Spare Skulls

the Offrenda was dismantled ages ago, what to do with all the sugar skull blanks?
The kids love to paint them, I've been gluing things to them.
I must be in December Holiday denial!

Pre - Christmas In-Law Visit

There is no Joy like the in-law pre-Christmas visit! Running around like crazy, to prepare an early Christmas feast, planning holiday sight seeing, gearing the cherubrats up for the big day more than they already are. Actually, it is all worth it! The Joy they bring by far outweighs the stress!

Dia De Los Meutos, Sugar Skulls with Primo and Segundo

This year being not so different than ones past, I spent a considerable amount of time in October preparing for Halloween and The Day of the Dead. There are costumes to be made, more importantly decisions what to be (or not to be), what colors and what fabrics should be used. In years past after the "FINAL" decision was made I shopped alone for all necessary costume components, not so anymore. Many trips to fabric and craft stores later, all outside input considered, I made pattern, material and notion purchases. Now the daunting task of converting the patterns to make the costumes both the kids and I want!

Simultaneously, I begin work on my sugar skulls. I admit to being a bit selfish at the beginning of Skull season and trying to keep them hidden from the kids. But eventually they are up to their elbows with royal icing just like me. I've added a new dimension this year, collage and assemblage.

Collecting Tumbles Weeds

Not your everyday hobby, but my boys claim to have an amazing collection of tumbleweeds. They seem to be drawn to one of our window wells. Once this was noticed it quickly became a collection not to be messed with! It was quite disturbing when they noticed them crushed beneath the snow which is currently piled high about the top of the window well.

Costume Time

I love Halloween and making costumes - soon I fear Primo and Segundo will no longer appreciate my work. The "Costume Negotiations" have begun. Several trips to fabric stores to peruse the pattern books have not yielded any decisions, yet. Primo is leaning towards some type of warrior, while Segundo is most definitely undecided! Soon, I will purchasing and returning patterns until final decisions are made. Then the fun begins, purchasing fabrics and notions, altering the designs for better functionality, and finally constructing the costume! Can't wait! Pictures of 2007 costumes, Attila the Hun and the Ladybug Knight.

Season for Tumbleweeds

The breezes are getting stronger,

night time is cooler,

the grasses on the hill are drying out quickly,

revealing the tumblewees,

only a few have been spotted rolling.

Accidental Experimental Travel

Somewhere along the way what was supposed to be planned wasn't. so we left on July 3rd with ourselves, directions to the hotel and a cooler. Knowing that we would figure Twin Falls and the surrounding area when we got there. Some highlights of our trip:

There is almost nothing better than bunny ears on a sibling ~
Segundo sleeping (HA) and Primo's bunny ears


4th of July Parade
Buhl, Idaho




A Rock Precariously Balanced in the middle of Nowhere

The Miracle Hot Springs somewhere on the 1000 springs scenic drive.

A great diner the only stop on the route home


Mollie

Mapping Correspondence Attention in the Press

The exhibition Mapping Correspondence: Mail Art in the 21st Century is up for one more week, through Saturday, June 28, so if you haven’t had a chance to see it, now is the time to go. We’ve gotten some attention in the press, including: Artforum.com

Last Wednesday, NPR’s program The Bryant Park Project featured Martha Wilson, one of the panelists from the June 13 panel discussion on the history of mail art. You can catch her segment on their website, and also see a selection of some of the works in the show.

Their photo gallery includes both historical and contemporary works from the exhibition. In Time Out NY’s June 12-18 issue three works from the exhibition were featured, buZ blurr artistamp self-portrait, a collaboration between Anna Banana and Vittore Baroni, and a work from 1984 by Charles Barth.

Mapping Correspondence

I finally completed my post cards Mapping Correspondence an exhibition of Mail Art, at the Center for Book Arts, in New York City. April 11 - June 28, 2008. Organized by Champe Smith - Curator & Artist. My work is loosely about studying for the Postal Exam and the crazy logic one needs to know in order to become an employee of the USPS.

Sadly, I missed the exam and am not scheduled to take it again until I am once again sent a letter with my test date and and location.

Sadly, I did not get to take the test this go round but still am looking forward to taking either the test for Rural route carrier or Data entry clerk at some nearby huge mail processing center.

Did You Know?

When the million-dollar Hope Diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institution, it was mailed from New York City to Washington, D.C., in a brown paper parcel.

Postal Pomegranate

Pomegranates Rule!

I have had a pomegranate on my desk for months - really. why are they so inspiring? Jewel like fruit in a lovely red shell, mysterious and seductive - bold and
I was going to paint it when it was nice and ripe - now it is starting to dry out. I have been working on my postcards and not really accomplishing much. The pomegranate is calling to me - what will become of it?

Down with Leap Frog

Well I am a bit upset because this fine company or so I thought up until now, is discontinuing support of several of their best learning tools. The turbo twist hand held spelling and math games can be expanded to match school curriculum, with the use of a "mind station" to download new problems or spelling words, or to create your own set of exercises. My children love these learning toys that are now obsolete. It is just plain sad that the new programs encourage more use of electronics with pens that read for a child ( http://www.leapfrog.com/tag/ ), when did it became wrong to read with your children?

Fun Love

This is a fun little heart creator - send some a conversation heart with real meaning! Thanks to the people at ACME