My Little Ponies

I drew my daughters as fillies based on ideas from Natalie. She wanted to be a unicorn so that she could do magic. Paisley is a baby pegasus pony. I stole the background image.

What colors did she want to be? "Pink! And maybe blue or something?"

I showed her the finished picture and Natalie said, "I am saying, 'WHO are YOU?'" That's basically what I was going for. Fatherhood is magic.

Buy-Nothing Update

Buddha as Ascetic, Kawagoe, Japan
The picture-drawing part of buy-nothing month is over. Half my reason for doing this is to stop the cycle of "shopping thoughts" that have plagued me since wish-list season began last December. The culprit became clear on the first official day of the experiment.

I love Pinterest, it's a lot of fun, but it wasn't doing me any favors on my quest for a clear mind and a healthy bank account. Once I stepped out of that echo chamber of consumerism nearly all my envy fuel evaporated. There was nothing left to draw. So I quit.

This hasn't changed my plans for saving money, though. I'm still not going to buy anything for myself in February (maybe longer?). It is just not a big deal anymore.

Buy Nothing Month

Because we're trying to save money and I like challenges, February 2012 is Buy Nothing Month. I will buy nothing for myself for the next 29 days. Beyond the bare essentials for survival, of course. That means:

YES

• Bills
• Taxes
• Groceries
• Gas

NO

• Booze
• Toys
• Clothes
• Games
• etc.

Instead, every day I will draw a picture of the thing(s) I am thinking of buying that day. I got an app to produce these abstract chicken scratches. It's like a low-rent version of Hchom's cribbers lists. Click the pic below to begin the magical journey!

Formal Fridays

"Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he's well dressed." -Charles Dickens

I greatly appreciate the relaxed dress code at my office. I have taken full advantage of it over the years to clothe myself casually and sometimes like a bit of a slob. Since I'm making an effort to up my game, though, I decided to invite other like-minded gentlemen to join in the fun once a week.

Formal Fridays are a ready-made excuse to put on something outside our usual repertoire and take confidence that we won't be the odd man out. We have two weeks under our belt now. Looks like it might stick!

I'll post my photos here. Please send me yours if you decide to play along at home, and I'll share them with the rest of the class.

2011 in review

So, 2011, huh? That definitely happened. The end of last year/beginning of this one have blurred past as we continue adjusting to life with two children. Paisley got her first tooth, Natalie had a magical Christmas, and I got a vasectomy. What else happened in 2011?

• I took up running and trained regularly for about eight months, the longest time I have ever stuck with an exercise regimen, by far. I also completed four races.
• Paisley was born and we had a wee one in the house again. She was baptized with water from the Jordan River. I love her.
• Natalie turned three. She started preschool in the fall and is taking a ballet/tap dance class. She knocked out a tooth. She is smart and funny and sweet. I love her.
• It was the sixth year for Craftstravaganza and the second Minneapolis Indie Xpo. I wasn't involved much with MIX this time around but still moderated two artist panels and had a great time at the show.
• Creative projects for the year:
• Lots of homemade ice cream
• I printed Bob the Golfer comics and sold them at SpringCon
• I also created a culture book for my company
• Nobody wanted this painting at the $100 sale
• "Creating An Event" panelist at The Creative Connection
• Some chickens lived, some chickens died, some chicks grew up to be hens; the circle of life goes on.
• We are still married! Honestly, every year has been better than the one before. Raising kids can be a challenge but I think that has brought us even closer together. Our love will last forever and ever.

Did I keep my New Year's Resolution? No. Do I have goals for 2012? Of course! First, spend less money than last year because for serious, we need to do that. Dress better at work (but without, you know, spending any money). Plant a Paisley tree. Make [SECRET CRAFT PROJECT]. Keep on being awesome.

Happy New Year!

Sisters, sisters