Turds & Toadstools

Photo booth fun with my bestie...

Dollface

Cute or creepy that my one-year-old self so closely resembles this dollface?

Carl

Ed at home with his mini Up faces (I finally made him a set), which are now hanging in his office.

I stole Carl's glasses, and was blind! ;)

Every time I'm in LA I try to pay a visit to my pal, Ed Asner. I think I see him more than most of my close friends, so I guess that puts him in the bestie category! I met Ed back in 2009 at the Up wrap party and we've kept in touch ever since. He enjoys hitting me with his cane, making fun of my grandma driving, and giving me a hard time about being single.

Our visits usually consist of a variety of hijinks: prank calling in his home office, petting his cats Chyna, Roast, and Wheezy, watching cat fights in his backyard, chasing neighbors in my rental car, and gossiping about Hollywood at our favorite LA restaurant: Musso & Frank Grill. Each time I see Ed, he comes up with the most hysterical sayings. I started jotting them down because they're too good to forget:

"Excuse me, my diuretic is working." --re: having to go to the bathroom

"Open the goddam door!" --re: taking too long to open the car door

"She is about as alien as she speaks." --re: Shirley MacLaine (my fav actress)

"The only thing tight is my wallet." 

"I'm a womanizer." 

Venice, CA

A little photographic tribute to my favorite neighborhood in SoCal. All you need is a visit to Abbot Kinney Blvd and the canals...yes, they really do exist!

Intelligentsia Coffee

TOMS Venice

The back of a canvas couch!

Hipster bikes!

Bountiful

Sisters in cake plate & candle heaven.

Before selfies.

My friend Sydney's apartment complex in the canals...

and her view!

The house from Valentine's Day!

Bougainvillea blooms.

Adorable big guy.

#coolwindowdisplay #coolsiblings

Glitter gal.

I inherited my grandmother's arms.

Little Prints

5x7s: monotype & graphite. 

Photobombing the Bucks

best photobomb / not fake / friendly deer / bellingham / washington / friend's backyard 

Big Year

A major perk to navigating my thirties has been the realization that it is okay to just BE. 

When I'm feeling lazy, depressed, or down on my abilities as an artist, I let myself completely embrace the low until I can pick myself back up again and find new inspiration in the everyday. Even when I've been slackin'-to-the-fullest, there is comfort in knowing that I can pick my pencil back up at any time and reinvent myself and my ideas. I also find it key to take steps back every once in a while, to analyze the bigger picture and reflect on all that I have accomplished, because it's always more than I give myself credit for.

Regardless of majorly slacking on my artwork, it's been a big year for me. Lots of exciting change and lots of productivity in other areas: I continued my copyediting studies at UCB, traveled to Australia for a month, was Production Designer on two live-action short films through Pixar University, traveled to Vancouver for the final game of the FIFA Women's World Cup, bought a new car (Mitsubishi Outlander Sport), dabbled in dating (always a juicy story there), and my biggest/most exciting venture yet...concluding my 11 year career in Publishing at Pixar to become a Script Supervisor on Incredibles 2!!

Phew! Pretty productive, right? Yea, I feel better about myself...for now. ;) 

Tribute to Sharkey

While perusing Martha Stewart's blog today, I came across this touching post from last week. I cannot believe that one of Martha's Frenchies has passed...and in such a freakish way. A reminder that dogs can choke just as easily as humans. :(

I am happy that Martha is enjoying my cartoony tribute to her dear Sharkey. May you rest in peace little nugget, we'll miss your sweet face!