little update

I have just loads and loads of book reviews to start posting, been reading like a mad woman...

but first, I have done 3 new small original collages on canvas panel, they are all 5x7 in size. It has been ages since some small one of a kind pieces have been in my shop, so I am really excited about these. The first has already been listed and the others will be posted throughout the day.

xoxoxo

The Other side of Sleep-ville

Hello Dear Ones...

yes, I am alive...sorry for the hiatus but as some of you know I was awful sick last week with the flu.

yup, only I get the flu on Memorial Day weekend, and the first beautiful weather this city has seen since the fall.

So I spent the week with a really high fever and the worst sore throat possible. I did a lot of shivering and sleeping, lots and lots of sleeping. I combined the sleep regime with a healthy dose of watching bad "weather disaster" movies (you know how much I like to "theme it up), drinking my body weight in juice, and watching part of season 1 of "Square Pegs"

Which by the way...f-ing rocks, I remember watching it when I was a kid, and now it's even better, sure it's actually terrible, but in a good way. Though I admit to having a weak spot for any kind of "teenage" show, seriously, 90210 and Degrassi are the best!

So anyway, that has been my life, bad tv, good naps, combined with good tv and bad naps.

All said, I am better now, I knew I just had to let myself get through it, and sleep was the only way.

So, those of you who are waiting on orders to be shipped...I am so sorry for the delay, they will all be shipped out today.

So...........................now that the talk of sickness is done, how are all of you?? I have been trying to keep busy with more of my 500 pieces series. I had done a lot of work preparing ephemera and painting small papers before I was sick, so I was still able to start piecing things together while almost bedridden. It was a great way to keep getting a little work done without having to spend the hours standing up at my art table....which I have been away from for so long it feels...I am longing to get back to painting on canvas again, but at the same time I think some of the newer pieces are some of my best ever.

I have been trying to be good and update my flickr account with the new pieces, but in case you have no seen them, here are a few today on the blog.

enjoy

another day

morning!

sorry for the lack of blog yesterday, I really intended on a celeb letter yesterday but then got caught uo with packaging and then most of the day was filled yet again with little doggy drama.

Scribble had to go in for shots yesterday so he was a mess when he came home, groggy and clingly...later in the day my bubs and I decided we should cut his nails while he was still out of it...yes he hates it but we figured we should do all the bad stuff in one day and get it over with.

Well while cutting his nails he freaked, lots of scared whimpering. It was hard to watch and my poor bubs who was cutting his nails was dealing with that and wrestling him into place. To keep him calm I gave him a special training treat that he likes to lick....so he was nervously licking and licking when all of a sudden....another tooth fell out.

The poor beast is falling apart.

so once all that was said and done he just wanted to cuddle and frankly so did I, I will be honest.

Oh and for the record....my blog will not just become "cute things my dog does" stories, well...sometimes it will but not always, I do have some self control so will try my hardest not to add funny text to my pictures of le pup.

photos today are some of my newer pieces listed yesterday in my etsy shop, today I will once again be working on some more art cards, you see I had them stocked up but seeing as people get an art card with every purchase of my book, they dwindled fast.

ok....and on book news, book #2 has already sold half it's print run, so that means there will only be 10 more printed of this volume, so those of you who might want it, let me know to hold one or snag it now. Book 3 is already put together and will be coming out soon too, I am stifling the urge to release it right away, I am always so excited about them that I can hardly keep it all in.

ok, now to work, to work.

hope you are all having a god day, it's going to be almost 45 here today...I can feel spring aching it's way back into my life.

xoxo

a conversation between me and my blog

me- so...how are you? I'm sorry I haven't been around much

blog- whatever, it's no big deal

me- no I really am sorry, I can tell your mad

blog- I'm not mad, I just feel like whatever we had...it's over

me- it's not over, I just have a lot going on right now

blog- and there's no room for me

me- I didn't say that, I'm here right now, right?

blog- out of guilt

me- not out of guilt, I missed you.

blog- really

me- yeah, of course I did

blog- I missed you too

me- things will get back to normal you'll see, it's just been a rough couple of weeks, the puppy was sick and things are busy at my shop, hey...I'm planning a big shop update, later today and tomorrow.

blog- really? that sounds cool, and you're letting me in on it first.

me- of course I am

blog- so we're good.

me- yeah, we're good.

****sorry, I am insane. In all seriousness, there are lots of cool things coming to my shop, including, new originals, new art cards, new prints, new collage blocks...and even...Mixed Emotions II, seeing as Mixed Emotions I is almost sold out. keep checking back over the next few days and you will see it all.

I feel like Mary Tyler Moore

Good morning,

ok, this is it, the beginning of a new me, I know, I know....it's not new years but I am easing into things, starting with this morning.

you know what I did...I danced for a half hour....and my body is not used to it anymore and it really hurt, but now, now I feel good.

you see after my knee surgery so many years ago and all the pain that came with it and followed, I stopped dancing, afraid that I would hurt myself...but you know what, I think that was more an excuse, I think it was less fear of pain and more fear of looking ridiculous and with that cams bad body image stuff and the like, but today, I turned the mirror around so I could not see myself, and I danced.

baby steps.

so that in and of itself is good, and I am really going to focus on some creating today, and worry about packaging a little later, you see my wonderful bubs is helping me with that, so it will no longer take the whole day...YAY!!

so, did you all have a wonderful weekend??? Ours was filled with mean cheesiness...and yes our Christmas Tree is still standing!!! She did wake up at 12:30am on Sunday morning, shortly after my bubs and I finally got to sleep, she was awake for most of the night after that, with no concept of time she does not really get that she is awake in the middle of the night. She was not feeling well either, she kept signing "ouch" and pointing at her ear, and head...poor thing.

So yesterday we took it easy we were having lunch when all of a sudden we heard sirens, tons of them, and shouting and lots of noise, it was like we were living back in the ghetto...looking out our side window we could see people rushing out of their homes...what the hell is happening, we of course figured something was on fire so rushed to the front porch and you know what we saw?????

a parade, going right by our door, marching bands, the most pathetic floats you have ever seen (seriously they were just people in the back of a pick up truck wearing Santa Hats), cheerleaders, more bands and then finally...SANTA.

kick ass.

My bubs and I were more excited than the mean cheese who could care less really....but come on, Santa drove by our f-ing house.

sweet.

next year I told my bubs we should get a float because it would surely kick all the other floats asses, he told me that was not "the spirit of Christmas" but you know...that did not sway me.

ok, now to get some work done, I am sorry I have been a bad blog friend lately....I have been very busy with orders and the like..

xoxoxo
j

Thursday's Top Five

(I know, it seems a lot of my posts lately have involved lists of some sort)

1- My bubs has recently "winterized" our bed adding tons of "new" (by new I mean out of the closet) blankets and making the room all cozy, you see in this giant old house we are living in well....it's freezing. Normally I am not one to have the heat on yet but I have already turned it on, and the way the vents work, the upstairs just does not seem to be warm...ever, but....THE BED, is now cozy. Truthfully it makes it even harder to leave the bedroom, but in a good way.

2- Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, after years and years of "meaning" to read this book, I finally am, and it is every bit as satisfying as I thought it would be, every page is filled with word candy and mood. Love it, LOVE IT!!

3- Still watching Scary Movies in November....yup, my bubs and I did not have nearly enough time to watch all the scary movies we wanted to in October so last night we curled under some blankets and watched The Descent....and um, wow......truly frightening, not just creepy but horrifying in so many ways, though really that movie should be called, "Don't ever go into caves, ever, EVER"

4- Surprises in the mail, yup yesterday during a visit to the PO I was surprised to find a large parcel waiting for me...a certain lovely woman dwelling in beautiful Northern Africa, Maryam, sent me a fashion magazine from Marrakesh, as well as some wonderful mags from Paris. I was screaming and screaming. I love getting random fashion magazines in the mail, it truly is the way to my heart.

5- I love my neighborhood!! I have alluded to it before, but really I am in love with this town, every day when we are out and about there are so many very active senior citizens that it touches my heart, they ride bikes, they walk every where, and at sometimes (well, most really) they seem to be living life far more than I am. That at once makes me sad for myself but really happy for them. So they are my inspiration this week, well, and almost every week.

so there you have it, my Thursday top five list....and now because I feel as though I have not shown any work in my blog for a while...I did add a few new collages to this post, for eye candy.

hope you have a fabby day.

well...

Happy November everyone!!

As some of you may or may not know this month is that National Blah Blah month, or as it is really called, National Blog Writing Month, meaning everyone who has signed up has "pledged" to write a blog entry every day.

so here it is, November 1st and here is my first one.

So, I know I have been the world's worst blogger lately but I am sure you all understand there has been a lot going on.

Our party was a wonderful success, and no......I got no pictures, it was one of those things where I never really had the chance to run upstairs and get my camera and by the time I had the chance, well....I was too drunk.

You see my bubs made this wonderful punch, Rum,vodka, and tequila with fresh 3 berry juice to take away the horrible taste of the tequila.

perfection in punch form.

We have also been spending a lot of time with Bruce, which I am hoping has been helping him. Last night was the one week anniversary of Carol's passing, so he came to our place to spend trick or treat with us.

It was good to see him smile at times, but the overwhelming devastation in his face is haunting, purely haunting. I am constantly reminded of how strong he is being, if it were me, well I really don't know how I could go on. Perhaps I am not as strong as I think I am.

So, we watched Pan's Labyrinth which I had never seen...........................I am speechless when it comes to that movie, just awe...pure awe.

It is both wonderful and vicious, innocent, and evil, truly everything your best fairy tale should be.

so, in short, see it if you have not.

also...in shop news. I spent a good part of yesterday at the print company getting my limited edition prints made, our printer is so nice he spent time with me as I obsessed over each piece, saying "does this look too pink, I think it might be, can you make it less pink", and "this one needs a touch more yellow, so it glows more, can that happen, just a little more yellow"

and so on, and so on.

But he did them and they are lovely and I have already listed two of them in my shop and the rest will be listed throughout the day.

Keep in mind that they are VERY limited, only 10 made of each.

ok, this has been enough babble for now, you can see the photos of the prints in the blog entry below this one.

see you all tomorrow.

xoxoxo
j

...

Hello dear ones.

well, I was very very close to taking a mental health day today, but I am going to post what's in my head anyway.

So....last night Keith and I found out that a good friend of ours is going to die very soon, she has been battling and struggling with cancer for the past several years, but her battle is almost over and there is nothing left to be done.

I am heartbroken for her, for her poor wonderful husband who has become the surrogate father I needed since mine died...I feel bad for her Mom who should not have to bury her child, and for her son who in his way will always need his mom.

I am overwhelmed with the fact that of all the people in the universe this is a person that should not have gotten sick...bad things should just not happen to good people.

I'm sorry, I am very down today, I don't like to bring that melancholy here to my blog but sometimes I have to, I have to open the door so you can see what is inside, and you see dear friends, what is inside is a bit of a mess right now.

I am feeling very Victorian and melancholy today, the rain is not helping at all, as it still looks like night out, and it's making my knee hurt so bad I can barely walk.

sigh....

in other brighter news...

I promised a bit of a little shop announcement and here it is. Withing the next several days I will be listing the most adorable mini blank note cards. The measure 2 inches x 2 inches and would make lovely little gift enclosures or gift tags, the best part about them is that they will come with lovely little handmade envelopes, all made with antique papers.

I could just die....little cards and little envelopes....breathtaking. You know my love of stationery, so those should be soon.

Also.................this is still maybe a month or so away, but definitely before the holidays, I will have a small collection of reproduction prints available in my shop as well, all made with copyright free images...very Victorian and lovely (well in my head they are, you see I do need to get my butt in gear to get these done) but I have talked with a printing company close to me and have seen some samples and their fine art prints are lovely. I am hoping that I can charge around $10 for an 8x10 print...hopefully.

ok, well that's it for today, the images listed are a few of my current pieces that are all still available and listed in my shop, also coming later on today are more of the American Cancer Society Donation cards, as I have been sold out for a couple days.

xoxoxo

Am I ready for this?

Hello....

so this morning I wake up a little groggier than I should be, you see last night I was so exhausted after partying liek and Olsen Twin the night before, but....................I decided (cough..had to...cough) stay up late to watch the Red Sox last night.

so morning came a little early for me, and now here I am behind the gun on everything. You see I spent yesterday working on commission work, and getting research ready for a couple more cutom pieces...yes, I do research.

I am a dork like that....so yesterday a lot of the day was spent getting back in touch with my inner Desdemona and floating around in my head in the world of Othello...

Oh I love it, this...THIS is why doing what I do is the best thing in the world.

The next two custom projects are going to be done next week as today needs to be spent packaging things (hopefully the rain will stop for the first time this week so I can get to the post office) and then preparing the house for the mean cheese invasion.

yes, the mean cheese is coming, the mean cheese is coming....

so....in my shop I have been holding steady at 1498 sales for the past 18 hours or so....and frankly the anticipation of hitting 1500 is all but driven me batty I tell you. I feel like somehting HUGE is going to happen when I hit 1500, like the ceiling will give way and I will have confetti and balloons raining down on me.

chances are...something huge will happen, but it will be far more exciting to the person who is #1500 than for me....think big people, this is a huge milestone....what kind of goody package will the lucky person get???

It will be amazing, trust me on this...original art (perhaps 2 pieces...a diptych!!) Some art cards, a mirror, a ring...

and more than anything else, my love and gratitude.

I know....amazing huh???

with that I will leave you, must package, must clean, must get a mad dash of creating done before the cheese gets here.

(photos today are from a brand new altered mixed media book I have in my shop, called "The Castle Maiden's Song)

PS- HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEIRD AARON!!!!!!!!!!! I miss you!!!!!

um....

SO I could not even think of a snappy title, a catchy little something that grabs your attention, makes you giggle and then read on...

so without a snappy title, really, that does not bode well for the rest of this blog entry, what's a girl to say when a girl's got nothing to say.

Wait................I just want to say thank you (I do a lot of thanking you on this blog), thank you all for the great response to the aceos that I am doing for The American Cancer Society, all the ones listed are once again sold out, but there will be more today, it really warmed my heart that they sold so fast, you know it's the little things like this that restore my faith in humanity.

So, last night was a rough one for me, I was up most of the night with breathing problems, but seem to be doing better now, things seemed to calm down around 3:30am for me and I got a couple of good hours rest. My poor bubs though every day time I would cough he would wake up and rub my back, see THIS is why I hate getting sick at all.

So, do you all have fabulous plans this weekend?? Now that it is really starting to feel like fall around here I am so in the mood to go walking into town for some sort of hot alcoholic beverage and antiquing...you know?

Like, hot cider with whiskey....now, I know I can just make that in my own home, but there is something I just love about going out and about on cool nights...

with that I will leave you all...as I drift into daydreams about fall....have you noticed the colors I am using are getting very fall like???

these are some of my newest pieces, the first one id a small framed aceo set,and the other is a diptych done on stretched canvas.

They are both available in my shop

front page news

bear with me darlings, I am sick as hell...this will be lackluster as best.

my throat=sore
head=killing me
energy level= not there.

So after I do this bloggy blog I am heading to the couch there is daytimetv that needs to be watched while I sip on juice and feel sorry for myself....I am hoping if I sleep most of the day away I will get the energy to take care of the mean cheese when she arrives.

yup...fear not for me, this is standard...usually it happens in September but seeing as it's been so very hot my normal fall plague was pushed back a bit.

ugh

One thing that was pleasant though was the fact that last night I logged into etsy and there I was on the front page....and the day before when I logged into trukt, I was a featured profile there.

It was so exciting, it really helped to ease the tension I was feeling this week.

ok, back to bed I go....

and the winners are....

good morning everyone!!

ok so I will just cut to the chase.....thank you all for commenting here and on myspace...also for those of you who made purchases in the past few days.

That being said I have been up for a while writing all your names on little pieces of paper...lol....

so the winner of the 8x10 collage is.......(those dots are a drumroll) AARON!!!!!!! this should make you happy Aaron, as last time you created a stink saying that the contest was "rigged"

ok and the winner of the 8x8 collage will be...............................CHICKENBELLS!!!

Congrats to both of you, I will contact you later today about the contest!!

Did you all have lovely weekends?? Mine was good, filled with some cool creating and some sleeping in time on Sunday....

as some of you may have noticed I snuck some new merchandise into my shop over the weekend, Saturday I listed a couple sets of blank cards featuring my art, I was not sure how well they would do, so I only made a couple sets....and I was pleasantly surprised to say that each set sold out within minutes of me listing them, so.....I have made a couple more sets, so today at 2:00pm EDT, I will list them...

also....my rings and stickers and hair pins are finally here, I'm telling you it was like Christmas waiting for these, and it was worth the wait. The new button set is wonderful as are the stickers...but the best possible things are the rings and the hair pins, I have only listed one of each so far, but they are amazing. The quality is superb!!!

(thanks to kittycrossbones.etsy.com for the wonderful work, I recommend that you all use her if you need any promo items made, just drop my name, trust me do it, it will make you feel all "Hollywood" to name drop)

I am feeling a bit anxious this morning and I am leery to talk about it too much here, no need to air dirty etsy related laundry all over the place....no this is NOT an etsy bashing post, not at all, I love etsy. I am just having minor (major problems) with another seller right now and it is leaving me distracted and raw....as if someone is trying to steal a part of my very soul.

(I know, I am the queen of melodrama)

anyway, I have lots and lots to do this morning, including packaging some lovelies and making a trek to the PO before the rains set it.

see you all tomorrow when I promise my undivided attention to you...:)

Middle Name Game

(idea ripped right out of my friend Steph's blog...because this is post #299, and hell I can;t think of a new idea all the time)

technically this is a tag, so if you like this idea, tag yourself!!!

ok, my middle name is Anne (yes with an E, like Anne Of Green Gables, or probably more fitting Anne Boleyn)

so technically my full Name is Jennifer Anne, but saying Anne as my middle name is just easier.

A- ok let's start with the obvious, A is for art, or artist, which is me, and most of the people in my life I would consider artists of some sort, whether they be musicians, writers, jewelry designers etc. Being creative was always by strongest desire (besides snacking and shopping, but I don't have any of those letters in my name). When I was small my energy and complete focus was on dancing, which later changed to a love of theater, now I am both a visual artist and a sometimes lackluster writer.

N- Nervous, yup...it's not glamorous but it's the truth, I am an awfully nervous person, about everything, from the moment I wake up until I sleep....there is always a little worry in my head. I am very jumpy at times and shriek out when scared, I am a disaster in a car....and if my bubs is late coming home I become a small wreck. I have been like this since I was a child, and my mom would be late from work or Bingo, I would be waiting at our window, half convinced there had been a terrible accident....I know, how morbid.

N- um....my first thought was to say Neurotic here but I don;t want all of you thinking I am a total whack job head case, so instead I am going to say.....Night owl...well I used to be a night owl, now I am old and tired and am usually asleep by 1:00am, I would be asleep sooner than that but you see, I need to read at night before bed, and I love words, words and books, and stories....love them. I read like my friend Tara said "as if books were being banned"....I get very caught up and usually my eyes are all watered up and rolling back in my head before I finally give in, and lose the good fight of being awake.

E- Excitable...yes the same word that can be used to describe a small tea cup yorkie can also be used to describe me, I am very excitable, even some may say...a spaz. For those of you who have had the pleasure/humiliation of hanging out with me in real life know that I am in truth, a small child. I yell, I shout, when I am excited or something is fabulous or outrageous for words, I scream....yup, scream, not very loudly but loud enough....and this can happen anywhere, grocery store, bar, post office, library...yup even movie. I have also been know at comic conventions to get very excited while talking to creators, being a fan girl and such....I have seen a couple get a little freaked out by me, and my excitement and seem to almost (and literally) take a step back from the table, just to try and flee from me, as I go on and on about how "human you made the Hulk seem".

YAY

so that's that, feel free to steal this idea and use it as well.....so as I said this is blog post 299, and tomorrow is 300, I am also at sale 1399....so it is "this close" to hitting my milestones, so this might be the very last day for my "Blog Love" 20% off sale...

just sayin.

oh so what are we doing tomorrow for the 300th post???? Well, I planned nothing, but now I will have a little blog party, feel free to leave festive and faux drunken comments at your leisure.

The piece today is a 4 piece collage set, called Becoming Cleopatra, it is available in my shop.

until tomorrow

xoxo

Saturday Night Special Sales

Happy Saturday Everyone.

Just wanted to let you all know I am running a Saturday Night Special sale in my shop.

All Fashion Illustrations are Buy One Get One Half Off (new pieces added)
15% off the rest of my shop!

Just write SNS in the message to seller section and I will send you an adjusted invoice!

Sale runs until 6:00am Eastern Time.

xoxoxoxo
jenn

New Pieces And Saturday Night Sale

Happy Day before Easter everyone, I will be doing my taxes all weekend but I wanted to pop in real quick and show you some new stuff....and to announce my Saturday Night Special.

Take 20% off everything in my shop....

I was going to try and make the sale more imaginative, but alas...taxes have taken all that is good and lovely away from me.

Just make sure to write SNS in the message to seller section and wait for me to send you a new invoice.

The discount applies to everything in my shop, and lasts until 6:00am EST.

Happy shopping, and Happy Easter.

here are the new pieces...

a little of this and a whole lot of that.

morning strangers

oh, thank you all for playing along with the letters, I especially loved Karen Beth's letter to Quentin Tarrantino this week, especially the part about him being "gnomish".

good adjective.

ok, so this morning I am in a total haze....every Wednesday I go out with my bubs to a bar, the place is great, the bartender awesome...it's all good.

Except...the bar has just that...a giant old tree growing through the building, yes...through the building. I should bring my camera to get a photo of me and the tree...but anyway.....I digress.

For those of you who know me, you know that I am the queen of all things "allergy related". Which in short means I really, really, really belong in a plastic bubble.

So, being anywhere that a tree is growing, not so good, especially in Spring, also they still allow smoking in said establishment....since there is a "state wide smoking ban" I am not sure how this works...but who am I question such things.

Anyway because of said environmental hazards by the time we leave there at 1:00am ish I am always an allergic mess, having to stay up until 3:00 or so in the morning constantly sneezing and waiting for the few whiskey drinks I had to wear off so I can take some allergy medicine without fear of dying in my sleep, like poor dead Anna Nicole Smith.

so, my point being...if I seem "fuzzy" this morning, that is why.

So, last night while at said establishment, we were "lucky" enough to see some people perform that we missed last week, this couple is like the very opposite of everything I like...the woman, had giant 1980's hair, a tank top, plastic pants, and a giant Native American Inspired necklace, and her playmate was all decked out in white pants and a white sweater....she was all slutty and dancing around like she has seen too many Guns and Roses videos and she is channeling her inner Axel Rose....but to my surprise when they started singing.....THEY WERE CHRISTIAN ROCKERS!!!!!!!!!!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

since when is dressing like a whore part of the praising Jesus thing?

Am I missing part of the Easter ritual...? Am I?

So anyway, it was a horrible train wreck, Keith could barely look at them, i on the other hand could not look away....eeek.

I intended to blog today about the wonderful mail and not so wonderful mail I have been getting this week, but I think I will save that for tomorrow as I am still waiting for some goodies to arrive that have not.

It's strange, I ordered a bunch of magazines off ebay, 2 are shipping from within the US, and another from Greece...the one from Greece got here, and not the ones from the US....

our post office system sucks, that is all I have to say about that.

so anyway, more on the "mail orgasm" tomorrow.

So the other day it was 80 degrees and then yesterday it started to snow, and is borderline painfully cold....

Though, some of you know I have a weakness for Spring Snowstorms, it seems only fitting that I listed this piece, it was done in conjunction with the Creative Challenge on Etsy.

the theme this week was to do something based on a secret about your self. (sorry for those of you who read this story on the forums, but I felt I should put it here too).

Several years ago I flew to Columbus for the first time to be with my bf for a visit, I had at that point in time known him for 12 years and we had been breaking each others hearts that entire time.

When my visit was done, it was near impossible to leave, and to say goodbye...we were in my hotel room and I refused to let him bring me to the air port, I refused to even really say goodbye. In fact after hours of crying I basically told him he just needed to go, or else I would not be able to leave and go back home (something I felt I needed to do).

SO he left....and I sat in my room and realized I had made a mistake, I left the room and ran to try and stop him but it was too late, I was standing outside on an early spring morning, and it was snowing.

When I got back to NH (my home) I called him and told him that I was coming back to Columbus and I was never going to leave again.

We have been together since.

I have never told anyone that story.

The piece is titled "Into You Goes Everything I Know"

ok, now I really must dash off, I have a ton of nonsense to do and my day is going to be completely thrown off because I have to go to the dreaded doctor later on today.

yuck.

the saving point of today.....I am working on 2 new block sets that I am very excited about...

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Jenn

Obsessions and the like

Welcome to Friday~~~

it has been rainy in scenic Columbus for what feels like forever, which has put me in the mood to curl up eat some cakes, and nap, nap, nap.

but alas, I have packaging to be done, blogs to be written, and houses to be child-proofed in preparation for the mean cheese arrival this weekend.

First order of business today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIMEE!!!!! (I am pretty sure it's today). You should all heads on over tp her blog and wish her well!

Yesterday I mentioned that the one and only Jody sent me a documentary about Gia. I watched it yesterday, and I cannot thank her enough!! It was wonderful, filled with photos I had never seen before, as well as a wonderful interview with legendary make up artist as well as Gia's former lover, Sandy Linter. Sandy is still white hot, and oozes with Debbie Harry cool!

awesome.

Also a prolonged interview with Francesco Scavullo was also totally amazing. When I was little I would stare at the covers of Cosmopolitan and just wish I could look like those girls, what I did not realize then, was that Scavullo was shaping the way I viewed "pretty".

Anyway, the documentary was amazing, and now I am even more convinced that if I was a dead, heroin addicted, lesbian super model from the 1970's...I would so be Gia.

I included today one of the wonderful images from her photo shoot with Helmut Newton, as well as an aceo I have of her in my shop, which features a very early pre NYC modeling days of Gia.

I also need to talk about how excited I am about a couple of things, first my darling friend Karen Beth has decided to do a zine, it is still in the very early planning stages, but she has asked me to do a cover for it, I will be collaborating with the adorable Lou from "art and ghosts" on the project.

I have been mentoring Lou over on etsy, and she is not only wonderful as a person, but just eerily talented, if you have not seen her work, you need to. I am in love with her photos, but she also does some wonderful work with doll imagery which is just fascinating.

While talking with her we realized we had a mutual love for the movie "Picnic at Hanging Rock" which I have not seen in years, but it is one of my favorite genres of movies "anything about a boarding school".

SO anyway, the darling said she would send me a copy of the movie....YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now it's all I can think about!!

Oh and if you have the chance, your should check out the wonderful Tina's cute blog over on myspace, she decided to feature me as her shop of the week, which was a wonderful surprise when she asked.

I have a special sale going on her blog so you can go check it out to get the code if you are interested...

I got to see my friend Diana last night briefly, we met so we could look through my book, my book being my small portfolio of little collages, while she was picking out the pieces she would be taking, she told me how her son's Godfather had just returned home from Paris, where he picked up a new magazine foe me.

I was just thrilled, I don;t know which one it is, but it does not matter at all!!!!! As you all well know, I have a bit of a magazine, problem.

So I am coming up on a bunch of milestones that will be happening in the coming weeks, I am almost at 150 blog posts, 800 items sold on etsy, and my one year mark on etsy too...it's a lot going on all at once, you can expect me to get all generous and crazy with goodies with purchases, like Willie Wonka or some such nonsense, but instead of the oompa loompas, we just have the mean cheese.

that's all for now loves, until next time.

xoxo

* * *

good morning...

uh oh....this does not bode well, when I went to type a cute title for this morning's post...I had nothing, total and complete writers block.

apologies in advance if this goes astray somewhere.

So yesterday I wrote too soon about how well I was feeling because no sooner than I was done typing when I got very sick again, though by about 11 or 12 I was feeling better and was able to work all day!!

That was the first day that I was able to work all day, no time to lie down and read, just work, work all day.

It was also the first days I did not have any kind of creative block, in fact there was not enough time to do all I wanted to do.

So, though I have writers block thins morning, I seem to be over (knock wood) my creative block.

I stayed up to the wee hours last night finishing "The Other Boleyn Girl" and I am still very much caught in its spell...I need a new book, and quick.

I am hoping my bubs and I will be able to head out later to find something for me...we have a zillion things to do, none of which are fun, all of which involve going to places we hate (Post Office...Bank...grocery store).

So please, let the book suggestions come rolling in!! I will tell you honestly that I am leaning towards just getting another of Patricia Gregory's books, because I am totally enthralled with the whole "court" books, and I am thinking that I might need to read her book about Elizabeth I...though I would really like to read about Marie Antionette too, so here's your chance...load me up with suggestions.

also please take into consideration that I will be going to a used book store to buy the book, so nothing that just came out please.

I know two people told me to get The Time Travelers Wife, but I will be honest...when I saw the word time travel...I was really put off, I know , I know...I shouldn't be.

OK book guidelines...

NO science fiction
NO fantasy (though I do like King Arthur kinds of things)
NO romance
NO bad Horror (Dean Koontz and Steven King I am talking to you)
NO books that could be made into Lifetime movies...so no women getting beat by their hubby's then finding strength to move on...
NO HARRY POTTER (I am not dissing the potter, but I just don't want it)

I do like historical fiction especially things that are "class dramas", I am fascinated with all of that.

I also like books about the fashion industry (duh).

Oh, and speaking of "class" I am thinking of retiring my Prada Purse for the summer, yes, I know it's a shock to me too...but I am leaning towards getting something hand made at etsy, though I have no money....so I believe that I might offer up original artwork as a trade for a cute bag.

If that doesn't work, I will sell my soul for an adorable purse.

so yesterday I spent most of the day working on the piece I have shown here...this was just a quick photo of it I took last night, it is listed in my etsy shop . It is called "Lavinia".

I sketched out the idea before I started but as I was doing it I was feeling really good about it, proud of the fact that it was different than what I have been doing lately, it feels good to be trying something new, though when I was making it all I could think was "what if people hate it", I usually don;t think things like that, I did show this piece to darling Aimee last night and she gave it a wonderful response so I am feeling better about it now.

ok, tomorrow we are writing to celebrities, so get your thinking caps on my lovelies.

until then, a million kisses and a million hugs.

wait...where did the weekend go?

good morning strangers!!

ok, where the hell did the weekend go? no, seriously....it's gone and I hardly remember it.

First, I want to say a big thank you to all the people who gave me well wishes during my plague...I am feeling a bit better, though totally run down, not sure what I have or even if it's gone, luckily I have my bubs, and I have been able to give myself over to a book.

The Other Boleyn Girl

(thanks again to Karen Beth for loaning me the book)

I know I talked about it the other day, but seriously, seriously...oh, my god...it is so good!!

I have been in that world for days, every chance I get!! Thank god it was about 700 pages, I am almost done...I feel like when I am done it will be like losing a limb, I am that attached to it right now.

ok, enough about the book.

Saturday Keith worked crazy hours and then by the time he got home he was so tired, I managed to get a teensy bit of work done, but I did get a bunch of things packaged to go to the PO...then on Sunday we started to do out TAXES...argh!

Well, I should not complain, we a re a bit more organized this year and all, and in reality Keith did all the hard work yesterday, all the totaling, and adding of all the papers (am I impressing you with my business speak?). I will be left to fill out forms and the like for the actual forms.

We are lucky though, as this will be the last year that we have to file for the comic shop. YAY!!!

I really can't stress that YAY, enough.

I tried in vain last night to organize my collage supplies, thinking that not knowing where anything was, played a part in the creative block....

all I have to say is, my goodness I have a ton of bits and pieces.

I only got about 1/3 of the way through it before I just had to stop, I was so tired and bored of it, plus I was aching to get back into my book.

Oh, sorry to be all over the place, but you all HAVE to go look at Gillian's blog, she is finally showing some photos of the Corset she is designing using imagery from one of my paintings, it is delicious. I am showing one photo here, because I just HAD to, but you need ot go there to see the rest!!!

ok, now I must get some work done, I have not gotten anything accomplished in days and days...

well, I did get a few pieces done over the weekend, including one piece that the lovely Michelle snatched up right away after I featured it on Saturday, as well as this small collage, titled, "Will I Wear This Dress"

I also just listed "I Have Words For You" which features a cool fashion illustration.

I have it listed in my etsy shop.

until tomorrow lovelies, in which you will read a post about how much I loved the book which I will no doubt finish tonight, so get your thinking caps on, I might be asking for book suggestions.

xoxo

Saturday Night Special Sale

Hello strangers...

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!

Tonight in my shop I am taking part in the Saturday Night Specials, starting at 5:00 Eastern Time and Running through 6:00am, I will have the following sales.

Please make sure to write SNS in the message to seller section and I will send you a new invoice.

30 % off all pieces in my paintings section

20% off all pieces in my sale section

Art cards and pendants BOGO, buy one and get one half off (you can mix and match)

Happy shopping!!

xoxo~ Jenn