So when I stumbled upon this flyer with art by Julie West I got super excited…

I love Julie West and the fact she would lend her art to this only says a lot about the quality of vendors that would be there. woo!

Rather than post a crap ton of pix of stuff… I just took photos of my favorite vendors. People at these things can also be weird about your shooting their stuff but I asked permission for these.

The left is Bubbledog. He had some really great artwork, nice guy and that rocket pop was a total childhood memory. It took everything in me to not come home with that apple plushie but Reza needs more plushies like I need a bullet to the head. I ended up getting a small cuckoo clock print from him (below). You can see more of his adorable art at www.bubbledog.com

The right is a local Philly Artist I stumbled upon several months ago, Corina Dross. I have bought some of her stuff already so it was nice to see more stuff as well as meet her. Super cool chick and her Portable Fortitude deck of cards series is BAD ASS. Definitely check her out over at www.corinadross.com

And last but not least… I have been following Heidi Kenney’s blog for quite some time now. I love her happy food and cheerful tone in her art. Her blog is full of awesome imagery. She happened to be there so I got to say my hellos and tried my best not to be some creepy stalker chick. I couldn’t resist buying one of her doughnuts. Look at them!

You can see more of her stuff over on her blog, www.mypapercrane.com or on www.kidrobot.com.

It was a gorgeous day in Philly. No, really! Look… the fair is over on the right side, right on the waterfront.

I was thankful Josh was on full on husband and dad duty to let me have a day to run around and do my thing. I came home, watched some trashy shows and relaxed while they took off to a baseball game. It was one of those things, I missed hanging out with them but I *needed* the time to myself and thankfully Josh is more than willing to give it to me.

Here is the booty I picked up… I exercised some serious restraint let me tell you. There were a lot of art and stationery type vendors and I resisted coming home with more paper goods. One only has so many walls to put this stuff after all.

More photos from my outing can be found over on my flickr page.

Oh and I found this cool blue house while walking around!

I have been corrected… It’s a tardis. Sorry guys! I don’t watch Dr Who

Overall a successful, warm and inspiring day.

These are all the ones I have done thus far. They are intended for being paper cuts and are in fact that but for posting purposes here is a vector file so you can see them all.

(bear is missing from the photo but seen below)

I still need to give them names… I know the snake is a Julius and the bunny is being named Valmont. If you have name suggestions or you think of a critter that would work well in this format I am all ears.

Also, here is a crappy picture of what the actual paper cuts look like after assembly and mounting.

All of them will be available for sale (once I finish cutting out the rest and decide the best price point) and if for some reason you like one that gets swooped up on I can cut out more.

I will be giving one of them away on my beans+ink facebook page. Like it! I giveth away!

I am so happy with these. It has been so overdue and my creative river was dry for so long… and when something like this just hits me I can’t help but be excited about it. So excuse me if you have seen one too many reposts.

Little guy finally gave up and caved under the mammary pressure.

So I sigh in defeat and throw out one of the two functional bras I own. Sad times. Now, I know you’re asking yourself, “TWO?”. Yes, two. I know it sounds absolutely asinine to own so little.

In my venting the sadness of said wire explosion on Facebook, I came to a realization: I hate bra shopping with an unholy passion and I am not alone.

A) I have big boobs – duh
B) I have a wide back

Because of these two things and a serving of side-boob, bra shopping is defeating and awful.

So in an attempt to replace the broken boulder holder, I do what I need to do and set forth to bra shopping hell: Victorias Secret

I walk in and I am greeted by this atrocity….

Not sure when the 80′s came back but it was a goddamn puddle of neon vomit. Who wears this shit? For one, lace looks terrible under t-shirts and a color that bright would strike through anything so unless you’re a go-go dancer, stripper or hooker, this serves me no purpose whatsoever. I like a good “fuck me” undergarment just as much as the next girl but pink that bright would not only blind him but kill his erection instantaneously. Josh is very particular about the visual stimuli.

Then another problem… Everything has padding, some so obscenely padded that it takes up half the cup. Why would I, size D, want my tits to look bigger than they already are? I don’t need help and I also don’t believe in false advertising. Can’t a girl just find a simple, black little number that lifts and separates? Is that too much to ask?

So there I am, among a sea of neon, padded, ill fitting bras… Surrounded by posters of Miranda Kerr or whoever their güera flaca of the moment is, both of which could probably fit their entire body in one of my pant legs. You see where this is going? Defeat.

The sales girl encourages me to shop online. LMAO. Why do companies do this? The larger sizes are available “online only”. Dude! Us girls with the thickness are the one that need to try shit on the most! And so I’m relegated to buy and try on a bunch in hopes that one fits? Right. Who has that kind of money and time? Even when they do have my sizes I usually grab 10 to try on and if I’m lucky, one will feel good. One! And then I grab another 2 in the same style cause I just won’t torture myself into hoping I’ll find another “cute” style.

There are plenty of lingerie manufacturers that make sizes to accommodate the brick houses of the world but one look and you would rather wear a sports bra. Lacey grandma bras that make your tits look like pointy missile gazongas. So damned if you do and damned if you don’t.

I’m sure someone out there is shaking her head saying “oh boo hoo, look at this chick crying over big boobs” and you know what I have to say to you? F U. Big tits are overrated as fuck. Yes, you can use them to get out of speeding tickets, getting the bartender’s attention and they lend themselves for motorboating and hot dogging. On the flip side of that coin they also hurt, my back hurts and they will inevitably serve as pencil holders as they make their way south. How chicks run out and voluntarily get gigantic, globulous implants is beyond my comprehension.

Thankfully I happened to discover that lohemans does exist in the armpit of America and I found a saucy, comfy and black little number by Natori. And for half off! Thank you Natori for delivering where everywhere else failed. And yes, I only found ONE. Go figure.

I was at the craft store today buying some spray mount. I ask an employee if they have something to which she says, “I don’t know, if it’s not in that section over there then we don’t have it”. Isn’t it your job to know? You could look with me, no? The apathy people have for their jobs is astonishing, at the very least ACT like you give a fuck.

Oh and since I am talking about craft stores, which I also like to call Erection Killers, can someone please explain to me the bizarre crafting cult called “scrapbooking”? I mean, I get it… but it’s like sticker books for adults, yes?

Here are a handful of recent phone pix that I have liked. All reposts from my instagram cause I am a repeat offender like that.

top row: a bookcase at Revel, a quote I saw while out shopping, me and my addiction to pretty paper. Skull print paper is the shit!
bottom row: gomez + judas being snuggle rats, coming over the Benjamin Franklin bridge into Philadelphia at sunset (I was a passenger thank you), and some art I have in the works…

It has been a sea of pollen in the air over here. I normally don’t suffer allergy issues but magenta eyeshadow on a day that is so pollenated was not the best combo. Watery, itchy eyeballs. Also, why do craft stores smell like cheap cinnamon and fake rose? Between that and the pollen explosion, I am Squints McGee. Need to know what that means, look up photos of Renee Zellweger.

I had to endure the voluntary horror of both a pelvic and transvaginal ultrasound earlier today. Don’t know what it is? Look it up. I have on/off ovarian cysts if you need to know.. yes! And my new lady dr. decided it was time for a recheck. A nice round of TMI cause you know I live to make people squirm. Picture this if you will, 32 oz of water in my damn bladder and this broad is pushing down on it while happily smacking her gum. FUN. Then comes the probe. Mid probing she asks me, “are you ok?” and what I really wanted to say was “what do you fucking think lady? I am getting served a cervical beating that isn’t even getting me off or buying me dinner after. What do you think?!” Dude, I like me some toys and man meat, and that is fine up in my business but some chick shoving and wiggling around a plastic, cold wand up in my taco is just not the way I wanted to spend my morning. Subsequently, my ultrasound tech referred to my butt as as my “high-nee” (or however you spell that shit). Grown women/men that refer to body parts in cutesy names like hoo hoo, tushie and wee wee bug the living crap out of me. It reminds me of the psycho mommies on mommy boards that refer to their husbands as “Dear” while they’re writing to complain about how he never changes the poop diapers. There is nothing “dear” about a person if you are talking shit about them.

I’m not all vinegar infested today, I swear! I also had my 6 week follow up with the ankle doctor today and he basically has cleared me from physical therapy and follow up visits unless the thing flares up or I am in pain again. WORD! Now, I know I am not 100% and probably won’t ever be, so as long as I proceed with caution and know my limits, I will be avoiding surgery. HOLLAH.

Well this morning after taking Josh to the train station, Reza and I are headed home and this happened…

“Mom, I’m kinda thinking about Justin Bieber”

O_o!!! <---- me in the front seat of the car

"Justin Bieber is not the kind of thing that little girls like you should be thinking about baby" (in my mind I was really saying, "oh hell fucking no!!")

Realizing that she has crossed into a territory that is not making me happy I sense the back pedal is coming and sure enough...

"Mom, I didnt say 'Bieber' I said beaver”

“Oh! Justin Beaver”

“Yeah Mom, Justin Beaver. A beaver named Justin”

Now, I normally don’t condone fibbing but in this case she is forgiven.

What. The. Hell.

We have been doing a lot of reminiscing about the time when we hooked up, piecing it all together and did a great deal of laughing. See, there was a lot of mud slinging when we first got together: he’s trouble, this isn’t gonna last, who is using who… and here we are, 11 years later. Laughing and proving them wrong.

It doesn’t feel like that much time has gone by. I guess that is how things are when you’re happy with the choices you’ve made. Josh and I are more solid than ever and I only hope that the years continue to bless us with the love and happiness we have had together all of this time.

We had a brilliant dinner at Amada that entailed a chef’s tasting menu. I had been wanting to go there for quite some time but it is so hard to get in on a weekend and now I know why. Tasty food was tasty. The tapas plates just kept coming! Too much food honestly but I don’t eat like that pretty often and this was certainly a special occasion.

We don’t believe in the exchange of traditional anniversary gifts. Instead I got him a Japanese Higo knife and he went far above and beyond at got me a spa day at Revel. I told him not to do something like that but he never listens to me. That knife is so sexy…

(knife from Best Made Co. / photo of Bask Spa @ Revel)

I finally had the opportunity do go down to Revel now that most of it is completed and open. Dude. What a beautiful hotel and I am not saying that just cause my husband works there. Top notch, high quality, everything is modern, clean, spacious and the fact they do not allow smoking inside is the best part. Josh is super proud to be a part of something like this and it shows. Makes his former employer look like a mom & pop thrift store.

Other goings on…

Judas got spayed this week and she didn’t come out of it as chipper as Gomez did. I took her to the vet today to make sure she was ok. Probably a reaction to the anesthesia. Why are vets such rapists? One exam, a couple shots and some meds. $190. Fuuuh….

Like I mentioned I have been painting a lot. I have been trying to paint on a daily basis, mostly small scale watercolors. Here are some of them…

Been really enjoying the process. If you want to see more I post usually post them on my instagram (user: beansandink). Thinking about listing the originals in my etsy shop, just doubting if there is that kind of interest or not.

And dammit, the news just broke that MCA of the Beastie Boys lost his battle with cancer. Dude was not only a pioneer to music but a husband and father. God dammit. Another person gone far before their time to this fucking disease. That shit scares the living hell out of me. There is no sparing based on health, age, gender… you never know when it’s your time and the thought that could always hit anyone I know upsets me more than I can even put here. Sad times.

2. I am: doing my best to get back on track, painting like a crazy woman, having a love/hate relationship with this podunk fucking state, missing my friends.

3. I can’t stand the smell of cigarette/cigars because of obvious reasons. Take your cancer cloud elsewhere.

4. My idea of relaxation would be a spa day which I will soon be getting cause Josh got me one for our anniversary. DUDE!

5. If I had an extra $50, I would take it to Paper Source and go to to town on pretty papers for crafting up cards and stuff.

6. The best thing about a bloggy friend is you get to see sides of them that you may not usually see in person. That is if they blog from the heart…

7. A recipe I’ve been dying to try is this. Cheezy quinoa cakes with lemon aioli.

*****
in case you want to play along

As previously mentioned, winner #1 gets to choose which one she wants and the rest I match up at my discretion.

If you won please email me at beansandink at gmail.com, your winner # in the subject and send me your snail mail address.

Winners below! Thanks for playing kids, this was fun. There will be another one of these in the upcoming weeks so keep an eye out. The next one probably won’t be announced on my facebook page.

I got some ideas in the pipe but nothing I am ready to put here. But I am feeling the surge and I have to entertain it. Who knows when this river is going to dry up ya know?

So what else is going on in this part of the world?

Josh’s schedule is normalizing and we are all very thankful for it. Having him around is key for our balance. The other day he had the best and much needed day: haircut, lunch at his favorite beer bar in Philly, went record shopping, the Blues made the playoffs and he got laid… all in the same day! Well deserved too.

Reza has been sassy as all shit but growing up into a really awesome person. She’s too smart for her own good and witty as all fuck. Case in point…

This was all her doing too. I just helped her with sounding out the words so she could spell them. I love the fact she feels like she can.

Nena is Nena. Old, senile, pees everywhere that she shouldn’t be peeing. It is driving me insane.

Judas + Gomez are… well, cats. Sleep, eat, take stinking shits, snuggle with each other. They’re awesome even if they are up at crazy hours of the night making a ruckus.

I have been dealing with some crippling sciatic pain the past couple of days. I am trying to not let it get to me but I have come to the conclusion that my body will always be a Judas to my spirit and I have to figure out who is gonna win that battle. I have no idea how people get addicted to pain killers. I caved for 1/2 a pill yesterday and that shit made me feel terrible. I still feel gross, like I am on a narcotic hangover of epic proportions.

I have been painting a lot of little watercolor whatnot and if you follow me on facebook or instagram you would probably see more of that. Fear not, you don’t have to have an instagram account to spy in. Here, I will make it easy for you.

I don’t get people who are a jack of all creative trades. When one sleeps the other is awake. I can’t do it all at the same time. Case in point, I haven’t touched my camera much as of late. I have tried but it just doesn’t feel as natural to me at the moment. It will come back, not worried about that part. I do have a metric fuckton of photos on my phone though. I need to do a phone dump post here very soon.

Oh! And a friend of mine encouraged me to enter a contest on Spoonflower which somehow pushed me into the idea of textile design. What the hell right? It’s foreign but right up my alley. So I made a print of watercolored moths. Wanna see it? here she is!. Order it, make stuff with it and send me photos! Will there be more? Absolutely. Darker stuff, skulls, Halloween, Day of The Dead prints? Who knows. If you got any requests I am all ears.

Our plans shifted a little cause Uncle Sam fucked us in the butt with no lube. Word to the wise, don’t touch your 401k unless you absolutely have to. We did cause we had to and boy did we get an anal reaming from the government. And they didn’t even make us breakfast. Those pricks.

I miss San Diego people a lot these days. It’s hard to connect with people here. There are gems amongst all these UGG and legging wearing turds but you gotta look and hard. I will get there but I cannot say I don’t miss my people. I truly do. And some people I don’t miss at all. I miss a carne asada burrito more than you. Mmmmm…. meat. Hopefully we can make a jaunt back in the Fall.

Thankfully the Summer will be an array of visitors… Brett & Gayle, Griselda, my parents and the Japanese extension which will be here for three weeks. I cannot wait to see some familiar faces around these parts.

And on to the blank filling….

1. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is, pee. Or let out the dog who woke me up cause she needs to pee. Whole lot of peeing.

2. I can hardly wait for the cicadas to start their buzzing, for my sister Bee to get here from Japan… two years without seeing my sister just isn’t cool, the farmers markets starting back up, the moment we pay off the IRS (assholes), Josh to come home tonight, for my buttock to stop throbbing – stupid sciatica. I need an ass massage. ASS RUBBING.

3. The quickest way to my heart is paying attention to the little things, leaving me alone and knowing when is a good time and when it really isn’t. Oh, and chocolate always works too. Props to those of you who have figured that one out.

4. A little known fact about me is that I love music, I used to work a real bonafide serial killer, I have no shame in admitting my prior indiscretions, I like tacos, I hate sticking my hand in the garbage disposal with an unholy passion, I try to live happily, love fiercely, and cross me and you will regret the day you did.

5. The best part about my job is that I get the time to do some of the things I enjoy all while spending time with the nugget. Being an at home mom has its challenges but then I think about strangers showing my littles everything and I don’t regret it one bit.

6. Something I just couldn’t live without is facial moisturizer. gotta keep that skin lookin’ good y’all.

7. Something useful that I wish I knew how to do is sew, make Indian food and have multiple orgasms. Wouldn’t that be the shit? Hey, just being honest…

In celebration that I seem to have woken my sleeping giant, I decided to do a small art giveaway. These are small (2.5 x 3.5) mind you, but one could be yours.

What’s the catch? Just post a comment to this post on beansandink.com (not on lj or fb) saying you want ins. I will have a randomizer pick 8 people. Whoever gets #1 and #2 can choose the one they want, the rest I will pair up.

Comments will close up on Sunday night. Winners announced on Monday.

Good luck!
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