The Secret Sheep

For some time now there's been this paint chip in the stair well of my building. I always look forward to seeing it because it looks like little sheep. This secret sheep is located in the front stairwell and I usually use the back since it's closer to where I park. A couple of weeks ago I came home from work and was delighted to see that our doors and stairwells were getting a fresh coat of paint. No longer will our door be that chalkboard green and the walls be flaking and bubbling with decades of paint. It actually makes our place look pretty snazzy. But then I remembered the sheep... I hustled up the steps and crossed through to the other stairwell to check and see if they had painted both, but luckly they hadn’t. *Phew* I nearly missed my opportunity to document it. So before she’s long gone, please take note and enjoy, Secret Sheep.

We've Got To Get Rid Of It! #1

The Silent P.
seriously, this p is unnecessary. and unless you can give me proof that your parents were caesars, let's all just stop it.

Studio Peep Makes PRINT December issue

Bliss Alexander-Smith, that is.

Soak it up while it lasts.

Most of us are stuck inside during daylight hours at our respective jobs, but these past few weeks I've really enjoyed the commute to work with all the fall colors to take in. Especially now with the days getting dark so early it's the only time I see them. It makes the 30 or so minutes from Raleigh to Durham seem like driving through a Crayola box and I just want to open my eyes wider so I don't miss a single shade or tint. So just in case you've missed them:







Now, how can I appreciate while inside at my desk?

Welcome to my new desk top. Leave to a designer. Thanks Chris Glass.

Oh joy. Oh heartache.

Last week I learned of an “awwwe” inspiring, heart warming/breaking story. Thanks Philip for telling me this story. Thanks for brightening, then quickly ruining my day. Roy and Silo. *sniffile* I can get through this. I can. Roy and Silo are two male chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan and for six years the were inseparable. They entwine their necks, built a nest together, and showed no interest in female penguins. Homosexuality is hardly a rare occurrence in the animal kingdom. Mallards, dolphins, apes, elephants, giraffes, lions, sheep, and many others have been observed as displaying homosexual behavior. But Roy and Silo...oh Roy and Silo. They have a story.

“At one time, the two seemed so desperate to incubate an egg together that they put a rock in their nest and sat on it, keeping it warm in the folds of their abdomens, said their chief keeper, Rob Gramzay. Finally, he gave them a fertile egg that needed care to hatch. Things went perfectly. Roy and Silo sat on it for the typical 34 days until a chick, Tango, was born. For the next two and a half months they raised Tango, keeping her warm and feeding her food from their beaks until she could go out into the world on her own. Mr. Gramzay is full of praise for them.”
- The New York Times, February 7,2004

It even inspired a book! That’s right. Get that head tilt just so and soften those eyes.

Now – valiant reader, be strong. And continue on.

“[It] all ended when Scrappy, a single female newly arrived from SeaWorld in San Diego, caught Silo's eye.
Silo promptly moved in with Scrappy, building a new nest with her. Zookeepers were at a loss to explain Silo's sudden conversion.
‘Why does anyone bond? Why do people want to get married and divorced?’ said Dr. Dee Boersma, penguin expert at the University of Washington in Seattle. ‘Presumably, they've got their reasons.’
Silo and his hot-feathered home-wrecker have yet to produce an egg, but they've been busy trying.
On Thursday, Roy, all alone, sat disconsolately at the edge of the penguin area, staring at the wall.
- Fox News, September 16,2006

I have tissues here if you need any.

Dear Diorama

Today was a good day because I posted a new header on the blog and changed the color palette. I hope I'll still like green at the end of the month. But if I don't, hey, its just one color. There are so many more to choose from. So, green, if it doesn't work out between us... if we don't make it, i want you to know that we had a good run. I want you to know that I tried. And hey, keep your chin up.

Wana hang out this weekend?

Now it's time for a little shameless self promotion. Come to The Handmade Market this weekend in downtown Raleigh! I've been participating in this show for over 2 years and it's always a great time. Do a little early Christmas shopping while supporting local (and somewhat local) artisans. With fifty vendors, there's bound to something you can't live without!
Here's a little sneak preview of some of my stuff:

halloween costumes: a retrospective

Here are some costume highlights from Halloween 08!


You don't get to see scary and cute combine forces too often. And it could only be done by Rocky & Chelsie.


Who knew Phillip could be so delicate.


Here is my old coffee shop co-worker Liza being a very convincing Peter Pan.


The perfect Juno. Our friends Jerry (Paulie Bleaker) and Andrea (Juno McGuff), winners of our "best couple" category.


Seth, the lumber jack on strike. The other side of his sign said, "rainfalls not chainsaws". Love it.


Robot befriends Ugly Betty.
Thank you Lisa (who won for most original) and Sarahrice.


Here's my new desktop. Jonscott doing a remarkable Mr. Tumnus which tied for best all around costume.


Prospector Bob. This costume was difficult to explain to our Japanese foreign exchange friends that came.


This may not be as shocking if you don't know these people, but let me tell you, it was a thorough costume that came with about a pint of bronze foundation, shaved chests, thick accents, and a back story. They won for funniest, though I marked them down for scariest.


I'm a sucker for interspecies merriment. Matt , the winner of the "scariest" award, and Meagan, as a very cute panda,which by the way needed no explanation to our foreign exchange friends :)


My favorite Halloween party co-hosts (mentioned in my Halloween decoration post earlier this month) Megan as a cow girl and Steph as an iPod.


Here's Thurston and I as Mario and a spider (the full on version).


The classic pumpkin by Hiroko and Where's Waldo by May.


If you know Yo Gabba Gabba, this will need no explanation. But in case you're like me and have little exposure to kids shows, this will help. And now that I'm totally in the loop- this family costume is spot on, and the deserving winner (well, tied with Mr. Tumnus) for best costume.