It walked on my pillow.

 Today I am forcing you guys to get to know Suzy from It Walked On My Pillow. Her blog has wormed its way into my heart and now that I have Suzy heart-worms, I'm hooked. She writes so well, and the post-it note drawings that accompany her posts are literally the best things in the world. On EARTH.

And guess where her blog name came from! It's an Arrested Development quote! How awesome is that?  

Let's meet her now! 

 ---

1. Tell us about you! Who are you? What is your daily routine like?

My name is Elena, but everyone calls me Suzy because when i was a baby my mom named me Elena and then decided to call me Suzy instead so even though my birth certificate, drivers license, and marriage certificate all say Elena, my dental records, yearbooks, and friends all say Suzy. 

I'm 23 and i'm a huge fan of words {belligerent is a favourite}, and of people who have mastered the art of cleverly stringing them together in song lyrics and poetry and short stories and novels.

I'm married to Barclay, who is a fantastic person. It was, for real, love at first sight, plus we had our first kiss in a tree. Fancy, I know. I like a lot of things because there are a lot of things to like. 

I always thought I was an extrovert but I guess I'm not. I have good friends and blue eyes and a heart condition. I have constellations on my arms. I don't have a daily routine, except that every day starts with a bowl of red river cereal. I yawn and hiccup all the time. I'm one of those people. 

2. Describe your blog in exactly twelve words.

It is the result of a lot of long walks by myself.

3. What is it about post-its? Why are they so great to draw on?

I guess that the best thing about them is that they are little. A big piece of paper is very daunting, but a sticky note is no sweat. Plus, things are just cuter when they're smaller. My cousin gave me a tiny little switchblade for graduation, and even though it's a switchblade, it's adorable because of how small it is. 

And when I opened it, I noticed he'd even carved the words, "I'LL MISS YOU" on the blade of it, because I was moving away. If he'd given me a big huge switchblade with "I'LL MISS YOU" carved on the blade of it, i'd have thought he was a psycho. So. A lesson in switchblades and art. 

4. What is your favorite illustration you've posted on your blog? Why?

Ummmn...maybe the staircase. Simply because it turned out like i wanted it to. 

5. Do you have an art background of any kind?

Oh heck no. i've just always been one of those people who doodle on everything. I used to draw all over my legs and arms in sharpie marker while talking on the phone or driving somewhere. Now that i'm a grown-up, I try to not draw on myself so much. but i draw on barclay sometimes. 

6. What inspires you? 
Going for a walk and looking around. I know most people look at other people in their chosen artistic field who've achieved great things and are like, "wow, that inspires me to be better at what I do." I'm more like, "crap. I wish I'd thought of that. Now I have to think of something else." 

I am a small, jealous person sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I still admire the work of artists and writers--but I prefer stuff very different from anything I try to do {so I don't have anything to compare it to}. 

7. What are some of your favorite blogs?

This is a super hard question because a) I'm a people pleaser and b) I currently read and love like a hundred blogs, and all for different reasons. I love all ye opinionated people, ye crafty people, ye funny people, ye photographers and ye artists and ye masters of the written word, tumblrists and blogspotters, wordpressers and custom domainers, ye who write once a month, ye who post three times per day. 

I like my blog world like I like my real-life friend world. Different people exercise different parts of my brain, I guess. that's probably the way it's meant to be. 

---

Here are my top three favorite posts from Suzy's blog:

1. Be Cacophonous

2. The Girl on the Lawn

3. The Slob From Who Knows Where: A Novella Of Sorts

blog - flickr - bloglovin' - origins

Suzy from It Walked On My Pillow!

Hey guys. Today I'm forcing you to meet Suzy! She writes over at It Walked On My Pillow, and she is awesome.  I mean, her blog literally fills me with awe. 

She is a fantastic writer and each post is accompanied by these great little sticky note sketches. (Please, as always, ask her permission to use any of the images I posted here today!) I also asked her a few questions about her life and inspiration. 

Read on!

 ***

1. Tell us about you! Who are you? What is your daily routine like? 

My name is Elena, but everyone calls me Suzy because when i was a baby my mom named me Elena and then decided to call me Suzy instead. So even though my birth certificate, drivers license, and marriage certificate all say Elena, my dental records, yearbooks, and friends all say Suzy. 



I'm 23 and I'm a huge fan of words {belligerent is a favourite}, and of people who have mastered the art of cleverly stringing them together in song lyrics and poetry and short stories and novels.



I'm married to Barclay, who is a fantastic person. it was, for real, love at first sight, plus we had our first kiss in a tree. Fancy, I know. 



I like a lot of things because there are a lot of things to like. I always thought I was an extrovert but I guess I'm not. I have good friends and blue eyes and a heart condition. I have constellations on my arms. I don't have a daily routine, except that every day starts with a bowl of red river cereal.I yawn and hiccup all the time. 

I'm one of those people. 

2. Describe your blog in exactly twelve words.

It is the result of a lot of long walks by myself.

3. What is it about post-its? Why are they so great to draw on?

I guess that the best thing about them is that they are little. A big piece of paper is very daunting, but a sticky note is no sweat. Plus, things are just cuter when they're smaller. My cousin gave me a tiny little switchblade for graduation, and even though it's a switchblade, it's adorable because of how small it is. And when i opened it, i noticed he'd even carved the words, "I'LL MISS YOU" on the blade of it, because i was moving away. If he'd given me a big huge switchblade with "I'LL MISS YOU" carved on the blade of it, i'd have thought he was a psycho. So. a lesson in switchblades and art. 

4. What is your favorite illustration you've posted on your blog? Why?

Ummmn...maybe the staircase. Simply because it turned out like i wanted it to. 

5. Do you have an art background of any kind? 

Oh heck no. I've just always been one of those people who doodle on everything. I used to draw all over my legs and arms in sharpie marker while talking on the phone or driving somewhere. Now that i'm a grown-up, I try to not draw on myself so much. But I draw on barclay sometimes. 

6. What inspires you? 



Going for a walk and looking around. I know most people look at other people in their chosen artistic field who've achieved great things and are like, "Wow, that inspires me to be better at what I do." I'm more like, "Crap. I wish I'd thought of that. Now I have to think of something else." I am a small, jealous person sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I still admire the work of artists and writers--but I prefer stuff very different from anything I try to do {so I don't have anything to compare it to}. 

7. What are some of your favorite blogs?

This is a super hard question because a) I'm a people pleaser and b) I currently read and love like a hundred blogs, and all for different reasons. I love all ye opinionated people, ye crafty people, ye funny people, ye photographers and ye artists and ye masters of the written word, tumblrists and blogspotters, wordpressers and custom domainers, ye who write once a month, ye who post three times per day. I like my blog world like I like my real-life friend world. Different people exercise different parts of my brain, I guess. That's probably the way it's meant to be. 

8. I've always wondered where your blog's name came from. So...where did it come from?

(You gotta love a girl who names an entire blog after an Arrested Development quote.)

***

You can find more of Suzy's post-it illustrations on her flickr page. And don't forget to check out her blog. Not only is it pretty, but the writing is fantastic. Here are a few of my favorite posts she's done lately:

Rebecca Black Is My Hero (or) Rebecca Black, I Got Your Back!

Be Cacophonous 



The Slob From Who Knows Where: A Novella Of Sorts 

and The Girl On The Lawn

About the new header.

I came home early yesterday from work due to a ridiculous headache. I was thinking "migraine" until I researched migraines on the internet. I wasn't that sensitive to light, and although I felt a little bit nauseous it wasn't anything like the way people who suffered migraines described it. And I could still function, albeit totally in a daze and grouchy. I think it was more of a tension headache.

Anyway enough of the self-diagnosis. I'm writing about something SO COOL! After lying around in the dark at home while Ryan watched hockey all day, reading the book "The Birth House" by Ami McKay (awesome book, by the way), I started to feel better and went on Facebook, where I found a wonderful surprise from 'chelle (from Coffee and Zombie Movies)... she drew a picture of me!

She claims she doesn't have a shrine built in my honor or anything yet, and was just sketching the first person who happened to show up on her Facebook feed. Whatever. I love it. Isn't it so great? So I opened it in the paint program and made me have four eyes instead of two and made it my header. What do you think?

I LOVE PRESENTS :)

Something amazing happened at work on Thursday.
My friend Chris Hold had been by on my days off and left a bazillion presents for me. And a grateful dead bear for Ryan. But who cares about that, do you want to see what he gave me? Forgive the weird lighting and background, I did this photo shoot beside my bed just before I went to sleep last night. :)

Yeah! Four new cameras AND two new (dusty, apparently) lenses. Guh, how much fun is this going to be? I'm especially intrigued with the first one.

Thank you Chris! You rule so much it's not even funny. And all you blog readers out there, check him out for real! He tattoos at Sacred Heart (at Nelson) in Vancouver. He's funny, well-spoken, and way too smart for his own good. Interesting man.

The Randomest Sam embarks on a journey

 I met Sam in a hostel in the middle of downtown Mexico City in 2007. We were thrown together in the same 6-bed dormitory. He was there with a friend, I was there on my own. I was just on my way back to Victoria and was so excited to see Ryan again after being away for almost half a year. But I was also sick. REALLY sick. In an awful fevery delerious can-barely-make-it-to-the bathroom type of way.

I practically lay in bed the entire time I was there alone, (two full days, I think) other than one trip to the nearby pharmacy, where all you need to do is ask for whatever you want, no prescriptions neccessary, apparently.So I was also very high some of the time.

Sam and his friend were really nice to me. They'd invite me to go see the pyramids or to a lucha libre match or whatever, but I'd just be all like "Oh no thanks, I'd rather be the weirdo who stays in bed all day and gets up at night crying." (Don't worry, I had been there before and seen the ruins, or I'd be super bummed about this now.)

I went back to Canada, they went to the UK, and we always kind of stayed in touch, thanks to the magic of the internet. He has traveled the world, he worked in TV for years, and is a brilliant photographer, so his twitter, facebook page and blog have always been entertaining.

Sam recently announced that he was planning a new, greener type of trip, maybe all the way around the world. Via bicycle. Him and a friend (I think?) have the first leg of their route planned out, from New York to Seattle to California to Mexico. Then perhaps all the way to the bottom of the continent. And he's doing it for charity.

Here he is on youtube, outlining his itinerary:

I know I'm going to be following their journey closely, I think he might even be stopping over in Victoria to say hello once they reach Seattle! Exciting!

A little work promotion...

Two guys from Tattoo Zoo (where I work) are going to be at the Victoria tattoo convention this weekend. I thought it would be nice to give 'em a little promo here too. Maybe some of you guys want to fly in for the weekend and get some sick tats? ;)

Meet Cody Walsh:

 (Photo by Gerry Kramer)

He makes tattoos like this:

For more, and to see the full pictures of these tattoos, click here. 

---------

Meet Colin Wiley:
 

(Photo by Cody Walsh)

He makes tattoos like this:

For more, and to see the full pictures of these tattoos, click here.

I think I might go on the Sunday as well for a bit, and hang out. Usually tattoo conventions are like watching a trainwreck. I mean, sure there's tons of talented and hard working tattoo artists out there in the world, but there's also a LOT of hilarious ego-driven "cool guys", "tough guys", and people who crawl out from under rocks in their mom's basements who tattoo their friends and spread hepatitis and skin infections like nobody's business. And they love conventions.

And the best thing ever always happens at conventions; people cut holes in their clothes to show off their tattoos. Seriously, like a round circle cut out of the lower back of a t-shirt. I'll let you guys know if I have any sightings of this amazing phenomenon. Maybe I'll bring my camera. :)

I got mail! And it's hilarious/offensive! And confusing. Help!

 My friend Sam was in China. Now, when I say "my friend Sam" I mean "that guy who was stuck in the same hostel dorm room with me in Mexico City for a few days when I was super sick". We both have blogs, and we are facebook and Twitter friends, so we've managed to keep in touch for almost three years now. Anyway so he's this total world-travellery type guy, and was in China recently.

I saw on the Twitter that he was willing to send people presents from China and I was all like "hell yes, send me something crazy". And he did!

My present came yesterday...

AWESOME TERRIBLE

There is a post card as well. I especially like the part about 

"the late and great mass murder(er)" haha.

 What is it?

No, really what is it? 

He won't tell me and I'm assuming it has something to do with drugs because it's a tiny spoon and that's what I think of when I see tiny spoons I guess. But maybe it's not. Do any of you know what the heck this thingy is?

 

Anyway, thanks Sam! I hate love it.

300th post and a tattoo party

My three hundredth post! I wish I could host some kind of giveaway like all the cool bloggers do, but yeah...it's not gonna happen, haha. Maybe for my 400th. Stay tuned!

Yesterday we had an impromptu tat party.

(click any photo on my blog to see larger size)

You can see my new tattoo on my boss' blog if you CLICK HERE. I had been recently talking about how I didn't have any skin-rip tattoos, and then yesterday I was all "gosh I wish I could get a tattoo soon" or something and Gerry was all like "pick one and we'll do it" and I was like "yes!" and it was as easy as that. I ended up choosing a really funny little thang, a lady in a bathing suit and a shark fin, plus it's a rip-out. So it's the most awesome. It was the easiest tattoo I've gotten in a really long time; pain-wise, very little, time-wise, very quick, quality-wise, fantastic. A-plus!

Today it looks really really bright...I guess because most of the tattoos on that arm are black and grey.  At first I had this plan to have an all b+g optical illusion arm, but that's so ... confining. I'm steppin' out.

Then, because for some really weird reason nobody was coming in to the shop even though it was a Saturday, Bryan and Cody also had time to get tattooed by the best boss ever. 

Their tattoos are a little more hard-core than mine...HAND TATS...but mine's bigger. (haha) I took a few photos of them getting tattooed. Unfortunately when I was trying to get a good one of Bryan's new hand rose I must have been really excited or something because they're all blurry except for this one:

Just trust me, it's a cool little rose. Or you can go back to HERE and see it. 

Then Cody got a funny little baby holding a gun on his hand, which sounds crazy but trust me, it's awesome. I took like eight hundred photos of it. It's hilarious, and if anybody can pull it off, it's Cody.
Here are three:

Sometimes I can't believe how freaking lucky I am to have such a cool job, and to work with such fun people. Gah, lovefest. Sorry so barfy, I'm just so excited and happy about my new tattoo. What a great day!