This Week :: a link and list post 1

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1. Hudson came to town. We all gathered at Irene and ate good food (onion stuffed roasted chicken that Hudson earned for a day's work on a farm, beets, french bread, gazpacho and some cherry tomatoes from our garden). Then, standing around on the huge front porch talking and laughing I thought there were surely enough couples for a dance. We danced this one until my shoes fell apart. Literally. And it was nice to catch up with Hudson. He gave me a really good idea for the upcoming school year.

2. James and I got sucked into Firefly. We did a week-long marathon, watching an episode or two (or three!) a night. Shiny! But it's a gorram shame it got cancelled. Shiong mao niao! (It's not as bad as it could be though, thanks to this.)

3. Summer Project Update: I made three awesome book covers. Th'ain't completely finished, but they are pretty much there. Just some tweaks and off to print!

4. I bought a bikini. It looks like an American flag, it's from Wal-Mart. This is the kind I am used to wearing. Got tired of weird tan lines.

5. Have you looked at my tumblr page lately? I changed it. If you click on a picture, you might see more than is on the main page. Enjoy.

A Week

Although I had only planned on taking that one day off, I ended up being sick all week. Gosh, I've just been totally out of it!

But I kept up with my project for the week and should be able to print out the three book covers I'm working on by this weekend. I'll also be printing the cd cover at that time. Don't worry, I'll show you how they turn out.

Taking A Day Off

It's really hard to stop and not do anything for awhile. The kids are napping and I have a head cold. I spent the first hour of their naps (the part when they aren't asleep and they keep making too much noise and asking for stuff) pacing and wanting to work on this or that but feeling winded at just the thought. Sheesh, even typing that run-on sentence wore me out!

Ok, that does it. I'm going to sit on the couch with Rocket and watch a movie.

Tomatoes!

It's been raining too much for us to have the best crop this year. But still, some good cherry tomatoes have grown in our little backyard garden. Bea is so into this. She harvested some this morning and already ate her favorite one! Here she is bright and early.

There was a fat little bunny in the garden this morning. I saw him when I was fixing the coffee and hollered out the window. He ran off, but came back a few minutes later. Guess we'll have to put up a scarecrow. 

Drawing Lines

I love the first track of James' upcoming album. Draw a Line in the Sand (and watch us wipe it away).

This week, my project has been designing a look for this album that works as an unconventionally packaged CD, translates to standard vinyl size and also could be rearranged as a show poster. I am really inspired by vintage books covers and "vintage inspired" contemporary typefaces. (I found some here!)

The album is an exciting collection of raucous, spirited, sing-along/shout-along protest songs.

Here is the in-progress cover:

The design wraps around so that there are two flaps making up the back cover wherein the disc itself shall rest.

I am kind of excited about these fonts. They are newly designed from the co-op linked above, available for a name your price deal. 

Ok, well, I'll be the first to admit that I have a long way to go. Of course, I am aware that trying to complete a project a week is ambitious. But I'm still on it!

Amby's Work

My son is so particular about his toys tools. He collects parts and puts them together. A lot of times, he can't get them to go just right and he asks me to "fix it." I have no idea what he wants. This takes up a lot of our time.

This is what he does all day, every day.

Blocks, letter magnets, drumsticks, kazoos, palette knives, kitchen spoons, straws, pipe cleaners. Anything and everything!

He usually carries around a few tools at all times. (If you look closely at the pictures from our recent trip to Paris Mnt., you will see 2 kazoos in his hands!) He even sleeps with them. He has put them together to be longer than he is tall, though mostly they are just the right size to be used as swords.

He came crying because his things wouldn't fit together, 

This is how it looked.

From what he described, this is how I thought he wanted it.

But really the kazoo needed to be wedged in here.

Like this.

Now he's ok with it.

Dormant

That's what my etsy shop has been lately. I haven't been adding that much to it, just saving it all up. I have so many treasures. Eccentric, wonderful treasures. But they will be up soon. Oh, so soon. Here is a black and white preview of some of the pieces I'll be adding.

And I haven't decided yet if I'll let the following one go. So many times, I sold and regretted. I hate regrets. (examples 1 & 2)