The Highly Recommended Boppy

Ooh ooh ooh! Look, I've knocked another item off the list. The Boppy! The ultimate feeding, sitting, playing pillow (and looks like it would work well for a tail bone injury that we hope none of us ever have, or maybe a boomerang that won't take heads off). I like this pattern - brown on one side and vintagey blue floral on the other. They call it Urban Vintage Brown. And the removable cover is a must for washing off that baby spit and whatnot. OMG, I just realized its the same colors as my website that hasn't been updated in many years. At least I am consitent in my tastes. Daniel likes it too so it's a win! (Giggling at the image of Daniel walking around with this pillow around his waist.) Gah! I just realized you have to buy the slipcover and pillow separately. Meh. Quarter of a star off for inconvenience in buying. But I still love it.

Boppy.com and Babies'R'Us (this is where I eat my words about registering at Babies'R'Us.)

The Baby Arsenal

So, I've been doing extensive reading about preparing the baby arsenal. A couple days ago a checked out a library book on "everything you need" and today my mother sent me a book called the "The Baby Gizmo Buying Guide." Nice that we're both in sync in that way.

And here I've been, obsessing over the $500 crib I'm in love with and not much else (we're denying that three hour foray into the online world of baby clothes that cost more than I spend on my own) and now I'm plunging head first into the endless list of gear.

I have to tell you that the idea of testing out and choosing a stroller is completely overwhelming. And the car seat and the baby carrier and the high chair and the list goes on. And for some reason all the tips and guides just make it harder because now I KNOW what I'm supposed to be looking for and can't just go on my instincts.

But I've made one decision (with Daniel's input of course - we're a team like that). We won't be putting any kind of baby bathtub on our registry. There's the sink and the bathtub and both will work fine. One down!

And on another note... I've discovered that I'm kinda freaked out by the possibility of lead paint and chemical-leaching plastics. I imagine myself with a stockpile of home-lead paint testers, inconspicuously swabbing at toys and furniture. Even though it's not really in our (mythical) budget, I'd like to try to go as natural or organic with toys and whatnot as possible.

And that brings me to my last thought, involving registries. It's unlikely that we'll be registering at Babies'R'Us (I could be wrong about this), but what other alternatives are there? I'm very confused about the baby registry thing. Is there an eco-baby registry? Let me rephrase, is there an eco-baby registry that doesn't stone you if you if you put non-organic socks on your kid? Because, I don't want to be THAT hardcore. lol.

Pali's Trieste Forever Crib in Sienna (coverts to a toddler bed, child-size daybed and full-size bed)

Power of Design, or Why I Still Have a Job

The world of graphic design has exploded now that everyone's mom and dad have photoshop and "vector" is becoming a household word. Everyone is a designer and lots of people seem to be pretty good at. How hard is it to create things that you think look good? Especially when we can be "inspired" by all the eye candy that has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. Even my butter package is beautiful! But I came across this today and was reminded, yet again, that design is no wrapping paper solution. Combined with critical thinking, design can help affect the change in the world that is needed. And critical thinking is what we get paid for. Photoshop, Illustrator, color theory, all those pantone chips are just tools that we use. A hammer and screwdriver. The power of design does not lie in the eyes, it lies in the mind.

(Paper towel dispenser that directly connects the environmental impact with the individual's consumption.)

The Remarkable Forgiveness

I've just read TUP 2 cover to cover. I laughed out loud at Eli Hopkins' The Remarkable Intruder. It was a dizzying and full of tiny recognitions of my own incongruities. What made me laugh out loud and for a long time was that the story starts out, "Did I mention I have just been beaten?" Four paragraphs later, "I might as well admit that I was never beaten, not strictly. I was thrown a birthday party..." Next paragraph: "Actually, there was a beating, but it wasn't my beating. That's where I got confused. There was something called a pinata, I have no idea what it means. I have a condition characterized by the intense and involuntary suffering that comes from sympathy for inanimate objects. It was horrible what they did."

I laughed so hard and what's more, I can relate to this. I also do not know what pinata means though I used to know a guy who made them. It was his passion. He was an "internet friend". I don't remember his name, but I think I might have met him once.

I really want to say how much I enjoyed Tup 2 and to tout it's brilliance (and all the wonderful entries), but since I know and love most of the contributers, I feel more than a little biased. So, I refrain. Tomorrow, I'm going to hear a lecture with Art Chantry at PNCA.




PNCA, incidentally, is the school that the cyclist who got killed last week went to. ........................................................
........................................................
I guess I should write about it. Maybe it will help. A block from my work, a cyclist got run over by a cement truck. I happened to be walking to work a bit after it happened and I walked right onto the scene. I was so struck with the reality of it and the tragedy (god, you'd think I could come up with better words than that). I couldn't get much done for the rest of the day. A made up scene kept playing in my head of the whole accident. The girl's terror, thankfully brief. And the driver's realization. I've heard that they aren't pressing charges and I've heard some people be irrate about that. This guy was not on drugs, not speeding, not doing anything illegal. She was in his blind spot. But, I'm thinking of the guy's innocence or lack there of. What keeps coming back to me is that this guy is going to have to live with the knowledge that he killed a young girl. The "punishment" of that knowledge is far worse than any external punishment could ever be.

Okay, I digress for a moment. I used to be part of NA (there, I outted myself). I have like 12 years clean and I really don't think about it much anymore. But I used to got to NA meetings and there were people there who's lives had gotten worse than I could imagine. There was one woman in particular who had a lot of recovery both in years and emotionally. She and her husband were both like ideals for us to look up to. Then a young guy in a truck hit and killed her husband when he was riding his motorcycle. It was a horrible thing and she suffered greatly. A year later, she asked the guy to come over and he did, with his mother. He was terrified and unsure what to expect and he couldn't forgive himself. Who could? She told him in no uncertain terms that she forgave him and she expected him to forgive himself. He needed to live a full life and more forward. I was floored when I heard about the healing capacity we have. I still am.

Picking Punk Mans

Oh lordy, how I love Pumpkin Picking. I had made some vow that I would only get one - but I think I meant that I would only carve one. And did I ever. My subconscious is working on the ultimate carving. Actually, my subconscious is working on a number of designs. It is the time of year to start thinking about my wood blocked cards. I have decided that I would delve further into self-expression. This year's cards will still be botanical in nature, but with a heavy dose of ilonaism. Yes, I am going to Ilonafy them. Maybe one day I will be able to sell sets of them. For now, they will be gifts. Unless you want to buy them (shameless plug, I know - especially for a prodcut that hasn't been produced yet). I am signing off now before further embarassing myself. Check out this punkman (that's a Savanna-ism. She's 4. I give her a lot of kudos for that one.)

It's HERE!

For 3 hours I've been sitting in the presence of greatness, completely UNAWARE!

I totally missed the fact that this beautiful thing (17" Macbook Pro) was sitting in just inside my office door when I arrived this morning. And in a few hours, Mr. IT (Charlie) is going to wisk it away and tinker with it and love it until it hums and then he is going to bring it back to me, whence I will make it sing!

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

I, like many people I'm sure, have been a bit anxiety ridden about the approaching state of the economy. I called my Mortgage Adviser (who I absolutely LOVE), Seth Warren at Alpine Mortgage, with just the tinies hint of worry in my voice. He told me to shoosh and keep in mind that the job market is a good indicator of the economy and thus, the housing market. Well, things are going strong here in Portland. Its one of the few places in the country that the housing and job market are both going strong. The voice in the back of my head is saying, "yeah, but...Portland has historically been a late bloomer, catching up with the rest of the US economy months or even years later." I tell that voice to shut up! I don't want to know!

But then... Today, I heard the employment rating has dropped significantly (in the US, not Portland only). *sigh* I am thinking seriously about persuing a part-time teaching gig. And maybe even trying to persuade Daniel that we should get a roommate for a while.

On the positive side, I am going to have my vision checked and get glasses and daniel will be getting glasses for the first time in like 7 years!

Personal Iconography

Lesson: Over the first 1/2 of the term have students scan new doodles in their sketchbooks. These can be random (not drawn with conscious thought) and deliberate sketches. Regular assignments are to develop complex, but succint illustrations combining or using their personal iconography. The end result is a database of original, self-reflective, emotive illustrations that develop both the students' illustration ability, narrative skill, and ability to convey succint, personal expression. Example

I Want To Go Back To School

...as a teacher. Part-time, maybe evening classes. I really enjoy teaching and think I could help students deveop their critical thinking skills. I am developing my syllubus now. Just in case...

Blogtastic

Sometimes I wonder if these people have day jobs, or if they really do blog all day long. I can't stop looking at these blogs Oh Joy! and Decor8. The photos are faboulous. Here is a small sampling of their colorful sites and hopefull shows why I can't stop looking at them.

1000 Bricks

Daniel and I spent all of yesterday obtaining 1000 bricks. We had to rent a uhaul and do this in 2 trips because it turns out, bricks are REALLY heavy. It was a particularly dirty job and Daniel and I both killed a LOT of VERY VERY BIG spiders. At the end of the second load my dad and Keegan came to help us unload which is good because I don't think we could face it alone at that point. So there are now 1000 bricks piled in the back of our house. What are we going to do with it, you ask? We are going to pave and build retaining walls and who knows what else, but here is an inspirational photo of brick in Belguim

Annual Report Love

I love designing Annual Reports. There is something about the little booklet style that makes my heart go pitter-patter. I am currently designing one for a very cool hospital in Oregon and I am in the concepting phase. I came across this website annualreports.com and have a found a few gems. Anyway, it probably speaks to my dork factor that I like this site, but there it is, and I am not ashamed. Now, if only I could find a project that could 1) afford and 2) would be appropriate to use Yupo paper on, that would rock. Yupo is a synthetic paper (not made from trees) that is silky smooth, velvety, and super luxuriant feeling. It reminds me of my silk-laminated business cards that I once had a woman rub all over her face (it was a strange moment - I felt like I was intruding on something quite private).

What are labels for anyway?

Emily Post Would Be Proud

Some collegues and I were just discussing various ways to tell off angry customers when they are really mean and, well, wrong. So, I thought I'd share this recent and favorite "telling off" from a website that I love: Airfare Watch Dog

The Blog Formerly Known As WhistleFish

The world has definitely not slowed down in 2007. In fact, it will soon by 2008 and I haven't even started thinking about Christmas crafts. In the spirit of re-invention, look at this humming bird birth (the last photo with the toothpick is the one that got me)

Also, I would like to highly recommend Pandora Radio. My beautiful 80 GB Video iPod is buried in the bottom of my bag unused as I listen to Pandora Radio at work all day everyday. Sign up easy and I dont get any emails, There are no commercials, and I've discovered a lot of great music like Band Of Horses

On Connectivity

Like a page out of Wired Mag, technology has finally worn down my defenses and wormed its way into my heart. On Thursday Daniel bought me an iPod. The biggest, fanciest, purtiests iPod. I am not sure why or what happened, but in a matter of days I am already slighty obsessed with it. Mind you, I couldn't be called upon to buy any fancy, minutely useful, and clutter-inducing accessories for it. However, true to form, I am already planning the cozy I will knit for it. But, its not just the iPod. Yesterday, after putting it off for years, Daniel and I got our first real cell phones. I don't know if I have ever done such effective bargaining at the Verizon store, but we managed not to pay for a lot of things that were fairly being shoved down our throats. We were convinced to get insurance (did not take any convincing at all as I am a total clutz) and to pay for a text messaging package, rather than pay for 'em as you get 'em. I likened the whole process to mututal milking. I'd get her to waive something and she'd get us to add something. So, we spent more time than we had yesterday putting numbers in our phones, adding music to the iPod, and otherwise exploring our new technological attachments. Hoo-ray.

On *

Nix the last post. I went with the other guy. The guy that makes me happy. I am now officially an asterix. I've been hired as the junior designer at asterixGROUP in Portland, OR. They have "offices" in San Fran too, but I've never been there, and not sure I will. I friggin' love it. The people rock. Today I planned with one of the directors our future Big Slurp Day. A soup party at work. I got to go on a client meeting today. I got to go do photo research. Hoo-rah!

http://www.asterixgroup.com/team06.html

I am an asterix!

Tonight is Pumpkin Carving Night!

On Past and Current Events

What an amazing year this has been. Daniel has an overflowing display case of customized toys and sculpts. I've juggled six different freelance gigs. We've made new friends and rediscovered/found some old ones. I am being asked to work at 2 different places, and they are making it very tough for me to decide. I think in the end (which is tomorrow), I am going to go with the less glamorous of the two that will help us reach more of our goals sooner. And did I mention that Daniel is going to be in at least one book and maybe even two books about toys and toy customizers. We had a fabulous Pumpkin Picking Party. Craft Night is starting tomorrow at my house. We now own a big, long table (a personal dream of mine) for all our friends to sit at. My best friend is getting married to a great guy. Oh, and our wedding...well, that was just so wonderful that I am still overwhelmed thinking about it. There is so much more, but damn...its just so amazing.

Hitched

The wedding was awesome.
This is my favorite picture of us.
We had a very full day and tons of fun.
Here we are taking a break.
Daniel rocks the mothership connection!

(I am still trying to get all the photos corralled. If you have photos you'd like to share-that you didn't already give to us-let me know. We're swamped with work though, so its on the back burner for now.)

On Color

Here are my color predictions for the very near future. I've had them in my head for quite a while and only recently found these ribbons to show them. The top two are key.

The Biography of Things

Minneapolis was great! May Day was rockin'! But our friends....damn! You all kick so much ASS!

ideas I've been playing with:

1) an exploration into the Mother/Provider/Feeder (of food). Emphasis on food/feeding/nurturing.

2) what if .... the experience of an object could be art?