kittytoes | Recent Entries

I'm in a weird head place. I hate knowing that something is bothering me more than it should. But how much should anything bother anyone?

When I have to do something I don't want to, I obsessively make lists of the tiny things it will take to get through it. I know how bad it is by how small the steps.

No, it's not bad now.

At all

I've got my hair back to black. That helps a lot.

I need to buy clothes and shoes. That helps too.

The boys had a last hoorah at my mom's house and it was short but nice to have 2 nights alone. We drove them there and spent the day with my mom in her pool and that was nice too. My dad had been away for a few days and she told me that she barely slept, being alone without my dad or their dog really wrecked her. That worries me.

Mat had to work, but we spent our nights catching up on TV. Finished True Blood forever. I liked the final season a lot more than the last few, but I was not thrilled with the finale. We also watched the second season of Hemlock Grove and liked it very much. I think it was better than the first in a lot of ways. It had an insane finale again, but it felt right. I think, backed right up to True Blood, it felt like the right sort of batshit crazy. They do werewolf really really well.

I also really liked Grabbers on Netflix. Fun sci fi/horror/comedy to watch with a drink or two.

We haven't been school shopping yet and it is making me twitchy.

I usually enjoy school shopping but Gid has a long list of very very specific things, down to brands and colors.

I get that, actually. And sort of appreciate it. Still, lower on the fun scale.

Also, they wear uniforms. I LOVE that, but it makes for lame shopping.

Starting to think about Halloween. I feel drained by this summer and I'm already beginning to worry about the energy and $$ our Halloween party requires. I've had the thought that once Halloween fell on a Friday like it does this year, we'd forgo the usual party for a Day of the Dead celebration. I think that might be the answer.

Working on dolls. I am getting very excited to show for real. It has me headed in the right direction. Also, another reason I don't want to lose my fall to Halloween prep.

I was going to look for one without the video because I love the album cover *so much* but I have to post puppets on principle. <3 Natasha

I am excited for Box Trolls.

Also, Mat got us tickets to see Varekai again soon. I am excited for both Cirque and an actual date.

Dolls, puppets, circus. I am easy to please.

I find it hard to believe it is already/only Thursday.

Sliding down the last of the summer hill.

Rowan is for sale. She has been cleaned and freshly painted and blushed and boy, 9 years has changed my painting skills, ha. I wish I had better eyes and a nice wig for her pictures, but that was part of the problem -- she didn't get any attention here ever.

I have a little giveaway running on Instagram
And another on Tumblr

I'm not sure if I'm going to sell postcards after my current stock sells out. I think not. It's time for other things.

What is your favorite movie featuring mermaids?

I love this:

I've got lots of things to do. I hope your Wednesday is nice and your dinner is yummy. We're having burritos.

He's still a ridiculous rag doll baby monster fluff and he lets me snoodle him up whenever I want. I'm gonna give him a bath tonight.

Toby turned 6! I have a lot of feels about it, but we won't get into those. I will share his party though, because it was pretty great.

Balloons! Finn cakes! Lumpy Space Princess rice crispie treats!

The kid wash! Unashamedly stolen from Pinterest. I saw this idea a while back and after working with SO MUCH PVC for the puppets, I knew how easy this would be. I drew up my own plans and we were able to get all of the supplies from the hardware store and the dollar store. It was a HIT! So easy to do and the kids loved it. Any alternative to a pool is very welcome in the city and this was big and fun and wet and easy to take apart and store in the basement. We're definitely going to set it up again before summer is over.

Ice King piñata! Ha, I hate making piñatas. Not really, but wow it was tedious. I had two small cardboard boxes to work with so I maximized them and he wound up being surprisingly big. I also wanted the crepe paper to be denser on his coat than his beard, so it is folded in half then cut then glued I probably made it a lot denser than necessary. He did look pretty great. I also thought he'd be a breeze to break since I did not coat him with any papier-mâché and I only used masking tape on his front seams, but he took a lot of whacking. We had a lot of kids here though, so that was ok. Em's boyfriend finished him off. (I think making piñatas for teenage boys is an untapped market.)

When Toby wakes up he will officially be 6. I had to make him a bigger Finn hat so I turned his old one into Little Dude.

The night before his actual birthday on Tuesday, I turned his old Finn hat into Little Dude. (I had made him a new one since he outgrew the old one.) We had some friends over and had burritos and more cake. He said it was the best birthday ever. It was nice to see his friends and he got some amazing gifts. One was a magic set and he loves it and it is hilarious. He started practicing the night he got it, after putting on a suit and top hat. I seriously don't know where he came from. I can't believe he's this big already.

There's more news, but I'll share that later. Right now I have to build a Lego tower.
xo!

But I've got no time.

right now

It's rainy! I like that. It's humid! I don't like that. I do not understand why, if my heritage is tropical, my hair reacts as it does to too much moisture in the air. It seems maladaptive. I am glad it is Friday. I am glad we have nothing to do. I want to stare at Mat some.

Things I am obsessed with lately:

The whole soundtrack for Only Lovers Left Alive. Also, the movie. Loved it.

Related? In an amazing way. This film. I seriously cannot love Jemaine more. I don't know when it's due in theaters.

This little girl

The idea of this movie. It will be amazing no matter what, right? Bonus: I adore both Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette.

Finding a new lip color and a great sunscreen.

Tiny vintage dolls and wanting this house for them to live in.

Puppets, still, always.

Happy Friday friends! Eat some pizza.

Falkor was made to move like a Chinese dragon. His head was papier mâché, which was built on a small PVC support. His eyes were Styrofoam balls which were painted and glossed and hollowed out to accept red LED lights (lenses were made out of milk carton plastic). The switch for the lights was at the top of the support pole for the head. His head was covered in the fabric used for his whole body, with fur and glitter added. His eyelids and nose were made out of paper towel and his whiskers were wire covered in ripped paper towel (I seriously love Viva brand paper towels). His body was supported every 3 feet by a loop of PVC attached to an upright pole, which was tied into the fabric of his body. The second and fourth pole were where his front and back legs were attached. They were sewn separately and stuffed with fiberfill. His tail came off of the fourth pole, it had an additional piece of foam board to hold the tail upright and could wag side to side.

Morla was just shy of 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide. I made her head, the artistic director made her shell (not pictured). Her head was made of foam board and cardboard with burlap inserts on a PVC stand. Her eyes were painted Styrofoam and moved up and down and her mouth was articulated. Two puppeteers worked her head, one controlling her eyes and the other her mouth.

Rock Biter wound up being close to 9 feet tall. His head and shoulders were papier mâché, and his head rotated on his shoulders, controlled by 2 puppeteers underneath. The platform he sat on was made of PVC and was moved into position on casters. His hands were separate puppets, worn by puppeteers. They were also papier mâché, one arm controlled the thumb and the other moved the index finger, which was attached to the other 3, so they moved together. When not worn, they were hung on the PVC supports.

More pictures in Flickr!

I have a Tumbr! Do you? I still really don't get it, but you know, I like looking at it. I also sing this literally every time I do.

I'm still not interesting but I went to the dentist. I had an awful swollen pocket of gum skin that he removed and now DUN DUN DUN he thinks it's not the new root canal but the older one which is its neighbor! A twist! He also referred me to an endodontist, which is good because I was going to tell him I think I should see an endodontist. The hygenist always tells me I have pretty hair, so there's that. I have to make an appointment today.

We did get out to the Academy of Natural Sciences to hear a dino talk. Then another. Then we celebrated a bestie birthday and then saw Muppets Most Wanted. I spend the rest of the weekend making giant hands out of cardboard and papier mâché. I finished building Rock Biter's hands and got them to the studio to try on one of the performers on Monday and it went well. I was nervous that they were too big, but the kids seem up to the work and it really does look amazing when the fingers move (thumbs up = hilarious). Yesterday I started painting his head and I'm hoping to have him mostly done this week for rehearsal next week. He is just a head which moves side to side on a shoulder platform which two performers will stand beneath to manipulate and his two hands which will be worn. I really think that when all together, the pieces will convey massive size and keep all of the kids visible, which has always been a goal.

Next I just have to make Morla and Falkor. Ha. I still really want to see Grand Budapest Hotel too.

Anyway, a photo journey:

They look like big, good, strong hands. Don't they? #theneverendingstory

#vincentvictorvonfluffnstuff #isnothelpful

Still a long way to go.

(P.S. Is anyone watching Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge? It's become must see tv for the boys and us. That and Cosmos.)

Customs so far! Well, minus Ash and Jungle Princess, but I haven't taken good pictures of them. I finished the tree house diorama that lived in my head and it's big and ridiculous and I love it. I am hoping to also use it to be their bedroom because I really want to make that pile of furs for Finn and the armoire Jake sleeps in. This whole thing is an exercise in silliness and obsession. I'm ok with that.

( More!! )

(Gideon and Mom mom's dog, Sadie, this Christmas.)

Today Gideon turns 11! He is an amazing kid and I am lucky to know him, let alone be his momma. He is the kindest person I have ever known, he is a fiercely protective and endlessly attentive big brother, he is hilarious, he is creative, and he's still does not hesitate to hold my hand in public. I adore him and I adore the person he is always turning into.
Today we'll have cupcakes and cheeseburgers and load him up with new Legos. <3

(Gideon and Sadie in 2007)

I just posted a repaint and some rompers in the shop. :)

Our fabric hand turkeys. Now Toby's hand is as big as Gideon's was when we made them.

The only Thanksgiving decorations I have I made a few years ago. They are fabric hand turkeys made from tracings of our hands. I stuffed them and we decorated them with felt feathers and pipe cleaner feet and button eyes. Toby's hand is now as big as Gideon's was when we made them. I didn't realize how special their shrinking would be in the years to come.

Every night Mat puts the boys to bed and Vincent follows and sleeps on the floor next to them. I finally figured out what was missing.

This year for Halloween we are welcoming travelers from all of humanity's history and future, from our universe and all alternates, to convene upon our house for one night of 21st century fun!

Travelers from any part of the space time continuum and beyond are welcome, we only ask that you take care to respect our current timeline and avoid creating paradoxes or fracturing space time. Please arrive well away from our alley to avoid reactions caused by excessive heat/radiation/etc. produced by your method of transport.

Invites are intended to be used only once, please refrain from attending the party at multiple points in your own time stream.

Contributions of drinks or snacks are welcome and appreciated! Please just be sure they pose no immediate threat to party goers or the whole of humanity.