Thank you.

_________________________________________________________

My knee exploded.

And I want to thank the people who reached out...

like my sweet dog.

She knows what you need. is patient. loving. and doesn't say anything negative. She just gets on the couch with you. and smiles in her sleep. 

being there. is the best thing. and she's smart. so she knows that.

_____________________________________________________________

I have so many people to thank.

It's almost a problem.

I started out hand making thank you postcards.

and it grew. out of control.

Please know that just checking up on me is so kind. thank you. I appreciate it.

Being down for an extended period of time starts to be a lesson in patience and relying on other people. and I am still trying to be better at that. 

but the treats.notes.words.visits.dinners.lunches.babies.friends.lipgloss.

they make it so much less terrible to be off the football field. out of my running shoes. on the edge of the ocean. propping my foot on the dock. staying inside more often. and stopping to rest.

sitting out is the hardest. 

but you guys have made it less so. 

and at night when my knee still screams sometimes...my frustration turns to:

thank you. thank you. thank you. 

I hope I do the same things for you.

_______________________________________________________

\

The best kind of problem is having to make way more postcard thank yous than you predicted.

____________________________________________________

"Is this really that funny to you guys?"  - Scarlett, the blonde wonder dog who is never seen without her black eye liner.

please note her glorious hands.

and her sweet little heart.

_____________________________________________________

I've always been a little weird.

And what I mean by that is 

I've always done things that sound more awesome later... but at the time are slightly socially uncomfortable.

I'm certain that isn't even the right definition. 

of weird. 

But I learned as a child to do things differently. 

Because my dad would say- HEY. THATS COOL.

and then. I would realize. Yes. Yes it is.

SO. 

I have no idea still how I ended up making puppets. Except that I love to make things 

and then more than that love to make creatures. and then when you love theater. you just want to 

throw your creatures onto a stage. or in front of a camera. 

So theres the trajectory of my life until now. 

I have a graph of it somewhere. 

yeah. 

there it is:

________________________________________

___________________________________

And. when you make creatures. they don't live forever. 

THE MAN WHO STEALS YOUR IDEAS 

was really a product of my concerns. and fear of failure.

 I was in an office job by day and making work for theater at night.

But I thought... WAIT. do I have something that I just felt compelled to make?. and have I done anything big lately. Something that's metaphorically big. or magical?

and then I just started sewing upholstery foam together in my den. in slight desperation to make sure I was still the artist I wanted to be.

At the same time I started thinking about heroes and villains. and the fact that some people are just amazing dream builders and life supporters and overall GOOD. people.

And then some people are the worst kind. they just only see roadblocks and they worry a lot. and steal. 

my friend/partner-in-sequins and I made peacock halloween costumes that won us 4 dinners in a row at a pizza place in Florida. and soon after there was a Barbie doll in our same exact Halloween get up. so we felt there was some sort of man out there stealing ideas from the poor. 

and making Barbie millions. out of it.

So. 

I made my big giant sculpture into The Man Who Steals Your Ideas.

He looks like this:

and although he was a villain. 

I still loved him because when he reached the ceiling of our den. I got my 1st art studio. 

_______________________________________________

But there is a time for everything.

and knowing when that time is can be the worst/hardest.

(Not to be a nerd. but thats arguably George Washington's greatest contribution to the Presidency. 

I say that because I love to learn about the Presidents. It's just one of those facts you would know about me if you saw my coffee mug. or 1600 Pennsylvania Ave T Shirt . or collection of Presidents books. )

But Anyways. Knowing when to leave. or let go.

That's hard.

_________________________________________________

I usually do love the villains in my life. 

________________________________________________

Because they are the reason I run. 

and don't walk.

_____________________________________



*cue lifeguard blowing their whistle.

I like Ike.

_______________________________________________

My 2nd nephew was born yesterday. 

Doubling the  I-am-inextreme-and-inordinate-love-with-this-boy phenomenon. 

Isaac Frey Bland

Baby Ike. 

I love you severely. 

We are so lucky to get you.

________________________

LIVE ART DOCUMENTARY

Can't get much closer to my heart than 

THIS.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/liveartrva/the-live-art-documentary?ref=live

We have just DAYS to meet the goal amount needed to produce 

the LIVE ART Documentary.

We dream big.

If we don't get $20,000 by the deadline, then we don't get any of the money.

The good thing is- We believe.

And so far. that has worked. 

Because amazing happened.

and it will be a movie soon. 

KICKSTART IT.

come with us.

__________________________________

p.s. Share this link everywhere possible.
and if you forgot. this is why it matters to me

websites can. and cannot. have a pulse. ALSO BUY A T SHIRT. and be cool.(er) than other people.

Hey. It finally happened. 

Apple was not joking about the whole Mobile Me disappearance act.

Losing mobile me as a website host means my website is.

gone.

Tragic. right?

Could be worse.

I am currently crafting paper newsletters and carrying them door to door on horseback. There you will find a list of all of my prints. shirts. paintings. design services. and prices and contact information.

no. 

not really.

That would be awesome though. just probably not as effective as a new website.

BUT WE ALL MISS OLD SCHOOL NEWSLETTERS!

just me?

OK.

Im trying to joke to hide the horror.

SO. Since my site is down and I am seriously trying really hard to make a new one. ( I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE TO START OVER. I am both vomiting at this. and sort of numb.)  *

* i have no training. i google how to do most things. i am easily distracted. i took a 3 hr monday night class in college that i needed for a certain credit qualification. it was called= THE INTERNET.  so. yeah. i remember the pop tarts i ate in that class more than the subject matter. and the lighting in the room. very yellow.

_________________________

My website gallery of prints. paintings. and other items for sale may have disappeared, but I will start posting some of that on this blog until it is back up.

I just recently had some questions about T shirts. So I will post shirt information here. in this little post of terror and nonsense. 

And remember.

email me with any questions about purchasing/ what is for sale. 

because

If you have seen it on this blog. I have it in my store. 

All inquiries go to- 

abernathy.parade@gmail.com

But. yall. 

It's fall. and you know what that means.

you need a cool shirt that makes you look better than everyone else. 

Or that makes you look like you know something they don't know.

or that has a rabbit on it.

_______________________

And the new one. So new I only have these sneak peeks. and still have a crazy variety of random colors.

T SHIRT DETAILS:

_________________________________________

Design- Follow Me

sizes- S. M. L.

colors- Sand. Light Blue. Honey.

Design- Art Is Dangerous

sizes- S. M. L.

colors- VARY. 

__________________________________________________

Shirts are unisex. slightly fitted.

each $ 25.00

have stamps. will travel.

if you will be ordering long distance style- add 5.00 to cover online order and postage. :)

--->  email- abernathy.parade@gmail.com to order.   <---

and, if I don't have the one you want in stock, then it will be a tiny wait for a new order to come in.

_______________________________________________________________

In the mean time. rabbits are working on my site. 

Aint no thing. That monster has been here before.

Whenever you are trying to do something big. 

or do what you feel moved to do.

there are a hundred and five moments of doubt. 

and then four more moments where you think about going backwards. 

or just running.

blindly. 

in an entirely different direction.

I think those are the breaking points. like hurdles.

and some people just stop.

AND I DON'T BLAME THEM.




Because. Sometimes I really want to sit down for a second.

_______________________________

I don't think that I'm awesome because I keep going. 

I think I keep going.

______________________________

I took my knee to the studio this week. 

And.

I just said yes to about 5 projects.

________________________________________________

There is a little bit of progress in committing to projects because once I say yes. They happen.

despite little sleep or fear or whatever monster taps me on the shoulder. 

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

I always remember everything is fine when I start working.



And when my reality is actually


very awesome

That's my leg brace. Next to a taxidermy product.


I mean.


Real life.

___________________________


Oh my gosh if I could just get my hands on the high school senior version of myself. From that day in class when people declared their future occupations.


and some people behind me were like... an artist?


and it shook me up for like four seconds. but no longer than that.


I think you get to feel super affected by other people for a certain amount of time.
and that time should be four seconds.

_______________________________


And

I recently found a paper I wrote on my senior art display in high school.


At the end I said ~

Art has changed my life. In the future I hope to use art to help special kids express themselves and communicate on a different level. I also want to work with deaf kids. and work in the theater.


(Um.----->  THIS.)


I would say to high school me...

 GIRL. you will not believe what you will be doing YEARS from now.

You are going to try and survive by making things. And it'll look real ugly in the first week.
(That last day of your office job, you'll tear up in the bread aisle at Kroger when you realize you are buying the narrow loaf with 2000 slices for a long time.) and you will panic on a normal basis.


But, you are going to find some real serious amazing projects. So don't worry.


I think it gets even better.

And I haven't seen it. but

It has to.

Because.















You keep going.


_____________________________

Friday Sketch.

_____________________________________________________________________

Dear the mouse in our kitchen, Doug Pistorius,

______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________

Things that creep me out.

 1. That my knee itches where it is numb. 

WHAT?!

(full disclosure: I am 2.5 weeks post ACL surgery and the entire ACL experience is sort of creepy but specifically right now. THIS. you cannot scratch what you cannot feel. therefore WHAT??)

I have found out though.. that if I scratch on the right side of my knee in places. I feel it on the other side.

yes.

And I have nothing else to add to this list of "things that creep me out" because really, the itching is consuming my brain.


___________________________________


In other news:

I am only going to have orthopedic injuries every 4 years because:

THANK YOU OLYMPICS.

I feel personally related to about 23 athletes right now because I am able to see every moment of their experience. And, you may say- LUUCCKKKYYY.


but dont forget.

I cannot scratch the left side of my knee.



however, yes. I am very thankful for the Olympics.
I have seen
A
Whole
Lot
Of
Them.


and

Let us say what is true. 

(I am not against a shirt with that on it.)

I came to that conclusion. watching the Olympics. while also on pain killers.

HOWEVER, 

I would say the same thing on or off pain killers. 

____________



For more fun. watch this video. I almost cannot believe I am sharing it, but what good does it do to keep something like this in an iphoto library?

Worth watching. I am in serious mode during this little event. 

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