blog #168 >> What do you see?

It's a blurr, a blob, a blot... it's a bunch of tea leaves in a tea cup. Is "tea leaves" on the list? Wait, I know! Is it a "tempest" in a tea cup? I just don't know. I've never been good at ink blot tests. And if I can't tell what it looks like how will I know my fortune? According to Miss. Mary's "Your Fortune in a Tea Cup" from this month's newsletter (part 1 and part 2), I should be able to see some random shape that tells me my fortune. But I guess I'm just not looking at it from the right angle... maybe I should turn it.

Here are a few of the shapes and meanings:
Arrow: A romance ahead. You will be very happy.
Birds: Birds are good for the entire family.
Bagpipe: Nuptials. Speedy marriage.
Clover: A good sign. At the top of cup, good fortune quickly. As it nears the bottom, it will mean that it is more or less distant from you.
Crescent: A railroad trip is to come very soon.
Cross: A cross is a sign of a death or unhappiness.
Crown: A crown signifies honor and loyalty.
Crown and Cross: signifies good fortune resulting from a death in near future.
Dog: At the top, faithful friends; in the middle, they are untrustworthy. A dog at the bottom means secret enemies. Beware of traps they set up for you.
Eel: Distasteful duties to perform in near future.
Flowers: A marriage of much interest very soon.
Gable: Remunerative business transactions, but you must be careful, use your head.
Gondola: Love affair at sea will come to you.
Fife: Carnival coming soon. Also gladness for you.
Heart: Surrounded by dots, signifies the receipt of money and consequent happiness; a ring near it betokens marriage. Get ready for happiness.
Human Figures: are good, and denote love and marriage very shortly.
Jonquil: An increase in income.

Oh, I see it now! How could I miss it... it must a Bagpipe. That's the first think I thought of... Bagpipes.

Well, not that I'm sure how accurate these things are... I did turn it the wrong way, and then to compensate turned it double the other way. Then I had too much liquid left and it all spilled out. So I scooped it up and put it back in and did it again. But I'm sure it will all work out anyhow.

I wonder what other people see?

T

p.s. Tea cup fortunes are for entertainment purposes only. Not an investment opportunity. Don't go out and buy a bunch of lottery tickets if you think you see a Jonquil or Clover.

blog #167 >> How to Meat People

Last Halloween I read this blog about how to make a bacon costume and thought it was the funniest costume idea I've ever seen. You must all go read about it on the Junkyard Clubhouse blog! It's hilarious! I'm posting the first two paragraphs here as proof.

Last year for Halloween, I was bacon. If you’ve never been bacon before, I highly recommend it. Everybody, you see, loves bacon. It is, as my friend Monica says, the Candy of the Meats.

People do not want to be quiet about their love for bacon, they want to declare it, often loudly. Even the most shy people at least muttered “bacon!” under their breath as they passed me. I have never been so popular, so adored (and strangely, so hit-on) in my life.

Now I've just got to decide what I want to be for Halloween.
T

blog #166 >> Bats in the Belfry

Here's a Halloween decorating idea that's been a favorite of mine for many years. Bats! Bats in the Belfry that is. Cut out these cute bats, hole punch the eyes, back them with red cellophane, add glitter... and they're ready to fly in the window. Idea from my Halloween Activity Book from preschool. Enjoy!
T

blog #165 >> Leaves!

Here are some of the leaves I picked up at my parent's house. They are going to be great for Halloween decorating.
T

blog #164 >> Decking the Halls

With Halloween stuff!
My Internet has been really feisty this weekend so hopefully I'll be able to slip this in before it goes out again. It has a mind of its own and right now it has a mind to quit working for hours after I've been online for five minutes. Anyhow this weekend has been my, "Let's decorate for Halloween!" weekend, and I must say the apartment is looking very spooky. I've been all over trying to get good ideas and bits and bobs to decorate with. Overall, I've been pretty disappointed with the Halloween "look" this year. I really like the old vintage things from the 50's and 60's but unlike Christmas decorations vintage Halloween decorations are ghoulishly expensive. So it's usually replicas for me, and this year they've been impossible to find. Some years everyone (even Target) has the vintage look. But it must be out this year. I went all over trying to find cute vintage things and the only place that had anything (that I've found so far) was the Tollgate Inn gift shop in Sandy. So if anyone (in their travels) sees cute vintage (50's) Halloween decor, let me know. And as soon as I get some pictures of my place I'll post them up. Meanwhile here are some pictures of us decorating the house when we were kids. And I'm just as messy decorating today as I was then.
T

blog #163 >> Book of the Week: The Big Orange Drawing Book

Once at a job interview I was asked what some of my artistic influences were. I blanked. All I could think of was Ed Emberley. The interviews didn't know who that was and I was too embarrassed to explain, so I quickly added Saul Bass. (A name gleaned from my history of graphic design class.) Ah, everyone knows Saul Bass and he's much more appropriate for a corporate office anyhow. But Ed Emberley is a much more truthful answer.
Growing up I loved this book, and still do. The Big Orange Drawing Book is filled with glorified stick people and basic drawings you can copy. It's mostly Halloween themed, and who can forget Kreegor the Robot. If you can drawn a line, a square, a triangle and a circle, you can drawn anything in this book. I think part of what makes it so much fun is comparing the next picture to the last picture to see what's been added. It's kinda like drawing hide and seek.
Enjoy!
T




Ed Emberley's Big Orange Drawing Book ©1980

blog #162 >> Welcome October

It's October! And there's so many things to look forward to: pear pies, jumping in leaves, picking pumpkins, hot apple cider, visiting the corn maze and of course Halloween. Oh, and one more thing to look forward to in October is, Vanessa's Halloween Blog Party on the 18th. (It's like her Mad Tea Party last June but for Halloween.) If you want to join in, it's not too late. Just go to her blog and sign up. In honor of this party I will be exclusively posting Halloween related things until then. (Unless of course something really cool un-Halloween related occurs.)
Happy October Everyone!
T