Last one, I promise.

Quality time with Mom

GUESS WHERE I AM!

Oh you guys... this is heaven.  I'm in a HOTEL ROOM!  I'm on a weekend getaway with my mom, at a scrapbooking convention.

WAIT!  DON'T RUN AWAY!!!

Okay, I know that doesn't live up to the level of cool that you have come to expect from me.  (Haaaaa!)  But trust me, this is a good thing.

First of all, we found a treasure trove at a thrift store on our way out here.

Underwood typewriter: $4.85.  How they came up with that price is a mystery but OMG FOUR DOLLARS AND EIGHTY-FIVE CENTS?!  Sold.

Huh.  These pics aren't all that great... but can you tell that this book is like 5 inches thick and has TABS?!  I may or may not have snatched it up, clutched it to my chest protectively, and looked around madly to make sure nobody was going to try to take it from me.  And the best part?  Five bucks.  Five bucks!

To be fair the book probably isn't worth anything, in historical or monetary value, because it's been taken apart at some point and rebound with gigantic chicago screws. And while I admire the handiwork, that's just gonna make it all that much easier for me to start ripping pages out to use in my artwork and not feel like I'm destroying a precious artifact or anything. And the covers? Oh my. They are so, so beautiful. Even the spine is embossed. I can't wait to see what I do with those!

Oh wait... here's a pic of the spine:

And then I found a little postage scale for a buck, and after I got over the good old Catholic guilt of ripping apart something that formerly belonged to the Holy Cross Convent (according to the hand-written notation on the bottom), I snagged this tin plate from the front:

Now I'm off to go create something FAB-U-LOUS.  Or at least semi-interesting.  I'm working on a zine project that's almost half-done already.  I'll be back with previews.  It's a gooder, or at least I think so.   : )

So, as Jerry Springer used to say at the end of every one of his horrendous shows, be good to yourself... and each other.

Love Shelley!

PS: And, because I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you that my sister and I take every possible opportunity to have fun at my mom's expense, I'd also like to share this little tidbit: