.just a reminder.

That coupon code is Still Good!
This One!

Merry Christmas!

.Luna in a Chicken Hat.

.things that happened this week.

.undead christmas.

My entry for Draw Things this month. Rudolph's Revenge.

.confessions.

When I was little I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up.
Or a painter.
Or Mary from the Secret Garden. Not "contrary" like Mary was (though really, she had every right to be), just to have a secret garden out on the moors.
Some time later, I was fairly certain I wanted to work in genetics, but then I went to art school anyway and majored in illustration and ended up where I ended up.


I am not an astronaut, though there was a brief moment when I sincerely considered trying to join MarsOne (except for that not coming back part, and I've become fond of lots of things I have here on planet Earth, like ice cream). I get motion sick in planes and my anxiety makes rollar coasters difficult nowadays.

I am, quite by accident, a painter. I took one actual painting course in college - I had extra time and needed credits to stay full time and retain my health insurance and somehow snuck into the 500 level Advanced Painting course which nobody there was very happy about including the instructor but there I was anyhow, taking up space. I suffered from a severe lack of using green pigment in skin tones, completed more work than the instructor had thought was possible (quite literally, she told me a the beginning of the course that there was no way I could complete  9 portraits in one semester and two months from the end was sitting there, finished and bored), and passed despite my having been a complete and total jerk about it. Meanwhile George Zimmerman is selling what I consider to be the most horrible bullshit on ebay for upwards of 100,000 dollars and I can't even get my carpenter to finish the work he promised me in exchange for that mural I did during the summer.

I do have a garden, though not on any Irish Moors or even with beautiful walls, and I've been so busy lately that I'm not even going to work in it next year other than to continue my battle with the mint that keeps trying to overrun it again.

I am technically an illustrator and designer, though not really of any merit or achievement. I don't consider the work I create at my day job to be real work (more in the realm of college assignments) and my ability to get freelance work doesn't exist - aside from the occasional request of "Will you illustrate this children's book I wrote and by the way I don't have any money so I need to you do it for cheap or free and when it's published I promise you'll get paid."
I fell for that...once.


I've been moonlighting as a semi-professional bellydancer for a while now but even that is losing it's charm - dealing with people (other dancers and clients) becomes more and more tedious and the idea of early retirement is becoming more and more appealing.

I have a moderately successful etsy business, mostly selling geek inspired perfumes; though even that started out a far cry from what it is today as I was originally making bindi's (the first bindi seller on etsy in fact) but when everyone and their aunt figured out how easy the stupid things were to make quitting seemed the better part of valour.


In short - I am very much looking forward to my winter break where I don't really have to work on anything except for trying to make there two cats be friends (or possibly re-homing Luna) and maybe finish that painting for my godmother. Maybe I can, once again, rethink my priorities and figure out what it is that I really want to be doing. In reality I may have more interests an activities than it's reasonable to be able to focus on and excel at - something may have to go, and the garden may not be enough.
Goodnight.

Illustration Friday: spirit

available, of course, on S6

.sketchbook wednesday.

.tuesday.

someone has derp face...

.meet Luna.

.sketchbook wednesday.

.the tease.

.just because.

.sketchbook wednesday.

.oh Tuesday.

I just got word that I'll be making an emergency trip to Tampa next Thursday to reconcile an "art emergency" that has a lot less to do with art and a lot more to do with someone's acid flashbacks. Here's the current weather forecast for that day:

As my flight out is probably going to be at 6am, that KC temp will definitely be closer to 16˚ than 29˚, which is only going to lead to the worst kind of temperature shock coming and going.
And I don't even get to do anything fun while I'm there.

I suspect next Friday I'll be dying of some kind of sinus related plague. Fun Times!
And this is why we can't have nice things.

.happenings.

Later today I'll be listing two new scents and different variations of several other scents (combo packs, larger sizes, etc.) on etsy. The scents? Moriarty and The Woman!
Moriarty is a lovely not too sweet blend of lavender mint and tea. The base oil was actually steep in early grey tea for over two months, so this puppy will be available on and off in limited quantities.
The Woman is an amalgamation of many things - Tobacco, Jasmine, Amber and Sandalwood to name a few. It's floral, it's earthy, it's spicy and seductive.
New jewelry pieces will be listed as well.



Meanwhile, tea yesterday was absolutely awful!
Long story short - if you get a reservation inquiry from two people with dietary restrictions which you then claim you can accommodate - that does not mean serving them the exact same thing you're serving to everyone else and telling them to "Pick around the bits you don't want."
Just don't take the reservation.


This weekend I'll be performing and teaching in St. Louis at the annual Urban Cabaret.
Performance info is here.
Class info is here.
I'll also be vending at the show so if you're going to be there it's a great chance to smell the smells in person. If you're not you had better buy any jewelry you've been eying in a hurry because whatever sells in St. Louis stays in St. Louis.


Next weekend I'll be joining a force of dancers including Amy Jo and Rebecca for "The Big Show" in Springfield Missouri.

This year we are giving you an insider's view into the lives of women and girls. Dancers will be covering everything from playing dress-up to Rosie the Riveter and everything in between! The goal of this show is to give a fun, dramatic, and sometimes serious homage to everything it is to be a woman!

Info is here!

.things that happened this week.

• Too much food.

• I'm finally getting around to watching all of Star Trek Next Gen.

• I'm about to head off to High Tea.

• And of course this is still happening...