So, you want a giveaway, hmm? I suppose I can oblige. Now, what would be suitable for such an auspicious occasion?

Well, the traditional first anniversary gift is paper. So, that’s what each of this giveaway’s three (yep, I said ‘three’!) winners will receive.

The first winner chosen will receive their very own original two-color watercolor and alcohol painting on watercolor paper. This 2.5×2.5″ painting will arrive in a 4.5″ white square frame. The winner may choose the colors for the painting, if desired. Otherwise, I will choose them myself. (see more from my two-color series here)

The second winner chosen will receive one 5×7 and one 4×6 print of their choice from my Loveletter to Northern Michigan photo series.

The third winner will receive one art print of their choice from the current prints available in my Etsy shop.

In order to be entered into the giveaway, you must leave ONE comment on THIS post. Just to make things interesting, I’m going to ask that you share your favorite post from this past year (HINT: If you’re lazy and/or have a bad memory like me, you can pick one from this list – heh). Include the link so that other people reading the comments can click through to your favorite post from the past!

Comments will be open until 12pm EST next Monday, August 8, at which time I will confer with random.org to choose three numbers (at random, of course). Winners will be notified via email, so be sure to use a valid email address when entering.

More cool stuff:

As I have mentioned previously, I have an affinity for vintage ads. I also have a stack of vintage magazines from which to mine retro advertising gold like the ad above. Found in the June 1947 issue of ‘Calling All Girls’, this particular kick-in-the-ample-arse of an ad comes from our good friends at Ry-Krisp who are ever so concerned about us heavy girls getting the love and attention (read: having some pervy guy snap our picture on the beach) that we desire. It’s simple really, all we need to do is eat Ry-Krisp instead of bread. C’mon, it’ll be FUN (and give us ‘sparkle’)!

*sigh*

I’m humiliated for a 64-year-old cartoon girl.

Fortunately, my treasure trove of vintage mags holds many entertaining (and far less fat-phobic) ads. If you’re nice, I may share some with you. Aw, hell, even if you’re not nice I’ll still share. See, us fat girls will do anything make you love us. Heh.

Here’s a real gem – Zomb-ees sandals! They’re all the rage in California (written in dreamy script to remind all of us that where we live is much less exotic and far more pedestrian) and at only $1.98 a pair, they’re a total steal! Or not…for all I know $1.98 may have been like $100 in 1947 and I’m too lazy to look it up, so whatever.

Warning: Zomb-ees sandals may or may not feed on brains.

Additional warning: Zomb-ees sandals are not suitable for fat girls. Please consider the Ry-Krisp Reducing Plan to reach a bloomer-friendly weight before purchasing or wearing.

More cool stuff:

Yeah, yeah, I know…it’s Saturday – my perennial tardiness strikes again! Better late than never though, right?

Riiiiiiight.

I’ve decided to try a little something new this week. You’ll notice that there are only ten favorites instead of my usual fifteen. Part of the reason for that is the fact that I’m a day late in posting my favorites (due to a quick family trip that we took this week). The other part is that I wanted to try adding thumbnails to the list and it is a little time-consuming.

Let me know what you think of the new layout and I’ll see about making it a weekly thing!

Perennial by Martin Hoogeboom

I love the idea and the execution behind this.

Perennial by Sophie

Such a sweet illustration with lovely colors and patterns.

Perennial by Ryan

I’m a sucker for ‘four seasons’ illustrations, so I couldn’t pass this one by!

Perennial by Megan Moran Smith

Love the crying clouds.

Perennial by Erika Barriga

So delicate and pretty.

Perennial by Katarzyna Zalewska

Simple and beautiful.

Perennial by Sandra Jessop

The colors in this piece are just gorgeous.

Bountiful Crops by Alyssa Nassner

Love this farmer and his basket full of deliciousness!

Perennial by Laurie French

Sir is completely obsessed with cows lately. This illustration was a favorite for him too!

Perennial by Michael Villegas

So clever!

To see more great illustrations check out IllustrationFriday.com. And if you’d like to see past Friday Favorites, just click here.

More cool stuff:

Now that I am a responsible *cough cough* adult *cough*, I rarely have occasion to get excited about my mail. Typically, the only things I receive are things I don’t want (bills), things I don’t need (junk), and ads (for things I can’t afford). Usually, my most exciting mailbox discoveries include the monthly Costco coupon circular and 20% off Bed Bath & Beyond certificates. Whoopee.

So, imagine my sheer joy and elation at finding this on my front porch today…

What is it? Well, only the most magnificently doodled-on box I have ever received (from the amazingly talented Deirdre McCormick)!

At least, I think it’s for me – the whole ‘Fabulous Ruth Blohm-Hunter’ thing kind of threw me off. Fabulous? Me? Nah. But that is my address, so I’m keepin’ it!

Now, I’m sure you’re asking yourself just what kind of awesomeness could be contained in such a spectacular box, right? Well, let me show you!

Not only did Deirdre include the doodle that she painstakingly worked on for me (a piece that deserves a post of its own), but there was a whole treasure trove of goodies included too – some hand-dyed paper doilies (go here if you want to learn how to make them yourself), some awesome vintage recipe booklets (that double as propaganda from the Gas company and include such delicacies as Saucy Wieners and Foxy Franks), vintage sheet music and wallpaper (look at what she does with these – amazing!) and a lovely card.

And if all that isn’t cool (and inspirational) enough, she also included this…

A new white gel pen! (Because I have been struggling with finding the perfect white pen and she no longer wants to see me suffer – heh.) ETA: I just realized the pen in the picture is the silver pen. She sent silver AND white. What a peach!

WOW! Honestly, I have no idea what I did to deserve such an awesome gift and I am so very, very thankful. My inspiration has been waning lately and this is just the thing I needed to help jump start my creativity. Hey, maybe I’ll even have something to post to this blog again soon. Heh.

More cool stuff:

One year ago today, there was this.

I plan to make a substantial post on this the anniversary of my blog’s portentous ‘birth’. However, it will have to wait a few days, as I am currently flying solo on the whole parenting thing while Big Sir is away for work.

So, now you have that (and a giveaway) to look forward to. In the meantime, check out some of my favorite posts from the past…

• A Circle is a Circle is a Circle…
• 1 of 365 (the first photo of my 365 project)
• From Vine to Pie Part I
• From Vine to Pie Part II
• Illustration Friday : Sweater (my first IF post)
• Sir Begins a New Series
• Missing: One Smelly, Barky, Stubborn, Lovable Dog (Izzy is lost)
• Found: One (Really) Smelly, Barky, Stubborn, Lovable, Exhausted Dog (Izzy is found!)
• It’s a Dog Eat Pancake World
• Portrait of the Artist as a Young Hobo
• Gettysburg Photo Day
• Stop. Shoot. Move on.
• An Inspiration Board
• I Got Yer Poject Right Here!

More cool stuff:

What? Could it be? Am I really back?

Meh. Sort of.

As much as I have missed blogging, drawing, painting, and fully participating in Illustration Friday, I just can’t seem to get it together enough to fully recommit myself to any of those things. My reasons are many and varied, but for now, I’ll take the easy way out and blame it on the oppressive heat we have been experiencing.

It is no secret that summer is my least favorite season, mostly because I cannot handle the heat. The current heat index of 119° has me longing for the crisp, cool breezes of autumn. Instead, I am holed up in my house with all the shades pulled and the AC cranking, watching my son sit around in only his diaper in order to avoid completely melting into a puddle on the couch.

But, I digress.

This post is supposed to be about this week’s Illustration Friday awsomeness. And so it shall be…

• Define Pleasure by Filipa Sotomayor : Simply.Gorgeous.
• Gesture by T. Matthews : So sweet with a lovely color palette.
• Gesture by Elly Chen : BIRD!!
• Gesture by Jackie Kirk : MORE birds!!
• Heart Gesture by Doris Redrupp : Just a very cool design all around.
• Gesture by Naomi Orana : Just beautiful and such lovely colors.
• Gesture by Rosalia : Very unique design and I love the watercolor wash.
• Gesture by Cécile : I like the lines and her red lips.
• Gesture by Andree : Love the retro style here.
• Gesture by Wendy Howarth : So, so sweet.
• Gesture by Tina Kugler : Very cute and a little retro.
• Gesture by Becka Moor : Love this monster!
• Pencil + Paper by Maria Alejandra Rivera : A very nice gesture, indeed.
• Gesture by Amie : Yum!
• Gesture by Dave Palmer : If that guy was the current weather, that hand would totally be mine.

To see more great illustrations check out IllustrationFriday.com. And if you’d like to see past Friday Favorites, just click here.

More cool stuff:

Title: Untitled
Date: 7.17.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: Farmers’ market offerings for my little Fruit Monster.

More cool stuff:

Title: Untitled
Date: 7.16.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: Tree that I once loved (is now becoming the bane of my existence).

More cool stuff:

Title: the mermaid rocks
Date: 6.22.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: I have gotten rather lax in my photo-taking, so I missed a few days. I’ve chosen some of the pieces from my new series to fill in the gap. See them all here.

More cool stuff:

Title: Untitled
Date: 7.14.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: Just fillin’ a hole with water.

More cool stuff:

I have (mostly) not abandoned my blog, although it probably looks like it. Honestly, I am desperately trying to play catch-up (and tackle a ridiculous task of epic proportions in my pain-in-the-arse backyard) now that I am back in Baltimore.

I apologize for my lack of, well, everything around here. No Friday Favorites? No nothing? Yeah, pathetic. But I really, really needed a break from pretty much every aspect of my life and that break somehow managed to last three weeks. The only downside (aside from my shameful neglect of this blog) is that my muse decided to stay in northern Michigan (as I wish I could have). So, instead of creating (I haven’t touched my art supplies at all since arriving home), I’ve been focusing on the aforementioned ridiculous task…that, and falling down the basement stairs. Boy, am I sore.

So, for those of you who missed me (What? You didn’t even realize I was gone? Sheesh.), here are a few random tidbits.

• Friday Favorites will be returning ASAP, now that I am once again in the Land of the Reliable Internet Connection (also the land of freaking Code Red air days and stifling humidity).
• My trip was not completely devoid of creativity. In fact, I shot (what I think is) a very nice series of photographs while in northern Michigan. I even sucked it up and created prints for sale in my Etsy shop. Please check them out and let me know what you think!
• I have once again fallen way behind on my 365 Project. Hopefully, I’ll get all caught up by the end of the week. I really can’t wait to be done with it.
• Mosquitoes only like to bite the back of my left calf. What the hell is up with that?
• I have really missed reading everyone’s blogs and looking at Illustration Friday submissions. I really need to get back into the swing of things and hope that I can coax my muse to come back east.
• I chickened out on the gallery thing. I know, I know. Lame.
• This place is fantastic. Try the Auxerrois  and the fungus wine (sounds disgusting, but it’s actually quite delicious).

photo : lakeside II by yours truly (available for purchase here)

More cool stuff:

Title: Untitled
Date: 7.13.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: Just diggin’ a hole.

More cool stuff:

Title: lakeside I
Date: 6.28.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: I have gotten rather lax in my photo-taking, so I missed a few days. I’ve chosen some of the pieces from my new series to fill in the gap. See them all here.

More cool stuff:

Title: waterlily I
Date: 6.29.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: I have gotten rather lax in my photo-taking, so I missed a few days. I’ve chosen some of the pieces from my new series to fill in the gap. See them all here.

More cool stuff:

Title: minnows
Date: 6.29.11
Camera: Nikon D80
Notes: I have gotten rather lax in my photo-taking, so I missed a few days. I’ve chosen some of the pieces from my new series to fill in the gap. See them all here.

More cool stuff: