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He's just full of energy and sweetness.
10 months old and nothing wears him
out. Until bed time. Then he curls up
at the foot of the bed on his back. And
sleeps the whole night. Doesn't even
snore. It's perfect.
Whenever you talk to him he tilts his
head to the right and pretends like it's
the most interesting thing anyone has
ever said to him. "Really, lopie? I hadn't
thought of that! You're a genius."
I love this dog.
I'm sure there will be more Vince stories
to come.
Oh, and there's one more wedding illustration
for you to check out! The honeymoon.
Fateful Day
Yesterday C and I were walking back
from lunch and a dog darted out from
an apartment. I was afraid that he'd
run out into the street so I shrieked.
The owner then came out of the building
and said it was no big deal. She is used
to living in the city. Then he asked if we
wanted to buy a dog.
I said no.
C said maybe.
The guy introduced himself as Stan and
said that this wasn't the dog. This was
his friend's dog. But his dog was inside.
So, he went to get him. I was not having
it....I wasn't prepared for this.
Then the cutest little dog runs out of the
apartment and came over to sniff me
and lick C.
Stan explained that he had come into some
really bad luck here and wanted to start a
new life far away in San Francisco. He was
leaving the next morning on a bus and couldn't
take his dog, Bud. He had tears in his eyes.
He needed to find a good family for Bud or
he'd have to go to a shelter.
We took down Stan's number and said we'd
call him back either way. Then C and I left and
discussed it. If he didn't get along with our
two cats, we could always find another home
for him so he would never have to go to the
shelter. C has been wanting a dog anyway.
I was, too. I just wasn't expecting it to be
this soon.
Later we called Stan back to say we'd like to go
to his apartment tonight to hang out with Bud
a little to see what he was like. And we did. And
it was great. Bud is very smart. He's house-
trained, knows how to sit, shake, hug and kiss.
He's a very clever boy.
So we said we'd come take him tomorrow.
Stan was pleased that he'd have his last night
with his little buddy.
Tonight then, we pick up our new family member.
We are going to call him Vince. I'm so excited.
Just in case the hocus pocus really
does work...I'll balance it with this illo.
And you can use whichever you need.
Tomorrow morning I drop my wedding
invitations off at the printer. I'm really
excited to see them completed. One more
thing crossed off the wedding planning
list. Hooray! A little over two months to go.
I'm not overwhelmed with the planning.
Actually, I'm really enjoying it.
A few months ago a friend told me that she
and her husband were having a tough time
getting pregnant. They'd been trying for
three years. (wow) So, I thought about what
I could do for them. I researched fertility
symbols and the frog appeared again and
again. So, I drew her a little fertility frog,
framed it, and asked her to put it on her
bedside table. That month she got pregnant.
I just found out the wonderful news yesterday
and am just thrilled for them. I know it's just
hokey pokey, but I'd like to think that I helped
somehow.
Many congratulations to M and J.
First thing first. I need to say this:
Overthinking things can make them worse.
There. I feel better.
Okay, now moving on to better things:
The pie tasting was just wonderful. We
tasted pie after pie after pie. My favorite
was the berry pie. Yum! We ordered 20
pies for the reception. I can't wait. I think
we are going to do the "feeding each other"
thing with a light colored pie (like lemon)
because I am such a clutz. I will surely spill
it on my dress.
I also went to see the Lion King play. I
am not generally a fan of plays. Actually,
I'd rather not go. I don't know why exactly...
they just kind of make me uncomfortable.
But this was the exception. The costumes
were unbelievably beautiful and the set was
just as good. It did everything: grew mountains,
made lakes, shifted, moved. Wow. That's all
I can say. Wow.
The bra show went well, too, I think. A few of
my illustrations sold (Pam got three!) I hear a
local newspaper is going to do a story on the
show so it will be up a little longer. Yay!
Super Secret Surprise
Today's the day! It's not completely
finished, as you will see, but it's well
on its way. See that little wedding icon
on the left? Click on it. I've gotten a lot
of questions about my wedding planning:
flowers, rings, dress... So I thought it'd
be fun to do a little illustrated answer.
I hope you dig it!
Pie Eatin' Penelope
Oh man, am I doing something fun this
weekend. Saturday C and I are going to
a pie tasting. You see, we are more pie
people than cake people, so we feel like
we should have pie instead of cake at our
wedding. And lots of it. Bring on the pie!
So, we are tasting all sorts of pies this
weekend to see what kinds we should
offer our guests. And let me tell you...I
cannot wait. Pie pie pie. I just love saying
that word. Brings a smile to my face.
Also on Saturday, there is the bra show
opening at Blithe & Bonny. I have some
illustrated bras in the show. So, I plan on
being there: eating some cheese, drinking
some wine and eyeballing my illos to see
if anyone buys them. (I'll try not to be too
obsessive.) The address is 431 Mass. Ave
if you care to stop by.
This weekend also has a creative forecast.
I have been diligently working on your next
super-secret surprise...I just might finish
it up this weekend. Along with several other
drawlins' that I'm excited about. Ooh, good
plans.
Pie.
A Moment of Peace and Serenity
I've been stretched so thin lately that I've
hardly had a moment to stop and breathe.
This morning that moment hit me like a
pile of silky feathers. I had last minute
changes to a piece I have been working
on, 10 minutes before I was expected at the
printer. So, I swallowed and did that. Then
I drove like a maniac to the printer, handed
over my disk, and walked out feeling lighter.
I got back in my truck, buckled my seatbelt
and picked my coffee out of the cupholder.
As I was driving, I felt the sun warming my
face...I tasted the sweet coffee...I turned up
the Shins on my stereo and I felt at peace.
The whole world felt right and beautiful and
accepting and good. I wanted to savor that
moment, put it in a bottle to sip on when
I need it next.
I hope you have a moment like that today.
A late night of working. But I have some
fun stuff to show you. There are about
eight new illos on the folio page if you want
to take a peek. One is a logo that I had the
honor of working on. It's called Queen for
a Day. It's an organization that helps little
girls with terminal diseases like cancer with
self-confidence. They go to the hospital
and have a little tea party with the girls, giving
them a tiara to wear and a make-over by
a local department store. They also get to
have their picture taken lookin' all fancified
in their tiara and boa (which they get to keep).
I am thrilled that I got to help with such a
worthy cause.
This week should be a fun week.
Not only am I working on some
interesting assignments (I'll be sure
to clue you in when they're done),
but this is the week I must design
my wedding invitations. Right now
they are up in my noggin...just
waiting (impatiently) to be born onto
paper. I hope they turn out as good
as they are in my head.
The lovely Kate introduced me to this
site. I don't think I can tell you enough
how much I love this site. All the pretties
that they sell. Ooh. Aah...I am ordering
all my envelopes and place cards from
them when the time comes.
I have started reading the The Life of Pi
Yes, I am actually finding time to read a
book. (applause) I've just barely begun
reading it and already I am excited. I hear
it's a great book.
Today I wish you lemon drop day dreams
and big fluffy cloud coffee breaks.
Valentine's Day was exactly what I needed to
renew and refresh. We celebrated Friday night.
First, we went to the jeweler who is making my
wedding ring (I designed it) to drop off a
diamond that is to be included. While we were
there, C says..."was there something else?" and
the lady at the counter pulls out this little red
package tied with a white bow. I blushed and
opened it to find:
Then C says to me:
I love reservations. I think it makes an occasion
feel even more special. I also love Italian food.
Yummy. Pasta. And that's exactly what we had:
It was a wonderful, romantical evening.
For his present, he had to wait until the actual
Valentine's Day. You see, we went up to my
mom's because my brother and his wife were
having their open house. And going up to my
mom's usually requires throwing a sleeping bag
on the floor and calling it a night. But not this
time. No sir. This time, for Valentine's Day, I
had made a reservation of my own. For a hotel
room. With a pool. So we swam and visited my
family. And it was perfectly quiet at night sleeping
on a mattress instead of the floor. We slept like this:
Two happy shout outs today:
Happy Day before Valentine's Day.
And a very Happy Birthday
to my brother T.
I recently did an interview with a
very cool new web site all about
making your dreams happen. You
can read my interview here. And for
those of you following along, you'll
recognize some of the illustrations
in that story. (And there's a picture
of yours truly...yikes.)
I wanted to thank everyone who
commented about selling some fun
illustrations on my site. You gave me
the encouragement I needed.
Unfortunately, getting something up
for this Valentine's Day just wasn't
going to happen. But I'll make it up
to you with some other excuse to
celebrate. You have my penelopian word.
Well, I'm sorry about yesterday's short,
not-so-sweet post. I am glad yesterday
is over. I'm feeling light and fluffy now.
I have a little news for those living in
Indianapolis. There are some original
penelopian illustrations for sale in a fun,
colorful store called Blithe & Bonny
(address: 341 Massachusetts Ave).
Eighteen illos to be exact...and only until
February 29th. If you are interested, you
should stop by. If they do well, I was thinking
about selling some illustrations on-line.
Well, shoot...I just spilled the beans about
one of my super secret surprises.
What do you think of that idea?
Moving on: Something I noticed this morning
was that the sun isn't waiting quite as long
to come up in the mornings. It's so hard to
drag out of bed while it's still dark. But it's
changing slowly (too slowly). Bring it on, I say.
I'm ready.
This Saturday is Valentine's Day. I love
Valentine's Day. I am aware that some people
think that it's a created holiday by Hallmark
and candy stores. But I'm all for any kind
of reason to celebrate, made up or not.
The more celebrating, the better.
It ain't cool to be stressed. But I am
anyway. I have a lot of smack to do
that I don't wanna. So I'm just going
to crab about it here. Crab crab crab.
There. I feel a little better.
My Most Embarrassing Moment
All little girls go through that phase when
they don't want anyone in their room. It's
their own private place. A sacred place
where no one is allowed.
Lots of girls also go through a phase
where they dislike their name and want
to change it. Of course, this is difficult to
do because everyone already calls you
one thing. So you feel like you can at
least change the spelling.
I went through both those phases. I wanted
my room to mine only. And I wanted to change
my name. I decided to change the spelling
to Peni. I thought that ending it with an 'i' was
cute and nice. Little did I know what I was about
to do.
In order to claim my room as my space I got
out the markers and some poster board. I
happily decorated a little sign for my door
that read: Peni's Room. (see above illustration).
I posted that sign on my door and went about
my day.
That night, I walked up the stairs to my room
and saw my sign. Only, I didn't read the
apostrophe. I just read "Penis Room". Oh my
god. I was horrified. I knew my dad had been
upstairs and seen it. I knew my brother had
also been up there. They were too nice to say
anything to me. I had the penis room.
I immediately took the sign down and reverted
to spelling my name the way I was supposed to.
I was humiliated.
But it's nice now because that embarrassing
story is now a funny story. It just took some time.
Okay, I told mine....do you have one?
I don't consider myself a writer at all.
That's why it's weird that I would be
doing what I'm doing tonight. I'm going
to a writer's meeting. It's nothing formal.
Just a few friends who like to write and
want some more incentive to do so. So,
we're meeting at a coffee shop and
talking about what are plans are and
what we'd like to accomplish in our writing.
I am bringing my unfinished first draft
of my children's book. I wonder what they'll
say about it. It's not grown-up writing or
any kind of essay that will change the world.
Just a little, fun story about a....well, I won't
give too much information at this time.
Happy new week, all!
I got my hair cut tonight. I just had to.
You see...I classified my last haircut as
a long mullet. No kidding. You know what
a mullet is, right: "Business in the front, party
in the back"? Mine was just an elongated
version. And I crabbed about it every day.
Ew. Grody.
So I went to Mr. Edward and he assessed
the damage and started snipping a little here...
a little there...and WaLa! A better hair cut for
me. (Insert clapping here.)
During the blowdrying process, he whipped
out this comically large hairbrush. I'm not
kidding, it was like Sputnik. (Spherical, but
quite pointy in parts.) It was enormous. I
laughed the entire time. I think Edward thinks
I'm obnoxious now.
In other news, I had such a busy day I've been
unable to blog till now. And I won't be able to
tomorrow either. Please excuse the lapse.
It was nice to be away from the computer for
an entire day though. Detox.
So, if I don't see you, have a lovely weekend.
I will be doing some creative things, as you
would have guessed...and hopefully working on
that super secret surprise for you!
Ode to Mr. Kabuki
Mr. Kabuki was the best little fish. I picked
him up at the pet store, not thinking much
about it. I thought he was pretty, and that's
about it. I mean, c'mon...it's a fish. Little did
I know that this little fish would swim his way
into my heart.
I named him Mr. Kabuki randomly, opening a
magazine I had sitting on the nightstand and
pointing to a word. Kabuki. I liked it. Mr. Kabuki.
I liked that better. Mr. Kabuki it was. I think he
liked it too.
He grew to know me. He would get all excited
when I walked into the room and hooted his name.
I'd walk up and tickle his bowl and he'd rub against it.
And I really think that he blew some bubbles of
thanks after each feeding. He was a grateful fish.
A sweet fish.
I know you don't believe me...but it's true. This fish
had a personality and a heart.
Sadly, Mr. Kabuki died last night. He was just old,
I guess. And, already I miss him.
In college I had a room mate who was from
a small island in the Caribbean (Lucky girl...
I know). She and I hit it off immediately. She
was so sweet and charming.
One day we decided to go to the mall. We got
there and walked up to the door. And it opened
by itself. She grabbed my arm, frightened and a
little amazed. She'd never seen a door open on its
own. Then as we walked through the mall, we spotted
an escalator. She just couldn't believe her eyes. A
staircase that moved so you didn't have to walk?
She was scared to get on it. It took some convincing
to get her on it.
We went to the mall somewhat frequently, so over
time she got used to automatic things. Soon, it
was no big deal. She just looked on and strutted
everywhere she went.
I woke up thinking about her this morning. How
she was scared of things she didn't know about.
And I thought...hey, that's how I am. I am scared
about stuff until I do them or become familiar with
them. Then it's no big deal. I've been researching
licensing lately. It seems overwhelming and
complicated and really difficult. Logically, I know it
can't be that bad, people do it all the time. But I'm
scared of it.
I guess I just need to get to know it.
I feel more serene and calm and centered
when I'm around my mother. She's just
that way. She takes things in stride, is
practical-minded, and is just a really good
person. She and my sister came down to
spend the weekend with me. And it was
so nice.
I showed her my wedding dress, the
ceremony park, the reception hall, the
flowers I chose. And she approved. We
even got her the mother of the bride
little outfit (a white suit and silk shirt).
(The wedding is exactly 3 months away
and I'm really excited about it now.)
It was a fine weekend with my mom.
I will not mention here that I did nothing
creatively-speaking. I will not mention that
I am feeling a little behind and guilty about
that. Last week has been dubbed official
"slack off" week. That means that the super
secret surprise I told you about will be a little
later than expected. I'm getting back on
track this week. Promise.
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© Penelope Illustration. Stealing
is not nice. |
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