personas

How the internet sees me. From Personas.





"Accident" and "domestic" are the tiniest slivers, "sports" one of the largest. What to make of that? :)

collective unconscious

I just clicked the "Begin at the Beginning" link at the bottom of 500 Pieces of Prudent Advice. The first tip she wrote - "Always send a thank you note."

My own first piece of advice from two entries back? "Write thank you notes. Every time."

I promise I hadn't begun at the beginning. This must just be a truth.

flown

This is a mash-up of sorts. I think if I start rifling through the contents of my mind, taking the initiative to address some of the smaller bits that can be accomplished and forgotten, my thinking will function a bit more smoothly. It’s worth a shot.

Despite the fact that I’m a bookbinder (ooh, I like the sound of that) and I’ve made a few custom guestbooks specifically for weddings, I’ve decided not to have a guestbook at our wedding. Instead, I borrowed an idea from Etsy (imagine that) and bought a little wooden box to serve as a “guestbox.” I painted the box in mossy olive green and cream, and affixed a Hambly birdcage rub-on (I love their products more than life itself).


With marriage, Jesse and I will be once-free birdlings that are now caged together.

I’m going to cut cream-colored index cards to size and hopefully each guest will fill out their name, contact information, and maybe a little message! That way the box will serve as a useful address compendium once we get home. My favorite detail is the tiny stamped letters on the index dividers – embossed in a shade of green just slightly darker than the cards themselves. I appreciate that monochromatic balance and want to incorporate it in future projects.


I also tried my hand at papercutting for the first time recently, making this tongue-in-cheek birthday card for Jesse’s 30th. I had been browsing the amazingly precise work at The Heart of Papercuts and wanted to see how difficult the craft was. I’ve long been a fan of traditional Mexican “picados” and I’d like to eventually make some to hang above my craft table. I thought the card turned out fine for a first try – next time I’ll use a heavier cardstock for cutting and I need to find a different adhesion technique! Oh, not to mention improving my making-a-likeness skills – does this even look like Jesse??


Lastly. I got some lovely new kitchen tools and dishes at my bridal shower last week, so I decided to rearrange the vintage hutch we purchased from a friend a while back. The hutch itself needs refurbishing (note the missing knob), particularly since it kind of fell over in the moving truck as we were bringing it home. A fresh coat of paint and some new fixtures should bring this beauty back to life.


I decided to arrange white and glass items in the display case, along with a couple bright splashes of color. I am pleased with the result; it reminds me of the photos I love so much in Real Simple and on those glorious design blogs!

broadside

Ah, the illustrious Plan B.

My plan was firm. Walk home from the MAX, 82 degree weather; sweltering. Strip down to tank top and the same pants I'd been wearing all day and get down to finishing thank you notes from my bridal shower. I got caught up for just a moment texting about a friend's daughter's stomach-churning chin injury (slingshot fun gone all wrong), opening a beer and getting myself organized.

My mind has been running in all directions, all day. I've heard this is to be well expected in the month leading up to your wedding, but geez. I cannot think straight. I should get up now and turn off the XM radio that's tunnelling into my ears, straight into my brain.

Here's the breakdown:

1. I read a blog called "500 Pieces of Prudent Advice for my Baby Daughter." I really enjoy the concept of this blog and I've found myself mentally collecting pieces of advice for Chloe, or for my own unborn.

Today's nugget: Write thank you notes. Every time. It feels good. Your hands might ache and you might fear you're becoming repetitive, but it is as lovely to receive kindness as it is to express your gratitude.

There's another one in the works about overcoming difficulty and striving for ambitious, seemingly impossible goals, but I haven't fleshed it out yet.

2. I wanted to post photos and ideas pertaining to the wedding...to demonstrate that I've made at least a little progress. I cleared off the kitchen table and prepared my guest "box" - an address box serving as a guest book - and my rehearsal dinner bouquet - created from the ribbons and bows from my bridal shower gifts. Then I realized my camera's in the trunk of the car, which Jesse drove to work tonight. All I've got are these photos of the finished ring bearer bowl:



3. I was inspired today. I don't know what it was, if it was one genesis or several. I've been thinking about letterpress broadsides since seeing a call for art for a local show. Granted, my letterpress is not remotely up and running yet, but I'm down to try freehanding some. Check out these gorgeous pieces from Anagram Press in Tacoma. I'm most interested in their Feminism Series broadsides, but the bird prints are awesome as well. I'm leaning toward the lush olive & chocolate Victory Garden print as a favorite.

I like the idea of handcreating a poster with an uplifting message. I just bought the incredible Handy Book of Artistic Printing and it's teeming with ideas that could be built upon with pen and paper. I even have my first topic chosen.

Secondly, I just requested a copy of the police report from the accident that caused my grandmother's death. She was hit by a car and killed on Christmas Eve last year and I still have unanswered questions and uncertain responses to the incident. I envision using copies of the report in an artist's book expressing grief. Or maybe the dichotomy of burying my grandparents ashes two days before getting married. An interesting balance...

It seems I may not have had so much to say afterall. I feel content with that, and happy that I've discovered a little pocket of bloggers at the enormous agency where I work. Maybe now I'll feel like I'm addressing an audience!

query

My blog needs a design overhaul. Especially after reading blogs of real-life artists and designers, I'm recognizing that this place needs some sprucing up. I guess I didn't learn the daunting Adobe InDesign program for nothing...I need to put it to use!

It's sort of like how it's good to have a clean, comfortable bedroom...the place you return to at the end of every day, the place you go to recharge. I think if my blog is pretty and well-composed, I'll be more apt to visit here, to write and create.

I am extremely open to suggestions. What sort of blog "look" appeals to you most? What color schemes? I just bought some notecards and envelopes in the the "Night" and "Papaya" colors from Paper Source:

I think these might just be a color phase I'm going through. Green's my favorite and navy's creeping up in personal popularity.

What about a logo? Into deer right now. Always owls and birds, but are they cliche? Something book or craft related?

Let's hear your recommendations!

purr

My girl feline is a solo rangeress. She likes to keep her distance, atop a fur-attracting white sofa mountain, squinting one pretty eyeball from across the room (the other often covered with a modest paw).

Last night, somehow, somewhy, she climbed into bed with me, in between the sheet and the comforter. I was sleeping, so I didn’t notice she was pressed up against my legs through that thin barrier. At some point I rolled myself around and over, in order to free my feet from the blankets. Half-waking, I sensed a soft vibration, a wriggling next to me. I fell back asleep, then awoke to more squirming. I was dreaming. It was a baby. A little human infant. It was a squirrel. Something furry and small. This was much better than jumping to my knees to kill the imaginary dream spider or to strangle the imaginary dream serpent (I’m a very active sleeper). I was so happy with my little cocooned creature; I had to see what she looked like. I unrolled and unrolled, and Aurora popped out of the fabric cyclone. She marched off the bed and didn’t look back.

piglet

For Chloe’s last weekend in Portland this summer, we decided to head to my friend Teresa’s house for a small, impromptu barbeque. Chloe and I had gone berry picking on Sauvie Island the day before with our wonderful friend, Maria, so I whipped up a mixed berry trifle and also pressed and fried some fresh corn tortillas to share.

Allow me to digress. Saturday, as we drove toward the island on which we would do our berry picking, we stopped at a red light on Highway 30 in north Portland. A big dump truck came motoring through the intersection just ahead of us, with its, um, clutching mechanism not quite tucked into the proper spot. As we gaped, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, the top of the truck caught on the overhanging light signal and power cord. SNAP! The power cord split and went flying through the air as I rushed to roll up my window. I envisioned the end of the cord jumping into the car and electrocuting us.

Nothing ultra dramatic happened as a result. I called 911 and confirmed for dispatch that no arcs of electricity were shooting up from the sidewalk. Emergency over.

Back to the barbeque. We packed up our supplies and drove to Newberg, the sleepy townlet where Teresa and her kids live. Upon arriving, we learned that Teresa’s daughter, Ali, had come down with some awful sickness and a fever of over 100 degrees. I had to hold Chloe back from running into Ali’s room to hug her.












We ate mass amounts of guacamole and tortilla chips and drank mojitos. Chloe and Tristan, Teresa’s son, sequestered themselves in Tristan’s room, playing with Hot Wheels. My Jesse provided complimentary dream interpretation services to another Jesse (I feel as though I shouldn’t capitalize the latter Jesse’s name!) while I snuggled with T’s darling new puppy, Winston. Badminton, flank steak tacos and 80’s music completed a lovely summer Sunday.


The next day I got the phone call. “Sara, the doctors think Ali has swine flu.”

Oh boy oh boy. For the next five days I closely monitored myself, feeling my forehead every few hours and pursing my lips in worry with each telltale cough. The CDC website instructs those who may have been exposed to swine flu to carry about with their usual business and to continue going to work. Now it’s Friday, the last day we would have likely come down with this evil sickness, and I’m feeling pretty good.

It’s been a harrowing week, but luckily we’ve all survived it.