This is the first time I've had a *seasonal* banner.

I usually have them for holidays, but I wanted to have something more permanent that isn't the usual "silver background with light-pattern." This might also be the first time that the banner's had colored outlines. Not too sure how well it works...What do you think of it?

The "leaves" background, which I spent a couple of days on, does work pretty well. The first version was a mostly-white background with some leaves blowing in a rather neat wind pattern (fig. 1)

Unfortunately, my lettering got lost in the mostly-white negative space. On its own, the above effect is striking, but as part of the banner, it's weak. Time to throw some more leaves in!

It's a mess, right? In this version, there's less negative space, which allows the letters to "pop" a little more while tastefully staying the same color. Trust me--it was either "add in more leaves" or "recolor the letters." The second option wasn't pretty.

The tagline...I had been racking my brain for something for the better part of a week. What you see is a shout-out to the local Chicago station WJYS-62, which used to run season-based station bumpers in between programs. The announcer always said something ridiculous, like "Fall and WJYS...the perfect combination." Now that the station is under new management, these bumpers have gone the way of the dodo.

Not the best picture, I know, but I quite like it.

*ahem* I found this at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in mid-April. 

It was my day off--a Wednesday. I was out looking for some things, with no result, until I realized that I was close to the thrift store. Already I could feel that "ping" I get when something is nearby. (The Millennium Beanie came from that same visit. :) )

The glassware/kitchenware section was full of random odds and ends that people had dropped off. Somewhere, stuck in the third shelf up, was this champagne flute. I thought, "Gee, we use a champagne flute and two martini glasses for New Year's Eve every year...I should really get another champagne flute in there." Granted, it doesn't match the ones we have, but it goes with the theme of the set, and it's a cool find all the same. (There were also a pair of metal champagne flutes, but, since these were tarnished and yucky-looking, I passed on them. Besides, they were a step too far.)

I thought for a long time that Roseland Community Hospital was some hospital out in Michigan or Minnesota or something. Come to find out it's in Chicago, Illinois! Well, how about that? Of course, the logo has changed since 2000, but I'm 99% sure it's the same place. Having said that, I'm not entirely certain about the flute's origins. Was it part of a set sold in the gift shop, or was it a promotion given to employees? Two explanations, each one equally valid...

It's really nicely made--the logo is somehow etched onto the surface of the glass, and the "2000" is set differently from the previous flutes--here, it has more of a "3D" effect. The one other difference is the presence of a rougher "ball" connecting the flute to the stem.

September 29, 1999: Boeing Given Go-Ahead on Spy-Satellite Program

September 29, 2000: CNN’s Laurin Sydney on Barbra Streisand’s final concert

(I’m just really lazy, all right?)