but it isn't a wimp by any means.

I might be content to leave it at that, but my belief is that this year will be full of movement and concentration, hard work and strength, and a certain kind of focused discipline, like that needed by dancers or athletes or concert pianists. Sometimes you're bruised or aching or exhausted, and you want to stay in bed all day, but you get up and get back to work. I don't expect that it will be the most relaxing or easiest of years, but I will live with my choices as richly and as fully as possible. So I have in mind that Residence Inn commercial with the trapeze artist:

My hope is that the hard work on my plate this year will pay off and I will be able to soar joyfully some day in the not-so-very-distant future. (Figuratively, not literally, although if Cirque du Soleil called me up and offered curtain-flying lessons, all bets are off.)

And so I choose that rich, full red of the drapes for my own color of 2008. (For the record, it seems to be Pantone 186.)

Now, what's YOUR choice for color of the year?

Until Next Year...

2007-12-31T14:55:00.001-08:00

As the (oh-so-proud) owner of a brand-new MacBook, I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to post here and visit you all much more often, and I am so excited. I feel like a whole new world is at my fingertips, even if my fingertips will have to re-train themselves to use a few new key combinations.

In the meantime, my friends, I wish you the very best in the
coming year. I hope it is a very happy year for you all, full of
delight and magic and incredible adventures. Thank you for making this year so wonderful.

A Joyful Holiday Season...

2007-12-20T20:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a month of exciting madness, with a wonderful onslaught of orders in my Etsy shop and the start of a new job, and because of those two things -- which, really, started on the exact same day, I know I've been very behind on both blog-posting and blog-visiting, but I just want to take a moment to wish you all the happiest of Christmases and holidays.

I promise I haven't forgotten you, my across-the-country and around-the-world friends. I'll be stopping by again soon. In the meantime, I hope that the rest of December is filled with glitter and starshine and wishes come true for you.

Merry Christmas!

Once a story-teller...

2007-12-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

I hereby nominate artlife's thread on the Etsy forums as the best Etsy forum thread ever. She asked sellers to make a story from their items. The posts are hugely entertaining, and I hope people will keep adding to this thread, because I want more stories to read! Go check it out...

Mine is:

paintandink says:

Last year, we went for a voyage on our little schooner:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7465581

To track the migration pattern of the orange-scaled sea serpent:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8262492

but the magnetic pole shifted, and we got lost:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8229254

and were shipwrecked on the perilous rocks of a forgotten island:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7463247

where we found lots of treasure and ate mangoes until we were rescued by a brig:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8055634

and dropped off in the Realm of Good Cheer:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8275028

where we bought ourselves a new schooner:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8261430

and some prime real estate, too:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8187242

And that's what I did on my summer vacation.

In other Interimaginational Institute news, it's been a whirlwind few weeks... one of my treasure maps (similar to the one here) was featured in the Etsy Finds newsletter (what an honor!), which set off an unexpected cascade of sales and kept me bustling on the afternoon of the very first morning of my new part-time job. It was quite mayhem-ish and sleepless here in the studio, but it was also oh-so-wonderful to feel so loved.

There are still plenty of wonderful items in the shop, though, and I'm working busily to replenish the "shelves," so please stop in and take a look. You may just find the perfect gift for your favorite swashbuckler, buccaneer, pirate, prince, princess, troubadour or story-teller.

Twenty Years Ago Today...

2007-12-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

... and about 13 hours ago from this moment, I was 12-going-on-13, sitting in a chair in a hospital room, finishing a Sweet Valley Twins book, waiting for my brother to arrive. I was lucky to be there when he was born.

And I am still lucky to have him for a brother. He's a lot taller than I am now, but I'm still proud to be his big sister. Happy Birthday, Vinnie.

The Artifying of Life

2007-11-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

I found this article about the role of art in human existence quite compelling:

The Dance of Evolution, or How Art Got Its Start
(The New York Times, Nov. 27, 2007)

I particularly liked this passage:

Art, she and others have proposed, did not arise to spotlight the few, but rather to summon the many to come join the parade — a proposal not surprisingly shared by our hora teacher, Steven Brown of Simon Fraser University. Through singing, dancing, painting, telling fables of neurotic mobsters who visit psychiatrists, and otherwise engaging in what Ms. Dissanayake calls “artifying,” people can be quickly and ebulliently drawn together, and even strangers persuaded to treat one another as kin. Through the harmonic magic of art, the relative weakness of the individual can be traded up for the strength of the hive, cohered into a social unit ready to take on the world.

I think it's particularly intriguing that Ellen Dissanayake, an "independent scholar" and the main subject of the article, does not have a doctorate (as the author points out), but has written books that are "considered classics among Darwinian theorists and art historians alike." I know nothing more about Ms. Dissanayake than what I read in this article, but to bring together such diverse groups of people and achieve recognition without those three little letters after one's name is an accomplishment that sets an admirable example and gives me hope.

If you'd like to read the article, hurry, because The New York Times archives them quickly.

Via Arts & Letters Daily, which I like so much, I made it my home page. It makes me feel so intellectual...

How to take a shortcut

2007-11-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

If you'd like to look at a whole selection of Etsy sellers at once, you can see a sampling of the wares for sale by a number of sellers in different categories here:

http://etsymini.blogspot.com/

It's a gallery of Etsy minis like this one of my own shop:

and I've submitted my shop for inclusion in the Art & Illustrations category.

It's a terrific way to see a wide variety of available items at a glance. Just click on a photograph to be taken to the page for that item, or click on the shopowner's name in blue beneath the items. Many thanks to the people who are volunteering their time and effort to maintain the site.

And don't forget that you can see more shop directories and read reviews of shops by customers at www.weloveetsy.com, including a review of my own shop, the Interimaginational Institute for Fantastical Exploration & Cartography.

And, before I launch into the 10,001 reasons you ought to buy handmade items this year, I'll give you my favorite: because handmade is as unique as it gets.

Curious What the Fuss is About?

2007-11-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

I talk a lot about Etsy on this site, but still I'm not sure that very many people know much about it, so here's two nutshells' worth (first someone else's nutshell, then my own nutshell).

Essentially, it's an online marketplace on which anyone can open shop as long as they are selling in one of three categories: handmade items (i.e. art, jewelry, pottery, furniture), vintage (over 20 years old), or supplies (beads, paper, yarn, etc.). The great focus is on handmade items, and you can find anything from a firepit for your backyard to a purse made from a hardcover Nancy Drew book to an original painting on gallery-wrapped canvas.

It is not an auction site; the prices are set by the seller. Just like Ebay, however, Etsy itself doesn't handle the actual payment, so once a sale is "completed" on Etsy, the buyer still must proceed with a payment method. Sellers offer a number of methods of payments, from PayPal to check to bank transfer (in Europe); most prefer PayPal (which has come a long way in recent years - you don't even need a PayPal account to use PayPal to pay with a credit card and the seller still won't have your credit card details).

There are some drawbacks: the search function is less than perfect, but still functional (the main catch being that if you wish to exclude things from your search, you must use the word "NOT" in front of a word, instead of a minus sign as you would on the Internet). And the features are not necessarily intuitive. Many have odd names and so you must explore them to figure out what they are (like Time Machine 2, which shows what has just been listed, and I think is the BEST way to get an overview of what's selling on Etsy, and Treasury, which is a great way to be introduced to new sellers and have someone else do the searching for the really cool items you might not find just browsing). If you're looking for something specific, the category list is probably the most basic way to find things.

Prices vary widely, so you can find something for any budget. And the quality of items for sale varies widely, too, sometimes even within one person's shop. But I think most people would be impressed at the way the average quality skews heavily in the direction of excellent, unbelievable, even awe-inspiring.

In short, Etsy is a fantastic place to do your holiday shopping. And although all prices are in U.S. dollars, it's not limited to U.S. residents; there are both buyers and sellers from all over the world. One of them might be your neighbor. And, with limitations, most people will ship all over the world too (the limitations mostly concern things like soap or perfume that might be prohibited in customs regulations).

If you're still wondering why you'd want to buy handmade, I'll answer that in an upcoming post. In the meantime, just go check Etsy out.

I See a Blue Star!

2007-11-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

I just snagged my first Etsy treasury as curator! I am so proud.

When you find yourself featured in an Etsy treasury, you'll see a gold star next to the name of the treasury (always a thrill). When you're an alternate in a treasury (so that if an item is sold, one of yours might take its place), you see a silver star (still a thrill). And now I can tell you, from first-hand experience, that as curator, you see a blue star.

All very exciting.

My treasury is called "Widdershins" and features the art of the members of Fantasy Artists of Etsy (FAE). Please take a look; it's one of the rare times you don't have to go clockwise or backwards to get to fairy land. All you have to do is click: Widdershins.*

* Don't click on the picture unless you want to go to Flickr. Flickr terms of service and all that.

Send out joy, and it comes back

2007-11-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

The first rewarding thing about being an artist is making things that make me happy. It is a wonderful feeling to see something - a kingdom, an ocean, a sea monster, a ship - come to life at my fingertips, saturated in color, or antiqued just so, and that's what keeps me going back to the drawing table.

But the second rewarding thing about being an artist is making things that make other people happy, and that's what keeps me putting my paintings out there for everyone else to see. I know it sounds cheesy, but I like to think I'm making the world a little bit more joyful, one painted map at a time.

So each time someone tells me, directly or indirectly, how much they like my paintings, it makes my day. It's that joy, coming back. This weekend, I was honored to learn that one of my customers submitted a lovely review of my shop and of the artwork she purchased to www.weloveetsy.com. You can read the review here: Etsy Shop Review of the Interimaginational Institute.

Gratitude

2007-11-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have had some kind of blogophobia lately. I have all these great post ideas in my head, which I compose eloquently and profoundly in my head at the gym, or in the car, or in line at 5 a.m. on Black Friday*, but have no time to sit and write them out while also shooting, editing and uploading photographs to perfectly illustrate my words.

Sorry.

But since it was Thanksgiving here yesterday, I just wanted to make sure that you all know just how grateful I am to have you, my blog readers and friends, in my life. You are all over the world and yet all somehow manage to stop by my studio for a chat, a hello, a laugh on a pretty regular basis, as if we were all just around the corner from each other. I am so glad to know you, whether or not I've ever met you in person. Thank you for being there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

*For those not here in the U.S., Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season, on which retailers offer crazy sales designed to bring the masses into their stores with their hard-earned cash. These sales usually involve such deep discounts that people have been known to camp out overnight to be first in line in the morning. Other people, not that much less insane, have been known to wake up at 4 a.m. just because a particular computer might have been knocked down $300, thus bringing untold gigabytes of speed and memory into the realm of possibility (for another member of the family). Those other people, or that other person, rather, after two hours in line, then had the good sanity to tuck said computer, self, and freshly purchased Starbucks into the car and hightail it home, safely avoiding the legendary automobile accidents that give the day its nickname and luckily avoiding the state troopers out preventing those same accidents by issuing speeding tickets.

Tuesday News Bulletin

2007-11-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

Only a few days until the Handmade Parade this Saturday in Norfolk -- I am so excited and, simultaneously terrified that I've forgotten to do something really important. I'll probably have dreams the night before like the ones I used to have before a big exam in college. You know, the ones where you oversleep and show up two days late, or show up empty-handed, or worst of all, show up naked. But I actually think it's going to be great fun, and I am looking forward both to peddling my wares again and to meeting other local artists and crafters.

If you are anywhere nearby - oh, say within a thousand miles or so - please do stop by and do a little shopping.* It isn't too soon to stock up on all your birthday gifts for next year, and it definitely isn't too soon to do a little holiday shopping. And what better gifts to give than handcrafted ones made with care and skill by people you can meet in person? I'm coming to believe that, along with turning off lightbulbs not in use, buying handmade might be one of the best things you can do to change the world.

In Etsy news, I have mentioned that I am proud to be a member of the Fantasy Artists of Etsy, and now I'm delighted to announce that my profile has been posted on the group's blog. You can check it out here, and learn some of the reasons I do what I do.

I'm also pleased to announce that I have created a portfolio at Trunkt, the Buyer's Guide to Independent Art and Design, a showcase of artists, artisans and fine crafters. My profile is here: www.trunkt.org/paintandink. It is a true honor to be accepted into Trunkt, because I have yet to see something on the site that isn't well-crafted and lovely.

* For your shopping convenience, I am now set up to to accept credit cards!

Balancing on Top of the World

2007-11-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Our weekend trip to western Virginia was lovely. We thought we would stay around Charlottesville for the night, but ended up driving through Lynchburg, which seemed strangely and eerily deserted until we reached the shopping malls outside of town, and then on to Roanoke, which was also strange in its own way. It's a cool little Eastern city, with the feel of a section plucked out of New York or Philadelphia, with clusters of of independent stores and restaurants. But since the streetlights didn't go on until about two hours after full darkness, even though the streets weren't exactly deserted, it felt surreal and other-worldly. When they did go on, the city became quite charming.

The next day we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway, the southern equivalent of Skyline Drive. It was a beautiful, foliage-filled drive, albeit a bit chilly and cloudy, and breathtaking in more than one way.

It truly is a ridge, far above the land, with non-guardrailed twists and turns 1800 feet above the valleys on either side. Breathtaking, indeed. Poor Al had to try to ignore my sharp gasps and my clutching whatever was close at hand every time we came to a turn. I'm sure there was plenty of room, but I make a much better driver than passenger.

The clouds, and a haze over the valleys, not to mention the photographer's ineptitude with her new camera, did not let the glorious, frootloopish colors show themselves off in their full glory. But never fear, I had my turn-everything-into-a-Maxfield-Parrish-scene sunglasses on. Let me demonstrate.

Without sunglasses:

With sunglasses:

We did leave the parkway for a little, descending into the valley below to see if we could find the Natural Bridge, which we somehow missed, but we found something else instead. Al suddenly said, "Was that Stonehenge up there on the hill?"

No, not Stonehenge. Foamhenge.

For the last stretch of our parkway drive, the sun came out for good, allowing for some nice rambles on short trails, and some cheerfully brighter photographs. A fantastic weekend getaway.