Sunday, June 08, 2008

7 Years! (well, actually almost 10)



That image is basically a character study I'd done for one of the stories for our upcoming illustrated novel LIPS TOUCH (with Arthur A. Levine Books), but (!) that's not what the illustrations will really look like, AND she's cut from the actual piece I did and plopped onto a digitally manipulated pic of an outdoor mountain photo. Anyhow, just thought it looked kind of cool AND didn't spoil anything from what the art in the book's going to really look like.

As for the post title, it's in reference to our 7 year wedding anniversary (but 9 years 8 months as a couple) that lands on today but was celebrated yesterday. Here's us at dinner at our still reigning champ restaurant Bombay Cricket Club:

Me staring down my favorite drink, the tasty (and deceptively dangerous!) Snake Shake:

And Laini eating onion naan. Okay, so maybe this isn't how she eats it (it really isn't), but it kind of looks like I interrupted her chowing down, huh:

We didn't go with the traditional "copper or wool" 7 year anniversary gifts. Instead, I tried to get some sculpture from the awesome local artist Ingrid Hendrix (but nothing that she had available felt anniversary appropriate--still fantastic stuff nonetheless, but they didn't quite say "I love ya!"), same goes for our amazingly talented artist friend from L.A., Ver Mar. Seriously, both of those artists produce incredible pieces but it seems like they sell everything they make as soon as they're done! Crazy. So, I went on Etsy and found a GREAT selection of very cool sculptures that I knew Laini would LOVE. Only one has arrived in time for the celebration, but the others are on their way. Here's the first to arrive, made by the Ohio artist Michelle Steele. She's just begun her sculpting career, but she's sold everything she's made too within days of putting them up for sale:

And awesome awesome wonderful Laini got us Radiohead tickets for later this summer! My FAVORITE band of all time, but I've never seen them live -- I'm told that they're about the best band ever to see live so I'm SO excited! Thank you wife o'mine! And now I'm not having to live vicariously through Lori and her hubby or Steph and her hubby! Take that you two! ;)

We left dinner and went to see a VERY well reviewed play that I won't name. Mainly because neither of us thought it warranted those stellar reviews. Sigh. Don't you hate it when you go to do something on a big day or a special occasion and it just falls short? We did get a few laughs from the play, but it was mostly just awkward and not very well written (plus one of the actors made you want to strangle him whenever he delivered -- no, YELLED! -- one of his lines. The female lead really stood out though as being better than what she was a part of).

Anyhow, it didn't spoil the evening and I suppose it DID give us something to say "Really?" to one another about for a while to come. ("Really" as in: "That's the final script for this production...really?")

3 comments:

Stephanie Perkins said...

Congratulations again to you & Laini! You always come across as such a HAPPY couple. It makes me smile!

And WOO HOO for Radiohead tickets!! From one longtime fan to another, I think you're going to LOVE it. Can I hide in Laini's eggs & bacon smiley face purse & come too?

(Now I'm craving naan & mango lassi. Mmm...)

Anonymous said...

Jim,
Hey man, congratulations to you and Laini- for the anniversary and the success that you've both had in your work recently! Thanks for dropping me a line about my surgery- it was good to hear from you.
I don't know if you guys are gonna do either Chicago or San Diego this year but I'll be in artist alley for both if you wanna grab a bite or a drink.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Mike

Alexandra Saperstein said...

hey! I just saw this! Happy Anniversary again to two of my favorite people in the whole world!
p.s. Ask Laini if she wants me to make you guys to add to your new "sculpture collection" a replica of the clay puppet I made in college. I'm almost 1000 % certain that she will say "absolutely not" but it was very, very special and would go nicely under the two new ones by the kitchen sink!