Irony

Is it just me ... or is there something funny -- and by funny I don't mean funny ha-ha so much as funny odd -- about selling organic produce wrapped up in plastic and styrofoam? Doesn't that kind of defeat at least part of the purpose of *organic*?

I find this ironic in the same sort of way as driving an SUV to the recycling center.

And building a luxury townhome community called Beverly Hills behind K-Mart.

My greatest achievement to date

AT LAST! I wasn't sure that it would ever happen, I've been working on it for so long. But today, just a few moments ago, I did it. I achieved that which so many others try and fail to do for a lifetime. They must pass from this world to the next without knowing the feeling of the wind of such great success because it is so rare, so delicate, so fleeting. It is sad. But I -- *I* -- now glide upon that wind with the grace and majesty and cuteness of a goldfinch.

Perhaps it was partially luck -- being in the right place at the right time, like catching glimpse of a shooting star. But I can say for certain that one does not get to this point without gallons of blood, sweat and tears. It takes dedication and sacrifice. It takes motivation and focus. It takes a refined balance of brain, brawn, beauty and wit. And today the world will know that I, Sarah Christine Schodroski Ehman, have all of that -- and more.

For *I* am now the Bomb Shizzle.

Here is my handle, here is my...

I'll have an Easter weekend post for you soon, but in the meantime, you can enjoy our box of Chai tea latte mix. It's not just a pour spout, it's a RETRIEVAL PORTAL!

The Land of Nod

I was shopping at Crate & Barrel online the other day, and inadvertently discovered their children's shop, The Land of Nod. I started exploring The Land of Nod, not only because it sounds like a place I'd like to live (wouldn't that be fun to put in your return address?!), but to see if maybe they had anything up on Pottery Barn Kids (besides the FANTASTICALLY FANTASTIC NAME)...and then I found *THIS*:

Not ONLY do they have a product called Storage-palooza (which combines two of my favorite things *ever* -- storage and paloozas), it will be delivered "lickety-split" in 5-7 days. Bedding boasts names like Twill Out, All Solar Systems Go, and THE BUCKAROO STOPS HERE (!). OH! the play on words, clichés, colloquialisms and pormanteaus! WHO gets to think of these names?! Because he or she or they is or are brilliant and I want to be their friend.

And don't even get me started on the prints and posters.

It's the perfect example of the power of words and creative freedom and imagination, because even though -- aesthetically speaking -- I like PB Kids products just as much, The Land of Nod is SO MUCH MORE FUN TO READ. And while PB Kids might deliver my stuff in 5-7 days too, wouldn't *you* rather have it delivered "lickety-split"? You SEE?!?!! Deep within those unassuming words exists the power to engage my sense of whimsy, tickle my clever bone, and make me willing to open my wallet and SPEND. (Do we really need *another* reason to teach more fine arts and creative writing in schools? Here's one: IT'S GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY.)

Arts advocating soapbox aside, I'm totally setting up a gift registry with The Land of Nod when I have kids, in addition to the Amazon.com wish list of children's books I've already started. Sure, I could get something similar for less from Target or Wal-Mart and no one would know the difference. But when playtime is over, and we're putting the blocks into the proper bin, I will giggle inside because it's not just a method to keep toys organized and tidy: it's storage-PALOOZA!

Purpose and Purposelessness IV

Just adding to the list:

1. Run a marathon (26.2 miles), or be capable of it, by the time I reach the age of 26.2 on December 31, 2008
2. Get a little pineapple tattoo
3. PASS THE PRAXIS II
4. Start an Etsy shop for my art and design work (stationery and maybe the Little Joys cutouts) in 2008
5. Take a Zorbing trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee this summer
6. Finish my master's degree by May 2009
7. Vacation in the Canadian Rockies

CrADD

While color will always be, in my heart, the numero uno design element, texture runs a tight second. And that is precisely the reason I'm loving crochet. It's been a loooooong time since I picked it up, but I've started, I've fallen deeply in love, and I can't stop. It's like some highly addictive fiber arts frenzy. Crafty crack.

The catch, however, is an affliction I call Creative-ADD (CrADD), similar to Cleaning-ADD (ClADD); both involve starting a project and working feverishly on it...until I think of another project to work on (or notice something else to clean), and I may at any one time have several projects or chores underway. I'm currently working on (1, 2, 3, 4) 5 crochet projects (and was thinking of starting another, oh and I've promised to start another blanket for my mother-in-law), and 1 knitting project (by the way, I'm teaching myself to knit, too).

ALTHOUGH--to my own credit--the reason I haven't continued working on two of the projects is that I ran out of the yarn for them.

ALTHOUGH--against my credit--instead of buying the yarn to complete the projects, I bought the yarn to start new projects, but WHATEVER. I need VARIETY (another element of design, thank you very much). And I *will* finish. Someday.

So here are just a few of the projects I am working on (and one that I've finished!).

This is the afghan that started it all. It's about 6 1/2 feet long, currently ~2 feet wide and has used $100 worth of yarn, which is funny because that's the exact price Keith said he would pay me for finishing it...

A baby bootie (just one so far):

An egg cozy, also lonely:

Look! A finished piece! It's a bookmark crocheted with red thread. Or a runner for a miniature table. I didn't know I had the patience in me to do work so tiny, but lo and behold, I do, and here is the FINISHED product in all of its book marking glory. Now that I know I can work with this stuff and not jab my eyes out with the miniscule crochet hook, I can try making pretty little crocheted trims! You know, to embellish stuff.

I WANT EVERYONE TO SEE THE TINY-ASS HOOK I USED FOR THE BOOKMARK (it's the shiny thing in front of the pencil) and marvel and go "OOOOHHHH!" and "AAAAHHHHH!" and "Sarah! You are AMAZING!":

And finally, four completed motifs for another blanket. J'ADORE the colors. (And the texture too.)

Asterisks

Sarah Schodroski Ehman
Asterisks
December 2007
Paper
5" x 7"

It's been some time, but I've finally gotten around to remembering to post a photo of my most recently completed cutout, inspired by a previous post on the delightful punctuation mark of the same name, and with every intention of being gifted to Jen A for Christmas. I must admit, it was tough to part with, but it made her happy, which made me happy, and hopefully I will be just as happy and not the least bit jealous to see it hanging on her wall (rather than mine).

I'm thinking of trying it again with black paper, to further enhance the color, glitter and sheen of the papers underneath. We'll see. Meanwhile, I have the cutout layer of another project completed--all it needs is the collage underneath. It looks like another busy week/weekend ahead of me, so I'm not sure when I'll get to it, but be on the lookout for another Little Joys installment soon!

The herald of spring

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

Thanks Jen ( & Courtney)!

Review of the future

It's employee review time at work. This always depresses me, because as I go through and make my list of accomplishments for the past year, I realize that I can basically summarize my job accomplishments as follows:

I drew some stuff, I printed some stuff, I scanned some stuff, and I mounted it all on foamcore.

It might be alright if it read more like this:

I drew some stuff, I printed some stuff, I scanned some stuff, and I mounted it all on foamcore, which promptly ended world hunger.

But wouldn't it be more effective to have us create a list of accomplishments we *wish* was ours? I mean, don't you think it would better suit a company to have their employees thinking more about what could be, rather than what was -- to focus on the future, rather than to dwell on the past? Don't you want to know what I *want* to do, instead of plowing through a fluffed-up account of what I've done in days gone by? Wouldn't *that* tell you something more important about the people working for you?

It really got me thinking, and so I've decided to put together my wishful thinking summary of accomplishments for next year, written in the third person, of course.

In the past year, Sarah has proven that she is a keystone member of the world, and that our lives are exponentially better because she exists.

Not only has she inspired countless others to embrace a more magnanimous philosophy of thoughtfulness toward and awareness of the impact of our actions on others through her own behavior, she has pioneered the widespread acceptance of imagination and creativity as a crucial component of humanity.

Sarah channeled her youthful energy and boundless creativity to establish the "Creative Lounge," a place for all people to leave adult worries outside and experience relaxation, rejuvenation and imagination--to focus on discovering how to use the talent and creativity that each person posesses for the betterment of being.

Additionally, Sarah finished crocheting her first afghan this year. She also ran a marathon and got a little pineapple tattoo. Through these innocuous acts, she demonstrated that even that which we believe to be impossible can be achieved.