linear ramblings

Nordic Body

2010-11-03T10:57:00.004-04:00

Hello?

A splash page/office poster/general ID image done this summer for Tasha's esthetician services in Canmore. The handdrawn name vectored into a suiting logotype too.

Daily Draw: Fresh Air

2010-03-19T23:17:00.004-04:00

Here's to Spring and the fresh burst of energy the breezes in with it.
Though I'm a bit reticent to embrace it just yet. Living in the country I do, I know well enough that this first spell of warmth and sunshine is but a tease and that winter always oversteps for a last hurrah... Or two. But I have hope in the robins poking around in the grass, worms littering the sidewalks. In everything starting to come out of its hidey hole.

Daily Draw: The Fishtank Chronincles, chapter 2

2010-02-19T23:43:00.005-05:00

Guppies. Why didn't I get guppies in the first place?
So much cleaner. Only have to feed them once a day. The tank water stands the test of time so much better... So yes, a few weeks after the last goldfish kicked it, and I got around to cleaning out the tank, we drove up to the nearest Petsmart and bagged ourselves 4 guppies. One silver, one orange, one yellow and one black: Nook (3),Orangoo, James, and Olivia(2). Its been about a week so far and no trips to toilet bowl with the fishnet yet.. Actually the store has a 14 day guarantee - If I bag and freeze my tank casualties and bring them - I get a replacement. Though, if you do this, you will be scolded for your toxic fishcare by someone with nothing better to do other than scrub tank grime.

Daily Draw: Illustration Friday "adrift"

2010-02-13T23:28:00.004-05:00

Illustration Friday participation, topic: "adrift".

Daily Draw: Where it turns out to be a lion

2010-02-11T23:14:00.006-05:00

.. more or less

Daily Draw: First flakes in February

2010-02-10T00:36:00.004-05:00

Been a while, huh?
You know, I actually think winter is less tolerable without snow (obviously I don't shovel much).. It's all quite bitter and barren.
And.. it looks like we're getting a few flakes finally, close to mid-February. We better be able to ski or sled or something out of this season, or so help me... S'alls I'm sayin'...

my message to january rain

2010-01-25T23:28:00.002-05:00

Your are worst of your kind.

Daily Draw: The fish tank chronicles

2009-12-30T22:44:00.008-05:00

We bought a goldfish starter tank for our daughter's 3rd birthday. She cried and asked for another present. It was not a Dora tank... but the kids have ragging on and on about getting a dog, and that's just not gonna happen. I have to clean up enough poo without pets, thankyouverymuch. They like fish. I though fish might be and easy placating compromise. Mnnno.

We started out with two globe eye fantails.. a small, runty calico which my daughter named Olivia and and an orange unassuming one named Nook.

Nook kicked it pretty fast. I flushed him down the toilet. Boy noticed right away. A bit unprepared, I opted for honesty and told him straight up "He died. Sorry. Its hard on them to change tanks and sometimes they die." The boy took it in a stride, a pouty stride, but a stride nontheless. The scrappy fish, "Olivia" who I was convinced was not going to last - small, lean to the point of transparency, hungry looking eyes... was still swimming strong.

Oh yeah, and we had a defective filter pump. And goldfish are "high waste producers". Disgusting. But the yellow water didn't last.

Me and the boy returned to the pet store. I bought two more fantails.. one for insurance. They were named Mook and Nook (II)... ? That's the name they chose. And they actually lasted a few more days than Nook (I), but as the week wore on they became less animated and stayed low in tank. And Olivia is swimming around like, well, the equivalent of strutting. I read on some goldfish geek wiki that they can succumb to the stress of being bullied. I became suspicious of the runt. It's the wirey ones with hungry eyes you have to look out for. Always. Playground rules.

One more trip to the pet store. And I feel like the grim reaper picking out a fish. Come to me, my pretties... Muahahahaha... This time I choose only one. Guilt is limiting. This one is called Jingle Bells. Because it's close to Christmas, of course.

And things go swimmingly until Xmas confirms my hunches when Jingles too submits to a lethargic tank bottom existence. That was it - Scrappy the top is going into solitary. Although now that there is no one to intimidate , he/she/it rarely leaves the fish house.

Daily Draw: Peace and Carrots

2009-12-22T23:50:00.005-05:00

It's almost Christmas. Whoa... How'd that happen?
Happy, happy and merry, merry to you all.
Thanks for always checking in, even when I have nothing new to offer.

XC Ottawa suits out and about too

2009-12-06T08:36:00.002-05:00

Also fresh off the Podiumwear production line..

Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) suits

2009-12-05T23:08:00.010-05:00

Oh, my. Lack in "daily" draws these past weeks. You may slap my hands... I'll feed this blog soon.

But for now, some photos of the AWCA suits I designed on Podiumwear templates found here. I'm happy the identity is now clearly visible in photographs... I had to mess with the logo, which is kind of a no-no, but in this case I think it was worth the exception. Especially considering these people are usually in motion, and pretty fast at that...

Linear Ramblings Holiday Cards

2009-11-14T01:23:00.006-05:00

I have three different holiday themed card sets now available on Etsy.
Cards are sold in sets of 6 for $13.50 US + shipping.
Cards are printed on FSC-certified matte stock and come with 100% recycled envelopes. All wrapped up in a bow.
Possibility to mix and match between cards - just note how many of each type of card while making transaction.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/linearramblings

Daily Draw: Because the Sea Monkeys just don't cut it anymore

2009-11-02T09:10:00.007-05:00

Prattling on and colouring at the breakfast table this morning. I recorded details should hell freeze over:

"I'm drawing a dog... We go to the store to get a dog.. Yes. Okay? I want a dog in the house. My dog. Not a big dog. No... Not big like silly. He little and nice. He can't grow up big. His name Manok (man-ook). White dog.... Nice hairs. Poofy hairs. I will care him good. I'm gonna give him the dog bone cookies and water... So his tummy doesn't hurt and he not pee on the floor. He pees outside. We go for walks down there on the street where I buy some things... I buy dog food and toys. He do the poops outside.. And he runs really fast because I tell him. He sleeps anywheres he wants and he comes with me for Halloween to trick-or-treat. I get the candies and he get cookies. Then he licks like kiss on my nose. He's cool and really nice. He's happy. Not angry, no... He bark talks and is happy to me."

Crap. The boy wants a Bichon Frise.

Illustration Friday Topic: "Skinny"

2009-10-31T10:59:00.002-04:00

Illustration Friday participation. This week's topic "skinny". Here too.

Daily Draw: Costume recap

2009-10-30T11:15:00.005-04:00

I'm not so crafty. Creativity without the skills. Can't really sew or bake etc. to save my life... Martha Stewart I am not. You have the point a couple times over by now. But like Martha, It'd be cool to have an army of minions with the skills. For a while, at least.

Homemade costumes are the best - when they are unsuccessful, they still have charm. So much better than the overpriced, mass-market stuff.
Still, my son's costume was bought at the supermarket. There was no need for a conversation about what he wanted to dress up as. Optimus Prime(Transformer). Duh. Optimus Prime and NOT Mommy's take on Optimus Prime. Which I admit, would be a compromised and last-minute effort. He has his official, licensed, crappy suit and he is a very happy boy.

I did at least try a little bit though...

My daughter wanted to be Dora. I hate Dora. But thankfully Dora has an episode where Dora dresses up as a cat for Hallowe'en. And whatever Dora does is good enough for my girl. Black leggings and turtle neck for the body. I bought the tail and ear-headband set from Zeller's and tacked the tail onto the back of the leggings. This felt incomplete. So I grabbed a pair of stretch mittens in the closet and the thrift store in town, by sheer luck, had a pair of black dress boots in her size, for like, a buck. Score. Now to the part that took longer to assemble than all the rest: the claws. Because it all still felt incomplete.
I painted watercolour paper with silver acrylic paint and cut out a few triangles and glued them to the boots and sewed some to the mittens. An hour late, pleased with my craftiness, I wanted the ultimate approval from the cat herself. She put on her mitts and boots and ran off to growl at herself in the mirror and came back a moment later with all the claws torn off. After the why-do-I-botherness wore off. I set to work cutting a ton of claws out and reattached them with plain, old white glue and put the costume out of reach 'til the preschool party. Only thing left was to blacken the nose and draw on whiskers with eyeliner.

This effort was of course incomparible to the two brothers dressed up as Elvis at the preschool, complete with bedazzled jumpsuit. Their Grandma is a fangirl. Big time.

Daily Draw: Wooing truffles

2009-10-29T17:43:00.005-04:00

I read truffles emit some pheremone that sows can sniff out. I guess the males just have to work a bit harder.

Daily Draw: Sasquatch + jackrabbit ski

2009-10-25T23:53:00.004-04:00

Daily Draw: Makings of a disco cat

2009-10-13T22:30:00.007-04:00

A collaborative effort - painted by my 2 year-old. With age- par tyranny.
Because getting angry wasn't going to stop her from messing in my paint to reach over and add her own flourishes to whatever I had started to draw.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?
Well, I do at least have to pick my battles.

She was poised behind me on the chair, paint brush in hand, about to pounce on my next attempt...
"What should we draw?"
"Ummmmmm. A cat."
"Ok.."
"DWAW!"
"Alright. Jeez..."
And already she is pushing my hands out of the way to paint over the lines before they are made.
"NO. I paint NOW."

Daily Draw: October part 2

2009-10-12T17:18:00.002-04:00

Post-turkey and pie and country fair hoopla. Now turning to Halloween.

Daily Draw: Happy Thanksgiving

2009-10-11T22:35:00.005-04:00

Each Thanksgiving my kids are bringing home craftywork of turkeys fashioned from hand prints or tracings. Once seeing a photo of a real, live turkey, I can't much see the resemblance in shapes, but anyway..
I tried it myself. And it's best left to the preschoolers. Cuter that way.

Daily Draw: Smells

2009-10-09T13:36:00.004-04:00

There is a noticeable shift in the air come September. It takes the first cool, breezy day to really smell fall. While laid out, it doesn't appear all the enticing, I still think fall smells good.

Daily Draw: Another day under the grass cover

2009-10-05T22:36:00.004-04:00

Daily Draw: Billy Goats Gruffly

2009-10-01T23:56:00.013-04:00

Sketches for something I'm working on.. The thing with billy goats, at least for me, is that it is suprisingly difficult not to make them look like a satanic altar piece. I thought lederhosen might be endearing. Not really.

Daily Draw: Not an entophile

2009-09-23T22:38:00.008-04:00

Tent caterpillars. Getting freaky all over the tree tops. Everywhere. Dropping out of trees into tshirts.

Daily Draw: Ruffed Lemur + Mountain Lion

2009-09-14T22:39:00.003-04:00

Sketched at the Brantford Twin Valley Zoo.

2009-09-09T17:48:00.008-04:00

Quick sketches of the animals up at the Dutch Mill Market, top of the escarpment from town, done today. The only challenging part was keeping the kids in my visible notice at the same time so as to keep them from feeding their fingers to the animals.

And Summer seems to have came and went... A brief recap

2009-09-05T23:30:00.007-04:00

I'll recap Cochonet style.. but all in all the time just,well, passed.

Training for this marathon
Managed to get a bit derailed with this injury and then this one a week later.
Now hoping not to have lost too much momentum for this marathon.
Holding down the fort while Abu Issa spent July working here.
Lots of time watching the wading pool.
Boy turned 5 with much coveted Transformers cake.
The necessary evil of Toyr "R" Us.
Enabling the little one's obsession too .. Bribery is an excellent tool for...
Toilet training. Before corn season too!

A rather theatrical powerline transformer explosion and a large powersurge that melted wiring and burst water pipes - synchronistic with me putting a bagel in the toaster.
Kids grew out absolutely EVERYTHING over the course of last couple of months. Note to self: assemble skeleton wardrobes asap.
Trying to get out to the beach and mostly failing
Grew 2 tomatoes. One got used as a soccer ball and never got a chance to ripen.
Dropping the ball on the blog..

And oh, yeah this field I run past in Millgrove had, like, 30 turkey vultures camped out in it. Wonder what big, dead thing was out there knowing the usual pickings of asphalt fried frogs and a skished racoon or two don't exactly feed a crowd.

Sauce

2009-08-05T16:00:00.006-04:00

Showing the chosen logo along with a condensed version of the evolution and alternate concepts developed along the way. In the end after a few stages of development a quick doodle on the side of a worksheet is the design the resonates the most with the client. Funny how often things work out that way.

Sauce Headwear was founded in by two Canadian cross-country ski racers, Shayla Swanson and Rhonda Jewett as a method of raising money to support their Olympic dreams. Their fundraising idea of stylish headwear for winter athletes has since grown into a successful business. You can follow Shayla and Rhonda, on their blog, as they work towards competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

XC Ottawa Suits 3.0

2009-08-05T15:22:00.003-04:00

Pleased to contribute to their team wardrobe yet again! Suits to be custom produced by Podiumwear/Mt. Borah custom out of St.Paul, MN.

Daily Draw: One rather portly vampire

2009-06-29T17:17:00.002-04:00

Daily Draw: Flamborough Safari

2009-06-13T22:53:00.006-04:00

Friday: 94 kids kindergarteners, 2 school buses and a safari. The wildest animals being inside the school bus... Only 1 band-aid required = successful controlled chaos.

Daily Draw: More marshmallow fluff and tube socks

2009-06-02T23:54:00.009-04:00

I live in Southern Ontario. Where there are not subdivisions and "power centers", there are deer. Co-existence, even. Overpopulated with deer I've read. Must be why they keep building yet more Walmarts and Starbucks.

Daily Draw: Black sheep

2009-06-02T23:40:00.002-04:00

Sorta revel in inaccurate perspectives...

Daily Draw: Feelin' foxxy

2009-06-01T23:44:00.003-04:00

Just keeping the blog active.. This guy lives near the trailhead.

The Backpack Foodie

2009-05-26T23:46:00.013-04:00

I've noticed over the years my friend Hélène Cormier likes to take pictures of her meals wherever she goes.
I've found this odd...
This practice and enthusiasm for food is shared by her partner Daniel Roy, who, when it comes to food, will try just about anything. And like it.
They are off travelling the world starting September, blogging what they eat along the way here.

They asked me nicely for a logo/header too. Here is the development:

previous option for consideration:

Conceptual sketchs:

Daily Draw: Open post to the house mouse.

2009-05-21T23:46:00.008-04:00

Hey Mouse!
You, the one doing all your business under and between my couch cushions! You know who you are... The tide is turning medieval on your ass. Now, maybe I should have left a light on at night so you might have had a better chance at recognizing more appropriate surfaces for defecation, Mouse.. But really, as if your last compaign behind the kitchen appliances wasn't enough. You've crossed the line, Bucko.
Don't believe me, Mouse? Yes, my empty threats often bounce off these walls, but check out the items on the hardware store receipt I dropped on the kitchen floor for you. Hopefully after I finish purging every single crumb from this joint today, you are gonna eat that receipt.

Daily Draw: Alas! Poor Yorick... He had bad teeth

2009-05-19T22:17:00.005-04:00

Speaking of Hamlet, I stumbled across this gem on line. Die Brücke-ish coolness.

Daily Draw: The robins benefitted

2009-05-12T21:44:00.005-04:00

... From a recent dandelion extermination rampage. Though the yard looks prepped for trench warfare, and the dandelions will be back, a buffet 'o' worms literally turned up for a red tummy hot spot.

Daily Draw: Mosquito season has officially begun

2009-05-11T23:23:00.003-04:00

I especially hate getting bitten between my toes. On the ear too.

Daily Draw: Fry whores!

2009-05-08T11:51:00.005-04:00

The Canada Goose. Symbol of Canada. Fry whore.
Not unlike your average canuck. Wonder what they think of poutine?
Not so long ago, we fed geese old bread and they migrated south in the Winter. Then certain fast-food establishments set up franchises at the end of the nesting grounds. These overstuffed water turkeys don't migrate anymore. Not in these parts.

Daily Draw: Yet another bird sketch

2009-05-06T19:01:00.003-04:00

I have this thing for doodling birds, you may have noticed, I may have mentioned.

Daily Draw: Harpies

2009-05-04T21:38:00.006-04:00

I heart the mythological hybrid creatures. Piqued by the physical and even reverse anthropomorphism when the animal parts is, to various degrees, symbolic of the the creature's nature. And it's fun the draw and mess around with on paper too... The doodle to the left, doned first illustrates the mess part...

I also, you may notice, like drawing birds, so bring on the Harpy. Ugly bird women and agents of punishment with a penchant for torture. Residents of the tortured wood in Dante's Inferno.

Daily Draw: Back with sphinx sketchs

2009-04-28T18:13:00.005-04:00

Sheepishly I'm back. Thanks for (still) checking in. Today I present some sphinx sketchs, that I hope to work more on when what that something more flashes through the spaghetti in my head. Also on the theme, I've posted a painting I did in 2003.

Daily Draw: Time for pattern play again

2009-04-21T23:53:00.005-04:00

Boring for you. Good-time geekery for me when good, bad and ugly.

Daily Draw: Medusa in progress

2009-04-18T22:40:00.004-04:00

My updates have been scanty. Periodically I get stuck. Sometimes a few hours, sometimes for weeks or longer. Usually, atleast for my own work, I just draw whatever comes to me and life frequently gets in the way of that process, (though sometimes I'm an easily distracted lazy ass too). In times of stuckness it helps to a) give in to being stuck and just do all the other stuff if possible. Get it out of the way..b) Plan a full, leisurely day and then have a relaxed sit down at night to draw c) go through photos/postcards and see if any wheels start to turn d) Turn to mythology, classic fables, fairy tales.. Flip through books or scan through memory. Pick a character or scene that pops out in the mind and put your own spin to it.
Today stuckness presents an unfinished Medusa. Will repost when done.

Daily Draw: Then my attention span wore out

2009-03-24T01:19:00.005-04:00

Daily Draw: Pirate Merwench

2009-03-18T15:36:00.006-04:00

Should try this again, with paper that can handle watercolours better.

Daily Draw: Whale to scale

2009-03-08T16:41:00.003-04:00

Daily draw: Random doodling, rambling on stupid

2009-03-05T20:50:00.013-05:00

Tired. Sketch pad in lap. Otherwise sitting like a lump watching some documentary talking to people who think Obama = Hitler or the Anti-Christ. Glowing examples of tolerance.

Daily Draw: Doodles that end at doodles

2009-03-01T21:30:00.006-05:00

Was feeling vacant for the daily draw, so I just started doodling and was hoping that would lead somewhere. It didn't, really. I left my sketch pad out and Eva saw the need for embellishments.

Daily Draw: Wet/dry moon

2009-02-27T23:11:00.004-05:00

I slipped out into the dark tonight. Q-tips were urgently needed, I decided... Or, I urgently needed to get Q-tips or anything, just to get away from whiney, testy children with pussy, gross ears and the runs. One of the two...

Either way, walking, I was struck by the oddly bottom-lit, very bright, slender crescent moon. I googled when I got home. I learned here it used to be referred to as both a "dry" and a "wet" moon, special to this time of year:

Daily Draw: Pause for self-appreciation

2009-02-17T22:51:00.004-05:00

Daily Draw: Sluggish

2009-02-16T23:17:00.002-05:00

Daily Draw: "A Red Hippo Bit Me"

2009-02-15T23:29:00.005-05:00

"It did!?"
"... In the bath. " My son told us.
Better watch out.

Under The High Chair Header

2009-02-09T23:10:00.011-05:00

Under the High Chair is the mouthwatering creative outlet of Ms. Aimée Bourque, who is also appearing as a food columnist at Simple Mom(one of the top 10 emerging influential blogs of ’08).

ps. I highly reccommend her lemon ricotta pancakes, pumpkin bread pudding with toffee sauce, and not just because those are the two recipes I've managed to make, but because it is comfort food amplified.. .A forkful makes everything seem right in the world for a few seconds, at least. But, really, all the food looks amazing.

Daily Draw: Happy belated Groundhog day

2009-02-05T22:52:00.005-05:00

Did he even see his shadow? I hope not.. I don't like being cold, only skiing - but what was my winter wonderland has been reduced to ice, greasy freeze-thaw snow, gravel and amazing amounts of dog poop.

Worst. Web design. EVAR!

2009-02-05T10:52:00.004-05:00

Offend your senses here.
Turn up your computer's volume for the complete experience.
Courtesy of Daniel Roy

Daily Draw: Matchstick Boys

2009-02-01T22:58:00.003-05:00

Daily Draw: Standing deer

2009-02-01T00:49:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I was so surprised to see deer do this. It makes total sense, just never thought about it.
Saturday post, a bit late and in the stylings of being in the dark with a child taking up the lap.

Daily Draw: Bunny bits make for slow skis

2009-01-23T23:01:00.007-05:00

It's been a great winter for skiing in my local conservation area. Great conditions, aside from a bit of poop and gore. Skiers are proving to be the least offending trail users. The tracks are laid by the first post-snowfall skier and the snow is packed down by the day time users: largely dog-walking pedestrians,horses, and what parcels the animals leave behind. The more nocturnal users, coyotes, add long trails of rabbit components (or other fluffy, woodland creature, it's kind of hard to tell). Avoid getting this on your skis.

Daily Draw: Strange bird

2009-01-22T23:25:00.003-05:00

Coveted item #1: Peacock dinnerware

2009-01-16T09:38:00.004-05:00

from anthropologie...

Daily Draw: Post-holiday physique

2009-01-06T23:10:00.002-05:00

Daily Draw: Perhaps I should be cleaning toys better from now on

2009-01-05T22:29:00.007-05:00

Or more often...
And LR post #100. Yay.

Boy had his crow puppet out one day during the holidays. I was online, but paying enough attention to notice a light bulb pop over his head and him quickly run out of the room. He ran back in, and made the crow eat, grabbed the crow's upper and lower beak and started mashing them together.

"Mamma! He's SO hungry."
"mmmhmm..."
"Look! He's EATING! "
"Really?What is he eating?"
Out rolls a dead fly that he had earlier spotted and gathered from a window sill. Pulverized. Former fly residue inside the puppet beak.

Makes me wonder what goes on that I don't see.

Taking a break/Ho-ho season

2008-12-16T23:41:00.003-05:00

Recharging and a shorter list of things to do needed. Hope no one minds too much if anyone infact notices! Posting will be scanty through the holidays. So HappyHappyMerryMerry and all that sort of stuff. Back with gusto soon.

Daily Draw: Hibernative

2008-12-10T22:37:00.003-05:00

Daily Draw: Rudolf

2008-12-09T16:51:00.005-05:00

Lots n lotsa xmas cartoons on the tube now.. No Burl Ives stuff yet. I'm partial to the Rudolf movie where Santa is a biggot with a bug up his ass.. Yet very put off at the same time. Hmm.

Weekend Wine: Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon

2008-12-07T01:11:00.002-05:00

California. 2005.
A dry and yummy cab, Very, very nice... I'd like it more (or more often) if it wasn't $22/ bottle, but I was mooching off my dad's birthday dinner offerings anyway...

Daily Draw: Holiday stress, anyone?

2008-12-06T23:38:00.002-05:00

Daily Draw: Xmas berry play

2008-12-05T23:17:00.004-05:00

Totally unmotivated to do much of anything outside of the essentials. Not much posting activity as you can see. Third frikkin week in a row sick for both me and the kids coughing up hairballs and I'm fighting off lead eyelids at the end of the day to draw.
Thinking holiday season, I drew some holly berries, and didn't get much farther. Perhaps a start of a repeat pattern to develop, more likely just one for the sketch book.

Daily Draw: Poo-Pooperina

2008-12-03T09:53:00.002-05:00

Nipissing U. ski suits

2008-12-02T12:21:00.002-05:00

Weekend Wine: J.J. McWilliams Shiraz/Cabernet

2008-11-30T23:37:00.003-05:00

Australia 2oo7.
Another recommendation by the LCBO Sticker Lady, and I do like me a Shiraz. I may have found my under $10 favourite.

This is a twisttop wine.. And I always equated that with cheap. A proper wine needed a cork in my mind... But apparently its just tired tradition, and that cork idea is just another thing that makes me a snob. I see a bunch of French wines going the juice box route. Twist tops I can do, wine in a box is going to take more convincing. Because I'd want to serve it in sippy cups.

Daily Draw: Snow time

2008-11-29T23:30:00.005-05:00

The snow is here. Started as a icky rain that made the ride back from icky holiday shopping, well, icky. A small drop of temperature makes the scene look far less hostile. Snow is like a coating of peace, softening everything. Almost hard to believe the flakes dancing under the streetlight were eye-stabbing darts of cold, miserable rain but 2 hours ago.

Daily Draw: Yawn. Fashion illustration.

2008-11-28T14:01:00.001-05:00

Klister Licker

2008-11-21T12:56:00.004-05:00

Online shop I helped assemble as a fundraiser for XCOttawa. Check it out! Buy a t-shirt!

Uh oh..

2008-11-21T12:19:00.003-05:00

Doesn't give a very good impression when Weekend Wine posts outnumber the Daily Draws, eh?... Not on a bender, its a busy time of year. I should also mention jessicaspring.com is in the works and will go live in the new year. It's one of the things keeping me away.

Daily Draw: Rubber chicken

2008-11-18T23:57:00.001-05:00

...So this kinda sucks, but...

Weekend Wine: Yvon Mau Merlot

2008-11-16T23:04:00.003-05:00

I keep meaning to try more French wine, but rather end up ignoring it. So I asked the kind lady at the local LCBO who placated my precious hellions with stickers (and reducing the risk of glass shards, mess and making this run to the store exponentially more expensive).. Where was I?
So.. I asked the lady if she new any inexpensive gems listed under France. She said the Yvon Mau Merlot was a fixture in her household. And in my under $10 quest for excellence, it fit right in. But in the end I don't have much to say about it. It was just fine. Oh and it was dry , it was Merlot and it wasn't bad at all.

Daily Draw: Dog play

2008-11-13T23:46:00.005-05:00

Some quick ink stuff is always fun especially on low attention span days (which may be everyday).

There is still art in production

2008-11-11T22:55:00.002-05:00

Drifting through various design blog links, I hit this page: Sonnenzimmer. They bring the art back to production and I am SO glad they are doing what they do, kickin' it old school.

Daily Draw: Ski devil

2008-11-10T22:04:00.003-05:00

Weekend Wine: Ironstone Old Vine Zinfadel

2008-11-09T23:41:00.003-05:00

California, 2007. $16.
An intense dark berry flavoured, medium-bodied wine, yet dry. Very enjoyable, suprisingly. I wasn't initially thrilled at the choice since the first old wine zinfadel had me sportin' a stink eye, (the porty-tasting Gnarly Head). The LCBO pairs it with beef fajitas and sesame pork.. So lets round it off and say savoury red meat.

Daily Draw: Crayon How-To

2008-11-06T23:18:00.011-05:00

The Halloween candy with completely vile children under its control was replaced by a fresh pack of Crayolas and a stash of brightly coloured construction paper. I bought these triangle shape, large crayons that supposedly encourage proper grip.
Ha.
These 16 crayons have been 100% expended in less than 24 hours. This is easily accomplished:

First, Take the paper off each and every crayon. Crayons must be bare of all commercial markings before use. They are also easier to chew on this way.. Take time to delight in your indigo-coloured tongue. Slobbering all over the mirror is optional.

Second, crayons must be broken in to as many bits as possible. Perhaps for the feel of having more crayons... Perhaps simply because they can be broken.

Third, tear all the construction paper to shreds. Why not...

Fourth, draw on the wall when Management thinks you are occupied enough for them to try to get something outside of your immediate demands accomplished. Press as hard as you can to use up as much crayons as possible and make sure your art leaves a more lasting impression. Reds are the least washable of the "washable" drawing mediums.

Fifth, show beaming pride in each and every wall mural.. Provide rich narrative, so that Management feels like shit for needing to wash it off and worry about squashing your creative spirit.

And while you are on a roll you can go one step further and draw over and promptly shred the Daily Draw before it gets posted.

Daily Draw: The trees are plucked

2008-11-03T23:03:00.002-05:00

Weekend Wine: Long Flat Cabernet Shiraz

2008-11-02T13:23:00.002-05:00

Australia. 2006.
Strong tannins and a bit sour.. Am I wrong to expect something jammier in this type? Under $10 and not bad at all, but not quite good either.

Daily Draw: Get the candy away from me

2008-11-01T21:05:00.002-04:00

Daily Draw: Or Annual Carve

2008-10-30T23:22:00.004-04:00

I took the minimalist/suckage route with a toddler crawling all over me trying to grab the knife.

Daily Draw: For/Inspired by Em

2008-10-29T23:19:00.005-04:00

aka cochonet. Le cochonet rouge. Love that title. Fellow design afficiando in the mama trenches.

CCC Online Athlete's Forum Portal

2008-10-28T23:49:00.005-04:00

This was done about a year ago, but it was not launched until this fall... I think.. I'm not among the elite with access.

Weekend Wine: Farnese Montepulciano Dabruzzo

2008-10-28T23:44:00.003-04:00

I forgot Weekend Wine... As if!

Farnese..Italian swill to uncork when the good wine is gone. About what you would expect for $7.

Daily Draw: Buffalo fish

2008-10-28T23:33:00.004-04:00

In putting out paper in an attempt to curb drawing on funiture and walls*, I was ordered to draw a seal. So I did. My son put it on the fridge with a magnet and told me that it was "a very nice buffalo fish" .
-?.
Added are buffalo fish that I interpret as more buffalo-y and fishy, but whatever...

**Again, by the kids for clarification..

Cynthia+

2008-10-24T23:17:00.003-04:00

Logo, letterhead and business card (general i.d.) created for a start-up PR company in the Boston area.

Daily Draw: Morning carpet make-believe

2008-10-24T23:09:00.004-04:00

As I was trying to regain consciousness, nursing a mug of coffee, this morning, The Water Horse was on TV. A full hour of Water Horse (aka Loch Ness Monster) horseplay followed. I mostly complained that my coffee was going to be knocked over.

Daily Draw:

2008-10-23T21:37:00.007-04:00

Arg. Daily Draw is less than daily lately, as my youngest has given up sleeping before midnight among other things leading to profound sleep deprivation, compromised immune system and poor time management. Anyhoo.. Todays post taken from this weeks trip to the farm/pumpkin patch with Boy's kindergarten class. I don't think they actually had a scarecrow but the kids were on the lookout for one.

Daily Draw: Hold on to Halloween

2008-10-18T20:24:00.003-04:00

You've noticed its full on Halloween, commercially speaking. You know what that means... Oh, yeah... The countdown to full on Jingey Bell assault has begun. November 1st Santy Claus is coming to town.. Or to each and every retail outlet near you. Makes all the goth so much more endearing.

Weekend Wine: Alternative

2008-10-18T17:49:00.002-04:00

We were browsing the Italian Reds in the liquor store this afternoon wondering what to try.. and my husband said to me
"You know what?"
"What?"
"You know what we haven't had to drink in a really, really long, long time?"
"What?"
" I mean a looooong time.."
"Geez... What?!"
"Chocolate martini."
Indeed... And to our right was the creme de cacoa like a shining chocolatey beacon.

So
1/2 oz. creme de cacoa.. or so.
1 oz gin.. or so.
1 Hershey kiss or piece of chocolatey goodness.

Shake or stir the booze together, pour in a martini glass, drop in the Hersey's kiss, let'er sink to the bottem and enjoy.

Daily Draw: Unexpected crayfish sighting

2008-10-16T22:31:00.004-04:00

A sighting at the pond in the park. Mr. Crayfish was there with his hackles raised, snapping away.

Daily Draw: The Governing Beast

2008-10-15T23:43:00.003-04:00

The Headupes Assus flys in circles.

Daily Draw: Thanksgiving Turkey

2008-10-12T22:50:00.004-04:00