JOURNAL REVOLUTION

it just figures

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~My house is still full of really good smelling flowers thanks to the nice woman in the red sandals. Damn Her! Don't you just hate nice people with pretty feet? Grrrrrr. It just figures.
~ Fiber One bars:  Tasty and they pack a punch!
~The Key Lime Pie flavored Yoplait Whips, my new addiction. Karen is the one eating the Fiber bars, oddly enough. We have switched dietary habits! I usually do not like yogurt.
~One project finished and mailed.I had to work on a project immediately following LESLEY RILEY. Talk about stressful. I have two of her pieces framed on my wall so I was thinking if I accidentally spilled gesso on the part of the art she made, I could just cut up what was on my wall and  cover up my mess. Luckily, I did not have to do that. WHEW. It's always good to have a back up plan!

Our Bêtes Noires:
~Did you think that because I hadn't mentioned a ball in my yard that they stopped being there? No such luck.
~My husband's 40th birthday is July 1st and I still have no plan. YIKES! What should I get him? He doesn't know about the collection of soccer balls I have. Maybe he'd like those.
~A lizard in my house [Karen, catch it! Maybe we could give it to Dustin for his bday!! Pets make a nice gift.]
~I have not been to Trader Joe's in over a week. No wonder I have a chronic migraine this week! It's withdrawal!
~The manager at the Barnes & Noble in Gilroy, California, would not let me sign copies of Journal Revolution or Visual Chronicles because she said customers could prefer books not autographed.WTF? I am so glad that Maria was with me to witness the exchange because I really could not believe what I was hearing. The manager of the big chain book store did not want me to sign our own books which would've made them MORE VALUABLE. And they had a first edition of  Journal Revolution!  Now, had I been at a small mom and pop type shop like our big time famous brother was in in Kentucky*, ok, but this was Barnes & Noble. Their telephone number is (408) 846-5854. The manager at Borders in Santa Cruz was lovely, they got out their "autographed" stickers and handed me a pen right away! I love them. Buy your books there.

*We were so glad to see that Lee enjoyed Kentucky as much as we did. We love Kentucky. LOVE IT! I hope we get to go back there in this lifetime.

more proof

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~I finally figured out how to get the photos on my iPhone off my phone and on to my computer. Easy!
~I snuck a little time away from obligations to make art. I had to! My hands were too clean! The canvases are drying so there will be original art for sale soon.
~Karen and I are heading over the hill today to make some art with one of our favorite singing-songwriting-arty-bloggers today in a top-secret (super cool) location that I hope I don't break. I don't think there is a swimming pool there so Karen should be safe.
~This Saturday, Stars Down will be performing at The Viper Room. I will be there with my camera, too! They've got some cool songs, check them out!
~Dreyer's American Idol Cookies N Dreamz ice cream. Delish! In case you needed even more proof that we are sisters, the other day I called Karen from the ice cream aisle at Ralphs and she was buying the exact same thing!

Our Bêtes Noires:
~It looks like the actors are going to strike. Oh for the love of Buddha, man! Even if the actors do not strike, CSI is going down for a month in July. It would be ok if there were no strike, though! Please don't strike, actors! I don't want to have to live that video again.
~Karen banged her other foot (the one without the broken toes) and now she's got a sprained toe there, too. Poor Karen. She needs two special boots now.
~Too many people we love still smoke.
~I have made some changes to the site here but when I look at it with my eyes I see those changes really were just in my head. Will the Time and Energy Fairy please deposit some of each into my bank?

the end of the box and a winner

I am at the end of the box so there was room for all your names in the box!
The winner of her choice of a book or a print is Terry Uchida! And, the winner of some buttons is Katie/rusticstains! Ladies, email me your details.

Thanks so much for sharing your lives and your lunches with us. It seems like we'd all like a lot of the same things:
1. People to be less annoying and rude.
2. Calorie free chocolate with magic healing powers.
3. Clothes that aren't stupid. So, who is buying all the ugly stuff?
4. People we love to be in good health and to take better care of themselves.

There are a few more things we'd like:
*I'd like my faux tivo to actually record the end of shows.
*I'd like my period to come when it is supposed to. Is that really asking so damn much?
*I'd like my cell phone to work in my neighborhood (Karen needs the iPhone!)
*I'd like adults who complain about teenspeak to stop saying, "Well, you know, look," before they say anything mildly important.
*I'd like peeps in the carpool lane to drive at least at the speed limit.

For lunch today, I had the Rosemary Apricot (and Crack) Chicken salad from Trader Joe's with the last handful of mac 'n' cheese crackers. Karen had sourdough baguette and brie.

I'd Like A Contest

Today when I was at walmart a display of new crackers caught my eye: Macaroni & Cheese Crackers. Now, I love Macaroni & Cheese and had I not eaten way too many donuts yesterday, I probably would've bought the crackers just to try them, just to know. But really, aren't Cheez-Its Macaroni & Cheese crackers? Are there really a lot of people writing letters to Kraft saying I'd really like a Macaroni and Cheese cracker?
There are some things I'd like:

1. More people who are reliable. Reliable in a good way not in the way that you can always rely on them to let you down and be total flakes and fuck-ups.
2. Lip balm that doesn't make my lips peel off. The Origins one is good but it is so hard going on that it pushes my lips off my face as I swipe it across them. It's called soothing, but it isn't.
3. Stores and restaurants to turn the music down. How could not hearing your customers speak be good business? I get not wanting to hear your parents speak when you are 15, but  I want the kid taking my order hear me say NO TOMATOES, PLEASE!
4. Clothes should be good again. Elastic should stop being in sleeves that are too short for arms that are not anorexic. Ruffles have to stop happening unless they are in potato chips and are next to some dip.
5.  Prizes and free stuff.

What would YOU LIKE? Comment here, telling us what you'd like or what you had for lunch (or both!) by Friday, May 23rd, at Midnight PST. Your name will be tossed into the empty cracker box and a winner will be chosen at  random by a hand covered in crumbs. And since we are into choices and options this week, the prize is the winner's choice of a signed copy of Visual Chronicles, Journal Revolution, or a print from my shop.
Go!

crossed

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~The Wine Country Chicken Salad from Trader Joe's. Get it. It's delish! Oh my Buddha!
~In a couple weeks I am gonna have a 2.5 hour layover in the Salt Lake City Airport. 2.5 hours to do nothing but answer email and people watch! WOW! There's a really good sunglass shop in that airport. I got sunglasses there after a ghost stole my glasses at Nana's funeral.
~My husband went back to work today! Let's hope there are no more work stoppages for any reason, ever.

Our Bêtes Noires:
~There are a lot of calories in that chicken salad and I ate the entire thing in one swoop!
~Lately people keep not getting it when I say no I really mean no. Or when I say I need something now I mean right this fucking instant.
~It's hot out and we have nothing good to wear. Once again, this summer's shirts are all with sleeves way too short or with stupid elastic that make arms squish out.
~I keep getting phone calls from survey companies which I don't get because I thought I was on the Never Ever Call Me list. I keep turning the music down only to be asked if I got good service from my Volvo dealer. SO ANNOYING! I'm not turning the music down anymore.

People have been emailing and asking us to comment on the Orphan Works Act. We can't comment yet because we haven't really had time to read everything. People and publishers already do steal my copyright protected art and our trademarked slogans without compensating us and that stuff isn't orphaned. Laws don't usually stop people from being jerks or dumb asses. That is what we are saying for now. When Karen has studied the act, we will say more. That should be around 2019. In the mean time, sign and watermark your photos and art, people!

i'm twittering

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~A gift of super cool BIG art made by a friend. I am so lucky!
~YOU GUYS!!! Your responses to the the really nice email I got from the scrapper mom were so great. Thank you!
~You can post leettle movies on flickr now. Cool. I know, not new news but new to me.
~I'm twittering.
~I've not yet been kicked out of Target for taking pictures. They are smart. I love them. Buddha bless Target! Go buy a lot of stuff at Target.
~Fruity Pebbles. Still good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
~OMG! A Neil Diamond channel on Sirius radio. Am I in heaven?

Our Bêtes Noires:
~I need to clone myself or find an intern. I don't really have time to do either.
~The Salton Sea must wait a day for me to get there. Everything must wait a day this week. I think this week might even have to wait a day to happen.
~I Am Legend.  Almost 2 hours of my life I won't get back.
~We don't have time to get anyone a birthday, mother's day, anniversary, wedding, wedding shower, baby, baby shower, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, Christmas, Hanukkah, or graduation gift this year. Sorry.
~The parking lot at the Northridge Mall. WTF?

to relish

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~Go Girl Sugar Free Energy Drink. I finally found it after a blogger suggested I try it a few months ago. Blogger, you were right! It tastes good and refreshing and not at all like battery acid. I am now officially addicted to it. We all know what that means: it will probably be discontinued soon. Buy it in bulk.
~Orville Redenbacher's 100 calorie packs of microwave Kettle Korn. It's really good and it makes your entire house smell like a carnival.
~Next week I am going to photograph the Salton Sea. I have always wanted to go there, even after seeing that horrible movie with Val Kilmer.
~I'm starting to make a dent in the 5326 emails I need to respond to! YAY! Since I got the iPhone, life got way easier. I can respond to stuff while I am in line at the post office or waiting at places. I love technology. Still, though, I don't look iPhone cool. I don't have a messenger bag.

Our Bêtes Noires:
~On The Tudors, last season His Majesty called Brandon Brandon and this season he keeps calling him Chaaaaahlz. They are the same person, right?
~It's sinus infection time of year again, so now I get to combine the oh-so-fashionable "baby-doll" maternity wear look with my head-is-going-to-explode expression, creating the strong appearance of pregnancy for all I meet [that is Karen. I just wear black t-shirts and  jeans no matter what the temperature is. This outfit combined with the head about to explode expression works well with being an artist]
~My daughter DID return home from camping and kiss her Hai flat iron before kissing me!
~My husband is home sick today. My husband is sick and Karen's kids are sick. We're locked in our offices blogging with our faces tucked into our shirts so we don't catch any sickness.
~The problem with the iPhone is that whenever I text Karen the word delish, it auto-corrects it to relish. That is a HUGE difference. I need to learn how to fix that.

****ART ALERT: Original art on canvas will be available for purchase soon*****

stalking

Welcome to everyone who clicked here from Rosie's blog!

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~Having a moment to read the paper while eating breakfast with my new mug (a gift from the book signing last weekend) this morning.
~Spotting an ad for our signing with Borders at the Festival Of Books this weekend in the paper I was reading. COOL! We'll be signing for ONE HOUR ONLY because we have to stalk Julie Andrews, so get there early. Yes, our priorities are in order. We're going  to hang out with her at the buffet for best-selling authors. I'm sure she cannot wait.
~This video of Eddie singing my new favorite song, Throw Your Arms Around Me.
~My garden is not dead yet. I keep walking outside and being amazed that I have such a cute garden all in bloom. I always wanted one.

Our Bêtes Noires:
~Last week before I left town, my house was a disaster but I had no time to clean even an inch of it. It was really dirty. There was dog hair everywhere and we don't even have a dog. I decided it was ok because it's not like my husband would have friends over while I was gone. He had friends over while I was gone.
~Normal Reese's peanut butter cups are not as good as the egg version. They should make the eggs all year.
~When people say kissing on, hugging on, hating on anything. What's with the on?
~Something that should've been here 12 days ago still isn't here. Maybe I should buy a pair of white pants or get on an airplane.

a la mode

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~A few hours with mon frere.
~Apple pie a la mode, which is funny because I don't really like apple pie. I only like it a la mode.
~Friends who get excited when we're excited instead of being jealous bitches.
~We've been saying no more and nothing bad has happened. Well, nothing bad happened to us. The people we said no to are probably pissed. We said no nicely, though. We'll say yes more when days start being longer than 24 hours.

Our Bêtes Noires:
~It never works when I try to do the accents on letters here
~My husband is home sick today. I better not get what he has or he'll be dead.
~As soon as I said Topamax saved my life and I haven't had a killer migraine in two months, one woke me up in the middle of the night. I totally jinxed myself. Thank you, hormones.
~Karen is in a deposition all day and we have to do something right now. Even tho this is on the bad list, it's a good sign. A secret sign between sisters that we realized last night. It means something is about to happen.
~I keep forgetting I have another bathroom with a way better mirror.

what the heck happened

Today We're FEELIN' GROOVY about:
~Sirius radio. How did I ever live before being able to listen to bbc radio all day? If I close my eyes and listen, I can pretend I am in London, only no good scones here.
~This song by the guy from The Tudors. Who knew who is also a singer? I love this song. I listened to it 23 times yesterday.
~When people driving really slow pull over and let the 6 cars behind them pass
~It cracks me up that strangers walk right up to me, or YELL across parking lots at me:  "Hey!! Ha! Ha! WHAT the HECK happened to YOU?!" pointing at my limp and boot.
~Even funnier is that they BELIEVE the crazy stories I make up about what the heck happened to me. [perhaps our next contest should be tell us what you had for lunch + give Karen a new story for how she broke her toes!]

Our Bêtes Noires:
~The moment you realize you totally can't trust a person you were trusting for a long time. Barf city.
~When people call repeatedly, in a 15-minute time frame, instead of just leaving a message (or, better yet, e-mailing!)
~"QUITE frankly," That is the indication that a person is about to say something of absolutely NO significance, and which you already knew, because it is not at all 'frank.'
~"yeah, yeah, yeah," said really fast while interrupting someone telling you something you really ought to listen to because you have done it wrong 3 times before, and you are about to do it wrong again.

**The Rev It Up List has been updated.