Strange confession?

I swallow my gum.

But that's not the worst of it.

If I think people might be looking, I often place the gum in a wrapper or a nearby trash receptacle.

Illustration Friday: Black and White?

For this week's Illustration Friday, I decided to do a series of illos. All revolve around the joke, "What's black and white, and red (or read) all over?" My panda is loosely based on the panda from "Panda, Go Panda."

A newspaper!



A panda covered in strawberry jelly!



A panda with sunburn!

Junk?

I'm the first to admit that I'm a pack rat. I have a very hard time getting rid of the little things that life seems to collect. Postcards, tags, packages, pictures...I save them all. It's not junk, it's ephemera! Is it still ephemera if it's from your own life? And if that's enough, I'll gladly accept the same type of items from other people's lives. Although, for that, I prefer things that are a bit older. For example, I couldn't let my mom throw anything away when she was going through my aunts' house. I loved finding all of the old pictures, a book of postcards from around 1900, and old packages.

Swapatorium is a blog that displays all kinds of stuff like this. I sat at my computer drooling over all their fabulous finds. There is more stuff than I'll ever have time to look through, all of it very interesting. It would be so fun to find out the mysteries of the old items. But my one question is, where does one store all of these things? (via Robot Johnny.)

As time goes by?

The following post includes thoughts potentially deeper than those regarding things like marshmallow shooters. Consider yourself warned.

I have come to the conclusion that time must not always run at the same rate. This is the only explanation for why some days and weeks seem to last forever, and others fly by at lightning speed. The latter has been how my days and weeks have gone lately. Not that I'm complaining...it's just crazy. You know those commercials where someone is walking at normal speed, and everyone is going really fast around them? That's my life. And half the time I don't know how so many days have passed.

Is this something that I can change in anyway? Or is this just a fact of life?

Illustration Friday: Summer?

When I think of Summer, I think of kids and, for some reason, sandcastles. My family was never big beach people, so I don't have memories of building sandcastles. But it still is something that comes to mind. And as for kids, Summer is their time of year. So in tribute to that, this illo is done in crayon.

War of the marshmallows?

Sure Tom Cruise has a new movie coming out called "War of the Worlds." Sure he's a little nuts with his Katie crush. But that's nothing compared to what's been going on around my house. My sister and I have had a War of the Marshmallows with the marshmallow shooters we got. And my love for these weapons of mass fluffiness has made me a little nuts. These babies are sweet...so fun! My regrets are a) that we only bought 2, and b) that I don't have extra magazines. Perhaps that will be another purchase. I will say that the LED sites they sell seem a bit useless. It's difficult to shoot the marshmallows straight, especially when they fly out of the gun three or four at a time (not to mention, mid-war, no one stands still long enough). But let me tell you, with the sleight sting they leave, poppin' marshmallows at a sibling is big fun...

Beach bash?

What started as an almost daily blogging habit has slipped to a weekly thing. I must be a good candidate for Autoblogger. Seriously though, I have a bunch of stuff to blog about right now, just not the time to do it!

I'll start things off with a bit of news. I recently got to work on the art/design for the back of an embroidered shirt, and it is all finished, people are buying and wearing them, and I'm really all excited! So far, I haven't seen one in person, but I'm told that it's in the mail. Take a look...

I now declare the summer open?

It's officially summmer.

"Why?", you may ask? 2 reasons.

Today was the first day that I went, "Wow! It's hot!" (But not in the oh so 5 minutes ago Paris Hilton style)

And...

Today I went and got a summer hair cut. My hair which was unruly and nearly to my shoulders, is now short and sassy. Very short. This is a change from my usual short hair in winter, and long hair in summer (so that I can tie it back). I know, like you, dear reader, care. Hair is not something that I usually write about here.

It won't happen again.

Enjoy summer!