celebrating 15 leapyears!

MOM!! Happy Birthday. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo, we love you!

very tiny boxes & tins

the vain crow

The light is seriously magnificant—if only mcad felt this lovely all the time.

And that brings us to lesson-time from Brothers Grimm——The Vain Crow.

for the white cherrys

Ahhh, The white cherries from Marshall Michigan between the years of 1897–1913 must have been delecttttttable! These first and second place ribbons were awarded by The Calhoun Fair in Marshall Michigan & the Michigan Pomological Society. I love love the typography, the colors and w.cherrys!

[[The Pomological Society fosters the science and practice of fruit growing and variety development.]]

NPS 1948

the octopus

a cut out from my sweet encyclopedia set from 1945 and photo of the giant in nyc.

inside Pollock's cases

Pollock's Toy Museum is quite dense and dark and the greatest gem EVER! I couldn't get any distance to get the sort of photos I desired; you will have to witness the goodness yourself when you're in London. I really admired the labels and captions that sit in the dioramas and cases. Nothing pretentious / everything perfect.

peepshow mishmash!

_Acrobats from Pollock's Toy Museum in London.
_Titillating titles offered by the Little Blue Books.
_Trespasser sign being swallowed by a tree in Wales.
_Two penny arcade Peepshows from the MN State Fair.

i love her!

I gave this to my sister; it now lives with her other special pincushions and tapemeasures. for some reason this turtle kills me.

more from Medicine Lake (feb. 10)

The Art Shanty event is reason to love and embrace and hold Minnesota! Look at everyone's gear on my favorite Art Shanty blog: Snap Shot Shanty.

a few of my favorite old valentines

The Land of Cute wishes you a happy Valentine's day and splendid night.

sousaphone on ice

Or is it a Tuba? Lot's of amazing people enduring the relentless weather at the Art Shantys today.
—more photos to come.

the loom, the loops and the looper

Going out to the Art Shantys today to demo LOOMLOOPERS (woven potholders) in the Shanty of Misfit Toys. My forecaster says its quite chilly out there. -40degree windchill! FUN FREEZING FINGERS!

good morning!

I wish this 'cafe' was open year-round—everything about it seems perfect.
You should look for this vendor in August at the MN State Fair.

captain usa

This photo is from a couple years back...taken in New Haven—at the time I recall being freaked out by this lively gentleman.

I didn't witness anyone quite this outwardly ostentatious at the caucus I attended last night; there WAS an amazing energy and it was quite satisfying taking part. Go go-OOOOOOO!

An eclectic mix of titles

from my mini collection of Little Blue Books. They are truly pocket-sized 3.5 by 5 inches.

Check out the range of topics, authors and titles at The Leonard Axe Library in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Person of the day: Emanuel Haldeman-Julius

For more on Julius Haldeman and the history of The Little Blue Books click here.

The results...

This morning Punxsutawney Phil proclaimed there will be six more weeks of winter. Sir groundhog directed President Cooper to a scroll that read:

As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me.
Six more weeks of winter it will be!

Check out www.groundhog.org for enlightening fun facts, past predictions and info on Phil's longevity and weight.

The lion and the unicorn

"The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown;
The lion beat the unicorn all about the town.
Some gave them white bread and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plumb cake and drummed them out of town."

A popular English nursery rhyme from when Scotland (unicorn) and England (lion) were rivals.
The lion and the Unicorn remain a part of the British coat-of-arms to this day. [As it goes... the unicorn is chained because in mediaeval times a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast (only a virgin could tame a unicorn].

On Britian's coat of arms resides their motto: Dieu et mon Droit [French for 'God and my right'].