hallo-weiner!

The other night I rolled up my sleeves and went to work on the two pumpkins Richie and I bought. This one was my masterpiece: a witch flying high on her broom. It was my first foray into pumpkin art and it was a lot of fun. I have three cuts on my fingers to show for it. There was blood everywhere. Appropriate for Halloween, no?

Don't have a costume this year and I'm not really that into it. Weird. I've always loved Halloween; it has been my favourite holiday for many years. I guess I've been too preoccupied to really get into things.

There is a mould problem in my apartment because a few months ago the hot water heater leaked and the moisture is now all up in my bedroom wall. It's going to get fixed but in the meantime we've been suffering with respiratory problems. It sucks. I sort of wish I lived somewhere drier...

Have spent much of this week redesigning my website. It has been a long time coming! Can't wait to show it off.

joel battle cd.

Voila!

The final design for Joel Battle's full-length, Slow Learner. Once I get my hands on a copy I'll photograph that so you can see it in 3-D. Turned out pretty much how I imagined it in my head. And the music sounds great, too.

goings on.

The last few weeks have flown by!

We had a successful open studio as part of The Drift over the weekend. Saturday and Sunday we opened our doors to the public. On display we had about fifteen photographs printed/framed on canvas and another wall was host to a large number of prints strung up like Christmas cards. In the corner we set up a makeshift photo booth and photographed any willing participants using our tickle trunk of wigs, costumes and props. It was a lot of fun! There's a possibility that we might do the photo booth whenever Julie has an event in the shop. It's a great way to let people know that we're there.


In the next few days I'll finally be sending Joel Battle's cd layout to press. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

Today I'm flying to Edmonton to visit family and friends and on Saturday my cousin and I will drive to Saskatoon. I'll get to see my parents' new home and my sister and Lane are coming for Thanksgiving there as well. I'm beyond excited. It'll be so nice to get out of Vancouver for a bit.

When I come back, I should be starting a new job with a friend as my boss. It's also a design job so I'll be working in my field again.

I will try not to miss my man too much...it will be difficult. This is the first time we've been apart in three months pretty much.

Life is good and it keeps getting better.

dark haired rider.

Totally inspired by this video! No?

I love the parts where the screen splits so he has the lady's legs. It reminds me of those flip books from when I was a kid.

battling.

I took some photos of Joel Battle and Karly Warkentin, in-studio and out. Here are a few of the final images.

Almost done the album artwork! Yes!

hey, single ladies!

This is a flyer I've designed for Darlene Kinney and her matchmaking company, NiceCatch. The inspiration came from Franz Ferdinand's album artwork, which was inspired by Rodchenko's Soviet poster.

I have been helping Darlene put together all her promotional items, including the below copy. Tell any single ladies you know. It's going to be a fun night!

Hey, single lady!
You’re a class act, a real gem.
Obviously it’s tough to meet your match.
Maybe Vancouver’s a tough town.
Maybe you’ve been looking in all the wrong places.
You’ve yet to find a nice catch.

This October, Vancouver’s newest female-run matchmaking company is throwing its launch party, offering a free sign-up with no obligations.

Don’t miss the ultimate ladies’ night! We’re gathering together ladies only for a night of music and cocktails at the trendy Beaumont Studios. Absolutely all women sign up free. A $12 ticket includes:

• Entry to this one-night-only special event
• Nice Catch sign-up
• Professional photo sitting with Jennifer Picard Photography
• Digital headshot
• Complimentary drink

Add to that a cash bar, the sultry sounds of the Just Jazz Trio, and delicious hors d’oeuvres, and you’ve got a memorable night out with the girls.

Be a part of something legendary…and bring your girlfriends, single or otherwise.

Nice Catch Launch Party
Saturday, October 17
8pm until 1am
The Beaumont
316 West 5th Avenue (@ Alberta)

Tickets are available through me or at Higher Grounds Coffee House (2300 West Broadway @ Vine in Kitsilano).

half the battle.

Here is the Joel Battle poster I've been working on. Joel and his band recorded a full-length CD with Jesse Gander this summer. This poster is for the release party in October. I am also designing the artwork for the CD, which is almost complete. Yay for productivity!

t-shirt design.

I designed this t-shirt for the Vancouver band Jakartah. Have you seen these guys? They're machines. They'll be selling 'em at the These Arms Are Snakes show next weekend. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Been working on lots of other things lately, too. Assisting on photo shoots, planning shows for the fall, getting my act together. I may be borrowing a Rhodes piano for the next few months. Pretty excited about that. Yeah, I know I said that I was done with music but really, can that ever happen? Nope.

My life has never ever before been this chaotic. I'm adjusting and trying to work smarter. It's hard when you're a perfectionist and you'll sit and move a bit of text around for an hour. Oh, well. It's how I'm good at what I do. I'm learning to take my time with projects and really do the best job I can. Quality, not quantity. Although, I plan on continuing to be prolific. I'm getting into the swing of things. Woo!

annik!

Last week I was at The Beehive getting my hair done and SJ mentioned that one of her co-workers had recently got herself a kitten but then found out that pets are not allowed in her building. They showed me some photos and told me how cute she was and I said I'd think about it.

Two days later I was back and determined to adopt her, and yesterday I brought her home.

Meet Annik! (Her name used to be Bacon but I obviously had to change that!)

She's named after the Belgian journalist Annik Honoré, whom Ian Curtis of Joy Division had an affair with shortly before he took his life in 1980.

It has been a few years since I've lived with a cat and I'd forgotten how lovely it can be. We had some amazing cuddles this morning! I am so in love.

kick me.

Is the summer over yet? It feels neverending. I want September, with its more balanced lifestyle, its cooler breezes, the wearing of jackets. I want to wake early and write. I want to kick up fallen leaves on the sidewalks, and drink coffee to keep me warm, not caffeinated.

The last few days I spent mostly in bed, sick with a cold. I was well taken care of, on a steady diet of popsicles and Peep Show. Under blankets. Warm bodies. Its funny how illness can make you question the status quo. What are you, who are you, without your health?

Been reading Bukowski again:

I've been reading the philosophers. They are really strange, funny wild guys, gamblers. Descartes came along and said, these fellows have been talking pure crap. He said that mathematics was the model for absolute self-evident truth. Mechanism. Then Hume came along with his attack on the validity of scientific causal knowledge. And then came Kierkegaard: "I stick my finger into existence - it smells of nothing. Where am I?" And then along came Sartre who claimed that existence was absurd. I love these boys. They rock the world. Didn't they get headaches thinking that way? Didn't a rush of blackness roar between their teeth? When you take men like these and stack them against the men I see walking along the street or eating in cafes or appearing upon a TV screen the difference is so great that something wrenches inside of me, kicking me in the gut.

I feel like I need a good kick in the pants.