30 September 2017

Wynonna Earp, Vol. 2: Legends

Wynonna Earp, Vol. 2: Legends43. Wynonna Earp, Vol. 2: Legends by Beau Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Thoroughly enjoyed this collection! A fun ride which introduces Waverly, Officer Haught, and Bobo from the TV series. I am always game for more Earp sisters and other character interactions.

Melanie Scrofano's contributions on the last two issues as a co-writer (also being the actress who plays Wynonna Earp) really brought Wynonna's sass and the humor of the show to the page in a way I loved. She and Beau Smith make a great team!

Tim Rozon, who plays Doc Holliday, also co-wrote with Beau Smith on issues in this collection bringing more of Doc to life. Good times.


9 years ago on TTaT: Twice, seriously?

29 September 2017

Life of Art SitRep #398 Apple Watch Bands, #TakeAKnee gear, Guitar Cases

This week, I shot 49 photographs of hibiscus and anemone flowers, culled 26 (and another 9 from a previous shoot), and rated the rest.

Created a new collection of #TakeAKnee pins, bumper stickers, t-shirts, stickers, and magnets to show support for those who peacefully protest racial inequality and police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem:

Started adding select designs to new Apple Watch Bands. Each is available in two sizes:

See more custom Apple Watch Bands. More coming soon!

Follow me @RocklawnArts on Twitter to see new products and designs as I add them.

Finished adding select designs to the new Guitar Gig Bags:
Check out the rest of the Guitar Cases.

Rocklawn Arts blogged New #TakeAKnee shirts, pins, bumper stickers, and more collection and New Guitar Gig Bags at Rocklawn Arts!

How was your week?


12 years ago on TTaT: Short people may cause skin cancer

22 September 2017

Life of Art SitRep #397 Guitar Gig Bags

Went to a sculpture park in an old quarry which I hadn't been to before which was fun. Shot 230 photographs and 5 videos. Culled 70. Need to do another pass. Also the battery that remembers the time and date when you turn your camera off was dead so I have some more time editing to rejigger on many of those.

Also shot 154 photographs of hibiscus and anemone flowers. Culled 89, rated rest.

Added more select designs to the new Guitar Gig Bags. Once you buy a case, you can switch out the face plate which are available for sale separately.

See more Guitar Cases. You can see new products as I add them on twitter @RocklawnArts.

Updated iPhone 7 case descriptions to reflect that they are iPhone 8/7 Cases.

How was your week?


10 years ago on TTaT: Dork!

17 September 2017

Tales of the Black Badge

Since today was hot and muggy, Mom decided walking around outside wouldn't be great and asked if I'd be up for heading to the mall in quasi-civilization about an hour away instead. I was not psyched about it because I felt exhausted, but it's her birthday so I was game. I knew I wouldn't have to drive and figured I could rest on the way over.

I continued my low key workout when I had an excellent idea. My eyes lit up. A drive of about an hour each way?

Tales of the Black Badge.

It's a fan podcast for the feminist supernatural Western television show Wynonna Earp. (Season two just ended and they will be back for season 3 next year. Now is a great time to get caught up from the beginning!) On the podcast, Bonnie and Kevin interview cast members and discuss episodes of the show.

Though I'd been interacting with other Earpers (as fans of the show are called) on Twitter since last year, I hadn't gotten into the podcasts. Just not my medium of choice, you know? I've been catching up on the interview podcasts from the beginning this summer. Usually I listen to chunks while putting my laundry away. I was excited for a chance to listen to a whole episode or two at once.

I dug out my iPod, plugged it in, and transferred a few podcasts I'd downloaded from iTunes to it while it charged.

First up was Tales of the Black Badge #15 with Melanie Scrofano, the actress who plays Wynonna Earp herself. What a delightful interview! I closed my eyes and just listened as they talked about episodes from season 1 and felt myself smiling. It genuinely improved my mood and made me feel better. I was still tired but bolstered for the afternoon ahead.

Thank you, Melanie, Kevin and Bonnie!

It probably sounds totally antisocial (which is not to say I'm not) but my parents were sitting up front and I was in the backseat. On the highway, the road noise is loud and it's hard to converse between the front and back without yelling. So, easier all around for me to give them a heads up that I was tuning out for a bit.

The podcast finished as we arrived which was perfect.

I'd forgotten what a difference going to somewhere as simple as JC Penney makes when you go to a mall in a more populous area. The stores in my economically depressed area always have less selection even when they manage to stay in business. Easily 90% of the small local mall is empty where I live. Even the Penneys, Macys, and Best Buy all closed (3 out of 5 anchor stores).

It'd been a long time since I'd seen a mall full of open stores. And I'd forgotten about places having more options. Like maybe I wouldn't mind clothes shopping with the prospect I might actually see something I liked. And they might conceivably have it in my size.

I was still looking in mens wear, but that's because I like pants pockets to be useful and the sizing is better for my height.

Curiously when I was looking at eyeglass frames, the guy made a point of telling me, "The women's are over there." On the upside, he didn't mistake me for a man which happened to me at another eyeglass shop earlier this summer, but he clearly had opinions about what was appropriate for me. Whatevs.

There are at least 3 other eyeglass places in the mall I'll check out some other time.

After shopping/looking for a while, we took a break to have a snack and take a ride. Though it was still early when we got back to the mall, we went ahead to dinner.

Afterwards we hit Macy's and then stopped by the Longhorn Steakhouse to pick up a dessert to go that I'd wanted to try, a slice of their banana cream pie.

Yesterday, I baked my Mom a German chocolate cake, one of her favorites that I've always disliked. She's been gypped some years of a home baked cake because our birthdays are only two days apart. I don't even feel like having a cake this year, so it seemed fitting to bake her favorite for a change. With the pie, I could still be sociable while they ate cake.

On the way home, I listened to Tales of the Black Badge #20 with Dominique Provost-Chalkley (Waverly Earp) and Katherine Barrell (Nicole Haught), the two actresses who comprise WayHaught. (Just watch Wynonna Earp already!) What a treat! It's fun to listen to their hopes for season 2 while knowing how it played out. I'm still hoping we get to see Waverly deal with some of her old friends' reactions to her relationship in season 3.

Again, listening to them discuss season 1, their hopes for a then uncertain season two, and the fan reactions they've gotten about the show genuinely made me happy. Which then bled over into the day's birthday celebrations.

Thank you, Dominique, Katherine, Kevin and Bonnie!

I even got a match to light on the first strike to light my mom's birthday candles! (Even my mom commented on this because historically after breaking several, she ends up doing it.)

I was relieved and happy that both she and my dad liked the cake I baked, each having seconds. My slice of pie was also good.

Here's to Tales of the Black Badge for bringing some joy to my day which helped me better celebrate my mom's birthday!


11 years ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Day 5

15 September 2017

Life of Art SitRep #396 Beach Towels and Guitar Cases

Thoroughly enjoyed visiting an old estate with an outdoor sculpture exhibit and pretty manicured gardens.

Shot 259 photographs, culled 117, rated rest.

Finished adding select designs to Beach Towels:

Check out the rest of the Beach Towels.

Rocklawn Arts blogged New Stylish Beach Towels at Rocklawn Arts!

Started creating more Guitar Cases. They are available for acoustic and electric guitars:

See more Custom Guitar Cases. More coming soon!

Reorganized collections in store.

Updated iPhone 7 and 7 plus case collections to reflect that they also fit iPhone 8 and 8 plus cases.

Updated iPhone 7 plus case descriptions and titles to reflect that they also fit iPhone 8 plus cases. See the iPhone 8 Plus/7 Plus Cases.

iPhone 8/7 Cases are also available now (I just need to update the text descriptions).

How was your week?


12 years ago on TTaT: The Selective Bookshelf

09 September 2017

The Painted Queen

The Painted Queen (Amelia Peabody, #20)39. The Painted Queen by Elizabeth Peters

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is the final book in the Amelia Peabody series that Elizabeth Peters was working on when she died. Joan Hess took Peters' notes and finished it.

Having read them all, I could tell this was written by someone else but it was nice to visit with familiar characters one last time.

Chronologically the events in this book occur earlier in the series after the 11th book The Falcon at the Portal.

I confess the foreword, preface, and introduction to the book had me crying freely as they wrote about how they knew and missed Barbara Mertz (AKA Elizabeth Peters, her pen name). I miss her too.

I did not always love to read. By the time I hit middle school, I only read what I had to for classes.

One break during college I was going on a vacation with my parents and wanted something to read to pass some time. Knowing my fascination with Egyptology and fondness for mysteries, my Mom suggested Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters first Amelia Peabody mystery. I loved it and soon read through the rest of the series that was available at the time and then anxiously awaited each new installment.

I don't read many mysteries now leaning more towards nonfiction and graphic novels, but I am forever grateful to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz for awakening my love of reading with her books.


10 years ago on TTaT: Three Breaks: Part 4

05 September 2017

Botany for the Artist: An Inspirational Guide to Drawing Plants

Botany for the Artist: An Inspirational Guide to Drawing Plants38. Botany for the Artist: An Inspirational Guide to Drawing Plants by Sarah Simblet

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The book is part botanical reference, part art book, part how to. I confess I didn't read it in its entirety because I was short on library time and the botany information is dense. But if that's your interest, this is a lovely resource to have on it.

The book is full of illustrations of plants: flowers, fruits, roots, trees, leaves, seed pods... and also peppered with botanical photographs as well.

Interspersed with all of the information and art are drawing/painting lessons on particular plants. She works mainly in pencil, ink, and watercolor.

The book is worth looking through just for all of the illustrations.


10 years ago on TTaT: Overheard in Costco (though possibly not depending where you live now)