American Kitsch

Do you know about Wigwam Village? They are a chain of wigwam shaped motels that were popular probably in the sixties. Now there are only two or three of these left. One is in Kentucky. I know as a child I've driven by this several times and was always pretty mesmerized by them.

Next time you're traveling through Kentucky consider staying in one of these places. Find out more about the Wigwam Village here.

New in Shop

I just added this 8" x 10" photo in my etsy shop.

Also, if you noticed in my blog I've been bumming a lot about my shop and how to be more successful. I got some great feedback about styling my shop photos so that's what I've been doing lately. I've been using my "house" as a backdrop. Here are a few so far. Any suggestions?




What are your weekend plans? Even though I plan on slaving away in the studio I also plan on seeing this movie and this one. Have a good weekend!

House Update

This isn't the best photo but here is an update of my house. I threw the shingles up with tape just to show my class how they will hang over so they are not in perfect place yet. Plus, the paint I used is really glossy, that's why there is a shine. I don't think I like it, I think I'm going to change the color. The shelf is only temporary. I'm going to go thrifting this weekend and try to find some shelving for the place and more decoration. I want to display a lot of found things as well as some of my artwork inside. I'd also like to make a nice trim on the end of the floor. It's so exciting to see it in this state, it's really starting to feel like a home. What do you think? Any suggestions?

Homecoming Birthday

Saturday night my beautiful and talented friend Joanna had a special birthday party. The theme was homecoming dance and every inch of the house was decorated. Joanna and her equally talented and amazing boyfriend Don worked hard to transform his house into a high school dance. So much attention was paid to details, including lockers, posters and a photo backdrop for all the couples. This really was a beautiful party. The images are courtesy of Joanna.

Here is the happy couple's homecoming picture.

Lockers!

It's Here!

Joanna Newsom's new album is out! It's a three disc album filled with amazingness. Check out the video below to hear the most beautiful song ever. This album is very very different from her older stuff so if you weren't a fan before, give her another chance. Just try!

Anna at TodayIllustrated has tagged me with a Kreative Blog Award. The rules are: Reveal 7 things about yourself and pass it on to 7 other creative bloggers.

Here goes:

1. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac but one that won't go to the doctor. I get convinced that I have something horrible but as long as a doctor doesn't confirm it, I will be fine.

2. I love oranges but rarely eat them because I can't stand how sticky you get. I might also be a bit too lazy to just get up and wash my hands.

3. I've had a bag of unopened candy in my apartment since February 12th. This may be the longest I've gone with an unopened bag of candy in my sight.

4. When I was younger I fantasized about playing Baby in a re-make of Dirty Dancing. I practiced really hard. One day it occurred to me that that was a dream that was likely never going to happen. I was devastated. That was the day the dancing died.

5. I read realty catalogs like they are classic novels. I get so excited when I find free ones at grocery stores. I love to read about every single house and how many bathrooms and bedrooms it has and if it has a finished basement. Then I die with envy when I read the price.

6. Currently my favorite fish is Tuna and my boyfriend makes the best tuna in town.

7. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I still haven't used it yet. I'm very very intimidated.

That was fun. And I pass this award to:

Cartography of the Imagination

Flux Biota

Gretchenmist

I Brake For Dreams

Pretty Little Thieves

Art by Vanessa de Lacy

Afiori

Monday Monday

This will be in my shop very soon. I can't wait to get the prints in the mail. The free print offer was really successful. I gave away a free print to the first four customers in my shop. I'd like to do that again. It's fun giving away free stuff.

I follow so many blogs and I'm so behind on my blog reading. This is so frustrating because I want to be up-to-date on what everyone is doing. Today I'm having to call it quits or I will never get out of my house. I have to run to the post office, try to track down a new tax form (because I lost mine...der derrrr) and go to printmaking class and sit in on a crit. THEN... back to my studio where I will be working on my house.

I finished all the wallpapering on the house yesterday. I have to keep cutting out roof shingles and spray paint them but that's coming along. I'm really excited to get the house back together and get updated pictures taken of it. It's really coming along. Hopefully I'll have a post of it tomorrow.

In the meantime, Papernstitch has started a new exhibition. My shop is still there along with many others. Go check it out.

Have a great Monday!

You Wanna See Something Sad?

My sister and I, circa 1987. I had a clown doll so I wanted to look like a clown. At school on halloween you are only allowed to dress as a hobo. I have no idea why. My only guess is that if some students can't afford a fancy costume they won't be left out. So the bottom half of me is my hobo chic look. From the neck up...clown. I was a hobo clown. It's pretty pitiful. My sister was a "punk rocker." Look how proud we are...

Friday's Balloons

Jumping Someone Else's Train., originally uploaded by poveralice.

Celebrate your weekend with balloons. Check out more beautiful photos by this artist by clicking on the link.

I'm going to spend my weekend being busy busy. Today I have a house to wallpaper. Wish me luck.

Thursdays

I've edited a couple of more photos and think I'll get some prints made for my shop. I'm really not having much luck selling the photos in my shop so I thought before I get some printed up I would ask for some advice and feedback. Any suggestions on something I could be doing or not doing?

I still have one free print available for the next purchase of ten dollars or more! I made three sales, just one more to go!

Things are continuing to move along with my house. Updates soon.

Don't forget to keep checking in with the Blog It Forward/Blog Mash-up Schedule.

I just discovered this blog, A Beautiful Mess, on the Pretty Little Thieves blog and I have to say I'm smitten. I love the name...

Go here to find out details on a sweet anniversary sale happening until Friday.

Feeling a little crazy gaga about this amazing artwork.

This morning I saw a teeny tiny little worm on the bedspread. I freaked out. I got made fun of.

Happy Thursday. Be sure to watch The Office tonight...

Jane at Flux Biota surprised me this morning with a very sweet write-up on my work. I think she spoke about my work better than I've ever been able to. You can see it here.

Yummy Art

We currently have a two person art collaborative in residency at our school called Guerra De La Paz. The school has started an interdisciplinary class called Art Lab and the students get to work with the artists-in-residents to create an exhibition. Unfortunately I'm not in this class. I really wish I was. I went to the artist talk yesterday by this group and was absolutely blown away. I knew they use re-purposed materials but I could have never imagined this kind of beauty. Both men, Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz, are Cuban born artists both living in Miami and have been exhibiting art since 1996 under this name. They use discarded clothing in all their pieces so they are very green artists. I can't say enough about how blown away I am by what they create. I'm so glad I attended their lecture and they will be working here for the next couple of weeks on an exhibition dealing with ideas of home and shelter. Sound like someone's thesis show??? There is going to be a definite home theme going on all semester long at this school I believe. Check out their website and blog to find out more information on this amazing art duo.

For Your Tuesdays

This morning I had to take my car into the shop for some repairs. It was only about a quarter mile from my house so I walked home. Other than some wind the weather seems pretty nice outside, pretty mild. Makes me hopeful for Spring to get here.

On my walk I got to come up close and personal to something that I love seeing from my car. When my friend Jane Ryder graduated and prepared to move away she took all of her woodblocks and nailed them to various trees around the town. It's a fun game to find Jane's woodblocks. It almost feels like letterboxing. I suppose I could ink this up on the tree and stick some paper to them for a stamp. Or do a rubbing like people do at cemeteries. If you live in this area keep your eyes open for some of these great blocks.

I still have two free prints left for the first two customers who purchase something in my shop for ten dollars or more. The money goes to the good cause of helping me get my thesis show made.

Don't forget to check the blog mash-up schedule today!

Almost Here and Stressin' Me Out

I'm starting to get in thesis show panic mode. I have the first draft of my thesis statement due today at 1:00 and I'm still working on it (well, I'm currently procrastinating by writing a blog instead). This is such a hard paper to write because it is hard to organize my thoughts. Plus I'm opening up old wounds I hadn't felt in a long time. There is a lot of sad memories and emotions stored in my work and talking about it is sometimes painful.

Also stressful, turns out building a house for my thesis show wasn't the cheapest idea I ever had. I guess I thought this house would basically be free since, you know, it's not like it's a real house or anything. Just yesterday I dropped more money. It's something new every day and it's tying my stomach up in knots. So! What does that mean for you? Free stuff. I have bonus 5" x 7" prints that I was going to put in my shop but have now decided to send to the first four people who purchase something $10. Plus! I will upgrade shipping to priority at no extra cost!

This is the print. It is smaller than 5" x 7" but has a white border and is ready to frame:

These are a few things currently in my shop. Look around, see what suits your fancy!

Haunted Houses

Soft Birthdays

Ghost Girls Live in Book Houses

Fat

Because You're Ugly

Valentimes

I hope you are all enjoying a nice Valentine's day. Even if you don't celebrate it, I hope your having a good Sunday.

My boyfriend and I did our Valentinesy day stuff yesterday since I have so much work to be doing in the studio today and a thesis statement to get started on (bleh...) I was really excited to receive these two amazing books both about two fantastic movies. The Making of Where the Wild Things Are and The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox. There was obviously a theme in his thought process. We also had delicious sushi which is always a treat. The whole day was really lovely. I wish is could be repeated today but there's too much to do. I don't want to get too gushy and annoying but I feel like a very lucky girl. There, I'll leave it at that.

I was so excited to see all the great comments left on my Inspiration post. More importantly it looks like a lot of people discovered more great blogs and artwork. That was really exciting to see. Don't forget to check back in on the mash-up tomorrow. The schedule is here.

Oh, also, Corrine at So September did a fun post on her celebrity crushes and we share a crush. Even though I just got a tad bit gushy on my super amazing boyfriend I, too, thought I would share my crush. J and I have talked about this. He's aware of it, he's okay about it.

It's Joaquin Phoenix...! I like to think he bears a striking resemblance to my boyfriend.
My crushness is so true that I even liked him when he looked like this. I kept it real. I really hope he's not a jerk in real life. If you know any insider information please share.

Okay, that was my tween girl moment of the day. Off to the studio and doing other busy stuff. Please have a great and wonderful day.

Get Inspired

Phew, I think this is the most images I've ever uploaded on my blog. But today is my day in the fun blog mash-up started by Victoria at sfgirlbybay. There are 300 bloggers participating in this experiment and so far it's been really fun. I'm scheduled to go today after following 2 Days in the Rain. The mash-up will take a weekend break and then Monday The Diary of Lovely is scheduled to follow me. Also blogging today is Bliss in a Teacup, Cursive Design, Good Measure, Kizz Designs, Mochatini, Papers and Packages, San Diego Songbirds, Sweet Sassafras, and The Window Ledge. So many! That's what makes this a really exciting thing to be part of.

So, the theme for this blog is inspiration, what inspires us. I've been thinking about this for a few days now and am having trouble really articulating my thoughts. I know that what really inspires me right now is reading other people's blogs. I'm always encouraged by seeing others going through similar experiences as me. These are people who work on their art daily, making it their business, their world. Many of them have children and families and houses and they continue to work day to day on their craft. There are times I get down and feel overwhelmed but it just takes reading a few blogs to get me motivated and ready to hit the studio, or add work to my shop, or write a new blog entry. I'm motivated to keep it up and stick things out because I see all these amazing women doing the same.

These are some of the first blogs I started reading when I decided to start my own blog. These women share their work and their lives. I look up to them and am grateful for their internet presence.

Inside A Black Apple, Emily has been so successful with her shop, it's allowed her to do what she loves and make it a full time business.

Aesthetic Outburst, Abbey is married and has two kids, she's always doing amazing and fun craft projects with her children and finding beautifully designed works on the internet creating her own gorgeous artwork.
Maria-Therese is always posting beautiful and inspiring work. She also has made her artwork a full time business, showing so much dedication and receiving tremendous amounts of success.
Vanessa De Lacy creates very whimsical drawings and illustrations. I love catching up on her life and work.
Gretchen Mist is another blogger with children who paints and collages and makes all kinds of beautiful things.

Heidi Kenney at My Paper Crane continues to blow me a

way daily. She's keeping up with two boys, always working, creating, baking. I wonder if she sleeps.

And of course there are my friends and peers who create inspiring blogs. I may communicate with them regularly or almost regularly, but their blog is a whole other way to get to know them.

Like Cassie's blog where I get to see wha

t she's doing when we're not having coffee breaks from our studios.

And my friend Michelle Moode at Millions of People Happy. Michelle lives much much much too far away from me right now so this blog is perfect f

or keeping me up-to-date.And Jane Ryder at Flux Biota always tells the best stories about her life as an artist living on a farm in Iowa. This is another person who lives too far away but I feel connected this way.
Of course, there is also just good old fashioned artwork that makes my heart skip a beat and really gets the inspiration flowing.

Like Kime Buzzelli. I've had an art crush on her since I discovered her artwork in the Myspace days.

Charming drawings by Pretty Little Thieves

Betsy Walton sets up the best compositions.
Amy Morken drives me nuts with all that color.
Peregrine Honig makes the most beautifully bizarre works.
I love what Caroline Hwang does with fabric.
Kimberly Hennessy's work takes my breath away.
and Diana Behl collages like a pro.
There are countless other people and blogs who inspire me. Countless. It was so hard to choose just a few. I really want to thank everyone who continues to do what they love and shares that with all of us readers. I feel like I'm really part of an amazing community.

Be sure to check out all the other blogs in this Blog it Forward challenge.

Happy Weekend!