Such a Saintly Shelf

Today, Zoe, Lilly, and I are are all hanging out here in the Rabbit Room, a.k.a. our studio.

We avoided doing anything for awhile today. Who knows why? (A rhetorical question. I actually do know why, but thanks. :))

You know how that can be, right?

We opted to play on the computer a bit, do software updates on our iPod, download some music...

(and may I say, we are loving what we downloaded today: Girl in a Coma's debut CD, Both Before I'm Gone. Check it out if you haven't already. Even the cover art is awesome.
"Totally rockin'," reviews Zoe, as she plays a little air bass guitar. Man, that's cute.)

...and then to do a bit of cleaning.

And while we were cleaning (and I have to say, cats and rabbits aren't terribly helpful at dusting
(unless you are this unlucky cat)), I was inspired to write about Inspiration.

There are an infinite amount of Things in the world that I find terribly inspirational to my creativity. But most recently, through the influence of Blisschick's more and more emergent Catholicism, Things like this inspire me in large amounts (see exhibit A, below):

Exhibit A: A Shelf of Saintliness: My Prayer Card Collection
(included in the center is an impostor!--
a piece of beauty from Jennifer Hugon that also lives on the shelf)

Now, you might say, "But you live with Miss Zoe and Miss Lilly and 3 other cats, plus about 5 Sparkle Cats (for an explanation of Sparkle Cats, see this Blisschick). Well, plus Blisschick. What more inspiration could you need?"

And, admittedly, that would be a good point.

"Take a good look," Miss Zoe quips with her trademark dry wit.
"I need no plate of eyeballs to accentuate my saintly nature.
It is what it is, yes?"

OK, Zoe, but even so, there's something about prayer cards, don't you think?

Last year, Blisschick and I went to a Catholic store near our house, and she bought me my first 2 prayer cards. I immediately imagined my Scotch Irish and very Protestant grandfather rolling in his grave as my finger traced the shape of the dragon laying at Martha's feet. I'd never really held prayer cards in my hands. I was instantly drawn into the scenes.

I loved the colors.

I loved the symbolism.

I loved the juxtaposition of the macabre and the divine.

I loved the narratives they contained.

I simply loved that they were small.

Sorry, Grandpa. But sometimes inspiration lies in unexpected places, you know?

Two more saintly souls who are a part of our assortment:
Miss Emily Dickinson (left) and Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald (right)