Here, and curious to begin exploring the world again!

The museum I work for is gearing up for a big exhibit of Hollywood costumes and costumers, and looking through the books and collections has left me feeling (oh so slightly) more glamorous then usual!





Not exactly Myrna Loy, but at least it's a try :)

This dress is a "best ever" find from one of the thrift stores I frequent, a nice little vintage number in a style that suits my body type and of-late zest for purple. One of the great rules of shopping that took me a closet full of clothes and a long while to learn is this: no matter how amazing or adorable a garment is, if it doesn't fit right or suit you and you know you're not going to sell or alter it, you should just leave it on the rack and save your money. Also, it's alright to embrace and enjoy a high waisted dress on occasion -- they're not actually all that evil, it turns out.

Dance, hedghog, dance!

Hedgehog dance party fun times, or, Ira and I celebrating after cage cleaning day. He's not actually so happy after having a bath -- mostly he just looks damp and escape-y. Happy to get back to a clean wheel though!



And another What I Wore Today sketch of my typical gym clothes -- boring, but since I wear some variation of this kind of thing 4-5 times a week drawing it was inevitable! The capybara t-shirt came from an arts and crafts session with my friends a couple years ago where everyone made shirts using the stencils and bleach method. Definitely a fun day project to try if you've got some plain shirts handy!

Two friends...

Oh, hello!





Two pink friends on a cloudy, impending snow day. The left is the result of a night's needlefelting, and the right is a pink daruma I bought while visiting Miyajima a few years back.

Meet my newest needle felted friend and first attempted Cephalopod! This nervous little octopus decided he's going to go to school and become an art teacher, and who am I to stand in his way? Good luck, octo-friend!

Wheels and Plastic

Another belated illustrated outfit post! I've pretty much worn the texture off of those cords but they're so comfy and great for shopping or relaxing days. On 2/3 I went out and ended up buying a bigger cage and wheel for the hedgie. Ira wasn't thrilled at first, but since the first night he's become a wheel-running maniac! I'll go to bed to the sound of him running, and then wake up in the middle of the night and hear him still running like mad. Is there something inside little critters that helps them know how to use a wheel? Will he eventually become the buffest hedgehog ever known?

I've been thinking more about putting some items up in my neglected etsy shop, and experimenting with shrink plastic again with varying amounts of success. The results are so wildly different each time that it drives the perfectionist in me crazy trying to keep the shapes consistent. On the other hand, it's always fun to anticipate what's going to come out of the oven next ^^



Just a few cute ideas for now! Next up, a hamster for iamchubbybunny!

Another clothing doodle today! Since starting the project of making the occasional WIWT drawing I've developed a bit of a backlog of them. The pin makes this one appropriate for celebrating Hedgehog Day, I think!

So a happy hedgehog day everyone -- that naughty groundhog might have promised a longer winter, but Ira didn't even bother waking up until the sun went down anyway. Quite sensible, hedgehogs.

What I Wore Today 01222010

My first what I wore today drawing -- dressed for work at the museum! After finding the flickr community What I Wore Today (Drawings Only), I thought it would be fun to try to do a drawing to add to the pool. Most of the time my outfits aren't very distinctive, though! The shoes from Target are my favorite right now, I'm tempted to buy a couple pairs of them to save for when this pair wears out.

This week, in an attempt to drink at least a little less coffee than my usual 8-10 cups a day, I've been drinking a lot of Lupicia's 'Orange Kidd', an orange cream rooibos tea. Sweet-smelling, subtle, and perfect for relaxing -- it's even beautiful to look at, with sugar bits and purple accents. I guess tea doesn't need to be attractive to be delicious, but there's nothing that says it shouldn't be, and it makes the brewing preparation just a bit more special to me.



After finally getting up the resolve to order some new tea before the wintery/Christmas-flavored teas disappeared until next year, I'm swimming in both new and nostalgic flavors. My friend Michelle sent me a beautiful sampler of some Christmas teas, Cache-Cache, Carol, and the strange, heady Orzo Cioccolata, a wonderful, unexpected treat that spurred me on to finally place the order... Lupicia's tin design is so lovely that the box is now a permanent fixture on my desk :)

やる気がない。

Lately dear hedgehog Ira has been a big grump with me when it's time to play. He never wants to leave his hedgehog pocket, unless it's for a treat or a mealworm. Much like I haven't been very compelled to leave the house, unless it's for a delicious dinner or the promise of finding something that will provide a delicious dinner in the future!





This year I will be more creative. This year I'm going to be brave, have fun, make a mess, and read widely.

Things are already better then they were a month ago -- I've found a suitable second part time job that leaves me with little free time, but almost an actual salary's worth of hours. I'm still hopeful about finding a full time position somewhere this year, but in the meantime at least things are a little more stable and maybe I can allow myself to open up again and enjoy things more, without as much of the constant, aching stress of feeling under-employed and unnecessary.