I’m thrilled that little curio cabinets of merchandise have been springing up all over the country in the past decade. Shows like Oddities have helped spur an increasing widespread interest in the strange and unusual (my longstanding loves!).
Woolly Mammoth Antiques and Oddities looks like a great place to browse.
Have any of you Chicago natives/travelers been there?
Through dear old Pinterest, I discovered a most unexpected literary (and film!) subgenre: SWAMP PULP.
Swamps strike me as one of the LEAST sexy ecosystems to cozy up with someone…but what do I know? Swamps are clearly infested with rampant sexuality.
Apparently there was such a market for this that multiple authors and film makers chose the same swampy titles.
Oh, we’re still going…
Yes, there are more…
Why stop now?
Are you enjoying yourself? Are you thinking about swamps?
Not yet? Okay, have some more…
And this was just the small sample I found. I’m intrigued (not intrigued enough to read about swamp nymphs…but quite astounded that they have been such a prominent feature in dime store novels).
NYCHOS creates incredible, exploding, expanding, madly deconstructed pieces of street art.
Like a recipe of classic Beauchene Skull’s in paint, anatomy textbooks and the bubbly, colorful stylings of lowbrow art…these murals must be a wonder to behold in person.
It takes so little to entertain me. Case in point, I really LOVE that a flavor called “Sharkleberry Fin” exists (or did, anyway). A major drink manufacturer crafted a ludicrous literary pun that invokes strange musings of a mythical sea beast flavored berry. Nice.
I missed this one in the 80’s, as I wasn’t big on Kool Aid. What does a SHARKLEBERRY taste like? Can anyone enlighten me? Don’t say orange-strawberry-banana (the technical flavor aim of the product)…I encourage made up adjectives to describe it.
Apparently, other flavors in the Kool Aid wildlife collection include Rock-A-Dile Red, Purlesaurus Rex, Great Bluedini, Pink Swimmingo and Incrediberry. This is exactly the kind of absurd thing I’d want to try despite the fact that I am a grown woman.
Tell me your stories with crazy flavors!
One year ago, I was pretty certain my health couldn’t get worse. I was bed bound, unable to communicate via speech or typing, barely able to eat and unable to perform the simplest of tasks due to pain. That had to be the low point, right?
Well, on March 4th I woke up with stomach cramps. By the evening I was doubled over, choking back screams in the ER, until my CT scan revealed an intestinal perforation, requiring open surgery. They tried to delicately explain that the operation I was about to have is one of the worst procedures out there to recover from (even for someone without a CNS disorder that amplifies pain 100 fold). When they went in, they discovered such massive infection that I was mere hours away from going septic and losing my life. It still gets me misty eyed thinking of my father…and my dearest loved ones…getting that news.
I’ll skip details of the grueling recovery, because the point of this post is gratitude!
I didn’t die.
Nor did I die when they had to go in and do another emergency open surgery for scar tissue obstruction months later! Sheesh.
Nope, didn’t die then either.
After the second operation (which was actually my third major abdominal procedure), when I was painstakingly starting to get up and take my first few steps, I enlisted the help of my best friend and together we made a mini mix of inspiring 80’s “training montage” songs. A few selections:
So when I got up, I’d put my phone in my IV pole tray and have these songs playing as I ventured out into hospital hallways.
…a little much needed comic relief for everyone! It made the pain a tad more bearable to see the laughs, smiles and thumbs up from the staff and fellow patients as I slowly went by.
The past year has been the most astoundingly challenging, and most profoundly revelatory of my life. While pain still prohibits me from joining the land of the living quite yet, in many ways I am starting to heal from an “incurable” illness against all odds. You better believe I will continue that process until I am fully functional. Every little thing feels like a miracle despite the intense pain remaining. Eating, breathing, READING…you name it!
Some of you have been with this blog for the whole trajectory thus far, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here’s hoping that one year from now I will still be sharing arts and oddities, with the newfound freedom of one who has regained life and limbs! I must believe that each and every day, my strange miracle of recovery takes hold a little more.
Csilla Savos plays with surreal intersections of shape, anatomy and other elements of the natural world.
Strange and dream-like…mildly unsettling…
Scientific Illustration posted a gorgeous collection of antique color wheels.
Click images to slightly enlarge
I love the variety of geometric shapes in this collection; beautiful way to show color relationships.
I will definitely be using some of these in jewelry design (avert your eyes, my artist/designer friends! You may see these images turn up in gifts on your next birthday!)
My friend Vanessa is the QUEEN of pinterest! Our taste is remarkably similar (thus many boards would fit seamlessly here), but for today I’ll stick with Vita di Mare where she has collected stunning photographs of sea life.
Have a look at Vita di Mare!
I’ve wanted to open up a blog store for ages but couldn’t physically handle a fraction of the creation work, given my medical situation.
I’m amazed by the incredible kindness of some people in light of my extreme challenges. My friend Eric took it upon himself to make the store happen for me! I sent him raw design material and concepts…he put it all together.
We made a number of designs with the kind of classy, dark vibe that feels like home to me.
Some of the options are made from actual silent film caption cards.
When I’m recovered enough from hand pain to start crafting again I’ll be creating some non-logo, exclusive designs. I can’t wait!
Click on the particular design title you like at the Store Home, and you’ll see many colors and products available.
Or browse by category:
T-shirts
Pins/Buttons
Magnets
Mugs
Stickers
Tote Bags
Honestly, I have a bit of an excessive modesty problem and it feels odd suggesting anyone buy things with my logo on them (I know money is tight these days!)…but they are just so darn pretty! I’d be truly honored if anyone chooses to support the site.
All proceeds go toward treatment for a really difficult medical condition.
Eric, I can’t thank you enough for your hard work, patience and skills!
I am always drawn to art that fuses man and nature, perhaps because my worldview is so aligned with the interconnectedness of all things.
Nunzio Paci creates images that are rather like Gray’s Anatomy left outside to sprout.
Look closely. Fibers of muscle blend into branches…creatures dwell within bodies as if they are taking sanctuary there…
SheWalksSoftly 