Hi. It's been awhile. No excuses. Hasn't been for lack of inspiration either. Plenty of things to kindle the imagination here. Recent additions to my library:

this is probably really easy

Brian Dettmer is Xacto's favorite customer.

For fine motor skills, he gets the crown.

Packergallery.com
Toomey-Tourell.com
HaydeeRovirosa.com

A Tale of Two Cities

As I picked up my required reading for Mrs. Quick's 12th grade English, the usual apprehension that follows these selections was kept at bay. With the opening lines so famous in English literature, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," I fell in love with Charles Dickens. More specifically, the protagonist Sydney Carton. For those of you who have yet to read this masterwork, consider your life half-lived. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, Dickens has illustrated Redemption, social injustice, selfless love, revenge, and sacrifice in such a way that, even though this is a re-read for me, I am moved beyond words.

I have since made it my mission to read all of Dicken's 15 novels by the end of this year. I may have to take a break every once in awhile; knowing myself I will accidentally drop vocab bombs on unsuspecting friends. Plus, Dickens tends to be a bit bleak at times.

Next up, David Copperfield. Not to be confused with this guy.

An Illustrated Life

I just purchased a large, full-color book compiling Charlie Haper's various illustrations.
Each page is thoughtfully composed, and each time I flip through its magic pages I fall more in love with his work.