whirlwind

The past month has been crazy. In all honesty, the past few months have been crazy. I can’t believe it’s moments away from being December and then shortly after 2012 will be over. I feel like I haven’t had a moment to spare in ages. I guess that is just the unavoidable quickening of time and the expansion of space.

I couldn’t let the entire month slip away without mentioning some of the high points.

The month started tremendously with AFI FEST. Shawn’s film, CREEPER, premiered in the midnight shorts section. The whole festival was amazing and we met so many great filmmakers. It felt a little like summer camp.

Obama was re-elected! Old news, but it still feels good.

More recently we went to Disneyland with family and friends. It was nice to spend the day at the park with mostly kids and act extra silly. It was super crowded but at the end of the night we were able to go on the teacups with no line and it was the best.

We celebrated two Thanksgivings this year and lived to tell the tale. We brunched at one of my favorite restaurants, Inn of the Seventh Ray, then had a traditional dinner at a friend’s house. The only thing I had to cook was stuffing, which I made from scratch for the first time and was quite pleased.

Another birthday passed and I am a year older. I’m happy to have an age that is also a prime number again. I’m sure this will bring me good fortune. I am starting to feel like I’m more of an adult these days than not which is strange.

We visited the Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA. It wasn’t as impressive as the Tim Burton show they put on last year but it did have a few details that I quite liked including letters and notes that Kubrick had written. I could have spent hours reading his thoughts.

We watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended edition) in one day.

It seems like I am leaving things out although I’m pretty sure that is it. This is why I must write things down. The end of the year always seems exciting to me, like it is filled with possibility.
Oh and little Weetzie Cat is growing up, though she’s still quite small. All the cats still don’t get along but things are slowly improving. There are moments of calm and even a tiny bit of affection.

cat treats

It’s the time of year when everyone is making wish lists and gift guides and I swear it’s catching. When I think about such things though, my mind immediately goes to fancy things I’d like to get for my cats. Which possibly means I’m a crazy person. In any case, I thought I’d share some of my favorite, sometimes extravagant, cat presents I’ve been fawning over.

1. I know Meeme would go nuts over this crocheted jellyfish cat toy.

2. This mid-century styled cat furniture looks nice enough to double as regular furniture.

3. I’m really into this cat teepee but would probably make my own version.

4. This is the nicest looking cat tree ever. I’m not sure who came up with the idea to cover cat trees in the ugliest carpet but we collectively need to put a stop to it. Let’s start here.

5. And perhaps something to show off your cat love like this crazy cat sweater.

Brainwashed Love is here

Once upon a time Shawn and I made a feature film. If you’ve been around these parts for awhile you’ve surely heard me mention it. We’ve considered many avenues for distribution and came to the conclusion that mostly we just wanted people to be able to see it. So finally we’ve released it online and you can watch it on vimeo.

This is the final director’s cut which is slightly different from what we showed at our previous screenings. I think it’s the best version of course. I’m really excited to hear what you all think.

We made this film before kickstarter and crowdfunding was a thing so it was completely self-funded. If you like what you see, feel free to leave us a tip on vimeo.

So, without further ado, I present BRAINWASHED LOVE for your viewing pleasure.

BRAINWASHED LOVE – Feature Film – 2011 from Shawn Bannon on Vimeo.

holiday cards

With the cool weather finally here in Los Angeles, I’m finally getting in the celebratory mood. While I’m not quite ready for holiday shopping and crafting, I’ve already begun my search for holiday cards to make sure I get them in time to send to friends and family. Perhaps I learned this the hard way last year when our cards did not quite make it out in time.

So forgive me if this this much too early in your holiday timeline but here are a few cards I’m liking a lot.

1. Snowflake Specimens
2. Evergreen
3. Happy Holidays
4. Birch Season’s Greetings
5. Holly Wreath Goose

halloweens

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Hope everyone has a spooky All Hallows Eve filled with candy, black cats, pumpkins and ghosts. And possibly a little bit of pumpkin spice ice cream.