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

blog #161 >> Date Cake

Last week I was at the store and for some reason dates sounded really good. So I went over to the bulk food section, pulled down on the lever and... nothing happened. They were all stuck. Well, after a great deal of shaking the bulk food container and hitting it a few times, they came out... and they came out fast. And since I couldn't put them back, I ended up with over a pound of dates. Now I like dates, but I hadn't intended to get that many. So, I asked myself, "What can I make with a whole bunch of dates in it?"
According to my Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cookbook, Date Cake is the answer. And it's the perfect addition to a "Box Lunch for a Business Girl." Sounds perfect. Basically, it's an English Sticky Toffee Pudding with a nutty-date topping. And it's super tasty.
T

blog #160 >> She came in the Mail!

Ahh!!! She came in the mail today! It's the Esther Bot! I've been eyeing the Bots made by Anatomy of a Skirt for a long time, just waiting for the right bot to come along. And, "Behold!" here she is. My robotic twin Esther, complete with cat-eye glasses and a beaded necklace. She's the perfect bot to hold an extra pair of glasses or some of those swell bejeweled broaches of mine. I'll have to make her a nice robotic cardigan sweater and get her some books for her library. If you want your own bot visit her blog Robot a Day to see a new bot everyday. Or buy one here on Etsy.
T

p.s. And if I had more money... I'd buy her a boyfriend!

blog #159 >> I laughed 'til I cried.

If only Papyrus was the villain and Comic Sans wasn't the hero.
All I can say is, "Scissors, Arrow, Mailbox, Open Mailbox!"
T