The Toymaker

Happy Summer!

2009-07-03T05:55:22Z

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Met our deadline for the first draft of Haunted Histories. Here's a study for Hameji Castle in Japan.
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Took a couple of days off. Well. Enough of that. Weeded garden. Picked giant cucumbers.
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We had the awesome artist, Andrew Mitchell over for his birthday tonight. Made homemade biscuits, garlic cream spinach, fingerling potatoes, orange avocado salad and for the carnivores, parmesan chicken wrapped in prosciutto. For dessert, a hot apple tartin with vanilla ice cream. Delish and good company!
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http://ajmitchellart.typepad.com/ajmitchell_art/
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Tomorrow, it's back to work!
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American friends and family, what do you have planned for the fourth? To my friends and family in the north, how was Canada day? Hey Australia, you staying warm?
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Best thoughts,
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Marilyn.

Alice is in Wonderland.

2009-06-23T08:32:48Z

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Oh my gosh! Tim Burton is doing "Alice in Wonderland." Fan girl melting here. Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter.
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Have you seen the pictures?
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http://www.nypost.com/photos/galleries/gossip/popwrap/20090622_wonderland/photo01.htm
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Must go lie down now. Whilst I am reclining on my fainting couch, what's your take on Alice? Dodgson? Whimsical children's book or full scary?
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Marilyn.
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Alice: I've had nothing yet, so I can't take more.
The Hatter: You mean you can't take less; it's very easy to take more than nothing.
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Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:09:45Z

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Ah dads, they teach us stuff, like how to tie a tie, how to fish, how to rub sticks together to make fire, good manners, how to check the oil on the car and how to say please and thank you. Some dads do this kind of stuff. Some don't.
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The Wonderhub has taught the Boy how to cook, in the kitchen and over a fire, how to lay bricks, how to weed, how to ride a motorcycle, a bike and a quad. He also taught him how to play chess and checkers and they can both can defrag a hard drive and make a bed. (Well okay, I lied about the kid being able to make a bed.)
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I've butted heads with my dad since the day I was born and our relationship has been that of two strong willed people. I guess apples don't fall far from the tree. But I know that I inherited my ambition from my dad, my love of travel, my entrepreneurial spirit and as my husband teases me, my ability to grab any microphone and talk into it. I also got my love of family from my dad.
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So here's to dads. May they enjoy their day.
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Best thoughts,
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Marilyn.
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http://www.thetoymaker.com/Holidays/Fathersday/1Fathers.html
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My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys. ~ Harmon Killebrew
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The Beatles Rockband

2009-06-16T15:53:32Z

Oh Beatles, now I remember why I love you.
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.http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/cinematic.php
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Watch it now....
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We are all about the manias around here.

2009-06-14T16:53:39Z

We are all into hobbies around Casa Del Aguas. I make paper toys, the wonderhub gardens and builds guitars, the Boy makes cities our of Legos and is learning to calibrate watches.
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Here's the label that I did for the inside of the hub's guitar. You can read about the whole thing here....
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http://theronnshow.blogspot.com/
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Here he is practicing timing a watch.
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And here is my adorable nephew Ollie with my sister-in-law Wendy making marble mice. He's been taking batches of them to his preschool.
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What are your hobbies and manias? What would you like to learn in the future?
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Have fun!
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Marilyn.
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Cut paper

2009-06-08T05:08:49Z

I've been messing around with designs cut out of paper.
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Two more weeks of school and then the boy gets vacation. On one hand it will be nice to be on another schedule , on the other hand I have piles of work to do so having to get up early and getting to work on schedule is nice.
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I bought a handful of new drawing pencils today. Derwent pencils are the best! The line that Derwent sketching pencils make is so buttery and smooth.
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What small items make you happy?
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Marilyn.
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Many people are inventive, sometimes cleverly so.
But real creativity begins with the drive
to work on and on and on.
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~ Margueritte Harmon Bro

Drawing Day! It's here!

2009-06-06T20:36:25Z

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A couple of quick little sketches.
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Draw on!
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Marilyn.

Drawing Day! Squee! I'm so excited!

2009-06-05T05:51:36Z

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Hey Friends! Saturday is Drawing Day! http://drawingday.org/
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Drawing Day is a worldwide drawing event encouraging everyone to drop everything and draw for the sake of art. Help us create 1 million drawings online this day.
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Get those pencils sharpened! You know you want to! Let's go!
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Marilyn.
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Drawing is seeing.
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The Enchanted Tiki Room

2009-06-01T17:04:30Z

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I grew up about ten miles from Disneyland. We used to climb on the roof to watch the fireworks. And we'd pretend to be the wall carvings that come to life and sing from the Enchanted Tiki Room.
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Good times, good times.
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Marilyn.
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In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room
In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room
All the birds sing words and the flowers croon
In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room
Welcome to our tropical hideaway, you lucky people you!
If we weren't in the show starting right away,
We'd be in the audience too.
All together!

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Learn Something New Everyday.

2009-05-31T07:44:07Z

We went to dinner tonight at our friends Greg and Janet's house. The Boy did a beautiful job of cooking the burgers.
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After dinner, Janet, who is the most amazing calligrapher, showed us her collection of inkwells and antique copybooks. Greg, who is a Swiss trained watch repair expert, put the Boy to work sorting and straightening watch parts.
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I asked Greg to explain what the Boy is doing and he said, "He is using a truing caliber to straighten wheels that came from a 1940's wristwatch. Often wheels become bent or damaged which necessitates the patience of a watch repair person with steady hands to once again make sure the wheels run straight and true, hence the need to bend and adjust them so that the wheels will be in good condition."
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That's a hundred-year-old pair of calipers that the kid is using. How wonderful is that?
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How's your weekend going?
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Marilyn.
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Janet's blog...

http://janettakahashi.com/
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Greg's blog
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http://gregminuskin.com/

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

2009-05-29T16:47:48Z

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I have to get to work.... do you hear that self? Stop drawing pictures of Disneyland and get to work, will ya?
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Honestly!
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Marilyn
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There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and at the bottom of the Spanish Main ... and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life. ~ Walt Disney.
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The Magic Kingdom

2009-05-28T21:46:16Z

Yesterday, I took a Busman's Holiday and went to Disneyland with my studio group for a day of sketching. It was a blast and I'm hoping that next month we can go to another location to draw. I learned a lot!
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It was also the first time in twelve years that I had been to an amusement park in a "non-mom" capacity. I listened to the other mom's say, "Did you go to the bathroom? Do you need a snack? Which ride do you want to go on next? No, you can't have a fill in overpriced item here." I only felt a small twinge of guilt as I sketched merrily away.
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This is four parts of Studio Five. Bob Singer was missing because of a sinus infection. Left to right, J.R. Johnson, me, Andy Mitchel And J. H. Everett.
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A water spout from Sleeping Beauty's Castle.
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The Haunted Mansion.
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What is your favorite amusement park ride? I'm still a sucker for PIrates of the Caribbean. But for me, whereever I'm drawing is the Happiest Place on Earth.
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Draw on!
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Marilyn.

"Risk a boy to raise a man."

2009-05-25T18:13:25Z

This morning we gave the boy and his friend twenty bucks and sent them down the street to IHOP for pancakes. ALONE. They had a great time. I was a bit of a Nervous Nellie but we all survived. I keep telling myself that a good parent raises children to be self sufficient... which is true, but hard.
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I remember the first time that I rode my bike to Carl's Junior with a friend. It was a grand adventure. My hub said that when he was twelve he had a paper route and rode his bike everywhere. He also went scuba diving. I know that "times have changed" but when I was a kid visiting my grandmother's house in Mississippi, my cousins and I would spend all summer playing in the creek bed, riding ponies and scaring each other in the cemetery, without a grown-up in sight.
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Later in fourteen, I rode my bike to the beach with friends. At fifteen and a half one of my best friends got a driver's license and a car so we went everywhere, movies, Los Angeles, Disneyland, Knotts.
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I hope that we have raised the kid to make good choices, wise decisions and be independent.
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How did you learn to be self sufficient?
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Marilyn.
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PS Today, we are eating home grown ARTICHOKES!

School Visits

2009-05-23T03:31:36Z

Last year I wrote....
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Some day, in the not so very distant future, after my Scholastic book comes out in December, I would like to do school visits. I figured out a way to make skull masks, tarsier hats and Komodo Dragon hats out of paper...as modeled by my imaginary friends here:
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Well, today I got to actually test it out. I have to say that three kindergardeners decked out in headhunter masks with cornstalk spears made out of newspaper hunting a teacher wearing a green construction paper baby komodo dragon mask sums up my idea of adorable.
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I love it when a plan comes together.
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Marilyn.

My First School Visit (Cue rock music)

2009-05-20T22:45:42Z

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So I get this phone call last Friday asking if I still wanted to do an author visit at the Boy's school, something I'd volunteered to do a million years ago. Of course I said calmly, "Yes, I'd be delighted." Then, after I hung up, the only thought in my head was, "Holy Moly! Four hundred kids, two 45 minutes assemblies! What the heck was I thinking?".
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Actually I was thinking that it would be pretty fun, and I'm still sure, in spite of the butterflies, that it's going to be a blast.
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So I bought a new pair of pants, snazzy black stretch denim flares in case you are curious, and made a sheet of bookmarks to print up for everyone. I've got a powerpoint of art to show and a bunch of toys to make.
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Fame, adventure, the great unknown, bring it on!
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Marilyn.
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PS Have you ever seen an author visit? What did they do that was cool? What was boring? Do dish.
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A brief history of the Toymaker...

2009-05-16T23:02:59Z

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Six years ago, on May 15th, I registered the domain name, thetoymaker.com. I had a closet full of paper toys that I had made just for fun and thought that I might put up a little website where people could download them for free.
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. The first year it looked like this...
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There were about twenty five toys back then, now there are several hundred, I"m not sure how many there are exactly. I've lost count. I'm also not sure how many toys have been downloaded, last count was over four million.
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Then I started a newsletter with just the two dozen people in my email address book, now I have 20,000 people on my mailing list. I'm rather flabbergasted by all this, I have to say. But the best thing has been all the very kind emails from people all over the world. It makes me feel useful to be able to make things that help grownups and kids spend time together.
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So wishing you a creative week.
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Make Toys! Play More!
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Marilyn.
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--

If one advances confidently
in the direction of his dreams
and endeavors to live the life
which he has imagined
he will meet with a success
unexpected in common hours.
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~ Henry David Thoreau

Eat your veggies...

2009-05-12T15:13:53Z

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Nom! Nom! Nom! Look veggies! Right out of the ground!
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We ate most of the salad Sunday night and only a few of the berries made it to cereal. I made a tasty French onion soup last night out of the onions. We have about ten pots of tomato plants, all kinds, so this summer we are going to be rolling in Romas, Cherries, Beefsteaks and Heirlooms.
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Heaven forbid we actually ever have to survive on what we grow in our yard, we are dabblers. Most of the veggies grow in spite of our neglect, though I have to say our herb pots are doing very nicely this year. It's great to be able to just pop outside for a handful of fresh basil or thyme.
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We've got four or five artichokes coming in too.
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Summer, I see you coming!
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How bout you? What's growing in your yard?
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Marilyn.
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The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~Hanna Rion

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Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T15:21:58Z

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There is only one thing that I know of that is worth being woken up from a stone cold sleep at seven AM on a Saturday morning. That is to have a bouncing Tigger of a kid give you a flaming hedgehog card a day early for Mother's day. "And the glory of it is that tomorrow you get another one," he told me.
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So today it is Mother's Day and both the boy and hub are still sound asleep. I've already snuck out to the kitchen and eaten one of the donuts and drank some of the coffee that they laid out for this morning.
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Shhh... don't tell.
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Best thoughts and hugs to all the moms out there, especially mine.
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Marilyn.
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A little booklet

2009-04-30T17:16:11Z

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I was inspired by my friend Janet's book "Artful Journals" to make a little booklet out of printer paper with an origami paper cover.
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Sunday is my birthday! I'm speaking at a Children's book conference in San Clemente with my Studio Group and then going out to dinner with my family and friends. So excited!
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How's your week going? Are you remembering to wash your hands with soap and cover your cough?
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Wishing you a health and creative week,
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Marilyn.

Oh those Meddling Kids....

2009-04-24T15:05:40Z

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I doodled this up on a whim. I wanted to see what Velma would look like without that wretched turtleneck.
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So it's time play... CAPTION THAT DRAWING!!!!!
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Go to it, Scoobie gang!
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Marilyn.

Happy Spring!

2009-04-21T18:23:12Z

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Just a peak at this month's new toy!
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Coming soon!
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Marilyn.

Stupid Cat

2009-04-19T23:44:38Z

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This happens every morning at five AM. He's very persistent.
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Stupid cat.
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>^..^<
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“Whatever you are… be a good one.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

This morning I drew...

2009-04-15T06:06:12Z

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This morning I took a break from work and went over to my folk's house to help my mom clean out my dad's closet. My eighty-three-year-old dad had a stroke three years ago and hasn't walked or talked much since. He's lost a lot of weight so he can't wear his old stuff. We took seven bags of clothes down to Goodwill. We worked quickly, to afraid to stop and think about what we were doing. Belts, goofy ties, suspenders, suits, sensible walking shoes, polyester pants. all went into white trash bags.
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We kept the tuxedo that he bought to wear to my sister's wedding, the Blackwatch kilt that he wore to my brother's wedding, the caftan that he bought in Egypt, his emergency patrol police outfit and his letterman's jacket.
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I'd never really spent much time in my folk's bedroom. It was always the grownup world, bigger than my first apartment. Now it is a dusty, tattered place filled with photos, papers and faded bedding. I know that my brother and sister and I will have to go through all of the junk some horrible day... but for now I just moved a few memories on down the line.
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Tell me about your parents.
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Marilyn.
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“I felt it shelter to speak to you.”
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~ Emily Dickinson
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Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T23:42:26Z

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Things are still zoombooming along here. I got a giant packet of art off to my awesome editor, Alli, at Sterling for an upcoming paper toy book. The creative design stuff is done, now I just have to finish writing and illustrating the instructions and start thinking about the cover.
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Yesterday was kinda mellow. The boy and I went to the huge and glorious Huntington Beach Library. It was built in the seventies and is filled with all kinds of nooks and fountains. There's a big three story circular ramp in the middle with plants and falling water. We spent a couple of relaxing hours just exploring, looking at books and drawing.
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Today we enjoyed an incredible brunch at Grandmom Margaret's house, spinach soup, biscuits, asparagus tart, buttered carrots and fresh strawberries with lemon curd for desert. The carnivores ate ham with homemade mustard. It was a delight.
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Speaking of good food and delightful company last week we had our friends, Janet and Greg, over for dinner. Janet is a professional calligrapher and gifted journal artist and Greg is a watch and pen expert. (When I say expert, I mean it, He was on the Antique Roadshow for years.) Here's Greg's blog post with picts. http://gregminuskin.com/?p=1215
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And here's Janet's Lovely Art Journal blog. http://janettakahashi.com/
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Tomorrow it's back to work! Welcome Spring!
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Marilyn.
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The package is delivered!

2009-03-30T16:01:11Z

The book proposals made it out the door and on to NY. Yay!
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I am fried. I need to have a day where I actually take my pasty white self out into the sunshine and go somewheres. Someplace with flowers and outdoorness. I've heard about such places.
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Here is a self portrait.
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So what do you do to rejuvenate?
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Marilyn.
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Work is much more fun than fun.
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~ Noel Coward