Chris gets mad when I don’t refill the sugar bowl, but look at the way he fills the ice tray! Here’s hoping for an icemaker in our next life… and one that actually exists, this time.

I’ve never had an opportunity to use their stuff, but I’m thinking that the packaging for Bumble and bumble hair products must have been a secret inspiration to me at some point.

The simple textures and handwritten text on the packaging are perfect, especially when displayed against a white background. (I have this thing for open white space… if you didn’t know.) I really like how the “Bb.” is different on each package, too, when it could have just been a recycled logo. I bet I’d enjoy their product line just as much, I mean, I can tell I would—but I’ve already spent enough on my hair for a while.

Images from Bumbleandbumble.com

Now that it’s winter, I’ve dragged back out the haphazard sweater I’ve been working on knitting for two years. I get excited every winter about teaching myself new techniques in both knitting and crocheting, but I’ve never finished anything besides tons of scarves, one hat, and the 7 animals I made for Christmas gifts last year—the ones that turned my hands into aching claws for a week. The most impressive animal was the dragon I crocheted for Chris’s younger brother, which required the attachment of many tiny scales to a long and narrow tail. Combine that with a college course in calligraphy and you’ve got yourself some cramped digits.

Anyway, the sweater I’m working on is called “Amy,” and it’s a free pattern from Berroco. I’m using inexpensive Simply Soft yarn so I’m not worried about what might happen if it turns out totally ugly. I’ll leave it alone and wear it with my pajamas, because I can only wear the dusty pink Reebok hoodie I stole from my mom so many days in a row. I chose the pattern because it’s Easy, and it has been so far because it’s just a giant one-piece shrug. I’ve been able to fix the mistakes, except for the one I discovered today but have decided I’m not going to rip out and worry about. I’m too excited because I’m almost ready to bind off. After that, I knit the edging that goes around the back, do the sleeve cuffing and sew the sleeve seams, and VOILA!, I could have this thing finished before winter ends.

This is a literal and totally brilliant translation of the music video for “Take On Me” by A-ha, showing you what can happen when the song being sung actually matches the contents of the video. It’s been making the rounds online for a while now, but watch it if you’ve missed it. It made me realize that my most favorite lyrics from songs actually tend to be pretty straightforward, yet still manage to be poetic.

Here are some of my favorite easy lyrics:

Seven-Up, I touched her thumb,
And she knew it was me
Although she couldn’t see,
Unless of course she peeked

Built to Spill, “Twin Falls”

You’re no rock n’ roll fun
Like a piece of art
That no one can touch

Your head is always up in the clouds
Writing your songs
Won’t you ever come down?

Sleater-Kinney, “You’re No Rock N’ Roll Fun”

Here comes Tiffany
My best friend, Tiffany
Wearing a size too small of sweater

Me and Tiffany
Dressing up pretty
We love to ride, we love to canter

My best friend Tiffany
She is so popular
We’re going from site to site
And pool to pool tonight

Liz Phair, “Girls’ Room”

I met Ferdinand de Saussure
On a night like this
On love he said
“I’m not so sure
I even know what it is
No understanding
No closure
It is a nemesis
You can’t use a bulldozer
To study orchids”
He said, so
We don’t know anything
You don’t know anything
I don’t know anything
About love

The Magnetic Fields, “The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure”

Of course, nothing can ever really beat a good and crazy song by Beck, who himself changes the lyrics to his songs all the time live.

The buses in the local bus system here are all, mostly, named after colors. Red, Green, Purple, Blue, Orange, etc, and then you have my favorite, Express, because it makes fewer stops. Yesterday I was on my way to the shelter when I saw that a bus had already pulled up to the traffic circle. I started walking faster so I could read the LED sign on the back that tells you which bus it is, but the sign was out. As I hurried closer, hoping it wasn’t Purple and ready to leave, I saw that in the dirt in the back, somebody had carefully etched the word “Pink.”

Now for my second round of exciting news: it looks like sending postcards works!

Thanks to a few great designers at Cosmopolitan, I have three spot illustrations in the “Man Report” section of the December 2008 issue. Ms. Theresa Izzillo, Deputy Art Director, e-mailed me about my postcard and introduced me to a few of the graphic designers there, who were really quick to give me information and to respond to my sketches and questions. For this issue I illustrated three ways you might tell somebody is lying to you:

Last month I also got to work with Mr. Tom Davis, the art director from Her Nashville magazine. When he asked me if I would illustrate and do hand-lettering for the cover of their November issue, I jumped at the invitation. A magazine cover! I spent a lot of time composing my sketches, making sure I was filling the space of the cover in ways that didn’t feel too squashed, or empty. I think I succeeded, and am really pleased with the image that was chosen. Tom gave me some helpful suggestions that transformed my initial—slightly spooky—idea into something a lot warmer and more relevant to the topic of the issue.

Overall, these experiences were both really positive and I’m thankful for the opportunities. So do like I did, and go buy December’s Cosmo. And if you live in or around Nashville, Tennessee, pick up a free copy of Her!

(Also, I’ve been uploading some more of my old college projects to my design portfolio. I wasn’t sure if I wanted such a mix-up of media and styles in there… but what the heck, I want to show more stuff.)

The Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab is my favorite place to find perfume oils. Its following is cult-like and the website is kind of hard to navigate, but once you figure it out the selection is amazing. I began my relationship with BPAL back in January when I ordered six sample vials (called “Imp’s Ears“), which arrived in a package that smelled up my mailbox in a most delicious way. Since then, I’ve ordered many more samples as well as one larger bottle of my current favorite. Plus you also receive free samples when you order, so I have a nice little collection now. I guess I understand the obsession.

Opening a tiny vial for the first time is a magical experience. Out comes a whiff of a thing you’ve never smelled before, yet it smells so familiar that there is just no other way that the perfume you’re smelling should smell. The first sample I ever tried was Aureus, named after the ancient Roman gold coin. The first thing I smelled was a dank, musty cellar—which blew my mind. It smelled just like a moldy basement to me, with a hint of warm wood. (Is that what old gold might smell like?) I happen to love the smell of musty cellars, but didn’t know if I wanted to smell like one. Regardless, I applied the oil with the tiny wand and stuck my wrist under Chris’s nose. “What is THAT?” he said. “Perfume,” I responded dreamily. Later, the damp smell subsided and left behind a warm sandalwood that I quickly grew to love. Aureus is actually very comforting to me now, and I like to wear it when I’m bummed.

Some more of my favorites:

Sundew. My main fave, the one I have in a larger bottle. It’s so syrupy and golden.

Croquet. In the vial this smells like a fizzy citrus drink. But when you put it on, it immediately gets warmer and muskier, like a sugary pink grapefruit with a lot of syrup, on top of something darker. It’s named after the game of croquet as it occurs in Alice in Wonderland, with the hedgehogs.

Voodoo Lily. A tangy and spicy lily at first, and then it gets heavier and creamier.

Xiuhtecuhtli. Like sweet oranges and incense. It’s similar to a citrus body spray from Origins I used to buy.

And, some I can’t stand:

Saturnalia. It’s supposed to be a deep violet, but all I get is bacon and dirt. So acrid, it stings my nose.

Spellbound. This is a customer favorite, but to me, it smells like roses wrapped in medical gauze, and when it fades, it smells like grape candy.

Phantom Queen. I love the way this smells, gentle and herbal, but it gives me the most wicked skin rash. I have no idea why.

Bloodlust. This was a free sample, but I can’t bring myself to try it on. It’s like metal and patchouli. I’m finding that any of the oils sampling “blood” are probably a no-go.

I’m planning on making another order soon for my birthday, but I’m always interested in new scents from new places. Anybody have a favorite?