Happy Friday! I will be gone to good ol’ North Carolina next week, but perhaps Tricia & Lorraine will keep you company while I’m away! Here is just a little-something before I depart : ).

Remember that post where I RAVED about the UK-based magazine Anorak (The Happy Magazine for Kids)? WELL, I STILL LOVE IT. And I have a subscription (yes, I am a very big kid).

It is almost weird, though, it is sort of like they made the magazine just for me. It always contains bright colors and is beautifully designed. The last issue was ALL about chocolate, my favorite food. And the current issue, I kid you not!, is about WORDS, which I am obsessed with. That sounds very general, I know, but it’s not! I’m a writer, and I actually read the “Word of the Day” from dictionary.com and write down the words!

Anyway, so here is just a small excerpt from this week’s issue with my answers filled-in!

Feel free to answer any or all of the questions in the comment section! & check-out Anorak because they make me smileeee.

1. What’s your favorite word? Deipnosophist. That is, someone who is skilled at table talk. That was the word of the day on Thanksgiving two years ago. And yes, it is very obscure.
2. What’s the cheesiest word? Cheese. I really think it’s a cheesy word, and not even in a corny or ironic way. I hate when people say things like, “Oh look at all that cheese” when they are watching something like Full House.
3. What’s the funniest word? Spoonerism. This was the Word of the Day on Monday. It is “a verbal error in which a speaker accidentally transposes the initial sounds or letters of two or more words, often to humorous effect.” For example, if you said “sew you to your sheet” instead of “show you to your seat.” It’s called a “spoonerism” because some Reverend Spooner apparently did this all of the time.
4. What’s the nicest word someone ever used to describe you? I like when people call me creative. Or unique. And they really mean it.
5. What’s the word you repeat the most? Probably “the” or “a” or even “cool” but apparently I also have been known to say “random” a lot. As in, “that is so random” or “so the other day I was randomly watching this mock-Billy May’s YouTube video.”
6. What’s the word you wish you had invented? Schadenfreude. This is an awesome word which means “to feel pleasure at another person’s pain or misery.” You know you’ve felt it.

(Remember, you can click on the different knick knacks to learn about each item.)

Shop all the Gift Guides: Shop for Woody Allen, Michael Scott, the domestically disabled, and more!

Everyone thinks I’m younger than I actually am. I don’t know if it’s my dashing good looks (ha!), the bright colors I wear, the ridiculous accessories (bright blue and pink heart necklaces, pink paisley rainboots, two colored stockings), or the toys I own. Probably, it’s the toys.

I enjoy toys a lot, all the better if they serve some other adult function, like erasing or holding cotton swabs. Of course, good vs. evil unicorns may serve no extra purpose, but they are ironic in a +10 kind of way. For those who enjoy them, toys also make great stocking stuffers!

As a wee, I loved the If you give… series. Actually, as an adult stuck in an unsettling post-college period, I am still enamored with the books. I am a sucker for the whimsical illustrations, the characteristically demanding critters, and the circumlocutory plots. With the absence of a pesky HARRY-POTTER-RACE-TO-THE-FINISH effect (the conclusion is hardly dubious!), one can focus purely on the ADVENTURE.

The If you give… duo, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, first released If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in 1985! Since then, they have introduced their readers to Pig, Moose, and recently… CAT. A cat that gets a *cupcake*!?!?! (I’m eating a Sweet Mandy B’s cupcake right now! Which, FYI, is just as adorable as the name implies. It reminds me of Samantha Parkington!) And cat asks for *sprinkles*!? (My cupcake has sprinkles!) If You Give a Cat a Cupcake screams S&D.

Just like Mouse, Moose, and Pig, Cat gets something edible, and things happen. Honestly, you’ll have to read it for yourself. I will share, however, that my favorite part is at the beginning:

“When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill them on the floor. Cleaning it up will make him hot, so you’ll give him a bathing suit.”

A cat in swim trunks? More precious than Precious Moments.

I’ll be back in full-force soon! In the meantime…

The photos in the “Dreams of Flying” series by Jan von Holleben are creative & fun. (They remind me of Yeondoo Jung’s work.)

The kids all look like they are doing super-cool things (like flying in outerspace) but they’re actually laying on the floor with common household items!

Go to the web-site to see all of the photos (there’s a lot more, and they’re fun to flip through).

Don’t worry, Tricia will be back next week with many more awesome poster artists!

ANORAK: The Happy Magazine for Kids is a UK-based children’s magazine of illustrated and graphical wonder (think: Highlights: The Next Generation)! They recently sent me a copy, which I am currently swooning over despite my official status as an adult (who may or may not be able to rent cars).

The magazine doesn’t seem to orient itself towards one particular age group (the magazine suggests it’s for kids 5-10). For younger kids, there are beautiful pages of artwork, bright colors, drawing prompts, and simple games. For slightly older kids, there are fun stories and easy-to-read informational articles.

There is also a great eight page section called “good stuff” which references new and fun events, games, & products, and book reviews by kids 5-10.

For adults like me, there is lots and lots of pretty.

You can also check-out their web-site online, which has a section of free, fun goodies including doodle-y desktop wallpapers and icons.

The magazine is about 80 full-color pages on high-quality non-gloss paper. It comes four times a year, but is a bit expensive for a subscription for we non-UK folk (If you want, you can pretend you are getting little books in the mail and the cost won’t seem so high! Also, you AND your child are going to love it!). You can purchase single issues at the following US locations: (more…)

I hope you enjoyed this week’s posts & pictures about the fabulous illustrator Yasmine!

If you like interviews and art, then you’ll be happy to hear that later this month our special columnist Tricia will feature interviews with SEVEN different show-poster artists!

If you miss Tricia, you can visit her school supply posts, which are still loved by all.

Oh, and as for the bracelet above: yes, I kind of love it, in all of its awkward, impaled weirdness. (From regencies.com.) Have a great weekend! (I’m taking another quick trip to Cape Cod for a wedding!)

Yasmine, illustrator & owner of the blog A Print a Day (see previous post for more info), has, thus far, had an incredibly interesting life. Here’s the short version. (more…)