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Let them eat cake!
Sweetness from Cafe Pray...
It's always fun to play with noses
on famous art...
They puzzled over my hand-drawn pieces of Picasso's Woman & Bird
and then played "Pin the Nose on the Picasso"
After a scavenger hunt, and treats,
we made wee matchboxes des Paris.
Ah the joys of the small things in life!
Paper. Art-making. A clamor of cousins. Laughter. Balloons.
Joyeux anniversaire! Happy birthday!
Here's to finding joy in the small things and the good things, my friends!
Au revoir!
C'est la belle vie!
Swan song!
Books!
Adele and Simon by Barbara McClintock
The Iridescence of Birds by Partricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Hadley Hooper
Henri's Scissors by Jeanette Winter
A Giraffe Comes to Paris by Mary Tavener Holmes and John Harris, ill. by Jon Cannell
Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail by Laurence D'Anholt
Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Christian Robinson
By:
Faith Pray,
on 6/27/2016
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A small friend is turning 6 in two weeks.
She lives across the country,
and we can't make it to the luau party.
We can't come for cake and balloons and birthday hugs,
but we can send pineapples
and kitties
and fancy toothpicks.
They're like tiny, paper aloha hugs.
So, in shuttling wildebeests to soccer camp lately,
I have discovered a few good surprises
in being the carpool soccer mom.
Books on CD.
Car-goofy kids.
And sketchbook time
while all my soccer players
do their runs and drills.
Big chunks of sketchbook time
help when working out new ideas.
It's funny that I can sketch happy around a crowd,
but I can't write a drop.
My thoughts turn to stone and my stories sink.
But then, that's kind of a theme for me with words anytime lately.
I know some writers who scribble serious magic
in coffee shops and airplanes.
What about you?
When do you do your deep story work?
Can you create masterpieces with everyone there?
Do you thrive with hum and buzz?
Or do you like a hush when you create?
Wherever you find yourself this week,
I wish you peaceful breezes, sweet surprises, and
aloha.
Books {and CD books} we're enjoying this week:
Captain Cat by Inga Moore
Dream Friends by You Byun
Ling and Ting Share a Birthday by Grace Lin
Ling and Ting: Together in All Weather by Grace Lin
A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz, ill. by Catia Chien
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko
The Cat Who Came in Off the Roof by Annie M. G. Schmidt
I'd rather have a turtle, and I'd rather wear a mock turtle.
I'd rather cook with crockery than be a mockery.
I'd rather party with Mock Caldecotts than with mock halibuts.
And party we did!
- complete with book toothpicks and book inspired snacks:
sunflower seeds (If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson),
honey and bread (Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall)
tiny sandwiches (The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone Roach),
pretzel sticks and grape "stones" (Stick and Stone by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld),
dried mangoes (Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina and Angela Dominguez).
Voters designed medals for the winning books.
Kids announced both the ALA winners, and our Mock Caldecott winners.
Our committee results:
Our Mock Caldecott Gold Medal : Out of the Woods by Rebecca Bond. 
And then,
honor awards for all eight of our runners up:
The Bear Ate Your Sandwich - by Julia Sarcone RoachMango, Abuela, and Me - by Meg Medina and Angela DominguezA Fine Dessert - by Emily Jenkins and Sophie Blackall Thank You and Good Night - by Patrick McDonnellIf You Plant a Seed - by Kadir NelsonThe Whisper - by Pamela ZagarenskiIn a Village by the Sea - Muon Van and April Chu And then, the entire library voted on the
People's Choice Award. The winner was
Sonya's Chickens by Phoebe Wahl. 
In the book "A Fine Dessert," blackberry fool is made by four families, over four centuries, with different implements.
Our children's librarian Martha Ashenfelter had a brilliant idea.
Why not have our committee make the same dessert
using the same implements?
They loved it!
Delicious!
They ate it up. Every speck. Every lick.
What a sweet finish to a wonderful party.
Thank you, Martha.
Thank you, Mock Caldecott committee.
I hope we can talk and mock Caldecotts again soon.
My adorably rogue-ish nephew played a pirate in Peter and Wendy a few weeks back.
His mama asked if I'd like to try some Peter Pan art for the bake sale.
Tink. Hook. The ship. The acorn kiss. Peter and Wendy.
Enough for a whole fleet of fairies and lost boys,
and their cupcakes, too.
Avast and Blimey! What a yardarm of sweet pirate bounty.
Books!
Peter Pan by J. M. Barry, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Peter Pan retold by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson illustrated by Mary Blair
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
Fairies and the Quest for Neverland by Gail Carson Levine, illustrated by David Christiana
My little buddy turns seven tomorrow.
He's kind of smitten with the ocean lately,
especially the big guys, the scary guys,
and the whales.
I love discovering new beauties in the creative process.
Coloring is something I'm both awed and fascinated by,
so I decided this would be a great opportunity
to experiment with how I color my sketches.
I sketched in buttery soft oil pencils,
and layered colored pencils on top.
No paint this time.
After that, I scanned my colored sketches on to the computer
and played with laying in textures with Photoshop.
Now I get to take my sketches
and turn them into the party -
cupcake toppers,
fishy "paper dolls,"
sharks on a stick, perhaps.
More to come...
Whale-y wonderful books:
Whale Song - Tony Johnston, illustrated by Ed Young
The Storm Whale - Benji Davies
The Blue Whale - Jenni Desmond
Big Blue Whale - Nicola Davies, illustrated by Nick Maland
By: KatherineS,
on 12/10/2015
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"Your library of a gracious country villa, from where the reader can see the city close by: might you squeeze in my naughty Muse, between your more respectable poems?" Martial’s avid fans will find themselves on familiar ground here, at the suburban ranch of the poet’s aspirational namesake, Julius Martial (4.64).
The post ‘Your fame will be sung all round the world': Martial on the convenience of libraries appeared first on OUPblog.
Christmas/Seasonal parties for comics folks in in NYC are mostly about the big two and not everyone gets invited to those. But tomorrow the CBLDF and the Society of Illustrators are teaming for a holiday party that should be a chance for the rest of us to celebrate together. The Society of Illustrators has a wonderful clubhouse, fine food and excellent drinks. And a ticket supports the CBLDF.
Join Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Museum of Comic & Cartoon Art for a festive holiday celebration at Society of Illustrators on Wednesday, December 10, from7:00 to 10:00 p.m.! Toast a year of outstanding comics with special guests including Paul Pope, Chip Kidd, Bob Fingerman, Gregory Benton, and New York’s finest cartoonists in the Society’s Hall of Fame Gallery. Tickets are available now for a contribution of $15 forCBLDF and SOI members and MoCCA 2014 exhibitors, or $20 for all others. A light dinner buffet and raffle ticket are included in the entry fee. All are welcome.
Who: CBLDF and MoCCA
When: Wednesday, December 10, 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Where: Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame Gallery, 128 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10065
Admission:
$15 / CBLDF and SOI Members or MoCCA Exhibitors
$20 / Non-Members
About Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians, and readers. CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance, and education in furtherance of these goals. www.cbldf.org
About the Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators’ mission is to promote the art of illustration, to appreciate its history and evolving nature through exhibitions, lectures and education, and to contribute the service of its members to the welfare of the community at large. Founded in 1901, the Society has had a distinguished yet lively history as an active participant in the ever-changing field of illustration. The vitality of the organization depends on attracting qualified artists and others to join us in our mission. To know more, click on Become a Member. Mingle with the city’s finest creators and professionals in the Society’s Hall of Fame gallery as we raise a toast to the new year!
Buy tickets here. Invite art above by Bob Fingerman….which should be the PERMANENT invitation art for every party!
Yowsa, things are kicking off big time. Super Week events are already underway, but there are a ton of comics events happening that aren’t part of Super Week. Starting tomorrow! If I left off your event just shoot me an email.
TUESDAY 10/7
A bunch of folks signing at Forbidden Planet
On October 7th at 6 o’clock, Forbidden Planet is going to have a whole slew of amazing creators in-store. Writer James Tynion IV (The Woods, Batman Eternal) and artist Michael Dialynas ( The Woods) will be here as well as writer Marguerite Bennett (Batgirl, Batman), writer Chris Antzoulis (Paladin) and artist Fabio Valle (Paladin) will all be here to sign copies of their respective books. Woo.
Erotic Fan Fiction Presents: Alan Moore Watchmen
I don’t know what this is but I loved the poster.
Gotham Academy at Escape Pod Comics
Escape Pod actually has a full MONTH of events of which this is byut ne so cehck out all of them in the below link.
Meet the creative team of DC Comics Hot new Young Adult book, Gotham Academy! We’ll have Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan & Karl Kerschl on hand to sign their new book and talk comics.
BONUS: Fletcher will be signing copies of Batgirl #35 DAY EARLY SALE! (Batgirl #35 will ONLY be available to purchase during the hours of the signing 5-8pm)
[Part of COMICTOBERFEST at Escape Pod Comics]
Comics at Columbia: Past, Present, Future
You’re invited to the grand opening reception of this exhibition, which features materials from Columbia’s comics archives. A brief discussion in 203 Butler will kick off the evening, then all may adjourn for a reception and exhibition viewing in our Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Join us–and many of our archival donors, such as Chris Claremont, Wendyand Richard Pini, Al Jaffee, Paul Levitz, Alexander Rothman, Sophia Wiedeman, Peter Kuper, Gregory Benton, Forsyth Harmon, Tom Motley, and more…
Trivia Armageddon Charity Fundraiser
Wednesday 10/8
Image Comics Event Part 3
On October 8th at 6pm, Forbidden Planet is going to have:
Frank J. Barbiere (Five Ghosts)
Chris Mooneyham (Five Ghosts)
Joshua Williamson (Nailbiter, Birthright, Ghosted)
Josh Fialkov (Punks, Last of the Greats, Echoes)
Ed Brisson (The Field, Sheltered, Comeback)
Justin Jordan (Spread, Luther Strode)
Declan Shalvey (Injection)
Tim Seeley (Revival, Hack/Slash)
Brandon Montclare (Rocket Girl)
Bob Fingerman (Minimum Wage)
Antony Johnston( Umbral, The Fuse)
That’s plenty of info right?
The Best American Comics 2014
Strand Hosts a Panel of Experts Celebrating The Best American Comics 2014! The consistently acclaimed series Best American Comics returns to Strand for a dynamic panel. Examining the best in comics both well-known and up-and-coming, Best American Comics 2014 features the same exciting and eclectic mix, as selected by Bill Kartalopoulos and guest editor Scott McCloud. Join us for a an exclusive launch at Strand, featuring an all-star panel of artists and writers like Lale Westvind, Raina Telgemeier and Miriam Katin. The evening will be moderated by Bill, Best American Comics’ editor, publisher and editor of Rebus Books.
Buy a copy of Best American Comics 2014 or a $15 Strand gift card in order to attend this event. All options admit one person. Please note that payment is required for all online event orders at the time of checkout. The event will be located in the Strand’s 3rd floor Rare Book Room at our store at 828 Broadway at 12th Street.
Celebrating the Heroes of the Comics with Drew Friedman!
Join artist/author Drew Friedman, Mad Magazine legend Al Jaffee, journalist Sean Howe, author of “Marvel Comics, the Untold Story”, and Karen Green, Columbia University Graphic Novels Librarian, for a book launch, panel discussion and visual presentation celebrating Friedman’s new book “Heroes of the Comics”, which features a foreword by Al Jaffee. The panel will be moderated by comics historian Danny Fingeroth. The book, published by Fantagraphics, will be for sale and Drew Friedman and Al Jaffee will be signing and inscribing copies following the panel.
Seating is limited, reserve your tickets now.
http://www.societyillustrators.org/Events-and-Programs/Lectures/2014/Friedman/Celebrating-the-Heroes-of-the-Comics!.aspx
JHU NYC: CBLDF Annual and YI SOON SHIN SIGNING
Onrie Kompan (Yi SOON SHIN)
Amy Chu (writer, DCComics/Vertigo/Sensation Comics, Girls Night Out)
Janet K. Lee (artist Return of the Dapper Men, Lost Vegas)
Robin Furth (writer/illustrator, Dark Tower and more)
Derek Charm (artist, Powerpuff Girls, Super Secret Crisis War)
Ryan and Luke Dunlavey (Action Philosophers, G.I. Joe)
When: 10/8/2014 from 6-8pm
You’re not ready for this! We’re hosting a great signing for the Legal Comic Book Defense Fund 2014 Annual and Yi Soon Shin, featuring 7 amazing writers and artists.
You can meet all these great creators under one roof, with no hunting down tickets from scalpers! BONUS!
Come out and have a blast with this at this epic signing event!
Purchase of CBLDF 2014 ANNUAL or Yi Soon Shin required to participate in signing.
CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2014 #1
IMAGE COMICS
(W/A) Tom Fowler & Various (CA) Michael Allred
STORY: JEFF PARKER, STAN SAKAI, MARC GUGGENHEIM & TARA BUTTERS, JONATHAN HICKMAN, BRIAN WOOD, AMY CHU, AL EWING, ROBIN FURTH, RYAN DUNLAVEY, JEREMY LAMBERT, CHRIS ELIOPOULOS, LARRY MARDER, ROB REGER & MARIAH HEUHNER, JOE QUINONES & MARIS WICKS, & MERYL JAFFEE
ART: TOM FOWLER, STAN SAKAI, MATTHEW HOLM, TERRY DODSON, SHANNON WHEELER, RICH ELSON, EMMA VIECELI, RYAN DUNLAVEY, DECLAN SHALVEY & JORDIE BELLAIRE, CHRIS ELIOPOULOS, LARRY MARDER, CAT FARRIS, JOE QUINONES & MARIS WICKS, KATE LETH, & JANET LEE
COVER A: MICHAEL ALLRED
COVER B: WALTER SIMONSON
COVER C: DEREK CHARM
A COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND BENEFIT BOOK!
“USED YOUR IMAGINATION LATELY?”
Calling all dreamers and dancers, wanderers and wonderers, free speakers and free thinkers to this year’s CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL, compiled by former Marvel editor and ardent imaginaut LAUREN SANKOVITCH. Within the pages of this year’s Annual, a merry band of legendary creators has crafted 48 PAGES of THRILLING ADVENTURE, POWERFUL DRAMA, and GUT-BUSTING HILARITY that is not only ALL-NEW but ALL AGES! So grab your favorite life forms and gather ’round for a series of tales to test the bounds of your imagination and celebrate our freedom to do so!
All proceeds from this book benefit the important First Amendment work of the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, who’ve been fighting censorship in comics for over 25 years!
Carousel with R. Sikoryak and more
CAROUSEL
Cartoon Slide Shows and other projected pictures
Hosted by R. Sikoryak
Songs, stories, a sasquatch, a trip to India, and much more.
Featuring:
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeff Lewonczyk
Mac McGill & band (Steve Wishnia, On Davis, Met Metzger, and Breeze Godfrey)
Roxanne Palmer
Lauren R. Weinstein
Sophia Wiedeman
Jess Worby
Tickets:
$12 (advance)
$15 (at the door)
$10 (students/seniors)
or TDF
Thursday 10/10
Lion Forge Happy Hour
Friday 10/11
The Third Annual Image Comics/Multiversity Comics NYCC Party!
We are pleased to announce that this year at New York Comic Con 2014, Multiversity and Image Comics will once again be teaming up to host their third annual NYCC Party to raise money for the Hero Initiative.
This year’s NYCC Party will be held Friday, October 10th at the Stitch Bar & Lounge located at 247 West 37th Street (a short 3-block walk from the Javits Center straight up 37th street) from 8 PM to close, with a $10 donation to the Hero Initiative to get in. In exchange for your donation, you will automatically be entered into a raffle to win one (1) copy of all of Image’s exclusives for NYCC 2014! It’s a 21+ event with all night happy hour and drink specials, and will assuredly be a fun place for friends, fans and creators to meet, share a drink and mingle.
The Hero Initiative is a charity that raises money to help support creators in need and gives to those who have helped foster, develop and pioneer the medium we all love so much. At last year’s event, Image Comics and Multiversity raised over $5,000 dollars for the charity thanks to the many fans who came out and attended.
The party will also feature quite a few special Image Comics creators as guests, such as Brian K. Vaughan (Saga), Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine), Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + The Divine), Scott Snyder (Wytches), Sean Gordon Murphy (Tokyo Ghost), Nick Dragotta (East of West), Joshua Williamson (Birthright), Tim Seeley (Revival), Declan Shalvey (Injection), Dustin Nguyen (Descender), Frank Barbiere (Five Ghosts), Ed Brisson (Sheltered), Daniel Corey (Red City), Wes Craig (Deadly Class), Otis Frampton (Oddly Normal), Joe Harris (Great Pacific), Kyle Higgins (C.O.W.L.), Antony Johnston (Umbral), Justin Jordan (Spread), Ales Kot (Zero), Megan Levens (Madame Frankenstein), Adam McGovern (Nightworld), Brandon Montclare (Rocket Girl), Michael Moreci (Roche Limit), Steve Orlando (Undertow), Amy Reeder (Rocket Girl), Fabrice Sapolsky (One Hit Wonder), Gus Storm (EGOs), Roc Upchurch (Rat Queens), Fred Van Lente (Howtoons) and Jim Zub (Wayward).
So if you’d like to have a drink, groove to some music, share a chat and donate money to a great cause, please join us on Friday, October 10th for the third annual NYCC Party from Image and Multiversity Comics. RSVP on Facebook (link to be inserted later) and we look forward to seeing you there!
Be sure to visit the Image Comics booth in the main exhibitor floor of NYCC at Booth #1544, and the Hero Initiative at Booth #N104. Huge thanks to Tim Daniel for designing the flyer, as well as Jock for the use of his art!
Saturday 10/11
NYCC Zombie Crawl
The NYC Zombie Crawl is back for its 8th annual lurch around Manhattan on Saturday, October 11th! It’s the first time one of our main events is taking place on a Saturday and it’s also an after party for NY Comic Con so expect to see a lot more ghoulish faces this year. We’ll have drink specials and zombie action all afternoon and evening into the next morning with Pabst Blue Ribbon and our new sponsor Jägermeister!
The zombies will crawl all over midtown and will culminate in a blood and booze fueled after party at CARNIVAL at BOWLMOR LANES TIMES SQUARE (222 W 44th St btwn 7th & 8th Ave, Manhattan) at 8:30pm with an after party featuring live music, sideshow performances and more!
“The 13th Hour” Opening Reception
The 13th Hour
7th Annual Group Exhibit
October 11 – November 15th
Opening Reception: Saturday, Oct 11, 7 – 11pm
NEW YORK, NY (October 11th, 2014) – Last Rites Gallery opens it’s sixth annual The 13th Hour group exhibit, celebrating the spirit of the Halloween Season.
In its annual exhibit, Last Rites sets out to present a broad-spectrum representation of Dark Surrealism. Held days just before Halloween, the show is the gallery’s largest group exhibit, and features renowned artists from around the globe- working in an array of mediums including painting, drawing and sculpture. From gothic elegance to finely crafted grotesquery, the beauty within the darkness is embraced and brought into the spotlight.
JHU NYC Presents: The Action-Lab Post-Con Party!
Well, folks, it’s that time of year when you dust off your spandex, fill your wallet with your hard-earned cash, load up on snacks and wear comfortable footwear.
Yes, the Convention is hitting NYC and we’re going to celebrate in a big way!
Action Lab Entertainment is teaming up with us and we’ll be hosting the Post-Con Party for them!
We’ll have an INSANELY huge list of creators and talent here to sign for you, party with you, drink with you and have a few laughs with you!
Sunday 10/12
Seekrit After Party for Survivors Only!
If you ask me nicely I’ll tell you where it is.
This weekend the Small Press Expo takes place in North Bethesda, MD. The show is known for its collegial, summer camp vibe, but this year, it is going ALL OUT. There will never again be talk about the pig roast or the softball game or the karaoke or anything else, because this year there is going to be a PROM.
Yes following the Ignatzes there will be a danceathon in prom finery as we dance around the chocolate fountain in glee. This kind of display has been bubbling under in private parties for years but this year, it’s real. In case you’re worried about etiquette, the SPX tumblr has the rulez.
There is also going to be a post Ignatz WEDDING, according to Simon Hanselmann:
What is this wedding you’re doing?
I was joking about having a fake wedding, and then Cohen at Fantagraphics got really excited about it and said, “We’ll do it, it’ll be real.” It’s a publicity stunt, basically. I’m going to buy a wedding dress. Grant and I have to get drunk and go to the wedding dress strip and buy a wedding dress. I’m worried about how much it’s going to cost. It’s a fake wedding; DeForge is my best man. It was going to be officiated by Gary Groth, but I think Chris Mautner is doing it now, from Comic Book Resources. There’s going to be cake, balloons, I’m getting married to comics. It’s going to be a beautiful, emotional, symbolic kind of tribute to my love of the craft. I’m kind of nervous about it now, because I kind of have to write it, like it’s a comedy bit in a way. And it’s very heartfelt in a way. I’m kind of a bit crazy. It will have meaning to me, but it’s just kind of a lark as well. I’m going to do a talk at Parsons, I’ve got my list of all the stuff I have to do, I’m going to do Gridlords.
Will this surpass the time Nick Gurewitch talked to a gorilla? Very possibly.
Anyway, it looks like this will be a Saturday night SPX hoedown that people will be talking about for days, even weeks to come. Word on the street is that there will be Tumblr posts about it and possibly even tweets.
My only regret is that due to luggage restraints, I won’t be able to bring a hat. =( Oh well, best to leave that kind of thing to the kids, anyway.
Oh yeah Flashback Friday, here’s Eric Reynolds and Chris Oarr, then SPX director, from 2003 at the OLD hotel. I hear Oarr will be making an appearance for this 20th Anniversary show. Truly this one has it all.
cake before decorationA few weekends ago, my mom and I put on a baby shower for my sister Patty. We debated lots of choices: what theme, what sort of menu, whether to have any games. But we knew one thing for sure: we wanted to have a diaper cake for Patty.
For the uninitiated, a diaper cake is a multi-layered centerpiece that's shaped to look a lot like a tiered wedding cake. It's The Thing to have for decoration at baby showers.
Mom and I disagreed on who would make it, though.
"You buy diaper cakes. Someone else makes them," my mother said.
"How hard can it be?" I asked.
Insert here: worried silence from my mother. Likely she looked around her house at all the crafty things that her sister has made, that her mother has made, that Patty has made. Then she probably looked at her bookshelf. Pam writes, she likely thought. Pam does not make pretty things.
"I'll just make it in advance, and fly with it. You'll see," I insisted.
Insert here: more worried silence punctuated with terrified coughing.
Finally: "It sounds pretty difficult, honey," Mom says.
Well, if you've known me awhile, then you know that the moment you say something will be difficult, I decide I must do it. Perhaps that was exactly the psychological game my mother was playing with me. If so--it worked. I was determined to make the diaper cake.
ready for some baby shower crazinessAnd you know what? It wasn't hard. Not at all. The most difficult party was washing the smell of rubber bands off my hands. And, speaking of rubber bands, it was an excellent use of the giant "manuscript" bands I've had lying around for years. Nobody mails printed manuscripts anymore, and I fear there is no future for these things. I ought to list the rest of them on Etsy's craft supply section as "diaper cake bands"!
Plenty of people far craftier than I have posted great instructions for making a diaper cake. I relied on Crafty Chics for a diagram with counts of diapers for each layer. And I watched Carolyn Braden's video a good number of times. You can run a simple Google search and come up with lots of great resources, and also pictures of decorated cakes for inspiration.
The thing I'm most proud of is the custom yellow and gray giraffe-patterned paper that I bought as a cake decoration. I ordered it as a custom scrapbook paper graphic from Pretty Different Design, on Etsy, and then I printed it on my home printer. When I got to Mom's house, she helped me tape and hotglue it around each diaper layer, and then we ran a broad, sheer silver ribbon on top of that. Finally I tied on an adorable handmade giraffe toy from another Etsy shop, babydarling.
Even Mom had to admit--it was pretty cute. And well worth making.
By:
Faith Pray,
on 8/31/2012
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Birthdays for one small Two
and two big Sevens
all in one whippy whirlwind of a week.
Whew!
With such a mouthful of birthdays,
we partied nice and mellow...
except for... the big girl cakes...
Uh.
A few words to the wise:
Betty Crocker
invented cake mix for a reason.
The reason?
She had twins plus two toddlers
and could not juggle kids and kitchen.
My attempt turned out two overly dense
six-layer rainbow pink berry chocolate cakes
with floppy, sloppy frosting...
sound yummy?
hmmmm.
I have learned from my mistakes.
From now on, I will stick to wordy, artsy things
and leave baking to the Big Whisks
and their foodie blogs.
Goodbye, high rise glorious
skittle skat roarious.
It's cupcakes from now on.
Five days later, Birdy's birthday began
with a houseful of pink balloons.
Heaven!
What else does a newly two need?
A frilly dress-up,
a home-sewn crown
fuzzy old chenille in a soft new quilt,
giggles
and some really easy cupcakes from a stress-free mama
and a
Yummy Cake Books:
The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious
High Pie Angel Food Cake - Nancy Willard, Richard Jesse Watson
The Woman Who Flummoxed the Fairies - Heather Forest, Susan Gaber
Round is a Mooncake - Roseanne Thong, Grace Lin
Clever Jack Takes the Cake - Candace Fleming, G. Brian Karas
Mud is Cake - Pam Munoz Ryan
Thunder Cake - Patricia Polacco
Moon Cake - Frank Asch
Babycakes - Karma Wilson, Sam Williams
The Fairy Tale Cake - Mark Sperring, Jonathan Langley
What are your favorite yummy books?
I know it seems like we've just celebrated Christmas, but January is going by very quickly. Soon it will be Valentine's Day. I found out about a couple great ways to celebrate the upcoming holiday.
Sponsor a Milk and Bookies party. Milk and Bookies is a nonprofit organization that helps kids become part of the process for enhancing the lives of underprivileged children. At a Milk and Bookies party, kids bring books to donate for kids who don't have books of their own. To find out more, visit the link above.
Send special valentine cards from Save the Children. Proceeds from these cute cards go toward Save the Children education programs, which help inspire kids to love reading. Save the Children helps kids around the world with programs in education, nutrition, and health. They are a "link between poverty and literacy."
By grade four, a student needs to be able "to read to learn." If a child is not on par for reading at his/her grade level by third grade, he/she will start falling behind dramatically. Underprivileged children are at the biggest risk for this literacy shortfall. Help make a difference in their lives--one book and one child at a time.
Jorge the Pinata maker is a fabulous artist -
"Twelve circles to the left and three to the right. A dash of hope and a sprinkle of light..." His newest creation is about to be brought to life. Set high upon the shelf with Miguel the Monkey and Cynthia the dog, Pancho the pig is finally finished. He's still a bit shy and not quite understanding what has happened, but soon the duo explain to him what being a Pinata is all about - being lifted up high at the fiesta and admired by all. However, when Duck comes back torn in two the trio soon learn the real horror behind the
Pinata.Pinata by Ken Locsmandi and Sebastian A. Jones is a fun, humorous and endearing tale. It's filled with surprises that not only have you cheering for the "doomed" pig, but also have you wanting him to fulfill his intended purpose.
The illustrations by Tomo are second to none - pay attention to the little mice on each page as they are funny and so entertaining - Tomo has also captured each character's facial expressions which really sets the tone for all the adventure.
In addition to one of the best children's books to hit the market,
Pinata also includes instructions to make your own pig Pinata and also a bio on each
"helpful" candy thieving mouse - my favourite is
Yosh the charmer, dreamer and wishful thinker - so clever!
If you haven't experienced
Pinata for yourself you need to grab a copy today - this would make a great Christmas present -
Pinata needs to be in your library and is sure to become a nightly read. If this isn't enough to convince you, 10 percent of all proceeds from
Pinata goes to
Kids Need to Read.I LOVED this book and am definitely going to make my own pig Pinata. Thanks Stranger Kids!
Check out
Pinata at;
http://www.strangerkids.com/pinata/ and all of
Stranger Kids books at;
http://www.strangerkids.com/
Do you find yourself rushing around right before your child attends a birthday party looking for a card, gift wrap, etc? Oh and then go out a buy and expensive card at the store. That was me until last year. For the first time we made a batch for the year. Last year we did pop-up cards from a kit and their group of friends started to look forward to them, that was kind of fun.
The boys decided that not all their little girl friends and cousins would like a lizard, so we did some butterflies too. To make things easier (since my boys hate cutting and would rather writhe on the floor in agony about it than do it - hey I pick my battles). I cut out all the shapes from Larissa's templates for the lizard and made my own for the butterfly (If you want it shoot me an email I have no idea how to link it here).
All the boys had to do was paint and glue on tongues. (She does have cool eyes and dots to punch from paper with her tutorial.) Fun and a bit stress reliving after school activity.
The butterflies we did a press and paint - where you paint one side (add quite a bit of paint), fold it over on itself and then open the butterfly for a symmetrical pattern.
This year I also scored a giant shoebox full of maps at a garage sale, so that's our wrapping paper. E has been known to doodle on the map too, adding cars, restaurants, tents, houses etc, which makes it extra fun and more personal. Oh! Let your paint dry overnight before folding as she suggests - the 3-D detail makes it super cool! (You can fold the butterfly up the middle, then horizontal between the top and bottom wings and diagonal through the wings).
Happy Birthday Party-ing!
By: 1questionaday,
on 3/17/2011
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By: 1questionaday,
on 10/22/2010
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Wow, this is going to be a VERY crowded schedule! There are a ton of things to do throughout New York Comic-Con and no matter what you choose, you’re sure to get a little cultural edification, whether it’s comics of Kirby Krackle. There are so many events and parties we had to slit this into two. We’ll have Saturday’s line-up later on.
THURSDAY – 10/7
• Darwyn Cooke signing
October 07, 2010 7:00 PM
Borders 2 Penn Plaza New York, NY 10121
What: RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN Launch Party & Art Showing
Come celebrate the launch of RETURN OF THE DAPPER MEN by Jim McCann & Janet Lee, published by Archaia.
The original artwrok will be on display and available for purchase as will advance copies of the book.
Where: Alice’s Tea Cup:
http://alicesteacup.com/
102 West 73rd St (73rd & Columbus)
NY, NY, 10023 (212) 799-3006
When: Thurs, Oct 7, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Food: scones, cake & tea (wine after 8:00 pm courtesy of Bluebird Wines: http://www.drinkbluebird.com)
WHAT: Illustration House and Eva Ink Artist Group will be hosting an open house in honor of artists Michael Golden, Mark Texeira and Steve Scott, this Thursday.
Food and drink provided, and all artwork is for sale for the duration of the exhibition. Here are the details:
Who: Event hosted by Illustration House and Eva Ink Artist Group
What: Illustration House Gallery Show Reception When: Oct. 7th, 6-8 pm
Where: 110 West 25th Street, Manhattan Why: In honor of Michael Golden, Mark Texeira and Steve Scott
How: Subway, cab, you name it. Illustration House is easy to find! And if you can’t be there in person, check out their website!
What: Best American Comics Signing with Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Matt Madden and Jessica Abel.
Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden discuss the 2010 compendium of Best American Comics, showcasing the work of both established and up-and-coming contributors.
Thursday October 07, 2010 7:00 PM
Union Square
33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003, 212-253-0810
CBLDF welcome party, sponsored
By: 1questionaday,
on 9/20/2010
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It all started with me being excited, which is never a good sign. I’d been FB invited to a friend of a friend’s pool party. Something about moving or a birthday, maybe both, I really didn’t know for sure. Couldn’t tell from the invite banter. Would have involved too much FB stalking to find out. Why? Because I have no time. I’m not bitter. Really. I have no time for FB, or face-to-face real, live friends or haircuts. Forget shopping. Family restaurant plus family dream to send me to Standford–they are completely delusional–equals no time to myself. None. My so called life was killing me. Slowly. So, when I randomly get this chance to use my brother’s computer in the back of the restaurant, in Dad’s office, and I get this invite I get all jittery. I spin around in my brother’s desk chair all pissed off because once again even if I wanted to go I couldn’t. And because I’m at my brother’s desk, the one who’s in love with himself, I get a great full-length view of my sorry self.
The good news? I’d probably lost ten pounds since the last time I cared. The bad news? I look so pale. Forget it’s August. I look like I’m from one of those countries that’s about to get its first glimpse of the sun in six months. Pool-party-loser white. I spin back around and click thorough the invitees profile pics to see if there is any one remotely close to my polar bear shade. Feeling paler and not-wanting-to-go-at-all-no-matter-whatier with every click when I read the MAYBEs, and the YESs. Eric’s on the YES list––is he ever. Mine. So mine. But, Emily, my high school’s IT girl, is a YES too. The one I see him with all the time.
And something invades my body and mades me click YES. And then I tell my sister she has to take over for me that night. And I blow off reading all my before-school-starts homework for Honors International Baccalaureate Advanced Placement English and tell my parents I’ll be at the library. But I don’t go to the library. I go out into the world instead. The one where people get haircuts and buy shoes and decide which shades of lip glass look good on them, instead of counting money, folding napkins, doing inventory and making last minute runs to the store every time our cook under-orders which is all the time. He’s a nut-job. But that’s another story.
And so I go to the party. Hair trimmed, new bathing suit on. I even get to talk to Eric who doesn’t remember me at all. Doesn’t ring a bell somewhere that I’ve been waiting on him and his family for every one of his mother’s birthdays since I was thirteen. But it’s, OK, I tell myself when he asks me how my summer’s been, because we don’t go to the same high school and if we did and I actually did have a life where I did things like shop and personal maintenance, well I just know he’d notice me, remember be. And I’m heading home after, walking and not caring that I’ll have to kiss up to my sister for the rest of my pre-college life because I got to look into Eric’s beautiful brown eyes and speak real words to him and Emily wasn’t any where around. And for a minute, for one solitary second I felt alive. Then I take the turn onto my street. Two police cars are parked right outside my house with their lights on.
Last week my husband and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary! It’s hard to believe that a year ago I was immersed in mini-wedding planning. We had dinner at the very same place where my husband proposed. I, finally, got one of our wedding pictures properly framed. And I even bought a beloved cookbook to honor the occasion (because paper is the traditional first anniversary gift, right?).
Anyway, I remembered that I was going to post some post-wedding, “non-reception” celebratory photos. Looking through them, I don’t have very many with actual people; I think I was too busy having a blast to take many photos which often happens! So, I’m just going to post some of my more craft-related ones.
These pics are from non-reception #1 which took place at our home last October. Rather, they were taken during preparations before anyone showed up.
Since it was October I wanted a slightly spooky theme but not in a costume-party kind of way (see our party invitations here). The colors were black, white, silver, pink and orange. In the photo, above, you can see our pretty bunting crafted with paper doilies, silver glitter card stock letters and black & white striped twine. The wee cake is pre-wedding topper, silvery glitter initials much like the ones used in the bunting. Originally I wanted to make a larger 2-tiered cake but became petrified by the thought as I’ve never made one. But a sweet little cake plus cupcakes galore did the trick. (By the way, the frosting was pearly and marshmallow-y, while the cake was yellow with chocolate chips. So good!)
My lovely friend Kara, who came down for the weekend, was very kind and totally game for any party-decorating ideas I threw her way including decorating our high ceilings with paper streamers.
The mantle was decorated with various pumpkins, candles and a fabric-covered accordion-style scrapbook filled with photos from the wedding, backed with craft paper I printed and designed myself. The plastic cauldron on the coffee table was later filled with candy for the young and young at heart. (We did have real food, I swear, like cheese and dip and charcuterie, but those things were set out just before people arrived.)
Kara and I spent the previous night making these fun cupcake toppers with Victorian clip art butterflies in October-ish colors. We (and by we, I mean Kara) put that scalloped paper punch to good use!
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Let them eat cake!
They puzzled over my hand-drawn pieces of Picasso's Woman & Bird 
and then played "Pin the Nose on the Picasso"
After a scavenger hunt, and treats,
Ah the joys of the small things in life! 
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also on thursday: http://bergenstreetcomics.com/events/a-comics-octopus-the-new-york-comic-con-kick-off-party/
also on Friday: Daughters of the Atom: An X-Women Art Exhibit and Cosplay Contest, 8pm at St. Mark’s Comics – more info at http://oneshotgallery.net/