a date with my sketchbook. i am not above painting bright aqua around everything i do from now on. i think it's called for.
exhibit no.1 my yet to be bound, visual journal no. 13. waiting for me to plug in 3 episodes of true blood and punch holes and get stitchy.
this was supposed to be my travel journal bag for the norway journal. even though i had not been drinking when i stitched this together, i made it 4 sizes too big. perfect for the budapest journal. don't make fun of my flowery trim tie. just don't.
i was too lazy to dig for something more suitable. besides it has a certain folksy hungarian chutzpah right?
i finished The Chaperone and have not a single good thing to say about it. I'm shocked that it received so many rave reviews. I found it to be poorly written in a crazy 3rd person POV that i didn't like one bit. 3/4 of the way through the book sort of ends and then the 3rd person narration speeds up and in the space of a few pages 10, 15, 20, 30 years pass. huh? i will admit i liked the IDEA of the story and the main character Cora, but the writing just annoyed me.
so i started Tell The Wolves I'm Home {one of your recommendations!} and within a page of beginning…
i settled deeply into an extremely satisfying story. with no awkward writing style to ruin things for me. whew.
plus doesn't the front cover just thrill you? love. it. thank you elizabeth!
my sister dottie is moving to san diego and i couldn't be happier! she is looking to rent a cute little place in the HILLCREST neighborhood for under $1000 buckeroos. if you have a lead on a place, do let me know! she is open to hearing about other neighborhoods so if you're from san diego do tell all.
okay I think this might be the most favorite journal I’ve seen you bind yet! so beautiful in fact, I think it would be good for your soul to just sell it to me…..I know I know, ya got the book on your last trip, but do you really need another? Name your price toots!
I love the daisy tie! And the painting is beautiful. Did you use Dr Martin’s watercolors that I saw in a photo from today’s post? love those!
Good luck with the new little monkeys. Has me remembering when I used to gear up to teach around this time of year, and not too far from where you are.
She could also try South Park. (no really, that’s a neighborhood in San Diego) … the important thing to know is that in that neck of the woods you can go from one block being a great place to live to another block over that is unsafe because of high crime.
also what are you using to paint with? those colors are wicked bright!
I love the satchel you made for your journal. Very cool. Also the six signature journal is awesome. I made a 5 signature journal inside a UPS box.
Very curious about what type of paints you use. The colors are so vibrant that it doesn’t seem like watercolor.
Have had the Wolves book on my wish list for awhile, so anxious to hear how you like it. Thinking of you going back to the classroom today. Still have one week let before return to work myself. Planning nefarious ways to hide out forever but all involve traveling light under cover of darkness and however would I be able to carry all my books and art supplies?
Hello – Hillcrest is one small community but there is also Normal Heights (as mentioned in the earlier comment), North Park, Kensington, and more all near that area. In San Diego a collection of blocks makes for a neighborhood so it is really up to what your sister desires (closer to downtown or not, those types of questions). You have my email…I’d be happy to help in any way I can. School doesn’t start until day after Labor Day so I am relatively free until then and will check my email daily.
Love it-your journal that is. And love the tie too.
I’m still reading Gone Girl, though was delayed due to birth of my first grandchild! (A happy diversion.)
What a joyful journal! So very pretty, especially wrapped with daisy ribbon.
Sketchbook page is yummilicious! I just downloaded The Chaperone based on all the good reviews … hope I like it better than you did. Happy new school year with the kiddos!
Those sketches leave me bubbling. Oh, and AQUA??!!!……I’d dip myself in it if I wasn’t afraid of going the way of the Goldfinger Girl in the 60’s.
I’m taking the MaryAnn/Elizabeth book recommendation and stacking it up next to GONE GIRL, which stunk for the first few pages but whipped around and took me hostage soon thereafter. Love having a good book waiting.
Thanks for the Color Fix too! You’re ALWAYS good for that. Always.
Beautiful book cover! And I love that you’re doing so much drawing and painting in your journals these days. Gorgeousness!
I’ll have to remove The Chaperone from my to-do list. Did you enjoy Gone Girl?
It’s chutzpah, dear, with a “c”. Good try, though.
It amazes me, too, that some really awful books get such wonderful recommendations.
Yesterday I received a box of ephemera and assorted goodies from an online friend in North Carolina…lo and behold, what was included in the package? A vintage photo album! This makes up for all those blog giveaways I continue to enter but have never won!
Love your sketches and watercolor. Might try some, after I finish my almost done FTB journal I that recently found in a shoebook after spending 5 hours cleaning and organizing. I had completely forgotten all about it! Happy Sunday:)
Great title (your new book) – such a pleasure to lose yourself in fiction.
As for your travel bag, I LIKE IT! Very MAM.
Your new journal is lookin’ pretty spiffy and swell Mary Ann. Is that the cover one of your treasures from Norway???…looks familiar I believe. No doubt it’s gonna be amazing. I adore your journal tote. I am partial to journal totes so I think it’s the bee’s knees. 😉 I just gotta say that I began 11/22/63 a few days ago and I am completely wrapped up in the story. It is sooooooo good, hard to put down and harder to ignore while I’m trying to get some creative time in. I see it sitting next to my favorite chair and it literally beckons me to come over and get comfy with it. I am so happy it’s a nice fat and chunky book. I want it to last as long as possible but I also want to know what happens next. I think it’s the best SK novel I’ve ever encountered. I’m with ya on writing styles. Makes all the difference in the world.
You are welcome. No really, the pleasure is all mine. I find I’ve become an evangelist for this book. My congregation is growing. Which makes me so happy.
I have a friend that lives in Normal Heights and she loves it.