New Blogs, Old Movies, and Other Such Nonsense

I forgot to mention that I played around with my blog layout and look. Let me know if it drives you crazy to try and read it. I know that with vertigo, I couldn't stomach looking at any text on a black background for long without getting pretty darn stomach sick. This seems to work so far, at least I read through the first couple of entries just to give it a try. I think I like the look, not too out there but just enough to make me happy.

The last few days have been dedicated to the stomach badness that Mark brought home to us from work. Lots of vomit here and there with one little dude still having trouble every other night. We are crossing our fingers that it is passing now since last night was pretty peaceful and puke free for all of us. We'll be eating some bland foods for a while yet. One good thing has come out of all of the late nights tending to the sick. I have rediscovered my love of old spooky movies and found some new inspiration for some of my work through them. If you haven't noticed, I am kind of consumed by all things paranormal. I love old and ghostly! Ghost stories true and imagined, ghost towns, old buildings, old cemeteries, anything with a little bit of history to it. I swear, the second I have a car, I am taking my dude and my two kiddos on a tour of ghost towns of the west. I can't wait! It will be wonderful!

Since I was all cooped up for most of last year, I spent a lot of time searching for inspiration from different areas. I really needed something new to keep me going through my new mama tiredness. So much of my time has been spent here in the papa chair watching old movies, looking up reference materials and perusing old books for things that make my heart go all a-flutter. I have once again reclaimed my love of antiques, thrifting, and all things old and gently used, just like when I was fourteen. Except now I have actual working ideas on how to incorporate what I do now with elements that I love from the past.

With Ed and her non-sleepy baby ways, I spend a fair amount of time watching old movies anyways and drooling over costumes, jewelry, and make-up, and wanting somehow to incorporate some of those feelings into my work. That, and all this love of the unknown is kind of taking over my soul at the moment. I think that's where things are headed, a little of this, a little of that, and some of the same. It's a great time for experimentation!

I Got Tagged!

Yes, it is my turn to share some random facts about myself, seven to be precise. Thanks to Jewelry Rockstar, you will now all know some random bits about myself that many may or may not know already.

1. When I was five I wanted to be a pig and I cried when my parents laughed about it. Like the time my sister and my parents told me I was adopted and that my real parents were cows from outer space. I was mortified....not about being a cow's offspring, but about being from outer space.

2. I have always loved ghost stories. It started when I was tiny. When I was little, I had and invisible friend named Horace who was a ghost and lived in abandoned amusement park on the hill above my house. Horace used to follow me everywhere......until he got another girlfriend.

3. I have an insane fear of hangovers, probably from my wilder days, I hate the head achy, yuck-tummy, barfilicious feeling and will never have more than two drinks because of it.

4. I love exploring old ghost towns. One of my goals is to get out and see the ones in the far reaches of Northern California and photograph them. I have been to a few but I have never gotten to photograph them.

5. I love old homes, I hope to one day buy one, restore it and live in it until I am very, very old.

6. I had to give up crocheting because I became obsessive about it and couldn't stop causing great pain to my hands and back.

7. I have never seen Bigfoot, although I try each time we are out in the forest. It is another one of my goals, just to see a big ol' footprint or something. Some say that you will smell him before you see him though.

I am sure there is a lot more about me but that should be enough to entertain for a while. Well, I am off to explore ghost towns and hunt for Bigfoot tracks!