Saturday, December 15, 2012

An Ode to Scissors


I love cutting paper and I love the sound of scissors cutting paper. But even more, I love the shape of a pair of scissors. There's something so elegantly beautiful about the shape of scissors. And, if I could, I would have a drawer full of them.

Here's what my dream drawer of scissors would look like:


Shears by Shozaburo scissor company from Best Made Company


Marguerite Scissors from The French Needle



Allex Non-Stick Scissors from The Shop at Cooper-Hewitt


Antique Stork Scissors from The Vintage Universe


Double Face Scissors (Photo: Colleen Abbott/Pinterest)


9 Inch Fabric Scissors from Spartan Shop


Brass Scissors from Hay




 9" Studio Teflon Scissors by Merchant & Mills


(Photo: Pack Rat Memories Blog)


I leave you with a poem by Pablo Neruda.

Ode to a Pair of Scissors

Prodigious
scissors
(looking like
birds, or
fish),
you are as polished as a knight's
shining armor

Two long and treacherous
knives
crossed and bound together
for all time,
two
tiny rivers
joined:
thus was born a creature for cutting,
a fish that swims among billowing linens,
a bird that flies
through
barbershops.

Scissors
that smell of
my seamstress
aunt's
hands
when their vacant
metal eye
spied on
our
cramped
childhood,
tattling
to the neighbors
about our thefts of plums and kisses.

There,
in the house,
nestled in their corner,
the scissors crossed
our lives,
and oh so
many lengths of
fabric
that they cut and kept on cutting:
for newlyweds and the dead,
for newborns and hospital wards.
They cut
and kept on cutting,
also the peasant's hair
as tough
as a plant that clings to rock,
and flags
soon stained and scorched
by blood and flame,
and vine
stalks in winter,
and the cord
of
voices
on the telephone.

A long-lost pair of scissors
cut your mother's
thread
from your navel
and handed you for all time
your separate existence.
Another pair, not necessarily
somber,
will one day cut
the suit you wear to your grave.

Scissors
have gone
everywhere,
they've explored
the world
snipping off piece of
happiness
and sadness
indifferently.
Everything has been material
for scissors to shape:
the tailor's
giant scissors,
as lovely as schooners,
and very small ones
for trimming nails
in the shape of the waning moon,
and the surgeon's
slender
submarine scissors
that cut complications
and the knot that should not have grown inside you.

Now, I'll cut this ode short
with the scissors
of good sense,
so that it
will
fit in your pocket
smoothed and folded
like
a pair
of scissors.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Mermaid Love

"I must be a mermaid...I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living" 
Anaïs Nin



I really do love mermaids. These intangible, mercurial creatures are my muses when making my paper doll art. There are no rules and no limits to my imagination when designing my mermaids.

I was once asked in an interview on the blog "I Am a Mermaid" what the appeal of mermaids was to me and I simply stated,

"I am forever drawn to the ocean. I find the ocean mesmerizing, dangerous, and calming at the same time. Maybe it's the vast unknown that is attractive. So to me, mermaids embody the ocean and all its mystery, danger, and beauty. There's something about mermaids that is devastatingly romantic and elusive".


So when I sit down to make my paper dolls I mix a little of my hopeless romantic side with a bit of my love for haute couture fashion and the end result is always something different.

My latest mermaid paper dolls are my holiday-inspired creations. 

Mermaid Paper Doll 70 - "Chrysanthemum Joy"

 Mermaid Paper Doll 71  - "Blue Swan"


 Mermaid Paper Doll 72 - "Ghostly Sea Dragon"

 Mermaid Paper Doll 73 - "Red Barnacles"


Mermaid Paper Doll 74 - "Sweet Plum"



Of course, I especially love stumbling upon those unique mermaid finds that totally grabs my attention! One of the best places to look is on Etsy

Here are some of my favorite mermaid finds on Etsy: 

Mermaid Screenprint by Roddy and Ginger


Merbunny by Etsy seller Alexis Colbert 

Mermaid Rocking Boat by Enchanted Pumpkin Art


Better Than a Hoop Ammonite Earrings by Helena Bianca Studios. 
(I love these earrings! I can definitely see any mermaid wearing these lovelies!) 


There are also a handful of other beautiful mermaid paper dolls that I need to add to my own personal collection. My favorites from Etsy include: 

Old School Tattoo Mermaid Paper Doll by Leila of Illustrated Ink.


Mermaid Paper Doll by Celena and Martin of The Filigree




Mermaid Jointed Paper Doll by Five and Nineteen
I also love these Mermaid Costumes!

Kim Kardashian's Mermaid Halloween 2012 Costume (Photos: Getty Images)

Mermaid Child Costume (Photo: Parent Magazine)

DIY Mermaid Costume (Photo: Erika McConnell/Halloween Celebrations)

In addition, I had to share these absolutely gorgeous photographs by the talented Russian artist Nika Kurnosova. Her photographs with Olga Moskvina as the mermaid are like pre-Raphaelite paintings that capture the mystery and beauty of mermaid folklore.



 (Photo:Nika Kurnosova)

(Photo:Nika Kurnosova

 (Photo:Nika Kurnosova)




If there was any one place to shop for mermaid memorabilia, Mermaid Cove, located in historic Old Town San Diego, is the place to visit. I was in Mermaid Heaven stepping into their light-blue ocean store.

A peak into "Mermaid Cove's" store front window.

Day of the Dead mermaid plus other fun, quirky mermaid finds.

I love the mermaid bookends!

Mermaid ornaments galore!!! I know what Carlos will be getting me for Christmas!

Pretty mermaid purse.

A gorgeous copper mermaid weather vane that I love, love, love!


And that's my mermaid rap! Thanks for stopping by and go live deeply!



Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Poll - Who Had the Hottest Pair of Celebrity Crushes?

I always like telling people how I grew up in a family with five kids. It was really fun growing up with three older sisters and one younger brother. Our sibling dynamics were definitely something Sigmund Freud would have loved to study. Through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, we were and still are very close to one another. One of those strong bonds between us siblings was always knowing who were our latest celebrity crushes. We made sure nobody messed with our main celebrity squeezes!

So in grand tradition of sibling rivalry, I am asking everyone to please take my poll and choose which sibling had the hottest pair of crushes by decade. I have ordered our names by oldest (Charmaine) to youngest (Jun-Jun...that's my family's nickname for my brother). I appreciate your participation and please share this post because the more votes the more accurate the results! Thank you.

One last thing, I just want to give a shout out to my friend and co-worker, Kristina, for inspiring me to make this poll during one of our many, "deep" conversations about pop culture at work. Thanks Kristina!

Celebrity Crushes of 1980s

CHARMAINE - Johnny Depp and Roger Taylor (of Duran Duran)

ROSE - Rob Lowe and C. Thomas Howell

STEVIE - Matt Dillon and Billy Zabka

JESSICA - Ralph Macchio and Jon Cryer

JUN-JUN - Cheetara of ThunderCats and Lady Jaye of G.I. Joe




Celebrity Crushes of the 1990s

CHARMAINE Johnny Depp and Ewan McGreggor

ROSE - Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas

STEVIE - Keanu Reeves and Ethan Hawke

JESSICA - Tennis Champion Boris Becker and Brad Pitt

JUN-JUN - Paula Abdul and Martika





Celebrity Crushes of 2000s

CHARMAINE - Johnny Depp and Eric Bana


ROSE- Brad Pitt and Josh Holloway

STEVIE - Matt Dillon and Dermot Mulroney

JESSICA- Christian Bale and Brad Pitt

JUN-JUN - Eliza Dushku and Salma Hayek




Celebrity Crushes of the 2010s - Present

CHARMAINE - Robert Downey Jr. and Joseph Gordon Levitt

ROSE - Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling

STEVIE - Keanu Reeves and Tristan MacManus

JESSICA - Christian Bale and Alexander Skarsgard

JUN-JUN - Sean "Boromir" Bean and San Diego Chargers' Quarterback Phillip Rivers