Bloggle?

Ever since I was very young, I've loved playing the game Boggle. I'm considered the champion at my house, although I still have far to go. But lately I've been playing online, and it has been a great way to stretch myself and test my skills. It's lots of fun and you get to play against a bunch of people. Plus, the site is ad free! Give it a try...it may just "boggle" your mind! (Sorry...) (via Robot Johnny)

Playing games?

A few weeks ago, I told about the game that my sister and I have been playing. We've still been enjoying the game, although we've started using a ping pong ball for safety's sake. Anyway, last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live I saw what could be the newest thing for us to try.

The game is called "Touch the Head." In this game Jimmy and comic Dane Cook go out onto the street and have 30 seconds to touch as many heads as possible. Crazy. But to make it even better, last night they touched heads...with a pickle! That's right, they went around touching people's heads with a large dill pickle. Genius! And kosher!

There's something so inspiring about this. I think this may be just the beginning...

Buckethead?

Strange Attractors is a collection of work from some very talented Australian artists/animators. You can view animations, read articles, and get some tips. By far, my favorite animation is Buckethead. It is sweet, a little sad at times, and altogether delightful. A must see.

Of a similar style to Buckethead, is a work in progress called Rustboy. Here you'll find concept art, storyboards, and a collection of movie clips including tests, scenes and the title sequence.

All I can say is, "wow."

Redesign?

The new design is here! I've been working on this lately, and it's up and in place! In the upcoming weeks I'll still be making some small changes, but at least it has made it this far.

Special thanks for the help I've received from the following folks: Blogs by Their Covers, Cameron Moll, and redesigning bloggers for their inspiration. Veerle for the excellent CSS blog tutorial. Image Shack for image hosting. Anna, Anders, PJ, Max and James for the teasing, laughs, and craziness.

And thanks to you for visiting! I'd love to hear from you!

Random frustrations?

I am frustrated when I...

...pour myself a cup of coffee, get distracted, then return to a cold cup of coffee.

...make plans to blog about my coffee frustration, then return to find that someone has jumped on my open web page before me.

Grrr.

Even yet another favorite movie line?

My favorite response to the question, "What's your idea of a perfect date?":

"I would have to say April 25th, because it's not too hot and not too cold. All you really need is a light jacket!"

Heather Burns as Miss Rhode Island, Miss Congeniality

Artistic organization?

My idea of organization and keeping track of all I need to do is usually a random smattering of sticky notes, or worse: "I don't need to write it down...I'll remember." I try really hard to be organized though. In the hopes of being better, I bought a calendar/organizer. It was cheap and more importantly, cute.

The style of the illustration is great. Similar to that of J. Otto Seibold. Somewhat whimsical. Upon inspection, I discovered that the illustrator was Jon Flaming. His website showcases his wonderful work, much of it looks very familiar to me. I especially liked seeing what the America Edition of Monopoly could have been. And I would have preferred Jon's version to what Parker Brothers chose.

Now I just hope that his illustrations will keep me organized AND inspired!

Going for gold?

I'm not big into sports. Although, the Olympics can still be fun to watch. However, the most coverage of Athens I've seen has been the Olympic antics of Dan Goodsell's Mr. Toast and other Imaginary World characters. Events have included running the torch, diving, and curling? Oops! Wrong time and place!

The only other glimpse I've seen has been on the ABC Chicago news. Since NBC won't allow them to use actual footage, they are recreating events on Playstation! Clever!

Need a break?

If you've been working hard, and coming up with nothing good, you probably just need a break. Take a few moments to toss those bad ideas in the trash with this clever game. But be warned! It can be very addictive! (via Veer)

What does this look like to you?

My friend once told me about a little girl who asked him, "Have you ever seen a skeleton riding on a bee?" Kids have great imaginations. This picture reminded me of that. My 4-year-old brother PJ drew this, and he has a style all his own. I love it. His favorite things to draw are skulls and pirates. He is all boy. So when I saw this picture, I thought skeleton. I asked him, "What is your picture?"

His answer: "A cowboy gingerbread man."

Still yet another favorite movie line?

As it's Sunday, I have another favorite movie line to share. This one is great for when you just want to say something random in a conversation. It really throws people off. Try it!

"You know what's a funny word? Fork."

Drew Barrymore as Josie, Never Been Kissed

Hogwash?

Over at Robot Johnny, John Martz has posted some of his old work. It's a comic called Hogwash. He is so creative now, and he was very creative then. I especially enjoyed the pirate cartoon. Check them out!

The latest post?

It used to be that you had to be dead to be on a postage stamp. Apparently we've gotten tired of waiting to be dead, and then still hoping that you've done something so fantastic in your lifetime, so that you can be honored. Now anyone can put nearly anything on their postage. With Photo Stamps you just upload a photo or design, and they send you custom stamps! It's not especially cheap, but come on! You know you've always wanted to see your face on a stamp!

Threw and through?

It all started with the idea that I should be having a little more fun. Well, it has happened. Once again, I blame my nearly seventeen-year-old sister, Anna. She encourages me...sometimes that's good...other times, not so much. It won't be long before my parents think that I've really flipped out. Yes, I really have done some house gymnastics (The parental unit is worried that I may injure myself and/or the kitchen island.). But today, it was much worse. We invented a little game.

I'm sure it's been done before, but never in our house. We're calling it "Threw and through." It's simple. All you need is a rubber bouncy ball (ours was 25 cents in the Old Navy capsule machine), and a ceiling fan. Oh, and enough guts to risk wiping out a wall of glassware.

Set your fan on low (to start with--we're planning on getting braver). Stand underneath. And as soon as you're ready, toss the ball into the fan. The goal is to get it to fly between the blades, then drop again between (or "through") the blades. It sounds tricky, but we've both done it. And if you miss...look out! Anna hit some pans...I only hit the cabinets. Once you've seen how it flies, you have a better idea about where you'll want to be standing.

My dad said, "Really, don't." My mom covered her head as she said, "She's gonna do it anyway." And then it flew. So I missed on that throw. No one was injured. Nothing was broken. But fun was had.

Yet another favorite movie line?

Today I share a line that refers to a famous painting, and got me interested in its artist, Marc Chagal.

"Happiness isn't happiness without a violin playing goat."

Julia Roberts as Anna Scott, Notting Hill

Is this my color?

At long last! Pantone's Colorstrology is up and running! A few months ago, I saw this and thought it was kind of interesting. A few days later, the site was down with a message that they would be back. Well, they are and now it's better than before! I don't get into the whole astrology thing, I don't read my horoscope, I just don't believe all that. So this is a bit of a stretch for me. However, I like the idea of having a Pantone color assigned to my birthday.

My Pantone birthday color: Valerian--Pantone 17-3410 (A warm, deep lavender)

My favorite Pantone color: Pantone 221 (A warm, deep raspberry)

(I admit it, I'm a design geek.)

Some assembly required?

My poor sister Anna...getting mentioned here twice in three days. It's her birthday at the end of the month, and as a gift, I got her a subscription to Ready Made magazine. We both love this magazine. It's filled with all sorts of great ideas and fun things to make. We're both keen on making the Altoid speakers. I find it both relaxing and gratifying to make goofy little nothings. Recently, I've discovered some other excellent DIY sites. Thrift Deluxe hasn't been updated in a while, but still has some nice projects, and Unique Projects has just that: unique things to make using everything from wood, to metal, to paper, to cloth. Check 'em out!

Anywhere?

This is strange. This is nasty. This is just plain funny. I am the monkey. (via Blue Plaid Shirt)

Climbing the walls?

When my sister was young, she climbed the walls. Literally. Over a decade ago, little Anna started what is now known as House Gymnastics. She would spread her arms and legs out to wedge helself between the walls of our hallway, and then climb up to the ceiling. And she could do it fast.

Now, with the help of Harrison&Ford, just about anyone can complete these amazing feats! Just follow the step by step instructions, and you'll be doing a xXx in no time! (via Veer)

Another favorite movie line?

Today's movie line is great. The great part about this line (said with a Mississippi accent) is the excitement with which it is said, as Delmar exclaims his age when he would get out of prison...

"I'll only be 82!"

Tim Blake Nelson as Delmar, O Brother, Where Art Thou?