The Hoboville Files

It's the first of October and that makes me really excited. It means that Halloween is not very far away...and Halloween is one of my all time favorite holidays!! :o) Of course I love the candy and the dressing up part, but I think I just like the sort of 'spooky' atmosphere that goes with it all. :o)

I've mentioned before that I love anything strange and unusual and I'm always up for a good ghost story. I really like when I learn little historical details and folklore in the process and I enjoy the way that many of these stories actually connect the past with the present...in an entertaining way! Umm...and I also just like getting creeped out!!

I'm most interested in these paranormal sorts of things because I can honestly say that about 80% of the people I've come across in my life have told me first hand that they have experienced or seen something 'strange'. And most of these people (to the best of my knowledge ;o) are completely normal and sane. I've heard stories from teachers, supervisors, co-workers, family & friends. It's hard to understand when I've never had an experience like that myself.

So, I keep my own little 'X-Files' sort of journal. Whenever I hear a first hand account from someone, I like to write down their name and experience so I don't get it all muddled in my head later. So...if you know me and you've ever told me a story...you can bet your name is in there!! hehe.

P.S.
I don't just make rubber stamps. My favorite medium is actually charcoal and pencil. :o)

nikoart at Cute Stuff

A few of my stamp designs can now be found at Cute Stuff on Oahu! They carry everything a rubber stamper could ever want. :o) Here's the address:

(808) 944-2097
2600 S King St, #204
Honolulu, HI 96826

So if you ever happen to be in the University area, please stop by and check them out!!

♥nicole

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

A friend forwarded this video to me and I thought it was something everyone should see. It is Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch's last lecture. A very moving and inspirational video. Please watch!

Mini Shop Update

The forest friends sets, hedgehogs, squirrels and owls are all back in stock! Plus, I now have larger 2x2 inch versions of several of my most popular stamps for sale in the shop.

How I Met Hobocat

Did I mention that I also have a cat named Hobocat? My boyfriend and I were down at the local strip mall (yes, we have those even here in Hawaii) near Wal-Mart (yes, we have those too) when we heard a teeny-tiny, barely audible, little kitty meow...coming from above our heads!! I looked up just in time to see a very scared and very scruffy looking kitten drop down from...who knows where!! The poor thing must have been so frightened that she had managed to scale a near vertical wall and just clung on to the side until she couldn't hold on any longer.

Well, of course I had to stop to check on this sad looking kitten who looked even sadder because she now had a bloody gash on her chin from the big fall and she was making the most pitiful sounding cries I'd ever heard! We asked a nearby business for a cardboard box and as soon as I picked her up and put her in the box, she stopped crying and started purring...loudly. It was as if she knew she was finally safe. We had actually planned on dropping her off at the local animal shelter but since it was a Sunday they were closed and we ended up having to take her home with us. It was supposed to be just a temporary situation, but somehow it turned out to be for forever!

This little kitten was covered in dirt, fleas, ticks, and (we didn't know it at the time) a really bad case of ringworm that made all her fur fall out...but she was the sweetest little thing I had ever seen. Her tail was hairless except for this small pouf left at the very tip. My boyfriend commented that it looked like one of those sticks with a bag at the end that hoboes in cartoons carry...and we started referring to her as the hobocat! Anway, from the time that Hobocat arrived at our home she continued purring non-stop for literally three days straight! Actually, she hasn't stopped since. Don't you just love happy endings? :o)

(Oh, except for the fact that about a week later my entire family and I started noticing these extremely itchy, little red dots all over our bodies. It turns out that ringworm is very contagious and we all contracted it from cute little Hobocat. That was over two years ago and I am still battling that fungus till this day. Gross!!)

Well other than that it's a happy ending!!

Six Six Six

I'm always interested in hearing strange and unusual stories...so here's a small contribution of my own. I had a freaky little incident concerning my etsy shop last week. I woke up one morning to check my page and found that I had 666 favorites, 66 items left in the shop, and three $6.00 sales in a row (666) making my paypal account add up to exactly...$666.99! I'm not very superstitious but I thought that was just a really strange coincidence!! My boyfriend was like "Hey, 666 is the devil's number! Maybe he visited your shop!" Well, maybe even the devil likes to shop handmade! ;o)

Chicken Diapers

Hoborooster loves to spend time with us in the house. Unfortunately, I think it has been proven impossible to toilet train chickens. Luckily, I have come across a solution. Chicken diapers to the rescue! Yes, it's true! Diapers made for chickens really do exist! I've been thinking about purchasing a few for Hoborooster from the good people at ChickenDiapers.com. Maybe one with a fetching floral print... :o)

Funny + Cute

Just wanted to share these two clips from a Japanese t.v. show. I have no idea what is being said, but I love anything funny and cute, and these videos are both!

Check out this adorable cat. I looove his tummy.


...and of course a cute owl! This guy transforms himself when he is startled. Quite amazing.


♥nicole