tania howells

the commons

'A Spring Idyl', originally uploaded by National Media Museum.

I just discovered the commons on Flickr!
It is amazing!
Piles of public historical images- a goldmine of awesomeness.

school library journal

 

Yippee!  Berkeley has been reviewed in the School Library Journal!

arctic air mass!

It's extra cold out today so I am extra bundled up for my trip into work!
You would think it was the end of the world, the way they report the news these days!
"Coldest arctic air mass to come this way in DECADES!!"
Well, goodness, it IS winter isn't it?  I remember it being this cold back when I was in grade school and if you got to school too early, too bad.  You had to wait outside, shivering and hopping up and down by the door until the bell rang while cursing the teachers to your friends.

caffeine helps...

It truly does. I got a pile of things done this morning and I owe it all to a little cuppa instant.  When I first peeled open my eyes this morning, at a shameful (or luxurious?) 8:30 am, I felt like a zombie had invaded my person and I contempated sleeping till noon. Alas, no!  I feel better if I get up anyway.

I adjusted an image for a new use for a client and I made a new drawing and turned it into a blinking me gif.  This is pretty much what I do most of the time- standing still, blinking.  I would like to add that my outfit is sadly not this colorful today.  It  is more or less this but the sweater is black, the skirt is denim and the tights are black.  It was all my zombie self could manage earlier on. 

hover

Here is a little story about a guy who can jump up and then hover for just a minute before he lands again.
For that minute, he feels so happy that he keeps trying it over and over, just to feel that moment of peace and bliss.
I guess the moral of the story is to try, try again no matter how often you fail. Easier said than done.

If you want to have a little giggle, a cry of happiness and then feel better after wards, have a look at this film.  It's a long one but worth it!

holiday knitterati

I spent a lot of the holidays knitting because it is one of my favorite things to do.  I found this fishtail pattern somewhere online and decided it would be a good application for this lovely yarn I received as part of my payment a number of years ago for drawing the logo for Hipknits.  I had at first assumed it was sock yarn because it was so thin, but later was told it might be too fine for that.  I forget what its content is, but its lovely and soft.  Socks would have gotten holes quickly!  So now it is two feet of scarf with more to come.  Knitting a lace pattern like this makes me feel awfully clever and its not so hard after all!  I intend to learn cables next.  That is what I love about knitting.  It is so skill level oriented.  You can just keep learning and learning!  Or you can knit scarves for ever.  Whatever suits your fancy - its a great feeling.



I also started up a new pair of socks wth the yummy yarn I got on etsy from Ruby Sapphire last year.  Isn't it pretty!  I am using a basic sock pattern even though I had been worried this yarn was a tad thinner than the yarn specified in the pattern.  In the end I decided I needed to just use the yarn and not leave it laying around for girl cat to steal and wreak havoc with.  She likes to discover it in my knitting basket over and over and trot off triumphantly with it in her teeth.

a new year!

Looking up...

...from my perch at my desk.  It s a bright crisp freezing day.  A good way to start my year, work wise.

Looking down...

...gazing at my new fabrics.  My mum and I stopped into the workroom on Saturday on the way home from dim sum, "just to have a quick look."  HA!
Impossible to leave without a little treat.  I have visions of kitchen chair pillows with the apple fabric, a little chemise with the folklore, top right and I got the one bottom right because I could not leave it behind.
Now I must move aside my fabrics and finish up my thumbnail roughs, which are due on Wednesday.

Happy new year dear readers!  Thank-you for being there!  It's been such fun - February will be this blog's 5th birthday- my goodness...