i'm just coming down now from a heightened state of agitation, caused by only just realizing at 5pm that daylight saving time ended while we were asleep. imagine the clock saying 5pm and your cat is not screaming for food and treats, it's *terrifying* lol! fortunately, pumagreg is fine and, as far as he's concerned, getting an early dinner.
read more »one of my favorite parts of buying from artisans directly is that there's always some surprise, personal touch added to the package - like a free sticker, candy, or a handwritten note. to me, it's proof of care and craft, and that's very important in this era of rampant ip theft and stealthy drop-shipping. as i work towards opening my own art and candle store later this month, i have been thinking as much about shipping as i've been melting wax and swirling paint. with candles being my primary ware, i thought it would be fun to include a custom matchbox with orders. i did a test run last week to give out to visitors over the weekend and they were a huge hit.
read more »i had a small, belated birthday gathering last night so, of course, so we split a cannoli at breakfast at 2pm and now i'm Ready To Blog™.
read more »i'm sitting here groggy, swollen and sore after a very poorly-slept night - a signal of my period starting any second. but it's hard not to feel invigorated about this week after seeing the next few days' forecasts having temperature highs in the low-50s after a very frigid and windy couple of weeks. time to crack open a window and finish this blog post. but first, a rorschach test...
read more »this week i turned 40 and i was very excited to hit that milestone so PLEASE spare me the "there's nothing wrong about turning 40" because you're PROJECTING! and onto this beautiful, perfect creature:
read more »happy valentines day, a good day to share a recent, small labor of love i did for a dear friend of mine. lisa and i went to college and lived on the same floor. when i got a remote job, she helped me find a new place in jersey city and so i've lived within a couple of blocks from her ever since - for over a decade now. if you've been to jerseyscript you may have had the pleasure of meeting her. lisa has a lot of style and her home has a lot of nice things that i like to touch and ooh and ahh at. one of those things is a ceramic piece of toast with a little butter candle by collin garrity.
read more »laws have become a gentlemen's agreement and we are no longer ruled by gentlemen - that's how i'd explain the last week at a higher level with what's going on in america and even on the streets of my own community.
read more »i have written previously about getting back into reading again. when covid quarantine went into effect, one of the things i stopped having the attention and appetite for was reading books. but since fall, i have been chipping away at a pile that had been waiting for me since 5 years ago, and i am intentionally trying to read at least 2 books a month. in january i read fuzz by mary roach, and natural causes by barbara ehrenreich. i'll write about fuzz and my thoughts about and journey in divesting from specieism another time. today i want to talk about natural causes and, especially, barbara ehrenreich's impact on my outlook on death, wellness, and how i have navigated those topics before and going into the trump administration.
read more »a few weeks ago i finished a special sketchbook on stream (ahem, like and subscribe) and have been adding photos of it to my portfolio (which i've been coding on stream hehe). the sketchbook is a letterpress grid watercolor pad from case for making and the paints were gansai tambi which i've really been enjoying.
read more »i was thinking about how i'd like to set some intentions for the new year but have been blocked. i have more time on my hands than ever in my life, so i'm currently working on navigating that without the paralysis that comes from having so many options and ideas, and adhd - a damn hottie disorder. then i realized tonight, while scouring the live laugh blog archive, that i wrote one of these posts when 2024 started, so let's start there.
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