Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Our calendar

Every year, Mr. Bunny and I produce a letterpress calendar. It's a nice Christmas gift that doesn't take up much space during the year, and can be recycled at the end of it. Designing and producing the calendar is a pleasant part of our December, too. I do drawings (which are then turned into letterpress plates via..uh...magic, by the people at Box.ca.r P.ress) and Mr. Bunny does the layout of the dates and stuff and all the printing, on a five thousand ton proof press that lives in our third-floor studio. It requires a lot of collaboration (so it's always like going to marriage camp--can we get through this without fighting?), but is very satisfying. Last year the calendar featured pop-ups (pop up animals and stuff). This year, it features little doors, advent calendar style. One is opened each month, and behind each door will be found a recipe for a seasonally appropriate cocktail. (Because I want a fucking drink.) It's always a bit crude and funky, but that's part of the charm, we think. And while we do it mainly for the fun of it, I regularly get e-mails from people when they turn to the next page, so it provides this sweet link to loved ones over the course of the year. ANYWAY, during the design phase, we were talking about what to do with May, the month that Bun Bun will theoretically arrive. Did we want to do something baby-related? For example, some balloons or flowers at the door to signify the new arrival? A baby in a basket? We stroked our chins. HELL NO, we decided. Because if something goes wrong, that would be extremely fucking sad. We'd have to send everyone a big black X to paste over that month. But in the end, I couldn't let the opportunity pass entirely, because I can't think of May without thinking of Bun Bun. So here's the May door, modeled after my very own front door.


No-one but us will think anything of it: May is, after all, a season when one starts to see tons of bunnies if one lives in an area with bunnies. Or they'll be like, Bunnies, whatever, and rip it open to get at the liquor. But for us...hopeful anticipation.

23 comments:

  1. I, being only marginally crafty, covet your calender and mad drawing skillz. I may steal this idea next year. Emphasis on the "may" (refer to previous sentence re: marginal craftiness).

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  2. That's nice...and gives me warm fuzzies. I hear ya about the drink though, damm....it's worth it!

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  3. I think it's practically perfect in every way, Bunny...especially with the bunnies being your own sort of inside and intimate gesture. Yup.

    Is it selfish that I instantly thought in Veruca Salt's voice, "I want Bunny's calendar, and I want it NOW!" as I read this post?

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  4. ooh, that is SOOOOO cute!!!! i hope you're doing a bunny theme for your nursery. will be very appropriate :o) dh saw some bunny stencils and suggested it for us, and my response was "no, i can't steal bunny's *thing*". he was very confused and i was too amused to elaborate.

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  5. aw, that's ADOWABA!

    ...and what, pray tell, will be baby's first drink?

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  6. That is really so sweet and inspiring. Such a nice idea. I am having palpitations of envy over the printing press. Arggg!

    (That is what a palpitation sounds like.)

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  7. Love it! You're a very good draughtsman :)

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  8. I'm so impressed - love this idea!

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  9. I love this! Both the calendar and the idea for May. So very cool.

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  10. I liked that you risked making the May door special, yet inconspicuous. Very astute, dear Bunnies. That calendar sounds so darn amazing! You friends must be so excited to receive it every year.

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  11. Oh my god, I LOVE this! I am immensely jealous of your creativity. The bunnies as a representation for Bun Bun just topples over with cuteness.

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  12. I'd also be remiss if I didn't add that putting a recipe for a seasonal cocktail behind every door makes me love you even more.

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  13. Oh, Bunny, I lovelovelove it! The bunnies and the door--your door--are just perfect. This calendar is such a wonderful idea and an obviously beautiful gift. I want you to illustrate things for me! How's about a trade: drawings for cookies?

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  14. That is such a sweet drawing! And in general, I love your marriage-camp-calendar-making idea.

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  15. What a perfect gift to give! You make me curious as to what recipe is behind that May door as well. I'm hoping that it's something fruity and delightful in celebration of your bun bun's arrival.

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  16. What a cool idea. Love that drawing.

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  17. Warm. I feel all warm again after reading it, well, except for the shit about the black X but I am used to you and your Doom.

    ps - Take Pumpkin up on the cookies. They even come in a decorative tin.

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  18. love the post as usual! Oh Glum, I look forward to reading your posts so much. They make me laugh and think and wish (not in a creepy way) that I knew you. :)

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  19. First you bake lovely treats, now you have your own print studio upstairs? Seriously, you are making me feel very very lame. I love the calendar, I love the "solution" for May, and I think it's great that you guys have done this together for several years and are still married and doing it again. I'm so happy that things are going well for you!

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  20. Excellent:) I love the picture. Actually, I love the idea of you doing this calendar (and think that you should do an online version for your cyberfriends...with links to those cocktail recipes).

    But there's something wonderful about the fact that only you and the mister are in on this, that the picture has significance for YOU. May is a wonderful month for bunnies:)

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