A House fit for a Hobbit

I don't have to be a hobbit to want this house. This real woodland home is energy efficient and built in harmony with mother nature. After a day of bumper to bumper commuting, noise and concrete, I like to imagine living here instead of the big city!

Link is
http://www.simondale.net/house/index.htm

Small Gift Big Smiles

The power of Hello Kitty never ceases to amaze me. I took my child, Lil Dollface who is 3 years 8 months old to the mall today and while we were eating lunch at the food court she spots the Sanrio store from afar. The store was as a magnet, whispering to her, come in come in... (while it said to me, spend money, spend money...)

The minute we walked into the store Lil Dollface eyes lit up like Ive never seen before and giggles ensued. It was amazing. She wanted to touch everything, and of course wanted me to buy everything. I had to admit the magic of Hello kitty worked on me too, as I perused the shelves it brought back memories of Junior high and friendships past when my tween friends and I got dropped of at the mall and went straight for the Sanrio store and bought each other little wallets, erasers, gum. I was definitely a Hello Kitty girl. Oh Little Twin Stars and My Melody weren't bad but how can anyone resist that white kitty face?

So we left the store with a bunch of little gifts that brought such childish pleasures to my daughter. It was so much fun. I relished in the fact that being a parent is a great opportunity to still love Hello Kitty.

ps: I bought Lil Dollface Hello Kitty pencil case, pen, temporary tattoos, a lollipop and couple of note pads. I spent $20 bucks which isnt bad at all and totally worth all the smiles. Oh and I really wanted
this:

xoxo

Unmotivated, Panic Attacks and the Zombie Apocalypse

I have been avoiding this blog like the plague. One because half of my keyboard isn't working properly. I also just haven't had much to say and certainly haven't created any new art because I have been a little unmotivated and day jobs have a way of sucking the creative life blood outta you. The last couple of weeks have been kinda blah. With the change into fall weather and lack of time, the kids being super loony and being stuck in rush hour traffic everyday left me feeling a little weird. Weird as in having bizarre dizzy spells at work and then feeling panicky for fear of fainting in front of my new cool co workers. The one thing I do love so far, is that I have been listening to audiobooks on my drive to and from work. I am addicted to zombie and vampire apocalypse novels right now and I haven't decided if that is helping me to relax or causing me more anxiety.

I am Legend by Richard Matheson was an intense and tragic tale of one mans survival and loneliness and had me wishing that traffic was even more bumper to bumper. (the book is a million times better than the movie) Now I am on to The Passage by Justin Cronin about end of the world vampire plagues and scenarios . I have it all lined up to download, The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. And then maybe The Road by Cormac Mc Carthy.

Sorry, I know that talking about books is bordering on Boring Grownup Concerns but given that the subject matter includes Zombies, that is ok right?

I do feel a little better this weekend. Perhaps in a future post I will talk about all the ghost stories my coworkers and I have been telling around the office campfire...aka the cooler.
There is a rumor that our building is....haunted.

xoxo

Illustration Lovers

I received a nice little shout out from Illustration Lovers a nifty site featuring neato illustrators on a daily basis. Check it out!

xoxo

The Last Snow Day of the Season

The Chase

We had a wonderwintery time doing some snow activities this past weekend and I fear it will probably be the last of the season, at least in Southern California. The weather is warming up and spring is quickly approaching. We (Mr Dollface and I) went up to the Big Bear area and had a day of cross country skiing! (I know, I know who does that?) .

It was very serene and beautiful, things you might miss if you downhill ski are the quiet, the tranquility and the peacefulness...(and the exhaustion)

Rim Nordic Ski Area, Running Springs CA

Pictures of Childhood

Looking around my dollhouse it is not hard to find pieces of childhood laying around. Cutesy barrettes, Little Little Golden Books, pink bows, all make me quite nostalgic...

Speaking of nostalgia...this carousel horse is from the Santa Monica Pier. Opened in 1916, each horse is hand carved, rising and falling to the sound of an automated band organ. The moorish architecture provides an enchanting and magical feel.

My Very Own French Toast Flipper

I went rummaging at the local thrift store and saw this:


Now isn't this the most PERFECT flipper for french toast? It has quite a retro look and has a pink no less! Why I think it was just sitting there waiting for me to buy it because I am quite the french toast maker and connoisseur...
and buy it I did!