Seasons Greetings

From Lorilei, PL, Lil' Brown, and all the Elves at the Artist at Work shops, Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy holiday season!

Ninja of Love

It's nearly Christmastime. 

P.L. is anxiously anticipating the season. It isn't just about the presents anymore. It's the feeling she experiences when she sees twinkling lights, smells the scent of evergreen, hears the refrains of familiar holiday music. 
The tradition of Christmas season has created a comfort zone for the soul.

New ideas, symbols, and practices always make their way into the world. Sometimes they become part of our traditions, whether public or personal. 
One new program will definitely become part of our family holiday celebrations. P.L. has fallen in love with the Disney television program "Phineas and Ferb," and we have followed her into this divine madness.

The cartoon show is a combination family sitcom and spy thriller, with teenage romance, fantasy, science fiction, and lots of fun music thrown in.

We follow the Flynn/Fletcher blended family throughout the course of a summer in Danville, a town somewhere in the US. Parents Linda and Lawrence operate an antique shop. Linda also participates in several community activities. 

The ten year old stepbrothers use their creativity to fill their time in the back yard. Teen sister Candace is a bit bossy at times, trying to keep her younger brothers from doing things she thinks their parents would disapprove of, if they only knew. But Linda never catches the boys doing the absolutely impossible things we have come to expect from them. Some mysterious twist of fate usually causes the fantastic projects to vanish before Mom gets to see them. 

This isn't a show only for kids. There are a lot of in-joke nuggets for older viewers. For instance, the music that so often accompanies Candace's indignant attempts to follow and "bust" her brothers is a snippet of the Wicked Witch of the West theme from "The Wizard of Oz." Pop culture references, witty dialog, and interesting cartoon art contribute to the entertainment.

The family owns a most unusual pet -- a duck-billed platypus named Perry. He is turquoise, a color most probably never seen in marsupials in the wild. The family know that Perry frequently disappears for periods of time, but they generally see no reason for concern. They are completely unaware that their pet is an undercover agent known as Agent P, who periodically wrests the fate of Danville and, indeed, the entire Tri-State Area (again, no clue which three states) from the evil clutches of Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, his personal nemesis. Their adventures usually manage to destroy or in some way cancel out the boys' masterpieces of creative technology, but not before most of the kids in town (and frequently many of the adults) have enjoyed or otherwise benefited from them.

This year, there is a Christmas special about our favorite suburban family and friends. Apparently, Doofenshmirtz has caused the town of Danville to be declared a Naughty area. It's up to the boys to think of a way to save everyone's Christmas spirit, while Perry attempts to foil his nemesis. We're sure they'll have help from not only the very cute and smart Isabella (who crushes on Phineas), but also from brainy Baljeet, bully Buford, the entire troop of Fireside Girls, and even Candace. Candace often obsesses over making her brothers behave, but she really has a heart of gold, and she loves her weird family. (We do too!) 

Which all brings me to this design. A couple of months ago, I got the first Phineas and Ferb soundtrack CD. It contains 26 songs, all of which I at least like very much, and several of which I love. The final song is from an episode celebrating Linda and Lawrences's anniversary with a tribute to the concert where they first kissed. The band, Love Händel (got to love that name!), must be reunited by Phineas and Ferb. The band plays their big hit, "You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart." One of the lines in the song refers to the "you" of the title as being like a ninja of love, an image that made me laugh out loud. 

Why not? We hear that all is fair in love and war, that love is a battlefield. So why not use the ancient martial arts to attain the prize of true love? The idea of creating a cute ninja of love was even appealing to P.L. 

So now we are getting the jump on a future holiday, too. After all, it's only two months until St. Valentine's Day will be here. 
Arm yourself to go after your heart's desire!

The Ninja of Love design is available now, in the Just for Fun section of Lorilei's Artist at Work. You can find our lovable ninja on hats, t-shirts, coffee mugs, tile keepsake boxes, tote bags, babywear, and a variety of other products. 
Wear the ninja yourself, or send it to someone who needs a smile. You might just sneak your way into their heart.

Special Pre-Season Holiday Sale at Lorilei.com!

Before your holiday shopping becomes a chore, make a stop online at Lorilei's Artist at Work for savings on great gifts for friends and family!

Save 20% off your purchase from the Lorilei shop  

(http://www.cafepress.com/lorilei),
excluding shipping charges and applicable sales tax. 

This coupon code must be entered at check out: lorilei20 

Promotion starts immediately and ends on November 9, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. (PST).
 

Excludes any other CafePress shop or marketplace purchases, 
Gift Certificates, Flip Minos, SIGG bottles,
CafePress Groups purchases and bulk orders.
Offer cannot be combined with any other coupons or promotions
and may change, be modified or cancelled at anytime without notice.

Remember:

• Your coupon code: lorilei20  
• 20% off purchases from this shop only: http://www.cafepress.com/lorilei  
• This promotion ends on November 9, 2009 - so hurry!

Carpe Diem -- or "brain engaged... please call back later"

Among the many stories you no doubt heard while growing up is one from Aesop's fables, "The Ant and the Grasshopper." (The illustration shown here is from a book retold and illustrated by Amy Lowry Poole.)

The characters, hard-working ants and a laid-back grasshopper, demonstrate different philosophies of life. The ants collect, save, and store for the months of not-so-plenty while the grasshopper takes it easy.

The idea behind this story is that you must plan for the future. Even when life is good and the going is easy, you should plan ahead. Make sure you have the necessities of life for the times when the going gets rough. Because you can probably guess who was watching out for the grasshopper's well-being, come winter.


On the other hand, we also have stories like that of Frederick the mouse, as told by Leo Lionni.

Frederick's family is gathering food to prepare for the hardships of winter. Frederick, in the meantime, spends his time observing. One fears for the little fellow, seeing a parallel to the above mentioned grasshopper.

Yet when winter comes, Frederick is with his family, sharing their stores. When food becomes scarce and the future seems cold and bleak, Frederick shares what he has been gathering: memories, the colors of spring, the warmth of the sunlight, the smell and feel of a kinder environment. He transports the others through words, imagination, and hope, helping them all to survive until spring returns.

And so we see both sides of the story: planning and practicality are necessary, but imagination, creativity and hope are no less essential.

As we in the northern hemisphere reach the middle of the summer season, parents and children alike are nudged to get ready for school. Autumn will be here before we know it! Get those books and pencils, notebooks, school clothes. I begin to have mental images of leaves changing color, football games, and plaid skirts and knee socks. Hmm. P.L. needs a new sweater, and maybe a different winter coat, this year. I wonder if it's too soon to go shopping.

Yes, we need to be thinking ahead. But it's still July. Summer thunder rumbles through the windows some nights as we go to sleep. During the day, the sun is shining through the leafy green trees. Squirrels are playing in the back yard. Wild strawberries are blooming, and honeybees are buzzing through the clover growing along the path. And in the evening, we sit on a swing in the back yard to talk, listening to the gentle chorus of crickets and cicadas, complemented by the occasional young frog.

This season has certainly not been all fun, but it will never be here again. This will be our last chance this summer to dig in the garden, splash in a kiddy pool, wash the dog in a tub with the garden hose. It'll be the last chance to walk to the library down the street to check out a family movie and/or a storybook before it's time to worry about homework and soccer practice. It could be the last time to get away from the phone and the TV, and to read Pride and Prejudice on a quilt under the old oak tree.

Be an ant and collect the tangible treasures of the season. Be like Frederick and store the best memories of another beautiful year in your life. But don't be pressured into wishing your life away. Today is the only day you can be sure of having, so don't forget to live it.



As you can see, on this sky blue t-shirt from Artist at Work, our girl P.L. is planning to seize the day by reading a book out under the tree, smelling the freshly-mown grass, listening to the mockingbirds in the branches nearby. She says it's a good vacation for her brain. And I know it's a summer memory she plans to savor for years to come.

We have our standards....

Welcome! Y'all come on in and have a seat. Or we can sit on the swing out on the veranda and enjoy the breeze coming down from the hills. Have a glass of frosty lemonade and a delicious slice of strawberry shortcake.




Where I come from, gentility and manners are commonplace.
Ah, southern hospitality.
But not everyone gets it, you know. Some folks have the strangest notion that if you come from the hills, you haven't got much sense.

Oh, pooh. That's hogwash. Where I was born and the way that I speak have no influence over my I.Q. And even if I am not a Nobel Prize winner, I'm still a nice person, deserving of some respect.

One of my favorite personal stories to tell is of a college trip to Washington, DC, a few years ago. We were all art students, headed to see the museums and architecture of our nation's capital city during cherry blossom season. It was sunny and eighty degrees (F) outside, perfect for sightseeing. Somewhat unfortunately, feminine fashion at that time included jelly shoes.
After a day of walking, I had to take them off as we walked back to our hotel. I jokingly told my companion, "If people give us funny looks, we can just tell them I'm from Kentucky."



In my time, I have been called a Beverly Hillbilly, a Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a resident of Dogpatch.

Very funny, guys. Only did you ever think that maybe I would rather be associated with brave Scarlett O'Hara or the sassy Designing Women?



So please forgive the dreadful language found on the front of this lovely summer top from Lorilei's Artist at Work. Sometimes strong language seems almost appropriate under the circumstances, and this was just one of those times. We shall not abide insults.

If someone ridicules you for your accent, or calls you a hick or a redneck or a hillbilly, just tell them that frankly you don't give a -- I mean, tell them even if they think you are from "Hillbilly Hell," you have a sense of class, dignity, and respectability. You have your own standards, and they simply don't make the grade.




Y'all can acquire elegant tops, t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, hats, and myriad quantities of other gear from Hillbilly Hell at Lorilei's Artist at Work, in the Just for Fun section.


Don't be a stranger!

Choices: Edward or Jacob?

It's at least another month before "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" comes to P.L.'s favorite theater. In the meantime, she's been keeping herself occupied reading the Twilight series. There are only four books, and she just finished book three, Eclipse.

The series is strange and moody and supernatural, yet it has a down-to-earth feeling that appeals to P.L. A teenaged girl who loves Romeo and Juliet and Wuthering Heights, Bella Swan is comfortable telling a story -- in first person, in this case. Set in the woodsy little town of Forks, in the north-Pacific state of Washington, her story tells of her life as the new kid in town. Bella is a quiet girl and a bit of a clutz, yet she is a fresh face that appeals to several of the local residents. One of them is Edward.

Without giving away too much of the storyline, we'll just say that Edward and his family are amazing (even at playing baseball!), they lead us (through Bella) to heart-stopping adventures, and Bella would give up anything to spend the rest of eternity with Edward.

Not everything is as it seems, though.
Bella and Edward are separated early in book two, and she becomes dangerously depressed. Of course, we know she'll be fine, because she's the one telling the story. But we feel for her as she describes a kind of madness she experiences and finds one ally to save her -- Jacob.

By book three, we become torn between these two young men. They are natural enemies, supernatural beings doing their best to protect Bella from danger. That includes each other. Both represent some kind of threat to Bella's well-being, family, and way of life, not to mention (possibly) her very soul.
They could both be the bad guys, yet they are both the good guys.

So, if we had to choose one guy for this Everygirl to love and live with forever, would we choose Edward Cullen? He is handsome like a Greek god, cool beyond belief, with a family whose close-knit love extends to Bella. Or would we choose the noble young Jacob Black, whose father is Bella's dad's best friend, and who loves Bella like a brother until he is mature enough to vie for her heart?
(No spoilers, please!)

Yes, based only on this information, P.L. asks you -- which team would you choose? Cool blue Edward, or vibrant red Jacob? The crystal heart or the wolf from the woods? Vampire or werewolf?

Choose a t-shirt that supports your team. One for Team Edward or one for Team Jacob.




But what if you don't want to choose? Just keep rereading this romance with two young men who love the girl enough to give up everything for her... and get yourself a t-shirt commemorating both of them. What a team!

For more gear about your new favorite hometown, Forks, remember to visit Artist at Work.

Three Horses Neighing at the Moon

It's true, a t-shirt sold on Amazon.com became a sensation when testimonials began to appear, attributing fantastic powers to it. A college humor website picked up the story, and the news spread all over the internet.

The garment in question is a black t-shirt bearing the image of three wolves howling at the moon. Ah, such mystique. How could we ever hope to capture the romance of this scene?

Then we knew. The ultimate chick magnet is a horse, of course! Just ask Nell Fenwick, of Dudley Do-Right fame, seen on the left with her true love (Dudley's horse).



The horse is a beautiful and strong creature, noble, majestic. The grace of a running horse racing across the plain -- ah, it makes a girl long to be the young Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet."

Seriously, at a horse racing track, many of the patrons are male, but there is no shortage of female mutuals tellers. And what are these women thinking about? The horses, of course!

I mean, the horse is undeniably the supermodel of the animal world -- but it's the Ferrari, too! Rippling muscles, a coat like satin, beautiful eyes. Fast, strong, beautiful, sexy.

Inspiration.

Who needs a shirt covered with furry carnivores? A real chick magnet wears a t-shirt with three horses neighing at the moon. Think of the possibilities.
We just happen to have just such a garment, in a variety of colors and sizes, from a baby tee to a size 3X-Large. We also have this nobel trio of animals on buttons, hats, throw pillows (for the couch or the bed in your crib), and more memorable gear.



Men, you need to get this shirt to attract women. Or get one to give to your lady love. She'll know you really understand her!

The Three Horses Neighing at the Moon t-shirt can be found in the Just for Fun section at Lorilei's Artist at Work. Better get one now, before you get stuck wearing those wolves all summer.

Organic tees and a refreshing new SIGG

Organic t-shirts? Yes, of course!
We've had those before -- well, we had one. But now there are more. Seven styles for adults and six for infants, toddlers, and youth. They aren't all the familiar french vanilla color, either. As you see, we have added a touch of color to our palette.

Go green, and go in style, with American Apparel and Econscious organic cotton tees from Lorilei's Artist at Work.

Organic tees seen above:

"I Brake for Kangaroos" Organic Women's T-Shirt (dark) in wasabi

"You're Not the Boss of Me" Organic Women's T-Shirt (light)

"I'm a Lil' Wildcat" Organic Kids T-Shirt (dark) in galaxy

"Fun Police" Organic Men's T-Shirt (dark) in pacific

"Don't Mess with the Tiger" Organic Men's T-Shirt (dark) in olive

"Needs to Sort Her Priorities" Organic Women's T-Shirt (dark) in black

"Baby Wants Ice Cream" Organic Toddler T-Shirt (dark) in black

"I Give Bear Hugs" Organic Toddler T-Shirt (light)

"Team Cullen Vampire Baseball" Organic Women's Fitted T-Shirt (dark) in galaxy

"Lil' Darlin" Organic Baby Bodysuit (light)



While you're being environmentally friendly, take a delicious sip from one of our new SIGG one-liter water bottle. Made from a single piece of aluminum, it is lightweight, yet rugged and crack-resistant. To minimize unwanted tastes and scents, the inside is lined with a water-based, non-toxic epoxy resin that exceeds FDA leaching requirements. The handy ring on the top makes it easy to attach to a D-ring, a belt, a backpack.... Great for taking along cold water on the hot days ahead.

Get ready for summer now. Stock up on comfortable, practical, artistic gear from Artist at Work and its sister shops!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

P.L. is getting into the spirit of the holiday by dressing up like a leprechaun -- or somewhat like one, at least. She's wearing a spiffy green t-shirt here, unlike the garb of most old-world leprechauns. You can try to catch her, but you'd better be quick about it!

Emerald green t-shirts are new at the Artist at Work shops. They're available in three styles for adults: a Hanes unisex style, and two more fitted styles from American Apparel.





Our leprechaun P.L. herself makes an appearance on this women's fitted green t-shirt from American Apparel. She's peeking out from behind the words "Catch me if you can!"
This 100% organic cotton shirt is 4.3 oz. of softness.

"The Luck of the Irish" brings its own charm to this t-shirt, with a heart of shamrocks on it. High quality 100% pre-shrunk cotton, 5.6 oz. of casual fit.

The "I'd Sooner Catch the Blarney Stone" t-shirt shown here is printed on the American Apparel men's fitted t-shirt. It's 4.3 oz. in weight, 100% organic cotton. Ahh.



But how long, you may ask, will this fetching green garb be around Artist at Work and its sister shops? Even the wee folks cannot say. Just the same, Lorilei and P.L. are putting other designs on them in hopes that they will stay for quite a while.

But just in case, better go get one of these green tees now --
else you'll be pinching yourself all year!




"Of Course I'm the REAL Easter Bunny" - unisex green t-shirt
"Earth Day" - women's fitted green t-shirt
"Have a Beary Merry Christmas" - men's fitted green t-shirt