Pony Gods
Written By: Maranda Russell
I pray to the Pony Gods.
I don’t know if they listen,
or even if they care,
but sometimes
they do seem to answer.
Why the Pony Gods?
Why not?
I figure the Pony Gods
have just as much a chance
of being good –
or being real
as the human ones.
So…my husband and I are in the process of selling our home and looking for a smaller, less expensive place. We simply don’t need a big house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full basement, and lots of other room just for the two of us. I have quickly learned that getting a house ready to sell is a nightmare in some ways though! Here are a few things we are dealing with:
*This past weekend we had a moving sale. Man, that was rough! Getting stuff ready for the sale, dealing with all the people the day of the sale (two of which got in a heated exchange over a tea cart they both wanted), having people trying to wander off and take stuff from parts of the house that were NOT for sale (one even took a couple pictures off the wall), having to get the leftovers ready for charity to pick up, and throwing out my back so that now, two days later, I can barely do anything.
*My idea of clean is obviously not a realtors idea of clean. I am not an extremely dirty person, in fact, I’m normally quite organized, but I am kind of bad about dusting, washing windows, and other stuff like that I simply don’t think of much. I also tend to have to pick what tasks are most important due to my health problems, so when I do clean, obvious messes, stains and frequently used areas get first priority.
*Having four cats makes it really rough to get a house in showing shape. They constantly make messes, and get cat hair in every square inch of the house.
*Apparently, when showing a house you have to “stage” everything. I’m supposed to take a normal, lived-in home and make it look like the showcase floor of a furniture store or something. Not enough furniture = bad. Too much furniture = bad.
*I never realized there were so many things wrong with our home until seen through the eyes of a realtor! Other people often comment that our house is really nice, but after listening to the realtor, I felt a little bit like I was living in a shanty or something.
*Trying to fix the timing so that we will have a new home to move into at the same time we find a buyer for our current home is stressful. Really hoping we don’t end up having to live in a motel or something in between!
Lately I’ve felt like drawing again, so I’ve been busy:
Hi everyone! I wanted to share the below video featuring some of my newest artworks and cute character collages. Recently I’ve really gotten into combining my passion for cute, child-like cartoons and characters with my desire to create unique naive outsider art. As mentioned in the video, I also have a PO Box now where fans can send me their art, letters, or anything else they might want featured in a future YouTube video! If you see any art you like or would like to see other artworks I have for sale, make sure to check out my Ebay store: http://www.ebay.com/usr/shojobeatgirl1982.
Hi everyone! I am excited to share my newest children’s middle grade book release with you all! I have been working on this book for a while now and am definitely proud of the results! “Creepy, Funny & Just Plain Weird: Stories and poems for kids” is goofy, funny and a little bit gross and creepy at times too! It is sure to appeal to kids, even reluctant readers! Make sure you check out my short vlog video about the new book:
If you would like to get a copy of this book for yourself or your kids, you can find the paperback version for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $6.99. There is also a Kindle ebook version available for $2.99! If you do read it or get it for your kids, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Goodreads or even just reaching out to tell me personally what you thought of it!
So lately my artistic style has kind of taken some interesting turns. I tend to bore with styles quickly so I try out lots of new stuff, some that works, some that frankly doesn’t. Lately I’ve been playing around with mixed media collage techniques, using my love of cartoons, favorite characters and naive child-like art to create unique and sometimes amusing or slightly satirical works of art. Obviously this style is not for everyone, but I’ve had fun with it. I guess some other people like it too since I have sold quite a few of these little pieces. The materials I’ve used have varied greatly, including pastel, watercolor, colored pencil, marker, paper cut-outs, random stickers and decals, glitter, foam pieces and other odds and ends. Here are a few examples that I’ve created recently (many have Halloween themes because it was that time of year!):
“Evil Sweetie” My Little Pony fan art collage on paper, 9″ x 12″
“Wake Up!” mixed media collage on paper, 9″ x 12″
“Two Black Bats” mixed media on paper, ACEO size (2.5″ x 3.5″)
“Werewolf Night” mixed media collage on paper, ACEO size (2.5″ x 3.5″)
“Ghost Minion” collage on paper, ACEO size (2.5″ x 3.5″)
So recently I decided to start a new video blog series on my YouTube channel featuring weird and funny toys. I figured it was a fun way to feature my love for unique toys and collectibles, as well as my weird, offbeat and sometimes dark sense of humor. Here is a look at a couple of these newest videos, so feel free to check them out and consider subscribing to my channel on YouTube if you haven’t already!
