nouvellegamine

disney cinderella~ retta scott edition

2012-02-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

this is another cinderella i remember from childhood. While i didn't like it as much as gordon laite's, i did like it better than the standard disney version of cindrella. for one thing, i liked the dress here much better. while i appreciate the animated cinderella's dress now, when i was a child i found it a little plain for my taste. {right click to enlarge}

her hair is pretty spectacular. in many ways i prefer the animated cindrella's strawberry blonde hair, but the yellow hair here is charming.

yellow dress? adorable!

i love the slivery beauty of her gown and the tiny roses.

the moon and clouds are amazing!

wow, could she get any cuter? in your face mean stepmother and ugly stepsisters!

i love that she's short! they kind of remind my of my brother and his wife. not to mention, the post war domesticity illustrated here is funny. this could be my grandma and grandpa in front of their house in the 50s.

retta scott? she's really pretty! she looks like her cinderella! check out her shoes!

{photo via michael sporn animation. check out the link for more information on Retta Scott!}

according to wikipedia: "She was hired in 1938 and assigned to the Story Department, where the ambitiousBambi project was being developed. Her stunning sketches caught the eye of Disney himself,^[3] so when the film went into production she was assigned^[4] to animate scenes of hunting dogs chasingFaline. This was a significant coup for the young woman, since at the 1930s-era Disney studio, women were considered only for routine tasks: "Ink and paint art was a laborious part of the animation process, and was solely the domain of women . ." ^[5] She worked under the film's supervising director, David D. Hand,^[6] and was tutored by Disney animator Eric Larson.^[7]"

karl's super 2nd birthday!

2012-02-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

my son celebrated his 2nd birthday january 5th. we threw him a super birthday party. i made felt masks and sewed elastic to them. i also made karl a yellow cape for derring do!

the day before i made an yellow cake from an amazing recipe i found {see below}. it recommended using shortening in the place of butter and an extra yolk to keep the cake moist. i half and halved the shortening with butter bc i wanted a little more buttery taste.

the frosting was an orange buttercream that i'd made before by winging it. again, it uses half shortening and half butter for perfect whippyness!

the silver cat took pictures

super karl is on the scene!

waiting for the heroes

wonder woman, grey owl, orange owl, red phoenix~ older children's masks younger children's masks

crimson star, twilite cat, solar flare, grey hawk, green lightning, blue devil

sugar cookies and caramel cookies {recipes below}

yellow cake with orange buttercream frosting {recipes below}

ok, so this picture took a while to take. i usually take the photos so my husband isn't familiar with our camera ;) do you see my smile? my smile asks, "diiiiiiid yoooooouuuu taaaaake it yeeeeeeet?"

green wolf is on the prowl {for snacks}

mr. and mrs. owl, twilite cat, and the red phoenix. unfortunately i didn't get any clear pictures of wonder woman :( and after this i put the camera down to socialize.

singing happy birthday to our wonderful little man!

good-bye til next year~ same cat time- same cat channel!

~recipes~

caramel cookies*

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened

1 c packed dk brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 3/4 c whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

preheat oven 400* F
with mixer, cream butter, sugar, egg, vanilla together. add remaining ing and beat thoroughly. Scrape dowl from bowl on plastic wrap. roll into log abt 2 1/2" wide and chill in fridge an hour {i put mine in the freezer for 20 mins, then transfer to the fridge.} cut dough 1/8" thick and arrange on ungreased cookie sheet. bake 8-10 mins. cool cookies on sheet 1 min then transfer to wire rack to cook completely.
*my mother in law got this recipe from weight watchers.

yellow cake

i used this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/four-egg-yellow-cake/

it was fantastic, except i used 5 egg yolks instead of 4, 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 c butter and beat the heck out of the mix! mine looked like whipped cream.

orange buttercream frosting

1/2 c butter softened

1/2 c shortening

4 c powdered sugar

2 tbspn milk

3 tbspn fresh squeezed orange juice {from an orange}

cream butter and shortening until super creamy. sift in powdered sugar slowly. cream well to prevent lumps. add milk and orange juice. continue to mix for at least 3 minutes until creamy. really, really creamy.

the biggest mistake you can make with homemade frosting and yellow cake is to skimp on mixing. baking from scratch is different from getting something out of a box. but when done correctly the texture and flavor of your cake and frosting will have a depth missing from commercial mixes. good luck!

moving!

2012-01-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

we're in the process of moving, so posting will be be erratic for the next few weeks :D

game of thrones~ jon "griff" connington

2012-01-19T15:17:00.000-08:00

because i clearly have too much time on my hands, i started tweeting as jon "griff" connington from "game of thrones." and bc i had to show off my mad photoshop skillz i made this: yes, it is david bowie's head on a suit of armor.

https://twitter.com/#!/j_connington

patrick nagel~ snow white's revenge

2012-01-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

I first became aware of Patrick Nagel at the local poster art shop. I was 13. Tall, slim, and brunette with small eyes and skin like paper, i was considered plain and borderline ugly in my southern california town. I despaired of ever being thought attractive. But then i saw her. What was she? 8"x10"? 10"x10"? She was beautiful, like a Snow White who had grown up and cast her evil step-mother in hot iron shoes while enjoying every minute of that bitch's dance. She had no apologies. Not for herself and not for anyone else.
I was transfixed and time moved like amber behind me until an old man walked by and stopped. "It's like looking in a mirror." I turned and stared stupidly until i realized he was talking about me. Me. He wasn't scary or particularly pervy or anything like that. Just an old man shopping for posters who took 5 seconds to be kind to a child-teen. I looked back at the beautiful little picture and then left. I walked home elated.
Patrick Nagel died in 1984 at the age of 38. Despite this, his work is ubiquitous with the 80s. So ubiquitous that it's easy to forget its brilliance and beauty. Easy too, in our digital age, to dismiss Nagel's technical skill. His method consisted of drawing from live models, refined until they possessed the cool graphic quality of a japanese woodblock print and then painted on board or canvas with acrylics. Acrylics. Not vectors in photoshop and illustrator. Actual paint on actual board. His lines are superb. And all the sunglass shops or manicure shops or drycleaners who use his graphic style can't rob him of that.

I didn't grow up to look like a Nagel, but i still find his women entrancing.
Nagel perfectly personified the 80s ideal of female beauty. His women are usually of middle height and slender, but in a vastly different way from the 60s or 70s. If you notice their wrists: these are not ladies with wrists of glass. Large breasts, straight waists, slim hips and shapely legs. Small intense eyes, large lips with a well defined cupid's bow, thick hair, and his admitted favorite feature~ strong noses. There always seems to be something of Isabella Rossellini in all of them.

pencil preparation of the painting below.

Nagel felt the drawings were the fun part while painting was the labor.

He often donated paintings to models or editors who expressed admiration for his work.

He enjoying drawing and painting men as well. His assistant, Karl Bornstein reported that he didn't need critical acknowledgment of what he did, bc he had such an intense love of just painting pictures,

He was influenced by high-fashion photographers and illustrators such as Joseph Leyendecker, Henry Raleigh, and Saul Tepper. Surprisingly, he loved Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

pencil sketch of the famous "Rio" cover.

"Texas" the painting that became Duran Duran's "Rio" cover.

His wife, Jennifer Dumas, occasionally posed for him. Some believe her to the inspiration for the Nagel Woman.

All superfluous details in the drawing above have been stripped away until only the great white expanse of her back remains, uncluttered by lines.

He never worked out and laughed at people who did. He ate cheeseburgers, candy bars, smoked constantly, stayed up all night, and painted. He participated in a televised benefit for the Heart Association by doing aerobics. Afterward he walked to his car, had a heart attack and died.

All images and information from "Nagel: the Art of Patrick Nagel."

diamonds and toads~ gordon laite

2012-01-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

I've always heard of this story as "diamonds and toads," instead of the other way around. it's the familiar poor girl with mean stepmother/stepsister scenario.

i think you can guess who's who from this scene. i love her think black wavy hair and the expression of her face is some of Gordon Laite's best work. The fabulous 16th century tudor outfits aren't usually seen in many fairy tales.

and old ragged beggar {with the most righteous beggar's rags i've ever seen!} asks for a drink of water. Our lovely heroine obliges and wouldn't you know it, the beggar's actually a fairy. Gifts are given.

The mean sister decides she wants some of that action and waits by the fountain. A beautiful lady appears and asks for a drink of water. The haughty sister, expecting the beggar woman at any moment, tells the lady to get bent. Bad move! Fairies aren't stupid. She wasn't going to wear the same disguise twice. Sheesh. Oh and by the way, she "gifts" the mean sister with snakes and toads falling out of her mouth with every word. Nice.
I would like to say, i think the fairy's outfit is one of the most beautiful i've seen. This time period can be hard to reproduce without making the ladies look like lovely boxes, but Mr. Laite translates the styles wonderfully.

The nice daughter gets picked up by a smart prince who not only figured out she was lovely under her dirty house dress, but also realized she had, you know, diamonds and other precious stones falling out of her mouth. Good for you pal. I just sincerely hope he's not Henry the VIII bc diamonds or no, if a son doesn't fall out of her, she's finished.

fashion~ Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca"

2012-01-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again"
These pages have been on permanent display on my small easel for inspiration. i find the colors and micro patterns endlessly inspiring, art wise. And they remind of of one of my favorite movies when i was a child, Alfred Hitchcock's, "Rebecca." I instantly identified with the shy, plain, nameless, "Darling" who spent her days trying to not fuck everything up and sketched costumes in her off hours.
I think this skirt, which sits at waist, is to die for. The delicate tie neck blouse is pretty dreamy too. She looks like she's ready to solve a murder! or cover one up- yaknowhatimean?!
{sizes 34-42}

"I'll make a bargain with you," she said. "You'd look rather foolish trying to divorce me now after four days of marriage. So I'll play the part of a devoted wife, mistress of your precious Manderley. I'll make it the most famous showplace in England if you like. Then, people will visit us and envy us, and say we're the luckiest, happiest, couple in the country. What a grand show it will be! What a triumph!"

the cruel and beautiful Rebecca wears a pretty silk robe- a good case of a simple pattern to show off beautiful fabric.

{sizes 44-52}

"Happiness is something I know nothing about."

ok, i hate the skirt simply bc i look terrible in elastic waisted skirts like this. But, i love the photo. From the stiff pose, to the colors, to the amazing wallpaper. I wish i'd painted this~ except i would have given her a much better skirt. And i'm guilty of loving sandals and socks.

{sizes 34-42}

"No, it's not too late. You're not to say that. I love you more than anything in the world. Oh, please Maxim, kiss me please."

so this is dicey too. Love the color and material. Love the neckline. Hate the elastic waist. the difference between my waist and hips is 11". That's just too much without darts. Darts are my friend and i've been sewing them into my skirts since i was 18.

{sizes 34-42}

"Rebecca" still haunts me to this day. I wonder if Beauty and the Beast syndrome is born or acquired? i've always loved moody, possessive men who are devoted to me. And when their devotion lagged, well, that's what breaking up was for. When i met my husband he was the ideal person i'd been searching for~ goofy, sweet, devoted and worshipful, but also moody and difficult to please~ a great bear of a man who hoped i loved him. i did and we lived happily ever after.

As usual, these are from an old issue old Burda Magazine :D

christina rossetti illustrated by florence harrison

2012-01-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Christina Rossetti, the younger sister of renowned Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, was a talented and accomplished poet. Deeply religious, she also suffered from depression. Her first recorded nervous breakdown occurred at 14, forcing her to leave school. For the rest of her life the cycle of anxiety over her financial situation, depression, breakdown, and resulting illness would plague her.
To learn more about Florence Harrison, the illustrator of many of her poems, please visit florence harrison. It's a well researched site that serves to clear up many misconceptions about Ms. Harrison's identity as well as presenting examples of her work and an analysis of her technique.

"Raise me a daïs of silk and down;

Hang it with vair and purple dyes;

Carve it in doves and pomegranates,

And peacocks with a hundred eyes;

Work it in gold and silver grapes,

In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys;

Because the birthday of my life

Is come, my love is come to me."

~A Birthday

"Sang a golden-bearded king
Straightway to her feet,
Sang him silent where he knelt
In eager anguish sweet.
But when the clear voice died away,
When longest echoes died,
He stood up like a royal man
And claimed her for his bride.
So three maids were wooed and won
In a brief May-tide,
Long ago and long ago. "

~Maiden Song

"I shivered comfortless, but cast
No chill across the tablecloth;
I all-forgotten shivered, sadTo stay and yet to part how loth:I passed from the familiar room,I who from love had passed away,Like the remembrance of a guestThat tarrieth but a day."

~At Home

"Young Love lies drowsing
Away to poppied death;
Cool shadows deepen
Across the sleeping face:
So fails the summer
With warm, delicious breath;
And what hath autumn
To give us in its place?"

~Dream Love

"I've scanned you with a scrutinizing gaze,
Resolved to fathom these your secret ways:
But, sift them as I will,
Your ways are secret still."

~The Queen of Hearts

sleeping beauty~ janet and anne grahame johnstone

2012-01-06T08:34:00.000-08:00

I have Dean's A Book of Fairy Tales illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. Unlike their fellow British children's illustrators they're not well known here in the U.S. which is a shame considering the high quality of their work. They generally worked on small to medium sized artist board in watercolor and gouache. Right click to enlarge.

Sleeping Beauty, or La Belle au bois dormant, always seems best served by a high medieval setting. And whenever the tudoresque prince comes, in his slashed doublet and round toed shoes, he makes the best example of 100 years gone by just with his fashion.

the lovely but doomed princess.

the beautiful kind-hearted fairy.

lords and ladies in their particolored hose, gowns, and hennins.

keep an eye on everyone here~

the prince in his radically different and decidedly un-medieval fashion.

note the page boy running after the cat with the fish in it's mouth. Janet and Anne set up this little bit of storytelling father up, when they all fall into the hundred year sleep. i love little details like this!

fashion~ tintin style for ladies and tramps

2012-01-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

herge, how do i love your creations? Tintin, Milou/Snowy, Captain Haddock, Thompson and Thomson, Professor Calculous, and of course Loch Lomand whiskey!

Herge's beautiful style, known as ligne claire {the clear line}, is instantly recognizable. I plan to post and discuss Herge and his work at a later point, but today we have fashion inspired by Herge's Tintin. what? yes, you read that right. Burdastyle Magazine, in their continuing quest to ignite clothing envy and hope in my heart published these patterns in their december 2011 issue. I plan to sew my heart out, cuddle up with my own Captain Haddock, and toss down a few whiskeys~

adorable trench for the girl and an adorable dog- though not a white wire fox terrier like Milou/Snowy- who is wearing a dapper dog coat of his own.

there's even a pattern for the dog coat!

the rolled up jeans, arglye socks, and oxfords are a wonderful twist on gamine style.

collars made from men's suiting for your dapper dog or a bustopher jones style cat about town.

i don't know if it's a side product of being tall, but i love too short trousers. i used to get teased for looking like i was waiting for the flood but really, i like the style. My husband does too. his slightly too short pants were one of the first things i noticed. wes anderson agrees and approves.

Tintin wears "plus fours" which are essentially knickers that end 4 inches below rather than at the knee. i love the modern ungathered version here.

this dog is killing me!

a couple of pages from "Destination Moon."

right click & open in a new tab to read. Just whiskey Capt. Haddock? A man after my own heart!

i have to say i hope the movie is popular enough to introduce a new generation to Tintin's adventures. By turns brainy, silly, and serious the Adventures of Tintin are smarter and funnier tales than most children or adults come in contact with. They are true adventures to delight both young and old.

{patterns are available in the 12/2011 issue of Burdastyle Magazine or individually through burda german and burda english}

new year, knights, and fortune's fools

2012-01-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

"You and the land are one... drink from the chalice and you will be reborn and the land with you."

"Ready my knights for battle. They will ride with their king once more. I have lived through others for far too long. Lancelot carried my honor, and Guenevere, my guilt. Mordred bore my sins. My knights have fought my causes. Now, my brother, I shall be... king."

This is my favorite scene from Excalibur. It gives me chills when Arthur rides forth and the land blossoms in his wake, while Carl Orff's Carmina Burana plays. The words were written by goliards {defrocked monks and minstrels} sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries, while the music was written by Carl Orff in 1935-1936 *cough* nazis *cough* {to be fair, i've read that Orff had jewish relatives who remained unmolested due to his popularity.} Many years ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Orff's Carmina Burana performed and it was breathtaking. The themes of fickle fortune, the transience of life, and the peril and pleasure of vice are as relevant today as they were when written. I often wonder if we have begun the decent into a dark age or the ascent to another renaissance.

O Fortuna (fortune)
Velut luna (like the moon)
Statu variabilis (you are changeable)

Semper crescis (ever waxing)

Aut decrescis; (and waning;)

Vita detestabilis (hateful life)

Nunc obdurat (first oppresses)

Et tunc curat (and then soothes)

Ludo mentis aciem, (as fancy takes it)

Egestatem, (poverty)

Potestatem (and power)

Dissolvit ut glaciem. (it melts them like ice.)

Since i've been reading the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin i've been obsessing on knights again. His characters are well crafted, especially for the fantasy genre, and because his world is so detailed, his books read more like the history of a hitherto undiscovered country. Below are some of my favorite pictures of dragons, knights, and ladies fair which have been dancing circles in my head since i started the series~ {all scans are from books in my library unless noted and linked. right click and open in a new window for full size}

Paolo Uccelo~ "St. George and the Dragon" 1455

Arthur Rackham~ "Stories of King Arthur" 1902

J.W. Waterhouse~ "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" {detail} 1893

H.J. Ford~ 1917

Howard Pyle~ "The Lady Nymue beareth away Launcelot into the Lake" 1905

Howard Pyle~ "Sir Kay breaketh his sword at the tournament" 1903

Howard Pyle~ "the Lady Guinevere" 1903

Gustav Klimt~ detail of the Beethoven frieze, "the Golden Knight" 1902

Arthur Rackham~ "Seven Ravens" 1900

Sandor Clegane and Sansa Stark~ screencap from "Game of Thrones" tv series. via coldwindsarerising

Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone~ "Arthur goes to Avalon" 1966. via joan eyles johnson

kooples!

2011-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

i came across the Kooples the other day. Knowing how much i like twee shit, naturally i fell in love...

{james bond via screenmusings}
If you're like me you already know what Saville Road is~ namely where James Bond and John Steed get their suits. But lately Saville Road has forsaken bankers and spies for couples, or as they're known around there~"Kooples."

Wedded to the mod esthetique, Kooples produces beautifully tailored clothing for men and women. blah blah blah, i don't really care about their back story and seeing as i'll never afford any of their clothing, {and even if i could, they don't offer "tall" sizes for ladies} i won't bore you with it either.

No, i'm posting about them because they have an unabashedly adorable ad campaign. They take real life couples, outfit them in their lovely clothes, and photograph and film them. Of course the people are "pretty," but a few of them aren't "prefab pretty," which is my holy grail of advertising.

Indeed, they look like they might not bore you to death if you were trapped in an elevater with them for a few hours~ one of my worst fears btw~ combining both grisly death and a taste of Sartre-ian "No Exit" hell.

But i digress~ look at the adorableness! This guy made the page just because he looks straight out of "Game of Thrones."

Hey Jon, where's Ghost? {okay, he looks more like Theon, but i hate that guy.}

The only thing that could make this campaign cuter is if they had used kittens. Oh wait, i have photoshop~ BOOM!

"Mewsette and Marmalade have been a couple for 1 year." awwwwwww.

giselle illustrations by maraja

2011-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

i found "the Royal Book of Ballet" in a used book store. published in 1962, the illustrations are by Libico Maraja. he worked and was well known in post war europe. here is his website, which you'll need babelfish for unless you read italian.

a sampling of paintings from "Giselle..." his page layouts are bold and innovative. figures are constantly breaking free from the backgrounds. i love the typical late 50s/early 60s beauty of the women in his paintings. their lovely "la dolce vita" style is one of my favorites. any one of them could have sprung from a fellini or rossellini film, although "Giselle's" supernatural plot is more suited to "suspiria" great, dario argento.

Giselle, falls in love with Duke Albrecht who has disguised himself as a peasant. his secret is betrayed by Hilarion who also loves Giselle. Knowing she can never wed her noble lover, Giselle commits suicide.

The region is haunted by the wilis, vengeful ghostly women who destroy any man unfortunate enough to cross their paths at midnight. sure enough, the queen of the ghostly wilis claims Giselle's soul and they drown the mournful Hilarion.

When the grieving Albrecht visits Giselle's grave the wilis appear and attempt to kill him. Giselle tries save him but is under the queen's power. Only the 4 o'clock morning bell, heralding dawn, saves Albrecht. The wilis return to their graves, except for Giselle. Her love for Albrecht has released her from their control and she is able to rest in peace.

snow white~ nancy ekholm burkert's medieval marvel

2011-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:00

published in 1972 nancy ekholm burkert's "Snow White" is a marvel. inspired by medieval manuscripts and a pre-raphaelite obsession with detail, she used colored inks and tiny lines to create intricately detailed art. {right click and open in new page to enjoy in a much larger format.}
there was a medieval revival in the 70s. from Rush to Led Zeppelin to Stevie Nicks, people suddenly became enamored with witches, nature, religeous fervor, purity and transgression. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings enjoyed renewed widespread success and Star Wars served up knights, farm boys, pirates and princesses on an epic quest. even the 70s beauty standards were reminicent of the medieval ideal- fitted, yet flowing garments, center parted hair, pencil thin eyebrows, and ornate braids ornamented women everywhere in the western world.

even the areas which appear solid, like Snow White's dress and blushing cheeks are made up of tiny lines.

Snow White's mother wishes for a child with skin as white as snow, lips {or cheeks} as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony. their family crest is shown in the windows and will reappear on the map later.

Snow White flees through the forest.

The seven dwarves welcome the industrious Snow White.

map of the three kingdoms and seven mountains the jealous queen must traverse in order to destroy Snow White.

Having failed, the Queen creates the apple of life and death. we never see her supposedly beautiful face, only her workroom. poisoned mushrooms, mandrake roots, and tarot cards representing change and death lay on her table.

The young prince from one of the three kingdoms shown on the map asks to take Snow White to his home. on the journey, one of her carriers stumble, causing the piece of poisoned apple to be expelled. the stories are pretty vague about exactly what happens. it's safe to say she vomits. and for all the twittering about how the prince loves her static beauty, he apparently is still totally in love with her once she's awake with puke-face.

here's where the story just completely cements its awesomeness: the evil queen gets an invite to the neighboring prince's wedding. according to her mirror his bride is the new "fairest." upon arriving, she discovers- "surprise!" it's Snow White, who she's tried to kill three times. but Snow White is finally older and wiser. the queen is clapped in a pair of heated iron shoes and forced to dance until she dies. Snow White ceases to be a victim, destroys her enemy, and moves from a world of darkness into light. no more forgiveness. wow.
Snow White, along with mercer mayer's Beauty and the Beast was one of favorite fairy tales and it has continued to inform my life.

please check out we too were children for an excellent nancy ekholm burkert biography and more art.

murder on the orient express fashion

2011-12-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

did you know the orient express still exists? i didn't. i was sure it had gone the way of the dodo. unfortunately {actually fortunately}, due to cheaper airfare it no longer goes to Istanbul, its original destination, and instead ends in venice*. check out their site. it's nuts. they have animations to show you how the cabins transform into sleepers and gorgeous vaguely retro styled photos of rich people with decent taste. it's pretty dreamy. so, if you have $5600 dollars burning a hole in your pocket {for 2 people}- not counting airfare- then i envy you.

in the event that you're a little more like me, well, here are some patterns from burdastyle magazine to aid you in fashioning your own pretend holiday. and no, i don't think there's anything wrong with fixing your living room up to look like a train cabin. nothing-at-all.

steward, please get me a gin. on the rocks.

what luggage? i'm a woman of mystery.

yeah, i'm going to cruise around these gorgeous cobblestone streets in my rad 1930s/1970s outfit. uncomfortable? not at all- it's like walking on a cloud.

ummm, no. i was not Yves Saint Laurent's muse, but only bc he never met me.

it's fake fur. please don't spray me with paint and inadvertently ruin my trousers. it took a couple weeks to make them. bias cut insets don't sew themselves ladies. amirite?!?!

and if you are lucky enough to take a trip on the orient express, let's hope you don't get snowed in. {via so classic screencaps}

*the current "orient express" has many trains and hotels world wide}

arthur rackham's poe~ living maelstroms and undead loves

2011-12-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

beautiful rainy day in socal so it's time for some E. A. Poe illustrated by the endlessly talented Arthur Rackham. These are from 1935. Rachkham shows that his use of line is more beautiful than most other artist's command of color, as well as his mastery of large areas of black and a skillful employment of silhouette.

the ocean appears alive with menace.

rachkam's silhouette technique used to great effect. note the body shoved up the chimney. {from "murders in the rue morgue."}

my favorite Poe story, "Ligeia." {pronounced, btw, as "lye-JEE-uh" according to both the vincent price movie "The Tomb of Ligeia" (1964)as well as this site: libraryalchemy.

a tour of paris through the eyes of "Madeline."

2011-12-09T09:25:00.000-08:00

i recently reread the "Madeline" books. they were just as adorable as i remember. as i studied ludwig bemelman's charming color sketches of paris, i couldn't help but daydream about visiting the city. some of the sites i was familiar with from films and novels, but others i'd never heard of. armed with a list kindly provided on the last page of the book, i decided to look up the sites. join me on a tour of Madeline's Paris~

the eiffel tower
"Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair. The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building.
The tower was much criticised by the public when it was built, with many calling it an eyesore. Guy de Maupassant—who claimed to hate the tower—supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that it was the one place in Paris where one could not see the structure. Today, the Tower is widely considered to be a striking piece of structural art." ~wikipedia

{via visiting dc }

the paris opera
"The Palais Garnier is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was the setting for Gaston Leroux's 1911 novel The Phantom of the Opera." ~wikipedia

{i can't remember.}

the place vendome
"Napoleon erected the original column, modelled after Trajan's Column, to celebrate the victory of Austerlitz; its veneer of 425 spiraling bas-relief bronze plates were made out of cannon taken from the combined armies of Europe, according to his propaganda (the usual figure given is hugely exaggerated: 133 cannon were actually captured at Austerlitz). A statue of Napoleon, bare-headed, crowned with laurels and holding a sword in his right hand and a globe surmounted with a statue of Victory(as in Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker) in his left hand, was placed atop the column. ~wikipedia

{via paris in france }

the hotel des invalides
"a complex of buildings containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose. The buildings house the Musée de l'Armée, the military museum of the Army of France, the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and the Musée d'Histoire Contemporaine, as well as the burial site for some of France's war heroes, notably Napoleon Bonaparte." ~wikipedia

{via planetware }

notre dame
"Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in France and in Europe, and the naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). Victor Hugo used it as the primary setting of his novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame" ~wikipedia

{via euroclubschools }

church of the sacre coeur

"the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Crowning its most rebellious neighborhood, and publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ." ~wikipedia

{via france hotel guide }

the gardens at the luxembourg
"The garden is largely devoted to a green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and centred on a large octagonal basin of water, with a central jet of water; in it children sail model boats. The garden is famed for its calm atmosphere. The garden contains just over a hundred statues, monuments, and fountains, scattered throughout the grounds. Surrounding the central green space are about twenty figures of historical French queens and female saints standing on pedestals, including statues of Jeanne III of Navarre, Blanche of Castile, Anne of Austria, Louise of Savoy, and Anne of France." ~wikipedia

{via via european city parks }

the tuileries gardens facing the louvre
"Created by Catherine de Medicis as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was first opened to the public in 1667, and became a public park after the French Revolution." ~wikipedia

{via etraveltrips}

but it gets even better! while searching for information and photos i came across "onoloa". The site is dedicated to enabling you to tour the places shown in "Madeline" in person. it includes information for children, information for adults, and hours of operation for each site. it also has links to public transport and the batobus for a view of the city from the seine!
Have a lovely weekend!

wuthering heights fashion

2011-12-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

brrrrr!!! 39 degrees F here in socal! i swear the bay area was warmer. i have a theory the cloud cover kept us insulated. anyway, these burda patterns are so lovely, so romantic, i want to wrap myself in plaids and wools and daydream about scottish selkies and ghosts on the moors, especially Emily Bronte's, "Wuthering Heights."

"my love for heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks..."

"be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!"

"if all else perished and he remained, i should still continue to be: and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger..."

"it would degrade me to marry heathcliff now; so he shall never know how i love him..."

"proud people breed sad sorrows for themselves."

~kate bush's absurd, haunting, paean to romanicism taken to the nth degree. i absolutely love her brittle soprano.
as always the patterns can be found at burdastyle american and burdastyle german.

swan lake by lizbeth zwerger

2011-12-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

lisbeth zwerger's Swan Lake {2002} is beautifully strange. delicate watercolors shifts between impermanence and reality.
from odette's* swan headed glove to the impenetrable mists, we float in a world where dream logic reigns.

i love the awkward transformation of the swan maidens. it's ideas like this that set zwerger apart from her peers. never content to make a picture merely pretty, instead she uses her skill and tender painting style to infuse the picture with delicate beauty while showing us an unconventional scene.

the swan queen flees. the excellent use of white paper gives the whites in this picture a brilliant glowing quality. the hybrid statues provide quiet nods to the theme.
while we know swan lake as one of the great tragedies of ballet, according to zwerger's epilogue, tchaikovsky originally wanted a happy ending, so that's what she gives us. her touch is never saccharine and the happy ending for the characters feels welcome. while not a book for everyone, it will no doubt please introspective visual children with strong imaginations.

*zwerger refrains from referring to the characters as siegfried, odette, and odile.

on a side note: i love well done happy endings. it's one of my pet peeves when sad endings are tacked to give a false sense of importance to the subject matter or rendering of the story. "city of angels" anyone? first of all, why remake "wings of desire?" and when you do, you give it a sad ending? way to completely miss the entire theme of the film.

mercer mayer's "sleeping beauty"~

2011-12-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

mercer mayer's "sleeping beauty" {1984} is more than a little convoluted and while beautiful, one of his lesser works. the subtle pencil shading is gone and the colors appears straight out the the pan with next to no mixing. his solid draftsmanship has weakened and characters are often put together in unconvincing ways. still, some of the pages spark with his old brilliance and beauty. set in a framework of celtic myth, the story opens with the king's wedding to his peasant queen. through a mishap the blue faery is given a cup of gold painted lead instead of one of solid gold. she curses them with barrenness.

the childless queen is visited by a silver owl and finally conceives.
unfortunately, the king gets jealous and kills the owl. needless to say, that's probably going to bite him in the ass.

faeries {yes, faEries. mayer is aiming toward myth rather than fairy tale} appear and give their blessings. mayer's obsession with hair reaches it's apogee. not only do the ladies have hair, they have celtic knot hair.

and yes, the blue faery crashes the party and she's pretty mad about not getting an invite, but that's not all~ turns out the silver owl was her brother. the same silver owl the king killed. seriously, this royal family can't get a break. so the blue faery curses the baby. luckily the star faery {shown at left} modifies the curse.

sleeping beauty still pricks her finger and falls asleep. 80 years later a prince searches for her. he happens to be the blue faery's half human son. you know what that means? trouble!

i try to ignore the prince's arm bc the waves of auburn hair and beautiful green dress make up for it.

worst. mother. in. law. possible.

yeah, she's really angry her son married sleeping beauty and so she curses everyone there. unfortunately that includes her son and since he's half faery {sigh} that means she's cursing all faeries which is illegal or something so she's screwed. like i said, it's convoluted. it also suffers from essentially making the story about the blue faery and her son. we never even get to know sleeping beauty. she's practically a "macguffin" in this retelling. not to mention, the queen in the beginning only conceives after she gets really cozy with the silver owl. blameless? well the king was jealous enough to kill the owl. anyway, i couldn't help but wonder if sleeping beauty and the prince are actually cousins which adds an unintentional dimension of both ick and hilarity. despite the gaping plot holes, mercer mayer's "sleeping beauty" is still worth owning for the amazing celtic motif and phenomenal hair.

ivan bilibin ~vassilissa the beautiful and the witch baba yaga

2011-11-30T10:14:00.000-08:00

i love ivan bilibin's art. the stark outlines and gentle colors are lovely.

"my white, bright day."

"the red sun"

"that is my servant, the dark night."

baba yaga

and yes, mike mignola has spent the last decade paying "homage" to bilibin. i'm not being catty, i like mignola's art.

so vassilissa takes this flaming skull home to her bitchy step-mother and horrible step-sisters where it burns them to death, leaving vassilissa unharmed. BOOM! and that's how they do cinderella in russia! {kind of.}

so then an old woman takes her in and vassilissa makes some really amazing shirts. the tsar loves the shirts and wants to meet vassilissa. she's totally gorgeous so the tsar wants to marry her and presumably never wear subpar shirts again.

one of the reoccurring funny things in his art is how ugly the tsar always is unless he's specifically a young hero, then he looks quite a bit like the artist himself- which is not ugly! see below.

so the biggest surprise is, in addition to being an exceptional artist, ivan bilibin was a stone cold fox. i'm not kidding. look at that guy. really hot- like anton chekhov hot. {trust me, google it.} i don't know why i'm always surprised when people from the past were good looking, but i am. i'm pretty sure i would have minced over to him {have you ever tried to run in a corset?} and tried to make small talk. he would have babbled in russian and i would have cried "whatever! kiss me you fool!"

not coincidentally, he totally looks like my husband.

fashion~ english country stroll

2011-11-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

i'm already dreaming about cold weather fashion. we're moving back up to northern california in february. what to make, what to make?

burdastyle magazine 8/2009~ i have some beautiful fabric set to make this amazing cape, but time? hmmmm, not so much. i promised myself i'd sew something after my paper doll project was finished, but i still have a commission i'm working on, so it'll be a little while.

burdastyle magazine 1/2010~ i can't wear long shirt/tunics like this, but they're so pretty.

another spectacular trench from burda

super cute trench style skirt. i love the knitted necklace and faux fur thing.

sigh, well, if i can scrape some time together and stop bopping around online i might get everything together and sew something. wish me luck!

i'd recommend ebay for back issues otherwise, some of these patterns can be found on their american site: burdastyle english
or on their original german site: burdastyle german

$5 helga

2011-11-19T16:17:00.001-08:00

last week we picked up andrew wyeth's "helga pictures" for $5 at the local friends of the library bookstore. i've been wanting it for a while but it's expensive so finding it for so little was a dream come true.

why am i fascinated with wyeth's helga? how could i not be? she was his model from 1971 to 1985. when they began helga was 38, my age, and 53 at the end. she is his eternal spring set amongst the snows.

while his temperas are beautiful, i'm most excited by his watercolors. that's my medium and i work in a mostly tight, controlled manner with occasional breakouts. so wyeth excites me because his watercolors are also controlled with moments where you see and feel his meticulous brushwork.
from composition, expression, color, and linework, i consider new ways of working everytime i look at his paintings.

helga's braids~ her braided hair takes on a meaning all it's own for wyeth. and in his way he tells us much, but conceals even more. he does not take us by the hand, but walks silently beside us while we wonder what is the meaning of these things?

his indebtedness to dürer is apparent here. the color and execution are reminiscent of durer's, "self portrait with fur," which itself is reminiscent of portraits of christ. while dürer was consciously comparing the role of the creating artist to the role of a creating god, we are left to wonder if wyeth is doing the same. helga's hair is unbound, like a german christ and she is clad in a sheepskin coat, her hands in pensive contemplation. here, helga is his saviour, artistically and personally.
... or maybe she's a woman in a coat. and that, is one of the many delights of visual art.

if you would like to know a little more about andrew wyeth, this site is useful, as well as having prints of his art to purchase: andrew wyeth prints

sewing~ rabbit skirt

2011-11-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

i made this about 5 years ago from the "sew u" built by wendy book. i can't say enough nice things about this book. the pattern is super simple, just 2 pieces with darts. i really wanted a long comfortable skirt in a neutral color that i could personalize. i actually made a few skirts from this pattern with different embroideries. it's addictive :D

skirt front: rabbit and pocket.

i drew and then embroidered the rabbit.

velvet ribbon

action!

i don't actually know what's going on here, but it appears i'm about to fix james bond a drink. obviously i'm ms. moneypenny. wallflowers unite!

karl wants to take photos too!

"Dada!" {mikael is taking the photos}

karl is wearing a star wars shirt that's, inexplicably, in rasta colors. we've dubbed it, "episode 4:20." yeah, we're lame.

the best part? people ask me where i bought it!

{obligatory feet photo. i'm a product of my time.}

charles addams' mother goose part 1

2011-11-17T14:49:00.001-08:00

charles addams' macabre whimsy on display in his version of "mother goose," from 1967. {click to enlarge}

humpty dumpty

3 blind mice

one misty, moisty morning {starring wednesday addams}

i do not like thee dr. fell

c. "the rat that ate the malt."

d. "the cat that killed the rat."

edward gorey~ the deranged cousins

2011-11-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

literary nonsense from the delightful mr. edward gorey. i don't think i could pick a favorite story, but this one has been on my desk for a while :) click to enlarge and study mr. gorey's exquisite line work at your leisure.

perpetual collegiate style.

i love how aimless yet self conscious they are. as though they were fully aware of their audience.

in gorey's world, everyone wears converse.

macabre hilarity. {mary murders her cousine rose over a found bedslat.}

religious mania ensues.

marsh takes to "drink" and drank a bottle of vanilla extract he found in the mud.

left alone, rosemary drifted away during an unusually high tide...

patterns inspired by coco chanel

2011-11-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

as i discussed earlier here- generally, i don't read fashion magazines.
sewing magazines, however, are the best. looking at pretty clothes is nice, but shopping for clothes is terrible. they never fit me correctly and the entire experience is demoralizing. thankfully, making and sewing clothes is awesome. sure i have to slash and alter every single pattern but as long it looks good in the end, it's worth the effort.
well, september's issue of burda featured a great set of patterns inspired by one of my style icons, coco chanel.

this blouse features an asymmetrical jabot.

how cute is this dress? peter pan collar, bracelet length sleeves, and front pleats. but not in black. black makes me look like i rose from the grave. not in a "blood and roses" kind of way, more like a "shaun of the dead" kind of way.

it's funny that, out of all of her lovers, they chose to style him as paul iribe. iribe was chanel's most contentious lover and retrospectively, the only one she had less than perfectly kind things to say about in public. but who cares? i love that dress!

chanel as "marianne" by paul iribe. if you would like to see more of iribe's art, the brandeis special collection houses his entire run of "le temoin."

if you can't find a copy online, the patterns are available for purchase on their website.

sartorial inspiration~ burdastyle magazine

2011-11-14T08:30:00.000-08:00

i've been thinking a lot about sartorial inspiration. probably bc it's fall and fall equals cute clothes. generally, i don't read fashion magazines. i have my own set style and whatever's happening in mainstream fashion doesn't interest me {with rare exceptions.} i'm far more influenced by movies {amelie}, books {agatha christie}, and art {too many to list}.
however, there are magazine oases in my fashion desert- "Lucky," japanese pattern books, and "Burdastyle" sewing magazine.

Burdastyle magazine consistently offers exceptional patterns. it's a german company and their taste reflects european sensibilities. in each monthly issue there are usually 4 collections in sizes 34-44, one children's collection, one plus collection in sizes 44-52, and then sometimes a couple men's patterns, once a year maternity patterns and/or lingerie patterns, some knitting patterns, and crafts.

i've been collecting them for a few years. usually august through may suit my style perfectly. i'm not a summer sun and fun kind of person, so their summer patterns generally leave something to be desired. however, the last couple of summer's have featured retro inspired collections that have been breathtaking!

it's pricey for a magazine, but cheap for patterns so i guess it's how you look at it. the style lines usually follow similar themes like: boho/70s, retro, business, romantic, british country, french, and folklore {aka-oktoberfest}. the children's patterns are beautiful and unlike anything you can get from the standard pattern companies like vogue or simplicity. and completely unlike the bulk of what's affordability available in stores such as, dressing your son like an illiterate bro or your daughter like a pepto bismal pink, princess obsessed, bitch in training. imagine your kids in something other than overly baggy pants or day-glo leggings! {sorry, but i currently live in a pretty ugly section of southern california, mostly populated by mean, lazy, materialistic, stupid parents. whoops! time to move!}

the only thing i find somewhat lacking are the plus patterns. the patterns themselves are beautiful, but i wish burda would publish a separate monthly plus pattern edition. there seem to be a lot of plus sized sewers {at least they're very vocal in the forums} but strangely enough over the years burda has cut the plus magazine from a quarterly to a bi-yearly publication- and their recent issue has simply republished some monthly patterns and mixed them with new ones. which suggests it hasn't been selling well and that accounts for their cost saving measures, but i still find it very hard to believe. there are very few stylish plus patterns out there so i'd have expected it to be a big seller.

all in all though, a very useful and inspiring magazine for me. i can't wait to see what they have next month!

stormy weather- arthur rackham's tempest

2011-11-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

it's raining today. not quite as rare an occurrence in southern california as you might think. but it made me think of "the tempest." neither a tragedy nor a comedy, it's considered a romance, in the old way. weird and wonderful, it's Shakespeare's last complete play and considered by many, his farewell to theatre. i present arthur rackham's equally weird and beautiful paintings depicting many scenes from the play. they are from his late period when he shifted minutely toward a more painterly style. the scenes are by turns desolate and lush, always magical with a slight art nouveau influence.

Miranda cavorting with spirits. i love her dark bobbed hair.

Ariel summoning the storm

Ariel disguised as a water-nymph. the water behind him is magical.

"full fathom five thy father lies,

of his bones are coral made;

those are pearls that were his eyes,

nothing of him that doth fade,

but doth suffer a sea-change

into something rich, and strange."

"the isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight"

"sometimes a thousand twanging instruments will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices, that, if i had wak'd after long sleep... i cried out to dream again."

"how does my bounteous sister? go with me

to bless this twain, that they may prosperous be..."

leaves of gold and silver

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

i love fall for the beautiful leaves. when i walk with karl we collect the prettiest leaves we can find. but forbidden fruit is always the sweetest. our neighbors have the loveliest tree in the loveliest setting. all gold and silver when i look out of my window. i sneaked a peak and felt a little like Rapunzel's mother gazing longingly at forbidden foliage ;)

yellow, orange, and red next to the silvery celadon green is one of my favorite color combinations.

this silvery green tree is wonderfully melancholy. it belongs in an algernon blackwood story.

let's see what other things are orange and blue-green...

my son's car

pincushion from antique ribbon

my favorite self portrait of vincent.

"shiver and shake little tree- pour gold and silver over me!"
~ cinderella by the brothers grimm.

little golden book cinderella paper dolls by gordon laite

2011-11-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

as i promised, here are the scans of gordon laite's "cinderella" paper doll~

i've looked for this book for 15 years. finally, this year i ended up purchasing two books. one with the dolls and one with the uncut clothing. there really aren't enough good things i can say about these dolls. to me, they are the pinnacle of paper doll art. i can't explain... of course it might be that i just have 5 year old child brain again every time i look at them. something along the lines of "dresses!... cookies!... tea parties!... pretty!...kittens!...robin hood!" {don't ask}.

Cinderella and Prince Charming

lovely house outfits

glorious golden ballgown

green wedding gown and blue 2nd gown

Charming's wedding suit and his suit for the ball.

with what the price a complete copy commands i'm shocked someone hasn't scanned them in for people to enjoy. the book is out of print and the talented mr. laite died in 1978. click to enlarge and please enjoy them as much as i do :)

anthropologie catalog, autumn 2001~

2011-11-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

calling all yankie spirits~

i first discovered "anthropologie" in 2001. i was delighted that an entire company was dedicated to yankie secretary style. between the twin evils of expense and impossible fit {hello sewing}, i've never owned anything of theirs, but their catalogs still inspire my sartorial choices.
step into the way-back machine and say hello to 2001~

her sweater is great, but her hair cut is even better.

amazing at waist jeans like jane birkin would have worn in the 70s. my jealousy knows no bounds. i still haven't summoned the moxy to make a pair of denims.

in only a few short years from this photo, every pair of pants would end 3" above your crotch and gift all the ladies in america with a muffin top and a whale tail. yet another reason why the aughts were terrible {aside from economic and global destruction.}

the lovely grey haired model, the elegant ladies who look like they might actually be older than 17, and sweet child models who look like children instead of hollywood actors. anthropologie, this was your high point.

and yes, i had fantasies about "camping" like this, which is how i imagine every wes anderson character camps {aside from in museums.}

new patterns!

2011-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

joann's is having a sale on simplicity patterns that started yesterday and ends november 12th. 5 patterns for $5. limit 10. there are a few other limitations but most of simplicity's patterns are on sale.
i picked up 5 yesterday. i didn't really need any new patterns, but i'm kind of a pattern ho. i've had my eye on these but just could justify the expense. yesterday was my lucky day!

2 retro simplicity patterns.
honestly, picked up 2154 just for the "mad men" vibe and beautiful cover colors.

3588 is from the 1940s. i adore at waist pants & these are beautiful. i love their side zip. the blouse is pretty awesome too. it features double darts in the front!

2282 i picked up for the lovely princess seams. i might even try making a bib necklace.

2305 is a cynthia rowley pattern. i love the rounded hem and soft easy style.

2211 is a lisette pattern. i've wanted a skirt like this forever, with the pleats on the seam lines. it has a very "amelie" kind of vibe.

close ups of the retro patterns. see what i mean about 2154? total trudy campbell outfit!

good luck shopping and get there before all the good ones are picked over!

kwaidan illustrated

2011-11-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

if you love japanese ghost stories, you cannot live without Kwaidan {kaidan}.

from the beautiful Yuki-onna, spirit of snow, to the bewitched Hoichi singing for a ghostly emperor and his court, these tales enchant as much today as they did over a century ago.

the volume features stunningly dark ukiyo-e set in gilded backgrounds

these storeies inspired the beautiful film "kaidan." direscted by Masaki kobayashi~

kaidan~ yuki-onna {part2}

making of "fantastic mr. fox" part 2

2011-11-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

rushmore academy has mr. fox faux fur ties for sale here, modeled by jason schwartzman.
click pictures to enlarge~

badger concept art by felicie haymoz.

cuss with bill murray at your own peril.

i love agnes' freckles!
coach skip and agnes concept art by felicie haymoz and an explanation of "hot box!"
"Basically, there's three grabbers, three taggers, five twig runners, and a player at Whackbat. Center tagger lights a pine cone and chucks it over the basket and the whack-batter tries to hit the cedar stick off the cross rock. Then the twig runners dash back and forth until the pine cone burns out and the umpire calls hotbox. Finally, you count up however many score-downs it adds up to and divide that by nine."

petey concept art by felicie haymoz.

and of course petey was voiced by the talented jarvis cocker.

rat and weasel concept art uncredited.

i like wes's note- "no pleats!"
weasel was voiced by wes anderson.

farmer bean and kristofferson~
"Frank Bean is a turkey and apple farmer. He invented his own species of each. He lives on a diet of strong alcoholic cider which he makes from his apples. He's as skinny as a pencil, as smart as a whip, and possibly the scariest man currently living."

wes anderson and bill murray on set.

"let her dance"

the making of "fantastic mr. fox." part 1

2011-11-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Turkeys, apples, and psychotic farmers! It must be november! what better movie to usher in this lovely month than "Fantastic Mr. Fox," with its richly designed autumn palette. initially, i was very excited to hear wes anderson was directing this. while i wasn't fond of the "Darjeeling Limited," his other films rank among my favorites. "Mr. Fox" does not disappoint. It's good for thoughtful adults and children alike. The subtle complexity of Dahl's original isn't lost here, nor is it buried under unnecessary additions. the expansion of the story adds rather than detracts, simply because, like Dahl's book, nothing is sentimentalized {notwithstanding adorable costumed animals.} I was lucky to receive the book on its making for a christmas past and i've spent hours pouring over the tiny props, costumes, and sets. here are a few of my favorite pagers:
click pictures to ~enlarge

concept art for" fantastic mr. fox." art by chris appelhans.

felicity fox's melancholy paintings by turlo griffin.

"she's got a good eye, but she's obviously very depressed." ~bean's critique of mrs. fox's paintngs. {cut from the film.}

roald dahl's desk inspired the tiny props made for mr. fox's desk.

mr. fox concept art
1. eric chase anderson.
6. huy vu
11. chris appelhans

felicity fox concept art
1. cameo design by turlo griffin
2. felicie haymoz
4. eric chase anderson

the gloriously beautiful and sad felicity fox.

btw~ rifka made her own mrs. fox dress. prepare to die from pleasure: the perfect apple dress!

all ash concept art here by felicie haymoz.

poor ash. i loved him. i know what it's like being a disappointemnt to your parents. i too am "wiggle-wiggle-fingers... different."

all kristofferson concept art here by felicie haymoz.

i have secret hopes karl will grow up to be a kristofferson. nice, smart, and good at martial arts. what? a mother can dream ;P

super halloween!

2011-11-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

halloween was wonderful this year. karl loves to wear dish towels as capes so we figured he'd get a kick out of being superman. while matching halloween costumes are not in our future, the all black garb of the evil kryptonians was an easy one for us.

daddy, karl, and mommy as general zod, superman, and ursa.

kablam! superman vanquishes general zod!

cinderella~ autumn queen

2011-11-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Cinderella is an autumn tale. Don't believe me? Pumpkins. Okay, occasionally it's a winter tale and the ball is actually a yule ball. Cinderella comes in decked in flowers which makes the party-goers believe she's a fairy bc it's the dead of winter. i.e.- "rashin' coatie" ("coat of rushes" a scottish cinderella variant). But usually, it's an autumn tale.

The most influential book of my childhood was Gordon Laite’s "Cinderella." I owned the little goldenbook with paper dolls. It ignited in me a passion for drawing, clothes, and paperdolls~ for everything. I made supplentary dresses for my doll from other Cinderellamovies. Not only disney’s "Cinderella" but "Cinderella" with Leslie Caron as well as "the Slipper and the Rose" both of which had gorgeous costumes.

I discovered something: aside from the pleasure of drawing,I was good at it. It was revelatory. I wasn’t good at anything. But suddenly Iwas good at this.

"Cinderella"-illustrated by Gordon Laite

a couple of stone. cold. bitches.

check out Cinderella's fabulous dress with sunflowers. Who said everything for a girl must be pepto bismol pink?

and how beautiful is her fairy godmother with her autumn leaf dress and golden butterfly wings?

the footman has literally "flipped his wig."

enter dress #2! a lovely ermine trimmed blue velvet number. just don't google what ermine look like or you may not like Cinderella as much.

too late! run little guy!

a white and green wedding dress! does it get any better? have i mentioned that as a little girl my favorite color was green? trust me, not a popular little girl color, even in the groovy and awesome late 70s of my childhood. So yes, i was validated by Cinderella's dress.

I understand it's very popular to denigrate Cinderella and her virtues. But there is a place for somewhat passive heroines as well as alpha females. As a shy bookish little artist i delighted in Cinderella, Snow White, and Beauty- where good was rewarded and evil cosmically punished. i also enjoyed "east of the sun and west of the moon," with it's plucky heroine who saves her prince from a fate worse than death (a wedding night with the troll princess). There's room for everyone. Wallflowers and alpha-females, scullery maids and brave girls with wanderlust alike.

And so while i understand the inherent problems Cinderella poses for a modern audience, i love her anyway. She's nice and industrious. She's good at sewing, cooking, and patient with the assholes around her. She loves animals and misses her mother. And in the versions i read and watched as a kid, my imagination filled in the blanks. Cinderella wasn't just a pretty face. No way! She and the prince were so busy talking about all the things they both liked to do and read that he forgot to ask her name.
She was just that amazing.

ps- i have the dolls and clothing as well. i'll scan and post them soon.

gift from japan

2011-10-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

when he was just a little boy, my husband's family hosted an exchange student from japan. she became close friends with them, especially his older sister and they've visited over the years.

recently, i had the good fortune to meet her for the first time. she was very lovely and kind.

she brought karl a pair of pajamas! she says the pattern is called "daruma" and means good fortune or victory.

{karl also received a xylophone from nicaragua, but i'll tell you about that soon!}

bad news

2011-10-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

my printer is dead. well, as good as dead. i've been cleaning and realigning it but it persists in printing noticeable horizontal lines.
needless to say, i'm extremely disappointed. i've been working on this project for 6 months. i've sulked, been depressed and what-have-you for the last few days, but i can't fix it.
hopefully we'll be able to buy a new printer with our tax return in the early spring, provided we have no emergencies.
i feel embarrassed for being upset. in the great scheme of things i have a life of some ease. my family and i exist in genteel poverty until my husband finishes school and can hopefully find a job here in the u.s. or abroad. i've stopped reading the posts of the 99% on my tumblr bc i couldn't sleep at night. i vote for people to change things for the benefit of the working class, but money controls everything and floods many people with fear- fear of anyone not like "themselves." it's very depressing.

in the meantime, i have a few commissions to work on and lots of drawings awaiting paint. i have a pile of fabric to sew into clothes so i'd better pull myself together and get on with it. patience is my hardest won virtue.

and on a lighter note~ my husband and i carved a pumpkin with our son. not enough money for gas to show support at an occupy event, but enough money to buy a pumpkin from "trader joe's." and that's what i mean by "genteel poverty." first world problems- both funny and pathetic. at least i haven't lost my sense of humor.

the sweetest fig~ book and recipe

2011-10-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Monsieur Bibot is a terrible man. a petty, cruel tyrant who relishes his work as a dentist and abuses his lovely little dog, Marcel.

sweet marcel is too small to walk down the stairs but his master drags him down anyway.

bibot is given two figs as payment by a poor woman. She tells him they are magic figs and will make all your dreams come true. not believing her in the least, he sends her away and eats one that night. in the morning his dream from the night before indeed has come true. {nice Eiffel Tower! paging dr. freud!} determined not to waste the last fig he attempts to program himself to dream that he is a rich man with expensive possessions.

but that night, marcel eats the last fig from off the kitchen table. bibot chases marcel under the bed and promises grave reprocussions in the morning.

indeed, there are grave reprocussions come daylight, but not for marcel. bibot finds himself under the bed. marcel has dreamt that they have changed places and now marcel is the master...

Up until i read this book i'd never had a fig. They seemed far too exotic for me and i had no idea how to cook them.

i found an amazing recipe here.

Ingredients

4 large fresh Black Mission or Calimyrna figs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 to 3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
8 cups mixed salad greens

*small container feta cheese
* handful of chopped walnuts

Method

Snip the tiny stem end off each fig and cut in half lengthwise. Mix vinegar, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Add figs and gently toss to coat. Let marinate.

Place figs face down in a hot pan with olive oil. cook face down on medium heat for 4 min, reserving all of the marinade in the bowl. Do not overcook as the figs will become too mushy. Remove figs to a plate.

To the reserved marinade, add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper, whisking well to completely incorporate.

Place greens in a large salad bowl. Toss with dressing, then divide among 4 individual serving plates. Place 2 fig halves on each plate of greens and serve.

i diced the figs and added feta and walnuts. it was one of the most delicious things i've ever eaten!

more tales to tremble by~ illustrated by gordon laite

2011-10-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

published in 1968, "more tales to tremble by," illustrated by gordan laite, is full of surprising creeps. although a children's book, the selection of stories are anything but childike.

boasting stories such as, "the red lodge," by h. russell wakefield and "the extra passenger," by weird luminary august derluth, the stories are sure to frighten children and most likely frighten adults even more.

"sredni vashtar," by saki is my favorite in the collection. 10 year old conradin lives with his oppressive cousine and guardian, "mrs. de ropp." a sickly boy, his every possible joy and excitement is suppressed by his guardian, whom he feels is hastening him to his death. secretly he obtains a large polecat-ferret. as the embodiment of life, he imagines it a vengeful god and he its faithful supplicant. eventually mrs. de ropp discovers the animal and enters the shed where it's hidden to dispose of it. conradin, from the window above, watches helplessly.

"and in the sting and misery of his defeat he began to chant loudly and defiantly the hymn of his threatened idol: 'srendi vashtar went forth; his thoughts were red and his teeth were white. his enemies called for peace, but he brought them death. sredni vashtar the beautiful.'

"... and presently his eyes were rewarded: out through that doorway came a long, low yellow and brown beast, with eyes a-blink at the waning daylight and dark wet stains around the fur of his jaws and throat."

contentedly, conradin proceeds to eat toast and drink his afternoon tea with enjoyment.

gordon laite's art is beautiful. all of his art i've seen prior to this has been full color so it was a delight to see his linework. sadly, due to the wonderful painted cover, this book is often "reused" to make journals so pick one up while you can.

paper dolls ~english country murder prologue

2011-10-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

i love mysteries~ human, eleusian, and literary. agatha christie's miss marple was my introduction to the genre. at 12ish years old somehow, someone one left a volume of her short stories at our house. desperate for reading matierial i picked it and fell under their spell. however, dame agatha was soon replaced in my heart by conan doyle. what can i say, i was a victorian nut at the time.
flash forward 25 years! following our move to so-cal so my husband mikael could begin working on his masters, i picked up christie's "tuesday club murders".
"The.. Tuesday Night Club, a random gathering of people at the house of Miss Marple. Each week the group tell thrilling tales of mystery, which are always solved by Miss Marple, from the comfort of her armchair."
{thanks wikipedia!}

soon after this i started collecting any agatha christie books i could find at our local used book shops. the older the edition, the better, for the older editions boast delightful painted covers. in addition to miss marple i discovered christie's stand alone mysteries such as, "murder with mirrors" and "towards zero.". while i've read most of poirot's cases many times, these we're new to me. i was instantly charmed.

in my characteristic over-enthusiasm i decided to make my own set of dolls inspired by the common stock characters in english country manor mysteries from the 1920s to the early 1960s. after making a two page list i whittled it down to five character types:
the spinsterly sleuth, the clever vicar, the dark horse, the it girl, and the good sport.
each is a jointed doll, held together by brads. there are changes of clothes, accessories, clues, red herrings, and possible bloody murder weapons. their clothes are drawn from the general styles of the 1920s to early 1980s, with much mix and match between the decades.

*covers are from my personal collection of pocket sized paperbacks.

now i can fulfill my desire to daydream grisly murders and their solutions by my paper creations!

"english country murder" coming soon!

coco chanel: legend and liar

2011-10-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

"you could search forever for the whole truth about gabrielle chanel, and never find the last of the missing pieces; for when she cut up her history, she scattered it all around, losing some details, hiding others, covering her trail."
-coco chanel: the legend and the life
justine picardie

justine picardie's excellent biography is heavily illustrated, as any biography about a visual person should be. we see chanel as a sweet young milliner, as a middle aged beauty cavorting foolishly on her lover's yacht, and as an old women burning with creative energy.

what drew me to read about chanel? i abhor black clothing: it makes me look gaunt and feel old. ditto suntans, and though i do like thin, not at the price of health. but chanel's legacy is more than the famously ugly trends she cultivated. she also introduced comfortable clothing designed to unburden women from corsets. clothing intended to create a look of girlish freedom in its wearer. "to be free to drive a car, to ride a bicycle, to walk to work, you had to be able to forget about what you were wearing. forgetting is part of freedom- and so she was able to forget about her past." (ibid.)

chanel was a self invented person. by the time she was 20 she was already lying about her age, trimming the years as she would trim her hair, her clothes, even her famous maxims were constructed with a determination that would do occam proud.

chanel's first "little black dress." it was christened "the ford" because it could go anywhere. 1926.

frolicking on her lover, the duke of westminster's yacht. she's wearing tweed she borrowed from him and which she would later redesign and make into chic women's wear.
he's in plus fours. i find these particularly charming because they're such a goofy couple. where is the fearsome chanel?

chanel pioneering the sailor look. ringstripe jersey top and soft wide legged pants.

chanel and friends goofing around in the garden of her mediterranean estate, la pausa.

chanel designs for american vogue, illustrated by christian berard 1937. the writing reads, "chanel dines in printed pyjamas (sic), sweater, barbaric jewels. (two small chanels) striped linen, flannel jacket. checked tussur, chiffon cape-veil.

chanel, by cocteau. a woman without a face, without a past...

all photos and quotes from "coco chanel: the legend and the life" by justine picardie. if you're interested in chanel, fashion, or the lost generation i highly recommend you pick it up.

2011-10-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

i contributed a print of "imps" to help raise money for hollie stevens who just had breast cancer surgery. it's part of a raffle. each ticket is $5 & there are lot's of prizes!

the details are here:
raffle-for-hollie-stevens

magic and mystery in the garden of abdul gasazi

2011-09-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

i have a confession: i wasn't always a chris van allsburg fan. "polar express" was my introduction to him and it left me as cold as the frozen snow on the cover. i found his art dull, heavy, too still.

and then i came across, "the garden of abdul gasazi." the story was wonderfully weird and thought provoking- an island of imagination in the doldrums of most modern children's books. what i once found heavy became sculptural, what was too still became life magically paused.

the title page invites us along with allen as he trails fritz, the renegade bull terrier he's dog-sitting. a sign declares, "ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THIS GARDEN," signed, "ABDUL GASAZI, RETIRED MAGICIAN."

echoing "snoopy come home"'s famous refrain, "nooo dogs allowed!" which every child knows to mean where dogs aren't allowed children are usually not welcome either. {except for san francisco, where dogs are allowed everywhere and children are the intruders- mostly due to their narcissistic and bullying parents who don't care if their golden genius screams through your meal.}

the {retired} magician, abdul gasazi is both modern and timeless. with his fez, dressing gown, and cigar, he is faintly amusing and vaguely sinister.

with an obvious love of ambiguity, the reader is left to decide whether gasazi is a skilled illusionist or a reality bending magician.

van allsburg's art is subtle, intriguing, and perfectly still. his work as a sculptor shows through on every page. his scenes are frozen in time as if a magic spell has been cast on the players. each page is so three dimensional you feel as though you may fall into them if you lean forward too far.

published in 1979 it was his first book.

from his official website: "The first story that I wrote, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, had a dog in it named Fritz. When I thought about the kind of dog I wanted Fritz to be, I decided he should be a bull terrier. Unfortunately, I didn't know any bull terriers that could be my model for drawing pictures. I found some photographs, but they were not what I needed. What I needed was a real dog. My brother-in-law, David, visited one day, and told me he was thinking of getting a dog, possibly a golden retriever. I told him he should get himself something more interesting. Something really unusual. I showed him photos of bull terriers and he agreed that it was a most unusual and appealing dog.

Not long after that, he acquired a bull terrier puppy, and named him Winston. Winston became the model for Fritz, and because he was my brother-in-law's dog, I thought of Winston as a kind of nephew. Sadly, Winston had an accident that sent him to the big dog kennel in the sky at a young age. I decided to commemorate the contribution he made to my first book by including him (or at least a tiny part of him) in all of my books. "

i look for winston in each book ;D

mercer mayer's "favorite tales from grimm" part 1.

2011-09-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

as i've posted before, mercer mayer is one of my earliest and most lasting influences. with the beginning of autumn, now seems a fitting time to post his illustrations from "favorite tales from grimm." this was his third and last book before his artistic decline began to set in. the pictures are highly detailed, exquisitely shaded, and colored. his model appears to once again be his first wife, the regally beautiful marianna mayer.

the themes are befitting the brothers grimm. many of the pictures are slightly frightening or adult in nature. they also appear to be painted on a heavier paper but unfortunately, unlike, "beauty and the beast" there is no art information given in the copyright info. btw~ this book is out of print.

~snow white

"rumpelstiltskin"

not only is her semi-profile masterfully done, the soft pencil shading of her cheekbones is amazing. her hair, her hands, and the soft realistic baby make this my favorite in the book.

"allerleirauh"

"thousandfurs" is a deeply disturbing tale, better known by it's french varient, "donkeyskin," which was made into an incredibly strange, wondrous, and popular film starring catherine deneuve. the princess escapes her incestuous father by disguising herself as an animal & getting a job in another castle. after some cinderella-like parties everything turns out happily ever after.

the expression in her lamp-like eyes is so ambiguous. is it wistful? hopeful? the soft modeling of her nose and mouth and, as always, mayer's dipiction of the swirling organic trees, leaves, and nature are some of his best.

shirley jackson's "the lottery: or the adventures of james harris."

2011-09-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

the short stories comprising "the lottery" concern evil. not grandiose evil or glamorous evil, but mundane, petty evil- a distinctly human evil despite the ivy trails of the supernatural twisting through her writing.

taking the ballad, "the daemon lover" for her inspiration, she explores marriage, fidelity, domesticity, hypocrisy, and the nuances of small town living and mind set. despite their mid 20th century settings, her characters could have been any of the dull, showy, self-important people i've met in places such as orange county, riverside county, or even my home town of cardiff.

variations of the name "james harris" pop up in the stories, always signalling impending disquiet or disaster. where he's unnamed, his blue suit flits from story to story alerting us to danger.

shirley jackson's stories are restrained. often nothing overt happens, but you're left with a feeling of general unwellness. the supernatural blends seamlessly with our world until we ourselves are not sure who is who or what is what. a man wearing a blue suit may be a respectable commuting businessman or he may be a witch spreading his evil plans among our children, sowing murderous thoughts in their fertile minds before we're fully conscious of his actions.

and that is shirley jackson's most insidious gift. the insight that the most obviously respectable people are often the agents of evil. we trust them because they cast themselves as the voices of tradition and realize too late that tradition favors the strong and merciless.

<--- this is just because i love pete campbell and his beautiful blue suits.

welcome autumn!

2011-09-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

autumn, like spring, is a changing season. already the long hot days of august are fading and there is a new crispness in the air. the light falls golden instead of the white, blinding light of summer. witches and fairies roam the countryside. wolves and changelings lurk behind every tree.

transformation is in the air...

"trois femmes et trois loups" ~eugene grasset

sewing~ maternity top from burda 6/2009 and 2/2009

2011-08-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

i've been wanting to post some of the clothes i've made, but painting has been occupying all of my time. however, i finally got it together, a little, to post a blouse i made 2 years ago when i was pregnant with karl.

first, i really wanted a cool cotton blouse for the months of august and september. we lived in san francisco at the time and no one has air conditioning. even though i'm normally cold all the time i was hot-hot-hot when i was pregnant. i found some lovely cotton and preshrunk it.

i used the top and back of burda 6/2009 # 123 and the bottom of burda 2/2009 #110. on #110's piece i didn't cut it on a fold. instead i extended the fold another 2 inches and connected the front center pieces with a seam. the most challenging issue was the bust. i wasn't sure what to make in order to accommodate pregnant/nursing breasts. i ended up adding 2" to my bust measurement in preparation and it worked out wonderfully. but for you, i would ask whichever female relative you take after and get a good estimate.

here are some photos of me while pregnant.

but, they don't really show the blouse, probably bc my priority was getting shots of my tummy.

so, today i took some photos~

trimmed with ric rac.

i love the sleeves.

here are some pictures of my blouse from different angles. there are more details to be be seen, but since i'm not pregnant it doesn't fit right.

i like the back quite a bit. it reminds me of a sack backed dress.

i feel like the mymble from "moomin."

plenty of tummy room.

ps~ taking actual pictures of myself is very awkward. trying to figure out what to do with my arms so that people could see the blouse was murder!

from burdastyle 6/2009 and 2/2009

fooling around

2011-08-16T11:26:00.001-07:00

my blog will no doubt be a mess for a while ;)

2011-08-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

"Put your ray gun to my head
Press your space face close to mine, love"

the first picture i drew for mikael was us as aliens. happy anniversary to my sci-fi, horror, weird fantasy, comic dream man. four years isn't long enough. i love you.

sewing~ wedding dress

2011-07-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

my 4 year anniversary approaches on august 2nd! i can't believe it's been 4 years already. my husband mikael is my absolute dream man. now that we have karl i don't have much time to sew, although after i'm done with my current art project i'm going to take a month off from painting and make something- anything!

i've always wanted to make my wedding dress. i originally chose a vintage vogue pattern but adding 2" to the length of the torso was going to prove too difficult. i happened to browse through my then newest issue of burda and fell in love.

issue 3/08 had a bridal pattern inspired by wallis simpson's wedding gown. it was perfect! easy to add length to the torso and skirt and easy to add width to the hips. i made a muslin first and worked out the kinks, mostly fitting through my hips. my measurements then were 34"-25"-38".

made from champagne silk shantung. i omitted the belt bc i loved the triple darts in the front and wanted to show them off.

i loved the 30s vibe. we felt like the hippy version of nick and nora!

yes, we had a keg as well as almond champagne. my priority was to provide great drinks and food for my guests. i appreciated them coming to share our day!

stationing han and leia on planet cake!

hard at work on "the dark horse"

2011-07-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

after being a flunky the last couple days, i'm back at work while karl sleeps.

intricately applying layers of color while listening to "bryter layter."

my gorgeous husband doing school work to my right.

yes, i chew my paintbrush ends and yes, it's really gross. no, i don't chew pens bc that's really, really gross. no one is going to touch my paintbrushes but pens are so... communal.

18 months- post baby thoughts

2011-07-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

in 3 days karl will be 18 months old. i try to restrain my mother hen crowing about how completely amazing he is and how i'm sure he's already a child genius on par with anything salinger dreamed up. {mostly bc the italian side of my brain is afraid of the evil eye.} usually i fail. hopefully i don't come off as smug.

smugness. i actually worry about that {and everything, hi generalized anxiety disorder} whenever i interact with people online. can you be happy with yourself and your accomplishments without seeming like an asshole? i don't know.

women, especially are never supposed to be happy about their lives. appearance, career, love-life, children {if you have them or if you don't}- these are all areas where you are expected to find fault with yourself or if you don't, to stay silent. no one wants to hear your twee-ass happiness.

the point i'm coming to is, i've lost most of the 60+ lbs i gained while pregnant with karl and i'm happy about it. i know, i should be quiet. i should never be happy about how i look bc it'll make other people unhappy about how they look or else they'll simply think i'm delusional bc i obviously don't look that good. at least, growing up, that's how it worked in my family. anyone foolhardy enough to be verbally satisfied with their appearance was quickly attacked. since none of the women in my family were shrinking violets, ugly fights about being pretty ensued.

when i got pregnant, mixed in with the congratulations were the strange, prophecies of doom regarding how i would look in the future. i'm no one's {except my husband's} idea of perfect. i'm too tall to buy most ready made clothes. broad shouldered, small bust, big hips {see pictures}. i like my body, but i don't expect anyone else to. however, i was a little weirded out about the- "your boobs will disappear!" "don't gain weight! you'll never lose it!" stretch marks, hair loss, etc. really? jesus, i was more scared of gestational diabetes than my fat ass. i don't know if this was part of the hazing process of joining the sorority of motherhood, but it was lame.

did i care? kinda sorta? how much did i care? i cared more that people would say things like that than it actually happening. i have my mother's body {minus the implants} so i had a pretty good idea how i'd look. i was 36 and was never going to look 26 again- and i certainly don't feel bad about that. our obsession with looking 19-21 for all eternity is just stupid. as is our obsession with "getting our body back" after we have children by erasing any and all trace of having carried and thus given birth to a child, which is a really creepy goal. of course you only have 6-12 weeks otherwise, as i was told repeatedly, it'll NEVER come off!!! i tried to not have that frame of mind and set a calm, realistic goal for myself:

38" hips

that's how big they were before i got pregnant and that's how big they have to be for me to fit into my pants. pants are the hardest thing for me to find, so the ones i have i guard jealously. most of them i've had for about 8 years. well, i reached my goal and i'm happy as a duck.

it took 17 months. i didn't crash diet. i ate moderately and rarely drank. i exercised a half hour a day. for each step of weight loss i did different things. riveting, i know. not like the exciting covers that shout at me from magazines while i wait in line, "drop 3 dress sizes in in 1 month!!!" i didn't want to yo-yo and i didn't want to hurt myself by not getting the right nutrition. we went out to eat delicious red robin a couple times a month {we're pure class}, but other than that i cook from scratch. i have a sweet tooth and made cakes and cookies, again from scratch.

my body is different now. my upper arms are thicker. my bust is bigger {hello!}, my ribcage expanded, and my waist is bigger. i've always been prone to cellulite, but now i'm covered in it. oh well.

the photo below looks like i'm sucking my gut in but i'm not, at least not very much. my mother used to regale me with horror stories about a hunch-backed cousine of hers who got that way from bad posture. for karl's sake, i hope i don't turn into a crazy mother.

i'm a stay at home mom and i only have one child, so i had an extra half hour to exercise. i also have the time to cook, take vanity shots of my saddlebags, and to post self congratulatory blogs about myself instead of painting like i should be doing. but i do have a fair idea of how lucky i am and as much as i like myself, i like other people too. i skewer no one just to prop up my own ego.

so please, don't tell your pregnant friends how terrible they're going to look after they have a kid. show a little restraint. trust me, it's not "funny." you're not "bonding." and they have enough to worry about.

hard at work!

2011-06-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

i have 2 projects i'm working on. one is a commission i can't talk about yet and the other is a set of 5 paintings that will be available in my shop soon~

working on "the good sport"

easter eggs

2011-05-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

with all the new egg color kits i still prefer paas.

green bicycle egg i made for my husband, mikael.

tri color blue egg.

2 color, yellow & blue egg.

alien face egg, again for mikael.

3 color orange, green and blue.

peacock blue egg.

paris is burning

2011-05-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

listen: st.vincent ~ paris is burning

i've been listening to st. vincent's "marry me" non-stop. her second album is good, but seems to suffer from song samyness, common to her genre. "marry me", however is beautiful. i highly recommend picking it up. 

"paris is burning" in particular is very inspiring. it has a slight 1920s feel & a parisian musical motif that is especially well suited to the current set of paintings i'm working on. while not an actual period pieces, they occupy that nebulous retro/vintage zone i adore, most famously embodied in the films of wes anderson & jean-pierre juenet.  

I write to give word the war is over
Send my cinders home to mother
They gave me a medal for my valor
Leaden trumpets spit the soot of power they say

"I'm on your side when nobody is, cause nobody is 
Come sit right here and sleep while I slip poison in your ear"

We are waiting on a telegram to give us news of the fall 
I am sorry to report dear Paris is burning after all
We have taken to the streets in open rejoice revolting
We are dancing a black waltz fair paris is burning after all

Oh no oh no 

Enclosed in this letter there's a picture 
Black and white for your refrigerator
Sticks and stones have made me smarter
it's words that cut me under my armor they say 

"I'm on your side when nobody is, cause nobody is, 
come sit right here and sleep while I slip poison in your ear"

We are waiting on a telegram to give us news of the fall 
I am sorry to report dear Paris is burning after all
We have taken to the streets in open rejoice revolting
We are dancing a black waltz fair paris is burning after all

Oh no oh no 

Dance poor people dance and drown 
Dance fair Paris to the ground
Dance poor people dance and drown
Dance fair Paris ashes now                  

hot cross buns

2011-05-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

i ordered hot cross buns from "all of the above bakery" in temecula. they're a gluten free bakery, among other things, & they're fantastic. check them out if you're in the area!

where are my hot cross buns?

the fluorescent light in the previous pic was bothering me so i used a yellow gel. karl's eyes are actually hazel.

yay!

... but what do i do with it?

getting ready to color eggs

paas

needless to say, this didn't last long. he grew tired of coloring eggs and decided to color his hands.