The Big WHAT IF

I've managed to add to two more shelves on the wall. I've recently purchased a big oak dining room table and put a huge cutting board on it. I also purchased a real decent paper guillotine for cutting 8.5 x 11" pieces of paper in one slice. A new paper store has opened in town, so I can get specialty papers without having to drive to Philadelphia or New York. I've actually managed to start creating again.

Now if I could just clap my hands and get the rest of the stuff in place. I keep "What Iffing" myself. If I get rid of all this stuff, what if later, I need it for something else? If I get rid of these shoes - what if later I need a pair this color later? (Never mind that burgundy is no longer the fashion statement it used to be.) If I get of all the polymer clay - what if I want to play with polymer clay later? If I get rid of some of these art books/magazines - what if there's a technique I need to review later?

I What Iffed myself into closets and containers full of stuff. I remember when all my stuff in the world could be packed in a single car and moved. I could pack in an afternoon. Now what? I haven't even gotten to my daughter's stuff....

Me on a HOG!

Yes, that is me on the back of a bike. I had an opportunity to ride on the back of a big Harley and go to Peddler's Village. After a month of crappy, rainy weather, the Gods of Glorious Holiday weekend relented and gave us a couple of beautiful days.

Need Vintage Images

As of June 26, 2009, my favorite place to get vintage images will no longer exist. Tallulah's will be going out of business. However, my good friend is going to be starting up a more accessible website: E-Vint. If you like to add vintage images into your art work, this is THE place. Here you can purchase downloadable, hi-resolution scans that are copyright free! No worries, no waiting, no hassles. Make sure you bookmark it.

Lost without a bed

I am getting a new bed, which means the futon with the divot is becoming a couch in the living room. The old couch, which managed to barely survive one child and two cats, is being put out in the trash. It is beyond all hope of redemption. In the meantime, Al spent most of the day very distraught because his cat bed is now in the wrong place. There is nothing to replace it. He spent a good portion of the day wandering in and out of the house, meowing, and generally being a pest. He finally settled down - on my clean clothes.

Loot

One of my favorite places to scrounge for old books and prints is the Phoenix Bookstore in Lambertville, NJ. I am fortunate that it is own by friends of the family. I can count on finding used and antique books for my artwork. They are consistently high quality finds. Some used books stores just purchase books without discriminating about them. Because of the limited space, the owners can afford to be picky and come up with real finds. I was lucky enough to find this wonderful book on Phrenology - the study of lumps and bumps on the head, facial characteristics, and head shapes to determine quality of character. It was the precursor to modern day sociology, criminology and psychology.

New shelves

I actually completed a project today - installing some shelves into the closet that holds a lot of my art supplies. I did it all by myself. I managed to actually install level shelves. It took a lot longer than someone with more experience would probably take, but it's done! And they're level! Now I can actually reclaim some of the living room. I have some more that need installing and if I am feeling ambitious tomorrow, I will probably start them. Which means I'll have to purchase a stud finder. It's one thing to install walls blindly in a closet, but quite another to go drilling into walls that might hold electrical equipment.

The $800 Cat Bed

There's a reason there's a big divot in the middle of my futon. His name is Ali Baba. Al for short. I purchased this high-end futon bed 5 years ago 6 months after I moved in. Prior to that, I was sleeping on an air mattress because I decided my previous futon bed was too uncomfortable. An air mattress can be more uncomfortable. I had purchase this wonderful, hand made futon bed at a local shop. The mattress is about 12 inches thick. I expected it to flatten down over time and need periodic flipping, as futons need. But I didn't anticipate how heavy the futon was. I also didn't anticipate what the weight of 20lbs in the same spot would do after a few years. There's a nice size divot in the bed, now, perfect for Al. He's managed with time and patience to create for himself a wonderful cat bed. In the process, I lost a comfortable place to sleep. Luckily, I have recently purchased a new bed which should be delivered soon. And then the cat can have his $800 cat bed all to himself downstairs in the living room. Of course, I purchased a mattress and box spring set with a 10 year warrantee. It better be cat proof.