August, lately.

If I'm looking for advantages of the geographically challenged aspect of my marriage at the moment, I'd say there is less excuse for distraction. It doesn't seem quite so necessary to cuddle with....who, myself?.....on the sofa for a couple of hours every night. Dinner is a 10 minute rather than an hour long affair. There is no packed lunch duty, or the need for 'his & hers' trips to Lowes (small victories!). The dogs receive more affection than they ever asked for, but my one sided conversations with them can only last for so long. Now that Felix is a little older and not trying to sprint off with my shoes/ books/phone every two seconds, it's a relief to have more time to devote to illustration work. There have been long hours in my workroom. Battles with the old printer. The purchase of a new printer. (Battles with the new printer....). Research and photoshop and lists and nerves and spray mount and frustration and good old fashioned stubbornness.

Oh, and my new website was quietly revamped over at it's usual spot. Fist pump, high five.

Rudy and Felix have been doing a grand job of keeping me busy and entertained. Felix still sings whale-song for his breakfast and he tap-dances for dinner. He walks and runs and plays and sings and leaps and jumps and hops til he drops. Happy 6 month birthday little buddy. Love you forever ever.

Dog Days of Summer

I have a million ideas in my head. One pair of hands. Then the puppy wakes up from his nap. But I have a list as long as Rudy's tail (very long), so I need to keep things moving. Time to clean up the studio and make this house look like our home! I've painted a sign. It's a start!

I've been busying myself with a few projects. I'm crafting a detailed honey-do list for Forrest upon his return (naturally), but also putting forth effort so the the place doesn't look exactly as it did when he left, next time he sees it. Luckily (or not), time is on my side. Almost ready to say hello to the 6 month countdown. Well, I'm more than ready, but time is stubborn and will do things at it's own convenience. I painted a welcome sign for the second biggest mess of the house- my office (the first is Forrest's office, and I'm not even opening that door, lest all the unpacked boxes come crashing out of it). Upon entering my workspace you will likely discover myself donning a painting shirt, and a dog or two looking spiffy in a neckerchief. Welcome!

Attending Doodlers Anonymous.

So I was working on my website, y'know, going through that wretched mis-named, non-indexed, badly filed encyclopedia of images on my computer and trying to coax them into more-organised chaos. I was super-duper bored. Oh man, so bored. So in a bid to re-engage the saner side of my brain, I embarked on a fun weekend project. Doodlers Anonymous has a calendar design competition happening, so I jumped on it.

My design is all about the lovely things of Summer, and since I try to practice what I preach, I also made time for a BBQ, a 10K run, a Jazz Concert at the winery and a trip to the movies (thank you very much). I lost all notion of jpegs, pdfs and html pretty soon after the first glass of wine.

Kinda got into some mono-printing too. And lettering. And pizza-making. And cookie-baking. My messy weekend playtime...

Hi, love.

I go about my days with purpose. I have friends who make me smile on a daily basis. I have dogs that make me laugh until I howl. I live a life that makes me thankful for everything that I have. But nonetheless I miss that husband of mine. He had me set in his sights pretty soon after I first met him. His effeminate snowflake fleece made me walk the other way (well, I was at art school, where boys were fashionable, I mean seriously). But Forrest was sweet. And he was persistent. And he proposed to me (three years before he really proposed to me) with this plastic ring. Today I found a drawing of it, and I think my heart just melted.

BigRudy saves the day!

In a bid to kick things back into gear, I am re-fluffing my illustration website. Brushing away the dust and putting some brand new artwork up on my website walls.

This always results in the most tiresome days spent trawling through the million zillion folders on my computer. Even when my artwork turns out awkward and ugly and embarrassing, I find it hard to let go of since I put time and affection in to every thing that I draw. Kinda like my old sock box (because who's to say I won't wake up one morning with an urge to wear the sock with a hole in the toe! Y'know?). On the upside, the occasional treasure of a forgotten memory is always waiting around the next corner to cheer me up and cheer me on. I just found this sweet little compilation of RudyFaces. I don't remember why I made it or what it was intended for, but today it provoked a much-needed giggle from my temporarily serious self. BigRudy, with the gift of a face that never stops giving!

Day Five of the Food Fest

My collection of salami is becoming impressive. I have an entire fridge drawer dedicated to this current obsession. Presumably it's a just phase. But seriously, gimme a bagel, cream cheese and some black pepper and we are talking serious business. Don't judge.

I don't know how the dogs keep creeping into every post....they are sneaky like that!

Today is a run-day (uh-oh).

There is no denying that I am currently in the half-hearted stage of half-marathon training. I still eat too much before I run. I yawn and fall out of bed into my shoes and onto the road without a thought about stretching. I worry about what the dogs eat before I have my own face-off with the breakfast bagel (or even worse, cinnamon toast. horrifying, I'm sure). One of these days I'll have it all figured out. I'll shake hands with my bowl of bran and give a wink to the protein shake on the side. But until then, just slide the chocolate spread and toast and in my direction and I'll figure out the consequences later. You want my melon slices? I'm not in the mood. And put the coffee on would you? I'll be needing it. I always do.

Oh but today I ate lobster. Mainly because I love the word crustaceans. Crusteceans. Ooh.