Home is Where the Bo is

After 12 grueling days of being on a plane from Oz (all right, it’s slightly less than 12 days, but it sure feels that way), I am finally in NY, not quite up and running yet, but definitely ready to roll. I am pleased that my Bo, after several seconds of initial uncertainty, remembers me. He is still the roly poly narcoleptic delight that is my Bo.

The plan is for me to stay in NY until mid-June while Anthony is away on his expedition. He gets to enjoy the thrashing Mother Nature will no doubt bestow upon him (that is his idea of a holiday…to each his own, I suppose), and I get to hang out in my old hood, see my friends, chill with my parents, and squeeze Bo on a semi-regular basis.

Of course, this won’t be all play and no work: BoBo Babushka will be making a live debut in the beginning of June! (More information on that later on.) So a sincere apology to my peeps in advance if I seem a trifle absent-minded or forget to show up at a play date or two…I will basically be holed up in my room, painting, until June.

But it doesn’t mean I won’t emerge every now and then to enjoy life and have myself a nice genuine NY slice…with actual pepperoni on top!

…and the stare-down continues…

photo by Mrs. Irene’s Mom

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The Family Vampyre

With vampires being all the rage these days, what teenage girl wouldn’t want a family of them living next door to them? But unlike the Cullens or the Salvatores, the Family Vampyre are not about angst or a single-minded quest for human blood. They’re all about living the good life, funky hairdos, and integrating with the humans by participating in ordinary, run-of-the-mill activities. They might be viewed as eccentric, but no one has to fear for their life when the Vampyres open their door for a soiree.

Mr. Vernon Vampyre is the coolest Dad on the block…it might have something to do with his hairdo and his choice of pants.

Mrs.  Virginia Vampyre with a new addition to the family—an injured bat she’s nursing back to health and named Simon.

Veronica Vampyre is with the local bowling league. The Vampyre Vixens have been the undisputed champions at Schwaltz’s Bowling Alley four year in a row now.

Vance Vampyre is always up for a game of pool. Would you believe that he’s been a snooker player since the age of four? That is, before he learned not to puncture the billiard balls with his fangs.

Vonnie Vampyre can’t think of a better way to spend his days other than riding his trike and eating lollipops. He’ll have to watch it with the sweets, though. Those fangs don’t grow back once it’s rotted through.

A family like the Vampyres would be quite an asset to a block party, wouldn’t you say?

Skater Boyz

It’s all about the boys today.

I don’t like to bike down the promenade sometimes because it’s littered with boys trying to perfect their skateboarding techniques and I never know when one of them is going to end up under my wheel. “Go to a skateboard park, punk!” I’ll snarl at them before checking to see if damages have been done to my bike. But then, I’m not so annoyed to ask them where they got their tie-dyed pants.

Rainbow Girls

I remember how gray and dreary New York Winters are, which is why these gals have the right idea when it comes to making their day a little brighter…by pulling out all shades of the rainbow from their wardrobe!

Do you know cotton is an excellent sculpting medium? Yes, that’s what Lucy’s dreadlocks are made of.

Lynette is all about layering this season.

Lydia’s outfit is reminiscent of the strawberry patch she’s attempting to grow in her garden for several years now, minus a pink panda.

Some details…

If this is what the girls are wearing for the winter, I can’t wait to see their outfits for spring.

Even More Practical Magic

These two Good Luck Faeries were inspired by the two very special people in my life:

What’s Cookin’? Faery came about after reading numerous emails from my friend Debs, who could not stand in front of the stove without breaking out in hives. Fear no more! The What’s Cookin’? Faery is here to put the skittish ones at ease around those pesky pots and pans!

A cooking pot wand in one hand and a casserole dish in the other, she’s all about whipping up the perfect meal.

My Anthony, who is about to embark on a solo kayaking expedition from Cairns to Papua New Guinea (gulp!), will be the recipient of this particular Good Luck Faery…

However, he absolutely refuses to bring it with him unless I call it something else. So may I present to you the Bon Voyage Good Luck Talisman…the very first boy faery…er, I mean, talisman, in the collection!

Hoko-Ten

“Hoko-ten” means pedestrian paradise in Japanese. Streets are closed off for people to wander the roads without having to worry about oncoming cars. It is also a time for these three girls to flaunt their latest fashion statement…especially in the, that’s right, Harajuku District.

This set was inspired after a peek into a bakery.

Although this was a lot of fun to paint, I was forced to take a few days off afterwards. Even with the aid of the magnifying glass, I still felt a bit cross-eyed after each session!

Another (Mini!) Cupcake Pageant

Everything is cuter when it’s miniaturized—especially cupcakes!

These gals are smaller but just as competitive!

…and check out the “2-Dee” page for my latest and most favorite possession by a fantastic artist friend of mine!

More Practical Magic

The Good Luck Faeries are here again!

Here’s the Good Travel Faery, all decked out in her trolley dolly costume. She’s here to make sure your journey from one place to the next is always safe and hassle-free!

Let’s meet the Boo Boo Be Gone Faery! She’s won’t necessarily make your boo boo go away, but she’ll do her best to alleviate the pain!

Before you go and roll your eyes and say, “Irene, your misguided attempts to conjure up the spirit of the forest is simply pitiful. They’re just dolls! They don’t have magical powers! Why, they don’t even come with pixie dust!” Well, nay boo, nay boo! I’ll have you know that the first Good Luck Faery I’ve ever done was the First Date Faery, which I have presented to my friend Po’Trowski.

And you know what? She is presently in a happy relationship…due to the fact that her first date went extremely well. Who knows? Maybe they DO have some kind of powers after all!