Photoshop Play Date

A couple of weeks ago, I went on an around-town photo shoot. I'd been itching to take some pictures of Vulcan, the big cast iron man that stands atop Red Mountain, but the sun was not my friend that day. The pictures left something (better lighting) to be desired.

So I played in Photoshop instead. I kind of like the outcome.


I think the dramatic effects reinforce the iron man's reputation as god of the fire.

Last night, I drove home by the light of a beautiful full moon. I tried once again to take a picture of the night sky. My camera is just not powerful enough...so using one of the almost totally black photos I played in Photoshop until it looked like this:

At Wal-Mart yesterday I braved funny stares from the elderly greeter to take pictures of the gumball machine at the entrance. This picture has a slight fuzzy filter added to it to soften the edges.

Bubblegum anyone?

Planning a Trip Soon?

You might like to stay a few nights in this unique hotel if you find yourself in Berlin.

The bed is a castle and the other furniture is houses

Created entirely of square wooden plates covered with black and white graphic images

Here's how the website describes the City Lodge aesthetic.
Everything is different!
The PROPELLER ISLAND CITY LODGE is a - truly - VERY extraordinary location. All rooms and objects were created by the German artist Lars Stroschen. Much more appropriate than "hotel" is the designation "living in a work of art".
30 rooms with an absolutely unique and personal ambience. "Unique" is meant literally, for the entirety of all furnishings and other objects you will discover here are custom-made, individual handiwork. None can be found anywhere else on this planet - one could consider the CITY LODGE to be a MUSEUM with guest accomodations or a stay-in work of SCULPTURE.
The rooms are designed and constructed without compromise (!), varying from the tame to the extreme, and are well able to more or less alter your perspective of reality - according to your taste and sense of adventure.
If you have managed to make the right choices, you will experience an unforgettable stay at our place! Therefore, it is essential to take a look to the photos in the web. After all, your trip is intended to be relaxing and pleasant and to give you complete satisfaction.

Features a all blue bath, lilac walls and nude photos

Diamond shaped room with mirrored walls gives the impression of sleeping in a kaleidoscope.

Every room is different. Let me know if you go. I'd love to hear about your experience.

Blue Tablecloth Week: Day Four

I'm just gonna lay it all out on the table....I have a potential problem. I have a favorite brand of ballpoint pen. I love this pen. I love to write with this pen. I love to draw with this pen. I just went shopping for more of these pens. When I got ready to write this post, I gathered up all of this brand of pen in the house. I have more than a few.

But, I have a problem.

Pentel might be discontinuing production of my favorite ballpoint pen. At the very least, stores hardly stock them anymore. Everyone wants the gel pen or the roller ball. Not me. I want the Pentel R.S.V.P. ballpoint pen. It's ink glides on smoothly rarely depositing glops of ink on the paper. It doesn't smear. It's fine point draws a fine line. I know it's probably not archival ink, but my sketches aren't archival quality either.

Speaking of archival and quality, my Moleskine is filled with mostly blank pages. And I've carried it in my purse for over a year now. The paper in it is smooth to the touch. The little notebook is so nice...I can't make myself put Pentel to paper. I might mess it up. This is stupid I know. But there you have it.

The truth is I am much more likely to draw on my worksheets at work than I am on my nice Moleskine.

I have more than one very nice hard bound watercolor tablet. I even have a small Moleskine watercolor notebook. Have I made more than one or two watercolors in them? No, instead I use highlighters and magic markers and Sharpies to make pseudo paintings.

I really planned to paint my Valentine tulips. Instead, I did this.

It's like Rachel and her love of Lisa Frank products all over again. She had stickers, pads pencils...she had tons of product. She loved it. She still had tons of product...when she cleaned out her room before she got married. Tons of Lisa Frank products that she had never used because they were too nice.

I've instructed Rachel not to throw my (unused) paper products away when I die. Someone will use them. If you've drawn and painted and used your Moleskines up and need more, send me your name and I'll put you in my will.