cheap tarts and cigarettes

Would you give it all up? Could you?

2009-11-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

"Last night when we were alone
You threw your hands up ..."

"And your cigarette stained lies ..."

"I’ll never talk again
Oh boy you’ve left me speechless
You’ve left me speechless so speechless .."

Bubble dreams
Bubble dreams
Bubble
Dreams ...

Speechless! [Lady Gaga lyrics, natch!]

And I know that it's complicated
So baby raise a glass to mend
I will love again

Mysterious smooches,
The Tart
; *

~

What she will never tell ...

2009-11-22T15:45:00.001-08:00

~

"Watching lovers walking hand in hand passing me by ... "

Somebody, someone ...

Swish of fine silk & layers of shiny ribbon
A delicate line of couture bows
Rush of deep deep rich color

Cigarettes

Crush of a hand sewn metal zipper
Soft brush of a fine diamond cut chain
Fitted italian leather sole

Lean shakes

Intricate star designs of lace
Soft round velvet covered buttons
Fine toile sparkling in the hot flood lights

Crackers

His warm hand
Surrounding mine
Divided by a single luscious smooth white glove

Haute couture ...

A lovely constructed life, but for whom?

Winter wonder smooches,
The Tart
; *

~

A little vanity never hurts ...

2009-11-12T19:12:00.001-08:00

Bloggyville dearest,

This week has been like a roller coaster ride gone upside down & all around. I swear to YOU my life has defied gravity. On absolutely every level!

So, word to the wise (or unwise) GO PARTY YOUR BRAINZ OUT ... Because, my life will likely be yourz one day, natch! Listen, don't fool yourself ... It's just a matter of time.

By about 4pm today, I thought I best whip out the old Sony Cyber-shot & vamp up for a couple of pics. Poor old rusty Sony. It's been to long dude. There was just enough battery juice for the pics below & then some. (Um, some about 40 others worth!)

Next I booted up my sweet sweet Photoshop & let the creative juices flow. And BEHOLD ... moi!

I give you: Vanity Fog, Vanity Jewel & Vanity Shot.

All 100% me, with the help of ... Nah, you don't need ta know. Just enjoy the art & indulge a silly Tart!!!

Hey, a special treat below. Don't cheat. Scroll slowly down. Slowly. I'm watching YOU.

Oh dear dear Vanity ... Read this poem by Sylvia Plath.
It suits me perfectly.

Vanity Fair

Through frost-thick weather
This witch sidles, fingers crooked, as if
Caught in a hazardous medium that might
Merely by its continuing
Attach her to heaven.

At eye's envious corner
Crow's-feet copy veining on a stained leaf;
Cold squint steals sky's color; while bruit
Of bells calls holy ones, her tongue
Backtalks at the raven

Claeving furred air
Over her skull's midden; no knife
Rivals her whetted look, divining what conceit
Waylays simple girls, church-going,
And what heart's oven

Craves most to cook batter
Rich in strayings with every amorous oaf,
Ready, for a trinket,
To squander owl-hours on bracken bedding,
Flesh unshriven.

Against virgin prayer
This sorceress sets mirrors enough
To distract beauty's thought;
Lovesick at first fond song,
Each vain girl's driven

To believe beyond heart's flare
No fire is, nor in any book proof
Sun hoists soul up after lids fall shut;
So she wills all to the black king.
The worst sloven

Vies with best queen over
Right to blaze as satan's wife;
Housed in earth, those million brides shriek out.
Some burn short, some long,
Staked in pride's coven.

Delicious smooches,
The Tart
; *

Psssssssssst. Don't be shy. Click on a pic so I can see you better, my dear!

.

A lucky charm

2009-11-01T15:22:00.001-08:00

+
A cozy place ... Love.

Choose your corner, pick away at it carefully, intensely and to the best of your ability and that way you might change the world.
~Charles Eames

A plan springs to life, me thinks. And soon!

Smooches,
The Tart
; *

Miles to go before ...

2009-11-01T15:15:00.001-08:00

+

Flying Sam
Originally uploaded by Éole

A road less traveled & so many choices. This week will bring change from the West wind with encouragement from the moon. Am feeling very Mary Poppins. Except that Mary knew where she was going & me, not so much.

Oh, I feel a draft ... It begins!

A sea of change & many smooches,
The Tart
; *

Hellooooo

2009-10-20T17:19:00.001-07:00

My old phone - red
Originally uploaded by Astrid Tvedt [a little bit busy]

Post to come ... Natch!

Luck in multiples of 4

2009-10-18T19:41:00.001-07:00

What is luck?

I've seen it in 4, all my life ... When I least expect it. Once upon a time, I looked for it everywhere. Then I gave in to it as just chance. I saw it Friday ... It was big & bold. For all to see. It stopped me in my tracks. What it means I have no idea. But none the less ... It makes me happy, my lucky 4. And that's enough.

Everyone deserves the simple pleasure of a lucky number, don'cha think!?!

And ... A luck kitty cat.

Smooches,
The Tart
; *

Domestic vintage colour - Yum!

2009-08-24T08:44:00.001-07:00

+

Yep, I could get really domestic over this! My drapes would be lime green in a lush vintage kinda way ...

For my own look ... Am thinking I would go with a June Cleaver/Bewitched style with a Balenciaga ultra elegant fine-tuning ... Yes & a dash of vintage gorgeous YSL. That man knew colour!!

Domestic goddess smooches,
The Tart

; *

2009-07-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a funky thing!

Get a Voki now!

And that is my voice on the old Garage Band ... MP3 of me now on my iTunes. Hilarious!

Smooches,
The Tart
; *

A new bloggy banner & guilty pleasure pic!

2009-06-02T11:48:00.001-07:00

~

Dearest Bloggy-villers,

After a drowsy rain & a sumptuous breve tea latte, chased by a small handful of donut holes ... I felt it was time to welcome in Summer. What with all the Snow White-esque action going on outside my hut, it only seemed appropriate. Birds a twitter & bees, well you know! Bees being bees, etc.

Anywayz: Welcome Summer!

As a gift & an honor, I give you one of my most favorite Photoshopped images ... The Library Park. It only seemed right to also make it my new bloggy banner. Peeps, look up & have a seat on the bench. Kick off your treads. No worries, it's dry. Story time ...

Once upon a time, I was without a place to be 9-5 Monday through Friday. This allowed Moi to bask in the glory of every local park I could find. It was Spring. I hunted these gorgeous spots down with a vengeance. It was a solo activity ... Of which I really enjoyed & much needed. (Hmmm? All but that one private park. A quiet duet. Pure heaven!)

I was a renegade urban park ranger. Whilst the workers of my bubble were doing the toile & trouble ... Making widgets & other shee shee, I was sporting flip flops, white cotton Gap drawstring duds with a T, & an Oilily paisley backpack. What was in the backpack you ask? Camera, sketchpad/pencil, teeny-weeny throw, crackberry (off in park) & iPod, natch!

Yours truly "Park Picnic-ed" all over this city. Day & night - There is one bachelor in this city that will tell you I seduced him with cocktails, at a very trendy establishment one night on our 2nd date, only to commandeer his pristine vintage Mercedes sedan whilst he rode shotgun. I flew like a bat through the night ... Windows down, radio silent & managed visits to 3 gorgeous parks! (He later learned that my cocktails were just straight fizzy San Pellegrinos, not she-must-be-sloshed-like-me-drinky-poos.) To hear a guy happily groan while sliding his bare feet into blades of thick green grass is like ... Ya know, bee type stuff. I believe he may have even taken a small nap at one park, on the picnic table ... Did I take pictures of his toes!?!

All that said, you must know by now that it is all about the parks for me! This new banner happens to be from a photo I took of a local lake park. Van Gogh-ish don't cha think? All that yummy green ...

If you have made it this far & have read my entire post, I have a special treat for you! Please join me in the decadent pleasures of a sugar rush, as I am reveling in & go get one of these. Dip you fingers into the frosting ... How can you not?

Many smooches & happy Summer to ya,
The Tart
; *

~

Bringing back the past - My sketches!

2009-05-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

~

Amazing the land of Tweet ... Twitter to you peeps that have not taken the funnest social networking leap!

In the midst of my crazy life, I received a Tweet from a fellow Twitterer asking about my avatar - My Twitter avatar is one of my sketches that I posted for Illustration Friday: Glamour Girls, back in 2006. She is interested in having one designed for her. Wow!

What good timing ... Just what I need, a fun diversion from life. Drawing is something I have done all my life & is great therapy.

So what do I do first before I start drawing ... Brew some hazelnut coffee, visit my Flickr sites & browse through my bloggy, natch! I found this drawing. I was inspired by all the volunteers that helped out after hurricane Katrina.

If you have some time on your hands & feel like browsing, here are links to both my Flickr sites. If you're interested in the drawings, look at the sets to the right for groups of the drawings: Cheaptarts & Paisley Belle.

Coffee makes you want to redesign your blog too!

Happy Saturday!
Smooches,
The Tart
; *

Fleeing ... I'm Still Breathing

2009-05-03T08:31:00.001-07:00

~

Hello Bloggyville,

How ya been?

Crazy world ... So many things happening. To all of us.

Woke up this morning thinking. Turned out the light last night thinking. Woke up to thunder & lightening thinking. Can't stop thinking. Thinking about simpler times. When things didn't matter so much. Thinking about when the simple things mattered the most.

Thinking what happened? When did I take the wrong turn. Was it wrong? Or was it just a path. Ha, the proverbial journey that all paths lead to. THE JOURNEY.

So I think, THE JOURNEY to the END. THE END. Yep, so hence all the THINKING, natch!

My neighbors woke me to their moving company noises, at 8am ... Welcome interruption to my thinking. So, I bolted from bed, hit the Sport Button on the Hot Wheels. Flew down the highway on a quest to resolve all this thinking. To Thinking -Snarl!

I was convinced that the mystery to all this duress could be solved in creating something. Because it always does. Art & music ... Time to Blog!

AND, guess what? Well ... See for yourself:

7:30 am, March 23 I almost missed her. She was pink & sparkly. She looked like she was going somewhere. I walked back to take a closer look at her. I added her to my iPhone screen saver. Why? Why was I compelled to study her? Why take the photos? I remember that day, I thought it was the pink. Color can stop me in my tracks. Color is my drug of choice - Firmly addicted.

But today, I know what I saw in her. She looks ready to go! And me, standing still. I want to be her, not me taking a photo of her.

Have a look ... Then, I'll tell you more ...

I'm Still Breathing

I leave the gas on
Walk the allies in the dark
Sleep with candles burning
I leave the door unlocked

I'm weaving a rope and
Running all the red lights
Did I get your attention
Cuz I'm sending all the signs

That the clocking is ticking
And I'll be giving my two weeks
Pick your favorite shade of black
You'd best prepare a speech

Say something funny
Say something sweet
But don't say that you loved me

I'm still breathing
Though we've been dead for awhile
This sickness has no cure
We're going down for sure
Already lost a grip
On this abandoned ship

Oh ...

Maybe I was too pale
Maybe I was too fat
Maybe you had better
Better luck in the sack

No formal education
And I swore way too much
But I swear you didn't fucking care
Cuz we were in love

So as I write this letter
And shed my last tear
It's all for the better
That we end this year

Let's close this chapter say one last prayer
But don't say that you loved me

I'm still breathing
Though we've been dead for awhile
This sickness has no cure
We're going down for sure
Already been diagnosed
So let's give up the ghost

Already lost a grip on this abandoned ship

Oh I'm still breathing I'm still breathing

~ sung by Katy Perry

Some answers:

As I spent the morning playing with this image, quite a bit of thinking was going on. Pieces of life drifting through my head. Like a carousel. Sort of a happy/sad Mary Poppins type sequence. Lots of color, natch!

I see my mother in a hospital bed.
I see the love in the eyes of a wife, as her husband speaks passionately about his plan.
I hear my brother's voice of concern over the phone miles away.
I see the happy shocked surprise in the face of friend who tells me she thinks she might be pregnant!
I see someone holding his head in his hands in anguish, while another talks of a letter.
I hear the fear in the voice of someone I have know since I was 16.
I hear a guy tell me the story of how he met his wife, with such tenderness in his voice.
I see the kindness in the faces of a couple who give me a coupon for the hospital gowns I am buying my mother.
I hear myself, answer a stranger's question, "Why do you think you have never gotten married?"
I see the romantic words in an old love letter written to me on 3-ring notebook paper, from whom I don't recall.
I see joy in the face of an author as she reads aloud from her book.
I see a photo of a guy in a yoga pose whom I have never met.
I hear a doctor tell me the pain in my arm is nothing.
I see the beautiful vintage aqua blue tile in the bathroom of the ranch house I grew up in.

I see the Twitterings of a very handsome & interesting guy.
I see my father's grave marker in Punchbowl Crater among the tall palm trees.

I see my mother wearing black, under a cloudless deep blue hawaiian sky while standing on lush green grass, holding my hand & an american flag in the other, surrounded by people I know crying, amid the loud shots of military guns providing the salute ...
I hear my mother say, "Your father is not in there. He is heaven. That is just a box. You know that, right?"
I can still feel the warm sea air blow on my face as I answer, "Yes."
I look up to the sky.

AND, after all that, I tell you I'm Still Breathing!

AND, I see a new path.

I feel happy.

Smooches,
The Tart
; *

~

I love this video

2009-04-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Honda Insight - Let It Shine from Honda on Vimeo.

It is best viewed on Vimeo ... Go click on Vimeo above & watch .... So cool!

Honda Insight - The Making of "Let it Shine” from Honda on Vimeo.

Smooches,

The Tart

; *

Rick Perry - I think this means You!

2009-04-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Living in Texas is becoming very embarrassing ...

I recently saw this on Twitter & thought, based on Rick's comments about Texas, that this would apply appropriately to him.

Now, what's a Tart to do ... Pull up the RV stakes & get the hell out of here before the Nutty Governor turns Texas into a Mexican Drug Lord Wild West territory! Jeez!

My Mom still lives here, dude! Can't ya hold it together for about 10 more years.

Dear Austin Texas - I thought "Keep Austin Weird" was just a marketing slogan. Now I really know what it means & I am totally embarrassed!

Not a happy,
Tart
; p

*

It's in the Eyes

2009-03-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, where is the spring ... We all want to know?

Fireflies in the Garden

Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,
And here on earth come emulating flies,
That though they never equal stars in size,
(And they were never really stars at heart)
Achieve at times a very star-like start.
Only, of course, they can't sustain the part.

~ Robert Frost

Smooches,
The Tart
; *

.

When is it Art?

2009-02-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

?

Is it art, yet?

Could be.

Van Gogh smooches,
The Tart
; *

?

I've just had enough!

2009-02-19T17:02:00.000-08:00

.

Ya know, it seems like I'm just on the verge. Always. Holding it all together ... Fooling everyone. Then comes the tipping point, when I hear something so ridiculous that I just stop thinking, because it is just too MUCH.

Today's brain thumper:

"I called out to God in the middle of the country club golf course ... "

Then she said to her friend, "Yes, he spoke to me just then!"

I had a brain freeze right then.

Smoochless,
The Tart
; *

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T10:54:00.001-08:00

45 365 True Love Ways
Originally uploaded by *spud*

Smooches,
The Tart
; *

Living "Green" in almost every way!!

2009-02-01T09:32:00.001-08:00

Living Green, loving Green ...

When I was a kid I had this poster with the horoscope on it. It hung above my bed for years. When I first got it, I saw that it listed my favorite color as Green. Hmm?

The next day I took a look at everything Green & thought, yup, Green is my favorite color. And to this day, if you ask me my fave color ... Well, you know the answer.

Green, natch!

Lucky charm smooches,
The Tart
; *

Barack Obama!

2009-01-20T19:39:00.001-08:00

DSC_2744.jpg
Originally uploaded by gcquinn

I found this photo on Flickr ... Isn't it fantastic !?! Just about sums up my feeling about this day in the Good-Old-USA:

Yippee for Barack Obama!

Hopeful smooches,
The Tart
; *

It's a perfect day for one of these ...

2009-01-17T17:01:00.001-08:00

Cupcake Card Holder
Originally uploaded by Migoto Chou

Click here to see read the blog of the person that made this cupcake ...

My day started out with one of these yummy treats! Like Michelle Obama, I had reason to celebrate.

Frosting smooches,
The Tart
; *

/

Retro Tart ... Baton Twirler, I was!

2009-01-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

The holidays always bring out the old family photos ... And low & behold look what my brother found. Yup, that's me. Trippy right?

Well, my first thought was ... I love my hair. And that is my REAL color. Then I became all sappy about my baton. I loved that thing, even though it bruised my arms like crazy. Sadly, just when I spent all that time practicing & starring in Little League Team events ... My high school cancelled the baton twirler program - Rats!!!

I still have that baton, natch!

Smooch,
The Tart
; *

/

HAPPY NEW YEAR - illustration friday - "contained happiness"

2009-01-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Bloggyville & Illustration Friday Peeps ...

I drew this back in 2006 during my blissful year of unemployment. And who knows, I may be in that boat again. Meantime ... My goal this year is to take off my sunglasses & work on being less contained/uptight. It's a lot easier to just be happy, natch!

To all a very Happy 2009!!!

Big happy smooches,
The Tart
; *

/

Christmas Day 2008 & Carl Sandburg ... Fog

2008-12-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

The poem Fog by Carl Sandburg is one of my most favorite things. It pretty much sums up the day ... I mean, just look at the furry face above. And how about those striped leggings ... Santa sure knows fashion!

BTW ... One of the coolest holidays I took, by my Tarty self, was to Asheville, North Carolina. Yes the beauty of nature was captivating, but I most enjoyed Carl Sandburg's home there. It was the type of cottage where you could imagine quietly reading a book or writing one maybe. Lovely place.

Sleepy holiday smooches,
The Tart
=^,,^=

/

Little Bunny waits for Santy Claus ... Robert Frost's best

2008-12-24T19:15:00.000-08:00

My favorite photo taken this year with my iPhone & my most favorite poem by Robert Frost ... Special thx to the Little Bunny for the perfect pose!

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Mistletoe smooches,
The Tart
; *