You Say You Want a Revolution

Guess what??!!? 

 I finally remembered I am an illustrator. 

Sorry, loves -- It's been a while.

Tonight, my intern extraordinaire and I indulged in some good old fashioned life drawing, that's right -- Revolutionary War style. 

There was maybe not a horse. I don't quite recall.

 OK. Fine. There was no horse. However, how could anyone with any integrity waste this 'happened on an ottoman' pose on anything without reigns?? 

 

 

 

The Society of Illustrators provided the light, the glitter, the flocked feathers, the electric live music, the bar, and the gorgeous powder-wigged models who slowly but surely stripped from their 1775 finery down to their diamond pasties at the evening's end. 

However, I provided your total raging jealousy with the power of description.
(I assure you it was better than it sounds).

Seattle Days Drifting Away

It is a little known fact that nestled up along the region of America
nom'ed 'The Greater Northwest' lies an enchanted "Emerald City".

Two weeks ago I spent a blithe four days cozied up with The Benevolent Queen of all Bethtopia. There was dark chocolate to eat, animals to pet, REVENGE to watch and oceanfront strolling to be had for all. I finally crossed Puget Sound, a place I had never seen but have long loved. (Thank You Cynthia Voight

Beth and I spent the first two days of my indulgent Washington adventure with our asses stapled to her cozy little couch and the next two eating every cheese product we could find at the Pike Place Market.

It was wonderful. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been allowed such complete luxury. 

We ate out. We stayed in. We talked until our faces turned blue from forgetting to breathe.

We channeled magic and danced in the firelight cast by a glade of lanterns unlike anything I have ever seen.

Once Molly finally deigned to be my friend the couch got even cozier. I totally appreciate her willingness to extend her paw in friendship, even when it was scary to let some one new and unknown in to her doggy heart.

I had the chance to finally meet the famous Flossy. She is even better than previously anticipated. Man that girl can stink-eye. The Kahuku girl in me was impressed. Please, note this picture is taken on a completely different night, although I'm not sure if I had moved from the couch since the above photo was taken.

Oh wait, I take that back. This photo was taken after our divine dinner that we made from scratch. The domestic culinary goddess' that we are created something entirely new, 'Scrambled Eggs and Green Salad'. We ate fresh tomatoes from the garden and reveled in our brilliance. Everything I ate in Washington was a delight to the pallet.
 ...............................................
I got to see Seattle all proper like too. Beth is a Pike Place market superstar (a boy even hollered her name as we forced down fresh peaches from his cart after eating our weight in lunch-like things). Is it any wonder what with licensing designs like these?!

This first leg of my gargantuan trip of wonder, relaxation and spiritual happiness was exactly what the doctor ordered -- maybe for all of us. It was such loveliness to just be.  Beth and I are kindred.  I always believe that when you're lucky enough to find the people you just click with you need to force them to spend all day with you for days on end.

This trip was bliss. Special thanks to every member of this little family for making my Washington dreamz come true. Mad props to husband-guy too for letting me come and kidnap his wifey for days and days. That man is so too cool for school (in the best ways).

On my last day in Seattle, i turned a corner and there it was....

and keeping with the theme of my wildly indulgent and lengthy sabbatical...
that wish was a wish that came true too....

I Promise

Tonight I had an epic night, the kind that shapes and moulds and changes the course of the stream. This might pop up again ;)

Happy Birthday to Mary Blair

Today is the 100th Birthday of Mary Blair -- she is everything I aspire to. Today google decided to do it right, and I've been staring lovingly at this doodle for far too long.

A few years ago I took a private meeting with an art dealer while I was in California. We discussed a 6x8" Peter Pan original. At the time they were offering it up at 15K. I pretended I was on the fence while staring at it in the only way I have ever been absolutely 'agog.' At that moment I knew, that some day, one of her pieces would be mine, but not today... or probably tomorrow. I have that goal at the proper top of my bucket list though, and I'll keep you up today on the pursuit of such happiness as I aspire to it.

In the meantime I console myself with my 1st edition  copy of "I Can Fly". Lucky for you they reissued this a few years ago and you can snag a copy at Amazon

I've picked up and various cards, cartoon ads and popicle packages at estate sales over the last eight years too and those help me sleep at night under NOT an original piece of Blair brilliance.

I am more inspired by Mary than any one else, and that is saying a lot. 

Now I will show you some of her stuff that is baller. Enjoy this peek at genius.

 

 

 

The stuff you love and think is Disney, is mostly Mary.

You are now looking at the highest level of performance a human being can achieve:

 She was also smart enough to make sure there was enough documentation of her drawing when she was young and hot and sexy. So see, there you have it, shear brilliance

 

Happy Birthday. I love you forever.

A New York Minute

Some stuff (the non-new york minute kind) has been going down. Some of it is good and some of it is bad but it is in general overwhelming. I have not been here at 'She Sure is' in weeks. I am beginning to get phone calls and emails and twitter PMs and facebook messages and concerns. So I say 'Thanks, friends'. You remind me to get it in gear. Today I am in Hawaii (WHAT?? WHAT!?), but here is what I've been up to for the last whiles-- prior to my exodus, as always, in bullets.

• I had a moment that left me completely out of my element walking terrified through a windy Union Square in search of something that I nearly always have with me. Think Sex and the City and then feel sorry for me.
• Then this happened....................................maybe this picture and the previous experience are related and maybe they are not...
  
• I stayed out 'til 3am on a Monday night
• I ate out curbside under an umbrella in the pitch dark, with the beautiful and talented Ashley Bryant until the wee hours.
• People thought we were drunk. We were sober. Giggles and belly laughs and hand clapping were involved.
• I get incredibly clairvoyant during those kind of evenings that take you from one place and leave you some place else entirely
• I listened to a hell of a lot of Black Tambourine
  
• I supported a close friend through an evening of Golden Girl's Trivia (of which I watched one episode in 2003) It was very dramatic evening and emotions rode high.
  
  
• I became all kinds of obsessed with this unique and intricate but simple vintage earring
  
  
  as sported by the very awesome Cami Bird who I am friends with IRL and on Pinterest -- which I wish were real life.
• I partied at a friend's baby's birthday - the big 2.0 (It shocks and awes me that I'm at an age where baby birthday parties are my MO). Incidentally, this birthday marked my first time at their newly bought home. I took a few pictures of el bebe' (who is just as beautiful as can be) but my focus was on the view...
  
•  I rode the new East River Ferry - soon to be a normal part of my every day, from Williamsburg to DUMBO from which I can walk home. $4 people, $4!
  
  
• I had friends over for a rousing game of draw/write/squeal with laughter. I'll detail it when I get back to Brooklyn town, as I am currently in Hawaii -- I wasn't sure if I mentioned that part before....
  
• I went to a BBQ with a bunch of boys on 4th avenue. It was kind of like a frat party. In the beginning it was nice and calm. Then it got crazy. There was a fun time to be had on a couch with a new friend. It was our job to run commentary on everyone coming through the front door. This is mainly a photo of Tim, who does an exceptional job of letting me be 'one of the guys'.
  
• There was an interesting circle story that came in to a round. It goes like this -- I met a boy at a friend's gig last year. I had a crush on him. He had a crush on me -- i thought. Then I went to a New Year's eve party and saw him there. He was kind of a douche. He got drunk as a skunk while I realized my crush was ill-fated. He was none of the cute that I had previously found alluring. He didn't acknowledge that he had previously met me or that he had once rearranged his journey home to ride the train with me to Carroll. He acted as if he'd never tried to peek down my shirt with that sidelong 'I just want to sit next to you' move or that he'd focused a large amount of energy on flirting with me. I was mildly offended, but mostly upset that I had misunderstood his crush. I was also put-out and overwhelmed as I spent the New Year dodging a ridiculously drunk girl who had decided we should make-out. I did that "if i never see that guy again..." thing. I then saw him at several parties. I cut a wide path at each, doing my best to ignore-slash-avoid him. 
  
  Then.... I saw him at this frat boy party on 4th ave. He was overly flirty. I raised an eyebrow. He asked my name. I said, "I've met you before." I was fine leaving it at that. I went to get a drink. He cut a direct line to me and said, "Wait, i know where I've met you! I met you at a bar in Manhattan last year! On Avenue A?? At a gig?? Do you remember me? We rode the train home together!" He then recounted the evening to me, called me 'adorable' multiple times and spent a large part of the party tattooed to my hip. VINDICATED - disinterested, but VINDICATED. I didn't have the heart or humility to inform him that we'd met since -- but that he had been a drunken jerk-chicken.
• I had a marvelous walk home at 3am right as the Summer turned in to Fall. I love when just walking in NYC can give you goosebumps.
• I attended a Fall Dream Music recital where the lovely Miss Rachel showcased her now mad-piano-playing skills. I floated away on a classical cloud. There was even an accordion duet.
  

•  As a result I got to be totally inspired by a friend who three years ago decided to try something completely new. She now has a major talent and a gift to share just resting at her fingertips. It made me wonder how I could be growing? It was a fantastic thing to be a part of.  I feel incredibly lucky to have scored an invite to such a select listening party.
• I invented Fall Booze Cake
  It is mainly rum cake -- but with cardamom and cinnamon and pumpkin too. Apparently it has way too much rum in it to be an acceptable addition to a tea party with Mormon friends...
• I attended a tea party with Mormon friends...
• I went to a silent art auction where my friend Ultra Violet had a her pieces honoring 9/11 featured
  
• I finally bought my beloved cintiq I've been saving for since the dawn of time.
  
• I made a plate to match my couch, because that's how I roll.
• I hosted a photo shoot and when it got rained out I hosted another.
• I opened an ETSY shop for my gramma, showcasing her totally rad Glitter Glittens -- the reason for said photoshoot.
  
•  I stopped the world and developed some illustrations for a card game bid.
   
• As a result I reread The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• I drew the hell out of some Dorothy concepts:

  

  This one was my favorite, but let's face it -- there were lots that were almost my favorite.

• I had the time of my life, truly in awe -- you know that way you rarely are after age eight -- at the DUMBO Arts festival. They lit up the Brooklyn Bridge the way it should be every friggin' night of my life, and as it will be every single night in my dreams... 
  
  
  

• I dropped every single piece of clothing I own at the cleaners.
• I stayed crazy-late at job-job, almost forgetting that if I didn't pick up my laundry I'd have nothing to pack  for a 5am plane ride on my way to a two week vacation.
• I ran home and grabbed said laundry at 9:02PM - barely the nick of time.
• I crossed the street to my apartment, eager to leave for my vacation but meloncholy to leave Brooklyn, trudging along under the weight of 25 pounds of fresh clean clothing.
• I turned the corner, only to find....
• Jenpal! -- wearing a sweater I'd left at her house during our last play date -- eager to return to my belonging. It was the luckiest.
• We jumped and frolicked on the corner.
• I marveled at how friends can truly make everything a hundred times better.
• I packed my bags, trying to keep to my packing list: 2 dresses, 4 T-shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, 2 beach cover ups, 4 swim suits and 2 sweatshirts and not much else....
• I got on a plane
• I made my way to Seattle (a dream)
• I stayed for days of fun in Washington
• I got on another plane 
• I had a Diet Coke spilled all over me.
• I arrived in Hawaii for a week of tanning and swimming and sand in the suit (a more familiar but just as wonderful dream)

So that's the ever after you've been missing, more or much less. I am so happy to be blogging to you now, from where I sit, nestled under a sprawling Hawiian quilt, overlooking the ocean as obscured by palm tree silhouettes. I'm fresh from a game of Bananagrams. Mission Impossible III blasts from the TV while the Duchess (who I have missed sorely) attends to her nightly beauty ritual. I am thus left to blog and chill under a kitchy ceiling fan (one of the things I miss most about island life, I assure you). After a day of swimming and sunning and pie, I simply must retire, but only for a bit. My sabatical is over - well as far as She Sure is Sketchy is concerned. I hope this time has found you as good as ever and happier too.