robin zingone®

americus.

2012-01-23T20:45:00.003-05:00

Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let...fifty cents.

No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes

Ah, but..two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room

I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.

Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination...Bangor, Maine.

Old worn out suits and shoes,
I don't pay no union dues,

I smoke old stogies I have found
Short, but not too big around

I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road.

I know every engineer on every train
All of their children, and all of their names

And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked

When no one's around.
I sing,

Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents

No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes

Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room

I'm a man of means by no means

King of the road.

Girlygirl™robinzingone®.

2011-12-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

Remember in the olden days

when electronics were naked...

completely devoid of embellishment...

all gray and black and silver.

Well all that has changed! Dress up your electronics like a proper fashionista and visit Decalgirl for my

latest and greatest Girlygirl™robinzingone® images!

And don't even think of giving a christmas present without adorning it in a fabulous skin!

Naked electronics are so yesterday darling!

christmas 2011.

2011-12-05T13:27:00.001-05:00

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, see my two front teeth!

Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth, then I could wish you "Merry Christmas."

It seems so long since I could say,"Sister Susie sitting on a thistle! "Gosh oh gee, how happy I'd be, if I could only whistle (thhhh, thhhh)

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, see my two front teeth.

Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth, then I could wish you "Merry Christmas!"

interview with robin zingone.

2011-11-23T10:41:00.001-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me when someone contacts me to do an interview. Little old me! Spilling secrets. Gushing about art and design. Blah blah blahing! Easton Geenen of Skinit asked some tough questions...see what you think.

Q: You’ve had quite the journey, and your personal story is quite inspiring. What has kept you continually inspired and always positive throughout all of life’s ordeals?

Every life has chapters. One night I went to sleep normal and woke up abnormal. My brain started to bleed from a lesion unbeknownst to me. I lost my sense of balance, my eyes crossed, I lost hearing in my left side, I got lockjaw and the left side of my face was numb. Basically, happy hour without the happy.

The neurosurgeon told me I was at risk of blindness, paralysis, coma and death, but the little voice in my head said “oh, no no no no no!” From the time I came out of surgery to today, I told myself I could beat the odds. Luckily with therapy, my first fix was getting the cross eyes to go back in place since I was not digging that look. And I’ve been working with a personal trainer to get my balance back. My hearing returned and I can get a fork in my mouth now. And the silver lining...I was able to work 2 months after surgery. Sitting in front of my computer designing and dreaming, leaving the world of ugly; hospitals, medicine and sadness and entering my world of beauty, art and happy. If I had had any other career I would probably still be laying in bed. My work brought me back to life and now I’m ready for the next chapter.

Q: In addition to the brand Robin Zingone, you have three character brands: Cocomimilulu®, loveMe™ robinzingone®, and Girlygirl™ robin zingone®. What was the inspiration behind each one, and how do they define Robin Zingone as a whole?

Clients kept asking for more and more drawings of women. Women shopping. Women bathing. Women dining. Women dancing. With all the women drawings, I thought it could make a great licensed brand. I dressed them all in black and white patterned clothes and kept the color palette simple, but something was missing. It still did not feel cohesive. My designer Lydia suggested I create one face for all the girls. So back to the drawing table to find THE face. What do you think of this Lydia? No. What do you think of this Lydia? No. What do you think of this Lydia? Yes...thats it! And so Girlygirl™ robin zingone® was conceived.

My beige cat Mayer has a funny flat head and in profile he almost looks like a straight line with a tiny bump for a nose. I started drawing cats to mimic him and designed them to be kawaii cute with a pastel palette. From my goofy cat to the drawing board was the inspiration for the loveMe™ robin zingone® collection.

Cocomimilulu® was developed on a whim. An illustration assignment to draw a girl riding a bike, a girl eating ice cream and a girl swimming made me start to think while I was doodling. What if I draw the girls to be hip enough for kids, but sweet enough for mom’s! Why don’t I make being smart cool! What if I fashion Coco after Claudia’s daughter who sports the chic bob! And design a cute curly haired girl like her sister Carly! I’ll have Nancy’s redheaded twins as the fabulous friends! And they’ll all have different careers!Cool careers! Chanteuse. ballerina, filmmaker, perfumier, swimmer, environmentalist, veterinarian, fashion designer, foreign correspondent!

Scary but true...this is how my mind works.

Q: What is the most unusual place you've found inspiration for one of your designs?

The colors of rocks on the beach, the pattern of leaves on a boxwood, the twist of a croissant, the architecture of a high heeled shoe, the hues in a bowl of jellybeans, the shadows on snow, the texture of cat fur, the sparkle of a diamond...

Q: If you had to choose, what is your favorite design that you’ve created?

That question is like asking who your favorite child is...cannot go there.

Q: What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

Being a morning person, after the java kicks in, I start replying to emails around 7am. My studio is in my home so next, feed the dogs, sit back at the computer and design, let the dogs out, sit back at the computer and dream, let the dogs in, sit back at the computer and draw, let the dogs out, go up to the second floor messy studio and paint or design jewelry or sew or make collages or...let the dogs in again.

Q: You’ve done ad campaigns for American Express, Absolut Vodka, worked on Mattel Barbie styleguides, done illustrations in Vanity Fair and Seventeen Magazine..the list goes on. What has been your most exciting/memorable project to date?

This will probably sound predictable but the most exciting project for me is always the one I am working on at the moment. That said I have had many memorable projects thruout my career.

My husband Peter and I visited the QVC headquarters in Pennsylvania, to check out a mural I had designed for them. When we arrived we discovered the only way to see it was to go on the guided tour. Finally reaching the mural the tour guide turned to the entire crowd and announced that I was the artist. Everyone turned, stared and started clapping. Red face. Oh yea.

During an Absolut vodka photo shoot, my brother coordinated with the photographer to have a male stripper dressed as a cop arrive for my birthday. Luckily for me, the clients enjoyed it even more than me! And the shoot went on without a hitch...just everything smelled of musk oil the rest of the day.

Sweet & Sassy is a chain of salons for girls. They hired me to create a fun image for their logo and signage thruout the store. It was a great job that I did years ago. So when I was watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey I couldn’t believe it when Gia climbed into the limousine sporting my logo! Wow! Then the following week, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills featured a birthday party with Barbie necklaces as the party favors. Guess who drew the Barbie silhouette! Lucky for me I like junk tv, or I never would have seen my fifteen minutes of fame!

Q: What are your greatest challenges in terms of your job?

The challenge of my job is to answer the questions what, when, why, how and where. Every assignment needs a foundation to build from, and once the framework is done, the rest is a fun ride.

Q: Who are some of your favorite designers and artists?

Rex Ray, Stuart Davis, David Hockney, Jim Flora, Jimi Hendricks, Helmut Newton, Giorgio Armani, Matisse, Richard Avedon, Egon Schiele, Andy Warhol, Jil Sander, Raymond Loewy, Francesco Clemente, Bjork, John D. MacDonald, Richard Neutra, Paul Rand, Vladimir Nabakov, Stan Getz, Mies van de Rohe, Joan Miro, Paul Cezanne, Ludwig Bemelmanns, Billie Holiday. Issey Miyake, Eva Zeisel, Mark Rothko, Stanley Kubrick, Alexander Calder...

Q: We ask this to all of our designers, so it’s only right to ask you as well… It’s the year 2020, where are you and what are you doing?

In Recoleta doing the tango in the street, on a mountain top in Lugano sipping merlot from a clay cup, on a subway in New York swinging from the strap, swimming in the turquoise waters of Bora Bora, painting in my studio while listening to Miles Davis, eating a cheese crepe on Bou’ Miche, shoe shopping in Milan, and on my bed surrounded by my cats and dogs.

happy holidays.

2011-11-06T09:09:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year again.

When you cannot seem to stop humming paruppupumpum and

three french hens, two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree.

Pumpkins get replaced with evergreens

and the smell of cinnamon just seems so right.

And then there are the lists.

The list of ingredients for holiday cookies.

The guest list, the gift list and the christmas card list!

So make it easy on yourself because as you know...

it is that time of year again!

london 2011.

2011-10-28T07:26:00.000-04:00

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away

If you can use some exotic booze
There's a bar in far Bombay

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away

Come fly with me, let's float down to Peru

In llama land there's a one-man band
And he'll toot his flute for you

Come fly with me, let's take off in the blue

Once I get you up there where the air is rarefied
We'll just glide, starry-eyed

Once I get you up there I'll be holding you so near
You may hear the angels cheer because we're together

Weather-wise it's such a lovely day
just say the words and we'll beat the birds
Down to Acapulco Bay

It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say
Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away

Once I get you up there where the air is rarefied

We'll just glide, starry-eyed

Once I get you up there I'll be holding you so near
You may hear all the angels cheer because we're together

Weather-wise it's such a lovely day

You just say the words and we'll beat the birds

Down to Acapulco Bay

It's so perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly
Pack up, let's fly away!!

what kind of girl are you?

2011-10-06T16:11:00.002-04:00

Are you the kind of girl that loves shopping, big cities and dancing to seventies disco music?

Do you love getting manicures, trying new lipsticks and wearing really high heels?

Or are you the kind of girl that loves the salt air, sandals and horseback riding?

Some wine, some cheese and a loaf of french bread on a blanket in a wide open field is your idea of heaven.

Or are you the kind of girl that likes labels ( I do now!)

Do you like to wake before the sun rises, plant bulbs in your garden and scour antique shops?

Do you dream of a trip to Scandinavia, wish you could write poetry and have a house filled with pets?

Well, it really doesn't matter what kind of girl you are because Robert Kaufman Fabrics has just delivered my latest collection in three luscious colorways, just so you can be any girl you want to be.

The fabric is delicious 100% cotton, screen printed in the richest colors. Ready and waiting to become something fabulous. So what are you waiting for? Look for "Stockholm" by robin zingone® on the shelves of a store near you!

doesn't get much better than this.

2011-09-19T07:43:00.000-04:00

My work put to good use!

2011-09-11T19:49:00.003-04:00

back to school.

2011-09-01T14:13:00.000-04:00

Some people are night owls, and some people take naps during the day, but I never really got beyond the back to school schedule.

Still wake early in the morning, still go to sleep by midnight.

Still buy new clothes in September...and new boots too! Still look forward to the leaves changing, the temperature falling and the smell of the air. Still clean my desk, straighten my files, buy new pens, paper and notebooks.

What's up with that?

cocomimilulu®.

2011-07-03T20:01:00.003-04:00

Cocomimilulu® is my brainchild. Started in 2007, I decided to create a brand hip enough for kids, but sweet enough for moms. A brand with characters that have soul along with design that actually makes a licensed product proud.

Not surprisingly the international scene has taken notice. Cocomimilulu® has the cuteness of kawaii.

When we work on this brand in the studio we just smile. Maybe its the kid in all of us.

The merchandising opportunities are endless for my girls...dolls, toys, animation, bed and bath, fashion, accessories...need I say more!

I guess Cocomimilulu® is like one of my own kids. I love her and want to see the best for her. Don't you?

green vs. brown.

2011-06-25T21:32:00.000-04:00

Is it possible that an artist's palette is influenced by where they live?

Just returning from Las Vegas, the dusty desert brown town, to the

vibrant kelly green town of Chester, I realized how much I missed the color green.

Give me a good PMS 376, throw in some 381, 3268 and 348 anyday!

Do artists from Capri miss the color blue when they go away? Do artists from Siberia miss the white space? Do artists from Tokyo miss hot pink?

All I know is I missed my green!

lights camera action.

2011-06-21T14:18:00.000-04:00

My girlfriend has the most adorable daughters, each with a style all their own. Eva tells me she lets them dress themselves, and their ensembles would make Marc Jacobs green with envy.

So when she agreed to let me have an impromptu photo shoot this spring, I was just bursting to show how great the amateur photos turned out. And with a little lights, camera, action...Emma, Clare and Audrey went to Vegas with me.

Not literally, but fedexed in a box of wall panels that graced my booth this year.

One of my four fabulous brands is Cocomimilulu®, the really smart girls we love. And for a demographic of juvenile to tween, those sisters were the absolutely perfect models!

Not only did those cuties attract scrapbooking from the states, but children's accessories in Mexico, bedding from South America and stationery in England. And they haven't stopped travelling. They crossed the Atlantic all the way to Spain to land on my "pagina oficial" facebook page! (Click Like...and click Like here too) So you see with lights, camera action...a little magic can happen to us all.

vegas baby!

2011-06-11T07:43:00.001-04:00

Visit us to see our new styleguides at Booth 5511 Licensing International Expo, June 14-16th in Las Vegas baby!

love affair.

2011-06-09T10:49:00.000-04:00

Don't tell my husband, but I'm having a love affair...with Robert Kaufman Fabrics!

To say I am excited about my first collection "Heart Garden" is an understatement. You see, I was already a bit of a fabric junkie. Weird confession... I have a double closet filled from top to bottom with fabric, from damask and linen to silk and fake fur. And now my own fabric to add to the shelves...oh this is too good to be true!

This fabric has such vivid colors and the weight and quality are superb. Can't you just see that fabulous leopard spot on a trench coat? The butterflies on a crib bumper...

how about a shift dress for a fashion-forward tween or pillows on a window seat?

And you know right now all of you ultrahiphappening quilters are fantasizing about modern quilts! Kinda makes you all tingly imagining the possibilities. So I urge you to do what I did. Have a love affair with Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

south of the border.

2011-05-30T13:54:00.001-04:00

A friend of mine moved to Ecuador this year. It was quite an adventure, for even though she was born there...she had left as an infant to be raised in New York City.

All thruout the miserable winter I was living vicariously thru her exotic blog, thinking with envy how I would love to travel abroad and say "Yep...this is the place. I'm staying."

In my fantasy I would dream of wearing brightly colored caftans and dying my hair red. I would dine on local cuisine in a billowy striped tent on the beach. Then I would dance till sunrise to new music in a club full of strangers and paint oversized canvases in my crimson studio filled with native antiques.

Alas...my life is still in Connecticut where I continue to wear black pants or jeans, dine at the kitchen island while watching tv, dance to itunes with my dogs and cats and create in my all white studio filled with modern furniture.

But a little piece of me has gone south of the border. Girlygirl™ by robin zingone®, the brand that I was working on thruout the miserable winter has landed on back to school products in Ecuador. And tween Ecuadorans will be walking to school clutching one of my notebooks in September. So you see, now you know...it doesn't hurt to dream!

showtime.

2011-05-19T18:01:00.000-04:00

With all the illustrations we do, the designs we create, the press releases we send, and the emails we write you would think we would leave some time for submitting work for awards. Nahhh! But luckily for me my wonderful licensee does! Thanks to Great Arrow we not only got entered into the Louie Awards (the academy awards for greeting cards)...but we won! And there were over 950 cards entered. Now this is a time when I can only say wow!

vegas baby!

2011-05-13T14:47:00.001-04:00

Spring is here. Garden is planted. Boat is painted. Floor is refinished. Dog is washed...and styleguides are ready! Come visit us in booth 5511 at Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas baby! Your product will never look better!

2011-03-09T07:59:00.001-05:00

Imagine a job that requires you to act like a kid. To pick colors like you are grabbing a crayon out of a box. To draw images that are free of critique and jumble up patterns like you are Madonna getting dressed for the Vanity Fair party.

While I'm designing for tweens do I hear "But they're cousins, identical cousins all the way. one pair of matching bookends, different as night and day." You betcha.

While I'm drawing do I dust away the cobwebs and dream of the fashion I saw as a kid? You betcha.

And while I'm daydreaming do I regress back to childhood. You betcha. Now don't you wish you had a job like this!

add some color to your life.

2011-01-27T16:44:00.001-05:00

If you live in the northeast, the last thing you want to see is an all white living room. Now don't get me wrong...I love all white rooms. Very chic. Very modern. Very much like my chic, white backyard right now. And my modern, white front yard right now. Yes, you guessed it...two feet of snow.

But you'll be happy to know I know a terrific way to add some color to your life.

A way to put a smile on your face and make your rooms happy.

Following the hugely successful debut of my Life is Beautiful series at Artaissance, they are now offering my Flowerchild collection. Owned by Larson-Juhl, the ultra fabulous frame company, the site allows you to order my six different images in six color waves and custom sizes. With Flowerchild I took a departure from bright colors and threw in some gray, greige and grellow. The finished product that arrives at your door is to die for. The paper they print on and the inks they use make the art look like an original silkscreen. They really are beautiful.

So shovel away that snow, pour yourself a big glass of pinot noir, curl up in front of the computer...and add some color to your life.

life's lesson learned.

2011-01-19T21:35:00.006-05:00

OK all of you bloggers in big bad bloggerworld...sharpen your pencils because the comments are back on my blog! And yes, I can hear you now...forgettaboutit! But before you get all huffy, you have to know the reason I took them off. Truthfully, I was getting tired of sifting thru all the spam. And yes, I know I could have used the spam filter but I hate hate hate to have to go thru word verification to leave a clever bon mot, and I figured you hate it too. However, my brilliant idea to eliminate it created something I never quite expected. It seemed too lonely here without you. Too quiet. Too serious. Too too. I missed you.

So now that the new england winter is upon us, and there is nothing else to do but get organized for the year ahead, I redesigned the blog, Lydia is redesigning the website and we're ready to rock and roll. So, now you have to getovait and tell me...what have you been up to lately?

looking at life thru rose-colored glasses.

2011-01-12T12:47:00.004-05:00

a wonderful life.

2011-01-06T19:18:00.004-05:00

Looking back on my childhood I know I was influenced by much of what was around me. The two color illustrations in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, Betsy McCall ( yea, I know I'm dating myself), Colorforms, the package design of Yardley Slickers, Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans...I could go on and on.

And then I started thinking...were the artists and designers of yesteryear influenced by images in their childhood and then those artists influenced by images in their childhood and then those artists influenced by images in their childhood and...you get the idea And then I started thinking, wouldn't it be wonderful if a savvy tween was eyeing my fabulous new scrapbook and twenty years from now creates a masterpiece in pink and turquoise! I like that idea.

the texture of life.

2011-01-02T09:25:00.004-05:00

Does the way you think or design or dream

depend on the texture of your life?

Can a place influence an artists palette

or haunt your soul?

Travel wakes me up.

This sidewalk inspired a design.

This wall stimulated the sense of sight and smell.

This street held the mystery of history.

And the leaves rustled in the warm breeze.

Longing to meet the owner of a pink villa with a pink garden.

Loving the architecture within the jungle...

and the texture of life.

Departing from the familiar can open your mind,

your soul and

your heart.

past present future.

2010-12-31T20:05:00.003-05:00

Some people live in the past...

and some people live in the present...

but I choose to live in the future...so to you I say "Happy New Year!" Here's to 2011!

a present for you.

2010-12-30T09:43:00.003-05:00

When it comes to buying presents I have three rules. 1. Don't ask me what I want. 2. Don't expect me to ask you what you want. 3. No giftcards or worse yet...major appliances.

To me a gift is something you think about for days, wondering what would make that person smile. Pondering what they might be pining for and hoping to see the happy reaction on their face when they open it. Knowing in the back of their mind that you really, really thought about them. The best part of the gift becomes the thought that went into it. And so when I opened my presents this year from 4 different people, I had to laugh...

at just how right they got it!

past and present.

2010-12-27T18:06:00.002-05:00

Remember playing hangman? I bet you don't remember playing with such a stylin' book. My memory was more along the lines of a scrap of yellow lined paper and a stubby pencil. And I bet you don't remember girl hangman (kind of an oxymoron if you ask me). Anyway, trot yourself down to your local bookstore and pick up a pocket posh puzzle with the absolutely fabulous cover by you know who. Trust me...you'll be the envy of the neighborhood!

the present.

2010-12-27T13:01:00.000-05:00

What is in a present?

Is it the yummy goodness...

or the tradition?

Does it bring back memories...

and make us feel young?

Is it magical and

colorful?

Do we notice the artistic

and sculptural?

Whatever is in a present,

we know that it is always wrapped in love.

Hungry yet?

great holiday present.

2010-12-03T17:19:00.000-05:00

Just in from fabulous designer John McDonald...these wonderful holiday cards designed for MoMA. And you can get your hot little hands on this $34 value for only $25 smackeroos! And free shipping! Just click here and shop shop shop!

great holiday present.

2010-12-01T20:56:00.004-05:00

The perfect holiday gift for the little guy...absolutely fabulous wall decor by designer extraordinaire Caleb Gray. Planes, trains & autos wall decor is offered in two sets and contains oversized appliques up to 39" wide. Purchase for only $25. Retail value is $40 smackeroos! Wow...what a savings! And free shipping! Just click here and shop shop shop!

past and present.

2010-11-28T16:07:00.001-05:00

Can the sight of an old ornament put a lump in your throat...

or the scent of an evergreen make you smile.

Is tradition sometimes

untraditional.

Does cinnamon in the air smell good to cats

and dogs?

And can a sense of accomplishment be as much fun as unwrapping a present.

I wonder.

what ever happened to wit?

2010-10-25T10:20:00.000-04:00

"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." George Carlin

Calling all procrastinators...you still have time to order these fabulous stickers to haunt your halloween happenings. Customize a trick or treat bag...a place card...a t-shirt. Stick 'em on your tablecloth, stick 'em on your punch bowl, stick' em on your treats!

And for all you plan-aheaders...now is the time to order holiday stickers. Create your own falalalala...cards, invitations, thank you notes, decorate your presents and your home with holiday pizazz, seal your christmas cookie box with glee.

Make the holidays your own. But hurry don't wait. The celebrations are just around the corner!

what ever happened to wit?

2010-10-19T21:22:00.001-04:00

"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up... they have no holidays." Henny Youngman

Yes. Its that time of year again. And before you get all huffy that I am showcasing Christmas cards before Thanksgiving...and even before Halloween!!!, you can yell at Home Depot first.

Call me crazy but when it is 70 degrees out and sunny I don't want to walk into a store and see Christmas trees and Christmas decorations and Christmas wreaths. Oh no. Not when I'm still wearing sandals and sunblock. This is New England after all.

Home of the wool overcoat, slushy roads and real working fireplaces. Snowball fights, sleigh rides, ice skating on ponds. Hot cocoa with marshmallows, black velvet dresses, cinnamon in the air. And of course the ever present snow capped steeple. Why, we need to at least be able to see our breath before we start thinking of the holidays.

But alas the hohoho season is creeping up on us. The good thing is... now you have time to plan your fabulous christmas and hannukah cards. And I know a fabulous place to order them. And I have a very fabulous holiday present for one of you lucky readers.

For a $ 25 donation to a very worthy cause...you can order up to $ 50 worth of cards from cardstore, the ultra-hip, super easy, modern and fabulous online greeting card store. Just click here. Now that's worth celebrating! Hohoho.

whatever happened to wit?

2010-10-11T14:28:00.000-04:00

"Work is much more fun than fun." Noel Coward

My sentiments exactly...and you'll think so too when you check out my new work at Skinit.

Just think how happy your laptop will be all dressed up in a new ensemble.

Why your phone will probably recharge itself after being so pampered.

And if you really love these...check out my project. For a minimum donation of $ 25, you can land yourself up to $ 90. worth of skins. Jackpot!

whatever happened to wit?

2010-10-01T17:54:00.002-04:00

“Only good girls keep diaries.

Bad girls don't have time.” Tallulah Bankhead

so long summer.

2010-09-28T17:00:00.001-04:00

In New England, every 3 months you feel happy and sad all at once.

Happy for the new season that is about to start.

But sad for the one that is about to end.

Images linger in your mind.

Even in the midst of winter...

I dream about this...

and this...

warm breeze and salt air...

golden light and

bold color.

Another season comes

and goes.

So long, summer.

superseed.

2010-08-31T11:50:00.003-04:00

After coming up with the idea, scribbling a sketch, transferring it to Illustrator, yanking at it, poking at it, adding color to it, changing the palette, changing the palette again, looking at it and heaving a sigh of relief...done. Perfect.

It's impossible to imagine anything else can be done to it. And then it gets licensed ...

and another designer pokes at it, yanks at it, changes the palette, changes the palette again, looks at it, sprinkles magic on it and heaves a sigh of relief...done. Perfect.

the magic seed.

2010-08-22T11:15:00.012-04:00

Magic happens with the perfect tree,

fresh raspberries and prosecco,

sipping sangria at dusk,

fresh flowers in a jar,

shades of things to come,

setting the stage,

friends having fun,

lots of laughs,

a patterned shirt,

lots of blush,

accessories and food,

and memories being made.

some seed for thought.

2010-08-12T15:12:00.017-04:00

Are our lives happier when we surround ourselves with beauty?

Do we laugh more?

Does food taste better in technicolor?

And can we be inspired by it?

Could a whirligig (love that word) inspire wanderlust?

Or just land on a page?

Could a photo leave a lasting impression?

And a word make us smile?

Does the sub-concious

reappear when we least expect it?

And does a sunny day always make us feel really good?

Just some seed for thought.

planting the seed.

2010-07-31T11:32:00.005-04:00

"Before the seed there comes the thought of bloom." E. B. White

Well...we raised $ 495. in July for The Natural Resources Defense Council. That's a pretty good start considering therobinzingoneproject began just 4 weeks ago. Forty product donations have already come in with alot more on the way...designer dresses, art prints, pottery, photography...its like Christmas everyday!

For the month of August I have chosen Audubon as the charity. And don't think this decision comes easy. There are soooooo many charities in need, but I have been trying to find the organizations that commit the majority of their funding to help, not bureaucracy. And since the tragedy in the Gulf is on everyone's mind the first several charities will be chosen for their help in that area.

Now I send a plea, to any and all of you that are reading this...please send help. Any product, any donation makes a difference. Check out the site to see how you can help. Trust me...you're gonna feel all warm and fuzzy inside when you do and I'll love you for it! That's a promise.

hope you like doodles.

2010-07-26T15:04:00.008-04:00

Remember doodling?

Buying a new notebook in September and getting out that Bic pen to doodle all over the blue cloth cover with abandon.

Flowers, hearts, boyfriend's names in carefully printed block letters. Swirls, flourishes, and elaborate curlycues. We even had a pad next to the phone to let out our inner Picasso, doodling and chatting the day away. Doodles made their way onto my jeans, on the walls, and even onto the furniture.

But the funny thing is, who would have ever thought that I would end up as a professional doodler? And that there are licensing partners that manufacture doodles! And that there are consumers that buy doodles! And that there are kids with new notebooks decorating them with doodles.

Don't you just love to doodle?

there is hope.

2010-07-19T16:30:00.004-04:00

Dolly was hit by a car and had a broken leg that healed by itself. Ouch! Her owner left her at a grocery store parking lot. See ya! The animal warden found her and put her in the pound where she only had 3 days to be adopted or be euthanized. Oh no! My friend Lorin organized a dog adoption event and the animals were trucked from Georgia to Connecticut to find new homes. You go girl! And the happy ending to this story? Yay! Dolly is now a spoiled pooch with 4 other brothers to play with (2 dogs and 2 cats) bark bark meow meow. And can now be found happily snoozing in doggie dream world right under my desk. Bow wow!

"hope is the dream of the soul awake"

2010-07-07T09:20:00.000-04:00

At the show I met alot of interesting people and among them were Tonja and Jody from Working Girls Design. Not only do they have a really fun and funny line of licensed products, but Tonja is also a freelance writer and asked for an interview with me. Well of course, shy little me had to oblige and voila...my interview in American Chronicle.

Now I am finally ready to unveil my top secret project...therobinzingoneproject. Read all about it below! Launched on Tuesday this is already getting quite the buzz. And I am calling out to you, your friends, your friends of friends, well you get the point... to donate a product or money to the charity of the month. Trust me, it makes you feel so good! Look forward to hearing from you and puh-leese spread the word!

This past year I lay in my hospital bed recovering from brain surgery and praying I would see again and walk again. Thinking if I ever recovered that I wanted to give back, to others feeling the same kind of hopelessness. Now that the gulf oil spill is haunting us all,I thought I would start with donations for the Natural Resources Defense Council.So I am calling in the help of my talented friends and colleagues.I have started a blog to collect donations for charity. http://therobinzingoneproject.blogspot.com This blog is run on donations from you and donations from the public.

What I need from you...and the sooner the better.
1. A good quality high res photo or jpg of a product you would like to donate.
2. A blurb about you, your company, your url or link.
3. A retail value. (must be over $25.)
4. A promise to ship the product to the donor.
5. Spread the word.

Check out the blog to see examples of product and text. You need not be an artist, donations can come from anyone and be anything, but should have a retail value greater than $25. archival prints with original signature, original paintings, photographs, illustrations fashion, jewelry, accessories, stationery, scrapbooks, giftwrap, papergoods, cards gifts, candles, bath & body products...anything someone would want to buy. Be a part of what I hope will become something big.

"hope is the dream of a soul awake"

hope this works.

2010-07-05T18:40:00.001-04:00

Been very busy lately. Adopted a new dog, Dolly Madison, from a rescue that was organized by my friend Lorin. Schmoozed alot of new clients from the tradeshow. And worked with alot of great friends and colleagues on a very special project. However...the project has to remain underwraps until the work week kicks off, but I promise to let you know about it real soon!

Hint: one of my favorite licensing partners is helping in a big way!

vegas to new york.

2010-06-22T22:23:00.000-04:00

Had I lived in her era, Dorothy Parker and I would have been best friends. Who couldn't love someone that wrote this ditty.

"I like to have a martini, Two at the very most. After three I'm under the table, after four I'm under my host."

We would be members together of "The Vicious Circle", drinking Rob Roys and dreaming up witty remarks like "I don't care what is written about me so long as it isn't true". "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy." "The two most beautiful words in the English language are 'cheque enclosed."

What a great time that would have been. Then I started to think, what would Dorothy and I write all of our brilliant remarks on? The linen tablecloth? The cocktail napkin? The menu?

Poor Dorothy...if she had only lived in my era she could have written in my fabulous journals from CR Gibson. Available on the shelves of Staples now, just in time for you to discover your innermost Dorothy Parker.

love vegas.

2010-06-13T21:38:00.001-04:00

Great,

great,

great,

great,

great,

great show.

vegas baby.

2010-06-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

Time for round two.
Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas is a very different show.

Big time.

The big movie studios are there...Dreamworks, Paramount, Warner Bros.

The big character brands are there...Hello Kitty, Thomas the train, Spongebob. The big toy companies are there...Mattel, Hasbro, Disney.

And then of course...there's robin zingone®!

We have been very busy gathering product, designing prototypes and getting ready for our close-up.

So lights, cameras, action...here we come. Vegas baby!

june is the month for vegas.

2010-05-29T09:56:00.000-04:00

But June is also the month for brides. And what better way to celebrate their special day than giving a fabulous robin zingone® masterpiece on an equally fabulous giftcard from Target. You will make the happy couple hap, hap, happier!

in time for vegas.

2010-05-24T17:18:00.000-04:00

This time of year is sooooo busy, I just realized I never showed these. Voila! The after photos of the studio facelift.

Every book, magazine, contract, cd, office supply and piece of furniture is back in place, my signature rhodamine red is popping against the black and white and the new work is getting emailed around the globe.

We're packing our bags for round two in Vegas and cleaned up just in time for the petsitter. Life is good.

But before you think I am too much of a perfectionist and not enough of an artist, not to worry. You have no idea what lurks up the spiral stairs in the second studio...and it's not a pretty sight.

At the moment there are two sewing projects strewn across the floor, an unfinished jewelry line, product shots waiting to say cheese, cartons of samples in a queue looking for a clearing on the shelves, Surtex posters making room for Licensing International Expo posters, unfinished canvases, photos to be framed, furniture to be painted...you get the idea. And guess what?

You're not gonna see it!

try as I may.

2010-05-21T16:58:00.000-04:00

I had a frog in my throat thru most of the show.

Not during the exciting meetings I had with new clients.

Not while we were showing off the fabulous styleguides.

And not while I was yucking it up with my favorite art directors.

No, try as I may I had a frog in my throat from the people that came by to wish me well.

To give me a hug and say I was in their prayers. Happy I was back in the game.

So to you John, Bella, Ellen, Mike, Caleb, Rob & Bob, Lilla, Betsy & Pam, Will, Chris, Lori & Gregg , Jill, Lisa & Alan, Katy & Marty, Ana, Kerry, Anne & Julie, Tonya, Sue, Wayne, Linda, Jennifer & Ana, Gina, Todd, Jerry & Francesca, Monica and Marsha...

I say thank you.

may day.

2010-05-10T11:38:00.001-04:00

What do these

and this

and this

and that and this have in common? We're all headed to Surtex this weekend! Now you're asking yourself, has she recovered from her brain surgery? Can she walk a straight line? Is her vision back to normal? And the answer is "no" to all three questions. But I bet you didn't ask yourself ...is she excited to get back in the game? You betcha!

Flutter by booth 513 and see the latest and greatest...and if you can't make it to NYC this weekend-meet me in Vegas at Licensing International Expo in June.

Maybe.

2010-04-30T17:46:00.000-04:00

"It may be those who do most, dream most."

spring fling.

2010-04-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

Well Eileen Hine...time for some "fabulosity" in your life. Be a diva and wear them all at once. Send me your address, you lucky winner.

spring board.

2010-04-27T06:58:00.000-04:00

What's tangerine, blueberry, olive and cherry?

My yummy new journals from CR Gibson! Italian embossed leatherette (love that word), satin bookmark of course, and oodles of pages for jotting down dreams.

And better yet...this is a brand new product from a brand new licensee. It doesn't get any better than that. One great designer (moi) and an even greater designer (Paula) join forces. Who knows what fabulousness we will create next?

But in the meantime look for these beauties on the shelves of Target, Staples and Officemax...grab a pen,and bring out your inner Bridget Jones.

spring cleaning.

2010-04-25T11:16:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time I used to have something called "free time". That is when I started designing jewelry. Real stones, vintage beads, glass and recycled, anything with a great shape and great color. Miniature three dimensional pieces of art. Alas what got between me and my passion...deadlines. So this weekend I decided to do a little spring cleaning and voila, a giveaway. Five fabulous stretchy bracelets made from recycled beads. Ready for you and your new spring fashions. So send me a comment and let me know why you just have to have them, and you may be the lucky winner.

a spring in my step.

2010-04-16T14:36:00.000-04:00

Let me introduce you to one of my character brands, Cocomimilulu™. Now this brand happened quite by accident. While working on an assignment for one of my favorite clients, I designed these girls just having fun, riding bikes, eating ice cream, jotting in a journal. When I put pen to paper I thought back to the big-eyed girls painted on velvet in the sixties. Hmmmm. They were all the rage, and it was because of the big eyes and of course their fashion. Hmmmm. Wouldn't it be fun to create a modern day version and make them smart too. Hmmmm. Maybe they could be dreaming of different careers, environmentalist, foreign correspondant, veterinarian. Hmmmm. This might be a brand mothers could love. Hmmmm. Making smart popular. So what did I do?

I hummed a little Jimmy Hendrix, sipped a little Kool-Aid, donned some striped bellbottoms and voila, Cocomimilulu™, the modern day big-eyed fashionistas with brains were born. Come meet them at Surtex booth 513 in NYC or Licensing International Expo booth 4877 in Las Vegas. Trust me, you're gonna love them.

springing into action.

2010-04-07T10:49:00.000-04:00

Skinit Inc, the ultra hip company that manufactures skins for electronic devices and now wallskins too, is again featuring a fabulous artist on their site. Yea, you guessed it...moi! Seems that the robin zingone® brand just needed to add more images to their collection and voila...butterflies, kitty cats, character brands and chic modern design. Check it out...you're gonna love 'em!

spring has sprung.

2010-04-07T10:15:00.000-04:00

So maybe I'm not off to a really good start blogging about the highlight of the week. But last week there were just too many highlights. We finally finished Cocomimilulu styleguide and fed exed it to my fabulous clients, moved all the furniture back into the studio, entertained a crowd on Easter (my first party since getting sick in July, woo hoo) and sent out the tradeshow booth panels to be printed...so do I have a good enough excuse for not blogging last week?

spring ahead.

2010-03-31T08:28:00.000-04:00

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

as luck would have it.

2010-03-29T14:43:00.000-04:00

What do a husband, a production manager, a digital artist, two dogs, two cats and a designer with one good eye and one good leg have in common? All of the above are working, eating, sleeping, creating and playing in the basement.

Oh yes, in the midst of designing my tradeshow booth, making reservations for NY and Las Vegas, and creating the new website I decided to have the floors refinished and the studio painted. So when I proclaimed myself one lucky lady in the last post, it was due to those who surround me on a daily basis.

Perfect Peter who lugged all the furniture out last week and this week... will lug all the furniture in. Loyal Lydia, who trudged thru the mud to manage the last minute production of the styleguide.

No Nonsense Nancy who squeezed between the pool table and the sofa to hunch over the laptop.

And Bratty Bobby, Tate, Oscar & Mayer, who had to suffer by not having dinner in the same place every night. So you see...I really am one lucky lady.

lucky lady.

2010-03-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I find it difficult to write my blog. I never considered myself an author, never jumped onto the "jotting in my journal" bandwagon, never took a creative writing course. So rather than face writer's block every week, I am just going to comment on the highlight of my week. That is going to make my entries much easier as there is ALWAYS something going on in the studio. Just take last week...

lucky me.

2010-03-14T18:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder how I ever worked in this business alone. I was the everything gal. I painted my illustrations. Then I retouched them. I read thru all the contracts. And I made the client calls. Sent out the press releases. And worked the tradeshows. And afterwards smoozed the contacts over cocktails. All the while I was designing my jewelry line. And designing new collections. And new character brands. And redecorating the studio. And of course entertaining in the evenings.

Enter Lydia.Three years ago my stepdaughter was laid off from her job and I thought she could help me in the studio with the loose ends. Website design, client contact, production manager, best friend and occasional model...

I'm guess you could say I'm some kind of lucky!

out of luck.

2010-03-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

"If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky?"

love the fanmail.

2010-02-28T08:26:00.001-05:00

We all come in different shapes and sizes...

so why do we not see that kind of diversity on the shelves?

Attention artists and manufacturers out there...maybe this will change your thinking!

Good Morning Robin.
I am a big fan. Every time I see your work in stores, I buy it on site. It is fresh and youthful and just makes me feel good. The real feeling I get is a feeling of inclusion. You see, I am African American (I hate that term because I can go back and find 8 generations of relatives who were born in America...I am just American!) and thoroughly enjoy seeing myself represented in greeting cards, note cards, notebooks etc. I am getting an EBook as a gift and was thrilled to find that there are 'skins' for it! I found your Party Girl - Champagne and nearly jumped out of my seat. It is so cute that I am going to buy it as soon as I find out which EBook I am getting. I do have one question for you, however. I have recently decided to go natural with my hair. I now have a style that is called Sisterlocks (hard to explain without a visual Sisterlocks.com) and I am wondering if you ever plan on gracing us with an African American woman with natural hair? I think that you are amazing and have used your cards for Diva Dayz and get well soon etc. Please keep up the great work and God Bless!
Beverly

love disco.

2010-02-22T13:01:00.001-05:00

On July 12,1979 an event occured that just broke my heart...disco demolition night in Chicago. Now don't get me wrong, I also love jazz, rock, alternative, punk rock, reggae, R&B, rap, hip hop, electronica. You get the idea.
But what can I say... I just have a warm and fuzzy place in my heart for disco. What other music came with cheesy, polyester suits, cheesier dance moves and the ever present disco ball.
Fast forward to 2010. New client. New product. New promotion.
Now who doesn't love a client that not only knows how to make the art look great but makes the artist feel great too.

love stickers.

2010-02-09T17:41:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't it be fun to create your own stickers. Just think. You could customize a label for a bottle of wine. Or design some graphic stickers for your skateboard.

You could decorate your walls. Personalize your gifts. And just think of how happy your car will be with a bumper sticker created by the very talented you. Wow. That would be so much fun if only it were possible.

Hey...wait a minute, it is possible. With my fabulous art and your fabulous creativity the only other thing you need to do is visit one of my favorite clients and warm up those creative juices. And I promise you...you're going have alot of fun.

love the samples.

2010-02-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

Just some giftcard holders manufactured by another fabulous client and making their debut in a store near you. Don't you just love 'em?

love winners.

2010-02-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

And the winner of my absolutely fabulous boxed card set is "moi"! Send me your address and your mailbox will be smiling in a few days.

love valentines.

2010-02-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

The month of love is upon us. Which brings me to brag about my valentine collection at cardstore.com.

Can't you just see your fabulous photo paired with my fabulous art.

A chance to choose your own typeface (even though you know you will go back to my choice anyway).

Write your own sentiment, but be nice.

You know...I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

love the sentiment.

2010-02-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

a new year of giving.

2010-01-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

Busy busy busy. Busy busy busy. New clients. New designs. New website. New styleguides...and new giveaway. Cambria Cove sent my latest boxed card set and I just wanna share. Feeling lucky? Send a comment!

new year, new work.

2010-01-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

Great Arrow is one of my first clients, and one of my favorite. Hand-printing silkscreen images in the good ole US of A.

From a design that starts as a scribble, to a mini masterpiece, the finished product is oh so good.

As a matter of fact, when you touch them, feel them and even smell them, it isn't so easy to mail them...so I say frame them!

happy new year.

2010-01-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

The assignment. Design a poster using the girl from last year, the theme (underwater) and utilize the colors aqua, green and silver. Make it happy and fun.

Wasn't sure if the colors were going to be pearly sea shell aqua or bright caribbean aqua, so did two versions. Which one is the winner?

The assignment. Design a poster using a snowflake image relating to last year. Use co-ordinating but not matching palette to samba rio poster. Make it happy and fun.

Decided to make snowball shapes since the poster is copy heavy. Thought it would make it happy and fun. Do you have a favorite?

inspiring new year.

2010-01-07T20:57:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you can open a plain brown wrapper and out jumps inspiration...

as you can see from the palette in my blog header this month.

Thanks Marcia! I needed that.

oh dear...its a new year.

2009-12-30T17:25:00.000-05:00

New year. New work. New outlook. New clients...woo hoo! What a great way to introduce the latest and greatest client. Artaissance. Ever see those to die for frames made by Larson-Juhl. Well, if you haven't, you are definitely reading the wrong magazines. Anyway, back to subject.

Now you can pair those absolutely fabulous frames with your absolutely favorite artist ! And who doesn't need to dust away those 2009 cobwebs and shake up their space a little. Just choose one...or two....or better yet, three robin zingone masterpieces, choose paper or canvas....ooooh! Choose the size (bigger is always better) and then go to your local Artaissance dealer for the perfect frame to compliment the perfect art. Oh yea.

Just think...I could be coming home with you for the new year and I never looked so good.

season's tweetings.

2009-12-30T16:36:00.001-05:00

This little bird popped out of my mailbox and put a very big smile on my face...love it Ellen...and come on 2010, it can't get here fast enough. Happy New Year!

seasons greetings.

2009-12-27T18:06:00.001-05:00

When what to my wondering eyes should appear...

but the taiwan magazine interview my dear...

which luckily for you can be found right here.

How do you gather your inspiration?

I am a very visual person and it doesn't take very much to inspire me, but I do love to flip thru magazines...any kind. I can be looking at a fashion magazine and see a shoe and think, that shoe could be a great graphic for a girl's night out card. I can be looking at a travel magazine and see a picture of a beach and think, that color palette would be beautiful translated onto a pattern for dinnerware. Or I could be reading The New York Times and see an article about how Slumdog Millionaire is the hottest movie and I would think, hot pink is going to be popular this year. When I look out the windows at the beautiful trees, when I travel around the world to exotic places, when I listen to music, even when I go food shopping, I am always inspired. What I find to be the most frustrating is there is so much to create, so little time.

Which work or series of your work is your favorite or the one you are most satisfied with?

This is a difficult question to answer because I think of each one of my works as my favorite while I am working on them. I give so much thought, energy, time and patience to each drawing, that I am personally attached to all of them. I do find that it is very beneficial to show my work to others and get their opinion as to their value, because just as a mother thinks her baby is the most beautiful, an artist does the same thing with their art. Another set of eyes can help you to see the work better.

What are your goals in the art world in the future?

I am planning on developing my licensed properties to be recognizable global brands.I want to be designing everything and anything, from fabrics for fashion and home decor, toys accessories, stationery, packaging, tabletop...the sky is the limit.

the gift of the season.

2009-12-17T10:17:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't you love your ipod to sport a marvelous design by robin zingone®?

How about a chic robin zingone® laptop? Your cell phone will ring with delight when it is dressed up by robin zingone® and Skinit ®, one of my new and very fabulous clients.

What a perfect partnership... modern design for modern products...

and don't wait for someone to buy you one...get yourself the gift of the season.

the santa season.

2009-12-16T12:33:00.000-05:00

Crying has become a daily routine of mine, but its not because I'm feeling sorry for myself. The outpouring of love that is coming my way is overwhelming. I got an email from a friend that I had not heard from in 16 years. It was delightful. Another email came from my eighth grade boyfriend. Wow, what a surprise! And yesterday I got a package from santa. And no...it wasn't sticks and coal. The talented daughter of dear friends sent me this handmade santa.

And the extraordinary thing about this santa, is that she visited my blog and my bio to get a feeling about the girl that she last saw when she was six years old. Kim saw the photos of my pink and brown xmas decor on my blog and voila, she clad my chic santa in brown velvet and fur, bearing hot pink gifts and ornaments. I had the biggest smile on my face until I looked into Santa's sack and burst into tears.

There on the top of the presents was my first fabulous periwinkle blue crayola...are you crying yet?

its the time of the season.

2009-12-08T18:48:00.000-05:00

Come they told me...pa rum pa pumpum.

Why do so many people decorate the same way at Christmas...pa rum pa pumpum

If I see one more red room with leather furniture and evergreen boughs on the mantle I'm going to cry...pa rum pa pumpum

Who invented Christmas decorating for the masses...pa rum pa pumpum

Oh well, I guess you can say I dance to a different little drummer boy...pa rum pa pumpum.

'tis the season.

2009-12-03T17:42:00.001-05:00

There is nothing better during the holiday season than the gift of giving.
Well, maybe there is something better...the gifts I'm getting.

thanks for the shoutout Ellen.

a stroke of magic.

2009-11-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

When you open a blog and a present jumps out, you just have to share. Love you too Monica .

a stroke of the pen.

2009-11-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

When you open an email and a present jumps out, you just have to share. Love you too Chris.

a stroke is no joke.

2009-11-28T09:06:00.000-05:00

Failure to try is trying to fail and god knows...I'm trying! My new best friends are my therapists. Dolly and Annie work the legs...I've gone from wheelchair to walker to cane to" Look Mom no hands." And "Look Lydia...I'm dancing!" So maybe I don't shake it up as fast as I used to, but I'm getting there.

The left eye is slowly moving towards the center thanks to Danielle and her endless and unbelievably patient tracking sessions. At least now I can go out looking a little less like Clarence from Daktari. And thanks to Eileen I can now smile and the left side smiles with me.

Thruout all this my amazing clients stuck by my side. And I signed 6!!!!! new contracts from my hospital bed... all of them fully aware I was scheduled for upcoming brain surgery. Wow! And let me tell you, I don't know which was worse, not being able to pop open the bubbly to celebrate new clients or trying to hold a pen to sign the contracts! This year has been quite a journey, and not just for me but for the caretakers.

Peter who sat in my hospital rooms for days on end bringing his ever present sunshine and optimism, my mother who insisted on cooking every meal for three months to feed her old "baby", and Lydia, who managed to keep robin zingone® running smoothly and on deadline. So you see, with a team behind me like this...failure is just not an option.

And just remember...the next time you hear this you know I will be dancing!

different strokes for different folks.

2009-11-12T09:21:00.000-05:00

Some people like to study french. Others prefer spanish. But while they were learning how to say " J'aime la langue française" or "El español es fácil", I was studying the language of medicine. "What are your opinions on gamma knife surgery?" "Is a cavernous hemangioma more difficult to get to on the left hand peduncle?" "Does the 4th floor ventricle in the brainstem control breathing?" "Just how dangerous is this operation?"

September 2009. Slumped over Peter's legs for the five hour flight, we flew to Phoenix Arizona so I could have brainstem surgery. Yes, Arizona is really that hot...100 degrees and counting, but I was not going to be bothered by it as I was to spend the next two weeks in the air-conditioned hospital. After doing my homework from my hospital bed in New Haven, I was finally prepared for my surgery with the amazing Dr. Robert Spetzler. Woo hoo! Not only did I discover that he has done the most avm/cavernoma operations in THE WORLD!!!, (wow, that is alot) but he has designed (yes...another designer) his own tools, microscopes, and techniques! To make a long story short,

I had a successful brain surgery on September 24, 2009, (I wonder if I can I add this to my resume?) spent only one day in ICU, mmmmmmmmm morphine good, Robin like- and I am now at home recuperating with the help of my guardian angels...Danielle, Dolly, Annie and Eileen...occupational, physical and speech therapists.

lucky stroke.

2009-11-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

The doorbell rang and Carolina brought me zinnias and a cd, "zingone zen". And then the doorbell rang again. And in came the flowers. And the food. And the emails. And the phone calls. And the food. And the get well cards. And the yoga pants. And the blow-up bozo to get my frustrations out on. And the food. And the body lotion. And the fruit bouquet. And the books on tape. And the 600 thread count sheets. And the food. And the handmade ceramic. And the fish crayon drawing. And the haircut and color. And the cosmetics. And the food...

You never really knows how unbelievable people can be until something like this happens, and so I take this moment to say thank you, thank you, thank you. And I love every one of you. And I will never, ever, ever forget your kindness.

three strokes and you are out.

2009-11-07T14:36:00.001-05:00

Bada bing. Bada bing. Bada boom. July 2009. The rain had finally receded in connecticut, and all my friends were coming out to play. Had a few dinner parties, lots of laughing, lots of dancing, and then all of a sudden, my disobedient cavernoma decided to bleed and quadruple in size...lucky me. Not only did I take several ambulance rides to the hospital, but with every bleed I kept losing assets.

Lockjaw.(No more Katz's pastrami on rye) Frozen left face.(50% off botox for right side?) Left hand immobile. (Luckily I am right handed) No hearing in left ear. ( Does come in handy) No balance so no walking (Have wheelchair will travel). Crossed left eye (Guess I'm not renewing my passport this year) And then the strangest thing happened.
The inoperable part of my brain was suddenly going to be operable. And I needed to sign on for a surgery that was not necessarily going to fix what had already happened to me. And I was going to be at risk for paralysis, coma, blindness or death. Alrighty then. As you can imagine I did alot of crying. And then I started researching brainstem surgery. Cheryl emailed me info on an amazing hospital in Zurich, Nancy and Claudia found just about every hospital in the states with the best surgeons and every known technique, Billy checked out the rankings of every hospital and surgeon, Jane consulted with her friend the neurosurgeon, Peter and Lydia became google search junkies and then, finally, we found THE GUY.

stroke out.

2009-11-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

I was just too busy playing with my colors, my patterns, my paint, my jewelry, my fashion magazines, my music and my art, to realize there was more brewing in my brain than just great ideas.

December 17th, 2008. Peter and I were celebrating the fact that we finished all of our work ahead of the holidays, and we were just going to chill. Steaks on the grill, a good bottle of cabernet, sauteed mushrooms and fresh
spinach...yummy. But the next morning when I woke up, I was a little off balance and I remember thinking "Wow...I had better quit drinking." I was sooooo wobbly!

Now for those of you that know me personally, I'm sure you are thinking she was always a dizzy dame...but 3 trips to the emergency room in one week qualified me as a '"certified dizzy dame". I was finally diagnosed at yale new haven hospital on christmas day. A cavernoma on my brainstem.Uuuuuuhhhhh...english please. What the heck is a cavernoma, and while you are at it, what is a brainstem? By the time I was discharged on new year's eve, I had double vision, no balance and don't let me forget the loveliest deficit...every time I slightly turned my head to the left, I threw up. Very charming.

The crazy thing about all this is that I had no surgical or medical options because my cavernoma was growing in an inoperable area of the brain. OK, so nothing to worry about, no decisions to make. And guess what. I didn't worry. And I had a miraculous recovery( with alot of help from my therapists). Within two months my eyesight was back, my balance returned along with the ability to turn my head without looking like Regan from The Exorcist.

So then what did I do? What any self-respecting over-acheiver would do. I designed new collections, went to NYC for the stationery show, met with fabulous clients, traveled to Las Vegas to exhibit, played on the boat, had a few dinner parties... Can you tell I am a type A? Well, Type B...coming at ya...

a stroke of genius.

2009-10-28T17:20:00.000-04:00

This Christmas I was planning on celebrating the first year anniversary of my diagnosis and my miraculous recovery. But while chickpea was being adored and ellen was tweeting, while carol was boating and BJ was at squam lake,
while jane was making stunning jewelry and carolina was busy selling chicken littles, while caryn was shooting fabulous photos and monica was playing with her puppy, trish was busy sewing indie fashion, nate was creating the most amazing art, and amy was cooking up the yummiest creations ...I was busy having my second stroke.

Not the kind of stroke that happens when you eat too many greasy french fries.The kind of stroke that happens when your brain bleeds. So instead of merrily designing my new styleguides and perfecting my tan lines this summer, I was busy learning how to walk and to see (double vision) again.

Now I know life has its chapters, and you never know when that page is going to turn, but this is a chapter I am trying to get thru as quickly as possible...

green for a day.

2009-07-23T16:00:00.000-04:00

lucky vicki hutto! "I am a dog lover too. I love your colors!!!" Send me your address vicki and your very own fifi will be the proud owner of my latest and greatest!

green doggy.

2009-07-14T15:27:00.000-04:00

Get ready for your closeup Fifi! My absolutely adorable doggy photo album is the perfect venue for all of those precious pictures collecting dust in a shoebox or buried on your computer. Can't you just imagine whipping out this baby book at the dog park...Fifi under the christmas tree, Fifi playing with your shoe, Fifi catching a frisbee, Fifi chasing a butterfly, Fifi eating...well, you get it. And you know you will be the envy of all your canine loving friends. And Fifi will be the envy of Paris Hilton. And you are just dying to know where you can get one right now. And you cannot believe you could possibly win this in my new giveaway this month. Just send me a comment and I will find out how many dog lovers are out there. Keep your paws crossed...you could be the lucky winner!

glamorous green.

2009-07-14T11:13:00.000-04:00

Attention fabulous fashionistas and glamorous glamazons. My latest and greatest has hit the shelves of Papyrus and this sexy silver tin is filled with the most fantabulous stickers. Slingbacks and sunglasses, champagne and chocolates, poodles and perfume. Just decorate the envelope of your credit card bill with the "gotta have it" sticker. The "princess tiara" will look perfect adorning your wallet and the "martini" sticker will look great on your cocktail party invitations. Just think of the possibilities and unleash that diva within!

a big yellow sun.

2009-06-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and the...hey, aren't we supposed to sing that in the winter! Well, the northeast is having the longest, grayest, rainiest spring we can remember and summer just will not start.

That is until today. Blue skies, big yellow sun, the flowers in the garden are happy, the birds are chirping and the dogs are playing.

And even though I am sitting in front of the computer today, I'm smiling.

yellow out there.

2009-06-29T07:02:00.000-04:00

Blogging is lots of work, but its also lots of fun. I meet lots of new people, hear lots of new ideas and see lots of new work. And then there are the real perks.
Jenn Ski has a blog dedicated to modern and retro art, furniture, ideas and people. A blog for inspiration. A blog that is a hip and fun read.
Along with being a true talent and part of the too cool for words Lilla Rogers Studio, she is a visionary too. Why you say? Because on June 18th...she asked to interview me! Check out her blog. Its fab.

don't be yellow.

2009-06-23T17:31:00.000-04:00

Going to art school was like being at camp. Everyday was an adventure, full of fun and play and discovery. So much fun I could have stayed there forever. Painting, drawing, printmaking, designing, creating. Everyday. And the best part about it...there were no business courses!

OK...now fast forward to the real world of assignments and contracts, negotiations and copyrights. And you know what? I found out that the business of art can be really fun too. Believe me, I'm serious! But for those of you who don't share my opinion...there is The Illustrator's Partnership. Our big brother watching out for us while we are too busy painting, drawing, printmaking, designing and creating.

In the next week the orphan works legislation is expected to be introduced again. And for those of you who have never heard of this, please listen up. This bill will affect the way we do business forever. No more copyright law. No more copyrights to protect us even when we are too lazy to send in the copyright form, no more casually posting art on your blog or your website. Why you say? Because the new legislation allows infringers to use your art unless you are listed (FOR A FEE) in an image database. Yes people, you too will have to become businesslike!

Thankfully for us, the Illustrator's Partnership is fighting a good fight, but they need all the help they can get. And please don't wait as this is being introduced again this week. So, for one day put aside the paints and the pencils, the clay and the fabric and tell your congressman "I'm not going to take it anymore!" And then you can go back to the fun life of being an artist again.

yellow again.

2009-06-17T17:17:00.001-04:00

Flipping thru a trade magazine the other day, this fabulous campaign caught my eye. How many companies are so confident with their product that they just print their logo...without the brand name!

How many companies design with such beautiful graphics and fun colors. I really thought ads like this were a lost art.

But the best part of spying this amazing campaign was seeing the logo I designed 10 years ago!