From the Desk of Mab

-The Masochistic Cupcake-

One of my favorite places to go for an inspirational shot in the vein, is a little independent children's bookstore on the 56th and Illinois strip. It's called Kids Ink, and it's nestled right in the corner with the Flying Cupcake.

So. Here's what I do: I start at the corner and get a cup of coffee (black) walk down to the Cupcake shop and get an carrot cake confection (topped with pink icing and a tiny, plastic ballerina) then unleash myself in the bookstore. First stop? The fairy tale section. I always end up sitting on the floor in a corner with a big stack of the latest. My favorite illustrators?

• Gennady Spirin (props to the tops!)
• Adam Rex
• Laurel Long
• K.Y. Craft
• J.Otto Seibold
• Dave McKean
• Dan Yaccarino
• Olga & Andrej Dugina
• Iassen Ghiuselev

CHECK THEM OUT. These talented masterminds rule my universe.

SO. On my last visit, I came across a new picture book called "Cupcake" by Charise Mericle Harper. It's a story about a plain white cupcake whose only desire is to be eaten. Of course all the other cupcakes on the plate have sprinkles so they all get eaten first.

SPOILER ALERT! The cupcake gets eaten in the end.

Anyway, that's when I discovered that cupcakes can be really creepy and masochistic.

I also decided that I should paint a cupcake.

Here's what I did tonight:

Great Aunt Hilda Raver

(on my mother's side)

What can I say? It runs in the family.

I'm New Here.

Welcome to my blog. I'm new here.

Here's some stuff about me:

When I grow up, I want to be either Miss Marple or Tyler Durden. Can't really decide.

On the one hand, you've got a lot of tea, knitting and crime solving, and on the other you have a toothspitting revolutionary. It's a tough call.

I'm not too concerned yet. I've got time.