OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!! I can’t tell you how glad I am the day is done. The topper on today’s cake:

I drove today. That means there’s a story….

No AC, so the windows are down on the interstate. for some reason, it’s a bugfest out there, the windshield is getting hammered by a variety of insects.

—SUDDENLY—

Something smacks my side mirror. Part of it flies into the back seat, causing Applesnacks to flip out, while the other part flies into MY EAR! Causing me to flip out. Reminder: I’m driving.

Gates contains the Applesnacks outbreak by calmly declaring the “bee” is a actually butterfly, and she tosses it out the window. Meanwhile, I’m still squealing, and manage to grab a kleenex and try to fish out **shudder** the thing in my ear without mushing it in deeper. Part of a butterfly butt is retrieved along with plenty of bug juice. I know because I glanced at the tissue before squealing again and letting it get blown out the window. **ggnnnnaaaaahhhh!!!** Still driving.

The ladies start looking for things to help me, and Gates asks if I want to pull over. My teary reply? “No, I just wanna go home!” I’m alternating between “ewewew” and insane laughter. They are resourceful: they come up with a variety of options, including a tampon, paper napkins, and a screwdriver (?!). I decide to wait til I get home, because I can’t see what I’m doing anyway, I really don’t want to pull over, and it’s not going to kill/incapacitate me. The screwdriver, however, might. (that is met with a resounding, unanimous “No!” form the front to the suggestion from the back seat!)

Bonus: The rest of the ride home is filled with  laughter, tears, and much comraderie.

So the good news? Husband didn’t find anything left and I hadn’t mushed it further into my ear.

The bad news? a butterfly committed suicide today.

That was one of the most amazing (and bizarre) commutes home EVER!

Can hardly wait til the new car is drivable. Things like this is also a good reason to have AC.

In the meantime, I’m going to keep busy by producing more work! The bunny plushie project went well — provided I want to hand-sew all bunny plushies. Doing so is about a 4-hour per plushie process. I got a sewing machine, but I barely know how to use it properly, so…. yeah. That’s another step to the process, I guess. Figuring out how to use the sewing machine properly for such a project. I think the regular marshmallow plushies will be easier, but I haven’t really had much time to dig into them yet. We shall see.

I’m setting a target date of May 30 to finish up a few more paintings and get moving on plushies.

OK, honestly, I don’t know. It’s not on the car. I imagine it will look fantastic on the car, but the rims alone do not look sexy to me. They look like they would look great on my car. Out of context, they don’t do much for me.

Things like this make me feel like a hack. I can see an object, decry it’s hideousness, and then be appeased (perhaps grudgingly) once it’s in its proper environment. But take that ugly thing away from the other things it works with, and it’s just… well, a really ugly object. Same with colors. There are colors I’m not terribly fond of, but when placed with certain other colors, they work great together.

And I feel like a creative failure because I can’t see their potential before it’s come to fruition. What really worries me… Am I the only one?

What bothers me about this “Zombie Jesus Day” trend is that it has outlived its initial “stop and think” phase and is now being used in a deprecating manner. Or at least, that’s how I construe it. Am I wrong? Perhaps…. I hope so. I’m not so sure, though, and that’s what worries me.

Here’s the thing. If you want people to respect your beliefs (or non-beliefs), you need to respect theirs. You don’t have to agree with them, you don’t have to understand them. Just respect them. If you respect the beliefs of another, you will also be showing respect to the people who hold the beliefs in question. It all comes back around, because you are also respecting yourself when you respect others.

To disrespect another is to disrespect yourself.

so, Happy Easter, everyone! And albeit a little late, Happy Ostara

Every little smile is a seed of happiness ready to sprout. A laugh or smile alone is not happiness or joy — but it is the beginning of such positive emotion. And positive emotions buoy us when we are facing difficult times — whatever the source of difficulty may be.

So, if I can give even one person a smile or a laugh with my work, I will have accomplished my mission for that day. The more smiles and laughter my work generates, the more successful I am in my mission.

The seeds of love are spread by being who we are and being honest in our dealings. I can’t help but be who I am, it’s the only way I know how to be. Thankfully, this corresponds to the second part of my mission!

To accomplish this crazy mission, I create and share silly webcomics, paintings and other artworks (or crafts) I make online.

To support the mission (and make more work possible), I sell artwork and marshmallow themed merchandise, and may show ads on the marshmallow site at times.

I think that’s it in a nutshell. Maybe I am a crazy-ass hippie after all. Ah well, there are worse things to be!

Just finished this little cutie! We can’t use him to make the molds we’re planning, so I painted him. That’s a real bit of shop rag sticking out of his pocket

Finished the companion to Cthulhu v Marshmallows! Also acrylic on 20″x20″ stretched canvas. Title: Cthulhu v Marshmallows: Catapult

I wasn’t sure about how this would turn out, but it’s not bad. I’m pretty happy with it.

Finished it up last weekend… and promptly lost the camera, so I couldn’t post a good update. Found the camera, so here it is!