Anna Leahy

Tires Plus

2013-10-03T14:20:00.001-05:00

Tires Plus destroyed my transmission and now expects me to pay for the labor of replacing it. Please spread this around. Here is my Yelp review, which I copy-pasted from my complaint to the stat attorney general: Tires Plus, 3421 East Lake Street, Minneapolis Thanks!

Posting in a Fit of Pique

2013-08-23T14:52:00.001-05:00

Dear English-speaking world: Peek, peak, and pique are completely different and unrelated words.

Yes, I'm sure. Take a peek at all these sources.

The next person who writes that something has peaked their interest is gonna get a copy of the 4th hardcover edition of the American Heritage dictionary upside the head.

New CafePress stuff

2012-02-14T19:36:00.002-06:00

I have so many friends fond of calling themselves Anglophiles, I thought there needed to be a shirt like this:

I don't like to put political stuff in my CP shop, so I opened a whole new shop for this one. I wanted to make it all "Made in the USA" items but I could only find two shirts, a thong, and a dog shirt that worked with it.

And then I was feeling so creative, I made this:

Old stuff

2012-01-31T19:29:00.002-06:00

OHAI! Long time no blog. So over the holidays I went to visit my parents and my mom gave me a shitload - or maybe a fuckton, I'm not sure - of vintage stuff. I haven't posted much of it yet. Here is what's on Etsy:

GENUINE FAKES! These antique fake cameos have new, never-worn ear wires.

Clip-on rhinestone earrings. I saw some flawed ones going for the same price, so this is a bargain.

This is a shoe clip but would make a great brooch. I'm still questioning the price. I was thinking it would be good for parts, but I'm told taking rhinestones out isn't that easy.

This is a Florenza Maltese cross. I haven't listed it yet. I found several listings for the brooch alone that sold for $95. I mean, they had already sold, so I know that's the going price for the brooch. There were several on EBay for $100 but no bids on them. HOWEVER, I could not find one single listing of the brooch and earrings together.

Holiday sales!

2011-11-26T13:28:00.001-06:00

FREE SHIPPING coupon. Good for the rest of the year in my shop! US only. Coupon code: SHIP2011

Anna Leahy on Etsy

CafePress has free shipping on Monday! Free Shipping over $40* 11/28/2011 only use code: SHOPNOV28 This is ONLY good if you buy directly from someone's shop, not through the marketplace.

Anna Leahy on CafePress

*Free Economy shipping for cafepress.com shop orders of $40 or more, excluding shipping charges, gift wrap charges and applicable sales tax. All orders must be added to cart from CafePress.com shops only. Excludes framed print orders and CafePress Marketplace orders. Delivery address must be within the United States and cannot be a PO Box. All orders will be Economy shipping unless the order is not eligible for Economy shipping (e.g., order exceeds Economy weight restrictions), in which case order will be automatically upgraded to free Standard shipping. Coupon code SHOPNOV28 must be entered at check out. Promotion starts on November 28, 2011 at 12:00 a.m. (PST) and ends on November 28, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (PST). Offer valid online at cafepress.com only, cannot be combined with any other coupons or promotions and may change, be modified or cancelled at anytime without notice. This promotion cannot be applied to past orders.

My newest items on CafePress:

New stuff

2011-11-13T22:40:00.001-06:00

I have a seasonal greeting cards section in my CafePress shop now. The heart ones are blank inside.

My latest

2011-11-05T19:00:00.001-05:00

Wall Calendar Minneapolis : Minneapolis Calendar

2011-10-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

My 2012 Minneapolis calendar is finally available!

Wall Calendar Minneapolis : Minneapolis Calendar

New Treasuries by Yours Truly

2011-09-17T12:42:00.002-05:00

2011-09-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

Last night was awesome.

The gallery opening was really crowded. Lots of people liked my painting. One person said it was stunning. I got to talk a lot to the "real" artist there, the one who actually makes a living at it, John Ilg. He had this great piece called "The War on Terrorism" that was a US flag made out of mouse traps. So cool.

First there was a A Short Play About 9/11, which was really, really good. And hard to explain. It follows several characters after the attack: A lost woman who doesn't seem to know who she is; a scientist who got rich developing bio-weapons; and a comedian who offends evryone with his cynicism about it. Also, it's really funny.

Then there was a vodka break, then a stand-up comic did a bit about how his 40th birthday was like 9/11 ("I should have seen it coming!") and then another short play, "Paige and Erin: 9/11," a play about the actresses' actual experience, being students in NYC at the time. They staged it as if they were lawyers cross-examining each other about what they really felt at the time versus how they said they felt. Sounds like ti would be either heavy or sappy, but it was really witty and funny, I promise.

You should really see it. Here's the schedule. The Page & Erin one is only showing afterward on 9/17, though.

Twin Cities Artists Respond to September 11th

2011-09-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

I really like the new Blogger dashboard. I can actually READ my reading list. I might actually start following the blogs I officially "follow" but never read because of the interface. Takes longer to upload pictures, though.

Anyway. Tonight is the opening of this show:

The gallery opening is at 7:00, so that's when I'll be there. I think there are just 3-4 paintings.

The play starts at 8:00. Here's the description:

A SHORT PLAY ABOUT 9/11 follows three characters: a hilarious talk show host on the verge of being fired after a monologue of 9/11 jokes; a Russian bio-chemist whose frequent appearances as a terrorism expert are marred by his inability to stay sober; and a young woman who realizes the agonized face on all those “Missing” posters may be her own. The play charts their struggle to resume a normal life, and the surprising role humor and art play in the healing process. Oh, and it’s funny.

Then there's the "comedy after-party," and I'm not sure what that means exactly but I think there will be food and drinks. The woman directing "Paige & Erin: 9/11" is someone I went to college with. Turns out she also worked at the Seward Cafe with another of my friends, and someone else involved is friends with someone in my Meet Up group. For a metro area of 3 million, it sure is a small town.

Theater, painting, photography, and theater again.

2011-09-10T17:11:00.000-05:00

This play starts today, although the official opening is tomorrow night. That's where us artists have to be on hand to discuss our paintings.

I also found out the director of the later play is a friend of mine from college. If you're in Minneapolis and up on the theater scene, you may know her from the Bedlam group, Maren Ward.

A SHORT PLAY ABOUT 9/11 follows three characters: a hilarious talk show host on the verge of being fired after a monologue of 9/11 jokes; a Russian bio-chemist whose frequent appearances as a terrorism expert are marred by his inability to stay sober; and a young woman who realizes the agonized face on all those “Missing” posters may be her own. The play charts their struggle to resume a normal life, and the surprising role humor and art play in the healing process. Oh, and it’s funny.

(The image is a link to the website.)

In other news, I started trying to sell one of my photos as a desktop wallpaper. We'll see how that goes.

(Picture links to my Etsy shop.)

No news on the job front. Well, not the permanent job front. I'm doing well at my temp job, but it doesn't pay enough. I can just cover the interest payments on my mortgage. And of course, no benefits. The 10-mile commute isn't a selling point either! I have to drive into the sun both ways.

My roommate has severe asthma and she's really sick from all the fires up north. It totally sucks. But it means I'm using her Guthrie ticket to go see "Much Ado About Nothing" tonight. His best comedy, in my not-at-all-humble opinion! Although I do have a soft spot for "Love's Labors Lost" because it was the very first Shakespeare play I ever saw.

Upcoming!

2011-08-28T12:40:00.003-05:00

Box Tops for Education

2011-08-20T09:17:00.001-05:00

My roommate and I are doing Box Tops for Education. Our local elementary school's test scores are in the TOILET. Their goal for this year? Eight dollars. Sound low? Last year they raised $6.

2011-2012 goal: $8
2011-2012 earnings so far: $0
2010-2011 earnings: $6
total earnings since 2002: $648

Other schools within 25 miles.

We're also doing Labels for Education, but I'm not completely sure how that works. They get points for the labels, and that helps them buy products, I guess.

So, send us your qualified box tops and labels! Comment with your email address and I'll send you my mailing address.

They look like this:

and this:

Book: Humans and Demons and Elves

2011-08-13T11:18:00.003-05:00

Just finished: Humans and Demons and Elves by Donaya Haymond.

My roommate introduced me to the term “urban fantasy” for books about mythical creatures in moderns society. It was her favorite genre for a long time, but just recently she was bemoaning the fact that “urban fantasy” has come to mean nothing but human women having lots of sex with hot vampire dudes.

This isn’t that. It is mostly about relationships, though - between, as the title suggests, humans and demons and elves. The focus is on negotiating interracial relationships between friends, neighbors, and romantic interests. No vampire sex, I promise.

Elves and Demons are popping up in the town of Laconia, home to a secret institution for helping non-humans integrate into human society. Each newcomer brings his or her emotional baggage, and they have to deal with both humans who can’t accept them and humans who think magic creatures are OMGAWESOME!

For my taste, the relationships are too cute, but then I’m not the target audience. This is a Young Adult novel, and I don’t think a young teen or pre-teen would find it too cute.

Amazon.com Widgets

Updates to Uptown Market schedule - now with pictures!

2011-07-31T13:05:00.001-05:00

I purchased the whole summer's worth of Sundays at the Uptown Market, but every Sunday was just too much, so I've sold most of my dates to other artists. My next one will be next Sunday, August 7, the same weekend as the notorious Uptown Art Fair. I'm hoping for spillover. Here's the new schedule:

July 31

Teresa Audet - Wooden bowls, furniture, jewelry

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TAudetDesigns

August 7

ME!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/annaleahy

and

Michele Cronin - Cool Fur Pet Beds

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

August 14

Kayla Gustin - Paintings

http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=136259

August 21

Sheila Kargel - T-shirts of oil paintings

http://sheilakargelsstudio.com/

August 28

Teresa Audet - Wooden bowls, furniture, jewelry

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TAudetDesigns

September 4

ME!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/annaleahy

September 11

Michel Cronin - Fur Cool Pet Beds

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

September 18

Stacie Yokiel - Ceramics

http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=159205

September 25

Michele Cronin - Fur Cool Pet Beds

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

Book updates

2011-07-20T12:09:00.000-05:00

Kitty's Big Trouble

This is the latest book I finished. It's #9 in the Kitty Norville, or "Kitty the Werewolf" series. I think it's the best one so far. I really liked the new characters.

7 Days in the Art World

This is the book I'm reading now. It's really excellent so far. It's an ethnography of the art world, although it's not like real academic anthropology; it's much more light reading.

Lord of the Dead

This is the last book I read before the Kitty one. Honestly, I didn't like it except for the Byron/Shelley almost-slash. I found it to be slow.

The Persistence of Memory

2011-07-19T09:36:00.002-05:00

It's official! My 9/11 painting, The Persistence of Memory, will be on display at the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis from September 10-24, 2011. This is in association with a new play, A Short Play about 9/11 by Dominic Orlando, staged by the Workhaus Collective.

On Sunday, September 11, there will be a post-show talk with Q&A. I will be there. Hope to see you!

From the Workhaus Collective's website:

A Short Play about 9/11 follows a hilarious talk show host on the verge of being fired after telling a joke about 9/11; a bio-chemist who confronts the changed rules of engagement by getting drunk; and a lost young woman who realizes the face on missing posters is her own—in a dark comedy about how the path to healing often begins with the ability to laugh at the insanity around you.

With Luverne Seifert and David Hanbury.

September 9-24, 2011

Read more about the play here

Read more about the Playwrights' Center here

Get prints of the painting here

2011-07-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Uploaded a crapload of new jewellery to my Etsy shop. I still have a crapload of drawings to put up too.

My favorites from today:

And for the Watchmen fan in your life...

Product Placement.

2011-07-14T14:07:00.010-05:00

I put a new section in my Amazon store of all my favorite personal products and health/beauty books.

Because I know everyone secretly wants to look like me. :D Okay, no, but I do get a ton of compliments on my hair!

Overdue blog post!

2011-07-07T21:07:00.007-05:00

I was out of town and I still haven't caught up with everything!

I was in Seattle, WA, for my brother's wedding. I took pictures. Some of the flower pictures came out really well so I put them on CafePress. I also found a lot of beach glass, which I'm not sure what to do with. Will probably sell most of it as supplies but I want to try wire wrapping on a few pieces.

New Etsy listings:

Hemp and Ceramic "WTF" necklace
Painting: "CAKE"
Blue cloisonne fish earrings

Upcoming art fairs/shows

I'll be doing the Red Hot Art fair on July 30-31.

Then I'm back at the Uptown Market the following week, August 7, because that is the weekend of the Uptown Art Fair, which is a Big Fat Hairy Deal. Booths there are $500 so I'm not doing that, but the Uptown Market is only a few short blocks away.

I've been invited to show my September 11 painting, The Persistence of Memory, at a theatre in September but I don't have the details yet.

Still to do:

Get the rest of my stuff listed on Etsy
Get my 4 most recent paintings up on MNArtists
Learn how to wrap wire
Finish my Coffee Shop series
And... oh, what was that last thing? Oh yeah... GET A JOB.

Meanwhile...

Here's a schedule of the other artists who will be taking my spot at the Uptown Market:

July 10
Michele Cronin - Cool Fur Pet Beds
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

July 17
Anne Meyers - Green apparel, hip packs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ANNROCKS

July 31
Mary Mueller - Photo cards, framed photos

August 7
ME!
and
Michele Cronin - Cool Fur Pet Beds
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

August 14
Kayla Gustin - Paintings
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=136259

August 21
Sheila Kargel - T-shirts of oil paintings
http://sheilakargelsstudio.com/

August 28
Teresa Audet - Wooden bowls, furniture, jewelry
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TAudetDesigns

September 4
Anne Meyers - Green apparel, hip packs
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ANNROCKS

September 11
Michel Cronin - Fur Cool Pet Beds
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

September 18
Stacie Yokiel - Ceramics
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=159205

September 25
Michele Cronin - Fur Cool Pet Beds
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Furcoolpetbeds

New painting stuff!

2011-06-22T20:18:00.004-05:00

On CafePress, I added a bunch of items for my garlic painting, "NOM NOM NOM, onion painting, "Emo Onion," and my teacup painting, "C₈H₁₀N₄O₂."

NOM NOM NOM
Emo Onion
Teacup (caffeine)

And this is the final painting in my "Black Paint" series. Supposedly the final one in the series.

"The End" Original
"The End" Prints and other shit

I've also added a ton of items for this Raven drawing that I did back in 1992:

Nevermore

And on Etsy I added ACEO prints of it...

Nevermore ACEO

Artsy and Etsy updates

2011-06-16T11:01:00.003-05:00

Two new items on Etsy:

"WTF" necklace

"Mandarin Orange" earrings

Two new designs on CafePress:

The End (2 designs, actually; with and without the black. The painting is a couple years old but I just had it photographed.)

NOM NOM NOM (My favorite of my new paintings!)

Here are all the new painting photos.

NOM NOM NOM

C₈H₁₀N₄O₂

Emo Onion

CAKE (Actually I really hate this one. I'm hoping somebody likes it!)

Thinking (I gave away the original but hope to have prints up soon.)

The End (The last of my Black Paint series. Probably. I did this in 2009 but only had good photos taken yesterday.)

Artsy Updates

2011-06-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

I got someone to rent my booth at the Uptown Market for July 3 and 31, but now I need someone for July 17 too!

See, I'm doing Red Hot Art again this year - I was just accepted today - and the organizational meeting is July 17.

I was actually worried about not being accepted. I did it in 2007, but they had a lot of empty spaces. I also did 2008 and 2009, when they were nearly full. I didn't do 2010 because I had a temp job and I couldn't deal with spending my precious weekend in crowds. This year when I applied, I saw they had a new person running it. I think they've also probably gotten bigger.

This art fair has over 100 artists. On sunny days there are a lot of customers, but it's a very poor neighborhood so most of them aren't prepared to spend much. I HAVE seem people sell huge, expensive paintings, though, and I sold two at $100 each.

Tomorrow I made plans to have my new paintings photographed, and most of them are still not done yet! I need to get my butt away from the computer and get on that.

New listing

2011-06-13T20:51:00.002-05:00

Another one from figure drawing class.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75947105/original-drawing-female-figure-2