Two Painted Pups and a Partridge in a Pear Tree…

Just a quick post to reveal a project I've been working on. Meet Nemo and Bailey, two sweet pups that belong to Michael's grandmother and mother. I've been in a bit of a painting mood lately, and so this darling pair were made for their Christmas presents. (and they were a big hit!)

I'll admit that I was heavily influenced by Berkley, who is an amazing artist who specializes in clothed animals. I highly recommend you check out his shop here. Keep a lookout for more paintings in the new year. I hope to move more in that direction, incorporating found objects as makeshift canvases (not clothed animals I'm afraid. I'll leave that to Berkley). Let me know what paintings you'd like to see by leaving a comment below. As you can see from the great void on the left, we're taking a break from the shop until Jan. 5th for some much needed r&r.
We hope everyone is having a happy and restful holiday.
Peace out :)

Let It Begin!

Yes, the title is stolen from the movie Bolt. If you haven't been yet, go see it. Seriously.

Gosh! We've been so swamped with the holiday whirlwind that I haven't written in almost a month! Today I'm sharing some of our seasonal finds that have helped supply us with warmth in our drafty little place, even if it be the proverbial warmth not found spatting from our space heater. Above you'll see our little tree. This adorable addition is actually smartly sculpted rosemary, an apartment (and eco) friendly alternative to both cut and artificial trees. The fresh scent is guaranteed to lift your winter worn spirit perhaps even better than the more traditional spruce and a few snipped sprigs can be added to season or garish your holiday meal.
Of course, if you have ornaments that are too large for a table top tree, we recommend displaying them elsewhere. Ours are hung on a pot rack (which was rescued from a yard sale).

My favorite ornaments this year are our little alphabet block house by ArtByHeather and our bunny rabbit tags (used as ornaments) by BelleAndBoo. If you're looking for something unique and nostalgic, you should definitely check out their shops.

Hopefully we'll be back to blogging soon with some more neat things we've been up to. There are a few crafty gifts that will have to wait until after Christmas for us to show, but stay tuned for our ginger bread house post. We promise that we've assembled something special this year :) Last, but not least, please give a big round of applause to Michael who finally sewed the bells on his stocking (on the left, below). It's been waiting a whole year for them! If we don't squeeze in another post before Christmas, we wish you all warmth, safety, and mental stability as you go forth into this consumerist wonderland and we suggest you repeat three questions in your mind while gift hunting: Do they actually want it? Do they actually need it? Should it actually cost this?
Peace out.

A Trial Run with BioBags

If you are not familiar with the BioBags, they produce biodegradable bags in various sizes made from corn. It's a great idea in theory. Inside a plastic bag, garbage doesn't have access to the microorganisms needed to break down quickly, not to mention how much plastic those bags are piling into our landfills. Here come BioBags, 100% biodegradable so you can feel good about putting less plastic in the landfill and you know that anything biodegradable in your trash will be turning back into soil much faster. Great right? Well, yes. Unfortunately there are some shortcomings that I think BioBag is going to have to work through before most consumers would consider the switch.

1. They are expensive- VERY expensive. We decided to try them under the condition that we wouldn't put anything large that could be carried separately in them so the box would last longer.

2. Once full, bundling them up to go to take them out is a bit more difficult than we expected. There are no fancy handles to tie together, and no twisty ties in the box. Hmmm.... So we tie and wrestle the bag as best we can down to the trash bin. It isn't exactly an easy or enjoyable experience.

3. Their biggest flaw is also their biggest selling point- being biodegradable. Since we could be considered eco-junkies and we recycle so much of what comes into our apartment, we only take out about one bag of trash every 2-3 weeks. That means that if anything damp gets in that bag (as it did this week) there is a good chance of the entire bottom disintegrating before we're quite ready for it to. The result is a really nasty mess and an expensive wasted bag.

These things considered, we still really like the idea of BioBags. It especially makes sense for those with a yard for a compost pile and a house where trash only has to be put out to the street. In an apartment, it's just very difficult. Without making some changes to meet the competition, I can't see BioBags becoming a real player in the consumer market and I wish they were. A diverse competitive market means better products for everyone and hopefully better products for the planet as companies try to jump on the eco-trend that is currently captivating consumers. Our dream trash bag: Hefty with drawstring+ BioBags.

The Wise Eyed Quail Boat

Our entry for Illustration Friday "wise".

This is a pretty Ink Blot we started during our Florida trip and recently finished. One of our friends recently noted that she could gauge our stress levels by our ink blots. This one is probably a pretty good example! I think that's a great testament to why artists must create. It's an outlet for all of those trapped thoughts and feelings. We decided for some reason that "Quail Boat" seemed to fit this one. All of a sudden I remembered a children's book I love called The Story of Ping. In the story, Ping the duck lives in the wise eyed boat on the Yangtze river. Therefore, we now have The Wise Eyed Quail Boat. You'll probably see this one in the shop some time over the weekend. We just need to frame it. Oh, and if you have children or just enjoy a good story like I do, check out Ping. It's wonderful.

Ink Blot Illustration: Woolly Dragon

We have to admit that coming up for a name for this one was really difficult. Is it a dragon? A creepy guy? Some mutant sperm? Finally, it was decided that a woolly mammoth and a Chinese dragon had a complicated love affair and this was the result. (Please don't notify the asylum. We're fine. Really…) I'd like to incorporate more of the 'fur' technique used on his chin in other pieces. I'm liking it. So feel free to come up with your own name for this cheerful specimen and leave it in the comments for us :) And if you fancy him enough, he will be listed for sale in the shop tomorrow.

Oh, and thank you to everyone who voted on our Halloween pumpkins!!!! I am happy to say that my (Lani) Day of the Dead Sugar Skull pumpkin won 46 to 29 (not that I'm gloating or anything :D ) Michael's Franken-Tiki was truly awesome and he's only sulking a little.
Have a good week everyone!

Pumpkin Carving Throw Down!!!

NEW!- I wrote this in a new post, but I forgot that a lot of you are probably linking directly to this post, soooooo I'll put the message here too- The Day of the Dead pumpkin is mine (Lani) and the Franken-Tiki pumpkin is Michael's. And I am happy to announce that I won! We hope everyone had a happy Halloween. Thanks for voting!!! :)

Hello people!!! To get into the Halloween spirit, Michael and I spent the greater portion of this week working on some special pumpkins and practicing our smack talk. Each of us came up with our secret pumpkin design plans and now we're ready to hear what you think! We won't tell who carved which pumpkin until the votes are in! Please vote between:

Thanks and Happy Halloween!!!!

Remembering What Was ~ Florida Trip

We just wanted to share some pics from the Florida trip. Gosh they make me want to go back!! Michael and I had a friendly competition going to see who could take the best pictures, so I was being extra artsy with mine this trip. I combined them into one large image, so click on it to open the full sized version in a new window if you'd like. They look too cramped to me inside the blog :)

Party Squids Reinvented!!!!

We are back! Florida was lovely. The week after vacation is always the hardest. I dearly miss the cool waves washing over my feet, but with all of this warm weather longing, there is still a ray of sunshine in this little head of mine, 'cause we can now reveal the super secret project!!!!!
A long time ago, Michael's little sister saw a drawing of mine called "Party Squids". It was just a silly ink blot I'd made for Michael before we started drawing together. Well, she fell in love with it, so this year when she also fell in love with skateboarding, we decided she should have some party squids of her own. We gave it to her this week, so now the rest of the world can see it too. Get ready to be bombarded with Squids…

The last one is some fancy grip tape cutting that Michael did on the other side. Yeah, I know I may have gotten carried away with the pics, but hey, why not? This is our first skateboard deck and we're pretty happy with the results. Don't worry, this one will be hanging on her wall rather than riding down the road. We have 4 more decks to illustrate, so we'll see what happens :)

Time to Get on the Road

Well, we're off to Florida for a week in the fine sunshine. All of our coworkers have been threatened with bodily harm should they choose to call us during the trip. The Etsy shop is set to vacation mode, but we'll still be accepting emails. And so we'll leave you for now with this lovely ink blot domino that will be made into a pendant when we return. This one reminds me of a thousand quilts my grandmother made. A bit of lace, squares of fabric savaged from old dresses, and a bit of delicate stitching. Oh, and down below is an awesome pic that Miss Courageous sent us of her wearing her bottle cap bracelet she won in the Bottle Cap Challenge. Congrats again! Have a good week everyone!

Wrapping Up the Bottle Cap Challenge… Literally.

Whew! The last of the Bottle Cap Challenge thank you packages will be sent out tomorrow! I couldn't resist making some cute little thank you notes special for the event as you can see above. All of the prints of Whole Hearted Half Toned are printed on 100% recycled paper and the cello bags are completely biodegradable and compostable (made from corn). We're also really excited to show the grand prize! Below is the custom bracelet made specially for our 1st place winner. She did an awesome job picking out the caps that adorn it. Thank you to everyone for making this such a fun experience!

A Starry Eyed Soliloquy

We just finished this rockstar-esque bracelet for one of our coworkers. We liked the idea of the stars so much that we cut enough for two bracelets, the second of which will be listed in the shop in a few days. This is going to be a super busy week because Saturday we leave for Florida!!!! Hooray!!!! I need this break. We'll be gone for a solid week. When we return, we'll be able to reveal the secret project we've been working on. I think this is going to shape up to be an interesting month overall. :)

A Little Birdie Told Me…

… that it's time to freshen up the shop. It's amazing how time gets away from you. I'm hoping we can update sometime next week with some new items. It seems like we've been distracted with a million other things. In case anyone was wondering, we did find enough gas to get us to my parent's house to paint my mom's kitchen (the gas shortage here in Atlanta has been awful). She loved the color we picked out (called "Drizzle") and the apple painting. I'll be on the hunt this weekend for more plaques to paint. If anyone has any suggestions about what I should paint, leave them here :) I was thinking coffee cups or pears, but I have no idea what people hang in their kitchens.

How 'Bout Them Apples?

So amidst all of the bottle cap craziness, we're going to my mother's house this weekend to paint her kitchen. Since Michael's family lives in the same city as we do, they often benefit from our free labor. While she tries not to show it, I know my mom wishes we were around to help her too. It's never easy balancing the family, but we do try to keep things as fair as possible. The apples above are a little something I whipped up yesterday afternoon to hang above her stove. They're cute right? I rescued this wooden plaque from Goodwill. It had a respectable, but really outdated painting of an eagle on it. After sanding down the old chipping paint and cleaning up the pretty brass hanger, I thought it could use some color. She doesn't have internet, so I don't worry much about spoiling surprises. I think I may try to find more of these plaques to salvage. Does anyone think there is a market for this sort of thing? They'd be something different in the shop. I've been in a painting mood.

In other news- Bottle Cap Challenge Participants - it looks like our protective cello bags won't be arriving until next week, but your prints will be mailed out as soon as they arrive. Oh yeah, and they're biodegradable too! Thank you for your patience :)

Bottle Cap Challenge Winners!!!!

We're very happy to announce the winners of the 2008 Bottle Cap Challenge!!! The contest was a great success. We greatly appreciate all of the entries. All of the caps we've received will soon be turned into fabulous bracelets for the shop. We'll be contacting the winners over the next few days about their prizes and everyone's complimentary art prints will be mailed out this week, so sit tight! To see how this all began, click here. So without further ado:

Congrats to Miss Courageous for her winning 1st place entry: "Kona Beer"

Congrats to Hoshitora99 for her winning 2nd place entry: "Waialua Soda Works"

Congrats to Amy Skye McCaskie for her winning 3rd place entry: "Henry Weinhard's Root Beer"

Thank you again!

Recycled Bottle Cap Bracelet: Soda Caps

We were recently asked to make a bracelet with all soda caps for a teacher who couldn't wear beer caps around her students. Soda caps seem to be the most difficult to find since typically, restaurants don't serve them and consumers just trash them. Throw in the sad fact that most sodas are going with plastic packaging these days, and you'll find yourself in our predicament. I sincerely wish that more people out there would buy glass anyway. It's much more easily recycled and it's made from natural materials. Plastic is plastic. Even if you recycle it, eventually it will end up in a landfill, on the side of the road, or in the ocean. Glass can be recycled over and over again, and aluminum is better still since it takes the least amount of energy to recycle. Of course, we've all heard the theories that aluminum cans are linked to Alzheimer's disease, so we'll stick with glass.

In other news, we've officially decided to extend the Bottle Cap Challenge through Sept. 20th for a few late entries we know are on their way. If you haven't put yours in the mail yet, there is still time!!! Do it today! If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out here.

Local Favorites: World Domination!!!!!!

This weekend we had a blast at Dad's Garage Theater in the Little 5 Points area of Atlanta, GA. They were performing their annual World Domination TheaterSports Tournament with impov groups from the US, Canada, and France. We used to go to Dad's Garage quite regularly, but it seems like it's been a while since we've had time. I'm so glad we planned ahead and didn't miss this. If you haven't been to an impov show, please make the effort to go. Dad's Garage is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the arts through plays, impov, and classes. Just watch that potty mouth. Anyone , including the actors and audience members can get a "scum box" by saying a dirty word or lewd suggestion. You have to wear this nasty box on your head while the audience sings, "The scum box! The scum box! It's time to wear the scum box! Everyone knows your a dirty bum, when you wear the box of scum!" Ahhh... world domination...
And what a small world it is indeed. The day after we saw World Domination, Michael happened across a neat story on Digg about a social experiment in which someone left a camera on a city bench with a note asking passersby to please take a picture and leave the camera. The author said he would then claim the camera that evening and see what developed. (hahaha) As Michael looked through the pictures, he realized that he recognized the street corner that they were taken on. It was our very own N. Highland Avenue, which we frequent rather often. The article was one of a series in a quirky online magazine called The Plug. Check out the article here. Further investigation led to the discovery that one of the authors is none other than Rene Dellefont, who had hosted World Domination at Dad's Garage the night before. I am just giddy at the coincidence.

It's Elemental My Dear

In our efforts to add more color (thank you Racheal), we're experimenting with different ways we can dress up the blots. Round one- splatter paint. While I love the splatters, I'm not crazy about their relationship with the blot. I'd like to try some other things with splatter though. I think next we'll try some different colored ink. We think the spike on the right side looks like a radioactive piece of corn. What do you see?

Here is a clue to one of the secret projects we're working on. It's a present, so we'll have to wait until the recipient has it to show off the whole thing. Look for it sometime in October :)


Thank you to everyone who has entered the Bottle Cap Challenge so far. There is still time to send your bottle caps. Don't hesitate to send us a message if you're afraid your caps won't make it by the 10th. We may be extending the contest for a few late entries. Find out more here.

Chattanooga Getaway

Last weekend, we decided to get away for a little rest and relaxation, so we drove up to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the weekend. Saturday was pretty hot and maybe just a touch miserable, but we had a lot of fun. If anyone is considering going, here is our breakdown:

Chattanooga Aquarium- Definitely go. It may be a touch smaller than the Atlanta Aquarium, but we find it to be much more enjoyable, even when crowded.

Bluff View Art District- Lovely place to hang out. Be sure to check out River Gallery.

Rembrandt's Coffee House- Awesome place for coffee, desert, and atmosphere, but we'd avoid the sandwiches.

Hunter Museum of American Art- We loved the Hunter Museum, partly for the exhibit that happened to be there, but mainly for the little drawing stations they provide for visitors. There is even a magnetic poetry board in one area where you can compose your own poem and leave it for others to read.

Big River Brewery and Restaurant- Decent food. Decent Prices. Nothing fabulous, but service was very good.

Acropolis- Fantastic Greek Food. The owner is a wonderful gentleman who sits in his reserved booth and regularly makes his rounds to check on his guests and make sure they love their meal, and it would be impossible not to. We love this place so much, we've been known to drive all the way to Chattanooga JUST to eat here.

Courtyard Marriott Hotel- It's a room. Honestly, for the money I would have expected a lot more, but it was downtown, clean, and quiet. Parking is in the neighboring parking deck, so be prepared to carry luggage.

So overall I'd say it was a really nice trip. We need more of these. :) Don't forget that you only have a few more days (through Sept 1st) to mail in your caps for the Bottle Cap Challenge! Find out more here.

How's it Feel to Have Your Art in a Museum?

It's pretty awesome my friends, pretty awesome. Don't worry, we won't forget the little people, whoever you are… I know by now you're looking for the punch line, so... ok, ok. So maybe we don't have anything of ours hanging in the exhibition hall, but hey- we're not complaining. Anyone can feel like a Rembrandt at the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The best part about the place in my opinion is that they don't just encourage viewing art, they encourage experiencing it and creating it. In several areas of the museum there are pencils and paper provided and guests are invited to create some art of their own. You can take your masterpiece with you, or leave it at the museum, where they will put it on display in one of the little lounge areas for others to enjoy. So while we were there this weekend, we left a little something behind. The big teeth in blue up there is named Chomper. I wish the picture was better, but hey- not too bad for a camera phone in so-so lighting. *Sigh* We only hope the museum will appreciate our generous contribution :)
Tomorrow I'll post about the entire trip, so stay tuned!

Don't forget that you only have until Sept 1st to mail in your caps for the Bottle Cap Challenge! Find out more here.

Bird Of Paradise?- An Ink Blot

This is a little blot we drew a while back. I've always thought it would be nice on a t-shirt. It's also a great example of where our logo came from. If you look toward the bottom you'll see a flower like image. That flower or some variation of its design tends to resurface often in our drawings, so it made sense to use it (cleaned up quite a bit) to represent us. Other reoccurring elements include eyes (or other facial features), scales, wings, and swirls. Although we do name each piece, we like for other people to decide what they see. What can you find?

Don't forget that you only have until Sept 1st to mail in your caps for the Bottle Cap Challenge! Find out more here.

Custom Bottle Cap Bracelet

Last week we received a custom local order from one of our favorite baristas. He couldn't wait for the end of our friendly competition, so he ordered one instead. It's our first request for all beer caps, which is amusing because we just got a request for all soda caps (which are much harder to find). I love the "g" in that center cap. Typography- what a wonderful thing. Don't forget that you could receive one of these for FREE by participating in our Bottle Cap Challenge. Find out more here.

Local Favorites: Marietta Diner

Now that I have your attention… :)

It's been said that if you try to do everything, you'll do nothing very well. With nearly 500 delicious items on the menu- all served 24 hours a day, Marietta Diner just might be the exception to that rule. Want a hamburger? Ok. Pancakes? No problem. Chicken cordon bleu? Spaghetti? Waffles? Paella? Pot Roast? Crab Cakes? Roast Turkey? Broiled baby lamb chops? Chicken teriyaki? They've got you covered. Oh, and then there is the Greek. The restaurant happens to be Greek owned, which means if you're in the mood for souvlaki, moussaka, gyro, or spanikopita, you're in for a special treat. We've been going for years, and decided to give them a visit this weekend. Even at 11 o'clock at night, the parking lot is overflowing and yet the wait is only about 3 minutes. If you happen to be in the Atlanta area and are in the mood for just about anything (anything extra special that is :), you must give them a try. Check out their feature on Food Network's Diners, Drive In's and Dives here.

In other news- Don't forget to enter The Bottle Cap Challenge to get a complimentary print and the chance to receive a free bottle cap bracelet or store credit!!! Entries are being accepted through Sept. 1st, so get movin'! (See the post below for more details)

Bottle Cap Challenge! Get a Free Bracelet!

We're always looking for interesting caps to use in our bottle cap bracelets, and to be honest, it's tough. We have several local restaurants who have saved caps for us, but typically you end up with the same old stuff that everyone carries. So we're turning to all of you for help in our quest and offering the chance to get a little something in return. Here's how you could receive a Free Bottle Cap Bracelet and more:

Be on the hunt for the coolest, most awesome, most unique bottle caps you can find. You can send as many different caps as you'd like, and each one will be judged on the following:
1. Color
2. Design
3. Rarity (Very important. We're looking for things we can't find easily.)

Best Bottle Cap: The individual who submits the most awesome cap will receive a free custom bottle cap bracelet with their choice of caps from our inventory (up to 14 caps depending on desired size).

Second and Third Best Caps: The individuals who submit the second and third best caps will receive $20 credit toward any item in our shop or any custom order.

EVERYONE: In exchange for the caps you send us, each individual who participates will receive one free 5 inch x 7 inch print of Whole Hearted Half Tone, one of our favorite ink blot illustrations as our thank you. See it here.

We'll collect caps between now and September 1st. Then, we'll look through them all and choose the three most spectacular caps which will be announced on September 10th. Edit- We are extending the contest for late entries! Anything that makes it here by Sept. 19th is accepted and the winners will be announced Sept 20th. We keep all of your caps for use in our projects, and you get a print and the chance to receive one of the above items. Please understand, only one print will be sent to each individual who participates no matter how many caps you send. If you are interested in participating, please send the caps to:

Michael Ayers
600 Embassy Row, Suite 450
Atlanta, GA 30328

Be sure to include:
1. your caps
2. a written list of the brand of each cap you include (ex: Silver Barq's Root Beer cap)
3. your name
4. email address (we will ONLY contact you if your cap is in the top 3)
5. your return mailing address (this is where we will send your free gift)

While we will faithfully send out all of your free gifts to the addresses provided, we will not be held responsible for lost packages. Thanks for your time and help. You can help us spread the word by putting this handy dandy badge on your blog (if you'd like).

Badge Embed Code:
<a href="http://greenspacegoods.blogspot.com/2008/08/cap-exchange-get-free-bottle-cap.html" target="blank"><img src="http://www.greenspacegoods.com/images/blog/bottleCapBadge.png" width="160" height="200" style="border-width:0px;" alt="GreenSpace Goods Bottle Cap Challenge!" /></img></a>

-Lani and Michael

Robot With a Heart by Jenn Hayes

Sigh.... I bought this charming linoleum block print almost a year ago from Jenn Hayes, a very talented artist currently pursuing illustration. I've seen several very nice block prints, but this guy just stole my heart. (no pun intended :) He hangs proudly in our living room on an olive green wall which really makes the red in the heart stand out. Surprisingly, we found a fantastic frame for him a Michael's craft store. He's kind of an odd size, but they had a vertical frame meant for three photos that he felt right at home in. A custom framing job couldn't have been better. Please visit Jenn's shop to see some of her other awesome work here.

Reusable Produce Bags: Part 2

Yeah, I know we've already covered reusable produce bags, but have you seen these??? While we love the first set we bought a while back, 3 bags soon proved to be too few. Since the seller we bought our first set from was pretty backed up in bag orders, we eventually started browsing around. That's when we happened across Lisa Also. Not only are her bags well priced, but they are large, super sturdy, easy to open and close, and are adorned with incredibly cute salvaged fabric leaves. There has never been a more stylish reason to buy produce. I've gotten several compliments, and you can too :)

Recycled Bottle Cap Bracelet: Hot and Summery

Mmmm.... orange and green, both warm and lush. We finally finished this bracelet. (See the beads a few posts below). I'd like to get some more done for the shop. I think this is a great combination of caps, some of which we only had one of. I'd like to do a blue and purple themed one, but purple is hard to come by without buying and drinking tons of soda yourself. It's funny how if we do buy a bottled beverage, we always based our selection on the quality of the cap.

FYI- it is now available in our shop:)

Ostriches and Jazz

I love this ink blot. My favorite part is the swirl of dots in the middle. I've drawn this pattern several times, but this one came out really nice I think. We drew this one at the High Museum of Art during Friday Night Jazz. It kind of helps to work somewhere with lots of distractions. We're less focused on what shape we're going to draw next and so pieces end up coming more naturally. Where do you go to find inspiration?

Have a good week :)

New Bottle Cap Bracelets!

Here is a peek at some of the beads we just finished, so now they just need to be strung and sewn. Hopefully they will be done soon. While in Ohio, I was able to find a few new soda caps we didn't have. If anyone has any funky caps they'd like to donate, please let us know. We'd love to have them. We're always looking for interesting designs. Pink and purple seem to be the most difficult colors to find. We also take custom orders for bracelets if anyone is interested. The finished product should look something like this:
Have a great week everyone :)

In One Ear and Out the Other: A Crayon Blot

Here is another crayon blot we saved from our scribbling at Macaroni Grill. We highly recommend these exercises. Since you're just working on what is considered to be "throw away" paper, there is a lot less pressure to be perfect. We just have fun and draw whatever. Of course we don't actually throw them away. To the fascination of the other restaurant guests, we simply tear out our art from the paper table cloth and take it home. A good way to get started is the ask your server for a topic. That gets them involved and makes them less likely to spill tea on your drawing :)

You Belong Among the Wildflowers

Illustration Friday: "Enough". When I've finally had "enough", this is where I want to end up.

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free

When I was 11, my mom decided we were going to Ohio to visit my Aunt and Uncle. You can imagine the amount of enthusiasm I met the journey with at that age, knowing that we'd be spending our vacation in the country with mostly cows for company. What I didn't know at the time was that I'd fall in love with sights, the smells (not the cow smell of course), and the overall feeling of peace there. It's just different. The mountains and the fields are just bigger, greener, and more wonderful. You can feel something in the wind there that speaks to your soul. We went back every year until I went off to college. My fondest memory was sneaking out of the house with my mom and riding around the countryside getting lost and exploring little towns. Among the dime stores, junk shops, yard sales, and everything in between, I think we felt a freedom we didn't feel back home. We didn't have anywhere to be, or anyone to answer to. We just laughed and enjoyed each other's company.

These days, my mom and I don't get to spend much time together. But a few weeks ago, I got to go back to Ohio for the first time in about eight years. She had already driven up from Georgia prior to my arrival and met me at the airport. The trip to my Aunt's house was about three hours long, and I wasn't terribly surprised when she made a "wrong" turn. There's no telling if she did it on purpose or not, but regardless, we had a lot of fun getting lost again. With Tom Petty blasting from the CD player and the dust kicking up behind the car, I think we both got a long overdue adventure. Here's to you mom. I hope to do it again soon :)

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worries
You belong somewhere you feel free

(Illustration Detail- Wildflowers -pencil, digital color by Lani Mathis- Wildflower lyrics by Tom Petty)

Doodling at Macaroni Grill

This post is for Racheal, who recently asked us why we stick to black and white in our ink blots. The truth is we don't. We typically prefer black and white, but give us a set of crayons, and we'll gladly occupy ourselves for hours. (I guess that makes these Crayon Blots…) The only reason we go to Macaroni Grill is because they cover the table with paper and let us color. And to be perfectly honest, waiters and waitresses that don't set drinks or plates on our drawings get bigger tips :D Oh sure, we've freaked out a few people. We've gotten some strange and dirty looks. But you know what? It takes all kinds to make up this great world, and we're proud to be wacky.