Greetings from Little Storyland

2010-03-01T23:06:00.001-05:00

Look, it's starting to thaw out!

Spring must be right around the corner...

see you in the spring!

2010-01-31T14:39:00.003-05:00

This might seem a little abrupt, but I've got some

scheming/planning/learning/thinking/rearranging-of-life to do...

therefore,

I have designated February as my official Hibernation Month.

(Hibernation in this sense, of course, being an active endeavor... no sleeping here! More of a 'holed-up-inside' definition, know what I mean?)

I'll be back on March 1st.

...and who knows?

I have a sneaking suspicion that a few things might be changing around here... :)

Happiest of Februaries to you all.

xoxoxoxo

2010-01-27T10:07:00.001-05:00

Ms. Rose Calfo

2010-01-25T20:59:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time there lived a sweet little chicken named Rose.

She had glossy black feathers and such a bright ruby-red comb that roosters from miles around would hold daily crowing contests in her honor, in hopes of seeing the tiny smile Rose kept neatly hidden at the corner of her beak.

But that smile, and Rose, belonged solely to one Mr. Calfo, and Mr. Calfo loved his pet chicken.

One day, Mr. Calfo's dear girlfriend asked me to paint a portrait of Rose as a Christmas present for him. I was honored and did my best to recreate Rose's charming looks, especially her tiny secret smile.

To my relief, Mr. Calfo and his girlfriend deemed it a success!

Everyone lived happily ever after, even the roosters, although they still won't give up.

oh, and I love watercolors more + more.

days 23-25

2010-01-21T09:06:00.003-05:00

(yummy lavender-scented wooden beads)

(a really beautiful piece of printed cotton cloth... it's so lovely I feel like I should frame it!)

And for the grand finale...

after all the other sweet, beautiful, lovely presents I knew the 25th one would be very special,

but I was expecting something like a kawaii letter set....

but no,

it was

TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Words cannot accurately describe how surprised and utterly thrilled I was to receive this.

For someone who treasures Studio Ghibli films close to her heart (as I know many others do), who sees them as beacons of fresh air in the often-moldy world of popular cinema, who proudly identifies herself with Kiki's struggles and cries along with Chihiro and Haku as they fall from the sky, it was a true joy to devote my Boxing Day afternoon to this wonderful concert commemorating the dynamic collaboration between Joe Hisaishi and Hayao Miyazaki.

I laughed, I cried, I sang along.

The following picture doesn't do it much justice, but yes, that is a 400-person chorus and 200-piece orchestra.

I think my favorite part (besides the music, of course) was when Miyazaki walked down and grinningly (is that a word?) handed Hisaishi a bouquet of roses.

So let's all hear it for Shinz and her gift-giving skills!

♥ Thank you again, Shinz!!! ♥

it's a little while after Christmas, but...

2010-01-20T14:51:00.003-05:00

...I didn't want to keep you guys stranded any longer. :)

I decided to take advantage of this incredibly delightful, beautifully warm hint-of-spring weather and have a little photo shoot with the rest of the presents!

Of course Christmas has come and gone and I really should've shown you these about ...oh, er, a month ago, but nonetheless... here they are:

*********

(day 21 was an adorable little Christmas-themed snowglobe, but alas, it is already packed away in the big plastic Christmas Box. This giant one is pretty cool, though!)

*********

You can't really see it very well, but the pretty blue ribbon from Day 18 has sparkly silver edges. Also, the purple star windchime has a suction cup at the top so I can stick on a window, and I haven't tried out the spiral-drawing set but it looks so exciting (I remember playing with one when I was younger!), and hurray for glow-in-the-dark stars!

I hope you had a truly marvelous Christmas + New Year.

How was it? Were any new traditions or adventures created?

(my sweet little tree)

I'll be back tomorrow with Days 23, 24, & 25, I promise! :)

once upon a time...

2009-12-17T21:32:00.003-05:00

...there was a beautiful fairy princess and a handsome snowman.

The fairy princess liked to sit outside in the wide, green world and swing her legs and gather berries and interesting leaves,

while the snowman liked to stay inside by the warm stove, perched on the kettle, anticipating the next cup of tea.

They never actually met, but they're both so cheerful-looking, I bet they would've become splendid friends.

And seeing them reminded me of this old Pixar short... which is pretty amazing for having been made in 1989.

Wow, computer-generated animation has come such a long, long way in such a short amount of time... I wonder where it will go from here?

xoxo,

Tab

sorry for the absence...

2009-12-15T19:41:00.002-05:00

...I was over in lovely Wilmington, NC to watch one my dear friends graduate college!

Since I've known this person for 5 years and they've been in college that whole time (they had to switch schools mid-way), it seemed extra momentous + exciting.

Congratulations, Nolan!!!

Needless to say, I have some catching up to do on the present-front!

Here we have a kawaii memo pad,

little deer keychain,

bento box picks,

star-shaped mini mirror,

and my favorite-- quail egg molds!

If you click on the picture you will be able to see the happy animal imprints in the molds. They work something like this... adorable, huh?

I am so excited to now own two bento-related items.

Bento-making is way up there in my list of things to try (it was actually #1 on my list of "25 things to do before I turn 26" ... I'm 26 now... oops). Now I am that much closer to fulfilling my dream... I just need to buy a bento box now. Soon!

Hope everyone had a splendid weekend, and I'll see you tomorrow!

twinkle toes

2009-12-10T17:24:00.002-05:00

Hello and Happy Thursday!!!

Today's present reminded me a bit of something I've always wanted to own, and that is Sparkly Shoes.

Specifically red sparkly shoes (a la Dorothy), although unfortunately they usually only come in little girls' sizes, and even though I can in fact squeeze my foot into a size 4, it is very, very uncomfortable.

So I'm still dreaming.

But yes, this little key-chain shoe isn't red, but it is sparkly and pink, and pink is very close to red!

Perhaps this is the shoe Dorothy's first child wore?

(by the way, yes, there are women's-sized red glitter shoes... but they usually look something like this... which is why I don't own any)

(Maybe I will make my own someday.)

monsters oh my!

2009-12-09T12:59:00.003-05:00

I'm not really a huge fan of plushies, but this little reversible monster (monsterS?) is just too, too perfect.

I squealed when I opened the package this morning! They are so adorable!

(shinz, did you make these???)

I'm not 100% sure where I want to display them (I've decided they are monster siamese twins...) but for now they're hanging out on my kitchen counter with my Starbucks monster mug.

There's something about little fangs that gets me every time... even my favorite tote bag has a bitey cat on it.

see you tomorrow!

xoxo

lovely little papers

2009-12-08T17:08:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty sure one can never have too many lovely little papers, and if they happen to come with tiny animal-making instructions, so much the better!

It's hard to read the writing down there in the corner, but yes, this was day 8's present.

I think it's so funny how Japanese octopuses are always depicted with a little tube-shaped mouth.

When I see a picture of one, they don't seem especially tubed-shaped, so it must be one of those cultural things...

(photo courtesy of www.seaotter.com)

It's awfully gloomy and rainy around here today.

Even listening to my Múm and Joe Hisaishi channels on Pandora isn't cheering me up...

time for some drawing!

2009-12-07T13:32:00.002-05:00

My apologies for the delay in present-recording!

I was working an overnight babysitting job this weekend and was away from my computer... and all my lovely little presents. Now I am back!

The 25-days-of-Christmas window is clearing away awfully quickly... I have so much to do before I open the last present!

I enjoyed opening all these gifts, especially the tea. Having a foreign language on the teabag makes it seem so much more fancy, don't you think?

To recover from my babysitting job I spent yesterday watching Peter Pan and writing in my journal. I found myself wanting to return to Neverland several times afterward and even this morning... it's so lovely!

Hmm... this might end up in a trip to the library to re-read the original and explore a bit more about Mr. J. M. Barrie...

see you tomorrow with gift #8!

it's gray and rainy today,

2009-12-02T09:57:00.004-05:00

...but that won't stop me from having a splendid morning as I unwrap present #2!

Once again I am very impressed + happy with such a lovely surprise: coffee, tea, and hot chocolate mixes!

I've put them in a little cup by my kettle so I can choose a treat whenever I feel like it.

Hurray for warm mugs!

it arrived!!!

2009-12-01T15:49:00.006-05:00

Several months ago, I signed up to participate in this swap.

The idea behind it seemed utterly fantastic... how charming to open a tiny surprise each day of December until Christmas, like a personalized advent calendar!

I was a little bit afraid I wouldn't receive my package by December as it was coming all the way from Malaysia, but my partner timed it perfectly, and to my delight it arrived in the mail today, December 1st.

I don't have a Christmas tree yet (that'll happen later this week, hopefully), so I decided to turn my kitchen windows into a little present-display area. (Sorry the lighting is terrible, it's a very gray sort afternoon over here.)

I swapped the usually green-print curtain for a piece of red fabric and added a few Christmas ornaments to make it a bit more festive.

25 sweet little presents, eagerly awaiting discovery!

Oh, and I also decided I'd take a picture of each gift as soon as I open it... so you can follow along in my discoveries if you'd like. :)

I love it already.

Happy December, everybody!

See you tomorrow with Present #2!

xoxo

starry-toed

2009-11-20T16:19:00.002-05:00

There are few lovelier ways to begin the weekend than by sitting in a massage chair getting your toenails painted lilac, and when the little Vietnamese lady offers to add magical stars, how can you refuse?

Happy weekend! :)

May you have a beautiful and magically-lilac one!

I'm off to see Camera Obscura tonight in Atlanta!

adventure!

2009-11-18T12:48:00.012-05:00

The other day I felt like I just couldn't take it anymore, so I went on an adventure.

First, I ate a delicious meal on my favorite plate.

(There are grumpy clouds on the background, but of course they're hiding behind the food.)

I jumped in the car (my car's name is Rudy, by the way) and drove up to Asheville, where Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was playing at a dollar theatre. I hadn't seen it yet but really wanted to, even though I feel like the last several Harry Potter movies have been a disappointment... but that's another story for another time.

The leaves were just starting to change and it was a beautiful day!

Once I arrived in Asheville I had some time before the movie began, so I found a little coffee shop and made myself at home with an almond-milk hot chocolate.

I sat outside and enjoyed the fresh air whilst attempting to re-create a circular design I had made in church that morning.

It turned out fairly well, but the most lovely thing is that sometimes patterns can be so, so soothing to draw. It's a great way to relax.

After that I explored the surrounding neighborhoods and found many treasures!

Finally it was time to see the movie!

Thanks, Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company.

You're the best with your little red booths and pizza-filled interior.

Full, happy, and brimming with inspiration,

I headed home beneath the gently graying sky.

Thank you, Asheville, for a wonderful adventure.

you know, it's yupo!

2009-10-29T20:44:00.006-04:00

A few days ago I finally caved in and bought a pad of Yupo paper.

Since I've been hearing great things about it for the past 3 years or so, I figured it was probably time to go ahead and give it a try.

And you know? It was rather exciting!

It took me a while to get the hang of it, so I just played around at first. Since it's made of synthetic material, it doesn't absorb moisture like watercolor paper, so the paint dries in all sorts of lovely little rainbow puddles.

Then after it's dry you can actually scrape it away (sort of like a scratchboard), like I did on the bird's tail.

Or, you can wet a cloth and completely wipe away an entire section:

(It was pretty splendid to be able to make such a clean line whilst using watercolors!)

For the final exciting challenge, I decided to paint two identical cat-ladies, one on Yupo paper and one on regular watercolor paper.

Can you tell which is which?

okay, well, I guess it's kinda obvious that the yupo-cat-lady is in the wiped-off area... but still... :)

At first I was completely convinced that I preferred the regular watercolor paper version... but now I'm not so sure.

Yupo is a lot smearier, but there's something so alluring about all those puddles...

coffee shopping

2009-10-26T17:17:00.003-04:00

hello, little ol' me here, saying hi to you from Magnus Joe coffee shop!

Well, not exactly, because they don't have internet at Magnus Joe,

BUT,

this picture was taken there about 10 minutes ago.

The other day I found a random $20 bill in my pants pocket. This doesn't happen very often. I wanted to spend it on something meaningful + worthwhile.

(inotherwords, I immediately thought of about 10 different books I'd like to buy...)

But although books are definitely meaningful + worthwhile, I decided to do something a little different. Since I work from home much of the week, some days it's really helpful to just get out of the house for a bit. I'm notoriously bad at answering e-mails, but somehow when I take my computer out somewhere for the sole purpose of getting work done I'm really able to concentrate. Same goes with brainstorming or researching.

So I decided to use my $20 to take a little tour of the area coffee shops. Perhaps then I will be able to find my perfect little working-away-from-home spot!

Today: Magnus Joe

Reason chose: it's part of/right next to Thaicoon Thai restuarant, which I love... plus their little monkey-coffee bean logo always intrigued me

Ordered: Hot Cinnamon Spice tea

Pros:

-not very crowded

-clean

-several varieties of seating: booths, chairs, and stools

-friendly staff

-decent variety of teas

Cons:

-music was super loud (I didn't ask them to turn it down, though)

-no internet

-no comfy armchairs

-really cold!

Final verdict: I think there are better coffee shop atmospheres out there, and no internet = no good. I shall keep searching. However, it might be a fun place to meet up with friends... you could get a booth and have the place to yourselves! But bring a sweater!

happy Monday, dears!

so delicious

2009-10-24T15:11:00.003-04:00

I can't help it, I'm happy.

This post isn't very well thought-out. You wouldn't believe how many posts I haven't published just because I was afraid they were too boring. Or because I haven't felt like what I've made was creative or interesting enough to share. And I haven't even made anything this time-- I got these lovely yarns and ribbons in the mail today.

But they're delicious and beautiful and I thought,

you know what?

I'm going to share them anyways.

And I'm going to keep writing blog entries.

I've missed you guys.

So you may have to put up with a few boring entries in these coming days (you know, all 7 of you who read this), but I've really missed spending time in Little Storyland.

It's time to go back.

Oh, and by the way, the new official band of Little Storyland is Owl City. Mabel's completely smitten.... and maybe I am a little bit too...

more coming soon. <3

I can't promise it'll be interesting, but I'm doing this for my sanity.

Happy weekend, everyone!

a clean slate

2009-08-25T15:01:00.003-04:00

So now my studio is all bright + white + shiny, at least one half of it is anyways, and that's the half you see here. Over the past few weeks I've been able to spend snatches of time here and there, and have now painted all the walls, taken apart & cleaned all the storm windows, dusted the baseboards and ceiling, and then finally today I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed the floor. Just this half of the floor, though. The other half, the one you can't see, is home to the tables and shelves and other things that are waiting to be rearranged.

But this half, this perfect half with its sunlight and clean walls and smooth floors, is a wonderful start and enough to lift my spirits for at least a few days.

I even got to really truly create something in my new space today. It was only a monster drawing for swap-bot, but sitting there on the sweetly-scented floor with my trusty CD player and a patch of sun on my back, I felt like I could be making a masterpiece.

Of course it was not a masterpiece after all, but still...

you should never underestimate the power of a coat of white paint.

happy tuesday!

xoxo

loving, knowing, doing

2009-08-10T15:56:00.006-04:00

It has been a forever long time, but finally I am back in Little Storyland.

Back to dreaming + drawing, planning, exciting new ideas, new experiences, hopes, loves, adventures, life.

It is splendid to be back.

Hello again, world.

There's so much to share, but for now I shall leave you with this very convicting passage I will be taking to heart over the next few weeks:

"If you make every effort you can to bring your passion, knowledge, and will to bear on your art-making, you will become more creative and manifest your talent. If you challenge yourself to love enough, to know enough, and to draw on your knowledge, to work at your art and to master your disinclination to work, your questions about your talent are likely to be answered. Continue to dream and continue to believe yourself special, for if you stop dreaming you lose your motivational energy, you love less, and you grow less creative. Continue to learn, practice, and explore. Ultimately the question of the sufficiency of your talent may melt away as you manifest your creative nature."

(from Creativity for Life by Eric Maisel)

It'll take me several days to wrap my head around all that, I'm sure. Or rather, to convince myself it's true. But it is true. Deep down I know it is so, but sometimes it takes a few reminders to put beliefs into action.

(Where's my bowl of cherries?!)

everything's coming up owls

2009-06-22T12:10:00.004-04:00

There has been a small owl infestation over here lately, but I'm certainly not one to complain!

All the politest owls say 'hoo,' and this fellow is no exception. Quiet and genteel (in a purple-y sort of way), he appeared on a doodle I was making for swap-bot and shyly asked to be photographed. He dreams of moonlit tea parties and a new argyle waistcoat in the near future.

I, on the other hand, will be dreaming of sunny skies and my favorite ginger cookies to dunk in a mug of cold milk.

rainy day songs

2009-06-21T17:13:00.003-04:00

There is, in my neighbor's yard and behind my house, a Magical Christmas Room.

At least, I think that's what it is.

It's part of a large shed-like structure that is positioned directly against my backyard fence. And although it seems rarely occupied, when I take a peek through, there is fake snow, an army of Nutcrackers, holly wreaths on the wall, and soft furniture draped with cream-colored fabrics. Everything is clean and neatly arranged.

I often wonder what this room is for. I remember Narnia during the reign of the White Witch and how it was always winter but never Christmas. Is this room supposed to be some strange half-interpretation?

Then, this morning, I heard a strange caterwauling from somewhere nearby.

At first I thought it was Pandy. He's been sick lately and often groans on appropriate occasions (when he's hungry, or using the toilet).

But then I realized the sound was coming from behind my house, not inside it. I saw a shadow flit across the shed window. Someone was in the Christmas Room, and they were trying to sing!

You know how some women think they have beautiful voices, maybe even opera-singer voices, but they really don't? They warble on all the high notes and sing as loud as they can and always take the special treble part if there is one. No one has the heart to tell them they don't actually sound good because it would hurt their feelings too much. They love to sing and are emotionally invested in each trembly note.

This person was like that.

And I didn't have the heart to think they didn't sound good, because I could tell they were emotionally invested in every note of every song that escaped the glowy Christmas Room window.

But I did have the heart to sneak up through the drizzle and take a picture.

And next time, when I think Pandy is crying for help, I will check the backyard first.

xoxo to everyone, hope you're having a splendid weekend!

with love from Tabitha

some owl-y postcards

2009-05-30T13:08:00.002-04:00

For those of you who might be unaware, there is this wonderful website called swap-bot that lets people all over the world share postcards, recipes, books, photographs, all sorts of delightful things.

I'm not really into artist trading cards (they're very big on swap-bot) but I do enjoy creating + sending postcards, if only to receive a few little pieces of handmade art in return!

Here are few little owl postcards I recently made for such a swap!

Hoo!

(that's my best owl-noise)

The fun thing about making postcards is they're great for all sorts of experimenting.

For these, I used a bit of crayon first for texture then some loose watercolor washes.

This one is my favorite:

On the back of each card I wrote out this quote from Winnie-The-Pooh:

'Owl, wise though he was in many ways, was able to read and write and spell his own name WOL, yet somehow went all to pieces over delicate words like MEASLES and BUTTEREDTOAST.'

Cheese!

chalkboarding

2009-05-24T16:22:00.004-04:00

I know it seems like things have been really quiet and uneventful around here in Little Storyland, but I promise things are happening. In fact, today I was finally able to finish some chalkboards I illustrated for Look Up Lodge's gift shop!

My friend Kevin is the art director over there (not to mention a very talented artist himself) so I was pretty flattered + excited when he asked me to do this job.

They were incredibly enjoyable to design... I got to be so imaginative and just have fun with different textures + techniques. I think they turned out pretty well, and Kevin liked them, so yay! Everybody's happy.

Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for a very-long-needed and very-looked-forward-to vacation. It's not exactly a vacation in the technical sense (I'll be going with some friends and babysitting their kids periodically, so there is work involved) but I'll be getting away from here and I think that's going to help the most.

I feel like I still haven't fully recovered from all the shenanigans of the past month, so I think a few days away will be just the ticket to giving me a fresh perspective.

See you guys on the other side!

Have a beautiful week!

xoxo,

Tabitha

rice balls

2009-05-19T20:15:00.010-04:00

I've wanted to make onigiri for a long time.

I have to admit this desire mostly began when I saw characters eating them in my favorite anime. Okay... so my interest was piqued entirely because of anime, just like 90% of the rest of my Japanophile tendencies (I credit 10% to the fact that Japan was the birthplace of my first love and temporary home of his sister, my best friend... it's only fair).

(I try not to talk about my nerdy side too much, so let's move on, shall we?)

While poring over my favorite bento site a few days ago (nevermind, this whole post is just going to be nerdy) I came across an excellent description of how to make the stuffed rice balls. I gathered my ingredients:

(smoked salmon + brown rice)

I didn't have any nori (the seaweed used to wrap most onigiri), but the recipe assured me that plain riceballs were just as authentic.

Of course, wanting to be even more authentic, I ignored the clever advice about using plastic wrap to shape the salted and freshly-cooked grains. I would to do it with my hands like I had seen over and over again, like a real Japanese person! How hard could it be?!

it hurt. a lot.

So, as I was saying, I decided to be smart and use the plastic-wrap method, since I was a beginner.

Lay some plastic wrap in a tea cup, sprinkle in salt + walter, add rice, make a little hole, insert filling (salmon in this case), cover, twist up plastic wrap, squeeze and shape...

And voila!

My quick and tasty Japanese-style dinner.

Smoked salmon onigiri,

salad with sesame-ginger dressing,

and of course kukicha (green tea made from the twigs of the tea plant).

Success!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rice grains stuck together even after several bites. I had done it!

I had made onigiri like a real Japanese person (sort of)!

(so tasty and delicious)

Yes, it was a wonderful accomplishment.

I promptly celebrated by watching the next episode of Kaleido Star.

a few things that are making me happy right now...

2009-05-12T21:54:00.011-04:00

secret, tree-lined passageways

shadows of all shapes and sizes

meeting a giraffe at the zoo

complimentary colors

being able to draw outside, even if it's just practice sketching

watching Winnie play with sticks that are twice as big as her

xoxo

Tabitha

2009-05-08T15:16:00.004-04:00

I was shopping at Ingles this morning when I came across these amazing beauties:

Does anyone know what they're called? Are they hard to grow?

I'm in love!!!

a smattering

2009-05-06T21:01:00.004-04:00

After all these crazy goings-on I'm really excited to be getting back into my old schedule of Making and Doing Things. The past few days have been a rather messy blur of walks, feedings, and LOTS of cleaning up... I used to make fun of young married couples who introduced their first dog as their "child," but now I am officially humbled. There are happy times too, of course, but I think it'll all be tremendously happier on Friday, when Winnie gets her very own crate!

Winnie + home alone = lots of havoc and mayhem to my belongings and house = I don't leave house as much and start to feel resentful = I spend hours cleaning and deodorizing

but

Winnie + crate + home alone = no more surprises when I return = happier me and Winnie!

As Michael from The Office puts it, "It's a win-win-win situation!"

So I'm not really there yet, but one of the projects I'm most excited about beginning is my next animation.

Of course, it's still in the pre-production phases (the er.... "storyboard-in-your-head" phase, to be precise...) but I've already got a happy soundtrack picked out!

So in the meantime, here's a VERY delightful animation about animation and why it's so magical in the first place.

Enjoy!

(by the very talented radibo!)

(P.S.- All that stuff that happens in the beginning really does happen.)

what? I have a blog? #2

2009-04-27T17:57:00.004-04:00

whew, it's been quite a week.

Last Saturday at 4 AM I had the pleasure of getting my house broken into + wallet stolen.

It was quite a learning experience in many, many ways. For instance, giving money to homeless people who walk up to your door does not encourage them to go away and leave you alone, it makes them attached to you. So after you give them money two times they will likely come back for more.

Also, if you want to upset your parents more than you could possibly imagine, do something stupid like leave your window unlocked so the homeless man can get inside in the first place. Keep your social security card in your wallet (like your mom always told you not to) so he can steal that along with your money. Leave the blinds up at night so he can tell you're sleeping... or at least pretending to sleep, because thankfully he had the bright idea to try to wake me up (by banging on the bedroom window) to ask for money first, so I was awake and able to call 911 when I heard him in my living room.

I also learned that police are sometimes pretty cool and I'm thankful for them.

There was a good thing that came out of all this, though (besides the general all-around thankfulness of being safe!).....

This little girl,

Winnie.

Unfortunately, I've never had a dog before and am not really a "dog person," so it's been quite an adjustment, but she's very sweet and forgiving and patient with me. I've been feeling pretty miserable this past week, physically and emotionally, completely uninspired and rather depressed. If I cry she comes rushing over with a concerned look on her face and kisses (okay, licks, but close enough) away all the tears.

I've always wondered if something was the matter with me for being so sensitive and so slow to recover from big events. I'm often just fine at first, even stoic after a quick cry, and then a couple days later... bam. It all sinks in. I'm practically immobilized as my body and mind deal with it. (It's highly inconvenient, let me just say...)

So I was doing a bit of research online about coping and overwhelm and that sort of stuff when I ran across this lovely quote. It doesn't explain the weird delayed reaction, but it does explain a lot:

"The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this:

A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.

To him... a touch is a blow,

a sound is a noise,

a misfortune is a tragedy,

a joy is an ecstasy,

a friend is a lover,

a lover is a god,

and failure is death.

Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create - - - so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating."

-Pearl S. Buck, (1892-1973), recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 and of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938

I found that really, really comforting. And comforting to know that there are lots of other HSP (Highly Sensitive People) out there, and I am one. It's the first time I've really come across that term, HSP... perhaps it's been around for while, perhaps it's even considered passe... but to me it was a big dose of illumination, and I can't wait to read more and learn more about what it means + how to make the most of it + how to help heal the slow-to-recover parts.

Happy Monday :)

with lots of love from Tab

impromptu bookmaking is fun! you should try it!

2009-04-17T21:27:00.003-04:00

Yesterday seemed like the perfect day to experiment with bookmaking, so I decided to make a little quick + easy Instant Book. I would usually choose a more complicated project, particularly one involving sewing... sewing a book spine is quite peaceful... but it was sunny outside, so I had to take advantage of that!

I picked 7 different varieties of weeds (er... flowers & foliage, I mean) and arranged them on my copier.

Then I folded the print-out into 8 sections and cut a 2-sections-long slit in the middle, finishing it off by squishing it all back together with the blank section as the cover.

Voila!

Instant Book!

It's like the ramen of bibliology! (I hope you like that word, I just made it up. It's nice, eh?)

This one I call, An Encyclopaedia of Front-Yard Foliage, Up Close and Personal.

Happy weekend, everybody!

with lots of love from Tab

xoxo

what? I have a blog?

2009-04-16T10:17:00.009-04:00

Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately.......

I've been sick.

It tends to happen a lot this time of year, what with all the floaty things in the air... germs + pollen + other delightful morsels...

but, thanks to some delicious food and medicine from my sweet parents, lots of sleeping, 5 of my favorite movies, Animal Crossing, sudoku and crossword puzzles, and of course much well-wishing and prayers from kind friends, I'm doing a lot better!

It was actually really, really good to take a few days off.

Sometimes I get so caught up in being "productive" I forget that having fun and/or resting are just as important as working... that they're actually beneficial and good for you! Not only that, you NEED them!

Consequently, there was a lot of this sort of thing...

and a great deal of enjoyment taken from these...

oh and let's not forget this one... (sorry the pictures are fuzzy/small, they're what I found)

All, except the top right (Little Manhattan), are taken from my arsenal of tried-and-true, watch-this-and-you'll-feel-happy-and-inspired DVD collection.

~~I promise I really am 25 years old.~~

I think I'm secretly 12.

lemon blueberry upside-down cake

2009-04-11T21:04:00.007-04:00

Not sure how I actually managed to do this (I feel pretty crummy today), but... I really wanted to make a cake for Easter. I used this recipe from epicurious.com and I think it turned out okay!

My brain's too foggy to say much so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

assemble...

put in the oven...

"garnish with lemon slices"...

As you can see it took several attempts to come up with a worthwhile lemon-slice decoration.

I finally settled on this:

Hopefully it'll taste as yummy as it looks!

If I could've gotten away with it I would've sampled a slice this afternoon...

))))))Best Easter wishes, all!((((((

with lots of love from Tab

glass + light = happiness

2009-04-09T22:09:00.003-04:00

Even a trip to the recycling center can be a special treat when the sun is shining and there are lots of interesting things to look at.

When I went on Saturday, the bins were slammed full, so I brought my camera along on Monday to record the amazing variety of packaging all jumbled together... but... instead, I found air and space and lots of happy sunlight making its way through empty crannies.

I liked seeing all the sand on the bottom of the glass section.

How clever of those bottles to recycle themselves!

Wouldn't this almost be a splendid place for a photo shoot, with all that light shining in? Something with a really fancy dress?

I bet Tim Walker could make it work somehow...

This week feels all mixed up, all my regular babysitting jobs got switched around or cancelled, it got cold enough to snow (in some [nearby] places it did!), and my allergies that I thought were gone have decided to come back. Is it really Thursday already?

Come back, Monday! Come back, Tuesday and Wednesday!

Well, this weekend will be full of baking + Easter preparations, so that's exciting.

Happy day, everybody. :)

xoxo, Tab

business cards

2009-04-07T13:09:00.005-04:00

I can't afford to have business cards printed right now, so the lovely Nichole suggested I make some.

Here's the first batch!

I used a scallop-edge rotary cutter to chop up an old piece of watercolor paper, then wrote & drew my info with india ink. It really didn't take that long and was very fun to do... once I figured out what to write. "Illustrations + more" looked corny to me... so I changed it to "illustrations + art." Much better.

It's FREEZING in Greenville today so I'm off to eat some hot soup!

Happy Tuesday!

pictures in the sky

2009-04-06T20:36:00.004-04:00

It was one of those beautiful days where the sky is blue, the sun is shining, and all the clouds seem to look like props from a wispy, forest-themed kindergarten play.

I had brought my camera along to record my exciting trip to the recycling center (#10 from the list!) but couldn't resist snapping a few photos of the fluffy creatures.

As I was sitting at a red light, window down and lens pointed to the sky, I heard someone next to me shout, "hey! HEY!"

"Take a picture of me, too!"

So I did.

little pleasures

2009-04-04T14:17:00.003-04:00

finding stars in your cereal bowl

going on a bike ride

shy violets hidden beneath a corner of the house

red-painted fingernails

open windows

bare feet

finishing a commission, even if it's not something you would normally paint

happy weekend, all!

xoxo

it's going to be a glorious summer...

2009-04-02T19:11:00.008-04:00

I may already be 25-and-a-half, but that didn't deter me from jumping at the chance to make my very own pre-birthday list as soon as I caught sight of Miss hula seventy's! All day long I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I would add if I wrote one. What a glorious way to embrace each passing year!

So, after much deliberation, I set about to compose my List... complete with 2 rules:

Rule 1: Each item must be something I have never, ever done before,

with the exception of

Rule 2: A select group of recently-accomplished feats to account for the fact that I am already 25.5

Without further ado, here's my

...to do before I turn 26

1. Pack a bento box

2. Spend a day in Brevard, NC

3. ~~Dye my hair red~~

4. Make $2000 or more in one month

5. Plant wildflowers

6. Eat at Tupelo Honey Cafe

7. Explore Hendersonville, NC

8. ~~Bake a cheesecake~~

9. ~~Start a blog~~

~~10.~~ ~~Recycle (I'm ashamed to admit I don't do this yet)~~

11. Make homemade ice cream

12. Go skinny dipping

13. Ride a roller coaster (Carowinds, perhaps?)

~~14.~~ ~~Create a stop-motion animation~~

15. Learn 5 phrases in Japanese

16. Host a garden party

17. Eat an Italian picnic in Montebello

18. Make advanced guerilla art

19. Sew a dress (and wear it!)

20. Read Wuthering Heights

21. Participate in at least 3 art markets

~~22.~~ ~~Take a class on illustration~~

23. Walk around the MOMA

24. Visit Anthropologie in Charlotte and try on at least 5 outfits

25. Wear red lipstick for a whole day

6 down, 19 to go!

thank you, Sufjan Stevens

2009-03-31T22:27:00.004-04:00

It's been a little bit hectic these past few days. I spent the majority of this morning on the phone with a slightly pushy admissions person who wanted me to apply for a program I really can't afford right now. I spent the majority of yesterday and this afternoon tracking down various tax forms and instruction booklets. (Here's a tip: probably neither your library nor post office have self-employment tax forms. Just go straight to your local IRS office. It's much quicker that way.)

So it was nice to come home tonight and just do some painting and listen to Sufjan Stevens.

I've always been a fan of Sufjan's music but it was especially soothing this evening. I usually have to listen to instrumental music while I paint or draw (soundtracks are a favorite choice). Words can be really distracting and I need good melodies to get my creative juices flowing. I would love to be able to listen to audiobooks or radio programs but I just can't get my brain to multitask like that. However, Illinoise is such a perfect combination of lilting melodies and story-filled lyrics that it really fit the bill... warm, thought-provoking (but not too thought-provking!) and steady.

Maybe it works because what I'm in the midst of right now isn't very complicated.

It's 1 of 2 honeybee-themed canvases I'm completing for a client's daughter's bedroom.

But I'm kinda liking that border...

2009-03-29T00:33:00.003-04:00

It's 12:33 AM and I really should be sleeping, but it always takes a little time to unwind after babysitting, right?

So I was over at Design*Sponge and spotted this bag by Heather of skinny laminx:

And I thought, that's what my Spring Bag is going to look like!

Somehow, this week, I'm going to make one with fabrics I already have. Because I need a new bag, and I just really like the idea of having a solid top + straps and patterned bottom like that. Yes, it will be done.

The fabrics won't be as lovely, of course, because they won't be designed by a really cool South African artist/illustrator, but it'll be fun to see what I can come up with...

Okay, now that I've got that out of the way, it's off to bed!

(...with lots of love from Tab)

how could this not make me smile?

2009-03-28T11:41:00.004-04:00

typity type

food, food, more food!

2009-03-25T20:19:00.000-04:00

Who knew I was so obsessed with food? Well, I mean, I kind of did... anyhow I spent almost my entire yesterday in the kitchen! (The part not spent in the kitchen was spent buying ingredients.)

But wait, before I start sounding like a crazy chef, let me explain...

I'm not so much obsessed with food as I am very interested in how it affects people. Specifically how certain ingredients affect people... bad stuff (sugar, chemicals, etc.) and good stuff (you know what this is). My health-conscious cycles go up and down (after all, I did just compose a chocolate cheesecake post) but no matter what I eat I can't help noticing that I feel and look tremendously different depending on what I consume. For instance, eating salads every day just makes my skin look better. Too much sugar gives me a headache. Overeating at supper makes it hard to wake up in the morning. Lots of common sense stuff, but anyways... I've been slacking off a lot in the whole health/taking care of yourself department these past few months, so I'm eating VERY healthfully this week as part of a gentle, get-ready-for-Spring cleansing process. Lots of herbs, seeds, vegetables, juices, etc.

Unfortunately, the recipe book I'm using only has directions for 4-6 servings at a time... so that's where I got the brilliant idea to make A WHOLE WEEK'S worth of meals in one day! I would make it all, and then divide it all up into single portions to freeze/refrigerate! Genius, right? Let's take a peek...

gaaaaa.. chaos!!!

Sorry for the poor photo quality... the light in my kitchen is very dim. Almost as dim as me for trying to accomplish so much in one day in one kitchen. I ended up getting about half the recipes made. Whew.

However, I must admit there is something very soothing about roasting a whole chicken, especially the washing/marinating part; it feels like you are bathing a little creature, giving it a spa experience complete with herbal soak:

awww.

And after all is said and done, there's something very, very soothing about eating your own delicious, completely-made-from-scratch, insanely healthy meals. Only 5 more days to go!

Happy Wednesday, my dears.

xo, Tabitha

ah, animation...

2009-03-24T15:36:00.001-04:00

So I sorta put everything else on hold while I finished up the final project for my illustration class... a [very] short stop-motion animation! The whole experience was delightful, fun, tedious, confusing, wonderful... I've wanted to try stop-motion for SO long and it was so much harder and more exciting than I ever thought it would be.

Here's my little film:

(music is from a Card Captor Sakura soundtrack)

It makes me want to try more and more and more animation and I can't wait to get a new project underway. Everyone has been so sweet + supportive of my endeavors and my mom even disclosed that she was at the top of her animation & cinema classes! What! I had no idea but was really excited to find that out!

It's a really humble beginning but... thanks for letting me share it with you guys. :)

Happy Tuesday and I hope everyone has a splendidly brilliant week!

with lots of love from Tab

muffins + mayhem

2009-03-21T20:39:00.000-04:00

Some things just go well together. When I'm having a bad day (which, incidentally, happened a few days ago... it was a silly thing all from a misunderstanding and is happily fixed now) I find it very comforting to bake. And watch comedy.

And this time, it was all blueberry muffins and Black Books.

First, the muffins! I'm crazy about muffins because they're SO easy + quick to make and only use one bowl.

I always use the old Betty Crocker recipe but doctor it up accordingly.

INGREDIENTS:

1 egg

1 cup milk (or soymilk)

1/4 cup oil (canola, olive... whatever you have on hand)

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar (I usually use brown)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400. Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups. Beat egg; stir in milk & oil. Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened.* Batter should be lumpy.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.

Makes 12 muffins.

*Here's the part where I thrown in random stuff... blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts, cinnamon, apple pieces, etc. I also replace about 1/4 cup of flour with 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds for extra heartiness.

They're so perfect to make when you don't want to run to the grocery store just for a little baking, 'cos you usually have all those ingredients on hand. Plus it's fun to get creative with the add-ins. It's like the mix-ins at the ice cream shop, but [usually] healthier!

I love you, muffins!

Second, but definitely not of lesser importance, is the mayhem.

It's silly, it's British, and it has a perfect combination of wittiness, sarcasm, and slapstick... Black Books, of course!

I just finished the third (and final) season of this series and am so sad to see it end.

Dylan Moran plays Bernard Black, a hopelessly grouchy & mean-spirited bookstore owner who hates all his customers. Add in Manny, his good-natured assistant, and Fran, their loony neighbor, and you get the recipe for many, many hilarious shenanigans... this is one of the few sitcoms that actually makes me guffaw! I can watch the episodes over + over again and still be amused. In fact, there's one particular scene that had me laughing many hours later as I thought about it!

Here's a "Best Of" clip on Youtube. Not what I would consider to be the funniest bits, but it definitely gives you an idea of what the show's like.

(Just a little disclaimer if you decide to watch the entire series... this is a British show, and while for the most part it's PG-clean, there's some very random stuff that would not have made it on American television. It's much cleaner than, say, the British Office, but it's not perfect.)

oh, and yes, Dylan, I love you too!

2009-03-18T21:46:00.000-04:00

Hello!

A little peek at what I've been working on this week... it involves lots of painting, cutting, and planning. I've never done anything like this before but I'm really excited about it! I've been wanting to try this for a while and now have the perfect excuse: as my illustration class final project.

It's probably not going to be very professional-looking in the end, but it'll be fun and educational (to me, anyways), and that's always a plus!

And yes, those little things in the corner are eyeballs.

I hope you all had a happy St. Patrick's Day! :)

Tabitha

Mabel page 3

2009-03-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

(page 1 and page 2)

"Introducing Pax"

click on it to make it bigger!

Hmm... I wonder where this mysterious squirrel comes from...

In other news, I've been experimenting with animation this week (specifically stop-motion animation) for my final illustration class project. Of course, this requires a lot of 'research' (i.e. watching animation...) and has resulted in some quite splendid small-studio animation discoveries! My favorite so far has been Fruhling by Silke Parzich. I wish so much I could share the video here but I'll have to be content with a couple tiny images:

Tiny green forks bloom like fern fronds off a mismatched set of table + chairs, all dancing to Vivaldi's Spring. So, so lovely and creative!

Pouches again!

2009-03-16T13:51:00.000-04:00

My adventure into pouch-making continues!

I've been having lots of fun stitching up Mabel pouches to include in my Spring inventory, experimenting with different kinds of fabrics and colored zippers. The exteriors are plain muslin that I've drawn on with a black fabric marker, then added a little fabric dress that matches the lining inside.

All the lining + dress fabrics are from recycled shirts/pants/skirts, which makes me really happy. I like the idea of making something new out of something old, giving it a new life.

As you can see, they're very useful for holding all sorts of objects!

And speaking of recycled materials, I came across these beautiful dishes the other day on the Oh Joy! blog. (Which, incidentally, is an amazing blog, you should bookmark it right now.)

Now that's what I'm talking about! What a way to turn something cast-off into something truly beautiful...

Happy Monday, everyone!

with lots of love from Tabitha

Spring was just here a few minutes ago...

2009-03-13T16:10:00.001-04:00

...therefore I refuse to turn the heater back on!!!

I'm not going to be around much this weekend (working for my parents, babysitting, church, birthday parties for splendid friends) so I figured I'd try to tough it out. It's supposed to warm up again next week so my endurance need only be short-lived... and while wearing silly-looking hats inside may look, well, silly, I can congratulate myself next time the gas bill comes and it's less than two digits. Hooray!!!

Things you might find me doing at when I am at home...

-Baking blueberry muffins

-Snuggling under blankets and watching Carol's Journey again... it's so beautiful and sad!

-Drinking far too many cups of piping-hot tea

-Sewing some new & improved zippered pouches (I'll have pictures soon!)

-Dreaming about summer and when the weather will be warmer again!

Stay warm, you guys!

with lots of love from Tabitha

and the winner of the Best Morning Hair Ever goes to...

2009-03-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

no gel or wax or anything!

Mabel page 2

2009-03-10T15:49:00.000-04:00

ta da! Here's the second installment of the Mabel adventure. Enjoy!

(click here to read Mabel page 1)

hope everyone's having a happy week... I've been LOVING the warmer weather, it makes me feel so alive. It makes me want to imagine and dream and DO things! It makes me feel hopeful and joyous and... and... ebullient.

Thesauruses are so fun.

sending you lots of love wherever you are!

chocolate cheesecake

2009-03-09T17:18:00.000-04:00

I've been promising my Monday night illustration class a treat for a while, but today was the first day I actually had the chance to make something, so I decided to make a chocolate cheesecake.

I think this is the first cheesecake I've ever made (it's the first one I ever remember making), so I was quite excited.

After I mixed the batter, I sent the children outside to lick the beaters. I know, I know, raw egg and all that... but I always licked the beaters as a child and was fine, so I think they'll be okay.

When it was cooled I cut it up into slices and stuck strawberry halves on top with melted milk chocolate. I gave some to my sweet neighbor Ophelia (isn't that the best name??) and arranged the rest on plates to take to class. It's going to be a little messy and hard to carry, but it looks (and tastes!) yummy, so it'll be worth it!

I even got my own little stove-top slice!

a little tour of my neighborhood, part 1

2009-03-08T21:38:00.001-04:00

Sewing my first zippered pouch, or, How the ugly fabric became beautiful

2009-03-05T16:49:00.000-05:00

Once upon a time there was some Ugly Fabric.

It sighed as it lay crumpled on the ironing board.

"I will never be anything beautiful.

I was once a plaid shirt from American Eagle, but now I'm outdated and boring.

What shall I do?"

"You there!" shouted a White Zipper. "The Queen needs to see you immediately!"

The White Zipper smiled a fierce and toothy smile,

but the Ugly Fabric was brave.

Inside the castle, the Queen introduced the Ugly Fabric to some Old Denim.

She gently sewed them together and they became fast friends.

The White Zipper joined them, and although he was fat

and caused the Queen quite a bit of grief,

they appreciated his way of bringing things together.

"I'm so happy to be useful now," thought the Ugly Fabric,

"and I am so cozy inside this pouch. But I am lonely, and I am still ugly."

For a long time the Ugly Fabric waited, but then finally

some beautiful markers came along. They liked the Old Denim.

They liked the White Zipper, or at least they didn't mind it

when he growled and showed his big teeth.

But most of all they liked the Ugly Fabric, who kept them warm and safe.

So the Ugly Fabric became beautiful because it was loved,

and they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

Mabel, page 1

2009-03-03T15:06:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share this with you guys yesterday but Blogger wasn't letting me upload any images. It's the beginning of a little story I've been working on just for fun, to help stay motivated and keep drawing. It's my first ever "comic," so it's a bit rough around the edges, but I hope you enjoy it. (Mabel is quite sweet and fun to get to know...) I'll be posting a new page each Monday!

Hope everyone's having a beautiful week!

P.S.- Click on it to make it bigger!

2009-02-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Today has been so blah. It's gray and rainy outside, which can sometimes make me feel cozy and productive, but not today. It's been a really hard month, and while for the most part I'm able to feel optimistic and hopeful, sometimes waves of sadness come that just wipe out everything else. It's really hard to draw when I'm feeling sad and even harder when I'm crying. So I've learned that sometimes I just have to go with it and make myself a nice cup of tea and sit down for a minute.

I think this is the most cups of tea I've ever had in one day!

Hooray for candy!

2009-02-26T22:28:00.000-05:00

As I was watching Project Runway yesterday I had to make a sudden Walgreens run. Whatever for, you ask? Nina Garcia's editorial skills seemed so amazing I had to snatch up the latest issue of Elle? The winning designer's model was blonde so I had to immediately bleach my hair?

Nope...

The designers had to make dresses out of candy. Candy wrappers, candy paraphernalia, and of course candy itself.

How could I possibly watch the rest of the episode empty-handed?

I was doing pretty well until Christian started describing his dress, which was crafted entirely of Reeses Peanut Butter Cup wrappers. I've been on a bit of a peanut butter kick since Valentine's Day so at that point I just had to give in. To round it out nicely I added cherry-flavored Twizzlers, Jillian's dress material. Except when I got to the store they had Rainbow Twizzlers. Ooh la la! Even better!

...but they weren't better. Not even very good, actually. I ended up mostly feeling sick and regretting my decision.

At least Mabel got her very own candy dress out of it!

Mabel Candy Couture, pen & ink, pencil, Reese's PB Cup wrapper, and blueberry Twizzler

Hope everyone has a happy weekend!

lots of love, Tabitha

family pictures...

2009-02-25T10:40:00.000-05:00

Two new characters showed up in Little Storyland yesterday! They are linocut on rice paper with cut paper accents. They wanted to be presented as portraits, so I added little black frames courtesy of picnik.com:

Cousin Dudley + The Balloon

Baby Ivy

I've been trying to stay really busy around here, drawing, dreaming, basically staying in practice. I don't have a lot of babysitting jobs this week so I really want to take advantage of all this free time. In a few minutes I'll go eat lunch with Elizabeth and then this afternoon I shall be a busy bee.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

signs of Spring

2009-02-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

Even though Greenville, SC winters aren't that harsh, I'm completely ready for warmer weather. To just throw on a sundress in the morning... read books on the porch... not shiver when I wake up... it would be glorious. Here are some Spring-y things that are keeping me going in these last few days of cold:

the little onion who yearns to be a beautiful plant

the vagabond daffodils who showed up in my yard out of nowhere

the latest issue of Small magazine full of clothes I wish I could wear

2009-02-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to start a blog for a while. Most of my favorite blogs are on Typepad (The Black Apple, Angry Chicken, Posie gets Cozy) but since I can't afford a monthly fee I figured I'd at least start here!

So, hello. Please look forward to updates from Little Storyland!

with lots of love from Tabitha