Tickle Me Smitten

Look at these darkly wondrous lil goodies that totally tickled my Fatuitous fanny this week! Feels SOOo good to find things that make me smile, laugh and pine away for one!!

~Exquisite Corpse Doll~

Look at the cover of the newest ADQ- Art Doll Quarterly, February 2010. I am so kRaZy over this cover doll.


This doll was designed by two different artists' each making a different component in separate work spaces! They had general guidelines set before they started but how amazing is this doll that they constructed. I AM SUCH A SMITTEN, KITTEN~ ( besides the fact that my dear friend Marie Patterson (Studio) has her doll pictured 4x inside! Go Marie (hope she autographs it for me;)!!

Ok, Next on my Tickled Smitten list is: Tim Burton's Tragic Toys for Girls & Boys Series.. Sweetly Spook-a-licious!

I just collected my first set from my free ebay bucks certificate and they arrived today!!! Miss Janell turned me onto these sweet & spooky lil characters with lil sourly sweet stories in the book, written by Tim Burton. I will leave you to learn more about the sweet & silly characters but the one in the middle is "Stain Boy"- What's not to love I ask!??

~I excitedly look forward to adding the rest of the crew over time~


Filmmaker Tim Burton is known for his unique ability to mix intelligent wit with highly original visual intrigue.
In this wonderful little volume, Burton gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children--misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds, where destruction and misery lurk in every corner....Burton's lovingly lurid illustrations convey both the sweetness and tragedy of his macabre, partly human creations.

My final Tickled Smitten is this darkely divinely designed Kookshi doll original made by Janell Berryman.
While visiting Janell in Oregon, I snapped this up and snuck it in my suitcase. Yep, I STOLE it. I knew if I told her I wanted to buy it she would just give it to me (she is too nice to me, I tell you). So, I stole it and just paypal'd her the money. he he he~

Now, go google-a-away my sweet and spooky friends and gets yours!

Beyond Description

Here is me after ZERO sleep for 20 hours, getting ready to leave for the airport at 4 am to go see my friend, buddy, pal, confidant..... Janell:

I look downright loopy. My right eye looks 30x larger than the left...what in the hell is that?

So....
I made it on time to Phila International and made it through TSA easy enough ( no anal probing needed for ass bomb checkage-BONUS!). Two Xanax later I boarded my high flying "bed" to Denver to catch my final flight to Eugene, Oregon. Here is the early morn sun rise after takeoff from Phila.


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Xanax induced sleep, slipper socks, John Mayer-new Battle Studies album (yep, that kind of mood) on Ipod, Vitamin Water and two lil pillows for perfect propping. I was in Denver in no time flat!

Somehow got to Denver 1 hour early (? how does that happen?) and tooled around and found THEE best place to drop some cashola (actually Visa Gift Cards I got for Christmas ;)!

Mosaic Fine Arts and Crafts Gallery in the Denver Airport

I wish I could have scooped up one of these..they are sooo wonderful but alas I was too cheap!

~Mark Brown Robot Assemblage Art~
Look for his books too..he is simply amazing!

~Heart Assemblage~
Kathryn Arnett Recycled
Stacked wood pieces 6+ inches deep wrapped with metal straps- how cool!

~Live with Passion Assemblage Mirror..Yummy! ($400+..eep! Still worth it ;)~

Finally, I settled on a piece that fit on my Visa gift Cards and that made me smile. It truly was a "Dani" item..


Erin Smith Art

So, I left Denver Airport a happy chic-a-dee with my new art in tow.
Got on my lil plane to Eugene and next thing I knew I was on the ground and coming down the escalator to see a super sweet Janell waving and smiling bright. I swear we hugged for 5 minutes. I knew instantly she was everything I had anticipated..A kind genuine soul.

So to shorten this growing post I shall share some of the things I just LOVED about my stay on the Florence, Oregon coast at Miss Janell's beach side abode:


FLORENCE BEACH




Roxy (aka ROX-A-Roni)



Heceta, LIGHTHOUSE & SEALS Swimming and Barking!!!

Truly a busy whirlwind of a trip. Although it rained lightly everyday it was still somehow nice. With temps in the 50's I was smitten b/c I just knew back in NJ it was 30 or below...burr~
Janell was a fantastic hostess. She kept me fed and watered (I constantly skip both necessities when deep into work) and was just an awesome friend.

Myself and Janell in Stone Structure at Top of Cape Perpetua

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The purpose of this trip was to buckle down (ha!) and to throw ideas around about creating fun and unique pieces for Janell's D56 lineup. Department 56 can really create almost anything in reproduction with very lil limitations it seems. That alone opens up a whole new world for Janell. I am soo excited to see what she and the D56 team come up with! Can you imagine? What an exciting time!

We did manage to find sometime to sight see for approx 1 hour where gorgeous coastal views and the sound and site of seals made my heart sing!

Cape Perpetua Overlook

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We drove 2+ hours to meet Jo & Dylan of CBTH and had a wonderful time. Jo served us an awesome lunch of Vegi Lasagna with a tasty Caesar salad.

And for dessert we had was this!:

ornie from Jo n Dylan of vary before the horse">

How awesome of Jo and Dylan to do something so sweet! We got to meet the whole CBTH clan including the kiddo's and they are just the sweetest family. Big hugs for their kindness and hospitality.

We ate some interesting meals along the way.... This is supposed to be Mongolian Beef from a lil Thai restaurant. However we are so NOT convinced.




We did eat an amazing meal at Sierra's home (Janell' s daughter). She cooked us dinner in a Hot Pot. Hot Pot cooked vegi's and shrimp, bbq pork and sticky rice..YUM!

Can you believe we found this at a local Goodwill...was kind of eerie for me and sad too. These two items were on the shelf right on top of each other.

So, now back to my reality of being back in NJ with what feels like enough work for Martha Stewart's Staff.

Dirty Spelunking with a Prozac Smoothie please

Do you have any interest in Spelunking? Well perhaps you could send a well equipped team to help me explore and analyze this downy right sorry azz situation I have gotten myself in.

I realize spelunking is considered an Extreme Sport but I assure you there will be many death defying maneuvers required to remedy this situation. Send Help STAT with a Prozac smoothie chaser please.

p.s. My Oregonian travel goodies will post this week for those who give a crap..lol-hugs! ;)

forged friendships & ass bombs

Wow, my head is spinning right now! I am packing up to head for the Pacific Northwest!! OMG is this a dream come true or what, right? I am an excitedly nervous nelly (soo much to do)!


I am off to spend a week with Janell Berryman on the Oregon coast in 2 days!!! I am excited to finally throw a big hug around her. It has been a number of years since we forged a friendship, all due to the wonders of Etsy. We have spent lots of time emailing and chatting on the phone but due to distance (me NJ) and obligations this is the first time we will actually meet in person.

How bazaar/crazy/somewhat outlandish is it that we are all part of this artful online community and that so many of us genuinely care bunches for each other yet have never met in person? It truly astounds me that someone I count as my dearest friend in the world is someone I have never laid eyes on in real time.

Oh, and guess who we get to "lunch" with on Thursday? Giggle, Giggle....Joy & Glee... Jo & Dylan of Cart Before the Horse! OMG... squeel!

Now, I am not particularly pleased about the long flights involved nor the fact that people have been shoving explosive materials up their keester.
Nor the fact that both of my nearby airports have had substantial security issues very recently. But a quick visit to my doc the other day secured me a script for xanax. She gave me enough for all four flights and I plan on partaking in the marvels of pharmaceuticals so that if someone does decide to bring down the plane I won't give a rats ass.



Most of my concern is with my Fibromyalgia issues. Fm is a crap shoot. You just do not know when the pain will hit and how strong. I am only approx. 6 months into my diagnosis and I still have not learned exactly how to manage this strange affliction.
So, I basically carry a diaper bag worth of chit with me to insure my comfort.
My flight plan strategy/must haves:
Earplugs or Earbuds/ipod
my perfect lil pillow tucked under head (I always rock a window seat or I refuse to fly ;)
eye mask on (that's right..I am one of those peeps..I want to forget where I am)
a lil travel blankie that I bring
2 bottles of water
My favorite health bars/snacks
Gum
lip balm
Meds/Aspirin
Shoes come off & Fuzzy Slipper Socks go on


I basically go into hibernation. It is near impossible for someone like me to sit still that long without doing some sort of task. With no internet based resources or cell phone use I am like a dope sick junkie in the throws of withdrawls. And being that I cannot use these usual tools to distract me from the fact that I am in a tin can with wings 30k up in the air and that at that altitude I will almost certainly have FM muscle pains I must do the next best thing....SLEEP!



Now, I do bring my sketchbook, a book & game/movie on ipod in case my hibernation strategy goes south but by in large I try and sleep my way through the whole event. That is why I try like hell to get flights with no layovers. Seriously, can we REALLY put men on the moon and we cannot get ONE FRIGGIN non stop flight to Eugene, Oregon airport?

I digress...

I will settle for NOT having this guy as my seat mate....

The point is it is ALL worth it to meet the sweet J.B. in person and to get to work & play with her is something I will soon be able to scratch off of my "if dreams come true" wish list!

BTW..did I mention....



Yeah J!!!