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This has to be one of my favorite drawings and one of my favorite devices. It makes artwork on a gallery wall perfectly placed, furniture fit in a room, and cuts to wood, paper and all kinds of materials made in just the right spot. It’s the bridge between creativity and math. It’s also the tool we use to measure how far we launch a ping pong ball in our Science Olympiad air trajectory competition. Go team go!!!

This is the “Dazzle Duck”. It’s a big rubber duck, about 6 inches tall. The dazzle comes from the fact that it is not a yellow rubber duck but bright pink glitter, which cannot be captured with a black and white sketch. You just have to trust me that it is truly dazzling. We bought it as a toy for our dog (who loves all things hard plastic) but I think it’s just too much for her.

This is the king, a bishop and a pawn. I am the worst chess player as I cannot see beyond the current move. I lose to everyone, especially my son who plays the computer and wins all the time. And don’t ask me to set up the board… I never get that right either. BUT, play me in the board game Scattergories and I will destroy you.

Does anyone use a stapler anymore? I actually just used mine yesterday to create a paper chain. But seriously, when was the last time you printed off a series of documents that needed to be affixed in the corner with a staple? I’d opt for a paper clip now or maybe a mini binder clip if it was a thicker stack of paper. Remember the industrial staplers that they had in the school supply rooms? The ones that could staple 20 pages together with minimal effort? Right next to the guillotine paper cutter? Now that was a stapler. And THAT was a paper cutter.

This is the canister and motor of my dyson stick vacuum. I took up the entire paper with just the canister so I was not able to capture an attachment which would have helped with the overall vacuum look. This is used hourly. Charged constantly. Always on MAX power. Sometimes I feel like I can hear the buzz of the motor in my sleep.

If you are Swedish, then you probably have one of these Dala horses sitting around your house. The Dala horse is a traditional hand carved and painted wooden horse that originates from the Swedish province of Dalarna. They date back to the 1600’s. Funny story…. in 2019 I saw a giant (5 foot tall) red Dala horse in Nordstrom that was being used as a holiday display. I tracked down the visual display manager and for 6 years…. yes, 6 years…I emailed him annually asking if Nordstrom was done with their Dala horse. This year I was informed that they are gone after being used and reused and held in storage for years. I guess my 5 inch horse will have to suffice.

This is my watering can. Not much to look at really. It’s a hideous shade of green and made from molded plastic. What it lacks in aesthetic, it makes up for in function. This is the deliverer of life to the houseplants. The orchids, the African violets, the fiddle leaf figs, the snake plants, the pilea, the spider plant, the ponytail palm, the succulents and the olive tree. Wait, when was the last time I watered….

This is my Bog high rise boot. They are the best because they pull on, no laces and they are warm but not too warm. They are my picking up dog poop in the muddy back yard, snow shoveling, gardening, stormy wet walk to school, winter dog walking, quick run to the grocery store, knock around every day year round boots. Most of the white shading depicts winter salt stains.

This is Fred. He is my daughter’s beloved plush highland cow. Delivered by Santa two Christmases ago, he has an every day presence in our house. He is her fierce protector with a Scottish brogue – think Braveheart in cow form. His fur is matted and always in his eyes. He is loved. This sketch is now hanging in her room.