Happy Birthday...Dear Leo.

Today in 1452 Leonardo Da Vinci was born.

He was the illegitimate son of a notary and a peasant girl, born just outside Florence Italy. He was a painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, scientist and inventor. He learned from observing things and constantly asking questions. There is a great site from the Museum of Science that showcases the "Leonardo at the Museum" exhibit. I especially like the way his eyes move in his portrait on the first page...but hey that's just me.

I also found this quote from Da Vinci that I think is great and still applies to our lives today.

Life is pretty simple: You do some stuff. Most fails. Some works. You do more of what works. If it works big, others quickly copy it. Then you do something else. The trick is the doing something else.

In honor of Leonardo's birthday I would like to present him with this card, to encourage him to celebrate his birth and life accomplishments. If there is someone whose birth you wish to celebrate you can find this card at my etsy shop.

So, get out there today and do some stuff, if it works...then do some more. That's what Leo would have done.

Remember this GUY?

Twenty-six years ago....

On an April 10, 1982 installment of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players threatened to boil a real lobster named "Larry the Lobster" live on-the-air.
As Eddie Murphy informed the audience: [speaks fast] "You want to save Larry the Lobster dial 1-900-720-1808. [speaks slowly]. If you want to kill him dial 1-900-720-1809. Now unless you call in to save him, we're going to boil Larry's little butt right here on national television. Now you call in. The phone company is going to charge you fifty cents, but isn't it worth fifty cents to save Larry's life? Or look at it this way: Isn't it worth half a buck to see us boil Larry on TV?" Nearly 500,000 viewers dialed into the program with in the span of 30 minutes.

The final tally? KILL LARRY: 227, 452; SAVE LARRY: 239,096.

Larry is cited to this day in discussions of cruelty to animals and in rosters of famous animals.

I'm hoping that no one is having as bad a day as Larry did 26 years ago today, but if you do know someone who needs a little encouragement. This card is available in my shop in a set of three cards meant to encourage those going through a bumpy patch.

Enjoy the day!

Reach for the Sky!

Today in 1930 the first steel columns for the Empire State Building were set. As an Architect this has real interest to me. This was a time when the reach for the highest building was a passion for those who wanted to leave a mark in the world. To many it is still a passion, to lay claim to the tallest building in the City, State or World. Besides the sheer brilliance of the design what amazes me is the courage and daring of the workers who erected the building. There were no "safety " regulations like we have today. This picture is an awesome look into the workers daily task. It was taken by Lewis Wickes Hines, more of his images can be seen online here. Below are some basic facts on the Empire State Building...maybe you knew them maybe not. You can also take a virtual tour of the building online by clicking here.

Empire State Building
Architect: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates

Facts & Description:

- The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, built in just 18 months during the Great Depression, it was the world's tallest building from 1931-1972. It was surpassed by the World Trade Center, since 9/11/2001 it has regained that title.

-It is 1,453 feet to the top of the lightning rod. There are 102 floors in the building.

-There are 57,000 tons of steel in the structure of the building.

- The shape of the Empire State Building was inspired by its developer, John Jacob Raskob, who is said to have pulled a pencil from his drawer, held it up to his architect (William Lamb), and asked "Bill, how tall can you make it so that it won't fall down?"

- The observation tower at the top of the Empire State Building was originally intended to be a dock for mooring airships. However, after several futile attempts at mooring a zeppelin in the strong winds present at 1250 feet, the idea was scrapped.

- The top of the Empire State Building is lit up at night in different colors to celebrate various holidays.

- The 86th floor observatory is visited by 3.5 million people every year.

In honor of the desire, perseverance and gifts of those who dreamed and created this outstanding building I present this card. I wish you were all around to receive it. WELL DONE! You can find this card in my etsy shop, if you have someone who you wish to honor for their perseverance.

ROAD TRIP !

Today is National Reading a Roadmap Day.

Where would we be without maps. Especially today, with the internet and mapquest, it's easy to find your way from here to there. Once a futuristic idea, a car that tells you where to go has become the standard for many people. National Geographic has a great site called Map Machine that will give you maps for places all over the world, even maps of Mars from the sattelite.

Sometimes though it's nice to just wander, without having a place to be and a time to be there. I made this card in honor of that wandering spirit. It is available in my etsy shop.

This weekend...get the vehicle gassed up...call shotgun, and hit the road to see where it takes you. Remember "All who wander are not lost".

Apology NECESSARY

Our Border Collie is a terrific pet. Faithful and obedient (mostly). She doesn't chew on anything..including our shoes which are always lying about. She knows the boundaries of her yard without an invisible fence. She has a great sideways walk and always has something to tell you with her "growly" kind of talking. She does have one issue that we can't seem to break though. For some strange reason she thinks that some members of our family are dying to eat her dog food. This is the nasty dry kind of food, not the gravy soaked wet stuff. No matter how we try she can't seem to understand that we really, REALLY, are NOT interested in her food and if we were we have thumbs and can open the container and get as much as we like at any point and time.


















In her honor, I created a card, that if she were able to sign it, she could give to all those members of our family that she "has food issues" with. Perhaps you too know a dog that needs to send this to some family members. Maybe you yourself are the "dog" and need a card to express your remorse. You can find this card at my etsy shop.

The doghouse on the front is hand colored with prismacolor markers. The font used is even called"good dog cool". This card is a nice forest green but can be custom made in any color...just ask. In the mean time try to stay out of the "doghouse" and be good.